Jobnet India Jobs and Career Information Jobs and Careers

Banashankari Temple,popular worship place in Bangalore

Travel with vasanthy

A temple with followers believing only in the power of the deity-this is the only description that comes to mind. It has been there next to the crowded bus stop for years, but recently it has come to the notice of the tourist operators who cater to the religious segment of the industry.

The consort of Lord Shiva is known and worshipped by many names. And Banashankari is one of them. The main offering is lemons, the yellow ones. It is very interesting to observe the rituals. The true devotee buys a lemon, cuts into two, squeezes most of the juice, inverts them to make it like a stand and then puts the wick soaked in oil/ghee on the depression she has made on the inverted lemon and lights the lamp. There are variations of the offering-some make a garland of lemons, some offer flowers with a few lemons, some go for the whole works- the package consisting of beetle leaves, betel nut, camphor/incense stick, coconut, bananas and flowers. Of course when the aarati is done there is always a generous gifting of cash, depending on one’s affordability.

The main attraction to this temple is the belief that any wish you have is granted by Banashankari. There is a new wave of youngsters who visit the temple before exams, another wave comes before the various results are announced, another set come when they have to take entrance exams for the various courses they have applied, before a job interview, before joining a new job or before applying for a bank loan! Anyway you see it, the temple is thriving. The annual offerings in the form of jewelry alone adds up to a big one. Recently it was announced that it is one of the richest temples in Bangalore!

Copyright@Vasanthy

Source Jobnet magazine

Posted under Travel

RED HILLS

Travel with Vasanthy

Red Hills nestles in the Nilgiri Hills in Tamil Nadu. It lures people for its waterfalls,green slopes, fields of wild flowers and dense grasslands.

Just about 300 kms from Bangalore, the drive offers a spectacular ghat road. As you drive up, green hills rise majestically above misty waters. Eight lakes are there, to choose from, for those who want a boat ride.

Red Hills Nature Resort organizes activities like trekking. Mountain biking is also an option.

The main attraction is the Toda village. The Toda tribe is the ancient tribe that inhabits Nilgiris.It is said to be of Greek origin.

Porthimund and Parsons Valley reservoirs are beautiful and they offer an opportunity of view spectacular sunsets. Closeby is the Upper Bhavani Dam.

These days one wants to just have a break from their crazy routine, this is such a practical thing to do-just drive down and have fun!

Copyright@Vasanthy

Courtesy JOBNET MAGAZINE

Posted under Travel

KUKKE SUBRAMANYA Temple- Western ghats,India

Travel with Vasanthy

A drive along the Western Ghats is supposed to fill one’s soul with elixir. Mother Nature has offered us a scenic beauty that stays in one’s mind for a long long time. And for those who want to get ritualistically religious there is Kukke Subramanya, situated in the midst of the Subramanya Hills in Western Ghats.

Lord Subramanya is the deity worshipped in the form of a cobra. En-route, people usually take a holy dip in the River Kumaradhara, before they visit the temple. It is believed that the Lord of the nagas (snakes) resides here. People go there to do penance for their wishes to come true.

Before its renovation, the inner sanctorum was just a huge snake pit with walls on three sides and the entrance for the priest to enter and do the customary puja. It was believed that if the visitor is a sinner and tries to enter the inner sanctorum, he would die of snake bite.

The drive itself is beautiful, the lure of natural beauty or the devotion of the pious is not important. It is just an enjoyable one day-tour one can take from Bangalore.

Copyright@Vasanthy

courtesy Jobnet magazine

Posted under Travel

RAVENNA, San Marino, Urbino & ASSISSI Aea.

Travel with Vasanthy

Ravenna is known as the “Byzantium of the West”. The hill top Republic of San Marino, is one of the smallest in the world. To have a view of the area, one has to go in a Fenicular to the top, 2000 meters high. This gadget can accommodate only one person at a time. And its slow pace will not allow you to forget that your climb is slow and steady, right up to the top.

The drive to URBINO with its spectacular country side takes you to Ducal Palace towering over the town.

Ravenna is a showcase of art, history and culture. The city has ancient origins and a glorious past. It is a city of mosaics. Its ancient walls conserve mankind’s richest heritage of mosaics dating from 5th and 6th centuries. The beauty of the mosaics that adorn the ancient basilicas of Ravenna lies in the fact that the highly refined technique sublimes the images represented.

Ravenna is the city that keeps the mortal remains of Dante and keeps his memory alive.

The ancient Franciscan Cloistors is the home for the Dante Museum. Opened in 1921, the museum was set up in the convent of Saint Francis near the poet’s tomb, which gave the entire Dante zone its present romantic period aspect. (Basilica of San Francisco, Braccioforte Chapel and Dante’s Tomb.) Ravenna is also important for the tourist as it holds the decorative sculptors, including that of his girl friend, the chest which contained Dante’s mortal remains, the wooden sarcophagus where his bones were displayed during earlier celebration, and the collection of relics related to Dante.

It is believed that it was customary to offer Olive oil at the tomb, as well as flowers.

Copyright@ Vasanthy

Courtesy Jobnet Magazine

Posted under Travel

KATHRIGUPPE

Travel with vasanthy

This is a place in South Bangalore, very few really know it exists. Suddenly it is in the  news. The newspapers are full of stories of nostalgia, about the Bangalore of the by-gone days, a paradise for nature lovers, with its gardens, birds, and of course the climate.

Many feel it has given way to modernization- buildings, over-bridges, etc. But nature  always finds a way to favor the nature lovers, in this case the bird lovers.

Kathriguppe has an ancient temple amidst trees, which the regular devotees visit. It  is part of their daily routine. The small enclosure housing the deity is under a tree.Suddenly the area is seeing migratory birds from all over. The number of nests in the  region has increased. It is a feast for the bird watchers who are making a bee line to  the area to have a glimpse of the rare birds. These birds feed mostly on fish and baby snakes. Bits and pieces of the food they eat are found in the area which is spoiling the  sentiments of the conservative devotees. They are not able to decide what to do!

Nature always has the last word. By the time they decide, the migratory birds would have moved to their next destination.

Copyright@ Vasanthy

Courtesy Jobnet Magazine

Posted under Travel

MYSORE

Travel with vasanthy

Mysore in Karnataka is known for its Dassera Festival. The pomp & glory of the royalty is there for the commoner to see during this time. But on other days there is plenty to enjoy.

The road journey from Bangalore to Mysore took about three hours. The Bus terminus offers the traveler smooth decision making alternatives- an auto ride, or a taxi ride, or even a horse carriage ride, it does not matter. A lethargic mood takes over and you just want to wander around.

I decided to take the auto, as I wanted to see the much advertised Butterfly Park. The park is huge. There is a lake which surrounds a small patch of land full of trees. You can see the birds perched on the trees. A boat ride takes you right round the island and it is feast for a photographer. The butterfly park is in its infancy. There is a pathway the visitors take and on either side there are flower beds where you see butterflies competing with the color display of the flowers. The long walk to this area is not felt as there is plenty to see on the way. There are rare birds, peacocks all frolicking in the sprawling enclosures. There are unusual shrubs from different parts of the globe. The whole atmosphere offers peace and quiet.

After about two hours of walking, I decided to have lunch. Again the choices are too many. I zeroed in on a good restaurant close to the bus terminus. After lunch, I headed for the Palace close by. There are eight gates and all entrances depict different pictures. And every gate has a temple next to it. It is impossible to cover all in one day. After visiting one I decided to head home. I promised myself there are going to be many visits to Mysore in the coming months.

Copyright @ Vasanthy

Source Jobnet Magazine

Posted under Travel