• The Jyotir Lingams
• The Bhuta Lingams
• The Svayambhu Lingums

It is stated that Lord Shiva had marked his presence in the five south Indian temples. The places were Lord Shiva was present as any normal elements are known to be the Bhuta Lingams.

The five south Indian temples and the particular elements are given below

• Sri Kalahasti – wind

• Chidambaram – air and the heart.
• Kanchipuram – earth

• Tiruvanaikka/Jambunath – water and the stomach.
• Tiruvannamalai – fire and the chest.

Legend behind the Temple:

Alan Morinis in one of the pilgrimage books that was related to the Hindu customs and tradition narrated a very appealing story. The story provides information regarding a blessed hill located in Arunachala, which came in the contact of the Shiva’s fire lingam. The story says that after the death of his wife Sati, Lord Shiva was roaming around in the woods of Daruvana in the remembrance of his loss. It is believed that Lord Shiva was naked and wives f the sages who lived in the forest same him. The wives wanted to unite with Lord Shiva as they were aroused seeing him naked. The sages became jealous of Lord Shiva and thus cursed his linga because of which it had fallen down. As soon as the linga touched the ground its size grew and it looked like an unblemished feature. The length of the linga kept increasing eventually lord Vishnu and Brahma saw it when it has crossed the level of the clouds. They wanted to know what exact happen. Atlast Lord Vishnu turned into a pig and dived into an ocean and reaches the bottom of the linga. Lord Brahma became a Swan and reached its top. On returning back Lord Vishu accepted that he couldn’t find the base but Lord Vishu lied that he had reached to the peak. At the same time Lord Shiva came and appreciated Lord Vishu’s honesty and told them that since it was his linga it couldn’t be measured. On the request of Lord Vishu, Lord Shiva left behind a fraction of the linga in its fire form on the hill in Arunachala.

Location and Structure:

The Arunachaleswar Shiva temple is located in Tiruvannamalai near the base of the Arunachala hill. It is the biggest as well as the oldest temples among all the temples of the South India. The total area covered by the temple is around 25 acres. The exact time when the temple was constructed is till date unknown. It is believed that the development in the temples building was going on for many years. It is known that the huge towers which are commonly known as gopurams were built around 10th as well as the 16th century. The height of the tallest tower is about 60 meters and it has around thirteen tales related to it.

The heart of the temple has the image of Lord Shiva enshrined as Lord Annamalai and also his spouse as Unnamalai. Every year a huge celebration takes place in the temple in the month of November-December. The deepam festival is celebrated as to appreciate Shiva’s appearance as the glow of Arunachala. On the full moon day a huge fire is lighted as a memory of the fire that Lord Shiva left behind on the hill. Pilgrims from all part of the country come here during the celebrations.

Getting there:

Triruvanamalai is located at a distance of around 100 km from Kanchipuram and 185 km Madras. Madras has the nearest international airport which has direct flights to many countries. The nearest railway stations are Madurai as wel as Tirupati. You can take a bus from Madras, Kachipuram as well as Tirupati to reach Triruvanamalai or else ride a car or hire a cab.

When to visit:

The best time to visit Triruvanamalai is from November to January. The ideal time of the day to visit the temple is the morning time.

Opening timing:

The temple is open for its pilgrims from early morning to late in the evening. Avoid going on Sundays or on the public holidays as there is huge crowd on these days.

Entrance fees:

Entrance in the temple is free for everyone.

Khajuraho is a small village located in the Madhya Pradesh state of India. The village is famous for the various temples located in the village. It is located at a distance of around 626 km to the east of the Delhi city. The temples of Khajuraho took around hundred yeas from 950-1050 AD for its construction. The temples were constructed during Chandela reign. The temple’s exterior are carved with the sculptures depicting the physical splendor of woman and man. The demonstrations of the pure poetries that are derivatives of the thought are found nowhere apart from the Khajuraho temples. The most flourishing capital of the reign, Khajuraho was the most glorious place between the 10th and the 12th century. The beautifully carved temples of Khajuraho are the major tourist attractions. Orginally there were around 80 temples but till date only about 22 temples have survived. The sensuous pictures of women and men attract the overwhelming tourists. In the year 1986, Khajuraho’s temple were declared as a World heritage site by UNESCO.

Structure:

The whole Khajuraho temple is enclosed in a wall that has around eight gates which are surrounded by a golden colored palm trees. An area around 8 sq.miles is been covered by the 22 Hindu temples. The decoration of the temple has a unique combination of religious as well as sensuous images. At a point of time the temples became a ruin. The Khajuraho temples were again discovered in the early 20th century. The 22 Khajuraho temples are groups into three main groups; they are the southern group of temples, the eastern group of temples and the western group of temples.

The Southern Group of Temples:

Chaturbhuj and Dhuladeo temples are the part of the Southern Group of Temples. The Dhuladeo temple is located at a distance of about one kilometer towards the south direction of the Khajuraho village and also nearly a mile towards the south west direction of the Jain temples. The Chaturbhuj temple is located at a distance of one mile towards the south of the village. Chaturbhuj temple is located very near to Khajuraho airport.

The Eastern Group of Temples:

The temples that come under the eastern group of temples are located very near to the Khajuraho village. This group of temple comprises of total six temples out of which three temples are Hindu temples where as the remaining three are the Jain temples. The temple of Javari, Brahma and Vamana are the Hindu temple, while the temple of Ghantai, Adinath and Parsvanath are the Jain temples.

The Western Group of Temples:

The western group is located at the chief entrance gate of the Khajuraho temples. Here the temples are place into 2 different rows. One complex of the temples is formed by the Matangesvara, the Varaha and the Laxama temples while the other complex is formed by the Visvanatha and Nandi temples which are located very close by. These temples form an uneven row of temples from north to south. The temples of Kandariya Mahadeva, Chitragupta and Jagadambi form a regular towards the west. The temples of this group face the east direction. The Archaeological Survey of India is responsible for the maintenance of the temples in the Western Group.

Architecture:

The construction of the Khajuraho temples is done with the circular superstructures. Some of the temples are devoted to the Jaina pantheon while the remaining temples are dedicated to the Brahmanical trio and also to the various Devis or goddesses. The designs of the temples have four small shrines that are placed at every curve of the major temple. Also, the most important shrine is placed on a stage at the heart of the temple. There is also a group of minor shikras that come together and outline the foundation of the major Shikhara over the chamber. These shikharas envelop from portal to chamber sanctorum going up in a pitch.

Few temples in the Temples of Khajuraho:

The Kandariya Mahadeva Temple:
The Kandariya Mahadeva Temple is located to the western side of the Laxmana temple. It is the prevalent as well as the most striking temple among the 22 present day temples. The construction of the temple took around 25 years which was started in 1025 and came to an end in1050 AD. The height of temple is about 40 meters. This temple is devoted to the Lord Shiva and has a lingam placed inside the temple.

The Chounsath Yogini Temple:
The Chounsath Yogini Temple is located at the southwest region in the western group of temples. The temple is devoted to the 64 expression of the Mother Goddess. It is placed in the shape of tiny shrines, one for appearance of the heavenly Mother. The construction of the temple is supposed to by complete by the early 9th century. Also it is known as the oldest temple among the Khajuraho temples.

The Visvanatha Temple:
The Viswanatha temple lies in the northeast side of the western group of temples. It is stated that the temple belongs to 1,000 AD. The layout of the temple is quite alike to the Kandariya Mahadeva temple. On a little podium, mandapa is been located also it has graceful roof in a shape of a triangle; here a huge stone statute of Nandi, a bull is placed. Bull is known to be the vehicle of Lord Shiva.

How to reach:

Khajuraho is well connected with Delhi, daily a flight takes off from Delhi to Khajuraho. Khajuraho doesn’t have its personal railway station. Jansi and Satna is the nearest railway station from where you can take a taxi or a car and reach Khajuraho by traveling a distance of around 175 km and 120 km respectively. A good road routes’ network is found connecting Khajuraho with Agra on Delhi-Mumbai national highway.

When to go:

Khajuraho is a place which can be visited at any time of the year. But the time to visit the place is from October to the month of April. Try and make plans to visit Khajuraho around February, especially on the day of Makarsankranti which is the most important festival celebrated in Khajuraho.

Entrance fees:

Everyone who intends to visit the Khajuraho temple is required to pay Rs. 10 at the entrance booth. The entrance is free for everyone on every Friday.

Opening timings:

The temples of Khajuraho are open for the public visit throughout the year, from the early morning up to the sunset.

Numerous Buddhist memorials that belong to early third century and up to the late thirteen century are located at Sanchi, India. These memorials includes a number of monasteries as well as stupas also pillars and temples. Stupas are nothing but huge dome which are semicircular in the shape. The stupas have rooms located in its interior. In the rooms that are situated in the center of the room, the remnants of the Lord Buddha are kept. The Stupa is permeated with many representative values. One of the most famous Emperors, Ashoka Priyadasi had got converted to Buddhism. He ordered to create a Stupa in Sanchi as to celebrate his conversion.

Located near the flourishing settlement of Vidisa, Sanchi is more of a thoughtful place. Since the Stupa was located very close to Vidisa, the monks were able to fulfill their spiritual task of begging very easily. The finance that was required for the construction of the wonderful stupa at Sanchi was been provided by the Merchant’s community that belonged to Vidisa.

Many romantic stories are found that have their backdrop based in Sanchi. It is believed that the Vidisa’s merchants came up to the Emperor Ashok and asked him to convert the location of Sanchi as a Buddhist center. Emperor Ashok was quite happy with the suggestion and thus he himself took an active part in this project. During this time he met a merchant’s girl, fall in love with her and eventually got married. It is said that the girl had refused to move to Pataliputra which was the capital of Maurya Empire. This brought Emperor Ashok quite close to the Buddhism as well as Sanchi. Emperor Ashoka had two children named Sanghamitra and Mahendra are well- known for the spread of Buddhism as Sri Lanka.

History:

During the rule of Emperor Ashoka, Buddhism became the major religion in India, thus making his one of the most popular Buddhist Emperor ever in India. Emperor Ashoka is specially associated Sanchi for the numerous monuments such as sanctuaries as well as pillars and Stupas. The groundwork at Sanchi was put down when he put up the first Stupa. This Stupa is placed along a monumental pillar. Emperor Ashoka built around eight Stupa on the crest of the hills in Sanchi, this also includes the Stupa One.

The eastern as well as the central region of India was been ruled by the Sunga reign. During the Sunga reign many edifices were constructed in Sanchi. The Stupa at Sanchi which was built by Emperor Ashoka was been enlarged as well as façade was constructed around the Stupa with the help of stones. It is ornamented with railings also staircase which would make its way to the top of the Stupa. Around the same period the Stupa three as well as Stupa four was been constructed. The renewal of the temple forty also took place around the same time.

A delicate carving was added to the gateways of the Stupa One during the first century BC by the Andhra Sathavahanas, who at that period had reached up to Malwa. From second century up to forth century the Kushanas used to rule Sanchi and Vidisa was been ruled by the Kshatrapas. Later both the cities was been ruled by the Gupta’s. The Gupta’s played a key role in the temples as well as sculptures which were constructed later. The architecture that was did by the Gupta’s were quite different to that which was seen in the early times in Sanchi.

The Buddhism as well as Sanchi got declined in the later twelve century. At this time the Hinduism was developed in India as well as the Muslim over took the northern region of India. The site of Stupa was in ramshackle state, it was been attacked by the thieves and also by the looters. The Stupa at Sanchi was been rediscovered by the British Officer named General Taylor in the year 1818. Sir John Marshall constructed the stupa again and gave it its present look. Sir John Marshall is also well known for the work he did in the Indus Valley civilization in the year 1919. The Sanchi stupa is also declared as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

Apart from the Stupa do visit the Ashoka Pillar which is located very near to the Stupa in Sanchi. It is one of the major tourist attractions in Sanchi after the Stupa. Ashoka Pillar is one of the many pillars that are spotted across the area. Some of these pillars are broken while some are in proper order. The top of the pillar has four lions which stand back to back of each other. These lion symbol is very popular. Also it is been adopted as India’s national emblem. The Ashoka pillar acts as an outstanding icon of Greco-Roman art.

Getting there:

Sanchi is located at a distance of around fifty kilometers from Bhopal. Cars as well as buses are easily accessible. Bhopal is very well connected to the various important cities in the country by the roadways as well as airways and also the rail routes.

When to visit:

The best time to visit Sanchi is from November up to January.

Entrance fees:

The entrance fee for children is Rs 10, where as for the adults the charge is Rs 250. The entrance is free for everyone on Friday’s.

Opening timing:

The site is open through out the year for the visit from the sunrise till the sun set.

Borobudur is a place where you will come across the mountain of statues. It is located in the State of Central Java in Indonesia. Also it is placed in the South of Magalang. Borobudur is well-known for the huge and the lavish Buddhist Stupa. The Stupa at Borobundar is considered as the largest Stupa in the world. It is believed that the Stupa represents the universe. The monument is known for its incredible splendor and refinement.

Structure:

The Borobudur Temple looks like a mixture of Indian stupa and the mid-Asian pyramid, ziggurat. This huge monument is located on the crest of a hill and is made out of a volcanic rock. The structure has a form of a massive mandala that symbolizes the path to deliverance. The monument has around nine terraces which are constructed one over the other. The six terraces which are placed in the bottom of the monument have a square shape, while the upper three terraces are circular in shape.

History

An inscription which dates back to 842 AD, states that earlier Borobudur was a place which was used for praying. The inscription reads ‘Bhumi Sambhara’. Many researchers believed that Borobudur Temple was constructed around t-850 AD. It was during the rule of Sanmaratungga, who used to rule the Shailendra dynasty that is located in the central Java. Sanmaratungga used to follow the Mahayana division of Buddhism.

The Circumambulation:

The visitors need to walk in a clockwise direction around the monument and later starts climbing the stairs that are located at the right of the mountain. Later you are required to go around the monument before you climb up to the next level. You will reach the top of the temple only by walking around the monument. The total distance that you would be required to cover is around five kilometers.

What to see:

Waisak Festival
This festival is one of the most important festival in the country. Generally it takes place in the month of May. Waisak festival is celebrated as the birth date of Buddha. The city gets colored in the color of joy. Candle-lit processions are organized. Monks with saffron clothes are seen every where. Visiting Borobudur during this festival would be surely a very-exciting experience in your life.

Candi Mendut
It is a peaceful Buddhist temple. It is located at a distance of 3 km from Borobudur. Candi Mendut has wonderful interiors. Around three huge Buddhist statues are placed in the temple. The temple is a must-see for the one who is very much interested in the heritage.

Candi Pawon
Pawon Temple is located at a distance of around two km in the eastern direction from Borobudur. This temple is also constructed with the volcanic stones. The temple is located in the middle of the Stupa and the Candi Mendup. Candi Pawon is a Buddhist temple and also has a merge of Indian and the ancient Javanese art. It is believed that the temple is built in the honor of Kubera, who is the Hindu as well as the Buddhist God of fortune.

How to Reach:

You can take a flight to Jog Jakarta Airport which serves quite a few flights to Borobudur. Also many buses as well as cabs will take you to Borobudur from the airport. A car can be easily rented from Jog Jakarta. You can also ask the car to stay if you want have a stay at Borobudur. If you need only a drop off, try and get the metered taxi. A number of bus leave for Borobudur from the Jog Jakarta’s Giliwagan Bus Terminal, from the Borobudur bus top the site of temple is at a distance of one and a half km thus you can surely walk down the distance.

When to visit:

The best time to visit Borobudur is from the month of May till October. Also the time of the day to visit the temple site is Morning.

Opening timing:

The site is open for the public visit from 9 in the morning till 5 in the evening.

Entrance costs:

All the registered students are required to pay Rp 70,000 for entering the site, while the Indonesian adult needs to pay Rp 9,000 also the non-Indonesians adult are supposed to pay Rp 120,000.

The three temples that are grouped together to form the Great Living Chola Temple are located in Tamil Nadu, which is the Southern region of India.

History:

UNESCO declared The Living Chola temples as the world heritage site in the year 1987. Originally in 1987 only the Brihadiswara temple at Thanjavur was declared as the world heritage site later in the year 2004 another two temples were added to the same category. The construction of the Brihadeshwara temple was ordered by King Rajaraja. The Brihadiswara temple belonged to the 10th century where as the later added Gangaikondacholisvaram temple and the Airavatesvara temple belonged to 11th and 12th century respectively. The temples of Airavatesvara and Gangaikondacholisvaram are located at Darasuram. The Gangaikondacholisvaram temple was been constructed by Rajendra I in 1035 AD where as the other one was constructed by Rajaraja II. An idol of Lord Shiva is placed in the temple of Airavatesvara. All the three temples are well-known illustrations of painting, architectural, sculptural, and also the achievements and the progress the have seen during the chola period

The Brihadisvara temple of Thanjavur

The Brihadisvara temple is located at Thanjavur. The temple was been constructed by the famous ruler Rajaraja Chola who belonged to the Chola dynasty. The temple was declared as a World Heritage Site in the year 1987. The temple was constructed in 10th century AD. The architecture of the temple is very much inspired from the Dravidian temples. The wall that fortified the fort was later built in the 16th century. Peryil Koyil which is a central temple is placed inside the fort. The tower which is commonly known as Vimana is constructed inside the temple. The height of the tower is about 70 meters. It is the considered as the world’s biggest tower. The Sikaram that is the crown of the temple is octagonal in shape. The weight of the crown is about 82 tonns. Lord Shiva in a form of Shivaling is worshipped in the temple. The Shivaling at Brihadisvara is the considered as the world’s largest Shivaling. The height of the Shivaling is about 8.7 meters. The stone bull commonly known as Nandi is another prominent characteristic of the temple.

The weight of the nandi is around 27 tonnes. It is known to be the world’s second largest nandi. The temple is of a huge size also the interior of the temple is decorated with designer painting mostly of the Thanjavur style. The walls of the temple are adorned by the full scale images of Laxmi, Durga, Saraswati as well as numerous forms of Shiva. The Lord Ganesh shrine in the interior of the temple was been constructed by a Maratha ruler, Sarfoji. It is observed that fine arts have got a huge encouragement in the temple.

Brihadisvara temple at Gangaikondacholapuram :

Brihadisvara temple at Gangaikondacholapuram is one of the important architectural monuments in the Chola dynasty. The temple was consytructed by Rajaraja Chola who was the son of Rajendra Chola. The Cholas had established their rule over the northern India areas of Ellum and Madurai were conquered by them. Later the Chola kingdom was extended on River Ganga’s banks The local water supply body that belonged to Rajendra Chola was been purified by adding the water of Ganga river to it. The Gangaikondacholapuram temple was constructed during the glorious period of the Chola dynasty. Rajendra Chalo expected to construct a temple which was similar to that of the Brihadwisvara temple in its magnificence.

The construction of the Gangaikondacholapuram temple was started in 1020 AD and was completed by 1029 AD. The total height of the temple is 55 meters. The temple has delicate curves. The carvings on the temples tower are very much complex. Also the architecture of the temple has taken its impression from the Northern Chalukya. The temple of is built out of granite stone. The entrance of the temple is very much ruined. A nandi is placed beyond the entrance. A figure of dancing Shiva or Natraja is also found in the temple. A image of Lord Ganesha dancing as well as a figure of Shiva were half of his body is male while remaining is female, commonly known as Ardhanarisa is also seen. A shivalingam which is 5m tall is placed inside the temple.

Airavatesvara temple at Darasuram:

It is the last temple among the trio. Rajaraja Chola II built the Airavatesvara temple. The temple has a Vimana that is a tower. The height of the tower is 24 meters. A Stone figure of Lord Shiva is placed inside the temple. All the 3 temples are excellent examples of impressive art and exotic architecture that belonged to the Chola reign.

How to reach:

The nearest airport to visit the great living Chola temples is Tiruchirapalli airport. It is located at a distance of 65 Km from the The Brihadisvara temple of Thanjavur. You can reach the remaining temple by taking a metered taxis or traveling through the state transport bus. Also you can take a direct train from a number of cities in India and reach Thanjavur. You can also rent cars for traveling in the interiors of the city.

When to go:

The best time to visit the three temples located in South India is from September to January. The climate during this period is quite cool.

Opening timings:

All the three temples are open from 6 am ton 12 pm and later 4 pm to 8 pm through out the year.

Entrance fees:

The entrance to the temple is free to its every visitor.

The Konark Sun Temple is many times spelled as Konarak temple. It is a Hindu temple that belonged to the early thirteenth century and it is devoted to the sun god. The shape of the temple is like a huge chariot, the temple is acknowledged all across for the wonderful rock carvings that envelop the complete construction.

The Konark Sun Temple is the most renowned tourist attraction located in Orissa in India. The Konark Sun temple has been decalred as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in the year 1984. The temple is situated in the Konark village, which is located at a distance of around 35kms to the north of Puri in the coastal region of the Bay of Bengal.

History:

King Narasimhadeva, who ruled the East Ganga ordered for the construction of the temple at Konark around the year 1250. It is believed that he had constructed the temple as to celebrate his victory against the Muslim attackers.

As stated in the various stories regarding the temple as well as its construction, the temple possess a huge aura of power. It is believed that this enormous power comes from the two powerful magnets. It is stated that these magnets are used in the construction of the tower. The magnet made the throne of king to hover in the middle of the air.

A number of European mariners who used to sail off the coast were using the tower of the temple for the navigation purposes. They named the Sun temple as the Black Pagoda for the repeated ship wrecks that used to take place along the coastal lines. They credited the tragedy to the renowned magnets’ result on the tidal model.

The Muslim Yavana army did sack by the Konark Sun temple in the early 15th century. The vital statue which was been preserved inside the temple was been smuggled all the way to Puri by priests. The Sun Temple faced a huge damaged due to the attack.

Later the destruction of the temple was over taken by the nature. For many centuries which passed by the sea used to move away the sand which later surrounded the building also the salty breezes that came from the sea played a key role in the worming out of the stone. The sun temple remained covered beneath a massive mound of sand in anticipation of the early 20th century, when the restoration of the temple began under the rule of the Britishers.

British archaeologists exposed the inferior elements of the temple that had stayed behind well conserved under the sand and re-establish what they could of the remaining parts of the remains. Many trees were planted surrounding the temple as to cover the temple from the huge harmful winds and also a museum was later opened to exhibit whatever sculpture were left. Also many sculptures were sent London, Calcutta as well as Delhi.

The Earl of Ronaldshay in the year 1924 announced the newly- exposed temple to be “one of the most stupendous buildings in India which rears itself aloft, a pile of overwhelming grandeur even in its decay.”

The major entrance in the temple is place on the east side and it faces the sea. This entrance is located in the façade of bhogamandapa which is also known as the Hall of Offerings. The sculptures of dancers as well as musicians is engraved on the walls of this hall, hence the hall was later used for the traditional dance recital.

At a point of time the sanctuary tower was showpiece of the Konark Sun Temple. This masterpiece of the temple today is nothing but just a clutter of various sandstone slabs which are kept one over another. It is located in the western side of the temple. This impressive construction has a pyramidal roof which is actually a terrace. Commonly it is known as jagamohana.

The roof of jagamohana has a roof that has around 3 tiers and many statutes are placed over them. The statutes are either of dancers or the musicians. It is believed that the statutes perform for the sun god who looks up to them from heaven. The platform at the base also has a sculpture of Lord Shiva as Nataraja and performing the dance. The interior of the terrace is now-a-days barren up.

The stairs that takes you up towards the Statute of Surya is located beyond the terrace. The statute of the Sun god is carved out a huge green colored chlorite stone. It is supposed to be the most beautiful work of art present in Konark. The statute of Surya is shown as wearing huge riding boots. An image of Aruna is also engraved with the statue. You can make your way further to the original shrine of the deity.

Lovely sculptures are carved on the surface of the Konark temple. The sculptures are of varied subjects which also include numerous erotic sights which are influenced by Kama Sutra. Such sculptures are seen in the hallway that takes you up to the terrace and also by the side of platforms as well as in the doorways’ region located in the main structure.

What to See:

A huge chariot is been formed in the Sun temple for the sun god, Surya. The chariot is very huge and has 12 pairs of stone-carved wheels and also a squad of seven running horses. Till date only one of the seven horses has survived intact.

The temple does represent the passage of time, and declares that the time is under the control of the sun god. The sun temple which is pulled towards the east by the seven horses, symbolizes the seven days of the week. Also, the 12 pairs of wheels stand for the 12 months of the year. Further the eight different spokes placed in each and very wheel represents the eight perfect phases of a day in a women’s life.

Getting There:

You can use the regular buses as well as the Jeeps that serve between Konark and Puri. The distance between Puri and Konark is around 33 km away from the coast. The time required by the bus trip is about an hour. Remember that last bus that comes back to Puri leaves in the evening at 6:30pm. You can also try out the option of an auto-rickshaw. The round trip will cost you something around Rs250-300 which even includes waiting period.

The Official guided tour for The Konark Sun Temple leaves from the city of Panthaniwas in Bhubaneswar. They also visit the Dhauli. The official tours are available everyday expect Monday from 6:30 in the morning till 6:30 in the evening.

Opening Timings:

The temple is open for the visitors from morning 9 to evening 6.

Entrance fees:

The entrance fees that is to be paid at the booth before entering the temple is Rs 250/- per individual.

Angkor in Cambodia and Bagan in Burma. Both sites are prominent for their span of blessed natural features and the amount as well as the size of their entity temples. For a huge number of tourists Bagan is the more astonishing among the two great cities. The remains of the many hundreds Angkor temples stand all alone as well as isolated in thick jungles. It becomes easy to see some other parts of the site only if you climb the peak of the tallest temple. Expanding diagonally a gigantic grimy plain, the remains of Bagan are not hidden anywhere. You will find no trees that could obstruct your view. You can easily fix your eyes across the countryside which covers an area of around forty square miles. In this area around thousands of temples are being located. You will witness a spectacular view from Sulamani Temple in the early morning, also from the Gawdawpalin Temple in the late afternoon.

Various kings have been trying to establish their rule over Bagan since the early 2nd century. In the year 1057 AD King Anawrahta conquered the Thaton region this was the time when Bagan go into its golden. From this time till the rule of Kublai Khan over Bagan which lasted till 1287 A.D around 13,000 pagodas as well as temples and many other spiritual structures were constructed. Today around eight hundred years later only about 2,200 temples are standing still. The one-third area of the city is already washed away by the river Irrawaddy. Many temples as well as pagodas have been torn apart by the numerous thieves as they kept on wandering in the search of treasure. A number of earthquakes that took place in the last many decades also reduced the many temples.

Don’t forget to get an exotic view of the city by traveling in the hot air balloon across the city. Also try out the various boat rides over the Irrawaddy river.

How to reach

Bagan Airport is the nearest airport. From the airport you can use call the cab or rent a car services available for the national as well as the international tourists. You can reach Bagan by the air route from Heho, Mandalay as well as Yangon in less than 60 minutes. The distance between Yangon and Bagan is about 683 km. Buses takes around 12 hours to cover this distance. If you are an adventure freak you can reduce this distance by minimum 2 hours by taking a ride in the car. But remember you would be required to take all the strains as well as pains of traveling on the roads of Myanmar roads.

When to go

The best time to visit Bayan is from October to April when the climate is very much pleasing. You can also visit the site during the rainy seasons which lasts from June to September to experience the natural beauty of the site.

Opening timings

The site is open for the tourists to visit from morning 8 to evening 6 throughout the years.

Wat Traimit is commonly known as the Temple of the Golden Buddha. The Wat Traimit is located in Bangkok. It is located at one of the end of Chinatown. The statue of Buddha in the Wat Traimit is the largest statute in the world which is made up of solid Gold.  The weight of the statute is around five thousand kilograms. Also the height of the statute is around 15 feet.The place is worth a visit at least for the amazing Buddha figure.

History

The exact date of the construction of the Wat Traimit is not yet known but it is expected that this temple is been constructed during the 13th century.is thought to date from the 13th century. The Golden Buddha figure is around 900 years old. Also the made is made in the Sukhothai style. It is supposed that Ayuttaya had first brought the Buddha image.
To hide the value of the Buddha image it was been covered by the plaster, when there was a sack going on in the city by the Burmese. It was in the plaster for nearly 2 centuries. Since it was in plaster it was of very little worth.

In the year 1957 it was decided that the statue of Buddha was to be shifted to a new temple that was situated in Bangkok. Since the statue was very huge a crane was called for relocating the Buddha. The statue on its relocating way slipped from the clay into the mud. He workmen left the statue in the mud and then left.

A temple monk saw in the dream that the statue had divine powers. He went to the statue in the mud and saw a glitter of gold through the crack in the plaster. Later it was discovered that the Buddha statue was of pure gold.

The statue takes a seat on a plain structure just hardly big enough to grasp it inside the temple compound. On the terrace in the exterior of the room that houses the Golden Buddha, there are some very motivating machines that tell you your fortune. You need to drop a single coin in the opening and a series of lights representing numbers that flash roughly in a circle, the wheel of the fortune’s style which ultimately stops on one particular number. You can recover your destiny from the striking boxes that are placed below the machine. The fortune slips are printed in English as well as Chinese and Thai languages.

Getting There

The Suvarnabhumi airport or New Bangkok airport is the nearest located airport. From there you can take a cab, tuk-tuk or even hire a car to reach Wat Traimit. The temple is situated near the Odeon traffic circle which marks the entrance for the Chinatown. The Hualamphong railway station is located at a very short distance from the Wat.

Admission Fee

You are required to pay 20 Baht if you are willing to see the Golden Buddha. This amount is to be paid at a booth which is situated near the wiharn. You have an option of ex changing your currency in the same booth.

The highly advertised as well as the utmost photographed Ten Thousand Buddha’s Temple is located west of the Sha Tin KCR station. You can always combine your tour to Sha Tin with the visit to the temple. While walking down through the streets of Sha Tin towards the temple you will come across the numerous aspects of the city. Moreover you would be enjoying the culture as well as the history of Hong Kong.

Structure

There are many things in the Ten Thousand Buddha’s Temple that are worth a visit. To reach to the temple you need to climb up some hundred steep steps, the lower level of the steps have lots of grass around it. Life-size statutes those are similar to that of the Buddha’s statute are lined up on the both sides of the steps. Do stop along your way as you will surely admire the detailing of the statute. Some statutes have red lips while some have facial hair while some have hoods. Every statue have some or the other instrument that is held in their hand. There are around 500 numbered statues.

The lower floor of the temple has staues, pavilions, temples, arhats, a restaurant as well as a pagoda. The restaurant is purely vegetarian. The pagoda which is located in the lower floor is about 9 stories. The walls of the pagoda are colored red and golden yellow in color. The base has a line of golden arhats as well as small sized Buddha statutes situated at various positions. Many more Buddha’s are placed on the spiral staircase. The most important assistant’s of Buddha Manjusri as well as Samantabhadar are positioned on both the sides of the tower. The statutes are very huge. Manjusri who is seated on the blue colored lion was known her bravery and wisdom. Samantabhadra rides a huge white colored elephant did performed many noble deeds, as well as had reasoning abilities.

Both of them are one of the most important ten disciples.

18 Arhats are placed in the interior of the courtyard. There are nearly hundreds of Arhats but these 18 arhats are very special and are known for the distinguish qualities that they possess. Offerings are made to them by the people who come to visit the temple. It is known to all that the Arhats have acquired their enlightenment through tremendous practices as well as maintaining the discipline which was done by Buddha too. When they reached nirvana they decided to postpone it and serve themselves to help the people who wanted to reach their level. This was a very unselfish act done by the Arhats.

How to reach

The Hong Kong international airport is at a distance of 35 minutes from Sha Tin.  From Sha Tin you can hail a cab/taxi or even a motor taxi and reach the temple. The best option is to walk down to the temple.

When to go

The best time to visit Sha Tin is from mid-September up to January.

Timings

The temple is opened throughout the year from morning 9 to evening 6 for the public to visit.

Entrance costs

The entrance to the temple is free of cost to everyone.

Location

The two of the most enormous structures of the older temples located in the Southeast Asia. One is located at Bagan in the Burma while the other temple at located at Angkor in the Cambodian region. The Khmer civilizations were the one who were involved in the construction of the temples of Angkor which were built during 802 and 1220 AD. The temple of Angkor symbolizes one of mankind’s most astounding and stable architectural accomplishments. The Khmer kings used to rule the vast province that covered the area of Vietnam to China up to the Bay of Bengal from Angkor. The formation one observes at Angkor these days is a collection of around 100 stone temples. They are the remnants of the social, religious as well as administrative capitals. The buildings of the capitals were made with wood and since a long time has passed they have already decayed.

The temple is the national symbol of Cambodia and is also present on the national flag of the country. The Angkor Wat has also secured a place in the Seven Wonders of the World. The temple of Angkor Wat is used in the background of movie called Tomb Raider which was starring Angelina Jolie who played a role of a video game heroine Lara Croft.

Angkor Wat is located at a distance of around 200 miles from the country’s capital Phnom Penh. Angkor Wat was originally constructed during the 12th century by Suryavaram II. The temple is been constructed in the honor of the Hindu god Vishnu. Also it acts as a symbol that represents the Hindu cosmology. Angkor Wat comprises of a huge temple that symbolizes the mythic Mt. Meru. The temple has five inter-nested walls which are rectangular in shape. The moats of the temple stand for the range of mountains as well as the cosmic ocean. The small magnitudes of the huge amalgam are specifically allied by the length of a north-south axis. The east-west axis has been intentionally abstracted 0.75 degrees to the south of east and to the north of west, apparently in order to provide spectators a 3D expectation of the spiral equinox.

How to reach

To visit Angkor Wat you can take a flight and land at Phnom Penh International Airport. Further you can travel in Moto-taxi and tuk-tuk services which are available across the city. Many of the vehicles drivers do speak or at least understand English.

When to visit

The best time to visit the site is in winter that is between December and January.

Opening Timings

You can visit the Angkor Wat any time any day throughout the year from the dawn to the dusk.

Entrance Fees

The entrances fees which is required to be paid before entering the side is US $2o for a single day as well as US $40 for three days and also US $60 for an entire week.