H.A.ARAVINDA blogs

  Dhuandhar waterfalls is one of the prominent tourist attractions in the state of Madhya Pradesh. It lies on the course of Narmada River and is located near Jabalpur city. The height of the falls is around 30 metres high from river bed. One can see the Dhuandhar waterfall from two sides one fron the east bank where there is direct pathway to access it. To see the other side of Dhaundhar Waterfall you have to take the Cable Car Service available at Bhedaghat.  Dhuandhar Waterfalls The word Dhuandhar is derived from two Hindi words - Dhuan (smoke) + Dhar (flow) meaning a waterfall where we get smoke-flow like feeling. This place is also famous for its Marble rocks. Further downstream Narmada River flows through narrow George. This George (Narrow gap where River flows forming a Valley like structure) is full of marble rocks where you can view them through Boat rides.  Dhuandhar falls is situated approximately 285km from Bhopal, Capital of Madhya Pradesh. You can reach this ...

  Main View of the Garden. One of the greatest examples of royal indulgence and repose the Shalimar Bagh located in Srinagar, Jammu And Kashmir was planned and laid out by Mughal Emperor Jehangir. It was completed in the year 1633 A.D. This garden was inspired by queen Noor Jehan and was built specially for her. Shalimar Bagh as all other gardens in kashmir, it was built primarily a camping sites for visiting Mughal Emperors. The garden measures 594m×250m. The park is divided into two zones comprising five terraces divided by stone wall. The lower portion is called Diwan-i-Aam while upper terraces are called Diwan-i-Khaas. The main features of this garden are twin baradaris, the pink, black Pavillion and hammam(Turkish bath house). The garden has seen renovations from time to time especially after 1870s by the then Dogra kings and after independence period. 

Kheer Bhawani or Ksheer Bhawani Temple is situated at Tulmulla, in the Ganderbal Dist, Jammu & Kashmir. It is one of the important shrine for Hindus especially Kashmiri Hindus. It is about 25km drive from city of  Srinagar. The temple is associated with Hindu Goddess Ragnaya Devi, another form of Goddess Parvati. The Temple was built by Maharaja Pratap Singh  in the year 1912 and later it was renovated by Maharaja Hari Singh. The place is surrounded by streams and chinar trees in the temple premises.  The main sanctum sanctorum is a Hexagonal Spring wherein the Diety of Goddess Ragnaya is decorated and housed in a small White Marble Temple. Mystic Spring The Legend goes that Ravana worshipped mother Ragnaya and she had resided in his kingdom "Lanka" now known as Srilanka.  Later due to Ravana's misdeeds the goddess cursed him and ordered Lord Hanuman to take her to "Satisar"(Kashmir), a place cut-off from outside world  by Snow Clad mountains. Along with t...

The making of the cultural ethos of modern Karnataka owes a debt to the efforts of Nalvadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar (1884-1940). As the Maharaja of Mysore for nearly four decades, between 1902 and 1940, he cultivated a humanistic vision of community co-existence that shaped old Mysore culture in important ways. Maharaja Sri Krishnaraja Wadiyar-IV – Quick Facts 24 th  Maharaja of Mysore Kingdome 1 February 1895 was the coronation date Period of reign- 28 December 1894 – 3 August 1940 Preceded by Chamarajendra Wadiyar X Succeeded by Jayachamarajendra Wadiyar Nalvadi Krishnaraja Wodeyar – Early Years Krishnaraja Wadiyar IV was the firstborn of Maharaja Chamarajendra Wadiyar X and Maharani Vani Vilas Sannidhana. He was born on June 4 th , 1884 in the Mysore Palace. His early education was under the tutelage of P. Raghavendra Rao at the Lokaranjan Palace. The yuvaraja was instructed in western studies, Kannada, Sanskrit, Indian and western classical music and horse riding. Maharaja Sri Krish...

  The making of the cultural ethos of modern Karnataka owes a debt to the efforts of Nalvadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar (1884-1940). As the Maharaja of Mysore for nearly four decades, between 1902 and 1940, he cultivated a humanistic vision of community co-existence that shaped old Mysore culture in important ways. Contributions of Nalvadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar Compulsory primary education Primary education was made compulsory for everyone and in 1915, public schools were directed to begin admitting Dalit children in an effort to give up caste discrimination. The State Bank of Mysore was established in 1913 The Bangalore Agricultural University was also established in 1913 The Kannada Sahitya Parishat was established in 1915 He became the first chancellor of the Benaras Hindu University in 1916. The Mysore University was established in 1916 The Mysore Chamber of Commerce was founded in 1916 The University Visvesvaraya College of Engineering and Maharani’s College for women in Myso...

  Maharaja Sri Krishnaraja Wadiyar’s reign brought Mysore into the limelight for many reasons.  Alleviating poverty and improving rural infrastructure were his main concerns. Public health, education and the Mysore economy also flourished during his reign. Maharaja Krishnaraja Wadiyar- IV was the first to criminalize untouchability and ban child marriage for girls under the age of 8 years. He also established a number of scholarships for widowed girls and donated Rs 60 lakhs each year for spastic children. In 1915 the Mysore Social Progress Association was formed to empower the weaker sections of the Mysore society. In 1918 he appointed Sir Lesley Miller to look into the backward classes and recommended 25% reservation of government jobs for non-Brahmans. In 1925, he also established the Kadhara Sahakara Sangha to help villagers in Tagdhur. The City Improvement Trust Board was set up under his guidance  – the first association of its kind in India. A number of educational...

Jayachamarajendra Wadiyar made valuable but uncelebrated contributions to Western classical music, including paying for the premiere of ‘Four Last Songs’. The year was 1948. Europe was limping back to normalcy after seven terrible years of a world war. Richard Strauss had managed to escape his shattered homeland in the last year of the war and had settled in neutral Switzerland. It was here that the ailing 84-year-old composer wrote his farewell to the world through  Four Last Songs , which included  Frühling  (Spring),  September ,  Beim Schlafengehen  (When Falling Asleep) and the haunting  Im Abendrot  (At Sunset). He was never to hear them performed, but he expressed the desire to have them sung by the reigning Wagnerian soprano, Kirsten Flagstad, writing to her in 1949: “…I have the pleasure to provide to you my Four Last Songs with orchestra, which are currently in print in London; to give their premier performance in an orchestral concert w...

Maharani Kempa Nanjammani Vani Vilasa Sannidhana  was a queen and regent of  Mysore ; regent between 1895 and 1902 during the minority of  Krishnaraja Wadiyar IV . She was the wife of Maharaja  Chamarajendra Wadiyar X  and the mother of Maharaja  Krishnaraja Wodeyar IV . She occupies as significant place as any in the annals of  Mysore  history. Her contributions to the citizenry, her roles of Maharani as regent and as queen mother of young prince  Krishnaraja Wadiyar IV , one of the most illustrious rulers of India, has remained commendable. She is considered as one of the three rare gems in the history of Mysore queens. Regency Maharaja Chamarajendra Wadiyar, on a visit to Calcutta in 1894, developed diphtheria and succumbed to sudden death there, thus abruptly cutting short, a promising reign that lasted only 13 years. He was just 32 and had already left his mark as an excellent leader. His death suddenly created a void as prince...