WORLD TOURISM

Archive for the ‘Asia Tourism’ Category

Bodhgaya is a small spiritual town located in North India in the state of Bihar. Bodhgaya is associated with the life of Gautama Buddha, the father of Buddhism. Buddhists from all over the world visit this place where Gautama Buddha was believed to get enlighten and attained salvation. The Mahabodhi temple is of historic importance and there is a big statue of Buddha inside this temple. At the back of this temple lies the Bodhi tree. It was under this tree where the Gautama Buddha sat for meditation and was enlighten. You can see the throne popularly called as Vajrasana, made of red sand stone under this tree, on which Buddha sat and meditated. Anyone will be amazed to know the age of this tree which is around 115 years.

The Mohanta’s monastery near the Mahabodhi temple is visited by many people, as it is the place where Adi Shankaracharya stayed for sometime. It is recommended to make a visit here during the months of October and November due to its pleasant climate and it is also the time period during which, you can see the chant festival in Sun temple. The Bodhgaya museum is of archeological importance as it has ancient relics of Buddha, sculptures, pillars, etc of the historic period. Many people from all around the world visit this historic and spiritual town every year.

Amritsar in India is famous for Sikh pilgrimage tourism, as it has attracted people from all over the world to visit the religious spots here. The most famous spiritual tourist spot in Amritsar is the Golden temple, which is situated in the middle of a holy lake. The architecture of this temple is remarkable, as it depicts the combined architectural styles of both Hinduism and Islam. Not only the Sikhs, but also people belonging to various other religions visit this golden temple every year. Located near golden temple is another famous temple called Durgiana Mandir. The Tarn Taran shrine in Amritsar has a holy lake, which is believed to be capable of healing all illness.

During the England regime over India, a massive tragedy familiarly known as the Jalianwala Bagh tragedy took place which killed the lives of many people. There is a memorial near the golden temple which is of historic importance in remembrance of the Jalianwala Bagh tragedy that took place. Many spectators all around the world visit the Wagah Border which is the India-Pakistan border to watch the security event of change of guards daily. Several other tourist attractions in Amritsar are the Rambagh garden, Ram Tirath Temple, Baba Atal Rai tower, etc.

Ajanta and Ellora caves are located in the state of Maharashtra in India. These rock cut caves are of exquisite beauty and both these caves have been recognized as world heritage spots by the UNESCO. The Ajanta caves were constructed by the Buddhist monks by carving the Sahyadri hills. The Ajanta caves consist of 29 caves on the whole, belonging to the Chaityas and the Viharas. The ceilings and the walls of these caves have numerous artistic sculptures and paintings, depicting the life of Lord Buddha and also depict the tales of Jataka.

The Ellora caves were carved out from the Charanandri hills and besides Buddhism these caves were also dedicated to Hinduism and Jainism. The Ellora consists of 34 caves out of which 17 caves belong to Hinduism, 5 caves belong to Jainism and the remaining caves are for Buddhism. The cave 6 in Ellora is the world famous Kailas temple of Hindus. The sculptures in both these caves are elegant and the serene beauty brings out the archaistic talents and craftsmanship of the Buddhists during the medieval period. Tourists and pilgrims from various places visit this heritage spot every year to experience the historic, artistic and peaceful site.