These five sacred Taoist mountains are linked to the five directions of the world. In China, the centre is also a direction so they have five directions in all according to the Chinese geomancy. The geomancy is  a new spiritual meaning that is obtained from the land layout.

Mythologically, these mountains are believed to have been created from the head and the limbs of the first being and the creator of the world, Pangu. Out of these the Tai Shan is the most sacred as it is in the east. Song Shan is in the center of these five sacred mountains and so is also called the Zhong Hue or the central peak.  Recognized as holy mountains it was  the Zhoue ruler Ping shifted his capital to Luoyang in the year 771 BC. This is a beautiful stretch of land filled with mountainous delights.

There are pagodas, and Buddhist temples, which are popular areas of interest alongwith the Shaolin Si temple that is popular for its kung fu. You have a working Taoist temple Zhongyue Miao that is also an added delight.

Enjoy the sights of Baima Si the oldest Buddhist temple in China. You could also stay at Dengfeng and enjoy exploring the innumerable paths that dot this beautiful mountain region.

With beautiful landscapes and lovely mountainous sights, tours to in China are really worth it.

Amongst the many ancient megaliths and mysteries of the world, this structure makes way for the rest to be inconspicuous. Such is the magnificence and the grandeur of this edifice that one would always cherish it in the list of travels across the world.

The stones here were constructed in the different Neolithic periods and as with many prehistoric sites, the main purpose is not known. The stones are all geometrically and astronomically aligned well and were made for the sake of sacred rituals.

Once you are here, you would realize why the earlier inhabitants of Portugal consider this as a sacred site. Enjoy the most peaceful ambience with the surroundings of fascinating cork trees and olive branches. This view of the stones occupying the hillside here provides ideal visual delights. So see the town of Evora and go down the history lane to enjoy this roman settlement of the first century BC.

There are 95 stones here all aligned and they extend to upto 70 metres down the hilly region. All the stones face downhill and resemble frozen figures and it is indeed a sight to behold. Most of the stones have designs engraved on them, which is mesmerizing.

The lovely Almendres Cromlech is situated around 15 km to the west of this beautiful town of Evora. With great pleasures of lovely travel memories, this is surely a place worth visiting in this part of the world. Ancient megaliths have their own charm and tours here are certainly filled with maximum fascination.

Almendres Cromlech is one such enchanting construction of the past, which is still present.

There is something special about this place, which has been a Christian Church, since the year 774. In the year 1181, the Church was reconstructed by 1200.

This fascinating structure was burned down sometime in 1498 and the then Prince Archbishop planned to have a new cathedral constructed so that he could endorse the contribution of Salzburg to the Catholics of the city.

But then this Prince Bishop Dietrich was overthrown so the cathedral could not be completed. It was the Archbishop Markus Siittikus who completed the structure, which was consecrated by Archbishop Paris count Loudron in 1628. There is a Virgin Column in the middle, which has a statue of the Virgin Mary belonging to the year 1771.

The marble façade and the magnificent domes on top make it a very great tour attraction and the twin west towers with these domes are a perfect example of masterpiece constructional ability. The doors are made of bronze and they show the main themes of Hope, Love, and Faith.

The interiors are wonderful with a shade of white and sepia. There is something very peaceful about the place and the fact that it is an ancient construction makes it all the more intriguing. With magnificent murals of Baroque decorating the entire cathedral, there are some, which are painted by Mascagni of Florence. Again, the dome was damaged in the Second World War and was restored back as recently as 1959.

The entrance has a Romanesque font where Mozart was baptized. Many of his compositions like Coronation Mass were made for the cathedral.

With beautiful memories and fascinating travel delights, Salzburg Cathedral is a must see.

The exterior of this shrine has a Latin cross, which forms the ground plan. There is a three stage choir with a semicircular end, a nave with an aisle, and a plain transept. The Gothic spires here go back to the time of the 15th century. As you walk uphill, you will get an enchanting view of the tower.

In the nineteenth century, the west towers were reconstructed based on the styles of Paray Le Monial. One cannot see much of this front as it has many other buildings surrounding it. There is an enthralling plaza in the north, which provides a great view of the northern side. This plaza has many outdoor cafes and a beautiful fountain.

The simple austerity of the Autun cathedral alongwith the heritage value of the structure makes it a very interesting shrine to visit in tours to this part of the world. There is a lot of Roman heritage influence and the sights of arcading and pilasters being built on the basis of the Roman city gates only leaves the tourist asking for more. The sides of the cathedral have beautiful murals of angels and there is one that shows the martyrdom of St. Symphotien, which has been a work of Ingres.

There are funerary statures of Pierre Jeannin and this wife Anne Gueniott on the southern side of the chapter house. The glory of this place is the simple tympanum which is over the west door and which depicts the last Judgment.

The Autun Cathedral thus is one of the most revered Catholic shrines of the world.

With a history dating back to 1600 years, the tale goes that Hulli, an Indian monk came here and impressed by the peaceful surroundings built this temple for the heavenly spirits. It is said that the temple in ancient times had 18 towers, 9 buildings, and 72 halls with around 3000 monks living in 1300 rooms. Today it is a popular Buddhist temple in Asia.

There is a Hall in the centre, which has a big statue of the smiling Buddha, Maitreya. The statue of Skanda, the Dharma protector is also found here alongwith two coloured sculptures of the Four Heavenly Guardians. There are two stone dhvajas also on either side.

The main hall of the Lingyin temple is the Great Buddha Hall where there is a magnanimous 24.8 inches statue in the centre looking very sober. It is said that this statue represents the founder of Buddhism Sakyamuni and is seated on a huge lotus. A sculpture of Buddhism Mountain with 150 fascinating Buddhas is there behind this huge statue. There are two beautiful pagodas of 1,100 years back on a platform here.

The Hall of medicine Masters, was reconstructed a couple of years back. With an Arhat hall with Buddhist relics and 500 Arhats on the left and sculptures of heaven sons of moon and the sun on the other side, this is another unique feature of the temple.
Another attraction here is the Feilai Feng, which is a peak with many caves with inscriptions and Chinese art carvings. There are around 330 Buddha statues here.
With so many things to see and so much to know about, the Lingyin temple is a must see destination in this part of the world.

It was Umayyad Caliphate who chose Damascus s the Syrian capital from 661 to 750. It is said that the great evangelist Paul changed to the Christian religion when he was traveling on a road to Damascus. Damascus has been mentioned in the documents of old Egypt and was a caravan centre in the southern part of Syria. It was a very successful trade zone as it was geographically strategically placed.

King David had waged a way against the Arameans. He captured the city of Damascus and later when Rezon conquered it, he took away the sovereign rule of Israel. He made Damascus the capital of the kingdom of Aram Damascus. It remained thus till the Assyrians destroyed it in 732 BC. Then Damascus was ruled by the Chaldeans, later the Persians and finally the Greeks ruled over it. Pompey the roman general captured it sometime in 64 BC and finally in the era of the New Testament there were many Jewish people living here alongwith a considerable section of the community of Christians.

Then it is said that Saul or Paul as he was later known as, was on his way to Damascus to kill the Christians, as he was blinded by a light caused due to the presence of the Christian Lord Jesus. Paul is believed to have stayed in Damascus for three days when Lord Jesus sent Ananias a disciple, to see Saul. Through this disciple, Jesus brought back Saul’s eyesight and also baptized him. Damascus is the city where Paul started his work as an evangelist and taught the Christian followers not only in Asia, but also in Europe and Africa.

Damascus is today a revered Biblical site and there is mention of this place disappearing as one of the premiere cities in the world. the Bible tells of terrible events that would occur in Syria and Israel wherein Damascus would vanish. Damascus is known as the oldest city on the planet and has seen at least 5000 years of history. There are historians who actually believe that the city has been existing since 7 B.C

Damascus would be playing a major role in the coming years. Prophet Isaiah has also foretold a conflict between Israel and Damascus and also says how Damascus would cease to be a city. How far all this is true is entirely ones belief.

God told Prophet Isaiah that Damascus would disappear and turn into a pile of ruins. It has been prophesised that the Damascus power would wane away and Israelean cities would be destroyed.

It is also been told that as a result of the destruction of Damascus and Israeli armies form Lebanon, Jordan , Gaza and Syria would raid the region and destroy the entire peace in the place.

However if one looks at the landscape of Damascus today it is difficult to envisage what has ben prophesized. As a place, Damascus is very much a revered spot as it was before and people still come here to the Biblical value of the place. The city with old walls has a very ancient look and has a network of gullies and lanes with magnificent doors opening into lovely courtyards. The houses look very blank here and there is a medieval touch to the place.

Visit the Souq al Hamidiyya that is a small street filled with shops selling spices, copper and leather goods and also silk scarves.

Then there is the Umayyad mosque, which is a building with three minarets. This is a fantastic piece of architecture and a must see. This was earlier an Assyrian temple then a Roman one and a church and then a mosque and a church and today it is the famous Umayyad mosque. There are Christian drawings on the walls and the grave of John the Baptist is laid here. Women have to cover their arms, legs, and hair inside and this is one of the most sacred Islam sites.

Then you have the Mausoleum of Salah al –Din that is called Saladin by many. A statue of him on the horseback is the main attraction. Saladin was a great anti crusader here. There are two idols of Frankish knights below the tail of the horse and they are Guy de Lusignan and Reynald de Chatillon the King of Jerusalem and Lord of Kerak respectively. These knights had been captures in Salah-al Din’s victorious run at Hatttin. Guy was imprisoned and later released but Reynald was executed.

With the Azzam Palace also providing lot of sacred delights tours here are filled with a lot of religious connotation and travel memories. Thus, tours to Damascus are a must in visits to Biblical sites.

]]> http://www.sacredvoyage.net/biblical-tales-from-damascus.html/feed 0 http://www.sacredvoyage.net/biblical-tales-from-damascus.html http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/SacredVoyage/~3/EK5kGQ3CUOE/baroque-elegance-at-dilkusha-kothi.html http://www.sacredvoyage.net/baroque-elegance-at-dilkusha-kothi.html#comments Wed, 09 Jan 2013 09:16:36 +0000 admin http://www.sacredvoyage.net/?p=2125 When you come to India, you are sure to go back with a valuable travel memory, as it is a land of surprises, intriguing places, and mind-blowing destinations. With the most fascinating forms of architecture, India is certainly a land filled with the most of travel delights and the utmost forms of tour pleasures. Visit Lucknow in India and enjoy the Baroque architecture forms here. The Dilkusha Kothi here is famous for its ancientness and offers great attractions in tours to India. Come here and enjoy the delights of an eighteenth century house here that has been built in English baroque style and is located in the quite Dilkusha area in Lucknow in India. Today there are very few towers and walls of this magnificent monument left in India but there are beautiful stretches of the garden left here. The house was part of the structures shelled during the Lucknow siege in the year 1857 alongwith the other buildings like the La Martiniere School and the Residency.

Built around the time of 1800, the building was actually meant to be a hunting lodge for the Nawabs of Oudh here. It was Major Gore Ouseley a British resident who built this structure. He was a friend of Nawab Saadat Ali Khan who was the Oudh ruler in those days. There were many changes made in the structure by Nawab King Nasir Ud Din Haider. The building had beautifully patterned walls but no courtyard in the inner side. This is a very common thing in Indian constructions to have a courtyard in the interior. The building thus had a small footprint and did not span a huge area. It was actually taller than the normal architecture of the local buildings. The La Constantia is a structure that is situated on the banks of the main river in Lucknow River Gomti.

The design is in the Gothic style and is very similar to the Seaton Delaval Hall in England in Northhumberland. This Delaval Hall was constructed in the year 1721 and was patterned by Sir John Vanbrugh. He incidentally also designed the Blenheim Palace. Dilkusha Kothi is shown in the albumen print and the period is between 1864 to 1865.

Dilkusha Kothi was actually meant to be the location for an early balloon ascent. The Frenchman Claude Martin also arranged for a balloon ascent in Lucknow but he died before the demonstration here. King Nasir ud din Haider and his courtiers watched the ascent in the year 1830.

The Dilkusha gardens are a main feature of the constructions here. The grounds were in the middle of the British military activity in the months of September and November. The entire place went through a lot of destruction when there was an uprising in Lucknow. The buildings faced a lot of shelling but there is no evidence of any kind of major damage.

Today the Dilkusha Kothi remains a place of attraction for all and the gardens are just a sight for the eyes. There are many visitors who come here during the winter season when it is a time to picnic. The Archaeological Society of India has also carried out minor repairs and maintenance. The site is said to be the most beautiful monumental structure in the history of Lucknow.

But Chokahatu is different and it has two menhirs and then the rest of them are all dolmens and burial slabs. The dolmens are also called as Sasandiri for the Hos, Oraons, Mundas, Hos and the Asurs. It was T F Pepe who discovered the site sometime back in the latter half of 19th century. In fact Mr. Pepe had the rare distinction of finding many megaliths in India sometime in the 19th century. Pepe discovered the site and reported it to Col. Dalton who came here in the year 1871.

In fact people were very bewildered to see the enormous size of the site. The helpers counted around 8000 sepulchral slabs and the entire area was more than 7 acres. It was said that there must have been an under stratum of these graves and the entire site should be around two thousand years old. But it is believed by the villages that the site is around 14 acres and should be more than two thousand years of age.

Even today people from far off places come for burial in this holy land. Dolmens are built overt the dead bodies and slabs are carted on the vehicles. Chokahatu is more special because it has been commonly used since its inception. Chokahatu in fact is one of the oldest historical Indian sits and has been in use since ancient times in an uninterrupted manner. Chokahatu is a place that is recognized as a continuous living heritage and so is a great contender of being a World Heritage Site. It is thus one of the Indian megalithic sites and is really worthy of respect here.

Megaliths are the truest forms of relics in Indian archaeology. They are found all across the country and they have not shown as sources of the country’s prehistory. Unfortunately these monuments have been ignored a great deal by the common man and the scholars. They have an aboriginal origin. The site is an attempt to show the reverence we should have towards these magnificent stones.

Architecture of these megaliths differ from one region to another and they are quite similar. Whether it is India, China and England the megaliths are solely memorial stones and burial grounds. All of them are found in single places which are quite suggestive that they were respective Jangarhas, Sasandiris, Hargarhis belonging to the adivasi villagers for which the burials were once created years back.

Most of the sepulchral stone are seen here placed totally at an angle towards the west and also opposite it. Such stones are placed laterally creating a row like structure with an alignment of North South. This is said to be the way the dead are oriented in India.

There are many copper and iron slags besides black and red pottery, black pottery, red and ochre pottery. Many of the sites belong to the time of the Chalcolithic period. The tribal villagers damaged the sites and were searching for treasure from the stone slabs. The stones were then towed away as washing stones.

The Chokahatu Megaliths thus have a great value but are slowly getting popular in this part of India.

Han Buddhism has Mt. Emei, Mt. Wutain, Mt Jiihua and Mt Puto as the Four Sacred Mountains. Legend has it that these four mountains are the enlightenment locales of the Bodhisattvas Wenshu, Guanyin, Puxian and Dizang. These four sacred Buddhist Mountains are very popular for their libraries storing Buddhist books, cultural antiques and the other forms of scenic beauty and Buddhist architectures.

Mt. Wutai is located in the Shanxi Province of the County of Wutai and is one of the five major Buddhist pilgrimage sites in the entire world. The other four Buddhist pilgrim spots are Kushinagar in India, Lumbini in Nepal, Buddhagaya and Mrgadava in India again. Wutai is a place that is especially dedicated to the Bodhisattva of wisdom which is called Wenshu in Chinese. It was around 67AD that Mount Wutai became very popular. Today it has more than 50 temples and the most popular ones here are the Tayuan temple, Xiantong temple, Foguang temple and Pusading temple.

The Xiantong Temple is one of the oldest Chinese temples and is the first destination for all pilgrims who come to this part of the world. The Sarira Stupa, the great White Pagoda, the Tayua temple are all major landmarks here in this part of Mt. Wutai. Bodhisattva summit is the most important and also the largest temple of Tibetan Buddhism on the Mt. Wutai.

Mt. Emei is another of the sacred Buddhist mountains in China and is located around 160 kilometres to the southwestern part of Chengdu in the province of Sichuan. In the year 1996, Mt. Emei was declared a UNESCO World Heritage and Cultural Heritage Site. Alongwith this, the Leshan Giant Buddha which is supposed to be the largest stone carved Buddha structure in the world, was also declared a Heritage structure. The construction of such temples of Buddhism in this region began in the 2nd century and then by 15th century it had reached its zenith. There are around 30 temples here today on the Mt. Emei and this is inclusive of the popular Wannian and the Baoguo temples.

The Baoguo Temple is today the best maintained and also the most ancient temple in the Mt. Emei. It has two famous treasures of a bronze bell and a Buddhist statue. The Buddhist statue is around 2.4 metres tall and the bronze bell is around 2.3 meters tall and weighs 25 tons. This is in fact one of the most important temples in Mt. Emei and was constructed in 420. The temple has witnessed and withstood 18 earthquakes in a span of 4 centuries. The Golden Summit of Emei is very famous here lying around 3,079 meters above the sea level. It has all the best features of an ideal mountain and has a sea of clouds and also sacred lamps and an auspicious halo.

Then there is Mt Putuo which is another fascinating temple in the Zhoushan Islands. It is around 100 nautical miles to the east of Hangzhou Bay in the province of Zhejiang. There are three important temples on Puto. One is the Huiji then the Fayu and then Puji. The PUji temple has a very ancient structure the Yuan Dynasty Duabao which is also called Abundant Treasures Pagoda. There is a stone stele in the FAyu temple from the rule of  Wanli in the Ming Dynasty. It has a Bodhisattva image carved and shows a Bodhisattva Guanyin holding a willow twig in her hand. the temple also has the Nine Dragon Hall which is an exact image of the predecessor of the Ming Imperial palace in Nanjing. There is a ceiling which has beautifully carved nine dragons and they reveal the true workshmanship of the ancient kind of ornamental architecture.

Then there is Mt. Jiuhua another Buddhist mountain which is situated in the city of Chinzhou in the southern part of the River Yangtze in the province of Anhui. Mt. Jihua has more than 70 peaks and half of these peaks are seen rising over a height of around 1000 metres. The highest is around 1342 metres. It has lovely waterfalls, magnificent valleys and fascinating streams. The mountain is shaped like a lotus and is famous for the scenic beauty. Huacheng temple is the most important temple here on and this is a structure that was built in he Jin dynasty. The Baisui Palace is found here a little to the east of Jiuhua Street. Built on a very steep cliff in the local patterns, this is a temple that is worth seeing on tours to China. Then you have the Zhiyuan temple which is a lovely maze of palatial roofs and steep cliffs. The very majestic Dongya temple is found here and today has the Anhui province Buddhism Seminary.

Thus temple pleasures are enthralling in the beautiful land of China so come and visit these Buddhist temples which have been here since ages.

There is something very special and lovely about tours here and this is what makes this conical hill in England a major tour attraction. Glastonbury Tor is a fascinating conical landmass in the Glastonbury area in England. With a 14th century Church Tower topping the hill, there are lot of legends and tales that are told about this beautiful geographical formation in this part of the world. It is believed that this might have been a place for ancient rituals an was a great pilgrim spot at one point of time in the medieval era. Today however it is a very popular travel destination and tourists coming here enjoy the sight of this beautiful natural formation and go back with a nostalgic travel delight. Those who make the climb enjoy the panoramic view of the Somerset countryside from here.

Some two thousand years back the sea was there till the base of the Glastonbury Tor. The sea used to border the group of hills that were present here. Then the sea got reduced to a huge lake and the Tor then became a peninsula of kids. The Tor would have looked actually like an island from many angles. The Glastonbury Tor was earlier called in the Celtic name as Ynys witrin or the Island of Glass.

There have been excavations on the Tor in the past and these have revealed a lot of Roman artifacts and Neolithic flint  tools. These indicate that Tor might have been existing since ancient times. There is a man made terrace perhaps on both sides of the hill and these are also seen to have been from the times of the Neolithic age.

It is believed that there was a second phase of occupation here that started maybe between the years 900 AD and 1100 AD. This has been known due to

Tor got its first occupation sometime in the Early Middle Ages. There have been lot of remains that have been found during this period and these include items like postholes, metalwork’s forge, two sixth century burials, animal bones, and pieces of Mediterranean amphorae and a bronze head that is completely worn out.

the discovery of the head of a cross and also something that resembles monastic cells that have been cut into the rock on the peak of the hill. There is also proof to the existence of a monastic community in Tor and this is confirmed by a charter in the year 1243 that gives permission for a fair to be held in the Monastery of St. Michael situated on the hill. There are many sites in this region that are dedicated to St.Michael who is revered as the Arch angel. Mont .St.Michael in Normandy is one such example.

The church and the monastery here in Glastonbury Tor were linked very well with the Glastonbury Abbey which is in the main town. In fact pilgrims of the medieval era used to climb up the hill with peas in their shoes as a mark of penance.

It is said that the church of St. Michael was the fires monastic and it was perhaps destroyed due to a major earthquake in 1275. the church was then reconstructed in the 14th century and what we see of the church today is only a tower.

St. Michael’s Monastery on Glastonbury Tor got ruined after King Henry VIII dissolved all the monasteries during the great English reformation. It is said that the last English Abbot Richard Whiting was hung here in the Glastonbury Tor in the year 1539.

Glastonbury Tor is filled with a lot of intrigue and mystery. Legends have it that there is a lot of connection of this place to King Arthur. In modern times, this is believed to be a major centre of energy and is also revered as the home of a Goddess.

The Isle of Avalon has a lot of connection with Glastonbury Tor and gets its name from a Celtic legend  of Avalloc the demi god and Avallah the underworld ruler. In fact in Celtic songs, Avalon was considered to be an isle of enchantment. It was believed to be the place where the dead meet and where the dead passed to another level of living. Tor is believed to be the place where the lord of the underworld, Gwyn ap Nudd used to live . It is also believed that a lot of fairy folk lived here.

Glastonbury Tor is at a height of 521 feet and has the lovely sights of the Mendips, Qantocks, peat moors and the Welsh mountains. Visitors like to see the St.  Michael’s tower and the informational plaque here. There is a Roman Catholic pilgrimage that begins from here in summer.

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