Bor Dharan, Wardha

In Wardha district of Maharashtra flows a river named Bor. And in Seloo tehsil there is a dam on the river Bor. Along the huge reservoir surrounded by green hills is a great picnic spot & weekend getaway. Maharashtra Tourism has a resort & attached restaurant here. A few private resorts also operate nearby. Surroundings are lush green jungle like and therefore variety of birds can be seen. Bor Dam is about 40 km from Wardha City.

You can club your visit with visit to Wildlife Sanctuary Interpretation Centre & Bor Safari. Efforts are on to connect this Sanctuary to Pench National Park, Madhya Pradesh. You can also visit beautiful Huen Tsang Buddhist Meditation Centre close to reservoir. 

Some photos:

1. Bor Dam Reservoir as seen from Maharashtra Tourism Resort. Resort has rooms & a restaurant 

2. Bor Dam. Better water flow can be seen during monsoon 

3. Bordharan area 

4. Beautiful view of Reservoir

5. Canal gates system

6. In MTDC Resort

7. Another view of Reservoir

8. Huen Tsang Dhamma Training Center. Statue of Huen Tsang the Chinese Buddhist monk, scholar & traveler who visited India during seventh century

9. Beautiful high domed hall for meditation built with Taiwanese cooperation

10. Inside the meditation hall

11. Awesome walk along the Reservoir 

Another video is available on YouTube on following link:

https://youtu.be/spDBVINKrso

सूरज कुण्ड ग्वालियर

ग्वालियर का किला शहर से सौ मीटर ऊँची पहाड़ी पर है जिस का नाम गोपाचल पहाड़ी है. गेरुए लाल रंग के बलुए पत्थरों से बना किला तीन वर्ग किमी में फैला हुआ है. दीवारों की लम्बाई दो मील है. किले की अंदरूनी चौड़ाई दो सौ मीटर से लेकर एक हज़ार मीटर तक है. किले के अंदर मंदिर, महल, पानी के तालाब, जेल और एक म्यूजियम भी है.

ये किला कब बनाया गया और किसने बनवाया इसकी पक्की जानकारी नहीं है. माना जाता है की छठी शताब्दी में यहाँ मूल रूप से किला बना था. किले से सम्बन्धित नवीं और दसवीं शताब्दी के सम्बन्धित अवशेष भी मिले हैं जिससे लगता है की किला तब भी मौजूद था.

किले के बारे में एक किस्सा मशहूर है कि राजा सूरज सेन इस पहाड़ी पर पीने के लिए पानी ढूँढ रहे थे. उन्हें एक संत ग्वालिपा ( कहीं कहीं ऋषि गलवा भी लिखा हुआ है ), नज़र आये जो उन्हें सूरज कुंड तक ले गए. राजा ने पानी पिया तो उनकी प्यास तो बुझी ही साथ में उनके शरीर का कोढ़ भी दूर हो गया. राजा ने यहाँ किला बनवाया और उसका नाम ग्वालियर किला रख दिया. कुण्ड का नाम कालान्तर में सूरज कुण्ड हो गया. सुबह और शाम यहाँ का दृश्य ज्यादा सुंदर लगता है.  प्रस्तुत हैं कुछ फोटो:

सूरज कुण्ड. फिलहाल कमल के पत्तों से ढका दिखाई दे रहा है. मौसम में सुंदर कमल खिलते हैं

कुण्ड के पास छोटा सा मंदिर 

सूरज कुण्ड के किनारे समाधि 

सूरज कुण्ड के पास ही तेली का मंदिर और गुरुद्वारा श्री दाता बंदी छोड़ भी हैं वो भी देख सकते हैं. ये सभी किले के अंदर ही हैं और सुबह से शाम तक खुले रहते हैं. प्रवेश के लिए अलग से टिकट नहीं है. किले के लिए प्रवेश का टिकट इन सभी स्थानों पर लागू है.

Udaygiri Caves MP

Udaigiri Caves are situated in Vidisha district of Madhy Pradesh. Udaygiri is 11 km from Sanchi & 60 km from Bhopal. The area is served by Betwa & Bes rivers. During and after monsoon Udaigiri gets lush green cover & is pleasant to look at. Land is fertile & friendly to inhabitants. This might have led to Vidisha becoming a ancient centre of trade, cultural & religious activities. There were Buddhist Viharas in nearby Sanchi. King Bindusara had deputed his son Ashoka as a governer of Vidisha who later became Ashoka the Great. In fact Ashoka wed Vidisha Devi here who was a daughter of wealthy merchant of Vidisha.

2. A couple of km from Udaigiri is a stone pillar made by Greek ambassador Heliodorus deputed by King Antialcidas of Texla in about second century BC. Heliodorus is said to have started following Vaishanvism & made a Vishnu Temple as well which has however disappeared. The Pillar still stands & is locally known as Kham Baba. 
As per a few inscriptions, the caves relate to Chadragupta II period that is 4th and 5th centuries. Further, caves were in religious use till 10th century. After advent of 11th century invaders the caves seem to have lost importance & merged in to the nearby jungle.

3. In 1870 Alexander Cunningham reported about ten caves to Archeological Survey of India. He mentioned these to be related to second century BC to fifth century AD which aroused the interest of historians.Subsequently ten more caves were discovered. 

4. Udaigiri is a hill which rises 350 feet above ground and is approx 2.5 km long. There are 20 caves here of which two are dedicated to Jainism & the rest have Shiva, Shakti & Vishnu statues or engravings. These are not natural caves but carved ones with depth ranging from three to seven feet. The statues are mostly worn out or defaced or broken. Besides aggressors & vagaries of nature some blame is also shared by quality of stone here. The sand stone here is said to have less resistance to the elements.  

5. Noons here are hot and there is no retaurant around, take care. We reached here in afternoon & no guide was available. Caves have no electric illumination so visiting early recommended. About 200 meters from ticket window there is a small museum which provides complete info about the individual caves which are numbered 1 to 20. It may be mentioned that caves with similar name 'Udaygiri Caves' are located in Rajgir, Bihar and near Bhuvneshwar, Odisha also. 
Some photos:

1. Lord Ganesha. This magnificent carving is said to be one of the earliest Ganesha reliefs. There is a long groove over the niche which suggests that it might have had stone slab shades 

2. Ground level cave with pillars. Some sort of mandap might have been there on these pillars. 

3. Entry and decorative carvings

4. Solar dial 

5. Said to be a Jain Cave shuttered now 

6. Shell script - शंख लिपि.  

7. There are lots of these Shell scipts here. This script is yet to be deciphered

8. This place has largest depository of shell script 

9. Vishnu / Narsimha

10. Narsimha and Dwarpals

11. Durga - Mahishasurmardini

12. Ganesha & Dwarpal?

13. Vishnu

14. Kartikeya 

15. Climb up is facilitated with steps & railings

16. Ticket window and a view of hill 

17. Stepping down the hill with Tawa Cave on the left

18. This Pillar is supposed to be a part of a temple built in Chandrgupta II times which is no more visible now

19. Beautiful & perhaps the best macho presentation of Varaha as saviour of earth. The earth or Bhudevi was dragged into Rasatal or the cosmic ocean by demon Hiranyakshya. Vishnu appeared as Varaha or the wild boar in third avtar to rescue the Bhudevi. Shown here with muscular body, broad shouldered with powerful posture with his left foot firmly planted on Sheshnaga. 

20. Varuna the Lord of Oceans with a Kalasha in his hands 

21. Yaksha in the heavens overhead. Ganga on Makara & Yamuna on Kachchapa descending from the heavens & going towards Varuna 

22. Rescued Bhudevi, Brahma over the head and Shiva on Nandi 

23. Varaha wears a Kanthmala with lotus over the head

24. Varahi on the left holding a lotus which is over the head of Varaha 

25. Sheshanaga with thirteen hoods seeking forgiveness. Thick & large garland Vaijayanatimala worn by Varaha as a mark of victory 

26. King Chandragupta II or someone else? Opinions are divided

27. Devtas, saints, Yakshas, Ganas, kings paying respecs

28. Lush green Vidisha. On the left of this pavement about a km ahead is a village and you can guess the economic status of residents. On the right of this way is the hill Udaygiri.  

Related photo blog posts on Sanchi, Heliodorus Pillar and Bijamandal in Hindi, are as under:

1. साँची के स्तूप - 1/2

https://jogharshwardhan.blogspot.com/2019/01/12.html

2. साँची के स्तूप - 2/2

https://jogharshwardhan.blogspot.com/2019/01/22.html

3. ग्रीक राजदूत का खम्बा 

https://jogharshwardhan.blogspot.com/2018/11/blog-post_21.html

4. बीजामंडल

https://jogharshwardhan.blogspot.com/2019/01/blog-post.html

5. Video on Varaha Cave 

https://youtu.be/5DEo8viL3Oo

From Gwalior Fort Museum

Gwalior and nearby area used to be called Gird - गिर्द or Gopa गोपा area in earlier times. This area included Gwalior, Bhind, Morena, Shivpuri and Sheopur. Gopachal in fact is the name of a hill upon which Gwalior Fort has been constructed. The Gird area touched Malwa, Bundelkhand, Braj and Hadoti. All these ancient names are slowly fading out as their defined boundaries are no more there.

The area was ruled by Bhaghels, Gurjars, Pratiharas, Kachchvahas, Mughals, Marathas and  the British. The area had its share of battles & wars, forts, palaces & temples. Lot of monuments have survived the elements & aggressors. The area however remains backwards, lacks infra & the people are poor. Tourist inflow is less despite rich & varied archeological findings.

Gwalior Fort has two museums displaying archeological artifacts, larger being Gujari Mahal and smaller one in Fort area near Karan Mahal. Some photos from museum in Fort:

1. This beautiful sculpture is of 9th century from Khairat district Bhind. Near the feet of Shiva & Parvati are seated Ganesha, Bhringi, Nandi & a lion.  Graceful with remarkable carvings of jewellary 

2. Beautiful dancing Ganesha. 9th century sculpture from Terahi district Shivpuri

3. Saptmatrika. Tenth century panel from Survaya district Shivpuri. From L to R - Chaturbhuji Brahmani, Maheshwari, Kaumari, Vaishnvi, Varahi, Indrani and Chamunda 

4. Arishtnemi 21st Jain Tirthankar. 8th century carving found in Amroli district Gwalior

5. A shikhara 

6. Erotica panel of tenth century from Padawali district Morena. A bit crude compared to that seen in Khajuraho 

7. Kartikeya. First century BC sculpture from Mitawali district Morena. Son of Shiva & Parvati considerd as commander of army of devtas. In left hand he holds a weapon & in right a cock    

8. Four armed Durga. Eleventh century find from Sihonia district Morena. Relates to Kachchapghata times 

9. Balram. Elder brother of Lord Krishna. Considered as one of the ten avtars of Lord Vishnu.  First century AD from Mitawali district Morena  

10. Mother & child. Beautiful statue of eleventh century Kachchapghata period from Sihonia district Morena  

11. Ek Mukhi Linga  

Gujari Mahal as seen from Gwalior Fort