Senchal Lake Darjeeling : Ideal Picnic Spot

The Kanchenjunga Mountain, is located in Darjeeling. Senchal Lake, which seen from the hill top, and it is considered to be an ideal picnic spot among the places.

Senchal lake  | Image Resource : flickr.com

Senchal lake, placed 10 km to the south-east of Darjeeling .From Kanchenjunga Mountain Senchal Lake about 40 min away by cab. The area surrounding the lake is relatively empty giving a calm and serene feel to the place.

Lake and Surrounding | Image Resource : Flickr.com

The lake is located at a high altitude of 8,160 ft (2,487 m) above sea level. It offers magnificent views of the hilly surroundings. The snow that is flowing from the mountains is collected at this lake. The Senchal Lake is a tourist spot and the main water source for the town of Darjeeling.

Senchal lake and nearby  area | Image Resource : flickr.com

The lake and its nearby parts are well maintained and the water of the lake is also clean. The lake is enclosed by thick jungles of oak, pine and birch.

The lake set in the middle of the reservation feels like a nature’s mural so unexpected and beautiful. The sanctuary around the lake is also a beautiful sight to watch with colorful flowers like rhododendrons and orchids it increases the beauty of the lake by several degrees.

There is a golf course and clubhouse just a slight onward of the lake which is largely frequented by the tourist and the local population.

The lake, along with its charming environments, affords perfect place for picture, but the real beauty of the place has to be seen in reality, a picture however clear cannot replicate the actual feel!

Trekking At Lohgad Fort

Main Entrance Of Lohgad Fort |  Image Resource : Wikipedia.org

Lohagad fort is part of the Western Ghats. Situated close to the hill station Lonavala and 52 km (32 mi) northwest of Pune  It is rises at an elevation of around 3400 feet above sea level. The south of Malavali Station is closed to the fort. Lohagad is joined by the Mumbai-Pune Highway and can be retrieved from Paud via Kolvan and Dudhiware Khind for all automobiles.The fort lies in the middle of Indrayani and Pavani rivers, thus dividing the two basins. Nearby Lohagad Fort there is another fort called Visapur Fort.

Wall of fort | Image Resource : wikipedia.org

The fort as seen in monsoon | Image Resource : wikipedia.org

In fort found ‘Bawali’ (a step-well) and a large tank, which was thought to be constructed by Nana Fadanis during the Peshwa era. All people observed a temple near it, which was still undamaged. Besides, there is  also a grave of a Muslim priest. the west side of the fort, which have a long wall that pointed down like a fortified limb. It is called as Vinchukta, which meant the scorpion sting.

Vinchukta | Image Resource : wikipedia.org

The Visapur Fort, which looked larger than the Lohagad Fort. This fort stands as an epitome of the war-torn Lohadwadi, which was destroyed by the British using canons to fight Marathas. The ruins of the Visapur silently convey the dreadful story of the war.  The British occupied both these forts for a long time.

Lohgad fort is nice place for trekking lover in monsoon season. Enjoy this monsoon with lohgad fort !!!!!

Inspirational Thoughts

Inspirational Thought |  recipe101.info

Photo Of The Day : Shankar Maharaj

Shankar Maharaj

Shree Sadguru Shankar Maharaj is good saints in India,endowed with heavenly powers and is worshipped as God Shiva incarnated in human form. Shree Shankar Maharaj was an Ashtavakra and Ajanubahu saint. His lifetime comprised of 161 years. 

Source : Shankar Maharaj

Van Vihar National Park Bhopal

VanVihar National Park is a national park in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh. The complete park is extend over an area of 445 hectares of land. The huge park consists of lush green plant life of beautiful flora. The place is an abode for varieties of animals. It is enclosed with the Upper Lake.  

Van Vihar is unique because it allows easy access to the visitors through a road passing through the park, security of animals assured from poachers by building trenches and walls, chain-link fence and by providing natural habitat to the animals.

Spotted Deer | Image Resource : flickr.com

 The animals such as tiger, lion, bear, hyena, crocodiles, gharial, snakes, python etc., are kept in captivity in a system of kraal and enclosures in lines of modern concept of zoo management as per the norms of Central Zoo Authority. All felids and hyenas are fed with buffalo meat, mutton and poultry. Bears are provided with milk, vegetables and fruits to make a balanced diet.

Lion | Image Resource : flickr.com

Mahashivratri - Festival Of Lord Shiva !

Lord Shiva | Image Resource : wikipedia.org

Maha Shivratri is a Hindu festival celebrated yearly in appreciation of the god Mahadev. Celebration of this day reason is  that  marriage of god Shiva  and goddess Parvati. This festival, also called as 'Shivratri' or 'Great Night of Shiva', sign of the union of Shiva and Shakti.

Maha Shivratri is celebrate on the Krishna Paksha Chaturdashi of Hindu calendar month Maagha . This festival comes in February or March as per the Gregorian calendar. In whole year comes totlay 12 shivaratris, but  Maha Shivarathri is the most holy and like to shiva also. On this day all temples decorated with lights and crowded by devotees.

A lot of traditional folk story related with the mahashivratri. Once story is that , before ago one trapper went to jungle and drown the animals for his food. One day when a trapper not found any animal to drown for his food in a jungle, he watched on the division of a Woodapple tree. In order to attract deer, he begun falling the leafs of the tree on the below land, unfamiliar in lower place of tree one shiva LIngam situated. Happy with the Woodapple leafs and the patience of the trapper, it is surprised that Lord Shiva came in front of the trapper and sanctified him with sanity. From that day on ahead, the trapper closed to eat meat.

Worship Of Shivlingam | Image Resource : 3.blogspot.com

 People keep fast on this day. Maha Shivratri start from before the sunrise. That day , married women go to the shiva temple and worship the god shiva and beal leaves, milk and water offering on shivalingam. Some people in home making soil shivlingma to worship .

All-day keep fast and an all-night doing jagaran. All through the day, devotees sing "Om Namah Shivaya", the spritual mantra of Shiva. Penances are performed in order to gain boons in the practice of Yoga and meditation, in order to reach life's highest good steadily and swiftly.

 

The Picnic Spot Or Trekking place : Shivneri Fort Junnar

Panoramic View Of Shivneri Fort Junnar

Shahaji Chatrapati Shivaji's father worked in the army of the Adil Shah. He was bothered for the security of his wife Jijabai during her pregnancy as there was constant battle occurring. He for this reason shifted his family to Shivneri fort. Shivneri is a highly defendable place, with steep rocks on four sides and a strongly built fortification. The fort is about 85 kms away from north of Pune. 

Shivneri fort -Birthplace | Image Resource : flickr.com

Chhatrapati Shivaji was born at the fort on 19 February 1630, and expended his childhood there.He got his name SHIVBA . There Inside the fort is a tiny temple devoted to the goddess Shivai Devi, after whom Shivaji was named.

View From Fort

Shivneri fort located on a 300 metre high solitary hill. The Shivneri fort is built, has a long back to the Satavahanas.  There remains of rock caves on all the three faces of Shivneri, which show that it was a Buddhist centre during the first three centuries AD.  After the Satavahanas, the Shivneri for was occupied by the Shilaharas, the Yadavas, the Bahamanis and the Mughals.  In 1599 AD the hill fort was granted to Shivaji’s grandfather, Maloji Bhosale and passed down to Shahaji.  Though Shivaji was born here, he had to surrender the fort to the Mughals and could not take it back in his lifetime. 

The fort is triangular in shape . The wide base of the fort is towards the south and the narrow point is towards the north.  The go up path to the fort is guarded by seven gates, the fifth one being armoured with anti-elephant spikes. The name of doors is Hatti Darwaza, Parvangicha Darwaza, Peer Darwaza, Maha Darwaza, Phatak Darwaza, Shipai Darwaza and Kulambkat Darwaza. Maha darwaza is the first gate, and it is the biggest as the name suggests. There are two more doors at the top.

The fort has several rock-stroke reservoir and tanks, of which two large ones are known as Ganga and Jumuna.  Today, there are only a few structures remaining in the fort.  At one end there is a crushed set and at the other end mosque of the Mughal period. The home where Shivaji was born has been newly renewed and a temple with bronze of Shivaji and Jijabai called 'Shiva Kunja', has also been constructed.

The centre of the fort found  a water pond which is called 'Badami Talav'and South side of the  Talav' are the statues of Jijabai and a young Shivaji. In the fort there are two water bucks, called Ganges and Yamuna. From shivneri fort 2 km long very famous holy place located in caves called as Lenyadri caves. It is one of amongst Ashtavinayak temple in Maharastra. It has been declared as a protected monument.

Sir Richard Temple in his book Shivaji and the Rise Marathas’ wrote about Shivneri: “You will see what a rugged precipitous place this is and what a fitting spot it was for a hero to be born in!”