Page 185 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - India

UT T AR PR ADESH & UT T AR AKHAND  183

Buddhism. Outstanding pieces
include a Standing Buddha, Festivals of
and the famous headless Uttar Pradesh &
statue of the great Kushana Uttarakhand
king, Kanishka.
International Yoga
Week (Feb), Rishikesh.
E Government Museum
Dampier Nagar. Tel (0565) 250 0847. Yoga is taught on the
banks of the Ganges
Open 10:30am–4:30pm Tue–Sun. during this rejuvenating
Closed public hols and alternate Sat. week-long festival.
& Extra charges for photography.
Taj Mahotsava (Feb), Agra.
This ten-day cultural fiesta
4 Brindavan of music and dance is held in
the vicinity of the Taj Mahal.
Mathura district. 68 km (42 miles) Jhansi Festival (Feb), Jhansi.
NW of Agra. @ ( daily. _ Holi A five-day arts and crafts
(Mar), Rath ka Mela (Mar), Hariyali Teej extravaganza unfolds against
(Jul), Janmashtami (Jul/Aug). Gopura of the South Indian-style Sri the backdrop of Jhansi’s
Ranganathji Temple historic fort.
Situated along the Yamuna, Rang Gulal (Feb/Mar).
Brindavan (“Forest of Fragrant 19th-century Sri Ranganathji The festival of colours, also
Basil”) is an important pilgrim Temple, with a gold-plated known as Holi, is played
centre for devout Hindus, who ritual pillar and an interesting with great abandon all
believe that the young Krishna museum of temple treasures. over Uttar Pradesh.
once lived here as a humble Amidst the narrow streets
cowherd and romanced the of the old town are the sacred
beautiful milkmaid Radha. walled groves of Seva Kunj,
Their love is widely celebrated associated with the traditional
in dance, art and literature. Raslila dance, which narrates
Brindavan’s numerous temples, the life of Krishna. Other notable
ashrams and ghats were mainly temples in Brindavan include the
built by Hindu kings and red sandstone Madan Mohan
rich merchants. Many Hindu Temple, which was built in 1580
widows, clad in white with their and stands on a hill next to the
heads shaven, live in ashrams river, the popular Banke Bihari Rang Gulal celebrations
here, devoting their lives to Temple, near the main bazaar,
the worship of Krishna. At the and the 16th-century Jugal Janmashtami (Aug/Sep),
edge of the town is the historic Kishore Temple. The ISKCON Brindavan and Mathura. To
mark the birth of Krishna,
Govindeoji Temple (see p356), Temple, on the outskirts of the pilgrims perform a circum-
built in 1590 by Raja Man town, is a more recent addition ambulation (parikrama) of
Singh I of Amber. Across is the to Brindavan. sacred sites. Festivities reach
a peak at midnight.
The Grand Trunk Road Ganga Festival/Dev
Deepavali (Oct/Nov),
The Grand Trunk Road, Rudyard Kipling’s “stately corridor” that Varanasi. The ancient glory
linked Calcutta (now Kolkata) in the east with Kabul in the of the Ganges is celebrated
northwest, was laid out by Sher Shah by devotees, who pay
Suri (see p83) in the 16th century. In those homage to the sacred river.
days, it resounded with the movement Lucknow Mahotsava
of armies on campaign, and in times of (Nov/Dec), Lucknow. The
peace, with the pomp and pageantry city’s historic past and
that accompanied the Mughal emperors continuing traditions
as their court moved from Agra to Delhi. are celebrated with food,
This remains one of Asia’s great roads crafts, music and dance.
and North India’s premier highway. Some
ancient shade-giving trees still stand, Buddha Mahotsava (Dec),
but the old cara vanserais are now in Sarnath and Kushinagar.
ruins. Instead, at frequent intervals along Religious festivities mark the
the highway, there are dhabas, where Buddha’s birth, attain ment
The scenic Grand Trunk Road long-distance travellers, especially lorry- of enlightenment and death.
drivers, can stop for a cheap and filling These are held at Sarnath,
meal of dal and roti, washed down with hot tea or cooling lassi. where he preached his first
They can also snatch a quick nap on string cots (charpoys), sermon, and at Kushinagar,
thoughtfully provided by dhaba owners. where he attained nirvana.

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