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Balabheema Hanuman of Nuggikeri

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Every Hanuman Jayanti day, i invariably remember the small beautiful temple by the lake in Nuggikeri on the outskirts of Dharwad in Karnataka. I had been visiting this temple since those days when the approach to the temple was through a kachcha road. Today, thanks to digital revolution and social media, this temple is well known, much photographed and has also featured on TV shows. 7 kms from Dharwad city centre on the Kalghatagi Road is the village of Nuggikeri. Nestled amidst greenery is the temple of Balabheema Hanuman on the banks of the Nuggikeri lake. Going past numerous stalls selling pooja items like coconuts, flowers and incense sticks, you are welcomed by a majestic Garuda Stambha. Facing it is the three story Gopuram, which leads you into the temple, said to be one of the most powerful in the region. The idol of Lord Hanuman, usually robed in silver, catches your immediate attention. It is the eyes of the Lord Hanuman that depict special energy.   My friend and
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Navroz  or Nowruz is Persian New Year that marks the beginning of spring in the Northern Hemisphere.  It is the day of the Vernal Equinox (March 21) when day and night are of approximately equal duration.  Although  Nowruz has Zoroastrian origins, it has been celebrated by people from diverse ethno-linguistic communities in West Asia, India, Central Asia and the Caucasus regions. Nowruz is a compound Persian word meaning New Day. It means a new day has begun, signalling the beginning of a new year.  Despite its popularity around the world, there is disagreement about the correct spelling of the word.  It is written differently as Nowruz, Newroz or Navroz, as it is popularly known in India. For a period of two weeks following Navroz - there are a variety of rituals, ceremonies and other cultural events. The festivities are said to start the New Year in fun with peace and harmony. Iran declares a fortnight long vacation for schools and colleges on the occasion of Navroz. The origin
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Nowruz : How it is celebrated in Iran

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Darjeeling Himalayan Railway - A UNESCO World Heritage institution

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The Hill Railways are a metaphor of life in India. The railways are unique in their own way and they are part and parcel of people’s life in their respective regions. Darjeeling Himalayan Railway is an outstanding example of a hill railway, as it applies ingenious engineering solutions to the problem of connectivity in a mountainous terrain of great natural beauty. Darjeeling Himalayan Railway is intimately linked with the development of Darjeeling as the ‘Queen of Hill Stations” and one of the major tea centres in India.  The densely wooded mountain spur on which Darjeeling now stands was formerly part of the Kingdom of Sikkim. The British East India Company leased it to develop as a rest and recovery station for its soldiers in 1835. By 1878, Calcutta (Kolkata) had been linked by rail to Siliguri, in the foothills of the Himalaya. By this time the tea industry had gained great importance in the Darjeeling region, and the existing road link was inadequate to cope with the inc
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The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway

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