'The Mini Khajuraho' Of Rajasthan

Menaal

  

Menaal temple panoramic view

Rajasthan circuit, which encompasses the Western India tourist circuit, boasts of some of the most sought after tourist destinations of this sector.Much have been written about the major destinations like Jaipur, Ajmer, Mount Abu, Jodhpur, Jaisalmer etc., but the area is dotted with numerous resplendent & mesmerizing but node script destinations.Amongst them one is MENAAL, which is about 90 Kms. from Chittaurgarh.

To Menaal, one will have to travel upto Bhilwara or Chittaurgarh.It is advisable that one visits Chittaurgarh as this Fort city boasts of a Rajput fort whose past is replete with historical characters like Rajput King Prithvi Raj Chauhan, Meera Bai (whose Bhakti towards Lord Krishna was absolute & amazing and her poetical renditions in love with Lord Krishna are sung with equal fervour by devouts all over northern India).There are other historical anecdotes associated with this place like the jauhar by famed beauty & queen Rani Padmini to protect her honour from Allaudin Khilji, who had laid siege on this fort for her famed beauty.There are several such instances of valor displayed by Rajput Kings & queens against face of adversity and this place holds a place of pride amongst the Rajputs for its legacy.Interestingly this is the only fort that is referred to in masculine gender by the local Rajputs of Rajasthan & around.

The famed Menaal Temple

Chittaurgarh is accessible both by road & rail.It is situated around 600 odd Kms. from Delhi and regular train services on the Udaipur line is available with journey time of 10 hours upwards.One can make stop-over at Ajmer also as all the trains pass through this holy place.Other than that there is a plethora of bus service available from Delhi and one can even take a chance by standing at Dahula Kuan from where the busses pick up travelers without booking.Apart from the Rajasthan Transport Corporation busses, a large number of private operators like Srinath Travels, Parsavnath Travels etc. also operate busses both of ordinary type as well as deluxe ones.The busses which start from Delhi at around 7.00 P.M. in the evening, reach Chittaurgarh by 9.00 A.M. the next day.Therefore, the visitors have the whole day to themselves for sightseeing etc.The nearest airport is at Udaipur, which is about 120 Kms. from Chittaurgarh.The best period to visit Rajasthan in between late October to early March.For information one can log ontowww.rajasthan.gov.in/CHITTAURGARH.SHTM .There are all kinds of budget as well as quality lodging & boarding facilities like Hotel - Panna, Padmini etc. available at Chittaurgarh.

Menaal is also known as the "mini khajauraho", blessed with natures beauty, this picnic spot is situated on the Chittaur - Bundi raod, and is famous for the ancient temples, waterfalls and beautiful forests. The name Menaal is derived from Maha Nal (great gorge).This temple complex was built by Someshvar Chhahamana and his queen Suhavadevi of the Sakhambari dynasty in the 11th century.The construction of the main structural group, on the left side of the gorge, is credited to the king while the single temple with a detached monastery across the river is associated with the queen, albeit the foundation inscription has been lost now.However, the fame of place grew during reign of King Prithviraj Chauhan, as it was his favourite mountain retreat during the scorching Rajasthan summer. For this he had built a palace on the banks of the Menaal river which runs over granite slabs before finally plunging into a gorge over 122 meters deep. When it rains, the water flows over the granite rocks and plunges into a gorge 100 feet below into a pool and then proceeds onwards.

Apsaras of Menaal

The 11th century Mahanaleshvara temple is a perfect example of the western Indian style of stone temple architecture. The entrance is embellished with a seated stone lion, and there are number of guardian deities carved on protruding panels in the walls. The inner sanctum is dominated by projecting balconies while the roof is a pyramidcal array of ribbed and finely carved stone.The entrance to the mansion is via a two storied gateway carved with images of the gods Ganesha and Bhairava. The square courtyard beyond the entrance houses a huge Shiva temple of stone, built in the ancient Hindu style with a carved pagoda and pillars. The walls of the temple are carved with motifs of Hindu dieties and various other themes, interspersed with images of elephants. of special mention are the images of Shiva and Parvati which form the chief subject of the engravings. Shiva and Parvati are depicted in various postures and surrounded by dancers, musicians, lesser gods and animals. Halfway up the pagoda is a large stone lion, perhaps depicting victory. A number of smaller ruined temples lie around the Shiva temple.Though the main Shiv shrine is built in sand-stone, brick-work is visible wherever the surface of the tower covering of the smaller temples (perhaps even older) has peeled off. Before the main temple ofMahanala is a Nandi enclosure, solidly built, but barely sufficient to accommodate the bull.

Sanctum sanctorum of Menaal temple - note the carved doorways which are akin to the famed Khajuraho temples

Mera Pradesh

    
Rajasthan is a state rich in heritage, traditions, palaces, and natural beauty. As the name indicates, it is the land of many great kings and Rajaput warriors. Hindu scriptural epics refer to many sites in the present day Rajasthan.  Pushkar ,the holy pilgrimage site, is mentioned in both the Mahabarata and Ramayana.

The new state of Rajasthan was defined in 1948, encompassing the south and south-eastern states of Rajputana with Udaipur as the capital. It has a total area of 342,214 sq km and is bounded in north and north-west by Pakistan, in the north-east by Punjab and Harayana , in the east by Uttar Pradesh, in the east and south-east by Madhya Pradesh, and in the south-west by Gujrat. Rajasthan has 32 districts with a total population of about 44 million. Hindi , Rajasthani are main languages spoken in the state. Hinduism is the predominant religion and other major religious communities are Muslims,Jains, and Sikhs. Rajasthan is known for its exciting festivals and fairs such as camel, elephant and desert festivals,Baneshwar, Pushkar and Kaila Devi fairs and Dussera mela.

Rajasthan is the driest part of India. The Aravalli ranges stretch diagonally across from the north-east to south-west to separate the desert and semi-desert areas. The Chambal river runs along the eastern boundary. Agriculture is the main source of livelihood and it remains the crucial factor in the economy. but now it is being replaced by travel and tourism ,mining,and handicraft .Rajasthan has large deposits of non-metallic and metallic minerals and ornamental stones including marble, sandstone, Kota stone, Jodhpur stone, Dhaulpur stone, Karoli stone, slate, and granite.

Rajasthan is famous for its traditional handicrafts: gems and jewellery, metal-ware, textiles and embroidery, leather, and marble processing. Main industries are leather, ceramic and glass, wool, electronics and telecommunication.

Rajasthani Bhaasha ........................Our Language and Dialects

The Rajasthani language is a Western Indo-Aryan language although some classify it as a part of the Central Indo-Aryan family.In India, Rajasthani is written in the Devanagari script, an abugida which is written from left to right. Besides, Muriya script was also in use for business purposes only. In Pakistan, where Rajasthani is considered a minor language, a variant of the Sindhi script is used to write Rajasthani dialects.

In the past, the language spoken in Rajasthan was regarded as a dialect of western Hindi (Kellogg, 1873). George Abraham Grierson (1908) was the first scholar who gave the designation ‘Rajasthani’ to the language, which was earlier known through its various dialects. Today, however, Sahitya Akademi, National Academy of Letters and University Grants Commission recognize it as a distinct language. It is also taught as such in the Universities of Jodhpur and Udaipur. The Board of Secondary Education, Rajasthan included Rajasthani in the course of studies and it has been an optional subject since 1973. Since 1947, several movements have been going on in Rajasthan for its recognition, but it is still considered a ‘dialect’ of Hindi. Recently, the Rajasthan Government has recognized it as a state language, but there is still a long way for the language to go towards national status. It still lacks a comprehensive reference grammar and contemporary dictionary based on a thoroughlinguistic survey of Rajasthan. Currently an extensive descriptive grammar of Rajasthani is being recorded.

Some major dialects or languages (when you label Rajasthani as a cluster) are:

• Bagri: about five million speakers in Hanumangarh and Sriganganagar districts of Rajasthan, Sirsa and Hissar districts of Haryana, Firozepur and Muktsar districts of Punjab of India and Bahawalpur and Bahawalnagar areas of Punjab of Pakistan.
• Shekhawati: about three million speakers in Churu, Jhunjhunu and Sikar districts of Rajasthan.
• Ahirwati: spoken in Mahendragarh and Rewari districts of Haryana.
• Marwari:about thirteen million speakers in western Rajasthan comprising Jodhpur, Pali, Sirohi, Jalore, Jaisalmer, Churu, Bikaner, Nagaur, Ajmer, and Barmer districts of Rajasthan. It is also spoken in eastern parts of upper Sindh province of Pakistan.
• Dhundhari: about nine million persons in Jaipur, Dausa, Tonk, Ajmer, Karauli and Sawai Madhopur districts of Rajasthan. It was first surveyed upon by G. Macliester who published specimens of fifteen varieties of Dhundhari spoken in the territory of the former state of Jaipur in 1898.
• Harauti: about four million speakers in Kota, Bundi, Baran, and Jhalawar districts of Rajasthan state of India. Interestingly, it has a nominative marker /nE/ which is absent in other dialects of Rajasthani.
• Mewari: about five million speakers in Rajsamand, Bhilwara, Udaipur, and Chittorgarh districts of Rajasthan state of India.
• Mewati: about five million speakers in Mewat region of Haryana(Gurgaon and Mewat districts) and adjoining Alwar district of Rajasthan.
• Other major dialects/languages are: Dhatki, Goaria, Godwari, Loarki, Merwari, Gade Lohar, Gujari, Gurgula, Lambadi, Malvi, Nimadi

Kumbhalgarh Fort

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    

Kumbhalgarh Fort is the second most important fort in Rajasthan after Chittaurgarh. Built in 1458 by Maharana Kumbha, a Mewar king, the fort derived its name from the same factor. Later, Maharana Fateh Singh renovated the fort in the 19th century. Encircled by thirteen elevated mountain peaks, Kumbhalgarh fort stands on the site of an ancient citadel which is ascribed to Samprati, a Jaina prince of the second century BC. History says that he built around 300 temples at this place. Later Rana Kumbha, added to this. At present, few of these are left, fewer with idols inside.Covering over 12 sq km, the walls of the fort stretch about 36 km and stands about 1,087m high from the sea level. Located amidst the hills of Aravali, the fort offers a marvelous view of the surrounding areas and sandy dessert of Marwar for miles around. The fort is commanding a great strategic location on the border between the Rajput Kingdoms of Udaipur and Jodhpur. There is a folklore behind the construction of this fort that, Maharana of Kumbhalgarh failed to build the fort's wall for several times so he consulted a sage about this problem. And on the advice of this sage, the sage came up with a bizarre proposition — he was to stand at a point and chop off his own head, and the place where his body fell would be the main entrance of the fort and the point where his head fell would be the second main entrance. The perimeter of the fort's wall is assumed to be the longest in the world after the Great Wall Of China.  the fort encloses royal apartments, temples - dedicated to different gods, 252 palaces - great and small, seven massive gates or pol (Arait Pol, Hanuman Pol, Ram Pol, Bhairava Pol, Paghra Pol, Top Khana Pol, Nimboo Pol), seven ramparts and huge watch towers, storerooms, houses and water tanks. The wall of fortress is wide enough to take eight horsemen one at a time. The main buildings inside this magnificent citadel are Badal Mahal, Kumbha Palace, Brahmanical and Jain Temples, baoris, chhattris etc.  Located close to the Pagda Pol, this palace is one of the finest examples of Rajput architecture. It is a two storeyed building with a beautiful blue durbar hall. A corridor separated the mardana (men's ) palace from the zanana (women's) palace. Some of the rooms in the zenana have an attractive painted frieze with elephants, crocodiles and camels. A circular Ganesh temple is in the corner of the zenana courtyard. The most noted feature is the toilets, which has a ventilation system that allowed fresh air into the room while the toilet was in use.  Badal Mahal  Built by Rana Fateh Singh (AD 1885-1930), it is the highest point of fortress. Once have to climb up to terrace through narrow stairs to reach this palace. It is a two storeyed building with the interior painted in pastel colours. Like Palace of Rana Kumbha, this palace is also divided into two interconnected distinct portions - Zanana and the Mardana palace. This palace is profusely decorated with wall paintings of 19th century style and some have attractive friezes. The stone jali screens in Zanana mahal was facilitated the queens to see the court proceedings and other events in privacy. From here one can get the view the jungle covered hillsides and across the deserts of Marwar towards Jodhpur.

       

Corruption in our Society

With materialistic values as topmost priority, moral and ethical values at the lowest span of ladder, every fibre of society indulged in-self aggrandizement, where not only credibility of politicians and bureaucrats but also of the judiciary is at stake, it is ridiculous to dream of a corruption-free society.

In this scene, an honest man is like a drop in the ocean which loses identity as soon as it mingles virtually in the salt water of the ocean. Corruption is a common practice and has become a way of life.

It is a matter of shame that even after 63 years of independence, India figures among the thirty most corrupt countries. The virus of corruption has crept into all walks of life and it can endanger the body politic of our nation.

Corruption always existed in human society in one or the other form. In primitive period, the scope of public administration was minimum; as a result, the scope of corruption was limited. After independence, with the scope of welfare state coming into existence the scope of being corrupt widened. Corruption has crept into every fabric of the society in such a way that it was the theme of speeches made by the President, the Prime Minister, the Speaker of Lok Sabha, during the golden jubilee celebrations of our independence. Every Chief Election Commissioner since Mr. Sheshan held the office has advocated the dire necessity of electoral reforms to strike at corruption at grass root level.

Corruption is regarded as a low risk and highly profitable way of making a quick buck and whoever is caught, often knows how to go scot-free. The country which is known for moral and ethical values, where truism is adored, fair means were advocated to achieve anything, has now accounted among the most thirty nations of the world. If everyone from Panch to Prime Minister, from Peon to Chief Secretary has been found involved and charged for many acts of commission and omission, how can we imagine to eradicate corruption in toto?

A peculiar face of corruption on our Country is that it goes upstream not downstream. So most of the fundamental policies and decisions about big purchases, contracts, projects, etc are distorted at the top level. The delay in disposing of the cases of corruption is one of the most important causes of flourishing of corruption. Corrupt officials even if caught can manage to go scot-free in due course of time by manipulations or otherwise.

The basic question is whether corruption can be eradicated? “Nothing is impossible”, can be said by an enthusiastic social leader but eradication of corruption is a next to impossible thing given the present spectrum of affairs. When the whole body of the politics is affected by the virus of corruption, eradicating it in toto is a Herculean task. Corruption is a multi-faceted, hydraheaded colossus problem to be dealt with several measures simultaneously.

The bodies like CVC, CBI, Lok Ayukta etc must be headed by the persons of high integrity and must be made autonomous truly with exceptional powers. The budgetary allocation to these bodies should be liberal and no hindrance of any kind should be allowed in their functioning. Election expenses must not be allowed to cross the limits. The loopholes like extraneous expenses by other party workers that are not included in party expenses must be plugged. The political parties have to be sincere and honest to fight the cancer of corruption. The chief hurdle is the unwillingness and lack of determination and will of politicians etc to eradicate corruption. All the policies, rules and regulations are approved by the leaders, they do not wish to claim themselves are entangled and so the eradication or corruption does not seem to be possible.

The youth of the society has a very important role in fighting the gigantic wild animal of corruption. General awakening can make the politicians and bureaucrats use their discretion carefully. The common men must cast their vote on the basis of values and character of the candidates. To eradicate corruption from the society, all have to fight it. It is the most powerful and the most dangerous monstrous evil, which rises to manifold itself stronger with the passage of time.

Movitation.

The important thing to remember when reading any inspiring stories is that when we get that feeling of motivation, where we want to do something, do something. Nothing is more of a waste than to be inspired and motivated and not take any action.
Life is full of challenges, but it is only the tough ones who can get through these phases of difficulties. The run to the finishing line is never all that simple. It is rather tough and full of thorns. After all, the beauty of a rose is with its thorns. And every pathway of rose petals would have its thorns that have to simply be removed. This is life. This is in fact an exciting life.
Sometimes it is difficult to see the guiding stars because of the dark clouds of pessimism. Well, then the best thing to do is to immerse the self into all that is motivational. These could be books, posters, songs, stories, people, movies, speeches… almost anything that stirs the mind to wakefulness and fills the being with the positive energy needed to fuel one towards their goal