Lakshagraha: Tales from the Mahabharata

-

Visit to Barnawa, the ancient Varnavat

Whoever remembers the story of Mahabharata can recollect the word 'Lakshagrah' or the Palace of Lacquer, a material which gives shine to wood and is highly inflammable.  This was the episode when Duryodhana, along with his maternal uncle Shakuni, planned a conspiracy to build a palace at Varnavat which would easily catch fire with just a spark. The Pandavas, somehow got to know of this plan and they managed to get a pit dug up which would open up somewhere outside the town of Varnavat.
This place Barnawa, in Uttar Pradesh is believed to be the ancient Varnavat.  The pit from where the Pandavas escaped can still be seen, however, the archaeologists have not yet completed the excavation, so the source is still not visible. The ruins of some old building can also be seen, which is made of a material crumbling into pieces.
The city is lined with Jain temples, which are quite ancient, and the place is also a popular pilgrimage centre for Jains. Also close to Barnawa is Alamgirpur, which is a site of Indus Saraswathi civilization.

Lakshagrah site

Lakshagrah site

Ancient Jain temple at Barnawa (Varnavat)

Mantapa near Lakshagrah

Sword impression at Lakshagrah

Ruins at Lakshagrah site


Ruins at Lakshagrah site


Ruins at Lakshagrah site

Comments

  1. Steps Together13 December 2017 at 20:00

    wonderful post

    ReplyDelete
  2. Buy Contact Lenses14 December 2017 at 17:03

    Nice post, things explained in details. Thank You.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Digital Marketing Agency Delhi6 March 2018 at 14:54

    It was terribly helpful on behalf of me. Keep sharing such ideas within the future similarly. This was truly what i used to be longing for, and that i am glad to came here! Thanks for sharing the such data with USA.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Newsrk716 June 2024 at 11:34

    Nice

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Specialties from Districts of Karnataka

-
Image
Overview: In a post-Covid world, people will not wish to travel far and wide pretty soon. However, they may wish to explore some good places in their neighborhood. While its very good to visit local attraction, its great if one can help buy local crafts and local food to help the artisans and boost the economy. Highlighting the specialties from each district of Karnataka: 1. Bagalkot: Aminagad in Hungund taluk is famous for a sweet savoury Karadantu, made out of edible gum, dry fruits and jaggery. Guledagudda Khana is a unique textile, and is a 4000 year old fabric, and is handloomed in the small town of Guledagudda. Ilkal sari is a traditional form of sari which is a common feminine wear in India. Ilkal saris are woven using cotton warp on the body and art silk warp for border and art silk warp for pallu portion of the sari. Amingad Kardant Shop Ilkal Saree Weaver 2. Bangalore Rural: Bangalore Rose Onion, having a GI indicator, is grown in 16 taluks of Bengaluru rural.
Read more

A visit to my native place: The Village of Music, Rudrapatna

-
Image
Overview:  Situated on the banks of the river Cauvery, Rudrapatna is a beautiful small village in Hassan District of Karnataka with rich history, and happens to be my ancestral village too. This is one of the places where the people from the Sankethi community initially settled around 700 years ago, and were instrumental in modelling this as a 'village of music' or 'Sangeetha Grama' as it is known today. The village is also known for its Sanskrit Paathashaala, at Shankara Math near the Rama temple, which is trying to keep the traditions alive in the village. Rudrapatna Rudrapatna Sankethi community is known for music, and this village has produced many Carnatic musicians like R.K. Suryanarayana, R.K. Srikantan, Rathnamala Prakash, R.K. Padmanabha and several others. The Tamboori shaped temple is a tribute to all the musicians from this village and was built under the leadership of Vidwan Shri RK Padmanabha in the 2000s. Tamboori temple, Rudrapatna Rudrapatna Another gre
Read more

Tibetan Settlements in Karnataka

-
Image
Overview: I have always been overwhelmed with the welcoming smile and warmth of the Tibetan people. There are a few pockets in Karnataka where we can find Tibetan settlements, or we can call them 'Mini Tibet'. One of them is the popular Bylukuppe in Mysore district. The Namdroling Monastery of Nyingma, which is also popular as the Golden Temple, is the biggest monastery here.   Further south of Bylukuppe is the Dhondenling settlement at Odeyarpalya in Chamarajanagar district, where few of the prettiest monasteries can be seen in the backdrop of the BR Hills. The biggest monastery here is the Dzogchen Monastery.   Moving a few hundred kilometres towards North of Karnataka is the Doeguling Tibetan Settlement of Mundgod in Uttara Kannada district. One can see Tibetans chanting their prayers and living peacefully in these areas.   The monasteries are a place where the Buddhists offer their prayers, so it is better to maintain silence while visiting these places. A fr
Read more