My Review of Ramoji Film City Published on Tripadvisor.com!

 My Review of Ramoji Film City Published on Tripadvisor.com!

Reviewed November 13, 2017

Behind the reel!

A penny for your thoughts!

Posing with pensive Charlie!

Welcome to Ramoji Rao Film City!

Exotic birds' park:

Qaid mein hain panchchi! - How sad!

 

 

 

 

 

When is Valentine's Day?

 

 

 

                                Butterfly park

 

Intricately carved fountain

Colorful wall-paintings

All of us have been to this City before! How? Through our movies, of course! 

 

But seeing is believing, so off we went to see and experience this fairy- tale like, enchanting City! 

Though the experience is an expensive one at the steep cost of a thousand precious bucks per person, it's a totally 'paisa-vasool' trip.

What makes it priceless are the impeccably maintained roads, transport facilities inside the city, amenities and of course, the film sets, locales, shows and the tour guide's humorous narration of the City's highlights. 

       

We enjoyed our forays into the serial Ramayana's set, the filmy airport, complete with an aeroplane which one could board and occupy seats therein, the railway station with a train that runs on tyres, a Buddhist monastery set in a cave, a replica of the Pink City - Jaipur, a Japanese garden, etc.

The spoiler was the restaurant which could barely manage the tourists' lunch orders, besides being too expensive! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As we can't carry eatables inside the City we are forced to buy the expensive stuff there.
The tourists have a choice of free and paid rides at the amusement park there.

 

 

 

 

 

 

We enjoyed the juggler's show, the dance show and the 'Making of Movies' show.

                    

A cap/hat/scarf, cotton, casual wear and goggles are a must to beat the scorching heat at this City.

All in all, a welcome respite from day-to-day reality! Escape into this wonderland at least once!

Date of experience: March 2017

The copyright of this review and photographs is with Mrs. Priya Ramesh Swaminathan.

 

Ashtavinayak Yatra - A Journey Within! Happy Basant Panchami!

 The Ashta Vinayak Sri Ganesha images are courtesy:

https://mahatourism.in/destination/Ashtavinayak/ashtavinayak.html

                                             A PILGRIMAGE BEYOND COMPARE!

 

Ashta Vinayak Glory

  Our Ashta Vinayak pilgrimage was a 2-day, one night journey. Braving the wintry chill, we set off at 7 a.m. by bus. The first stop was at Morgaon, for darshan of the Lord Mayureshwar, as Lord Ganpati is known here. The idol has the Naga Raja’s hood on its head. It is believed that Lord Brahma had constructed this temple. 

Legend says that Lord Ganesh, as Mayureshwar (Moresh) or the peacock-rider, vanquished the asura Sindhu, after entreaties by all the Gods. 

The temple’s Mughal architecture is distinct. A Nandi sitting in front of the temple’s entrance is unique, as this is found only in front of Lord Shiva’s temples.

We had a plate of hot vegetable pohe and tea for breakfast and then set off for Siddhivinayak darshan at Siddhatek, near Daund. God Vishnu supposedly vanquished the asuras Madhu and Kaitabh after propitiating Lord Ganesha here. This Ganapati has his trunk pointing towards the right, hence is known as Siddhivinayak. Devotees can complete the 5 kms. Pradakshina, only by circumambulating the hill.

When we had earlier visited this temple, we had crossed the swollen Bhima river in a row-boat. But now a bridge over the river has made it possible for the bus to directly reach near the temple and cut down the journey time.

Our co-passengers broke juicy, sour tamarinds from the trees and distributed them. After a delicious buffet lunch at a restaurant there, we proceeded further to Theur.

The Chintamani Ganapati of Theur is believed to relieve all the devotees from their worries. The wooden temple has a small stone fountain inside it. A huge paved courtyard, an enormous bell and a Shiva temple, are the other attractions here. It is believed that the Lord retrieved the precious Chintamani jewel from Guna, for Sage Kapila, here. In return, the Sage garlanded him with the jewel and named him as Chintamani Vinayak.

The last Ganapati darshan for that day was of the huge Ranjangaon Ganapati known as Maha Ganapati. This Ganapati had aided Lord Shiva in fighting the demon Tripurasura. This idol is believed to have 10 hands and 20 trunks. The sun’s rays fall directly on the idol, at a particular time of the day.

The awesome entrance arch of Ranjangaon Temple

Security being strict, none of the pilgrims was allowed to carry anything inside the temple. Hence we visited the temple by turns.

Then we went to Lenyadri, watching the movie “Oh My God” enroute; again had a sumptuous buffet dinner and spent the night at the Lenyadri Ganapati Devasthan Trust’s lodgings. The room was very neat, with clean bed-sheets, pillows and blankets. The attached toilet - cum- bathroom was also spic and span.

Next morning at 5.30 a.m., we had tea and started climbing the steep 283 steps to  Lenyadri, the 3rd century, Buddhist-cave shrine of Girijatmaja Ganapati. The idol is carved on the stone wall of the cave and faces eastward, with its trunk turned to the left, with Lord Shiva and Lord Hanuman on either side. Legend has it that Goddess Parvati created her son Ganapati by bringing a clay idol to life there. Lord Ganapati had supposedly spent his childhood days there.
                                                                                              

The steep climb to the cave-shrine at Lenyadri

We saw the glorious sunrise with a panoramic view of the surroundings from the temple’s precincts. We participated in the 7 a.m. aarti, clicked photos of the 6 stone pillars, with carvings of cows, elephants, etc. and started descending.

A huge horde of monkeys was making its presence felt there. One huge monkey leapt at me and vigorously tugged my carry-bag, denting it. As my husband shooed it off, it retreated reluctantly. A baby monkey clambered on to a man’s back and sat cutely on his head. That man didn’t seem to mind it! We warily descended the hill.

We had a breakfast of piping hot upma and tea at the same restaurant where we had had dinner, shopped for collectibles and resumed our pilgrimage to Ozhar.

The Vighnaharta/Vigneshwara Ganapati of Ozhar relieves one of all the obstacles in one’s life. Lord Ganesha killed a demon named Vighnasur, hence the name. The idol has gems for its eyes, on its forehead and on its navel. Brass statues of His divine consorts Riddhi and Siddhi flank the idol. The temple, with its gold dome, twin deepastambhs (stone pillars for holding oil lamps) and two life-sized, stone-carved, dwarapalas (guards); is awesome.

Behind the temple, was a huge lake. It appeared misty and tranquil. As there wasn’t any time for boating, we started for Mahad.

Mahad, is very far, about 200 kms. from Ozhar. It was a 4- hour journey to this place in Raigad district. En route, we saw fresh sugarcane crop being harvested and ferried for crushing by trucks, tractors and bullock-carts. The cleaner of our bus adeptly pulled some sugar-cane from the passing vehicles and gave them to some passengers (who had strong teeth!).

The magnificent entrance to Ozar temple

We passed by horticulture farms. The farmers were busy in their fields as we feasted our eyes on the lush greenery all around. Nature was kind to this part of the state, it seemed, as abundant water was visible in the water-bodies there.

The serene lake behind Ozar temple

The elongated idol of Varada Vinayak at Mahad is benign and this is the only Ganapati in this yatra that can be touched by the pilgrims. We can personally offer garlands and flowers here. This idol is swayambhu and had emerged from a pond behind the temple.

Then it was time for the last of the Ashta Vinayaks, the Ballaleshwar temple at Pali. This is the only Ashta Vinayak Ganapati named after an ardent devotee of the Lord. The idol in this temple is attired in traditional clothes, as he appeared to Ballal, in the form of a Brahmin. The prasad offered here is besan laddu, instead of the customary modak. The Dhundivinayak Ganapati must be visited before the Ballaleshwar Ganapati, as per tradition.

A refreshing glass of kokam sarbat was served to us instead of tea.Then we returned to Pune at 7.30 p.m.

We had already vowed to return for the pilgrimage at the earliest; as the pilgrimage had satiated our souls.

The copyright of this travelogue and photographs (apart from the first one), are with Mrs. Priya Ramesh Swaminathan. 

This travelogue was published in the Sakal Times' Spice edition dated 28th June, 2015.

**********

               The resplendent Sri Sharada Ganesh deities in a temple in Rasta Peth, Pune, 

     decked up in black colored garments and 'til' (sesame) ornaments, especially for Makar Sankranti festival and surrounded by colorful kites which are usually flown during this season.

We wish all those who are celebrating the festival, a very happy 'Basant Panchami'. 

May Lord Ganesha and Sharade Ma bless us all with abundant peace, wisdom, knowledge, insight, good sense, prosperity, success, good health and happiness!

Do consider enrolling for any of our online courses and feel the difference in your lives. 

The details are there in the previous posts, as are the fantastic reviews/testimonials by our dear students.

                                 Priya's Vision Academy - Makes Your Life Blossom.

The Ganesha Glory - The Times of India - Interview of Priya Swaminathan by her student

        Wish you all (those who are celebrating the occasion) a Very Happy Ganesh Jayanti! May the Lord of Wisdom shower His abundant blessings on all of us! Let's celebrate this festival in a spirit of unity, devotion, peace and camaraderie.

Here's my interview published in the Times of India. It pertains to my Ganapati idols' collection. 

This piece was written by my student, Madhushree Deb, with my guidance.

Lord Ganesha - My friend, philosopher and guide!

 

 

 

 

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