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I N D I A ’ S F I R S T T R A V E L M A G A Z I N E

26 Vanishing Species (& How We Can Do Our Bit) � Art Of Celebration Bloom Bonanza � Karnataka’s Jain Trails � The Madhya Pradesh Diaries

ANTIQUITY UNEARTHEDInside The Archœological Wonder Of Bihar’s Telhara

VOLUME 27 ISSUE 4

28A HERITAGE DISCOVERYDiscover India travels to Telhara inBihar where the ancient university ofTiladhak Mahavira, a contemporary ofthe more famous Nalanda, is beingexcavated from the layers ofcenturies.

40WELCOMING NEW YEARThere’s nothing more refreshing justbefore the onset of summer thanwelcoming the Indian New Year withtraditional celebrations. We bring youa look at various New Year festivalsaround the country.

46THE WONDER THAT IS MP Discover India revisits MadhyaPradesh to see all over again, withthe same awe and admiration, thestate’s beautiful tourist sites.

50ANIMAL KINGDOM As part of our series marking our 26thanniversary, we bring you the 26 mostendangered species in India and tellyou where to see them.

62TRAIL OF FAITHIn the month when Mahavira Jayantiis celebrated, we feature utterlybeautiful Jain temples andmonuments in Karnataka.

Cover PhotographyRAVI S. SAHANI

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The Ancient Tiladhak University | Festivals Of SpringRich Heritage | The Animal Files | Travelling On The Jain Trail

G R E A T I D E A S F O R T H E T R A V E L L E R

C O N T E N T SAPRIL 2014

2 APRIL 2014

Mandu is famous forits ancient siteswhich areperpetually floodedwith tourists

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10CURRENT CONCIERGE Discover India lists some of the bestplaces to stay, with comfort, goodfood and drink, and stunning views,when you travel in India.

18INQUISITIVE TRAVELLER We bring you a host of extremelyattractive deals and offerings of theseason. Happy travelling!

22SPIRITED GUIDE This is when Kashmir celebrates theTulip Festival in Srinagar. DiscoverIndia takes a quick look.

24GASTRO TRAVELLER Great food is a must when you aretravelling. Discover India, as always,helps you choose the best places tokeep your belly happy.

70THE RUSTIC OBSERVER Ruskin Bond recalls moments fromhis younger days and shares his lovefor nature.

71THE ART FILESAshoke Nag on the rising trend of artauctions in India and the globalappreciation of modern Indian art.

72THE EXPAT DIARIES Victoria Burrows talks about thesense of belonging to a place whenyou have been living there for a while.

73THE TRAIL ORGANISERArjun Majumdar digs up someexperiences to establish that treks canoften make you feel belonged.

74THE GYPSY CHRONICLESAbhishek Madhukar revisits theroots of human belonging while givingout tips for travelling the right way.

76THE INFORMED GUESTBOOKShweta Taneja shares with us herexperience of witnessing Theyyamand learning the legend behind it.

78THE MUSCLE BIKEThe Caterham Brutus 750 is powerful,mean and a ride for all seasons. Takea look if you can’t take a ride.

79JOURNEY MATESDiscover India takes a look at the sixbest comedy films that were releasedin 1988, the year this magazine waslaunched. Added to that, we have thefive best apps of the month for you.

82LAND OF GLADIATORSDiscover India takes time out fora quick holiday and sampling ofthe streets of the ancient city ofkings, arts and history. Read on todiscover Rome.

Gateway

Tulips On Our Mind | Comfort-First Rooms | Buffet BonanzaTickle Your Tastebuds With Unique Menus

E N T E R H E R E F O R I N D I A

ManifestoO P I N I O N S & O B S E R V A T I O N S

THE SENSE OF BELONGINGOur Columnists Take Us Through Heartfelt Experiences

ChestM A K E T H E M O S T O F T H A T J O U R N E Y

A Bike For All Seasons | Apps For The Restless TravellerPerfect Companions For The Overnighter

Panasonic Toughpad FZ-M1This is the lightest and thinnest tablet in its class,weighing just 500 gm.The latest version has beendesigned for people constantly on the movethrough rough terrain and extreme conditions.Powered by a fourth-generation Intel Core i5vPro processor, this tablet runs on Windows 8.1Pro and is MIL-STD-810G tested, which meansthat it can withstand drops up to five feet. Also,its fanless design allows it to withstand rain anddust. `1,26,538, panasonic.com

Circumnavigate

We Take A Whirlwind Trip Through Rome, The Cultural CapitalCity That Was The Centre Of An Empire

T H E W O R L D , F R O M T H E I N D I A N E Y E

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Archaeologists are excitedly excavating theremains of Tiladhak Mahavihara, a Buddhistcentre of learning at Telhara in Bihar.Words SUMAN K. SINGH Photography RAVI S. SAHANI

RUINS OF GLORY

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AnchorTEMPLE TRAIL

arnataka’s vibrant tourist circuit is pep-pered with an abundance of Jain temples, monuments andpilgrim spots. The Jain philosophy of non-violence andpeace found royal patronage in the state and these templesand monuments are a testimony to the days when Jainismheld sway in Karnataka.

Jain architecture can be classified into basadis and bettas. A basadi is a Jain temple where an image of one of the24 tirthankaras (saints) is installed and worshipped. Theywere built in the Dravidian style and the oldest basadican be traced back to the 8th century. A betta is a hill with an open courtyard containing an image of Gommataor Gomateshwara.

SHRAVANABELAGOLAThe most well known edifice of Jainism is the great mono-lithic statue of Gomateshwara or Lord Bahubali atShravanabelagola. This colossal statue, carved from granite,

is the world’s tallest at 58.6 feet. Chavundandaraya, theGanga general, is said to have undertaken the enormous taskof installing the statue on the top of Vindhyagiri hill around1,000 years ago.

A symbol of peace, tolerance and non-violence, thisimage symbolises renunciation. The image of Gommata hascurly hair and long, large ears. His eyes are open as if view-ing the world with detachment. The entire figure stands onan open lotus, signifying the totality attained in installingthis unique statue.

Located in Channarayapatna taluk of Hassan district, thishuge statue is clearly visible from a distance of nearly 15 km.To reach it, you have to climb more than 600 steps chiselledin the rock. There are two 3rd century BC monuments onthe hill—a rock-cut cave called Bhadrabahu and a structuralshrine called the Chandragupta Basadi.

What is special about Shravanabelagola is theMahamastakabhisheka, held every 12 years. The cere-

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Karnataka has a wealth of little-known but magnificent Jain monuments,in addition to the famous Gomateshwara at Shravanabelagola.Words BINDU GOPAL RAO Photography BIJOY KUMAR JAIN

Jain Footfalls

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