Amazing tour with academic-exchange participants from across Europe this morning 🙂
Category: Culture
The Rising Sun – Heritage & Healing tour at Surajkund
Welcome to the land of “the rising sun”.. the 10th century Sun Temple and reservoir – Surajkund ..located amidst the tranquil surroundings of Aravalis! In this tour we will discuss about the evolution of this neighborhood since the ancient till the modern times, the architectural style found here and other significant chapters in the history of Delhi. We will also together experience a unique energy healing and musical meditation session while wandering amidst the relics of an ancient Sun Temple!
We highly encourage you to bring kids and other kin along for this beautiful journey 🙂 It might rain, making it double the fun.. please dress accordingly and carry along an umbrella if you like. Some meditation activities might involve touching and feeling rocks, trees, soil etc. (optional). Please carry along hand sanitiser, if needed. It’s a longish trail and food might not be available at the venue. Feel free to carry along some snacks and typical picnic food.
The terrain is mostly easy. The ascend to the temple and the descend to the reservoir includes some stairs and stone blocks to be manoeuvred.
Walk leader : Aditya Pathak
Event Fee*: Rs.500 per individual
Inclusions: Venue Ticket** (Indian) + Heritage Walk + Meditation/Healing Session
*Note1: the event is FREE for kids below 15 years in age when accompanied by adults – up to a max of 2 kids with 1 adult
**Note2: Foreign nationals will need to bear the entry tickets themselves (Non Indian entry tickets – Rs.300 per head)
Date: Sunday, 4th Aug 2019
Time: 8:30a.m.-11:30a.m.
Meeting Point: Surajkund Lake Gate/Ticket Counter – Map: https://goo.gl/maps/vva2kwp43rAHcaQK7
Parking: Available near the meeting point
Nearest Metro Station: Badarpur Border (approx. 7.5 km from the venue)
for any queries : 9818278665
Nirvana Trail – Glimpses
Glimpses from the recent tour 🙂 The Nirvana Trail – ‘Vihara’ (‘experiential’ walking) across a lesser known ancient chapter in the story of Delhi!
Asoka Mission – Buddhist Vihara in Mehrauli (Video – Hindi and English)
Bringing to you another hidden gem from #TranquilDelhi 🙂 Here’s ASOKA MISSION for you! A #Buddhist Vihara in #Mehrauli ..since 1948!
A premier Buddhist institution of Delhi, Asoka Mission was founded by the eminent Cambodian monk Ven. Dharmavara Mahathera in 1948 with invaluable support from Prime Minister Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru and other public men and scholars.
Asoka Mission is a registered society. Its objective is “to promote friendly relations, understanding and peace amongst men through education, health care, social and religious services and economic upliftment”. It endeavours to promote friendly relations between nations and communities.
Asoka Mission has the privilege of receiving high ranking dignitaries like HH the Dalai Lama, HH the Panchhen Lama, Prince Norodom Sinhanouk of Cambodia, HH Sangharaja of Laos, Fuji Guruji of Japan, HH Gamboja Hambo Lama of Mongolia, former President KR Narayanan of India and many others. Former Prime Minister of Myanmar, U Nu had planted the bodhi tree on the mission premises in 1953.
Ven. Dharmavara Mahathera left for USA in 1975. Asoka Mission was formally reorganized with Ven. Lama Lobzang as President. New Activities were started to revitalize it.
Asoka Mission campus is spread over 12.5 acres in the heart of capital city of India. One of the old structures is used as the shrine. It has been regularly celebrating the bUddha Purnima and other functions and religious rituals. It has been organizing meditation camps and retreats, (including those by foreign monks) from time to time.
Asoka Mission apart from running a meditation center and its other activities is presently concentrating on providing a firm foundation to its research wing, Centre for Studies in Transnational Buddhism & Civilizations. It is engaged in research on Education in Ancient Asia of which the Global Buddhist Congregation, the current conference is an offshoot. Before this conference, The Meaning of SriNalanda, held in April 28th to 30th, 2003 was the first international conference the Mission conducted. The Mission is also engaged in two other projects, viz., the Himalayan Research Centre for High Altitude Diseases, and the Asoka Mission Health Care Centre, New Delhi- A lifeline for Ladakh.
Note: Text sourced from: https://www.indiamart.com/asoka-mission-delhi/aboutus.html
Jain Mandir Dadabari (Mehrauli)
Latest webisode in the #TranquilDelhi #JourneysWithin vlog series – Jain Temple Dadabari of Mehrauli, Delhi, India!
“Khidki se Dilli” – Exploring the lesser-known trail
Saket, which is now synonymous with glitzy malls, global brands, and a swankier lifestyle, was once dotted by beautiful medieval structures stretching from the Qutub to Chirag Delhi, comprising of the fourth city of Delhi – “Jahanpanah”.
Delhi Karavan will take you to the unknown alleys of the Khirki Village, where the Khirki Masjid, ‘The Window Mosque’ still stands tall amidst a crowd of urbanity, like a breath of fresh air! The next stop would be Sheikh Yusuf Katal Tomb. Still off the usual heritage circuit, this 16th century Lodhi era tomb is hidden away and even difficult to locate on Google. We shall further move to the Satpula Dam, the seven arched waterways of the medieval period, showing the excellent canal system that existed during the Tughlaq’s Sultanate. Experience with us the aesthetic beauty of symmetry of these structures, the multitude of domes and the peace which surrounds the otherwise busy streets and traffic of the posh locales of South Delhi.
If time and logistics permit, we shall also attempt to visit the nearby Dargah of Chiragh e Dehlvi.
Places to be covered:
*Shaykh Usman Saiyah Tomb
* Khirki Masjid
* Sheikh Yusuf Katal Tomb
* Satpula
* Dargah of Roshan E Chirag Dehlvi (if time permits)
Total walking 3.5km
DAY, DATE & TIME: Sunday, 16th Dec, 2018, 9am to 12 noon
MEETING POINT: Main entrance of Select City Walk Mall
Language: Hindustani (Hindi)Urdu)
CHARGES: Rs. 300 per person
In case of any dikkat, please call us at 9818278665.
ESSENTIALS TO CARRY/WEAR:
1) Dress comfortably but conservatively keeping in mind the local religious sentiments because, if time permits, we may visit Chiragh Dilli Dargah . No shorts and skirts allowed. Also, please carry something to cover your head if you wish to go to the dargah
2) A bottle of water.
HOW TO REACH:
Nearest metro station is Malviya Nagar. A quick auto rickshaw ride from there will get you to the meeting point.
Please note that parking of vehicles might pose an issue as there’s no public parking space available (except for that of the malls), please consider the same in case you’re driving down.
Facebook Event: https://www.facebook.com/events/213137589612782/
The Changing Face of the Hauz Khas Complex : A Heritage Walk (9 Dec 2018)
The Changing Face of the Hauz Khas Complex : A Heritage Walk.
Popular as ‘HKV’, in today’s modern lingo, known more for it’s upscale cafés, high end boutiques, antique shops and a bustling hangout was once a repository of culture and knowledge. This charming site has seen several twists and turns with time; it housed a water reservoir built by Alauddin Khilji, converted into a battlefield ushering the beginning of the Tughluq dynasty and got an uplifting during Feroze Shah Tughluq’s reign as he built a Madrasa; a seminary of international repute. It also became his final resting place.
On 9th December, we will walk down these incidents with walk leader, Aditya Pathak and will discuss the peculiar architectural innovations of the Firozian times, which laid the foundation of Indo Islamic architecture.
We’ll also discuss a conjectural reconstruction of the place
The primary structures to be covered in the walk :
● Hauz e Alai
● Madrasa e Feroz Shahi
● A Medieval mosque with innovative architecture
● University Buildings.
● Feroze Shah Tughluqs tomb.
Walk leader : Aditya Pathak
Catch him in action on his YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/user/adityapathakutube
Day and Date : 9th Dec’2018/Sunday
Timings : 9am to 11:30 am
Language : English/Hindi
Charges : ₹300
Contact number: 9818278665
Meeting Point : mein “Deer Park entrance (near Hauz Khas Village parking)”
Parking is available at the meeting Point.
The nearest metro station is Hauz Khas on the yellow line. Then take an auto to the meeting point. https://goo.gl/maps/PaG9YbRb4Go
Facebook event page: https://www.facebook.com/events/364088394138826
