Banaras region : a spiritual & cultural guide
Author(s)
Bibliographic Information
Banaras region : a spiritual & cultural guide
（Pilgrimage & cosmology series, 1）
Indica Books, 2002
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Note
Includes index
Description and Table of Contents
Description
This text provides a compendium of cultural sites in and around Varanasi. It covers a very wide range of places and subjects and contains a huge quantity of information, being a veritable small encyclopaedia of the Banaras region. The first section looks at the setting, historical background, religious landscape, cosmogony, festivities and riverside landscape of Varanasi. It includes seven detailed area walks along the ghats and the old city. There are also sections on the cosmic circuit of Panchakroshi, Ramanagar, Sarnath, the Jain places, the Muslim sacredscapes and the rural landscape. The second section "Around Banaras" covers the sites that lie less than 80km away, such as Chunar and its medieval fort; Ahraura, with an Ashokan inscription; Lekhania, home to pre-historic rock paintings; Vindhyachal, the Goddess's area; Kaitha, an ancient Shiva temple; Shitala Dham, a site of a folk goddess; Jakhini, the site of a pre-Aryan goddess; Bhadohi, a centre of carpet weaving; Sitamarhi, a site of puranic antiquity; Jaunpur with its important Muslim monuments; and Chandraprabha and Kaimur wildlife sanctuaries.
The third part covers the places in the range of 100-300km, such as: Allahabad, the city of the Kumbha Mela festival; Ayodhya, the place of Sri Rama; Chitrakut, Lord Rama's halting site; Khajuraho, the city of lived monuments; Banvasi Seva Ashram, an NGO; Mundeshvari, a 7th century goddess temple; Sasaram, with a 16th century royal tomb; Ballia and Sonepur, sites of sacred bath and cattle fairs; Deo and Madanpur, the 12th century sun temples; Gaya the City of Ghostscape; and Baijanath Dham, city of Shiva.
Table of Contents
- Sacred ways and spiritual walks
- a call for co-pilgrimage. The background and the base: geographical setting and nomenclature
- the historical background
- Kashi - cosmogram and sacred journey
- the religious landscape
- festivities and seasons
- the riverside landscape, the ghats. Inside the sacred city, Varanasi: area walks
- the Panchakroshi, pilgrimage on the cosmic circuit
- Ramanagar, across the Ganga
- saints of the medieval period - Kabir, Raidas, Tulasi
- Sarnath
- the Jains and their holy places
- the Muslim sacredscapes
- Indian village - rural landscape and people. Visiting the sites around Varanasi: Chunar
- Ahraura
- Lekhania
- Vindhyachal
- Kaithi
- Shitala Dham
- Jakhini
- Bhadohi
- Sitamarhi
- Jaunpur
- Chandraprabha
- Kaimur Wildlife Sanctuary. Travelling in the Varanasi region: Allahabad
- Ayodhya
- Chitrakut
- Khajuraho
- Banvasi Seva Ashram
- Mundeshvari
- Sasaram
- Ballia and Sonepur
- Varanasi to Vaishali by road via Ballia, Chapra, Sonepur and Hajipur
- Deo and Madanpur
- Gaya
- Baijanath Dham / Vaidyanatha.
by "Nielsen BookData"
