Early life and background

Tansen as a historical personality is difficult to extract from the extensive legend that surrounds him. It is reasonably certain that he was born into a Hindu Brahmin family, possibly in 1506, though some legends give it as 1493; possibly in the village Behat near Gwalior. His father Mukund Mishra was a poet and accomplished musician, who for some time was a temple priest in Varanasi. Tansen’s name as a child was Ramtanu (he may have had other nicknames/names like Tanna and Mukul).

He was born at a time when a number of Persian and Central Asian motifs were fusing with Indian classical music, his influence was central to creating the Hindustani classical ethos as we know today. A number of descendants and disciples have also considerably enriched the tradition. Almost all gharanas of Hindustani classical music claim some connection with the Tansen lineage. According to legend, he was noted for his imitations of animal calls and birdsong.

Career

Picture: Akbar watching as Tansen receives a lesson from Swami Haridas. Imaginary situation depicted in Mughal miniature painting style (Rajasthani, c. 1750 AD).

 At some point, he was discipled for some time to Swami Haridas, the legendary composer from Vrindavan and part of the stellar Gwalior court of Raja Mansingh Tomar (1486-1516 AD), specializing in the dhrupad style of singing. One legend has that Haridas was passing through the forests when the five-year old Ramtanu’s imitation of a tiger impressed the musician saint. Another version is that his father sent him to Haridas. From Haridas, Tansen acquired not only his love for dhrupad but also his interest in compositions in the local language. This was the time when the Bhakti tradition was fomenting a shift from Sanskrit to the local idiom (Brajbhasa and Hindi), and Tansen’s compositions also highlight this trend. At some point during his apprenticeship, Tansen’s father died, and he returned home, where it is said he used to sing at a local Shiva temple.

In any event, Tansen went to Muhammad Ghaus who eventually became his spiritual mentor. He also married Husseini (lit. beautiful one), "However, beyond a reference of Tansen’s name in a list of his disciples Miyan Tansen’s name is not found among the names of the Mureeds (Fans) of the Shuttari Tariqat – a Sufi spiritual lineage founded by Shaykh Muhammad Ghaus of Gwalior."

The burial of Tansen in his shaykh’s mausoleum is thought to indicate proof of his conversion to the faith of his spiritual guide. Usually, the most prominent disciples of a saint are buried near the master’s mausoleum, not much historical detail is known about their actual encounter.

The interaction with Ghaus in the Sufi tradition and the earlier training with Swami Haridas in the Bhakti tradition led to a fusion of these streams in the work of Tansen. As it is, the mystic streams of Sufism and Bhakti had considerable philosophical and stylistic overlap; Ghaus in his text Bahr-ul-Hayat (Ocean of Life) devotes several chapters to Yoga practices. In Tansen’s music, we find he continues to compose in Brajbhasha invoking traditional motifs such as Krishna or Shiva.

Tansen was also influenced by other singers in the Gwalior court and also the musically proficient queen, Mriganayani (lit. doe-eyed), whose romance with the king had been forged on her singing; she remained a friend even after the death of the king. Other musicians at Gwalior may have included Baiju Bawra.

Eventually, he joined the court of King Ramachandra Baghela of Rewa, India, where he remained from 1555-1562. It appears that the Mughal emperor Akbar heard of his prowess and sent his emissary Jalaluddin Qurchi to Ramachandra, who had little choice but to acquiesce, and Tansen went to Akbar’s court in 1562.

Another legend is that Akbar’s daughter Meherunnissa was enamoured by Tansen and had a role in his coming to Akbar’s court. Tansen later converted to Islam from Hinduism, apparently on the eve of his marriage with Akbar’s daughter.

Tansen joined Akbar’s court eventually becoming one of the treasured Navaratnas (lit. nava=nine, ratna=jewel) of his court. It was Akbar who gave him the honorific title Miyan, and he is usually referred to today as Miyan Tansen. Legend has it that in his first performance, he was gifted one lakh (100,000) gold coins.

The presence of musicians like Tansen in Akbar’s court has been related by historians to the theoretical position of making the empire’s audible presence felt among the population, a mechanism related to Naubat or ritual performance.

The fort at Fatehpur Sikri is strongly associated with Tansen’s tenure at Akbar’s court. Near the emperor’s chambers, a pond was built with a small island in the middle, where musical performances were given. Today, this tank, called Anup Talao, can be seen near the public audience hall Diwan-i-Aam – a central platform reachable via four footbridges. It is said that Tansen would perform different ragas at different times of day, and the emperor and his select audience would honour him with coins. Tansen’s alleged residence is also nearby.

Family

Picture: Tansen’s tomb in Gwalior, near the tomb of his Sufi master Muhammad Ghaus

 Tanras Khan, Bilas Khan, Hamirsen, Suratsen and Saraswati Devi, all musicians. Bilas Khan is said to have created raga Bilaskhani Todi after Tansen’s death; an interesting legend of this improvisation (it differs only in detail from Tansen’s Todi), has it that Bilas composed it while grief-stricken at the wake itself, and that Tansen’s corpse moved one hand in approval of the new melody.

Tansen’s blood descendants – the Senia gharana – held considerable prestige in musical circles for several centuries. The royal courts of Rewa, India, Rampur and Jaipur among others, retained many noted members of Tansen lineage, including Nayak Wazir Khan (guru of Allauddin Khan) and Mohammed Ali Khan. Wazir Khan, who is of Saraswati Devi lineage, was also a musicologist who wrote the Risala Mousibi. One of the last of the line, Dr Dabir Khan, (1905-1972, Saraswati Devi lineage) was a dhrupadiya and a beenkar, at Radio Calcutta.
Musical legacy

The legendary musical prowess of Tansen surpasses all other legends in Indian and Pakistani music. In terms of influence, he can be compared only to the prolific sufi composer Amir Khusro (1253-1325), or to bhakti tradition composers such as Kabir or Haridas. The sitar is said to have been invented by Amir Khusro (1253-1325), a devotee of the Chistiyya order, after the Persian ‘Setar’, from the saz group of musical instruments

Several of his raga compositions have become mainstays of the Hindustani/Ancient Pakistani tradition, and these are often prefaced with Miyan ki ("of the Miyan"), e.g. Miyan ki Todi, Miyan ki Malhar, Miyan ki Mand, Miyan ka Sarang; in addition he is the creator of major ragas like Darbari Kanada, Darbari Todi, and Rageshwari. Tansen also authored Sangeeta Sara and Rajmala which constitute important documents on music.

Almost every gharana (school) tries to trace its origin to him, though some try to go further back to Amir Khusro. As for the Dhrupad style of singing, this was formalized essentially through the practice by composers like Tansen and Haridas, as well as others like Baiju Bawra who may have been a contemporary.

After Tansen, some of the ideas from the rabab were fused with the traditional Indian stringed instrument, veena; one of the results of this fusion is the instrument sarod, which does not have frets and is popular today because of its perceived closeness to the vocal style. The famous qawwals, the Sabri Brothers of Pakistan claim lineage from Miyan Tansen

Tansen

The bulk of Tansen’s biography as it is handed down in the musical literature consists of legends. Among the legends about Tansen are stories of his bringing down the rains with Raga Megh Malhar and starting fires with the legendary raga Deepak . Other legends tell of his ability to bring wild animals to listen with attention (or to talk their language). Once, a wild white elephant was captured, but it was fierce and could not be tamed. Finally, Tansen sang to the elephant who calmed down and the emperor was able to ride him. Many aficionados are convinced that his death was caused by a conflagration while he was singing the raga Deepak.

Death

According to one version of the story, Tansen died on 26 April 1586, and that Akbar and much of his court attended the funeral procession. Other versions give 1589 as the year of his death. Tansen was buried in the mausoleum complex of his Sufi guru Shaikh Muhammad Ghaus in Gwalior. According to legend, Tansen’s son Bilas Khan, in his grief, composed Bilaskhani Todi. Every year in December, an annual festival, the Tansen Samaroh, is held in Gwalior to celebrate Tansen

Popular Culture
Tansen’s story was extensively researched and showcased in a Pakistani Televisions series in the late 80’s where the classical singer’s entire life was explored.

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Tansen

History: Qutub Minar was constructed across the reign of several rulers. The building was ordered in AD 1193 by Qutbuddin Aibak who the first Muslim ruler of Delhi. He was inspired by the Minaret of Jam in Afghanistan, but wanted to build something that would surpass it in every way. He could complete only its base during his reign, as laying the foundation and building the base of such a tall tower was as ambitious a work as building the tower itself was. The next three floors were added during the reign of Iltumish, his successor.

Firuz Shah Tughluq oversaw the construction of the topmost portion (the fifth story). Thus what started in AD 1193 was completed only in AD 1386, a two-century long construction.

Details: Qutub Minar is made up of baked red bricks and sandstone. The sandstone is covered with intricate designs and verses from Quran. There are balconies at the summit of each story, and even 600+ years after the initial construction they are able to bear the shifting weight and vibration created by the millions that visit it every year.

The tower was built in a compound known for Hindu holy places, and a good amount of building material came from preexisting Hindu fortresses and temples. One of them is Lal Kot, the demolished fortress of Chauhans, the last Hindu rulers of Delhi. Around 27 Hindu and Jain temples that stood in that compound were also demolished to obtain more material for building this tower. A large number of enslaved Hindu masons and engravers were used for the building of the structure, and many of them have left their imprint and inscriptions on various stones.

The Iron Pillar that stands in the same compound and that has resisted the formation of rust for hundreds of years in open sun and rain. It continues to baffle metallurgists, and is amazing demonstration of the heights to which ancient Indian technology had risen, a know-how that was completely lost during the several centuries of foreign dominion of India.

Qutub minar was damaged several times by earth-quake, but successive rulers saw that it repaired. It is a marvel that has now stood more than 800 years from its inception and 600 years from its construction.

You will never forget the experience after you visit this site! [http://factoidz.com/qutub-minar-india/]

Why Buy Directly: The cost of Indian coins bought directly from India would be only one fourth to one tenth of what you pay when you buy them outside the country or via Ebay. What is more, if you buy a number of coins from an Indian shop, you can bargain to get a still better price. This means that for each $100 that you buy in India, you would get three to five times more coins, and you would save on postage.

Where To Look For Coins: There are antique shops in almost all tourist centers in India and most of them sell coins in addition to antiques. You can find them in Delhi, Agra, Goa, Cochin, and numerous other places. You can also find coin-sellers displaying coins on  small road-side tables in Khajuraho, the famous tourist center.

What To Buy: Going by the metal used, Indian coins fall into four categories — gold, silver, bronze, and other cheaper metals. Most ancient gold coins are priced 3 to 5 times the value of bullion, while rare ones are priced even 25 to 50 times the value. Thus this is not a good time buy them. At the same time, ancient silver coins are available for prices ranging from $10 to $30 a piece and they are a good investment as well as a good buy. They sell on Ebay for prices between $16 to $100. Ancient bronze coins sell for prices between $0.5 to $10 and they are a good buy. The same coins would sell for prices between $5 to $50 on Ebay. The same is the story of coins made of other cheap metals.

The Republic of India has produced thousands of coins in the last 60+ years and buying them from India would be very cheap. A full set might cost you only $1000 here, whereas if you buy the same set piece by piece from Ebay you will have to pay ten times this price.

It is a good idea to scan through Ebay and Indian coins sites before you visit India. This will give you an idea of the best sellers, whom you can contact in advance. You can even send them an advance list of your requirements, based upon what they list on Ebay and on their Websites. Since yours is a direct purchases, the notional minimum price they offer you should be only 70% of the list price, but they should be willing to go to 50 to 60% of the list price if you buy in bulk. Sellers who are not on the net would be able to sell them cheaper because they are not addicted yet to higher prices.

Beware of Fakes: There are many fake coins, and it would be better to search the net and be informed in advance. Most antique ships would give you only original, and would offer to return the money if they are found fake. Contacting an Indian numismatist and enlisting his help is another good idea. He can take you to the best shops and ensure that you get best the best price. Ask him if he will want any professional charge for this service. If he says no, be sure to present him a souvenir from your country to say thank you. Happy buying coins from India!  [http://factoidz.com/india-travel-for-coin-enthusiasts/]

About Cochin: Cochin (now called Kochi) is a very ancient trading port of India, and written records show that it traded in spices, aromatics, ivory, sandalwood, and exotic animals at least from the time of King Solomon (BC 1000). There are several islands close to the mainland, and together the islands and the mainland town of Ernakulam form Kochi.

Since the place has been inhabited for more than 3 millennia, and since people from numerous cultures came and settled here, it became the melting pot of cultures, languages, customs, and technologies. In turn that further increased the appeal of Kochi for business and travels. Many ancient buildings survive, now protected as historical monuments, that take the visitor in an instant to the world several centuries old. Relics, artifacts, and paintings displayed in these monuments create an ambience that help one to feel the culture and customs of those ancient time.

Travel Plans: Kochi is big and spread out and it would take at least two days just to have a glance at important monuments. It would be better to stay here for a week and enjoy it fully. Good accommodation and transportation is available. English is widely understood as literacy is very high. There are several large bookshops that sell books in English.

Places To Visit: If you are a history buff, you must start your exploration with a visit to the Kerala History Museum, situated on the mainland. It will give you a fairly good idea of the history, customs, and culture of this place. This in turn will help you to understand everything you see later in Kochi (which is a part of the Kerala state) better.

There is an International Doll Museum there which you can enjoy as an extra during your visit. It is not related to Kochi or Kerala, but it is a unique collection.

For Kochi Beach is the next place you should visit. Evenings are best for such a visit. Here you will enjoy not only the beach, but you will also see the centuries old Chinese Fishing nets which were introduced here by people from the court of the Chinese ruler Kublai Khan. These nets are used daily even today to catch fish. The picture above shows some of these nets. Most evenings you can see  these nets in operation.

Vasco House (where Vasco de Gama the Portuguese lived), Jewish Synagogue and Jewish Town (built by Jews who migrated to Kochi to escape persecution in their country), Dutch Palace, Bolgatty Palace, Hill Palace (Thrippunithura), Palliport (Pallipuram) Fort, Mangalavanam Bird Sanctuary, Parikshith Thampuran Museum, Cherai Beach, Veega Land etc. You can take boat rides, see classical dances, and buy ancient Indian coins.

How To Go Around: For first-time travellers it is best to take tour packages. If you are the more adventurous type, then you can ask your hotel to arrange a prepaid or post-paid taxi and visit places of your interest. This will ensure that you control your time-table. Be sure to buy a good book on Cochin (Kochi) before you plan your trip. [http://factoidz.com/travel-guide-cochin-india/]

The government runs several special trains that take tourists on a selected number of destinations. This means that travel, food, accommodation, and guide are pre-arranged and you need not worry about these things. This also means that you get a these services at a fixed and fair price that is known to you in advance.

Here are a few developments in the recent past:

• Increased number of professionally managed tour operators
• Better transportation
• Special trains, buses and taxis are available for tourists
• Better communication with people back at home (you can hire cellophanes for short periods, you can make cheap international calls, etc)
• Increasing number of tour guides who can converse in more than one language

You can choose between several types of trips based upon your preference and needs. This includes:

• Budget Trips
• Moderate Trips
• Luxury Trips

You can also choose between what types of places you visit. This includes:

• Historical trips (see only historical places)
• Relaxation trips (spend time away from busy life)
• Medical trips (get medical treatment at economical rates)
• Cultural trip (enjoy local dances and cultural events)

The cost of a trip to India works out to be far less than a trip to any tourist destination in the world. This is partly due to the lower cost of living here and partly because of currency exchange rates which favor people who come here from more developed countries. You can control your budget further by planning it all yourself  — which is not difficult seeing information is now available on the net about all aspects of India travel. Here are the things you need to search and plan before you set out on your trip

• Passport and visa requirements
• Application procedures, application protocols from your country (such as the time needed to get your papers processed
• Mode of travel and travel plans
• Places of stay and advanced booking
• Essential medicines, their availability in India, and trade names in India
• Travel insurance
• The embassies and diplomatic missions of your country in India
• Your contact persons in India
• Emergency contacts in your country, in India, and in the embassies of your country in India

You will never be the same again after you make a trip to India.

Picture Credit: Taj Mahal

Worship: As with all other Bahá’í Houses of Worship, the Lotus Temple is open to all regardless of religion, or any other distinction, as emphasized in Bahá’í texts. The Bahá’í laws emphasize that the spirit of the House of Worship be that it is a gathering place where people of all religions may worship God without denominational restrictions. The Bahá’í laws also stipulate that only the holy scriptures of the Bahá’í Faith and other religions can be read or chanted inside in any language; while readings and prayers can be set to music by choirs, no musical instruments can be played inside. Furthermore no sermons can be delivered, and there can be no ritualistic ceremonies practiced.

Structure: All Bahá’í Houses of Worship, including the Lotus Temple, share certain architectural elements, some of which are specified by Bahá’í scripture. `Abdu’l-Bahá, the son of the founder of the religion, stipulated that an essential architectural character of a House of Worship be that it requires to have a nine-sided circular shape. Inspired by the lotus flower, its design is composed of 27 free-standing marble clad "petals" arranged in clusters of three to form nine sides.

While all current Bahá’í Houses of Worship have a dome, they are not regarded as an essential part of their architecture. Bahá’í scripture also states that no pictures, statues or images be displayed within the House of Worship and no pulpits or altars be incorporated as an architectural feature (readers may stand behind simple portable lecture stands). The nine doors of the Lotus Temple open onto a central hall, capable of holding up to 2,500 people. The central hall is slightly more than 40 meters tall and its surface is made of white marble. The House of Worship, along with the nine surrounding ponds and the gardens around comprise 26 acre (105,000 m²; 10.5 ha).

The site is in the village of Bahapur, in the National Capital Territory of Delhi. The architect was an Iranian, who now lives in Canada, named Fariborz Sahba. He was approached in 1976 to design it, later oversaw its construction and saved money from the construction budget to build a greenhouse to study which indigenous plants and flowers would be appropriate for the site. The major part of the funds needed to buy this land was donated by Ardishír Rustampúr of Hyderabad, who gave his entire life savings for this purpose in 1953.

Tourism: Since its inauguration to public worship in December 1986, the Bahá’í House of Worship in Delhi has, as of late 2002, attracted more than 50 million visitors, making it one of the most visited buildings in the world.  Its numbers of visitors during those years surpassed those of the Eiffel Tower and the Taj Mahal. On Hindu holy days, it has drawn as many as 150,000 people; it welcomes four million visitors each year (about 13,000 every day or 9 every minute).

This House of Worship is generally referred to as the "Lotus Temple". In India, during the Hindu festival Durga Puja, several times a replica of the Lotus Temple has been made as a pandal, a temporary structure set up to venerate the goddess Durga. In Sikkim a permanent replica is of the Hindu Legship Mandir, dedicated to Shiva.

Distinctions: The Temple has received wide range of attention in professional architectural, fine art, religious, governmental and other venues.

Awards: 1987, the Architect of the Bahá’í House of Worship, Mr. F. Sabha was presented the award for excellence in religious art and architecture by the UK-based Institution of Structural Engineers for producing a building "so emulating the beauty of a flower and so striking in its visual impact".

1987, the Interfaith Forum on Religion, Art and Architecture, Affiliate of the American Institute of Architects, Washington, D.C., gave their First Honour award for "Excellence in Religious Art and Architecture" 1987 to Mr. F. Sahba for the design of the Bahá’í House of Worship near New Delhi.

1988, the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America conferred the Paul Waterbury Outdoor Lighting Design Award – Special Citation for Exterior Lighting

1989, the Temple received an award from the Maharashtra-India Chapter of the American Concrete Institute for "excellence in a concrete structure".

1994 edition of Encyclopaedia Britannica, in its ‘Architecture’ section gives recognition to the Temple as an outstanding achievement of the time.

2000, Architectural Society of China as one of 100 canonical works of the 20th century in the recently published "World Architecture 1900-2000: A Critical Mosaic, Volume Eight, South Asia."

2000, GlobArt Academy in Vienna presented its "GlobArt Academy 2000" award to the architect of the Lotus Temple, Fariborz Sahba, for "the magnitude of the service of  Taj Mahal of the 20th century in promoting the unity and harmony of people of all nations, religions and social strata, to an extent unsurpassed by any other architectural monument worldwide."

Publications: As of 2003 it had been featured in television programmes in India, Russia and China. The Baha’i World Centre Library has archived more than 500 publications which have carried information on the Temple in the form of articles, interviews with the Architect and write-ups extolling the structure.

In France, the magazine "Actualite des Religions" published a four-page article on the Lotus Temple in the fall of 2000 in a special edition called "Les religions et leurs chef-d’œuvres" (Religions and Their Masterpieces).

Guinness World Records 2001

Progressive Architecture, February and again December 1987: World Architecture: A Critical Mosaic 1900-2000, Vol 8, by Kenneth Frampton, Springer-Verlog Wien publishers, New York – "A power icon of great beauty … an import symbol of the city."

Faith & Form – Journal of the IFRAA affiliate of the American Institute of Architects, Vol XXI "an extraordinary feat of design, construction and appropriateness of expressions"
Structural Engineer, UK (annual) Dec. 1987

Encyclopaedia Iranica 1989: Forever in Bloom: The Lotus of Bahapur, Photographs by Raghu Rai, text by Roger White, Time Books International, 1992
The Dawning Place of the Remembrance of God, Thomas Press, 2002
Stamps
6.50 Rupee postage Stamp featuring Baha’i House of Worship, New Delhi, India
Music
Temple Dedication service (1986).
Jewel in the Lotus (album) produced in 1987 by the keyboardist Jack Lenz for Don’t Blink Music, Inc., in Ontario, Canada with songs or voices by Seals & Crofts, Layli Ericks, and others.
Most visitors
"the most visited building in the world, according to a CNN report" 
"the most visited building in India, surpassing even the Taj Mahal with some 4.5 million visitors a year."

Notable visitors:

Pandit Ravi Shankar sitar maestro
Ambassadors of Tanzania, Hungary, Panama
Officers of Government (Ministers, Premiers) from Bermuda, Hungary, India, Ivory Coast, Nepal, USSR/Russia, Romania, Singapore, Tajikstan, Yemen, Yugoslavia, Zambia
Members of the Supreme Court of India
Mrs. Sonia Gandhi, wife of the late Prime Minister of India Rajiv Gandhi
Prince Niranjan Shah, of Nepal
Dr. Uton Muchtar Rafei, Regional Director, World Health Organization
The President of Iceland, Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson was the first Head of State on an official state visit
Amjad Ali Khan Classical Indian musician/composer
Princess Margarita of Romania and her husband, Prince Radu von Hohenzollern-Veringen
First Lady of the Slovak Republic, Silvia Gasparovicova

Indian Coins | India Tourism | All About India | Guide For Income | Physics For You 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lotus_temple

Overview: The columns that bear the edicts of Ashoka include the two pillars at Delhi (originally located at Meerut and Topra in Haryana and were brought to Delhi during the reign of Firuz Shah Tughluq in 1356), the pillar at Allahabad (is believed as originally located at Kaushambi) and the pillars found at Lauriya-Areraj, Lauriya-Nandangarh, Rampurva (with lion capital), Sankissa, Sanchi and Sarnath. The columns bearing dedicatory inscriptions were found in Lumbini and Nigalisagar. The pillars found at Vaishali (with single lion capital) and Rampurva (with bull capital) do not bear any edict.

These pillars were carved in two types of stone. Some were of the spotted red and white sandstone from the region of Mathura, the others of buff-colored fine grained hard sandstone usually with small black spots quarried in the Chunar near Varanasi. The uniformity of style in the pillar capitals suggests that they were all sculpted by craftsmen from the same region. It would therefore seem that stone was transported from Mathura and Chunar to the various sites where the pillars have been found, and there was cut and carved by craftsmen The pillars have four component parts.

The shafts are always plain and smooth, circular in cross-section, slightly tapering upwards and always chiselled out of a single piece of stone. The capitals have the shape and appearance of a gently arched bell formed of lotus petals. The abaci are of two types: square and plain and circular and decorated and these are of different proportions. The crowning animals are either seated or standing, always in the round and chiseled as a single piece with the abaci.

Description of the pillars: The most celebrated pillar is the pillar with the lion capital at Sarnath. Here, four lions are seated back to back. The pillar at Sanchi also has a similar lion capital. There are two pillars at Rampurva, one with bull and the other with lion as crowning animal. The pillar at Sankissa has an elephant as crowning animal. Five of the pillars of Ashoka (two at Rampurva, one each at Vaishali, Lauriya-Areraj and Lauryia-Nandangarh were possibly marked the course of the ancient Royal highway from Patliputra to the Nepal valley.

Pillar at Vaishali: There exists in Vaishali, a pillar with a single lion capital erected by Ashoka. The location of this pillar is contiguous to the site where a Buddhist monastery and a sacred coronation tank stood. Excavations are still underway and several stupas suggesting a far flung campus for the monastery have been discovered. This pillar is different from the earlier Ashokan pillars because it has only one lion capital. The lion faces north, the direction Buddha took on his last voyage. Identification of the site for excavation in 1969 was aided by the fact that this pillar still jutted out of the soil. More such pillars exist in this greater area but they are all devoid of the capital.

Pillars at Lauriya-Areraj and Lauriya-Nandangarh: The column at Lauriya-Nandangarh, 23 km from Bettiah in West Champaran district, Bihar has a single lion capital. The hump and the hind legs of the lion project beyond the abacus. The pillar at Lauriya-Areraj in East Champaran district, Bihar is presently devoid of any capital.

Erecting the Pillars: The Pillars of Ashoka may have been erected using the same methods that were used to erect the ancient obelisks. Roger Hopkins and Mark Lehrner conducted several obelisk erecting experiments including a successful attempt to erect a 25 ton obelisk in 1999. This followed two experiments to erect smaller obelisks and two failed attempts to erect a 25 ton obelisk.

Languages: Alexander Cunningham, one of the first to study the pillars, remarks that they are written in eastern, middle and western prakrits which he calls "the Punjabi or north-western dialect, the Ujjeni or middle dialect, and the Magadhi or eastern dialect." They are written in the Brahmi script.

History of discovery: The first Pillar of Ashoka was found in the 16 century by Thomas Coryat in the ruins of ancient Delhi. Initially he assumed that from the way it glowed that it was made of brass, but on closer examination he realized it was made of highly polished sandstone with upright script that resembled a form of Greek. In the 1830s James Prinsep began to decipher them with the help of Captain Edward Smith and George Turnour.

They determined that the script referred to King Piyadasi which was also the epithet of an Indian ruler known as Ashoka who came to the throne 218 years after Buddha’s enlightenment. Scholars have since found 150 of Ashoka’s inscriptions, carved into the face of rocks or on stone pillars marking out a domain that stretched across northern India and south below the central plateau of the Deccan. These pillars were placed in strategic sites near border cities and trade routes.

Background of construction: Ashoka ascended to the throne in 269 BCE inheriting the empire founded by his grandfather Chandragupta Maurya. Ashoka was reputedly a tyrant at the outset of his reign. Eight years after his accession he campaigned in Kalinga where in his own words, "a hundred and fifty thousand people were deported, a hundred thousand were killed and as many as that perished…" After this event Ashoka converted to Buddhism in remorse for the loss of life.

Buddhism didn’t become a state religion but with Ashoka’s support it spread rapidly. The inscriptions on the pillars described edicts about morality based on Buddhist tenets. Legend has it that Ashoka built 84,000 Stupas commemorating the events and relics of Buddha’s life. Some of these Stupas contained networks of walls containing the hub spokes and rim of a wheel, while others contained interior walls in a swastika shape. The wheel represents the sun, time, and Buddhist law (the wheel of law, or dharmachakra), while the swastika stands for the cosmic dance around a fixed center and guards against evil.

Indian Coins | India Tourism | All About India | Guide For Income | Physics For You  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pillars_of_Ashoka

Buddhism, having become identified with commerce and manufacturing through their early association with traders, tended to locate their monastic establishes in natural areas close to major trade routes so as to provide lodging houses for travelling traders.

Architecture: This complex of well-preserved, Theravada Buddhist caves is built on the difficult terrain of a rocky hillside. The complex also happens to be one of the finest examples of the ancient rock-cut caves found in India. The large Karla caves were excavated by hewing out the rock. Great windows light the interiors.

The main cave has a magnificent Chaitya with huge pillars and intricately carved relief’s dating back to the 1st century B.C. There are well carved sculptures of both males and females(see picture), as well as animals, including lions and elephants(see picture), a testimony to the skill of the artisan builders. Within the complex are a great many other magnificently carved prayer halls or chaityas as well as viharas or dwelling places for the monks.

A feature of these caves is their arched entrances and vaulted interiors. Built in the time of the Theravada Buddhists, these caves do not actually show the image of Buddha. The outside facade has intricate details carved to imitate finished wood. The central motif is a large horseshoe arch. There is a lion column in front, with a closed stone facade and torana in between.

During this period it is likely that thousands of caves like Karla were excavated in the Sahyadri Hills.

Encroachment: However, these Budhhist relics are being subjected to vandalism, that too under the nose of the Archaeological Survey of India. Karla caves, 11 km off Lonavla, house a monastery dating back to 2nd century BC. The monastery was once home to two 15-meter grand pillars. Now only one of these masterpieces exists and the remaining space is occupied by a temple dedicated to Goddess Ekaveera. Lord Buddha is often the silent observer when sacrifices to the goddess take place.

The scenario is not much different at the Budhhist caves in Thane where craftsmen worked for years to carve the Buddha statue out of Sahyadri rocks. Centuries passed, and then came a newer generation of craftsmen, giving a new colour to these caves. Khandeshwari Devi, a little known Hindu deity, has nearly displaced the Buddha and changed his complexion to saffron Lord Ganesha is also party to this divine encroachment and in the Buddhist caves at Nasik, it is Lord Hanuman.The news shades of divinity find no takers among Buddhist scholars.

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Indian rock-cut architecture is mostly religious in nature. In India, caves have long been regarded as places of sanctity. Caves that were enlarged or entirely man-made were felt to hold the same sanctity as natural caves. In fact the sanctuary in all Indian religious structures, even free standing ones, retain the same cave-like feeling of sacredness, being small and dark without natural light.

The Oldest Caves is the Barabar caves,Bihar built around 3rd Century BC,other early cave temples are found in the western Deccan, mostly Buddhist shrines and monasteries, dating between 100 BC and 170 AD. They were probably preceded as well as accompanied by wooden structures which are destroyed over time while stone endures. Throughout the history of rock-cut temples, the elements of wooden construction have been retained. Skilled craftsmen learned to mimic timber texture, grain and structure.

The earliest cave temples include the Bhaja Caves, the Karla Caves, the Bedse Caves, the Kanheri Caves and some of the Ajanta Caves. Relics found in these caves suggest an important connection between the religious and the commercial, as Buddhist missionaries often accompanied traders on the busy international trading routes through India. Some of the more sumptuous cave temples, commissioned by wealthy traders, included pillars, arches, and elaborate facades during the time maritime trade boomed between the Roman Empire and south-east Asia.

Although free standing structural temples were being built by the 5th century, rock-cut cave temples continued to be built in parallel. Later rock-cut cave architecture became more sophisticated as in the Ellora Caves, culminating ultimately the monolithic Kailash Temple. After this, rock-cut architecture became almost totally structural in nature (although cave temples continued to be built until the 12th century), made from rocks cut into bricks and built as free standing constructions. Kailash was the last spectacular rock-cut excavated temple.

Early caves: The earliest caves employed by humans were natural caves used by local inhabitant for a variety of purposes such as shrines and shelters. The early caves included overhanging rock decorated with rock-cut art and the use of natural caves during the Mesolithic period (6000 BC). Their use has continued in some areas into historic times. The Rock Shelters of Bhimbetka, a World Heritage Site, are on the edge of the Deccan Plateau where deep erosion has left huge sandstone outcrops. The many caves and grottos found there contain primitive tools and decorative rock paintings that reflect the ancient tradition of human interaction with their landscape, an interaction that continues to this day.

Cave temples: When Buddhist missionaries arrived they naturally gravitated to caves for use as cave temples and abodes, in accord with their religious ideas of asceticism and the monastic life. The Western Ghats topography with its flat-topped basalt hills, deep ravines and sharp cliffs, was suited to their natural inclinations. The earliest of the Kanheri Caves were excavated in the 1rst and 2nd centuries B.C. as were those at Ajanta which were occupied continuously by Buddhist monks from 200 BCE to 650 AD.

The Buddhist ideology encouraged identification with trade, monasteries became stopovers for inland traders and provided lodging houses that were usually located near trade routes. As their mercantile and royal endowments grew, cave interiors became more elaborate with interior walls decorated with paintings and reliefs and intricate carvings. Facades were added to the exteriors as the interiors became designated for specific uses as monasteries (viharas) and worship halls (chaityas).

Over the centuries simple caves began to resemble three-dimensional buildings, needing to be formally designed and requiring highly skilled artisans and craftsmen to complete. Theses artisans had not forgotten their timber roots and imitated the nuances of a wooden structure and the wood grain in working with stone.

Early examples of rock cut architecture are the Buddhist and Jain cave basadi, temples and monasteries, many with chandrashalas. The aesthetic nature of these religions inclined their followers to live in natural caves and grottos in the hillsides, away from the cities, and these became enhanced and embellished over time. Although many temples, monasteries and stupas had been destroyed, by contrast cave temples are very well preserved as they are both less visible and therefore less vulnerable to vandalism as well as made of more durable material than wood and masonry.

There are around 1200 cave temples still in existence, most of which are Buddhist. The residences of monks were called Viharas and the cave shrines, called Chaityas, were for congregational worship. The earliest rock-cut garbhagriha, similar to free-standing ones later, had an inner circular chamber with pillars to create a circumambulatory path (pradakshina) around the stupa and an outer rectangular hall for the congregation of the devotees.

The Ajanta Caves in Maharashtra, a World Heritage Site, are 30 rock-cut cave Buddhist temples carved into the sheer vertical side of a gorge near a waterfall-fed pool located in the hills of the Sahyadri mountains. Like all the locations of Buddhist caves, this one is located near main trade routes and spans six centuries beginning in the 2nd or 1st century B.C. A period of intense building activity at this site occurred under the Vakataka king Harisena between 460 and 478 A profuse variety of decorative sculpture, intricately carved columns and carved reliefs are found, including exquisitely carved cornices and pilaster. Skilled artisans crafted living rock to imitate timbered wood (such as lintels) in construction and grain and intricate decorative carving, although such architectural elements were ornamental and not functional in the classical sense.

Another example of cave temple architecture are the Badami Cave Temples at Badami, the early Chalukya capital, carved out in the 6th century. There are four cave temples hewn from the sides of cliffs, three Hindu and one Jain, that contain carved architectural elements such as decorative pillars and brackets as well as finely carved sculpture and richly etched ceiling panels. Nearby are many small Buddhist cave shrines.

Monolithic rock-cut temples: The Pallava architects started the carving of rock for the creation of a monolithic copies of structural temples. A feature of the rock-cut cave temple distribution until the time of the early Pallavas is that they did not move further south than Aragandanallur, with the solitary exception of Tiruchitrapalli on the south bank of the Kaveri River, the traditional southern boundary between north and south. Also, good granite exposures for rock-cut structures were generally not available south of the river.

A rock cut temple is carved from a large rock and excavated and cut to imitate a wooden or masonry temple with wall decorations and works of art. Pancha Rathas is an example of monolith Indian rock cut architecture dating from the late 7th century located at Mamallapuram,a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Ellora cave temple 16, the Kailash Temple, is singular in that it was excavated from the top down rather than by the usual practice of carving into the scarp of a hillside. The Kailash Temple was created through a single, huge top-down excavation 100 feet deep down into the volcanic basaltic cliff rock. It was commissioned in 8th century by King Krishna I and took more than 100 years to complete.

The Kailash Temple, or cave 16 as it is known at Ellora Caves located at Maharastra on the Deccan Plateau, is a huge monolithic temple dedicated to Lord Shiva. There are 34 caves built at this site, but the other 33 caves, Hindu, Buddhist, and Jain, were carved into the side of the plateau rock. The effect of the Kailash Temple is that of a free-standing temple surrounded by smaller cave shrines carved out of the same black rock. The Kailash Temple is carved with figures of gods and goddesses from the Hindu Puranas, along with mystical beings like the heavenly nymphs and musicians and figures of good fortune and fertility. Ellora Caves is also a World Heritage Site.

Free-standing temples: There is no time line that divides the creation of rock-cut temples and free-standing temples built with cut stone as they developed in parallel. The building of free-standing structures began in 5th century, while rock cut temples continued to be excavated until the 12th century. An example of a free-standing structural temple is the Shore Temple, with its slender tower, built on the shore of the Bay of Bengal with finely carved granite rocks cut like bricks and dating from the 8th century. It is considered to be part of Group of Monuments at the Mahabalipuram UNESCO World Heritage Site

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