KUDALA SANGAMA:An inscription in the temple of 1213 A.D. records a gift to the god Acheshvara. Another stone record of 1160 A.D. refers to land grant to deities, Kaleshvara and Achesvara.It is believed that in the 12th century Jathaveda Muni Sarangamath had set up an education centre here and Basaveshvara, Channabasavanna and Akkanagamma were students. Basaveshvara spent his boyhood here and, after his return from Kalyana, he is said to have became one with the God at this place. The vachanas composed by him are dedicated to the presiding deity here, Sangamanatha.GOLGUMBUSGol GumbazorGol Gumbadh, fromPersian Gol Gombadhmeaning "round dome",[1]is themausoleumofMohammed Adil Shah,Sultan of Bijapur. The tomb, located inBijapur, KarnatakainIndia, was completed in 1656 by thearchitectYaqut of Dabul. Although "impressively simple in design", it is the "structural triumph ofDeccanarchitecture".[2Gol Gumbazhas another amazing feature. Any sound at this place echoes for over eleven times. Moreover you can even hear the tick of a watch across a distance of 37 meter in the vast dome. You can enjoy the picturesque landscape of the region nearGol Gumbazfrom its terrace which can be reached through the steps across the narrow passages.

Apart from the burial chambers of Mohammed Adil Shah, his two wives, his mistress Ramba, his daughter and grandson, the complex ofGol Gumbazalso houses a mosque, a Naqqar Khana, a gateway and a dharamshala. The building in front of theGol Gumbazhas been turned into a museum that contains all the history about the royal past related to Adilshah dynasty who constructed Gol Gumbaz.

PANDARAPURA:Pandharpur is one of the most prominent pilgrimage places in Maharashtra. It is located on the banks of the Bhim river, which is alternatively known asChandrabhgbecause of its half-moon-like shape. The city is named after a great merchant, Pundalik, who achieved self-realization there.[1]Pandharpur, also known as Pandhari, hosts the renownedVitthal templeon the banks of Bhim. "Vithoba", "Pndurang", and "Pandharinth" are the popular alternate names of the deity, Viththal, who is regarded inHinduismas a form of LordKrishna. Krishna is considered as an incarnation of LordVishnu. Rakhumi orRukminiis Viththal's consort in the temple.The worship of Vitthal in the Pandharpur temple is based mainly on the contents of thePuranas, and the contributions of theVaishnavsaints ofMaharashtraandKarnatakaduring the 13th through the 17th centuries. Some of these saints areDnyaneshwar,Namdev,Gora Kumbhar,Chokhamela,Eknath,Tukaram,Purandara Dasa,Vijaya Dasa,Gopala Dasa, andJagannatha Dasa.The Pandharpur temple covers a large area and has six gates. The eastern gate is known as the "Namdev Gate."Pandharpur hosts four annual pilgrimages ("ytrs") of Hindu devotees. Among them, the pilgrimage in the month of shdh (JuneJuly) in the Hindu calendar attracts the largest number of pilgrimsaround 500,000 to 700,000 people. The pilgrimages in the months of Krtik (OctoberNovember), Mgh (JanuaryFebruary) and Shrvan (JulyAugust) attract the second, third and fourth largest numbers of pilgrims respectivelyLong ago there was a brave king. His name was Muchkung. In the battle of Gods and Devils, Gods demanded help of the king. Making a great feat the king gave a great victory to the Gods, favorably disposed on his deed God told him to demand blessing. The king said, I am very tired, I want to rest now. If anyone brings an obstacle in my rest, he will be burnt by my eyes. Then he slept in cave, in the incarnation of Shree Krishna. The strongest cannot die devil Kalyavan who by any weapons. Shree Krishna by trick brought him in where the king Muchkund and hide in the darkness. Kalyavan came in the cave. He saw the shawl of Shree Krishna, so he gave a strong kick to the king. As soon as the king Muchkund awakened from his sleep, he burnt the devil by his eyes. Then Bhagavan Shree Krishna gave darshan to Muchkund. He told the king all events. Then the king Muchkund begged to the Lord stand him as it is. Our Lord Shree Krishna has him front of Muchkund, promised his to complete his desire in the next life.Thus the king Muchkund was borne as the name of great devotee Pundlik. He lived in Dindir forest which was near to Pandharpur. To complet the promise shree Krishna came in Dindir forest, to find Rukmini. Pundalik hated his father and mother. His wife was an obstinate woman. He was set off to Kashi pilgrimage with his wife. On the road he lived in the Hermitage of Kukkut Muni. Kukkut Muni was a great devotee of his parents. He got a great strength by servicing of his parents. Many sinful persons take bath in the river. So they want to become soared, Hence our sacred rivers Ganga. Yamuna and Saraswati serviced in this heritage. It was experienced by Pundlik that the rivers perched. He got knowledge and then he took a bath of service to His parents. Then he returned to Pandhari. He devoted his entire life in the service of his parents.Seeing of his devotion about his parents our Lord delighted on him. He came near the Pundliks place, where he lived. He saw Pundlik lost in the service of his parents. Lord gave him darshan and blessings. Pundlik prayed him to stand on brick stone and wait. Lord approved his pledge. Pundlik put a stone brick for standing. The bank of Bhima River means the second Dwarka. Our Lord Shree Krisna has changd his form and become Shree Vitthal. From that time our Lord Vitthal has been standing on brick of his devotee Shree Pundlik. Vitthal means our Lord Shree Krishna.Vitthal Temple PandharpurThe location of the temple is on the middle of the vitthal hill (Vitthal Tekadi). The temple was very small in the period of Yadav. After 13th century the extension of temple might spread according to the devotion of Lord Shri Vittal. It is difficult to say exact period of the construction of the temple because a lack of proof. Different parts of the temple like Ganesh Mandap. Subharna mandap and Garbhagar were built by different person. If we see the construction of the temple, we will see the part is different from another.Before some years there was narrow road and many allies around the temple. Therefore there is a very rush. Then the rough outline of the city development has been prepared by the co-operation of Maharashtra Government. Now some improvements are being made. The pradakshina marg and palkhi marg are made broad. The Road from S.T. stands Swa. Sawarkar path has been divided into two parts are made broad. The face of the temple is on Eastern direction. The east-west lengh of the temple is 350 feet and North-south length is 170 feet. The hight is 25 to 32 feet. The peaks of the temple are high. The peaks have been decorated by different idols of god and goddess and design. They have been painted. The blue and yellow light flows have been thrown on the painted peaks. During the celebration days there is a wonderful decoration of lights.The temple has four doors for the entrance. The doors are used by different reason. On the east side, there are three doors.1) The main gate or first door is called Namdev darwaja. It is called Mahaddvar (a big door). Here Namdev who was beloved of Lord Shri Vittal took self immolation in 1350 A.D. with his 14 family members. The step is called Namdev Payari. Every year anniversary day of Namdev is celebrated. The step is ornamented by brass metal. The right side of step there is the idol of Namdev. The pious people first take Darshan of this Namdev step without touching. There is a stand of water on the right side of the steps called Vrundavan dam. Next of Namdev step there is the self immolation of Saint Chokhamela. The urns of Saint Chokhamelas were brought by Namdev built Chokhamelas immolation. The restoration of chokhobas immolation made by the king of phaltan. He built a big umbrella. This reference is given on the immolation. In this area there are two idols of Ganesh, Saraswati and two veergal besides of the chokhamela immolation. But now they have been replaced.2) On the right hand of the Namdev step there is a big Indian fig tree. There is eastern face door adjacent of the temple which we can go into the temple. New Darshan mantap. A bridge has been built between Darshan Mantap and the temple.3) The third eastern face door which we call Tati Door. If you enter through this door, you will see Kanhopatra temple, Laxmi Mandir and Venkoba Temple. The temple has two doors on southern side. 1) First door for the ladies. 2) Second joined to Bajirao Padsali.There is big and only one main door at the western side. It is called Paschim dvar. The vehicles stop here coming from S.T. stand and Choufula. You can park you vehicles there. This door is used for exit during celebrations.On the Northern side there are three main doors. Rukmini door. Rukmini Gopur door. If you can enter through this door, you will see the red stone Rukmini Sabha Mandap. Here religious rities like. A narration punctuated by music (Kirtan), pearching of the devotion etc. is carried out. The entrance door of Bodhlebuvas verandha.Rukmini TempleAfter climbing the steps of Rukmini Temple, you can see the Rahi and Satyabhama temples. The idols are very beautiful and attractive. Besides the sanctuary of Rukmini temple, there are main four parts of the temple.1. Main Sanctuary2. Middle House3. Main pavilion4. Sabha Mandap on the north side a room which is a bedroom of Rukminimata.5. The doors of the bedroom are covered by silver sheet. There is a silver cot and velvet bed. A square beautiful step is in the sanctuary, Beautiful where goddess Shri Rukminis idol stands up. Her face is towards the east. Her hands are on her waist. After daily worshiping she wears ornaments and cloths. Her face is cheerful and after seen, her face the pious people says Aaisaheb or Matoshri. The pious people plead her blessing. After darshan you can go the back side of the temple where you can take darshan of the peak. Then you can enter into sabha mandap. Recently the Sabhamandap has been artificially built by red stone. You will get to see many pictures of Rukminimata. The pictures are based on the wedding story of Goddess Rukminimata, the beautiful attraction of Rukminimata Temple. The beautiful pictures of Goddess attract the pious people. There is a high stand lamp.6. Within four months from July to Octombar and Navratra Mahostav many religious programs are held in Sabhamandap. During this period she is worshipped daily by different ways. The Sabhamandap is decorated by various blossoms of flowers.7. There is a same place after you come upwards, there are many small rooms, and in these rooms you can see small idols if great Hindu Gods and Goddesses. At the end of this space there is a door. Through this door you can enter this Solkhambhi. There you will find an ancient inscription. You can see the names of donors on the inscription. The pious people rub their back on this inscription. They believe that after rubbing back a man can be freed from human life. In fact the inscription is becoming indistrct by rubbing the back of pious people. Now a days an iron net covered on the inscription.8. After taking darshan of all gods and goddesses you can come in Solkhambahi where you can take darshan again of Lord Shri Vitthal.This Solkhambi has 3 doors on the side. On right side you can see again an important inscription.After Darshan the pious people come in Mahaddwar where there are small temples of Shri Kalbhairavnth, Shri Shanaishwar, Shri Shakambari, and next Shri Kanhobaraya. You can see a newly constructed shri Saint Narahari Sonar Temple in front of Kanhobaraya Temple. The temple is maintained by the goldsmith society. There is a historical tradition behind this temple. Near to the Narhari Sonar Temple there is a temple of Shri Malikarjun. A famous Saint Narahari Sonar daily worshipped the Shivaling. He had a house and shop. He was stubborn devotee of Lord Shiv. Lord Vitthal gave him darshan of the Shivling through idol of himself; from that day Shiv and Vishnu had united. Therefore the gift of this is the meaning of Har and Hari, our Lord Vithhal has possessed Shivling on his head as symbol of meeting. There was Long ago there was a brave king. His name was Muchkung. In the battle of Gods and Devils, Gods demanded help of the king. Making a great feat the king gave a great victory to the Gods, favorably disposed on his deed God told him to demand blessing. The king said, I am very tired, I want to rest now. If anyone brings an obstacle in my rest, he will be burnt by my eyes. Then he slept in cave, in the incarnation of Shree Krishna. The strongest cannot die devil Kalyavan who by any weapons. Shree Krishna by trick brought him in where the king Muchkund and hide in the darkness. Kalyavan came in the cave. He saw the shawl of Shree Krishna, so he gave a strong kick to the king. As soon as the king Muchkund awakened from his sleep, he burnt the devil by his eyes. Then Bhagavan Shree Krishna gave darshan to Muchkund. He told the king all events. Then the king Muchkund begged to the Lord stand him as it is. Our Lord Shree Krishna has him front of Muchkund, promised his to complete his desire in the next life.Thus the king Muchkund was borne as the name of great devotee Pundlik. He lived in Dindir forest which was near to Pandharpur. To complet the promise shree Krishna came in Dindir forest, to find Rukmini. Pundalik hated his father and mother. His wife was an obstinate woman. He was set off to Kashi pilgrimage with his wife. On the road he lived in the Hermitage of Kukkut Muni. Kukkut Muni was a great devotee of his parents. He got a great strength by servicing of his parents. Many sinful persons take bath in the river. So they want to become soared, Hence our sacred rivers Ganga. Yamuna and Saraswati serviced in this heritage. It was experienced by Pundlik that the rivers perched. He got knowledge and then he took a bath of service to His parents. Then he returned to Pandhari. He devoted his entire life in the service of his parents.Seeing of his devotion about his parents our Lord delighted on him. He came near the Pundliks place, where he lived. He saw Pundlik lost in the service of his parents. Lord gave him darshan and blessings. Pundlik prayed him to stand on brick stone and wait. Lord approved his pledge. Pundlik put a stone brick for standing. The bank of Bhima River means the second Dwarka. Our Lord Shree Krisna has changd his form and become Shree Vitthal. From that time our Lord Vitthal has been standing on brick of his devotee Shree Pundlik. Vitthal means our Lord Shree Krishna.Vitthal Temple PandharpurThe location of the temple is on the middle of the vitthal hill (Vitthal Tekadi). The temple was very small in the period of Yadav. After 13th century the extension of temple might spread according to the devotion of Lord Shri Vittal. It is difficult to say exact period of the construction of the temple because a lack of proof. Different parts of the temple like Ganesh Mandap. Subharna mandap and Garbhagar were built by different person. If we see the construction of the temple, we will see the part is different from another.Before some years there was narrow road and many allies around the temple. Therefore there is a very rush. Then the rough outline of the city development has been prepared by the co-operation of Maharashtra Government. Now some improvements are being made. The pradakshina marg and palkhi marg are made broad. The Road from S.T. stands Swa. Sawarkar path has been divided into two parts are made broad. The face of the temple is on Eastern direction. The east-west lengh of the temple is 350 feet and North-south length is 170 feet. The hight is 25 to 32 feet. The peaks of the temple are high. The peaks have been decorated by different idols of god and goddess and design. They have been painted. The blue and yellow light flows have been thrown on the painted peaks. During the celebration days there is a wonderful decoration of lights.The temple has four doors for the entrance. The doors are used by different reason. On the east side, there are three doors.1) The main gate or first door is called Namdev darwaja. It is called Mahaddvar (a big door). Here Namdev who was beloved of Lord Shri Vittal took self immolation in 1350 A.D. with his 14 family members. The step is called Namdev Payari. Every year anniversary day of Namdev is celebrated. The step is ornamented by brass metal. The right side of step there is the idol of Namdev. The pious people first take Darshan of this Namdev step without touching. There is a stand of water on the right side of the steps called Vrundavan dam. Next of Namdev step there is the self immolation of Saint Chokhamela. The urns of Saint Chokhamelas were brought by Namdev built Chokhamelas immolation. The restoration of chokhobas immolation made by the king of phaltan. He built a big umbrella. This reference is given on the immolation. In this area there are two idols of Ganesh, Saraswati and two veergal besides of the chokhamela immolation. But now they have been replaced.2) On the right hand of the Namdev step there is a big Indian fig tree. There is eastern face door adjacent of the temple which we can go into the temple. New Darshan mantap. A bridge has been built between Darshan Mantap and the temple.3) The third eastern face door which we call Tati Door. If you enter through this door, you will see Kanhopatra temple, Laxmi Mandir and Venkoba Temple. The temple has two doors on southern side. 1) First door for the ladies. 2) Second joined to Bajirao Padsali.There is big and only one main door at the western side. It is called Paschim dvar. The vehicles stop here coming from S.T. stand and Choufula. You can park you vehicles there. This door is used for exit during celebrations.On the Northern side there are three main doors. Rukmini door. Rukmini Gopur door. If you can enter through this door, you will see the red stone Rukmini Sabha Mandap. Here religious rities like. A narration punctuated by music (Kirtan), pearching of the devotion etc. is carried out. The entrance door of Bodhlebuvas verandha.Rukmini TempleAfter climbing the steps of Rukmini Temple, you can see the Rahi and Satyabhama temples. The idols are very beautiful and attractive. Besides the sanctuary of Rukmini temple, there are main four parts of the temple.9. Main Sanctuary10. Middle House11. Main pavilion12. Sabha Mandap on the north side a room which is a bedroom of Rukminimata.13. The doors of the bedroom are covered by silver sheet. There is a silver cot and velvet bed. A square beautiful step is in the sanctuary, Beautiful where goddess Shri Rukminis idol stands up. Her face is towards the east. Her hands are on her waist. After daily worshiping she wears ornaments and cloths. Her face is cheerful and after seen, her face the pious people says Aaisaheb or Matoshri. The pious people plead her blessing. After darshan you can go the back side of the temple where you can take darshan of the peak. Then you can enter into sabha mandap. Recently the Sabhamandap has been artificially built by red stone. You will get to see many pictures of Rukminimata. The pictures are based on the wedding story of Goddess Rukminimata, the beautiful attraction of Rukminimata Temple. The beautiful pictures of Goddess attract the pious people. There is a high stand lamp.14. Within four months from July to Octombar and Navratra Mahostav many religious programs are held in Sabhamandap. During this period she is worshipped daily by different ways. The Sabhamandap is decorated by various blossoms of flowers.15. There is a same place after you come upwards, there are many small rooms, and in these rooms you can see small idols if great Hindu Gods and Goddesses. At the end of this space there is a door. Through this door you can enter this Solkhambhi. There you will find an ancient inscription. You can see the names of donors on the inscription. The pious people rub their back on this inscription. They believe that after rubbing back a man can be freed from human life. In fact the inscription is becoming indistrct by rubbing the back of pious people. Now a days an iron net covered on the inscription.16. After taking darshan of all gods and goddesses you can come in Solkhambahi where you can take darshan again of Lord Shri Vitthal.This Solkhambi has 3 doors on the side. On right side you can see again an important inscription.17. After Darshan the pious people come in Mahaddwar where there are small temples of Shri Kalbhairavnth, Shri Shanaishwar, Shri Shakambari, and next Shri Kanhobaraya. You can see a newly constructed shri Saint Narahari Sonar Temple in front of Kanhobaraya Temple. The temple is maintained by the goldsmith society. There is a historical tradition behind this temple. Near to the Narhari Sonar Temple there is a temple of Shri Malikarjun. A famous Saint Narahari Sonar daily worshipped the Shivaling. He had a house and shop. He was stubborn devotee of Lord Shiv. Lord Vitthal gave him darshan of the Shivling through idol of himself; from that day Shiv and Vishnu had united. Therefore the gift of this is the meaning of Har and Hari, our Lord Vithhal has possessed Shivling on his head as symbol of meeting. There was a big village gate. In road widening the gate was fallen down.SHANISIGNAPUR:Shani Shingnapur[1]orShani Shinganapur[2]orShingnapur[3]orSonaiis a village in theIndianstate ofMaharashtra. Situated inNevasatalukainAhmednagar district, the village is known for its popular temple ofShani, theHindugod of the planet (graha) Saturn. Shingnapur is 35km fromAhmednagarcity.Shingnapur is also famous for the fact that no house in the village has doors, only door frames. Despite this, no theft was reported in the village[4]until 2010 when cash and items worth Rs. 35000/- were stolen for a vehicle,[5][6]and again in 2011 when Rs. 50000/-, gold rings, mobile phone, etc. was stolen from the home of a retired official of the Shree Shanaishwar Deosthan Trust itself![7]Still some villagers never keep their valuables under lock and key. Villagers believe that the temple is a "jagrut devasthan" (lit. "alive temple"), meaning that the god here is very powerful. They believe that god Shani punishes anyone attempting theft.[4]The deity here is "Swayambhu" (Sanskrit: self-evolved deity) that is self emerged from earth in form of black but imposing stone. Though no one knows the exact period, it is believed that theSwayambhuShanaishwara statue was found from times immemorial by shepherds of the then local hamlet. It is believed to be in existence at least sinceKali yuga. Though there has been reports of thefts in Oct 2010[5][6]and Feb 2011.[7]The village has a post office and a high school known asShri Shanishwar Vidya Mandirbesides the primary schools run by theZilla Parishad. The chief source of water supply in the villages is wells.[4]In January 2011, the United Commercial (UCO) Bank opened a 'lockless' branch in the village, the first of its kind in the country, taking note of the near-zero crime rate in the region. The local police were reported to be unhappy over this development and that it amounted to a breach of conditions, because the Central government of India has made it mandatory for all banks to have high security.The bank has doors,but they will always remain open. However, it was reported by the local legislator and the bank officials that adequate precautions were being taken for the safety of lockers and important documents.[8]Historical ImportanceThe story of theswayambhustatue handed down from generations through word of mouth, goes something like this: When the Shepherd touched the stone with a pointed rod, the stone started bleeding. The shepherds were astounded. Soon the whole village gathered around to watch the miracle. On that night Lord Shanaishwara appeared in the dream of the most devoted and pious of the shepherds.He told the shepherd that he is "Shanaishwara". He also told that the unique looking black stone is his swayambhu form. The shepherd prayed and asked the lord whether he should construct a temple for him. To this, Lord Shani Mahatma said there is no need for a roof as the whole sky is his roof and he preferred to be under open sky. He asked the shephered to do daily pooja and 'Tailabhisheka' every Saturday without fail. He also promised the whole hamlet will have no fear of dacoits or burglars or thieves.So, Lord Shanaishwara can be seen even today, in the open yard without any roof above. To this day, there are no doors for any houses, shops, temples.[citation needed]It is to be seen to believe that even post office has no door, not to speak of locks. Due to the fear of Lord Shani, none of the structures, be it dwelling houses, huts, shops, etc. situated within one kilometer radius of this Lord Shani temple have neither doors nor locks.[citation needed]No thievery or burglary was reported until 2010 when first theft was reported[5][6]and again another one was reported in 2011.[7]Some who have tried to steal have died vomiting blood within minutes of their act and before they could cross the boundary.[citation needed]Many others are said have received varied punishments such as long sickness, mental imbalance etc.[citation needed]This Shani Shingnapur is visited daily by thousands of devotees praying for Lord Shaneswara's favour. The place is busiest on Saturdays. ShaniTrayodasiis considered to be a favorite day for the lord. Similarly Saturday falling on 'Amavasya'(new moon day in Sanskrit and many other Indian languages) is considered to be a favorites day for the Lord Shanaishwara. Thousands of devotees seeking his blessings throng this temple in thousands.Shrine of ShaniThe shrine for Shani consists of a five and a half feet high black rock installed on an open-air platform, which symbolizes the god Shani. ATrishula(trident) is placed along the side of the image and aNandi(bull) image is on the south side. In front are the small images ofShivaandHanuman.[4]Generally, the temple has 3045000 visitors a day, which swells to around three lakh (i.e. three hundred thousand) onamavasya(the new moon day), believed to be the most auspicious day to appease Lord Shani.[1]The village holds a fair in honour of the deity on this day. A bigger festival is held on new moon days that fall on Saturdays. Devotees bathe Lord Shani's image with water and oil and offer flowers, andudidto him. A palanquin procession of Shani is held on the day of the fair.[4]Other festivals include the birthday of Shani,Shani Jayanti.[1]The shrine gained popularity with the decade-old filmSurya Putra Shanidevmade by the film producer LateGulshan Kumar.[1]MINI TAJMAHAL AURANGABADSituated about 5 kms from the city is Bibi Ka Maqbara, the burial place of Aurangzeb's 1st wife, Rabia-ud-Durrani. It is an imitation of the Taj at Agra, termed as the poor man's Taj Mahal. Located behind the mausoleum is a small archeological museum. This mausoleum is also termed as 'poor man's Taj Mahal' owing to it being a poor replica of the Taj. Behind the mausoleum is located a small archeological museum. Emperor Aurangzeb's son built this monument in 1679 AD in memory of his mother Rabia (Aurangzeb's wife).The Bibi-Ka-Maqbara is made mostly of sandstone and has plastered walls (a cost cutting measure), and a marble dome. The expert - Ustad Ata-mullahs came from Persia. Bibi Ka Maqbara is known as the South Indian Taj. However, if the delicacy of work is compared, it falls far short of the glory of the Taj at Agra. Below the tomb, lattice works are in marble. However, the lattice work and inlay decorations of flowers and creepers are beautiful. The Masjid is to the west. A high wall with bastions runs around edifice and the recesses have little minarets. The entrance leads to an arch and from this point, a fine view of the structure ahead may be obtained. The pavement that leads to mausoleum is flanked by oblong reservoirs.The interior decoration has nothing comparable with the great architectural wonder at Agra. Yet a comparison apart, Bibi-ka-Maqbara has its own splendour and grace. It is considered as a fine piece of Moghul architecture in the Deccan region.Bibi Ka Maqbara(Urdu: "Tomb of the Lady") is amaqbaralocated inAurangabad,Maharashtra,India. It was commissioned by the sixthMughal EmperorAurangzebin the late 17th century in the memory of his first wife,Dilras Banu Begum(posthumously known as Rabia-ud-Daurani).[1][2]It bears a striking resemblance to the famousTaj Mahal, the mausoleum of his mother,Mumtaz Mahal. Aurangzeb was not very interested in architecture, though he had built the small, but elegant,Pearl MosqueatDelhi. The Bibi Ka Maqbara was the largest structure that he had to his credit.[1]The comparison to theTaj Mahalhas often obscured its very own considerable charm.[3]Due to its strong resemblance to the Taj Mahal, it is also called theDakkhani Taj(Taj of theDeccan).[4]Bibi Ka Maqbara is the principal monument of Aurangabad and its historic city.[2][5]An inscription found on the main entrance door mentions that this mausoleum was designed and erected by Ata-ullah, an architect and Hanspat Rai, an engineer respectively.[4]Ata-ullah was the son ofUstad Ahmad Lahauri, the principal designer of the Taj Mahal.HistoryBibi ka Maqbara is believed to be built between 1651 and 1661 C.E. According to the "Tarikh Namah" of Ghulam Mustafa, the cost of construction of the mausoleum was Rs. 6,68,203-7 (Rupees Six Lakh, Sixty Eight Thousand, Two Hundred and Three & Seven Annas) -- Aurangzeb allocated only Rs. 7,00,000 for its construction.[6]An inscription found on the main entrance door mentions that this mausoleum was designed and erected by Ata-ullah, an architect and Hanspat Rai, an engineer respectively. The marble for this mausoleum was brought from mines near Jaipur. According toTavernier, around three hundred carts laden with marbles, drawn by at least 12 oxen were seen by him during his journey from Surat to Golconda. The mausoleum was intended to rival the Taj Mahal, but, the decline in architecture and proportions of the structure (both due to the severe budgetary constraints imposed by Aurangzeb) had resulted in a poor copy of the latterStructureThe mausoleum is laid out in aCharbaghlayout and stands at the centre of a huge enclosure measuring approximately 458 m. N-S X 275 m. E-W.Baradarisor pillared pavilions are located at the centre of north, east and western part of the enclosure wall. The high enclosure wall is crenellated with pointed arched recesses and bastions at regular intervals. The recesses are divided by pilasters, crowned with small minarets. The mausoleum is built on a high square platform with four minarets at its corners, which is approached by a flight of steps from the three sides. A mosque is found to the west of the main structure, which was a later addition caused by the Nizam of Hyderabad, resulting in closure of the entrance from the west side.Entry to the mausoleum is through a main entrance gate on its south, which has foliage designs on brass plate on wood covering from the exterior. After passing through the entrance a small tank is provided and a low profile screen wall leads to the main structure. The screened pathway has a series of fountains at its centre.The mausoleum is encased with marble up to the dado level. Above the dado level, it is constructed of basaltic trap up to the base of dome; the latter is again built of marble. A fine plaster covers the basaltic trap and given a fine polished finish and adorned with fine stucco decorations. The mortal remains of Rabia Daurani are placed below the ground level surrounded by an octagonal marble screen with exquisite designs, which can be approached by a descending flight of steps. The roof of this chamber that corresponds to the ground level of the mausoleum is pierced by an octagonal opening and given a low barricaded marble screen. This makes the tomb viewable from the ground level through this octagonal opening. The mausoleum is crowned by a dome pierced with trellis works and accompanying panels decorated with flower designs.[ELLORA CAVES:Ellora[pronunciation?](Marathi:Vra),(Kannada: Elapura)is an archaeological site, 29km (18mi) North-West of the city ofAurangabadin theIndianstateofMaharashtrabuilt by theRashtrakuta dynasty. It is also known as Elapura (in the Rashtrakuta literature-Kannada). Well known for its monumental caves, Ellora is aWorld Heritage Site.[1]Ellora represents the epitome ofIndian rock-cut architecture. The 34 "caves" are actually structures excavated out of the vertical face of the Charanandri hills.Buddhist,HinduandJainrock-cut temples andviharasandmathaswere built between the 5th century and 10th century. The 12 Buddhist (caves 112), 17 Hindu (caves 1329) and 5 Jain (caves 3034) caves, built in proximity, demonstrate the religious harmony prevalent during this period ofIndian history.[2]It is a protected monument under theArchaeological Survey of IndiaHistoryEllora is known forHindu, Buddhist and Jain cave templesbuilt during (6th and 9th centuries) the rule of theKalachuri,ChalukyaandRashtrakutadynasties. TheJagannatha Sabhaa group of five Jain cave temples of 9th century built byRashtrakutaThe Buddhist cavesThese caves were built during the 5th-7th century. It was initially thought that the Buddhist caves were one of the earliest structures, created between the fifth and eighth centuries, with caves 1-5 in the first phase (400-600) and 6-12 in the later phase (mid 7th-mid 8th), but now it is clear to the modern scholars that some of the Hindu caves (27,29,21,28,19,26,20,17 and 14) precede these caves.[citation needed]The earliest Buddhist cave is Cave 6, followed by 5,2,3,5 (right wing), 4,7,8,10 and 9. Caves 11 and 12 were the last. All the Buddhist caves were constructed between 630-700.[6]These structures consist mostly ofviharasor monasteries: large, multi-storeyed buildings carved into the mountain face, including living quarters, sleeping quarters, kitchens, and other rooms. Some of these monastery caves have shrines including carvings ofGautama Buddha,bodhisattvasand saints. In many of these caves, sculptors have endeavoured to give the stone the look of wood.[7]Most famous of the Buddhist caves is cave 10,(refer map) achaityahall (chandrashala) or 'Vishvakarma cave', popularly known as the 'Carpenter's Cave'. Beyond its multi-storeyed entry is a cathedral-like stupa hall also known as chaitya, whose ceiling has been carved to give the impression of wooden beams. At the heart of this cave is a 15-foot statue of Buddha seated in a preaching pose. Amongst other Buddhist caves, all of the first nine (caves 19) are monasteries. The last two caves, Do Tal (cave 11) and Tin Tal (cave 12) have three storiesCave 10Cave 10 is aviharawith eight cells, four in the back wall and four in the right wall. It had a portico in the front with a cell.[6]Possibly served as a granary for other viharas.The VishwakarmaTheVishwakarma(Cave 10) is the onlychaitya grihaamongst the Buddhist group of caves. It is locally known asVishwakarmaorSutar ka jhopda"carpenter's hut". It follows the pattern of construction of Caves 19 and 26 ofAjanta. On stylistic grounds, the date of construction of this cave is assigned to 700 A.D. The chaitya once had a high screen wall, which is ruined at present. At the front is a rock-cut court, which is entered through a flight of steps. On either side are pillared porticos with chambers in their back walls. These were probably intended to have subsidiary shrines but not completed. The pillaredverandahof thechaityahas a small shrine at either end and a single cell in the far end of the back wall. The corridor columns have massive squarish shafts andghata-pallava(vase and foliage) capitals. The main hall is apsidal on plan and is divided into a central nave and side aisles by 28 octagonal columns with plain bracket capitals. In the apsidal end of the chaitya hall is a stupa on the face of which a colossal 3.30 m high seated Buddha invyakhyana mudra(teaching posture) is carved. A largeBodhi treeis carved at the back. The hall has a vaulted roof in which ribs have been carved in the rock imitating the wooden ones.[8]ELLORA JYOTHIRLINGAAJyotirlingaorJyotirlingorJyotirlingam(Sanskrit:) is a devotional object representing the godShiva.Jyotimeans 'radiance' andlingamthe 'mark or sign' of Shiva, or a symbol of the pineal gland;Jyotir Lingamthus means theThe Radiant sign of The Almighty. There are twelve traditional Jyotirlinga shrines inIndia.It is believed that Lord Shiva first manifested himself as a Jyotirlinga on the night of theAridra Nakshatra, thus the special reverence for the Jyotirlinga. There is nothing to distinguish the appearance, but it is believed that a person can see these lingas as columns of fire piercing through the earth after he reaches a higher level of spiritual attainmentLegendAccording toiva Mahpura, onceBrahma(the God of creation) andVishnu(the God of Preservation) had an argument over supremacy of creation.[1]To test them,Shivapierced the three worlds as a huge endless pillar of light, thejyotirlinga. Vishnu and Brahma split their ways to downwards and upwards respectively to find the end of the light in either directions. Brahma lied that he found out the end, while Vishnu conceded his defeat. Shiva appeared as a second pillar of light and cursed Brahma that he would have no place in ceremonies while Vishnu would be worshipped till the end of eternity. Thejyotirlingais the supreme partless reality, out of which Shiva partly appears. Thejyothirlingashrines thus are places where Shiva appeared as a fiery column of light.[2][3]Originally there were believed to be 64jyothirlingaswhile 12 of them are considered to be very auspicious and holy.[1]Each of the twelvejyothirlingasites take the name of the presiding deity, each considered a different manifestation of Shiva.[4]At all these sites, the primary image islingamrepresenting the beginningless and endlessStambhapillar, symbolizing the infinite nature of Shiva.[4][5][6]The twelvejyothirlingaareSomnathinGujarat,MallikarjunaatSrisailaminAndra Pradesh,MahakaleswaratUjjaininMadhya Pradesh,OmkareshwarinMadhya Pradesh,KedarnathinHimalayas,BhimashankarinMaharashtra,ViswanathatVaranasiinUttar Pradesh,Triambakeshwarin Maharashtra,Vaidyanath Jyotirlingaat parali in maharashtra ,Aundha NagnathatAundha NagnathinMaharashtra,RameshwaratRameswaraminTamil NaduandGhrushneshwarat ellora near aurangabad in Maharashtra. Kedarnath and Pashupatinath (Nepal) are considered half jyotirlingas counted together as one. There is also one new Jyotirlinga shrine "Bhubaneswar-Bhubaneswari" temple at Mathurapur, P/O- Balarampur, near Sundarban, 24 Parganas (South), W.B.SHIRDI:Shri Sai Baba of Shirdi(1838 15 October 1918; resided inShirdi), also known asShirdi Sai Baba, was a spiritual master who was and is regarded by his devotees as a saint,fakir,avatar(an incarnation of God), orsadguru, according to their individual proclivities and beliefs. He was revered by both his Muslim and Hindu devotees, and during, as well as after, his life on earth it remained uncertain if he was a Muslim or Hindu himself. This however was of no consequence to Sai Baba himself.[1]Sai Baba stressed the importance of surrender to the guidance of the trueSadguruorMurshad, who, having gone the path to divine consciousness himself, will lead the disciple through the jungle of spiritual training.[2]Sai Baba remains a very popular saint,[3]especially in India, and is worshiped by people around the world. He had no love for perishable things and his sole concern was self-realization. He taught a moral code of love, forgiveness, helping others, charity, contentment, inner peace, and devotion to God and guru. He gave no distinction based on religion or caste. Sai Baba's teaching combined elements ofHinduismandIslam: he gave the Hindu nameDwarakamayito the mosque he lived in,[4]practised Muslim rituals, taught using words and figures that drew from both traditions, and was buried inShirdi. One of his well known epigrams, "Malik Ek" ("One God governs all"), is associated withIslamandSufism. He also said,"Trust in me and your prayer shall be answered". He always uttered"AllahMalik"("God is King").BackgroundNo verifiable information is given regarding Sai Baba's real name, place or time of birth. When asked about his past, he often gave elusive responses. The name "Sai" was given to him upon his arrival atShirdi, a town in the west Indian state ofMaharashtra. Mahalsapati, a local temple priest, recognised him as aMuslimsaint and greeted him with the words 'Ya Sai!', meaning 'Welcome Sai!'.SaiorSayiis aPersiantitle given toSufisaints, meaning 'poor one'[5]and in Banjara language, "sayi" means good one.[citation needed]The honorific "Baba" means "father; grandfather; old man; sir" in most Indian and Middle Eastern languages. Thus Sai Baba denotes "holy father", "saintly father" or "poor old man".[1]Alternatively, theSindhiandUrduword "s.n" (), an honorific title for a virtuoso, a saint, or a feudal lord (i.e. a patron), is derived from thePersianword "syeh", which literally means "shadow" but figuratively refers to patronage or protection. TheHindi-Urdu word "sy" comes from the same borrowing. Thus, it could also mean "Master Father." However,Smay also be an acronym of theSanskritterm "Sakshat Eshwar", a reference to God.Sakshatmeans "incarnate" and Eshwar means "God".Some of Sai Baba's disciples became famous as spiritual figures and saints, such as Mahalsapati, a priest of theKhandobatemple in Shirdi, and Upasni Maharaj. He was revered by other saints, such as Saint Bidkar Maharaj, Saint Gangagir, Saint Janakidas Maharaj, and Sati Godavari Mataji.[6][7]Sai Baba referred to several saints as 'my brothers', especially the disciples ofSwami Samartha of AkkalkotNASIKNo verifiable information is given regarding Sai Baba's real name, place or time of birth. When asked about his past, he often gave elusive responses. The name "Sai" was given to him upon his arrival atShirdi, a town in the west Indian state ofMaharashtra. Mahalsapati, a local temple priest, recognised him as aMuslimsaint and greeted him with the words 'Ya Sai!', meaning 'Welcome Sai!'.SaiorSayiis aPersiantitle given toSufisaints, meaning 'poor one'[5]and in Banjara language, "sayi" means good one.[citation needed]The honorific "Baba" means "father; grandfather; old man; sir" in most Indian and Middle Eastern languages. Thus Sai Baba denotes "holy father", "saintly father" or "poor old man".[1]Alternatively, theSindhiandUrduword "s.n" (), an honorific title for a virtuoso, a saint, or a feudal lord (i.e. a patron), is derived from thePersianword "syeh", which literally means "shadow" but figuratively refers to patronage or protection. TheHindi-Urdu word "sy" comes from the same borrowing. Thus, it could also mean "Master Father." However,Smay also be an acronym of theSanskritterm "Sakshat Eshwar", a reference to God.Sakshatmeans "incarnate" and Eshwar means "God".Some of Sai Baba's disciples became famous as spiritual figures and saints, such as Mahalsapati, a priest of theKhandobatemple in Shirdi, and Upasni Maharaj. He was revered by other saints, such as Saint Bidkar Maharaj, Saint Gangagir, Saint Janakidas Maharaj, and Sati Godavari Mataji.[6][7]Sai Baba referred to several saints as 'my brothers', especially the disciples ofSwami Samartha of AkkalkotA Historical PerspectiveNashik has mythological, historical, social and cultural importance. The city is situated on the banks of the Godavari River, making it one of the holiest places for Hindus all over the world. Nashik has a rich historical past, as the mythology has it thatLord Rama, the King ofAyodhya, made Nashik his abode during his 14 years in exile. At the same placeLord Laxman, by the wish of Lord Rama, cut the nose of "Shurpnakha" and thus this city was named as "Nashik".After the fall of the Satavahana empire, theAbhirasorAhirsruled in the north east and theChutusin Maharashtra and Kuntala. ThePuranasstate that ten Abhiras ruled for, 67 years. The Nasik inscription peaks of kingMadhuriputraIshvarasena, the Abhir and a son of Shivadatla. This dynasty originated in A. D. 249-50, an era calledKalachuriorChediin later times.[1]In Kritayuga, Nashik was 'Trikantak', 'Janasthana' in Dwaparyuga and later in Kuliyuga it became 'Navashikh' or 'Nashik'. Classical Sanskrit poets likeValmiki,KlidsaandBhavabhutihave paid rich tributes here. In 150 BC Nashik was the country's largest market place. From 1487 A.D, the province came under the rule of Mughals and was known as Gulshanabad. It was also home ofEmperor Akbarwho wrote at length about Nashik inEin-e-Akbari. It was also known as the 'Land of the Brave' during the regime ofChhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.Panchavati NashikPanchavati is believed to be a shelter to Lord Ram, Lakshman, and Sita during their exile.River Godavari flows through Nashik and its Northern part is called as Panchavati.There are five (Pancham) Banyan trees (Vat Vriksha) and hence the area is called Pancha-vati.It is believed to be a part of the Dandakaranya Forest, Since this place acquire a prominent place in the epic, people frequent here to take a holy dip so that they will be cleansed from their sins.

Attrations at Panchavati areSita GumphaHere Sita is said to have stayed for some time. It is believed to be the place where Sita was kidnapped by the demon king Ravana. The literal connotation of Gufaa is a cave and it is located at the western side door of Kalaram Temple.

The cave has idols of Lord Ram, Sita and Lakshmna. One can enter the cave with the help of a very narrow staircase. The cave has the idol of Shree Ram, Laxman and Sita. Tothe left, one can enter into the cave having the Shiva Linga. Devotees believe that Ravan kidnapped Sita from the same place.

Kalaram MandirThis temple was built by Peshwas. The main deities Lord Ram, Sita and Lakshmana are pretty black in colour and festooned with knick-knacks. The gold plated copper dome and other sculptures of this magnificient shrine displays brilliant structural design. The 70 feet high temple happens to be the busiest temples in the locality. There are great processions and utsav on Lord Ram , Laxman, SitaRamnavami, Dasara and Chaitra Padwa (Hindu new year day). The specialty of the temple is that it was built with black stones. It took 12 years to build this temple.RamkundThe popular belief is that Lord Ram had his bath here, at some stage of his exile. To commemorate that the devotees frequents here to have a holy dip.Mortal remains (Asthi) immersed in this kunda, are immediately absorbed in the water. A dip in this sacred kunda is considered very pious. The ashes of Gandhiji were dropped in Ramkund after Gandhiji passed away on 30th January 1948. Mr. Nehru was also present on this occasion. During Kumbha mela Thousands of Sadhus and holy men and millions of pilgrims immerse themselves in the holy Ramkund and Kushavarta reservoirs.

Ganga Ghat and KumbhamelaNashik is a hub of religious activities, which are centered around the sacred banks of the Godaveri River.The banks of this holy river is wizened with well maintained ghats and numerous temples. These bathing ghats reverberate with holy recites of people who gathers there to offer the last rituals of their beloved ones.NASIK JYOTHIRLINGA:Trimbakeshwar(Marathi:) orTrambakeshwaris an ancientHindutemple in the town ofTrimbak, in theTrimbakeshwar tehsilin theNashik DistrictofMaharashtra,India, 28km from the city ofNashik. It is dedicated toLord Shivaand is one of the twelveJyotirlingas.It is located at the source of theGodavari River, the longest river in peninsularIndia. The Godavari River, which is considered sacred withinHinduism, originates from Bramhagiri mountains and meets the sea near Rajahmudry. Kusavarta, a kund is considered the symbolic origin of the river Godavari, and revered by Hindus as a sacred bathing place. The current temple was built by Peshwa Balaji Baji Rao (a.k.a Nanasaheb).Jyotirlinga[edit]As perShiv Mahapuran, onceBrahma(the Hindu God of creation) andVishnu(the Hindu God of preservation) had an argument in terms of supremacy of creation.[1]To test them,Shivapierced the three worlds as a huge endless pillar of light, thejyotirlinga. Vishnu and Brahma split their ways to downwards and upwards respectively to find the end of the light in either directions. Brahma lied that he found out the end, while Vishnu conceded his defeat. Shiva appeared as a second pillar of light and cursed Brahma that he would have no place in ceremonies while Vishnu would be worshipped till the end of eternity. Thejyotirlingais the supreme partless reality, out of which Shiva partly appears. Thejyothirlingashrines, thus are places where Shiva appeared as a fiery column of light.[2][3]There are 64 forms of Shiva, not to be confused with Jyotirlingas.Each of the twelvejyothirlingasites take the name of the presiding deity - each considered different manifestation of Shiva.[4]At all these sites, the primary image islingamrepresenting the beginningless and endlessStambhapillar, symbolizing the infinite nature of Shiva.[4][5][6]The twelvejyothirlingaareSomnathinGujarat,MallikarjunaatSrisailaminAndra Pradesh,MahakaleswaratUjjaininMadhya Pradesh,OmkareshwarinMadhya Pradesh,KedarnathinHimalayas,BhimashankarinMaharastra,ViswanathatVaranasiinUttar Pradesh, Triambakeshwar in Maharastra,VaidyanathatDeogharinJharkhand,NageswaratDwarkainGujarat,RameshwaratRameswaraminTamil NaduandGrishneshwaratAurangabadin Maharastra.[1][7]In Mythology, history and present[edit]Trimbakeshwar is a religious center having one of the twelveJyotirlingas. The extraordinary feature of the Jyotirlinga located here is its three faces embodying Lord Brahma, Lord Vishnu and Lord Rudra. Due to excessive use of water, the linga has started to erode. It is said that this erosion symbolizes the eroding nature of human society. The Lingas are covered by a jeweled crown which is placed over the Gold Mask of Tridev (Brahma Vishnu Mahesh). The crown is said to be from the age of Pandavs and consists of diamonds, emeralds, and many precious stones. The crown is displayed every Monday from 4-5 pm (Shiva).All other Jyotirlingas have Shiva as the main deity. The entire black stone temple is known for its appealing architecture and sculpture and is at the foothills of a mountain called Brahmagiri. Three sources of the Godavari originate from the Brahmagiri mountain.Vajreshwari TempleTheShree Vajreshwari Yogini Devi Mandiris aHindutemplededicated to the goddessVajreshwari, located in the townVajreshwari, 75km away fromMumbai. The town, earlier known asVadvali, was renamed Vajreshwari in honour of the presiding deity of the temple.Location[edit]The town of Vajreshwari - on banks of river Tansa - lies in Bhiwandi city,Thane district,Maharashtra,Indiaand 31km away from the nearest railway station ofVasai. The temple is located near the post office of Vajreshwari town, on the Mandagiri hillock, which was formed out of a volcanic eruption and is surrounded by hills on all sides.Legends[edit]The region ofVadvaliis mentioned in thePuranas(Hindu scriptures) as visited byAvatars(incarnations) ofVishnu(Hindu god of preservation):RamaandParshurama. The legend has it Parshurama had performed ayajna(fire offering) at Vadvali and the hills of volcanic ash in the area are its residue.The primary deity of the temple,Vajreshwari(vajrevari), also spelledVajreshvari, also known asVajrbiandVajrayogini, is considered as incarnation of goddessParvatiorAadi-Mayaon earth. Her name literally means "the lady of theVajra(thunderbolt)". There are two legends about the goddess' origins, both associated with the Vajra.Thousands of years ago, aRakshasa(demon) namedKalikalaorKalikuttroubled therishis(sages) and humans in the region of Vadvali and waged a war against thedevas(gods). Distressed the gods and sages headed byVashishtaperformed theTriChandi yagna, a fire offering to theGoddess, to please Her. An aahuti (offering ofgheein yajna) was not granted toIndra(king of devas). Enraged, Indra hurled his Vajra - one of most powerful weapons in Hindu mythology- at the yajna. The terrified gods and sages prayed to the Goddess to save them. The Goddess appeared in all her glory at the site and not only swallowed the Vajra and humbled Indra but also killed the demons. Rama requested the Goddess that she should stay in the region of Vadvali and be known as Vajreshwari. Thus, the Vajreshwari temple was established in this region.Another legend says thatIndraand other devas went to goddessParvatiand requested her to help slay demon Kalikala. Goddess Parvati assured that she will come to their aid at the right time and ordered them to fight with the demon. In the battle, Kalikala swallowed or broken all weapons thrown at him. Finally, Indra threw the Vajra at the demon, which Kalikala broke into pieces and from the Vajra, emerged the Goddess, who destroyed the demon. The devas extolled her asVajreshwariand built her temple.The 7th canto ofNavanathKathasarstates thatMachindranathserved goddessVajrabhagawati(Vajreshwari) for a month by giving her a bath of the water of hot springs.This place is also called as Nath Bhoomi,A land of Nathas.HISTORY:The original temple of Vajreshwari was atGunj- five miles (8km) north of Vadavli. It was moved to Vadvali after its destruction by thePortuguese.[1]In 1739,Chimaji Appa- the younger brother and military commander ofPeshwaBaji Rao I- had set camp in the Vadvali region on his way to capture the Portuguese heldBassein Fortof Vasai. The fort was unconquerable even after a three-year war. So Chimaji appa prayed to goddess Vajreshwari that if he could conquer the fort and defeat the Portuguese, he would build a temple to the goddess. According to legend, goddess Vajreshwari appeared in the dream of Chimaji Appa and told him the way to conquer the fort. On the 16 May, the fort fell and defeat of Portuguese in Vasai was complete. To celebrate his victory and to fulfill the vow taken in front of goddess Vajreshwari, Chimnaji appa ordered the newSubhedar(governor) Shankar Keshav Phadke to build the Vajreshwari temple. The temple' architecture is based on Bassein Fort.TheNagarkhanain main entrance gate was built by theGaikwads,Marathadynasty ofBaroda. The stone steps leading to the temple and theDipamala(A tower of lights) in front of the temple were built by Nanasaheb Chandavadakar, a moneylender fromNashik.Temple structureThe main gate entrance has aNagarkhanaor drum house and is built similar to Bassein fort entrance. The temple is also surrounded by a stone wall like a fort. Fifty-two stone steps are to be climbed to reach the main shrine. A golden tortoise is carved on one of the steps and worshipped asKurma, the tortoise incarnation of Vishnu.The main shrine has three sections: the main inner sanctum (Garbha gha), another sanctum and a pillaredmandapa(assembly hall). The Grabha-griha houses six idols. The saffronmurti(idol) of goddess Vajreshwari with a sword and a gada (mace) in her right and left hands respectively and atrisula(trident) besides her, stands in the centre. Murtis of goddessRenuka(Parshurama's mother) with a sword and a lotus in her hands, goddessSaptashrungiMahalakshmi of Vani and a tiger, goddess Vajreshwari'svahanaor mount; are to the left of goddess Vajreshwari. On her right are the murtis of goddessKalika(the village goddess) with a lotus and akamandalu(water pot) and Parshurama armed with a parshu (axe). The goddesses are adorned with silver jewelry, crowns and stand on silver lotuses and are sheltered by silver umbrellas. The sanctum outside the Garbhagriha has idols ofGanesha,Bhairava,Hanumanand local deities like Moraba devi. The assembly hall has a bell, which devotees ring when entering the shrine and a marble lion, also believed to be the goddess' mount. AYajna kunda(a structure in which a fire offering is done) is outside the assembly hall.Smaller shrines in temple premises are dedicated toKapileshwar Mahadeva(Shiva),Datta,Hanumanand saints of Giri Gosavi sect. A peepal tree in front of the Hanuman shrine, has assumed a form of Ganesha and is worshipped as the deity. Thesamdhi(tomb) of the 17th century Giri Gosavi saint Godhadebuwa is further atop the Gautam hill, behind the Mandagiri hillock.SANT GYANESHWAR:There was a Sant called Vitthobha in Maharashtra. He dint want to get married and wanted to be a bramachari all his life. He would always meditate upon god and read the holy book of Srimad Bhagavadam. He would get alms and have his food. He once came to Pandharpur and had the darshan of Lord Vitthal and was sleeping on the banks of river Chandrabhaga. That night Lord Pandurang came in his dream and said that a Brahman would bring to him a girl called Rukmani tomorrow and asked him to get married to her. He got up in the morning and started performing his daily ritual thinking why god had asked him to get married when he wanted to be a bramachari all his life. Pandurang had also told the same to the Brahman in his dream and had asked him to go in search of Vitthobha on the banks of Chandrabhaga the next morning. The Brahman came to Chandrabhaga and on seeing Vitthobha told him about his dream; Vitthobha told him that Pandharinath had also told him the same and agreed to get married to his daughter. He then came back to his village and started living as a family man. Vitthobha was longing for a child so that he could go back to sanyasa ashram leaving his wife with the children, but unfortunately they did not have a child for a long time. One day Vitthobha left home without telling his wife and went to Kasi and met Swami Ramanada. (Swami Ramananda is also the guru of Sant Kabirdas). He then formally took Sanyasa ashram from his guru Ramanda and stayed with him in Kasi. His wife Rukmani was searching for him and months passed by. Some one had told her that her husband would return if she goes around the Pipal tree (Arasa maram in Tamil). She started doing this religiously and years passed by but her husband had not returned.Swami Ramanada had started on a yatra to Dakshin Bharath with his sishyas. Vitthobha refrained from joining his Guru in the yatra as he dint want to meet his family even accidentally when they pass by his village. Swami Ramananda reached Vitthobhas village and happened to sit under the Pipal tree. Rukmani after completing her pradakshan prostrated Swami Ramananda as he was sitting there. As she was going around the Pipal tree Swami Ramanada thought that she was praying for a child and blessed her saying Putravati Bhava. On hearing this she burst into tears. Swami Ramanada on seeing this asked her why she was crying. She then told him that her husband had abandoned her a few years back. She also said that the blessings of Saints like him dont go waste. She then said that some people have told her that her husband has become a Sanyasi. He then asked her if she knew where he was and who gave him sanyas. She then replied that people say that he took sanyas from Swami Ramanada in Kasi. Swami Ramanada then told her that it was he who had given him sanyasa diksha and also told her that if Lord Rama had made him bless her as Putravathi Bhava he would make it happen. He then sent a letter to Kasi for Vitthobha. On seeing his letter Vitthobha came to meet his Guru. Swami Ramanand then told him; be it Dharm or Adharm you will have to make my words come true. He also said that there is no bigger Dharm than to listen to ones Gurus words. As it was his Gurus wish Vitthobha agreed to it and came back to family life. After some time Lord Shiva, Lord Vishnu, Lord Brahma and Goddess Shakthi came to this world as their children. Their first son Nivritidev was the incarnation of Shiva, the second son Gyaneshwar was the incarnation of Vishnu and the third son Sopandev was the incarnation of Brahma, the fourth child Muktha Bai was the incarnation of Shakthi. They had taken this avatar to teach the world the importance of nama sankirtan and prove that it was the only relief for any human being in this Kaliyug. Even though Vittobha had come back to family life as per his Gurus instructions he was having a feeling that he had committed a sin by coming back to Grihastashram from Sanyasashram. As he was a learned person he also knew that the only way to relive him of this sin was to jump in to the Ganges and reach the god. He told this to his wife and she too wanted to go with him as she felt that she was also a party to this sin that he had committed. They both left the kids praying to Lord Vitthal asking him to take care of them and left for Prayaga (the meeting point of Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswathi) and then to the Himalayas and got in to the Ganges to give up their life.Nivritidev, Gyaneshwar, Sopandev and Muktha Bai were very young and everyone in the village neglected them and teased them. The children would eat if any one offered them food, otherwise they would just starve. They would not go and ask for alms from anyone. Nivriti was 6 years old, Gyaneshwar was 5, and Sopan was 4 years old now. As they were Brahmans they wanted get their Upananyanam (Sacred thread ceremony) done at the right age. They went to the Brahmans in the village and asked them to perform Upanayanam for them. The Brahmans laughed at them and said that as they were born to a Sanyasi they cant call themselves as Brahmans and so they would not perform the Upanayanam for them. They then said that there is a place called Prathishtanapuram (Now called as Paithan) where there are a lot of learned people and asked them to approach them to check if there was anyway they could perform the ceremony. They also said that they would perform the same if they agree to it and give a letter to them stating the same. The children then came to Paithan and met the Brahmans there. Gyaneshwar then asked them to perform the ceremony for them. The Brahmans then asked them to which gothram do they belong to. Gyaneshwar replied to them saying that if the gothram was not known for someone the guru could use his gothram for performing the ceremony. They were surprised at this answer and thought how such a young kid knew so much about the sastras, but then said that they would not perform the ceremony without knowing if they really were Brahmans. Gyaneshwar then told them the different stages that a man goes through before becoming a Brahman and said that they have all crossed that stage, but still wanted to have the ceremony performed as it was customary. He also said that a Brahman is one who has seen the Brahmam and as they have seen the Brahmam they could perform the ceremony for them. The Brahmans then asked them if they had seen the Brahmam then why they need all these rituals. Gyaneshwar told them that as it is put in the Vedas that one should stick to their dharmas; we wanted to have the ceremony done. The Brahmans then asked them how they got Bhramagyanam. Gyaneshwar told them that god was every where and it was up to the individual to see him. He then showed a buffalo that was roaming on the street and said that god was inside the buffalo too. The Brahmans then got angry and asked if that was true will the buffalo too speak Vedanta like how he speaks. Gyaneshwar then touched the buffalo and said Panduranga recite the Vedas The buffalo immediately started reciting the Vedas. The Brahmans on seeing this were stunned and then said that a person like him who has attained jeevan mukthi does not require all these ceremonies. They then left Paithan and started on a yatra with the buffalo.Gyaneshwar made a composition on Bhagavad Gita called Gyaneshwari. Till date it is the most popular book in Marathi on Bhagavad Gita. They then came back to Paithan and stayed there. There was a person called Changadev who was a Yogi, he was 1000 years old. He would walk on water, fly in the sky, get inside fire and come out without getting burnt. One day he got a new siddhi and started making dead people come alive. The whole village got to know about this and every one in Paithan and nearby villages started bringing everyone who was dead to Changadev and he made them come alive. However Changadev did not like Gyaneshwar and would ask the people in the village what was there with Gyaneshwar and why so many people went to meet him and listened to the abhangs and his discourses. The news reached Gyaneshwar but he dint bother about it. Muktha Bai his kid sister did not like this and she wanted to teach Changadev a lesson. Muktha then went to Chagadevs ashram and there were a lot of people waiting outside for the Yogi with a dead body next to them. When they saw the 5 year old Muktha they asked her to go away fearing that she would be frightened seeing the dead bodies. Muktha asked them why they were waiting outside and they said that they were waiting for Changadev to come and wake the dead bodies. Hearing this, the little girl said that she could also wake them up. They then told her that she would get frightened on seeing them and asked her to leave. She then ran towards the dead body and said Vitthala Vitthala on it ears and then ran away. The dead body immediately woke up and started jumping and chanting Vitthala Vitthala. Hearing this noise Changadev came outside. He then enquired what happened and the people who were waiting for him told him what happened. He then asked them if they knew who that kid was and they said that it was Gyaneshwars kid sister. Changdev was shocked and surprised listening to this. He then wanted to meet Gyaneshwar and came to meet him sitting on a tiger. Seeing this, the villagers panicked and ran to tell this news to Gyaneshwar. Gyaneshwar was then fixing the compound wall in his house; he sat on the wall and asked the wall to move towards Changadev. The wall immediately started moving and now villagers were surprised. When Changadev saw this he was astonished. He immediately got down prostrated to Gyaneshwar and came to him. Gyaneshwar then told him that these siddhis are not useful to attain god and that they only take one in the wrong direction. Changadev immediately realised what he was saying and asked Gyaneshwar to show him the correct path. Gyaneshwar then asked Muktha to show him the right path. Muktha Bai then told him that listening to the stories of god, singing the praise of god is the only way to attain god. Changadev then prostrated both Muktha and Gyaneshwar and went to Pandharpur to live like true bhaktha. From that day he never used any of the siddhis that he had gained. He stayed in Pandhari along with Sant Namdev and spent the rest of his life singing bhajans and kirthans and listening to pravachans.Gyaneshwar once came to Pandharpur and met Namdev. Namdev prostrated to Gyaneshwar and they hugged each other. Gyaneshwar then told Namdev that he had come to Pandharpur only to see him. He then told him that he wanted to go on a yatra around the country and wanted Nama to come with him. Nama told him that he was happy in Pandhari and that he could not leave Vitthal and go outside Pandharpur. Gyaneshwar then told Nama that he was going to visit all the places like Ayodhya, Vrindavan etc where god had lived in his earlier avatars and that he should come to see it with him. Nama then told him that Vitthal was still living and playing with his devotees in Pandharpur and said that he would be happy to be with him in Pandhari than go and visit a place where he lived earlier. Gyaneshwar then told him that he greatly desired to have Namdevs company for the yatra. Namdev then asked him to ask Vitthal and also said that he would go with him if that was Vitthal wish. Gyaneshwar went to Vitthal, told him that he had come to him to ask for something. Vitthal asked him what he wanted and Gyaneshwar told him that he wanted to go on a yatra. Vitthal then told him that it was a good decision and told him that he would be liberating so many lives in this world by doing so. Gyaneshwar then asked Vitthal to send Namdev along with him for the yatra. Hearing this Vitthal was struck by grief and told him that he cant be without Namdev. Gyanadev however said that he wanted to go with Nama and Vitthal then called Nama with tears and asked him to go with Gyaneshwar.Gyaneshwar and Namdev started on a yatra with a few others. They would go to every village and perform namasankirtan. When they left the village a few people would join them in their yatra. The yatra that started with 10 people at Pandhari now became as big as 1000 people. They would perform street bhajans in each village and then move on the next village. Every one who saw them singing would get attracted and start singing and dancing with love for god. This way they reached Delhi and by now there were over a lakh yatris coming with Namdev and Gyaneshwar. Delhi was then ruled by a Mohamedian king, unmindful of this they continued going through the streets of Delhi, singing the praise of god with ecstasy. The king on seeing his subjects getting attracted towards them decided to prove that Hinduism was not true. He then sent a person with a cow to the place where they were performing bhajans. The Mohamedian came with the cow and told them that he is going to slaughter the cow and if the god whom they consider as the supreme cowherd is true, he should make the cow come alive. Namdev immediately replied to him that Vitthal would take care of the cow. The Mohamedian then told that he would slaughter the cow and asked him how long he would take to bring back life to the cow. Nama then told him that he would bring it alive in 3 days. On hearing this he slaughtered the cow and left the place with a big smile thinking that in 3 days time the people who have been his followers will understand that he is not a saint and no one would follow him any more. For 3 days Nama was just singing and crying to Lord Vitthal blaming himself as the reason for the cows death. Nama almost fainted on the 3rdday as he refused to have food or water from the time the cow was slaughtered. Vitthal then came and consoled Nama and asked him to see the cow. Nama saw the cow getting up and asked Vitthal why he had made him wait for 3 days, when he could have come immediately. Vitthal then told him that it was Nama who promised the killer that he would make it come alive in 3 days and that he waited for 3 days only to make his words true. After this event a lot of people in Delhi became the followers of Gyaneshwar and Namdev and everyone started performing bhajans and kirthans at their home. They then went to many villages and cities up North and were returning back to Pandhari via Marwar. They got stuck in the desert and lost their way completely. There was no food or water and they could not find any village nearby. Nama fainted and fell down as he could not withstand the heat of the desert. Seeing this Gyaneshwar started crying and pleading Vitthal asking him to come for help. Seeing this Nama told him that whatever was the wish of Vitthal would happen and one can not do anything about it. Vitthal then sent his disc (Chakkaram) to their rescue and the disc went inside the ground and created a spring for them. All the bhakthas then took water from the spring to quench their thirst and continued their journey.The yatris reached a place called Vaidhyanatham (now it is called Deogarh in Bihar) which is one of the 12 Jyothir Linga places. The day they arrived happened to be Shivarathri and so they went and prayed to Lord Shiva in this temple. They then sat in front of the main deity and started their kirthans. After singing a few songs about Lord Shiva they started singing about Vitthal as usual. Hearing this, the temple priest came to them and said that they should not be sitting in front of the main deity and singing as they would be performing abishekams and poojas for Lord Shiva. They also said that this was a Shiva temple and that they should not perform bhajans about Vishnu in this temple. Gyaneshwar then said that the Lord Shiva wanted them to sing here and that they would leave if he asks them to leave. The temple officials then intervened and showed them another place behind Lord Shiva to perform their bhajans. They all moved to the new place and started singing there. After some time the temple priests locked the shrine and left after performing all the poojas. Gyaneshwar, Namdev and other bagavathas continued to perform their kirthans through the night and Lord Shiva turned to the side where they were sitting with his shrine. The next morning the priests came to open the temple and were astonished find that the shrine had turned. They then realised that it had happened because they asked the bhakthas and bagavathas to go and sit on the rear side of the temple. They understood that Lord Shiva had done this to show his love towards them. They then came running to see Gyaneshwar and Namdev, prostrated to them and apologised for having misbehaved with them the previous day. Gyaneshwar and Namdev then told them that they being the priest of Lord Shiva, they will not misbehave with any one and that it was Lord Shivas leela and continued with their journey.Gyaneshwar and Namdev had almost reached Pandhari and Nama was now longing to have a darshan of Vitthal and started running towards Pandhari with tears in his eyes. It had been about a year since he went on a yatra with Gyaneshwar. Vitthal also came to the banks of Chandrabhaga to receive them and was happy that they have returned back. The entire village of Pandharpur was in a festive mood when they knew they were returning and came to receive them.A few days later Vitthal told Nama that a Samaradhanam has to be performed for him as he has completed the yatra. He also said, as Gyaneshwar was a Yogi, it is not necessary for him but as Nama was a family man it has to be performed for him. Nama then told him that it was not required for him, but as Vitthal insisted Nama agreed to it. Vitthal wanted to get the Brahmans from Paithan to perform the same. The real reason behind performing this ritual was that Vitthal wanted the Brahmans of Paithan to realise the greatness of bhajans and kirthans. Vitthal then took the form of a rich man and came to Paithan along with Gyaneshwar, Nama and other bhakthas. Vitthal and the other bhakthas prostrated to the Brahmans. Vitthal then told them that he wanted to perform an udyapan in Pandharpur and wanted them to perform the same. Vitthal then asked them to come to Pandharpur the following Saturday to perform the same and went back to Pandharpur with his bhakthas. The Brahmans came as stated and performed the ceremony. Once the ceremony was completed they were served food. Rukmani, Radha, Sathyabama and others served food for the Brahmans. Vitthal then gave each Brahman their dakshana and asked them to take some rest. Vitthal then asked if he could now go and have food and the Brahmans asked him to go ahead. Vitthal called all his bhakthas to have lunch with him. Vitthals bhakthas are from all sects including the harijans. They all came and sat down for lunch. Nama was sitting next to Vitthal. Seeing the people from lower caste sitting next to Vitthal, the Brahmans thought if Vitthal was really a Brahman or if he fooled them saying he was one. The bhakthas were feeding Vitthal from their plate and Vitthal was feeding the bhakthas from his plate. Seeing this, the Brahmans got angry and started to leave. Vitthal and his bhakthas had finished their lunch by then and came towards them. The Brahmans then asked Vitthal if he dint know about the way a Brahman is to conduct himself and asked him why he was eating with people from the lower caste. Vitthal then told them that he was not aware of the same and asked them to perform a prayachitham (doing penance) for the same. The Brahmans then agreed to perform the same for Vitthal and they fixed the next Saturday for the same. They then gave the list of items to be procured and left. The next Saturday the Brahmans came and performed the ceremony religiously. Once the ceremony was over he requested the Brahmans to have lunch. He then asked them to take rest and went to have his lunch. This time too Vitthal had food with all his bhakthas who were from the lower caste. The Brahmans got angry again and asked Vitthal why he had done the same mistake again even after doing penance. Vitthal then told them that he did this again as he now knew he could do a penance for the same. He also said that he can have food only when he eats with them and that he cant eat alone. They then told Vitthal that being a Brahman he should act like a Brahman. Vitthal then told them that he thinks the people with whom he had food as Brahmans and not them. The Brahmans asked him how he says that. Vitthal then told them that it is only because they dont have the Gyan they look at these people as belonging to lower caste. He then said that a Brahman is one who sees Brahmam in every living being in this world. The Brahmans said that what he said was true but it is applicable only for people who have really realised the same in their life and not for everyone. They also asked him how he talked like he knew the Vedas, Upanishads etc and asked him to reveal who he really was. Vitthal then said the Brahmans that he will first show who his friends are and gave Gyan to the Brahmans. When the Brahmans saw the bhakthas they realised that Gyaneshwar was Vishnu, Nivriti was Shiva, Sopan was Bhrama and all other bhakthas took the form of other gods and goddess. The Brahmans then realised their mistake and prostrated to all the saints there and asked Vitthal for forgiveness. They then joined with them and started singing the kirthans and bhajans. After spending a few days with these saints they then went back to Paithan.

GATEWAY OF INDIA-BOMBAY:TheGateway of Indiais a monument built during theBritish RajinMumbai(formerly Bombay), India.[2]It is located on the waterfront in theApollo Bunderarea inSouth Mumbaiand overlooks theArabian Sea.[3][4]The structure is abasaltarch, 26 metres (85 feet) high. It lies at the end ofChhatrapati Shivaji Margat the water's edge inMumbai Harbour.[5]It was a crude jetty used by the fishing community which was later renovated and used as a landing place for British governors and other prominent people. In earlier times, it would have been the first structure that visitors arriving by boat in Mumbai would have seen.[6][7]The Gateway has also been referred to as theTaj Mahalof Mumbai,[8]and is the city's top tourist attraction.[9]The structure was erected to commemorate the landing of their MajestiesKing George VandQueen Maryat Apollo Bunder, when they visited India in 1911. Built inIndo-Saracenicstyle, the foundation stone for the Gateway of India was laid on 31 March 1911. The final design ofGeorge Wittetwas sanctioned in 1914 and the construction of the monument was completed in 1924. The Gateway was later the ceremonial entrance to India forViceroysand the newGovernors of Bombay.[10]It served to allow entry and access to India.[11]The monument has faced three terror attacks from thebeginning of the 21st century; twice in 2003 and it was also the disembarkation point in 2008 when four gunmen attacked theTaj Mahal Palace & TowerHISTORY;The Gateway of India was built to commemorate the visit ofKing George VandQueen Maryto Mumbai, prior to theDelhi Durbar, in December 1911. However, they only got to see a cardboard model of the structure since the construction did not begin till 1915.[12]The foundation stone was laid on 31 March 1911, by the governor of BombaySir George Sydenham Clarke, with the final design ofGeorge Wittetsanctioned on 31 March 1913. The gateway was built from yellow basalt and concrete.[13]Between 1915 and 1919, work proceeded at Apollo Bundar (Port) to reclaim the land on which the gateway and the new sea wall would be built. The foundations were completed in 1920, and construction was finished in 1924.[14]The gateway was opened on 4 December 1924, by theviceroy, theEarl of Reading.[6]The last British troops to leave India following the country'sindependence, the First Battalion of theSomerset Light Infantry, passed through the gateway on their way out in a ceremony on 28 February 1948, signalling the end ofBritish rule.[6][15]Design and structureThe architectGeorge Wittetcombined the elements of theRoman triumphal archand the 16th-century architecture ofGujarat.[16]Its design is a combination ofHinduandMuslimarchitectural styles; the arch is of Muslim style while the decorations are of Hindu style.[17]The gateway is built from yellowbasaltandreinforced concrete.[12]The stone was locally obtained, and the perforated screens were brought fromGwalior.[18]The gateway faces out toMumbai Harbourfrom the tip ofApollo Bunder.[19]The central dome is 48 feet (15 metres) in diameter and 83 feet (25 metres) above the ground at its highest point.[20]The whole harbour front was realigned in order to come in line with a plannedesplanadewhich would sweep down to the centre of the town. On each side of the arch, there are large halls that can hold 600 people.[12]The cost of the construction was2 million(US$32,000), borne mainly by theGovernment of India. For lack of funds, the approach road was never built, and so the gateway stands at an angle to the road leading up to it.[6][20]CALANGUTE BEACH GOA:Calangute([kou]) is acensus townwith a permanent population of approximately 16,000 (2001) inNorth Goa, in the state ofGoa,India. It is famous for its beach, the largest in north Goa, visited by thousands of domestic and international tourists alike. The peak tourist season is duringChristmasandNew Year, and during the summer in May. During the monsoon season, from June through September, the sea can be rough and swimming is prohibited. The beach offers water sport activities like parasailing and water skiing, among others.MIRAMAR BEACH:Miramaris the beach area of the Goan capital ofPanjim, also known asPanajiand is one of the most visited beaches of Goa. Many people, mostly tourists, come to this beach every day. Originally namedPorta de Gaspar Diasby thePortuguese, the name was then changed to Miramar.Situated at the confluence of theMandovi Riverand the Arabian Sea, it is a small beach that occasionally hosts some events. There are several educational institutions in the surrounding vicinity, including Dhempe College of Arts and Science, Padmashree Vasantrao Dempo Higher Secondary School of Arts and Science and Sharada Mandir High School. Gaspar de Dias club and a popular caf are nearby.SAINT XAVIER CHURCH:Francis Xavier,SJ, bornFrancisco de Jasso y Azpilicueta(7 April 1506 3 December 1552), was aRoman Catholicmissionaryborn inXavier,Kingdom of Navarre(now part of Spain), and co-founder of theSociety of Jesus. He was a study companion ofSt. Ignatius of Loyolaand one of the first sevenJesuitswho took vows of poverty and chastity atMontmartre, (Paris) in 1534.[1]He led an extensive mission into Asia, mainly in thePortuguese Empireof the time. He was influential inevangelizationwork most notably in India. He also ventured into Japan,Borneo, theMaluku Islands, and other areas which had, until then, not been visited byChristian missionaries. In these areas, being a pioneer and struggling to learn the local languages in the face of opposition, he had less success than he had enjoyed in India. It was a goal of Xavier to extend his missionary preaching to China but he died inShangchuan Islandshortly before doing so.Burials and relicsHe was first buried on a beach atShangchuan Island,Taishan, Guangdong. Hisincorruptbody was taken from the island in February 1553 and was temporarily buried inSt. Paul's churchinPortuguese Malaccaon 22 March 1553. An open grave in the church now marks the place of Xavier's burial. Pereira came back from Goa, removed the corpse shortly after 15 April 1553, and moved it to his house. On 11 December 1553, Xavier's body was shipped to Goa. The body is now in theBasilica of Bom Jesusin Goa, where it was placed in a glass container encased in a silver casket on 2 December 1637.

The rightforearm, which Xavier used to bless and baptize his converts, was detached bySuperior GeneralClaudio Acquavivain 1614. It has been displayed since in a silver reliquary at the main Jesuit church in Rome,Il Ges.[21]Another of Xavier's arm bones was brought toMacauwhere it was kept in a silverreliquary. The relic was destined for Japan but religious persecution there persuaded the church to keep it in Macau'sCathedral of St. Paul. It was subsequently moved toSt. Joseph'sand in 1978 to the Chapel of St. Francis Xavier onColoane Island. More recently the relic was moved to St. Joseph's Seminary and the Sacred Art Museum.[22]In 2006, on the 500th anniversary of his birth, the Xavier Tomb Monument and Chapel on the Shangchuan Island, in ruins after years of neglect under communist rule in China was restored with the support from the alumni ofWah Yan College, a Jesuit high school in Hong Kong.VenerationBeatification and canonizationFrancis Xavier was beatified byPaul Von 25 October 1619, and wascanonizedbyGregory XVon 12 March (12 April[23]) 1622, at the same time asIgnatius Loyola.[24]Pius XI proclaimed him the "Patron of Catholic Missions".[25]Hisfeast dayis 3 December.[2

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