Indian Talent, Global Content
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Indian Talent, Global Content |
January 2009: What's in the breeze |
Unakoti’s Spectacular Rock Carvings, Lush Greenery and Peaceful Aura make it an Attractive Tourist and Pilgrimage Destination 'Incredible India' – Pilgrimages across the largest democracy in the world definitely adds to the list of factors which makes India truly incredible. The Indian affinity to religious places and pilgrimages is enormous. The Amarnath, Badrinath and Kedarnath shrines are hot pilgrimage and tourist destinations for millions of Indians. However these holy shrines of Hindu Mythology attract a large chunk of foreign tourists as well. There are several renowned pilgrimage destinations, but many shrines, temples or caves which have special references in epics of Hindu Mythology remain unheard of, unnoticed and unexplored. In this land of sanths and fakirs, lord Shiva has always had a special place in the heart of his devotees, but many religious sites with a close connection to Bhole Baba seem to have been forgotten. One such site is Unakoti- the land of one less than a crore gods and goddesses. A Land Blessed by ShivaSituated on a hillock, Unakoti, in Kailashahar subdivision of North Tripura, houses ancient stone sculptures, rare rock-cut carved images of various gods and goddesses of Hindu Mythology and scenes depicting the life of lord Shiva. The sculptures, lush greenery and peaceful aura can certainly attract millions of tourists. Unakoti, a 178 Km drive from the state capital, Agartala, also offers great trekking opportunities. A stay in the Uttermegh Government Tourist Lodge amid the serenity of the rock cut images brings about a soothing spiritual feel. Once you visit you will certainly feel that the place has been blessed by the myth of Lord Shiva. The Myth Behind the LandAccording to the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), Unakoti dates back to the 8th or 9th century, if not earlier. Archaeologists are not yet certain about its date of origin but they claim that Unakoti is the biggest bas-relief sculpture in India. According to Hindu mythology, when Lord Shiva was proceeding to Kashi along with a crore of gods and goddesses he made a night halt at this place (Unakoti). He (Shiva) asked all the gods and goddesses to wake up before sun rise and proceed to Kashi. In the morning no one got up except for Lord Shiva, forcing him to set out for Kashi by himself and cursing the others to become stone images. Lord Shiva's curse fell upon them and as a result there are one less than a crore stone image carvings at Unakoti. The Divine SculpturesThe most imposing sculpture is the immense 30 feet-high image of Lord Shiva carved in a vertical rock face. The colossal image in grey stone has an elaborate embroidered head. A small, rock strewn stream flows near the central Shiva. Just about fifty meters downstream from the huge Shiva image, among scattered rocks, are the three imposing images of Lord Ganesha. There is a huge figure of the four - armed seated Ganesha and on its side two standing figures of Sarabhuja Ganesha with three tusks and the Asthabhuja Ganesha with four tusks- a rare sight to behold. Dating back to the ancient Buddhist and Hindu periods, these sculptures include figures of Lord Shiva, Shri Ram, Hanuman and Ganapati. All the images found at Unokoti are of two types, rock carved figures and stone images. Among the rock cut carvings, the central Shiva and gigantic Ganesha are certainly master pieces. The central Shiva known as "Unokotiswara Kal Bhairava" is about 30 feet high including an embroidered head dress which is 10 feet high. On each side of the central Shiva’s head-dress are two full size female figures - one of Goddess Durga standing on a lion and another female figure on the other side. In addition three enormous images of "Nandi Bull" are found half buried in the ground. There are various others stone as well as rock cut images at Unakoti. There is talk of UNESCO declaring it a world heritage site. There is another myth associated with this enchanting place, which says that Unakoti is the unfinished dream of a sculptor, who wished to make it a place of pilgrimage for a crore of deities. His dream remained incomplete for just one image - thus the site was called Unakoti. It is said that if there would have been a crore of gods and goddesses, Unakoti would have been a Koti Tirtha like Varanasi. One can find an exquisite blend of myth, religion and nature at Unakoti. How To Get There and When to GoUnakoti can be reached in various ways. One can fly to Agartala and start via road for Unakoti. One can also take a helicopter ride from Agartala to Kailashahar, the district headquarters of North Tripura, and Unakoti is only 10 kilometers from here. In the month of April the "Ashokastami Festival" takes place at Unakoti where thousands of pilgrims flock to the area. This is the best time to visit this divine unexplored land of lord Shiva. Chillibreeze's disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not reflect the views of Chillibreeze as a company. Chillibreeze has a strict anti-plagiarism policy. Please contact us to report any copyright issues related to this article. Do Hindu temples fascinate you? Interested in Hindu pilgrimage spots?
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