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Kalinjar is a fortress-city in the Bundelkhand region of central India. Kalinjar is located in Banda District of Uttar Pradesh state, near the temple-city and World Heritage Site of Khajuraho. The fortress is strategically located on an isolated rock at the end the Vindhya Range, at an elevation of 1203 feet overlooking the plains of Bundelkhand. It served several of Bundelkhand's ruling dynasties, including the Chandela dynasty of Rajputs in the 10th century, and the Solankis of Rewa. The fortress contains several temples, dating as far back as the Gupta dynasty of the 3rd-5th centuries. Bundelkhand is the name of the geographical area of central India. ...
Banda is a city and district of Uttar Pradesh state, India. ...
Uttar Pradesh (Hindi: उत्तर प्रदेश, Urdu: اتر پردیش) is the fifth largest and the most populous state in India. ...
Elabana Falls is in Lamington National Park, part of the Central Eastern Rainforest Reserves World Heritage site in Queensland, Australia. ...
Sculpture from a temple at Khajuraho Khajuraho is a city in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, located about 385 miles (620 kilometres) southeast of Delhi, the capital city of India. ...
The Vindhya Range is a range of hills in central India, which geographically separates The Indian subcontinent into northern India and Southern India. ...
A Rajput (possibly from Sanskrit rāja-putra, son of a king) is a member of a prominent caste who live throughout northern and central India, primarily in the northwestern state of Rajasthan. ...
( 9th century - 10th century - 11th century - other centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 10th century was that century which lasted from 901 to 1000. ...
The Solanki were a Hindu Rajput dynasty of India, who ruled the kingdom of Gujarat from the 10th to the 13th centuries. ...
Rewa is a city in northern Madhya Pradesh state, central India. ...
Silver coin of the Gupta King Kumara Gupta I (414-455 CE). ...
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( 4th century - 5th century - 6th century - other centuries) Events Rome sacked by Visigoths in 410. ...
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Bhairavi_at_kalinjar.jpg
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History
Kalinjar is the most characteristic specimen of the hill-fortresses, originally hill-shrines, of central India. Its antiquity is proved by its mention in the Mahabharata. It was besieged by Mahmud of Ghazni in 1023, and here the Afghan emperor Sher Shah Suri met his death in 1545, and Kalinjar played a prominent part in history down to the time of the Revolt of 1857, when it was held by a small British garrison. Both the fort and the town, which stands at the foot of the hill, are of interest to the antiquary on account of their remains of temples, sculptures, inscriptions and caves. The Mahabharata (Devanagari: महाभारत, phonetically Mahābhārata - see note), sometimes just called Bharata, is the great religious and philosophical epic of India. ...
Mahmud of Ghazni (971–April 30, 1030), also know as Yamin ul-Dawlah Mahmud (in full: Yamin ul-Dawlah Abd ul-Qasim Mahmud Ibn Sebük Tigin) was the ruler of Ghazni from 997 until his death. ...
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Sher Khan Suri is considered to be the hero of Indo-Muslim revival by many historians. ...
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An engraving titled Sepoy Indian troops dividing the spoils after their mutiny against British rule gives a contemporary view of events from the British perspective. ...
Kalinjar means 'The destroyer of time' in Sanskrit. 'Kal' is time and jar destruction. It is therefore a common belief associated with the Kalinjar hill that Lord Shiva had slain the god of time on it. Since then, the hill has been considered a holy site, casting its shadow across the patches of grasslands as well as the densely forested valley. The natural splendor of the surroundings makes it an ideal place for penance and meditation and, surprisingly, a strange mystique still pervades all over the hill. The scriptures state that the holy place had four different names in the four yugas. In Satyuga it was known as Kirtinagar, in Treta it was Madhyagarh, in Dwapar it was Singhalgarh and now in Kalyuga, it has come to be known as Kalinjar. The hilly peak has several legends attached to it. The Sanskrit language ( संस्कृता वाक्) is one of the earliest attested members of the Indo-European language family and is not only a classical language, but also an official language of India. ...
For the Jewish ritual of mourning, see Shivah. ...
In Hindu philosophy, the existence of the world is divided into four Yugas (ages): Satya Yuga or Krita Yuga Treta Yuga Dwapara Yuga Kali Yuga According to the rishis of ancient India, the world goes through a continuous cycle of these ages. ...
Its origin being shrouded in mystery, not much is known as to when and by whom the fort was built on this holy hill, though modern historians conjecture that a Chandela king, Kedar Burman, had it built in the 7th century. The fort was a unique monument of its time and had no parallel in any other part of the country in terms of sheer grandeur and artistry. ( 6th century - 7th century - 8th century - other centuries) Events Islam starts in Arabia, the Quran is written, and Arabs subjugate Syria, Iraq, Persia, Egypt, North Africa and Central Asia to Islam. ...
Its historical background is replete with numerous battle and invasions. The Hindu princes of different dynasties as well as Muslim rulers fought hard to conquer it and the fort continued to pass from one ruler to another. But, except for the Chandelas, no other ruler could reign over it for a long time.
In 1812, the British troops marched into Bundelkhand and after a long drawn battle they were able to annex the fort. The British seizure proved to be a great watershed, transferring the legacy of the old aristocracy into the hands of the new bureaucracy of officials who showed their loyalty to British imperialism by damaging the captured fort. The damages caused to the fort can still be seen on its walls and open spaces. 1812 was a leap year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ...
Attractions The majesty and grandeur witnessed within its precincts is due to the Chandela rulers' creative imagination, their highly developed aesthetic sense and religious fervor. Though they were great devotees of Lord Shiva, they evinced a great interest in the construction of temples of other deities, too. The massive rock cut sculptures include figures of various gods and goddesses from ancient mythological themes. Wherever the Chandelas had established their reign they left their mark by enriching them with fine works of art, stone images, and sculpture. For the Jewish ritual of mourning, see Shivah. ...
The western part of the fort rewards all who take the time to look inside the temple of Neelkanth Mahadev. Each time one peeps through a cave-like opening and glances at an imposing Shivlinga of around five feet, one is awe-struck. The idea has been to use landscape and cave-isolation to set the solemnity of the mood for prayer. Its intrinsic feature is to reflect and refract light in the appropriate seasons, letting in light in winter and darkening to restrict its entry in summer.
Close to the Shivling cave, stand the idols of Bhairava and goddess Parvati, made of black stone. On either side of the gateway, images of numerous gods and goddesses are carved. A number of broken pillars can also be seen at regular distances. On these pillars, it is said, six-storey constructions were raised, but they were demolished later. There are numerous rock-cut sculptures indicating neglect and ravages of time. The vagaries of nature and of man have taken their toll but the remnants indicate a synthesis of several ancient cultures and faiths, the legacy of a glorious past.
Another beautiful sight is the palace of prince Aman Singh. He was the descendant of King Chhatrasal. A number of legends are associated with this Mahal whose big lawns and walls unfold a long history of Chandela culture. Thousands of images made of granite and sandstone have been collected in a museum set up informally. Rich carvings on these images arrest the eye, even though they are broken and have been struck by the ravages of time.
Trimurti images are also many, showing the faces of Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh(Shiva). Some distance away is carved a massive figure of Vishnu lying in the ocean of milk, enclosed within the coils of the Sheshnag. It presents a unique artistic charm. The presence of images of Lord Shiva the god of love Kamadev, Indrani the wife of Indra etc. speaks of influence from diverse cultures and religions. It also leads us to believe that the creation of the Chandela culture was not the handiwork of artists from one region. This article concerns the Hindu creator god, Brahma. ...
For other uses of the name Vishnu, see Vishnu (disambiguation). ...
For the Jewish ritual of mourning, see Shivah. ...
For the Jewish ritual of mourning, see Shivah. ...
The Chandela princes were influenced by the 'Shaiva' cult. Therefore, among the rock-cut and stone images are mostly those of Shiva, Parvati, Nandi and the Shivling. Shiva is seen at times in his dancing posture of tandava and at others in a close embrace with goddess Parvati. For the Jewish ritual of mourning, see Shivah. ...
For the Jewish ritual of mourning, see Shivah. ...
There are numerous other attractions. The Venkat Bihari temple presents a majestic look from the outside though its interiors are decayed now. Persons suffering from skin diseases can take a dip in the 'pond of million tirthas'. The Sita-kund, Pandu-kund, Patal-ganga etc. speak for the Chandelas' taste for the aquatic resorts.
Cemented roads have been built all through the mountainous passage, along which people can conveniently travel to reach the fort. But to discover the real charm and pleasure of adventure, one has to walk along the old beaten track, making way through the rough and rocky terrain of the seven magnificent gates falling in between. Seeing these gates, one truly appreciates the functional relevance of this invincible fort and its strategic defenses.
How to reach - BY AIR - The nearest airport is at Khajuraho, which is 130 km away.
- BY RAIL - The nearest railway station is Atarra 36 km away, on the Banda-Satna route, 57 km from the Banda railway station.
- BY ROAD - The Kalinjar fort is linked by road to all the important centres in the region with regular bus services. Some of the major road distances are: Chitrakoot, 78 km; Banda, 62 km; Khajuraho, 130 km; and Allahabad, 205 km.
Sculpture from a temple at Khajuraho Khajuraho is a city in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, located about 385 miles (620 kilometres) southeast of Delhi, the capital city of India. ...
Chitrakoot is a religious town in the Bundelkhand region of central India, notable for the number of its temples and sites from Hindu mythology. ...
Banda is a city and district of Uttar Pradesh state, India. ...
Allahabad - Wikipedia /**/ @import /skins/monobook/IE50Fixes. ...
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