India is an ancient country with a special culture. It is not surprising that there are many places with amazing stories associated with them. True, the Europeans did not hear about these stories. Here we will tell some of them to our readers.
Haunted houses in Calcutta
National Library of Calcutta. Voices are heard here at night
The National Library of Kolkata is located in the main building of the old manor Belvedere. The first owner of the estate was Prince Dwarkanath Tagore. In 2010, during repairs on the first floor of the building, workers discovered a walled-up room with an area of 304 square meters. What was there before, no one knows. However, mysterious entities have been known to live in the library for many years. At night, voices are heard here, steps are heard. In the mornings, scattered books and archival materials are found on the floor and tables. But the loudest story happened to a student who stayed to work at night in the archive, collecting materials on the Victorian era, and disappeared without a trace.
Hastings House in Alipur (a city in the state of West Bengal, whose capital is Calcutta) is a branch of the Belvedere estate and was once the residence of the Governor General. Today, the building houses the Women's College of the University of Calcutta. At night, the roar of a rushing train is heard in the front halls, and once a ghostly carriage drawn by horses drove into the building through the main entrance. The late governor-general sat in it. The dead man went inside and began looking in one of the classrooms for some documents.
However, the most famous "haunted building" is the Writers' House in Calcutta, built by the British authorities. Until October last year, it housed the secretariat of the government of West Bengal. On December 8, 1930, Police General Simpson was killed within these walls by Indian rebels. Since then, the building has been haunted by his ghost. Employees of the House of Writers try not to stay here alone after dark.
Fortresses of spirits
Agrasen Ki Baoli stairs in Delhi are called suicide stairs
The Agrasen Ki Baoli staircase in Delhi is called the Suicide Staircase. It was built back in time immemorial, some argue that it is a contemporary of the ancient Indian epic Mahabharata. In the XIV century the building was reconstructed. 103 steps lead down to the black water. People say that a spell has been cast on this place, and anyone who goes down the stairs and approaches the water is seized by the desire to commit suicide. And it is very important not to succumb to this desire ...
From the Delhi fortress of Firuzabad, built by Firuz Shah Tughlak, now only ruins remain, in which, according to legend, evil genies live. These places also actively attract suicides, and the ghosts of those who committed suicide here continue to roam the ruins. There are wells in the fortress, to which, according to legend, fairies descend every night. According to legend, a mere mortal who sees them will lose his sight. Perhaps that is why the surrounding houses here are built in such a way that the entrance and windows do not look at Firuzabad. Of course, who wants to go blind!
To the west of Hyderabad (a city in South India) is the Golconda fortress, which once served as the residence of the Kakatiya Raja family. The local ruler, Shah Abdullah, was married to a courtesan named Taramati. After their death, both were buried in the royal cemetery near the fortress. It is said that in the evenings the spirit of Taramati arranges dances in the central hall of the former residence. Poltergeist phenomena also occur in the building - some shadows move, inexplicable sounds are heard, objects fall, pictures on the walls turn over.
Shaniwar Wada Fort is located in the west of India, in the center of the city of Pune (150 kilometers from Mumbai). It served as both a palace and a fortification. In 1818, most of the building burned down in a fire. Now, after sunset, especially on a full moon, locals try to avoid this place, fearing to hear heartbreaking screams. This screams the spirit of a 13-year-old prince who became a victim of political intrigues and was brutally murdered by his relatives...
Bangar Fort in Rajasthan, built in the second half of the 16th century by a powerful Maharaja, also enjoys sinister fame. According to legend, the building was originally built in such a way that the shadow that it cast during the day in the sun did not reach the house of guru Balu Nath. However, after the death of the Maharaja, his son completed the building up, and then its roof began to fail. No restoration work helped, the roof still collapsed inside the building. They say the reason for this is a curse. Whose? Maybe the guru himself? Nobody knows.
There is also a legend that the history of the fortress is connected with the magician Singhia and the princess Ratnavali, who rejected his love, who destroyed the sorcerer with the help of his own divination. Dying, the sorcerer cursed the princess, and at the same time this place itself. Now the one who finds himself in the fortress at night can disappear forever. However, it may not disappear. It's for anyone's luck.
Locals believe that many spirits live here and sooner or later the reincarnation of Princess Ratnavali will take place, which will be able to break the curse of the sorcerer.
"Bad" hotels
In the Rajasthani palace of Brijraj Bhavan, the ghost of Major Charles Burton, one of the members of the British government, is allegedly found. The major, along with his sons, was shot during the sepoy uprising in 1857. Now a hotel is located here. The guards say that sometimes, when they happen to smoke or fall asleep on the post, someone's invisible hand hits them on the shoulder. The guests also get it: from time to time they feel someone's obsessive presence.
Another "bad" hotel is the "Savoy" in Mussoorie, located at the foot of the Himalayas. This Gothic-style building was built in 1902 as the summer residence of the British governor. In 1911, two British spiritualists, Frances Garnett-Orme and Eva Mountstephen, stayed here. One morning, Frances was found dead, and Eve was arrested on suspicion of poisoning a friend. However, the court acquitted the woman. The ghost of Miss Garnett-Orme, in search of her killer, still roams the hotel to this day.
cursed village
Bangar Fort in Rajasthan enjoys sinister fame
In Rajasthan, near the border with Pakistan, lies an abandoned village called Kuldhara. Nobody has lived there for two centuries. It is said that 1,500 villagers disappeared one day, no one knows where.
Tradition says that Kuldhara was inhabited by Brahmins for five centuries, and Salim Singh, the ruler of Jaisalmer, liked the daughter of the head of the community of Kuldhara. He demanded that she become his wife, and gave only a day to think. In case of refusal, Salim Singh threatened to kill all the villagers of the girl.
Then her father turned to the villagers with a request to leave their homes. In a hurry, people left the village forever, while sending curses to Salim Singh. Since then, anyone who dares to stay here for the night, death awaits. Those who have been to Kuldhar have said that the ghosts of people who have left their dwellings roam the village at night...
Last year, 30 members of the Delhi paranormal society decided to come to grips with this sinister place. Subsequently, the researchers told that they saw moving shadows, heard someone's voices, several people even felt the touch of invisible hands. In addition, in some places, inexplicable temperature jumps were recorded. It is curious that ancient drawings have been preserved on the walls of some houses, and the colors have not faded over 200 years.
alien ship
Recently, cave paintings about 10,000 years old were found in caves under the villages of Chandeli and Gotitola, located in the Indian state of Chhattisgarh, 130 kilometers from the city of Raipur. They depict creatures that look like humanoids. Some of them are dressed in space suits and hold objects resembling weapons in their hands. Nearby is an object on three pillars, resembling a flying saucer.
There is a legend among the local population that in ancient times in these places people of small stature descended from heaven several times, who were nicknamed "rohela". Going on the way back, the "rohela" always took one or two people with them, and they never returned back. Ufologists and supporters of the paleocontact theory are convinced that we are talking about aliens ...
In the near future, the Department of Archeology and Culture of Chhattisgarh intends to contact NASA to consult about the mysterious images.
Since time immemorial, the mysterious East, like a magnet, has attracted numerous travelers. Particularly attracted Europeans was the mysterious India - the "wonderland". This country received such an unusual epithet thanks to the incredible abilities that Indian fakirs and yogis demonstrated. Even in ancient times, European travelers who visited India said that extraordinary people live there - yogis who develop their eyesight in such a way that they can see how some animals are in the dark, as well as small objects at long distances on the horizon and even beyond the horizon, objects hidden from view by a barrier. These people can look at the Sun for a long time. They are not afraid of either heat or cold, and naked stand and sit on the snow in the Himalayas in unusual positions, spending many hours in meditation. Travelers assured that they saw with their own eyes how these people were buried in the ground for many weeks and months, and that after digging they came to life. Some assured that these people are subjected to the methods of tempering with five fires "panch-dhuni", and then they are not afraid of fire and can safely walk on a burning fire. It was reported that they do not sink in water and can sit on the water for a long time, swaying on the waves of the sacred Ganges. They talked about the incredible endurance of yogis, who can run for several days without rest. Other incredible abilities of yogis were also reported: allegedly southern and northern yogis, thousands of miles apart, communicate with each other mentally.
In Europe, these messages were perceived differently. Some considered them fiction from beginning to end, the fruit of the uncontrollable imagination of travelers, others more restrainedly expressed their doubts, admitting that some of the facts described by eyewitnesses could actually take place, but that all this requires reliable confirmation. Decades passed, and the flow of information about yoga did not decrease. Many of the information reported by travelers was confirmed by authoritative scientists and special commissions, as well as numerous eyewitnesses. An indisputable fact turned out to be the extraordinary mastery of yogis in their body and internal organs: control over the work of the heart, breathing, as well as the autonomic nervous system, influence on the endocrine system, control of feelings and emotions, incredible hardening of the body of respawns that generate “tumo” heat in the body, unprecedented the endurance of the "heavenly walkers" - lung-gom-pa ("contemplating the wind"), running for several days in a row without stopping, without slowing down the pace of running.
Yogis do not consider their achievements miraculous, and what they demonstrate can be performed by anyone with the help of appropriate training, including such as burying in the ground for a month, teleportation and levitation.
Doctor of Philosophy and Medicine, well-known English psychiatrist Alexander Canon, who works at the psychiatric research center in Colne Hoch, writes in his book “Unknown Influence” about how he himself, with the help of a Tibetan yogi, levitated (flyed) through a wide and deep gorge in the Himalayas. Preparations for levitation through the gorge, writes A. Canon, went on for several hours. Returning to London, Dr. A. Canon published a book in which he described his levitation experiment. A number of prominent scientists have confirmed that they have also witnessed levitation demonstrations. Now the phenomenon of levitation was observed by hundreds of thousands of people. It is shown on television and in films, in various countries.
In 1934, at the University of Calcutta, in front of well-known Indian scientists, among whom was Sir K. V. Raman, the Nobel Prize winner who discovered the effect of light diffusion - the “Raman effect”, Swami Narasingha swallowed lethal doses of sulfuric and carbolic acid and then ingested one grams of salt of cyanic acid. After that, he drank water and removed the acids from his body.
There are now scientific documentaries made about fire-walking yogis and yogis who are buried in the ground for a long time. And yet in yoga there remains a lot of mysterious and unknown, especially at its highest level - Raja Yoga.
Magic powers of Yogis
The ability of people to work miracles in India is called siddhis. In yoga, there are eight main siddhis, achieved through a special practice of psychophysical exercises:
1. Anima (from Sanskrit "anu" - atom) - reduction in size. According to the theory of yogis, the laws within the space of the atom will be different from the known laws of the space of the macrocosm. Through reduction in size, the adept can become invisible, and thus he is able to penetrate into the smallest objects and study their internal structure.
2. Laghima - not to have weight, that is, to control the force of the earth's gravity on your body through the development of opposite centrifugal tendencies in each cell. Yogis consider this an easy act and often use laghima to demonstrate levitation. The Markandeya Purana states that laghima means "to have superior speed."
3. Mahima - become incredibly large. This makes it possible to see vast spaces, the interaction and movement of the solar system and the universe, to penetrate into the essence of their depths.
4. Garima - being extremely heavy (as opposed to laghima). In some works of yogis, instead of "garima", "kamavasayaita" (complete satisfaction) is described - a complete feeling of satisfaction.
5. Prapti - to be transported in space to any place at any time. In the "Shiva Samhita" it is written on this occasion: "He (the adept) will find everything he wants, because everything will be at hand for him."
6. Prakamya - fulfill all desires or see all your desires realized.
7. Vashitva - control the forces of nature. The purpose of living thinking nature is to conquer inanimate, inert nature, and also to subordinate the rest of the living world to the will of man. But in order to dominate, one must know the origins. This required the will and courage of many generations of yogis, multiplied tenfold by the thirst for knowledge.
8. Ishitva - to be the ruler of the world, to create and destroy, renew and destroy.
Thirty additional qualities:
In addition to the main eight siddhis, yogis describe thirty additional qualities acquired by them in the process of psychological training.
1. Achievements obtained through mental activity (“nirodha piranama siddhi”) as a result of self-control and concentration based on phenomena in three areas: in the field of natural laws (“dharma”), partial laws (“lakshana”) and phenomena occurring due to certain conditions ("avastha"). Through this training, the adept learns the past and can foresee the future development of phenomena.
2. Penetration into the meaning of words and the cries of animals. The sound composition of words, their sound form, the meaning of words, that is, their inner content, and the combination of sounds and words are three aspects of an indivisible whole. By concentrating on each of these aspects separately, the adept can understand the language of all living beings.
3. Knowledge of the past can be achieved by concentrating on external and internal signs, as well as traces left by a past life on the body.
4. Reading thoughts is carried out with the help of concentration on the ability of thinking and perception. According to the ancients, thought is faster than the speed of light, faster than anything. Some yogis believe that thought is the radiation of the mental and psychic field (the field of emotions) emitted by the human brain. The brain is material and it emits material waves of a certain frequency, and, like any wave, they have the ability to move in space, that is, to have a subsequent independent existence even after the death of the source. Thought is sown in space like stardust. She is universal. Yogis believe that a thought can be sent and caught by tuning into a certain wave with the help of rhythmic breathing.
5. Become invisible. Through concentration on the form of the body, the radiation coming from it, with the help of which it is visually perceived, weakens and, in the end, the contact between the visual organs of others and the body of the adept completely stops and the adept, as it were, disappears. In reality, it is only an illusion of disappearance. Similar transformations occur with other sense organs. Cases are described when yogis are photographed together with other people, but only a group of people appears in the photo, and instead of yogis, an empty space appears in the photo.
6. Knowledge of death and its essence. Focusing on the basic properties of phenomena that give rise to immediate consequences, and on the essence of phenomena, the impact of which affects later, the adept learns the processes and essence of death.
7. Cognition of the soul ("atma bala") or the mind ("purna mano bala") is achieved by mental concentration on abstract concepts, such as the power of friendship and love, joy, regret, equanimity and detachment. Such exercises achieve knowledge of the depths of the soul and mind.
8. The acquisition of the physical strength of animals is achieved by concentrating on the strength of these animals in conjunction with special physical training. Swami Yogananda, in Autobiography of a Yogi, describes a yogi who possessed physical strength far superior to that of a tiger.
9. Knowledge of the subtle hidden mechanisms of things and phenomena, penetration into their essence can be achieved by attracting knowledge, intuition and concentration of thoughts.
10. Knowledge of the solar system and the starry worlds is achieved by concentrating the mind and focusing it on the sun. By this one can know the nature of the sun and stars and the processes occurring in them.
11. Cognition of the planets is achieved by concentrating and focusing the mental faculties on the Moon. By studying the Moon, one can understand the essence of the planets.
12. Knowledge of the laws of motion of stars is achieved by concentrating on the North Star. Because of the vast distances, the ancient yogis said, the stars seem to us motionless, but in reality they are in perpetual motion.
13. Knowledge of the body and its basic essence is achieved by concentration on the solar plexus and navel.
14. Release from hunger and thirst can be achieved by concentration on the cervical cavity.
15. Calmness of the body and soul is achieved by focusing on the main artery (kurma) near this cavity (carotid artery).
16. Supernatural visions are achieved by concentrating on the light emanating from the subtle center located above the eyebrows, called "Brahmarandhra".
17. Universal knowledge comes after concentration on the "star of divination" ("pritibha"), which appears in the head after the establishment of absolute calmness of the body and mind.
18. Cognition of consciousness is achieved by concentrating on the heart.
19. Mental reconstruction of the structure of the cosmos. When a state of true consciousness is reached, in which the thought abstracts from things and its own “I”, deepening concentration on this state, one can see the structure of the universe, the essence of Brahma, the basic laws of the construction of the entire universe. Along with this, the faculty of divination and the five sensory attainments are attained:
a) predictions ("pratibha") about the past and the future;
b) the ability of internal listening (“shravana”), with which you can listen to yourself, as well as understand the sacred sound “AUM” (Om) - the main mantra of yogis.
c) the ability of absolute touch (“vedana”), with the help of which one can penetrate into the essence of objects, “see” them;
d) the ability of supervision ("adarsha") - to see objects at long distances, as well as in the dark, and objects hidden by a barrier.
e) gustatory abilities ("asvadana") - taste sensations refined to the limit;
f) the ability to super-smell ("varta siddhi") - the ultimate refined sense of smell.
20. Leave the shell (body). With the concentration of all attention on the subtle astral body, the bonds connecting it with the shell are weakened and the adept can leave his shell or re-enter it.
21. Be out of contact with the outside world. By practicing concentration on the vital energy located in the region of the throat (“udana”), and directing this energy to the region of the head, one can develop the ability of a person to be out of contact with the outside world, i.e. no one can touch the adept and nothing can to come to him.
22. Control over fiery energy ("samana"). The fiery or digestive vital energy spreads evenly from the navel in all directions. It regulates various vital functions of the internal organs. Their interaction depends on it. Practicing concentration on it, the yogi's body begins to radiate light, similar to the reflection of a burning fire.
23. Ability to hear. By practicing focusing their attention on the organs of hearing, yogis can hear sounds at great distances, sounds beyond the range of hearing of an ordinary person become available to them.
24. Levitation. By practicing concentration on the relationship between the body, its cells and the all-pervading primordial substance that fills outer space, as well as focusing on small and light objects, yogis can neutralize gravity and become weightless.
25. Free wandering of thought, not connected with the body (“mahavideja drahana”). With the help of exercises to concentrate the thought of free movement in space apart from the body, the yogi becomes easy and free and his thoughts wander without any restrictions.
26. Conquest of the elements of nature. Each of the five elements has five states: gross (sthula), form (svarupa), subtle (sukhshma), conditioned (anvaya), and causal (art-havattva). By concentrating on these five states, the yogi gradually subdues the five elements of nature.
27. The subordination of the five principles of sensory perceptions makes it possible for the yogi to achieve the state of "translevitation" (manoevity), in which the yogi, at will, with the speed of thought, can be anywhere. Traveling alone, the thought becomes the eyes and ears of the yogi's mind, the receptacle of all five senses, the source of information. Yogis thus comprehend the truth of the evolution of nature.
28. Knowledge of the universe. Having learned the internal properties of objects and phenomena, the yogi penetrates into the secrets of the universe, learns the laws of the universe.
29. Knowledge of time. The time during which an atom travels the distance of its diameter is called "kshana" by yogis. His continuous movements are called in Sanskrit "krama".
Concentration and meditation are processes by which space and time are connected. With the help of exercises on the concentration of the atom, knowledge of time and space (“anubhava siddha jnana”) is achieved, since the movement of atoms at a given moment is a continuation of previous movements, a general picture of the movement of atoms in the universe is formed. Yogis can thus know the past, present and future.
30. Transcendental achievement ("para siddhis"). Until now, we have been talking about non-transcendental achievements, they belonged to the world of forms. But with the help of exercises in the ability to recognize phenomena, to be able to highlight the essence, a yogi can influence the course of events, slow them down or speed them up. He can destroy the seeds of evil and achieve complete freedom.
Yogis also distinguish inner or spiritual achievements, which have the same name, but these siddhis are on an even higher level of understanding.
based on materials from the book: Georgy Boreev - "Legends and parables, stories about yoga".
In the Indian state of Karnataka, it is located on the site of Vijayanagara, the former capital of the Vijayanagara Empire. It is believed that it was here that the kingdom of the Vanaras, monkey-like humanoids, which was mentioned in the Ramayana, was located. From the lost empire in Hampi, there are many ruins and remains of ancient structures, and some of them are simply amazing. For example, the remains of an aqueduct that supplied water to a city whose population was very numerous. Interestingly, the aqueduct and reservoirs are made of strangely shaped blocks.
2. Sahasralinga Complex (Karnataka)
9. Rani-ki-Vav well (Gujarat)
This is a very complex structure, a multi-stage well, which is located in the city of Patan in India. It is 64 meters long, 20 meters wide and 24 meters deep. It is believed that it was built in the 11th century. However, almost no archaeological work was carried out here, because for many years the well was flooded by the Saraswati River and, as a result, the whole was covered with silt. Only at the end of the 20th century, work began on its clearing. Looking at what has been cleared, we see that Rani-ki-Vav is not only a work of art, but also a testament to the incredible technology of the past.
10. Chand Baori Well (Rajasthan)
Another, no less amazing well, which is called, is located in the town of Abaneri. This is a step well which is about 30 meters deep and it is one of the deepest step wells in India. It consists of 13 tiers of seven steps each. Built by Chand Baori between the 9th and 11th centuries AD. The grandiosity and scope of the structure are striking - as well as the thoroughness and accuracy of the finish. According to local legends, the well was built in one night - by mysterious demons...
Recently "Chronoton" returned from an expedition to India, where we found many more amazing miracles, which you can read about on our website, for example, or
While the Taj Mahal shines with majestic marble brilliance, the Meenakshi Amman temple is full of bright colors. It is located in the South East Indian state of Tamil Nadu in the city of Madurai, which is considered one of the oldest continuously inhabited places in the world, having been functioning for more than two thousand years.
Photo: Pabloneco on Flickr
Photo: Bryce Edwards on Flickr
It is based on something extraordinary - the temple of the Hindu goddess Parvati, the wife of the god Shiva. The entire temple complex is guarded by towers known as gopuras. The tallest of these is the south tower, which was erected in 1559 and is over 170 feet high. And the eastern tower, founded in 1216, is considered the oldest, that is, it was built several centuries before Columbus went to discover distant lands.
Jantar Mantar
Photo: Guy Incognito on Flickr
The remarkable complex of buildings is similar to the scenery for a planet far from Earth from a sci-fi blockbuster. But in fact, these are instruments developed and used in Jaipur to observe celestial bodies. They were built by order of the Maharaja in the first decades of the 18th century and are still in use today.
Photo: McKay Savage on Flickr
Photo: Philip Cope on Flickr
Jai Singh II was born in 1688 and became Maharaja at the age of eleven, but inherited a kingdom that was on the verge of impoverishment. The kingdom of Amber (later Jaipur) was in a desperate situation, the cavalry numbered less than a thousand people. But on his thirtieth birthday, the ruler built Jantar-Mantar.
Kumbhalgarh - Great Indian Wall
It is the second largest continuous wall on our planet. Some call it by the name of the fort it surrounds - Kumbalgarh, and others - the Great Wall of China of India. Surprisingly, such an outstanding building is little known outside of its region.
Photo: Lamentables on Flickr
Photo: Beth on Flickr
The wall stretches for 36 kilometers. In many images, you can mistake it for the Great Wall of China. However, there were many centuries and cultural differences between them. Work on the creation of Kumbhalgarh did not begin until 1443 - just fifty years before Columbus sailed across the Atlantic Ocean to make amazing discoveries on its other side.
Temple of Karni Mata
Photo: alschim on Flickr
From the outside, the Hindu temple of Karni Mata, located in the small town of Deshnok in the Indian province of Rajasthan, looks just like any other. But the beautifully and exquisitely decorated shrine, with a constant stream of worshipers, holds a surprise for unsuspecting visitors. The temple is inhabited by thousands of rats.
Photo: owenstache on Flickr
Photo: micbaun on Flickr
Rodents are not random inhabitants of the temple. Parishioners take special care of food for rats, as they are here in memory of the legendary woman - Karni Mata.
Jodhpur - the blue city of India
Photo: bodoluy on Flickr
Travelers traverse the arid landscapes of the Thar Desert in the Indian state of Rajasthan to reach this place. It seems that here the sky fell to the ground and everything became one color - blue. Jodhpur stretches before you like blue treasures in the middle of the desert.
Photo: Christopher Walker on Flickr
Photo: Il Fatto on Flickr
According to one version, the population of the Blue City paints their houses in various shades of blue due to the caste system prevailing in India. Brahmins belong to the highest Indian caste, and the blue color distinguishes their dwellings from other people.
Leh Palace
Photo: watchsmart on Flickr
In the early years of the seventeenth century, the King of the Kingdom of Ladakh, Senge Namgyal, ordered the construction of this huge palace. It is located on the top of the Himalayas in the city of Leh, currently the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir. The building served as the home of a dynasty of rulers until they were overthrown and expelled in 1834. Since then, the lofty Lekh Palace has been abandoned. Nevertheless, it rises majestically in this region of India, which is often called Little Tibet.
Photo: teseum on Flickr
Photo: Matt Werner on Flickr
Supposedly it was modeled after the more famous Potala Palace in neighboring Tibet, which served as the residence of the Dalai Lama until 1959, when he left the country. The Leh Palace is smaller than the Potala Palace, but its nine-story structure is still impressive. The upper floors were occupied by King Namgyal, his family and crowds of courtiers. The lower floors housed servants, storage rooms and stables.
Living bridges of Meghalaya
Photo: Ashwin Mudigonda on Flickr
Our understanding of India, with its population of over a billion people, is often limited by statistics. However, there are places in this subcontinent that still remain virtually inaccessible. The state of Meghalaya in the northeast of the country is replete with subtropical forests. To get around in this area, the locals resorted to an ingenious form of natural engineering - living root bridges.
Photo: Rajkumar1220 on Flickr
Photo: ARshiya Bose on Flickr
With every rain, fording through the rivers becomes very dangerous, and this is one of the wettest places on the planet. Steady rainfall combined with rugged terrain, steep slopes and dense deciduous forests turn many areas of Meghalaya into an impenetrable jungle. But the inventive and resourceful local population has created a unique system of natural suspension bridges.
Ajanta caves
Photo: Ashok66 on Flickr
Two thousand two hundred years ago, work began on an extensive series of cave monuments in the Indian state of Maharashtra. Over the course of hundreds of years, thirty-one monuments were carved out of the rocks. Around 1000 AD, the monks gradually abandoned the cave complex and it fell into disrepair. The overgrown dense jungle hid the caves from human eyes.
Buzzing and energetic India is explored every year by a crazy number of travelers, but it still has various secrets hidden in its heart. So many people, so many stories. Many of these veiled secrets may shock you, and some may even embarrass you. This country is not just a land of snake charmers. Here are 6 mysterious places in India that give you goosebumps:
Karni Mata Mandir: the mysterious "Rat Temple" in Rajasthan
Karni Mata Mandir, located in a small town called Deshnok, is one of the most famous temples in Rajasthan. There are about 20,000 rats inside the temple, which is also the main reason for its popularity.
These rats are believed to be the reincarnated sons and family members of the resident goddess Karni Mata. These rats are considered holy, like the Goddess herself, and therefore they are worshipped. If any rat dies, it is replaced with a golden rat.
Unique living bridges made of Cherrapunji trees in Meghaloy
Jaintia and Khasi tribal hills have unusual root formations originating from rubber trees. These are strong and durable bridges over rivers, which are a great alternative to wooden bridges. Perhaps the most interesting thing is that these bridges are not built, but grow. They form after about 15 years, and some of them are over fifty years old. Umshiang Double Decker Bridge, Ummunoy Bridge, Ritimen, Umkar and Momsou are some of the most popular bridges.
Skeleton Lake or Roopkund Lake in Uttarakhand
A spectacular glacial lake in Uttarakhand, Roopkund Lake is called the Skeleton Lake for an eerie reason. In 1942, a forester discovered several human skeletons at the bottom of the lake. Located at an altitude of 16,500 feet, it freezes over during the winter. Legends say that these were the skeletons of the ruler of Kannaui, who, with his wife and a huge troupe of servants, traveled on a pilgrimage and died here during a hail. According to forensic examination, the corpse belongs to the 15th century. This lake is also a popular trekking destination.
Floating stones of Rama Setu in Rameshwaram
Contrary to many beliefs, Sam Setu Bridge is not only a creature from the mythological saga called Ramayana. This is a true object whose remains can be seen between India and Sri Lanka. This bridge is said to have been created by Lord Hanuman and his army of monkeys, without any mortar. The name of Lord Rama was written on the stones and then they were thrown into the sea. These stones never sank, and that is how this bridge was built. Some of these floating stones with the Lord's name engraved on them can be seen today at Rameshwaram. This is definitely one of the best mysteries about India.
250 year old Great Banyan Tree in Kolkata
The Great Banyan Tree, located in the Indian Botanical Gardens at Govra, is the oldest and widest tree in India. It has passed the rigors of time: mold and 2 deadly cyclones; but overcame everything to be a tree that is already 250 years old. Looking at its dense jungle, it has 3300 aerial roots that extend into a distant space in the soil, which are its mainstay. It covers 14,500 square meters of the earth's surface. One of the most surprising facts is that the tree does not have a trunk as it was removed in 1925 after being infested with mold.
Great Indian Wall of Kumbhalgarh Fort in Rajasthan
Kumbhalgarga Fort is located 82 km from Udaipur. Its walls have a perimeter of about 36 km. After the Great Wall of China, it is considered the longest wall in India, as well as the second largest in the world. Among these walls there are about 300 temples, as well as a number of other magnificent structures. It is also known as the Kumbhalgarh wall and was built about half a million years ago.
An interesting fact: in India, entry prices for museums, parks and castles for tourists are several times higher than for the local population.