IN this tourist guide, a brief history of 10 leading temple-towns is provided along with their connectivity, different modes of travel, descriptions of the main temples, other attractions and excursions, local travel options, hotel accommodation, festivals and important contact numbers. Mention is also made of local wares, particularly handicrafts and handloom products, etc which are found in each temple-town.
The first temple-town to be discussed is Varanasi which is the holiest of the holy places for the Hindus. Also known as Kashi in scriptures and which means ‘brilliance’, the city is 3,000 years old and located on the banks of River Ganges, its temples, particularly Kashi Vishwanah, Tulsi Manas, Sankat Mochan, Annapurna, Durga, Shani Dev, Kal Bhairav, Bharat Mata, etc. are described in detail, as also the river-front ghats, galis (lanes), the Benaras Hindu University, the Ramnagar Fort, Sarnath, etc.
Madurai, known as the ‘Athens of the East’ is famous for its Meenakshi temple with towering gopurams, the other temples and parks and its hotels and modes of travel.
What is especially good about this book is that a one-page guide map for each temple-town is given at the beginning of every chapter.
(Mark-Age Service Pvt Ltd. ME/5 Niva Park-3, Brahmapur, Kolkata-700 096; markageindia@sify.com)
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