Stories by Arpit

2015 was a very important year for me, as my passion for travelling enhanced manifold. My urge for living each moment amidst historical ruins, on the lush green grass, under the open skies and in dense forests grew higher and higher. My wanderings in 2015 led me to 27 places with trips in each month except March, September and November. The year began with a trip to Rajgir, Kundalpur (Nalanda), Guniyaji (Gunava, Navada) & Pawapuri with my friends in the second week of January.  From the chilly morning breeze at Kundalpur to the arduous hill trek on Vaibhargiri (Rajgir) , each moment was memorable for me as it brought the warmth of togetherness and reliving of the same trip undertaken 5 years ago in 2010. Pawapuri remains special for it reminds me of the constant presence of Lord Mahavir in its soil! I also undertook another trip to Pawapuri on 2 nd April this year to conduct a Siddhachakra Pujan and 18 Abhishek (perks of being a vidhikarak  ! :p) Rajgiri Memories Feb

"A land without ruins is a land without memories and a land without memories is a land without history" -Abram Joseph Ryan Some 140 kms away from Kolkata, lies a land where magic was created around three centuries ago by using Terracotta - Baked clay. Today, only the ruins remain, telling a story of how the devotion of the Malla Kingdom made talented artisans weave countless stories through the terracotta reliefs. The highways leading to Bishnupur from Kolkata are in a pathetic state, therefore the journey itself is a forgettable one, however, the moment I reached, Bishnupur, the land transported me to a different era altogether- the age of Royalty, the age of devotion, the age of grandeur, the age of mysticism. From Rasmancha to the Jore Bangla Temple, each of the 11 temples is unique with exquisite artwork on burnt clay- Terracotta.  As stones were not in abundance during earlier times, the Malla rulers used baked clay to weave magic into the walls of these templ

As I had mentioned in one of my previous posts - " Why am I deeply concerned for this loss? ", I am deeply fascinated by the Pratimaji (idol) of Lord Mahavir at Kshatriyakund. Whenever have I been lucky enough to witness the lord, I have always found myself in the presence of blissful divinity ! I have not yet figured out the reason for this fascination, but I can only say that whenever I see the "Jivit Swami", I feel that its not the idol, but the lord smiling at me ! It may be for the fact the Shri Nandivardhan had indeed managed to carve out the exact beauty of the lord in stone ! If I could sum up the beauty of the lord I can just quote the lines by Pujya Yashovijayji Maharaja- "Even if I unite the aura of a billion demi-gods...they won't be able to match an ounce of your aura...How as a layman can i impart words to explain your divinity? Like the drops of nectar...a mere vision of your image soothes my parched mind !!" Since the m

In search of peace from the maddening lifestyle of Kolkata - The name of Rishyap came up (valuable suggestion from an office colleague). With the help of Google/ Wikitravel and other relevant webpages it was decided that the Christmas & the weekend holiday be spent there ! I along with few of my friends, left Kolkata on 24th December evening via Kolkata Dibrugadh Express & reached Siliguri on 25th morning - only to be greeted by many travel agents waiting to fleece us. After hassling for hours we got a cabbie for Rishyap. The somewhat bumpy-somewhat scenic drive to Rishyap (from Siliguri via Gorubathan) took nearly 3 hours. The moment we entered Rishyap - the darkness of huge beautiful trees enveloped us. The journey in the middle of these trees is really magical making the bumpy ride worth it ! Rishyap/ Rishop is a small hamlet situated at 2591 m (8500 ft. ) above sea-level. Away from city crowds, it offers picturesque views of snow-capped Kanchenjunga range. Thin

The constant buzz of the phone forced me out of my morning slumber yesterday. Still groggy from sleep, I attended the call. What I heard shocked the wits out of me! At first I thought it was a nightmare...It could not be true...how could this happen???? After the initial shock, it was still unable to sink in that the mulnayak pratimaji (main idol) of Lord Mahavir Swami Bhagwan at the birthplace of the lord, Kshatriyakund was stolen by 15 smugglers/ dacoits/ naxalites (still unknown) in the previous night ! Such terrifying unimaginable act was more painful for to the fact that the 41" idol made of Touch Stone (Kasauti Patthar) was installed by lord's brother, Shri Nandivardhan more than 2500 years ago. The emotions attached with the pratimaji cannot be explained in mere words ! The divine pratimaji of the Lord For Shwetambar Jains, Kshtariyakund is the birthplace of Lord Mahavira, thus it holds a very sacred importance. It is also the place where lord renounced the