Ambadevi Temple
Bamboo Garden
Amaravati residents will enjoy touring in this bamboo forest and this garden. China has 340 species of the bamboo, India has such 134 species and Maharashtra is home to such 6 bamboo species. Maharashtra is the highest bamboo growing State and its largest and most famous bamboo nursery is known as Vadali.
Gulabrao Maharaj – Chandur Bazar
Gulabrao Maharaj was born in a Maharashtrian Kunbi family[2] on 6 July 1881 to Gonduji Mohod and Sou. Alokabai Mohod from the village of Madhan near Amravati. He became blind by being given the wrong medicine at the age of 9 months. When he was four years old his mother died, and he was brought up by his maternal grandmother in Loni Takli village.
Shri Sant Dnyaneshwar Maharaj has given him Drushant when he was at the age of 19 years and given him mantra of his own name. After that Drushtant, the first ever photo picture of Sant Dhyaneshwar Maharaj Sant Dnyaneshwar has been drawn by an artist based on the directions of Maharaj. Even today, one can see the same photo-frame at the Samadhi Temple at Alandi, Maharashtra. Sant Gulabrao Maharaj was known as Pradnyachakshu Madhuradwaitacharya Gulabrao Maharaj. He was called Pradnyachakshu because he became blind of both the eyes at the age of about 9 months; still he was master of Vedanta philosophy and many occult and physical sciences. ‘Pradnya’ means intelligence and eyes are called “chakshu” in Sanskrit language. He had many divine powers which included the ‘intellectual eyesight’. His mind could read and grasp any book in the world in any language that he would take in hand and decide to learn. His mind did not need the body-organ like ‘eye’ to see the world.
Hanuman Vyayam Prasarak Mandal
Popularly known as HVPM, this is a premier institute in India for physical training. It was set up by Mr Anant Vaidya and Mr Ambadas Vaidya around 1914. Earlier it was referred as Hanuman Akhada. Many political leaders and freedom fighters have visited HVPM. It is said that Shivaram Rajguru studied at HVPM.[3] During his hideout Chandrashekhar Azad also stayed here for few days. The institution also has an engineering college in its campus run under the same management committee.
Kaundanyapur
Kaundinyapur is the capital of the Vidarbha Kingdom mentioned in the Mahabharata. It is believed that Rukmini haran Shri Krishnarested here for a while and drank water from the Wardha River (the present name of the River Vardayini). There is a famous temple of Vitthal and Rukhmini. The state archaeological department conducted excavations at Kaundinyapur to “ascertain its antiquity”. The dig revealed traces of the rampart of the ancient city. “The stone, foundation and brick walls of what appeared to be a palatial building, probably of the 14th or 15th century AD, have also been discovered,” the report adds.[1]
An information board at the temple also says that remains from the Copper Age and Stone Age are believed to have been found at Kaundinyapur. The ancient nature of the site also finds mention in the Hyderabad Gazette. Its ancient Vitthal Rukmini temple, situated on a hillock, overlooks the perennially flowing Wardha River. Some believe that in the month of Kartik, Rukmini used to come back to her maternal home in Kaundinyapur. It is also believed that there is a tunnel from the Kaundinyapur temple to another temple of the goddess Amba Devi located close by. However, there is another Ambai temple in the city of Amravati. The telling and retelling of the mythological story has resulted in some confusion regarding the Ambai temple from where Rukmini is believed to have eloped with Lord Krishna.
Muktagiri
Muktagiri is a Jain Pilgrimage centre, located on border of Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra in India. It comes under Bhainsdehi tehsil of Betul district or Baitul district in Madhya Pradesh, India. It is 14 km away from Paratwada, Dist. Amravati, Maharashtra. Muktagiri is 7 km away from Kharpi village on Paratwada – Baitul road.
Muktagiri is also called as ‘Mendhagiri’. There are 52 temples on the mountain, surrounding a beautiful waterfall. The waterfall is generally visible only when there is enough rainfall in the area. One can plan trip to Muktagiri between June to September to see the waterfall. A lot of monkeys can be seen near the 10th Temple – Bhagwan Sheetalnath temple – near which the waterfall is located. The 10th Temple is called Medhagiri Temple is an ancient temple inside an ancient cave built in 10th century.[1][2] The cave is prone to stonefall (which is generally said to happen only during night). Also, lot of honeybees are at a large distance from the cave. The 1st Temple, 10th Temple, 26th Temple and 40th Temple are the main temples.
Chikhaldara is a hill station and a municipal council in Amravati district in the Indian state of Maharashtra.
Featured in the epic of the Mahabharata, this is the place where Bheema killed the villainous Keechaka in a herculean bout and then threw him into the valley. It thus came to be known as Keechakadara—Chikhaldara is its corruption.
The sole hill resort in the Vidarbha region, it is situated at an altitude of 1118 m with highest vairat point 1188m and has the added dimension of being the only coffee-growing area in Maharashtra. Chikhaldara has an annual rainfall of 154cm. Temperatures vary from 39C in summer to 5C in winter. The best months to visit are from October to June.
It abounds in wildlife, such as tigers, panthers, sloth bears, sambars, wild boar, and rarely seen wild dogs. Close by is the famous Melghat Tiger Project which has 82 tigers.
The scenic beauty of Chikhaldara can be enjoyed from Hurricane Point, Prospect Point, and Devi Point. Other interesting excursions include Gavilgad and Narnala Fort, the Pandit Nehru Botanical Gardens, the Tribal Museum and the Semadoh Lake.
