Badavilinga Temple, Hampi

Badavilinga Temple is the home for the largest monolithic Linga in Hampi. This is located near the Lakshmi Narasimha Temple.

It is installed inside a small chamber that has a single opening in front. The Linga was commissioned by a peasant woman. On the Linga there are the three eyes carved on it. They depict the eyes of Lord Shiva. The sanctum containing the Linga is always filled with water at the base as the water channel flows through it.

The Linga was commissioned by a peasant woman. In the local language the term Badva means poor and the temple derived its name from the same word.

Scindia Museum, Gwalior

In Gwalior we first visited Jai Vilas Palace also known as Scindia Museum. Built in 1809, as many as 35 rooms of this palace is converted into museum. (Click on all the images for bigger picture)

In the museum on display are several belongings of the Royal family. The palace has various rooms each one decorated in its own way with different colors and exquisite furniture.


There is a weapon room displaying some of the weapons used by the Kings and his army. In this room the weapons ranging from swords to guns are on display.



There are two dining rooms in the palace. One is in a traditional style where people sit on the floor and have the food. Other is the western style where food is served on the table. Here there is a silver train with cut glass wagons which served the guests drinks as it chugged long the table on miniature rails.

Dining room

Most fascinating place in the palace is the Durbar Hall. Here ceilings have glittering paintings, heavy draperies and tapestries, fine Persian carpets. In this room there are antique furnitures from France and Italy. There are two central chandeliers, weighing a couple of tonnes. They were hung only after ten elephants had tested the strength of the roof.

Durbar Hall

That covers the tour of the palace/museum.

Next we shall discover the places nearby Gwalior to start with Padavali.

Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose

Born on 23rd January 1897 in Cuttack, Subhas Chandra Bose is one of the greatest freedom fighter who fought for independence of India. He studied in Fitzwilliam Hall of the University of Cambridge, and passed with high scores. He was elected president of the Indian National Congress for two consecutive terms. He advocated complete freedom for India at the earliest which differed from views of other leaders of India. He was popularly known as Netaji (Respected Leader). (click on all the images for bigger view)

Statue of Netaji near Vidhana Soudha, Bangalore

During the Second World War, he traveled to the Soviet Union, Germany and Japan, seeking an alliance with the aim of attacking the British in India. With Japanese assistance, he led the Indian National Army, formed from Indian prisoners-of-war and plantation workers from British Malaya, Singapore, and other parts of Southeast Asia, against British forces. With Japanese monetary, political, diplomatic and military assistance, he formed the Azad Hind Government in exile and regrouped and led the Indian National Army in battle against the allies at Imphal and in Burma.

Statue of Netaji with Vidhana Soudha, Bangalore in the backdrop

It is believed that he has died on 18 August 1945 in a plane crash over Taiwan. However, contradictory evidence exists regarding his death in the accident. There are theories that state that he was traced in India in the late 1990. Hie death is still a mystery.

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