Kota, the most vibrant and colorful cities of Rajasthan state is famous
for its monumental heritage. While in Kota one can also cover the nearby travel attractions facilitated by the tourism department of Rajasthan. Do make a visit to Badoli village 54 km from Kota, famous for its ancient temples.Take an excursion trips to Darrah wildlife sanctuary, 56 km from
Kota also known as the hunting ground of maharajas and make your day full of adventure and excitement.
Badoli Tempele Town
Distance : 54km from Kota
¤ Main Attractions of Badoli
Temple Shrines Baroli is a village, and the only real things to see here are ancient famous temples that were built between the 9th and 12th centuries. What is remarkable about these temples is that they were left untouched by the Afghan invaders and still stand in marvellous dignity. Situated in a clearing within a forest, the Baroli temples consist of a number of temples in close proximity, the Ghateshwara temple being the principal amidst them. However, the Baroli temples are not very large ones, and if you’re used to seeing massive ones like the temples in Khajuraho, a little disappointment may seep in. These temples were not designed for hordes of worshippers, and their size makes it apparent that their use was restricted mainly to holy men and local believers, with the royalty dropping by once in a while. Built from stone, all temples here have detailed carvings in pillars, ceilings and roofs.
Ghateshwara Temple
The Ghateshwara temple are famous for profusely decorated porch, ceiling and the outside roof with images of Shiva and celestial nymphs in attendance. Shiva runs riot in this temple, and almost all images are of his likeness. That is not all – since Shiva is the Destroyer in holy Hindu trinity of Brahma the Creator and Vishnu the Presever, he slays a couple of demons called andhaka and Chamunda, and the entire battle gets recorded in stone by the builders of this temple. and after a glorious victory Shiva normally gets a bit inebriated and goes dancing, in his celebrated tandav dance. This dance itself forms the basic imagery for carvings outside the temple. Finally, at the very entrance of the temple there’s another dancing Shiva, but this time he’s surrounded by an audience of Brahma, Vishnu and a host of other figures straight out of mythology.
Mahishasuramardini & Trimurti Temples
The famous Mahishasuramardini and Trimurti temples near the Ghateshwara temple were built in the 10 century. The goddess Durga was sent down to terra firma as Mahishasuramardini to slay the demon Mahishasura. Now `mardini’ means slayer and Mahishasura was the demon. So the one who slays the demon ought to be called Mahishasuramardini, and so it goes in Hindu mythology.Anyway – the Mahishasuramardini temple is crowned with a finely carved and curved pagoda. The motifs on this are so intricately etched that they almost appear to be a fine transparent screen. Close at hand is another Shiva temple situated in a tiny pond.
Kansuan Temples
10km from Kota is an ancient Kansuan temple which bears an inscription dating back to 738AD. Enclosed by a wall, the complex consists of a main Shiva temple and a few smaller shrines, all with Shiva lingas (Lord Shiva’s symbolic phallus) within them. However, the trials of time and weather have laid seige to the edifices, and the temples now lie in a state of disrepair.
Darrah Wildlife Sanctuary in Kota
Darrah, located 56 Km south of Kota, was the favourite hunting terrain of the maharajas of Kota with quite dense forest cover. It was of strategic value in medieval times as the invaders from Rajasthan moved into the Hadoti region and plains of Madhya Pradesh through this town.¤ Darrah - the most Preferred Hunting Ground of the Maharajas Darrah was formerly the favourite hunting terrain of the maharajas of Kota. In those days the region was a massive dense forest heavily populated with big and small game like tigers, deer and rhinos. Today very little of the wildlife remains, and even the forest has decreased to about 100 square miles. However, the sanctuary is worth a visit if you’re in Rajasthan, and chances of spotting a leopard or a sloth bear are pretty high. Antelopes and wolves can be seen at almost any given time, and the best places to see them from are the old hunting lodges of the rulers. These hunting lodges themselves are a sight to see, built specifically by kings for their hunts. The royalty, with their guests and an entourage of servants, would descend on a lodge for a week, staying here and making it the base for their excursions into the forest.¤
Darrah formed A Great Pass
This region was also of immense strategic value during medieval times when battles were fought at the faintest clink of metal. The word darrah means `pass’, and it was through here that invaders from Rajasthan moved into the hills of Hadauti and onwards to the plains of Madhya Pradesh. The darrah pass was the venue for the marauding Marathas during the reign of Umed Singh in Bundi and Zalim Singh in Kota. Even the British found the pass to be the perfect place to engage the Rajputs and the Marathas.
Opening Timings : The sanctuary is open from July through September.
¤ Nearby Attractions
National Chambal Wildlife SanctuaryAnother place to visit is the nearby National Chambal Wildlife Sanctuary which extends into Madhya Pradesh. The sanctuary spans an area of almost 550 square km and a number of animals like the gharial, blackbuck, antelopes and the scarcely sighted caracal can be sighted here.SorsanWhile into fauna, you could also make a short trip to the Sorsan grasslands, a sight for sore eyes if you’re coming from the Bikaner-Jaisalmer-Jodhpur route. 45km east of Kota, the grasslands have a rich variety of migratory birds and insects during the monsoons. Close at hand is a canal and a few ponds for ducks to splash around in.
Kota is situated at a center of the southeastern region of Rajasthan a very region widely known as Hadaoli the land of the Hadas. Kota lies along the banks of the Chambal river. the historical places and temples are getting surrounded with signs of modern development. . Kota is on a high sloping tableland forming a part of the Malwa Plateau. The Mokandarra hills run from southeast to northwest axis of the town. It is 36 km from Bundi.The town of Kota was once the part of the erstwhile Rajput kingdom of Bundi. It became a separate princely state in the 17th century. Apart from the several monuments that reflect the erstwhile glory of the town, Kota is also known for its palaces and gardens.Once you drop in Kota, straight away head for the biggest attraction here, the City Palace. The present structure is the result of constructions carried out by different rulers at different stages without any predefined plan. So, one sees bastions and massive ramparts studded with elegant cupolas and carved balustrades where the Mogul elements of decoration are superimposed on Rajput structures. Do check out some beautiful colored glass and frescoes most of which depict Lord Krishna with the gopis.
