Tuesday, April 7, 2015

Real Jesus-Apollonius of Tyana. People worship wrong Jesus

Original founder of true Essene Christianity, whose precepts originate in Buddhist India and China(Himalayas).

Replaced by Yeshai Beth Halachmee(pseudo-crucified Essene of 4 BC), Jehoshua Ben Pandira(the Jesus of 100 BC) and Christna(the avatar ) by the priests of Constantine at the Council of Nicea in 325 AD. The New Testament is a distorted account of his life and teachings.  He was the awe and wonder of his time - Apollonius of Tyana -the true Christ of the first century AD. Apolonius was born of wealthy parents in the Greek town of Tyana, Greece, and his birth was miraculously announced to his mother by an archangel. He was an attractive and precocious child and was sent to reside at the temple of Aescalupius in Tarsus at age twelve, where he was initiated by the priests and where he excelled in religious and philosophical learning and debate, and even performing healing miracles. At the age of sixteen he adopted the pythagorian philosophy and lifestyle of abstaining from animal food, wine, and women, living only on fruits and herbs, maintaining five years of silence, praying to the sun three times a day, dressing only in white linen(non-animal fabric), going barefoot, and never cutting his hair or beard. 
He believed in the immortality of the soul, in metempsychosis, and in a supreme deity ruling lesser deities. He also wrote books on astrology. Before starting his public mission he gave away his riches to his relatives with the aim of seeking only knowledge and wisdom. His mission began by going to Antioch where he taught certain disciples, as well as learning the mysteries of that city's temple, Apollo Daphne. He also traveled to India and Egypt, bringing back with him the doctrines of Krishna and Buddha, which then became the foundations of the Christian religion. As a Roman citizen, he travelled freely within the Roman empire acquiring the reputation of a social and political reformer. He was fearless and spoke out against the tyranny of Nero and Domititian for which he was jailed but later released. His most recounted incident was at the court before emperor Domitian, where he dissapeared into thin air before they could lay any kind of charge on him. Wherever he went he attracted large crowds and held them spellbound by his words and deeds. Kings, rulers, and common folk constantly sought him for advice and he gave freely. He travelled the world and always stood his ground and was regarded by many as a god in the flesh. He compiled the epistles, and retired to the isle of Patmos where he wrote the book of Revelation. Little is known about his death, but it is thought he lived past the the age of 100, and shortly thereafter ascended to the inner earth paradise. Temples and statues were built in his honor, and for the first three centuries AD he was regarded as a demi-god and saint. The popularity of Apollonius' teachings became a threat to the decaying Roman Empire, so in 325 AD, At the Council of Nicae, emperor Constantine and his bishops devised the New Christianity and New Testament which would turn attention away from Appolonius, to a Judean carpenter by the name of Jesus. All records of Apollonius and his Essene Christianity were destroyed and this meant burning the libraries, including the most famous one at Alexandria. The mobs who enforced the new changes met stiff resistance from the people, and some fifty million were eventually killed or martyred in the process.

Important changes in the biblical texts occurred ever since then, such as the removal of the doctrines of reincarnation, astrology, and vegetarianism; to be replaced by their opposites -a mortal soul, a hellfire for diviners, and permission for meat-eating and wine drinking.




Pagan demon. Here's the story of a meeting between a Pagan demon and the Pythagorean teacher-sage Apollonius of Tyana. Apollonius lived in the first century AD; after He died, He was worshiped as a God. This history about Him was written in the third century AD, from notes made by one of His disciples. Here we go...
Apollonius was with some people, discussing a point of sacred ritual, when he was interrupted by a young man who was, I'll be blunt, an asshole. Always shouting at the wrong time. Being licentious. You know the type.
Anyhow, Apollonius is talking and the young guy butts in, real loud like, with a coarse voice. And right away Apollonius, who has this divine power about Him, sees it's not the young lad who's the asshole, it's a demon [= daimon].
Now while he [Apollonius] was discussing the question libations, there chanced to be present in his audience a young dandy who bore so evil a reputation for licentiousness, that his conduct had long been the subject of coarse street-corner songs....[T]he youth burst out into loud and coarse laughter, and quite drowned his voice. Then Apollonius looked up at him and said : "It is not yourself that perpetrates this insult, but the demon, who drives you on without your knowing it."
And sure enough, the kid did have a demon in him. And it was the demon that made him laugh, and cry, and sing and generally act crazy. Don't that beat all!And in fact the youth was, without knowing it, possessed by a devil [daimon] ; for he would laugh at things that no one else laughed at, and then he would fall to weeping for no reason at all, and he would talk and sing to himself. Now most people thought that it was the boisterous humor of youth which led him into such excesses ; but he was really the mouthpiece of a devil, though it only seemed a drunken frolic in which on that occasion he was indulging. Now when Apollonius gazed on him, the ghost in him began to utter cries of fear and rage, such as one hears from people who are being branded or racked ; and the ghost swore that he would leave the young man alone and never take possession of any man again.
And as soon as Apollonius spotted him, the demon knew it, and started to cry out, and talk with Apollonius and bargain with Him about leaving the young man.
But Apollonius, he didn't need to bargain. He just commanded that daimon to LEAVE!
And the demon left, performing a little miracle on the way.
But Apollonius addressed him with anger, as a master might a shifty, rascally, and shameless slave and so on, and he ordered him to quit the young man and show by a visible sign that he had done so. " I will throw down yonder statue," said the devil [daimon], and pointed to one of the images which were in the king's portico, for there it was that the scene took place. But when the statue began by moving gently, and then fell down, it would defy anyone to describe [page 392] the hubbub which arose thereat and the way they clapped their hands with wonder.
After which the young man turned out to be a swell fellow. I never saw it coming. How about you?


And the man who Apollonius fixed up, demon wise, becomes His follower.
But the young man rubbed his eyes as if he had just woke up, and he looked towards the rays of the sun, and assumed a modest aspect, as all had their attention concentrated on him ; for he no longer showed himself licentious, nor did he stare madly about, but he had returned to his own self, as thoroughly as if he had been treated with drugs ; and he gave up his dainty dress and summery garments and the rest of his sybaritic way of life, and he fell in love with the austerity of philosophers, and donned their cloak, and stripping off his old self modeled his life in future upon that of Apollonius.
[Philostratus, The Life of Apollonius of Tyana, 4.10 (217 AD), -- which you can find in: Conybeare, F. C. Philostratus I: The Life of Apollonius of Tyana, Books I - V (Loeb Classical Library #16) (2000), pg. 389- 91
Don't believe me, believe the ancients themselves.


Now here's a story about Jesus and a demon. Jesus lived in the first century AD; after He died, He was worshiped as a God. Whoever wrote this story didn't sign his name, and didn't say when he wrote it, so it's hard to be sure of its date. Our first evidence of this writing dates from about 150 AD, when it was offered up as part of a new sacred text—a new testament—by a gnostic heretic named Marcion. Here we go, from the Gospel of Luke...

So Jesus comes to town, and right away he meets this man who has demons inside him.
The demons make the man go around with no clothes, and live out in the cemetery. They make him act crazy.
26 Then they arrived at the country of the Ger'asenes, which is opposite Galilee. 27 And as he [Jesus] stepped out on land, there met him a man from the city who had demons; for a long time he had worn no clothes, and he lived not in a house but among the tombs.
Right away Jesus, who had this divine power about Him, knew about the demons. And the demons, who had this divine power about them, knew He knew. And as soon as Apollonius Jesus spotted him them, the demons knew it, and started to cry out, and talk with Apollonius Jesus and bargain with Him about leaving the young man.28 When he saw Jesus, he cried out and fell down before him, and said with a loud voice, "What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beseech you, do not torment me."
But Apollonius Jesus, He didn't need to bargain. He had already commanded those daimons to LEAVE!
Chatting with demons.
Bargaining.

 
29 For he had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. (For many a time it had seized him; he was kept under guard, and bound with chains and fetters, but he broke the bonds and was driven by the demon into the desert.) 30 Jesus then asked him, "What is your name?" And he said, "Legion"; for many demons had entered him. 31 And they begged him not to command them to depart into the abyss.
And the demons left, performing a little miracle on the way.


After which the man turns out to be a swell fellow. I never saw it coming. How about you?
32 Now a large herd of swine was feeding there on the hillside; and they begged him to let them enter these. So he gave them leave. 33 Then the demons came out of the man and entered the swine, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and were drowned. 34 When the herdsmen saw what had happened, they fled, and told it in the city and in the country. 35 Then people went out to see what had happened, and they came to Jesus, and found the man from whom the demons had gone, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind; and they were afraid. 36 And those who had seen it told them how he who had been possessed with demons was healed. 37 Then all the people of the surrounding country of the Ger'asenes asked him to depart from them; for they were seized with great fear; so he got into the boat and returned.
And the man who Apollonius Jesus fixed up, demon wise, asks to become His follower.38 The man from whom the demons had gone begged that he might be with him; but he sent him away, saying, 39 "Return to your home, and declare how much God has done for you." And he went away, proclaiming throughout the whole city how much Jesus had done for him.
["Luke," the unknown author of the Gospel of Luke, 8:22-39, RSV]
Don't believe me, believe the ancients themselves.
Let's recap. You now know Pagans had demons. Pagan demons could live inside people, and make them crazy. Pagan demons could be spotted by divine men. Pagan demons could tell when they'd be spotted by a divine men. Pagan demons talked to divine men. Divine men commanded Pagan demons to leave the body of the people they inhabited. And the Pagan demons left. Performing a little miracle on the way out.
You also know Pagans Christians had demons. Pagan Christian demons could live inside people, and make them crazy. Pagan Christian demons could be spotted by divine men. Pagan Christian demons could tell when they'd be spotted by a divine men. Pagan Christian demons talked to divine men. Divine men commanded Pagan Christian demons to leave the body of the people they inhabited. And the Pagan Christian demons left. Performing a little miracle on the way out.
You also know putting a line through Pagan and writing "Christian" is very annoying. What's more, it's a mistake—another one of those times our ideas are way different from the ancient ideas. See, you and I think "Pagan" and "Christian" are different. I mean, totally different. Different Gods. Different theology. Different morality. Different everything. Them and Us. Now you're starting to see, it ain't so. In many many ways Christianity was not new, not unique. Christian ideas were Pagan ideas. And we're not talking simple, trivial ideas. We're talking ideas deep in the fabric of the bible, in the stories about who Jesus was and what he taught and did. Many biblical ideas are pagan ideas. Christian religion is not different from Pagan religion. Christianity is an ancient Pagan religion.
Wow.



As demi-gods, demons were worshiped.

Apollonius of Tyana became divine, and was worshiped." And I," said Apollonius, " my good friend, understand all languages, though I never learnt a single one." The native of Ninevah was astonished at this answer, but the other replied: " You need not wonder at my knowing all human languages ; for, to tell you the truth, I also understand all the secrets of human silence." Thereupon the Assyrian worshipped him, when he heard this, and regarded him as a demon; and he stayed with him increasing in wisdom and committing to memory whatever he learnt.
[Philostratus, The Life of Apollonius of Tyana, 4.10 (217 AD), -- which you can find in: Conybeare, F. C. Philostratus I: The Life of Apollonius of Tyana, Books I - V (Loeb Classical Library #16) (2000), pg. 53] Don't believe me, believe the ancients themselves.





The first century AD godman Apollonius gave Asclepius' incubators hints on how to get the best results.   >>
Having purged the Ephesians of the plague, and having had enough of the people of Ionia, he [Apollonius] started for Hellas. Having made his way then to Pergamum, and being pleased with the temple of Asclepius, he gave hints to the supplicants of the god, what to do in order to obtain favourable dreams; and having healed many of them he came to the land of Ilium.
[Philostratus, The Life of Apollonius of Tyana, 4.11 (2d century AD), -- which you can find in: Conybeare, F. C.. Philostratus I: The Life of Apollonius of Tyana, Books I - V (Loeb Classical Library #16) (2000), pg. 367] Don't believe me, believe the ancients themselves.
Dream messages from Gods were so much a part of the ancients' world view, the practice was institutionalized.
Wow.
Lot's of writers included short passages explaining dreams. Here's one from Philostratus:  >>

And more than this, as a faculty of divination by means of dreams, which is the divinest and most god- like of human faculties, the soul detects the truth all the more easily when it is not muddied by wine, but accepts the message unstained and scans it carefully. Anyhow, the explainers of dreams and visions, those whom the poets call interpreters of dreams, will never undertake to explain any vision to anyone without having first asked the time when it was seen. For if it was at dawn and in the sleep of morningtide, they calculate its meaning on the assumption that the soul is then in a condition to divine soundly and healthily, because by then it has cleansed itself of the stains of wine. But if the vision was seen in the first sleep or at midnight, when the soul is still immersed in the lees of wine and muddied thereby, they decline to make any suggestions, and they are wise.
[Philostratus, The Life of Apollonius of Tyana, 2.37 (2d century AD), -- which you can find in: Conybeare, F. C. Philostratus I:The Life of Apollonius of Tyana, Books I - V (Loeb Classical Library #16) (2000), pg. 215]
Don't believe me, believe the ancients themselves.


How Dreams Worked Dream analysis wise, most people weren't as fancy as Aristotle. For most writers, dreams were simply and obviously messages sent from a God. they'd mention that fact in passing, as needed to push the story along. Here's a smattering...
Here's Philostratus in his book about Apollonius.

1.23 And as he advanced into the Cissian country and was already close to Babylon, he was visited by a dream, and the god who revealed it to him fashioned its imagery as follows : there were fishes which had been cast up from the sea on to the land, and they were gasping, and uttering a lament almost human, and bewailing that they had quitted their element ; and they were begging a dolphin that was swimming past the shore to help them in their misery, just like human beings who are weeping in a foreign land.
Apollonius was not in the least frightened by his dream, and proceeded to conjecture its meaning and drift ; but he was determined to give Damis [His disciple] a shock, for he found that he was the most nervous of men. So he related his vision to him, and feigned as if it foreboded evil.
But Damis began to bellow as if he had seen the dream himself, and tried to dissuade Apollonius from going any further, "Lest," he said, "we also like the fishes get thrown out of our element and perish, and have to weep and wail in a foreign land. Nay, we may even be reduced to straits, and have to go down on our knees to some potentate or king, who will flout us as the dolphins did the fishes."
Dreams were messages from god...Then Apollonius laughed and said: "You've not become a philosopher yet, if you are afraid of this sort of thing. But I will explain to you the real drift of the dream. For this land of Cissia is habited by the Eretrians, who were brought up here from Euboea by Darius five hundred years ago, and they are said to have been treated at their capture like the fishes that we saw in the dream; for they were netted in, so they say, and captured on and all. It would seem then that the gods are instructing me to visit them and tend their needs, supposing I can do anything for them. And perhaps also the souls of the Greeks whose lot was cast in this part of the world are enlisting my aid for their land. Let us then go on and diverge from the high road, and ask only about the well, hard by which their settlement is."
[Philostratus, The Life of Apollonius of Tyana, 1.23 (2d century AD), -- which you can find in: Conybeare, F. C. Philostratus I: The Life of Apollonius of Tyana, Books I - V (Loeb Classical Library #16) (2000), pg. 67-9] Don't believe me, believe the ancients themselves.

Philostratus explaining the miraculous birth of Apollonius.Now he is said to have been born in a meadow, hard by which there has been now erected a sumptuous temple to him ; and let us not pass by the manner of his birth. For just as the hour of his birth was approaching, his mother was warned in a dream to walk out into the meadow and pluck the flowers; and in due course she came there and her maids attended to the flowers, scattering themselves over the meadow, while she fell asleep lying on the grass. Thereupon the swans who fed in the meadow set up a dance around her as she slept, and lifting their wings, as they are wont to do, cried out aloud all at once, for there was somewhat of a breeze blowing in the meadow. She then leaped up at the sound of their song and bore her child, for any [page 14] sudden fright is apt to bring on a premature delivery.
But the people of the country say that just at the moment of the birth, a thunderbolt seemed about to fall to earth and then rose up into the air and disappeared aloft; and the gods thereby indicated, I think, the great distinction to which the sage was to attain, and hinted in advance how he should transcend all things upon earth and approach the gods, and signified all the things that he would achieve.
[Philostratus, The Life of Apollonius of Tyana, 1.5 (2d century AD), -- which you can find in: Conybeare, F. C. Philostratus I:The Life of Apollonius of Tyana, Books I - V (Loeb Classical Library #16) (2000), pg. 13- 4]
Don't believe me, believe the ancients themselves.


Not al legends were old. In the 2d century Philostratus wrote down the "history" of the 1st century godman Apollonius. Philostratus said he got his stuff from the writing of one of Apollonius disciples, but over and over what you get is clearly legend.
In this story the Persian king has dream letting him know Apollonius is an OK guy.        >>
 
When these tidings were brought to the king, he happened to be sacrificing in company with the Magi, for religious rites are performed under their supervision. And he called one of them and said "The dream is come true, which I narrated to you to-day when you visited me in my bed." Now the dream which the king had dreamed was as follows: he thought that he was Artaxerxes, the son of Xerxes, and that he had altered and assumed the latter's form; and he was very much afraid lest some change should come over the face of his affairs, for so he interpreted his change of appearance. But when he heard that it was a Hellene, and a wise man, that had come, he remembered about Themistocles of Athens, who had once come from Greece and had lived with Artaxerxes, and had not only derived great benefit from the king, but had conferred great benefit himself. So he held out his right hand and said: "Call him in, for it will make the best of beginnings, if he will join with me in my sacrifice and prayer."
Philostratus, The Life of Apollonius of Tyana, 1.29 (2d century AD), -- which you can find in: Conybeare, F. C. Philostratus I: The Life of Apollonius of Tyana, Books I - V (Loeb Classical Library #16) (2000), pg. 85
Don't believe me, believe the ancients themselves.

In this story, Philostratus explains why Apollonius dreams are more often true: Apollonius sleeping in animal-free linen.         >>

8.5 Nor even is my mode of dress protected from their calumnies, for the accuser is ready to steal even that off my back, because it has such vast value for wizards. And yet apart from my contention about the use of living animals and lifeless things, according as he uses one or the other of which I regard a man as impure or pure, in what way is linen better than wool ? Was not the latter taken from the back of the gentlest of animals, of a creature beloved of the gods, who do not disdain themselves to be shepherds, and, by Zeus, once held the fleece to be worthy of a golden form, if it was really a god that did so, and if it be not a mere story ? On the other hand linen is grown and sown anywhere, and there is no talk of gold in connection with it. Nevertheless, because it is not plucked from the back of a living animal, the Indians regard it as pure, and so do the Egyptians, and I myself and Pythagoras on this account have adopted it as our garb when we are discoursing or praying or offering sacrifice. And it is a pure substance under which to sleep of a night, for to those who live as I do dreams bring the truest of their revelations.
[Philostratus, The Life of Apollonius of Tyana,8.5(2d century AD), -- which you can find in: Conybeare, F. C. Philostratus I: The Life of Apollonius of Tyana, Books I - V (Loeb Classical Library #16) (2000), pg. 307]
Don't believe me, believe the ancients themselves.


Apollonius of Tyana cures the lame, the blind, the paralysed.
3.39 There also arrived a man who was lame. He was already thirty years old and was a keen hunter of lions ; but a lion had sprung upon him and dislocated his hip so that he limped with one leg. However when they massaged with their hands his hip, the youth immediately recovered his upright gait. And another man had had his eyes put out, and he went away having recovered the sight of both of them. [page 318] Yet another man had his hand paralysed, but left their presence in full poscession of the limb. And a certain woman had suffered in labour already seven times, but was healed in the following way through the intercession of her husband. He bade the man, of whenever his wife should be about to bring forth her next child, to enter her chamber carrying in his bosom a live hare ; then he was to walk once round her and at the same moment to release the hare; for that the womb would be extruded together with the fetus, unless the hare was at once driven out.
[Philostratus, The Life of Apollonius of Tyana, 3.39 (217 AD),—which you can find in: Conybeare, F. C.. Philostratus I: The Life of Apollonius of Tyana, Books I - V (Loeb Classical Library #16) (2000), pg. 317- 8]
Don't believe me, believe the ancients themselves.
Apollonius of Tyana cures demon posession
The nature of the demon described.
THIS discussion was interrupted by the appearance among the sages of the messenger bringing in certain Indians who were in want of succour. And he brought forward a poor woman who interceded in behalf of her child, who was, she said, a boy of sixteen years of age, but had been for two years possessed by a devil. Now the character of the devil was that of a mocker and a liar. Here one of the sages asked, why she said this, and she replied : "This child of mine is extremely good-looking, and therefore the devil is amorous of him and will not allow him to retain his reason, nor will he permit him to go to school, or to learn archery, nor even to remain at home, but drives him out into desert places. And the boy does not even retain his own voice, but speaks in a deep hollow tone, as men do ; and he looks at you with other eyes rather than wit11 his own. As for myself I weep over all this, and I tear my cheeks, and I rebuke my son so far as I well may ; but he does not know me. And I made up my mind to repair hither, indeed I planned to do so a year ago ; only the demon discovered himself, using my child as a mask, and what he told me was this, that he was the ghost of a man, who fell long ago in battle, but that at death he was passionately [page 316] attached to his wife. Now he had been dead for only three days when his wife insulted their union by marrying another man, and the consequence was that he had come to detest the love of women, and had transferred himself wholly into this boy. But he promised, if I would only not denounce him to yourselves, to endow the child with many noble blessings As for myself, I was influenced by these promises; but he has put me off and off' for such a long time now, that he has got sole control of my household, yet has no honest or true intentions." Here the sage asked afresh, if the boy was at hand ; and she said not, for, although she had done all she could to get him to come with her, the demon had threatened her with steep places and precipices and declared that he would kill her son, "in case," she added, " I haled him hither for trial." "Take courage," said the sage, '' for he will not slay him when he has read this." And so saying he drew a letter out of his bosom and gave it to the woman ; and the letter, it appears, was addressed to the ghost and contained threats of an alarming kind.
[Philostratus, The Life of Apollonius of Tyana, 3.38 (217 AD),—which you can find in: Conybeare, F. C.. Philostratus I: The Life of Apollonius of Tyana, Books I - V (Loeb Classical Library #16) (2000), pg. 315- 6]
Don't believe me, believe the ancients themselves.
Add caption

Good Books for this section

The Life of Apollonius of Tyana
by Philostratus (2d or 3d century AD)
translated by Christopher Jones





What you'll find:
Written by historian Philostratus in the late 2d or early 3d century, supposedly using notes written by Apollonius' own disciples
Apollonius was a 1st century Pythagorean sage who gathered disciples, taught wisdom, cast out demons, healed the sick, raised the dead, and other familiar sounding stuff. After his death he was worshiped as a God.

10 Natural Wonders of India

10 Natural Wonders of India
1. Hot water spring - Manikaran
Manikaran (45 km. from Kullu)
Parvati valley
Himachal Pradesh
India has more than 350 hot water springs, and the most famous of them are loacted in Manikaran near Kullu, Vashisht near Manaliand the sulphur rich springs of Yeshi and Yumthang in Sikkim. On the banks of the Parvathi river the Manikaran springs has both religious and geological significance. Manikaran is a pilgrimage centre for Hindus and Sikhs. The springs at Manikaran come out to surface with pressure and are very hot. It is said to be radioactive. The healing properties of the Manikaran Springs are well known all over the country. Rheumatism and muscular pains are said to cured very fast by taking bath in this water. The area has a steep geothermal gradient which means that as you dig deep, the temperature of the rocks increases very quickly (more than 30 degrees for every km of depth.
When underground water accumulates it is heated by the rocks underneath and this hot water makes its way towords to the surface to form geothermal springs. The locals have been using this geothermal heat for cooking purposes. The springs sorround a large gurudwara and it is located at a picturesque spot with blench clouds of steam thrown up by the springs.

2. Indroda Dinosaur & Fossil Park
Indroda
(120 kms from Bhuj)
Gujarat


The closest that you can ever come to Jurassic park in India is the Indroda Dinosaur and Fossil park is the country's only palaeontological dinosaur park. Fossilized Dinosaur eggs displayed at Indroda Fossil Park. Located in Gandhinagar  in Gujarat, it is the only dinosaur museum in the country. It is run by Gujarat Ecological and Research Foundation (GEERI).

Located 1120 kms from Bhuj the park is built on the site where the world's second largest collection of dinosaur eggs were found. These eggs are currently displayed in the museum and its size ranges from duck eggs to cannon balls. Several fossilised dinosaur skeletons preserved dinasaur footprints (called casts) and eggs from around Gujarat have also been brought here and displayed.



The find of the eggs meant that about 65 million years ago Indroda would have been a hotbed of nesting activity for Dinosaurs and there is this thrill in your mind when you move around. There are also scale models of dinosaurs like the Tyrannosaurus rex, Branchisaurus, Stegosaurus and Iguanodon all poised in frightening positions and carnivores amply equipped with man sized teeth. Its a great place for kids too.

You can find more details here - www.geerfoundation.gujarat.gov.in/parks

3. Barren Island Volcano
Barren island
The Andamans



In the east the islands of Andaman & Nicobar islands has the little Barren island home to South Asia's only active volcano. The island itself is mostly composed of the volcano and its debris and is part of the chain of volcanoes that mark the boundary between the Indian tectonic plate and the Burmese plate. The volcano stands 305m above sea level though it extends almost 2,000m below it. The height of the volcano could alter though if a particularly violent erruption destroyed the volcano's flanks and reduced its size or if a slow lava flow continued to add debris to its sides, increasing its height.




The volcano's last erruption took place on July 19, 2009 and it continues to spew clouds of ash till date. The island is uninhabited but a number of wild goats have mysteriously made it their home and its not unusual to see them venture down to the sea to get a drink of salt water.




Though tourists are not allowed on the island for safety reasons, there are numerous cruise vessals and ferries that take passengers to the island's edge, from where you can get breathtaking views of the volcano's ash plume, or a sight of the lava that the volcano is known to occasionally disgorge. Dont miss this place on your visit to Andaman.

4. Columnar Basaltic Lava
Coconut Island, St Mary's island
Karnataka



St. Mary's Islands are a set of four small islands in the Arabian Sea off the coast of Malpe in Udupi, Karnataka. According to folk legend, in the year 1498, Vasco da Gama landed at St. Mary's Islands on his voyage from Portugal to India.

When a volcano erupts thick viscous basaltic lava is thrown out which cools rapidly and it contracts in such a way that a series of spiderweb like cracks develop in it. These cracks take the shape of hexagons and polygons and when the lava cools down into rock, wheat is left back is the long four to six sided columns of rock that look very much like they have been done by the human hands.

While the most famous of these columns form the Devil's Causeway in Northern Ireland, India has numerous examples of the sameone of which standing out in prominence is the formations of the St Mary's islandoff the coast of Karnataka.



_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
These columns were created during the formation of the Deccan traps more than 60 million yeras ago and would have been taller but subsequent erosions has reduced its size. The only way to get to the islands is by ferry and the best time to go is during sunset when you can catch the last rays of the sun.

The western coasts of the islands are a seashell haven with seashells of various shapes and sizes littered along the coast. There is no sand beach to swim and relax since it is scatted with basaltic rocks

5. Borra Caves (Stalactites and Stalagmites)
Araku valley, Visakhapatnam
Andhra Pradesh



Little might have one about these Satlactite and stalagmite caves in our own country. The other worldly wonders of cave formations have found appeal on TV but the Borra caves in very own Andhra Pradesh are home to these and numerous formations togesther called speleothems.

When mineral rich water drips off the roof of the cave, it leaves behind a tiny ring of minerals in its wake. As it drops on the floor, it leaves behind yet another minuscle mineral deposit. Over time these deposits grow to form soda straws and cones on the ceiling, while forming conical cake like structures on the floor.


Borra caves are home to these as well as some irregularly shaped structures in limestone which have been fancifully named by the locals by what they mostly closely resemble. One stalagmite resembiling a lingam (symbol of Lord Shiva) even has a shrine around it. the Borra caves are also said to be the deepest in the country. November and December are ideal months to visit the caves. The caves are open to visitors from 10 am to 5:30 pm.
6. Lonar Crater lake
Lonar, Buldana District
Maharashtra



About 50,000 years ago, out in space part of an asteroid or comet dislodged itself from a larger mass and hurtled towords Earth at hyper velocity. As it entered the atmosphere the susequent friction turned it into a giant fireball burning off most of its mass but leaving enough to make a crater a kilometer across and about 250 m deep.

This crater then filled up with water to form what we know today as the Lonar Crater lake.

The Lonar Crater lake is the only meteorite impact crater to have formed in basaltic rock and owing to its origin, the lake's water is saline and highly alkaline in nature. This also means that its home to some of the most unique flora and fauna in the country, a fact that's brought scientists from all over the world here to study its characteristics .

Mythology has alo woven itself around the origins of the lake and a number of temples dot the periphery of the crater. Despite being number one of the most geologically important feature in india, the lake is surrently in danger of being contaminated by the the pesticides and fertilizers used by farmers in the area, destroying its unique eco system.
7. National Fossil Wood Park
Thiruvakkarai
Tamil Nadu


Sometimes a natural disaster like an earthquake or a sudden volcanic erruption buries large swathes of forests or lone trees in soft sediment. Trapped and devoid of oxygen the tree preserved almost intact but not only that, the mineral rich water finds way through the sediments and it binds the cellulose of the wood replacing every cell and every bit of bark and ring with minerals usually silica. Centuries later when an archeologist or geologist turns aside a rock he finds the tree preserved with all its details intact only now after all these years its stone.


200 fossilised trees of this sort which is around 200 million years old ranging in length from 3-15 m and upto 5 m in girth are seen lying horizontally scattered over the National Fossil Park about 1 km east of Tiruvakkarai village and 155 kms from Chennai. Much of the park lies in disrepair because it is not much of a tourist interest place.

There is also a National Fossil Wood Park in Sattanur, Perambalur District in Tamil Nadu and Akal Fossil Wood Park, Jaisalmer Rajasthan.
8. Siachen glacier
Kashmir

Located in the north in Kashmir at the Indo-Tibetan border of India, it is one of the world's highest glaciers. India and Pakistan has soldiers deputed here permanently. It lies in the karakoram range of Himalayas and is located 18,875ft above sea level.

The worlds highest battlefield, the temp here dips to -50 degrees and snow covers to 35ft. River Indus gets its water from this glacier.

9. Nellitheertha cave
Nellitheertha, Karnataka
The cave is wide in the begining but as we go in it becomes narrow and we have to cral forward. Further one has to crawl in, as we move in the cave widens again and there is a lake inside. A natural shivalinga is seen here, many people come here to worship Shiva. The quality of mud is unique which people carry home.

Behind the shiva linga is another cave which is still unexplored. The cave receives water dripping down from the roof in the shape of gooseberries. Hence the name Nelli (gooseberry).There are animals inside the cave like snakes, scorpions, porcupines etc. The cave is closed for 6 months it is open from Oct to April. Know more -www.nellitheertha.com
10. Valley of Flowers
Uttarakhand
Located in the Himalayas, the Byundar valley, the valley of flowers are above 3,500m above the sea level  and is now a heritage as well as a national park. The snow capped mountains, waterfalls, glistening streams make this place in Chamoli district of Uttarakhand on of the most beautiful places on earth. The flowers bloom in the months of August to September, and offers rare and wild varities of over 500 species. A trek of 17 kms by foot is required to reach the place.