Explore Kashi Find the Key to an Unexplored

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Explore Kashi Find the Key to an
Unexplored Enchanting Kashi
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Explore Kashi

• Presented by
• Dr Pravin Togadia
• Shraavan 2009 (July 2009)

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Kashi is Hiding many Great Secrets within

• Kashi Vishwanath
• Mata River Ganga have
• seen much more than
• what we know today
• There are over 380 beautiful temples in around
  Kashi
• There are over 60 Ghaats in Kashi
• There are over 100 Kupas (Spiritual Wells) in
  Kashi
• There are over 100 Kundas (Spiritual Ponds) in
  Kashi
• THIS IS NOT ALLTHERE IS MUCH MORE

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Kashi went through many happenings

• Kashi had over 1800 magnificent
• temples, 500 Ghaats, 500 Kundas,
• 1000 Kupas before 1210 A.D.
• Many Islamic Invaders broke many of these places,
  some were converted to Masjids, some simply
  vanished due to growing population for creating
  roads buildings
• YET, OVER 380 TEMPLES OTHER FABULOUS PLACES
  EXIST IN KASHI

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Lets EXLORE these Enchanting places

• Let us EXPLORE these ENCHANTING TEMPLES,
  KUNDAS, GHAATS, KUPAS
• That were preserved by Kashi in spite of so many
  attacks
• That have mysterious interesting stories about
  them
• That were perhaps visited by our ancestors many
  a times
• That have Spiritual Astrological powers which
  help human beings overcome problems in life
• More importantly, that are a glorious landmarks
  of our Heritage

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Current Situation

• Some of these temple, Kundas, Kupas are intact
  like Kardameshwar many others
• Some of them have shrunk to just 7 X 7
• Some have become a part of a wall or a window of
  some building
• Some have got new structures flooring
• Some are being worshipped even today- though by a
  few
• Some are yet a part of short / long spiritual
  yaatras by Sadhus / Sants / pilgrims who know
  about them
• IMPORTANT IS THAT ALL OF THEM HAVE THEIR BHAGWANS
  INTACT INSIDE!

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See some ENCHANTING names

• Runa Mukteshwar
• Dhundhiraj Ganesh
• Dehali Vinayak
• Teel Bhandeshwar
• KalMadhav Vishnu
• Mahalaxmi (LaxmiKund)
• Kardameshwar
• Vriddha Aditya
• Shanidev Navagraha
• Manikarnika Kund
• Avimukteshwar
• Venimadhav
• Annapoorna Devi
• Dwadash Jyotirlingas in Kashi

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Let us EXPLORE PRESERVE them together

• To do so,
• here is the
• Project
• EXPLORE
• KASHI
• Kalbhairav

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Explore KashiObjective

• To make India other countries aware of the
  UNEXPLORED ENCHANTING Heritage Temples other
  Sites of Kashi
• To get more Pilgrims to Pray there
• To get more Tourists to visit there
• To try help the troubled people through the
  enigmatic Dharma Science powers of these Temples
  (Common people may call it Astrology, but this is
  much beyond more applicable than that)
• Most Importantly, Preserve Hindu Heritage through
  Traditional ways also with the Modern Hi-Tech
  ways

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Explore KashiTarget Groups

• Pilgrims who usually come to Kashi for routine
  darshan of kashi Vishwanath, Mata Ganga only a
  few other known temples
• People who come to Kashi Ghaats for their own
  personal religious / traditional events
• Tourists who love to explore newer enchanting
  places
• Tour Operators
• Families who plan at least once a year vacation
  out of town
• Researchers / Students of History, Ancient Indian
  History / Sociology / Astrology

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Explore KashiTarget Groups

• Sadhu / Sants / Other Religious Influencers
• Businessmen / Industrialists / Traders
• Media (Print Electronic)
• Government Officials
• Foreign Indian Universities
• Professional Hobby Photographers
• States from which usually more people travel as
  Religious / General Tourists (Gujarat, West
  Bengal, Rajasthan etc.)

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Explore KashiWays to Reach Out to Target Groups

• Attractive Information Booklet on these Temples
  other Sites
• Photo Book
• Attractive Brouchure Kits customized for each
  Target Group
• CDs
• Internet(Website / Links on existing websites /
  Participation in Discussion Groups etc)
• Media (Print Electronic)

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Explore KashiWays Activities to Reach Out to
Target Groups

• Actual Visits for First Hand Enchanting
  Experience for selected people Media / Tour
  Operators / University Departments / Sadhu-Sants
  / Astrologers / Other Target Groups
• Music / Dance Festivals in the vicinity of these
  Temples other Sites (same like Konark Music
  Festival, Khajuraho Dance Festivals) to attract
  national / global attention
• Exhibitions of Photos of these Temples other
  Sites by well known photographers. This
  Exhibition will travel to Metro Cities
  Mini-Metro cities

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Explore KashiWays Activities to Reach Out to
Target Groups

• Painting Competition Of Children / Art School
  students (separately). They will visit any of
  these Temples / Sites PAINT it. Veteran Artists
  will judge the paintings. 108 Selected paintings
  will travel all India for Exhibitions 12
  Selected paintings will get attractive prizes in
  a big ceremony. These 12 paintings will be made
  into Greeting Cards / Wall Calendars / Table
  Calendars etc. Tribal Children Girls will get
  special prizes

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Explore KashiWays Activities to Reach Out to
Target Groups

• Rangoli Competition for Women At the Praangan of
  these temples / nearby ground / other Sites like
  Ghaats Women will make colourful Rangolis of the
  Bhagwans in these Temples or of the Ghaats etc.
  Same as the painting competition, they will get
  attractive prizes selected Rangolis will be
  made into an attractive Coloured Photo-Book to be
  sent all India

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Explore KashiWays Activities to Reach Out to
Target Groups

• What one SEES, one PRAYS to To make miniature
  Murtis of the Bhagwans / Shvalingas in these
  Temples in metal, stone, marble. These will be a
  part of some Awareness Kits. Shops selling Murtis
  Pooja materials will be contacted to keep these
  Murtis with a prominent display with
  information about them. A small frontal space can
  be taken in such shops named Explore Kashi
  having posters etc.These Murtis also can be a
  part of home temples depending on the style of
  worship of a family / as an astrological remedy
  (such as for Loan problems, there can be replica
  of Runa Mukteshwar Shiva Linga)

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Explore KashiA Point about Reach Out Activities

• These are only the Indicative activities. There
  can be many such Target Group focused activities
  aimed at attracting attention, create awareness
  nationally / globally GET MORE MORE PEOPLE TO
  VISIT THESE GREAT TEMPLES SITES
• Some similar activities like books, websites,
  Banaras Music Dance Festival etc already exist
  but most of them have different focus. Therefore
  Explore Kashi Project will do its own activities
  as mentioned
• Any More workable Ideas like these are welcome

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Explore Kashi

• Be an Important Part of the Revival of Now almost
  Forgotten, Unexplored but ENCHANTING Kashi
• Be a Catalyst in Rejuvenating The Complete
  Heritage of Bharat in the Modern Context
  through Modern Ways
• BE A COMPLETE HINDU BY KNOWING COMPLETE KASHI

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HOW can YOU Support The Project Explore Kashi

• Come, VISIT these Enchanting Temples Ghaats,
  Kundas,Kupas etc YOURSELF
• Sponsor various materials which will be widely
  distributed globally / all India through our
  network / Tour Operators / Dharmashaalas / Hotels
  etc
• Sponsor 1 or more Yaatras fully or Partly
• Sponsor Opinion Makers visits
• Spiritually ADOPT any of these Temples / Sites
• Sponsor any activity (Painting / Rangoli
  competition, Photo Exhibitions / Greeting Cards
  etc
• Sponsor / Buy Explore Kashi materials like Murtis
  / Greeting Cards / Calendars / Books in bulk

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HOW can YOU Support The Project Explore Kashi

• Help create / sponsor a Website for The Project
  Explore Kashi / If YOU have a product / Brand /
  Service, then advertise on the website
• We will send you E-mails specially designed for
  Explore Kashi. Send them to the larger groups in
  your contacts
• SKY IS THE LIMIT TO WHAT YOU CAN DO TO BE A
  COMPLETE HINDU BY SUPPORTING IN THE PROJECT
  EXPLORE KASHI.

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Explore Kashi

• COME
• LET US
• TOGETHER
• EXPLORE REVIVE
• ALMOST FORGOTTEN
• ENCHANTING KASHI

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Explore Kashi

• Ganga is our Mata
• Kashi is everything for
• Every Hindu
• Be a
• COMPLETE HINDU
• By
• HELPING EXPLORE KASHI