Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Lion on Hill Top : Mark Of Chintamani



Chintamani Simham
Sri Vardanjaneya Hill is the symbol of Chintamani. It is obvious that anybody who visits Chintamani will get attracted towards this hill and the huge sculpture of the lion on it's top. As the name suggests the hilltop has a temple of Hanuman which was built in the year 1936. Hundreds of devotees throng to this temple on Hanumajayanthi.

Sculpture with the door

The bust of the lion sculpture has a door so one can crawl inside to have a view of the town through the mouth of this magnificently built concrete effigy. This probably was used by some rulers to keep watch over the town to protect it from enemy attacks.




Temple and the pool
The view from the hilltop is something more than fascinating. Locating the landmarks of Chintamani from the hilltop is fun and the visitors enjoy this moment the most.
The hilltop also has a fountain pool with the beautiful idols of RadhaKrishna in the center. And the children can enjoy the slides and swings specifically made for them in the play area.
And behind the lion sculpture is a natural cave which was closed recently to avoid troublesome miscreants.
It takes 350 steps, which are neatly laid, to climb this hillock. But the high it gives is beyond description . Thanks to the people who have managed to keep this picnic place  really clean.

ವ್ಯಾಯಾಮಶಾಲೆ


There is also something else that is worth mentioning- an old gymnasium or Vyayamashaale ( ವ್ಯಾಯಾಮಶಾಲೆ ). Everyday, morning and evening, the body building enthusiasts come here and meticulously work-out in this solid environment.  There are a few lion hearted champions who do 'push-ups' and 'sit-ups' on every step while climbing down the hill.
The significance of the lion sculpture.....? To scare the evil away? To freighten the fraudulants? Or, maybe, to motivate the Chintamaniacs???? 



A view: Bus stand, M.G Road etc-

Entrance of the hill top


4 comments:

sujay said...

Guru,

You better post one entry every month at the minimum. Chintamani is always calling me in my heart.

Anonymous said...

wow namma aanjaneyana betta..... i miss evry kadale kaayi parise....which used to be a greater celebration for us...there...
-Vanisri

Anonymous said...

Well said, Guru. I hope that Chintamani regains its old glory and bring back the opportunity to relive the past.

Krishna

Anonymous said...

Why do we Indians always build a temple over the hill???Good, but ...also someone start utilizing it for some adventure sports.

Sandeep