Niagara Hangouts

Niagara Falls : Numbers and words cannot adequately convey the majesty of Niagara Falls, but they can offer a frame through which we can gain some perspective on this natural wonder.  These amazing park facts help offer a frame for which we try to gain some perspective on Niagara Falls.   Source : Niagara Falls State Park 

Niagara Falls is comprised of three waterfalls:

 American Falls,
 Bridal Veil Falls and
 Horseshoe Falls.

My friend took this photo from Canada Side

Here is a collection of interesting Niagara Falls State Park information, fun facts & figures, park legends and history:

• The length of brink is 1060 feet while its overall height is 176 feet. 
• Niagara Falls State Park is the oldest state park in the U.S.A., established in 1885.
• Frederick Law Olmsted, landscape architect of Niagara Falls State Park, also designed Central Park in New York City.
• 3,160 tons of water flows over Niagara Falls every second.
• This accounts for 75,750 gallons of water per second over the American and Bridal Veil Falls and 681,750 gallons per second over the Horseshoe Falls.
• Niagara Falls are capable of producing over 4 million kilowatts of electricity, which is shared by the United States and Canada.
• Four of the five Great Lakes drain into the Niagara River, (Superior, Michigan, Huron and Erie) before emptying into Lake Ontario. These five Great Lakes make up almost one-fifth of the world's fresh water supply. 
• Niagara Falls State Park stretches over 400 acres, with close to 140 acres of that under water. 

NYC Icons

Manhattan New York,  has many number of Architectural buildings and National Historic Landmark's. Here i have posted few building snaps which i went during my stay. And also i would suggest these are Must see places in the New York City.

• Statue of Liberty 
• Empire State Building
• Rockefeller Center
• United Nations - UNO
• Brooklyn Bridge
• Queensboro Bridge
• St. Patrick's Cathedral
• Trinity Church
• Riverside Church
• NYC Christmas Celebrations

Grand Central Terminal is one of two magnificent train stations that were built in New York in the heyday of railway transportation. The other is Penn Station.

• It is one of the nations most historical landmarks, 
• It has remained the busiest train station in the country.
• It was constructed in 1903-1913 for the New York and Harlem Railroad company.

Atlas is a bronze statue in front of Rockefeller Center in midtown Manhattan, New York City, across Fifth Avenue from St. Patrick's Cathedral. The sculpture depicts the Ancient Greek Titan Atlas holding the heavens. It was created by sculptor Lee Lawrie with the help of Rene Paul Chambellan, and it was installed in 1937.

As per National Register Nomination statement, the U.S. Courthouse at Foley Square (1932-1936) is architecturally and historically significant as one of the largest and most distinctive examples of the Federal architecture erected by the U.S. Treasury Department during the expanded public buildings programs of the 1930s.

The Manhattan Municipal Building is located at 1 Centre Street at the intersection of Chambers Street and Centre Street. It is one of the most iconic administrative buildings in the United States as well as one of the largest in the world. Standing 580 feet tall or 177 meters, the Manhattan Municipal Building is the home of 13 municipal agencies.It is a 40-story building, construction was started in 1907 and ended in 1914.

United States Courthouse : The Foley Square Courthouse was designed by Cass Gilbert, one of the most prominent architects of his day. The six-story courthouse base is marked by a pilastered facade and a colonnade. Built around three interior courtyards, it is rusticated and irregularly shaped, following the outline of the site.  Massive granite steps flanked by large pedestals lead up to the main entrance on Foley Square.

The New York Public Library (NYPL) is a public library system in New York City. With nearly 53 million items, the New York Public Library is the second largest public library in the United States (and third largest in the world), behind only the Library of Congress. It is an independently managed, nonprofit corporation operating with both private and public financing. The library has branches in the boroughs of Manhattan, The Bronx and Staten Island and it has affiliations with academic and professional libraries in the metropolitan area of New York State. The City of New York's other two boroughs, Brooklyn and Queens, are served by the Brooklyn Public Library and the Queens Borough Public Library, respectively. 

The Daily News Building, also known as The News Building, is a 476-foot (145 m) Art-Deco skyscraper located at 220 East 42nd Street between Second and Third Avenues in the Turtle Bay neighborhood of Midtown Manhattan, New York City. Built in 1929-1930, it was headquarters for the New York Daily News newspaper until 1995.It was designated a New York City Landmark in 1981 and its interior in  1998. It became a National Historic Landmark in 1989.

The lobby of the building includes the world's largest indoor globe revolving under a black glass dome in the lobby since 1930.   

Siddhachalam

Siddhachalam Jain Temple - New Jersy

SIDDHACHALAM is a Jain ashram and pilgrimage place spread over 120 acres of hilly terrain in an idyllic rural area of north-western NJ, around 70 miles from New York City. It was founded in 1983 by Acharya Sushil Kumarji (then muni), one of India’s best known Jain monk who in 1975 took the unprecedented step of traveling outside India to promote the message of Bhagwaan Mahavira.

Siddhachalam is regarded as the first Jain place of pilgrimage outside India. It was here that Guruji, as Muni Sushil Kumarji was lovingly called, perfected the secret science of sound behind the Namokar Mantra. It was also here that he practiced and taught the Jain form of yoga called Arhum Yoga.Guruji left his human body in April, 1994. There is no successor to Guruji.

Siddhachalam literally means a “mountain to the siddhas ” Siddhas are all who attain moksha, that is, liberation from the cycle of death and rebirth. In other words, Siddhachalam means a permanent homage to the great souls that have attained moksha. Moksha is central to Jain Dharma. In deed, Jain Dharma is often referred to as a dharma that sets forth a path to liberation (“mokshasmarg”).

Siddhachalam has three temples. The main temple has magnificent marble idols of Lord Adinath, Lord Parshvanath, Lord Mahavira, Lord Chandraprabhu, and Lord Shantinath. The smaller temple’s main idol is that of Lord Parshvanath made in the Digambar tradition. It is carved in magnificent black marble. The smallest temple is a meditation spot with several idols. The main idol in this temple is that of Lord Mahavira.

Idols at Siddhachalam :

The huge temple of Siddhachalam is a wonderful combination of tradition followed by different Jain sects such as Digambar, Shwetambar, Sthanakwasi, Terapanthi, etc.
The temple has at its main vedica the first Tirthankar Bhagwan Adinath (Adipurush) as Mulnayak. Also, there is idols of Bhagwan Mahavir, Prabhu Parshvanath, Chandraprabhu and Bhagwan Shantinath.

Nine other Gods and goddesses who have been placed here are Bhagwan Bahubali, Manibhadra, Parshvayaksha, Virghantakaran, Shri Nakoda Bhairavji, Chakreshwari Devi, Padmavati, Sarasvati and Shri Laxmi Devi.

Siddhachalam has a large library containing old and new books on religion, ahimsa, peace, environment, vegetarianism, health and related subjects. The library is open to all during the weekends and to residents throughout the week.

Trails : Siddhachalam has 11 nature and meditation trails spread over about 3 miles. These were rededicated on August 10, 2008.All trails are fair-weather trails. Please enquire at the office from on-site staff regarding length, steepness, and other features of each trail before starting a yatra. Subject to weather conditions, the trails are open from Mahavira Janm Kalyanak Diwas (middle of April) through Thanksgiving (third weekend of November). Source : http://www.siddhachalam.org/

Address: 111 Hope Road, Blairstown, NJ 07825.
Phone: (908) 362-9793 and (908) 362-5487
Fax: (908) 362-9649

Directions :  Siddhachalam is a 120-acre property. Its entrance is on 111 Hope Road in Blairstown, NJ. Take Route 80, exit 12 and continue on Hope Road (Country Road 521) for 2.8 miles from the exit. Siddhachalam is on the right.

NYC Christmas Celebrations

NYC is one of the popular spot for celebrating the Christmas.  The weather condition will be so chill and snow ranging from the low-30s to the mid-40s. Spending the holidays in NYC is an experience unlike any other. 

NYC offers plenty of fun things to do both indoors and outdoors during the holidays season .
Some Christmas Activities in Manhattan, NYC are listed below

• Shopping in Manhattan
• Rockefeller Center Ice Rink at Rockefeller Center  
• Times Square are well worth the wait.  
• Central Park has two ice skating rinks open during New York holidays.
• Rockefeller Center Tree Lighting Ceremony.
• Rockefeller 3rd Show (SAKS Building Show)

The Photos which are posted here, I took during my 2013 Christmas holidays.

Manhattan Skyscrapers

Manhattan Skyscrapers :  New York City is primarily known for its busy active life and its many skyscrapers. In fact, the city is known for having some of the world’s biggest and largest skyline buildings. When people from other countries visit the United States, one of the first places they visit is New York City to see the many buildings and skyscrapers.

New York is the world's ultimate skyscraper city. Already at the end of the 19th century, the limited space on Manhattan caused developers to build ever taller towers. During the course of the 20th century, no less than 8 different skyscrapers in New York held the title of the world's tallest building. Such a long domination resulted in large number of truly historical buildings, with a great variety in architectural styles.

• New York City, the largest city in the United States, is home to 5,845 completed high-rises.
• The tallest building in New York is One World Trade Center, which rises 1,776 feet. 

Best view points to see the Manhattan Skyscrapers

Exchange Place New Jersy,
Ferry Trip to Liberty Island
Brooklyn Bridge
Roosevelt Island

 Here i am giving the links which i have visited

• Chrysler Building
• Empire State Building
• UN Secretariat - UNO
• Daily News Building
• Municipal Building
• One World Trade Center
• GE Building - Rockefeller Center

St. Patrick's Cathedral - Manhattan NYC

The Cathedral of St. Patrick ( St. Patrick's Cathedral ) is a decorated Neo-Gothic-style Roman Catholic cathedral church in the United States and a prominent landmark of New York City.

It is the seat of the archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York, and a parish church, located on the east side of Fifth Avenue between 50th and 51st Streets in midtown Manhattan, New York City, New York, directly across the street from Rockefeller Center and specifically facing the Atlas statue.

Architect : James Renwick Jr. and William Rodrigue 
Date : 1851-79, towers 1888
Style : Gothic Revival  
Construction type : Stone

The interior was designed in the style of English churches. The ornate Lady Chapel was constructed in 1900 after a design by Charles T. Mathews, complete with magnificent stained glass windows crafted in England and added gradually over the next 25 years. Near the chapel is a pietà created in 1906 by American sculptor William O. Partridge. It is three times as large as Michelangelo's pietà in the St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. 

The cathedral and associated buildings were declared a National Historic Landmark in 1976.
An extensive restoration of the cathedral was begun in 2012 and is planned to last 3 years. 

Address : 

5th Ave, New York, NY 10022

Jain Center of America - Elmhurst, NYC

THE JCA NY TEMPLE  : Jain Center of America (JCA) was the first Jain Center organized and registered in America in 1976.The temple houses shrines for Shri Mahavir Swami in the Shwetambar tradition, Sri Adinath in the Digambar tradition, Upashraya in the Sthanakvasi tradition and Meditation Hall for the Shrimad Rajchandra tradition.

The Jain Center of America (JCA NY) Temple complex is a 16,625 Sq. Ft. facility, with four stories and a cellar. The total height of the temple is 66’ 5” with the Kalash. The Shikhar at the height of the building is 24’ 1” and the Kalash is 2’ 9”. 

The Cellar of the temple complex is 2,350 Sq. Ft. and consists of a multipurpose hall, youth center, computer area, mini theatre. The First Floor is 2,350 Sq. Ft. and comprises a front & back vestibule for entry.

Mahavir Temple : The Second Floor of the building is 4,000 Sq. Ft. and consists of the Shri Mahavir Swami Temple in the Shwetambar tradition and a large Upashraya/Sthanak in the Sthanakvasi tradition. The Shri Mahavir Swami Temple has a Main Garbha Griha with Ghummat, Kalash & Dhwaja. The Mulnayak Pratimaji, Shri Mahavir Swami , is 21”, with a 25” Shri Neminathji on the right and a 25” Shri Sambhavnathji on the left side, all of white marble. In the back Gabhara, inside the Gokhalas, on the rear right side, is the 31” Pratimaji of Shri Parshwanathji in black marble and on the rear left side is the 31” Panch Dhatu Pratimaji of Shri Shantinathji. The Bhamati Parikrama is graced by an 81” Jaisalmer light brown Shri Adinathji Choumukhi. The east and west walls are graced by the idols of Shri Simandhar Swami, Shri Gautam Swami and eight other idols of Dev and Devi all made of white marble.

Adinath Temple  : The Third Floor of the building is 3,800 Sq. Ft. and consists of the Sri Adinath Temple in the Digambar tradition, Shrimad Rajchandra Meditation Hall, and a Library. The Shri Adinath Temple has a Main Garbha Griha with Three Shikhars, Kalash & Dhwaja. The Mulnayak Pratimaji is 31” Shri Adinath Swami, with a 25” Shri Padma Prabhuji on the right and a 25” Shri Chandra Prabhuji on the left side, all of white marble. Inside the Gokhalas, on the right side, is the standing 51” Pratimaji of Shri Parshwanathji in black marble and on the left side is the standing 51” Pratimaji of Shri Bahubaliji of pink marble. Two Gokhalas contain smaller Pratimas of Shri Mahavir Swami in white marble and a Panch Dhatu Pratimaji of Shri Shantinath Swami. 

Asthapad Maha Tirth : The Fourth Floor of the building is 3,800 Sq. Ft. and consists of the Dadawadi Temple, The Asthapad Maha Tirth and the Dining Hall. The Dadawadi Temple contains a 15” Pratima of Shri Jin Kushal Suri Ji Maharaj and a 7” Charan installed in a white marble shrine open on all four sides under a canopy of skylight. In front of the Dadawadi Temple is a Roof Garden and the main Shikhar. The Asthapad Maha Tirth is located on the rear of the Dadawadi Temple, enclosed behind high security glass panels. The mountain is made of natural Crystal Stone and all the 24 Idols are carved out of Precious & Semiprecious Gemstones, cut in Jaipur, India. Source : http://www.nyjaincenter.org

5 Religious Places in JCA (Panch Tirthi):

• Mahavir Swami Temple – 2nd Floor
• Adinath Temple – 3rd Floor
• Dadawadi/Ashtapad – 4th Floor
• Upashraya/Navkar Mantra – 2nd Floor
• Shrimad Hall/ Library – 3rd Floor

JCA Temple Address
43-11 Ithaca Street,
Elmhurst, NY 11373
(718) 478-9141
Info@NYJainCenter.org
Temple Timings : 7am to 8 pm