KSHETRA DARSHINI

Madavoorpara Cave Temple.

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A couple of kilometers from Sreekariyam in the suburbs of Thiruvananthapuram is Madavoorpara cave temple, one of the various ancient rock cut cave temples that dot the small state. The drive from Sreekariyam to the temple is delightful as it is a welcome break from the hustle and bustle of the city. Paddy fields, plantain groves, and rubber plantations greets you on either side of the road.

More than two hundred and thirty stone-cut steps may seem like a little daunting, but is truly fascinating also. Hewn, chipped an carved on the steep side of the rock, and facing westward, the cave's sanctum sanctorum has this "Sivalinga" which is "guarded" by the two sculptures of dwarapalakas one each on either side of the entrance.Idols of Murugan and Ganapathy are there on two sides, done in relief style. The ornamental door at the opening is apparently a recent addition.

Devotees can have a fairly close darshan from behind the iron bars.The antiquity of the temple and the probable period of its construction are rather enshrouded in a haze of myths and hearsay.There are scores of legends about the origin of the cave shrine. As per one, it was built by a Buddhist monk centuries ago, while another holds the builder to be a Jaina muni. Situated more or less within a stone's throw from the cave, the sastha temple is much older than the former.And significantly, the place is known as Sasthavanam.

A sprawling hilltop is reached through the smooth eastern route, which is a cynosure to the eyes.
A pair of rock formations that resemble human figures, one standing and the other sitting, is perched precariously on the edge above a steep decline. Beyond the two is "Kindikkulam", a little pond that seldom dries up.

Sarkara Devi Temple Chirayinkil.

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Sarkaradevi Temple is one of the most important temples in south india. It is situated South of the Chirayinkil Taluk (It is situated in the North-West of Trivandrum District.) Tradition accords a remote antiquity to this temple. Its main deity is Bhadrakali. The sarkaradevi Temple assumed a significant status many reasons and rose to historical importance mainly with the introduction of the famous Kaliyoot festival by Anizham Thirunal Marthanda Varma, the travancore sovereign, in 1748.

Chirayinkil Taluk being directly under the immediate administration of the attingal Swarupam, the Attingal Ranis where entrusted by the Travancore Raja with the conduct of the elaborate festival of Kaliyoot. The Attingal Rani being related to the Travandcore royal family through adoption from the Kolathunad royal family. From the time of Venad Kings, had enjoyed independent rights in several respects over the neighbouring regions and temples and at times even over the entire Venad.

Even the King Marthanda Varma annexed Attingal to Travancore,soon after ascending the throne Marthanda Varma decided to assume direct control over Attingal 'estate'. The Ranis seem to have been allowed to continue in their independent status in meny respects. Hence it was no wonder that when the former decided to introduce Kaliyoot festival in the Sarkaradevi Temple of Chirayinkil Division, he entrusted the responsibility to the Attingal Ranis, eventhough the finances came directly from the Travancore royal treasury.

The Attingal Ranis in the turn bestowed the members of the military family of Ponnora Panickers (When two princesses were adopted from Kolathunad, some senior members of the ponnara family are said to have accompanied them as bodyguards to attingal where the former were settled by the Venad Kings. The descendents of the family are still residing there.) with the responsibility of supervising the grand festival.

Even now the responsibility is continuing with the descendents of the ponnara family. One of the most important peculiarities of this temple is that it is the only temple in South Kerala where such elaborate Kaliyoot festival is conducted. Another festival which makes the temple the center of attraction is the Meenabharani mahotswavam which is conducted for ten days in the month of March-April every year.

Varkala Janardhana Swamy Temple.

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The old-age Sree Janardana Temple at Varkala which attract a great number of devotees from all over the country. It is located about two kilometer west of Varkala railway station atop a hill on the coast. This temple is situated on the seashore in Varkala at Trivandrum district and is a Mahakshetra. The presiding deity is Vishnu, and the idol including the lotus shaped platform is six feet in height. As per epic the idol was found from the southern sea coast. The sanctum sanctorum is round in shape and is facing east. Four poojas are conducted in a day abiding by Cherumukku thanthric.

The chief priest should compulsorily be from another place, and should not be a native of the place where the temple exists. Sub-deities are Ganapathi, Shastha, Ananthakrishanan (Nagam) Shiv a, Chandikeshan, Hanuman and Nagam. Ten days festival is observed with an arrattu on the Uthram star day of the Malayalam month of Meena. Offering of Bali here for the repose of souls is a very important ritual. As per Mahabharatha, Balabhadran has come here for a pilgrimage. There is an interesting legend behind it. Once Brahma was relaxing in his Vyjayanti assembly, the stage Narada entered singing in the praises of Sree Narayana. Brahma was so enraptured that he fell at the feet of Narada seeing him not as a son but as Hari himself.

The other Devas saw this burst into laughter and Brahma, greatly embarrassed , infuriated, cursed then banishing them to earth where they could purify their minds and acquire knowledge and wisdom. Narada consoled the devas and advised them to do penance at the place where his valkalam fell. And the place where it lended is now called ‘varkala’ a colloquial from of valkalm. The devas built a temple there dedicated to Lord Krishna. This was however destroyed by sea erosion. Lord Brahma , the legend goes, came to earth one day to conduct a yega. Lord Mahavishnu as Sree Janardana Swamy appeared before him to bless the devas and redeem them. The presiding deity of Varkala temple is thus Sree Janardana Swamy. The image has four handed one holding divine water, another, the conch, the third, the discus and the fourth, the mace.

Sree Janardana said to have brought the holy Ganga here with the help of the Sudarsanachakra. The holy water collected is now known as Chakra Tirtha. The water used for the temple is from this souurcs. It is widely believed that worship at his shrine cures many ills which explain why devotee come here from all over the country and even abroad including non-Hindus. The chief offering made is mukkacharthu and muzhukappu ie decorating the face and whole body respectively with sandal paste.

The annual festival –arattu- is a 10 days event commencing with the kodiyettam or flag-hoisting ceremony on Kartika dayand ending with arattu on Uttram say in Meenam. Varkala is also famousfor the Papanasam holy spring, which is a health resort in addition to being a place which elevates the pilgrim spiritually. Sree Narayana Guru the great social former, chose the nearby Sivagiri gere for meditation. He built the Sarada Mutt temple at Sivagiri which attracts innumerable devotees.

Neyyattinkara Sree Krishna Swamy Temple.

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Neyyattinkara Sree Krishna Swamy Temple is a famous Lord Krishna temple situated at Neyyattinkara, on the way to Kanyakumari, 20 km south of Thiruvananthapuram city, in Kerala. One of the important temples of Lord Krishna, the temple is also of great historic importance as well. The temple enshrines Unnikannan (baby Krishna) as the presiding deity. Thrikayilvenna or Thrikayil Venna (butter) is a unique offering to Neyyattinkara Unnikannan – the deity of the temple.

Neyyattinkara Sreekrishna Swamy Temple, situated in a vast land with lots of greenery, is regarded as the Guruvayur of Trivandrum district. The temple is built in traditional Kerala architecture and is decorated with beautiful artistic sculptures. The main gopuram (gateway) of the temple displays a beautiful scene from Bhagavad Gita - Lord Krishna offering teaching to Arjuna. Lord Ganesh and Lord Nagaraja are other gods worshipped here.

Neyyattinkara Shri Krishnaswamy Temple was built in 1755, by Marthanda Varma, the Maharajah of the Indian princely state of Travancore. One of the major attractions of the temple is the Ammachi Plavu (an old jackfruit tree) – history has it that Marthandavarma Maharaja once used the huge hole of “Ammachiplavu” as a hideout to escape from his enemies.

Neyyattinkara Sree Krishna Swamy Temple is located in the heart of Neyyattinkara town, and within walking distance from Neyyattinkara Bus Station. Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) operates regular bus services from Trivandrum Central Bus Station to Neyyattinkara. All the buses from Thiruvananthapuram to Parassala, Nagercoil and Kanyakumari passes through Neyyattinkara. National Highway 47 (NH 47) passes through Neyyattinkara town.

Neyyattinkara Railway Station, on the Thiruvananthapuram - Kanyakumari railway line, is just a kilometre from the temple. Mumbai - Kanyakumari Express, Guruvayoor - Chennai Egmore Express, Kanyakumari - Bangalore Express, Ananthapuri Express, and Thiruvananthapuram-Nagercoil Passenger pass through Neyyattinkara Railway Station. The nearest airport is Trivandrum International Airport, around 24 km away.

Attukal Bhagavathy Temple in TDM.

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Godess Attukal Bhagavathy

The Attukal Bhagavathy Temple is one of the ancient temples dedicated to the divine mother in Kerala. It is very close to the famous Sri Padmanabha Swamy temple in Trivandrum. It is popularly described as the Sabarimala of women, since women form the major portion of the Devi’s devotees. The Goddess in the temple of Attukal is worshipped as the Supreme Mother, creator of all living beings as well as their destroyer. All pilgrims who visit the Sri Padmanabha Swamy Temple make it a point to visit the shrine of the supreme Mother known as Attukalamma. When the world was riddled with demonic forces, the gods prayed to Vishnu to send some power to protect them and his maya took the incarnation of the Devi to annihilate evil and protect the good in the world in the present era of Kali. Attukal Bhgavathy is one such incarnation.

According to mythology, Attukal Bhagavathy is supposed to be the divinised form of "Kannaki", the famous heroine of Chilappatikaram, the sangham work of Tamil Literature written by Ilamkovadikal. Kovalan and Kannaki are the heroic characters of this famous work of literature. Kovalan was unjustly accused of stealing the queen’s anklets and executed. Kannaki in her wrath destroyed the ancient city of Madurai. It is said that on her way to Kodungalloor (another famous Devi shrine of Kerala) she went first to Kannyakumari and then stopped at Attukal. The songs of the "Thottampattu” sung during the annual temple festival, are based on the story of Kannaki. Moreover, architectural depictions of Goddess Kannaki seen on the gopuram of the temple substantiate this story.

Kannaki is supposed to be the incarnation of Parvathy, the consort of Siva. The all powerful and benign Attukal Bhagavathy reigns eternally supreme at Attukal and looks after her devotees as lovingly as a mother does her children. There are many stories connected with this temple. It is said that the goddess revealed herself to a fervent devotee of a notable family called the Mulluveettil family. One evening a young girl appeared before the head of the family while he was bathing in the Killi River and requested him to help her across the river. He was so impressed by the charm of her personality that he prostrated before her with awe and reverence and helped her to cross the river and invited her to his house nearby. The whole household was charmed by her sudden appearance in their midst and started preparing some food and other offerings for her for they felt sure she was of divine origin. However by the time they finished their preparations the girl had vanished.

That night the old man had a dream in which she showed herself as an idol and demanded that he should establish an abode for her in the nearby grove. She promised to mark the exact spot with three lines. The next morning the old man went to the spot revealed to him in the dream and to his great surprise he did find three marks indented on the ground. He lost no time in erecting a temple on this consecrated spot for the goddess who had blessed him with her beatific vision both physically and in his dream. This temple remained unnoticed for many years. But due to her increasing power more and more people were drawn to her. Fairly recently, the temple was renovated by the local devotees. They also installed a beautiful and majestic icon of the Devi with four arms, bearing weapons of destruction, like the spear, sword, skull, shield etc. The consecration ceremony of this temple was performed by no less a person than the high priest of the Badrinath Temple in the Himalayas.

Pongal Festival

There are two idols of the goddess in the sanctum sanctorum. At the centre of the Sanctum the original idol of the goddess Attukal Bhagavathy has been installed. It is enclosed within a gold covering embedded with jewels. The second idol of the goddess is installed besides the original one. The present temple is a harmonious conglomeration of both Kerala and Tamil styles of architecture. It is fairly new and lacks the charm of the ancient temple architecture of this region. However there are some beautifully carved figures of Mahishasuramarddini, Goddess Kali, Rajarajeswari, Parvathi with Lord Siva and various other depictions of the goddess in her various forms in and around the temple. Around the corridors surrounding the temple, various other gods are depicted as well as the epic stories of the ten incarnations of Lord Vishnu . On either side of the elegant front gopura or gate - are the icons based on the story of Goddess Kannaki.

On the southern gopura, the puranic story of "Dakshayaga", where the goddess Sathi immolates herself in her father’s Yaga or fire sacrifice is vividly depicted. The decorated gate at the entrance of the temple is another example of modern sculpture.The Pongala Mahotsavam is the most important festival at the Attukal Bhagavathy Temple. It is actually an offering of rice to the goddess cooked by women in the grounds adjoining the temple. Though this practice is prevalent in some parts of South Kerala and Tamil Nadu, nowhere has it gained the popularity that it has at Attukal. In fact it has gained world fame. Women bring rice and milk and sugar or just plain rice as well as fire wood and make little ovens in the grounds of the temple and cook the rice and offer it to the goddess. They undertake it in fulfillment of their vow. They vow that they will offer Pongala to the goddess if their desire is fulfilled. Many, many miracles are reported as to how the goddess has fulfilled all types of wishes from the desire for a bridegroom or a baby to the recovery from a serious illness. In ancient times this was a small affair conducted within the precincts of the temple grounds. Hardly ten or fifteen women took part in it.

But due to the increasing popularity of the goddess and her ability to fulfill all the varied desires of her devotees, more and more women are taking part in it.Slowly the place for making the little ovens spread beyond the grounds of the temple to the neighboring regions and now it has spread right up to the big temple of Sri Padmanabha Swami which is about five kilometers away. From a small one day affair it has become a ten-day program commencing on the Karthika star of the Malayalam month of Makaram-Kumbham (February-March) and closing with the sacrificial offering known as Kuruthitharpanam on the tenth night. It is on the ninth day of the festival that the world famous Attukal Pongala Mahotsavam takes place. The entire area of about five kilometer radius around the temple including the grounds of the houses of people of all castes, creeds and religions, open fields, roads, commercial institutions, premises of Government offices etc. are all used as the consecrated ground for conducting the Pongala ritual. Thousands of women devotees come from different parts of Kerala and India. Drawn by the magic of her wish fulfilling ability you find that in the last few years some foreign women have also taken part in the ceremony.

The festival is exclusively for women and the enormous crowd, which comes to Trivandrum on this auspicious day is reminiscent of the Kumbha Mela Festival in North India except that it consists entirely of women while in the Kumbha Mela, the sadhus (yogis) predominate. It is a sight to be seen indeed where thousands of little fires are lit and women start to blow desperately at their flames. The temple priest blows the conch and this is the signal for all the women to place their little pots, preferably of mud, containing rice and water on the fire and blow and blow at the fire to cook the rice. Many of the devotees come from very rich families and have never lit an oven with firewood and have absolutely no idea how to handle it but the locals are very helpful and assist them to get a roaring fire going. When the rice is cooked the conch is blown again and all the offerings are taken to the temple.

Srikanreswaram Shiva Temple in TDM.

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Surrounded by trees in a serene environment, Sreekanteswaram Temple is a famous Shiva temple. Located south-west from the Old Sreekanteswaram temple, this temple is a major point of convergence for Hindu devotees during the festivals of Maha Shivratri (March) and the annual Thiruvathira Mahotsavam (March-April) which stretches for a period of 10 days. Pilgrims visit the temple to worship Lord Shiva in the form of Shiva lingam that faces the east and offer milk and pure water by pouring it on the idol. One could also hear a constant buzz created by people chanting the mantras of Lord Shiva. Apart from Shiva, there are shrines of other deities such as Lord Krishna, Ganesha, Swamy Ayyappa, Lord Hanuman and Lord Subramanya, all of which face east. The temple pond on the east is used by devotees for holy bath and also for performing poojas (religious rituals).

Pazhavangadi Maha Ganapathi Temple.

2012-01-08T01:13:00.000+05:30

Pazhavangadi Maha Ganapathi Temple is one of the most famous Lord Ganesh temples in Kerala, situated at East Fort, Thiruvananthapuram. Located in the heart of Trivandrum city, the original idol of the Pazhavangadi Ganapathy Temple is a small idol of Lord Ganesh, with the right leg in the folded posture.

Pazhavangadi Ganapati Temple is one of the main temples in Thiruvananthapuram. The temple is situated within walking distance from Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple of Lord Vishnu. Other deities worshiped at Pazhavangadi Maha Ganapati Kovil are Lord Ayyappa, Goddess Durga, Nagaraja, and Brahmarakshas. Devotees can see beautiful paintings of the 32 forms of Lord Ganesh inside the temple complex.

The original Ganesha idol installed in the temple was worshiped by a soldier of Travancore Army stationed at Padmanabhapuram. In 1795 A.D, when the capital of Travancore was changed to Thiruvananthapuram, the garrison was also shifted and the idol was installed at its present place at Pazhavangati.

To enter inside the main complex male devotees need to wear Mundu (Veshti or Dothi or Laacha). Any traditional dress code like Saree, Churidar, Salwar Kameez, or Pavadai Chattai is allowed for ladies.Sree Pazhavangadi Mahaganapathy Temple is just 1.5 kms from Trivandrum Central Railway Station and Thiruvananthapuram Central Bus Station. The nearest City Bus Stand is East Fort (Kizhakke Kotta). Trivandrum International Airport is about 8 km from the temple.

Jokhang Temple.

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Potala Palace

Potala Palace ,built on top of the Red Mountain in Lhasa, Tibet, China was built by the first emperor of Tibet in 637 CE. The current palace was re-constructed in the mid-1600s by the fifth Dalai Lama.

The White Palace.

The Palace consists of two main buildings, the Potrang Karpo (White Palace) and Portrang Marpo (Red Palace). It was the chief home of the fourteenth and current Dalai Lama until he was forced to flee to India when China invaded Tibet in 1959. It is now a state museum.

Potala Palace and Jokhang Temple

The courtyard of the Jokhang Temple

Two golden deers flanking a Dharma Wheel and a golden bell at the roof of Jokhang Temple

Amritsar Golden Temple.

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The Harmandir Sahib (meaning The Abode of God) or simply the Golden Temple in Punjab, India is the most sacred shrine of Sikhism. For the Sikhs, the Golden Temple symbolizes infinite freedom and spiritual independence.

The site of the Temple began with a small lake that was so peaceful that even Buddha came there to meditate. Thousands of years later, Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism also lived and meditate by the lake.

Construction of the Golden Temple began in the 1500s, when the fourth Guru of Sikhism enlarged the lake that became Amritsar or Pool of the Nectar of Immortality, around which the temple and the city grew. The Temple itself is decorated with marble sculptures, gilded in gold, and covered in precious stones.

Borobudur.

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Aerial view of Borobudur

In the 19th century, Dutch occupiers of Indonesia found a massive ancient ruin deep in the jungles of Java. What they discovered was the complex of Borobudur, a gigantic structure built with nearly 2 million cubic feet (55,000 m³) of stones.

The temple has nearly 2,700 relief panels and 504 Buddha statues.Until today, no one knows for sure when and why it was built, nor the reason for its complete abandonment hundreds of years ago.

Some scholars believe that Borobudur is actually a giant textbook of Buddhism, as its bas reliefs tell the story of the life of Buddha and the principles of his teachings.

To "read," a pilgrim must make his way through nine platforms and walk a distance of over 2 miles.

Inside each of the lattice stupa is a Buddha statue

Chion-in Temple.

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Chion-in Temple’s Main Gate

Chion-in Temple [wiki] was built in 1234 CE to honor the founder of Jodo (Pure Land) Buddhism, a priest named Honen, who fasted to death in the very spot. At one point in time, the complex had 21 buildings but due to earthquakes and fire, the oldest surviving building is from the 17th century.

A building in the Chion-in Temple complex in winter time

Visitors to the Chion-in Temple must first pass through the largest gate in Japan: the two-story San-mon Gate. The temple bell is also a record setter: it weighs 74 tons and needs 17 monks to ring it during the New Year celebrations.

Chion-in’s Temple Bell.

Another interesting feature of the Chion-in Temple is the "singing" floor of the Assembly Hall. Called a uguisu-bari or nightingale floor, the wooden planks were designed to creak at every footstep to alert the monks of intruders!

Details of the Chion-in Temple roof. Notice a feudal family’s crest stamped on the roof tiles, as a symbol of their patronage

Temple of Heaven.

2012-01-07T23:19:00.000+05:30

The Temple of Heaven is a Taoist temple in Beijing, the capital of China. The temple was constructed in 14th century by Emperor Yongle of the Ming Dynasty (who also built the Forbidden City) as his personal temple, where he would pray for good harvest and to atone for the sins of his people.

Close up of the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest, Temple of Heaven

The Temple’s architecture is quite interesting: everything in the temple, which represents Heaven, is circular whereas the ground levels, which represent the Earth, are square.

Ceiling of the Imperial Vault, Temple of Heaven.

Shwedagon Pagoda.

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No one knows exactly when the Shwedagon Paya (or Pagoda) in Myanmar was built – legend has it that it is 2,500 years old though archaeologists estimate that it was built between the 6th and 10th century.Now, when people say "golden temple" they usually mean that the structure is golden in color.

But when it comes to the Shwedagon Pagoda, golden literally means covered in gold! In the 15th century, a queen of the Mon people donated her weight in gold to the temple. This tradition continues until today, where pilgrims often save for years to buy small packets of gold leafs to stick to the temple walls.

As if all that gold wasn’t enough, the spire of the stupa or dome is covered with over 5,000 diamonds and 2,000 rubies (there’s even a 76 carat diamond at the very tip!). And oh, the temple housed one of the holiest relics in Buddhism: eight strands of Buddha’s hair.

Prambanan.

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Prambanan’s main complex

Prambanan is a Hindu temple in Central Java, Indonesia. The temple was built in 850 CE, and is composed of 8 main shrines and 250 surrounding smaller ones.

Six of Prambanan’s eight main shrines

Nearly all the walls of the temple are covered in exquisite bas relief carvings, which narrate stories of Vishnu’s incarnations, adventures of Hanuman the Monkey King, the Ramayana epic and other legends.

Though not the biggest temple in Indonesia (Borobudur is larger – see below), Prambanan makes up in beauty and grace for what it lacks in size.

Bas-Relief at Prambanan

Wat Rong Khun.

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Wat Rong Khun in Chiang Rai, Thailand is unlike any Buddhist temples in the world. The all-white, highly ornate structure gilded in mosaic mirrors that seem to shine magically, is done in a distinctly contemporary style.

It is the brainchild of renowned Thai artist Chalermchai Kositpipat.Actually, the temple is still under construction.

Chalermchai expects it will take another 90 years to complete, making it the Buddhist temple equivalent of the Sagrada Familia church in Barcelona, Spain!

Buddha sculpture, gilded with mosaic mirrors

Details of the temple roof

Tiger’s Nest Monastery.

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Tiger’s Nest Monastery, perched precariously on the edge of a 3,000-feet-high cliff in Paro Valley, is one of the holiest places in Bhutan. Legend has it that Guru Rinpoche [wiki], the second Buddha, flew onto the cliff on the back of a tigress, and then meditated in a cave which now exists within the monastery walls.

The monastery, formally called Taktshang Goemba, was built in 1692 and reconstructed in 1998 after a fire. Now, the monastery is restricted to practicing Buddhists on religious retreats and is off-limits to ordinary tourists.

Angkor Wat.

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The faces of Bayon

The largest temple in history and the inspiration to countless novels and action movies of Hollywood: Ankor Wat.Angkor Wat was built in the early 12th century in what is now Cambodia. The world famous temple was first a Hindu one, dedicated to Vishnu. In the 14th or 15th century, as Buddhism swept across Asia, it became a Buddhist temple.

The faces of Bayon

The Western world’s got a glimpse of Angkor Wat when a 16th century Portuguese monk visited the temple and eloquently described it as "of such extraordinary construction that it is not possible to describe it with a pen, particularly since it is like no other building in the world.

It has towers and decoration and all the refinements which the human genius can conceive of." His words still rang true today.

Tourists visiting Angkor Wat usually also visit the nearby ruins of Angkor Thom and Bayon , two fantastic temples that serve as the ancient capital of Khmer empire.

The face of Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara at Angkor Thom

Kapila Theertham.

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Sri Kapileshwaraswami Temple is the only temple dedicated to Lord Siva, in the pantheon of Vaishnava temples in Tirupati. It is situated about 3 km to the north of Tirupati, at the foot of the Tirumala Hills. The sacred waterfall called Kapila Teertham (also known as Alwar Teertham) is located here.

Annual Brahmotsavams and festivals like vinayaka Chavithi, Maha Shivaratri, Skhanda Shasti andAnnabhishekam are performed in a grand manner. This is the only Siva Temple in Tirupati. The temple enshrines Sri Kapileshwaraswami. Waterfalls in this place are an attractive sight (especially in rainy season).

One can enjoy the peaceful atmosphere, as this place is located a little away from the town. City buses and autos are a means of conveyance to reach the Kapila Teertham.

LEGEND:

One of the holiest of Hindu saints, Saint Kapila Maharshi, was said to have lived here, worshipped, and meditated in this very cave before the idol of Lord Shiva and hence the name "Kapila theertham", the word "theertham" meaning a holy lake or holy pond that formed due to the waterfalls.

Rameswaram.

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Rameswaram is a town in Ramanathapuram district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is located on an island separated from the mainland by the Pamban channel. Together with Kashi, it is considered one of the holiest places in India to Hindus. Hence, it is a bustling pilgrim centre.

It is situated in the Gulf of Mannar at the very tip of the Indian peninsula. A very important pilgrim centre for the Hindus, Rameshwaram, according to legends, is the place from where Lord Rama, built a bridge across the sea to Lanka to rescue his consort Sita, from her abductor, Ravana. This is also the place where Rama worshipped Shiva to be absolved of the sin of killing Ravana. Both the Vaishnavites and Shaivites visit this pilgrimage centre which is known as the Varanasi of the south.

View Of the East Gopuram of Rameswaram temple in the morningRameshwaram is significant for the Hindus as a pilgrimage to Benaras is incomplete without a Pilgrimage to Rameshwaram. The presiding deity here is in in the form of a Linga with the name sri Ramanatha Swamy , it also happens to be one of the twelve Jyotirlingas. Rameshwaram is also popularly referred to as the 'Benaras of the south'.

Sri Rameswar

The grandest part of the temple is the 1219 m pillared corridor consisting of 3.6 m high granite pillars, richly carved and well proportioned. The perspective presented by these pillars run uninterruptedly to a length of nearly 230 m.

According to the Puranas, upon the advice of Rishis (sages), Rama along with Sita and Lakshmana, installed and worshipped the Sivalinga here to expiate the sin of Brahmahatya (killing of a Brahmin) (Ravana was a Brahmin the great grandson of Brahma).[citation needed] Rama fixed an auspicious time for the installation and sent Anjaneya to Mount Kailas to bring a lingam.

As Anjaneya could not return in time, Sita herself made a linga of sand. When Anjaneya returned with a linga from Mount Kailas the rituals had been over. To comfort the disappointed Anjaneya, Rama had Anjaneya’s lingam (Visvalingam) also installed by the side of Ramalinga, and ordained that rituals be performed first to the Visvalingam.

Rameshwaram is an island situated on the tip of the Indian peninsula. The city is also an important south India pilgrimage center of the Indians. It is the place from where Lord Rama had built a bridge across the sea to rescue his consort Sita.This is the place where Rama worshipped Lord Shiva to cleanse away the sin of Ravana. Both the Vaishnavites and Shaivites visit this pilgrimage city.

Rameshwaram is significant for the Hindus. The presiding deity is the Linga Of Sri Ranganatha, which happens to be one of the twelve Jyotirlingas of India. Rameshwaram is popularly referred as the 'Benaras of the south'. In order to attain Moksha it is believed that a visit to Rameshwaram is mandatory. In fact the entire area of Rameshwaram is associated with various incidents from the Ramayana. The city of Rameshwaram happens to be one of the most visited pilgrim sites in India.

The places of visit include the Ramanathaswamy Temple, which was built in the 17th century and is situated close to the sea on the eastern side of the island; this temple is famous for its 1200 gigantic granite columns. At a distance of about 100 metres comes the Agnitheertham, where Rama worshipped Lord Shiva, to absolve himself from the killing Ravana.Another shrine called Gandamadana Parvatham is worth visiting. This shrine is found at 2kms away from Rameshwaram. A place called Dhanushkodi named after Rama's bow is at the eastern end of the island at a distance of 8 kms from Rameshwaram.

Sri Raghurama Temple ,Danushkoti.

The little town of Rameshwaram is also a heaven on earth for nature lovers as one can find captivating coral reefs here. The place is also perfect as a holiday destination with the ever so charming combination of sun, sand and sea. Rameshwaram is visited by both the local and foreign tourists as it is a rejuvenating experience in itself.Dhanushkodi is the nearest point to cross over to Ceylon and in those days the Rameswaram express was called as "Boat Mail" as the boats from Ceylon used to bring Travellers from across Ceylon to Dhanushkodi who will straitaway get into the Train"Boat Mail" which will happily steam its way to Madras,Nalla Madras.

Dhanushkodi was such a Holy place that every Hindu pilgrim from all parts of India used to have a dip in Thiruppullanai(near Ramnad)where Ramar was supposed to have taken rest before embarking on the long JOurney for the War across the Ocean(the Temple in Thiruppullanai is still there ,well maintained by a set of devotees who are all known to me)and then Devipattinam ,called Nava Pashanam,where Ramar is supposed to have established the nine grahas inside the seas..and then pilgrims used to go to Rameswaram and Danushkodi to complete their faithful Pilgrimage.

This trip is just like going to Mecca for a Muslim or Jerusalem for a Christian. There is no question in this tour whether Ramar was really in a siesta in Thiruppullani or whether Ramar really believed in NIne Grahas in Devipattinam(which town over a period has been completely occupied by Muslims tho' they have allowed Hindus to this Place where the Grahas are inside the seas!)Dhanushkoti was making a huge some of Money atleast for the Purohits when it was alive and active,as Rameswaram si Today(till it was swallowed by a big Tsunami in 1965!)Hence the Faith which has been passed on to us for generations cannot be suddenly questioned just based on some economic criteria,as none will have the guts to replace a Masjid or Church based on Economic Criteria..even a cartoon of that sort wd have created a furore.

While I fully agree with the importance of Shorter shipping route,it cannot be at the cost of something which many believe Really Existed! Can anyone go to Kashmir with the question whether "the Hair" in a particular Draga is really "Prophet MOhammed's?" They wd kill anyone who goes with such a thinking even... The very fact that some archealogists found evidence of Mary Magdalene and her daughter's grave (very recently)all over world the protest was so huge that they buried the very topic conveniently.

Thirupati Govindaraja Swami.

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Sri Govindaraja Swami

This temple is the biggest temple in Tirupati Town and attracts lakhs of pilgrims. A large number of inscriptions found in this temple and in the Sri Venkateswara Temple at Tirumala help us to trace its history.

The earliest of the records belong to the year 1235 A.D when the Chola King, Raja Raja III was ruling the place. In the year 1239 A.D the queen of Viranarasinga of Yadavaraya made a gift for decoration of the chariot and carrying necessary repairs.

The temple came in for greater importance in 1506 A.D. during the rule of Saluva Dynasty of Vijayanagar and from then onwards different rulers in a different way developed the temple.

The emergence of Govindaraj Swamy has already been discussed in the temple history of Lord Venkateswara at Tirumala.

It is very interesting to note that this is the only idol in India for which no "Abhisekham" pooja is performed since the day of its consecretion as it was made of clay.

Mathura.

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Lord Krishna

Being the birth place of Lord Krishna, Mathura is one of the most sacred destinations of India. As the legend goes, Mathura was founded in the Treta era by Shatrughna, the younger brother of Lord Rama and later was under the royalty of King Kamsa, the maternal uncle of Lord Krishna. According to Hindu mythology, Kamsa heard a divine prophecy saying that he would be killed by his sister Devki's eighth son Krisha.

Mathura SriKrishna Temple

Hence, he imprisoned Devki and her husband Vasudeva and kept on killing their children one after another. But when Lord Krishna was born, miraculously all guards went to sleep, prison gates opened and Vasudeva carried his son to Gokul crossing the wild river Yamuna in the mid night. The divine prophecy came true and Krishna killed tyrant Kamsa and ruled Mathura for a long time.

Vrindavan is the place where Lord Krishna spent his childhood leaving a number of myths and legends of love and friendship behind.Pilgrims Find here SanctityStudded with number of ancient and modern temples, Mathura is the abode of God and divinity. Hinduism find here a new dimension which is the colour of love with which Lord Krishna wanted to bind this entire world.

The mild sound of devotees taking the hundred and eight names of Lord Krishna all day long covers the entire ambience of Mathura. The immense belief of the pilgrims coming here from different parts of the world is something that give Mathura a well deserved wight and importance in the itinerary of Indian pilgrimages.

SriKrishna Janmabhoomi

(The Birth Place Of Lord Krishna)A vast temple complex situated in the heart of Mathura is one of the foremost places of Hindu veneration. It contains many smaller temples among which lies the age old prison of tyrant king Kamsa where Lord Krisha was born in order to save the universe from all evils. You have to be patient and maintain the long queue before entering into the narrow prison.

Sri Balram Temple

The temple had been destroyed number of times in the ages of Mohammed Gazni, Sikander Lodi and Aurangzeb but had been restored every time. You have to undergo a security checking at the gate and we request you to co-operate with the guards. You will be asked to leave you mobile phone outside the premises.

Vishram Ghat
It is the most important bathing ghat in Mathura. Lord Krishna is said to have rested here after killing Kamsa, the tyrant king of Mathura. The 'Aarti' being offered in the morning and evening at the riverside is a visual treat to the eyes. It is believed that bathing in the Yamuna on the second day of Kartik is very meritorious which is known as Yama Dwitiya.

ISKCON Temple

Located within the Krishna-Baldev Temple premises, the temple wall is adorned with exquisite paintings and carvings depicting the life of Lord Krishna. Beautiful architecture, carved arches and immense spirituality make the place a divine destination in Vrindavan. Be prepared to listen to 'Hare Krishna' as everybody you will meet inside the temple premise will greet you with these two words.One more aspect of Mathura that fascinates is how people from different nationality, religion and race are getting painted with the colour of love of Shri Krishna.

Mathura is truly a global city where people from various corners of the world come, lose themselves in the Krishna-divinity and start a new life in the ancient and narrow lanes of Mathura. You will find hundreds of ISKON (International Society of Krishna Consciousness) followers from foreign lands enchanting Sanskrit mantra effortlessly.When Divinity Mingles With FestivityThe quiet and ancient cities Mathura and Vrindavan come alive as the month of September arrives and devotees celebrate the birth of Lord Krish which is popularly know as Janmasthami with much enthusiasm and gaiety. Devout from various parts of the world come here to attend and participate in this grand celebration.

Govindaji Temple
Built in 1590, this ancient temple of Vrindavan has a number of fascinating stories to tell. The original Govindaji Deity was removed from this temple and kept in Jaipur when Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb tried to destroy it. This magnificent temple houses a spectacular marble altar adorned with gold and silver and hold the idols of Govindaji in the middle, Lord Chaitanya to His left and Lord Nityananda to His right.

Sri Govindaji

A sculptured lotus flower weighing several tons decorates the main hall of the temple and demands a careful look from your side.Brij Ki Holi is a festival of colours that leaves an ever lasting memory in the minds of the its participants and people don't even mind when their clothes and hair get colured with different shades of gulal (powdered colour). Plan your Mathura-Vrindavan tour at the time of Holi to savour a new colur of life.

Madan Mohana Temple, Radha-Ballava Temple, Radha-Damodara Temple and Radha-Gopinath Temple are some of famous temples of Vrindavan which you should not miss while you are in Vrindavan. Tourist InformationMathura and Vrindavan are hot in summer and best in winter. But if you plan your trip at the time of Janmashtami in Sepetember and Holi in March, you can discover the cities the most.By AirThe nearest airport is Agra which is 66 km away and is well connected to Delhi, Khajuraho and Varanasi by regular flights by Indian Airlines and other private airline services.

By RailMathura Junction is well connected to Delhi by numerous trains including the Punjab Mail and Taj Express, to Mumbai by the August Kranti and Mumbai Rajdhani and to Kolkata by the Toofan Express. The Lucknow-Agra Express also finds Mathura in its route.By RoadMathura and Vrindavan are well connected with Agra, Delhi, Bharatpur, Alwar and Lucknow by well maintained road.Local TransportBuses run by the UPSRTDC taxis (can be hired from the taxi stand opposite the District Hospital), auto-rickshaws, cycle-rickshaws and tongas (rates negotiable), are the main means of transportation.

Amarkantak.

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Sri Yantra Temple

Situated in the Maikal Mountains, Amarkantak is an important pilgrimage center for Hindus. It is the meeting point of the Vindhyas and the Satpura Mountain Ranges in Central India. It is also the source of the rivers Narmada and Sone.

There are dense forests of teak, Mahua, etc. around Amarkantak where one can find numerous small and trickling streams feeding the Narmada. Tour to Amarkantak will, therefore, be an escape from the mundane life. Amarkantak, being a unique natural heritage, comprises of a number of places of scenic beauty.

Sri Pataleswr

Apart from this it is source of origin of three important rivers. Tour to Amarkantak, a great pilgrim center for Hindus, is thus a unique experience of a lifetime. Some o the tourists' attractions in Amarkantak include:

Sri Pataleswr Temple

Ancient temples of Kalchuri period: situated in the south of Narmadakund, there are some ancient temples of Kalchuri period. These were built by Kalchuri Maharaja Karnadeva (1042-1072 AD). The Machhendranath and Pataleshwar temples are excellent examples of architecture.

Narmadakund and temples

Around Narmadakund, a pool at the origin of Narmada, there are number of temples such as Narmada and Shiva temple, Kartikey temple, Shri Ram Janki temple, Annapurna temple, Guru Gorakhnath temple, Sri Shuryanarayan temple, Vangeshwar Mahadev temple, Durga temple, Shiv Pariwar, Siddheswar Mahadev temple, Sri Radha Krishna temple, Eleven Rudra temple etc.

Sonemuda

Sonemuda,origin of Sone RiverSonemuda is the place of origin of Sone River. Enjoy the panorama of forested hills and valleys.

Mai ki Bagiya (Goddess garden)

it is a grove of trees in dense forests that is named Mai ki Bagiya in honor of the goddess Narmada. In this natural garden Mango, Banana and other fruit trees along with Gulbakavli, roses and other flower plants are there.

Kapildhara (Kapil waterfall):

it is the famous waterfall with a fall of about hundred feet. According to scriptures, Kapil Muni lived here. There is a scene of natural beauty with mountains and dense forest down hills.

Kabir chabutra (the platform of saint Kabir)

The local people, the Panikas, consider Kabir Chabutara as one of the holiest places of the Kabirpanthis because Sant Kabir spent many years here in meditation.

Shri Jwaleshwar Mahadev (the temple of Shiva)

The Jwaleshwar temple is situated at a distance of 8 km from Amarkantak on Shahdol road. To Reach Amarkantak :By AirThe nearest airhead is Jabalpur (245 kms). By Rail The nearest railhead is Pendra Road (17 kms) though Anuppur (48 kms.) is more convenient. By RoadThere are buses from Pendra Road, Bilaspur and Shahdol. Tour to Amarkantak brings to you a unique opportunity to explore the beauty of nature.

Birla Mandir.

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Hyderabad reflects a synthesis of varied cultures. It presents a beautiful blend of the northern and southern styles of architecture. One such marvelous edifice is the Birla Mandir. An enchanting temple dedicated to Lord Venkateswara, the Birla Mandir stands in all its grandeur on the hilltop of Kalapahad.

Made of pure white marble from Rajasthan, the Birla Mandir overlooks the serene and placid waters of the Hussain Sagar lake.The magnificent shrine offers a fantastic panoramic view of the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad.

The intricate carvings of the temple, the ceiling and the mythological figures are a standing testimony to the dexterity and sculptural excellence of the craftsmen. Beautiful scenes from the great epics of Ramayana and Mahabharata are finely sculpted in marble. A trip to Hyderabad remains incomplete without a visit to this enchanting Temple, Birla Mandir.

This shimmering ethereal temple of Lord Venkateshwara, built in sculpted white marble, floats on the city skyline, on Kala Pahad. The highest tower in the temple reaches a height of 165 feet and the ancillary towers reach 116 feet.

The tower over the main shrine of Venkateswara called the Jagadananda vimanam is built in the Orissan style while the towers over the shrines of the consorts are built in the South Indian style. This temple displays a mixture of architectural styles.

A number of lofty steps lead the visitor to the sanctum sanctorum. Along the winding path are many a marble statue of gods and goddesses of Hindu mythology located in the midst of verdant gardens, full of blossoms. The Birla Mandir presents a colorful spectacular sight when illuminated at night.

Brahmakapal.

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I have to include information about Brahmakapalam. This is where the ancesters that passed away are remembered by doing specific rituals and rites.This is one of the places where if you do 'pinda pradanam', the ancestral souls will be freed and reach Vaikunta (the abode of Vishnu).

Kapal Mochan Ling

We were planning to do this at the famous Gaya, Varanasi anyway. My husband had collected all the names, gothras etc. (the data required to mention at the time of the ritual) before the trip. There was a large stone not too high in one corner of the Temple along the river.

That was where the priest and Rao sat to perform the rites. Only men were eligible to do the ritual. My husband was allowed to do on behalf of Nirmala for her parents, brothers and sisters who passed away. Nirmala and I stood at a distance and so, could not see the details of it.We were told we should do this even for any pets like cows, dogs, birds and so on that had left (us) this earth.

I felt that it was more to free ourselves of any bondages to those souls, since those souls are free anyway.But the tradition says that we do these to free those departed souls and those souls will not have rebirth. Our goal being not to return to this earth and go through the sufferings, this made sense too.We were given prasadam for this purpose at the Temple and we ate it after the rites were performed.

By the way, this is the only place we can see the river Saraswathi. In other places like Thriveni sangamam in Allahabad, it is hidden underneath!!We visited the Vedavyasa shrine also here. Pandavas supposedly left for Vaikuntam (the abode of Vishnu) from here.

Udupi.

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The main icon (vigraha) in Udupi of Lord Krishna was established by Madhvacharya.Madhvacharya instituted the eight monasteries in Udupi to take care of the daily worship of Lord Krishna he established there.There is an interesting story about how Madhvacharya came to possess the vigraha of Lord Krishna.

It is said that he was once meditating on the seashore near Udupi, when he saw that a sudden storm in the sea was almost crashing a ship to bits. He lifted his "Angavastra" and guided the ship to safety.

The merchants travelling in the ship wanted to offer wealth to Madhvacharya for saving their lives, he instead asked for a lump of "Gopi Chandana", a type of mud block, light yellow in colour, which they were using as ballast. The merchants gave what he asked for and proceeded on their way.

Madhvacharya brought it to Udupi and washed it in the tank, and lo and behold! Inside the mud block was the idol of Lord Krishna. Madhvacharya immediately constructed a temple for the idol and established the system of daily worship. Gopi Chandana became holy for the followers of Dwaita philosophy, and since then is being used to apply the ‘Dwadasha Mudras’ on the body of all men.

The 8 monasteries (Ashta Mathas) of Udupi have been following his philosophy since then.The eight monasteries (Ashta Mathas) are Krishnapura, Pejavara, Putthige, Sode(Sondhe), Kaniyoor (Kaneyur), Adamaru, Shirur and Palimaru.The peculiarity of the Ashta Mathas is that the management of these Mathas is by turn (Paryaya) and each Swami or Pontiff has to manage administration for two years.
Perhaps the great preceptor evolved his own democratic way of managing complete hegemony over a religious establishment.In earlier days, the administration of the Mathas in Udupi used to change hands every two months. Later on it was found that the system was not viable and hence it was decided to give a period of two years before the baton of administration was passed on to the next one.

Melmaruvattur.

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Onre Kulam, Oruvane Thevan, meaning all are equal in front of the One God is being practised literally in the Adi Parasakthi temple at Mel Maruvathur, Chennai, Tamil Nadu. The devotees believe in "Ore Thai and Ore Kulam". The devotees are permitted to enter into the garbha griha (inner chamber) & pray to the Goddess.

People of all religions Hindus, Christians, Jains, Buddhists are allowed to enter the sanctum & offer prayers in the pattern they are accustomed to. The founder is Sri Bangaru Naicker. Several charitable Trusts & Organisations are run under the guidance of Bangaru Adigalar.

Sri Adi Parashakthi Amman

The sacred place where the shrine is located was a dense forest. There was a neem tree exuding a white fluid, which was sweet & also cured some ailmets. When this tree fell during a cyclone in 1966, a Swayambu Lingam was noticed. Adi Parasakthi is considered to have done pooja to this Lingam & hence this Lingam is placed in front of the Adi Parasakthi idol.

The Adi Parasakthi idol (the Archamurti) is insitting posture, placed on a black stone pedestal in the form of a lotus. In front of the Archamurti is the Swayambu lingam (self-manifested lingam). The other shrines within the temple are - Puthu Mandapam.

Where it is believed Adi parasakthi was doing penance in the form of a serpent,in the form of a serpent Saptakanya Mandapam, with the images of the Sapthakanyas as well as the rectangular stones installed at the base Durga idol with Nagendra behind the Saptakanyas.

Margosa tree & outside the main temple is the small shrine for Adharvana Bhadrakali. The temple officials as well as the devotees wear red clothes, signifying equality - the colour of blood which is red for all, irrespective of caste, creed, status. Devotees wear mala & carry Irumudi to the temple as in Sabarimalai.

Ayodhya.

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The ancient city of Ayodhya, according to the Ramayana, was founded by Manu, the law-giver of the Hindus. For centuries it was the capital of the descendants of the Surya dynasty, of which Lord Rama was the most celebrated king.

Ayodhya city was the capital of the ancient kingdom of Ayodhya, where Lord Ram, the 7th incarnation (avtar) of Vishnu was born. It is also mentioned in Hindu mythology and the Ramayana. The ancient scripture of Atharvaveda describes Ayodhya as 'a city built by gods' and compares its prosperity with the glory and splendor of the paradise .

In the Gupta period (200-400 AD) Vikramaditya tried to restore the long-lost glory of Ayodhya but nothing survived.Ayodhya during ancient times was known as Kosaldesa. The Atharvaveda describes it as a city built by gods and being as prosperous as paradise itself.

The illustrious ruling dynasty of this region where the Ikshvakus of the solar clan (Suryavamsha). According to tradition, Ikshvaku was the eldest son of Vaivasvata Manu, who established himself at Ayodhya. The earth is said to have its name Prithivi from Prithu, the 6th king of the line.

A few generations later came Mandhatri, in whose line the 31st king was Harischandra, known widely for his love of Truth. Raja Sagar of the same line performed the Asvamedha Yajna and his great grandson Bhagiratha is reputed to have brought Ganga on earth by virtue of his penances. Later in the time this clan came to be called as Raghuvamsa.

Baghiraths Grandson was Raja Dasaratha, the illustrious father of Lord Rama, with whom the glory of the Kosala dynasty reached its peak. The story of this epic has been immortalized by Valmiki and immensely popularized by the great masses through centuries.

According to puranic tradition, in the 93rd generation from Ikshvaku, the 30th from Rama was Brihabdala the last famous king of the Ikshvaku dynasty of Ayodhya, who was killed during the Mahabharata war. The kingdom of Kosala again rose to prominence in the time of Buddha, i.e. 6th century B.C.

Babur, the founder of the Mughal Empire in India, constructed a mosque in Ayodhya. It became the part of the great Mughal Empire and was ruled by them for many years. After the decline of the Mughal Empire, it became a part of the regional state of Awadh, which was later annexed by the British.The city of Ayodhya is an important pilgrim place for Hindus in India. It is one of the seven holiest cities of India.

Ayodhya is the birthplace of Lord Ram, who is an important deity in the Hindu pantheon. This small, quiet town attracts pilgrims from all over the country. Hindu pilgrims visiting Ayodhya during festivals and important religious functions consider a holy dip in the sacred Saryu River very auspicious.The tourist season is round the year, but from Oct to March is the best. However, tourist should avoid summer in April-June.

Kumbakonam.

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The Sarangapani temple is the principal and largest of the Vishnu temples in Kumbakonam dating to the thirteenth-century. It is among the 108 Tirupatis and is given third place next to Srirangam and Tirupati. The shrine is in form of a chariot. A beautiful tank called Hema Pushkarni separates this shrine and the Adi Kumbeshwara temple.

Entry, into a hundred-pillar hallway from the seventeenth century (Nayak period), is through a twelve-storied pyramidal gopuram, more than 40m high which is considered one of the largest gopurams in South India.

Pass through a smaller gopuram that leads into a second courtyard that contains another columned mandapa and to the right, a shrine to Lakshmi. The central shrine dates from the late Chola period with many later alterations. Its entrance, within the innermost court, is guarded by huge dvarpalas, identical to Vishnu whom they protect.

Between them are carved perforated stone screens in different designs, and in front of them stands the sacred, square fireplace (to do homam). During the day, pinpoints of light from ceiling windows penetrate the darkness around the sanctum, designed to resemble a chariot with reliefs of horses, elephants and wheels. A painted cupboard contains a mirror for Vishnu to see himself when he leaves the sanctum sanctorum.

There are 2 entrances to the sanctum. One is kept open throughout the Uttarayan period and the other during the Dakshinayan period. By the side of the temple is the Golden Lotus tank also known as Lakshmi Theertham. Goddess Lakshmi performed penance here and Vishnu came down as Lord Aravamudhan and married Her. Sarangapani, Aravamudhan and Komalavalli are the presiding deities.

Sri Chakrapani Temple, is situated at Kumbakonam a temple town in tamilnadu, India. HISTORY OF THE TEMPLE: This temple is considered to be one of the most important Vishnu temples in South India, along with Srirangam and Tirupati. Seven of the Alwars sang the glories of this temple. Lord Sarangapani is the presiding Deity of the temple.

Sri Chakrapani

DIVINESS OF THE TEMPLE: The images of Chakrapani and with 8 arms and Sudarshanavalli Thayar with a gracious visage are inspiring. Brahma, Surya and Agni are depicted as worshipping the Lord. According to legend, Surya once competed with Vishnu to decide who was brighter.

Vishnu appeared in the form of a Chakra and put down the pride of Surya. Like Shiva, Lord Chakrapani has a third eye on His forehead. AUSPICIOUS DAYS: Satuardays are special, Vaikunda Ekadasi and Masi maham are other famous festivals celebrated in this Temple.

POOJA TYPES AND TARIFF: Poojas listed here are applicable for this temple only.The tariff shown are not actual cost payable to the temple. It includes our service charge, cost of pooja items and Delivery charges.

Kumbamela.

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Maha Kumbha Mela is held in Allahabad every 12 years. It also takes place in three other holy places in India every 12 years— Haridwar, Ujjain and Nasik. The time for Kumbha-mela is judged by the astrological positions of Jupiter and the Sun. In Prayag (Allahabad) the Kumbha-mela takes place during January-February, when Jupiter is in Taurus and the Sun enters Capricorn.

The Kumbha-mela in Prayag (Allahabad) is considered especially auspicious. This very interesting event draws about 15 million people and is the largest attended event in the world. A huge temporary city is created for the millions of pilgrims that arrive for the most auspicious bathing days.

Kumbha Mela is like a Yogi Convention, where yogis, sadhus (saints), holy people, and pilgrims come from all over India. Many sadhus come from various holy places, the most remote forests, and mountain caves in the Himalayas. The most famous are the Naga Babas, who are completely naked. They cover their bodies only with ash and wear their hair in dreadlocks.

It is said that if one bathes at the Sangam of the Ganges, Yamuna and underground Saraswati on one of the main bathing days during Kumbha Mela that one attains liberation. In the Vishnu Purana it says that one get a great benefit from bathing during Kumbha Mela than performing 1,000 Ashwamedha Yajnas (horse sacrifices) or circumambulating the earth 100,0000 times.

It is said that by bathing at Kumbha Mela that all a person’s sins are washed away and that 88 generations of ancestors are benefited. The main bathing days are known as Shahi Snans or Royal Bathing Days. The main bathing day, when the most people come, was on January 24, on the Mauni Amavasya day (the dark moon), when over 15 million people are said to have bathed.

The next main day or Shahi Snan is said to be on Basant Panchami (fifth day of the new moon), January 29. I went to the Kumbha Mela for the important bathing day of Maha Sankranti on January 14th, 2001 (when the sun enters the sign of Capricorn), which is supposed to be the third major bathing day (Shahi Snan) of Kumbha Mela.

On this day it is said that around five million people bathed. The festival began on January 9th on Paush Purnima (full moon). The two other main days are Magha Purnima (full moon) on February 8th and Maha Sivaratri (appearance day of Lord Siva) on February 21.

Bet Dwaraka.

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Bet Dwarka is a small island located at a distance of 32 kms from Dwarka proper. It is often visited by a number of tourists. This place is mainly known for the legend which declares that Lord Krishna had killed the famous water demon named Shakasur on this island which is located in the Arabian Sea. It is one of the most attractive Beaches of Jamnagar, which is never missed by the tourists of Gujarat. As a tourist spot Bet Dwarka can be easily approached through the ferry rides which are organised by the state to take its visitors to the Island. Bet Dwarka is one of the well known pilgrimages of Gujarat which is mainly known for the ancient temples like Ranchodrai temple, Devki temple and the temples which are dedicated to the chief queen of Lord Shri Krishna.

The other attractions of the island are Mahaprabhuji Bethak, Bal Hanuman and Shankha Talav. With its legends Bet Dwarka is considered to be a major sight for historical excavations as well. Bet Dwarka is also known as a major historical site for excavation. This place is famous for a number of legends. It is often believed that the city of Dwarka where Lord Krishna resided flourished gloriously in pre historic days. The place was full of luxurious palaces and other important hyistoricdal sights which sank the moment Lord Krishna left it. Besides its legends the place was one of the major trading centre in Ancient and medieval period which had a fabulous harbour. The place is supposed to continue trade relations with the Mediterranean countries around the Christian era. The old city was taken over by a team of archaeologists who continued some on shore and inter- tidal zonal excavations which helped to excavate some potential sites where large number of antiques was recovered.

The excavations brought out a number of coins which would trace trade relations across the Mediterranean and Arabian Sea. These potential sections have been divided into some sections which are named as Bet Dwarka I, II, IV and IX.The Archaeological Survey of India has catagorised the findings in two sections. The articles are divided according to the period. Some has been categorized as pre historic which include some seals of conch shell, some inscriptions, copper fish hook and late Harappan potter is along with coins and other trading elements. The present location of Bet Dwarka brought out some more historical objects like a number of stone anchors of different shapes and a number of shipwrecks which trace it to the Roman age.

These trace out trade relations with Roman Empire. As such these reveal that Bet Dwarka was a popular trading centre located on the western coast of India. The Archaeological explorations in bet Dwarka also bring out a large number of data which reveal India's external overseas trade and commerce. This makes India one of the busiest trading centres of fourth and fifth century BC. With these excavated articles the place can be calculated within one of the richest historical sights in India. Effort was also made to establish a Dwarka museum with some tube lights that could provide access to the public and allow them to see the most legendary city beneath the Arabian Sea.

Presently the state government of Gujarat has been working on this project which is one of the most exceptional one. If completed this would be one of the most unique museums of India.Thus Bet Dwarka has been one of the most popular sights which attract the tourists. With the legends of Dwarka city and excavated sites this has been one of the most exciting sites which encourage the cities to visit the area.

Kedarnath.

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Kedarnath is situated at the head of the Mandakini River. It is at an altitude of 3,584 m. with a breathtaking view of the snow capped Himalayas in the background. The temple is made out of huge granite slabs. Adi Shankaracharya, the founder of the Advaita philosophy is supposed to have worshipped here and fixed the method of puja. With his usual foresight, he made a rule that the pujaris (priests) of this temple should be brought from the state of Karnataka in the south and the priests of Garwal should go to the Shiva temple of Rameshwaram in the south. This is the custom up to this day.

The journey to Kedarnath starts from the pilgrim town of Rishikesh at the foothills of the Himalayas. The railway track ends in Rishikesh. From here one can take a car or bus and go up to Rudraprayag. This is a famous confluence of two rivers where the River Mandakini, which comes from Kedarnath, meets the River Alagananda, which comes from Badrinath. From here one has to take the route to the place called Gaurikund, which is as far as the motorable road goes. This place, which is dedicated to the goddess Gauri, the consort of Shiva, has a beautiful hot water spring in which all pilgrims are supposed to take a bath. There is a lovely shrine to the goddess close to the spring.

The 14 km. trek to Kedarnath begins from Gaurikund. Those who find it difficult to walk can take ponies and old people can be carried in something called a doli, which is a kind of hammock, carried by four people. En route we come to a halting place called Rambara. The track is made out of cobbled stones and is quite difficult to walk on. But the problems of the trek are forgotten when we gaze at the breathtaking vistas that open out before our astounded eyes at every turn.

All through we are followed by the gurgling sound of the Mandakini as she rushes down the deep gorges and valleys. Actually most of the fascination of the route is spoilt for the earnest pilgrim who goes on foot, by the ponies that come behind and threaten to nudge him off the cliff. The track clings to the hillside that overlooks valleys that are more than 500 km deep so the prospect of being nudged off these cliffs is not such a happy one.

However our first view of the temple as we come up is enough to take away all the fatigue of the journey. The fantastic snow mountain at the back sets off the stark granite structure of the shrine. You literally give a gasp of delight when you see this view. Unfortunately the approach road is now filled with modern restaurants and shops so part of the charm is lost. Hindu pilgrims are always required to take a bath before they enter any temple. There is no hot spring here as there is at Badrinath so one has to take a bath in the icy waters of the Mandakini. However in the past few years two and three-star hotels have sprung up so hot and cold showers are available in the bathrooms.

I always feel that comforts are always at the cost of sanctity - the more the comforts, the less the sanctity! Another problem is that the more the comforts, the more the pilgrims who behave more like tourists than true pilgrims. A special feeling is generated when one dips in the freezing waters and stays in an ill-ventilated, tiny room and runs to the temple at the crack of dawn to be present for the first puja. Unlike Vishnu temples where the devotee is not allowed into the sanctum sanctorum, in Shiva temples you can go right up to the lingam and do one’s own abhishekam (ritual powering of water over the idol) as well as touch the idol.

This is a great thrill for everybody. The pujari (priest) is there and will also do a puja for you if you so wish. In fact there are many pujas during the course of the day in which you can participate. The lingam is a huge hump-shaped rock that is anointed and decorated very beautifully. Shiva is supposed to be "abhisheka priya" (one who loves to have water poured over him) while Vishnu is said to be "alankaara priya" (one who loves to be beautifully dressed), so you will find that Shiva Lingams are never as beautifully decorated as the idols of Vishnu.

Adi Sankaracharya Samadi at Badarinath

Two other spots worth visiting here are the samadhi of Adi Shankaracharya and the Gandhi Sarovar. There is a lot of debate about the place where Adi Shankaracharya actually passed away. One faction claims that it was at Kedarnath so there is a shrine here to this most renowned teacher of the Advaita philosophy, which is the philosophy of non-duality.

Gandhi Sarovar is a glacial lake in which some of the ashes of Mahatma Gandhi were scattered. Of course there are many other beautiful treks in and around the place which one can do if there is time and inclination. The return journey is also to be covered in one day. There is a short stop at Rambara and then on to Gaurikund where one has to stay the night and then proceed to the next shrine known as Madmaheswar.

Dwaraka.

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Badarinath.

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Badrinath is the holiest of all the dhams i.e. Jagganath Puri (Orissa), Rameshwaram (Tamil Nadu) and Dwarka(Gujrat). Reference of Badrinath is found in Mahabharata and it is believed that sage Ved vyas dictated the epic of Mahabharata at Mana and that the Pandavas made their way towards heaven through Badrinath.

Reference regarding existence of Badrinath is also found in Skand Puran wherein it is written that - 'There are several sacred shrines in heaven, on earth and in hell; but there is no shrine like Badrinath'. Reference to this holy place is also found in form of hyms in several other Puranas and in Padma Puran the place is referred to as repository of spiritual treasures.

Similarly, as per Vamana Puran it is considered that Badrinath is the above of fifth incarnation of Lord Vishnu as Nar & Narayan, who performed penance here.Badrinath temple which is situated at a height of 10,248 feet in the lap of Narayan Parvat whereas the opposite range is called the Nar Parvat. The presiding diety of Badrinath temple is Lord Badrivishal which is made of black stone shaligram.

Badrinath temple which is situated at a height of 10,248 feet in the lap of Narayan Parvat whereas the opposite range is called the Nar Parvat. The presiding diety of Badrinath temple is Lord Badrivishal which is made of black stone shaligram.

Having performed puja we decided to approach Narayan Parvat for darshan of famed Charan Paduka - feet of the lord. We started our ascent at around 12.00 noon and it took us an hour and a half to reach our destination -

Although the journey uphill was back breaking and arduos,yet the sheer display of nature's magic mesmerized us and we sat there imbibing the scenic beauty all around -It was getting late and all of a sudden the weatheralso threatened to let loose a barrage of rain or hails and we quickly beat a hasty retreat.

However, by the time we reached our dharamshala, it had already started to pour. Suddenly, with wind picking up the chill factor also became a point for reckoning. Having ordered a cup of hot tea and pakoras, we decided to spend the evening indoors.

Apart from the above, there is the Bhim pul at Mana which is a monolithic stone thrown across the mighty Saraswati river and as per legend while travelling towards Heaven, Draupadi refused to sully Saraswati river with her feet and therefore, Bhim threw this stone across the river to fecilitate the passage of Draupadi.

The place abounds with serveral such anecdotes dating back to the Mahabharata era.Having completed the darshan to our heart's content we proceeded back the next morning and drove down straight to Rishikesh where we reached at around 4.30 P.M having started at the first gate release from Badrinath at 6.00 A.M.

There were many a picturseque valley, but this one is one of my favourites -This part of the travelogue concludes the entire Chardham yatra undertaken by millions of devout Hindus every year. Hope my little contribution can help the cause of those who cannot make due to some reason or the other.

Rishikesh.

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Haridwar.

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Yamunotri.

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Gongotri.

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Sravanabelagola.

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Gaya and Buddha Gaya.

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Gaya is the second largest city of Bihar, India, and it is also the headquarters of Gaya District.Gaya is 100 kilometers south of Patna, the capital city of Bihar. Situated on the banks of Falgu River (Niranjana, as mentioned in Ramayana), it is a place sanctified by the Hindu, the Buddhist and the Jain religions.

It is surrounded by small rocky hills (Mangla-Gauri, Shringa-Sthan, Ram-Shila and Brahmayoni) by three sides and the river flowing on the fourth (eastern) side. The city has a mix of natural surroundings, age old buildings and narrow bylanes.Gaya derives its name from the mythological demon Gayasur (which literally means Gaya the demon), demon (asur, a Sanskrit word) and Gaya.

Bodhtree at Gaya

Lord Vishnu killed Gayasur, the holy demon by using the pressure of his foot over him. This incident transformed Gayasur into the series of rocky hills that make up the landscape of the Gaya city. Gaya was so holy that he had the power to absolve the sins of those who touched him or looked at him; after his death many people have flocked to Gaya to perform Shraddha sacrifices on his body to absolve the sins of their ancestors.

Gods and goddesses had promised to live on Gayasur's body after he died, and the hilltop protuberances of Gaya are surmounted by temples to various gods and goddesses.

These hilltop temples at Rama Shila, Mangla Gauri, Shringa Sthan and Brahmayoni are part of the pilgrimage circuit, and grand staircases have been built up to most of them. In Vishnu Pad Temple, Guruji Shri Vishnukant Mishra Ji is the main "priest" of this temple and Shri Shashikant Mishra is the eldest son of Guruji.

Prayaga.

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It is also an important pilgrimage centre of India and for the religious minded it is a must visit on your India tours and travel. Many important events in India's struggle for freedom, took place here.

Rasa Lingam at Prayaga

This confluence of history, culture and religion makes Allahabad, a unique city. In addition to being a major pilgrimage centre, the city has played an important part in the formation of modern India.

Hindu mythology states that Lord Brahma, the creator god, chose a land for 'Prakrishta Yajna'.Foreseeing the sancity of the place, Lord Brahma also called it as 'Tirth Raj' or 'King of all pilgrimage centres'.

Kumbhamela at Prayaga.

The Scriptures - Vedas and the great epics - Ramayana and Mahabharata, refer to this place as Prayag.

The following Rituals perform in Prayag :1. Hindu Rituals (After Death Cermonies)2. Veni Daanam3. Pinda Pradaanam4. Sankaalpam5. Dasha Danalu6. Goo Daanam.

Deva Prayaga.

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Deva Prayag is where the tranquil Alaknanda embraces the tempestuous Bhagirathi and it is here that the Ganga is truly born. Devout Hindus consider this prayag second only to the Triveni in Allahabad.

The most ancient stone inscriptions found in Uttarakhand are located here. The famous Raghunatha Math, one of the many names for the Rama Temple, is also situated here and it is at Deva Prayag that the priests of Badrinath sojourn in winter.

According to an old legend this spot is named after Deva Sharma, a poor Brahmin who performed rigorous austerities at this spot and obtained the favor of Vishnu_s incarnation Rama.

The hero of the Ramayana had come here to expiate the sin of brahma hatya (Brahmin-slaughter) after killing the demo-king Ravana. King Dashratha, the father of Lord Rama, is also said to have undergone penance here.

Nashik.

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Shri Trimbakeshwar Temple is located at a distance of about 30-km from Nasik in Maharashtra near the mountain named Brahmagiri from which the river Godavari flows. Trimbakeshwar Temple is revered as one of the 12 Jyotirlinga shrines of Shiva and as the source of the river Godavari. Just as Ganga is known as Bhagirathi and is one of the most important river in North India, in the same way, Godavari is also known as Gautami Ganga and is the most sacred river in South India.

According to Shiv Purana, it is because of the earnest request of Godavari, Gautam Rishi and other gods that Lord Shiva agreed to reside here and assumed the famous name Trimbakeshwar. Interestingly, locals refer to the river here as Ganga and not as Godavari. All the heavenly Gods promised to come down to Nasik, once in twelve years, when Jupiter resides in the zodiac sign of Leo. On this a grand fair is organized at this place. Devotees take a holy bath in the Gautami Ganga and then seek the blessings of Trimbakeshwar.

Legend goes that a sage name Gautam Muni resided on the Brahmagiri hill with his wife Ahilya. By virtue of his devotion, the sage received from Varuna, a bottomless pit from which he received an inexhaustible supply of grains and food. The other rishis, jealous of his fortune, arranged for a cow to enter his granary and caused it to die as Gowtam Rishi attempted to ward it off with a bunch of Darbha grass. Gautam Rishi, therefore, worshipped Lord Shiva to bring the Ganga down to his hermitage to purify the premises.

Pleased with devotion, Shiva requested Ganga to flow down and make Sage Gautam pure. After that Ganga flowed down. Lord Shiva told Ganga to stay there eternally for the good of everyone. All the Gods started singing the praises of Gautam Rishi, Ganga and Lord Shiva. On the request of all the Gods, Lord Shiva resided by the river Gautami by the name Trimbakeshwar (one of the Jyotirlingas).

Hindus believe that Trimbak Jyotirlinga is one, which fulfills everyone’s desires. It emancipates all from their sins and miseries.Another popular legend behind Trimbakeshwar Temple is the legend of Lingodbhava manifestation of Shiva. It says once Brahma and Vishnu searched in vain to discover the origin of Shiva who manifested himself as a cosmic column of fire.

Sri Mahabaleswar,Nashik

Brahma lied that he had seen the top of the column of fire and was hence cursed that he would not be worshipped on earth. In turn Brahma cursed Shiva that he would be pushed underground. Accordingly, Shiva came down under the Brahmagiri hill in the form of Tryambakeshwar. Trimbakeshwar Temple is the only place where Shivlinga is not out but it’s inside the floor. Some scholars say that Goddess Parvati also came down along Lord Shiva and Ganga.

The place is therefore called Tryambakeshwa (three lords). Others believe that the place is so called because of the presence of three Shivlinga of Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh. The Shivlinga of Lord Mahesh has always-flowing water among the three Shivlingas. Trimbakeshwar Temple is an ancient shrine, however the current structure is a result of the reconstruction efforts undertaken by the Peshwa Balaji Bajirao in mid 18th century.

The temple is built of black stone in the Nagara style of architecture and is enclosed in a spacious courtyard. The sanctum internally a square and externally a stellar structure houses a small Shivalingam - Tryambaka. The sanctum is crowned with a graceful tower, embellished with a giant Amalaka and a golden kalasha. In front of the garbagriha and the antarala is a mandap with doors on all four sides.

Three of these doorways are covered with porches and the openings of these porches are ornamented with pillars and arches. Curvilinear slabs rising in steps form roof of the mandapam. The entire structure is ornamented with sculptural work featuring running scrolls, floral designs, and figures of gods, yakshas, humans and animals. The Shivalingam is seen in a depression on the floor of the sanctum. Water constantly oozes out from the top of the Shivalingam. Usually, the Shivalingam is covered with a silver mask but on festive occasions a golden mask with five faces, each with a golden crown covers it.

Gokarna.

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Gokarna is a Hindu pilgrim center. The Mahabaleshwar Temple at Gokarna is considered to be almost of equal importance as Vishanath Temple of Varanasi.Gokarna is a celebrated pilgrimage center on the cost of Karnataka, enshrining the Aatma Lingam Mahabaleshwar. It is regarded as one of the 7 Mutki Stalas of karanataka. It is also regarded as Dakshina Kashi.

Located about 150 km from Mangalore.The word Gokarnam literally means 'cow's ear'.Legend - Version1 Ravana, king of Sri Lanka promised his mother Kaikasi that he will get her Lord Shiva's atma linga for her prayers, when the linga she worshipped was destroyed by Sagara the king of ocean. Ravana did penance for the grace of Lord Shiva at Mount Kailash.

Lord Shiva agrees to give Atmalingam with condition that the atmalingam should be physically carried and not placed anywhere on the ground, and it establishes wherever it is placed on earth. On his way, Ravana stops for bath and gives the atmalingam to Lord Ganesha who dressed up like a cowhered brahmin who promptly puts it down.

Sri Mahabaleswar

He tried to extricate it and resulting resulted in throwing the coverings of the Linga to Dhareshwar, Gunavanteshwara, Murdeshwar and Shejjeshwar temples. This town is formed by the ear-shaped confluence of two rivers. It also derives its name from the legend of Lord Shiva emerging from the ears of the cow.

Sri Parvathi Amman

Kerala (of ancient times) was supposed to have extended from Gokarna to Kanyakumari. The place, according to the legend, is part of the land reclaimed by Parasurama.It has a temple much revered in Karnataka. All the temples in Gokarna have signs banning foreigners. This is common in Kerala, but Gokarna is the only place I have seen it in the state of Karnataka.

Everywhere else I went in the state, including other pilgrimage sites not far from Gokarna, I was welcomed into temples and nobody assumed that as a foreign visitor I couldn’t be counted on to dress and behave respectfully.

Sri Mahadev Temple

It hasn’t always been this way in Gokarna either - a Canadian friend of mine told me she was there twenty years ago for Maha Shivaratri with her husband and newborn baby, and was allowed into the inner shrine where the holy Shiva Lingam is along with all the other pilgrims.

The sad thing is, given the dress and behaviour of a lot of the westerners in Gokarna today, I can see why people would think it was necessary to ban them. It is still a beautiful place, though.

It’s great to get up before the other tourists and go and wander around the old part of town at dawn, watching the pilgrims bathing in the temple tank and the cows wandering in and out of the houses.

Jambukeswaram.

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There is said to have been a forest of Jambu trees near the Chandrateertha tank (filled with the water of the Kaveri) here and Shiva is said to have appeared under one of the trees as a Shiva Lingam. Legend has it that two devotees of Shiva were born under the influence of a curse as a white elephant and a spider. The elephant worshipped Shiva with flowers and water brought in its trunk (hence the name Tiru Aanaikka).

The spider worshipped the Lingam by spinning a web on top, to protect it from falling leaves. The elephants worship would destroy the spiders web, and the spiders web amounted to desecration in the eyes of the elephant leading to animosity between the two, of such proportion that a fight between them resulted in the death of both. The spider was born again in the royal Chola family (in Uraiyur - during the Sangam period). An interesting tale is associated with his birth. His parents Subhadeva and Kamalavati prayed to Nataraja of Chidambaram for a male successor.

The royal astrologer is said to have predicted an auspicious time for the birth of a successor who would be a ruler of great fame. The hour of birth approached sooner though and the royal queen bade her attendants to tie her legs and hang her upside down, with the aim of delaying the birth of the child. She achieved her objective although the royal offspring was born with reddened eyes, earning for himself the name 'Chenkannan' - the red eyed one. In his life time Ko Chenkannan is said to have been built several elevated temples - out of reach of elephants, keeping with the legend of his animosity with an elephant in his previous birth.

The stala vriksham is said to have grown out of a munivar, who offered his worship to Shiva.Akhilandeswari (Parvati) is said to have meditated upon Shiva here, and her shrine here, is considered to be of great significance. It is believed that Akhilandeswari was originally an Ugra Devata of great fury, and Adi Sankaracharyar is said to have converted the fiery energy of the deity into a manifestation of peace. Shrines to Vinayaka and Subramanya face Akhilandeswari. This temple has records of patronage from the Chola Pandya, Hoysala and the Madurai Naik kings. The temple is said to have been built by the Chola King Ko Chenkannan and it was of special significance to the Chola kings.

Ko Chenkannan is praised by tamil literature for having built more than seventy temples - and he is historically placed in the Sangam period (the very early years of the Christian era). Inscriptions from the tenth century AD testify to later Chola patronage. The Hoysalas who had a base near Samayapuram (near Tiruchi) built four temples in Northern Tiruvanaikkaval (Vallaleeswaram, Padmaleswaram, Narasimheswaram and Somaleswaram).

The Pandyas and the Hoysalas contributed to the Eastern tower. Adi Sankara is said to have visited the Akhilandeswari shrine. He is said to have adorned her with ear-rings bearing the symbol of the chakram. There is a shrine to Adi Sankara in this temple. This is a vast temple (18 acres) with lofty gopurams, 5 prakarams and ornate mandapams. The second and third prakarams date back to the 13th century. The dwajasthampa mandapam has grand sculptural work. There is an image of Ekapada Trimurthy representing the unity of Bhrama Vishnu and Shiva in this temple.

The Akhilandeswari shrine is located in the fourth prakaram. The Eastern tower with seven levels has fine sculptural specimen of musical scenes, while the Western tower has nine levels. The first prakaram has been renovated in this century. Annual festivals here include the Pankuni Bhrammotsavam, Vasanta Utsavam, the float festival in Thai (Capricorn) , Aadi Pooram (Cancer) and the Pancha Prakara festival.

For more information please see the Templenet Special Feature on Tiruvanaikka. Tiruchirappalli is connected by air with Chennai and with other cities. It is a major railway junction between Chennai and Madurai, and is also connected with Erode on the Chennai - Coimbatore line. Several trains link Tiruchi with Chennai and Madurai.

Tiruchirappalli has several modern lodging facilities.Other attractions here include the Rock Fort Temple (Uchhi Pillaiyaar and Taayumanavar) and the Sri Ranganathar Temple at Srirangam. The Regional Engineering College at Tiruchirappalli is one of the leading educational institutions in India. Samayapuram, near Tiruchi is home to the famous Mariyamman temple attracting thousands of worshippers.

Dharmasthala.

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Sri Manjunatheshwara Temple is Situated on the banks of river Nethravathi and surrounded by the rich green forests and hills of Malnad, Dharmasthala is known for it's beautiful surroundings and Sri Manjunathaswamy Temple.

In Dharmasthala, charity is a way of life, extended to all without discrimination. Sri Dharmasthala which is one of the sacred places in South India and is a famous pilgrim centre.

Sri Manjunatheswar

Pergade invited Brahmins for festive offerings, but they refused to come unless Gods were worshipped along with Daivas. Whilst Pergade was grieving over this problem the Dharmadevathas sent their vassal Annappa to bring from kadri the Lingam of Shri Manjunatha and installed it at the spot in the temple where it now stands.

Manjula means pleasing or beautiful, Natha means Lord; Manjunatha was taken to mean. Manju means snow. Thus Manjunatha means snow - lord. Perhaps the Lingam at Kadri was so named after Bodhisatva Manjughosha who was prototype of Siva among Jains and Hindus.

God being the source of all beauty it matters little how the name came by.Pergade built a temple there on the right side of the shrine of dharma Daivas where the Lingam was installed by Annappa, established the performance of the daily poojas and rituals and the festivals in a befitting manner.

The shrine of Annappa faces the Lingam of Shri Manjunatha.Thus in Kuduma, Shri Chandranatha, Shri Manjunatha and four Daivas and Annappa Daiva came to be worshipped simultaneously at different shrines with common festivals.

In Nelyadi Beedu, Heggade alone worships his ancestors and the four Daivas.The Shrine of Shri Manjunathaswamy was renovated in consultation with experts in temple architecture and the Brahmakalashotsava or consecration was performed on 1991.

Kurukshetra.

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The name Kurukshetra is associated in the Puranas and the Great Epic with the legendary king Kuru although it appears to be more logical to trace it to the tribe of Kurus which was born as a result of merger of the various classes of the Great Bharatas who are described in the Rigveda as kindling sacrificial fires on the banks of the sacred Sarasvati and Drishadvati.
The Sarasvati is described in the Rigveda as a perennial river par excellence, flowing from the Himalayas to the ocean most probably it refers to the Ghaggar. The Drishadvati was the river in whose bed the Hansi-Hisar branch of the Western Yamuna Canal now flows. The Kurus also were known to the Rigveda as the mention of a King named Kurushravana indicates.
Many geographical names and personalities connected with Kurukshetra occur in the earliest Sanskrit literature and around this region were enacted the opening scenes of the drama of Indian history. Most of the Vedic literature was composed here and most of the social, religious and political traditions of this country arose in this region.
It is therefore regarded as the cradle of Indian civilisation and culture. Kurukshetra shot into prominence as the battle field of Mahabharta and as the birth place of the holy Gita. The great 18-day battle of Mahabharta was fought here in the ancient past between Kauravas and Pandavas for upholding the cause of dharma.
It was a war between good and evil, in which the Pandavas were victorious. Bhagvad Gita, the Song Celestial, is the divine message which lord Krishna delivered to Arjuna on the eve of the Great War when he saw the latter wavering from his duty. It epitomises all that is the best and noblest in the Hindu philosophy of life.Jyotisar, near Thanesar, is supposed to mark the site where it was delivered.
Kurukshetra is mentioned a great deal in ancient literature. A flourishing country of the Kurus, it was the most sacred region of the Dvapara age according to the Matsya Purana and one of the sixteen Mahajanapadas of Jambudvipa. It was the region of lakes and lotus beds which can be seen even now. Manu indirectly praises the prowess of the people of Kurukshetra. Bana describes it as the land of the brave in the eyes of the warriors.
The place was visited by Buddha and appears to have been favoured by his masterly discourses. Kurukshetra also finds mention in Panini's Ashtadhyayi. It was also visited by nine out of the ten Sikh Gurus, Guru Angad Dev the Second Guru, being the only exception. The place where Guru Nanak stayed during his sojourn at Kurukshetra is well known as Gurdwara Sidhbati on a mound near the pumping station across the Kurukshetra Tank.
The gurdwara dedicated to Guru Hargobind, the sixth guru, stands near Sannihit tank. Another gurdwara near the Sthaneshwar tank marks the spot sanctified by the visit of the ninth Guru Tegh Bahadur. And on the main bank of the Kurukshetra tank, stands the Gurdwara Rajghat built in the memory of the visit of the tenth Guru Gobind Singh; who also visited Jyotisar.
This region saw the rise and fall of many an empire through centuries. Sons of the soil fought invaders in the battlefield of this sacred land from time to time and their exploits fill the pages of history. The period of King Harsha was a golden age.

Chennai Ashtalakshmi.

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Ashtalakshmi Temple is a highly revered shrine situated in Besant Nagar, on the shores of Bay of Bengal. The architecture of the temple is unique, with the deities installed in four levels.

It looks different than the other South Indian temples as it a modern construction, less than 25 years old. The temple enshrines Goddess Lakshmi, Goddess of Wealth and Lord Vishnu as the principal deities.

The temple has separate shrine for the Ashtalakshmi forms of Goddess Lakshmi. Ashtalakshmi Temple has a shrine for the Dasavathars (the 10 incarnations) of Lord Vishnu.

Other deities worshipped here include Tumbikai Aazhwar (Lord Ganesha), Guruvaayurappan (Lord Krishna), Chakrathaazhwar and Narasimha (on either side of the same idol), Anjaneyar (Lord Hanuman) and Dhanvantri.

Visit to this temple brings the well being for the devoteesThe number 8 has a unique speciality within itself. If we say the number 1, it is automatically denotes that there is only 1 god. If we say 12, it denotes the 12 great thiru Naamams of Sriman Narayanan.

If we say 8, its speciality is unique. The "Ashtakashara Manthram" - Om Namo Narayanaya Nama: This was the main mantram which converted Thirumangai mannan from a king / thief to one among the great 12 Alwars as Thirumangai alwar.

And like this, another speciality is about the 8 form of Sri Lakshmi collectively termed as "Sri Ashta Lakshmi". Sri Lakshmi is the Adhi Devatha for wealth and not only for this alone but give a good birth of a child, to give courage, to give us good thought, etc.

Shani Singanapur.

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Sri Shaneswar

When thieves are using more and more sophisticated tools to break open houses and their mastery reaching new heights more than 6000 people live blissfully in their houses without even a door!

India, which supports a Rs.1500 crore market of locks and related accessories, selling a lock in the village of Shri Kshetra Shingnapur in Ahmed Nagar district of Maharastra is a day dream, admitted a police officer.

Temple Entrance

Shani Shingnapur is 400 km from Mumbai and 70 km from Shiridi, can be reached by road.There is not a single shop, which sells a lock.

Sri Shanidev Murthy

The village houses around 1700 homes and none of them has doors, said Shivaji Yeshwant Shete(40), Sarpanch of the Gram Panchyat, Shingnapur.

Though people are wealthy, they never care to put a door in their houses, Shete quipped.Lord Saturn (Shani) is the reigning deity and he takes care of the village, said he.The villagers have all faith on the Lord and according to them HE would never tolerate theft and the robbers would end up being caught.

Vasant Karat, 32 a house wife said no body dares to enter the house and the robbers get blind and insane after committing theft from the village."For generations together, the houses here do not have doors. We keep our belongings in the open.But never have we come across any incident of theft," says Shete.

Homashala

The strong faith is based on a number of stories.Sample this.The thieves attacked the house of Tukaram Pandurang Sable and tried to steal the money and valuables from the house, but could not find the same but it was there itself in a open earthen pot.

Even if the family members go for some work outside the village, they never bother to ask neighbors to keep vigil on their house."We never bother about thieves as nothing is going to happen," Santosh Kushalkar (35) of Shani Singnapur exudes with confidence.

The village has about 500 odd families consists of 90 per cent Hindu and rest are Muslims and Christians.Madina at 5 though belong to Muslim community also have also strong faith on The Lord Shani. She also visits Shani Maharaj in festivals. During the festivals at the Shani temple, lakhs of people from all religions participate amid enthusiasm and traditional fervor, the sarpanch says.

Pandharpur.

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Temple Complex

Pandharpur is an important pilgrimage city on the Bhimā river in Solāpur district, Maharashtra, India. The Vithoba temple attracts about half a million Hindu pilgrims during the major yAtrA in the month of Ashadh.

Pandharpur is one of the most prominent pilgrimage sites in Maharashtra. It is located on the banks of the Bhimā river, which is alternatively known as Chandrabhāgā because of its half-moon-like shape.

Mahadwar

It is named after a merchant, Pandarika who achieved self-realization there.Pandharpur, alternately known as Pandhari, hosts the renowned Vitthal temple on the banks of Bhimā.

Way to Chandrabagh River

"Vithoba", "Pāndurang", and "Pandharināth" are the popular alternate names of the deity, Viththal, who is regarded in Hinduism as a God form of Lord Krishna, who, in turn, is considered as an incarnation of Lord Vishnu.

Rukmini Sameth Pandharinath

Rakhumāi or Rukmini is Viththal's consort in Hinduism.The worship of Vitthal in the Pandharpur temple is based mainly on the contents of the Puranas, and the contributions of the Vaishnav saints of Maharashtra and Karnataka during the the 13th through the 17th centuries.

Namely, Dnyaneshwar, Namdev, Eknath, Tukaram, Purandar Das, Vijay Dās, Gopāl Dās, and Jagannāth Dās, have augmented the worship.The Pandharpur temple covers a large area, and has six gates. The eastern gate is known as the "Namdev Gate".

Radha Sameth Pandarinath

Pandharpur hosts four annual pilgrimages ("yātrās") of Hindu devotees. Among them, the pilgrimage in the month of Āshādh in the Hindu Shāliwāhan Shak calendar attracts the largest number of pilgrims --around 0.5 to 0.7 million people. The pilgrimage in the month of Kārtik attracts the next largest number of pilgrims.

This has been a great place to visit for devotees all over India. There are some other important holy places around Pandharpur as Goddess TuljaBhavani (Goddess of family - KulDevata of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj)at TuljaPur.

Exit From the Temple

Saint Shri Swami Samarth (God Form of Dattatraya) at ShriKshetra Akkalkot, Lord Dattatraya at Ganagapur etc. All are located in / near to Solapur District. Devotees from all over Maharashtra and surrounding states visit all these places at least once per year.

Puri Jagannath.

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On archaeological and epigraphically grounds we cannot definitely establish the historical importance of Puri before the 7th Century A. D. There is a commonly prevalent notion that the temple of Lord Jagannath is situated on a blue mountain and therefore called Niladri, Nilachal or Nilagiri.

But we find no mountain at Puri or any reference to a hill or a mountain near Puri in the history, it can be presumed that it might have been built on a sand hill called Niladri or the Blue Mountain only on the grounds of analogy. There was a small Jagannath Temple before 12th Century A.D. where the present temple is situated. As the old temple became weak and starts damage, the King "Raja Ananta Varman Chodaganga Dev" decided to build a new temple.

It is believed that the present temple built on the garbage of old temple. Because of the height of the base of the present temple is more than 30 feet. The management of the temple continued under the Hindu rulers till 1558.Then the State of Orissa was conquered by the Afghan Nawab of Bengal and the temple was attacked by the Afgan General ‘Kalapahad’. At that time, an independent Khurda kingdom was established by "Ramachandra Deb", who assumed the management of the temple.

He consecrated the temple and reinstalled the deities. Till 1760, the temple continued under the Khurda Raja (King), who was paying tribute to Mughals and Marhattas. Raja Mansingh, a General of the Mughal King Akbar, defeated the Afghans and annexed Orissa in to the Mughal dominion. It remained under the Mughals till 1751 A.D.

Sri Puri Jagannath

Then Marhattas took up direct management of the temple till 1803. The British annexed Orissa into British Empire in 1803 and allowed Puri Raja to manage the temple. . However, to the credit of the British it must be said that they respected the right to worship of the Hindus at Jagannath and indirectly allowed patronage.

They recognized that Jagananth Puri's King of Orissa (Gajapati Maharaj) as the Superintendent of the Temple and granted some revenue rights and privileges to the temple to run it's affairs. The position continued till 1947. Shree Jagannath temple is a ‘Rekha Deula’ with curvilinear tower on a ‘Pancha Ratha’ plan. The height of the temple is 214 feet 8 inch from the ground level and 181 feet from inner base (ANTARVEDI).

It stands on an elevated platform of stone measuring about 9.83 acres. There are four major temples in a row, named ‘Viman’ (The main temple where Lord Jagannath is worshipped with brother Balabhadra, sister Subhadra and Sudarshan), Jagamohan (Audience hall), Natamandap (Dance hall) and the Bhoga Mandap (offering hall).

The height of Jagamohan is 120 feet and the base area is 80 feet x 80 feet. The base area of Nata Mandap is 80 feet x 80 feet and the base area of Bhogo Mandap is 58 feet x 56 feet. The temple has four gates at the Eastern – Lion Gate (Singha Dwara – The main entrance), Southern – Horse Gate, Western – Tiger Gate, and Northern – Tiger Gate at midpoints of the Meghanad Prachir (Outer Wall).

Achankovil.

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Achankovil Dharmasastha TempleAchencoil alias Achankovil is an important pilgrim centre in Pathanamthitta district located 40kms from Nilambur. Believed to be consecrated by Lord Parasurama, the Dharmasastha temple here, dedicated to Lord Ayyappa attracts pilgrims from Kerala and Tamilnadu through out the year specially during the Sabarimala season.

This ancient temple is located amidst dense forests of Kandamala, where the God is said to have given 'Darshan' to a worshipper who entered into a long term penance. Here the idol of the main deity, Ayyappa is called Rudraksha Shila. The two important festivals of this temple are Mandala Pooja (December-January) and the festival held at 'Ravathi' (January-February).

The temple is also famous for snake bite treatment. The sandal paste in the hands of the idol of Dharma Sasta is believed to have miraculous cure for snake toxin. Apart from applying this paste on the bitten area, the victims are offered the water from the temple well by the chief priest. The famous Achankovil river flows by this temple .

Suchindram.

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The Temple At SuchindramTradition connects the Kannyakumari temple with that in Suchindram (13-km from Kanyakumari). This is a fine, large fane, with a beautiful tank.

It is one of the few temples in the country where the Trinity, Brahma, Vishnu and Isvara, are worshipped.

The Linga, named "Sthanumalaya", is in three parts; the top represents Lord Shiva, the middle Lord Vishnu, and the base Lord Brahma. "Sthanu" is a name of Shiva, "Mal" of Vishnu, and "Ayan" of Brahma.

Sri Sthanumalayar

A beautiful temple, with typical South Indian architecture, and is a treat to visit. The insides of the temple are very intricately carved out of stone.

Lord Hanuman

There is a huge 18 feet idol of Lord Hanuman on your right, as soon as you enter the temple. There are musical pillars, cut out of a single rock.

There are 1035 pillars with carvings and stories from the Ramayana and Mahabharata are depicted on either side of the temple.

There is the pujari who doubles up as your guide and takes you around inside the temple and describes the details about the idols, the history, and the construction of the temple.

It is believed that Lord Indra was blessed by Lord Shiva and hence the name Suchi which means "purified" Indram.

Srirangam.

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This is a island town in the river Kaveri. It was the capital city of Hyderali and Tipu Sultan. Hyder ali had helped in the construction of the Ranganatha Swami temple though he was a muslim. The city also has remains of a large fort.

The Ranganatha Swami temple dates back to the 10th century. Presiding in is a black stone deity of Visnu reclining on Adi Sesa. Gautama Risi and river godess kaveri are at His feet.

His consort Ranganayaki and a deity of Gopala Krsna are in the west shrine. There are also shrines dedicated to Ramanujacarya, Desikar and other Alwars. Sri Ranagnatha is said to have been worshiped by Agastya Muni.

The Deity of Sri Ranganatha dates back to Threta Yuga. After the death of Ravana, Lord Rama gave this Deity to Vibhisana. While Vibhisana was passing through the Kaveri River, the Lord desired to stay in that beautiful place.

By this arrangement, Vibhisana felt very tired and placed the Deity down. When Vibhisana wanted to resume the journey, he was unable to lift the Deity. He wept and wailed, but in vain. Finally he accepted the desire of the Lord and went back to Sri Lanka. To please Vibhisana, the Deity lies facing Sri Lanka.

This temple is also called the "PERIAKOIL" which means Big Temple as it has the fame of having the biggest forms of Gopuram, Mandapam, Deity, Garuda etc One of the pastimes of the Lord which shows His love for His devotees is narrated by the following story :

Once, a sage named Loka Saranya Muni was on his way to perform abhiseka to Sri Ranganathan. En-route Thirupaanalwar, (one of the 12 Alwars) immersed in the beauty of the Lord did not give way to the sage.

Becoming furious on this issue, the sage hit the Alwar with a stone on his head and went to the Deity. To his dismay he found that Deity of Lord Ranganatha was also bleeding. Feeling sad, he returned home.

In his dream the Lord ordered the sage to carry the Alwar on his shoulder to the temple. Feeling happy on this context, the Alwar showed his gratitude by composing 10 songs on Sri Ranganatha. This temple has 7 walls each of which depicts one planetary system each.

Madurai.

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Sri Meenakshi Amman

Madurai is one of the oldest cities of India, with a history dating all the way back to the Sangam period of the pre Christian era. The glory of Madurai returned in a diminished form in the earlier part of this millennium;

It later on came under the rule of the Vijayanagar kingdom after its ransack by the ravaging armies of Delhi (Malik Kafur). During the 16th through the 18th centuries, Madurai was ruled by the Nayak Emperors, the foremost of whom was Tirumalai Nayakar.

The Sangam age or the Golden age of Tamil literature – produced masterpieces way back in the Pre christian era and in early 1st millennium CE. Madurai was the seat of the Tamil Sangam or Academy of learning.

The entire city of Madurai, is built around the Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple – the temple par excellence. Concentric rectangular streets surround the temple, symbolizing the structure of the cosmos.

Popular belief is that Meenakshi (Parvati), is the queen of Madurai, a Pandyan princess known originally as Tatatakai, who married Shiva. The coronation and the marriage ceremonies are still celebrated in a grand manner, that can be compared to the Dussera Parade of Mysore.

Meenakshi and Somasundarar are regarded as the eternal rulers of the Pandya Kingdom. Over 20000 pilgrims and visitors visit the temple each day. This temple is a vibrant cultural center brimming with tradition, festivals, art, architectural and sculptural splendor and can be described as the best possible representation of the millennia old cultural ethos of the Indian subcontinent .

In terms of the plurality of faiths that surround the temple, the richness of traditions and festivals, Also in Madurai are the Aappudaiyaar Koyil Tevara Stalam and the Koodalazhagar Divya Desam. In the vicinity of Madurai is Tirupparamkunram, one of the 6 padai veedu shrines of Murugan (glorified in Madurai Sangam Nakeerar’s Tirumurugaatruppadai).

Also in the vicinity of Madurai is Alagar Koyil, one of the prominent Divya Desam shrines of the Sri Vaishnavite faith. The crowning glory of this historic city is the sprawling Meenakshi Sundareswarar temple. Four of the 6 major streams of the indigenous system of beliefs as codified by Sankaracharya (i.e. Saivism, Shaktism, Vaishnavism and the worship of Skanda) meet in this historic city during festive occasions when the entire region is transformed into a vast space of celebration.

Although razed to the ground, the Madurai Meenakshi Sundareswarar temple was rebuilt with amazing resilience by the Nayak rulers of Madurai. The vast temple complex is surrounded by fortified walls pierced with towering gopurams seen from a great distance.The sculptural wealth of the Madurai Meenakshi temple is breathtaking. Mention must be made of the columns lining the 1000 pillared hall.

Also located in Madurai is the Koodal Azhagar temple regarded as one of the 108 Divya Desam shrines venerated by the Sree Vaishnava tradition.The ancient city of Madurai is second to none in truly representing the cultural traditions of India. Madurai is centered around the Meenakshi Sundareswarar temple.

Manasa Sarovar - Kailash.

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Lake Mansarovar is a majestic Gift of Lord Brahma - the Creator God which came straight from his Mind i.e. Manas in Sanskrit so as per the legend name is Mansarovar. The sprawling lake lies below Holy Kailasa The Abode of Lord Shiva & Goddess Parvati in Western Tibet 4560 Meters above sea level with an approximate area of 320 Sq. Kms.

Manasa Sarovar

It is indeed one of the holiest & most revered lake in the Universe for Hindus/Jains & Buddhist alike. The circumference of Lake is 90 Kms. & takes approximately Three Hours to cover the Parikrama (circumambulation) by 4WD Jeeps.

First Sight of the Holy Lake takes away all the hardships & sufferings of the pilgrims & revives the mind & soul. A ritual Bath at Mansarovar is considered to attain Moksha and a drink of it’s water relinquish. Holy Manasarovar in the form of dark blue waters is the most beautiful, fresh water wonder lake at around 15,000 ft altitude – at the sight of it, the mind dances with wonder and ecstasy said Sri Swami Tapovanam.

Manasarovar is to the south of Kailash mountain. A bath in it is stated to take one to Brahma loka and to Shiva loka – as per Ramayana. It’s water is very sweet and said to posses medicinal properties. It is about four million years old.

Gowri Kund

Aum Parvat: Its miracle of nature, the shape of valley & peaks forms natural AUM. One can see white (snow) AUM on black background. No hypothesis, no assumption, no approximation & no imagination is required to visualize Aum.

Aum Parvat

Its so clear that in Aug -Sept month even dot (bindi) on the crescent (chandrakaur) is also clearly visible. According to puranas there are 8 such Aums in Himalaya. At present world knows only one AUM! In skanda purana, it is stated that the lake was created out of Brahma’s mind. Hence it is called Manasa Sarovar. Sanaka, Sanandana and other maharishis performed tapas here.

It appears Buddha’s mother dreamt before Buddha’s birth, a white elephant from Kailas mountain entering her womb. Daily at Brahma Muhurth time, they say Devatas come down and take bath, especially on the northern side. Some people can even see the Devatas in the shape of the stars descending into the lake and go back. Gandhi’s ashes have been mixed in these waters. It is said Arjuna is said to have received his pasupathastra here.

"Feeling that the purpose of my birth had been accomplished, I congratulated myself on my good fortune" – So wrote Swami Tapovan Maharaj in his famous book – Wanderings in the Himalayas."I could live and die on this heavenly lake without ever growing weary of the wonderful spectacle always presenting fresh surprises" – So wrote the famous Swedish traveler, Swen Hedin, who traveled over the region in 1907, recording the boundless joy of his wonderful experience.

Before getting on with this very interesting tale of religion and romance it is necessary to say a few words about Manasa, the Hindu goddess who plays a major role in it. In most ancient Hindu religious texts; Manasa is said to be the daughter of Kasyapa, a famous sage, and Kadru, the sister of the serpent-king Sesha. Unlike her uncle, Manasa is still actively worshipped as a goddess who protects and saves humans from snake-bites.Her cult is most prevalent in Bengal where she is ceremoniously worshipped in temples. She is also attributed with the powers of curing infectious diseases like small-pox and of bringing wealth and prosperity.

Kailash Parvat

At the onset of the rainy season, when the snakes are most active, she is ritually invoked with sacrifices and offerings. She is probably a pre-Aryan goddess but this tale is of more recent vintage and comes from Bengal where she is most revered and tells how she gained recognition for herself as a potent member of the Hindu pantheon.

Entire trek is along Indo-Nepal border. Special permission called inner line permit is must for the visit. It could be obtained by submitting passport xerox (no-objection certificate from police commissioner, incase passport is not available), character certificate, personal information along with photographs & day to day schedule at Dharchula, magistrate's office. From Chiyalekh onwards ITBP (Indo Tibet Border Police) jawans check the pass regularly at all the check post & no one is allowed in the region without proper documents.

Shiridi.

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Sai Baba's place Shirdi (Maharashtra State) is a very sacred, powerful and important place of pilgrimage in India. One can visit this holy place easily. It is a well-developed town connected by bus routes. There is an important Railway Station, Kopergaon, though which the Karnataka Express from New Delhi to Bangalore passes.

Sai Baba Murthy

A number of trains from Bombay and Delhi also pass through Manmad station. Shirdi is only about 58 kms. from Manmad and buses and taxis are easily available to reach there. The distance of Shirdi from some important cities is as under:

Samadhi Temple:The construction of the Samadhi Temple was started by Sri But! during the lifetime of Sai Baba, with a view to having a temple of Sri Krishna. At a time when the construction was almost complete, Sai Baba said that he would stay over there.So after Sai Baba attained Nirvana (eternal peace) His rnortal remains were buried at the place. The white marble pavement of the Samadhi was made afterwards. The marble statue prepared by sculptor Sri Talini of Bombay was installed by the side of the Samadhi in 1954.

Sai Samadhi

The spacious hall in front of the Samadhi was also paved with marble tiles later. The people coming for darshan, come first into the hall, which is decorated with photos,of the saints and devotees of Sai Baba. The statue ot Sai Baba, in a sitting position is such that He looks to every devotee coming for darshan in to the hall. In a room, on the left side of the hall, the articles used by Sai Baba are exhibited. There is a cellar below the rooms on the right-side where valuables are kept. There is gallery on the first floor and there are several rooms.

Chavadi

It is placed to the east of Dwarkamai. Sai Baba used to rest at this place every alternate night. A number of portraits of deities are exhibited here since the days of Sai Baba. A wooden plank and a wheel chair brought for Baba but never used by Him, are also kept here.

Khandoba Temple

This is a small temple called Khandoba of Lord Shiva situated on the Ahmednagar-Kopargaon road. It was at this temple that Sai Baba was first greeted by Sri Mahalsapati as "Ya, Sai"

Dwarkamayee Masjid

This was an old Masjid named as Dwarka Mai by Sai Baba Himself. He lived here all day and used to sit on a big stone, which is still preserved. A portrait of Sai Baba, painted during His lifetime, is also kept here.

Dhuni

In front of the portrait, the sacred dhuni (fire) kindled by Sai Baba is kept burning since then. A grinding stone, a bathing stone, a wooden pillar, chulha (stove), padukas (slippers) and Tuls! (Holy Basil) Vrindavan, which were used by Sai Baba are all maintained here. Rath (carriage) and the pallanquin are also kept here in a small room. The udi, taken out from the ever-blazing dhuni, is used by the devotees as miraculous ash.

Gurusthan

This is the place of Sai Baba's Guru. Sai Baba used to sit here under a neem (margosa) tree, leaves of which lost their bitterness due to the grace of Sai Baba., Incense is burnt here day and night in a pot, in front of the Temple, wherein Lord Shiva's pindi and Nandi are installed and padukas of Lord Sai Baba are also kept.

Mahadev, Shani and Ganesh Temples

These three temples are built in a line. The Mahadev Temple is very old and a statue of a tiger has been installed behind the Nandi. There is a dhuni in the Shani Temple also. The Ganesh Temple is also very old. There are the Keshav Temple and Mangal Karyalaya, built in recent years beyond the road on the eastern side.

Lendibag and NandadeepLendi nalla (stream) was flowing though this land and there was a burial ground at the place. Sai Baba dug a well here and He used to take out drinking water from it. Now the L4endi nalla is filled and a garden is laid there. A Nandadeep lamp is kept burning there since the day of Sai Baba, who used to sit here on a par (stone) near the Nandadeep, below the neem tree.

Dattatreya

This park is renovated and maintained. A new Dattatreya (the primordial guru) Temple has been built in the garden in front of the Ashwattha tree. There is the Samadhi of the horse Shamsunder, who used to bow down to Sai Baba and thereafter to the Samadhi daily, till its death. There are the Samadhis of Baba's devotees Abdul Baba, Nanavalli, Bhau Maharaj and Tatya at the entrance of the Lendibag.

Mahabalipuram.

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Famous as temple town, Mahabalipuram is situated along the shores of the Bay of Bengal about 60 km from the south of Chennai. Mahabalipuram is home to one of the architectural wonders of the world, the Ratha temples. It was the Pallava king Narsimha, who built the magnificent 'Ratha' cave temples of Mahabalipuram in the 7th century.

The Ratha temples at Mahabalipuram bear testimony to the artistic genius of Indian architects in ancient times. The Ratha temples also reflect the artistic tastes of the Pallava rulers. The Ratha temples gave birth to a new style of architecture, the South Indian temple architecture.

The 'Ratha' cave temples are usually called the "Panch Pandava Ratha" (the five chariots of the Pandavas). The Ratha temples are regarded as the transition point between the rock-cut cave temples and freestanding stone temples.

The fact that each one of these temples is carved out from a single rock goes to prove that the Indian architects had great skills. The most remarkable thing about these Rathas is that till date most of them are well preserved and many of their carvings are as fresh as they were some 1,300 years ago.

The temples at Mahabalipuram are called as Ratha temples as they resemble the shape of rathas (chariots). These temples are known especially for their Rathas and "Mandapas" (an open pavilion or a hall).

The total number of Rathas at Mahabalipuram is eight out of which five are named after the five Pandavas of Mahabharata and one after Draupadi, the wife of Pandava brothers. The five Pandava rathas are the Dharma raja Ratha, the Bhima Ratha, the Arjuna Ratha, the Draupadi Ratha and the Nakul Sahadev Ratha.

The unfinished Dharmaraja Ratha is three storied and the largest whereas the one-storied Draupadi Ratha is the smallest and has an interesting thatch-like roof. Base of the three-storey Dharmaraja Ratha is supported by figures of a lion, alternating with an elephant.

The Rathas at Mahabalipuram are constructed in the style of the Buddhist viharas and chaityas. Another remarkable feature of the Ratha temples is that they were excavated by scooping out the scarp of the hill from front to back.

The base of the Dharmaraja Ratha is square and it rises to 13 meters as a pyramid. The Arjuna and Draupadi Rathas are dedicated to Shiva and Durga respectively.

Kanyakumari.

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Kanniya Kumari Amman

Kanyakumari (also spelt as Kanniyakumari) district is bounded by Tirunelveli district in the north and northeast, by Kerala state in the northwest and confluence of Arabian Sea and Indian Ocean in the west and south. The coastline is almost regular except for some points of land projecting into the sea at Cape Comorin. Kanyakumari is the district headquarters of the district of the same name.

It's Name - Kannyakumari has been named after the Goddess Kannyakumari Amman who is the popular deity of the area. Legend has it that the Goddess Parvati in one of her incarnations as Devi Kanniya did penance on one of the rocks of this land's end to obtain the hand of Lord Shiva. The History Of Kanyakumari - Kanniyakumari district, once known as "The Granary of Travancore" lies at the southwestern part of Indian peninsula.

It was in Travancore for a long time and then merged with Tamil Nadu in 1956 under the State Linguistic Reorganisation Act. Kanyakumari Beach - The Kanyakumari beach is a beautiful sight with multi-coloured sand. The beach here does not really offer one the opportunity to sunbathe on soft golden sands, or to frolic in the waves either. The seashore is rocky and dangerous, and there is a manmade wall running along it.

People are warned to stay off the rocks, and when if someone ventures out of bounds, he or she is quickly and severely reprimanded by a watchful policeman. There is a lighthouse from where one can get a panoramic view. The sea is fairly rough, so it is entertaining to watch it beat itself against the rocks and then subside, before it gathers itself up for another attack. With long stretches of sands of many hues, the beach offers a welcome change.

A variety of shells are on sale on the Kanyakumari beach. Pilgrim Rites Performed - Pilgrimage rites include bathing at Pitru and Matru Tirtha, two rocks over which a monument honouring Swami Vivekananda, a Hindu religious leader, was built in 1970.

Kumari Amman Temple - Kumari Amman Temple is dedicated to Parvati as Devi Kanya, the Virgin Goddess who did penance to obtain the hand of Lord Shiva. Temple Of Goddess Bhagavathi - Few temples in India are more picturesquely located than that of Goddess Bhagavathi in Kannyakumari.

It stands near where three oceans meet: the Indian Ocean, the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea. In its early form the temple seems to have been built by the first Pandyas. The Nayaks expanded it later. There are three Prakaras. The image of the Goddess in the sanctum is marvellous in its serenity and beneficence. She carries a necklace in Her right hand.

The eastern gate, facing the Bay of Bengal is opened only five times a year.Gandhi Mandapam - Not far from the Kumari Amman Temple is the Gandhi Mandapam, constructed at the spot where the urn containing the ashes of Mahatma Gandhi was kept for public view before a portion of its contents was immersed in the three seas. It resembles an Oriyan temple and was designed so that on Gandhiji's birthday (2nd October), the sun's rays fall on the place where his ashes were kept.

Swami Vivekananda Rock Memorial - On the evening of December 25, 1892, Swami Vivekananda who had come to Kannyakumari on pilgrimage swam to the rock and spent the whole night there in deep meditation. He then resolved to decide himself to the service of the Motherland and to spread the message of Vedanta. Next year he attended the Parliament of Religions in Chicago, an event of seminal importance in the modern history of Hinduism. To commemorate his visit to the rock a superb memorial has been erected. It attracts thousands of visitors.

Gandhi Mandapam - Not far from the Kumari Amman Temple is the Gandhi Mandapam, constructed at the spot where the urn containing the ashes of Mahatma Gandhi was kept for public view before a portion of its contents was immersed in the three seas. It resembles an Oriyan temple and was designed so that on Gandhiji's birthday (2nd October), the sun's rays fall on the place where his ashes were kept.

The Temple At Suchindram - Tradition connects the Kannyakumari temple with that in Suchindram (13-km from Kanyakumari). This is a fine, large fane, with a beautiful tank. It is one of the few temples in the country where the Trinity, Brahma, Vishnu and Isvara, are worshipped. The Linga, named"Sthanumalaya", is in three parts; the top represents Lord Shiva, the middle Lord Vishnu, and the base Lord Brahma. "Sthanu" is a name of Shiva, "Mal" of Vishnu, and "Ayan" of Brahma.

Palani.

2008-10-14T11:21:00.005+05:30

Sri Murughan

Today being Pangguni Uttaram, I have decided to post some photographs of the Murugan temples which I visited. Let me tell you, the temples in India are very fascinating and one could simply marvel the architecture and get immersed in the spiritual vibes.

Being in such holy places, one forgets the mundane problems of materialistic live, one experiences no lethargy and can even devoid oneself of hunger, thirst and keeps the senses under control.

Below are the photographs of the 6 places in which Lord Skanda, or Lord Muruga as He is commonly known in South India spent His past times and the places in which He set his lotus feet on.Let’s begin with Palani.

Quite certain, usually this is the first place that crosses the mind of any Murugan bhaktar. Once we arrived at the foothill of the hill, I immediately entered into one of the many shops whereby you could rent a kudam.

We bought milk and filled the kudam with the fresh milk and I carried the kudam up the numeours steps that eventually brought me up to the Palani temple, above the hill.

While walking above the steps, there were beautiful statues of the deities along the path and a small shrine built for Idumbar. Silently chanting the gayatri mantra for Lord Subramanya, our hearts were filled with pure ecstasy as we climbed the staircase.

As my mom and aunt trailed quit far behind me, I occasionally stopped at some of the platforms, while awaiting them to catch up. It goes without saying that any day in a famous.

Hindu temple is comparable to that of a carnival. Above the hill, we queued up and waited for our turn to worship the lord. I handed over the paal kudam to the priest and the priest, in turn poured the pure milk onto Lord Saravana.

The remnants of the milk were then given to other devotees who flocked around us outside the temple compound. My obeisance to Lord Karthikeya, as it’s by His grace alone; I managed to fulfill my desire, to see Him here in Palani.

Chidambaram.

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Sri Nataraja Swami

Chidambaram is one of the most ancient and most celebrated of shrines in India. It is of great religious as well as historic and cultural significance. Chidambaram is associated with Nataraja, or Shiva in his Ananda Tandava pose (the Cosmic Dance of bliss) in the cosmic golden hall and the hall of consciousness (Chit Sabha).

Shiva is also worshipped in the "formless form" of the Chidambara Rahasyam, while the temple is known for its Akasa Lingam, an embodiment of Shiva as the formless Space. The word "Koyil" or temple in the Tamil Saivite tradition refers to none other than the Chidambaram Nataraja temple.

Antiquity: Literature talks of a tradition of Shiva (Nataraja) worship in existence even as early as the Sangam period (very early on in the Christian era), and the Tamil Saints have sung its fame when an established worship tradition was in place.

The later Chola Kings (Aditya I and Parantaka I) adorned the roof of the shrine with gold, and the other Chola Kings treated Nataraja as their guardian deity and made several endowments to the temple as temple inscriptions testify. The Pandya Kings who followed them, and the later Vijayanagar rulers made several endowments to the temple.

Shiva is also worshipped in the "formless form" of the Chidambara Rahasyam, while the temple is known for its Akasa Lingam, an embodiment of Shiva as the formless Space. The word "Koyil" or temple in the Tamil Saivite tradition refers to none other than the Chidambaram Nataraja temple.

Reach ChidambaramBy Air : The airports at Tiruchirapalli (195 km) and Chennai (245 km) are the nearest airports from Chidambaram. From Tiruchirapalli, Indian Airlines flights can be taken to Chennai (Madras). Chennai is connected to all the major cities in India and abroad through regular flights.

By Rail : Chidambaram is located on the Madras-Tiruchirapalli main line of the Southern Railway. It is connected with Tiruchirapalli, Madras, Madurai (335 km), Rameswaram (575 km), Bangalore (340 km), and Tirupati (290 km).

By Road : There are frequent bus services available to various places in Tamilnadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Pondicherry states from Chidambaram. Non-stop bus services and express bus services are also available to major cities like Chennai.

Chariot At Chidambaram Temple

Local Transport : Taxis and auto rickshaws are available without meter for local transportation. Buses and cycle rickshaws are also available here, but a ride on bullock carts is a specialty.

Bhavani.

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Bhavani is a small beautiful municipal town in Erode district Tamil Nadu, India. It lies at the confluence of Kaveri river and Bhavani river. Sangameswarar Temple built at the confluence of these two rivers, is a pilgrimage and tourism spot of Tamil Nadu government.

Bhavani also is known as Carpet city, as the leading business of the town is carpet export to European countries. This small town has a rotary club, both public and private schools. Bhavani is about 12 miles away from Erode railway station and nearly an hour and half drive from Coimbatore.

Stanley reservoir also known as Mettur Dam is 32 miles from Bhavani and connects Erode to Mettur and Anthiur. Sangameswarar alayam, the temple of Lord Shiva in [Bhavani[1]], Tamil Nadu, India. The word Sangamam means join in tamil, as temple is built at the place where the Kaveri river, Bhavani river and ‘agaya gangai’ joins, the deity here is named as Sangameswarar.

Rock status of this temple represents the beauty of stone carving and the culture of the people lived there. When water or milk poured on the two identical stone statues in font of ‘ambal sanathi’- Hindu goddess, one smiles at you, while the other shed tears at you.

The temple also has a golden statue of ‘Ambal’, a hindu goddess donated by a district collector during British period. Sangameswarar alayam temple holds a huge hall for social events, photo studio, a book store, a beautiful river side garden and an elephant too.

Kaladi.

2008-10-14T10:51:00.001+05:30

Sri Adi Sankaracharya

KaladiKaladi is a pilgrim centre 45 Kms away from Kochi, situated on the banks of the Periyar river. A tiny village cradled in green fields, it is famous as the birth place of Adi Shankaracharya, the great Indian Philosopher. There are two shrines dedicated to him. Adi Sankara's Shrine is located at Kaladi, 45 Kms away from Kochi. It is open to all pilgrims irrespective of religion or caste. The shrine run by the Sringeri Math is a large, partly open structure situated right on the banks of the river Periyar.

Adi Sankara Memorial Tower

One Of the two shrines here, one is dedicated to Sri Sankaracharya and the other to Goddess Saradamba, guardian deity of Sringeri. The evening prayers are conducted with chanting accompanied with the rhythmic ringing of cymbals at the small temple of Vinayaka or Ganapati situated nearby. Sri Sankaracharya was born at Kaladi, as the only son of Sivaguru and Aryamba, a Kerala Brahmin couple.

His early life was marked by several miraculous exploits that single him out for a divine role. Among the miraculous happenings associated with his life is one, when he is believed to have diverted the course of the river Poorna, then flowing one and a half kms away from the house, for his aged mother so that she could have her daily bath in the river without walking a long way. Even today one can see the river has taken an uncharacteristic turn towards the Sringeri Math shrine, believed to be the site of Sankara's house.

The extra ordinary intelligent boy mastered the Vedas and completed his studies when he was merely 16 years of age.He then spent many years of his life preaching the Vedic Dharma as well as its universality and superiority. He established four 'Maths' at Sringeri, Dwaraka, Joshimath and Puri. At the age of 32, he attained 'mahasamadhi'. There is an 8 storey-high brilliantly painted memorial, Sri Adi Sankara Keerthi Sthambam here. The entrance to the memorial, is guarded by two elephant statues. Several large statues of Ganapati, Adi Sankara and others are also housed in this memorial.

Adishankara Janmabhoomi Temple

, Kaladi It is located quite near to the Keerthi Sthambam on the banks of river Periyar. The temple was built in the year 1910 by the 33rd swami of the Sringeri Ashram, Sachithanda Shivabhinava Narasimha Swamikal with the help of the Sree Moolam Thirunal. The Samadhi (tomb) of Shri Sankara's mother Aryamba and the Crocodile ghat where AdiSankara took his vows of renunciation is also seen here. Brindavan of Aryamba is a holy spot in Kalady where Aryamba, the mother of Sri Adi Shankara was cremated. The lamp post made of black stone just near this samadhi was in existance from the time of Sri Shankara.

Crocodile Ghat

Crocodile Ghat or Muthala Kadavu is the place where Sree Shankara took 'Manasa Sanyasam' or his vows of renunciation. Even from a young age, Shankara was spiritually inclined and wanted to take up sanyasa much against his mothers wishes. Once while Shankara was taking bath in the Periyar river one day, he was caught by a crocodile. Shankara demanded his mother Aryamba to permit him to take up sanyasam so that the crocodile will leave him. His mother was forced to give permission and then the crocodile released him immediately, and the ghat came to be known as Crocodile Ghat.

Sri Sadvidya Sanjivini Rig Veda Patashala

This is a unique institution that teaches Vedas and Sastras in the traditional method. The patashala established by Sri Sacchidananda Shivabhinava Nrisimha Bharati Mahaswamigal, is managed by the Sringeri Mutt.

Sri Krishna Temple, Kaladi

This Temple dedicated to Lord Krishna, Sri Krishna Temple is located to the west of the Sringeri Mutt temple complex. The temple is under the Kalady Devaswom and the worship is conducted by Namboothiris.

Pitapuram.

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Sri Kukkuteswara

Sri Kukkuteshwara Swamy Temple Located 20 Km from Kakinada and 75 Km from Rajahmundry, It is considered to be one of the 18 Shakthipithas in India. It is famous for the temples of Kukkuteshwara Swamy, Kunthimadhava Swamy and Sri Pada Vallabha Anaagha Datha Kshethram, Agraharam, Sri Venu Gopala Swamy Temple.

Sri Puruhuthika Devi

Pithapuram is one of the oldest and famous pilgrim places of India. There is an oldest temple call "Padagya Keshatram in Pithapuram. The Lord "Sri Kukuteswara Swamy is the Swayambhu with Spatika Lingam". Pithapuram is one of the Twelve Pilgrims, one of the five Madava Keshatra and one of the Asta Dasa (Eighteen) Sakthi Petas. Previously Pithapuram is known as Pitikapuram.

Sri Dattatreya

Once you enter into the temple, complete the pradishana and come in front of Dwaja Stamba you will be attracted by the "Yaka Sila Nandi (Single Stone Nandi). The Yaka Sila is second biggest after Lepakshi Basaveswara Nandai.Pithapuram is equalent to Kasi:According to "Bhimeswara Purana" of Srinath kavi Sarvabhuma, Pithapuram is one of the twelve pilgrims (Dwadasa Punya Keshatras). The sage told that Pithapuram is equalent to Kasi and also known as Southern Kasi (Dakshina Kasi).

Sri Pada Gaya Pushkarini

About the pond-Padagaya.Pithapuram is third one of three Gayas of India.
* 1st is – Siro Gaya also familiarly known as "GAYA", located in Bihar State.
* 2nd is – Nabi Gaya near to Jijapur Railway Junction, located in Orrisa State
* 3rd is – Padagaya Pithapuram, located in East Godavari District of Andhra Pradesh.

Kolluru Mookambika.

2008-10-13T12:03:00.006+05:30

Sri Mookambika Amman

Mookambika Temple at Kollur, 80 km from Udupi, is one of the most important places of pilgrimage on the west coast of India, attracting pilgrims from all over the country. The temple, dedicated to the divine mother, Goddess Mookambika, stands in the valley of the great Kodachadri peak, on the banks of the perennial river Sauparnika.

It is believed that the great religious leader Sankaracharya consecrated the metal idol of the Goddess behind the lingam.The main idol, a Shivling called the Jyothirlingam, is placed in front of the image of Mookambika. Jyotirlingam is divided by a golden line into two unequal parts.

The greater representing the three Goddesses, Mahalakshmi, Mahasaraswati, Mahakali, and the smaller Brahma, Maheshwar, and Vishnu. The temple has a gold plated crest and copper roofs, and a temple dome and kalasha made of solid gold.

There are a couple of places worth visiting in the vicinity such as Arasina Makki, a famous waterfall, Mookambika Wildlife Sanctuary and the Kodachadri mountain range. The Kodachadri houses two temples dedicated to Kalabhairava and Umamaheshwara. There are sufficient facilities for food and accommodation in the area.

The Goddess Mookambika shrine at Kollur is one of the most important places of pilgrimage centers in Karnataka (and in Kerala). It is located at a distance of 147 km from Mangalore, 80 kms from Udupi. Kollur is considered as one of the Seven Muktistala (Mukti = Liberation) pilgrimage sites in Karnataka which are Kollur, Udupi, Subrahmanya, Kumbasi, Kodeshwara, Sankaranarayana, and Gokarna.

Divine Mother made him dumb (mooka, hence the name mookambika) and when the Lord appeared before him, he could not ask for anything. Thereupon he got enraged and began troubling Kola Maharshi who prayed to the Divine Mother and devine mother killed the demon.

The highly revered shrine of Devi Mookambika at Kollur on National Highway - 17 after travelling 1 km from Byndoor at Yadthare (Kollur bypass)turn towards left and you reach Kollur after covering just 27 km.

If you come via Mangalore city on NH-17, at Tallur, after 5 km from Kundapur or at Hemmady, 7 km from Kundapur, turn towards right, you will reach Kollur after covering 35 km.

By Train: The nearest railway station is at Kundapur, 45 km from Kollur (Konkan Rail Route)By Air: The nearest air port is at Mangalore, 140 km from Kollur.

Chakkulam.

2008-10-13T12:03:00.004+05:30

There is an eternal divinity which is the ultimate cause for the creation as well sustenance of this universe. As oil in sesame seeds, water in river beds and fire in friction sticks, this divinity defines all that we see and see not, all that we know and know or all that we hear and hear not.

The concept of Goddess which in way is a manifestation of Nature is the supreme symbol of this divinity that shapes us. The Devi at Chakkulatukavu temples is a benign example of the love and motherliness that Almighty showers upon any devotee who seats that inimitable Goddess in his heart.

The ancient history of the temple has some divine connections with the story of Sumbha and Nishumbha referred to in the Devi Mahatmyam. The story goes that two demoniac characters called Sumbha and Nishumbha derived super human powers through rigorous meditation of Lord Brahma.

They received a boon that they could be killed only through a battle with workmen. Such a condition being almost impossible, Sumbha and Nishumbha conquered Indra and other Devas. They became the unquestioned monarchs of the three worlds. The helpless Devas under had to flee away and take shelter in remote jungles.

Saint Narada feeling pity at the misery of the Gods approaches his father Lord Brahma. Brahma reminds Narada that ups and downs are the law of life and that was what the Gods were experiencing. There was only one way out for this despicable state of affair. Only one power could restore power and prosperity to Gods and that power was none other than the very Goddess.

Sri Chakkulathakavu Amman

Devas accordingly moved in search of Goddess. Reaching near Himavan, the epic King of the mountains, they started chanting powerful mantras to appease the Goddess. They plunged into a he artful eulogy of the Goddess who in herself was power, knowledge, creativity, benevolence and blessings.

Goddess Parvathy had just arrived on the banks of river Ganga Echoes of the mantras reached her. There was a touch of grief and pleading in the sounds of Devas. Goddess Parvathy grasped the pitiable plight of Devas. There emerged another Goddess from within her as if something comes out of a cover. This was the incarnation of Goddess Durga, having taken a divine form to rescue the Devas from the hardships caused by the asuras.

The story culminates in a terrible fight between the "Goddess and Asuras under the leadership of Sumba and Nishumbha. It was an encounter unheard of ever before. Needless to specify, all the auras were annihilated by the Goddess. The Devas got back the early powers and prosperities.

Sage Narada appears in front of them and exhaults them about the invincibility of goddess Durga. She was the cause as well as witness for the creation, maintenance and destruction the universe, told Narada.It is believed that the Goddess residing in Chakkulathukavu is a wholesome reaction of this all-pervading Goddess namely Durga.

Konark.

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Konark is one of the well known tourist attractions of Orissa. Konark, Konark houses a colossal temple dedicated to the Sun God. Even in its ruined state it is a magnificient temple reflecting the genius of the architects that envisioned and built it.

Bhubaneshwar, Konark and Puri constitute the Golden triangle of Orissa, visited in large numbers by pilgrims and tourists.PrakaramKonark is also known as Konaditya. The name Konark is derived form the words Kona - Corner and Arka - Sun; it is situated on the north eastern corner of Puri or the Chakrakshetra. Konark is also known as Arkakshetra.

Rada ChakramThis temple built in 1278 CE by the Ganga King Narasimha Deva is one of the grandest temples of India and was referred to as the Black Pagoda. The ruins of this temple were excavated in late 19th century. The tower over the Garbagriha is missing, however the Jagmohana is intact, and even in this state, it is awe inspiring.

StepsLegend has it that Samba, the king of Krishna and Jambavati entered the bathing chamber of Krishna's wifes, and was cursed by Krishna with leprosy. It was decreed that he would be relieved of the curse by worshipping the sun God on the sea coast north east of Puri. Accordingly Samba reached Konaditya Kshetra and discovered an image of Surya seated on the lotus, worshipped him and was relieved of his curse.

Silpa KalaIt is said that the temple was not completed as conceived because the foundation was not strong enough to bear the weight of the heavy dome. Local beleif has it that it was constructed in entirety, however its magnetic dome caused ships to crash near the seashore, and that the dome was removed and destroyed and that the image of the Sun God was taken to Puri.The Temple:

The Konark temple is widely known not only for its architectural grandeur but also for the intricacy and profusion of sculptural work. The entire temple has been conceived as a chariot of the sun god with 24 wheels, each about 10 feet in diameter, with a set of spokes and elaborate carvings. Seven horses drag the temple. Two lions guard the entrance, crushing elephants. A flight of steps lead to the main entrance.

AalayamThe nata mandir in front of the Jagamohana is also intricately carved. Around the base of the temple, and up the walls and roof, are carvings in the erotic style. There are images of animals, foliage, men, warriors on horses and other interesting patterns. There are three images of the Sun God, positioned to catch the rays of the sun at dawn, noon and sunset.

The Melakkadambur Shiva temple, built in the form of a chariot during the age of Kulottunga Chola I (1075-1120), is the earliest of this kind, and is still in a well preserved state. It is believed that this temple set the pace for the ratha (chariot) vimana temples in India, as a distant descendant of Kulottunga I on the female line, and thefamous Eastern Ganga ruler Narasimha Deva, built the Sun Temple at Konark in the form of a chariot in the 13th century.

Kulottunga Chola is also credited with having built the Suryanaar temple near Kumbhakonam. Temples dedicated to the Sun are not a common feature in the Tamil speaking region of the Indian subcontinent.