My Pilgrimage

Sri Varaha Moorthy temple-Thiru Vidanthai, Chennai

2012-02-05T19:18:00.000+05:30

Thiru Vidanthai, Sri Varaha Moorthy temple is situated en route to Mahabalipuram on the East Coast road and is one among the 108 divya desams of Vishnu. Alwars have sung in praise of the God here and this temple sits smugly in a village off the Mahabalipuram road in a calm and serene atmosphere.This temple is about 1000 years old and as it is near the sea coast many structures and carvings have corroded here hence it is under the care of Archaelogical Survey of India and I was a bit disappointed when they didn't allow the cameras inside. But I have tried to make the best of my visit by clicking some beautiful shots from outside.

Varaha Swamy is one of reincarnations of Vishnu, he took the form of a boar to save Mother Earth from the demon Hiranyaksha. There are a very few temples dedicated to Varaha Swamy. Here the idol is about 61/2 feet high, an exquistively carved idol with Boodevi on His left thigh. He is giving Mantropadesham to Boodevi and at his feet are Adisesha , the serpent God and his wife.

The Utsavar is called as Nithya Kalyana Perumal . It is believed that a visit to this temple and praying here by following certain worship pattern would help one to find a good life partner.

The legend says that as per the wishes of a Maharshi, the Lord here married all his 360 daughters one per day throughout the year and united them all into one as Boodevi who is the Thayar ( mother Goddess) here.There is also separate sannidhi for Thayar and Andal. The sthala vriksham is at the back side of the temple.There are beautiful carvings on the pillars here near the Garudalwar sannidhi which is opposite to the main sannidhi. The carving are etched beautifully as if idols have been stuck on the pillars. The temple must be around 4-5 acres and there is a bell tower, dwaja sthamba and balipeetam, typical of any temple front in Tamilnadu.

How to reach:

Chennai is well connnected by air, road and rail. Umpteen number of buses ply from various parts of the city towards Mahabalipuram. Thiru Vidanthai bus stop is 3 Kms. from Kovalam. Distance to Tiruvidanthai from Chennai is 50 Kms.

Valvil Ramar temple- Tirupullam Boothankudi- Tamil Nadu

2012-01-25T09:15:00.000+05:30

Valvil Ramar temple is 7 th divya desam of Vishnu and here Bala Ramar is the Moolavar. Here the Utsavar Lord Ramar gives darshan in Chathurbhujam form with Sree devi and Boodevi. The legend is assosiated with Ramayana. Rama is said to have given moksham to Jaytayu here. One would find Lakshmana and Jatayu inside the sanctum depicted on the wall near the Lord Rama's lotus feet. Lord is reclining here under the Punnai tree. There is a separate sannidhi for the the Goddess , Hemambhuja valli and a separate sannidhi for Yoga Narasimhar.It is also believed that Yoganarasimhar fulfills the wishes of aspiring job seekers.

Devotees pray here for their ancestors .A temple set in sylvan surroundings, an absolutely calm and quiet place.

How to reach- This temple is in Kumbhakonam ( Tanjore dist) and Tiru Adanoor another divaydesam and Swamimalai, one of the Aarupadai veedu's of Lord Muruga , are close by and about which I would be writing soon.

Enjoy the slide show.

Harasaba Vimochana Perumal- Tirukkandiyur, Tamil Nadu

2012-01-05T22:08:00.000+05:30

This temple at Tirukkandiyur is one among the divyadesams of Vishnu and is very near to the town of Thiruvaiyaru and here Lord Vishnu is known as Harasaba Vimochana Perumal as he liberated Hara (Siva) from a Saba (curse) which He incurred when he removed one of the five heads of Brahma.

Moolavar , Main deity here is also known as Bali Nadhar and Thayar is Kamalavalli. Idol in the temple resembles that of Balaji of Tirupati. A temple sans crowd and the serene atmosphere helps one to worship in peace. Just outside the sanctum there is separate niche for Chakrathazhvar .Near the main entrance of the temple one would find the Hanuman shrine. Kamala Valli thayar has a separate sannidhi so has Andal. The 20 day festival in the month Avani is famous here.

Had an opportunity to visit this temple for a second time last week.

Thiruvayaru is the birth place of Saint Thayaraja ,the great Carnatic music composer who has composed hundreds of hymns on the Lord Rama. Tiruvayyaru town is about 11 Kms from Tanjore which is famous for its Big temple.

How to reach- Tanjore is the nearest town well connected by rail and road.The nearest airport is at Trichy which 60 Kms from Tanjore.

Sri Viswarupa Anjali Varatha Anjaneyar temple Chinnalapatti- Tamil Nadu

2011-12-23T20:30:00.000+05:30

Tomorrow is Hanuman Jayanthi and I thought it is appropriate that my next post should be on Hanuman and hence this post of the Chinnalapatti Hanuman temple.

Sri Viswarupa Anjali Varatha Anjaneyar temple is situated in the quaint little village of Chinnalapatti which is 15 Kms from the the town of Dindigul. The temple here is small, a pretty neat structure but the idol of Anjaneyar here is huge, about 16 feet in height made of Saligrama stone. One can view the idol right from the entrance of the temple. The Lord here stands with His hands folded and with his mace -'Gadha' resting on his legs. His eyes are like dark marbles which sparkle and gives a feeling as if he is looking at his devotees wherever they stand.

He is always adorned with beautiful costumes and priests here who do the alankara(decorations) need a special mention as it is not easy to decorate a huge idol. He appears magnifcient in his various alankaras made of butter, fruits, sweet jalebis, and vadas. Offering Vada mala, a garland made of vadas (a south Indian snack made of black gram ) numbering 108-1008 is very famous here . He is also bedecked with silk robes and jewellery like a king, known as Rajalankara. When He becomes Maruti he is adorned with green costume. These various alankaras are really a visual treat. The temple becomes a beehive of activity on Saturdays.

The most attractive thing here is photography is allowed even inside the sanctum.

This is considered to be one of the six abodes of Anajaneyar where chunks of the Sanjeevani hill fell during the great Ramayana war when the Anjayear returned with the Sanjeevani hill to revive the unconscious Lakshmana. There are about 5 more places considered equally holy , the others are at Suchindram, Namakkal, Nanganallur in Chennai , Deivaseyalpuram and Nugarveliya in Rampoda, Sri Lanka .

Chinnalapatti town is famous for handloom weaving and Chinnalapatii silk is a speciality of this place . Unfortunately this variety of silk is losing charm and is almost extinct now a days.

How to reach- Nearest rail station is at Dindigul Chinalapatti town is 15 Kms. from Dindigul. There are many buses plying from the town of Dindigul.

Marutha malai Subramanya swami Kovil, Coimbatore,Tamilnadu

2011-12-06T09:59:00.000+05:30

Kartikai masam as per the Tamil calender is from mid November - mid December and this month is considered to be very auspicious for devotees of Siva, Ayappa and Lord Muruga.

I have been waiting for an opportunity to write on Lord Muruga, also known by many other names as Shanmugha, Vadivela, Dhandayudhapani, Karthikeya, Skanda,Subramanya and many more . There are six important abodes of Lord Muruga known as Arupadai veedu which I would be posting here one by one. But this present temple set among the majestic hills of Marudhamalai is also considered at par with the other six abodes of Lord Muruga. Interestingly most of the temples of Muruga is found on small mounts or hillocks.

This magnificent temple is at a distance of 12 Kms. from the town of Coimbatore, The renovation was under progress when I visited the temple and a flight of steps leads one to this temple. The hills around are believed to have medicinal herbs and one does get refreshed by breathing the fresh air here. There is a cave temple here at level lower than the main shrine and there is also a shrine here for Vinayagar .

The idol is radiant and a glimpse of this resplendent image of Lord soothes the mind. There are sacred springs considered to have medicinal properties. Please just see the images which I could capture . I think those pictures itself would calm your mind too.

Other Murugan temple on 'My pilgrimage'- Mittai Murugan.

Find here the link to Arunachaleshwar temple - Tiruvannamalai which is also celebrating Karthikai festival. The Kartikai deepam lit atop the Tiruvannamali hill is famous and lakhs of devotees flock here on that day which happens to fall on December 8 th this year.

Howto reach
Maruthamali is situated in the industrial town of Coimbatore . This town is like a mini metro and is well connected with various cities by rail, road and air.
Accomrmodation facilities are excellent in the town . The famous hill station Ooty is only a 100 odd kilometres ride from this town.

Chidambaram Natarajar Koil- Tamilnadu

2011-11-21T11:13:00.000+05:30

Chidambaram Natarajar Koil is one of the Pancha bhootasthalas of Siva where the Lord is worshipped in the form of Akash (space). Other Pancha bootha sthalas being Jambukeswara temple -Trichy, where Siva is worshipped as Jal ( water) Tiruvannamalai -fire, Kalahasti - air and Kanchipuram - earth

The Lord Natarajar idol is enshrined in the chitsabha , the hall of Consciousness in the Ananada Tandavam pose (dance of bliss) . The idol of Nataraja is of exquisite beauty and grace and it surely enchants those who stand in front of Him. Next to the sanctum is a room which gets opened only during the worship which is known as Chidamabara rahasyam, the form of nothingness. Here the Lord is worshipped as formless and there are Golden Vilva leaves inside.

The Nrithya sabha ( Dance Hall) is very famous , has exquisitely carved pillars and this is the place where Lord had a dance competition with Goddess Bhadra Kali. At the end of the competition the Lord lifted His leg towards the sky as Urdhva thandavar, a pose, Kali could not take and she lost the competiton.

Near this mandapam is a niche for Somaskandar and Kala Samhara moorthy where the Lord protects Markendaya and kills Yama, the Lord of death.

Tiruchitra Kootam (an important Vishnu desam) is also inside this temple very near to Lord Natarajar's shrine. Vishnu here is Tillai Govinda Rajar and his consort is known as Pundarikavalli thayar . There is also a shrine for Mahalakshmi here.

Amman shrine is in the outer prakram and on the left of her shrine we see the Adi Moola Siva .

This temple has lofty towers on all four sides and the the Western Gopuram has 108 dance poses from Bharatanatayam carved to perfection on the gate way.Have included a few pictures of the dance poses .
Other temples en route Chidambaram from Kumbhakonam in " My pilgrimage" are Seerkazhi and Vaidheeshwaran Koil.

How to reach- Chidambaram can be reached from Chennai or from Kumbhakonam. From Kumbhakonam it is nearly 70 Kms . From Chennai it is about a 4-5 hrs.travel by road. Regular buses ply from both places with very good frequency.

Brahamapureeshwarar - Tonaiappar temple, Seerkazhi, Tamilnadu

2011-11-04T20:17:00.000+05:30

Brahamapureeshwarar - Tonaiappar temple,Seerkazhi is a highly revered holy shrine and is very close to Vaidheeshawaran koil which is enroute to Chidambaram from Kumbakonam.It is 14th thevara sthalam and is situated near the river Kaveri. Here, Lord Siva gives darshan in three forms -one as Lingam , Second, in the form of a colossal statue Tonaiappar with His consort Uma and last one as Sattainadhar Bhairavar. All these forms are found in 3 different levels of the temple. One has to climb a few steep steps to have a darshan of Uma Maheshwar, Thoniappar and Sattainadhar. One can see and enjoy the entire lay out of this huge temple from the top of the Vimanam.

Brahma is believed to have worshipped the Lord Siva here hence he is known as Brahmapureeshwar,(the main Lingam in the sanctum) During the deluge Siva is said to have secured the 64 art forms in a boat (Thoni) hence he is known as Thonaiappar. Sattainadhar is said to have quelled the arrogance of Trivikramar after he showed his dominance over all the three worlds. Sattainadhar is worshipped here on every Friday night.

This is also the place where Tirugnana Sambandar received the Milk of Wisdom from Mother Goddess, known here as Tirunilai Nayaki.

The temple with its vast area and a calm, serene, salubrious atmosphere shuts oneself from the outside world and helps to have peace with oneself. A temple worth visiting to feel the vibrations of spirituality.

How to reach - The temple is about 25 Kms from the town of Kumbhkonam. Many buses ply from the city of Kumbhakonam.Good hotels are there in the town of Kumbhakonam.

Vaidheeswaran Koil- Kumbhakonam, Tamil Nadu

2011-10-19T18:01:00.000+05:30

Vaidheeswaran Koil is an important Sivasthalam. It is also one of the Navagraha sthalams which enshrines the planet Chevvai, (Mars) This temple is en route to Seerkazhi and Chidambaram (Posts in the offing) from Kumbakonam.

The presiding deity is known as Vaidheeswaran as he is the Divine Healer. He had cured Chevvai when he was afflicted with leprosy. Lord Vaidheeswaran's Consort is Thayal Nayaki, she holds a medicinal oil pot in her hands. The Tiruchandu Urundai , the prasadam offered in the temple is considered to have tremendous healing capability and is a panacea for curing many ailments. Nettripadi chandanam ( the holy sandal paste) from Murugan temple is another prasadam with healing properties. There are separate shrines for Vinayagar and Dandayudhapani and Lord Singaravelar ( Murugan ) here. Singaravelar sannidhi is like a separate temple inside the same complex as it has a separate dwajasthambha. Devotees offer salt , pepper, jaggery to the presiding deity here.

Vaidheeshwaran koil is 15 Kms. from the town of Kumbhakonam and is easily accessible by road.

How to reach
Nearest town is Kumbhakonam and is well connected by rail and road. Nearest airport is at Trichy which is nearly 100 Kms from the town. This town has good boarding and lodging facilities.

Gunaseelam Sri PrasannaVenkatachalapathy temple, Tamilnadu

2011-10-11T20:35:00.000+05:30

Prasanna Venkatachalapathy temple is a famous Vishnu temple in Gunaseelam about 20 Kms. from Trichy.This temple attracts lot of pilgrims and people also believe that worshipping the deity here helps one to cure mental and physical ailments. Pilgrims stay here for about 48 days ,worship God and partake the prasadam from the temple and get relief from their problems.The temple looks neat and clean.

Legend is that sage Gunaseela used to visit Tirumala to have the darshan of Lord Balaji , once he requested God to come to the place where he was and God obliged, pleased with the sage's devotion. The temple is small when compared to the huge temples I have visited. There is a mandapam and a water tank outside the temple.
How to reach- Trichy is well connected with rail, road and air.
accommodation facilities are excellent as this is quite big town which attracts lot of tourists.

Dhenupureeshwar and Durga temple, Pateeshwaram,Tamil Nadu

2011-10-02T12:22:00.001+05:30

Navarathri Greetings to all my friends.

This time, I am taking you to Patteswaram temple which is close to Swami Malai , One of the Aarupadai Veedugal of Lord Muruga, The presiding deity is Dhenu Pureeshwarar ( Siva) and His consort is Gnanambigai. The Nandi here, is found on the left side of the main entrance unlike other temples where we find it facing the Lord. It was as per Lord's wish that Nandi moved to one side as Siva wanted to have a look at Tirugnanasambandar, the child poet saint as he was approaching the temple. The legend has it that, this Sivalingam was consecrated by Lord Rama. There is a small shrine for Anjaneyar and there are separate shrines for Vinayagar and Subramaya. The Madapam in front of the Amman sannidhi has pillars embellished with intricate designs. The idols of of Kala Bhairavar and Vinayagar inside the temple are huge in size. The gates of the main temple are guarded by gigantic statues, Dwarapalakas of the Lord.

The Goddess Durga's idol situated on the Northern side is considered to be very powerful who showers her divine blessings like a mother, on all her devotees. Durga here is Santha swaroopi, has 8 hands and is sitting on Her mount Lion. The temple gets crowded on Tuesdays and Fridays and many perform Rahu puja here to ward off the ill effects of the planet. The Cholas were worshippers of Durga and the deity was installed here after the fall of Chola dynasty.

How to reach- This temple is very near to the Kumbhakonam town ( 5 km ) and is well connected by road. Many buses ply from the town and this temple is very close to Swamimalai temple.Nearest airport is Trichy and rail station is at Kumbhakonam. One would find good hotels in the town itself.

Navarathri celebration in Madurai Meenakshi temple is quite famous and just made a trip to catch a glimpse of that. I could gather only a few pics from outside.

Sree Tirumala Tatha Lakshmi Narasimha temple- Ullal, Karnataka

2011-09-13T20:55:00.001+05:30

Sree Lakshmi Narasimha ( 4th avatar of Lord Vishnu ) temple is in Ullal , a quaint little town situated on the coast of Arabian sea and which is at a distance of 8 Kms. from Mangalore. Lord Narasimha with his consort Lakshmi is enshrined here. This is a GSB temple . There are shrines for Kalabhairava and Subramanya. This temple is situated in a calm and serene atmoshphere.
Some more information is available about this temple at gsbkerala .com
How to reach- Ullal has a railway station , Mangalore is the biggest town nearby which is easily accessible. Good number of hotels are available in Mangalore town . Check here for other temples in and around Mangalore.

Aranmulla Parthasarathy temple- Kerala

2011-08-22T18:27:00.001+05:30

Happy Janmashtami greetings to all .

Befitting the occasion, I am taking you to the famous Aramulla Parthasarathy temple in Kerala near Chengannur which is on the banks of river Pampa. Aramulla is declared as a heritage village.It is famous for its snake boat race and the Tiruvabharanam procession for Sabarimala temple halts at this temple. Aramulla mirrors are also famous as it is cast with a special metal.

The temple of Parathasarathy, the divine charioteer is situated in a calm and salubrious atmosphere totally away from the dust and din of the city. The temple is on a higher elevation and a flight of steps leads one to the temple. There are towers on four sides of the temple and on Northern side we see river Pampa where the famous Vallom kali ( snake boat race) starts during Onam, the famous harvest festival of Kerala. This year, Onam falls in September and those who are interested to see this colourful snake boat race can head towards Aranmulla.There is an intersting legend connected with the Aranmulla boat race . read it here.

Have a 360 degree virtual tour of the temple click here.

The Lord here, Parathasarathy is Krishna, gives Vishwaroopa darshanam to His devotees as He appeared to Arjuna after the famous Gitopadesham. The temple sanctum is circular in shape with typical Kerala architecture . The idol here is believed to be consecrated by Arjuna . There are 4 more temples of Vishnu which comes under the 108 divadesams consecrated by the other 4 Pandava brothers, in Kerala. I will be posting about all those one by one. These temples are in the nearby villages and devotees make it a point to visit all of them on the same day.

Just outside the sanctum on the Northen side we find the idol Nirmalyadhari Vikshasenar,

There is a subshrine for Balabadra, in outer circumambulatory path.

How to reach:

Nearest rail station is Chengannur. Aramulla temple is 9 Kms from this town. Nearest airport is at Trivandrum .

A diversion at Kulanada on NH would take one to this temple.

My friend Asha has written an interesting post on Uriyadi Varagur temple about the Janmashtami celebrations. Shall be visiting the temple soon and would bring you pictures in the near future.

To read about Parthasarathy temple of Chennai ,on 'My Pilgrimage' click here.

My Clicks Of Parthasarathy temple, Aranmulla.

Tirunageshwaram- ( Rahu sthalam) ,Tamil Nadu

2011-08-17T20:41:00.000+05:30

Tirunageshwaram is an important Navagraha temple in Kumbhakonam , Rahu is worshipped here along with his consorts. The presiding deity is Naganatha swamy ( Siva) . His consort is known here as Girigujambika. Rahu is found in the subshrine of the main temple.This is the only place where Rahu appears in a human form, unlike other temples where he is worshipped as a serpent.

The temple gets crowded here during Rahu Kalam . The idol of Rahu is worshipped and bathed in milk during this period to ward off the ill effects of the planet.

This temple is 7 Kms from the Kumbakonam town. Very near to Uppiliyappan temple.( 1 km)

Tiruchherai Saranathan temple, Tamil Nadu

2011-08-02T20:35:00.000+05:30

Tiruchherai also known as Udaiyar Koil is a divya desam of Vishnu and here the main deity is known by the name Saranathan and His consort Saranayaki. This is the place where river Kaveri prayed to God to obtain the stature of river Ganga. Lord Vishnu blesses Kaveri here, along with His consorts, Sreedevi, Boodevi, Neela devi, and Saranayaki. The idols are well sculpted are quite charming and beautiful.

The legend also mentions that during the great deluge, Brahma wanted to protect the Vedas by keeping them in a pot of clay but failed to make a lasting one. He could make one only at Tirucherai, at Sara kshetram as per the directions of Lord Vishnu. The temple has a separate sannidhi for Saranayaki.

There are also shrines for Lakshmi Narasimha and Rajagopalaswamy here.

Temple is situated 15 Kms from the town of Kumbhakonam.

How to reach- Nearest airport is at Trichy. Kumbhakonam is well connected with rail and road.

As Kumbhakonam is a pilgrim town there are many hotels available in the town.

Nachiyar Koil- Thiru Naraiyur, Kumbhakonam,Tamilnadu

2011-07-25T20:34:00.001+05:30

Nachiyar Koil is an important divyadesham of Vishnu , which is 10 Kms from the town of Kumbhakonam and just 3 Kms. from Uppiliyappan temple. Goddess Nachiyar is Vishnu's consort and She is seen right inside the sanctum along with the Lord ,unlike other temples where Goddess gets enshrined separately. Nachiyar has more prominence over the Lord here. The worship is first offered to the Goddess and then to the Lord Vishnu. The God and Goddess are found in a beautiful Tirukalyana kolam(wedding posture). There are also huge idols of Aniruddha , Purushothaman , Sankarshanan,Vasudeva and Pradyumana , the forms which the God assumed to offer his powers to the Goddess . One has to climb a few steps to reach the sanctum

Just outside the sanctum of Lord Srinivasa is the shrine for Kal Garuda. a well sculpted Garudalwar . During the annual festival the Lord visits sannidhi of Kalgaruda. It is is said that the Garuda's weight increases manifold when it is taken out during the street procession in the Tamil month of marghazi . The number of people who carry the idol keep increasing as the the Garuda leaves each prakaram and the weight reduces as the Garuda returns to the temple.

How to reach: This temple is situated on Kumbhakonam -Tiruvarur route.

Kumbhakonam is well connected with road and rail, with nearest airport in Trichy.

Good hotel accommodation is available in the town of Kumbhakonam.

TiruKoshtiyur- Sowmya Narayana Perumal Temple, Tamilnadu

2011-07-21T20:33:00.004+05:30

Sowmya Narayana Perumal temple in Tirukoshtiyur is in Sivagangai district and is 10 Kms from Tirupathur town, on Madurai Karaikudi road. This is one of the 108 divyadeshams of Vishnu and I would say this was the most adventurous trip to a temple I ever undertook as I climbed the Vimanam ( tower) of the temple.

The temple is situated in a serene village and a huge tower welcomes us inside the temple. The uniqueness of this temple is, there are 3 tiers in the main Vimanam above the sanctum and and each tier houses a deity, the main one being on the first floor.

This is a rock cut temple and here we can see the blend of Vaishanavism and Saivism .At the entrance there is a separate shrine for Siva with Nandi mandapam in front. As we enter the Perumal temple, there is a small shrine for Vinayagar , On the ground floor there is a beautifully carved statue of dancing Krishna with Rukmani and Satyabhama. There are many idols of Azhwars (Vaishnavite saints) in this prakaram. Turning left, climbing a few steps one would reach the Sowmya Narayana Perumal's sanctum. The Moolavar ( the main deity) is Vishnu in Anantha Sayanam known as Ugramellanaiyan and along with him are Boodevi and Sreedevi. The Utsavar is Sowmaya Narayana Perumal with his consorts and there are also idols of dancing Krishna, Chakrathazhwar, Ramanujar and Nambigal. On the ground floor is the shrine of the Thayar , known here as Thirumamagal . From the Thayar sannidhi there are a fleet of steps which takes one to the top of the Vimanam .

A trip up the vimanam is adventurous , scary and cannot be accessed without the help of a guide as the maze like formation may make one feel dis -oriented. The width of the narrow rock- cut staircase is just about 21/2 feet. Lack of air, the dark interiors , frequent twist and turns in the steep staircase without railings does create panic. At times one has to bend double as the ceiling is too low. At one point it was just a hole through which we had crawl to get on to the terrace.

On the 2 nd floor is the sannidhi of the Upendra Narayana with his consorts and here the Lord is in a standing position . There are beautiful murals on the walls of this temple and it is believed to be one thousand years old . Above this sanctum is another sannidhi of Paravasudevan with his consorts (All different names of Vishnu) . From the terrace of the Vimanam we could see the house of Sri Tirukoshtiyur Nambigal who was the Guru of Ramanujana, God's devotee and a great Vaishnava saint. It is believed that Ramanujam gave the Mantropadesham of Om Namo Narayana to all his disciples from this place. It is also said that from the top of the vimanam one could also watch the Meenakshi Kovil's tower at Madurai which is 70 Kms. away.

Outside, when we circumambulate there are shrines for Emperumanar ,Chakrathazhwar, Nambigal, all Vaishnava saints.

Facing the west we could see two huge idols of Narasimha Moorthy fighting Hiranya Kashipu and tearing him by putting him on his lap ( photos included). The Vimanam is ashtanga vimanam. Similar Vimanams are in Madurai , Koodal azhagar temple and other one in Chengalpet near Chennai .

The legend is that this was the place of Kadamba Maharshi's ashram and he was being tormented by Hiranya Kashipu.To find a solution to this, all the rishis and devas assembled in Goshti ( group ) and hence this place came to be known as Tiru Koshtiyur. Here only the Prahlada charithram and slaying of Hirnyakashipu was planned. It is also believed that Vishnu gave the Anantha sayana darshanam to Lord Indra here and the Sowmaya Narayana Perumal who is also known as Madhavan was given to Kadamba Maharishi by Lord Indra.

How to reach- Karaikudi is the nearest town which is 20-25 Kms. The nearest airport is at Madurai.Karaikudi is well connected with road and rail .

Accommodation: Good hotels are available in town of Karaikudi .
For other temples near Karaikudi click here

Tirukkozhi, Azhagiya Manavalan temple - Urayur, Trichy, Tamil Nadu

2011-07-15T19:42:00.002+05:30

Azhagiya Manvalan temple is second Divya desam after sri Ranganatha Swamy temple. There is no Utsavar here. Namperumal, the Utsavar of Sri Rangam temple is brought here for the yearly Panguni Uthram festival. This place is also the birth place of Tirupaana Alwar, a great devotee of Vishnu. Temple architecture is very simple. This temple is not crowded like the Srirangam temple. One can worship the God, in peace.
This is the place where Lord married Mahalakshmi known here as Kamalavalli Nachiyar when she was born as an ordinary human being because of a curse incurred. Here the deities are in kalyana Tirukolam.

Trichy is well connected by road, air and rail.Excellent accommodation facilities are available in the town.
To see other temples in and around trichy click here

Tiruvinnagaram- Uppiliappan temple, Kumbhakonam , Tamilnadu

2011-07-08T20:23:00.001+05:30

This an important divya desam of Vishnu and the Lord here resembles the Tirupati Balaji. This the place where He married Boodevi , the daughter of Markendaya Muni. Here She is enshrined in the sanctum itself. The legend is that as Boodevi cooked food for the Lord with out salt when he appeared as an old man to marry her so as to avoid marriage to an old person. But the Lord accepted the food and revealed himself as Vishnu and married Boodevi. In this temple salt is not used when offerings are made to God, hence the name uppila..appan (Uppu means salt in Tamil)

There is also a shrine for Aanjaneya just outside the sanctum.

This temple is 7 Kms from the town of Kumbhakonam.A must see for those who visit Kumbhakonam as the beauty of the idol adorned with silks and jewels cannot be described in words.

The temple is just one Km from Tiru Nageshwaram - the temple famous for Rahu , one of the nine planets . Shall post soon about that too.

How to reach- Kumbhakonam well connected with rail, road . Nearest airport is at Trichy.

Accommodation- Good hotels are available in Kumbhakonam town itself.

Mahalakshmi temple - Karur, Tamil Nadu

2011-06-25T19:39:00.000+05:30

Mahalakshmi temple is situated in Mahadanapuram,23 Kms. from Karur town. This temple is in a remote village and very few vehicles ply on the road. The motorable road is well canopied on either side by coconut trees. when we reached the temple , it was closed as the priest had taken French leave. But the kind lady sitting outside, allowed us inside the temple and that helped me to get over the disappointment.

This temple is about 800 years old and this temple becomes a beehive of activity during the Aadi (Tamil calender month) festival. Devotees participate in a bizarre festival of breaking coconuts on their heads in return for fulfillment of their wishes. The priest of the temple breaks the coconut on the heads of devotees. This ritual has drawn a lot of flak from many agencies but devotees in the name of faith do not deter from this.

Check the video of the ritual .Click here. for the video

My clicks of the temple

How to reach- Karur town is well connected by rail and road, the nearest airport is at Trichy
Accommodation- There are good hotels in Karur town.
But one may have to hire a cab to reach this temple as it is in a very remote place.

Appakudathan temple- Tiru Koviladi, Tamil Nadu

2011-06-18T21:01:00.069+05:30

8 th divya desam Of Vishnu
The temple is situated in a tiny village of Koviladi on the banks of river Kaveri. The Moolavar , in a reclining pose is known as Appa Kudathan and here we find Markendaya muni near the Lord. This temple is considered to be older than Srirangam temple. There is a huge silver pot , the appa kudam (A sweet made of rice) near the Lord's right hand and it is believed to be full of appam as this Lord is fond of the same.

The Utsavar here is known as Azhagiya Manvalan , Namperumal and Appala Rangan.. He is flanked by Boodevi and Sree devi thayar.There is also a Santhana Gopala here and the belief is that a childless couple would be blessed with progeny if they offer their worship to the Lord here.

Legend is that a king was cursed by sage Dhurvasa when he accidently killed a Brahmin during a hunting expedition. To get liberation he was asked to feed 1000 hungry Brahmins. During the feast the Lord Srinivasa, disguised as a Brahmin consumed all the food meant for the 1000 people. Not satisfied with that, Lord asked the king to feed Him a pot of Appam ( sweet) The moment he ate the appam the king was liberated. Since then he came to be called as Appa Kudathan and here for daily Pooja appam is offered to the Lord.

The temple was in a dilapidated stage when I visited and the renovation work was in progress. Very few people visit this temple but the sanctum dazzles with all its brightness as it houses the Lord and his family.The priest Srinivasa Bhattar enthusiastically explained about the history and legend connected with the temple. As it is erroneously reported in many sites that the Lord is holding the appa kudam in his right hand. he specifically asked me to write clearly that the kudam is 2 feet away from the moolavar.
Kamalavalli thayar has a separate sannidhi here.
This is one of the Pancha Ranga Kshetrams Others are at Srirangam, Kumbakonam, Tiru Indalur in Tamilnadu and Sri Ranga Patinam near Mysore in Karnataka

The temple timings are 7.30 am to 1 pm., 4.30pm -8.15p.m

To reach Koviladi, one can take Tiruchi- Kallanai- Tirukattuppalli route. It's located 25 Kms east of Trichy.
Buses ply from Tiruchi central and Chathiram bus stand with a frequency of 1/2 hr,.
Cabs charge around Rs. 400 for the up and down trip from Trichi to Koviladi.
Accommodation - Good hotels are available in Trichy.

Parimala Ranganatha Thirukoil- Tiruindalur, Tamil Nadu

2011-06-08T10:22:00.001+05:30

Parimala Ranganadhar Koil in TiruIndalur is one of the Pancha Ranga Kshetrams( temple) and is an important divyadesam of Vishnu.

The Utsavar here is known as Sugandha Nathar or Parimala Nathar and his consort is Parimala Valli

There are seperate shrines for Suganda valli , Andal and Chakrathazhwar.

The pillars here are beautified with images from the epics Ramayana , Krishnavatara and Dashavatara.

This is the place where the Moon was liberated from curse by Lord Srinivsa, and here He is seen near the Lord. The temple sanctum is decked up well and the idol of Ranganathar is of bewitching beauty.

This temple is in Mayiladuthurai and is 35 Kms from Kumbakonam.
Other Pancha Ranga Kshetrams are in 1.SriRangam,2. ThiruKoviladi, 3.TiruKudanthai and 4.Srirangapattinam.

How to reach: Nearest airport is Trichy and there is a rail station at Mayiladuthurai.
Many buses ply to this town from various parts of Tamil Nadu.
Accommodation- Good hotels are available in Mayiladuthurai.

Thiru Anbil Soundar Raja Perumal Or Vadivazhagiya Nambi temple- Tamil nadu

2011-05-22T10:56:00.001+05:30

Thiru Anbil, is the fourth Divyadesam of Vishnu. The temple was built by the Cholas.

This temple is situated on the banks of river Kaveri at Kollidam ( Coleroon) and has Ranganathar as the presiding deity known here as Thiru Vadivazhagiya Nambi, in a reclining posture as the Moolavar and Soundaraja Perumal as the Utsavar. The idol, as the name mentions is of exquisite beauty and His consort is Azhagiya valli Nachiyar. Aandal is in the outside prakaram and Garudalwar is facing the sannidhi of the Lord. This temple is believed to be 6000 years old and is considered to be the birth place of the poet saint Valmiki.

There are many inscriptions in this temple describing the history of those times.

How to reach: Well connected. Airport is at Trichy . This temple is at a distance of 20 Kms from the town on the Tiruchi- Kumbakonam route.

The temple is just 5 kms.from the Lalgudi railway station.

Accommodation- Good hotels are available in Trichy .

Sarangapani temple - Kumbhakonam , Tamil Nadu

2011-05-11T22:04:00.001+05:30

This is an important divya desam of Vishnu and is also known as Tiru Kudanthai. This is one of the Pancha Ranga Khestras ; Other four are temple of Sri Ranganatha; Sri Rangam, ( near Trichy) Appakudathan temple, Tirukoviladi- Trichy , Parimala Ranganathar at Tiru Indalur ( near Kumbakonam) and Sri Ranganatha Swamy temple at Srirangapatanam in Karnataka. I shall be writing on the remaining temples too.

Sarangapani temple is the biggest Vishnu temple in Kumbakonam and it belongs to 13th century. The Moolavar is Sarangan ,and the thayar is Ranganayaki. The temple sanctum is designed like a chariot with wheels and is drawn by horses and elephants.

Lord's consort also known as Kamala Valli Thayar has a separate sannidhi and there are Lord's paduka's(foot prints) in the outside prakaram where devotees offer worship. Opposite to that, there is a shrine for Patala Srinivasa Perumal. Here one has to climb down a few steps to reach the shrine .

The main temple has a beautiful mandapam in front of the temple. The sanctum has two entrances. One is known as the Uttarayana dwara and other one the Dakshinayana dwara as is in Tiruvellarai. The dakshinaya dwaram remains open from the Tamil month of Aadi to Marghazi ( mid August to mid January ) and the other door remains open from ( Mid January- mid July) Thai -Aani. This is in accordance with the movement of the Sun's path.

Temple timings are 6 am - 12 noon , 4 pm.8 pm.

How to reach: Kumbakonam is well connected by express trains from Chennai.Tamilnadu has excellent road transport systems and one can easily get buses to all parts of Tamilnadu from Kumbakonam.The nearest airport is Trichy.
Accommodation: Good hotels suiting to all sections of society are available in Kumbakonam

Adi Kumbeshwar temple - Kumbakonam,TamilNadu

2011-05-04T20:33:00.002+05:30

Kumbakonam, is a pretty little town in Tanjavur district and is situated at a distance of 40 kms from Tanjore which is famous for its 'Big temple' . Kumbakonam is known as the "temple town" as there are about 60 odd temples in and around .There is a constant flow of pilgrims to this town as many famous and ancient temples are here with in a radius of few kilometers . It is a one stop destination to visit many of the ancient monuments and heritage sites as this region was under the Chola dynasty.Many villagers here are agriculturists as the land is made fertile by the Ganges of South , river Kaveri and the town is famous for brass vessels and the famous degree coffee.

This time, I am taking you to the famous and oldest temple of Adi Kumbeshwara . Kumbha means a pot and it is believed that an Amrit Kumbha ( Pot of nectar) with seeds of creation was set afloat by Lord Shiva during the Maha Pralaya ( floods) and it landed at this place . The divine nectar flowed out and it became the Mahamaham tank and every12 years, pilgrims from all over the globe converge here to participate in the great Mahamaham festival; the Kumbhmela of South and to have a holy dip in the famous tank to get rid of all their sins.

The town also derives its name from this' Kumbha' legend.The temple of Adi Kumbeshwara swamy is right at the centre of the town and the temple is connected to the main gate by a long corridor which is lined with shops selling souvenirs and trinkets.

The presiding deity is Adi Kumbeshwara ( Shiva) and the Amman here is Mangalambigai. As we enter inner prakaram of the the temple, on to the left there is a shrine for the Lord Vinayagar. There are also shrines for Durga, Shanmugha (Muruga) and Lord Nataraja and Kiratha moorthy ( another form Of Shiva) The Idol of Durga and Mangalambigai are of exquisite beauty.

How to reach-

Nearest airport is Trichy . Kumbakonam has a railway station with express trains connecting Bangalore, Chennai etc. Bus services are excellent inTamil Nadu and one can reach any part of Tamil Nadu using this service.

Good hotels are available in Kumbakonam to suit the tastes of all sections of the society.

Damodar temple Zambaulim -Goa

2011-04-27T19:55:00.000+05:30

Damodar temple, belonging to GSB community (Gowda Saraswath Brahmins), is dedicated to Lord Shiva and is situated in Zambaulim, 22kms from Madgaon. It is situated on the banks of river Kushavati . The holy water of the river is believed to cure skin diseases.

There is also an idol of Lakshmi Narayana inside the sanctum. There are shrines for Goddess Chamundeshwari and Siva on either side of the main temple.

The enchanting idol of Lord Siva was consecrated at the present site after the Portuguese demolished the original temple in 1567. Both Christians and Hindus here rever Lord Damodar.

Accommodation facilities are available in the temple complex for the community members.

For other temples in Goa- view here.

Rajagopalaswamy temple - Mannargudi, Tamil Nadu

2011-04-10T21:49:00.001+05:30

Rajagopalaswamy temple at Mannargudi is in Tiruvarur district . This is a very small town and is around 30 Kms. from Tanjore. Cultivation is main occupation of the people here and the green paddy fields are a real visual treat to the eyes as one travels towards this town. The temple here is very famous and ancient . Even though this is a very popular temple and attracts pilgrims through out the year, this is not listed among the divyadesams of Vishnu mainly because none of the Alwars have sung mangalsanam here in praise of this Lord.

This temple has 7 prakarams and all the towers were under renovation when I visited. The Kumbabhishekam was also performed recently.

The main deity in the sanctum is a 7 foot tall idol that resembles Balaji of Tirupati and here He is flanked by his consorts Boodevi and Sreedevi.The Utsavar Rajagopalaswamy's idol is of exquisite beauty and is adorned with precious and colurful jewellery and flowers. Along with Him are His consorts Rukmani and Satyabhama. There are small statues of cows and calves around him as he is Gopala .( one who tends herd of cows) . There is also a small idol of Bala Krishna ( baby Krishna) known here as Santhana Gopala, in a small cradle .There is a belief that offering prayers by holding this idol in hand blesses barren couples with progeny.

Thayar sannidhi and Anjaneyar snaidhi are in the outer prakaram. Thayar is known as Sengamala Thayar and Her idol is never taken out of the temple hence she is known as Padi Thaandaa Patni (One, who never crosses the threshold of the house) Thayar sannidhi has beautifully carved pillars and a Tulsi maadam. The flag post is in front of the Rajagopalaswamy sannidhi and near to it is the Patala Anjaneyar, The Anjaneyar idol half concealed in the earth.

As it was festival time Utsavar was out of the temple and could get some pictures of the deity. There is also a 50 feet high monolithic tower in front of the temple. I have included that also in the photos.

How to reach:
Mannargudi can be reached from Tanjore (30 Kms), Kumbakonam (30 Kms) or Tiruvarur(27 kms.)
Nearest airport is Trichy. Nearest railway station is Nidamangalam and the road bisects the railway platform which is very unique.
Accommodation - One can find good accommodation in Trichy, Tanjore or Kumbakonam.
Note that the most of the temples in Tamil Nadu are closed between 12noon -4pm, this temple also follows the same style.

Udupi Sri Krishna Temple

2011-04-01T21:20:00.000+05:30

Udupi Sri Krishna temple is an important pilgrimage centre in Dakshin Kannada region and is very famous like the Guruvayoor temple of Kerala. Here one would see beautifully decked up Krishna's idol here, with a churner in one hand and a rope in the other. Devotees worship God here , through a window . As per the legend, it is believed that the Lord here turned to the opposite direction to give darshan to an ardent devotee, named Kanakadasa who was denied entry into the temple. The main door of the sanctum remains closed here, as the worship is only through the window.The window is known as Kanakadasa window.

Photography is banned inside the temple.

The temple is situated right inside the town and it provides free meals to the devotees here everyday.

Just outside the Krishna temple, there are two ancient temples of Siva known as Anantheswara and Chandramoueeshwara. I have included the photos of these two temples also.

How to reach- The town of Udupi is 60 Kms from Mangalore and it is well connected by air, rail and road. There is a railway station at Udupi itself and all major trains halt here.
Accommodation - There are good hotels at Mangalore as well as at Udupi.
Temples nearby:
Annegudde Siddhi Vinayaka temple- Kumbakshi

Annegudde Siddhi Vinayaka temple -Kumbakshi,Karnataka

2011-03-25T20:18:00.001+05:30

Annegudde temple enshrines the majestic image of Lord Ganesha known here as Siddhi Vinayaka , one who grants all wishes of devotees.

The word Annegudde means elephant hill and the name rightly suits the elephant God's shrine.

One can see the idol of Lord Ganesha right from the entrance as the idol is kept on a raised platform in a spacious hall.The temple is well lit and is kept neat and clean . The temple is small but the sprawling grounds surrounding the temple with tall shade providing trees gives a nice ambiance to the pilgrims.

Photography is strictly prohibited inside the temple hence I could get only a few photos of this temple.

The temple is in the village Kumbakshi on the Mangalore - Udupi highway . Facing the temple is the sea and pilgrims never miss this temple, those who head for Udupi Sri Krishna temple or Murudeshawar Temple. Shall be posting soon on these two temples.

How to reach- Udupi/ Mangalore - the nearest railway stations.

Airport is at Mangalore.

Accommodation- Good hotels are at Mangalore .

Many buses ply from Mangalore town to Kumbakshi.

Mugudeshwar or Trimurti temple - Kodumudi, Tamil Nadu

2011-03-15T20:01:00.000+05:30

Arulmigu Mugudeshwar temple is situated in a serene village, on the banks of river Kaveri. This temple is famous as it houses the shrines of all the Trinities which are very rare. The presiding deity here is Siva. Lord Mugudeshwar temple is a famous Sivasthalam or padal petra sthalam. The temple Lingam is believed to be a swaymbhu. His consort Parvati's shrine is on the left side of Shiva's temple. There are 3 medium sized towers here.

As we circumambulate we see a big Vanni tree with Lord Brahma's idol enshrined beneath it. The Vanni tree is the sthalavricksham ( holy tree) here and Brahama here has only three heads, the fourth is considered as the vanni tree itself. The top half of the tree is considered as Goddess Saraswathi, His consort. Behind this tree, there is a small shrine for Veera Anjaneyar .

Mahalaksmi's temple is on the right side of the Vanni tree and Lord Vishnu's shrine is next to this. He is reclining here as Lord Ranganatha as in Sri Rangam. Only difference is that He is lying on the serpent bed with 2 coils where as in Srirangam he is on a seven coil bed. Garuda, His mount is facing the shrine. This shrine has a separate dwaja sthambha. On the North- east corner is the shrine for planet Saturn. The main mandapam in front of the Magudeshwar temple has dwaja and Nandi mandapam. There are beautiful carvings on the pillars of the temple. The temple has a beautiful view with holy Kaveri flowing in front of the temple. Many bathe in this river as they feel it is invigorating.

Kodumudi is on Karur - Erode road. A small diversion on the right side near the railway gate at Kodumudi will take one to this temple. From the main road this temple is about 1- 2 Kms.

How to reach- Well connected by road, rail and air. Trichy is the nearest airport.

Accommodation : As there are no hotels around this place it is better to stay at Trichy/Karur .
Even for boarding one may have to reach the nearest town Erode which 25 Kms away or Karur which is around 15 kms.

Many buses ply from Madurai and Trichy to Kodumudi.

Temples nearby.

Sangameshawar temple at Bhavani which is about 40 Kms from Kodumudi ( Dakshin Prayag)

Sangameshwara temple- Bhavani, Tamil Nadu

2011-03-03T21:03:00.001+05:30

Sangameshwara (Siva) temple is in Bhavani , 16 Kms from Erode railway station. This temple is known as Dakshin Prayag as river Kaveri meets river Bhavani here. The confluence of these rivers along with river Amuda which is believed to be flowing underneath makes it a holy place and one can see constant stream of pilgrims in the bathing ghat here at the sangamam ( hence the Lord here known as Sangameshawarar) performing various rituals on its banks. It is believed that a bath at the sangamam purifies the mind as well as the body.

The temple of Sangameshwara is very attractive as it is a store house of excellent craftsmanship. One may wonder about the kind of work that would have gone into making ordinary granite slabs into magnificent ones.

Lord Sangameshwara is enshrined here facing the Kaveri. As we circumambulate there are subshrines for Vinayaga, Dakshina Moorthy, Muruga, Vishnu, Durga and Nataraja. All 63 Nayanmars also find a special place inside the temple. Amman here is Veda Nayagi, a powerful deity and Her idol is also well decked in finery. The mandapam leading to her sannidhi has lot of ornamental work on pillars and ceiling.

Saneeshwarar shrine is on the left of Amman sannidhi and next to it is the shrine of Jeeraheshwarar, which I have seen only in Tayumanavar temple at Rock fort temple, Trichy. There are also shrines here for Venkatachalapathi ( Vishnu), Shenbagavalli thayar ( Mahalakshmi) and Venugopal (Krishna).

There is a peepul tree on the banks of the rivers and there are many Nagas and Vinayagar under it. Pilgrims offer their worship here after a bath in the river before proceeding to the main temple of Sangameshwara.

Nearest town is Bhavani near Erode. Plenty of buses ply to this town from Erode and neighbouring towns.

Nearest airport is Trichy/Coimbatore. Erode is the nearest rail station.

Accomodation: Erode is a small town and one may find only budget hotels here.

Nearby temples

Temple of Magudeshwarar or Trimurti temple at Kodumudi

Darasuram-Airavateeswarar temple, Kumbakonam,Tamil Nadu

2011-02-21T20:04:00.000+05:30

Darasuram, Airavateeshwarar temple is a replica of Tanjore Big temple but smaller in size. Darasuram temple was constructed by Rajaraja Chola II in the 12th century. This temple is a store house of art work. One can see magnificent work of art and the finely chiseled work on each and every stone, carved to perfection. Even the steps leading to the temple has a story to tell. The ceiling of the temple has exquisite carvings. Minute work on the pillars fills the mind with awe and fascination. The main mandapam of this temple is in the form of a chariot drawn by horses. This temple is a protected under UNESCO World Heritage monuments.

The presiding deity here is Airavateeswara (Siva) and His consort is Periyanayaki. The legend is that the deity here was worshipped by Airavata (elephant), the mount of Indra. There are also shrines dedicated to Sarabeshwarar; a form Siva took when he wanted to quell the anger of Narasimha after killing Hirnyakashipu, then for Dakshina Murthy, a niche for Lingodhbavar and Vinayagar. The Vimana is akin to the big temple but approximately 1/3 of its size.

The Nandi found outside the temple is huge and there are a few steps near it which produces musical notes when tapped. It is protected with a mesh presently.

Great care is being taken to maintain the exterior as well as the interior . Lush green lawns stands apart with fine contrast to the pink sand stone temple.

Interesting features: The chariot shaped mandapam leading to the temple. Musical steps near the Nandi mandapam outside.

How to reach- Darasuram is about 4 kms. from the temple town of Kumbakonam on Kumbakonam - Tanjore route. Trichy is the nearest airport, the distance being 83 Kms.

The nearest railway station is Kumbakonam and many buses ply from Kumbakonam to Darasuram.

Accommodation-Kumbakonam has many budget, luxury and deluxe hotels.

Sree Vallabha Kshetram- Tiruvalla

2011-02-13T10:15:00.057+05:30

Sree Vallabha Kshetram in Tiruvalla, Kerala is a temple dedicated to Maha Vishnu and is one among the 108 divyadesams , a temple which has captivated my interest very much, in recent times. Sree meaning Mahalakshmi and Vallabha means Her husband, hence the deity here known as Sree Vallabha. The temple is constructed in typical Kerala architecture . Set in picturesque surroundings, the temple has exquisite carvings and murals. The flag mast here is 50 feet tall, carved out of a single rock with Garuda's image atop and is believed to have been created by the legendary craftsman Perumthachan. This temple has something additional than the flag mast,a Garudathara , which is unique and appeared magnificent. This also has a Garuda's image atop.There are sub shrines around the temple for Ayyapa , Karuppaya swamy etc.

Interesting facts-
The flag mast is believed to touch the underground water level.
Also known among divyadesam as Tiruvalavazh- Vishnu, Kolapira Perumal,
Moolasthanam is outside the West gopuram.
Kathakali is performed here almost everyday in the evenings.

How to reach-This temple is situated in Pathanamthitta District. There is a rail station in Tiruvalla and this temple is 2 1/2 Kms. from the town. The nearest airports are Trivandrum/ Kochi . the former being a little closer to Tiruvalla.

Accommodation- recommend either stay in Trivandrum or Kochi as one gets plenty of choices.

Coonan Kurisu Palli (The bent Cross Church) - Mattancherry.

2011-02-06T19:14:00.000+05:30

Coonan Kurisu (Bent Cross)Palli (Church) or Holy Cross church - is a place of historical importance and faith for the believers. A shrine sandwiched between row of shops in the busiest street of Mattancherry, Kochi( My home town) Kerala.

Historical importance- When St. Thomas, disciple of Jesus Christ landed in Kerala in A.D 52, he could convert a good number of local inhabitants to Christianity. He also established 7 churches in Kerala. The present Christian population claims its descent from this early origin.They are known as Syrian Christains in view of the Syrian liturgy used in church services since the early days of Christanity in India. They are popularly known as Nazranis(followers of Jesus of Nazerene). Christanity thrived in Kerala because of the benevolence and tolerance of the Travancore rulers. When Portuguese arrived they were successful and eager to bring the Christians under the church of Rome. But when their power declined, the hold of Roman Catholic church also weakened. After that about 25,000 Syrian Christians reaffirmed their allegiance to the Syrian orthodox tradition in front of an improvised cross at Mattancherry known as Coonan Kurisu satyam (oath)

Interesting facts: This small church attracts hordes of believers irrespective of the caste, creed and religion. They offer worship by lighting the candles and it is believed that every single wish gets fulfilled here. This shrine gets crowded on Fridays.

http://www.everyculture.com/South-Asia/Syrian-Christian-of-Kerala-History-and-Cultural-Relations.html#ixzz12ub7cosG

http://www.edmontonknanayachurch.org/knanaya.php

How to reach- Kochi is well connected by air, road and rail. The nearest airport is Nedumbassery which is 50 Kms from Mattancherry. Ernakulam Junction is the nearest railway station which is at a distance of 10 Kms.
Cabs, autos and buses ply to Kochi . One can always board a Mattancherry bus from South bus stop in Ernakulam and get down at the last stop at Mattancherry. Jew town and Synagogue are at walkable distance.

Accommodation- For stay, excellent hotels are available in Ernakulam / Kochi.

For other religious institutions in and around Kochi check List of temples

Check my new blog Chitra's Jewel Art , my new venture.

Ambalapuzha - Sree Krishna temple

2011-01-27T20:37:00.001+05:30

Ambalapzha Sree Krishna temple is in Alleppey district, Kerala. It is about 16 Kms. from Alleppey, the Venice of the East which is interconnected by lot of lagoons, lakes and sea.

This temple is known as Dwaraka of the South which was built by Chemagasseri Devanarayanan Thampuran between 15-17th AD.This an important Vaishanava temple in Kerala.

The temple here has Krishna's idol in the form of Parthasarathy which Krishna assumed during the great Mahabharata war. He has a whip in His right hand and a conch in the left .This temple is very much popular like the Guruvayur temple. Here also, the deity is worshipped as child Krishna.The temple also has a shrine for Guruvayurappan and there is a nagathara outside the main shrine.

Legend is that, saint Vilvamangalam, an ardent devotee of Krishna while cruising along the backwaters with the Maharajah of Travancore, heard sweet flute music. Swamy Vilvamangalam could see a bright glow and a form of Balamurali Krishna ( young Krishna with flute) on a Peepul tree . Feeling the God's presence, a temple was constructed in that place.

Fascinating facts- Ottam thullal, a performing art form was started here by the great artist Kunjan Nambiar. One can still see his mizhavu which is preserved here in an enclosure. The make up and the costume of this art form is unique.

Thunjathu Ezhuthachan, a great poet and scholar is believed to have penned his famous work Adyathtmika Ramanayam kilipattu here which has no parallel till date.

Ambalapuzha palpayasam is very famous (a porridge made of milk ,hand pounded rice and sugar ) and has exceptional sweetness and one can find devotees queuing up for the same.

How to reach- Alleppey is connected well with rail and road. The nearest airport is at Ernakulam

Accommodation - Good hotels are available in Ernakulam or there are many holiday resorts near Alleppey. The famous boat houses are a huge attraction for the tourists both foreign and local. One would get 5 star to economy boat houses.

Kasi Viswanathar Koil & Lakshmi Nararayana temple - Kalpathy, Kerala

2011-01-21T20:07:00.001+05:30

Kalpathy is in Palakkad , the border town between Kerala and Tamilnadu. Kalpathy is synonymous with the famous car festival of Kasi Viswanathar temple.This is a 600 year old temple on the banks of Kalpathy river. A woman named Lakshmi Ammal brought a bana Linga from Kasi (Varanasi ). This event is inscribed on a pillar in front of the temple. The Rajah of Palakkad allocated the place for this temple. The Sivalingam here is very small. The Amman here is known as Vishalakshi. There are sub shrines for Kalabhairavar, Dakshinamoorthy, Murugan and Ganapathy.This temple has been renovated recently.

There is also a small temple of Lakshmi Narayana Perumal near by. The idol here is of Lord Narayana in a sitting posture with Goddess Lakshmi on His lap. This temple has sub shrines of Ayyapa and Anjaneya.

Interesting facts- The Viswanathar temple is famous for the annual chariot festival which attracts lakhs of pilgrims from across the world.

The chariots are embellished with fine carvings and I have included some pictures of the same.

The temple is surrounded by agraharam(garland of houses) or row of houses which are about hundred years old and is declared as a heritage village. click here to see the beautiful pictures of the Heritage village known as Paithraga gramam which is on my other blog.

Many perform the last rites here on the banks of the river Kalpathy for the departed souls of their loved ones.

How to reach- Nearest airport is in Tamilnadu Coimbatore which is 60 Kms. away.

The nearest rail station is Palakkad where many express and mail trains stop.

Palakkad falls on NH 47 and this temple is about 5 Kms. from Palakkad town.

Accommodation- Decent hotels are available in Palakkad town itself.

Sharavo Sarabeshwara Maha Ganapathi and Mangala Devi temple, Mangalore- Karnataka

2011-01-09T15:44:00.000+05:30

Sharavo Sharabeshawara Maha Ganapati temple is about 800 years old. The main deity here is Siva, worshipped as Sharabeshwara hence this sacred place came to be known as Sharavo. On the southern wall of the temple one finds the divine image of Dashabhuja Ganapathy along with Siddi Lakshmi.This temple attracts lot of tourists throughout the year from India and abroad.

Mangala Devi temple is another popular shrine in Mangalore and this port town derives its name from this Goddess Mangala Devi.This temple has a special significance for the maidens. For getting their wishes fulfilled of getting a suitable match , maidens observe Mangala Parvati Vrata here. There is frequent bus service or auto rickshaws available for commuting here.

How to reach- Mangalore is well connected by rail, road and air.

Accommodation- The city has many budget,luxury and deluxe hotels.

For other temples in Mangalore on My Pilgrimage click here

Thiru Uthira Kosa Mangai- Ramanathapuram,Tamil Nadu

2011-01-03T22:40:00.000+05:30

Uthira Kosa Mangai is a tiny hamlet, famous for the Siva temple considered to be 3000 years old. This is the place where Siva transferred the secrets of Vedas to Parvati. Uthiram means ( updesham ) kosam( secrets) Parvati (Mangai ) hence this place is known as Uthira Kosa Mangai.

The main deity here is Mangalanathar ( Siva) and his consort is Mangleshwari. There is a Nandi just outside the sanctum and a bigger Nandi in the outer prakaram known here as Pradosha Nandi. Special poojas are conducted here on Pradosham days in the evenings as it is believed that Siva dances between the horns of Nandi during that time. There are also shrines for Kalabhairavar and Sanishwarar here. Each pillar in this temple has beautiful carvings and the ceiling is painted in myriad hues.

The main attraction of this temple is a statue of Natarajar made of emerlad which is about 51/2 feet tall. This idol is known as Margatha Natarajar and the deity is always covered with sandal paste. Only in the Tamil month of Margazhi on Tiruvathira nakshtram (latest was on Dec. 22nd 2010) the sandal paste gets removed and there is abhishekam for the idol and this special darshan is known as Arudhra darishanam. Lakhs of devotees visit the temple on this day and on the next day again the idol gets smeared with sandal paste. To have a darshan of this deity, one must be there around 12.00 noon on regular days.

On the way to Natarajar temple we find other sub shrines dedicated to Sahasra Lingam ,which has thousands of tiny Lingams carved on a single Shiva Linga and a separate shrine for Manikka Vasagar(the saint poet who was a regular visitor to this temple) near the Agnitheertham (tank) . The sthala vricksham is also considered as old as the temple. The base of this tree has a huge hollow in which I could find some images of serpents.

How to reach: The nearest airport is Madurai . Ramanathapuram is 100 Kms from the Madurai airport.

Many buses ply from Madurai to Ramanathapuram.

Accommodation- It is better to stay in Madurai which has good hotels.

Ramanathaswamy temple,Rameshwaram , Tirupullani, Sethukarai and Navapashanam are the other famous temples nearby.

Aadi Jagannatha Perumal temple- Tirupullani, Sethukkarai and Navagraha Pashanam

2010-12-26T20:56:00.000+05:30

Tirupullani is yet another famous temple in Ramanathapuram district of Tamil Nadu and this is the 44th divya desam of Vishnu.This is situated at a distance of about 64 Kms.from the Ramanathaswamy temple, Rameshwaram.This temple is related to the great epic Ramayana in more than one way.The temple's main deity is Lord Jagannatha with his consorts Bhoodevi and Sreedevi and the Panchaloha idol of the Lord here is known as Kalyana Jagannathar . There is also a small idol of Krishna known as Santhana Gopalan. It is believed that king Dasratha prayed here for progeny and worshipped Santhana Gopala. The king got the sweet payasam which he offered to his wives and was blessed with offspring.

Devotees pray here fervently for their marriage and also install serpent images and partake the payasam offered here in the temple to get progeny. One can find hundreds of such images under the sthala vrickasham. There are separate shrines for Mahalakshmi, Rama, Santhana Gopala and Aandal . Rama, in this temple is in a reclining position with bow and arrow on his chest with Lakshmana as Aadisesha and Brahma in a lotus. Rama is lying on a bed of Darbha, fasting, for Lord Varuna to appear.

Sethukkarai- 5 Kms from this temple is Sethu where it is believed that Rama and his entourage built the famous Sethu (bridge) to reach Lanka. Just a kilometer into the sea one can view this famous bridge but I could not do so as no boats were plying at that time. This is also known as Adam's bridge.There is a temple for Sethu bandhana Aanjaneya right on the sea shore. Many perform obsequies here for the departed souls.

14 Kms from Sethu is the the village of Devipattanam and here one finds the Navapashanam in the sea, 9 pillars believed to be navagrahas ,worshipped and installed by Lord Rama before he set out to Lanka for claiming his wife Seeta who was abducted by Ravana, a Rakshasa. During low tide these Navapashanams are very much visible and now there is small bridge built for the convenience of the pilgrims to reach this place. Devotees get inside the water and offer worship to Navagrahas .

Yet another famous temple nearby is Uttarkosamangai which is only at a distance of 9 Kms from Tirupullani. Shall post about that soon.

How to reach- Madurai is the nearest airport. The distance is about 100Kms.
Accommodation- Luxury , budget hotels are available in Madurai and it is well connected by road, rail and air.
Location is given along with labels.

Ramanathaswamy temple - Rameshwaram, Tamil Nadu

2010-12-17T20:05:00.000+05:30

Rameshwaram island is in the Gulf of Mannar which lies at the very tip of Indian Peninsula. This island is also known as Pamban island and is connected to the main land by Pamban rail bridge, an engineering marvel and a great attraction for the tourists. There is another road bridge running parallel to the Pamban bridge for all other vehicles. The view of the azure sea from the bridge is breath - taking and I have included some photos for all of you to enjoy along with the temple photos. This island lies very close to Srilanka across the sea.

Ramanathaswamy temple, is on this island and is just 100 meters from the sea shore. This bustling pilgrim centre is considered as South Kashi. (Kashi or Varanasi is in North India, an abode of Siva and Hindus believe that one who is graced to die in Kashi would attain salvation. I would reserve the details for a later post) . This temple is also part of the 4 dham pilgrimage - the 4 holy places highly reverred by Hindus, the other three being Dwaraka in Gujarat, Puri in Orissa and Badarinath in Uttarakhand.

Ramanathaswamy is Siva, one of the 12 Jyothirlingams in India. This temple is associated with Ramayana epic. To expiate the killing of the demon king Ravana, Rama and Seeta consecrated the Sivalinga and worshipped the God and hence Siva here is known as Ramanathaswamy. The temple also has 22 theerthams (Holy wells) and devotees make it a point to bathe in these before offering worship to the Lord here.

Rama had requested Aanjaneya to bring a Sivalinga from Kailash. He did not return at the auspicious hour and Seeta made one, out of sand and that is believed to have been installed here. When Aanjaneya returned, he tried to remove the Lingam made by Seeta with his tail and He was unsuccessful as one made by Seeta got rooted. The one brought by Hanuman is at the Eastern entrance and devotees worship this Lingam first, before offering worship to Ramanathaswamy.

Amman here is known as Parvatha Vardhini, there are Vinayagar and Murugan shrines on either side of Ramanathaswamy temple and a huge Nandi in the centre, facing the inner prakaram. This temple houses the longest multi- pillared corridor in Asia , with more than 1000 pillars and one can enjoy the beauty of this magnificient corridors which is about 230 metres long, a side . Tourist from all over the world flock to watch this grand corridor. This temple also houses a spatika Linga and there is a worship early in the morning at 4 am and devotees are allowed to have a darshan of the same, only at that time.

There is also a separate shrine for Natarajar and Sivakami and this shrine is fully decorated with rudraksha.

Aadi Amavasi festival is very important here and pilgrims converge here and perform holy 'duties' for the departed ancestors, pray for their salvation and to redeem themselves from the sins of the previous births.

A few kilometeres from this wonderful temple is Rama Paduka temple situated on a small hillock known as Gandhamadhana Parvata. One has to climb a few steps to reach this temple. We can see imprints of Lord Rama's feet here. It is believed that Rama had a view of Lanka from this place.There is also a temple of Kothandaramaswamy in Rameshwaram on the road to Dhanushkodi , a pilgrim town the whole of which was washed away during a heavy cyclone in 1964. One can find remnants of this town as one proceeds along the road, a few kilometers towards the old location of Dhanushkodi.

How to reach : The nearest airport is at Madurai - distance 165 Kms.

Rameshwaram is well connected by rail from Chennai and Madurai.

Buses ply from all parts of Tamil Nadu to this holy town.

Accommodation: This temple town has many hotels, lodges and mutts .
Location map is given along with labels.

Other temples near Rameshwaram are Sethukkarai, Navagrahas at Devipattanam and Tirupullani. All these temples are connected with Ramayana epic. Shall post these one by one.

Sree Hanuman Kovil - Ernakulam, Kerala

2010-12-12T20:37:00.003+05:30

Right in the heart of the city of Ernakulam is the temple of Hanuman worshipped by thousands. This little temple is close to the Ernakulathappan (the post about this temple is in the offing ) temple. Hanuman or Anjaneya is very well known for his strength, valour, knowledge, devotion, humbleness,service and modesty.

The temple here is about 150 years old. Mr. Venkat rao , Dewan ( 1856- 1860 AD)of erstwhile Cochin State under the Maharaja Ravi Varma used to worship this idol in his house and wanted to have a separate place to worship the Lord. His Highness, gifted him a place to build a temple where it is seen presently. A granite block mentioning the event is inscribed in Sanskrit in front of the temple.

The idol here was consecrated by His Holiness Viswapriya Tirtha Swamiji ( 1776- 1865) of Udupi Sode Vadiraja Mutt .Generally all the temples consecrated in Madhwa Sampradaya has Lord Krishna as the presiding deity. This temple, at Ernakulam is an exception as it is probably, the only temple in Kerala dedicated to Anajneya and consecrated by a Matadhipathi of Udupi.

The temple is neat and clean, excellently managed by the temple administration. Devotees flock to this temple as they get solace from all worries and this 'Karya siddhi Anjaneya' (one who grants wishes) takes care of His devotees well. Peace descends as one enters the temple precincts and the serene atmosphere is magical and captivating.

The temple also has a Naga pratishta and a small shrine for the 18th century saint Raghavendra. Those having Nagadosha perform here abhishekam and various other poojas to appease the Nagas.

The temple celebrates various festivals like Rama Navami, Hanumat Jayanti, Naga Panchami, Durga pooja. etc. A must see for those who are interested in temples.

Temple timings- 4.30 am - 10.30 am., Evening- 5.00 pm - 8.15 pm. Phone No- 0484-2371353,2382631

How to reach- Ernakulam- also known as Kochi now a days, is well connected by air, road and rail. Nedumbassery International airport is 45 Kms. away.

Railway station is just 2 Kms from this temple. One can hire an auto from any part of the town to get here.

Town buses are also available to reach this place.

Accomodation- Ernkaulam has budget, deluxe and luxury hotels.

The other Anjaneya temple on ' My Pilgrimage' click here.
Map of this temple is given along with labels.

List of temples in Kochi. check the list here
The last 4 pictures are from the temple gallery.

Kuzhandai Velappar (Mittai Murugan)- Oddanchatharam

2010-12-06T20:40:00.003+05:30

A recent visit to a temple at Oddachatram ( Tamil Nadu) near Dindigul was really intersting and amusing.The God in this temple is Kuzhandai velappar (infant Muruga) also known as Mittai Murugan, a lover of candy. I was really surprised to see the interesting ritual in the temple where chocolates and candies were offered to God. The story related to the temple goes like this..........

A certain devotee prayed to God for an offspring and when his wish was fulfilled he offered worship to the Lord here and distributed chocolates among his relatives who accompanied him.That night Lord appeared in his dream and asked why He was not offered any candy. Immediately the devotee rushed to the temple and made his offerings of candy. Since then worshipping God by offering candy became a routine here. It was really a pleasant sight to see this ritual being performed by devotees.There are counters outside the temple to sell candies.

We were also offered chocolates by one of the devotees who had come with the family to celebrate their child's birthday. This temple is attached to the famous Palani Andavar temple which is 20 Kms. from here and is on NH 209. This temple is quite small but has 3 sub-shrines and has beautiful paintings on the inner walls of the temple.

How to reach- Dindigul is the nearest railway station. The nearest airport is at Coimbatore which is at a distance of 100 Kms.

Many buses ply from Palani as well as Dindigul to Oddanchatram. The temple is just 5 Kms, from the Oddanchatram town.

Accomodation : For stay - It is better to stay in Dindigul or Coimbatore.

Location map is given along with the labels.

Deepavali - Karthik Poornima Celebrations at Kochi Tirumala Devaswom temple

2010-11-28T19:43:00.001+05:30

I enjoyed the recent Deepavali celebrations in Kochi Tirumala Devaswom temple as I got an opportunity to celebrate it in my hometown Kochi.The temple was opened at 4.45 am and devotees thronged the temple to participate in the early morning worship.

The idol of Lord Venkatachalapathy was given a special abhishekam with perfumed oil known as champel made by soaking scented flowers in oil which was later distributed among the devotees. Worshipping the Lord by singing devotional songs and performing aarti made of oil wicks kept in the centre of rice flour balls are also part of the festivities. This is called as Divyan aarti and goes on for about 1 hour in the temple.

Special worship is performed to Tulsi and it is believed that Lord Narayana resides and meditates inside the Tulsi for a month starting 10th day of Navarathri. It ended on Uthana Dwadashi which was on 18th November 2010. GSB's celebrate the whole month as the Karthika masa. During this period paper lanterns known as panjire are hung in front of the houses and lamps are lit in the morning and evening.

On Diwali day, Tulsi in the temple was decorated well with diyas,( lamps) rangolis, flowers and thoranas made of palm and mango leaves. Special worship for Tulsi is also conducted on Uthana dwadashi day too and on that day it is believed that Lord Narayana leaves for Vaikunta.

On Karthik Poornima day, the Lord is worshipped under the Nelli maram(gooseberry tree). The idols are adorned with garlands made of gooseberries.The legend is that after killing Narakasura, the Lord rested under a Nelli tree.

A few photographs are displayed below for you to enjoy Diwali - Kartika Poornima in Kochi temple. I have also added a few snaps of Uthana Dwadashi, Tulsi pooja celebrations at my home.

The aaratu of Lord Venkachalapathi is starting on Dec 3rd 2010. For a glimpse of April Chaitra masa aaratu pictures click here.

Uthana dwadashi- Tulsi pooja at home.

Nagesh temple- Ponda, Goa

2010-11-14T11:59:00.000+05:30

Nagesh Maharudra temple is yet another Siva temple in Bandora village in Ponda. . This temple also houses Lakshmi Narayana and Ganesha shrines. The temple was built in 1780 AD

Nagesh Lingam here is a swayambhu( self.-manifestation) believed to have miraculous powers.

The history of the temple is not known. This temple was left untouched during the religious persecution by the Portuguese rulers. There are inscriptions in the temple which throws light on the antiquity of the temple. The mandapam in front of the temple has intricate wooden carvings which depict various stories from Hindu epics.

Shri Nagesh Maharudra temple is situated on Fermagude-Kavalem-Ponda road.
Location of the temple is provided along with labels. For other posts on Goa temples On My Pilgrimage click here

How to reach: Nearest railway station Madgaon . Ponda is 16 Kms. from the railway station.

Dabolim is the airport in Goa.

Accommodation - Most of the temples have accommodation facilities for the community members. Budget and luxury hotels are available here.

Kudroli Gokarnanatheshwar temple- Mangalore.

2010-11-09T20:12:00.002+05:30

Kudroli Gokarnanatheshwar temple is just 3 Kms from Mangalore city railway station. The presiding deity is Siva and this idol was consecrated by Sri Narayana Guru, a saint and social reformer belonging to Kerala in 1912. The temple was constructed mainly for the Billava community who were denied entry to other temples in those days. There are also sub shrines for Krishna, Ganapathi, Subramanya, Durga, Anna Poorneshwari, Hanuman, Saneeshwara and Navagrahas here. The temple was renovated few years back. Marble is used extensively in this temple and is maintained very well. In summer to help the devotees ,carpets are laid out on the walk way . The ceiling of each shrine is embellished with minute carvings.

Other temples, in and around Mangalore on My Pilgrimage

Venkataramana and Mahamaya temple

DurgaParameshwari temple, Kateel

Kadri Manjunatheshwara temple

How to reach: Mangalore can be reached by road , rail or air.

Accommodation: Luxury , deluxe and budget hotels are available suiting all.

Town buses, cabs and auto rickshaws are available to reach this place.

See map, for location which is given along with tags.

Kadri Manjunatheshwara temple- Mangalore

2010-11-01T07:38:00.001+05:30

Majunatheswara temple is an ancient temple right inside the city of Manglore and the temple has Kadri hills as a back drop. The thick green foliage on the hills lend a beautiful charm to the whole setting. The tower of this temple is unique and it resembles a Buddhist pagoda. There is a Ganesha temple as soon as one enters the temple precincts, on the left side. The temple dates back to the 10th century but the present structure is around 500 years old . Goddess Parvati is worshipped on the Western side of the temple. It is believed that Siva and Parvati came to reside here at the request of Lord Parasurama. The bronze statue of the Lord Lokeshwara here in padmasana (seated pose) is considered to be finest bronze statue in India.

A natural spring at an elevated location known as Goumukha, believed here, to be the river Ganges itself. One has to climb a few steps to reach this spot. The water flowing out is let into the ponds here. The temple pond here is found at a higher level than the temple unlike other temples where it is found at a lower level. There are also many caves here and it is believed that Pandavas came and stayed here during their exile.

How to reach- Mangalore is well connected by Road, rail and air and offers attractive accommodation luxury, deluxe and economy class . People are friendly and anybody can be comfortable here.

Other temples in Mangalore on " My Pilgrimage"

1. Venkata ramana and Mahamaya temple

2. Durga Parameshwari temple , Kateel near Mangalore.

For location, see map at the bottom of the post.

Jain Temple - Mattancherry,Kochi

2010-10-25T19:37:00.001+05:30

This time, I am taking you all to a Jain temple in Mattancherry, Kochi, my home town . I feel this could be a different experience for all my dear readers as it was for me. As I entered this temple peace enveloped me as I could feel the tranquility inside. This temple is an ideal place to meditate and I could see many were doing so.

The motto of Janisim is AHIMSA . Ahimsa Parmodharma is the greatest law. No violence even in thoughts and action, respecting all the individuals, flora and fauna too and they follow the path of Live and Let Live. GREAT VALUES. Hatred and violence cannot be eradicated by counter violence and counter hatred but by love and spirit of forgetting and forgiving, i.e Kshama I think if every one understands and starts emulating these values it would bring lot of peace on earth. Jainisim believes in equality of man and does not recognize caste , creed and untouchability. It also lays emphasis on Karma theory " What you sow you reap". It is open to all. They also believe in unity and celebrate all the major festivals like Paryushanparva. It is an eight day festival and the community works together to make it a successful one.

The main idol in the temple is of Bhagawan Shri Dharamnath the 15th Jain Tirthankar. This temple was constructed in the year 1904AD. As it has completed a century this has become a JAIN TIRTH.When I visited the temple it was the time of the festival and during this period they eat only cooked and steamed pulses with out using oil or spices known as Ambel . Fasting and meditation is an excellent way to discipline the self.

There is a common belief among many that Lord Mahavir was the founder of Jainism. He was the 24th Tirthankar and was renowned as the apostle of Ahimsa and harbinger of peace. Jainism existed thousands of years earlier to Lord Mahavir. This trip helped me to clarify that doubt I had in my mind too. The first Tirthankar was Lord Rushabdev. There are many shrines inside the temples dedicated to various Tirthankars and Goddesses .Many Jain Tirth Sthans are beautifully depicted on the walls of the shrine.. This was a new experience for me as I was accustomed to visiting only South Indian temples. I have provided the information collected from the temple office which is under the care of Shree Cochin Swetambar Murtipujak Sangh. Those who are desirous of getting more information may log on to http://www.jaintemplecochin.org/

Other Places of Worship in Mattancherry & Fort Kochi, check List of temples .

How to reach:

The nearest railway station is Ernakulam Junction which is 10 Kms from Mattancherry.
Nearest airport is Nedumbassery.
Private buses ply from Ernakulam to Mattancherry.

One can avail ferry service also from Ernakulam to Mattancherry.
Budget and luxury hotels are available in Ernakulam and Wellington Island which is between Ernakulam and Mattancherry.

Guruvayur Sree Krishna temple and Mammiyur temple

2010-10-18T19:42:00.001+05:30

Guruvayur is called as the Bhooloka Vaikuntam as here resides Vishnu as Guruvayurappan, an idol believed to have been worshipped by Lord Krishna Himself. Lord Guruvayurapan ,thus got His name as the idol here was installed by Guru (Jupiter) and Vayu (the God of wind) .Inside the temple right in front of the sanctum is the dwajasthambham . There is no electrical illumination inside the sanctum and the divine idol of Lord can be viewed only with the bright glow of oil lamps and the effulgence emanating from the sanctum cannot be expressed in words.

A certain dress code is followed in this temple and it is mandatory for men to wear dhoti and for women sari or salwar. Pilgrims queue up patiently for a darshan of their dear God, chanting Lord's name 'Om Namo Narayanaya' which itself is a great experience and the atmosphere gets charged with devotion and totally transports one to a realm of inner peace and harmony .

There are sub shrines for Ganapathi, Ayyapa, Edatharigathu Bhagavathy. There is a magnificent idol of Vishnu reclining on his serpent Aadisesha with consort Lakshmi. There are wonderful paintings on the walls of the sanctum and all the pillars have beautifully sculpted scenes from Krishnavatara .

The temple owns quite a lot of elephants and many are offerings from the devotees to their dear God as Guruvayurappan is believed to be a lover of elephants . There are Seevelis (Procession carrying idol on top of elepahnt) both in the morning and late in the night just before the temple closes. I was fortunate enough to witness the kazhcha Seeveli in the evening and there were four caparisoned elephants for the same.The procession was regal with colorful parasols, aalavatom ,venchamaram and panchavadayam ( percussion instruments), Every year the temple conducts an elephants' race and the elephant which wins the race gets the right to carry the idol of Lord for Seeveli for the rest of the year. This interesting spectacle is a huge crowd puller attracting hordes of devotees albeit a bit scary for one who is not habituated to see elephants at such close quarters.

Photography is prohibited inside the temple.

Rudra theertham and Mammiyur temple:

The water tank outside the temple is very divine and it is believed that Lord Siva performed penance here and it is known as Rudra theertham. When Guru and Vayu were searching for an ideal place for the consecration of Vishnu's idol, Lord Siva allowed them to install it on the banks of Rudra teertham and He himself moved to a place where we see the present Mammiyur Mahadeva temple which is just a kilometre from the Guruvayur temple. It is believed that a trip to Guruvayur is not complete , if one does not visit Mammiyur temple.This temple has Lord Siva as the main deity and there are shrines for Parvati and Vishnu , Ganapati, Muruga and Ayyapa.

Guruvayur Temple timings 3 am - 1 Pm. 4 Pm- 8.30 pm.

How to reach- This temple town is 34 Kms from the cultural capital of Kerala , Trichur . There are excellent accommodation facilities in Guruvayur itself both set up by the temple and Government. There are many private hotels too. We stayed in hotel Nandini Tourist Home on Eastern side of the temple as it was just walkable distance from the temple.

Private as well as State transport buses ply to this small town.

Nedumbassery is the nearest airport and Trichur is the nearest rail head. There is a railway station in Guruvayur itself.

Durga Parameshwari temple - Kateel

2010-10-11T20:13:00.001+05:30

Navarathri festival is on and I thought a post on Mother Goddess Durga whom we all worship during these nine divine nights is apt for the season. Navarathri is victory of good over evil, and this temple I visited also has the Divine Mother Durga as the presiding deity.

Kateel Durga Parameshwari temple stands gloriously in the middle of river Nandhini surrounded by thick and lush greenery. Kati, means middle and Ila means area in Tulu language, a local dialect spoken in Dakshina Kannada. This temple is at a distance of 29 Kms. from Mangalore city. Nandhini, believed to be the daughter of Kamadenu was cursed by a rishi and she flowed as a river on earth. She requested Goddess Durga to redeem her and the Goddess after killing the demon Arunasura resided in the form of a Linga in the Kati of river Nandini. By the presence of Mother Goddess, Nandhini was relieved from the curse and thence She blesses Her devotees.

How to Reach:

Mangalore is well connected with air, road and rail. Many private buses ply to this temple . Private cabs are also available and one can hire them at reasonable rates.

Accomodation- Budget , luxury and deluxe hotels are available in Mangalore.

Ramnath temple, Bandode, Goa.

2010-10-05T19:12:00.000+05:30

Ramnath, is Lord Shiva and He came to be known thus because the idol was installed by Lord Rama . This temple of Gowda Saraswath community was in Loutolim first and was shifted to the present location post Portuguese colonisation . The temple also houses images of Lakshmi Narayan, Kamakshi, Santeri and Siddanath. This temple also has a multi layered deepasthambha and is maintained very well as other temples of Goa.

The temple celebrates the annual jatra festival, it is a procession carrying the idol in palanquin around the temple. Have a close look at the last picture. Is it not amazing? I saw this type of stone work in some of the temples I visited in Tamil Nadu.

Raja Gopalaswamy temple - Kodungallur.

2010-09-22T19:40:00.000+05:30

Kodungallur, is in Trichur district of Kerala and it is a small town . An ancient , prosperous and famous port known by the name of Muziri Pattinam which was recently excavated is close by. The excavations have yielded enough evidence to confirm the existence of flourishing trade between Romans and Indians in beads, ornaments and silks.

Kodungallur is famous for Bhagavathy Amman temple (look for a separate post) but this post is on a GSB (Gowda Saraswath Brahmins) temple of Raja Gopalaswamy (Lord Krishna) which I found was very serene and had a clean environment. Cleanliness is next to Godliness, is very much reflected in this temple. The temple walls have beautiful paintings from Ramayana, Krishnaavatara and Dasavathara.

How to reach:

Irinjalakuda is the nearest railway station. Nearest airport is Nedumbassery International airport. Plenty of buses ply from different parts of the state.

For accommodation one can stay either at Trichur (30Kms) or Ernakulam (35 Kms) where many hotels suiting to every one's budget and tastes are available.

Venkatramana and Mahamaya temple - Mangalore

2010-09-14T19:49:00.001+05:30

Mangalore is a busy town and it has a cosmopolitan crowd. It derives its name from the local Hindu deity Mangala Devi, and it has developed into a major port .It is the administrative head quarters of Dakshina Kannada (Southern Karnataka) .The city has a beautiful landscape surrounded from all sides by lush greenery , back waters, and fresh water streams.

Many Gowda Saraswath Brahmins (GSB) have made Mangalore their home and they lovingly refer to this city as Kodial and have established their temples here. The main GSB temple here is that of Lord Venakataramana. Like the Kochi Tirumala Devasom temple, this temple here is quite famous and is also a socio -religious centre for the GSB community.

The temple is maintained well and the idol of Venkataramana.( Lord Vishnu) is very attractive and the effulgence cannot be expressed in words. This temple like the Kochi temple has sub shrines for Hanuman, Ganesha, Mahalakshmi, and for the Lord's mount Garuda. The doors and dwajasthambha of this temple have rich carvings and are plated with silver. The outermost door is carved out of wood and is beautified with images from the Dasavathatra ( Vishnu's ten incarnations)

50 metres from this temple one can visit the Mahamaya, (The female form of Goddess) temple and is also as attractive as the Venakataramana temple.

When visiting Mangalore one cannot forget but visit another attraction, Ideal ice cream parlour offering Gadbad,and other varieties of Sundaes and ice creams at unbelievably attractive prices.

How to reach- Mangalore is well connected by Road, rail and air and offers attractive accommodation luxury, deluxe and economy class . People are friendly and anybody can be comfortable here.

Ninra Narayana Perumal- Tiruthangal

2010-09-07T20:35:00.000+05:30

Ninra Narayana Perumal temple is in Thiruthangal which is just 3 Kms from the town of Sivakasi which is famous for firecrackers.This temple is a 3 tier temple situated on a small hillock .First , we come across the Lord Ranganatha's sannidhi which is inside a cave and is at the bottom most tier . It is believed that the Lord of Srirangam stayed here en route to Srivilliputtur, Andal temple He is also known as Palli konda Perumal. ( God in reclining pose)

On the second tier is the shrine of Lord's consort, Mahalakshmi known here as Chengamala Thayar. Lakshmi's idol is about 6 feet tall and it is believed that the Goddess performed penance here. She is Goddess of wealth and Her presence here helped to achieve prosperity to a remote place like Sivakasi. She grants her devotees all their wishes and the temple gets thronged to seek Her divine blessings. Tiruthangal means abode of the divine.

Ninra Narayana Perumal's sannidhi is in the top most tier and here He stands with his four wives, Sree devi , Boodevi, Nila devi and Jambhavathi . This sannidhi also houses the idols of Aniruddha ,Lord's grandson and His wife Usha . It is believed that they got married in the presence of the Goddess here. There are about 11 idols in the sanctum which is a special feature of this temple.This is the 45th divya desam of Vishnu.

The imposing image of Lord Narayana and all other idols are painted and there is no abhishekam performed here for the deities except for Chengamala Thayar. Facing the Lord's sanctum is Garuda, His mount ,waiting always with folded hands in service of the Lord. Worshipping Garuda is believed to ward off the ill effects of Rahu- Ketu Dosha. The temple sanctum has a beautiful vimanam and there are also shrines for Ramanujar and Aanjaneyar.

Adjacent to this temple there are two more temples, one dedicated to Siva, known here as Karunalli Nathar and another one to Lord Muruga, one of the son's of Siva which is at the summit of this hill.

Temple timings are 6am- 12 noon and 4p.m - 8 p.m.

Temples in Sivakasi

There is an ancient temple of Siva ,in Sivakasi - Kasi Viswanathar koil from which the name of the town Sivaksi was derived. Amman here is known as Visalakshi . There are shrines for Dakshina Moorthy,Vinayagar,Murugan, ( the two sons of Siva) Durga,and a separate mandapam for Navagrahas.There is a very old tree in this temple which is believed to have been planted by the Pancha Pandavas.

Other temples in Sivakasi are the Badrakaliamman and Mariamman temples.

How to reach- Virudhu Nagar is the nearest railway station.

Nearest airport is at Madurai which is at 65 Kms from Sivakasi.

Sivakasi and Tiruthangal also have railway stations but very few trains ply on this line.

Accomodation : One can choose to stay in Madurai itself as hotels are very few in Sivaksi and Virudhu nagar.

Mahabaleshwar temple- Gokarana

2010-09-02T21:08:00.001+05:30

Nestled in a tiny and remote village of Gokarna, is the famous Mahabaleshwara temple which enshrines the Atmalingam which Ravana acquired from Kailash. Gokarana is in Northern Karnataka and one would find a number of idyllic beaches around the temple . The beach very near to the temple resembles Cow's (Go) ears (karna) hence the name for this place is Gokarna.Cows are worshipped here and they move freely inside and outside the temple. The temple is 1500 years old. It is also one of the mukti sthalas in Karnataka dedicated to Lord Siva.

There is a huge Ganesha idol here, outside the main temple of Mahabaleshwara. The idol has a deep cut on the forhead. The legend of the temple is similar to the one I have narrated earlier like the Vinayagar at Rock fort temple,Trichy. Here also it is believed that Ravana , instead of Vibeeshana in the other story ,wanted to take the idol of Siva to his kingdom . As the Gods wanted to prevent it ,Ganesha came in the form of a small boy and when Ravana wanted to perform his evening prayers, he handed it over to Ganesha instructing him not to keep it on the ground but hold it in his hands. Ganesha, who was there on a mission duly kept it on the ground and the Sivalinga got rooted to that place.When Ravana returned he was furious and hit Ganesha, a cut appeared on His forehead. It is still visible even today

The Sivalinga here remains concealed in the ground and devotees are allowed to worship the Sivalinga and one can feel the tip of the Lingam by one's hand and offer worship. Once in 40 years only the Sivalingam gets exposed when the Kumbabhishekam is performed.The Amman has a separate sannidhi inside the main temple.

Here one could see the tribal women selling flowers for worship and I really got fascinated by their costume known as ghetti and I could also see some magnificent craft work made of palm fibre. The last two pictures depict this.

Gokarna can be reached by bus from Karwar (60 km). The nearest railhead is at Kumta, 32 km away. Gokarna is 290 Kms.from Mangalore and from Goa it is 160 Kms. There are good hotels in Karvar and some resorts in Gokarna itself.

Kamakshi Temple - Shiroda , Goa

2010-08-25T19:17:00.001+05:30

Kamakshi temple, in Shiroda is more than 500 years old. Kamakshi is an incarnation Goddess Parvati, the consort of Lord Siva. The temple complex houses three more shrines dedicated to Shanta Durga, Lakshmi Narayana and Rayeshwar (Siva). The temple doors here are embellished well with silver foil work.

This village of Shiroda is situated 12Kms from Kavlem taluk of Ponda.

To read more about Kamakshi , click Kamakshi Amman of Kanchipuram

Just outside this temple there is a small shrine dedicated to Aanjaneya . See the last three photos.

How to reach: Goa is well connected by air and rail and road.

Madgaon is the nearest rail station.which is about 20 Kms. from this temple.

There is also accommodation facilities available in this temple for the community members.

Vamana MoorthyTemple -Trikkakara, Kochi & Onam festival

2010-08-18T19:54:00.001+05:30

Vamana Moorthy is the fifth Avatar (reincarnation) of Lord Vishnu and this temple in Trikkakara , Kochi is one among the very few temples of Lord Vishnu where He is worshipped as Vamana. An ancient temple , situated in a salubrious environment and is closely associated with the harvest festival of Kerala , the Onam. The temple of Vamana Moorthy celebrates a 10 day festival starting with the Atham star and it concludes on Tiruvonam day. People gather in large numbers here during the festival .The Onam festivities for this year has begun and Tiruvonam is on 23 rd August 2010.

There is also a Siva temple inside the temple complex and there are subshrines in both these temples of other Gods and Goddesses. Lord Vamana Moorthy temple is the 13th among the 108 Divya desams of Vishnu.

The Bali peetam here is very huge and the sanctum houses the resplendent image of Lord Vamana Moorthy. The sanctum is circular in shape and there are shrines inside for Ganesha and Krishna.

The temple also has a special place to worship the Nagas ( the serpent Gods)

A Little legend:
King Mahabali was a benevolent, asura king and every one was happy under his rule so much so that even Gods became jealous of him. They felt that he would become a threat to them and requested Lord Vishnu to help them. Lord Vishnu assumed the form of a young Brahmachari - Vamana and approached Mahabali when he was performing a ritual. Knowing very well that Mahabali Bali would not refuse any alms, Vamana requested him 3 paces of land. Mahabali obliged though his guru Sukrahrya warned him that it was Vishnu who had disguised himself as the Brahmachari. But Bali went ahead as he wanted to honour his word.

. Then the Lord, assumed a gigantic form and with one pace measured the earth , then with second He measured the heaven , then the Lord asked the king where he could measure the 3rd pace. Mahabali, true to his word allowed the Lord to put His foot on his head and God pushed him to the nether world. But before leaving, God granted him a boon to visit his subjects every year and people celebrate Onam as the king's homecoming. Lord Vamana is also worshipped in every homes during this period. People welcome Mahabali with religious fervour by decorating their houses and the entrance of the house with floral carpets.

Family get together, preparation of grand feast on Tiruvonam day, eating together, singing and dancing of traditional songs and snake boat races are great attractions of this festival.
To know more about Onam read my other blog by clicking the link. Onam

How to reach: Kochi is well connected by air , rail and road.

Nedumbassery is the nearest international airport situated at a distance of 25 Kms from Trikkakara.

Nearest railway station is at Ernakulam . From the station the temple is only at a distance of 7-8 Kms.

Plenty of private buses ply from Ernakulam ( Kochi) to Trikkakara .

Accommodation- Budget, luxury and deluxe hotels are available in Ernakulam /Kochi as it is officially called now.

Other places of worship- in and around Kochi

Kochi Tirumala Devaswom temple

Vittobha temple

St. Francis church

Santa Cruz Basilica

Poorna thrayeesa temple ( Tripunithura)

Mattancherry Synagogue

Siva temple ( Ernakulathappan)

Kunan Kurisu Palli ( Mattancherry)

Srivilliputhur Aandal temple

2010-08-11T21:30:00.000+05:30

Aandal temple in Sriviliputtur is yet another famous and ancient temple and is also one among the 108 divyadesams of Vishnu. The imposing tower of this temple is very attractive and the main tower of the temple is on the official emblem of Government of Tamil Nadu.

The Aadi(Tamil month)Pooram festival is famous here and is for 12 days. The festival is on now and thousands of devotees converge here for the same . Pooram is the birth star of Aandal and the chariot festival on the 9th day attracts lot of devotees to this temple. Aandal is believed to be an incarnation of Goddess Bhoodevi.

There are two temples here . One for Lord Vishnu, known here as Vatapatrasayi and he is in a reclining position here. Vata patra means the leaf of banyan tree and this is found at the head of the deity here. This is the sacred place where the great devotee of Vishnu, Aandal used to worship the Lord . The sanctum has beautiful paintings of Gods and Goddesses.

Aandal temple is next to the Vatapatrasayi temple. In between the temples is Nandavanam, a small shrine where Aandal was found and adopted by Perialwar ( devotee of Vishnu). Aandal temple has beautiful mandapams with exquisite carvings and here She gives darshan to her devotees along with Rengamannar (Vishnu) and Garuda. .There is a well inside the temple where Aandal used to see her reflection everyday after wearing the garland meant for the Lord. She succeeded in winning the affection of the Lord . As per Lord's wish her father took her to Sri Rangam , Sri Ranganatha Swamy temple where she merged with the Lord.

Andal is the only woman Alwar (saint) of Vaishnavism and She has composed two beautiful literary gems in Tamil, Tirupavai and Nachiyar Tirumozhi which is sung even today by devotees during the Tamil month of Maarghazhi.

Her father Perialvar also has a separate sannidhi in Vatapatra Sayi temple and there are also separate shrines for Chakrathazhvar and Nammalwar.

Srivilliputhur is famous for palgova, a milk sweet and people make it a point to buy this when they visit this place.

How to reach: Srivilliputhur is about 75 Kms from Madurai on NH 208.

Madurai is well connected with air, rail and road. Many buses ply from all parts of Tamil Nadu to the town of Srivilliputhur.
Accommodation: Budget hotels are available in Srivilliputtur and Rajapalayam town which is just 14kms. from here but I would suggest staying in Madurai is a better option as all types of accommodation, luxury , deluxe and budget hotels are available there.
Temples nearby :

Temple of Ninra Narayana Perumal at Tiruthangal (on Virudhunagar- Sivakasi route)which is just 20 Kms. away.
Kasi Viswanathar Koil -Sivakasi, 25 kms.
Kuttraleeshwarar temple- 75 Kms. on NH 208
Sankaran Koil- 40 Kms

Mahalakshmi temple- Ponda, Goa

2010-08-05T20:47:00.003+05:30

In this temple resides Goddess of wealth- Mahalakshmi. This temple is in Ponda . One can enjoy the richness and grandeur of the temple as it is a befitting tribute to the Goddess of wealth. The entrance and the doors have rich ornamental designs covered with silver and gold foils. A golden image of Lakshmi is set atop the door leading to the sanctum. The main deity here is adorned with rich silks and finery. There are two shrines on either side of the main temple one for Lakshmi Narayana and other for Ganapathi.

How to reach: Nearest railway station Madgaon . Ponda is 16 Kms. from the railway station.

Dabolim is the airport in Goa.

Accommodation - Most of the temples have accommodation facilities for the community members .Budget and luxury hotels are available here.

Ganesha temple-Fermagude , Goa

2010-07-31T12:05:00.001+05:30

This temple of Ganesha is situated in Fermagude, Ponda and attracts lot of pilgrims. This temple has a smaller deepa sthambha , and a beautiful dance motif of Radha - Krishna in marble as one enters the temple building. The idol here is very huge and is adorned with silver kavacham.This temple is also maintained very well like all other temples in Goa.

How to reach : The nearest railway stattion is Madgaon. Distance from railway station to Fermagude is about 20 Kms.

This temple is near to Mangesh, Gomantak Balaji and Devaki Krishna temples.

and this

Chaitramasa Festival- Kochi Tirumala Devaswom temple

2010-07-25T20:53:00.000+05:30

Continuing my post on Kochi Tirumala Devaswom temple I would like to take you through few glimpses of the Chaitra masa Festival held this March which I was fortunate enough to attend..

The Aaratt ( festival) is for 8 days and it starts with the flag hoisting ceremony. Every temple has a dwajasthambha but in this temple a flag pole,( stem of an arecanut tree) is erected on the first day and a flag with Garuda as the emblem is hoisted reciting Vedas.On all days there is Seeveli (Procession carrying the deity on elephant accompanied by percussion instruments) in the morning and evening and the temple gets crowded with devotees.. Mahaprasad(Feast) is served to the devotees and it is known as samaradhana. Samaradhana means all are considered equal here and every body sits together and partakes the Mahaprasad provided by the temple. The food is served on banana leaves and devotees sit on the floor for this. Enthusiastic youngsters vie with each other to serve food as they feel it is equal to serving the God Himself. The process starts with a kadina (fire cracker) and ends with the same. The whole process is completed with in half an hour and it is really a sight to see this samaradhana as more than ten thousand people are fed in this short period.

There are Yagnas for the welfare of the humanity and for peace These are conducted in the afternoons and evenings. The Lord Venkatachalapathy is taken around the temple in his golden palanquin.There are also vahana poojas i.e the deity is worshipped on different mounts like Hanuman, Aswa (Horse), Aadisesha,( serpent God) Surya( Sun ) and Chandra ,( Moon) Airavata the elephant) Garuda (The Eagle).etc.

From fourth day onwards the Lord starts visiting the house holds of His devotees and blesses them..He is taken around the temple streets and devotees welcome Him with fruits, flowers and various offerings they can afford. The grand procession carrying the deity comprises of priests, people carrying torches and lights, symbolic arms for protection, flag bearers , group of people playing on the drums- Pancha Vadyam and the majestic elephant in the lead. The seventh day is called as Nayattu ( Mrigaya,- royal hunt)and God ,Goddess and the Chakra are brought in Aswa, Surya and Chandra Vahanas. The Lord visits the nearby Udyaneshwara temple where Nayattu takes place.The Visits go on till the eighth day .

The last day thousands converge in this temple and seek the Lord's blessings. Avabrata snanam (abhishekam) is performed for the main deity of Venkatachlapathy . After that the Utsava Moorthy and the Sudarshana Chakra of the deity leave for the temple pond in a grand procession .Then deity is taken around in a decorated float and then the Chakra is given a Holy bath by the priest. The deity is kept in the mandapam there till the evening and after that the Samaradhana takes place. In the evening the deity comes out in a palanquin goes around the pond with the accompaniment of Seeveli and reaches the temple . Fire works are a part of this evening ritual. After that the Garuda vahana pooja takes place. The deity sitting atop the Garuda, blesses all his devotees and special aarti know as Khamba aarti is offered to the God. This Pooja goes on till 2-3 a.m the next day. By around 6 clock in the morning the flag is brought down which marks the culmination of the aaratt.

There are two aaratts in a year in this temple , one in March- April and the other one in November- December. The Gowda Saraswath Community scattered around the world try to come back to their roots to participate in this grand occasion which is a socio -religious affair .In fact many marriages get finalised during these eight days and it is really a treat to see boys and girls of marriageable age come decked up with new attractive attires of various hues and colours.

I would like to acknowledge S. Krishna Kumar Pai, Kochi for his photographs on float festival and the Holy bath. As seeing is believing I have a few photographs for your viewing.

Brihadeeshwara temple- Tanjore

2010-07-18T19:32:00.001+05:30

This post on Tanjore 'Big temple' is over due and my trip to Goa delayed it. There are many more posts awaiting on my Goa pilgrimage but I decided to take a detour and get back to South India where I am going to take you to a wonderful temple which is celebrating its millennium of magnificence this year(2010). At present this temple is part of the UNESCO World Heritage site-" Great Living Chola temples"

Brihadeeshwara temple or the Big temple in Tanjore is the best temple I have seen so far, for its excellent workmanship, grandeur and it has stood the testimony of time with its magnificent central dome which is a great attraction for one and all.. This temple was built by Raja Raja Chola, one of the popular kings of Chola dynasty who was a great devotee of Siva and this temple is also referred to as Rajarajeswaram.

The Siva Lingam here is gigantic, more than 12 feet tall. The Nandi facing the sanctum is also 12 feet in height and the dwarapalaks (the guardians deities of temple) and deities around the main shrine look elegant.. The main attraction here is the huge tower above the sanctum which is about 216 feet. The tower stands tall and one can see this fabulous structure even as one enters Tanjore.

The temple is situated in a fort surrounded by a moat. It is an architectural marvel with its excellent technology of ancient times. The wonderful central tower i.e the Vimanam is built with bonding and notching technique with out using mortar.The stone atop this huge tower weighs about 80 tonnes and it has baffled architects how this stone could have been lifted up when no machinery was available. It is believed that a ramp was built from a village 4 miles away and this stone was pulled to the top by elephants. The whole Vimana weighs about 43000 tonnes, according to a historian. This tower is called as Dakshina Meru meaning Southern Mount Kailash.

Amman here is known as Brihanayagi and her shrine is on the right side of the Nandi Mandapam .Then there are shrines for Dakshina Moorthy , Vinayaga and Muruga and Chandikeshwara . There are hundreds of Siva Lingams all around the temple and it is real wonder that this temple was built with granite when not even a single granite quarry was in the vicinity.

This temple is a store house of great Chola paintings and sculptures . Raja Raja Chola was a great connoisseur of art and this is reflected in each and every stone here.There are also inscriptions on the walls of the temple mentioning the monarchs reign. One can easily spend a day in this temple which is part of our history and reflects the culture, art and architecture of our heritage.

No artificial colouring is used to brighten the structures and the natural colour of stone, be it pink , brown or sandal is maintained as such. Each and every stone here depicts a story and it would take years to learn and understand more about this temple. This was just my humble attempt. I bow my head to the Lord of the Universe and to the king Raja Raja Chola who could gift this colossal monument for posterity. It is also a real wonder that this temple has with stood the vagaries of nature as even now it looks very new. This temple would amaze anybody with its grandeur and is a befitting tribute to the Lord of the Universe.

How to reach: The temple is situated in the heart of Tanjore town.

Nearest airport is Trichy , distance is 65 Kms.

Tanjore town has a railway station too and is linked major cities.

Plenty of buses ply to Tanjore from various parts of Tamil Nadu.

Accommodation -Decent accommodation of various classes are available in Tanjore and Trichy town.

Devaki Krishna or Pisso Ravalnath - Marcel, Goa

2010-07-13T21:50:00.002+05:30

Devaki krishna temple in Marcel is very unique as this temple has both Mother Devaki and her son ,cute little Krishna as the main deities. Devaki idol is in a standing posture with baby Krishna sitting on her hip.There is also another idol of Krishna standing in front of Mother Devaki, an excellent portrayal of mother-child relationship..This is the Kuldevata for our Gotra. This idol is very graceful and I think this is the only temple in India where we see Devaki and Krishna together. This deity also known as Pisso Ravalnath. This temple structure is very simple and every temple here has a narrow path just outside the sanctum for circumambulation.. There is also a small shrine outside this temple on the left side of the main temple for Bhoomika devi.The other deities are Lakshmi Ravalnath, Mallinath, Katyani.

Malni Poornima festival during January- February is the famous festival here and the temple gets thronged with pilgrims.

Read more about my Goa trip by clicking the Amchem Goa-2, in the side bar.

How to reach:

Marcel in Ponda is 17 Kms. from Panaji, the state capital of Goa.

Madgaon is the nearest railway station.Goa is well connected by air as well. The airport is at Dabolim.

Gomantak Tirupati Balaji Padmavathi temple - Ponda, Goa

2010-07-07T20:26:00.005+05:30

Tirupati Balaji Padmavati temple is situated in Kunkuliem village enveloped with greenery from all sides. This temple is maintaining a beautiful garden full of flowers and sacred Tulsi . The lush green and well maintained lawn offered a real visual treat. The Tulsi here is surrounded by sugarcane which looked very attractive . The idol of Balaji is very tall and and it gave us a feeling of visiting the Tirupati Balaji temple in Andrapradesh, sans the crowd. Next to the Balaji temple there are shrines for Padmavathi and Ganesha. Like the South Indian temples this temple in Goa has a dwajasthambha. This temple was blessed by Jagadguru Sanuacharya of Kanchikamakoti Peetam.

Shri Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam Charitable Trust, Goa is managing this temple and the idols of Sri Balaji and Sri Padmavati were donated by the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam.

How to reach: This temple is situated in Kunkuliem village 15 Kms. from Ponda and is near to Shanta Durga and Mangesh temples

Nearest railway station is Madgaon.
Accommodation- Good hotels are available in Panaji ,capital of Goa and Ponda too.

Shanta Durga temple- Kavalem, Goa

2010-06-27T19:22:00.002+05:30

Shanta Durga temple is in Kavalem, Ponda and is as attractive as the earlier temples I saw.in Goa.
Durga is really a very powerful deity who was created for killing Mahishasura, the demon and is always seen sitting on her mount, the lion, wielding lethal weapons. But the Goddess Durga here has a serene look like her name Shanta((Peaceful) and She is sitting in a relaxed position with legs stretched in front as if waiting to see her devotees. The deity is decorated in rich silks and jewels. The temple has brilliant glass lamps and chandeliers. The deepa sthambha gets lighted in the evenings.

There is also a shrine for Lakshmi Narayana on right side,This temple has beautiful tank with crystal clear water similar to Mangesh temple and I could find a Tulsi in the tank. Tulsi is worshipped in each and every Saraswat household too. People can spend time relaxing here as there are beautiful seating arrangements around the temple. An excellent place to relax and the Goddess ensures Peace and tranquility.

How to reach:

Kavalem is Ponda is 16 Kms from Madagaon which is the nearest railway station.

Accomodation facilities are available in the temple complex itself for the community members and a canteen offering excellent food at very economical rates.

Mangesh temple - Priol, Goa

2010-06-22T18:34:00.004+05:30

Mangesh temple is situated on the Panaji-Ponda road. Mangesh (Siva) is the Presiding deity here. This temple was originally in Kushasthali which was destroyed in 1543. The Lingam was shifted to the present location to Mangeshi in Priol.

There is a Nandi in front of the main deity. There is also a shrine dedicated to Kala Bhairava near the entrance of the temple. One has to climb a few steps to reach the temple. The temple has a beautiful tank and is surrounded by lot of greenery. This 400 year old temple attracts many pilgrims and is situated in serene surroundings.

How to reach: Nearest railway station is Madagaon (26 Kms) and the airport Dabolim which is about 35 kms.

Good hotels are available in Panaji, Vasco, Madgaon and Ponda.

Each temple also has accommodation facilities, however this is generally made available for the people of the Saraswath community.

SG of Shoot the Breeze presented me with a Cherry on top award and I am grateful to him for the same.As per the rules of the award I have to say 3 good things about me. so here it goes.
1. I am very affectionate. 2. I am kind. 3. Very sincere.

Now I would present this award to Tastemaster and Madrasman, Global Madrasi and Epic Fail

Mahalasa Narayani temple- Goa

2010-06-14T21:37:00.003+05:30

There are many kuladevata temples in Goa, set up by Saraswats who originally lived on the banks of river Saraswathi. Kuldevatas are family deities or deities belonging to each Gotra, among the same community . During the Portuguese rule many Saraswaths migrated from Goa. They were worshippers of Siva and Sakthi. When they fled they carried their family deities with them and set them up wherever they established their settlements but the main temples remained in Goa itself. Many travelled down South and were confused regarding the worship and rituals. The great Guru Madhwacharya guided them well and they started worshipping Vishnu and later the temples in Goa were forgotten or neglected.

But now they visit these kuldevata temples to seek the blessings of the deities which were worshipped for ages by their ancestors. This is a small introduction about the kuldevata temples.

I do not know the legend surrounding each temple. I enjoyed the beauty and architecture of each temple which was unique and cleanliness in each temple was beyond comparison. A common thing I found was, these temple do a have a huge structure - a deepa sthambha of a different kind compared to the ones we see in South Indian temples. They appear more like minarets which are illuminated in the evenings, a sight to behold. Each temple also has sparkling and dazzling chandeliers which give brilliant glow all round.The well lit temples, cleanliness and purity certainly refreshes and brings peace to mind.

The first temple I visited

Mahahlasa Narayani temple- This temple is in Mardol, Goa and the temple looked grand with beautifully carved wooden pillars with intricate patterns and silver doors. There is another shrine devoted to Lakshmi Narayana here and devotees offer worship to this deity first before entering the main temple of Mahalasanarayani. This goddess is the reincarnation of Vishnu and is feared by the devotees and people used to take oath here under the 'Justice bell'. Justice dispensed by taking oath under this bell was even recognised by Portuguese courts.

How to reach: Nearest railway station is Madagaon and the airport Dabolim which is about 35 kms.

Good hotels are available in Panaji, Vasco, Madgaon and Ponda.

Each temple also has accommodation facilities, however this is generally made available for the people of the Saraswath community.

Here are the pictures

Pilgrimage along Konkan Coast

2010-06-02T16:02:00.000+05:30

Here's a glimpse of my wonderful, exciting, fabulous and spiritual journey I took recently along the konkan coast- to places like Goa, karvar ,Mangalore with my family . We had loads of fun enjoying the natural picturesque beaches of Goa, boat rides and of course the favourite 'my pilgrimage'.

First phase of my trip was in Goa and I was excited because this is the place our ancestors belonged to . They migrated down South about 400 years ago, fearing conversions from Portuguese and have been living there since. It was quite exciting to see the place where I could speak my Mother tongue, Konkani as most of the people were quite familiar with the same and I felt quite at home. My heart yearned to be there but I had to come down to earth. I would take you through the enchanting experience of mine in my future posts.So keep watching and enjoy the same sitting in the cool comforts of your home.

My friends, I will be visiting all of you very soon,. See you.

Here's a jhalak....(glimpse) of the places I visited and I am going start with Amcha Goa ( My Goa) . .......:-)

Trichy Temples- Uthamar Koil

2010-05-17T22:53:00.000+05:30

Uthamar Koil is one among the 108 divyadesams of Vishnu. This temple is unique as this temple houses all the Trinities- Vishnu, Siva and Brahma . Brahma has very few temples in India and this is an added attraction for this temple. Here we find a blend of Vaishavisam and Saivism.

The temple is very simple and does not have huge towers like other temples. Facing east is the temple of Purushothaman (Vishnu) . Here he is in Sayana Kolam , meaning- reclining on Aadisesha. The Panchaloha idol of Purushothaman and his consort Poorna Valli Thayar are stunning. Garudalwar is facing the Vishnu's shrine.Outside there are separate shrines for Mahalakshmi and Poornavalli Thayar.

Facing South is the shrine for Dakshina Moorthy and on the West side is the temple of Siva known here as Bhikshadaneshwar and his consort is known as Soundarya Parvati . She has a separate sannidhi inside this temple. At the entrance of this temple there is a niche for Gnana Guru and Nandi is facing the Siva sannidhi. There are separte shrines for Krishna, Varadaraja, and Azhwars and Chakrathazhwar.

The legend goes like this- Siva removed one of Brahma's head in a fit of anger and he incurred a curse. To get salvation Siva went around the world with Brahma's skull to beg for food, hence the name Bhikshadaneshwar. Whenever some one filled his vessel with food it disappeared and he remained hungry. Finally he reached Uthamar koil and Mahalakshmi filled it with food thus ending Siva's hunger.

At the Northen side is the shrine of Brahma and next to it is his consort Gnana Saraswati, the Goddess of Knowledge. Brahma grants here all the wishes of his devotees as Vishnu directed him to do so. Childless couples offer their prayers at this temple to beget offspring.

It is also believed that once Vishnu wanted to test Brahma and He hid in a Kadambha tree. Brahma was worried and started searching and found the Lord here in the form of a Kadamba tree and worshipped him . Perumal blessed him by giving Him the privilege as the creator of all lives. Lord Brahma stayed here blessing his devotees.

How to reach: This temple is in Srirangam and is 5 Kms from Trichy town. Trichy is well connected by rail, road and air.

Regular buses ply with good frequency to Srirangam.

One can also hire auto rickshaw or cabs.

Accommodation - A number of hotels are available in luxury , economy and budget category.

Vimanam atop of Lord Purushothaman (Vishnu) Sanctum

Shiva's shrine

Outside the temple

Aerial View of the temple

Trichy Temples- Neelivaneshwar, Tirupanjali

2010-05-11T20:10:00.048+05:30

Tirupanjali Neelivaneshwar temple is 5 Kms from Tiruvellarai Pundareekaksha Perumal temple and about 20 Kms from Trichy. It is situated in a beautiful village surrounded by greenery. This Siva temple is also one of the padal petra sthalams . The Lingam of Neelivaneshwar is very small and is a Swayambhu Lingam . Neeli means banana trees and there are lot of banana trees in this temple and is considered as the sthala vriksham .

The Gopuram here also looks incomplete or worn out like the Tiruvellarai temple. The second tower known as Ravana Vayil is intact. There is a Siva Lingam just outside this tower in a small shrine known as Chotrudaieeshwaran . It is believed that the Lord himself served rice to the the saint Tirunavukkarasar who was hungry and tired when he was on his way to this temple and later Siva appeared here in the form of a Lingam . There's a festival here in the month of Chithirai related to this event.

Before entering the Ravana vayil tower pilgrims have to offer their prayers at the shrine of Yama the God of Death. I think this is the only temple where we have a shrine dedicated to God of death This shrine is in a cave under the ground. To save Markendeya from the clutches of Yama, Siva kills him and it is here that the God resurrected him. Yama here is in the form of a child. People offer special poojas for longer life and to ward off ill effects.

This temple does not have any Navgraha images. There are 9 steps leading from the Ravana Vayil tower inside the temple and this is built with the belief that the Navagrahas themselves were like slaves to Ravana. There are nine small pits near the Nandi in front of the main Lingam and are worshipped as Navagrahas.

The main deity Neelishwarar is also known as Adhikara Vallabhar as the deity here restored Yama all his powers to perform his duty.There are two shrines for Amman here ,one for Visalakshi and other for Neela Nedunkann Amman. This shrine has a separate dwajasthambha.

Parvati had performed penance here and she wished to have some shade during her penance and the sapta kanyas became the plaintain trees to provide shade to Her. Hence the Neelivanam ,with 7 plaintain trees occupies a special place in the temple. Devotees perform special rituals on Sundays to these plantain trees here in belief that this will lead them to matrimony. The plantain trees have yellow threads tied to it as part of the ritual. See the photo.

How to reach: Trichy is well connected by rail, road and air. It is better to hire cabs to reach this temple as the frequency of buses are very low.

The Main tower

A View from Outside

Ravana Vayil, the second tower

Chotrudaieeshwar shrine on the left side

Inside the Main tower

The Sthala Vricksham

Chottanikkara Bhagavathi temple- Kochi

2010-05-04T09:08:00.001+05:30

Chotttaikkara Bhagavathi temple is a very famous and ancient temple in Ernakulam district. It is situated 15 Kms. from Erankulam(Kochi). Bhagavathi is the synonym for Amman. There are two temples here, one for Chottanikkara Amma and other one for Keezhkavilamma which is at a lower elevation .One has to descend few steps to reach this temple.

The Goddess here is very powerful and Chottanikkara Bhagavathy is worshipped as Saraswati (Goddess of learning) early in the morning, Lakshmi (Goddess of wealth) in the noon and as Durga (Goddess of power) in the evening. The deity is adorned with white sari when she is worshipped as Saraswathi and for the other two worships, She is decked up with colourful silks and ornaments. The main idol here is a Swayambhu and does not have a regular shape. What is generally visible is the deity adorned with golden kavacham with conch and discus in her hands.There is also an image of Vishnu inside the sanctum hence people refer to the Goddess here as Amme Narayana Badre Narayana.

Keezhkavu temple (the temple at the lower elevation) , the deity is Bhadrakali , another form of Mother Goddess and it is believed that a worship here for a period of 41 days removes mental ailments and rids one of evil spirits. Even now we come across mentally deranged people praying here. There is a tree inside this temple with hundreds of nails driven into it as a mark of devotees being exorcised here. See the last two photos with nails driven into the tree. Navarathri and Magam thozhal are two famous festivals here. Another interesting sight here is devotees offering vedi vazhipadu ( bursting of fire crackers called Kadina).

There are sub shrines for Sastha (Ayyappa), Siva, Nagas and Ganesha. The temple attracts a lot of devotees on Tuesdays and Fridays.

How to reach: Chottanikkara is just 15 Kms. from Kochi ( Ernakulam railway station.)

Excellent transport facilities are available as number of private buses ply on this route.

The nearest airport is Nedumbassery ( Kochi international airport)

Accommodation - Visitors are advised to stay in Kochi where excellent hotels are available of all ranges.

Kaduthuruthy Mahadeva Kshetram

2010-04-28T19:32:00.000+05:30

Kaduthuruthy-Thaliyil Mahadeva Kshetram ( temple ) is 15 Kms. from Ettumanur or Vaikom but lesser known to pilgrims than the other two temples. As I have mentioned earlier, visiting these triad of temples before Uccha (Noon) pooja is considered to be auspicious. This temple is situated on a small hillock and compared to the other temples, it is smaller in size. The Sivalingam here is only 3" in size, faces East and is also believed to have been installed by Khara, the demon who installed the other two Lingams in Ettumanur, and Vaikom. There are also shrines dedicated to Ettumanurappan and Vaikathappan here, in the outer prakaram. It is also said that visiting this temple is equivalent to visiting the other two temples . The beautiful greenery around, the pristine surroundings adds a certain charm to this temple.

The temple architecture is simple and I could find a lot of wooden carvings on the Vimanam above the sanctum. A fire engulfed this temple 300 years ago and the chief priest sacrificed his life in protecting the deity by embracing the Lingam . A statue of this chief priest is installed at the Northen side of the temple to commemorate the event.

How to reach: Nearest towns are Kottayam and Kochi (Ernakulam) on the main rail route between Chennai and Trivandrum . Kochi is also having an international airport and harbour.Kaduthuruthy is on the State highway connecting Kochi and Trivandrum through Kottayam and Kollam.

Accomodation is very easily available as luxury , economy and budget hotels are quite a few here.

Ettumanur Siva Temple -- Kottayam district

2010-04-21T20:26:00.000+05:30

Ettumanur temple is also very old and famous and is always thronged by devotees. Like Vaikathappan, Siva here is known as Ettumanurappan. This temple is at a distance of about 15 Kms. from Vaikom. This Siva temple was built in 16 th century. The conical tower above the sanctum is copper plated and looks stunning. This temple has exquisite mural paintings from Ramayana, Bhagavatha and Siva's cosmic dance. The deity here faces the West.

The dwajasthambha is very tall and gold plated. It is a real visual treat to watch this gleaming dwaja with a Nandi atop and small bells hanging below. There is metal lamp called Valiavilakku inside the temple and pilgrims keep offering oil and this lamp is kept burning through out day and night. It is believed that Siva himself lighted this lamp first. The soot from the lamp is believed to cure eye problems.

Offering Tulabharam is famous here. By Tulabharam, it means a devotee offering his worship, would contribute equivalent of his or her weight of banana/ sugar/ jaggery/ coins/ gold/ flowers etc.what ever they can afford in fulfillment of their wishes granted by the Lord.

There are other shrines dedicated to Bhagavathi, Ganapathy, Dharmasastha, Dakshinamoorthy and Yakshi. There is no idol for Parvathy here but still she is worshipped here on the Eastern side. The Ezharara Ponnana ,the golden elephants and golden umbrella are a great attraction which is unique to this temple and it is used on the last day of the annual festival here. During the festival days ,all four sides of the temple would be lit with thousands of oil lamps which is a very attractive sight to watch.

There is a Krishna's temple just outside the Siva temple facing east, also believed to have been installed by Khara the demon who brought the other Sivalingas of Vaikom, and Kaduthiruthy temples. Here Mahadeva(Siva) gives darshan to his devotees in three bhavas one as Aghora Moorthi, then as Santha swaroopi and third as Uma Maheshwaran.

How to reach

The temple is on Kochi -Kottayam highway. It is about 50 Kms. from Kochi and 12 kms. from Kottayam.

Accomodation - Very good hotels are available in Kottayam town.

Photos:
1 Entrance of temple -view from highway, 2. Nataraja 3. Mandapam in front of the temple 4West Gopuram. 5. Side view of the Gopuram.6. The main temple 7. Lamps on the side walls which are lit during festival.8 &;9 Dwajasthambha 10. Krishana temple outside.11. Lamps on the walls of the temple

Vaikom Mahadeva temple - Kerala

2010-04-13T19:52:00.001+05:30

I happened to be in Kerala recently and had a wonderful opportunity to visit some ancient temples there.

Vaikom Mahadeva Kshetram ( temple) dedicated to Lord Siva , is very famous and one of the oldest temples in Kerala. It is in Kottayam district. This temple is fairly big one and attracts pilgrims from all over the state and neighbouring ones too. There are 2 more famous temples situated at equi distance from Vaikom and it is considered auspicious if one can visit all the 3 temples in one day before Uccha pooja (Noon worship). The other two temples are Ettumanoor and Kadathuruthy, again in Kottayam district. These temples are also very big and one can enjoy the simple arichitecture, typical of Kerala.

Vaikom temple shot to fame during the period of Vaikom Satya Graha ( a movement to allow all sections of Hindus inside the temple) was intitiated here. This temple attracts foreign tourists also but non- Hindus are not allowed into the inner most walls of the temple and near the sanctum.

The Lord here is known as Vaikkathappan and the festival, Vaikathashtami is very famous here. He is also referred to as the Annadana Prabhu meaning provider of feast or food and many pilgrims are fed here everyday. The devotees rich and poor sit side by side and partake in the feast and it is believed that it is provided by the God himself and it has curative powers for stomach ailments.

The temple premises are always kept spic and span and everybody makes it a point to maintain the sanctity of the temple. It is believed that the demon Khara, brother of Surpanakka (of Ramayana) got 3 Sivalingams from Kailash in Treta Yuga, one was installed here and the remaining ones were consecrated at Ettumanoor and Kadathuruthy.

How to reach: Vaikom is 45 Kms from Kochi and is connected by rail and road. The nearest airport is Nedumbassery is another 40 Kms. from Ernakulam. Excellent accomodation luxury, executive and budget class are available at Kochi.

Trichy- Tiruvanaikal Jambukeshwara temple.

2010-04-05T21:27:00.001+05:30

Tiruvanaikal Jambukeswara temple is on the banks of Kaveri and is very near to Ranganatha swamy temple in Srirangam.This temple is one of the Pancha Bhootha Lingas and it is a Jala (water) Linga. I have already made posts on Arunachaleshwara (Fire) at Tiruvannamalai and Ekambareshwar(Earth)at Kanchipuram. This temple is also quite huge and and there are about 5 towers till we reach the temple. The main temple complex also houses the shrine of Amman known here as Akhilandeshwari.

There is water around the main Sivalinga here and it gets immersed in water when water rises in Kaveri. The Jambu fruit tree is behind the sanctum hence the Lord here is known as Jambukeshwarar. The corridors around the temple are as long as 1 mile and it is lined with beautiful paintings. The wall surrounding the temple is around 25 feet in height.There are mandapams with exiquisite sculptures. It is believed that Lord Siva participated in the construction of this temple.

There is an interesting story how this place came to be known as Tiruvanaikal or Tiruvanaikaval. An elephant and a spider were devotees of Siva and they used to offer their worship here . They were also jealous of each other. The spider was reborn as a king and he built a huge temple here but he made the door of the sanctum very small that no elephant would enter. Even today the door leading to sanctum is only around 3 feet. One has to stoop low to enter the inner most part of the temple.

It is also believed that Parvati offered worship here by making a Linga with water and it is called as Jala Linga. There is an idol of Prasanna Vinayagar opposite to Amman sannidhi.The Goddess here is a spinster and there is no Kalyanotsavam in this temple. The temple worships cows and during the worship the priest wears costumes (saree) like a woman and offers the worship . There are also separate shrines for Kubera Lingam ,Vinayagar and Muruga.

Another legend associated with this temple is that Lord Ranganathar stayed in Srirangam only to worship Jambugeshwarar and he makes a visit to this temple once a year and stays there for a day.

How to reach: Trichy is well connected by rail air and road.
Srirangam also has a railway station but for a good stay it better to stay in Trichy town which is just 5 Kms.

Here are some photos I could collect during my recent visit to this ancient temple.

Sri Ranganatha Swamy temple- Sri Rangam (Trichy)

2010-03-19T21:30:00.004+05:30

Sri Ranganatha Swamy temple is the biggest temple in Trichy , covering an area of 156 acres. It is the first and foremost among the 108 divya deshams of Vishnu and here, the Lord Ranganatha ( Vishnu) is in a reclining pose on Aadisesha. The massive idol of the main deity is beautiful . The Utsavar is fondly called as Nam -Perumal meaning "Our Lord" in Tamil, Azhagiya Manavalan " the handsome groom" while His consort Ranganayaki is known as Thayar meaning "Mother".

Sri Rangam is an island surrounded by river Kaveri. There are 21 towers for this temple and the temple is enclosed by 7 concentric walls with a length of 6 miles. With in these towers situates the whole town. The town cannot be separated from the temple. The temple is the biggest functioning Hindu temples in India. This temple is about 2000 years old.

The outer most tower on the South side is the tallest, called as Rajagopuram with 13 tiers and as you walk towards the main sannidhi you cross 6 more towers. The temple is an architectural marvel and also houses a 1000 pillared mandapam. The 4 th tower is the one which leads us inside the temple and here one gets an opportunity to get on to the terrace of the temple for a panoramic view of the whole temple complex. . Non- Hindus are allowed to go up to the 6 th tower and not beyond, near the Lord Ranganatha's Gold plated sanctum.

The Garudalwar facing the Ranganathar is a massive form around 15 feet in height, in a sitting posture facing the main sannidhi. Photography is banned here. Vaikunda Ekadashi festival is very famous and pilgrims throng the temple to have a darshan of Lord Ranganatha during this 21 day festival.

Enroute to Thayar sannidhi I found something interesting, There are 5 holes in the floor just in front of a small Vishnu shrine, inside a lotus pattern and pilgrims were trying to put their fingers inside and peeping towards the direction Ranganatha swamy's shrine. It is believed that the Goddess used to look at the God by supporting her hand on the floor. Pilgrims were trying to experience the same.( see photo)

Ranga Thayar idol is beautiful and she is in a sitting posture and has the Panchaloha idol in front. There is also a Gold plated mandapam here to conduct special poojas for the deity. There is a small gallery in front of the Thayar sannidhi and there are some fabulous paintings of Narasimha Moorthy. There are shrines for Chakra thazhwar and Anjaneyar, Ramanujar and a dozen others dedicated to various forms of Vishnu like VenuGopal, Narasimhar etc. The Kodanda Ramar sannidhi and Utsavar of Andal also is very attractive.

I have already written about the legend of Ranganatha in my earlier post , Trichy- Rock fort temple how he came to reside in Sri Rangam.

Andal shrine is of great importance here. She was a great devotee of Lord Ranganatha and she is believed to have merged with the God here. The Tiruupavvai (collection of hymns) composed by her praising the Lord is sung by young and old in the month of Marghazi .( December mid-January mid)

Trichy is well connected by rail air and road. Srirangam also has a railway station but for a good stay it better to stay in Trichy town which is just 5 Kms.

Trichy - Rockfort temple,

2010-03-13T10:51:00.001+05:30

Rockfort temple stands tall on a magnificent hill which is believed to be 3500 million years old. This temple dates back to 7th century. This hillock forms the landmark of bustling Trichy town.

There are two temples here one for Siva and the other for Vinayagar known here as Ucchi Pillayair , Ucchi means zenith . The deity here sits and watches the whole Trichy town from the summit. The uchipillayar temple is very small , one has to climb about 400 steps to reach the summit. One can have a panoramic view of the whole town from the top of the hill.

The legend is that after slaying Ravana , Rama before proceeding to Ayoydha presented an idol of Vishnu -Ranganatha,(the post soon to follow) to Vibeeshana , Ravana's brother. En route to Lanka to his kingdom he reached Trichy. Many Gods were not in favour of him taking this idol to Lanka so they sent Vinayagar to prevent Vibeeshan from doing so. Vinayagar appeared in the form of a young lad and when Vibeeshana wanted to perform his ablutions he asked the boy to take care of the idol with the condition that it should not be kept on the ground. But Vinayagar kept it on the ground and it got routed there. Enraged by this Vibeeshana chased Vinayagar. It is believed that Vinayagar to escape the wrath of Vibeeshana came and hid in this rock. What ever the legend may be, the trip to the temple was a great experience.

Before ascending the Ucchi Pillayair temple, mid way through, there is a Siva's temple very famous here known as Tayumanavar meaning "He became a Mother also" He here stands for Lord Siva. The legend is that a woman while giving birth to her child suffered as she was alone and prayed to Lord Siva. God appeared here as a mother( midwife) and helped her to deliver her child safely. Many mothers to be reach the temple and offer their prayers and seek the blessings of the Lord.

The Sivalinga here is huge and around 6 feet high . Amman has separate sannidhi . There are shrines for Somaskandar, Nataraja- Sivakami, Subramanya, Vinayagar, Durgai and Kalabairavar. Lord Jeerakeshwar is special to this temple and he is adorned with sandal paste and it is believed that worshipping him would cure many ailments.There is a huge mandapam just outside the Tayumanavar sannidhi and it has exquisite paintings of the legend associated with the temple . The tower of Amman sannidhi can be seen at close quarters from this hall.

Amman sannidhi is few steps below the Siva's sannidhi and the dwajasthambam and Nandi mandapam are also there in this level. Photography is prohibited inside the temple. In between the Tayumanavar temple and Ucchipillayair temple lies the Pallvas cave and is a store house of brilliant art work.

Have a look at the pictures I could gather during my recent visit.

How to reach: Well connected by air , road and rail from all important destinations.

Accommodation- Budget and luxury class hotels are available.

Public conveyance - City buses, auto rickshaws, taxis and call taxis are available regularly.

Photos-1 & 2 The Uchipillaiyar temple, 3. steps leading to the temple 4, A tower on the rock, 5& 6 Tayumanavar temple 7,8, 9, 10, Pallava caves,11,Gold plated sanctum,12, Entrance of Tayumanavar temple13, 14 A view of Trichy town the famous St. Joseph's church dating back to 18th century and bridge across river Cauvery.

Kottai Mariamman temple Festival- Dindigul

2010-03-07T20:35:00.002+05:30

Dindigul is slightly interior part of Tamil Nadu and is well connected with places like Kodaikanal, Madurai, Trichy, Karur and Palani. It is famous for locks, textile mills and tobbaco cultivation. The rockfort is the land mark for Dindigul and this is visible from any part of the town and I am staying at present in this place.

There are a quite a few temples here and Masi festival of Kottai Mariamman temple is very famous and has concluded recently.

I never like crowded places but my curiosity was kindled by my neighbour who gave me a detail description of the temple and the rituals. Armed with my camera I went to shoot. This was really a different experience altogether as some of the rituals were very unique.

Kottai Mariamman temple is about 200 years old and the deity is believed to have been installed by the soldiers of Tipu Sultan. This temple is at the base of the rock fort. The idol of Mariamman is worshipped by all the people in and around Dindigul and people from villages flock here with their offerings to their deity. The Mariamman temple festival is for 15 days.

The main idol in the sanctum is installed on the floor of the temple and She is always adorned with golden Kavacham during the festival. The Utsavar is taken around the streets surrounding the temple on a chariot. There is a flower chariot festival and on that day all the people in Dindigul come out to offer flowers to the deity and the streets also get decorated with flowers. As part of the celebration the temple is decorated with floral patterns. Carrying sprouted grains, fire pots, milk pots with the accompaniments of percussion instruments is a common sight during this festival. One thing made me nervous was the Pookuli. Here a fire pit is made which is about 8- 10 feet in length and is filled with burning charcoal and devotees walk through the pit chanting the Amman's name. I witnessed the same and have included various clippings of the festival.

How to reach : The nearest Airport is Madurai, is about 70 Kms. from Dindigul.

Railway station is in the heart of Dindigul town itself.

Many State Government buses as well as private buses ply from nearby towns.

Good hotels are available in Dindigul.

Photos 1. Maraimman Utsavar,2. Balaji , brother of Maraimman, 3, 4, 5,6 floral carpets and rangoli, 7-10 flower chariot 11. Decorated pandal with a idol of Amman on the road side 12, Flower offerings kept ready for the deity. 13. Elephant pilot in front of chariot. 14. sprout pots, 15.fire pot 16, 17, 18, Pookuli( fire walk) 19, Amman temple in the background is Dindigul rock, 20 A decorated pandal during the flower chariot festival.

Kochi Tirumala Devaswom Temple

2010-03-01T20:53:00.001+05:30

Venkatachalapathy is the presiding deity of Kochi Tirumala Devaswom temple, also known as Gosripuresha Tirumala Devar.This temple is a socio-religious institution of Gowda Saraswaths Brahmin (GSB) community . It is also frequented by all Hindus and this is the biggest temple in Kochi , the mother institution of GSB of Goan origin living in Kerala.

GSB here migrated from Goa in 1568 fearing mass conversions by Portuguese and made coastal towns their homes. The idol of Venkatachalapathy is believed to have reached here from Viyayanagaram. The king of Vijayanagaram was a great devotee of Lord of Seven Hills, Balaji and when he was unable to visit the Lord , he had a dream that a sculptor would visit and help him to carve a image of the Lord so that he need not take the trouble of visiting Him at the Seven hills. As per the dream the sculptor appeared and after taking necessary materials started working in a closed room . When the sculptor didn't come out, even after a few days the door was opened by the king himself and he was happy to see the resplendent image of Lord Venkatachalapathy and that is the image believed to be in Kochi temple brought here by Swami Vijayendra Teertha after retrieving it from a well in which it was deposited when Vijayanagaram was engulfed by fire.

The temple has 5 sub shrines having Hanuman, Brindavan (Samadhi Of Sukrateedra Swamiji of Kashi Math), Vigneshwara, Mahalakshmi and Garuda.The temple also has a Tulsi and Yakshi . The temple conducts festivals twice a year of 8 days duration and it falls in the month of November and the second one in April. Most of the GSB's who belong to Kochi come back to these festivals even if they are far flung and other GSB's also visit their relatives in Kochi during the festival times. The Garudotsvam, and Aaratu festival on the 8th day where the deity gets the ritual bath is very famous.There is a temple is tank outside to conduct the float festival. Outside the tank, one would find the statues of the Vijaya Nagara king and Swami Vijayendra Teertha. The temple also runs educational institutions and is efficiently run by a committee elected by the Mahajans ( the whole community).

The temple has a huge bronze bell, the second largest in Asia which is 4 ft in diameter and 6 ft in height .The gong when it strikes during the worship resonates through out Kochi and it used to be even heard in the near by town of Alleppey which is 50 Kms. away even as late as 1950's when the automobile noise pollution was not very high. The temple is surrounded by the settlements of GSB's and they guard the temple very well and are highly devoted to the Lord here.

How to reach:- This temple is situated in Mattancherry. It is well connected by air, rail and road ans sea.
Nedumbassery International airport is 50 kms. from this place. Ernakulam junction is the nearest railway station and is at a distance of 10 Kms. Regular buses and other modes of local conveyance are available.

Mattancherry Synagogue

2010-02-21T21:03:00.001+05:30

The Synagogue in Mattanchery was built by the Yehudan community in 1568 on a piece of land gifted to them by the Raja of Kochi . This is also called as the Pardeshi synagogue( Pardeshi meaning Foreigner) and the only Synagogue still in use. The synagogue from outside is just a simple building with an old clock tower which keeps ticking even now. The bell tower is above this.

This synagogue complex comprises of 4 buildings and there is a deepa sthambha just outside the main place of worship which reflects the adoption of Kerala culture by them. I am unable to bring you the pictures of the interior as the security is tightened, post 26/11 . So those who are desirous to have a look just click the Wikipedia link. to enjoy the beautiful interior, laden with hand painted colorful tiles and ceiling embellished with chandeliers. The religious texts of Jews in Hebrew in a scroll form, the brass pulpit and and crowns made of gold and silver presented by the king are the other interesting relics inside the synagogue. The Synagogue can be visited from Sunday to Thursday as Friday -Saturday are Sabbath days and the Synagogue remains closed . The Jewish community in India has dwindled and many have have left for Israel. At present only 30-40 may be present in Kochi. The Synagogue is situated in a place called Jew town and the streets there are lined up with antique shops which is frequented by foreigners and antique hunters. One can also see the beautiful houses built in European styles.

The synagogue shares a common wall with a temple and adjacent to lies the palace of Raja of Kochi which is referred to as the Dutch Palace . This was first built by the Portuguese and later renovated by the Dutch as a token of their gratitude. This palace at present serves as a museum with beautiful frescoes and antiques belonging to the erstwhile kings .The Palace is constructed in a Kerala- European style and houses a Bhagavathi temple known as Pazhayannur Bhagavathi and there is also a Siva's shrine inside this palace. Krishna's temple is outside this main building and this temple shares a common wall with the Synagogue, which shows the warm nature of Kochi people who welcomed Pardeshis with open arms.

How to reach : Kochi is well connected by air, road and rail. The nearest airport is Nedumbassery which is 50 Kms from Mattancherry. Ernakulam Junction is the nearest railway station which is at a distance of 10 Kms.

Cabs, autos and buses ply to Kochi . One can always board a Mattancherry bus from South bus stop in Ernakulam and get down at the last stop at Mattancherry. Jew town and Synagogue are at walkable distance.

Accommodation- For stay excellent hotels are available in Ernakulam and as well as Kochi

I have included pictures of Synagogue, Dutch palace, Jew town and the temple inside the Palace complex.

Pictures 1-10 is Synagogue,11-19 Palace and temple inside the complex.

Vittobha temple- Mattancherry,Kochi

2010-02-15T21:14:00.005+05:30

The Vittobha temple in Mattancherry, Kochi is famous for its unique form of worship offered to the deity in the form of singing Bhajans. I stayed bang opposite to this temple during my early child hood and grew up right under the gaze of Lord Vittobha and the deity here holds a special place in my mind. Vittobha is none other than Krishna, is called thus by the people of Maharashtra as the one who is standing on eet or veet meaning brick. See my earlier post on Lord Vittobha of Pandarpur. The deity in Kochi is similar to the one that is in Pandarpur. Here also he is standing with his hands on his hips as if waiting for his bhakta (devotee). There is no separate shrine for his consort Rukumai as she resides on his chest in the form of a pendant . A recent addition is a small shrine dedicated to Goddess Annapoorna which is behind the Vittobha temple.

When I was a little girl, I have spent most of my time in this temple as the road separating my house and the temple was only about 15 feet wide. It was as if moving from one room to the other. The temple is at present run very well by a young and energetic group who frequent the temple regularly to see the daily upkeep and needs of the temple. The temple was recently renovated and it looks grand with its simplicity intact. The temple becomes a buzz of activity every evening as young and old come together and chant devotional songs called as Abhangs in praise of God. Abhangs are beautiful invocations to the Lord created by the saints like Sant Tukaram, Namdev, Gnandev etc. This bhajans are usually sung in groups and it is nice to watch, listen and sway to the rhythm of the same. This temple provides a platform for any body who desires to worship the God with the bhajans. An excellent example of camaraderie is visible here among the devotees who throng the temple to worship him in the evenings.

The idol here was brought here by the late Sri Ambu Baliga during one of his visits to Pandarpur and he installed it in Kochi. When the temple was opened for all the Hindus which was frequented only by chaste brahmins, it caused resentment and the temple remained neglected for about 7-8 years. After wards again the temple was opened up and worship resumed again, and it has become a huge movement today as this temple attracts thousands of devotees during the Sapthaham festival which takes place during the month of July. Sapthaham festival starts in the month of Aashada on Siddha Panchami day.

On the first day of the Saptham a huge lamp is lit in front of the deity and it glows for about 7 days and the temple remains open round the clock. Devotees keep singing the Bhajans with accompaniment of cymbals, harmonium and Tabla, with out stopping the cymbals even for a second. The devotees while singing do get totally absorbed in it that they sing and dance around the lamp. The devotees take turn and see that the sapthaham is conducted smoothly. On the seventh day a procession (shoba yatra) of devotees singing bhajans, carrying fruits and flowers march up to the Venkatachalapathy temple near by and returns to the Vittobha temple. I remember there used to be a devotee who used to do sayana pradikshinam (prostrating and rolling continuously on the ground) all the way to the other temple.

A temporary mandap is raised in front of the temple during the sapthaham and food is provided to all the devotees on the day saptham ends. Many stalwarts from the Hindustani music and Bhajan singers from different parts of India offer their worship here during the saptham season. They enthrall the devotees with their singing and this small temple gets thronged for the same. This Bhakti cult i.e singing and worshipping God has become a large crowd puller now. The temple is built in a simple style with attention being given to accommodate as many devotees as possible inside.

This temple has completed 100 years (1909) and a sahashra kalasha abhishekam was conducted as part of the centenary celebrations.

How to reach
The nearest railway station is Ernakulam south Junction which is 10 Kms from Mattancherry.
Nearest airport is Nedumbassery.
Private buses ply from Ernakulam to Mattancherry
Budget and luxury hotels are available in Ernakulam town itself

For a treat of Abhang listen to this Lata Mangeshkar's Melodious invocation

St. Francis Church , Fort kochi

2010-02-10T21:14:00.006+05:30

Before I started writing on Kerala experiences, I wanted to introduce Kochi to all my dear friends which groomed me in my younger days since birth. But as I was under heavy urge to publish my post before it was too long, I postponed it .This place is full of history and has a rich cultural heritage Now I feel is the right time and here it goes...

Welcome to Kochi.

Kochi, is an old town, I mean the old Cochin comprising of Mattancherry and Fort Kochi. This place has retained its magical charm with out changing its landscape by modern constructions. The town is beautiful with its palatial houses built by Europeans, very old churches, Palace of Kochi Raja, also known as Dutch Palace, Jew town, the first Synagogue in India , temples and the Cochin harbour a natural port. This was once a bustling commercial centre for spices and traders from various countries visited this place. Portugese, Dutch and English established their colonies here and left an indelible mark in the history of this place. The beautiful beaches and lagoons with the famous Chinese nets definitely adds a unique charm to the place I belong to. Finally I want to add a special mention about the hospitality of Malayalis who welcomed people from various cultures including Gujarathis, Goans(Gowda Saraswaths Brahmins) Jews, and Anglo-Indians. I feel proud to be known as a Kochiite.

This time you are going to visit the famous St. Francis church in Fort Kochi. This is the first European church in India.This was built first by the Portuguese in 1498, when they landed in Kochi via Calicut. The Kochi King allowed them to construct a small shrine.When the Dutch arrived they destroyed all the places of worship except this church. Later when British captured Kochi they allowed the Dutch to retain the church but later they handed it over to Anglican Communion. This church is under the Archaelogical Survey of India and under the category of protected monument.

Vasco da Gama the Portugese explorer, died in Kochi and he was entombed here but his remains were later shifted to Portugal. We can still find the place inside the church where he was laid to rest. Religious services are still conducted in this church. There is a plaque outside the church which mentions it was renovated in 1779. There is monument in front of the church , in memory of the Kochi residents who fell during the Great war of 1914-1918 and with in a Kilometer from this church is the old Dutch cemetery.

1.St.Francis church, 2.&3 War memorial, 4. History of Church, 5&6 Inside the church, 7.&8 Beautiful chandelier, 9 Vasco da Gama, 10. Slab from his grave, 11, Another slab mounted on the wall. 12. The first resting place of Vasco da Gama

Santa Cruz Basilica , Fort Kochi

2010-02-04T19:39:00.002+05:30

Santa Cruz is a heritage monument and is pride of Kochi.

Santa Cruz is one of the oldest churches and one among the 8 Basilicas in India.This Basilica is about 500years (1505) old. This was first built by the Portuguese,when the Dutch arrived they destroyed all the Catholic establishments but this church along with St.Francis church ( post soon to follow) was spared by them. They used Santa Cruz church as a store house for arms and ammunition. When the British arrived this was also razed to the ground .

This was rebuilt in 1904 and was elevated to the status of a Basilica in 1984.The architechture is Indo European- Gothic style. There are three Altars here. The pulpit and the wooden panelling along with beautiful paintings of Last Supper and Jesus on the Cross are stunning. This Basilica attracts tourist from all over the world. A must see I would say to those who are visiting Kochi/India.

How to reach: Kochi is well connected by air ,rail and road.
The airport is Nedumbassery , The railway station is Ernakulam Junction
Lot of buses ply to Fort kochi from Ernakulam town, The distance from Nedumbassery would be 50 Kms. and from Ernakulam is 10 Kms.

Kerala temple festival - Tripunithura

2010-01-27T21:12:00.005+05:30

I thought a short break from Tamil Nadu would be good though I have lined up a few temples to post about. My recent trip to Kerala was an unforgettable one, especially as I landed there on a festival day .Temples in Kerala are simple unlike Tamil Nadu temples which is famous for its carvings and sculptures. In Kerala The dwaja sthambha and deepa sthambha are given lot of importance. The height of the dwaja or flag post also depends on how powerful the deity is. The idols in Kerala temples are smaller in size compared to the ones in Tamil Nadu. Sanctity of the temples are maintained well and most of the temples do follow a dress code.

This time I am taking you to Lord Ayyapa's temple situated at Tamarakulangara in Tripunithura which is just an extension of Kochi town itself . I have already written a post on Poornathrayesa temple belonging to the same place. Lord Ayappa, is the son of Siva and Vishnu when the latter assumed the form of Mohini to retrieve the Amrita Kumbha from Asuras.

November-April is the festival season and I thought I would take you through one which I have seen recently. Elephants are indispensable for festivals here and the deity is carried atop the caparisoned elephants with the accompaniments of colorful parasols, Peacock feather fans, called Aalvattom and Venchamaram made of fur from yak tails. Pandi Melam is an orchestra of percussion instruments, trumpet and Cymbals which adds the necessary rhythm and charm to the elephant procession. This procession is called Seeveli. It is really a fantastic spectacle. People sway to the rhythm of the percussion instruments and the Seeveli lasts about 2-3 hours. The festival ends with colourful display of fireworks and a feast subsequently to all the devotees. Kadina is a traditional fire cracker which is used during the worship. A series of Kadinas are used during the worship during the festival. See the photos of Kadina . Para Nirakkal is another custom followed in the temples. The devotees offer paddy, sugar, jaggery, or flaked rice to the deity and for this a special vessel resembling a measure known as Para is kept in front of the deity and the devotees fill it with their offerings.

Enjoy the festival.

Picture 1, 2, 3 The temple decorations 4 &5 Seeveli, 6 deity atop the elephant,7,8,9 Paddy and puffed padyy and para nirakkal 10 seeveli, 11 flags,indicating festival, 12. Kadina, 13 dwajasthambham, flag hoisted.

Trichy Temples- Pundareekaksha Perumal Koil, Tiruvellarai

2010-01-19T19:49:00.006+05:30

Trichy is an important town in Tamil nadu and is situated on the banks of river Kaveri. Like any other Tamil Nadu towns, this town also abounds in temples and the famous land mark of this region is the famous Rock fort temple which you would be coming across in one of my posts soon. Trichy is around 100 miles from Madurai.This time I am taking you to an ancient temple and I was awe struck when I saw this temple. Each temple has some thing unique and here also I found something which was interesting and amazing,.read on.....

This temple dates back to a period older than Ramayana and is situated about 17 kms. from Trichy town and is one among the 108 divya deshams of Vishnu.

Tiruvellarai means white rock and this temple is situated on a white granite hill which is 100 feet high . The deity in this temple is known Pundareekaksha Perumal. In Tamil it means Chendamarai Kannan and its English translation would be God with Lotus Shaped eyes. The temple has a main tower , which is in an unfinished state, nevertheless looks grand and I would say it adds certain charm to the temple.This temple is surrounded by a 36 feet high wall and resembles a fort . The second tower leads us inside the temple and we were wonder struck by the colourful huge sculptures on the wall which were painted in bright shining colours.The Bali peetam here is a huge one and the third tower leads us into the inner prakaram of the temple. Here also, like the Varadarajar temple in Kanchi we have to climb a fleet of steps to reach the sanctum.There are two dwaras (doors) leading to this sanctum . One is called as Dakshinayana dwaram and the other is Uttarayana dwaram. The dakshinaya dwaram remains open from Aadi to Marghazi ( August to Jan Mid) so we entered through the Dakshinayan door . The other door remains open from ( Mid January- July) Thai -Aani. This is in accordance with the movement of the Sun's path.

The main deity is around 12 feet in height and has Sun and Moon on either side of the deity offering their services to him. Then Garuda and Adisesha ( The serpent God in a human form, as the main deity is in a standing posture) are also near the main deity. Markendeya Maharshi and Boodevi are sitting near His feet and is believed to have prayed here at this place. The Utsavar is also a beautiful idol along with his consort beside him . The female deity is the custodian of the temple.

The temple maintains beautiful garden outside and it is famous for its Swastika shaped tank on the Northen side of the temple. I was wonder struck by seeing this . This shape it seems is to give privacy for people, while having bath. But there is no water at present as some renovation work is in progress. This is also under the care of Archaeological Survey of India. There are many inscriptions in the temple and it also mentions about this unique pond which was built by one feudal Lord under Pallava kings. The temple gets very few pilgrims . The temple precincts are kept neat and clean.Outside prakaram has the Thayar Senkamala Valli , and Chakra Thazhwar sannidhi. It was really a great experience, felt as if travelled thousands of years back into a bygone era.

The temple was built by the Emperor Sibi who is supposed to belong to a generation four times earlier to that of Rama. The legend is that Emperor Sibi found a white boar and started chasing it and it hid into an ant hill. Markendeya Muni who was doing penance nearby asked the king to pour milk over the ant hill and discovered a huge idol of the Lord. The Pallava Kings and Hoysala kings have contributed a lot in the reconstruction of the temple.

How to reach- Trichy is well connected with rail, air and road. To reach the temple it is better to hire a cab as frequency of buses to Tiruvellarai is quite low. This temple is on the Trichy- Thuraiyur route.

Kala Megha Perumal Temple- Thiru Moghur, Madurai

2010-01-07T19:46:00.016+05:30

Kala Megha Perumal temple in Thiru Moghur is the 46th divya desham of Vishnu. The temple recently got a face lift and looks fresh and brightly painted. The main idol of Vishnu is huge and is flanked by his His consorts Boodevi and Sreedevi.

Moghur comes from Mohini, the beautiful female form of Lord Vishnu who had taken this form to save the nectar from the Asuras. The Utsavar here is worshipped here in that form and the Lord is also referred to as Kala Megham , meaning dark clouds. Like dark clouds shower rains, the Lord here showers blessings on his devotees. Here the deity is like the Varadaraja of Kanchipuram and is holding a mace in his left hand and with his right blesses his devotees. There are separate shrines for Mohanavalli Thayar , Andal and Navaneetha Krishnan.

The Sudarshana Chakra occupies a significant place here and this shrine is behind the Thayar sannidhi and the vimanam atop is gold plated. The Sudharshana idol here is special with sixteen hands, holding 16 different weapons and is believed that he is moving forward to help his bhaktas (devotees) The Sudarshana image has the Lord Narasimha Moorthy on the back side in a yogic posture and same can be seen on the Utsavar here. Devotees offer their worship to the Utsavar of Chakra thazhwar which is kept in front of the Thayar sannidhi.

The Vimanam of the main temple is round in shape and is called Ketaki Vimanam. This temple also has beautiful carvings. The dwaja sthambam is in the outer most prakkaram and there is a huge mandapam and a shrine dedicated to Adi Sayana perumal. The deity here is reclining on Adisesha and Goddesses are sitting near his foot and praying to him. One has to first offer the worship here before proceeding to offer prayers to Kala Megha Perumal. There is also a shrine for Anjaneyar here on the South side. There is a tank outside the temple .

This temple is 8 kms. from Madurai.and one may have to take buses to this village from Mattuthavani bus stand.

The Ketaki Vimanam of the main temple

Carving on the pillar

The flag post

The Pillars with carvings

The God of Love ,Kama

Andal shrine

Gold plated sanctum of Chakrathazhwar

Some more photos of the temple, watch the slide show

Kallazhagar Temple- Madurai

2010-01-01T19:50:00.005+05:30

Kallazhagar temple is situated 16 Kms from Madurai town and is one among the 108 divya deshams of Vishnu. He is also known as Meenakshi Amman's brother.The temple is located in a picturesque locale with Vrishabhadri hill forming the background for this temple. The sprawling area around the temple is fortified by a wall. There are 2 forts near the temple.The temple gate is guarded by the deity Karuppannasami.

The Moolavar ( main deity) in the temple is called as Kallazhagar . He is flanked by his consorts Boodevi and Sreedevi . The panchaloha idol is known as Soundara Raja Perumal , there are also idols of Azhwars in front of the main deity. Kalla Azhagar is considered to be the tutelary deity of the Kallar tribe of this region, hence the name Kallazhagar. Thayaar here is Sundaravalli. Garudalwar sannidhi is opposite to the main sannidhi and there are shrines for Saraswathi Nachiyar, Valapuri Vinayagar, Kannan and Yoga Narasimhar.

The Vimanam and the dwaja sthambham ( flag staff) are gold plated. There is a beautiful mandapam in front of the temple with fine carvings.The Noopura Ganga spring can be found at 4 Kms. up the hill. There is a shrine dedicated to Rakkayi Amman here. Below this is the spring which is believed to have originated from the Anklets of Vishnu.

Chithirai festival is famous here and is closely connected with the festival of Meenakshi Amman temple. During this festival Kallzhagar leaves the temple and spends 5 days on the river bank of Vaigai and returns.

How to reach: Frequent buses ply from the Madurai town to this temple.

Varadaraja Perumal temple- Kanchipuram

2009-12-23T20:38:00.006+05:30

Varadaraja Perumal temple is situated 3 Kms from the Kanchipuram bus stand and the presiding deity is Vishnu. This is also called as Hastgiri ( Hast means elephant, Giri means hill) and the sanctum is atop a small hill. It is also one of the 108 divyadeshams of Vishnu where Alwars have sung in praise of the Lord. To reach the Varadaraja Perumal's and Perundevi Thayar sannidhi one has to climb a fleet of steps. The sanctum houses the imposing idol of Varadarajar and outside the inner prakaram of this temple there are two sacred lizards sculpted on the ceiling , covered with silver and gold sheets. Sculptures of sun and moon are also visible near this. Pilgrims are allowed to touch these lizards and it is believed that it would wash away their sins and would bring prosperity. This hill is encircled with double storeyed, enclosed verandhas with a terrace and the whole thing forming a beautiful courtyard around the Varadaraja temple. This temple is also more than one thousand years old.

This temple was earlier known as Attiiyurar. The original image of perumal was made of Attimaram (fig tree) and that image is worshipped for 10 days, once in 40 years.

There are sannidhi's for Rama,Yoga Narasimhar, Kannan, the Alwars, and the Acharyas, Kariamanikka Perumaal, Andal and Varaaha Perumaal.

The front side tower is about 180 feet high and was built in 11th century and was renovated by the Vijaya Nagara kings. The 100 pillared mandpam carved out of a single rock is a real master piece and we can see many pillars embellished with minute carvings.The temple tank is the near the 100 pillared mandapam.

Temple timings: 7 am-12 noon, 3.30 pm - 8 pm.

How to reach: Kanchipuram is well connected from Chennai by road . Regular buses at good frequency ply from various areas in Chennai.

Sri Kamakshi Amman Temple- Kanchipuram

2009-12-18T20:05:00.006+05:30

Kamakshi Amman temple is very near to the Ekambareshwar temple . This is one of the sacred Shakti peetams and the only Amman temple in Kanchipuram . The deity here is enshrined in a sitting posture with sugar cane in one hand, parrot, lotus and chakra in other. The deity here is the Parabrahama Swaroopini. A Sree Chakra has been installed in front of the deity by Adi Shankaracharya. In the inner prakarm there are many shrines dedicated to Varahi, Ayyapan, Anna poorni, and Adi Shankaracharya.

Near the main entrance , on either side are deities of Kalabhairavar and Mahishasura Mardhini. The dwajasthambham is also near to this and there is a lion, the vehicle of Amman in front of this.The sanctum sanctorum of Amman is plated with gold and the temple tank is very attractive. There is also a shrine dedicated to Vishnu inside the temple. This temple is under the control of the Kanchi Shankara Mutt.

Temple timings: 5.30 a.m-12.30 p.m , 4 p.m-8.30 p.m