Mahadeva Temple,Tambdi Surla -Goa

Mahadeva temple in Tambdi Surla, is a 13th century monument  nestled among the foot of Anmod hills in  a small clearing. It is surrounded by dense growth of trees and a there is a small river flowing nearby. The Sivalinga inside the sanctum is intact though centuries have gone by but the Nandi facing the Lord here is headless. That does not deter devotees from offering worship to the  Lord's mount.

The atmosphere in the inner portion of the temple is very strong and magical and  a few minutes of meditation can purify the mind and soul.The brightly glowing oil lamps create a brilliant  aura around the deity.

The  temple is very small but the ornamental work on stone is marvellous. The intricate work on the ceilings, the pillars and tower looks fresh even today.The temple is believed to be built by Kadamba kings who ruled Goa between 12- 14th century.

Mahasivarathri  is celebrated here in a grand manner and thousands gather at the temple to offer worship.

The temple is 65 kms from the capital city of Panaji- Goa

Pictures of post here
https://photos.google.com/album/AF1QipMzH0K6Wfniwh114vUB1Oobp28YcFDKOjMZeCyA

Kannudaya nayagi- Nattarasan kottai, sivaganga

Kannudaya Nayagi - the guardian deity of the eyes. She protects the eyes of her devotees. It is not surprising to find devotees praying here to cure their eye ailments. This temple is set amidst a tiny hamlet in Nattarasan Kottai near Sivaganga in Tamilnadu. The Goddess here is very powerful and  a  swaymbhu moorthy (self manifested) The granite idol is always  decked up with jewels and silk and flowers. This temple is also known as Kananthal temple; very ancient believed to have been built in the 18th century. 

Utsavar ,Goddesss Parasakthi  is seen here with 8 hands.

Devotees offer eyes made of silver metal ( flat eye shapes are cast in metal) to the deity  and seek blessing from her.  Devotees also offer salt to deity to ward off skin and stomach ailments.  Temple gets crowded during Navarathri.

The temple mandapam is huge and has a beautiful  water tank in front - this is a very common feature in all temples in Sivaganga district. Vinayaka shrine is very near to the pond.

A few miles away from the temple lies the famous Kalayar Koil. Shall write about it in my next post.

  Great Tamil poet Kambar who translated Ramayana into Tamil is laid to rest in this town and the tomb is just a few meters from the temple click here to see pictures.

I also found local women selling handmade eco friendly, colurful items just outside the temple. Got a couple of those as souvenir. Thought I should share what I captured. These colorful items are made of palm leaf and reed and coloured using natural dyes.
Pictures of temple here in this link.

https://photos.google.com/album/AF1QipNUjMbszPMTn3MK2GHZdzFTe2QRbbGliJD60uc6?key=CNSoyaenvI_4Eg

Nattarasan kottai -51 kms from Madurai.

temple timing 6 am- 1pm

4.30 pm -8.30 pm.

Thyagaraja Swamy temple- Tiruvarur, Tiruvarur District ,Tamil nadu

Thyagaraja Swamy temple was on my wish list for a long time as I heard that the temple is very ancient and has the biggest  pond in India. The temple stretches into acres of land and each and every corner of this temple is rich in craftsmanship and ornamental work. The temple towers stand testimony to the centuries it has seen and is certainly a delight for the those who wish to witness the marvellous work of craftsmen which would leave anyone astounded. The temple surroundings are serene and one can enjoy the peace as there is hardly any crowd on regular days.

The temple of Siva -Tyagaraja Swamy  lies in the  heart of Chola land very near to Tanjore ( 45Kms by road) and is also closer to Kumbakonam.

The main door leading to the inner most prakaram  has  gigantic idols as dwarapalakas guarding the gate. Just outside this temple is the shrine of Goddess Parvati.

It is said that Thyagaraja Swamy here is in a form of Somaskanda ; Shiva with His consort Uma and Skanda, ( Muruga ) seated between . This temple is surrounded by many sub shrines of Siva in various forms.

The temple tank is very huge and magnificent and covers an area of 33 acres. There is  also a shrine inside the tank. The chariot festival here during the month of Chitharai ( April/May) is very famous and the chariot here is supposed to be the biggest in Tamil Nadu.

A temple worth visiting.

How to reach- The temple is situated at a distance of 40 Kms from Kumhakonam and  can be reached by rail or road.
Pictures in this link

https://photos.google.com/album/AF1QipPsuKqihfcVYCmth2Lh_M3k74zg0y4MCdKBBdLu

Bramhapureeshwarar temple, Thirupattur- Trichy

Brahmapureeshwarar temple is situated  30Kms from the town of Trichy , Tamilnadu .This temple is known as  Brahma sthalam ( temple where Brahma is worshipped)

It is believed that one can change one's fate by worshipping   Lord Brahma here( Thailaiyezhuttu mattrum deivam )

The main deity is Lord Siva ,Brahmapurreshwarar blessing the devotees along with  His consort Parvati, Babrahmapureeshwari . Lord Brahma has a separte shrine, one finds devotees praying here fervently seeking His blessing to fulfill their wishes. The temple has Pathanjali Muneevar Jeeva samadhi  also.

It is believed that Lord Siva along with Parvati blessed Brahma when he undertook a penance to seek blessings of the Lord. For more information click  here

The other temple where Brahma is worshipped is Uthamar koil in Trichy itself.

How to reach- Trichy is well connected by road , rail and air and there many budget as well as luxury hotels.

Pictures in this link
https://photos.google.com/album/AF1QipPZMdhwKYFmxVDu0dT-CbgGZQmjn_WQW1r7WIYx

Madana Gopala swamy Swamy temple- Madurai

Happy Krisnhashtami Wishes to all!!

Here's a post on Lord Krishna's temple as today it is Lord Krishna's birthday,  celebrated all over India with so much fervour and gaiety.

This temple is about 800 years old. The main deity is of  Lord Krishna, playing the flute  known as Madana Gopalaswamy flanked by His consorts Rukmani and Sathyabhama. The idol is of bewitching beauty and  the idol is about 5 feet tall . This temple is not known to many tourists and is more frequented by local people. Make a visit to this temple whenever you get an opportunity to visit Madurai as the Krishna here will definitely steal your heart.:)

There are sub shrines here for Anjaneya, Lakshmi Narsimha, Nag  devas , Gajalakshmi and Saraswathi too.
This temple is in  West Masi street and is very close to Madurai Meenakshi Amman temple .

pictures of temple here.

https://photos.google.com/album/AF1QipPz4zrTa3kQo5l7kGBJRyg13Tyr8z0RNTFQUE7y