Panachikadu Saraswathi temple - Kottayam, Kerala

There are  only a few temples in India dedicated to Goddess of learning- Saraswathi. One such temple is situated in Kottayam, just 5-6 Kms from the main town. The presiding deity is Maha Vishnu, enshrined in a small sanctum and  Goddess Saraswathi  is the sub deity enshrined in a well like structure without a roof. The temple is popular in Her name. 

One has to climb down a few steep steps to get to Maha Vishnu's temple and a few more to get to the divine seat of Goddess Saraswati. This place is a beehive of activity as parents and students wait to seek blessing of the Mother.  The seat of Goddess appears like a  well and the priests get into the well to perform poojas. Devotees view and worship from top. The parapet wall of  this well has sand spread all over and children write in front of the Goddess. This is also a temple where Vidyarambam is conducted throughout the year. There is always some elderly, learned  person  available near the deity to initiate little ones into the world of letters and learning. I could also see elderly priests even listening and giving suggestions to students having study related  problems. 

There is thick growth of greenery  inside the well and  a spring at the foot of the  deity. An Olakkuda ( an umbrella made of palm leaf) is kept in front  the Goddess. 

The legend  of the temple, origin and and why the  Olakuda is worshipped here is in this link.

There are also sub shrines for  Ganpathy, Shiva and Yakshi ans Sasthavu.

A temple worth visiting especially for children  to  seek Mother's blessings which would instill lot of confidence.

* Vidyarambham is inititating small children into the world of learning. An elder member in the family performs this ceremony by writing first on the tongue of the child. Then the child is made to write  his first letters in rice which considered to be auspicious. This is usually performed on Vijayadashami (Last day of  Navarathri )but in the above temple it is a daily ritual.

In olden days  young children were sent to teachers house( Guru kulam)  for learning. Here the children learnt by writing in sand with their fingers. Little sand would be spread in front and disciples would write on it with their fingers.

Check this link you tube link to have a glimpse of the deity with Olakuda in front .



Check more pictures here .
https://photos.google.com/album/AF1QipOahcjo17Dim6eUklfNMexLrwc8K2soAdyt1Yyq

Thiruvarpu Krishna Temple-Kottayam district,Kerala.

Tiruvarpu Krishna temple is situated in a small scenic village, 6-7 Kms from  Kottayam which is an important town in Kerala. This temple is nearly 1500  years old.

The temple deity is similar to  Lord Krishna of Guruvayur.  The temple here opens at 3 am in the morning  and as soon as the temple opens the Lord is offered the sweet porridge known here as Usha payasam . it is believed that Lord here is tired and hungry after killing Kamsa. So any delay in offering  would keep the Lord hungry and angry.

The temple architecture is typical Kerala style and there is a dwajasthambha in front. In the outer circumambulation  path there are  sub shrines for Bhagavathy, Subramanya, Ganapathy and  Shiva. The interior of the temple is quite small and it is visited more by local people. There is a huge Bali Peetam in front of the temple.

During the temple festivals young girl dressed as Krishna worship this Lord by carrying oil lamps. I visited the temple very early morning and the peace and serenity in the temple enveloped me and it was difficult to leave the temple precincts to be back in the dust and din of the city life.

This temple is on Kumarakan- Kottayam road . Kumarakom  draws lot of tourist and it is famous for house boats.

Check more pictures here.

https://photos.google.com/album/AF1QipPkiPxNg4T3qYQE-5wZeZULradWPoYp6T5sUQtM

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