Ranjus travel blog

Srivilliputhur Andal temple

Srivilliputhur is a town in Virudhunagar district of Tamilnadu .

The famous Srivilliputhur Andal temple is one among the Pandiyanadu divyadeshams .

The Moolavar (main deity) is named Lord Rangamannar or Vadabhadrasayi and Thayar Goddess Andal .

Here the Lord is in sleeping posture . Periyalwar and Goddess Andal both has sung praising this Lord . This is the birthplace of Goddess Andal and Periyalwar.

As per mythological legend, the place was referred as Varaha Kshetra . It was a dense forest named Champaka where the sages Bhrigu and Markandeya were doing penance and had their hermitages in the place. A demon named Kalanerai was troubling the sages and they prayed to Lord Vishnu to relieve them from the demon . Lord Vishnu was pleased by their devotion and appeared in the place to slay the demon . He is believed to have taken the abode in the forest reclining on Adhisesha, his serpent bed, on the leaf of a banyan tree. The place thus came to be known as Vadaveshwarapuram and the Lord as Vadabhadrasayi .

Periyalvar (originally called Vishnuchitar) was an ardent devotee of Vishnu and he used to string garland to Vishnu every day . He was childless and he prayed to Lord Vishnu to save him from the longing. One day, he found a girl child under a Tulsi plant in a garden inside the temple. He and his wife named the child as Kothai, who grew up as a devotee of Krishan, an avatar of Lord Vishnu. She is believed to have worn the garland before dedicating it to the presiding deity of the temple. Periyalwar, who later found it, was highly upset and remonstrated her. Lord Vishnu appeared in his dream and asked him to dedicate only the garland worn by Andal to him. The girl Kothai was thus named Andal and was referred as Chudikodutha Sudarkodi (lady who gave her garland to Vishnu). The practise is followed during modern times when the garland of Andal is sent to Azhagar Koyil on Chitra Pournami day where the presiding deity Lord Kallazhagar entering into River Vaigai with the garland worn by Goddess Andal and Tirumala Venkateswara Temple during [Garudostavam during the Tamil month of Puratasi (September – October)] . It is also believed that Lord Ranganathar of Srirangam Ranganathaswamy temple married Andal , who later merged with the idol . Andal was taken in a palanquin from Srivilliputhur to Srirangam before the marriage . Since Andal married Ranganatha , who came as a King (called Raja) , the presiding deity is called Rangamannar .

The parrot in the hands of the Goddess Andal is made up of fresh leaves daily and the old ones are given to devotees .

In this temple interchanging of garlands between the married couples is a sacred ritual and we were fortunate to do so , as it was our 37th wedding anniversary day .

Srivilliputhur is famous for its palkova too .

Aadhi Jaganatha Perumal Thirupullani

During our Pandiyanadu divyadeshams tour , we first visited Sethukarai .

Sethukarai , meaning the edge of the sea at Sethu , a tiny village near Tirupullani , finds a prominent place in the Ramayana. It is believed that Lord Rama constructed a bridge of floating stones across the sea to Srilanka , with the help of Hanuman and His army of vanaras. Interestingly a Hanuman temple is here facing the sea . People take aholy dip in the sea and worship Lord Hanuman . Many do srartham (rituals done for ancestors) at this place .

Thirupullani
This town is also connected to Madurai via NH 49. It is well connected to the rest of the country too via road, as well as railway through Madurai junction .

Thirupullani Aadhi Jaganatha Perumal temple is one among the Pandiyanadu divyadeshams .This temple is also called as Dakshina Jaganatha Perumal temple . Uthara Jagnath temple in Puri and madya Jagnath in Thirumazhisai near Chennai . Here the Main deity Aadhi Jaganatha Perumal is in sitting posture with Goddess Sridevi and Bhumidevi.

There are many legends behind Sri Adi Jagannatha Perumal Temple. According to one legend , Lord Rama while on his way to Lanka to fight demon Ravana , who had kidnapped Goddess Sita , had requested Lord Samudra Raja , the God of Ocean to allow a way through the ocean to Lanka. It is believed that Lord Rama had offered prayers lying on Kusa grass; which is known as Dharba Sayanam. Later, Lord Samudraraja, after making the sea gentle and low, had asked the Lord to build a bridge to Lanka.
According to another legend, at this place, Lord Rama had met Pulla maharishi under a peepal tree. It is said that Lord Rama has offered his prayers to Sri Adi Jagannatha Perumal at this place before starting his journey to Lanka. Adi Jagannatha Perumal then gave Lord Rama a bow which was used to kill demon Ravana.

There is another legend according to which King Dasaratha who was the father of Lord Rama, had offered prayers here. It is said that in answers to his prayers and dedicated efforts, his wives gave birth to his children – Rama, Lakshmana, Bharatha and Shatrughna. Owing to this legend, many childless devotees come here to worship and seek blessings of the Lord.

Here Lord Ramar is in sayana kolam as well as there is Lord Kothandaramar sannidhi along with Goddess Seetha and Lakshmana and big statue of Lord Santhana Krishnan with a five headed snake .

Here the moolavar is Aadhi Jaganatha Perumal with His consort Goddess Kalyanavalli or Padmasini in sitting posture.

Thirumangai alwar has sung praising this Lord .

Nindra Narayana Perumal Thiruthangal

This temple is one of the Pandiyanadu divyadeshams in Thiruthangal village , Virudhunagar district , Tamilnadu .

Here the Moolavar is named Nindra Narayana Perumal , Thayar Shenkamalam .The Lord here is in standing posture .

Thirumangai alwar and Boodathalwar has sung praising this Lord .

Sthalapuranam once there was an arguement between the Goddesses Sridevi Bhumidevi and Neeladevi on degree of their devotion towards Lord Vishnu . Goddess Sridevi came to this place getting angry and was in deep meditation . Seeing her devotion Lord Vishnu gave her dharshan . Here the Lord gives dharshan along with
Goddesses Sridevi, Bhumidevi , Neeladevi and Jambavidevi (daughter of Jambavan. (As per legends Lord Ramar had promised to Jambavan to marry Jambavidevi in His next avatar, hence he married her in this place in Krishna avatar)

As per another legend, Krishna’s grandson Anirudhha , got married at this place.

As per another legend , Ranganatha from Srirangam Ranganathaswamy temple was enamoured by the devotion of Andal. He started a journey to Srivilliputhur divya desam to seek her hand for marriage . While reaching the place , it became dark and he decided to spend the night in the place. Since he stayed at this place, it came to be known as Thiruthangal and the hillock came to be known as Thalagiri .

Based on the legend , there is a common belief that the temple provides relief to devotees suffering from mental weariness and physical fatigue .

Sri Vaishnava nambi koil Thirukurunkudi

In Thirukurunkudi there are 5 Vaishanava Nambi temples . These 5 temples together make a Pandiyanadu divyadesham and it is near Nanguneri in Thirunelveli .

The adivaram (foot hill) temple consists of Lord Azhaghiya Nambi in standing sitting and sleeping postures . Thayar is named as Kunrunkudi valli .

Thiruparkadal Nambi temple is just 1kms from Thirukurunkudi temple is a small temple . Here the Lord is short diety with four hands hence it’s called as Vamana shethram .

Malai mel Nambi temple is in a dense forest up on a hill with Nambiyaru streaming in between about 9kms from adivaram temple . Forest department jeep service are provided to reach this Nambi temple from 9 am to 3 pm . It’s an adventurous trip visiting Malai mel nambi temple . Once reached you will realise how scenic this place is, with amazing breeze , the sounds of birds and water (nambiyaru) flowing .There are lots of monkeys so avoid keeping flowers , Other than that they dont harm you .Though we have visited this temple thrice were fortunate to visit Malai mel Nambi twice . During once due to floods we couldnot make it up .

Kaisika Puranam revolves around Nambaduvan, a low caste person belonging to the Baanar family, his unflinching faith in Lord Nambi and how he was instrumental in liberating a Rakshasha from a curse and helping him attaining Vaikunta Moksham. The Kaisika Puranam is also a perfect case study on the values of life and how it is important to keep up one’s promise at the cost of anything, including one’s own life.

Being a low caste person, Nambaduvan was embarrassed to enter the temple during the day . Every night, he would walk several miles to the Thiru Kurungudi Nambi temple, and for hours together would stand in front of the temple with a Veena in his hand and sing praise of Lord Nambi. And before dawn, he would leave the temple.

One night, as he was making his way to the temple, a Brahmma Rakshasha stopped him and wanted him for dinner. Undaunted by this sudden turn of events, Nambaduvan, who had the purest of devotion for Lord Nambi, requested the Rakshasha to allow him to go to the temple for a night, so he could keep up his Kaisika Ekadesi Vratha, with the assurance to come back the next morning after singing praise of Lord Nambi, one last time.

Unable to convince the Rakshasha, Nambaduvan talks about Sathya Sankalpam: “The world was created through ‘Promises’ and continues to exist as a result of trust in each other.”

Nambaduvan made 18 promises that night to the Rakshasha. Through these promises , narrated beautifully in the Kaisika Puranam as part of this lengthy discussion between Nambaduvan and Brahmma Rakshasha, one comes to know of the different sins we commit every day in our lives as a result of not adhering to some of the basic values in life .

17 promises later and not having got the nod from the Rakshasha , Nambaduvan requests the Rakshasha to let him go to the Nambi temple with this 18th promise

“If I do not return, I would have committed the biggest sin that exists – that of comparing and equating Lord Narayana with others. And I will become a sinner who will never get Moksham from this cycle of births.”

This extraordinary promise moved the Rakshasha and he let him go. After having spent the entire night (possibly for the last time) in front of Kurungkudi Nambi, he made his way back to the Rakshasha as promised.

On his way back , Lord Nambi , disguised as an old Brahmin , sought the reason for his rushing back much in contrast to his usually slow and thoughtful walk, and on hearing him out condemned Nambaduvan as a fool and offered protection from the Rakshasha .

Nambaduvan rejected this offer , as fulfilling the promise was more important to him than his own life. “I will even give up my life but I will never go back on my word. I have given him a promise and I have to fulfil it. Hence, I will have to go back to the Rakshasha and if he has to take me as his prey, so be it.”

On seeing Nambaduvan, the Rakshasha wondered as to how he could come back, despite being under the threat of being consumed. Even more to his surprise, Nambaduvan came close to the Rakshasha and offered himself as his prey .

Brahma Rakshasha attains Moksham
by now, the Rakshasha had changed his mind . He did not want Nambaduvan’s body anymore . He rather directed Nambaduvan to share the fruits of the entire songs that he had thus far sung in praise of Lord Nambi . After several exchanges , where Nambaduvan repeatedly offered himself as the prey and Rakshasha continued asking for the fruits of the songs , the Rakshasha explained the reason for his current Rakshasha status – He was a Brahmin by name Soma Sharma in his previous birth. His arrogance , as the all knowing , led him to miss a mantra in a Yagna and he was cursed to this current Rakshasha form by the Devas. And that only the purest of the Nambi devotees had the power to relieve him from his curse – and why he wanted to listen to Nambaduvan’s praise of Lord Nambi.

Nambaduvan shared with him the ‘Kaisika’ verses, which he had sung that very night in front of Lord Nambi. Just listening to these verses helped the Rakshasha attain Vaikunta Moksham.

Nammalwar Periyalwar Thirumangai alwar and Thirumazhisai alwar has sung praising this Lord .

Thiruvattapaarai
The story of Thiruvattaparai is very engaging & interesting . It was a time when Sri Ramanuja was in Kerala region and his fame was spreading far and wide. Lot of people there became disciples of Sri Ramanuja (amongst whom VadugaNambhi was close to Ramanuja), which couldn’t be tolerated by the Nambhoodhiris there. So the Namboodhiris with their black magic, move Ramanuja to Thiruvattaparai overnight (just a hill separates this place from Kerala). The next day, the unsuspecting Ramanuja , thinking he is in Kerala , wakes up calling his disciple, “Vaduga.. Vaduga..“. The Nambhi (Lord Vishnu) of Thirukurungudi, immediately appears before Sri Ramanujar as Vaduga Nambhi and renders service to His favourite Acharya. Ramanujar had the habit of keeping Thirumaan to Vaduga Nambhi . On the eventful day too, Ramanujar keeps Thiruman , but for the Supreme Lord himself. Both then go to the main temple to worship the moolavar. The Perumal in the guise of Vaduga went past the dwajasthambam , entered the garbhagriham and vanished. Later when Ramanuja goes to temple, he sees the Thiruman on the deity’s still fresh and exactly as he had kept for Vaduga Nambhi . Sri Ramanuja begged His pardon , but the Lord told him that He was not satisfied with His own Avataras and that he wanted to take the form of a Sishya too , as a Sishya to a great Acharyan and to get upadesam from him . He requested the Acharyan to preach Him the Thirumanthiram or Mahamanthiram . Accordingly Ramanuja sat on a pedastal befitting his dignity and the Lord seated himself at a lower level in an obedient posture with his right ear just below the face or mouth of Sri Ramanuja. Even to-day we can see the great teacher and the Lord in this position in the Ramanujaa’s temple at Thiruvattapaarai .

Nammalwar Periyalwar Thirumangai alwar and Thirumazhisai alwar has sung praising this Lord .

Thirumangai alwar moksham petra sthalam . Thirumangai alwar and his wife Kumudhavalli attained moksha at Thirukkurungudi. After performing kainkaryam at Srirangam , reached Thirukkurungudi as directed by Lord Ranganathar . After reaching Thirukkurungudi, he rendered Thirumadhil (Castle) and pushpa kainkarya until he attained mosksha. Atlast Thirumangai alwar and Kumudhavalli on attaining moksha were burried at this place which later termed as Thirumangai alwar Thiruvarasu. It is situated about a kilometre from the main Nambi temple surrounded by sugarcane and paddy fields that add a beauty to the Sannidhi .

The sculptures in the adivaram temples are mindblowing .

In front of Thirukurunkudi adivaram temple

At the entrance a few steps down is the rock where Sri Ramanujar was dropped on that rock is carved Sri Ramanujar keeps Thiruman to Vaduga Nambhi (being the Lord Vishnu himself)

Thothathri Perumal Vanamamalai Nanguneri

Vanamamalai Sri Thothatri temple is in nanguneri and very near to Thirukurunkudi another divyadeshams of Pandiyanadu .

A must visit for all Sri vaishnavas , the Thothathri temple is located in a small village called Nanguneri in Thirunelveli. This temple is one of the Pandiyanadu divyadeshams.

Moolavar Thothathri Perumal in sitting posture . Thayar named as Varamangai Sridevi Bhumidevi .

Here the Moolavar is swayambu and daily oil bath is given to the idol with herbs along with it . The oil is filtered collected in a well which is given to devotees for skin ailments and joint pains and arthritis.

Nammalwar has sung praising this Lord .

The temple is around four thousand years old and it is a huge one with extensive carvings. The temple is stated to have been built in a place which was a huge lake.

The Sannidhi street in front of the temple is a indeed a big one. The main deity is given an oil bath every day and the gingerly oil that comes out with water goes through a tiny oil separator and the separated oil is pumped into the oil well. This oil is stated to be having curative effect and hence is sold as the Prasadam. The temple is under the administrative control , of Vanamamalai (Jeeyar Swamy) The Mutt is also located within the temple Vanamamalai Sri Thothathri temple .

The Uthsavamurthy is known by the name Deivanayagan.

This is one of the eight prime shrines of the Srivaishnavas where the presiding deity appeared swayambu and therefore is of great significance .

The sacred oil well is inside the temple . There are few steps to oil well , we can climb and see it .The oil is sold in the temple office and it is considered as a sacred medicine for arthritis and other skin diseases.

Koodalazhagar temple Madurai

This temple is located amongst the city of Madurai in the parallel road of Meenakshi Amman temple .

Dedicated to Lord Vishnu , the Koodal Azhagar Temple, located in the centre of Madurai city is one among the Pandiyanadu divyadeshams . Goddess Lakshmi as Mathuravalli . Beautifully sculpted and carved by adding different shades of colour, the majestic temple imposes itself in the eyes of the beholder .

According to a legend, Vishnuchitha who is considered to the foremost among the twelve Alwars, mystical saints, who used to praise lord Vishnu presence in temple in their poems. Vishnuchitha was known for quoting from vedic texts and his arguments on the sovereignty of Lord Narayana. Once he was invited to Madurai at the Pandya King court where he established the greatness of lord throughout his convincing arguments, after which a miracle happened which even made the King celebrate his divine victory.

Vishnuchitha was honoured by being placed on a royal elephant, accompanied by Vedic pundits. Pleased with his display of devotion, Lord Koodal Azhagar himself appeared before the grand procession, seated on the shoulders of Garuda and blessed Vishnuchitha. His joy knew no bounds, he blessed the Lord and conveyed his wishes in the form of twelve verses in Tamil called ‘Thirupallandu’. He recited them in tune with the ringing of the elephant bells and offered Mangalasanam at the holy feet of the lord.

Vishnuchitha gained the name of ‘Periyalwar’ from Lord Vishnu himself. He is regarded as the most prominent of the twelve alwar saints of the Vaishnava sect. Thirupallandu is still recited to this day as starting prayer offerings to the deity.

Moolavar is Kalamegha Perumal and Thayar is Goddess Meghavalli .

Thirumangai alwar and Thirumazhisai alwar has sung praising this Lord .

Here the Lord is in 3 postures one can climb the gopuram to see the other 2 postures of the Lord standing and sayana kolam .

Small Story 3

Hi everyone !

Work from home

Should the Corporates Invade our Homes…???

A youngster was attending a video conference with his Manager who was upset over the background noises. The Youngster turned around and told his grandmother to keep quiet.

She walked towards the youngster, to take a look into what he was doing and saw a person on the Monitor and asked, “Who is he?”

The youngster muted his audio and video and said, “He is my Manager”.

She said, “I want to talk to your Manager”. But the youngster denied. By the time the Manager started pinging the youngster and the youngster unmuted to talk and his grandmother shouted, “Manager I want to talk to you”.

The Manager agreed and the youngster unmuted the video. The grandmother, with a smile said, “Vanakkam” and introduced herself and the Manager also greeted her.

She said, “You look upset”.

The Manager said, “Yeah, some kind of work tension, a lot of noise around your house and we are not able to complete the meeting in time”.

The Grand Mother asked, “May I help solve your problem?”

Her grandson was stopping her and telling her to keep quiet.

The Manager said, “It’s ok, let her speak”.

The Grandmother narrated, “Once there was a Young man, who sat under a tree for taking rest. He was continuously hearing a bird’s sound. He lifted his head and seeing a bird, started chasing it, so that he could peacefully take some rest. The bird came closer to him and said, “You are taking rest under my nest. I will not ask you to leave this place but you should learn to co-exist with us”.

The Grandmother looked at both of them and said, “Your Home is your nest” where you are supposed to take rest and bond with your dear and near ones. I do understand the Covid-19 situation, but you should also understand that our home is not your office.

When we come to visit our family members at your office place, we are expected to behave professionally or maintain a certain decorum.

Similarly, when you are using our home for your office work, you should understand the situation at our home.

There is nothing wrong with working from home, but remember, it is the family members benevolent nature, that is keeping the corporate world functioning today and the economy running.

She looked at the manager and asked, “ Am I correct ?”

The Manager’s mother peeped and said “You are absolutely right”.
😄😄

I enjoyed reading this hope u too .

Happy Blogging !!!

Sri Satyamoorthy Perumal Thirumaiyam

This beautiful rock cut temple is among the 108 divyadesams of Sri Vaishnavas and comes under Pandiya naadu divyadesams. The temple is inside a huge fort and adjoining is the Sathyagiriswarar temple of Lord Shiva. The presiding deity is Sathyagiri nathan/Sathyamoorthy perumal with prayoga chakra and shanku in his hands and is swayambu moorthy. Adjoining it is the sannadhi for Meyyappar perumal who is lying on Adiseshan and gives darshan in sayana kolam. Meyyappar perumal is similar to Lord Ranganatha at Srirangam but is really huge in comparison. Also in the sannadhi are chitragupta, dharmaraj, brahma, several devas, rishis and asuras. Bhoomi devi thayar appears close to his feet. There is a seperate sannadhi for Ujjeevana thayar.

Thirumayam is around 20 kms from Tirupattur and 15 kms from Pudukottai. The temple is about a km from the main Tirupattur – Pudukottai state highway. One can get down at Thirumayam bus stand and either walk down from there or take an auto. The nearest station is Thirumayam on the Karaikudi-Pudukottai route. Nearest airport is Madurai around 90 kms away.

One can stay at Pudukottai or Karaikudi as there arent any good lodging facilities here.

There are seperate Sannadhis for

Sathyamoorthy perumal

Meyyappar perumal

Ujjeevana thayar

Chakratazhwar

Lakshmi Narasimhar

Ramar, Sita, Lakshmana

Andal

Krishna

Anjaneya

Garuda

Vishwaksenar

Alwars Acharyas

Lot of nagars

Adhiseshan is said to have let off poisonous gas against the asuras , in order the Lord should not be disturbed , when Lord woke up , He praised this gesture of Adhiseshan . Here the Lord is in sleeping posture . Its said this Lord gave dharshan to Satya Maharishi and Adhiseshan after their deep penance in this place .

Just next to the temple is that of Sathyagirishwarar- Lord Shiva and the girivalam is possible only if the two temples are combined .

There are lot of stone sculptures in the temples as in Mahabalipuram .

The idol of Thirumeyyappar is probably the largest one in sleeping posture in India .

Thirumangai alwar has sung praising this Lord .

Thirumayam sri Satyamurthy Perumal temple entrance

Freedom fighter Satyamurthys Manimandapam close by the temple

Akshardham and Birla Mandir Delhi

During our Haridwar , Rishikesh trip we reached Delhi by morning 6am .
We were taken by bus from airport to the Hotel rooms got freshened up had breakfast and took rest in our rooms by 2pm we started to Akshardham temple .

Akshardham means the divine abode of God. It is hailed as an eternal place of devotion, purity and peace.

The temple has 11 feet high beautiful statue of Lakshmi Narayan and other statues of Lord Shiva Parvati, Lord Radha Krishna and Sita Ram within the memorial. It also consists of theatre within the premises, which is known as Nilkantha. It reflects the events from the life of God Swaminarayan.

Entry fee is free and Exhibition fee Rs. 170 per person for adults, Rs. 100 per child, and Rs. 125 per person for senior citizens.

The magnificent musical fountain show of this beautiful temple is the centre of attraction for the audiences, which is known as the Circle of Life, a great 15 minute spectacle held every evening. This show reflects the cycle of life, from birth to death. For this the ticket fees are extra .

Another interesting fact about Akshardham temple is that there are 10 gates, which represents the 10 directions according to Vedic literature. These gates show that goodness will continue to come in from all the directions.

This temple will definitely leave you awestruck with it magnificent carvings idols and light and sound shows .

There is a museum, library , park outside the temple and chat items are also sold and are places to sit and have .

Mobiles are not allowed should be kept in the lockers . We should pay in the museum outside the temple if we need a photograph to be taken inside . They will send a instant photographer .

After visiting this temple we went to Birla Mandir as our room was near by .

Birla mandir

The temple is located on the Mandir Marg, situated west of the Connaught Place in New Delhi. The temple is easily accessible from the city by local buses, taxis and auto-rickshaws.

The main temple houses statues of Lord Narayan and Goddess Lakshmi. There are other small shrines dedicated to Lord Shiva, Lord Ganesha and Hanuman. There is also a shrine dedicated to Lord Buddha. The left side temple shikhar (dome) houses Devi Durga, the goddess of Shakti, the power. The temple is spread over an area of 7.5 acres (30,000 m2) approximately and the built up area is 0.52 acres (2,100 m2).

The famous temple is accredited to have been inaugurated by Mahatma Gandhi in 1939. At that time, Mahatma Gandhi kept a condition that the temple would not be restricted to the upper-caste Hindus and people from every caste would be allowed inside.

This is the first of a series of temples built by the Birlas in many cities of India, which are also often called Birla Temple.

In both the temples photography is prohibited .

Kennedy Award of Excellence

Hi everyone ! I have been nominated by Praneet sachdev
http://timelessmind.org
for this award. Thanking you for considering me for this Award nomination . I feel excited .
He has an amazing blog which throws some light about self realization, dream interpretations and much more .
Do visit his blog I have provided the link above .

THE RULES

The recipient may thank the person who has nominated her.

The recipient should post a photo of the award on her blog in a post.

The recipient may nominate as many blogs for this award (minimum five), but after careful thought.

Following questions to be answered

i. What lessons did you learn from Corona?
Nothing is permanent in this Universe .

ii What values drive you?
Kindness and patience .

iii Which is your favourite movie?
I have many in my list recently I saw Trance a malayalam movie acted by Fahad Fazil .

iv. Whom have you ever loved from your heart?
My grand daughter .

v. Your dreams in life?
To live in peace .

I wish the nominees to answer the same questions .

All the very best to all recipients.

Happy blogging !!!

My Nominees are

https://feelitnwrite.wordpress.com

http://garimapuri.art.blog

https://dakshali27.wordpress.com

https://radhikasreflection.wordpress.com

https://bemittydrg.wordpress.com

http://daneelyunus.com

http://penofhearts.com

https://copypowerblog.wordpress.com

http://theperceptionssquare.com

http://abhinthulasidas.home.blog

Have a great day !!!

Ashada Navarathiri

The Vedic month Ashada (mid-June to mid-July) is dedicated to the boar-faced archetype Varahi, who is the performer Goddess and the archetype of material wealth .Goddess Varahi is one among the Sapthamathas . Brahmi , Maheswari , Kaumari , Vaishnavi , Varahi ,Indrani and Chamundi .

This year it started on June 20th by keeping kalasam and ended on 29 th of June 2020. Due to Covid 19 devotees were not allowed pooja took place in a low profile .

There is a seperate shrine for Goddess Varahi in Thanjavur Brihadeeswarar temple. Each day they did an alangaram with manjal , kumkum , sandal , butter , fruits vegetables and flowers .

Sharing the pictures of the Goddess Varahi , Brihadeeswarar temple Thanjavur.

Let us have the blessings of Goddess Varahi .

Ideal Inspiration Blogger Award

Hi everyone , I have been nominated by Garima Puri
http://garimapuri.art.blog
for this award . I thank her for considering me for this award. I feel excited and happy. Do visit her blog , I have provided the link above . Her writings are amazing , spreading positive vibes .

Rules

1 . Thank the person who nominated you and provide a link back of his or her blog.

2 . Answers all the questions.

3 . Nominate upto 9 blogger and ask them 5 new questions.

4 . Notify the nominees through their blog by visiting and commenting on their blog.

5 . List the rules and display the ” Ideal Inspirational Blogger Award ” logo.

6 . Provides the link of award creator of Ideal inspiration as Rising star from https://idealinspiration.blog/.

The 5 questions are

1. What are the three things that you want to learn?
Not only 3 things I consider every day is a learning process , something life teaches us .

2. What inspire you to write ?
All my fellow bloggers inspire me to write .

3. One quote that motivate you always ?
You learn more from failure than from success. …

4. What you want to convey through you blog?
The art, rituals , facts , architecture , culture, monuments and unique significance of the temples in our country .

5. What do you want learn from 2020 ?
Just to survive

My nominees are

http://penofhearts.com

https://sillyshruti.wordpress.com

http://nanchi.blog

https://themirage6.wordpress.com/

https://arabhishek.com/

https://maveriksjourney.wordpress.com/

http://vividimpressions.in/

http://sunithkollara.com

https://radhikasreflection.wordpress.com/

http://timelessmind.org

I would like the nominees to answer the same questions .

Once again thanks to Garima .
Happy Blogging !!!
HAVE A GREAT DAY !

Aani Thirumanjanam

Aani Thirumanjanam is a ritual performed in all Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu temples , it is the Maha Abhishegam (holy bath) given to the idols and decorated with clothes and ornaments (alangaram) followed by Deeparathanai (waving of ghee diyas to the lord’s).

Natarajar , (Sanskrit: “Lord of the Dance”) is Lord Shiva in his form as the cosmic dancer, represented in metal or stone in many Shaivite temples, particularly in South India .

The consort of Lord Natarajar is Goddess Sivagami .

According to Bharathanatya , the masculine form of dance Tandava, performed by Lord Shiva, is a combination of difficult poses and Angaharas, while Lasya anga is the feminine form. Performed by Goddess Parvati, Lasya is the dance that denotes happiness, grace and beauty.

Lord Natarajar symbolizes “the connection between religion and the arts”, and it represents Shiva as the Lord of dance, encompassing all “creation, destruction and all things in between”.

‘Thirumanjanam’ means holy bath . On ‘Aani Thirumanjanam day’ – when Uthram Nakshatra falls in Tamil month of ‘Aani’ – an Abhishekam is performed in Nataraja temples.

The Abhishekam of the idol performed during the evening of Uthiram Nakshatra that comes in Aani maasam ( june – july ) this day is considered highly auspicious . (Aani Uthiram – 28 June 2020) .

The annual ‘Aani Thirumanjanam’ car festival at Sri Natarajar temple in Chidambaram (Tamilnadu) scheduled on June 27 has been cancelled this year owing to COVID-19 outbreak.

Here the photos I have shared is Aani thirumanjanam of Boologanathar temple in Nellikuppam near Cuddalore, Tamilnadu .

A Small Story 2

Awesome one

A keen Indian state bank Manager left the job and applied for a salesman’s job at London ‘s premier downtown department store. In fact, it was the biggest store in the world – you could get anything there.

The boss asked him, “Have you ever been a salesman before?” “Yes sir, I was a salesman in India “, replied the lad. The boss liked the cut of him and said, “You can start tomorrow and I’ll come and see you.”

The day was long and arduous for the young man, but he got through it.

And finally 6:00 PM came around.

The boss duly fronted up and asked, “How many sales did you make today?”

“Sir, Just ONE sale.” said the young salesman.
“Only one sale?” blurted the boss.

“No! No! You see here, most of my staff make 20 or 30 sales a day.

“If you want to keep this job, you’d better be doing better than just one sale.

By the way “How much was the sale worth?”
= 93300534.00 pounds” said the young man.
“What”,” How did you manage that?” asked the flabbergasted boss.

“Well”, said the salesman, “This man came in and I sold him a small fish hook, then a medium hook and finally a really large hook.
Then I sell him new fishing rod and some fishing gear.

Then I asked him where he was going fishing and he said down the coast.

So I told him he’d be needing a boat, so I took him down to the boat department and sold him that twenty-foot schooner with the twin engines.

Then he said his Volkswagen probably wouldn’t be able to pull it, so I took him to our automotive department and sold him that new Deluxe 4X4 Blazer.

I then asked him where he’ll be staying, and since he had not decided, I took him to camping department and sold him one of those new igloo 6-sleeper camper tents.

Then the guy said, while we’re at it, I should throw in about $100 worth of groceries and two cases of beer.

The boss took two steps back and asked in astonishment, “You sold all that to a guy who came in for a fish hook!”

“No” answered the salesman, “He came in to buy a headache relief tablet and I convinced him that fishing is best remedy for headache.”

Boss – “You take my chair…”

Found it interesting reading it shared with you guys .

Have a great day !!!

Happy Blogging !!!

Nanjankud

Nanjangud officially known as Nanjanagudu is a City and Taluk in Mysore district in the Indian state of Karnataka . Nanjangud lies on the banks of the river Kapila (Kabini), 23 km from the city of Mysore . Nanjangud is famous for Srikanteshwara Temple . Nanjangud is also called “Dakshina Kashi”

The Srikanteshwara Temple at Nanjangud is dedicated to the Hindu supreme deity Shiva, also called Sri Nanjundeshwara, (“The Lord who drank poison”) to save the earth. In Hindu mythology, the Devas and asuras churned the ocean (parkadal)for the nectar (amrutham) for longevity .

As per legend the sage Gautama stayed at Nanjangud and offered puja to the Shiva Linga, known as Srikanteshwara or Nanjundeshwara. The town attained holiness because of the “sangam” where the Gundlu and the Kapila join. The spot is called Parusharama Kshetra where the sage Parushurama is said to have been recompensed for the sin of decapitating his mother.

Nanjangud, also called as “Dakshina Kashi” (Southern Kashi)

Enclosed within a gigantic prakara its Dravidian stucco gopura is impressive. The small square garbhagriha with its cylindrical pillars in the antarala were built in the Ganga period of about ninth century. The mandapa in front of the original sanctum has lathe turned Hoysala pillars of 13th century. The dancing Ganapati is also a Hoysala sculpture. To the left of the main shrine is a shrine of Narayana and behind is a shrine for Chandikesvara. To the northwest of this is the Parvati shrine with a pillared sabhamandapa. The Parvati and the Narayana shrines as the gopura are the creations of the Vijayanagara period. To the right of the main shrine is a small shrine of Subramanya seated on the back of a peacock with seven-hooded Naga. The main shrine has a stucco sikhara of the Vijayanagara period. Mysore Wadeyars also made additions to the temple. The nine storied tall gopura of the Dravidian type was built by queen Devajammanni, queen of Krishnaraja Wadiyar III in 1849. Opening to the courtyard is a shrine for Nandi that is about 6 feet in height, donated by Dalavoy Vikramaraya. Another attraction is the huge stone bull which is 8ft in height. This was established by Dalavayi Vikramaraya in 1644. In its front is the Tulabhara mantapa. The ritual of weighing the devotees against any commodity is done here. Commonly people balance themselves against rice, jaggery, sugar etc.

The Maharajas of Mysore used to be illustrious devotees of Nanjundeshwara . Jayachamaraja Wadiyar was a celebrated believer and used to visit the temple on Mondays. In actual fact the Srikantadatta Wadiyar seems to be a favor from this God. The sanctified Sivalinga which is more than a thousand year old continues to fascinate devotees from far and wide.

In addition to the main deity, there are many shrines for Goddess Parvathi, Ganesha, Nataraja, Sharada, Subramanya, Navagraha etc. The twelve-monthly fair (Jatre) takes place during March–April which attracts thousands of devotees. Half-a-century ago, there used to be a dining hall called Shivakuta, opposite the temple kitchen. The devotees used to be served prasada here. Many old women used to take prasada here daily. Some of them had taken a vow not to use a plate or a leaf but to eat on the floor. This Shivakuta is not there today. Instead a luxurious dining hall is present .

The vast prakara has decorated niches that house 122 images in all including Dikpalas, Virabhadra, Dakshinamurti, Tandavesvara and Lord Shiva in various aspects, Ganapati, Saptamatrika etc. The linga in the main garbhagriha is about three feet in height, to which worship is offered. The Goddess Parvati image is about five feet in height and it is a beautiful sculpture of the early medieval period. Thus, the whole temple has a history of over thousand years starting from the tenth century. Krishnaraja Wadeyar III was a great patron of this temple and his statue with his queens is found in this temple. Traditionally this place is connected with Gautama and Parashurama and is on the banks of the sacred river Kapila. Even Hydar Ali and Tipu Sultan are said to have made some grants to this temple. According to popular belief, Tipu’s elephant got afflicted by an eye-ailment and no doctor (hakim) was able to heal it. Somebody suggested that he should pray to Sri Nanjundeshvara which he did. A wonder happened and the elephant’s eye was cured and impressed by this, Tipu called the god Hakim (doctor) Nanjunda. He gifted an emerald green Linga to the deity.

Lakhs of devotees flock to this temple during Dodde Jathra festival to get the divine dharshan and blessings of Lord Shiva .

A Small story

Beautiful story!! Made me smile 😊
I hope this makes everyone else smile too.

A man often bought oranges from an old lady.
After they were weighed, paid for and put in his bag, he would always pick one from his bag, peel it, put a segment in his mouth, complain it’s sour and pass on the orange to the seller.
The old lady would put one segment in her mouth and retort, “why, it’s sweet,” but by then he was gone with his bag.
His wife, always with him, asked, “the oranges are always sweet, then why this drama every time?”
He smiled, “the old mother sells sweet oranges but never eats them herself. This way I get her to eat one, without losing her money. That’s all.”
The vegetable seller next to the old lady, saw this everyday.
She chided, “every time this man fusses over your oranges, and I see that you always weigh a few extra for him. Why?”
The old lady smiled, “I know he does this to feed me an orange, only, he thinks I don’t understand. I never weigh extra. His love tilts the scale slightly every time.”
Life’s joys are in these sweet little gestures of love and respect for our fellow beings.
Oh God, Grant us always the ability to show such amazing kindness and Gestures 😊

Have a nice day !!!

Covid 19

Hi guys ! Hope all r safe . Today morning got this from a friend of mine through wats up found it interesting and informative too , thought of sharing with you guys .

Have a nice day !

Happy Blogging !!!

Nishkalang Mahadev Bavnagar Gujarat

This is an ancient temple in the koliyac beach in Bavnagar , Gujarat . The unique significance of this temple is the sea allows only certain timings to reach the temple and worship . The timings vary according to the thithi and its confirmed by the priests of this temple . This temple in Gujarat […]
Nishkalang Mahadev Bavnagar Gujarat

Click the link to read further.

Pandarpur

Pandurangar ( Lord Krishna) is the main deity of Pandarpur . He is also known as Vithalla or Vithoba and his consort as Rukmani . Pandarpur is on the banks of chandrabagha river in Sholapur district of Maharashtra . The uniqueness of this temple is one could touch the Lord Pandurangars feet and its known […]
Pandarpur

Puri Jaganath temple Rath Yatra

Jagannath Rath Yatra is celebrated by millions of devotees that comes from all over the world to seeks the blessings of God’s and fulfil their wishes.

The atmosphere at the time of Rath Yatra is so pure and beautiful. … Jagannath Rath Yatra is also famous as Gundicha Yatra, Chariot Festival, Dasavatara and Navadina Yatra .

Ratha Yatra, the Festival of Chariot Chariots of Shri Jagannath is celebrated every year at Puri, the temple town in Odisha, on the second (dwitiya) day of shukla paksha (waxing cycle of moon) of Ashadha Maasa (3rd month in Lunar Calendar).

In other Indian temples the main deity remains in the temple and procession dieties are taken out , where as in this temple alone the main deities are carried out during the procession of the Tatha Yathra .

Various stories are associated with this festival some of them are as follows:
The maternal uncle Kansa of Lord Krishna and Balram invited them to Mathura to kill them. Kansa sent Akrur with a chariot to Gokul. Lord Krishna and Balram sat on the chariot and left for Mathura. The devotees celebrate this day of departure as Rath Yatra.

Lord Jagannatha’s chariot is called Nandighosa. It is forty-five feet high and forty-five feet square at the wheel level. It has sixteen wheels, each of seven-foot diameter, and is decked with a cover made of red and yellow cloth . The chariots of the deities are newly built every year. The chariot of Balabhadra is called Taladhwaja and that of Subhadra is called Dwarpadalana.

The total number of wheels on Lord Jagannath’s chariot are 16, Lord Balabhadra’s chariot are 14 and Subhadra’s chariot are 12.

The most significant ritual associated with the Ratha-yatra is the chhera pahara. During the festival, the Gajapati King wears the outfit of a sweeper and sweeps all around the deities and chariots in the Chera Pahara (sweeping with water) ritual.

The Ratha Yatra is a symbolic journey of Krishna back to his childhood, hence taken along with siblings, not wife Lakshmi, who is left behind in the main temple, much to the latter’s irritation, which is enacted out ritually by priests (and maharis or temple dancers, in the days of yore), to evoke the feeling that even the great Jagannath has marital problems just like the guy next door.

There are 6 events which are considered as the key activities of this annual spectacular event.

1. ‘Snana Yatra’ is the one where the Deities take bath and then fell sick for almost 2 weeks. They are thus treated with ayurvedic medicines and a set of traditional practices.

2. On ‘Sri Gundicha’, the Deities are taken in the onward car festival from the main shrine to the Gundicha Temple.

3. On the Bahuda Yatra, the return car festival, the Lords are brought back to the main Temple.

4. Suna Besha (Golden Attire) is the event when the Deities wear golden ornaments and give darshan from the chariots, to the devotees.

5. ‘Adhara Pana’ is an important event during Ratha Yatra. On this day sweet drink is offered to the invisible spirits and souls, who would have visited the celestial event of the Lords, as believed by the Hindu tradition.

6. And finally the Deities are taken back inside the main shrine i.e. the Jagannath Temple and installed on the Ratna Simhasan, on the last day of the Ratha Yatra activity which is called as ‘Niladri Bije’.

At the end of the festival, the chariots are dismantled and their wood is used as fuel in the temple kitchens – believed to be the largest in the world that cook 56 things every day and feed anywhere between 2,000 to nearly 200,000 people.

The World’s biggest Chariot festival rituals begin in Odisha’s Puri under the guidelines set by the Supreme Court of India. This festival lasts for over nine days. This year limited people will be seen due to COVID-19 pandemic, social distancing rules will be followed and all entry points to Puri in Odisha have been sealed. According to the reports, only 500 people are allowed to pull one chariot and everyone has to undergo a mandatory COVID-19 test.

Virtual darshan can be taken by the devotees of the Rath Yatra by watching it LIVE on DD-Odia, DD Bharati and DD India from 7 am.

May the Lord Jaganath protect us from all illness bless us with good health and prosperity.

For details about Puri Jaganath temple , Gundicha Mandir Odisha .

Thiruchendur Murugar temple

It is situated at Tuticorin District, Tamilnadu ; about 60 km south-east of Tirunelveli, 40 km from Tuticorin and 75 km north-east of Kanyakumari.

Thiruchendur is the one among the 6 abodes of Lord Muruga is also called as Arulmigu Subramanyaswamy Thirukoil . The others being Thiruthani near Thiruvallur, Chennai . Palamudhircholai and Thiruparankundram near Madurai . Pazhani near Dindugal . Swamimalai near Kumbakonam .

This temple is considered to be 2500 years old . Lord Muruga won the battle with the asura, Surapadma and worshipped Lord Shiva in this sacred place. The temple is situated along the shores of the Bay of Bengal .

Those who visit this temple takes a holy dip in the sea and then in the Nazhi kinaru near by then visit Lord Muruga. Nazhi Kinaru is said to have sprung up as Shanmukha planted His lance the Vel on the spot.

Normally, the Raja Gopuram will be in the eastern side of temples in Tamil Nadu. But in Tiruchendur alone the Raja Gopuram is in the western side. It is said that the Raja Gopuram was not erected on the eastern side since the sea is very close in the eastern side.

Mela Gopuram has nine storeys and it is about 137 feet high above Yalimattam, 90 feet long north to south and 65 feet broad east to west. At the top of the Gopuram the width is 20 feet and the length is 49 feet. To indicate that the Gopuram consists of 9 storeys there are nine Kalasams (sacred copper pots) at the top of the Gopuram Thiruchendur murugan temple .

As usual the darshan starts with lord Ganesha shrine inside the temple. Then you’ll get the glimpse of sanctum of lord Subramanya. Main God Sri Subramanya Swamy’s Idol is just about 2 feet height and he is so elegant and charming that devotee’s eyes would wish to rest there forever.

You can also go and visit the Pancha Linga shrine (5 lingas), which is under a cave, right below the sanctum. People say that the Lord Subramanya performed puja to the Pancha Linga to overcome his anger after killing the demon Surapadman. Inside the cave, there’s a narrow opening to the sky through which Lord Devendra also offers his prayers to Lord Shiva. As it’s believed that the Lord subramanya Himself performing puja to the Lingas, no one else is allowed to perform Puja here.

Next is the Utsava murthy – Shanmugar is just right next to the sanctum. The Shanmuga idol itself has a big history to trace behind. It’s believed that in the early 17th century AD, Shanmuga’s idol looted away by the Dutch government and was carried away in their ship. There was a sudden storm and the Dutch grew afraid and threw the idol into the sea. Vadamalaiyappa Pillai, an ardent devotee of Lord Muruga saw a vision of the idol’s position in his dream. Immediately, he and several other devotees rushed to the spot where as foretold in the dream a lemon was floating and Garuda was flying over the spot. They drove into the sea and recovered the statue. We still can see the salty sea burns on the idol.

On the outer sanctum, there is a Maha Vishnu sannidhi (with a Lord Ranganatha shrine curved on the sandal stone rock ). Then there is the Kalyana Ganapathi shrine. Outside the temple, you could visit the Valli cave temple, where Valli hid herself when Lord Ganesha took the form of an elephant and frightened her, to help Lord Subramanya during His romance with Valli .

This temple is famous its “Panneer ilai Vibhuti” which is praised by Sri Adi Shankaracharya that the mere vision of the Panneer leaf Vibhuthi would cure many incurable diseases.

Kanda Sashti is one of the grand celebrations here – corresponding to the six days of the war over the evil forces. Devotees undertake fasts, prayers and devotional singing to Lord Muruga and most of the devotees stay in the temples during these six days.

Dedicated prayer during the Kanda Sashti viradham would come true. This is truly one of the most powerful temples .

In most Murugan temples, Kanda Sashti festival is celebrated for six days only. In some temples it is celebrated for seven days, with the divine wedding of Lord Murugan the day after Sashti. But in Thiruchendur the festival is held for twelve days; the first six days of Kanda Sashti comprise Sashti Viradham (the vow of Sashti) and Sura Samharam (the annihilation of the demon, Sura), on the seventh day it is the divine wedding of Lord Murugan and Deivannai, and in the next five days, the Lord in his wedding gear appears and blesses in the Unjal Sevai that is, sitting on the swing.

The December 26, 2004, Indian Ocean tsunami , the waves destroyed everything around the temple but did not touch the temple itself. It is a fact many witnesses acknowledged.

This is one of the Guru parighara sthalam those who have Guru dosham in their horoscope will be relieved if they have the dharshan of Lord Muruga .

Video of the Pancha lingas

Our Delhi city tour

From Qutub Minar we went to see the Parliament building of India .

Parliament House or Sansad Bhavan which is one of the most impressive buildings in Delhi. Located at the end of Sansad Marg the Parliament Building was designed by British architect Edwin Lutyens and Herbert Baker. This iconic building was inaugurated in 1927 by Lord Irwin, the then Governor-General of India.

The Parliament House comprises of a central hall which is circular in shape and 98 feet in diameter. The Central Hall is considered to be a very important part of the Parliament building since this is where the Indian Constitution was drafted. The building houses the Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha and a library hall. In between these three chambers lies a garden. The building also has facilities for accommodation for ministers, important officers of the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, Chairmen and Parliamentary Committees.

The Parliament House also houses a museum which aims at educating people on the “Democratic Heritage of India” and which dates back to 2500 back. The museum is set up in a very interesting way and is complete with sound and light videos, large screen interactive computer screens and virtual reality among other features.

India gate
India Gate, an important monument of the city, is a memorial built in commemoration of more than 80,000 Indian soldiers who were killed during World War I. The monument is an imposing 42 meters high arch and was designed by the famous architect Edwin Lutyens . India gate was earlier named All India War Memorial.

Indira Gandhi Memorial
This is the residence of our ex Prime Minister Indira Gandhi where she was shot dead in 1984 . It consists of various rooms like living room library kitchen and the saree she was wearing when shot dead is under display along with many more mementos , photos etc .

The passage from residence to Her Office

With the security in Indira Gandhi Memorial

Sakthi Sthal

Then we had a lunch break for about 2 hours then went to Sakthi Sthal , where Mahatma Gandhi father of our nation , Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi were cremated .

The place in sakthi sthal where Indira Gandhi was cremated

Redfort

Then by evening to Redfort
Delhi’s famous Red Fort is known by that name because of the red stone with which it is built and it is one of the most magnificent palaces in the world. … The Mughal emperor, Shah Jahan, after ruling from Agra for eleven years, decided to shift to Delhi and laid the foundation stone of the Red Fort in 1618.
back of the ₹500 note of the Mahatma Gandhi New Series of the Indian rupee. In April 2018, Dalmia Bharat Group adopted the Red Fort for maintenance, development, and operations, per a contract worth ₹25 crores for a period of five years, under the government’s “Adopt A Heritage” scheme.

Qutub Minar

During our Delhi visit we visited Qutub Minar one of monuments of India which is maintained by Archeological department.

Delhi’s Most Towering Attraction! … One of the top things to do in Delhi is visit Qutub Minar

Qutab Minar is a soaring, 73 m-high tower of victory, built in 1193 by Qutab-ud-din Aibak immediately after the defeat of Delhi’s last Hindu kingdom. The tower has five distinct storeys, each marked by a projecting balcony and tapers from a 15 m diameter at the base to just 2.5 m at the top.

It is considered to be the Tower of Victory, built by Qutubuddin Aibak in the 12th century to mark the end of rule by the last Hindu Kingdom.

The entry fee of Qutub Minar is Rs. 30 per person for Indian residents, while for the foreign tourists, the ticket charges are Rs. 500 per person

There is a mosque called Quwwat-Ul-Islam, built in the same compound as the minaret. Though in ruins, it is noted to be the first mosque built in India.

There are 379 stairs inside the minaret to reach the top, now it has been stopped .

It is also the first Indian monument to have an E-ticket facility. The entry fee to look at this magnificent minaret is Rs 30.

This minaret is definitely one of India’s assets, not only has it survived damages from an earthquake from the 16th century, but it has also survived being struck by lightning twice in the 14th century .

In the 19th century, there was a sixth storey to be added to the minar, a cupola, which was brought down since it didn’t look appealing. You can visit the cupola.

Unfortunately, it’s no longer possible to climb up to the top of the Qutub Minar. The monument was closed after a lighting failure resulted in a stampede, killing nearly 50 people, in 1981.

There is a 2,000 years old iron pillar in the complex that hasn’t rusted in over two centuries.

There are more than half a dozen other minor monuments in the Qutub Minar Complex, that include mosques, tombs and pillars.

In the 14th century, Alauddin Khilji commissioned another, taller, and more beautiful minaret. However, the construction stopped soon after his death. What remains today resembles a stub of the intended minaret. Looks like the Qutub Minar was meant to be what it is today!

Shadaranya sthethrangal

Arcot means aaru kadu , aaru means six and kadu means forest in Tamil .

Athri, Baradwajar, Gowthamar, Kasyapa Muni , Valmiki , Vashishter and Agasthiyar are the Saptharishis who worshipped Lord Shiva by installing Lingam in Arcot , near Vellore in Tamilnadu , these 7 temples together are called as Shadaranya sthethrangal.

Veppur – Sri Vasishteshwarar – Balakujambal – Sri Vasishta Maharishi

Melvisharam – Sri Valmikeeswarar – Vadivudaiammai – Sri Valmiki Maharishi

Karai – Sri Gowthameswar – Kirupambikai – Sri Gowthama Maharishi.

Avara karai – Sri Kashyapa maharishi.

Vannivedu – Sri Agastheeswarar – Akilandeswari – Sri Agasthiya Maharishi

Kudimallur – Sri Athriswarar – Thiripurasundari – Sri Aththiri Maharishi ; Vaasthu spl. temple – Boominaadheswarar.

Puduppadi – Sri Barathwajeswarar – Dharmasamwardhni – Sri Baradwaja Maharishi

These temples of are very ancient Temples.

Lord Shiva is known by the name of Rishi’s who worshiped here in all these seven temples.

Sthala Purana says visiting all these temples on Maha Sivarathri is equal to visiting and worshipping at Kailasha .

We were lucky enough to visit all 7 temples on a Shivarathiri day .

As per legends Goddess Parvathy did penance at Kanchipuram (Prithivi sthalam) which is one of the Pancha Boodha Sthalam. Lord Shiva was pleased by her penance and married her . Rishi’s and Devas from heaven came down to Kanchipuram , to attend the heavenly marriage of Lord Siva and Kamakshi Amman . The place was so crowded , Rishi’s who came to participate in the wedding stayed in the forest near to Kanchipuram. They had to perform there daily rituals . Each one of them chose a place in the forest to worship Lord Shiva.

All seven places where they worshiped is known as Shadaranyam . Since 7 Rishi’s worshiped Swayambu Lingam in these seven places it is considered holy to visit and worship Lord Siva here.

Veppur

The place is about 3kms from Arcot to South Bank of Paalar River . One has to take bypass road of Vellore to Arcot.

The forest in this place was filled with Neem Tree hence the place was known as Veppur.

A stone inscription says the temple is more than 1000 years old.

Later in the year 1169BC by Veera Sampanna Sambuvarayar constructed Maha mandapam, Artha Mandapam and Main sanctum of this temple.

Vasishta Maharishi installed Lord Shiva in Lingam form and worshiped Him in standing posture . There is a small statue of Vasishta Maharishi in the temple in standing posture .

Main deity is Swayambu Shiva Lingam known as Vasishteswarar and with his consort known as Balakujambal in separate sanctum . Here Lord is seen in Kalyana kolam . Dakshina Moorthy is seen facing south in the pragharam .

Other deities seen in the temple are Selva Vinayakar, Subramanyar with Valli and Devayanai, Sarabeswarar , Sapthamadhar , Kasi Viswanathar, Akora Veerabadrar , Saneeswarar , and Kala Bhairavar .

Arunagirinadhar sang Thirupugazh on Lord Subramanyar of this temple. The temple is considered as Guru Sthalam since Vasishta is the Guru of Lord Sri Ramachandra Murthy worshiped Lord Shiva here .

Mel Visharam

The place is located about 3kms distance from Veppur. It is on the bypass road of Vellore to Arcot. The temple is to south bank of River Paalaru.

This place in the forest was full of Etti Maram, so the place came to be known as Visha Vruksha Vanam, and in later days the place is known as Visharam.

Valmiki Muni installed a Lord Shiva in lingam and worshiped Him in standing posture. We see a statue of Valmiki Maharishi in standing posture in the temple.

Main Deity is Swayambu Siva Lingam known as Valmeekeswarar with his consort known as Vadivudyambikai in different sanctum.

Sthala purana says there is a stone inscription in Veppur temple which says the this temple is more than 1000 years old.

Pudhapadi.

This place is about 6 kms from Arcot. The temple is on the South Bank of Palaru, between Arcot and Pudhupadi.

The place was full of Mango Tree in the forest, so the place was known as Amra Vanam . The temple is as old as 1600 years old.

Baradwaja Maharishi installed a Lord Shiva in lingam form and worshiped Lord Shiva in standing posture. There is a statue for Baradwaja Maharishi in the temple in standing posture.

Main Deity here is Swayambu Lingam known as Baradwajeeswarar.
The main sanctum is Gajaprushta form.

Other Deities seen in the temple are Nardhana Ganapathy, Dakshina Moorthy, and Vishnu.

Gudimallur

The place is in-between Pudhupadi dam and Valaja town about 3kms interior on the North bank of River Palaru.

Athri Maharishi installed and worshiped Lord Shiva here for long period in sitting posture. Lord was pleased and blessed him. There is a statue of Athri Maharishi in sitting posture.

Main Deity in the temple is Swayambu Shiva Lingam known as Athetheswarar with his consort known as Thirupura Sundri in different sanctum.

Main Deity in this temple is Sri Boomi Nadheswarar with his consort in separate sanctum.

As we go around the temple we see Ganesha, Subramanyar, Dakshina Murthy, Lingothbavar with Brahma and Lord Vishnu to either side.

Vasthu Pooja is performed on Vasthu day.

Vannivedu

The place Vannivedu is about 2kms distance from Valajapettai on the North Bank of River Paalaru.

Agasthya Muni installed Siva Lingam and worshiped in this place in sitting posture. There is a statue for Agasthya Muni in sitting posture in the temple.

The place was full of Vanni Vruksham in the forest, hence it is known as Vannimedu.

Main Deity is Swayumbu Lingam of sand known as Agstheeswarar with his consort known as Akilandeswari. Siva Lingam is small in size and finger prints are there on it. Ambal is seen standing on Avudai in penance form.

Other deities seen in the temple are Vinayakar, Subramanyar, Kasi Viswanadhar, Visalakshi, Swarna Akarshna Bairavar, Bairavar and Sani Bagawan.

Inside the mandapam we see Sarabeswarar and Nalwar.

Karai

The place Karai is about 2kms distance from Ranipetai on the north bank of Paalaru River.

The place was filled with karai plant in the forest, hence the place was known as Karai.

Gowthama Maharishi installed and worshiped Lord Shiva in this place. Here in the temple there is a statue for Gowthamar seen in sitting posture in front of Lord Shiva sanctum.

Main Deity is Swayambu Lingam known as Gowthameswarar with his consort known as Krupambika seen in Artha mandapam.

As we go around the temple prakaram we see Sarabeswarar, and Gowthama Rishi.

There is another temple in Karai were Nandeeswara muni worshiped Lord Shiva.

The place is about 3 kms from Karai in Avarakarai Village near Nalla thoppu on the north bank of Paalaru River.

Main deity in the temple Shiva Lingam known as Nandeeswarar with his consort known as Ulgalandha Nayaki.

As we go around the prakaram we see Dakshina moorthy, and Navagraham.

Avarakarai

Finally Avarakarai temple here sage Kashyapa Maharishi worshipped Lord Shiva with His consort Goddess Parvathavardhini . As it was on a Shivarathiri day we saw the abhishegam of Nandi then to Lord Shiva in this temple .

Sri Nagavalli sametha Picheeswarar temple Mamundur

Mamandur is a small village located very close to Palar River and situated on the road from Kanchipuram to Vandavasi. It is located at about 15 Kms from Kanchipuram. Nearest Railway Station is located at Kanchipuram and Nearest Airport is located at Chennai.

Picheeswarar Temple is dedicated to Hindu God Shiva located at Mamandur Village in Thiruvannamalai District of Tamilnadu. Presiding Deity is called as Picheeswarar and His consort is called as Nagavalli .

Manduga Maharishi did penance here and got the darshan of Lord Shiva. There is a big temple tank also. It is believed that worshipping the Lord here will solve any kind of problem, however big it is.

Goddess Saraswathy has worshipped the Lord Shiva here with Pichi poo (Jasminum angustifolium is a species of jasmine) . Hence those who want to excel in studies if worshipped this Lord on Moolam , Punarpoosam Nakshatra or on a Wednesday will gain progress gradually.

Those with mental ailments comes here and worship this Lord for cureness . Offering of vetrilai maalai (betel leaves) to this Lord is considered sacred and to cure the illness . Usually vetrilai maalai we offer only to Lord Hanuman . The sthala vritcham being kokku mantharai chedi .

Thirukutralanathar temple Kutralam

Kutralam is a popular tourist resort in Southern Tamil Nadu known for its waterfalls, amidst picturesque surroundings – and is a source of inspiration of many a literary work. Thousands visit this town when the waterfalls are in season.

At a distance of 200 m from Courtallam Bus Station, 7 km from Tenkasi and 62 km from Tirunelveli, The Kutralanathar Temple also known as Thirukkutralanathar is one of the most popular temples of Tamilnadu and is dedicated to Lord Shiva.

It is one of the 275 Paadal petra Shivalayam. The temple is of 2000 years old and there is lot of old Tamil inscriptions of Chola and Pandyan periods. It is situated near Courtallam Falls.

One has to cross this temple before going to the falls .

The main deity is Thirukutralanathar and Goddess named Arulvaimozhi or Kuzhalvaimozhi.

While entering the temple Ambalaswamy Vinayagar and Arumughaswamy Murugar shrines are opposite to each other which leads to the Vasantha Mandapam. Next comes the theerthavari mandapam with Kodimaram Nandi which leads to the main sanctum sanctorum . Goddess kuzhalvaimozhi Amman shrine is to the right with a few steps of the Lord Shivas shrine which is rare as in most of the Lord Shivas shrine Goddess shrine is to the left .

Sthala vritcham being jackfruit tree and there are idols of Nayanmars , Dakshinamurthy and Panchaboodha Lingams , Lord Nellaiyappar with His consort Gandhimathi , Kasi Viswanath and so many lingams are present .

There is Chakra peedam (Maha Meru) which is said to be installed by sage Agasthiyar by his mystic power those who sits in front of this Maha Meru and meditates is believed to have their wishes fulfilled and finally Bhairavar . In the western side inside the temple there’s another Lord Vinayagar idol and there is a arrow mark indicating the vision of the falls from the temple .

Earlier this temple was a Vaishnava sthalam even now one can see Garuda and Lord Hanuman in the Gopuram. As per legends sage Agasthiyar was being a Shaivaite was denied entering this temple. Later sage Agasthiyar entered the temple with ‘Tiruman Nama’ on his forehead , a Tulsi mala around his neck and worshipped keeping Lord Shiva in his mind . By shrinking the image of Lord Vishnu with his hands , converted into Kutralanathar (Lingam). The finger prints of sage Agasthiyar is visible on the Linga . So the deity has permanent head-ache and to cure it , abisheka is performed every evening with 64 herbs . Moreover, during the pooja at night a concoction of herb is prepared as Prasadam .The conch shape of the temple indicates that it was a Vaishnative temple . Since conch is sacred to Vaishnavites .

This place is the birth place of famous Tamil poet Thirukudarasappakavirayar .

The main significance of this temple is the Chitrasabhai which is a painting gallery at the backside of the temple .

Thirukutralam represents one of the five Pancha Sabhas of Nataraja – Chitra Sabhai. The five dance halls of Shiva are Chidambaram being Kangasabhai Madurai being Vellisabhai , Thiruvalangadu being Ratnasabhai , Tirunelveli being Thamirasabha and Kutralam being Chitrasabhai. Kutralam is also known as Trikootaachalam.

Chitrasabhai complex is outside the temple and one has to walk half a km distance from the temple and has to climb up 50 steps . Here Lord Natarajar is worshipped in painted form and there are much more paintings which will leave you awestruck .

View of the Kutralam falls from the temple

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