Tuesday, November 26, 2013

காலபைரவாஷ்டகம் -ஸ்ரீ சங்கரர் அருளி செய்தது



தேவராஜ சேவ்யமான பாவநாங்க்ரி பங்கஜம்
வ்யாள யஞ்ய சூத்ரமிந்து சேகரம் க்ருபாகரம்
நாரதாதி யோகி பிருந்த பந்திதம் திகம்பரம்
காசிகா புராதி நாத கால பைர வம்பஜே ...............................1

பானுகோடி பாஸ்வரம் பவாப்தி தாரகம்பரம்
நீலகண்ட மீப்சிதார்த்த தாயகம் த்ரிலோசனம்
கால கால மம்புஜாக்ஷ மக்ஷசூல மக்ஷரம்
காசிகா புராதிநாத கால பைரவம்பஜே ....................................2

சூல டங்க பாச தண்ட பாணி மாதி காரணம்
ஸ்யாம காய மாதி தேவ மக்ஷரம் நிராமயம்
பீம விக்ரமும் ப்ரபும் விசித்திர தண்டவப்ரியம்
காசிகா புராதிநாத கால பைரவம்பஜே .................................3

புக்தி முக்தி தாயகம் ப்ரசஸ்த சாரு விக்ரஹம்
பக்த வத்சலம் சிவம் சமஸ்த லோக விக்ரஹம்
நிக்வனந் மநோஜ்ய ஹேம கிங்கிநீல ஸத்கடிம்
காசிகா புராதிநாத காலபைரவம்பஜே ................................. 4

தர்ம சேது பாலகம் த்வதர்ம மார்க நாசகம்
கர்ம பாச மோசகம் ஸுசர்ம தாயகம் விபும்
ஸ்வர்ண வர்ண சேஷபாச சோபிதாங்க மண்டலம்
காசிகா புராதிநாத கால பைரவம்பஜே ...................................5

ரத்ந பாதுகா ப்ராபி ராம பாத யுக்மகம்
நித்ய மசிதீய மிஷ்ட தைவதம் நிரஞ்சனம்
ம்ருத்ய தர்ப்ப நாசனம் காராள தம்ஷ்ட்ர மோக்ஷனம்
காசிகா புராதிநாத கால பைரவம்பஜே ..................................6

அட்டஹாச பின்ன பத்ம ஜாண்ட கோச சந்நிதம்
திருஷ்டி பாப நஷ்ட பாப ஜால முக்ர சாசனம்
அஷ்ட சித்தி தாயகம் கபாலி மாலி சந்ததம்
காசிகா புராதிநாத கால பைரவம்பஜே .................................. 7

பூத சங்க நாயகம் விசாலகீர்த்தி தாயகம்
காசிகாஸ்த லோகபுண்ய பாபா சோதகம்விபும்
நீதி மார்க கோவிதம் புராதனம் ஜகத்பதிம்
காசிகா புராதிநாத கால பைரவம்பஜே ..................................8

கால பைரவஷ்டகம் படந்தியே மனோஹரம்
ஞானமுக்தி சாதகம் விசித்திர புண்யவர்தனம்
சோக போக லோப தைத்ய கோப தாப நாசனம்
தேப்ர யாந்தி கால பைர வாங்க்ரி சந்நிதிம் த்ருவம் .....

வலம்புரிச் சங்கு தன்மைகள்

 *மஹாலக்ஷ்மியீன் இருப்பீடம் 
* சொந்தமாக தொழில் செய்பவர்கள் அவர்களின் வியாபார தலங்களில் இச்சங்கினை வைத்தால் தொழில் மேன்மையடைவதோடு பணம் தங்குதடையின்றி புரளும் 
*புதுமனை வாங்கி, அங்கு வீடுகட்டிக் குடியேறுபவர்கள் சிறப்பாய் வாழ்ந்திடும்போது கண் திருஷ்டி நீங்கவும், 
*வியாபாரச் சரிவு தடுக்கவும், 
*கடன்கள் தொல்லை தடுக்கவும், 
*கல்வியில் கவனமின்மை நீங்கவும், 
*தொழில் கூடங்களில் தொய்வு தடுக்கவும்,
*எதிரிகளால் தொல்லை தடுக்கவும், 
*தொஷத்தால் வரும் திருமணத்தடை தடுக்கவும் 
*வாஸ்து குறைகள் முற்றிலுமாக நீங்கவும், 
*நினைத்த காரிய வெற்றி உண்டாகவும், 
*ஆவி பிரச்னைகளை தீர்க்கவும் இதன் முலம் செய்யும் அபிஷகதிற்கு 10 மடக்கு பலன் இருக்கும இல்லத்தில் இந்த உயிரோட்டமும் சக்தியும் கொண்ட வலம்புரிச் சங்கினை வாங்கி வைத்து வழிபட்டு வந்தால் அவர்கள் இல்லத்தில் ஐஸ்வர்யம், லட்சுமி கடாட்சம் மற்றும் மன அமைதி என்றென்றும் நிலைத்திருக்கும் என்பது ஐதீகம்.
*பூஜை அறையில் சுவாமிக்கு முன்பாக வைக்கவேண்டும். தினமும் அதில் தண்னிர் மாற்ற வேண்டும். அந்த ஜலத்தை வீடு முழுவதும் சுத்தி செய்வதற்கும் உபயோகிக்கலாம். அல்லது முகம் அலம்புவதற்கும் பயன் படுத்திக் கொள்ளலாம்,

Saturday, November 23, 2013

History Of Reddy's


Reddy its word: 
                       Origin In the history of many races and castes got great regard for their remarkable services rendered services in education religion and literature and fine arts. One among such castes is 'Reddy'. No other word in India has got such a detailed and convincing history as the word 'Reddy'. Reddy’s are farmers, they are Kings, they are Journalists, they are Poets, they are Patriots who stood in front row in the freedom fight, and they are Writers, Politicians. If you question your self what they are not? Answer will be they are everything and they are in every field. Several patriots from REDDY community caring very less for their properties and participated in freedom fight and lost their lives for the Independence of India. Eminent historians like Dr.Beryl and Dr.Mallampally Somasekhara Sharma proved on the basis of inscriptional evidence that The present word ‘REDDY’ has traveled several thousands of years changing its name several times to reach the present day. It was RATTAGUDI in 7th Century and was RATTOTI in the years 894. It was RADDHODI And RATHOD, and RATTADI in 10th century. It has then changed its Communities name As RATTAJIKAMU in1100, RADRIKAMU in 1153, RADI in 1238, and RADDI, and then Finally Settled as “REDDY”

Reddy’s Population

Till now 36 branches among Reddy Community are located and identified. As per 1991census almost 12%(96lakhs) of Andhra Pradesh state comprises of Reddy’s in Karnataka almost 6%(36 Lakhs), Tamilnadu 38 lakhs, Pondichery, Andaman and Nikobar it is 3,00,000. Remaining parts of India and world 10 lakhs. The Okkalinga community identifies itself with Reddy’s who are almost 60 lakhs in the state. In this way there are 22.5 million Reddy’s through out the world. It is estimated that there nearly 5,000 surnames in this community. But till now 1577 were located and collected.

Reddy Kingdoms

Several historians researched to know the origin of the Reddy Community. Having read all the Literature one can come to a conclusion that the famous historian and researcher Mr.B.N.Shastry’s writing could give us clear picture about it. Mr. Shastry in his book Reddy Rajya Sarwaswam revealed several interesting facts about Reddy community. Having studied several books one could be able to know that the existence of Reddy community was traced back to 11th and 12th Centuries. After the fall of Kakatiyas Reddys who were army commanders established their own kingdoms and built several dams and lakes for farming and drinking purpose, which still serve the purpose. They loved literature and fine arts. Prolaya Vema Reddy- (1324-1347) made Yerrapragada his court official where as Pedakomati Vema Reddy (1402-1420) appointed Sreenatha as Poet LaureateThough some historians have reservations without any doubts Reddy’s were Rajputs.There is concrete evidence for these claim Rashtrakutas are Simhadwaja Lanchanulu. Pedakomati Vema Reddy also had the same Lanchanam.There are authentic proofs that Reddy community has marital relationship with Kshatriya’s (Kings). Mahamuni Kavya Kantha Ganapathi Shastry who wrote the fore word for Mr.Shastry’s book Reddy Rajya Sarvaswam mentioned this very clearly. Bheema Raju son of Bhakthiswara Choda who belongs to Surya Vamsha Karikala Choda Vamsha married his daughter Vemabika to Allada Reddy who was residing in Raja Mahendra Varam (Now called as Rajahmundry). This was according to the research of the history said to be the 1st marriage between Reddy and Kshatriya Communities. There are proofs that Kind Dantuluri Ganna Bhoopal gave away his daughter Surambika to Ana Vema Reddy who ruled Addanki, Dharanikota, Kondaveedu in the marriage. The history also tells us that the very famous King among Chandra Vamsha Kings Harihara Deva Rayadu married his daughter Hariharamba to Kataya Vema Reddy. All these things prove that Reddy’s are kings.

Reddy - Origins

Reddy is a caste (community) mainly from the state of Andhra Pradesh in southern India. Reddys wield significant social and economic power and they are dominant in every part of iNDIA , and have strong political hold in Andhra Pradesh . They are generally Telugu-speaking farming community originally from the state of Andhra Pradesh, though there are considerable number of Reddys settled in the neighbouring states of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.
 



There are many theories put forth about the origins of Reddys. But none of them is conclusively proven. The word Reddy in particular refers to the Reddy dynasty that ruled in the region around present day Vijayawada, Guntur, Kurnool and Rajahmundry towns for nearly a hundred years (1328-1428). The Name "Reddy" originated as the head of a village appointed by the king as a rakshaka bata/rashta kuta (Police) to supervise the law and order of the village.

Reddys are believed to be an offshoot of the Rashtrakuta dynasty. After the decline of the Rashtrakuta dynasty, the ruling clan broke off and settled in North and South India. Rashtrakutas were a Rajput clan. The settlers in the north are called Rathods/Rathores, and ruled Marwar in western Rajasthan, while the southern settlers were called Reddys.

Reddy - Reddy as a title

In Ancient India, Reddy is the title of the headman of the village. Since these positions were mostly hereditary their offspring retained the title. Sometime in the medieval period it came to represent the community as of the present. Even at present some families of non-Reddys bear the lastname or (titlename) of Reddy. For example J Geeta Reddy, Minister of Tourism
and Sugar, Andhra Pradesh, India does not belong to Reddy caste. There is a populous saying as kapu balisthe reddi is really true in 20th century as every family which was kapu around Hyderabad has Reddy at the end now as they are very rich because of the rise in land prices. Some Reddys who are living in Adilabad and Karimnagar districts lead a pathetic life as they are the targets of naxals and some are very backward in all respects.

The categories the Reddy caste:

Today, the society in India is categorized into four broad groups, viz., 1) Forward Communities (FC), 2) Backward Communities (BC), 3) Scheduled Castes (SC), and 4) Scheduled Tribes (ST). This system was created after independence form British rule of the Indian continent. Preferential quotas and reservations were established for BCs, SCs, and STs. The Constitution of India endorses and enforces such discrimination. This system reinforces the old caste system, while broadly categorizing them. Here again, any caste can be included into FC community if one attains a certain social stature. Similarly, if a caste proves to the government that their social and economic status is below that of FC, that caste may be either included into BC, SC, or ST, depending upon their social, economic and ethnic background. Even today, the social interactions such as marriage and festivals are influenced by caste/tribe. Inter-caste and inter-religious social intercourse is still not fully accepted. One can see the power of caste over the society clearly in politics.

கனவில் வந்து நிஜத்தில் தோன்றிய கடவுள் ‘இலங்கையில் அதிசயம்

vikkirakam_001vikkirakam_003Untitled-1 copy
அம்பாறை கல்முனை பிரதேசத்தில் மாமாங்கப் பிள்ளையார் ஆலயத்திற்கு அருகாமையில் திடீரெனத் தோன்றிய தெய்வச் சிலையை பார்வையிட இராணுவத்தினர் படையெடுத்துள்ளனர். குறித்த ஆலயத்தில் அம்மன் விக்கிரகம், திரிசூலம், இரண்டு தகடுகளும் கண்டுபிடிக்கப்பட்டன.இப்பிரதேசத்தில் வாழும் ஒருவரின் கனவில் தேன்றிய செய்தியினால், அவர் அங்கு சென்று தெய்வ விக்கிரகத்தினை எடுத்து மாமாங்கப் பிள்ளையார் ஆலயத்தில் சேர்த்தார்.
இதனைகேள்வியுற்ற அப்பிரதேச மக்களும் இலங்கை இராணுவத்தினரும் அங்கு விரைந்து அந்த உருவச்சிலையினை பார்வையிட்டதோடு, அதுதொடர்பான தகவல்களை இராணுவத்தினரும், பொலிசாரும் திரட்டிச் சென்றுள்ளனர்
For More...... http://tamilshot.com

Cow milk is the most compatible with human mothers milk !


                 Just recently in the year 2000 the publication Scientific America reported a complete Cow Human Genome comparison had been completed. Among the 768 genes on the cattle RH map, 687 genes or 89.5% had putative human orthologs. Among the 687 mapped genes, 548 genes had human GB4 RH mapping information. 22 were mapped exclusively on the G3 panel and 68 had human cytogenetic assignments exclusively.

              All cow chromosomes with the possible exception of BTA9 and BTA23 have centromere repositioning relative to human chromosomes. Four cattle chromsomes show complete conservation of syntegy with their human homologs. The four are: BTA12 and HSA13, BTA19 and HSA17, BTA24 and HSA18, BTAX and HSAX . For all of these chromosomes multiple rearrangements were observed. BTA3 was the only cow chromosome that showed no internal rearrangments when compared with the homologous segment on HSA1. Fifteen cattle chromosomes are seen to be comprised of genes found on only one human chromosome.

            Cow milk is the most compatible with human mothers milk then any other species in existence. This is because the DNA of the cow was specifically constructeds to be harmonious with mammalian human DNA. So it can be clearly understood that cow DNA was designed so humans could benefit from cows products being milk, cheese, butter, cream and yoghurt

Bhagwan Mahadev at Hampi

This is Bhagwan Mahadev in full standing form at Hampi (Vijaynagar's erstwhile capital!) This is real Divine Power! We, mortal human beings on this earth should pray to Him to give us strength enough to keep our energy, courage & patience in Kaliyuga's Adharma, Asatya & show off. Om Namah Shivaay!

Lingarajeshwar Temple - Bhuvaneshwar

Thursday, November 21, 2013

மாவீரன் சிவாஜியின் பக்தி அடையாளம்..!

மாவீரன் சிவாஜியின் பக்தி அடையாளம்..!

மாவீரன் சத்ரபதி சிவாஜியின் ஆன்மிகப்பற்று, இந்து சமயத்திற்கு அவர் ஆற்றிய தொண்டு மற்றும் அவர் கட்டிய கோயில் திருப்பணிகள் எல்லாமே  மிகப்பெரியன. மஹாராஷ்டிரா மாநிலம் கொங்கண் கடற்கரையை ஒட்டிய காட்டுப்பகுதியில் சில கோயில்கள் உள்ளன. அவற்றுள் பகவதி தேவி  கோயில், கணபதிதாரி கோயில் மற்றும் சிவாஜி கட்டிய சிவராஜேஸ்வர் கோயில்கள் மிகவும் புகழ்பெற்றவை. கொங்கண் காட்டுப்பகுதியில் உள்ள  சவந்தவாடி என்ற குன்றிலிருந்து உற்பத்தியாகும் நீர், கர்லா என்ற நதி வழியாக தாமாப்பூர் ஏரிக்கு வந்து சேருகிறது.

அந்த ஏரிக்கரையின்மேல் அமைந்துள்ள கோயிலில் பகவதி தேவி தரிசனமளிக்கிறார். அக்கோயிலைச் சுற்றி ஓடுகள் வேயப்பட்டு கேரளபாணியில் கட் டப்பட்ட மண்டபங்கள் உள்ளன. அவை இத்தலத்திற்கு புனிதயாத்திரை வரும் பக்தர்களின் வசதிக்காகக் கட்டப்பட்டவை. அங்கிருந்து சிறிது தூரம்  சென்றால் மால்வன் என்ற கோட்டைக்கு அருகில் கணபதிதாரி என்ற இடத்தில் ஒரு கிணற்றில் புனித கங்கை நீர் ஊற்றெடுக்கிறது. அதன் அருகில்  வலது பக்கத்தில் ஒரு துளசிமாடம் உள்ளது.

மாவீரன் சிவாஜியின் ஆட்சிக்காலத்தில் நியமிக்கப்பட்ட பரம்பரை பூசாரிகள், கணபதிதாரி கிணற்றிலிருந்து ஒரு குடம் தண்ணீர் எடுத்துத் தருகிறார்கள்.  அலங்கரிக்கப்பட்ட பாய் மீது அக்குடத்தை வைத்து மலர் மாலை அணிவித்து பக்தர்கள் பூஜை செய்கின்றனர். சம்பந்தப்பட்ட மந்திரங்களை பூசாரி ஓ துகிறார். சந்தன மணம் கமழும் ஊதுவத்தி, ஆரத்தியாக காட்டப்படுகிறது. லட்டு போன்ற இனிப்பு வகைகள் அக்குடத்திற்கு நிவேதனம் செய்யப்பட்டு  பக்தர்களுக்கு பிரசாதமாக விநியோகிக்கப்படுகிறது. ஒரு பெரிய போரில் வெற்றி பெற விரும்பிய மாவீரன் சிவாஜி இங்கு வந்து கங்கா பூஜை செய்து ள்ளார். அவருடைய வேண்டுகோளை ஏற்று கங்கா தேவி அக்கிணற்றுக்குள் வந்ததாகக் கூறப்படுகிறது.

அதன் நினைவாகவே மேற்படி பூஜை. சற்று தூரம் சென்றால், மால்வன்கோட்டைக்கு தெற்குப் பக்கத்தில் மன்னன் சிவாஜி கட்டிய சிவராஜேஸ்வர்  கோயில் உள்ளது. அக்கோயில் முழுவதும் செங்கற்களாலேயே கட்டப்பட்டுள்ளது. சிவாஜி தன் கைகளாலேயே செங்கல் எடுத்து வைத்து, கட்டு மானப்பணிகளைத் தொடங்கி வைத்திருக்கிறார்.

கோயில் கருவறையில் காட்சி தரும் சிவராஜேஸ்வர் சிலையின் முகத்திற்கு உலோகக் கவசம் அணிவிக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது. அவர் பெரிய மீசையுடன்  கம்பீரமாக போர்வீரனைப் போல் காணப்படுகிறார். முகம் தவிர மற்ற பாகம் முழுவதும் சிவப்புத்துணியால் மறைக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது. இச்சிலையையொட்டி  சிவாஜி பயன்படுத்திய இருமுனைவாள் (தோதார்) வைக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது. கீழே அமர்ந்த நிலையில் உள்ள சிவராஜேஸ்வர் படமும் வைக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது.  இக்கோயிலை சிவாஜி கோயில் என்றும் அழைக்கின்றனர்.

மேலும் அப்பகுதியிலுள்ள கோட்டைகள், கிணறுகள், மதகுகள், எதிரிகளிடமிருந்து தப்பிச் செல்லும் சுரங்கவழிப் பாதைகள், திசை காட்டும் உயரமான  கோபுரங்கள், மணிக்கூண்டுகள் மற்றும் சிவராஜேஸ்வர் கோயில் சுவர்கள் என்று எல்லா இடங்களிலும் சிவாஜியின் வலது கை அடையாளம்  பதிக்கப்பட்டு இன்றும் அப்படியே காணப்படுகிறது. ஒரு முகமதிய வியாபாரி தன் சரக்குகளை கப்பலின் ஏற்றிக் கொண்டு கொங்கண் கடற்கரை  நோக்கி வந்து கொண்டிருந்தார். அப்போது திடீரென்று இடி மின்னலுடன் பெருமழை பெய்து பெரும் புயலும் வீசியது.

அதனால் அந்தக் கப்பல் வழிதடுமாறி ஒரு கருப்பு மலையில் மோதிக் கொள்ள இருந்தது. அப்போது அந்த மலையிலிருந்து ஒரு ஒளி தோன்றியது.  அந்த வெளிச்சத்தில் மலைமீது ஒரு மூங்கில் கொட்டகை இருப்பது அந்த வியாபாரியின் கண்களில் பட்டது. பின்னர் இறைவன் அருளால் புயல்  அபாயம் நீங்கியது. அதனால் மகிழ்ந்த வியாபாரி இறைவனுக்கு நன்றி செலுத்த விரும்பி மூங்கிலாலேயே ஒரு சிவபெருமான் உருவத்தைச் செய்து  அந்த மூங்கில் கொட்டகையில் வைத்து வணங்கினார். இன்றும் அந்த மூங்கில் ஆலயம் இந்து-முஸ்லிம் மத நல்லிணக்கத்திற்கு ஒரு எடுத்துக்காட்டாக  விளங்கிவருகிறது.

மும்பை வந்து விட்டால் இக்கோயில்களுக்குச் செல்ல வசதிகள் உள்ளன. காடுகள் நிறைந்த மலைப்பிரதேசமாக இருப்பதால் வழிகாட்டிகளை அழை த்துச் செல்ல வேண்டும். குறிப்பிட்ட காலங்களில் மட்டும்தான் இங்கு செல்ல முடியும்.

மாவீரன் சத்ரபதி சிவாஜியின் ஆன்மிகப்பற்று, இந்து சமயத்திற்கு அவர் ஆற்றிய தொண்டு மற்றும் அவர் கட்டிய கோயில் திருப்பணிகள் எல்லாமே மிகப்பெரியன. மஹாராஷ்டிரா மாநிலம் கொங்கண் கடற்கரையை ஒட்டிய காட்டுப்பகுதியில் சில கோயில்கள் உள்ளன. அவற்றுள் பகவதி தேவி கோயில், கணபதிதாரி கோயில் மற்றும் சிவாஜி கட்டிய சிவராஜேஸ்வர் கோயில்கள் மிகவும் புகழ்பெற்றவை. கொங்கண் காட்டுப்பகுதியில் உள்ள சவந்தவாடி என்ற குன்றிலிருந்து உற்பத்தியாகும் நீர், கர்லா என்ற நதி வழியாக தாமாப்பூர் ஏரிக்கு வந்து சேருகிறது.

அந்த ஏரிக்கரையின்மேல் அமைந்துள்ள கோயிலில் பகவதி தேவி தரிசனமளிக்கிறார். அக்கோயிலைச் சுற்றி ஓடுகள் வேயப்பட்டு கேரளபாணியில் கட் டப்பட்ட மண்டபங்கள் உள்ளன. அவை இத்தலத்திற்கு புனிதயாத்திரை வரும் பக்தர்களின் வசதிக்காகக் கட்டப்பட்டவை. அங்கிருந்து சிறிது தூரம் சென்றால் மால்வன் என்ற கோட்டைக்கு அருகில் கணபதிதாரி என்ற இடத்தில் ஒரு கிணற்றில் புனித கங்கை நீர் ஊற்றெடுக்கிறது. அதன் அருகில் வலது பக்கத்தில் ஒரு துளசிமாடம் உள்ளது.

மாவீரன் சிவாஜியின் ஆட்சிக்காலத்தில் நியமிக்கப்பட்ட பரம்பரை பூசாரிகள், கணபதிதாரி கிணற்றிலிருந்து ஒரு குடம் தண்ணீர் எடுத்துத் தருகிறார்கள். அலங்கரிக்கப்பட்ட பாய் மீது அக்குடத்தை வைத்து மலர் மாலை அணிவித்து பக்தர்கள் பூஜை செய்கின்றனர். சம்பந்தப்பட்ட மந்திரங்களை பூசாரி ஓ துகிறார். சந்தன மணம் கமழும் ஊதுவத்தி, ஆரத்தியாக காட்டப்படுகிறது. லட்டு போன்ற இனிப்பு வகைகள் அக்குடத்திற்கு நிவேதனம் செய்யப்பட்டு பக்தர்களுக்கு பிரசாதமாக விநியோகிக்கப்படுகிறது. ஒரு பெரிய போரில் வெற்றி பெற விரும்பிய மாவீரன் சிவாஜி இங்கு வந்து கங்கா பூஜை செய்து ள்ளார். அவருடைய வேண்டுகோளை ஏற்று கங்கா தேவி அக்கிணற்றுக்குள் வந்ததாகக் கூறப்படுகிறது.

அதன் நினைவாகவே மேற்படி பூஜை. சற்று தூரம் சென்றால், மால்வன்கோட்டைக்கு தெற்குப் பக்கத்தில் மன்னன் சிவாஜி கட்டிய சிவராஜேஸ்வர் கோயில் உள்ளது. அக்கோயில் முழுவதும் செங்கற்களாலேயே கட்டப்பட்டுள்ளது. சிவாஜி தன் கைகளாலேயே செங்கல் எடுத்து வைத்து, கட்டு மானப்பணிகளைத் தொடங்கி வைத்திருக்கிறார்.

கோயில் கருவறையில் காட்சி தரும் சிவராஜேஸ்வர் சிலையின் முகத்திற்கு உலோகக் கவசம் அணிவிக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது. அவர் பெரிய மீசையுடன் கம்பீரமாக போர்வீரனைப் போல் காணப்படுகிறார். முகம் தவிர மற்ற பாகம் முழுவதும் சிவப்புத்துணியால் மறைக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது. இச்சிலையையொட்டி சிவாஜி பயன்படுத்திய இருமுனைவாள் (தோதார்) வைக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது. கீழே அமர்ந்த நிலையில் உள்ள சிவராஜேஸ்வர் படமும் வைக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது. இக்கோயிலை சிவாஜி கோயில் என்றும் அழைக்கின்றனர்.

மேலும் அப்பகுதியிலுள்ள கோட்டைகள், கிணறுகள், மதகுகள், எதிரிகளிடமிருந்து தப்பிச் செல்லும் சுரங்கவழிப் பாதைகள், திசை காட்டும் உயரமான கோபுரங்கள், மணிக்கூண்டுகள் மற்றும் சிவராஜேஸ்வர் கோயில் சுவர்கள் என்று எல்லா இடங்களிலும் சிவாஜியின் வலது கை அடையாளம் பதிக்கப்பட்டு இன்றும் அப்படியே காணப்படுகிறது. ஒரு முகமதிய வியாபாரி தன் சரக்குகளை கப்பலின் ஏற்றிக் கொண்டு கொங்கண் கடற்கரை நோக்கி வந்து கொண்டிருந்தார். அப்போது திடீரென்று இடி மின்னலுடன் பெருமழை பெய்து பெரும் புயலும் வீசியது.

அதனால் அந்தக் கப்பல் வழிதடுமாறி ஒரு கருப்பு மலையில் மோதிக் கொள்ள இருந்தது. அப்போது அந்த மலையிலிருந்து ஒரு ஒளி தோன்றியது. அந்த வெளிச்சத்தில் மலைமீது ஒரு மூங்கில் கொட்டகை இருப்பது அந்த வியாபாரியின் கண்களில் பட்டது. பின்னர் இறைவன் அருளால் புயல் அபாயம் நீங்கியது. அதனால் மகிழ்ந்த வியாபாரி இறைவனுக்கு நன்றி செலுத்த விரும்பி மூங்கிலாலேயே ஒரு சிவபெருமான் உருவத்தைச் செய்து அந்த மூங்கில் கொட்டகையில் வைத்து வணங்கினார். இன்றும் அந்த மூங்கில் ஆலயம் இந்து-முஸ்லிம் மத நல்லிணக்கத்திற்கு ஒரு எடுத்துக்காட்டாக விளங்கிவருகிறது.

மும்பை வந்து விட்டால் இக்கோயில்களுக்குச் செல்ல வசதிகள் உள்ளன. காடுகள் நிறைந்த மலைப்பிரதேசமாக இருப்பதால் வழிகாட்டிகளை அழை த்துச் செல்ல வேண்டும். குறிப்பிட்ட காலங்களில் மட்டும்தான் இங்கு செல்ல முடியும்.

Wednesday, November 20, 2013

Route Map of Panch Kedar

Panch Kedar refers to five Hindu temples or holy places of the Shaivite sect dedicated to god Shiva. They are located in the Garhwal Himalayan region in Uttarakhand, India. The five temples designated in the strict pecking order to be followed for pilgrimage for worship are the Kedarnath at an altitude of 3,583 m, the Tungnath (3,680 m) Rudranath (2,286 m), Madhyamaheshwar or Madmaheshwar (3,490 m) and Kalpeshwar (2,200 m/). The Kedarnath is the main temple, which is part of the four famous Chota Char Dhams (literally 'the small four abodes/seats') or pilgrimage centers of the Garhwal Himalayas; the other three dhams are the Badrinath, Yamunotri and Gangotri.Kedarnath is also one of the twelve Jyotirlingas. During the winter period when the temples are inaccessible due to snowfall, the sanctified symbolic Shiva idol of Kedarnath is worshipped at the Omkareshwar temple at Ukhimath, the representational idol of Tunganath is worshipped at Mokumath, the Rudranath symbolic image is brought to Gopeshwar, and the Madhyamaheshwar symbolic idol is veneratedat Ukhimath.
The five temples lie ensconced in the regionof the Upper Himalayas with the high snow covered hill ranges of the Nanda Devi, Chaukhamba, Kedarnath and Neelkanth peaks forming their back drop. Kedarnath is located in the Mandakini River valley while the other shrines are situated in the highlands between the Mandakini valley and the Alakananda gorge. They are so remotely located that except Rudranath, the other four are still not accessible by motorable roads but reached by strenuous trekking, starting from late April or early May till early October. For the rest of year (the winter season), the shrines are closed due to heavy snowfall. Rudranath is accessible throughout the year by a short trek of about 3 km from the nearest road head.The village of Kedarnath is on the edge of Kedarnath mountain slope in a remote northern part of the Garhwal Himalayas. Kedarnath ranges drain into the Mandakini River that emerges from the steady edge of the Churabre glacier and forms the picturesque Mandakini valley. The Dudhganga Madhuganga, Swargaduari and Saraswathi are the streams that flow in the valley behind the Kedarnath temple. Also seen close to the temple are four sacred ponds called Retah, Udak, Rudra and Rishi. Tunganath has an impressive backdrop of the peaks of Panchulli, Nanda Devi, Dunagiri, Kedarnath and Bandar Poonch. The Vaitarani
stream flows near Rudranath. Kalpeshwar is located in the Urgam valley in a dense forest area. UrgamValley has apple orchards, terraced fields where potato is grown extensively. Kalp Ganga river, a tributary of the Alaknanda, flows through the valley.The Panch Kedar temples are accessible by only from the nearest road heads but in different directions, lengths and scale of difficulty (ruggedness, steepness and snow cover). The trek routes located in the Garhwal region provide a dazzling and enchanting display of the high snow peaks of Nanda Devi, Trishul and Chaukhamba. Garhwal region is where the most worshipped Ganga River and its many tributaries originate adding to the reverence of the Panch Kedar.The total trek length to cover all the five temples of Panch Kedar is about 170 km (including road travel up to Gaurikund), involving 16 days of strenuous and rewarding effort. The trek starts from Gauri Kund, one of the picturesque spots, providing spectacular views of the Himalayan range of hills in the entire Garhwal region.The trekking is undertaken during two seasons; three months during summer and two months after the monsoon season, as during the rest of the period, except Rudranath, the other four Panch Kedar temples are inaccessible due to snow cover.The road from Rishikesh is the first entry point to Garhwal from the plains of Uttarakhand. Rishikesh is approachable from Delhi by road over a distance of 230 km. The road from Rishikesh leads to the Gaurikhund on the Rudraprayag–Kedarnath road from where the trekking would start to Kedarnath temple. The trek to Kedarnath is of 14 km, each way. After Kedarnath, road travel to Guptakashi and further to Jagasu covers a distance of 30 km . From Jagasu, the trek to Madhaymaheshwar temple via Gaundhar is over a distance of24 km. This trek provides spectacular views of the Chaukhamba, the Kedarnath and the Neelkanth peaks. Returning from Madhyamaheshwar the road drive to Chopta via Jagasu is of 45 km. From Chopta, the trek is to the Tunganath temple over a distance of about 4 km. After the Tunganath trek, the drive along the road up to Mandal (known Cherapunji of Garhwal due to heavy rainfall) is for a distance of8 km. From Mandal, the trek to Rudranath temple is of 20 km . After visiting Rudranath temple the return journey is to Mandal and the drive down by road to Helang. From Helang, the trek to Kalpeshwar temple is for 11 km via Urgam village and is considered strenuous due to the steepness of the route. After completing the pilgrimage trek of Kalpeswar temple, the last of the Panch Kedar temples, the return road drive from Helong to Riishikesh via Pipalkothi is a distance of 233 km.The nearest airport is Jolly Grant, Dehradun (258 km). The nearest railway station is Rishikesh (241 km).

The most famous folk legend about Panch Kedar relates to the Pandavas, the heroes of the Hindu epic Mahabharata. The Pandavas defeated and killed their cousins — the Kauravas in the epic Kurukshetra war. They wished to atone for the sins of committing fratricide (gotra hatya) and Brāhmanahatya (killing of Brahmins — the priest class) during the war. Thus, they handed over the reigns of their kingdom to their kin and left in search of the god Shiva and to seek his blessings. First, they went to the holy city of Varanasi (Kashi), believed to Shiva's favourite city and famous for its Shiva temple. But, Shiva wanted to avoid them as he was deeply incensed by the death and dishonesty at the Kurukshetra war and was, therefore, insensitive to Pandavas' prayers. Therefore, he assumed the form ofa bull (Nandi) and hid in the Garhwal region. Not finding Shiva in Varanasi, the Pandavas went to Garhwal Himalayas. Bhima, the second of the five Pandava brothers, then standing astride two mountains started to look for Shiva. He saw a bull grazing near Guptakashi (“hidden Kashi” — the name derived from the hiding act of Shiva). Bhima immediately recognized the bull to be Shiva. Bhima caught hold of the bull by its tail and hind legs. But the bull-formed Shiva disappeared into the ground to later reappear in parts, with the hump raising in Kedarnath, the arms appearing in Tunganath, the nabhi (navel) and stomach surfacing in Madhyamaheshwar, the face showing up at Rudranath and the hair and the head appearing in Kalpeshwar. The Pandavas pleased with this reappearance in five different forms, built temples at the five places for venerating and worshipping Shiva. The Pandavas were thus freed from their sins.It is also believed that the fore portions of Shiva appeared at Pashupatinath, Kathmandu — the capital of
Nepal.

Char Dham



Char Dham are the names of four piligrimage places in India. They are: Badrinath, Dwarka, Jagannath Puri, and Rameshwaram.

The Char Dham defined by Adi Shankaracharya consists of three Vaishnavite, one Shaivite site. Over the years, the term "Char Dham" has lent itself to the all-denomination Char Dham pilgrimages in the Garhwal Himalayas, where Adi Shankaracharya attained freedom from embodiment. Earlier known as Chota Char Dham or 'Little' Char Dham to differentiate them from the bigger circuit of Char Dham sites, after the mid-20th century they themselves started being called the Char Dham. Today, the term "Char Dham" usually refers to the all-denomination Himalayan Char Dham. The Char Dham are often considered the most revered sites for Hindus that have to be visited in one's lifetime.

The four temples comprise of Badrinath, Rameswaram, Puri and Dwarka. The Advaita school of Hinduism established by Sankaracharya, who created Hindu monastic institutions across India, attributes the origin of Char Dham to the seer.The four monasteries lie across the four corners of India and their attendant temples are Badrinath Temple at Badrinath in the North, Jagannath Temple at Puri in the East, Dwarakadheesh Temple at Dwarka in the West and Ramanathaswamy Temple at Rameswaram in the South. There are four abodes in Himalayas called Chota Char Dham (Chota meaning small): Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri and Yamunotri - all of these lie at the foot hills of Himalayas. The journey across the four cardinal points in India is considered sacred by Hindus who aspire to visit these temples once in their lifetime. Traditionally the trip starts are the eastern end from Puri, proceeding in clockwise direction in a manner typically followed for circuambulation in Hindu temples. Geographically speaking the char dham make a perfect square with Badrinath and Rameswaram falling on the same longitude and Dwarka (old) and Puri on the same latitude, representing the farthest north, east, west, and south points of India (at that time, before coastlines changed).

Tungnath is The Highest Shiva Temple in The World

 
Tungnath is the highest Shiva temple in the world and is one of the five and the highest Panch Kedar temples located in the mountain range of Tunganath in Rudraprayag district of Tehri Garhwal. The Tunganath (literal meaning: Lord of the peaks) mountains form the Mandakini and Alaknanda river valleys. Located at an altitude of 3,680 m and just below the peak of Chandrashila, Tungnath temple is the highest Hindu shrine dedicated to Lord Shiva. The temple is believed to be 1000 years old and is the second in the pecking order of the Panch Kedars. The priest at this temple is a local Brahmin from Maku village, unlike the other Kedar temples where the priests are from South India, a tradition set by the eighth century Hindu seer Sankaracharya. It is also said that the Khasi Brahmins officiate as priests at this temple. During the winter season, the temple is closed and the symbolic image of the deity and the temple priests are moved to Mukunath, which is 19 km from here. Best time for pilgrimage to the shrine is summer months (end April or early May to October) as the temple remains snow bound and unapproachable. During this period even Chopta, the nearest road head remains deserted.

It is an ancient temple built in the North Indian style of temple architecture. It is small in size and can barely accommodate ten people in the sanctum. Surrounding this temple, there are a number of small shrines of several gods. The sanctum part of the temple abuts the hills where the sacred standing black rock (swayambu) with tilt to the left, of 1 ft height, denoting the form of arms of Lord Shiva is worshipped. Among the smaller shrines, the central temple is of goddess Parvati, Shiva’s consort. Away to the far right there is a group of five small shrines dedicated to the Panch Kedar, which include Tungnath also as one of the Panch Kedar, in addition to the main Tunganath temple. Near the Akash Ganga water fall, close to Tungnath, a temple to Nanda Devi is located to denote that it is descending from heaven.

The Tungnath peak on this ridge is the source of three springs, which form the Akashkamini River. The temple lies about 2 km below the Chandrashila Peak 4,000 m. The road to Chopta is just below this ridge and hence provides the shortest bridle approach path for trekking to the temple from Chopta, over a short distance of about 4 km.Chopta is 63 km (39 mi) from Rudraprayag towards Karnaprayag and is reached from Rishikesh via Devprayag, Srinagar and Rudraprayag. From the top of the Chandrashila peak, picturseque views of the Himalayan range comprising snow peaks of Nanda Devi, Panch Chuli, Banderpoonch, Kedarnath, Chaukhamba and Neelkanth on one side, and the Garhwal valley on the opposite side could be witnessed. The valley between Chopta and Tunganath temple has wooded hills with rich alpine meadows with rhododendron coppices and also agricultural fields. The rododendrons, when they are in full bloom during March, display dazzling colours ranging from crimson to pink.

The nearest airport is Jolly Grant, Dehradun 258 km. The nearest railway station is at Rishikesh 241 km

Garhwal Himalayan Mountains in Uttarakhand, India.

 
Rudranath is a Hindu temple dedicated to god Shiva, located in the Garhwal Himalayan mountains in Uttarakhand, India. Located at 2,286 metres above sea level, this natural rock temple is situated within a dense forest of rhododendron dwarfs and Alpine pastures. The temple is the third temple to be visited in the Panch Kedar pilgrimage circuit, comprising five Shiva temples in the Garhwal region. The other temples in the circuit include: Kedarnath and Tungnath to be visited before Rudranath and Madhyamaheshwar or Madmaheshwar and Kalpeshwar to be visited after Rudranath. The face (mukha) of god Shiva is worshipped as "Nilkanth Mahadeva" here.
In winter, a symbolic image of Shiva is brought to Gopeshwar for worship. The Doli Yatra starts from Gopeshwar via Sagar. The Doli Yatris cross Lyuti Bugyal and Panar and finally reach Pitradhar. The worship of ancestors is done here. The priests at the Rudranath temple are Bhatts and Tiwaris of Gopeshwar village. At Nandikund (2,439 m), on the trekking route to Rudranath (if coming via Madhmaheshwar), devotees worship old historic swords protruding from the rocks, believed to be of Pandavas.
There are numerous sacred water tanks ("Kund") near the temple. These include Surya-kund, Chandra-kund, Tara-kund, Mana-Kund etc. Nanda Devi, Trishul and Nanda Ghunti are the famous mountain peaks, which provide the backdrop to the temple. The holy river Vaitarani or Baitarani or Rudraganga flows near the temple, which has a grey stone idol of Rudranath. The river is identified with the "river of salvation", where souls of the dead cross to reach the other world. Thus, devotees visit Rudranath to perform rituals of the dead, such as performing a pind offering. Some believe that offering a pind to ancestors here equals offering a hundred million at the holy city of Gaya. The mountain peaks of Trisul, Nanda Devi, Devasthan, Hathi Parbat and Nanda Ghunti are visible from Rudranath. The name "Rudranath", literally means, "Him who is Angry." The mountain cave of Rudranath was modified into the temple we see today.
Rudranath is sometimes considered as the toughest Panch Kedar temple to reach.The nearest airport is Jolly Grant, Dehradun (258 km). The nearest railway station is Rishikesh (241 km). Most trekking routes to Rudranath are from Gopeshwar or nearby places. A motorable road is present up to the village Sagar -- 5 km from Gopeshwar, beyond which a 20 km trek has to be undergone to reach Rudranath. The trek winds through tall grass, oak and rhododendron forests. The trek path is stated to be slippery.[7] Other routes include: an uphill, 17 km trek from Gangolgaon — 3 km from Gopeshwar --through the forest and Panar and Naila shepherd settlements. Another trek route from Gopeshwar to Rudranath passes via Mandal (13 km) and then additional 6 km to the Anusuya Devi temple and then another 3 km to Rudranath. The Anusuya Devi temple is home to goddess Anusuya, who is believed to help devotees in distress. A 45 km trek path is available from Joshimath via Helang too (considered a strenuous trek). There's also a trekking route to Rudranath from Kalpeshwar, via Dumak,Kalgont Kimana and Palla. The route meets at Urgam village, a little ahead of which is Kalpeshwar.

Dakshineswar Kali Temple Kolkata

Dakshineswar Kali Temple is a Hindu temple located in Dakshineswar near Kolkata. Situated on the eastern bank of the Hooghly River, the presiding deity of the temple is Bhavatarini, an aspect of Kali, meaning, 'She who liberates Her devotees from the ocean of existence . The temple was built by Rani Rashmoni, a philanthropist and a devotee of Kali in 1855. The temple is famous for its association with Ramakrishna, a mystic of 19th Century Bengal.
The temple compound, apart from the nine-spired main temple, contains a large courtyard surrounding the temple, with rooms along the boundary walls. There are twelve shrines dedicated to Shiva—Kali's companion—along the riverfront, a temple to Radha-Krishna, a bathing ghat on the river, a shrine dedicated to Rani Rashmoni. 'Nahavat-Khana', the chamber in the northwestern corner just beyond the last of the Shiva temples, is where Ramakrishna spent a considerable part of his life.

KATASRAJ TEMPLE(PAKISTAN)




Katasraj Mandir is a Hindu mandir or temple complex situated in Katas village near Choa Saidanshah in the Chakwal district of Punjab in Pakistan. Dedicated to Shiva, the temple has existed since the days of Mahābhārata and the Pandava brothers spent a substantial part of their exile at the site. In 2012, the temple pond is drying up due to heavy use of ground water for industrial purposes.

The Katas site houses the Satgraha, a group of seven ancient temples, remains of a Buddhist stupa, a few medieval temples, havelis and some recently constructed temples, scattered around a pond considered holy by Hindus. The temples at Katas are mostly constructed on square platforms. The Ramachandra Mandir is situated to the east of the Hari Singh Haveli. The mandir has two jharokas (balconies) that have been severely damaged. The Hanuman Mandir is on the western extreme of a high rectangular enclosure. The temple's ceiling is undecorated, and lime-plastered. The Shiva temple is also built on a square platform. Its entrance is a recessed round arch with faint cusps and a rectangular opening to the north.

The smaller temples, built in pairs around the larger central temple, were built around 900 years or so ago, although the earliest of them dates back to the latter half of the 6th century AD. The temple complex was not abandoned by Hindus when they migrated to East Punjab in 1947. It has always been the site of holy pilgrimage for people of various faiths. Even nowadays, worshippers of all faiths perform pilgrimage to the mandir. The pilgrims bathe in the sacred pool and seek forgiveness as Hindu belief holds that bathing in the pond (especially on certain occasions) leads to the forgiveness of sins and helps attain salvation. Until recently, it was believed that the pond had unlimited depth.

Many legends are associated with the temples. Legend says that the five Pandava brothers, heroes of the Sanskrit epic Mahabharata, stayed here for four out of the 14 years that they spent in exile. The lake in the complex is believed to have magical powers and is supposed to be where Yudhisthira defeated the Yaksha with his wisdom to bring his brothers back to life. Another legend involves the death of Shiva's wife Sati; the story goes that when she died he cried so much and for so long that his tears created two holy ponds - one at Pushkara in Ajmer and the other at Ketaksha, which literally means "raining eyes" in Sanskrit. It is from this name that the word Ketas is derived. Another version of the legend mentions the two pools at Katasraj and Nainital. Yet another version of the Siva legend involves the death of Shiva's horse Katas instead of that of Sati his consort.

The Katasraj mandirs are located 40 kilometres from Chakwal District. It takes a little effort to reach Katasraj by road - one has to go off the M2 motorway - (Islamabad - Lahore) at the Kallar Kahar interchange, Then follow the road to Choa Saidan Shah for 24 km. just past the cement factory the road passes through the temple complex, with the major temple complex and the pond on the right.

Sun Temple of Multan - A LEGEND OF 5000 YEARS

 
Sun Temple of Multan also known as Aditya Sun Temple was an ancient Hindu temple dedicated to Surya also called Aditya. This Sun Temple has been mentioned also by Greek Admiral Skylax, who passed through this area in 515 B.C. The Multan and its temple are also earlier known as Kashya-papura is mentioned by Herodotus.
The original Sun Temple at Multan is said to have been build by Samba, son of Krishna, to get relief from disease of leprosy.
Huen Tsang is said to have visited this temple in 641 AD and had described the deity made of pure gold and eyes of whom were made of large red rubies.The gold, silver and gems were abundantly used in doors, pillars and shikhara of temple. Thousands of Hindus regularly went to Multan to worship Sun God. He is also said to have seen several dancing girls (devadasis) in the temple. He further mentions the deities of Shiva and Buddha were also installed in the temple. Even after conquest of Multan by Umayyad Caliphate in 8th Century AD, under Muhammad bin Qasim, the Sun Temple was left intact, as it was a source of great income.Al-Baruni, who also visited Multan in 10th Century AD has also left glowing description of it. However, the temple is said to have been destroyed by Mahmud of Ghazni in 1026 AD.
Multan is the city where Holika was burnt in a bonfire and Prahlad son of king Hiranyashipu was saved. The festival of Holi involves King Hiranyakashyapu his sister Holika and King Son Prahlad. Prahlad father was angry on him and order him to sit on fire with his aunty Holika who was believed to be immune to the fire. When the fire started people watched in amazement as Holika was burnt to death and Prahlad survived . The burning of Holika is celebrated as Holi and the place where she was burnt becomes Prahld Temple of Multan where Sun Temple was next to it. There are only 10 oldest cities in the history of the world and Multan is one of them. It is time to urge Government of Pakistan to restore the Prahld Souram Temple of Multan. Once this City was known as one of the Holiest City on the earth and it is time to give it's cultural heritage back to the city and open it's doors to the world .

The Prambanan Temple, Indonesia



Candi Prambanan or Candi Rara Jonggrang is a 9th-century Hindu temple compound in Central Java, Indonesia, dedicated to the Trimurti, the expression of God as the Creator (Brahma), the Preserver (Vishnu) and the Destroyer (Shiva). The temple compound is located approximately 18 kilometres east of the city of Yogyakarta on the boundary between Central Java and Yogyakarta provinces.

SOMNATH TEMPLE


Signifies that the power of reconstruction is always greater than the power of destruction.
"It is my view that the reconstruction of the Somnath Temple will be complete on that day when not only a magnificent edifice will arise on this foundation, but the mansion of India's prosperity will be really that prosperity of which the ancient temple of Somnath was a symbol.".-- Rajendra Prasad

: Some interesting facts about Somnath Temple :
 


The Somnath Temple located in the Prabhas Kshetra near Veraval in Saurashtra, on the western coast of Gujarat, India, is one of the twelve Jyotirlinga shrines of the God Shiva. Somnath means "The Protector of the Moon God".
According to puranas Moon had built a golden temple, followed by a silver temple by Ravana, Bhagvan Shree Krishna is believed to have built Somnath temple with Sandalwood.
The Somnath Temple having been destroyed or looted sixteen times by Muslim invaders
In 725 CE Junayad, the Arab governor of Sind, sent his armies to destroy the second temple. The Gurjara Pratihara king Nagabhata II constructed the third temple in 815.
In 1024 Mahmud of Ghazni raided the temple from across the Thar Desert, killing over 50,000 people who tried to defend it. The defenders included the 90-year-old clan leader Ghogha Rana. The temple was rebuilt by the Gujjar Paramara King Bhoj of Malwa and the Solanki king Bhimadev I of Anhilwara. The wooden structure was replaced by Kumarpal (r.1143-72), who built the temple of stone.In 1296, the temple was once again destroyed by Sultan Allauddin Khilji's army. The temple was rebuilt by Mahipala Deva, the Chudasama king of Saurashtra in 1308 and the Linga was installed by his son Khengar sometime between 1326 and 1351. In 1375, the temple was once again destroyed by Muzaffar Shah I, the Sultan of Gujarat. In 1451, the temple was once again destroyed by Mahmud Begda, the Sultan of Gujarat.In 1701, the temple was once again destroyed by Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb. Aurangzeb built a mosque on the site of the Somnath temple, using some columns from the temple. Later on a joint effort of Peshwa of Pune, Raja Bhonsle of Nagpur, Chhatrapati Bhonsle of Kolhapur, Queen Ahilyabai Holkar of Indore & Shrimant Patilbuwa Shinde of Gwalior rebuilt the temple in 1783 at a site adjacent to the ruined temple.
“Among the wonders of that place was the temple in which was placed the idol called Somnath. This idol was in the middle of the temple without anything to support it from below, or to suspend it from above. It was held in the highest honor among the Hindus, and whoever beheld it floating in the air was struck with amazement, whether he was a Musulman or an infidel.”-- Zakariya al-Qazwini, a 13th-century Persian Arab geographer.
In 1782-83 AD, Maratha king, Mahadaji Shinde victoriously brought the Three Silver Gates from Lahore, after defeating Muhammad Shah of Lahore. After refusal from Pundits of Gujrath and the then ruler Gaekwad to put them back on Somnath temple, these silver gates were placed in temples of Ujjain. Today they can be seen in Two Temples of India Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga Mandir & Gopal Mandir of Ujjain In 1842, Edward Law, 1st Earl of Ellenborough issued his famous 'Proclamation of the Gates' in which he ordered the British army in Afghanistan to return via Ghazni and bring back to India the sandalwood gates from the tomb of Mahmud of Ghazni in Ghazni, Afghanistan. These were believed to have been taken by Mahmud from Somnath. There was a debate in the House of Commons in London in 1843 on the question of the gates of the Somanatha temple. After much cross-fire between the British Government and the opposition, the gates were uprooted and brought back in triumph. But on arrival, they were found to be replicas of the original. So they were placed in a store-room in the Agra Fort where they still lie to the present day.
When Sardar Patel, K. M. Munshi and other leaders of the Congress went to Gandhi with the proposal of reconstructing the Somnath temple, Gandhi blessed the move,but suggested that the funds for the construction should be collected from the public and the temple should not be funded by the state.But soon both Gandhi and Sardar Patel died and the task of reconstruction of the temple continued under K. M. Munshi, who was the Minister for Food and Civil Supplies in the Nehru Government.The ruins were pulled down in October 1950 and the mosque present at that site was shifted few miles away. In May 1951, Rajendra Prasad, the first President of the Republic of India, invited by K M Munshi, performed the installation ceremony for the temple. This episode created a serious rift between the then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, who saw the movement for reconstruction of the temple as an attempt at Hindu revivalism and the President Rajendra Prasad and Union Minister K. M. Munshi, who saw in its reconstruction, the fruits of freedom and the reversal of past injustice done to Hindus.
The present temple is built in the Chalukya style of temple architecture or Kailash Mahameru Prasad Style and reflects the skill of the Sompura Salats, Gujarat's master masons. The temple's shikhar, or main spire, is 150 feet in height, and it has a 27 foot tall flag pole at the top.
The temple is situated at such a place that there is no land in straight-line between Somnath seashore till Antarctica, such an inscription in Sanskrit is found on the Arrow-Pillar called Baan-Stambh erected on the sea-protection wall at the Somnath Temple. This Baan-Stambh mentions that it stands at a point on the Indian landmass, which happens to be the first point on land in the north to the south-pole on that particular longitude

Bangla Temple Near Azimganj

Ramayana; Char Bangla Temple Near Azimganj is the fascinating Baranagar temple complex built by Rani Bhabani (1714 – 1793). The brick-built temples are considered to be amongst the best examples of Bengal Terracotta art

Lingaraj Temple

 
Lingaraj Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to Harihara, a form of Shiva and is one of the oldest temples of Bhubaneswar, the capital of the East Indian state of Odisha. The temple is the most prominent landmark of the Bhubaneswar city and one of the major tourist attractions of the state. "one of the finest examples of purely Hindu temple in India”. ---- . James Ferugsson (1808 – 1886), a noted critic and historian.
The central tower of the temple is 180 ft (55 m) tall. The temple represents the quintessence of the Kalinga Architecture and culminating the medieval stages of the architectural tradition at Bhubaneswar.The temple is believed to be built by the kings from the Somavamsi dynasty, with later additions from the Ganga rulers. The temple is built in the Deula style that has four components namely, vimana (structure containing the sanctum), jagamohana (assembly hall), natamandira (festival hall) and bhoga-mandapa (hall of offerings), each increasing in the height to its predecessor. The temple complex has 50 other shrines and is enclosed by a large compound wall.
Bhubaneswar is called the Ekamra Kshetra as the deity of Lingaraj was originally under a mango tree (Ekamra) as noted in Ekamra Purana, a 13th century Sanskrit treatise. The temple is active in worship practises, unlike most other temples in Bhubaneswar and Shiva is worshipped as Harihara, a combined form of Vishnu and Shiva. The temple has images of Vishnu, possibly because of the rising prominence of Jagannath cult emnating from the Ganga rulers who built the Jagannath Temple in Puri in the 12th century.
Lingaraja temple is maintained by the Temple Trust Board and the Archeological Survey of India (ASI). The temple has an average of 6,000 visitors per day and receives lakhs of visitors during festivals. Shivaratri festival is the major festival celebrated in the temple and event during 2012 witnessed 200,000 visitors

Difference between Om Nama Shivaya and Shivaya Nama


Om Nama Shivaya and Shivaya Nama are mantras dedicated to Mahadev Shiva. But is there a difference between them?

Om Nama Shivaya – Sthula Panchakshara

Shivaya Nama – Sookshma Panchakshara

Om Nama Shivaya is chanted to gain worldly objectives.

Shivaya Nama is chanted to attain Moksha – Liberation

Saint Vallalar wrote that when one applied sacred ash on the forehead, one should say ‘Sivaya Namaha,’ because it confers on a devotee good speech, good company, good qualities and moksha.

Meaning of the name Venkateswara




The name Venkata is exclusively used to refer to Balaji.There are two different meaning for Ventaka in Sanskrit – the first is ‘destroyer of sins.’ It is said that Brahma promised Vishnu that whoever visits the Tirumala hills will redeem their sins. Thus the Seshadri hill on which Venkateswara sits came to be known as Venkata and Vishnu came to be known as Venkateswara. This meaning of Venkata is based on the use of the term found in the Brahmanda Purana and Bhavishyottara Purana.

Another meaning of Venkata is ‘giver of worldly wealth.’ This meaning is found in the Vayu Purana. Scholars are of view that this meaning relates to one of the qualities of Venkateswara.

Read more...
http://www.hindu-blog.com/2011/02/meaning-of-name-venkateswara.html

Ravana Temples in India - Hindu Temples Dedicated to Ravan in Ramayana




There are several temples dedicated to Ravana in India. Ravan is one of the biggest demons in Hindu Scriptures. Although he is the chief of demons in the Ramayan, Ravana is worshipped for his intense devotion to Shiva and his scholarly trait. Known temples dedicated to Ravana are found in Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka

45ft Ravana Murti at Khonpura Village in Madhya Pradesh - The huge murti of Ravan is worshipped on the open ground of the Khonpura Village. The murti is more than 200 years old.

Read more...
http://www.hindu-blog.com/2013/01/ravana-temples-in-india-hindu-temples.html

Udupi Sri Krishna Murti



Lessons from the Srimad Bhagavad Purana

The ocean does not either overflow or gets dried up irrespective of the flow of water from the rivers. Similarly a person devoted totally to the Lord remains unaffected regardless of his prosperity or poverty.

From all the directions happiness pours on a person who is self–controlled, who is free from the sense of all possessions and whose entire mind is happy with thoughts of God alone.

By going on looking at all beings as the Lord Himself, the impurities of the mind i.e. jealousy, competition, contempt etc. along with the ego will all vanish.

Tuesday, November 19, 2013

Indus Valley Civilization and Sarsvati River.


Veera Abhaya Anjaneya Hanuman Swami at Paritala

 
Veera Abhaya Anjaneya Hanuman Swami at Paritala near Vijayawada in Andhra Pradesh in India – 135 feet (41 m)

Srivilliputhur one of the 108 Divya Desams


            Thiruvilliputhoor Divya Desam is a popular 2000-year-old Hindu temple and one of the 108 Divya Desams, the most important abodes of Lord Vishnu. It is the birthplace of two of the most important alvars (saints) in the Vaishnavite tradition: Periyazhvar and Andal. The temple is in the town of Srivilliputtur, about 74 km from Madurai, India. It is significant that the temple tower is used in the Tamilnadu government's official seal.
The history of Srivilliputhur centres around the Srivilliputhoor Temple, dedicated to Andal (8th century or earlier), the only female Alvar of the 12 Alvar saints of South India. She is credited with the Tamil works of Thirupavai and Nachiar Tirumozhi that are still recited by devotees during the Winter festival season of Margazhi. Andal is known for her unwavering devotion to god Vishnu, the God of the Srivaishnavas. Adopted by her father, the Alvar saint Periyalvar who found her as a baby, Andal avoided earthly marriage, the normal and expected path for women of her culture, to "marry" Vishnu, both spiritually and physically. In many places in India, particularly in Tamilnadu, Andal is treated more than a saint and as a form of god herself and a shrine for Andal is dedicated in most Vishnu temples.
During the reign of Thirumalai Naikar (1623–1659) and Rani Mangammal (1689–1706), this city became very popular. Thirumalai Nayak renovated the temples of this city. From 1751 to 1756 A.D., Srivilliputhur came under the rule of Nerkattumseval palayakkarar Puli thevar and was a maravarpalayam. Later the Fort of Srivilliputtur was ruled by Periyasami Thevar.[5] Then it fell into the hands of Mohammed Yousoof Khan. Until 1850, Sri Andal temple was under the care of the king of Trivancore. The British ruled the country till India attained freedom in 1947.

ANNAMALAIYAR TEMPLE in Thiruvannamalai!


               Dedicated to Shiva, is located at the base of Annamalai hills in the town of Thiruvannamalai in Tamil Nadu, India. It is one of the temples associated with the five elements, the Pancha Bhoota Stalas, and specifically the element of fire, or Agni. Shiva is worshiped as Annamalaiyar or Arunachaleswarar, and is represented by the lingam, with his idol referred to as Agni lingam. His consort Parvati is depicted as Unnamulai Amman. The presiding deity is revered in the 7th century Tamil Saiva canonical work, the Tevaram, written by Tamil saint poets known as the nayanars and classified as Paadal Petra Sthalam. The 9th century Saiva saint poet Manikkavasagar composed the Tiruvempaavai here.

The temple complex covers 10 hectares, and is one of the largest in India. It houses four gateway towers known as gopurams. The tallest is the eastern tower, with 11 stories and a height of 66 metres (217 ft), making it one of the tallest temple towers in India. The temple has numerous shrines, with those of Annamalaiyar and Unnamulai Amman being the most prominent. The temple complex houses many halls; the most notable is the thousand-pillared hall built during the Vijayanagar period.

The temple has six daily rituals at various times from 5:30 a.m. to 10 p.m., and twelve yearly festivals on its calendar. The Karthigai Deepam festival is celebrated during the day of the full moon between November and December, and a huge beacon is lit atop the hill. It can be seen from miles around, and symbolizes the Shiva lingam of fire joining the sky] The event is witnessed by three million pilgrims. On the day preceding each full moon, pilgrims circumnavigate the temple base and the Annamalai hills in a worship called Girivalam, a practice carried out by one million pilgrims yearly.
 

The present masonry structure was built during the Chola dynasty in the 9th century, while later expansions are attributed to Vijayanagar rulers of the Sangama Dynasty (1336–1485 CE), the Saluva Dynasty and the Tuluva Dynasty (1491–1570 CE). The temple is maintained and administered by the Hindu Religious and Endowment Board of the Government of Tamil Nadu.

BAPS Swaminarayan Mandir ATLANTA, USA

VISHNU MANDIR, Muktinah, NEPAL


Muktinath is a sacred place both for Hindus and Buddhists located in Muktinath Valley at an altitude of 3,710 meters (12, 172 feet) at the foot of the Thorong La mountain pass, Mustang district, Nepal.

Carleton Hindu Temple. OTTAWA, CANADA

The biggest Ganesh Statue

 
 The 66-feet Chinmaya Ganadhish in Kolhapur is at present considered to be the tallest Ganesha idol in the world.

Monday, November 18, 2013

Thanjavur

Thanjavur. Scores of tourists make a beeline to the showstopper of the town – the thousand-year-old Brihadeshwara temple. However in the heart of the erstwhile Chola capital, where Raja Raja Chola’s Big Temple, true to its name, towers over all and sundry, is a palace, which has very little to do with the Cholas, historically speaking.

Everything about Thanjavur is larger than life. Besides the Big temple, is the Periya Kottai or the Big Fort, built by the Nayaks who took over the reins of the kingdom from the Cholas. The Aramane built by them in the 16th century became the official residence of the Bhonsle clan of the Marathas, the next dynasty who ruled this region for over 200 years from the 17th to the 19th centuries.  In the recently restored courtyard, you can see the tall tower looking down at you.

Mamallapuram

Jaipur

Though the Jaipur Literature Festival – always colorful, often controversial -- is the premier literary event in the country, it is not all that Jaipur has to offer. Founded in 1727 by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II, a Kachwaha Rajput who ruled the state of Jaipur from 1699 to 1744, the city takes after his name. The Maharaja moved his capital from Amber Fort, 11 km from the city in the adjoining hills, owing to a scarcity of water and growing population. In 1853, when the Prince of Wales visited the city, the entire city was painted a shade of earthy pink to welcome him. The practice stayed, and Jaipur assumed the sobriquet of Pink City thereafter. The Nahargarh Fort, which overlooks the city from a hillock to the northwest, the Jaigarh Fort known for its enormous cannon are the other forts. The City Palace, the Prince Albert Museum, Hawa Mahal, Jantar Mantar and the Jal Mahal are some of the most-visited monuments.

Brihadeesvara Temple in Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu

Travel Flickr Nandi Trail BrihadeesvaraTravel Flickr Nandi Trail BrihadeesvaraTravel Flickr Nandi Trail BrihadeesvaraTravel Flickr Nandi Trail BrihadeesvaraTravel Flickr Nandi Trail BrihadeesvaraTravel Flickr Nandi Trail Brihadeesvara

The awe-inspiring Nandi at Brihadeesvara Temple in Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu, is about 2 m in height and estimated to weigh about 20 tonnes. It is carved out of a single rock and is 6 m long and 2.5 m wide.

பிறப்புடன் பிறக்கும் ஐந்து விதிகள்...

ஒரு குழந்தை கர்ப்பத்தில் உண்டாகிறது. அதனுடன் ஐந்து விஷயங்கள் கூடவே பிறக்கின்றன.  (1) *ஆயுள்* : மனிதன் எவ்வளவு முயற்சி செய்தாலும் ஒரு நொடி க...