Ram Temples Real Ramayana Places – Rama Vanvaas Sthalam (Part 2) Pratik Dave, July 4, 2022July 5, 2022It was at this place where Lakshmana made a kutiya (hermitage) for them to stay. The still water of river Mandakini and floral beauty made this place the most ideal for Shri Rama to do Tapasya. Bharata, who was unaware of all this scenario created by Maa Kaikeyi whose ears were poisoned by her maid ‘Manthara’, came to meet his brother Shri Rama at Chitrakuta. He urged him to return to the kingdom and accept the crown of Ayodhya Maharaja. However, Maryada Purushottam could not go back on his word and disrespect his father, cementing the tag that he got. On seeing the firm determination of Shri Rama, Bharata decided to return back to Ayodhya with Shri Ram’s charan paduka (footwear), which he would worship every day and be placed on the throne on his behalf. Bharata was the caretaker of the Ayodhya Saamrajya for the next 14 years. Continue Reading
Ram Temples Real Ramayana Places – Rama Vanvaas Sthalam (Part 1) Pratik Dave, July 1, 2022July 3, 2022यत्क्रौञ्चमिथुनादेकमवधीः काममोहितम् – the shloka used by Mahrishi Valmiki to initiate writing the legend of Ramayana, making this itihas an eternal part of our values and traditions. This shloka means that a pair of krounchas (heron) were separated with the male bird being killed by the hunter because of his desire, desire to hunt innocent animals and birds for pleasure and business purposes. ‘Desire’ was the core and prime reason for the whole Ramayana. Maa Kaikeyi expressed her desire to make his son ‘Bharata’ the Maharaja of Ayodhya Saamrajya and asked Shri Rama to go into exile for 14 years away from their kingdom. For the sake of his father’s (Maharaja Dashratha’s) promise that he made to Kaikeyi, Shri Rama left for vanvaas and that’s how we got our ‘Maryada Purushottam’. Continue Reading
Temple Purana Guruvayoor Temple, Kerala: Saloni Choudhary, January 30, 2022January 30, 2022Guruvayoor Sri Krishna Temple is a Hindu sanctuary devoted to the Hindu god Guruvayurappan (a four-armed connection of the Hindus god Vishnu), situated in the town of Guruvayur in Kerala, India. It is one of the important holy place for Hindus of Kerala and is frequently referred to as Bhuloka Vaikunta. which means the “Heavenly Abode of Vishnu on Earth”. . The main deity is a four-armed standing Krishna carrying the conch Panchajanya, the plate Sudarshana Chakra, the mace Kaumodaki and a lotus with a Holy basil garland. This image addresses the grand form of Vishnu as revealed to Krishna’s parents Vasudeva and Devaki around the hour of Krishna’s birth; subsequently Guruvayur is otherwise called “Dwarka of South India”. Continue Reading
Temple Purana Jharni Narasimha Temple: A Cave Temple Filled With Water Disha Devadiga, December 9, 2021December 9, 2021LOCATION: The temple is located in a cave in the Bidar district of Jharni in… Continue Reading
Temple Circuits Sringeri Sharadhambal Temple, Karnataka : Saloni Choudhary, November 28, 2021November 28, 2021Sri Adi Shankaracharya established the Sringeri Sharada Temple in the eighth century. It housed a standing sandalwood sculpture of Shardamba introduced by Adi Shankarachaya until the fourteenth century, when the Vijayanagara rulers and Sri Vidyaranya (twelfth Jagadguru) installed a situated gold sculpture of Sri Shardamba. The old temple of Sri Sharada, the presiding divinity of Sringeri, has a great history that starts with Sri Sankara Bhagavatpada’s foundation of the Dakshinamnaya Peetham. Initially, it was a basic holy place with the Murti of Sharada made of sandalwood introduced over the Sri Chakra cut on a stone by Sri Adi Shankara. Sri Bharati Krishna Tirtha and Sri Vidyaranya consequently had a temple constructed in the Kerala style, with a timber and tiled rooftop. Continue Reading
Temple Purana Gokarna Mahabaleshwar Temple, Karnataka : Saloni Choudhary, November 24, 2021November 24, 2021The Mahabaleshwar Temple, Gokarna plays an important part in giving beach town Gokarna the reputation of a pilgrimage centre. The temple is devoted to Lord Mahabaleshwar, a form of Lord Shiva. The temple is named after the stunning 6 ft. tall Atma Linga situated inside the temple on a square molded dark stone dais (Shaligrama Peetha) with an opening at the centre. The devotees can just get a glimpse of the highest point of the linga until the day of Ashta Bandana Kumbhahishekam in every 40 years when it is seen completely. The principal god at this shrine is a 1500 year old antique stone sculpture of Lord Shiva. Continue Reading
Shiva Temples Ardhanareeswarar Temple, Thiruchengode : Saloni Choudhary, October 27, 2021October 27, 2021Arthanareeswarar sanctuary is an antiquated Hindu sanctuary, situated in Tiruchengode, in the southern Indian province of Tamil Nadu. The sanctuary is devoted to Arthanāreeswarā, the special half-male ,half-female form of Lord Shiva. The god here is otherwise called Madhorubagan and Ammaiyappan (mother-father). The well known Chenkottu Velavar Temple, devoted to Lord Murugan, is additionally arranged on a similar slope. One more name for the Arthanareeswara Temple is Thirukodimada Chenkundrur. Continue Reading
hindi Masani Amman Anamalai, Tamilnadu : Saloni Choudhary, October 27, 2021October 27, 2021One of the extremely interesting Amman sanctuaries in India, is Masani Amman sanctuary. This sanctuary is based upon the cremation ground, and the sanctum of Goddess Amman is likewise based upon the cremation region and thus the Amman is called as Masani Amman by local people and later it turned into the name of the sanctuary. This sanctuary is situated at Annaimalai close to Pollachi. It takes 1.30 hrs from Coimbatore to arrive at this sanctuary. The idol of the goddess is seven feet in length and is in tremendous sleeping position, her head is in East side and her feet faces the West. It is an extremely unique type of Amman, no other Amman in India is found in resting position. Toward the end of the god’s feet, a sculpture of Asuran is found, close to it around two feet high model of Masani stands gloriously. Continue Reading