Thirumalai Vaiyaavoor Sri Prasanna Venkatesa Perumaal

Name : Thirumalai Vaiyaavoor Sri Prasanna Venkatesa Perumaal

This hill has various names like Sri Vaikundagiri, Dhakshina Garudagiri, Dhakshina Venkatagiri, Dhakshina Seshagiri, Varaaha Kshethram and Ramanuja Yogagiri. This ancient temple has some interesting legends attached to it.

Location :

Thirumalai Vaiyaavoor lies about 70 kms from Chennai and 18 kms from Chengalpattu. While going from Chennai, after crossing Chengalpattu, one can find Padaalam Cross Road (Koot Road) from where a road goes off GST Road on the right side. This road leads to Thirumalai Vaiyaavoor.

Legend :

The Blog post http://www.dharsanam.com/2008/03/thirumalai-vaiyaavoor-sri-prasanna.html lists a lot of legends associated with this temple. I mention only one below. Pls visit the blog to see other legends associate with this temple.

During the battle between Sri Rama and Raavana, Lakshmana fainted on the battle field. Sri Rama sent Sri Hanuman to bring the Sanjeevi hill to cure Lakshmana. Sri Hanuman brought the Sanjeevi hill as told by Sri Rama. It is said that Sri Hanuman worshipped Sri Varaaha Perumaal and Sri Prasanna Venkatesa Puramaal on this hill, on the way back to Lanka, carrying the Sanjeevi hill. As Sanjeevi hill should not be placed on ground, it is said that Sri Hanuman shifted the hill from His right hand to left hand to offer obeisance to the Gods here. As the holy Sanjeevi hill was not kept on ground here by Sri Hanuman, this place came to be known as Thirumalai Vaiyaavoor (திருமலை வையாவூர்).



Description :

The temple is beautifully located on the hill top. There are about 500 steps on the hill to reach the temple. There is a proper road also to reach the temple by vehicles. Though the main deity is Sri Venkatesa Perumal the Aadhi Murthy here is Sri Varaaha Perumaal. One has to first visit Sri Varaaha Perumaal before visiting the main deity. Sri Varaaha Perumaal is seen with Sri Lakshmi facing west. Also, when the temple is opened, Sri Varaaha Perumaal’s shrine is opened first and all the offerings are made to Him first, before others.

The main deity Sri Srinivaasa Perumaal is seen facing west. The Lord is beautifully decorated with ornaments and gives dharshan exactly as in Thirupathi. Goddess Sri Alarmel Mangai Thaayaar has a separate shrine here. There are separate shrines for Sri Aandaal and Sri Ramanuja too.

The inner praakaarams have lot of stone pillars and spread on a wide area. The pillars have some exquisite carvings on them.

The Theertham for this temple is called Varaaha Theertham which is at the foot of this hill. The path to the Theertham is not motorable but looks beautiful when seen from the hill top.

Sri Anjaneyar shrine (Lord Hanuman) is present facing the hill opposite to the stair way to the temple. Sri Garuda Bhagavan is seen on specific corners on the wall, guarding the Lord.

It is also said that people visiting Thirupathi should also visit Thirumalai Vaiyaavoor and bathe in Varaaha Theertham and worship Sri Prasanna Venkateswara Perumaal here, only after which the pilgrimage gets complete.

Other Tourist Attractions :

One can reach Vedanthangal from here. You can plan for a day trip to visit Perumal and also enjoy the day in vedanthangal.

Website :

I took the entire information from the blog http://www.dharsanam.com/2008/03/thirumalai-vaiyaavoor-sri-prasanna.html

Thiruvilwamala Sree Ramabhadraswamy and Lakshmana Swamy Temple

Name : Thiruvilwamala Vilwadrinatha temple

Location :

The place Tiruvilwamala is situated in Talappilly Taluk of Trichur district attains great prominence. Vilwadrinatha temple of Tiruvilwamala has a rich heritage in the history of temples. The place is famous for its serene and picturesque beauty.The hills and the Bharatapuzha river (which is only half a mile from the temple ) adds natural beauty to this place. These hills are called Vilwamala which is why Lord Sreerama is also called Vilwadrinathan. The temple of Vilwadrinatha is the most important of all the ‘Beejakshetras’.

Deities :

The main deity being Sree Ramabhadraswamy and Lakshmana Swamy, the Upadevas of this temple are Lord Mahaganapathy, Lord Veera Hanuman, Lord Ayyappa with Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvathi on the same pedestal.

Legend :

Being a very old temple there are lot of intresting legends about this temple.

1. Sri Vilwadri Mahatmya, a Sanskrit text with 18 chapters, describes the origin of this ancient temple. It is in the form of a conversation between Uma (Parvati) and Maheswara (Siva). According to this, Bhargava Rama, as Parasurama is called, prayed to Siva for the liberation of his pitrus. Pleased with the prayers of Parasurama, Parameswara granted him the image of Vishnu which He Himself was worshipping. Parasurama, in his search for a suitable place for the installation of the deity, came across the beautiful Vilwadri, full of Amala trees. He constructed a temple here, consecrated the deity and laid down the pooja routine. He brought the pirtus and got them liberated as a result of the darshan of the divine deity. The place he settled down finally is still known as Bhutan mala. Self born Image The image in the sanctum facing west is Swayambhu or self born.

It is the believed that the idol here is the one, which is worshiped by Siva in Kailasa. It is four to five feet tall and is permanently fitted with a gold plated cover for the protection of the image.

It is said that there used to be a hole on the pedestal in front of the deity. The. water filled here was served as tirtha. Once a piece of kadali plantain fell into this. The priest tried to remove this by piercing the hole with a sharp instrument. He heard a cracking sound of the stone and the tool fell from his hand. The tirtha also dried up subsequently. It is believed that below the sanctum there is a cave and also a golden Vilwa tree. Some say, it is because of this that the place came to be called Vilwamala.

2. When the news of this holy shrine which Parasurama installed, spread widely, Pandavas too decided to visit this place to conduct the ceremonies for the moksha of their pitrus. They came to the banks of the River Bharatapuzha( which is also known as the Ganges of Kerala) and conducted the ceremonies under the guidance of Lord Krishna. They built a temple, there for Lord Krishna, which is now popularly known as Ivormadom Sreekrishnaswamy Temple.

3. The story of the origin of Swayambhu deity in the west is related in Vilwadri Mahatmyam. According to this, Aamalakan, son of Kashyapa Prajapati started rigorous tapas to propitiate Lord Mahavishnu. The asuras became panicky. They thought that this severe penance would bring about their ruin. They tried to create terror in Aamalakan. Aamalakan opened his eyes which emitted sparks of fire. The asuras died on the spot. The heap of the dead was transformed into rock. This is one version as how the name rakshasapara came into being. Sage Aamalakan continued his prayer. Pleased, Lord Mahavishu appeared before him asked his devotee to name any boon. Aamalakan said he desired nothing, but unstinted devotion. He also requested the lord to remain there for the protection of those who suffer in this world. Mahavishnu agreed and transformed into a deity.

4. The other version of how name rakshasapara came into being is that, The popularity of this two shrines and the power of Lord Mahavishnu increased enormously as a result of which, the asuras became furious. It is believed that on one ekadasi day, the Asura Kumbhanasika tried to stir the image on the sanctum on the western side. Lord Mahavishnu appeared and took hold of Kumbhanasika and other asuras and pulled them into a cave towards the south. They were locked up there. This particular place is what we now call the “rakshasapara”.

5. It is also said that the pathway inside the cave seen near the peepul tree close to the eastern gateway of the temple had been connected to ‘Tirunelli’ through an underground passage. The story goes that when a priest returning through this passage after worshipping the deity at Tirunelli, the young lady walking in front showing light to the priest got impure and consequently the underground passage behind was sealed forever. Even now a part of this underground passage where extreme darkness prevails is explorable.

6. There are a lot of legends about ‘Moorikkunnu’, ‘Thalavettipara’, ‘Monnuruttikallu’, ‘Maharshipala’, etc. which are only just mentioned .

7. Since Parasurama’s time, Punarjani is a symbol of freeing oneself of all sins. The ritual crawling through the cave takes place on the full moon Ekadesi day in the malayalam month of Vrischikam. It coincides with Guru Ekadesi.

Veer Hanuman Temple :

The temple has an enormous courtyard. To the southeast side of the courtyard is the idol of Veera Hanuman. There were two instances when fire broke out in this temple. It is well known that after the installation of this idol of Veera Hanuman, such a calamity never arised. This idol has immense power and devotees offer Vadamala, Vettilamala, Aval nivedyam etc to please Anjaneya, the beloved devotee of Lord Sreerama.



Punarjani:

The main attraction in the temple is the ‘Punarjani Guha’ (cave). The "punarjani" cave is in between the Vilwamala and the Bhoothamala. The Punarajani cave is a natural 15-meter long tunnel in the rocky cliff. It is believed that by crawling through the tunnel from one end to the other, one washes away all his sins and thus attains rebirth. The ritual is known as ‘Punarjani noozhal’. Once we enter the Punarjani cave it takes about 45minutes to reach the exit.

At 3.30 am on the auspicious day, the priest accompanied by his aides and ritual music heads to the Punarjani. After the rituals at the mouth, the priest drops a gooseberry into the cave. The sight of the gooseberry emerging from the other end of the cave is amazing. The movement through the cave demands all kinds of bodily postures like standing, sitting, creeping, crawling etc. Only men are allowed to perform this ritual, while women can only visit the cave. The ritual is practiced only in one day in an year, the Guruvayur Ekadasi day in ‘Vrischikam’ (November-December). 

It is believed Sage Parasurama reached here to atone for his sin of massacring Kshatriyas. Since Par...

Read more at: https://travel.manoramaonline.com/travel/essential-kerala/2018/07/03/thiruvilwamala-thrissur-palakkad-cave.html

It is believed Sage Parasurama reached here to atone for his sin of massacring Kshatriyas. Since Par...

Read more at: https://travel.manoramaonline.com/travel/essential-kerala/2018/07/03/thiruvilwamala-thrissur-palakkad-cave.html

Theerthams :

1. Before starting to Punarjani we have to touch the “Ganapathi theertham” (which never gets dried up) on the northern side of the mountain about quarter of a mile eastwards from the temple.

2. Next we can reach a steep rock about seventy feet high on travelling about one and a half miles over the mountain. The broad “Papanasini Theertham” is seen if we proceed a little further in the southwest direction over the narrow projection on the rock. This was made by Parasurama and the presence of Ganga has been brought in this Theertha. Railings have been provided here for the devotees to walk easily without fear of falling down from the narrow projection of the rock.

3. After making the Punarjani noozhal, custom is to go to papanasini again to purify the body and then go to the entrance once again. Next the devotees have to bathe or wash their hands, feet and face in the “Pathala Theertha” on the west at a distance of about thirty feet. It is believed that Parasurama who had brought the presence of the purified water of “Brahmakamandalu” here made this also.

4. The next step is to take holy water in our hands from the “Kombutheertha”, which was formed when Indra’s elephant Iravatha struck his tusk on the rock.

5. Nearby lies the “Ambutheertha” from which water has to be taken out using some stick or anything like that. People believe that one “Janma” or span of life is reduced from the cycle of births and deaths if we go through the punarjani cave once.



Stala Viruksham :

To the north west side of the courtyard is the banyan tree. To circle this tree is very auspicious (arrayal pradakshinam) and to see the lizard in this particular tree is considered as having the darshan of Lord Guruvayoorappan.

Festivals :

Every year thousands of people from far and near come to Bharathappuzha to offer their oblations to their Pitrus espe­cially on the new moon days in the Malayalam month of Karkidakam (June-July) and Thulam (Oct-Nov).

The important annual festival here is Ekadasi. It is a belief that Lord Guruvayurappan will come all the way from Guruvayur and visit Vilwadrinathan on this particular day. Niramala, is another great festival which falls in the month of chingam.The lights and the decoration with flower garlands is one of exquisite beauty. Ramanavami is also celebrated with great splendour.

Website : http://www.thiruvilwamala.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=19&Itemid=27

http://thiruvilwamala.000a.biz/?page_id=175

Janardhana Swamy Temple

Name : Janardhana Swamy Temple

Location :
The Janardhana Swamy temple in Kerala is situated on a very steep hill on the beach road to Varkala of Thiruvanantpuram district.

Myths and Legends :

It is believed that brahma performed a sacrifice (Yagna) at Varkala. The striate of lignite and mineral waters found in Varkala are attributed to this sacrifice. Tradition also has it that when the west coast was reclaimed from the sea by parasurama, earthquakes were frequent and that land was unfit for human habitation. To remedy this situation, the founder is believed to the performed a sacrifice at Varkala.

In the central shrine there is a huge Dutch bell with an inscription on it is Latin. Centuries ago, a Dutch vessel reached the shore of Varkala and could not proceed further in the sea as there was absolutely no breezed at all. The captain offered the bell from the ship to the temple priest who prayed to the Lord for providing suitable wind to enable the ship to sail on its further voyage. Very soon a good breeze started to enable the ship to move on its voyage. The captain installed this bell at the temple before he set sail from Varkala. It is also says the bell was presented to the temple when the Dutch evacuated Fanjet where they had established a factory.

Description :

This famous temple, which is believed to be almost 2,000 years old, is dedicated to Lord Vishnu and Hanuman. The temple is a very good specimen of traditional South-Indian architecture. The circular building with a red-tiled roof houses the main shrine. Within the temple grounds, an old banyan tree contains within its trunk, images of ancient animistic snake deities.

The circular ‘Sanctum sanctorum” surmounted by a conical dome of copper sheets, the square ‘mandapa' with beautiful wooden carvings of Navagrahas on the ceiling and copper-plated roof over it, the quadrangular enclosures around them, a hall containing a ‘bali peetha' in front of the inner temple are the characteristic features of the Kerala style of architecture. One of the inscriptions indicates that the temple was improved during the reign of Umayamma Rani, who ruled this region during 1677-84 A.D.

Non Hindus are not allowed to enter the inner sanctum of the Janardhana Swamy temple, but are allowed to walk around the sanctum and stroll around the huge banyan tree. There is a belief that the water in the pond of the temple is holy and a bath in the pond will nullify all the sins.

This temple is very closely located to "PAPNASHNAM BEACH". Beach, where according to Hindu rituals, you can wash away or get rid of your sins by taking holy dip in its water and purify yourself. After the death of some near and dear, Hindu's bring there ashes here and after performing a custom famous in south India called 'Vavu Beli', the ashes are dipped permanently into the sea of this Papnashnam beach so that his or her sins should be washed away and he or she shall go to heaven permanently.

Festivals :

The Arattu, celebrated every year in Meenam (March-April), is the main festival at the Janardhana Swamy temple. The temple attracts many devotees.

Website :
http://www.templesinkerala.com/temples/janardhan_varkala.htm

Jotiba Temple - Kolhapur

Name : Jotiba Temple

Location :
Jyotiba Temple is located 14 km north-west of Kolhapur in the Panhala Range, in Maharashtra. It is situated at an altitude of 3124 ft above the sea level.

Legend :

This temple is one of the 12 Jyotirlingas. This is also called Kedarnath and Wadi Ratnagiri. Mythology says, Jotiba helped Mahalaxmi in her fight with the demons. He founded his kingdom on this mountain. He belongs to the Nath cult. He was born in the hands of Vimalmbuja, the wife of the sage Pougand, on Chaitra Shukla 6. This God is avtaar of Guard (Bhairav).

The temple is dedicated to Jyotiba (also Dattatreya), which was formed by the amalgamation of the jyotis (souls) of three gods - Lord Brahma, Lord Vishnu and Lord Shiva. Legend has it that the three gods took the form of Jyotiba to destroy the evil Ratnasur who troubled civilians.
With this incidence name of village was Wadi Ratnagiri. Instead of taking such long name public accepted this place as the name of God ‘Jotiba’ and this name became famous.

Description :

The original temple was built in 1730 by Navajisaya. The interior is ancient and the idol is four-handed. There are other temples and Light-towers.



Decorated bamboo sticks called as SASAN KATHI are attraction of this fair. Not less than 2000 sticks are traditionally involved in fair. Sequence of these sticks is a convention. It is not changeable. A colorful procession of SASAN KATHI is main attraction of fair. Devotees from abroad and various parts of country take part in this procession.

Festivals :

On Chaitra Poornima (appr. In Mar-Apr.) a big fair is held, when lacs of devotees come with tall (Sasan) sticks. Due to scattering of 'Gulal' the whole mountain is turned pink.

Sunday is a preferable visiting day. On the full moon day a Palkhi procession is carried out.

There is other temple of goddess ‘Yamai’ on the northern part of hill. She is believed to be sister of Jotiba.

Website :
http://tourism.kolhapurworld.com/jotiba_temple.html

Valli Malai

Name : Valli Malai

Location :

Valli Malai is situated in North Arcot district near the town Walaja. There is a Murugan temple for Lord Muruga along with Valli and Devayanai.

Description :

Behind the temple there is a kulam Saravana Poikai. Near the kulam there is a Valli temple also. On the top of the hillock there is another temple for Lord Muruga. One has to climb 444 steps to reach this temple that is carved in a single rock. On the steps there are a number of resting mandapams. Out of the many canopies one of them is still not renovated. When they tried to renovate it, Mr. Arunachalam, Mr. Apathurai and Kripananda Variar tried to remove the stone. When they had smoke incense smell coming from the chamber below the stone they had the vision of siddhas and rishis seated in yoga posture. All the three had a shock and became unconscious. From that time the stones were closed and this particular canopy has been left as it is without renovation. There are a number of stories about this.

Valli Malai Shakti Peetam (Iccha Shakti) :

Here Valli Devi has importance from very ancient time many siddhas lived on this hill. In fact one may call it a Siddha Bhumi. On top of Valli Malai near the ashram there is a place where Valli made a paste of turmeric for taking bath. Nearby is the place where Murugan took the form of a tree. Valli Malai Swamigal removed what remained of the tree and made it into a water pool.

Ganesa Giri :

There is a natural rock formation like an elephant and Lord Ganesa has helped in the Valli Tirumanam. Lord Ganesa is in the form of a natural rock formation the Ganesa Giri and protects all the bhaktas.

Tiruppukazh Asramam

Near the Valli Malai rock temple the asramam is situated. Swami Satchidananda accepted Tiruppukazh as the Veda Mantra and taught all with music. In 1950 he attained samadhi. This samadhi is made of a single rock. Presently this asramam is administered by Sri Balananda Swami.

Siva-Visnu
On the top of the hillock there is a Siva lingam called Tirumal Gireeswara. Here Vaisnavism and Saivism commingle. After the puja the priest blesses the devotees with sadari proving that this is a Vaisnava site.



Kumari Teertham
On the west of the asramam, there is a spring which is called Suriyan Kanaa Cunnai, meaning the pond that does not see the sun, i.e. the sun's rays never touch it. The story goes that Lord Murugan came as an old man and asked Valli to give honey and tinai maha (millet flour) to eat. On eating the same he had hiccups and asked for water from a pond which does not get either sun rays or moon rays. The water is perennial and is considered as Ganges water. There are references about this spring on palmyra leaf sources. Young women sprinkle this water on their head and pray to Valli for a good husband.

Valli and Devasena and temple history

Maha Visnu's daughters were Valli and Devayanai. They wanted to have a husband who will never get angry. They performed penance and Lord Muruga appeared before them. Both of them wanted to get married to them. He said that Devayanai will be married as daughter of Indra and Valli to Veddas and then he will marry them.

After destroying Surapadma, Lord Muruga restored the Indra Loka to Indra As a gift Indra gave his daughter Devayanai to Lord Murugan in wedlock. Valli was born on Valli Malai and brought up by Vedda king Nambi Raj. Valli and Lord Muruga played a lot of leelas for nearly twelve years and ultimately married. This hillock where Valli was born therefore gets the name Valli Malai.

Website : http://murugan.org/centers/vallimalai.htm

Lord Arthanareeswarar - Tiruchengode

Name : Arulmigu Arthanareeswarar Temple (also known as "Thirukodi mada chengundroor " in vedic times)

Location : Tiruchengode taluk is located in Namakkal district, south of Salem district and east of Erode district.

No of Steps : 1206

Sthala Vruksham : Eluppai Tree stands as the Sthala Vruksham the tree of the temple on the north side.

Legend :

1. Adi Kesava Perumal, enshrined here, instructed Gowri on the Kedara Gowri Vratam which she performed to unite with Shiva as Ardhanareeswarar. One of the 64 manifestations of Shiva - the man-woman form with Parvati constituting the left half of Shiva.

2. A battle of strength between Adi Seshan and Vayu, saw the former clinging tightly to Mount Meru and Vayu using his might to blow it away. The latter succeeded in blowing it away to Tiruchengode and the blood spilled by Adiseshan colored it red. Kamadhenu is said to have obtained 5 hills from Shiva, of which this was one; hence this hill with 2 stories of its origin,with rocks colored both red and yellow represents the masculine and feminine aspects of the Ardhanareeswara manifestation of Shiva.

One is Thiruvannamalai,the next Srilanka and the other is Nagamalai in Thiruchengode.

Period : This ancient hill temple according to the inscriptions on the walls must have been built about 2000 years ago. Many renovation works and additions were done by the kings and chieftains ruled over Tamilnadu in the past.

Description :
The hill, which is about 650 ft. height . The hill is referred in many names like Chemmalai, Nagamalai, Nandhimalai and many more. Ardhanareeswarar - one of the 64 manifestations of Shiva, representing the unity of Shiva and Parvati, is enshrined in this revered hill temple of great significance, acessible by a motorable road; this is an ancient temple mentioned in the Tamil work Silappadikaram as Neduvelkunru. The red color of the hill caused the name Chengode. The image above, shows the view of the surrounding area from the top of the Tiruchengode hill. This temple  is regarded as the 4th of the 7 Tevara Stalams in the Kongu Region of Tamilnadu.

Lord Arthanareeswarar is giving salvation to all souls, from the hill top temple. Lord Sengottuvelavar and Lord Adhikesava Perumal in separate shrines as presiding deities.

Lord Arthanareeswarar has a unique form here, which combines half male and half female form. The lord is also known as Madhorubagan and Ammayappan. It is claimed that this rare posture of the Lord as prime deity can be found only in this temple in the whole of Asia. The hill top temple can be reached by climbing up 1206 steps, made of stone.

View of Mountain :

The hill which stands in the midst of Thirukodimada Sengundroor and also sung in Thevaram is Nagagiri, it is also called as Nagachalam, Panimalai, Uragaverpu, Siva-malai, Kodaimalai and Deivathirumalai. This divine mountain contains about 350 acres of land which is 2000 feet above sea level . It kindles imagination and appears different from different angles. This is actually formed by Nagamalai and Nandimalai .

North side view gives an illusion that as though, Snakes are spreading its hood. Eastern view supplants as Sivalingam and Western view suggests that a snake is ready to engulp, Southern view resembles Thirukayilai.

Nagar pallam



NandhiMalai and NagaMalai is split by a small valley called Nagar pallam. Nagarpallam is the first and foremost past of the huge mountainNagamalai. On either sides of the steps one can see a huge Snake with 5 heads spreading its hood carrying the father of the world as Sivalingam. Over the head of the Snake it is believed that rivers Gange, Yamuna and Saraswathiflow as holy water. People worship this carved stone Snake with Kumkum and camphre. They also make Pongal for the same.

Arubadam Padi / Sathya Vakku Padi :

Beyond Nagar pallam after crossing some Mandapas, one has to cross special steps called Arubadam Padi (60 steps) or Sathya Vakku Padi(steps of truth) by the saint ArunagiriNadhar. And among the 1200 steps these 60 steps are considered to be the most important ones. The 60 steps of Sathya Padi is of same order and so there footsteps stands as a good example for the architectural excellence of Tamilians.

In Olden days there 60 steps were used by the people to solve, unsolvable cases and to know the reality in cases relating credids and bargains. The respective men are told to promise their statements on the 60th step and it is belived that the people will only say the truth while standing on the 60th step. It is said that even the Supreme Court at chennai has accepted the statements that were declared by the people, standing on the 60th step.

Ucchi Pillaiar / Varadikal :



If one climbs further about 425 feet the renowned Pandeeshwara temple could be reached.
People fondly call it has Ucchi Pillaiar.Here one could see a Lingam and Pillaiar. On the west of it lies a stone Varadikal (Maladi kal) or Vandhya Paatana Sikara. The childless parents offer their worship to get the boon of a child by the grace of ucchi pillaiar and Ammai Appan Lord Arthanareeswara.

Girivalam :

One who thinks Arthanareswara and desire to start circling the Arthanarswara hill and forwarding one foot will get equal benefit of Yagam and for second foot he will achieve the benefit of Raja suya Yagam and with clear mind of third foot will achieve Aswameda Yagam and who continues further will get beneficial of all Yagams.
uring circling we can inspire the fragrance of mooligai which leads to good health.

How to make girivalam

* Everyone should circle the hill with barefoot.
* Mutter the name "Om Namashivaya"
* view the peak of the Arthanareeswara hill during the circling.
* Though there is no restriction to circle the hill with respect to time, it is better to circle during the night, ought to belief of formers and sidhas , at this time heavenly asters circle Arthanareeswara hill along with us.
circling path covers around 7 kms. It takes normally 1 1/2 hours to cover the distance.

Sthala Theertham :



AMMAIYAPPAR THEERTHAM (or Deva theertham) is the most important one as it is found at the feet of LORD ARTHANAREESWARA idol in the sanctum sanctorum. This spring of fresh water came into existence by God's grace and the power of Rishis and Siddhars.

Website : http://www.arthanareeswarar.com/English.asp

Candi Barong

Name : Candi Barong

Location : Hamlet Candisari, Bokoharjo, Prambanan Bokoharjo, Prambanan

Description : Actually this temple complex is located on the ground berundak 3 with some buildings in the temple every terasnya. But on the highest terrace of the HILL there are 2 temples to worship the god Vishnu and the goddess Sri as a symbol of fertility. Each temple has a size of approximately 8 meters x 8 meters to 9 meters high.

Candi Barong have tense and decorations such as dragon-like BARONG on the entrance door is a temple of Hindu which is located not far from the temple of Queen Boko, namely in Candisari hamlets, villages Bokoharjo, Prambanan, Yogyakarta. This temple was built in the century to about 9-to-10 and at the time of Ancient Kingdom of Mataram.

Biligiri Rangaswamy Temple

Name : Biligiri Rangaswamy Temple (BR Hills)

Location : The hills are in the Yelandur and Kollegal Taluks of Chamarajanagar District of Karnataka. The hills are contiguos with the Satyamangalam range southwards, in the Erode District of Tamil Nadu. The hills that give the range its name are situated 90 km from Mysore and 220 km from Bangalore.

Importance of the Hills : The BR hills links the Eastern Ghats and the Western Ghats allowing animals to move between them and facilitating gene flow between populations of species in these areas. Thus, this forms Biligirirangaswamy sanctuary which serves as an important biological bridge for the biota of the entire Deccan plateau.

Description : The BR hills are famous for the temple of Lord Ranganatha or Lord Venkatesha which is situated on the highest peak of the hill range, on the 'white cliff' which gives the hill its name.

The local form of the deity is called Biligiriranga and is depicted in a unique standing position. This is the only place in the country where it is depicted as being in this position. Devotees flock to the place in large numbers to catch a glimpse of the deity. The local tribes present a large pair of sleepers measuring 1 foot and 9 inches, made up of skin, to the Ranganathaswamy once in two years.

Festivals : The Annual Car festival of the deity held during “Vaishakha “in the month of April, is famous in the region and attracts thousands of pilgrims from far and wide., the ratha festival is celebrated at Biligiriranga Hills.

Himavad Gopalaswamy Betta

Name : Himavad Gopalaswamy Betta

Location : It is located in the Chamarajanagar district of the state of Karnataka,at a height of 1454mt. and is extensively wooded. It is approximately 220 km from Bangalore and 75 km from Mysore on the Mysore Ooty road -10 km away from Gundlupet.

Legend : Legend says that sage Agastya, performed intense penance and as a result lord Vishnu blessed this place and promised to reside here. As this was a place of worship and penance, it used to be called as 'Hamsatheertha', which means the lake of swans in Sanskrit. Swan acquires a mythological significance in Hinduism, symbolizing knowledge, tranquility and salvation.

Temple : This temple was built by the King Chola Ballala during AD 1315. Later the Wodeyars of Mysore who were ardent devotees of Lord Venugopala displayed keen interest in maintaining the hill temple. The temple is dedicated to Gopalaswamy, which is one of the names of the Hindu God Krishna. The gopuram of the temple is single-tiered and rests on the compound wall of the enclosure. A dhwajastambha (flag-pillar) and a bali-peetam (sacrificial altar) is present in the mukha mantapa (inner-porch). The parapet wall of the facade of the mukha mantapa contains the sculpture of dashavatara (the avatars of the Hindu God Vishnu) with the centre portion of the sculpture depicting Krishnavatara (the avatar of Vishnu in which he appeared as Krishna). There is a shikhara tower over the garbha griha (sanctum sanctorum).

The garbha griha contains an idol of Krishna holding a flute under a tree. Krishna is flanked by his friends and the posture is that of a dance with the left big toe resting on the right one. The panel also features several characters and icons from Krishna's avatar.

Lord Gopalaswamy's idol is flanked by his consorts, Rukmini and Satyabhama. Cows and cowherds are featured towards the right side of the panel.

Access : There is a motorable road all the way to the top of the hill. Entry fee is collected at the forest depeartment checkpost at foot of the hill. Visitors are allowed from around 6am till 5pm. Overnight stay on top is not allowed. Trekking and videography in the surrounding hills are allowed only with prior permission and to be accompanied by the forest department guides.

There is a forest department guest house at the top of the picturesque hill, which can be reserved in advance through the forest office in Mysore or Bandipur. The guest house provides basic accommodation, food and other essentials should be brought along by visitors.

Website : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Himavad_Gopalaswamy_Betta

Puruhutika Devi and Manikyambha Devi Temple

Name : Puruhutika Devi and Manikyambha Devi Temple

Location : Ratnagiri Hills.
Annavaram temple is located at a distance of 125 KM from Visakhapatnam and 80 KM from Rajahmundry.

Deity : Sri Veera Venkata Satyanarayana Swamy. The name of the Goddess is Ananta-lakshmi Satyavathi Ammavaru.

Legend : According to the puranas, the presiding deity of the place blesses the devotees with Anina Varam (Wanted Boon) the place is called Annavaram.

The hillock by the side of the village is considered to be very sacred. Meruvu the Lord of the hills and his consort Menaka did great penance and begot two sons by the grace of Lord Vishnu. One was named Bhadra and the other Ratnakara. Bhadra pleased Lord Vishnu with his devotion and penance and with his grace became Bhadrachalam on which Lord Sri Rama had permanently settled. Ratnakara desired to emulate his brother and succeeded in pleasing Lord Vishnu by his penance to settle on him as Veera Venkata Satyanarayana Swamy, Ratnakara remaining as Ratnagiri hill.

The temple of Sri Veera Venkata Satya-narayana Swamy is the main temple on the Ratnagiri hill. There is also a temple of Sri Rama and the shrines of Vanadurga and Kanaka Durga nearby. The temple of grama-devatha (village deity) is in the village at the foot of the hill. The presiding deity installed along with Shiva represents the oneness of Shiva and Vishnu.

Architecture : The Akriti of any temple is, according to the Agni Purana, merely a manifestation of the Prakriti. According to this the chariot of the temple is intended as a symbol of the Seven Lokas and the seven Lokhas above with, the garbhalaya of the Lord, at the heart’s center ruling over the entire Universe.

The temple at Annavaram has been constructed to depict this idea concretely. The front side of the temple depicts the chariot. The Meru on the floor with the pillar at the center, and the idols at the top are intended to bring forth the idea that the Lord not only remains at the heart’s center but also permeates the entire universe. The wheels depicting the Sun and the Moon serve to remind us that this Juggernaut moves on the wheels of time, and goes on for ever and ever, Thus the Annavaram temple satisfies both the ritualistic values and the spiritual aspirations of the devotees.”

Festivals : Kalyanam festival in May, Devi Navaratri festival in September, the Swayamvara Vardhanti of Sraavana Suddha Ekadashi Day, Srirama Kalyana, Kanakadurga Yatra, Prabha Utsavam, Teppa Utsavam and Jalatoranam.

Phnom Kulen

Name : Phnom Kulen

Location : It is a sacred hilltop site 30km from Angkor Wat in Cambodia and a national park of Cambodia. Phnom Kulen is widely regarded as the birthplace of the ancient Khmer Empire and is located some 48km from Siem Reap.Of special religious meaning to Hindus and Buddhists, it was at Phnom Kulen that King Jayavarma II proclaimed independence from Java in 802 A.D.

Special : The site is known for its carvings representing fertility and its waters which hold special significance to Hindus. Just 5cm under the water's surface over 1000 small carvings are etched into the sandstone riverbed. The waters are regarded as holy, given that Jayavarman II chose to bathe in the river, and had the river diverted so that the stone bed could be carved. Carvings include a stone representation of the Hindu god Vishnu laying on his serpent Ananta, with his wife Lakshmi at his feet. A lotus flower protrudes from his navel bearing the god Brahma. The river then ends with a waterfall and a pool.

Linga 1,000 is located on the mountain, along the Siem Reap River and has a lot of figures of Yoni and Linga spreading out at the bottom of the river.

Terrace Of Sdach Kamlung is a plain terrace having a small ruined temple made of solid brick at the middle; the study proves that the terrace covered by lava for hundreds years.

The Khmer Rouge used the location as a final stronghold as their regime came to an end in 1979. Nearby is Preah Ang Thom, a 16th century Buddhist monastery notable for the giant reclining Buddha, the country's largest.

Phnom Krom

Name : Phnom Krom

Location : It is a hilltop temple in Angkor, Cambodia.

The temple was built at the end of the 9th century, during the reign of King Yasovarman (889 A.D.-910 A.D.). Located 12 kilometers southwest of Siem Reap, it is a Hindu shrine dedicated to Shiva, Vishnu and Brahma.

Oriented toward the east, the temple is enclosed by a wall built of laterite blocks. Along the walls' top runs a cornice. Gates bisect the walls at each of the four cardinal directions. Just inside the east gate are four small buildings arrayed in a north-south row, possibly formerly used as crematoria. Inside the walls on the north and south sides are three halls, now collapsed. The temple’s focus is three towers, also in a row running north to south. They sit atop a platform reached by staircases of seven steps. The southern tower is dedicated to Brahma, the central to Shiva, the northern to Vishnu. They are built of sandstone; much of their carving and detail has been lost to erosion.

Phnom Krom is the southernmost of three hilltop temples built in the Angkor region during the reign of Yasovarman. The other two are Phnom Bakheng and Phnom Bok.

Legend : The hill on which Phnom Krom stands is very rocky; local legend has it that the rocks were exposed by the monkey general Hanuman during a hunt for medicine in the Ramayana epic. The area beyond the temple’s west gate affords a spectacular view of the Tonle Sap lake.

TEMPLES OF BHARMOUR

Name : Shikara Temple of Brahmaur

Location : Brahmaur, Himachal Pradesh

Description : At Brahmaur, the ancient capital, there are two Temples. The larger of the two is dedicated to Shiva under the name of Mani-mahes. It is ascribed to Meru - varman, who reigned about A. D. 700, but it is very doubtful whether the present building goes back to so remote a time. This much is certain, that, the erection of a Shiva temple by Meru Varman is recorded in an inscription on the brass bull which stands in front 0f the temple.

The other shikhara temple of Brahmaur, smaller in size and plainer in appearance, contains a brass image of Narsingh, the Man-lion incarnation of Vishnu. Its erection by Rani Tribhuvana- rekha is mentioned in a copper-plate inscription of Yugakara, the son of Sahilla, and may, therefore, be placed in the lOth or I1th century. The Narsingh Temple suffered considerable damage in the earthquake of the 4th Apri1 1905.

GARUDA WISNU KENCANA

Name : Garuda Wisnu Kencana

Location : Unggasan Hill, Jimbaran Bali

Description : The Garuda Wisnu Kencana is a statue that was built with the height 140 metre. This statue is located in the Unggasan Hill, Jimbaran Bali. The work masterpiece Balinese I Nyoman Nuarta. This statue is in the form of the God Wisnu that in the Hindu religion is the God Of The Patron, drove Garuda birds. Around The Garuda Wisnu Kencana area, at this time was developed as the cultural garden and into Landmark for Balinese tourism and Indonesia. This The Garuda Wisnu Kencana statue is the symbol of the rescue mission of the environment and the world. From The Garuda Wisnu Kencana area, the exactly from Unggasan Hill, we can see Kuta Beach, Benoa Port, Jimbaran in the distance, Ngurah Rai Airport. The Garuda Wisnu Kencana statue, exist in hills area with spell view.