Kailash Tekari

Name : Kailash Tekari

Location : Kailash Tekari is situated on the Ambaji-Khedbrahma Highway, just one and half km from Ambaji, in Banaskantha District, Gujarat

Description : On the top of Kailash Tekari is a beautiful Shivalaya, where one can go only by climbing the steps and walking on a wonderful hilly area of Kailash Tekari. Exploring Kailash tekari is always a pleasant experience for visitors, along with its beautiful Sunset Point. Moreover, The Temple Trust has recently constructed a big Artistic Stone Gate at the Temple of Mahadev on Kailash Tekari, which is also administered by Shri Arasuri Ambaji Mata Devasthan Trust.

Nestled atop a hillock Kailash tekri is Mangalya Van ( a unique garden that is of late drawing hordes of tourists ).

The van was developed by the forest department in 2007. The spot's USP is a unique Rashi Van' within and a garden of plants, which astrologers say have the same effect as stones on one's life. All those who come to Manglya Van invariably enquire about the effects of plants on sun signs and want to take back home a sapling that favours their zodiac sign. They grow it in their backyard or in the vicinity of their house. Each of the 12 zodiac signs have been given three plants and are planted in 18x18 metre in this garden

Other places to visit near the hill is Pushpanandji Yagashram which is opposite to Kailash Hill.

Website : http://www.onlineambaji.com/Kailashhill.htm

The Atago Shrine

Name : The Atago Shrine

Location : It is located in Minato, Tokyo, Japan.

Description : It is a Shinto shrine built in 1603 (the eighth year of the Keichō era) on the order of Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu. The current shrine was rebuilt in 1958.

The shrine is located on Atago Hill, which is 26 meters above sea level. In old times, the shrine had an excellent view of Tokyo, now obscured by high rises. The very steep stairs leading to the shrine are also famous, as they represent success in life.



Legend : According to legend, a young samurai dared to ride his horse up the stairs to deliver plum blossoms to the shogun. It took his horse only one minute to get up, but 45 minutes to get down, and the horse was totally exhausted afterwards.

The shrine was erected to protect the residents from fire, since its formerly excellent view was well suited to watch for fires, and therefore the main Shinto god worshiped in this shrine is the fire god Homusubi no Mikoto. Other gods worshipped are also Mizuhanome no Mikoto (a god of water), Ōyamazumi no Mikoto (a god of mountains) and Yamato Takeru no Mikoto (a god of military).

The shrine is dedicated to the "God of Wishes" and is widely visited by people wanting a profitable future.

Website : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atago_Shrine_(Tokyo)

Valle dei Templi

Name : Valle dei Templi ( Valley of Temples )

Location : It is an archaeological site in Agrigento (ancient Greek Akragas), Sicily, southern Italy

Description : It is one of the most outstanding example of Greater Greece art and architecture, and is one of the main attraction of Sicily as well as a national monument of Italy. The area was included in the UNESCO Heritage Site list in 1997. Much of the excavation and restoration of the temples was due to the efforts of archaeologist Domenico Antonio Lo Faso Pietrasanta (1783-1863), who was the Duke of Serradifalco from 1809 through 1812.

The term "valley" is a misnomer, the site being located on a ridge outside the town of Agrigento.

Overview :

The Valley includes remains of seven temples, all in Doric style. The identification of the names, apart that of the Olympeion, are a mere tradition established in the Renaissance times. The temples are:

1. Temple of Juno, built in the 5th century BC and burnt in 406 BC by the Carthaginians. The Temple of Hera Lacinia (Juno) is situated at the top of the hill and is traditionally dedicated to the protector of matrimony and childbirth. Built around the V century BC, it was set ablaze by the Carthaginians in 406 BC (evidence of burning is still visible on the walls of the cella). The temple was initially constructed with 34 columns of which 30 still remain standing. To the east is the altar of the temple, while, at the back of the building (beside the steps), there is a cistern.


2. Temple of Concordia, whose names stems from a Latin inscription found nearby, and which was also built in the 5th century BC. Turned into a church in the 6th century AD, it is now one of the best preserved in the Valley.

3. Temple of Heracles, who was one of the most venerated deities in the ancient Akragas. It is the most ancient in the Valley: destroyed by an earthquake, it consists today of only eight columns.

4. Temple of Zeus Olympic, built in 480 BC to celebrate the city-state's victory over Carthage. It is characterized by the use of large size atlases.

5 Temple of Castor and Pollux. Despite its remains include only four columns, it is now the symbol of modern Agrigento.

6 Temple of Vulcan, also dating from the 5th century BC. It is thought to have been one of the most imposing constructions in the valley; it is now however one of the most damaged by the years and natural phenomena.

7 Temple of Asclepius, located far from the ancient town's walls. It was the goal of pilgrimage of people seeking foor healing from illness.

The Valley is also home to the so called Tomb of Theron, a large tuff monument of pyramidal shape; scholars suppose it was built to celebrate the Roman victims in the Second Punic War.

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

Anuvavi Subramanyaswamy Temple

Name : Anuvavi Subramanyaswamy Temple

Location : This Anuvavi Subramanya Swamy Temple is located at Periyathadagam, at a distance of 12 kms from Coimbatore.

Main Deity : Subramanyaswamy

Legend :

When Lord Anjaneya was on his way back bringing Sanjeevi hill he felt very thirsty and stopped in this place to quench his thirst. Unfortunately Lord Anjaneya could not find water in that area. So Anjaneya prayed to Lord Muruga for water. As an answer to Anjaneya's prayer Lord Muruga appeared with Deivanai and with the help of his weapon "VEL" pierced on this hill and water started to ooze out from the hill which helped Lord Anjaneya to quench his thirst. Even today the villagers of this area use the natural water from that particular pond for drinking and other purposes. The last Kumbabhishekam was performed in the year 1969.

Description :

There are nearly 550 steps to be claimed to reach the main temple. There is small temple for the Lord Ganasha on the way. Main deity here is Lord Subramaniya (Sri Karthikeya) with his
consorts Sri Devayani and Sri Valli.

Adjacent to sannathi of Lord Subramaniya is the sannathi of Lord Anjaneya Swami. There is a small 'rath' made of wood for taking the deity around the temple in 'parikrima'.

If you climb the steps that are adjacent to the Anjaneya sannathi, you will see the place from where Lord Subramaniya had witnessed Lord Anjaneya quenching his thirst.

Adjacent to that is the spring from where water is collected in the tank.

Festivals :

The temple celebrates all the functions connected with Lord Subramaniya like Karthika of every month, thai pusam, panguni uttaram vaikasi visakam etc.

Website : http://www.pearlscorniche.com/anuvavi-subramanyasamy.html

Kurunda Malai - Kulanthai VelayuthaSwamy Thirukoil

Name : Arulmigu Kulanthai VelayuthaSwamy Thirukoil

Location : It is located at Kurunthamalai, in Coimbatore District, in Tamil Nadu. It is about 24 km from Coimbatore and 4 km from Karamadai.

Description : The presiding deity here is Kuzhandai Velayudaswamy (Lord MUruga), enshrined in a west facing sanctum. There is a Vinayakar image worshipped at the base of the hill. Tirumalai Nayakar of Madurai is believed to have built this hill temple.

Arulmigu Kulanthai VelayuthaSwamy Thirukoil is one of the most beautiful temples in the region and was built around 750 years ago. The temple was named after its location on a hill covered with full of ‘Kurunda’ trees and hence the name ‘Kurunda Malai’.

Legend : Legend has it that Thiru Agasthiya Munivar got 'Mandira Upadesam’ from Lord Muruga at this temple.

Festivals : The major festivals celebrated here include Thaipusam, Panguni Uthram and Chithirai Kani. During the festive occasions thousands of devotees throng here to obtain the blessings of the Lord.

Website : http://www.india9.com/i9show/Arulmigu-Kulanthai-VelayuthaSwamy-Thirukoil-26844.htm

Lingyin Temple

Name : Lingyin Temple, Língyǐn Sì. The temple's name is commonly literally translated as Temple of the Soul's Retreat.

Location : It is located north-west of Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, China. It is one of the largest and wealthiest Buddhist temples in China.

Description : Lingyin Temple is a Buddhist temple of the Chan sect. The monastery is the largest of several temples in the Wulin Mountains, which also features a large number of grottos and religious rock carvings, the most famous of which is the Feilai Feng; literally "the peak that flew hither").

History

The monastery was founded in 328 AD during the Eastern Jin Dynasty by Indian monk Huili. From its inception, Lingyin was a famous monastery in the Jiangnan region. It still has the Stone Pagoda which contains Huili's Ashes.

At its peak under the Kingdom of Wuyue (907-978), the temple boasted nine multi-storey buildings, 18 pavilions, 72 halls, more than 1300 dormitory rooms, inhabited by more than 3000 monks. Many of the rich Buddhist carvings in the Feilai Feng grottos and surrounding mountains also date from this era.

The Feilai Feng grottos

Feilai Feng, or "the Peak that Flew Hither", also commonly translated as "Flying Peak", is located in front of the temple proper. The peak is so-named because it is made of limestone, giving it a craggy appearance very different from the surrounding mountains. Legend holds that the peak was originally from India (with some versions suggesting that it is Vulture Peak, but flew to Hangzhou overnight as a demonstration of the omnipotence of Buddhist law. A large number of carvings dot the surface of the peak. More are located in various caves and grottos throughout the peak. Within the main cave, dedicated to the bodhisattva Guanyin, there is a crack in the ceiling of the cave that stretches up to the surface, so that a person standing at a certain position can see a sliver of sunlight. This is known as the "one thread of heaven"

Other Attraction :

Hall of the Heavenly Kings

The formal entrance of the temple is the Hall of the Heavenly Kings. The principal statue in this hall is that of the Maitreya Buddha in his manifestation as the cloth bag monk, or the Laughing Buddha. At the back, facing up the hill, is the Skanda Buddha, or Weituo as he is known in Chinese. This statue dates from the Southern Song Dynasty. Arranged along the left and right are the Four Heavenly Kings. The ceiling is ornately painted and decorated with phoenixes and dragons.

Visitors to the temple are often impressed by the size and majesty of the entrance hall and its statues of the heavenly kings. Indeed, the hall of the Heavenly Kings at the Lingyin Temple is as large or larger than the main hall at many temples, reflecting its status as the centre of Buddhism in south-eastern China.

Grand Hall of the Great Sage

The second and principal hall is the Mahavira Hall, or the Grand Hall of the Great Sage. It is separated from the Hall of the Heavenly Kings by a large courtyard, featuring a raised lawn bordered with trees. To the left of the courtyard stands the Hall of the Five Hundred Arhats.

Hall of the Medicine Buddha

Further uphill and behind the main hall is the Hall of the Medicine Buddha, housing a statue of the Bhaisajyaguru Buddha, commonly called the Medicine Buddha.

Sutra Library

Uphill from the Hall of the Medicine Buddha is the Sutra Library (Chinese: 藏经楼; pinyin: Cángjīng Lóu). This, and the Huayan Hall behind it, were built from 2000 to 2002 to re-create the five-hall main axis. The Sutra Library does not house a major statue and is not open for worship.

Huayan Hall

The fifth and last hall on the main axis is the Avatamsaka Hall, or Huayan Hall. Built in 2002, this hall houses statues of the three sages of the Avatamsaka Sutra, known as the Huayan Sutra in Chinese - Shakyamuni, Manjusri, and Samantabhadra.

Hall of the Five Hundred Arhats

The Hall of Five Hundred Arhats, also a modern addition, faces onto the western side of the court yard in front of the main hall. The building has a complex floor plan, shaped like a Buddhist swastika. Along the arms of the swastika are arranged the five hundred arhats as slightly larger-than-life bronze statues. Each statue is seated on a unique ornate seat. At the centre, where the arms of the swastika join, stands a bronze canopy housing statues of four bodhisattvas representing the four cardinal directions. This is currently the tallest solid bronze structure in the world.

Website : http://www.lingyinsi.org/