Bhimakali Temple - Sarahan

Name : Bhimakali Temple

Location :

Shri Bhima Kali Temple is a temple at Sarahan in Himachal Pradesh in India. The temple is situated about 180 km from Shimla. The town Sarahan is known as the gate way of Kinnaur. From Jeori the link road goes up gaining altitude to 2185 M to Sarahan (17 KM) via Gharat. Sarahan is situated on the mountain slope of southern side of river Sutlej and facing the Srikhand Mahadev peak on the north. The distance from Shimla is 160 KM. Sarahan is identified with the then Sonitpur mentioned in Puranas.

Legend :

According to a legend, the manifestation of the goddess is reported to the Daksha-Yajna incident when the ear of the Sati fell at this place and became a place of worship as a Pitha - Sthan. Presently in the form of a virgin the icon of this eternal goddess is consecrated at the top storey of the new building. Below that storey the goddess as Parvati, the daughter of Himalaya is enshrined as a divine consort of Lord Siva.

Description :

Bhimakali Temple, reputed to be at least 800 years old, dedicated to the mother goddess Bhimakali(an incarnation of Goddess Durga), presiding deity of the rulers of former Bushayr state and this is one of 51 Shakti Peethas.

The temple complex has another three temples dedicated to Lord Raghunathji, Narsinghji and Patal Bhairva Ji (Lankra Veer) - the guardian deity.

Architechture :

The temple is Tibetan in its architectural style. The beautiful wooden structure with spectacular carvings attracts a special attention of the tourists from all over the world. It has slanted slate roofs, golden towers, pagodas and a carved silver door. The golden image of the Goddess is 210 years old.

The original temple structure was damaged by earthquake and a replica has been constructed. Out of two temples one is opened to the devotees. The old dilapidated temple has been demolished recently and work is going on to erect the same again.

Festivals :

Navaratri and Dusserah are celebrated in the temple every year. A large festival is held during Dusserah at village Sarahan with animal sacrifice playing a big role in the festivities.

Other Tourist Attractions :

The museum at the temple complex has good collections of ancient utensils, arms, dresses, etc. The tourists can also visit the regal residence named as Padam Palace.

The Aviary of Himalayan birds: The aviary cum breeding centre of birds has been set up on the mountain at 1 KM away. The Himalayan birds like Monal, Khalij, etc can be seen from a close distance. The aviary remain closed during the breeding season.

The enthusiasts can visit another temple at Dharanghati beyond Sarahan. The road from Gharat goes to Dharanghati at higher altitude. The snow-capped mountain ranges on the north looks beautiful. From Sarahan there is a view of the Srikhand Peak , revered as the parental abode of goddess Lakshmi. The trekkers may visit the peak in summer.

Websites :

http://www.goldenapple.in/Sarahan.html

http://shimla.com/Temples/bhimakali.htm

Arulmigu Sri Baladhandayuthabani Temple, Chettikulam

Name : Arulmigu Sri Chettikulam Balathandabani Temple also known as Aandikola Murugan Temple

Location :
It is located at Chettikulam in Tamilnadu which is 6kms from Alandur. Alandur is about 44kms from Trichy, on Trichy-Perambalur highway.

Legend :

The Dhandayudapaani temple at Chettikkulam is closely associated with the Ekambareswarar temple located nearby, which is of ancient origin.

Legend has it that a weary traveler set out to spend a night on a Aswatha (arasa maram) tree in the jungle surrounding this area, and in the middle of the night, he saw a group of four saints offering worship to a pillar of Bright Light. The Traveler told this to the king of Thanjavur, Paraanthaga Cholan. At that time Kulasekara Pandian was also there as a guest. So both the kings upon hearing this instituted a search, and a Siddhar with sugarcane in his hand, pointed out the Shivalingam to them. Then the saint gave darshan as Lord Muruga with Sugarcane on the nearby hillock.

The original temple to Shiva is now referred to as Amarendreswarar dates back to the Chola period. Shiva is now known as Ekambreswarar here and his consort is Kamakshi.

Dhandayutapaani who appeared as a Siddhar here is enshrined in a hill temple in the vicinity. The Lord Muruga Idol has Uchhi Kudumi(Tuff of Hair on top of Head). Also his darsan is in the Aandikola form.



Description :
This ancient Muruga kshetra built on the top of a hill has 240 steps in total commanding two flights of well-built broad stairs-one for ascending and another for descending. Built in the Dravidian architectural style, it has vast courtyards and an imposing tower. The archamurti giving darsan in the Aandikola form is extremely generous in conferring boons on the devotees. Nityanaimithika worship is offered with great devotion.

Sugarcane cradle : Childless couples make their wish on Shashti day by doing Milk Abhishekam. When their wish gets fulfilled they bring their child in a sugarcane cradle and do circumambulation of the temple.

Festivals :
Thai Poosam, Panguni Utthiram are the annual festivals celebrated here.

Time :
Morning : 08:00-13:00
Evening : 16:00-19:00

Website :
http://www.hindubooks.org/templesofindia/temples_for_the_triple_sects/kumaran_shrines/tamilnadu/Chettikulam.htm
http://www.indiantemples.com/Tamilnadu/m046.html
http://www.kaumaram.com/aalayam/index_chettikulam.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

Girijatmaj Vinayak Temple, Lenyadri

Name : Girijatmaj Vinayak Temple

History of Girijatmaj Ganesh Temple :

With a desire of having Vinayak as her son, Parvati performed penance for 12 years in the caves of Lenyadri. Ganapati was pleased and gave her the boon she wanted . On one Bhadrapada Shudh Chaturthi, Parvati scrapped the scraf from her body, mixed it with oil and ointment and formed an idol of Ganesh. She was performing pooja of that idol, suddenly the idol became alive and told Parvati that as desired by her he has taken Avatar in her house. On 11th day he was named Ganesh meaning a person who keeps three qualities Satva, Raja and Tama under control. Lord Shiv Shankar gave him boon that whosoever remembers Ganesh before starting a work, will successfully complete the work. Ganesh grew up for 15 years at Lenyadri. Demon king Sindhu who knew that his death is in the hands of Ganesh, sent demons like Krur, Balasur, Vyomasur, Kshemma, Kushal etc. to kill Ganesh on Lenyadri. Instead Ganesh killed all these demons in his childhood. Ganapati also performed many Balleelas in this place. Hence Lenyadri is considered holy place .

Coming back to the story of Girijatmaj or Ganesa, Parvati requested Marichi Rishi to find a way out to protect Ganesa from demons. Marichi asked why it would be necessary to protect Ganapati, whose Namasmarana (remembering the name) itself destroys all obstacles. Still to satisfy Parvati he taught her Ganesa Kavacha and said that if any child had fear of Rakshasas or Pishachas this kaacha may be tied around his neck. At the age of six, Vishwakarma worshipped Ganesa and endowed him with Paasa [noose], Parasu[axe], Ankusa[hook] and Kamala[lotus]. At the age of seven, his Upanayana was performed by sages like Gautama.

At the age of ten, a demon called Kamalasur came with an army twelve crore strong and had war with Ganesa, who was mounted on a peacock. The demons' army was defeated. From Kamalasur's blood many more demons were created. Siddhi and Buddhi ate away all demons. Al last Kamalasur was cut into two pieces with Ganesa’s Trishul. The place where the head of Kamalasura was thrown is the Morgaon Kshetra. Vishwakarma constructed a city and a temple in that place.
Then Shankar, Parvati and Ganesa started towards Gandaki city where the gods were imprisoned. First as a matter of courtesy Nandi was sent to meet demon Sindhu to ask him to release the gods. Sindhu refused and war ensued. Nandi, Veerabhadra, Kartikeya and other Shiva Ganas fought with the demons. On the second day his two brothers-in-law Kala and Vikala were killed and on the third day his sons Dharma and Adharma were destroyed by Kartikeya. Sindhu's father Chakrapani advised him to release the gods. But he refused. He came running towards Mayureshwara with his sword held high. Suddenly Ganesa took a small form, got down from the peacock and sent an arrow which pierced Sindhu's navel and broke it. Out came the nectar given by Surya to Sindhu. Sindhu fell dead.

Ganesa was seated on the Simhasana by Chakrapani and all gods. Brahma's daughters, Siddhi and Buddhi were married to him. Ganesa lived there for many years. After that he took leave of everybody and disappeared. Before doing so he gave his peacock to Kartikeya.

Whoever hears the story of Mayureshwar has all his desires fulfilled. His wealth and fame increases.

The Story of Mayuresa and Girijatmaja are vividly described in Genesa Purana Kreeda Khanda from 73 to 126.

Description :

Girijatmaj is the sixth Lord Ganesh Temple to be visited on the Ashta Vinayaka Mandir Pilgrimage. It is the only temple of the Ashtavinayaka which is on a mountain and is built in the locale of Buddhist CaveTemples . Here, Lord Ganesh is worshipped as Girijatmaja.



The idol faces north with its trunk to the left, and has to be worshipped from the rear of the temple. The temple faces south. This idol seems to be little different from the rest of the Ashtavinayak idols in a sense that it appears to be not very well designed or carved like the other idols. This idol can be worshipped by anyone. There is no electric bulb in the temple. The temple is constructed such that during the day it is always lighted up by the sun-rays! This place is referred as Jirnapur or Lekhan Parbat in Ganesh Puran.

The Temple

Lenyadri Temple, located on hill top, is approached after climbing 307 steps. Out of 18 Buddhist caves on mountain, Girijatmaj Vinayak's Temple is in the 8th cave. These caves are also known as Ganesh Gufa. The temple is built out of a single rock and is Dakshinabhimukh- facing south. The Sabhamandap (temple hall) has 18 Overees (small rooms for meditation) within it. The idol of Girijatmaj Ganesh is in one of the rooms. Lord Ganesh’s image is a fresco carved out into a rock, with his head turned to the left. Devotees can enter the Garbhagriha and offer their worship. A river flowing nearby adds beauty to the temple. All the 30 Lenyadri Caves including the Girijatmaj Vinayak Temple is under the control of the Archaeological Survey of India.

Girijatmaj Vinayak Temple Festivals

The Panchamrit puja is conducted daily in the morning. Major celebrations are held during the Bhadrapad (August – September) and Magh Chaturthis. In the month of Magh, an Akhand Harinaam Saptah is held. Ganesh Jayanti and Ganesha Chaturthi is celebrated in a great manner with cultural programs. Bullock cart racing is organized on this occasion.

How to reach Girijatmaj Vinayak Temple, Lenyadri

By Bus / Road

Lenyadri is about 94 km from Pune, on Pune - Nasik Highway and Junnar is the nearby town, which is 5 km from Lenyadri. State transport buses ply to Junnar from Pune and from Mumbai. From Junnar, rickshaws, jeeps and buses are available to Lenyadri. Palanquins are available for the devotees to reach the temple on hill top.

By Train / Railway Station

Pune Railway Station and Talegaon Railway Station are the nearest railway stations to reach Lenyadri Ashta Vinayak Temple.

By Flight / Air

Pune Lohegaon Airport is the nearest airport to reach Girijatmaj Ashta Vinayak Temple.

Website :

http://debu7370.blogspot.com/2009/11/shri-shirdi-sai-speaks-16th.html

http://www.hindudevotionalblog.com/2010/03/girijatmaj-vinayak-temple-lenyadri.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ashtavinayaka

Srisailam Jyotir Lingam

Name : Srisailam Jyotir Lingam

Location : Srisailam is located in Kurnool district of Andhra Pradesh. Located 210 kms from Hyderbad.

Deity : The presiding deities of this ksheteam Lord Mallikarjuna Swamy is one of the twelve Jyothirlingas and Goddess Bhramaramba Devi (Goddess Bhramarambika) is one of the eighteen Maha Sakthi's and both are self manifested.

Legends : There are many Legends associated with this temple

1) When Kumar Kartikeya(Lord Murugan) returned to Kailash after completing his trip around the earth, he heard about Ganesha’s marriage from Narada. This angered him. In spite of being restrained by his parents, he touched their feet in obeisance and left for Krounch Mountain. Parvati was very distraught at having to be away from her son, implored Lord Shiva to look for their son. Together, they went to Kumara. But, Kumara went away a further three Yojanas, after learning about his parents coming after him to Krouncha Mountain. Before embarking on a further search for their son on each mountain, they decided to leave a light on every mountain they visited. From that day, that place came to be known as JyotirLinga Mallikarjuna. It is believed that Shiva and Parvati visit this palce on Amavasya (No moon day) and (full Moon day) Pournami, respectively. Visiting this JyotirLinga not only blesses one with innumerable wealth, but also name and fame and fulfils all the desires.

2) Once, a princess named Chandravati decided to go to the Jungles to do penance and meditation. She chose Kadali Vana for this purpose. One day, she witnessed a miracle. A Kapila cow was standing under a Bilwa tree and milk was flowing from all of its four udders, sinking into the ground. The cow kept doing this as a routine chore everyday. Chandravati dug up that area and was dumb founded at what she saw. There was a self-raising Swyambhu SivaLinga. It was bright and shining like the sun rays, and looked like it was burning, throwing flames in all directions. Chandravati prayed to Siva in this JyotirLinga. She built a huge Shiva Temple there. Lord Shankara was very pleased with her. Chandravati went to Kailash wind borne. She received salvation and Mukti. On one of the stone-inscriptions of the temple, Chandravati’s story can be seen carved out.

3) Sage Bringi (Chennai’s Parangi malai is named only after him) once came in pradhikshnam around Shiva neglecting Paravathi Devi in the form of a bee. She got angry and cursed him first but later blessed him at the behest of Shiva. Devi is called Brhmarambigai since She blessed Bringi (Brahmaram means bee). It is said that one can hear the buzzing sound of bee in a hole behind the Sanctum of Ambal (we came to know about it only later and so could not check it out).

4) Ramar installed a lingam here, after killing Ravana during the Dhretha yuga
Panadavas installed a lingam here after finishing their 12 years of stay at forests during the Dhwabara yuga
Aadhi Sankarar, Nagarjunacharyar, Chathrapathi Shivaji, Krishna deva raya visited during this kali yuga; Shivaji stayed here for some time, worshipped Brahmarambigai and constructed one of the towers, Uthara Gopura, also called, the Shivaji Gopuram

5) Parvatha, son of Silada Maharshi is said to have performed penance, pleased Siva and made him agree to live on his body. This Parvatha assumed the shape of big Hill - Sriparvatha and Siva lived on it’s top as Mallikarjuna Swamy.

Description :

The shrine of Lord Mallikarjuna situated picturesqely on a flat top of Nallamalai Hills, Srisailam is reputed to be one of the most ancient Kshetras in India.

Shaila Mallikarjuna’s holy place is located on the banks of River Krishna. Here River Krishna is in the form of Patalaganga (underground spring). Lakhs of devotees take a holy dip here and then go for the Darshan of the JyotirLinga.



Earlier, this part of the Shaila mountains was an unreachable tough terrain and fraught with danger. Even then, devotees, with their sheer will power, used to reach there in large numbers. Hiranyakashipa, Narada, Pandavas, Sri Ram are some of the great mythological personalities who have visited this holy shrine. shankara bhagavatpAda, rENukAchArya(1), akka mahAdevi, hemareddy mallamma are some of the great devotees who worshipped Lord mallikArjuna here.

It is said that Shiva told Paravathi that He considers SriSailam as his most favourite place, more than Kailasam, and the place reflects His full power

Marutha tree (Arjuna tree) has been Sthla Vruksham only in 3 temples and they are:
a) Thiruppudai maruthur near Ambasamudhram in Trinelveli – Kadaimaruthur or Pudarjunam
b) Thiruvidai maruthur near Kumbakonam where Sri Mahalinga Swamy is present – Idaimarudhur or Madhyarjunam
c) SriSailam – Thalai marudhur or Mathyarjunam Arjunam also has a meaning of Parameswaran

Festival:

Like Karthigai deepam of Thiruvannamalai and Brhmosthavam of Thirupathi, Maha Sivarathri day is the most auspicious here and the Kalayana Utsavam on that day is the most famous festival

Website :

http://shanthiraju.wordpress.com/2008/11/02/srisailam/

http://www.gloriousindia.com/places/temples/srisailam_jyothir_lingam.html

http://www.harekrsna.com/sun/features/03-10/features1666.htm

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

Chamunda Devi Temple

Name : Chamunda Devi Temple (Chamunda Nandikeshwar Dham)

Location : In the Kangra District of Himachal Pradesh, around 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) west of Palampur

Legend :

The legend of the temple is related with two demons Chanda and Munda of Shumbh Nishumbh, the notorious demon king. With their wicked mind, they try to harass the goddess Ambika, which turned out in the form of battle between the gods and demons. Chamunda, emerged as Chandika from an eyebrow of goddess Ambika, was assigned the task to eliminate the demons. Chandika destroyed those two demons and presented their heads in front of Ambika. Pleased with the act of Chamunda, the goddess Ambika named the city as Chamunda and since then the temple Chamunda Devi is worshipped with that grace and faith.

Description :

The temple is located on a hill overlooking the town of Chamba and is a 30 minutes climb. This temple is dedicated to Chamunda, the enraged form of Goddess Durga. The entire wooden ceiling of this temple is embroidered with elaborate carvings portraying floral motifs and different deities.

At the back of the temple is a cave-like scoop where a stone "Lingam" under a boulder represents Nandikeshwar (Shiva). The temple complex is an enchanting spot with glorious view of Dhauladhar, the Baner Khad and Dadh. A 700 years old temple, Chanmunda Devi comprises of big complex with a 'Kund' (Ban Ganga)in it.

Taking dip in the Ban Ganga river is considered as more auspicious and sacred. People perform prayer to Lord Shiva with the water of Ban Ganga river. As per the rituals, the devotees coming to the temple take holy dip in the Kund. The main deity of the temple is kept under cover and is not accessible by the visitors, because of its sacred importance.

A trek of about 16 km up in the Dhauladhar ranges is the ancient temple of Aadi Himani Chamunda.

The Sui Mata Temple is located between the Chamunda Devi temple and Brajreshwari Devi temple, and is dedicated to Sui Mata. She is believed to be a local princess, who gave her life for the people in Chamba. Colorful paintings within the temple depict the life of Sui. Other temples to visit in Chamba are the Radha Krishna Temple, Harirai Temple, Sitaram Temple and Champavati Temple .

Other Attractions

Beside temple, there is Ayurvedic dispensary, library and a Sanskrit college situated in the temple complex. The dispensary provides medical treatment to the pilgrims and locals. The library comprises of rare stock of old manuscripts, books on astrology, Hindu philosophy, Vedas, Puranas, Upnishads, Sanskrit and History. There is book sale counter, which provide these books on reasonable rates.

A Sanskrit college is also run by the temple trust and they organize free classes on Vedas and Puranas.

Website :
http://www.surfindia.com/travel/himachal-pradesh/chamunda-devi-temple.html

Ma Kok Miu - A-Ma Temple

Name : A-Ma Temple. The former name of A-Ma Temple (Ma Kok Miu) was Ma Tsou

Location : Macau, China

Description :

The oldest temple in Macao, which has a history of over 500 years. It is so alleged that over 400 years ago when Portuguese reached Macao and landed on the sea promontory opposite the A-Ma Temple, they noticed the temple of goddess and asked the local inhabitants the name of the whole place who misunderstood they were denoting the temple and answered "Ma Kok". In this way, the Portuguese transliterated into "Macau" which was the origin of the Portuguese name for Macao.

The whole Temple includes the main hall, stone hall, great mercy hall and Kun lam (Goddess of Mercy, Avalokitesvara) hall four buildings.

At the gate, there are stone lions guarding the temple and the eaves pointing the sky, full of Chinese folk characteristics. The A-Ma Temple was built by the cliff. There are winding paths around upwards the hill. Along the cliff, there are many poems and verses inscribed on stone in all scripts, regular, cursive, seal character and official.

Legend :

Inside the courtyard, there is a relief stone sculpture of Chinese junk. Here goes the allegation that A-Ma sailed out to sea from her native land by this junk. After coping with strong typhoon and fierce-waves, she reached Macao safely. It is said, the Tin Hau, the Queen of Heaven and Protector of Seafarer who was from Pu Tien, Fujian Province, is otherwise known for Niang Ma. She could predict auspicious and inauspicious things and after death made her presence felt on the sea, helping merchants and fishermen to dispel calamity, overcome difficulty and turn danger into safety. Later generations built temple here to pay homage in her memory.

Festivals :

On 23 March every lunar year, the birthday of A-Ma, and in the spring festival, the Temple is crowded with worshippers.

Many male and female disciples gather here to pay homage and to pray for good fortune. Even young men and young women in western-style clothes and in long boots and short skirts come to burn incense to pray for good luck, a quite warm scene.

Website :
http://www.orientaltravel.com/province/city/area/Macau_A_Ma_Temple.htm

Prasanna Veeranjaneya Temple

Name : Prasanna Veeranjaneya Temple

Location : The Prasanna Veeranjaneya Swamy Temple, atop a hillock in Mahalakshmi Layout in the Bangalore city.

Description :

This temple won the cleanliness award for "The Best-Maintained Temple" in 1999. In addition to its 22-foot deity Prasanna Veeranjaneya, carved out of a single monolithic rock, the temple is well known for its free medical services. The temple occupies 13 acres of land.

History :

During the rule of Mysore Maharaja Mahalakshmipura was a nice place for shooting practice. There was an graceful huge rock upright on the top of a small hill. It was a wonderful view to see the rock from the distance. When the BDA (Bangalore Development Authority) were developing new layouts in Bangalore, Mahalakshmipura was renamed Mahalakshmi Layout.

The rock on the top of the hill was 22 feet high and 16 feet in breadth and 4 feet wide. Local residents of Mahalakshmi Layout made a majestic painting of Lord Anjaneya on the rock and the Lord Anjaneya was named as Sree Prasanna Veeranjaneya Swamy. In the year 1973 on the occasion of Ramanavami the first pooja was performed. 

Later a committee was formed and the committee decided to have a statue of the deity of Sri Prasanna Veeranjaneya Swamy in the place of the painting. Sri Shanmugananda Stapati was the person who completed the carving of the idol ( S.Shanmugananda Sthapathi during 1974 ). This vast idol is 22 feet tall black stone.

Until the 1960s, the hillock 22-foot deity, Prasanna Veeranjaneya and surrounding area was barren. In 1968, people began to be occupy the area. In 1973, the people in the area began worshipping the rock and painted an image of Anjaneya flying with the Sanjeevini Hill. Later, the same painting was sculpted into an idol of Anjaneya in 1975 by a sculptor, Shanmugananda. Since then, people have worshipped the idol with deep reverence.

On June 7th 1976, the idol was installed with traditional ceremony, with former chief minister, Kengal Hanumanthaiah, the then Congress general secretary P V Narasimha Rao and others in attendance. A 15-member trust currently manages the temple.

Dhyanamandira silent zone for peace lovers within the temple is the Meditation Hall or Dhyanamandira. Lovely greenery surrounding the hall adds to the ambience. Colourful idols of Lord Srirama and his beloved devotee Hanuman attract the attention of devotees sitting in silence. It is believed that disturbed minds are consoled here.



The Philanthrophic activities of Prasannaveeranjaneya Temple :

Hospital at the TempleThe Veeranjaneya Swamy Temple is well known for its free medical services. The temple's hospital has treated eye patients and conducted 730 cataract operations, while more than 616 patients have been treated for teeth problems in its dental clinic. "For a nominal fee of Rs 5, our dental clinic performs treatments like removing aching tooth, filling cement (to decayed teeth), and other dental treatments," says the temple trust founder secretary, Mr Krishnamurthy Rao, who has been associated with the temple since its inception 28 years ago. The dental clinic does not insist on the nominal fees for dental treatment if the patient is too poor to pay, says Mr Rao.



The temple hospital receives unused medicines from convalesced patients around the city area and prescribes them to its patients. Convalesced patients are happy to donate their unused medicines to the Temple. The doctors here take care while prescribing medicines to their patients. The temple hospital has a Medical Storephysiotherapist, pediatrician, dentist, and general physician in addition to the specialists visiting three to four times in a week. Every day, the hospital works from 9 am to 1.30 pm. The dental clinic is open on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. The hospital also has a Homeopathic Clinic and a medical store. An 18-bed hall, which was opened in June 1996, is used once a month for eye cataract operations. The temple provides food to patients and their caretakers at the monthly three-day cataract operation camp.

The temple is encouraging local musicians and dancers by holding their concerts in the temple every Saturday evening from 6-8 pm. Budding artistes can register with the temple on Saturdays. The temple honors artistes by giving an honorarium of Rs 1,000 per concert. The local Mahila Samaja conducts bhajans (devotional prayers) on Sunday mornings at the temple.

Festivals :

Benne Alankara (decoration with butter) of the deity Anjaneya at Prasanna Veeranjaneya Temple is done every year in the month of August. For the Benne Alankara, 420 kilograms of butter is used. About 18,000 devotees contribute the butter required for this ritual. The day after the ritual, the butter is removed and distributed to the devotees as prasada. On Hanumat-jayanthi day the temple distributes fruits to about 5,000 monkeys in and around Bangalore.

The temple's anniversary is celebrated in June. Srirama Kalyanotsava and Samoohika Lakshmi Puja rituals are held as part of the anniversary celebrations. Anyone can participate in the rituals of the temple, irrespective of caste, creed and religion, says the temple's founder secretary, Mr Krishnamurthy Rao.

Website : http://www.bangalorebest.com/discoverbangalore/sightseeing/religion/temples/veeranjneya.asp

VijayaWada Kanaka Durga Temple

Name : VijayaWada Kanaka Durga Temple

Location : Located in Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh. The temple is located on the Indrakeeladri hill, on the banks of Krishna River.

Legends :

There are lot of legends associated with this temple.

According to a legend, the now verdant Vijayawada was once a rocky region strewn with hills that obstructed the flow of River Krishna. The land was thus rendered unfit for habitation or cultivation. Invocation to Lord Shiva for His intervention directed the hills to make way for the river. And lo! the river started flowing unimpeded with all its might, through the tunnels or "Bejjam" bored into the hills by Lord Shiva. That is how the place got its name Bezawada.

One of the many mythologies associated with this place is that Arjuna prayed to Lord Shiva on top of Indrakeela hill to win His blessings and the city derived its name "Vijayawada" after this victory. Another popular legend is about the triumph of goddess Kanakadurga over the demon King Mahishasura. It is said that the growing menace of demons became unbearable for the natives. Sage Indrakila practiced severe penance, and when the goddess appeared the sage pleaded Her to reside on his head and keep vigil on the wicked demons. As per his wishes of killing the demons, Goddess Durga made Indrakila Her permanent abode. Later, She also slayed the demon king Mahishasura freeing the people of Vijayawada from evil.

Legend has it that the demons acquired great powers by appeasing the Gods and began harassing the sages on the earth. Goddess Parvathi assumed various forms to kill these demons. It was kausiki to kill Sumbhu and Nisambhu, Mahisasura Mardini to kill Mahishasura and Durga to kill Durgamasura. "Kanaka Durga because she was aglow with golden hues, and prayed Her to stay on earth and bless them. Kanaka Durga asked Keeludu an ardent devotee to take the form of hill to enable Her stay on him. Thus Keeladri became the abode of Durga. She took the form of Mahisasura Mardini with eight arms holding different weapons, riding on a lion and trampling Mahishasura on the hill of Indrakeeladri. Her consort Shiva took his place on an adjacent hillrock as Jyothirlinga. He was worshipped by Lord Brahma with jasmines (Mallelu) whereby he got the name of Malleswara Swamy. As celestial beings like Indra visited the place, the hill came to be called Indrakeeladri.

Here it was according to another legend, that Arjuna performed penance and fought with Lord Shiva, who had appeared in the guise of Kiratha to win pasupathastra, the most powerful weapon. So this place is also called phalguna theertha.

When Indrakeeladri came in the way of the River Krishna the Gods requested the hill to allow the river to pass through it to join the sea. Keeludu obliged and gave a small passage for the river. But the ferocious Krishna made the passage larger than permitted and carried a part of the hill four miles downstream to Yanamalakuduru, where there is now a hillrock called "Thelukonda" or floating hillrock. According to another legend, Kanaka Durga borrowed the nose-stud of the Krishna and to avoid returning it jumped up the hill. Krishna vowed to take back her ornament by raising her level to the hill top by the end of kaliyuga.

Description :

The origin of the temple is unknown and it is believed that the deity of the temple is 'Swayambhu', that is self manifested. Hence the deity is believed to be immensely strong.

Adi-Sankaracharya visited the temple and installed the Srichakra and initiated workship of Kanaka Durga in vedic ways.

Hiuan Tsang, a Chinese traveler wrote that he has seen many stone inscriptions in the vicinity of the temple that revealed historic events.

Kanaka Durga is specially decorated as Balatripura Sundari, Gayathri Annapoorna. Mahalakshmi, Saraswathi, Lalitha Tripura Sundari, Durga Devi, Mahissura Mardini and Raja Rajeswari Devi on each day of the Narvarathri festival. On Vijaya Dasami day, the deities are taken in a swan-shaped boat around the Krishna river, popularity known as "Theppotsavam".

Though a ghat road was laid in 1969, most of the pilgrims prefer to climb the steps leading to the temple an arduons task for women and children. Some devotees climb the hill, decorating the steps with turmeric powder and vermilion to redeem their pledge of Metla Pooja.

Festivals :

Special pujas are performed during Dasara also called Navaratri. The most significant are Saraswati puja and Theppotsavam.

The festival of Dasara for Goddess Durga is celebrated here every year. A large number of pilgrims attend the colourful celebrations and take a holy dip in the Krishna river.

Vijaywada Kanaka Durga Devi Avatars during Dasara
Sri Kanaka Durga Devi, the chief deity of the temple is portrayed as blessing the visiting devotees in various forms (avatars) during the ten day festival. A symbolic representation of the 10 forms of triumph of good over evil, this form (known as 'Alankaram') of the day is chosen as per the astrological star of each day, in accordance with the lunar calendar. This year, the devotees are being blessed according to the following schedule of Alankarams:

Day 1 -SRI SWARNA KAVACHALAKRUTA DURGA DEVI

Day 2 - SRI BALA TRIPURA SUNDARI DEVI

Day 3 - SRI ANNAPURNA DEVI

Day 4 - SRI GAYATRI DEVI

Day 5- SRI LALITHA TRIPURA SUNDARI DEVI

Day 6 - SRI SARASWATI DEVI

Day 7 - SRI MAHA LAKSHMI DEVI

Day 8 - SRI DURGA DEVI

Day 9 - SRI MAHISHASURA MARDHINI DEVI

Day 10 - SRI RAJA RAJESWARI DEVI

Alankarams may change according to Thidis and nakshatrams every year.

Website :
http://hindugodsandtemples.blogspot.com/2009/10/vijayawada-kanaka-durga-temple-kanaka.html

Galtaji Temple

Name : Galtaji Temple

Location : Near Sisodia Rani ka Bagh, On Jaipur-Agra Highway

Built by: Diwan Rao Kriparam

Built in: 18th Century

Dedicated to: Sun God, Lord Hanuman/Balaji

Highlights: Fresh Water Springs

Galtaji is a holy pilgrimage of India, located 10 kms away from Jaipur in Rajasthan. The vast complex of Galta Ji has several temples in it. The Temple of Galtaji is famous for its natural water springs. Set amidst the beautiful landscape, Galtaji Temple offers a picturesque view of the city. Galtaji is considered holy place, as Saint Galav spent his life meditating here. However, the temple was built much later by Diwan Rao Kriparam, a courtier of Sawai Jai Singh II, in the 18th Century.

The outstanding structure of the Temple looks more like a mansion or Haveli.
The complex of Galtaji has numerous temples, pavilions, natural springs and holy 'kunds'. Built in pink sandstone, Galtaji Temple appeals to the aesthetic sense of the visitors. The temple, dedicated to the Sun God, is the most famous temple built on the top of a hill. The temple is decked with rounded roofs, exquisitely carved pillars and painted walls. Out of all other temples, Hanuman temple stands out, being surrounded by hundreds of monkeys. Besidesall other attractions, Natural water springs draw special attention of the visitors.

The water of these springs is accumulated in the tanks or 'kunds'. In all, there are seven tanks, holiest being the Galta Kund, which never goes dry. It is considered auspicious to take bath in the holy waters of Galtaji. Thousands of people come every year to take a dip in the tanks to rinse out their sins. Makar Sankranti is regarded as a special day to take bath in the holy waters of Galtaji.

Galtaji Temple is a prehistoric pilgrimage location, in a lush green landscape of nature. The location of temple is such that it provides awe-inspiring views of the surrounding plains. The Galtaji Temple is a souvenir of the former age and a sacred pilgrimage of the Hindus. The tranquility of the Temple, attracts people from far and near, to visit it again and again.

http://india-jaipur.blogspot.com/2008/06/galtaji-temple.html

Avaniapuram Nava Narasimhar Temple

Name : Avaniapuram Nava Narasimhar Temple

Location :
Located near Cheyyar in the Vandavasi-Arani route.

Legend:

AVANI means LION in Sanskrit and hence the name AVANIYA PURAM to this place, originally this sacred place called as ‘AVANI NARAYANA PURAM” and during the days it became Avaniyapuram.

During the time of Thretha Yuga Lord Brahma was doing the yaga and at that time from the yaga’s fire Lord Narasimha has appeared in front of him. Due to the heat lord doesn’t had the face when he come up. Seeing this Mahalakshmi Thayar told to Narasimhar that how you will give darshan to bhaktas without face hence please grant me your face to me. Pleased by the Thayar lord gives his face and hence in this Kshetra Thayar with lion face giving darshan to all and this day is celebrated once in 60 Years of Sarvadhari Samvathsarm.

Description :

The temple enshrines Nava (nine) Narasimhars apart from Shri Venkateshwara, Shri Ranganathar and Shri Varadarajar. It is a small hill with temples at 2 tiers and about 200 steps to climb.

The steps are painted with colorful painting and the either side of the walls are enmarked with Narayana tiru Namam in blue background color adds more beauty. Steps can be easily climbed by even older persons also.

This is a two tire temple on the first entrance where moolavar is housed along with Thayar. Lord Narashima is in a sitting posture, Mahalakshmi Thayar seated on his left thigh. His left arm is around his consort and his right hand is in abhaya hastha position. His upper hands are holding the chakra and conch. Here Lord has no face and Thayar having the Lion Face.

The Uthsava moorthy of lord Narashimhar had a face of lion. He has four hands and is in standing position flanked on either side by Sri Devi and Bhoodevi. On the Right side of the prakaram Pancha Narashimar separately in a row. Garudan in a Separate Sannidi.

After climbing approx 100+ steps there is an another beautiful temple. It’s Lord Venkateswara a Swayambhu moorthy standing armed with chakra and conch.

Behind the Srinivasa Perumal temple, there is a separate sannidhies in a cave- Lord Ranganatha with his Consort Ranganayaki on his Serpentine bed, Sri Perundevi Sametha Sri Varadaraja Perumal, Sri Yoga Narashimhar. Lord is said to have obliged Brigu Maharishi by appearing before him in the form of five Divya desa deities.

Festivals :
During the Sarvadhari Samvathsaram AANI month 9th day is the day THAYAR got the LION face and it is celebrated once in 60 Years of Sarvadhari Samvathsaram Aani Month 9th day. Only on this day 4 types of nevedhya prasadam will be offered to lords of this hill temple.

* For Mahalakshmi Thayar -> Sakkarai Pongal
* For Narashimhar -> Puliyogarai
* For Srinivasa Perumal -> Tair sadam
* For Yoga Narashimhar -> Ven Pongal

By visiting this kshetram itself one can get the benefit of

* Kalyana Prapthi
* Putra Sowbhagyam
* Runa Vimochanam
* Vyaparam

Website : i got all information about this temple from
http://rameshjs.wordpress.com/2008/06/16/avaniyapuram-nava-narashimha-skeshtra/

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

Theertha Malai

Name : Theertha malai. In Tamil it means Hill with Holy Water

Location : It is located 60Kms from Dharmapuri on the way to Thiruvannamalai via Aroor.

Deity : Theerthangeswarar and Arulmozhi Vadivambigai

Description :

This Shiva hill temple is 500meters high. It is a very old shrine and the inscriptions on this temple says Chola emperors had regularly visited theis temple including Rajendra Cholan.



Legend :

It was said in old puranas that Lord Rama had worshiped Shiva in two places during his Ramavathar. One is Rameshwaram and other Theertha malai. Hence there is belief that a holy dip in the waters of this spring will wipe out the sins committed by the people.

In order to worship to Lord Shiva, Rama sent Hanuman to fetch water from the River Ganga, but when Hanuman did not return at the appointed time for pooja, Rama unleashed an arrow onto the rocky slope of the hillock and water sprang forth, which today is called Rama Theertham.

This pilgrim and picnic centre becoming very popular with the public. The temple situated about one k.m up the steep slope of a hillock derives that its name from the five springs in the temple.

The tiny waterfall drops from a height of about 30 feet is perennial and during the summer as well as the rainy season the water falls on the bathing ghat behind the sanctum sanctorum of the temple. The other Theertham, all of which have their origin in different parts of the rocky surface, are the Agasthya Theertham, AgniTheertham. Kumara Theertham and the Gouri Theertham, besides these four Theerthams the Hanuman Theertham is situated about 16km from the main temple on the banks of river South Pennar. This too is also closely associated with the temple. It is stated that when Hanuman returned with the water from the Ganga, he found that Rama had brought the Ganga water with his arrow. He then threw away in anger the vessel containing the Ganga water. This water fell onto the riverbank.

Hanuman Theertham also is a very holy place. During summer even when the river is dry there will be sweet water in the spring that flows from rock in the riverbed. The waters of the Theerthamalai are supposed to have medicinal values too. It may be mentioned that Theerthamalai has huge reserves of magnetite iron ore that can be utilized for the Salem Steel Plant.

Several Inscriptions can be found in the Theerthagireeswarar Temple. They relate to the Vijayanagar and Chola rulers. There is one inscription in ancient Telugu and Kannada. Poet Saint Arunagirinathar referred to the Temple of Theerthagirieeswarar in his compositions. The Mandapam near the sanctum sanctorum is supposed to be built by Sila Naicken. He is said to have maintained a well-fortified garrison at the top of the hill from where a commanding view of the surroundings can be on all sides is available.

There is another spring known as Vashista Theertham higher up in the hill. Close by are the wonderful granite pieces of Saptha kanyakas. The beauty of these sculptures is that they can be viewed only through a very narrow crevice in the rock. The nine-day annual festival at the Temple is in the month of March.


Theerthams :

There are 5 holy water source in the hill temple. They are
1. Rama Theertham
2. Kumara Theertham
3. Gowri Theertham
4. Agni Theertham
5. Agasthya Theertham

Another theertham (Hanuman Theertham) is on the way from Aroor to Oothangarai. it is belief that we should first go to Hanuman theertham and then go to Theertha malai to get full blessings of Theerthangeshwarar.



The theertham on the hill comes from a high point and it is perennial whole year. Also pilgrims get full freshness in body and mind aftre having a bath in this theertham.

Website :
http://narennarasim.blogspot.com/2009/02/blog-post.html

Perak Tong temple

Name : Perak Tong temple

Location : Within the huge limestone caves of Gunung Tasek, 6 km to the north of Ipoh, nestles the Perak Tong temple.

Description :

Ipoh has many limestone caves due to the surrounding karst formations. The famous of them are three namely, The Sam Po Tong, Perak Tong and Kek Lok Tong

Perak Tong temple was built in 1962 by a Buddhist priest from China. This temple houses over 40 Buddha statues, the centre piece being a 12.8m high sitting Buddha. The statue of Buddha in Perak Tong was the tallest and largest of its kind in Malaysia when first commissioned.



Beyond the main altar, a passage leads into the cave's interior. On the walls of the cave, a visitor will find himself fascinated by mystical mural paintings.

It has a steep, tall staircase in the interior of the cave rising up steep climb of 385 steps. Afterall this is a limestone cave, so you may find water dripping from the ceiling at certain points. The cave opens again to reveal a wonderful view of the surrounding countryside. Even there is a wonderfull garden up there.
Website : http://mynicegarden.blogspot.com/2009/10/hike-up-perak-cave-temple-part-3-of-3.html

Maa Sharda Temple - Maihar

Name : Maa Sharda Temple

Location : Maihar city lies in Satna District of State of Madhya Pradesh. Sharda Devi (goddess) is situated in Trikuta hill around 5 km from the heart of the town. Maihar is about: 42 km. away from Satna, 65 km. away from Katni,

Description :

Maihar is a holy town of Madhya Pradesh State. Devotees from all over India visits ‘Maa Sharda Temple’ throughout the year. Temple is located in top of the mountain and can be reached through 1060 steps, road. It is quite obvious that visit is not easy task specially for aged or physically unfit devotees. Considering the problem of devotees, management had started the service of ropeway service for devotees to reach Mother goddess Sharda Temple conveniently and in short time. Many peoples visit the temple in Navratri or Ram Navmi.

There is one ancient inscription near the feet of stone sculpture of Sharda Devi situated in Sharda Devi temple. There is another statue of Lord Narsingh along with Sharda Devi. These statues were installed by Nupula Deva on Shake 424 chaitra krishna paksha 14 Tuesday, vikram samvat 559 i.e. 502 AD. This stone inscription Sharda Devi in four lines is of size 15" by 3.5" in Devanagari script. Another stone inscription at the temple is of size 34" by 31" inscribed by a shaiva saint Shamba who had knowledge of Buddhism and Jainism also. This inscription bears a scene of Nagadeva and reveals that it was about Damodara, son of Saraswati, was considered the Vyasa of Kaliyuga. And that there prevailed system of goat sacrifice at that time during worship.

Legends :

1. It is a common belief that first fall Adiguru Shankracharya offered his prayer and worship in this temple.

2. Traditional sacred stories says that when Lord Shiva was in state of deep sorrow and anguish, due to the death of Sati (Wife of Lord Shiva) and was roaming in earth with her dead body on his back. Lord Vishnu, came forward to save mankind and cuts the body of Sati in to 52 pieces. In Maihar necklace of Sati fell down and hence temple was established here. Its name “Maihar” can be broken to two parts “Mai” means mother and “har” means necklace.

3. Local tradition reveals that the warriors Alha and Udal, who had war with Prithvi Raj Chauhan, are associated with this place. Both the brothers were very strong followers of Sharda Devi. It is said that Alha penanced for 12 years and got the amaratva with the blessings of Sharda Devi. Alha and Udal are said to be the first to visit the goddess in this remote forest. Alha used to call the mother goddess by the name 'Sharda Mai' and henceforth she became popular as 'Mata Sharda Mai'. One can see down hill behind the temple, the pond known as 'Alha Pond'. At a distance of 2 km from this pond is situated the akhara of Alha and Udal where they did practice of kusti.

Website :
http://www.prlog.org/10293618-ropeway-facility-for-maihar-temple-tour-indus-excursion.html
http://www.indianetzone.com/16/maihar_mother_goddess_sharda_temple.htm

The Big Buddha of Phuket

Name : The Phuket Big Buddha. It aka "Phraputthamingmongkol Eaknakakeeree"

Location : Khao Nakkerd, Karon, Phuket, Thailand

Description:

The Phuket Big Buddha is 45 meters (150 feet) high and reachers 25 meters diameter at its base. The Buddha is sitting on a huge podium designed as a lotus flower. From Nakkerd Hill (Khao Nakkerd) he is looking to the east towards Chalong Bay. The construction is going on and is now in finishing stage.

And we can have a chance to walk inside the atatue to pay respect the Big Buddha. Inside the Big Buddha, there is stairway up to the top of its, but we have to wait till work is complete.

The view is enormous and a ride up to the summit of Nakkerd Hill is always worth the trip. The road up to Big Buddha is between Chalong Circle (Ha Yeak Chalong) and Wat (Temple) Chalong. You can't miss the turn as you see huge signs with "Big Buddha". This road to the peak is 5.5 km, mixed partially paved and dirt. If you drive up with a motorbike you should keep an eye on the many pot-holes.

Website : http://platial.com/post/4577334

Panchapandava Cave Temple, Palavaram

Name : Panchapandava Cave Temple, Palavaram

Location : Pallavaram, Chennai

Lord Brahma at Pallavaram :
This is an left over ruins of ancient rock-cut temple where Lord Brahma and his Trimurti associates were worshipped. The Panchapandava Cave Temple was built in the early 7th century by Mahendravarman I, king of the Pallava dynasty. The holy site was eventually taken over by Muslims, and has now fallen to ruin.

The Panchapandava Cave Temple is located in Pallavaram (Pallavapuram). Today it is a suburban town within the city limits of Chennai, in Kanchipuram district. The temple site is ancient, as evidenced by artifacts found there from the Old Stone and Iron Age.

Valmiki, author of the Ramayana, is said to have lived in this area. The Pallavaram Temple has long been known as 'Panchapandava' Temple because of its association with the five Pandava brothers, although there is no extant evidence of that connection.

The site is one of a series of amazing rock-cut temples constructed by King Mahendravarman throughout his kingdom, others of which are found at Dalavanur, Tiruchirapalli, Mandagapattu, Kilmavilangai, Mamandur and Tiru-kazhukunram.

Architecture :
The Panchapandava Temple was constructed in typical Pallava style, with six huge pillars in front. Cut into the mother rock was a sanctum sanctorum featuring five cells, one for each member of the Trimurti, the presiding deities. The two cells on the outer sides were for subsidiary deities, whose identity is unknown. All five shrines face south. The sanctum as a whole projects outward, carved from a protruding section of the main rock. In the picture below, we see that at one point, a roof covered the sanctum and a narrow porch area. As was typically the case with Mahendra rock-cut temples, the number of shrines correspond to the number of pillars, so that each niche would be approached by stepping between a pair of pillars.

To the Vaisnavas and Saivites, the hill at Panchapandava Cave Temple is known as Panchapandava Malai. To the Muslims who have taken it over, it is known as Maula Ka Pahad. Muslims believe that Pallavaram Hill is home to a relic of Prophet Mohammad. In the evening during Ramadan (called Ramzan in India), Muslim pilgrims walk to the top of the hill where the cave temple ruins are found.



In fact, it was originally the Sufi Muslims who invaded this area, taking over the Panchapandava caves and turning them into a masjid for worshipping the panjã (palm). While now being used as a Muslim dargah, the temple ruins have unfortunately been painted and renovated beyond recognition.

Website : http://www.harekrsna.com/sun/features/10-09/features1520.htm