Chandi mata Kashmir / Machel mata

Name : Chandi Mata Temple / Machel yatra

Location :

Machel Mata is a Goddess Durga shrine popularly known as Machail Mata being located in the village Machel, from where it derives its name, in Kishtwar District of Jammu region in India. It may be noted that Goddess Durga is also known by the name Kaali or Chandi.

Legend :

The temple history is entwined with the conquests of Zorawar Singh Kahluria, who in 1834 sought blessings of Machelmata, before crossing the mountains and Suru River (Indus), with 5000 men for vanquishing an army of local Botis of Ladakh. He became a faithful devotee after the successful mission.

Description :

Machelmata Sthan as the shrine is popularly known, has a landscape of unblemished beauty with hills, glaciers and tributaries of the Chenab River (Chadrabhaga). Paddar valley, nearby is famous for its world-famous sapphire mines, and is a cool place for hiking, cannoning and holy hot springs. The area is home to bhot community and the Thakur community who are serpent worshipers, and was merged with Kishtwar tehsil, by Maharaja Ranbir Singh. Thousands of people visit the shrine every year mainly from Jammu region.

The Pilgrimage / Machel Yatra :

The pilgrimage happens in the month of August only every year. The shrine was visited in 1981 by Thakur Kulveer Singh of Bhaderwah, Jammu region. From 1987 onwards, Thakur Kulveer SIngh started 'Chandi Yatra' that happens every year and thousands of people visit the shrine every year during 'Chandi Yatra', which starts from Chinote in Bhaderwah to Machail in Paddar. There are lot of supernatural happenings that the pilgrims experience and report.


To reach the shrine, lot of travel agents arrange buses from Jammu, Udhampur, Ramnagar, Bhaderwah. One can also hire a cab as well. It takes approximately 10 hours by road from Jammu to Gulabgarh, as the distance is 290 km.

The Gulabgarh is the base camp.
From Gulabgarh, the foot journey starts, that is 32 km.
People take 2 days to reach the shrine by foot.
On the way there are many villages, where one can stay in the night.
The chaddi takes three days to reach Machel.
Many people organizes roadside 'langers' (free food points) on the way to the Gulabgarh.
Devotees are welcomed at various villages with them offering free Langars at Gulabgarh, Massu, Kundhail, Chishoti, Hamori and Machail.
Government of Jammu & Kashmir also arranges basic amenities for the pilgrims. The shrine is inaccessible during the winter months of December, January and February.
Other mean of reaching the shrine is by helicopter from Jammu and Gulabgarh.

The helipad is only 100 meters from the shrine. But if someone goes by helicopter, he will be missing many scenic beauties of the nature. Helicopter takes at least 7-8min to reach the Mata's darwar.

Websites :

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Machel_Mata

Arittapatti Caves - rockcut Shiva Temple

Name :  Arittapatti Rockcut Shiva Temple

Location : 

Arittapatti is a small village located in Melur taluk of Madurai district. It is 25Kms from Madurai Town.

Description :
 
The hillock which looks like a pack of rocks is steeped in 2300 years old history. On one side of the hill are natural Jain caves called Pandava Padukkai and on the other side, a rock -cut Siva temple. Pandava Padukkai has got nothing to do with the Pandavas of Mahabharatham. Yet people assume the stone beds might have been used by Pandavas during their exile. These are actually the beds used by Jain saints.

The Siva temple is a fine example of the early Pandya rock-cut temple architecture. This simple but beautiful edifice, which belongs to the 7^th-8^th century CE, has a garbhagriha and a front mandapa. Now the local people call this temple as Idaichchi mandapam.  The Siva linga of this temple has been chiseled in the centre of the same rock. The bas-relief sculptures of the Vinayaka and Siva as Lagulisa adorn the two niches of the exterior wall of the front Mandapa. This is one among the rare Lagulisa sculptures found in Tamil Nadu. 

Websites :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PNV3q59COr8

http://www.tnarch.gov.in/cons/temple/temple33.htm 

Dantakali Temple, Nepal

Name : Dantakali Temple

Location : Vijapur Hill in Nepal. From Bhanu Chowk walk eastward for 15 minutes and you will enter the lowest point of Vijayapur Hill and you will see the first temple here, Pindeshwor Temple. From there walk uphill for about 10 minutes on the main road to reach Datankali Temple.

Legend :
This holy temple is famous to Hindus as Teeth fallen place of Satidevi (wife of Lord Shiva).According to Hindu myth Lord Shiva carries the body of death wife (Satidevi) on his back and walked to different places.As he walked on the Teeth fell in the place where the temple is situated now.

Description :

Surrounded by the beautiful hills in Bijaypur the temple of Dantakali or the the tooth goddess is situated. It is one of the major Shakti Peeths in Nepal and holds a great religious significance. The area of the temple is also very attractive with green hills and a panoramic view of Terai and Dharan bazaar.

The temple, in its present form, was built by locals after 1978 AD and consists of a cement and brick structure with three roofs and a metal pinnacle on the top. Housed within the temple is the actual object of worship -- a silver-plated rock in the shape of teeth, which are said to Sati Devi's.

The hill of Vijaypur once formed the Eastern frontier of the medieval kingdom of Vijaypur, and, besides Dantakali, it consists of numerous other temples, namely Bhatabhange, Panchakanya, Budhasubba, Gadi Ganesh, and Pindeswor. Devotees of Kali visit Dantakali during the festival of Navaratra and also on Saturdays.

Festivals :

The temple observes the presence of maximum number of devotees in Navaratri (nine nights) during the festival of Dashain. Also, on the occasion of Maha Asthami, mass sacrifices of he-goats take place on the temple premises.


Websites :

http://travelgolpo.com/asia/nepal/dharan/dantakali-temple/