Phnom Chngouk Temple

Name : Phnom Chngouk Temple

Location : Tropeang Pring, Cambodia

Description : Just eight kilometres east of quiet Kampot town lies Phnom Chngouk, one of Kampot's oldest known cave temples.

The winding dirt road to the temple snakes past scenic views of the Cambodian countryside, lush with rice paddies, small farms and dramatic limestone formations, covered in dense vegetation.

There is brick temple within the cave that dates back to 7th century during the Funan period. It has over the course of millions of year, grown into an almost prefect linga.

Phnom Chngouk itself is a hulking limestone karst, which contains many hidden chambers, rocky outcrops and stalactites, formed by calcium carbonate deposits in water. The largest cave contains an ancient red brick Hindu temple resting under a massive rock formation resembling an eagle.

Now the temple is tended to by the elderly Loak Ta Neak Sohl, or "Grandfather White Dragon". He came to this area 12 years ago to devote himself to the Buddhist dharma and meditate. At that time not many people knew about this temple; there were no steps up to the cavern, only forest and rocks. With his encouragement, the villagers pooled their money to build stone steps up to the temple.

The slight, wiry patriarch explained that many electronic devices such as cell phones and watches cease to work in the cave, and that even airplanes and helicopters never fly over the site, as it interferes with their controls.

Next to the main chamber is a passageway that leads to the interior of the cave. The path is slippery and dark, and littered with large boulders, a stalactite resembling the head of a cow, and a cool, subterranean pond filled with tiny black fish.

The journey through the cave and out to the rice fields below and behind the mountain is easily negotiated by the young boys who hop effortlessly through the obstacles with only a flashlight. But it is not an easy trip for first-time visitors.

Tourists don't often explore this cavern, as they are too scared. Only visitors under 80 or 90 kilogrammes are advised to go here as some of the passageways are too tight for larger visitors.

Website : http://www.phnompenhpost.com/index.php/2009061826534/Life-Style/Kampot-s-cave-temples-make-for-a-magical-trip.html

Wat Kirisan

Name : Wat Kirisan

Location : located in Kampong Trach, 29 kilometres from Kep, Cambodia

Description : Wat Kirisan is a modern temple built at the base of a large karst formation with numerous caves and passages on the inside. The main pagoda is located outside the karst, and from there you can take an underground passage to go to the shrines and caves on the inside. There is also a large reclining Buddha inside the karst formation too. The cave network is explorable with a proper light source, but a guide is recommended for serious exploration..

Armed with a flashlight, the guide leads visitors down the temple steps and under the mountain into a channel carved out by a now-defunct river.

"During the 1970s, the Khmer Rouge used the soil in this cave for the rice paddies nearby because it was full of minerals," he said. "Later, Vietnamese soldiers hid in the caves, but the Khmer Rouge found them and killed them. Some Vietnamese officials returned to collect the bones, but many of their bones still remain in hidden recesses."

Around the perimeter of the rock walls are grottoes, carved by ancient streams, which contain multiple Buddhist and animist shrines. Some of the grottoes lead to vast underground caverns with lunar-like landscapes and echo with the eerie sound of water softly dripping into the underground pools. People come here to pray to the forest spirit for health, wealth and better life.

Website : http://www.geckogo.com/Attraction/Cambodia/Kampong-Trach/Wat-Kirisan/

Kottaimalai Sri Venugopala Swamy Temple

Name : Kottai Malai (Padavedu)

Location : Padavedu is centrally located among Vellore, Thiruvannamalai and Arani in the Vellore – Polur route. While going from Vellore, there is a junction called Santhavasal at 32 km from Vellore town and from this junction you have to turn right and travel further for about 6 kms to reach Padavedu.

Description : The temple for Lord Venu Gopala Swamy is located on the top of Raja Kambeera Mountain popularly known as Kottaimalai. The temple opens only on Saturdays from 9AM to 4PM.

The only route available to this temple is a ghat road running through thick and beautiful forest. A breath taking journey to this temple can be performed sitting on a huge Tractor specially built to take the pilgrims and the materials to the temple. However the tractor takes us only to the foot of the hill. Rest of the journey is to be covered by walk for about an hour. En route we have to pass through few wooden bridges constructed around the hill. It is an engineering marvel.



All our pains vanish once we reach the sanctum where beautiful flute playing Lord VenuGopala Swamy is in a standing posture along with his consorts Rukmini and Satyabhama. The idols of this temple are known for their artistic beauty.

All the dwajasthambams seen so far are of either wood or metal and not made of stone. Here is a beautifully carved out stone dwajasthambam with the lightning arrestor at the top.


There are two water streams (sunai) on either side of the temple and water from one of them (right side photo) is very clean and is being used for drinking and abhisheham.

A temple not to be missed since this has something for all types/ ages of people - as a spiritual place and as a pleasure spot - so near Chennai.

Festivals : During a Purattasi Saturday, sun rays falls on the foot of the deity and raises to head during the early morning hours. Some say that this happens on the third Saturday and some say that no one knows on which Saturday of the month, this will happen. There will be 100s of people staying overnight to witness the event and the place wears a festive look with good lightings. Lot of Annandhanams by many people take place on the mountain top and along the way. The temple will be open for the entire overnight and the Abhishehams will be completed before 5:30 AM itself on that day.

Website : http://shanthiraju.wordpress.com/2008/06/13/kottamalai/

Uyyakondan Malai

Name : Uyyakondan Malai (Uchi Nathar Temple)

Location : TiruKarkudi. Located at 5 Kms west of Trichy atop a small hill, now known as Uyyakondan Malai.

Deity : Lord Shiva known as Uchi Nathar, Ujjeevaneswarar and Thayaar (Female deity) known as Anjanakshi, Balambikai, Neelnedunkanni

Legend : Mrikandu Maharishi did penance on Lord Shiva for getting children. Lord Siva asked him whether he needed 100 useless children who may live for 100 years or one intelligent, righteous son who would live only for a short period of 16 years of age. Mrikandu preferred to have one righteous son who may have a short life span of 16 years. The child thus born was named Markandeya who also came to know about this dealine and then he took shelter in Lord Shiva. Markandeya, who was an ardent Siva devotee from his childhood, visited many temples of Lord Shiva and prayed to him for longer life. It is in this sivasthalam at Karkudi, Lord Shiva pleased with Markandeya's true devotion and worship, appeared in front of him when he visited this temple and gave him a boon that Markandeya will be a Chiranjeevi and will live forever thereby nullifying the deadline of 16 years of life.

Description : This Sivasthalam is situated on the top of a rock hill of 30 feet height. 64 steps cut in the rock takes one to the top of the hill. The temple has 5 prakarams with high compund walls on the 4 sides. Stone inscriptions found in the temple give details of patronage and renovation work undertaken by the Pallava King Nadivarma Pallavan and hence Karkudi is also referred as Nandivarama Mangalam.

It is interesting to note that Lord Shiva's shrine is atop the hill and that of His Son Lord Muruga's shrine is situated at the bottom of the hill. Usually the temples for Lord Muruga will be found on the top of a hill and here, in this Sivasthalam, the shrine for His Father is atop the hill.

Website : http://www.shivatemples.com/sofc/sc004.html

Pavala Malai

Name : Pavalamalai

Location : Gobichettipalayam, Erode

Description : The main deity here is Arulmigu Muthukumaraswamy. Because of the cultural and religious importance, people prefer Gobi for marriages of their kith and kin. People around the world, conduct their marriage rituals here. These are the only info i got about this temple till now. I shall collect more info about this temple and add in future.

Website: http://www.kaumaram.com/aalayam/index_pavalamalai.html

El Templo del Sol - Machu Pichu

Name : El Templo del Sol (or) Temple Of Sun

Location : Machu Pichu, Peru

Description : The Sun Temple was a ceremonial temple to honor the Inca god of Sun. The Temple is the only round building in the complex. A very sacred structure, only the emperor and high priests would have been allowed inside.

In the center of the temple you can see a sacrificial stone which was used in worship. There are two windows in the temple. On the two solstices of the year, at sunrise, the sun shines directly into the Sun Temple through these two windows and forms a rectangle on the sacrificial stone.

The winter solstice was on June 21st and people gather to see this rare occurrence.

Website : http://www.senorbiallas.com/Peru2004/solsticio.htm