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