Matsyodari devi Temple

Name : Matsyodari devi Temple

Location : The Matsyodari devi Temple of Ambad situated in south 21 k.m. away from Jalna city. 

Description :  Matsyodari, so called because the temple is on the hill which resembles the shape of a fish (matsya). It is believed to be one of the oldest temples in the region.

A largely attended annual fair is held at the temple in October, in Navratra.

Upper Bagh Devi Temple

Name : Upper Bagh Devi Temple

Location :

This is an ancient shrine at Kulada, Ganjam District in the state of Orissa in India. The temple is about 8 km from Bhanja Nagar, 102 km from Chhatrapur and 140 km from Bhubaneswar. The nearest railway station is at Berhampur, 88 km away.


Legend :

Its people's believe that there were three sisters (including Upper Bagh Devi). One is more upper of current Upper Bagh Devi Temple is also called as Bada Raula (may be means big sister) and there is another temple simply called as Bagh Devi (youngest sister) near to Jagannath Temple.

People say that these three sisters always fought each other for Coconut and then once decided that they can divide the region who will stay where. So they throw three Lotta (type of rounded drinking container widely used in Orissa for drinking water). One stuck in the same place where Bada Raula is staying currently, second one stuck in the place where today called as Upper Bagh Devi and the third one was fallen into a Pond which currently a temple which is below the ground level.

Then Kavi Samrat Upendra Bhanja got indication from devi (through dream) that he may need to build temple in these places. Gradually the temple were built and renovated but the Bada Raula's Temple was never built since it is very difficult to go there as there is no steps to go there till now.


Description :

Kulada is famous  for  Goddess Bagh Devi which is the  presiding deity, Kulad is said to be birth place of great Oriya Poet Kabi Samrat Upendra Bhanja.  It is situated to the north west of Ganjam District with a ruin fort, river Mahanadi flowing in the east and dense forest in the west side of the ruined fort. Legend speaks that during 12^th century a Bhanja ruler had joined hands with a tribal leader’ KULA’ to be eradicating the foreign invasion. Seeing the danger from the tribe he stained the tribal leader KULA and on the same place, constructed a fort which was later known as Kulad / Kulargad.

   

The presiding deity of the temple is Goddess Bagh Devi. The original temple is at the top of the hill known as Upper Bagh Devi with 210 steps. Upendra Bhanja spent his term in meditation at this place. As the steps are yet to be made and the route is very tough for climbing another temple of Goddess Bagh Devi has been constructed near the road where people in large number gather to worship. Kulad has many other temples also. The other important temples of Kulad are Temple of Lord Jagannath, Mausimaa temple, Ratneswar Mahadev temple etc. 

Festivals :

Sankranti day of every month. Thakurani Yatra every three years. Rathyatra and Dola Purnima, Dashahara (4 days) and Ashoka Ashtami.  

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

Basilica of St. John, Ephesus

Name : Basilica of St. John, Ephesus

Location :

The basilica is on the slopes of Ayasoluk Hill near the center of Selçuk, Izmir Province in Turkey.

Legend :

It is believed that the Apostle John fled from Jerusalem to the city of Ephesus where he remained for the rest of his life and it is also where he wrote his gospels as well as receiving the last Revelation of Jesus and wrote the Apocalypse.

During his time and until his death in Ephesus, Apostle John preached about Christianity. According to legend, before he died, Christ, along with all the other apostles, visited Apostle John and said to him:
Legend had it that John wrote his gospel in Ephesus at the request of other disciples, then died in the church named for him on Ayasoluk Hill. Later legends developed that he was not really dead, but sleeping, and dust could even be seen moving above his grave as he breathed.

The 13th-century Golden Legend narrates John's death as follows:
According to Isidore, when John was 98 years old, that is, in the 67th year after the Lord's passion, the Lord appeared to him with his disciples and said: 'Come to me, my beloved: it is time for you to feast at my table with your brothers!' John rose and was about to go, when the Lord added: 'You will come to me on Sunday.'

When Sunday arrived, all the people gathered in the church that had been built in his name, and John preached to them at cockcrow, exhorting them to be steadfast in the faith, and zealous in carrying out the commandments of God. Then he had them dig a square grave near the altar and throw the earth outside the church.

He went down into the grave and, with arms outstretched to God, said: 'Lord Jesus Christ, you have called me to your feast: here I am, and I thank you for deigning to invite me to your table. You know that I have longed for you with all my heart!' When he had said this, he was surrounded by a light so brilliant that he was lost to human sight. Then, when the light faded, the grave was found to be full of manna. This manna is still produced there to this day, and it covers the floor of the grave, looking rather like the fine grains of sand at the bottom of a spring.. Because of this, the dust, called manna, was said to be able to cure the sick.

Miracle and flasks :  

The tomb itself acted upon its miracle every year on the 8th of May, during an all night-festival in honor of St. John, for nearly a thousand years, prompting many pilgrimages throughout the medieval period.

The pilgrims who journeyed to Ephesus did not leave empty-handed. Flasks were produced at St. John’s tomb for the pilgrims. These flasks usually had the Saint’s image designed on to it as well. They were used to collect the dusts that would appear around St. John’s tomb, which was then carried back to the pilgrims respective homeland where it was said to have performed miracles by curing sickness and even calm storms on land or sea.

Description :

The Basilica of St. John (St. Jean Aniti) was a great church in Ephesus constructed by Emperor Justinian in the 6th century. It stands over the believed burial site of St. John, who is identified as the apostle, evangelist (author of the Fourth Gospel) and prophet (author of Revelation).
The basilica is on the slopes of Ayasoluk Hill near the center of Selçuk, just below the fortress and about 3.5 km (2 miles) from Ephesus.

St. John's grave was marked by a memorial and enclosed by a church of modest proportions in the 4th century. In the 6th century, Emperor Justinian (527-65 AD) believed that a tomb dating from the 300s was John's, so he built a magnificient church on the site dedicated to the saint.

The traditional tomb of St. John, located under the main central dome, elevated the site to one of the most sacred sites in the Middle Ages and thousands made pilgrimage here.

But with the decline in importance of Ephesus and after Arab raids, the basilica fell into ruins until the Seljuk Aydinoglu clan converted it into a mosque in 1330. The building was then completely destroyed in 1402 by Tamerlane's Mongol army.

The ruined church was thereafter pillaged for building materials, but recent restoration enables visitors to understand its size and visualize its former splendor.

Websites :

http://www.sacred-destinations.com/turkey/ephesus-basilica-of-st-john

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basilica_of_St._John

Amanosan Kongoji Temple

Name : Amanosan Kongoji Temple aka. “Nyonin Koya”

Location : 

The Japanese seaside town of Rikuzentakata (of Gojo, Nara Prefecture)  is home to a tiny temple called Kongoji. It's perched on a hillside and is one of the few structures still intact after recent Japan's earthquake and tsunami of 2011.

Description :

Amanosan Kongoji Temple, was founded by the venerable priest Gyoki in the Tempyo era (729–749) on the order of Emperor Shomu. Amanosan Kongoji is the main temple of the Omuro school of the Buddhist Shingon sect, where the monk Kukai (Kobo-daishi) is said to have undergone religious training in the Konin era (810–824).

The temple buildings and pagodas became dilapidated later. However, since the temple was worshiped at and supported by the ex-emperor Goshirakawa and his sister Hachijo-nyoin in the late Heian period (12th century), the temple buildings were reconstructed by the holy priest Akan from Koyasan (a mountainous, sacred place where the headquarters of the Shingon sect is based).

Hachijo-nyoin received from the Koyasan headquarters the image of Kukai drawn by the princely priest Shinnyo, and enshrined it in Amanosan Kongoji’s mieido (hall in which the image/statue of the sect founder is enshrined). In contrast to Koyasan, where women were not admitted, Amanosan Kongoji Temple allowed women to worship Kukai inside the temple. This is the reason why Amanosan Kongoji was dubbed “Nyonin Koya” (literally translated as “women’s Koyasan”).

In the Northern and Southern Courts period in the 14th century, the temple was used as a temporary abode for Emperor Gomurakami, and was called Amano-angu. Amanosan Kongoji Temple possesses a number of national treasures and important cultural properties. The temple’s garden, created in the Muromachi period (1336–1573), brims with seasonal beauty throughout the year, such as cherry blossoms in spring and colorful foliage in autumn.

Open Hours :  9:00-16:30

Admission Fee :  Free (400 yen for entry to treasury/garden)

Websites :

www.osaka-info.jp/en/search/detail/sightseeing_205.html

Kalpeshwar

Name : Kalpeshwar

Location :

Kalpeshwar the Shiva Temple located at an elevation of 2,200 m (7,217.8 ft) in the picturesque Urgam valley in the Garhwal region of Uttarakhand state in India. The temple’s ancient legend linked to the Pandavas, heroes of epic Mahabharata eminence is the fifth temple of the Panch Kedars (five temples) of Shiva’s five anatomical divine forms; the other four temples in the order of their worship are Kedarnath, Rudranath, Tungnath and Madhyamaheshwar temples; all in the Kedar Khand region of the Garhwal Himalayas.

Legend :

1) The epic legend narrated on the creation of the Panch Kedar temples is that Pandavas of Mahabharata epic history, while chasing Lord Shiva to seek his pardon for the fratricidal sins committed by them during the Kurukshetra war, realized that Shiva, in order to distance himself from the Pandavas, took the incognito form of a bull. But when this form of Shiva was discerned by Bhima, the second of the Pandava brothers, tried to hold on to the bull's tail and hind legs. But the bull vanished underground at Guptakashi. Subsequently it reappeared in five different forms: His hump appeared at Kedarnath, his bahu (arm) was spotted at Tungnath, his head surfaced at Rudranath, the stomach and navel were traced at Madhyamaheswar and his jata (tress) was divined at Kalpeshwar.

2) Another legend states that this place was much preferred by sages of folklore for meditation. Particular mention is made of sage Arghya who through his austere penance created Urvashi, the famous apsara (nymph) at this place. Durvasa, an ancient sage, son of Atri and Anasuya, considered an incarnation of Shiva, known for his short temper did penance and meditated under the Kalpavriksha, the wish fulfilling divine tree in the precincts of the temple. Further, it is said that Durvasa had given Kunti, mother of Pandavas, a boon that "she could invoke any of the forces of nature and they would appear before her and grant whatever she desired". Once, when Pandavas, were in exile here, in order to test them Durvasa visited them along with his desciples and desired to be dined by them. Unfortunately, there was no food available with in the house to feed the surprise guests. Draupadi, wife of Pandavas, sought Lord Krishna's help. Krishna materialised on the scene and solved the problem

Description :

Kalpeshwar is the only Panch Kedar temple accessible throughout the year. At this small stone temple, approached through a cave passage, the matted tress (Jata or Hair) of Lord Shiva is worshipped. Hence, Lord Shiva is also called as Jatadhar or Jateshwar. It is approachable only by 12 km (7.5 mi) trekking from the nearest road head of Helong on the Rishikesh-Badrinath road. On the bridle path from Helang to Kalpeshwar, the enchanting confluence of the Alaknanda and Kalpganga rivers is seen. Kalp Ganga river flows through the Urgam valley. The Urgam valley is a dense forest area. The valley has apple orchards and terraced fields where potato is grown extensively.

The temple priests at this temple also are the Dasnamis and Gossains, desciples of Adi Shankara. At Tungnath also the priests are Khasiya Brahmins. These priests hail from South India; the Namboodiri brahmin sect who worship at Badrinath and Kedarnath from Kerala, the Jangamas are lingayats from Mysore and the Dasnami Gossains belong to Adi Shankara’s group. The priests at the Rudranath temple are Dasnamis and Gosains.

Websites :

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

Temple of Jyeshteswara [Shankaracharya] on the Takht-i-Sulaiman Hill

Name : Temple of Jyeshteswara [Shankaracharya]

Location : 

Shankaracharya Temple is located on the summit of Takht-i-Suleiman (Throne of Solomon), near Srinagar in Jammu and Kashmir.

Description :

'The Takt-i-Sulaiman Hill overlooks Srinagar, the capital of Kashmir; standing 1000 feet above the plain, it commands a noble view of the Valley and its surrounding ridges of snow-topped peaks. On its crest, 6950feet above the sea, stands the most ancient in building in Kashmir, the temple of  Jyeshteswar, which according to tradition, existed since B.C.220 and to have been built by  Ashoka's son Jhaloka. What exists now is  possibly a 7th century structure which replaced the earlier Buddhist monument of the third century BC traditionally ascribed to Ashoka's son Jhaloka. Now it is popularly called Shankaracharya after the 9th century Hindu philosopher-sage who visited Kashmir and is associated with it.

The Temple of Jyeshteswara rests on the solid rock, and consists of an octagonal stone basement twenty feet high, on which is supported a square building: on each of the four sides are two projections which terminate in a pediment and a gable, the latter intersecting the main roof half-way up its slope. The terrace surrounding the Temple is reached by a stone staircase encased between two walls, and a doorway , exactly opposite, leads to the interior, which is a small and dark chamber, circular in plan. The ceiling is supported by four octagonal columns, which surround a Basin containing a Lingam encircled by a snake.'

Commanding a panoramic view of the city of Srinagar and Dal Lake, this temple with its square plan, recessed sides and circular inner sanctum is one of the earliest Hindu shrines extant in Kashmir, dedicated to Shiva.

Websites :

http://www.bl.uk/onlinegallery/onlineex/apac/photocoll/k/019pho0000981s1u00002000.html