Gaumukh Temple

Name : Gaumukh Temple.

Location : Mount Abu, Rajasthan

Legend : The Gaumukh Temple was built in its location as a dedication to Saint Vashishth. It is believed that Saint Vashishth performed a yagna there that created the four major Rajput clans. There is also a tank that you should visit- the Agni Kund. The Agni Kund is believed to be the site of a sacrificial fire which Saint Vashishth used to perform the yagni from which the four clans were born.

The temple has got its name from a nearby natural spring that surges through a carved cow's head. The cow is considered a sacred animal by those who make religious pilgrimages to the Gaumukh Temple and nearby the temple you will find a spring that is believed to have emerged from the mouth of a rock that is shaped similar to a cows head. A large marble statue of a cow has been built on the site. The bull is representative of Nandi, who was Shiva’s vehicle. There is a stream of water that flows from the mouth of the marble bull. Nearby you will find statues of Nandi, Saint Vashishth, Lord Ram and Lord Krishna.

Description : The Gaumukh Temple is also popular for religious pilgrimages and meditation. If you wish to experience some of the local religious culture of Mount Abu region, you must visit the Gaumukh Temple. Once only popular for Ancient sages and saints to meditate at, the Gaumukh Temple is now a popular tourist destination.

The Gaumukh Temple is located around 5 kilometers from the Hanuman Temple situated in a wild valley that is reached by climbing down over 700 steps. The area is covered with very think forest cover and visiting the place after dark & rainy season is not recommended without proper information and local guidance, you should plan for a full day trip to Gaumukh if you want to enjoy the beauty and nature of this place.

Website : http://www.mountabu.com/tourist_attractions/gaumukh.html

Swayambhunath Hill Temple

Name : Swayambhunath sometimes called as Swoyambhunath. It is also known as the Monkey Temple

Location : Kathmandu, Nepal

Legend : According to Swayambhu Purana, the entire valley was once filled with an enormous lake, out of which grew a lotus. The valley came to be known as Swayambhu, meaning "Self-Created." The name comes from an eternal self-existent flame (svyaṃbhu) over which a sūpa was later built.

Swayambhunath is also known as the Monkey Temple as there are holy monkeys living in parts of the temple in the north-west. They are holy because Majusri, the bodhisattva of wisdom and learning was raising the hill which the Swayambhunath Temple stands on. He was supposed to leave his hair short but he made it grow long and head lice grew. It is said that the head lice had transformed into these monkeys.

The Bodhisatva Manjushri had a vision of the lotus at Swayambhu and traveled there to worship it. Seeing that the valley can be good settlement and to make the site more accessible to human pilgrims, Manjushri cut a gorge at Chovar. The water drained out of the lake, leaving the valley in which Kathmandu now lies. The lotus was transformed into a hill and the flower become the Swayambhunath stupa.

Description : Swayambhunath is one of the most sacred sites of Buddhist pilgrimage in Nepal, but second only to Boudhanath for Tibetan Buddhists.

The Swayambhunath complex consists of a stupa, a variety of shrines and temples, including a Tibetan monastery, a museum and a library. The stupa has Buddha's eyes and eyebrows painted on. Between them, there is something painted which looks like the nose - but is the Nepali symbol of 'unity', in the main Nepali language dialect. There are also shops, restaurants and hostels.

The site has two access points: a long stairway, claimed to have 365 steps, leading directly to the main platform of the temple, which is from the top of the hill to the east; and a car road around the hill from the south leading to the southwest entrance.

The first sight on reaching the top of the stairway is the biggest Vajra (thunder-bolt scepter) ever seen. Behind this vajra was the vast, round, white dome of the stupa, like a full solid skirt, at the top of which were two giant Buddha eyes wisely looking out over the peaceful valley which was just beginning to come alive.

History : According to the Gopalarajavaṃsavalī Swayambhunath was founded by the great-grandfather of King Manadeva (464-505 CE), King Vrsadeva, about the beginning of the 5th century CE. This seems to be confirmed by a damaged stone inscription found at the site, which indicates that King Manadeva ordered work done in 640 CE.

However, Emperor Ashoka is said to have visited the site in the third century BCE and built a temple on the hill which was later destroyed. Legend has it that the Buddha himself visited Swayambhunath and gave teachings there two hundred years earlier.

Although the site is considered Buddhist, the place is revered by both Buddhists and Hindus. Numerous king Hindu followers are known to have paid their homage to the temple, including Pratap Malla, the powerful king of Kantipur, who is responsible for the construction of the eastern stairway in the 17th century.

Symbolism : The dome at the base represents the entire world. When a person awakes (represented by eyes of wisdom and compassion) from the bonds of the world, the person reaches the state a bit higher. The thirteen pinacles on the top of it symbolises that sensient beings have to go through the thirteen stages of enlightenment to reach Buddhahood.

On each of the four sides of the main stupa there are a pair of big eyes which represent Wisdom and Compassion. Above each pair of eyes is another eye, the third eye. Saying goes that when Buddha preaches, cosmic rays emanate from the third eye which acts as message to heavenly beings, so that those interested can come down to earth to listen to the Buddha. The hellish beings and beings below the human realm cannot come to earth to listen to the Buddha's teaching, however, the cosmic ray relieves their suffering when Buddha preaches.

There are carving of Panch Buddhas (five Buddhas) on each of the four sides of stupa. Apart from this, idols of the Buddhas are at the base of the stupas. Panch Buddhas are Buddha in metaforical sense in Tantrayana. They are Vairochana (occupies the center and is the master of the temple), Akshobhya (faces the east and represents the cosmic element of consciousness), Ratna Sambhava (faces the south and represents the cosmic element of sensation), Amitabha (He represents cosmic element of Sanjna (name) and always faces the West) and Amoghsiddhi (He represents the cosmic element of conformation and faces the north).

Each morning before dawn, hundreds of Buddhist (Vajrayana) and Hindu pilgrims ascend the 365 steps from eastern side that lead up the hill, passing the gilded Vajra (Tibetan: Dorje) and two lions guarding the entrance, and begin a series of clockwise circumambulations of the stupa.

Websites :
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swayambhunath 

Pavala Kundru

Name : Pavala Kundru (Coral Rock)

Location : Thiruvannamalai, TamilNadu

Legend : Pavala Kundru has a rich meaning, dating from the Puranas. It is where Parvati did her tapas, her penance, after blindfolding Siva and bringing destruction to the universe. It is also where she and Siva merged into one, becoming half man and half woman, representing the synthesis of masculine and feminine energies. The Ardhanariswara form illustrates how the female principle of God, Shakti, is inseparable from the male principle of God, Siva.

Description : In recent times Pavala Kundru is associated with Ramana Maharshi’s stay at the Temple. Currently there is a dispute underway regarding construction on the adjacent Coral Hill. But probably the most charming recent assocation of the Temple is its colony of beautiful Langur Monkeys.

History of Pavala Kundru : In 1790 Tippu Sultan captured Tiruvannamalai over-riding the Treaty of Mangalore (1784 A.D.) in which he and the English agreed to mutual restoration of conquests and exchange of prisoners.

Tippu Sultan, it is said, occupied the hillock of Pavalakkunru after destroying the small shrine that was there.Ramana Maharshi said that whatever Temple might have existed on or about Pavalakkunru seemed to have disappeared probably on account of Tippu Sultan’s invasion. The present Temple was probably built only a hundred and fifty years ago.

Website : http://richardarunachala.wordpress.com/2009/05/04/pavala-kundru-tiruvannamalais-coral-rock-temple/


http://arunachalagrace.blogspot.com/2008/12/pavala-kundru-history.html

Harsh Nath Temple

Name : Harsh Nath Temple

Location : located at 11 kms away from Sikar, Rajasthan.

Description : Harsh Nath Temple is the ancient shrine of 10th century located on the high hills of Aravali is famous for the ruins old Shiva Temple. The ruins of the temple are strewn all over the area.

Every year thousand of visitors made their way to Sikar just for gaining the history of structuring the Harsh Nath temple. As the temple locates on the hill it gives pleasure for worldwide adventurous tourists too. Harsh Nath Temple also provides an important evidence in making Sikar an ancient town of Rajasthan.

Surkhanda Devi

Name : Surkhanda Devi

Location : It is about 8 km. from Dhanolti on the motor road running from Mussoorie to Chamba and is connected with Narendra Nagar which is about 61 km. and with Tehri which is about 41 km. by motor roads in Uttaranchal. To reach the temple one has to leave the Mussoorie-Chamba road at Kadu Khal and climb a steep ascent of about 1.5 km. on foot.

Legend : The legend is that Sati, the wife of Siva, gave up her life in the yajna by her father. Siva passed through this place on his way back to Kailash with the dead body of Sati whose head fell at the spot where the temple of Surkhanda Devi stands.

Description : Surkhanda Devi temple is at an altitude of 2903 m and ringed by dense forests in a sanctified spot. People from all corners throng to this shrine. For reaching the temple, one has to walk 2 km from the motor road at Kaddulkhal.

Provides a panoramic view of the Himalayan peaks and the Bhagirathi river. It is placed in the midst of an apple growing region.

Festivals : Ganga Dussehra Fair held every year between May and June, attracts thousands of devotees.

Candi Ceto

Name : Candi Ceto

Location : High on the mountains near Solo in Central Java, the temple of Candi Ceto is sited. Candi Ceto is situated further up the Candi Sukuh temple in the mountains. The temple is at an elevation of five hundred meters or 1630 ft above the sea level. One can get a splendid view of the city from the temple. Located high up on the mountains one will certainly enjoy the trip.

Description : Inscriptions found here is evidence to the fact that the Candi Ceto temple dates back deep into history. Some of the dates found inscribed here are AD 1468, 1472 and 1475. The basic layout and design of the temple is similar to that of the Sukuh temple but the Candi Ceto temple has many more terraces. There are as many as 14 terraces. As at Candy sukuh the main deity portrayed here is Bima. Tattered fragments of narrative relics were found in one of the lower terraces. This apart there are large numbers of small stone turtles.

One of the most interesting remains found here at the Candi Ceto is a dilapidated figure lying flat on the ground. At the western end is a large linga similar to that found at Candi Sukuh , lying horizontally and pointing to the west. At its base is a composition representing a tortoise on the back of a huge bat. On the tortoise's back is a number of sea creatures pointed in various compass directions.

During the 1970s a new gateway was built. New structures were also added to the upper terraces which include stone walls and floors. 50 meters further up, there are slopes which are used for bathing purposes. Several statues and a wooden shrine are to be found here. Till the late 1970s high profile people used to come here to meditate. They believed that this place had supernatural powers. Local residents still continue to devote offerings for the deities.