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Kapaleeswarar Temple
In Chennai, Mylapore, the Kapaleeswarar Temple is extremely ancient
temple and is one of the visited temples. The original temple was
underwater beneath the sea and the present temple construction was an
afterward construction.
The Amman is karpagambal and Moolavar is kapaleeswarar. There are split
sannadhis for many deities such as Murugar, Vinayagar, Saneeswara,
Annamalaiyar. There are many other deities such as Chandikeswarar,
Durgai, Dakshinamurthy located within the major Sannadhis of
Kapaleeswarar (Shiva) and Karpagambal (Paravati).
Kapaleeswarar (Shiva) and Karpagambal (Paravati) temple is visited one.
The temple is one of the main attractions in Madras. The present
construction is an about 300 years old. The deity has been vocal by
poets of the past millennium. This temple is also offered with enlarge
mandapams and a storage tank. The temples tank lies reverse the tower.
Kapaleeswar temple is devoted to Lord Shiva. Kapaleeswaram is offered
with a Shiv Lingam which is considered as having been set up by the
Brahma. The lingam is well known Kapaleeswarar. Pravati is a small
shrine in the type of peacock and included in the courtyard. This temple
is the bronze statue of sixty-three shaivite saints. The Dravidian
culture is a well example. However, the divinities have been commonly
said of well-known personalities.
The Arupath Moovar Vizha festival has a huge crowd in March to April
every year. Temple festivals attract enormous crowds here. The temple
gives the 10 days occasions. The temple is decorated beautifully with
the road complimenting the stated occurrence. In nearby district, there
are sweet sharing ceremonies, classical dance performance and
processions.
The temple has additional devoted to Muruga (called Singara Velar) and
Ganesha (a dancing type called Nardana Vinayakar), with his 2 consorts
Deivayani and Valli. Devote are smaller shrines other kinds of Muruga
(Palani Andavar), shiva (Sundareswarar, Jagatheswarar and Annamalaiar)
and others. Navagraha temple is also current. Sani Bhagavan a separate
temple on Saturday will be special puja's done.
Vahanas
At the temple, the vahanas include the parrot, elephant, goat,
bandicoot, bull and peacock among additional as a golden chariot is a
new addition. On the vahana the Goddess and the God is seated with
brought around the shrine and the temple band playing music during this
happening. Around the vahanas devotees gather and believe it a respect
to lift on the vahana in the Goddess and the God.
Nowadays, the temple rectangular site complex is crowded with stalls
like temple jewelers, flower sellers and silk merchants, creating it a
charming place to as left a few hours.
Kailash Temple
Kailash Temple is situated at Ellora and is believed that it was
constructed by excavating approx. 200,000 tones of rock and is possible
the world's largest monolithic structure. Representing Shiva's Himalayan
home, the temple is exquisitely sculpted and is considered as one of
the most astonishing 'buildings' in the history of architecture. A
crowning glory of the art, Kailash temple at Ellora is indeed unique.
Instead of carving down into the face of a cliff and creating
underground halls which had been the practice, the sculptors/architects
set aside all convention and created a full temple, identical in every
detail to a structural, 'built-up' example, by carving vertically down
into the living rock.
The scheme of the Kailash temple is basically divided into four main
parts: the body of the temple itself, the entrance gateway, an
intermediate nandi shrine and the cloisters surrounding the courtyard.
Much of the imposing character of the main shrine is due to its
substantial plinth, which on first examination seems to be a floor by
itself. Above and below this, the sub-structure is heavily molded, while
the central space is occupied by a frieze of elephants and lions.
The Kailash temple is not only the single largest work of art executed
in India, but as an example of rock-cut architecture it stands
unrivaled. One gradually becomes aware of the stupendous labor that it
involved (over a hundred years), and finally, the sculpture that adorns
it. Standing within its walls, one cannot help but be aware of the
spiritual energy that went into its creation - a jewel hewn out of the
rock itself.
Jwalamukhi Temple
One of the 51 Shaktipiths of India, the temple of Jwalamukhi is in
Jwalamukhi town which is about 70 kilometers from Dharamsala. Jwalamukhi
is a famous temple of Goddess Jwalamukhi, the deity of flaming mouth,
believed to be the manifestation of the Goddess Sati. The building is
modern with a gilt dome and pinnacles, and possesses a beautiful folding
door of silver plates. The Devi appears in the form of nine different
flames. The principal one is believed to be Mahakali. The other eight
flames at different places in the temple represent the following
Goddesses Annapurna, Chandi, Hing Laj, Vidhya Vasini, Maha Lakshmi, Maha
Sarswati, Ambika and Anjana.
In princely times, temple affairs were guided and supervised by the
princely state of Nadaun. In 1809, Maharaja Ranjit Singh visited the
temple and after dyeing his hand in saffron, stamped an agreement in the
temple premises with Raja Sansar Chand-the local ruler. Later after
tasting success in the Afghan war, Maharaja Ranjit Singh gilded the roof
of the Jwalamukhi temple as a thanksgiving. His son Kharak Singh,
presented to the temple a pair of silver plated folding doors.
The deity is- offered Bhog of Rabri or thickened milk, Misri or candy,
seasonal fruits, milk and arti is done. The puja has different 'phases'
and goes on practically the whole day. Arti is done five times in the
day, Havan is performed once daily and portions of "Durga Saptasati" are
recited.
Jagannath Temple
Situated on the eastern coast along the blue waters of the Bay of
Bengal, Orissa offers to magnificent temples, sunny beaches, colourful
wildlife, traditional tribal culture and a rich heritage. While several
temples have vanished or have declined in importance, the great temple
of Lord Jagannath at Puri is still a living and vibrant temple. Over the
centuries it has attracted kings, conquerers, religious teachers,
devotees and pilgrims.
In the minds of the millions of Indians, Orissa is the land of
Jagannath. This temple of Lord Jagannath at Puri is one of the most
sacred pilgrimage spots in India, one of the four abodes (dhamas) of the
divine that lie on the four directions of the compass.
The temple of Jagannath Puri is a rekha dwell with curvilinear tower on a
pancha ratha plan and was built by Ananta Barma Chodaganga Dev during
12th century A.D. and was completed by Ananga Bhima Dev. This temple is
one of the tallest monuments in the country, height is about 214 feet
from the ground level. It stands on an elevated platform of stone
measuring about 10 acres, which is located in the heart of the down town
and presents an imposing sight.. The temple has four gates at the
eastern, southern, western northern midpoints of the Meghanad Prachir
and are called Lions gate, Horse Gate, Tiger Gate and the Elephant Gate
respectively.
Lord Jagannath, the symbol of universal love and is worshiped in the
Temple along with Balabhadra, Subhadra, Sudarshan, Madhaba, Sridevi and
Bhudevi on the Ratnabedi or the bejewelled platform. The Deities, Lord
Jagannath, Balabhadra, Subhadra and Chakra Sudarshan are made of margosa
wood.
Maha-prasada is pure vegetarian spiritual food offered to Lord
Jagannath. Just by eating this maha-prasada one makes great spiritual
advancement. Every day, fifty-six varieties of prasada are offered to
Lord Jagannath. The main offering of the day becomes available anywhere
from 3 to 5 pm (sometimes later). The offering times are not exact and
change day by day.
ISKCON Temple
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada is the founder acharya of the hare
krishna movement. Completed in 1998, this is a complex of temples. The
International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) was initially
raised as a spiritual society in New York to Propagate the message of
the Bhagwad Gita. It was founded by Swami Prabhupada. In India there are
about 40 ISKCON temples. Contemplating the traditions of the ancient
Vaishnava tradition, its philosophy and practice, these spiritual
temples have left a mark on all mankind. Visiting these temples proves
to be a pleasant and revealing experience.
ISKCON temples are dedicated to Lord Krishna and were built by the
Hare-Rama Hare-Krishna cult followers. These complexes are elegantly
built and are few of the largest temple complexes in India. There are
beautiful paintings of Russian artists on the different past times of
Radha Krishna, Sita, Ram, Laxman, Hanuman and Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.
Special programmes like Kirtan, Aarti, Pravachan and Prasadam are held
every Sunday.
Famous ISKCON Temples In India
- ISKCON Temple, Delhi
For many this is just a temple, for finding solace, peace and quiet.
Sitting amongst Lord Krishna and his devotees with Hare Krishna chants
going around is indeed an experience. But for those who are seeking
more, there is so much to learn and see, than what meets the eye.
- ISKCON Temple, Bangalore, Karnataka
The ISKCON Temple was built recently by the International Society for
Krishna Consciousness. As you climb the granite steps you will encounter
three small shrines before the main temple. The three idols of Lord
Krishna in the main shrine are made of brass.
- ISKCON Temple, Vrindavan, Uttar Pradesh
It is located within the premises of the Krishna-Baldev Temple in
Vrindavan. Beautiful paintings depicting the life of Lord Krishna adorn
the galleries leading to the main temple. ISKCON devotees from various
parts of the world can be spotted manning the library or ISKCON book
stalls and partaking in temple rituals.
- ISKCON Chandradoya Mandir, Mayapur, West Bengal
This is the international headquarters of ISKCON. Surrounded by: a Vedic
city, the main Deities are Sri Radha Madhava. The Deities are larger
than life-size. There are also eight Gopis, four on each side of
Radha-Madhava. Also on the main altar is a small set of Radha-Krishna
Deities. On the left altar are Deities of the "Pancha-Tattva-Advaita
Acarya", Lord Nityananda, Lord Chaitanya, Gadadhara, and Srivasa Thakur.
To the left of this altar is another altar with an impressive Deity of
Lord Narasimha.
Guruvayoor Temple
The fourth biggest temple in India in terms of the number of devotees
per day, Guruvayoor Temple dedicated to Lord Krishna. Though the
devotees worship him as Lord Krishna, the deity is that of a complete
man incarnation of Lord Maha Vishnu with four arms. This shrine is
popularly known as the Dwaraka of south and is in the form of a
rectangle. There are a lot of mural paintings around the Shrine. Being
one of the most sacred and important pilgrim centres of Kerala, it is
probably the only temple in the state that hosts the maximum number of
marriages and rice feeding ceremony, the ritual first meal for infants.
The Guru along with his disciple Vayudeva (god of air), found a place
which was recommended by Lord Paramashiva. Thus the Guru and Vayu
installed this deity and Paramashiva named the place as Guruvayoor. The
idol is carved out a stone called 'Pathala Anjana Sila' and is utmost
sacred. The place selected for the installation was suitably sacred by
the presence of Lord Shiva.
The outer enclosure has a 33.5-m tall gold-plated flag post and there is
also a 7 m high pillar of lamps, whose thirteen circular receptacles
provide a truly brilliant spectacle, when lit. The square 'Sreekovil' is
the sacred sanctum sanctorum of the temple, housing the main deity.
Within the temple, there are also the images of Ganapathy, Sree Ayyappa
and Edathedathy Kavil Bhagavathy. Only Hindus are allowed inside the
temple.
Golden Temple
The Golden Temple or Darbar Sahib, situated in Amritsar, Punjab, is the
most sacred temple for Sikhs. It is a symbol of the magnificence and
strength of the Sikh people all over the world. In the evolution of the
Darbar Sahib, is entwined the history and ideology of Sikhism. In its
architecture are included, symbols associated with other places of
worship. This is an example of the spirit of tolerance and acceptance
that the Sikh philosophy propounds.
The history of the Darbar Sahib starts with Guru Amar Das, who took the
first steps towards building a shrine. Around the Golden Temple, the
holy city of Amritsar came into being. His successor, Guru Ram Das, came
to live near this tranquil and peaceful site, and started building the
pilgrimage centre around the small pool, (later to become the Sarowar)
which had intially drawn Guru Amar Das.
By the time of Guru Ram Das' death, the pre eminence of the Darbar Sahib among the sikh devotees was unquestionable.
The Harmandir Sahib, or the sanctum sanctorium, was envisoned by Guru
Arjan Dev. This was concieved by him to reflect the resoluteness,
clarity and simplicity of the Sikh relegion. The Harmindir Sahib today
stands as the hallowed symbol of the indestructability of the Sikh
faith.
The gilding, marble, mirror and inlay work on the Harmandir Sahib came
much later. It was the nineteenth century during the reign of Maharaja
Ranjit Singh, that the proud people of Punjab lavished their wealth on
their shrine in Amritsar.
The Granth Sahib, the holy book of the Sikhs, was installed in the
Harmandir Sahib in 1604, three years after its completion. The location
of the Granth Sahib here, adds to the sanctity & reverence of the
Harmandir Sahib. Here lies the heart of Sikhism. This symbol of abiding
faith and tolerance is held in high esteem by every Sikh. And this is
the place which every Sikh dreams, ever so often, of visiting.
Eklingji Temple
Known as the protector deity of Mewar, Eklingji Temple is located about
twelve miles to the North of Udaipur in Rajasthan. This deity was
regarded as the pragmatic ruler by the Maharajas of Mewar - who
considered themselves to be regents (Dewans) under Eklingji. A beautiful
town, Eklingji attracts thousands of visitors throughout the year. This
temple is said to have been founded by Acharya Viswaroopa a
contemporary of Adi Sankaracharya and is linked with the Sharada Math at
Dwaraka founded again by Adi Sankaracharya.
The temple occupies an area of about 2500 sq. feet and is about 65 feet
in height. The temple area is fortified and a strong wall runs around
it. The main entrance to the temple on the Western side welcomes
visitors into a big hall resting on profusely carved pillars. In this
hall, is a silver image of Nandi. There are two more Nandis in the
temple, one made of black stone and the other of brass.
Other deities housed in the temple complex include Parvati, Ganesh,
Ganga, Kartikeya, Yamuna and Saraswathi. There are also small temples
dedicated to Ambamata, Kalka Mata and Ganesh in the temple complex.
There is another temple called Nathon Ka Mandir in the temple complex
with inscriptions dating back to the 10th century CE. No worship is
offered here.
Dwarka Temple
Dwarka, on the west coast of Gujarat on the shore of the Arabian Sea,
features in most of the legends surrounding Lord Krishna. It is from
here that the grown Lord Krishna is supposed to have ruled his kingdom.
Dwarka is a significant pilgrimage site for the Hindus.
Dwarka is sanctified as the place where Lord Vishnu slew the demon
Shankhasura. The Puranas mention the 12 Jyotirlingas or columns of light
representing Lord Shiva which manifested in different parts of the
country. One of these is located in Dwarka and is known as the Nageshwar
Mahadev. The Jagat Mandir or Nij Mandir forms the sanctum of the
Dwarkadish temple and dates back to 2500 years. Jagat Mandir has its own
hall of audience and a conical spire. The roof of the hall is supported
by 60 columns and the main temple rises five storeys high. The spire
rises to a height of 157 feet and is richly carved. One of the most
popular temples in Dwarka is that of Rukmini, Krishna's wife, considered
an incarnation of Goddess Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth and beauty.
The Sharad Peetha, one of the four Maths established by Jagatguru
Shankaracharya, is also situated here.
Dwarka is situated in the extreme west of the Indian state of Gujarat in
the Saurashtra peninsula on the Arabian Sea. It lies on 20°22' north
latitude and 69°05' east longitude. The city is built on the right bank
of Gamut creek.
Dwarka is an important pilgrimage center. It is steeped in legends,
being associated with the life of Lord Krishna. In Puranic times,
present-day Dwarka was known as Kushasthali or Dwaravati and enjoyed
pride of place as the most important spot on the Saurashtra coast. It is
said that Lord Krishna, after slaying Kansa, left his abode at Mathura
and traveled with the entire Yadava community to the coast of Saurashtra
where he founded a town and named it Swarnadwarika.
Vajranabh, Lord Krishna's successor and great grandson, is believed to
have built the present temple Dwarkanath, also called Trilok Sundar.
Many Hindus fervently believe that the temple was erected in one night
by a supernatural agency, under Vajranabh's direction. Legend has it
that when dying, Lord Krishna asked his devotees to leave Swarnadwarika
so that the sea could engulf it. Until this day, Lord Krishna's city
lies buried under the sea. Excavations have revealed that the sea
swallowed five settlements, the present-day Dwarka being the sixth in
line.
The temple of Dwarkadheesh, also known as Jagat Mandir, is built on the
north bank of the Gomti Creek. The temple dates back to 2,500 years.
Architecturally the temple is constructed on the same plan and system as
most of the Hindu sacred edifices of antiquity. Sixty columns support
the roof of the audience hall of the Jagat Mandir. The main temple is
five-story high with the lavishly carved conical spire rising to a
height of 157 feet. There is the one-meter tall, four handed black idol
of Ranchhodrai, the ruler of Dwarika. Amongst the large number of
temples belonging to different periods in the history of Dwarka, the
most popular with pilgrims is the temple of Rukmini, Lord Krishna's
wife, who is considered an incarnation of Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth
and beauty.
In addition to its temples and legends, Dwarka is also sanctified as the
seat of Adi Shankaracharya, who established four seats (maths) in four
different directions in the country. Research work in Sanskrit is
carried on at the Shankaracharya's seat known as Sharad Peetha.
Rukmini Devi Temple
This small temple, 1.5km north of town, is an architectural masterpiece.
Rukmini is the most important of Krishna's 16,108 wives. The temple
walls are decorated with beautiful paintings depicting her pastimes with
Krishna. This temple is said to date back to the 12th century.
The story behind this temple is that one day, Durvasa Muni, who is
easily angered, was invited by Lord Krishna and his wife, Rukmini, to
dinner. When a person is invited to dinner, etiquette dictates that the
host should not eat until the guest has been satisfied. On the way to
dinner, Rukmini became thirsty and asked Krishna for help. Krishna then
put his foot in the ground and the Ganges waters flowed forth from the
earth while Durvasa was not looking. As Rukmini was drinking the water,
however, Durvasa turned and saw her drinking without his permission. He
became angry and cursed her to live apart from Lord Krishna. That is why
Krishna's temple is in the town and hers is located outside the town.
Gomati Ghat Temples
Gomati, the descended Ganges, meets the sea at Chakra-tirtha Ghat. To
take bath where the Gomati meets the ocean is said to offer liberation.
If you go out the back entrance of the Dwarkadish Temple, you can see
the Gomati River. The temple is located almost at the spot where the
Gomati meets the ocean.
The Samudra Narayana Temple (Sangam Narayana) is an imposing temple at
the confluence of the Gomati and the sea. Panchanada Tirtha consists of
five sweet-water wells surrounded by seawater. At Chakra Narayana, Lord
Vishnu was manifested as a stone marked with a chakra on the seashore.
The Gomatiji Temple has an image of the Gomati River in it, said to have
been brought down from heaven by Vasistha Muni.
Other Pilgriamge Attractions
Nageswara Mahadeva Temple contains one of the twelve Siva Jyotirlingas
in an underground sanctum. It is located 10km from Dwarka.
Gopi-tallava is the kund (pond) where Lord Krishna met the gopis when
they came to see him at Dwarka. The sacred clay from Gopi-tallava is
known as gopi-candana and is used by devotees of Krishna to make the
tilak marks on their bodies. It is 20km north of Dwarka on the way to
Bet Dwarka.
Bhalka Tirth
The spot where Lord Krishna was mistaken for a deer and struck by a
arrow hile sleeping in a deerskin. It is said Lord Krishna was cremated
at Dehotsarga at Triveni Ghat.
Closeby lies Somnath with its shrine built by Soma, the Moon God. The
Majestic monument as it stands today is a recent replication of the
earlier construction. It is said that the original temple built by the
Moon God was of gold. After it was razed to the ground it was rebuilt by
Ravana in silver. When the silver temple was knocked down it was
reconstructed in wood by Krishna and when this was pulled down an
edifice of stone was erected by Bhimdev. Relics of the old Somnath
shrine have been preserved in a museum housed in a temple. An
interesting Sun Temple is also located in Somnath. Somnath is also one
of the 12 Jyotirlingas or Shiva shrines in India.
Janmashtami (birthday of Lord Krishna), celebrated in the month of August/September, is a major festival of Dwarka.
Dwarkadhish Temple
Gujarat has been a gateway of commerce and culture between the East and
the West and is one of the oldest civilizations on the earth. Dwarka is
one of four most scared pilgrimage centers (Chardham) of Hindu faith and
is associated with Lord Krishna's life. The main giant ornate shrine is
situated on the western most tip of saurastra. According to the epic
Mahabharata, the city in due course was submerged by the sea. The
submergence of Dwarka and the cause of submergence are of historical and
oceanographic interest because of historic Dwarka is likely to throw
light on the Dark Age of Indian history.
Ornate, exquisite and majestic, Dwarkadhish Temple (Jagat Mandir) is one
of the most imposing five- storied structures of Hindu architecture in
Gujarat on the confluence of river Gomti and Arabian sea. The
five-storey high temple is built on seventy-two pillars. The temple
spire is 78.3m high. From the temple dome waves an eighty-four foot long
multicolored flag decorated with the symbols of the sun and moon. Lord
Krishna's grandson, Vajranabha, is said to have built the original
temple of Dwarkadhish over the hari-griha (Lord Krishna's residential
place).
The sanctum of the temple is formed by the Jagat Mandir, or Nija Mandir,
which dates back at least 2500 years. The Jagat Mandir has a tall tower
and a hall of audience. There are two entrances to the temple. The main
entrance (north entrance) is called "Moksha Dwara" (Door to Salvation).
This entrance leads to the main market. The south entrance is called
"Swarga Dwara" (Gate to Heaven). Outside this doorway are 56 steps that
lead to the Gomati River.
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