Sri Adi Janardhana temple, Mangalore

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Sri Adi Janardhana temple.

Seemanthooru is a small village near Mulki, close to the

Mangalore – Udupi Highway. The village is close to the Mulki railway station. The name Seemanthooru is an offshoot of “Shrimantara Ooru” which means “land of the rich people!”. Seemanthooru was indeed the land of the rich people.

Seemanthooru has a Janardana temple. It is known as the Sri Adi Janardana Devasthana. It has a very interesting story behind why the temple is called as “Adi” Janardana temple.

The Seemanthooru Janardana temple was established by Bhagawan Parashurama. It is one of the several temples in the Tulu Nadu region that was established by Parashurama. According to Shastras, temple idols established by Rishis and Aparoksha Gnanis (realized souls) never get “damaged”. A few hundred years ago, the idol of Janardana was damaged. A few villagers got together and made a new idol and established the same, after which the temple and village declined. Upon enquiring with scholars, it emerged that the original idol still has the full Sannidhana and hence the problem. The idol was repaired and placed back. The original idol is now known as “Adi Janardana” and the new idol is also within the same temple. Hence this unique temple has two Janardana idols!

Another unique feature of this temple is that it is one of the very few temples in Tulu Nadu that does not have a Ganapati idol! Seemanthooru Janardana is the “Akhilanda Koti Brahmanda Nayaka” and hence there is no other idol! But several Vishnu temples in Tulu Nadu do have Ganapati idols and hence Seemanthooru is really different.

Pratyuangira Devi Temple , Bangalore

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Pratyuangira Devi Temple

Devi temple are located in Bangalore off Kanakapura road,Turahalli. Temple is built in Agama shastra(one of the vedic styles) with beautiful architecture from the Pandyan era.


Pratyuangira Devi Representative Leader of all 64 goddess in Hindu Mythology. She is a Hindu Goddess associated with Shakti, the Hindu concept of eternal energy. She is described as a goddess with a lioness's face and a human body. This combination of lion and human forms represents the balance of good and evil. Pratyangira is primarily conceived of as a protective, fierce goddess capable of extreme rage and destruction in order to defeat evil. She is considered to be a powerful guardian against the effects of black magic.
Here every Amavasya & Pornima they will conduct homas of dry red Chiilis.

Origin of Pratyuangira

As mentioned in Markandeya Purana: In the beginning of the Satya yuga, the Lord Narasimha, an avatar of Vishnu, killed the demon King Hiranyakashipu by tearing up his body and drinking his blood. Because of the anger in Hiranyakashipu's body and the malicious effects of human blood, Narasimha was drunk on rage and could not be stopped. To calm him down with the power of compassion, Lord Shiva came down as Sarabeswara, a bird-animal-human hybrid. Upon seeing this, Lord Narasimha created Gandaberunda, a two headed-bird that was Sarabeswara's opposite. Upon seeing this, Sarabeshwara turned into Bhairava (Shiva's fierce form) and created the goddess Pratyuangira from his third eye. They praised her as she calmed Narasimha down by sitting on his lap.
Pratyuangira appeared as she was flying in the sky. Her form was powerful, she was bigger than the other gods and goddesses. Her head was above the whole sky and her feet well into the down from a far distance, she had a thousand faces of lions, 2,000 eyes and possibly 2,000 hands with multiple weapons and a thousand tongues.It is believed her creation came with thunder and lightning and as soon as Narasimha Swami saw her huge figure, he realized the mission of his role and turned out from Ugra(roaring) Narsimha avataram to Shanta Narasimha immediately.

Atharvana Kali

Pratyuangira is also known as “Atharvana Bhadrakali “ . From thousands of years it is been followed by sages and Goddess’s devotees that she is the only Goddess to eradicate and destroy the effects of black magic or voodoo or possessed bodies in bringing them to sublime state. Although the history predicts the use of such skills during war time to protect the land and people from enemies.

Kadu Mallikarjunaswamy temple, Malleswaram

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On the busy Sampige Road, Malleswaram besides the Prasanna Sai Mandir is the historicall

y famous Kadu Mallikarjunaswamy temple. The temple was also known as ‘kadu malleshwara’ referring to the jungle like territory in which it was built. The land for the temple and the surrounding area came to be known as Malleswaram.

Kadu Mallikarjunaswamy temple located in Malleswaram, is one of the oldest temples in the city. There is no document of exact date or period of this temple. History shows that this temple had a relation with the period of the Great Maratha leader Shivaji.

Bangalore  was a village (Grama) that belonged to the Bijapur rulers. It was given to Shivaji’s father, Shahji who ruled Bangalore as a jagir. It was then inherited by his youngest son Venkoji (Ekoji), Shivaji’s stepbrother.

In the year 1669 A.D., Venkoji on a visit to this region with his minisEntrance of the temple ter Baji Rao Peshwa for implementing taxes (Chouthaya), visited Mallapura’s Mallikarjuna Swamy and came across a shivalingam, which was believed to be a ‘swayamboo’.

Venkoji consecrated the temple and its surroundings. This place influenced Venkoji to grant Medharaninganahalli, a village for this temple and enforced that there should not be any kind of unfairness against dharma. All this description can be seen even today beside the Narasimha temple that was laid by Venkoji himself.

In 1898, Kadu Malleshwara and the Basavatheertha Kalyani which is related to the temple and the mantapa and walls were built and renovated by the then notable person of Bangalore, Shri Yale Malappa Shetty. After that for 28 years the government was paying Rs.15/- per month for its maintenance and ordered it as a protected ancient monument.

Mallikarjuna temple built on a huge rock is having iA beautiful view of Basava Thirtha Kalyanits main door to the east. The peepal (Aswatha) trees surrounding it keeps this place cool. A flight of 40 steps leads to the temple. As we enter, first we find rooms of Utsavs and the Dharmika Datti Dept. flanked by a Parijata tree. On the left side there is a Mantappa and a kitchen. In the south to the backside of Garbagudi there are deities of Dakshinamurthi, Subramanya and to the north is the Chandikeshwari diety. The Vimana Gopura on the garbagudi was recently built in 1993.

There is also an Anjaneya temple with a Bilwapatra tree behind it. A recently added Mukha-mantapa showing the figures of Ardhanariswara, Shiva-Parvathi, Ganapathi and Subramanyaswamy, sculpted by Tamilian artisans is really eye-catching. There is also a Navagruha temple with 20 ankarnas.

One part of the temple, Nandikeshwara Theertha Kalyani (Basava Theertha) is in front of the temple. It is said to be the main source or birthplace of the Vrishabhavathi River. The Kalyani’s entrance faces to the south. The speciality here is that Basava & Shivalinga do not face to the south and there is no Basava in front of the Shivalinga but instead it is on the upper part of it. Around the Kalyani there are many old stone mantaps where devotees used to stay. There is old temple of Narashima Swamy below the Kadu Malleshwara that was renovated by the government in 1981.

Brahmarathosava

On Shivarathri, the temple celebrates Kalyanothsavas followed by Brahmarathosava on Chathurdashi. Kadu Malleshwara temple’s speciality is the Mutthinna Pallakki Utsav. On this day thousands of devotees come from different places to this temple to obtain blessings.

Chokkanathaswamy temple, Bangalore

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Chokkanathaswamy temple is one of the oldest temples in the city, dating to the Chola period of the 10th century AD.It is situated in domlur, Bangalore, This temple is dedicated to the deity known as Chokkanathaswamy or Chokka Perumal. The temple stands on a high base and there are several notable sculptures and decorative features in the complex and the temple, Vijayanagara style Navaranga and pillars can also be found here. A Tamil inscription dated 1270 A.D. on a door frame states that the doors were donated by one Alagiyar and another inscription says of donation by one Talaikattu and one more inscription in Kannada dated 1290 A.D. states that Poysala Vira Ramanada made donations to the temple. The temple has been extensively renovated several times. The images of Vishnu, Sridevi and Bhudevi found here was established in Garbhagraha and is carved out of Shaligrama stone brought from Gandaki river, Nepal.

The Inscriptions in the sanctum sanctorum and the Navaranga walls and the name Chokka Perumal, suggests that the temple is of Chola origin, there are some old Grantham scripts to prove it was built by Cholas. The Cholas are credited for bringing Vaishnavisam to Karnataka in the late 10th century and early 11th century. It was the Hoysala king Vishnuvardhan who brought it to the heartland of Gangavadi around 1116. Another interesting feature is the pranic energy felt in the temple. Though the oldest among the three old temples in Bangalore, the other two – Gavi Gangadhareswara and Ulsoor Someshwara are more well known shiva temples.

Sthala Purana / Significance of the Spot as indicated here

Sri AkhilandaKoti Bramhanda Nayaka ,SriVaikuntavaasi , Sri Bhoo sametha , Sri paravasudeva bhagavan avyahatha divya agnyaih saptha rishi mandala Prasanna Uttara malika states that a great sage did intense penance at this place to get the blessings of Lord vishnu for the benefits of locals here. Lord Vishnu was pleased and informed to install his Divya vigraham so that the local may regularly worship. It was also mentioned that all should not forget the "Anthima Smruthi" at the time of death to acheive "Paramapada Mooksham". Accordingly the moola vigraham was installed at a high place so that it can receive the radiance of cosmic energy and radiate in all eight directions at all times. The temple is built in such a way at a high place facing east . the sun rays fall on the on the main deity at sunrise , specially one may see it during the end of February to first week ofo March and also during Sep to Oct of every year during Uttarayana and Dakshinayana respectively . People who worship the lord and carryout pradakshinam are blessed with the grace to fulfill their wishes. This is the only temple in Bangalore possessing pranic energy.

SUGREEVA VENKATESHWARA TEMPLE, Bangalore

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SUGREEVA VENKATESHWARA TEMPLE


Sugreeva and Venkateshwara appear to be a strange combination, yet two temples with their names are found on Balepet Main Road in the Majestic area- Bangalore.Secondly, a temple exclusively for Sugreeva, an important character in the epic Ramayana, is very rare.

This temple is dedicated to Sugreeva, who was the monkey King who had played an important role in the Lord Rama’s war against demon Ravana after he had kidnapped Goddess Sita.

It is associated with the legends from the Hindu sacred epic Ramayana. According to the legend Sugreeva had assisted Lord Rama during the Lanka war to put an end to demon Ravana and rescue Goddess Sita who was in his capture.

A casual glance would make one assume that the idol is of Hanuman but a closer look will show you that there are two teeth protruding from the mouth and it is only this that distinguishes this idol from Hanuman.
Located on the Balepet main road, the inner shrine has a beautiful  idol of Lord Venkateshwara on a pedestal. The idol of Sugreeva, which is six feet in height, looks strikingly like Hanuman. The long teeth on either side of the mouth are the only thing which differentiates it from Hanuman.
Both Venkateshwara and Sugreeva face each other in two separate temples constructed for them. Incidentally, Venkateshwara is consecrated in the temple facing the smaller door. The locals believe that the Sugreeva idol was submerged in the Kempambudhi tank and one of the devotees got a dream asking him to lift it from the waters and place it in the temple.
Local residents say that the temple was built by Kempegowda-I for the Uppara community.

The Hadimba Devi Temple ,Himachal Pradesh

( Dear regular readers of the blog, due to Some Error in my Blogger account I was not Able to update the data on my blog I am Updating all past blogs in a series today, Apologies for the same.)
Good morning.(26th May 2017)

The Hadimba Devi Temple is one of the famous Hindu temple in Himachal Pradesh and is dedicated to the wife of Bhima, the Pandava. The Hadimba Devi Temple also called as the Hidimba Devi Temple.

Maharaja Bahadur Singh built the Hadimba Temple in the year

1533. It is an first cave temple dedicated to Hidimbi Devi, sister of Hidimba. Hidimba was supposed to be live here with her brother Hidimba. Born in the Rakshas family, Hidimbi Devi promise to marry one who would  conquer her brother Hidimba, who was supposed to be very adventurous and fearless.

The Hadimba Temple is associated with the legend of the Mahabharata. The Hadimba Temple is built to pay homage to Devi Hadimba. Hadimba Devi Temple is located in a hill station.

The another Narration is The Indian epic Mahabharata narrates that the Pandavas stayed in Himachal during their exile. In Manali, the strongest person there, named Hidimba and brother of Hidimdi, attacked them, and in the ensuing fight Bhima, strongest amongst the Pandavas, killed him. Bhima and Hidimba's sister, Hidimbi, then got married and had a son, Ghatotkacha. When Bhima and his brothers returned from exile, Hidimbi did not accompany him, but stayed back and did tapasya (a combination of meditation, prayer, and penance) so as to eventually attain the status of a goddess .

This temple constructed in pagoda style displays the finest example of wood carvings on it. The special feature of the Hadimba Temple is the roof that has the shape of a four tiered pagoda roof. The temple also swaggers, of its beautiful carved door made of wood.

In May every year, a fair is arranged in the temple of Hadimba. Another fair is held during Dussehra. The Hidimba Devi temple is built around a cave where Hidimba performed mediatation. It's sanctuary is built over a rocky crevice covered by a large rock that is worshipped as a manifestation of goddess Durga, an image of the goddess is also enshrined here.

Intricately Carved doors made of wood andhka "shikhar" made of wood with 24 meters tall is in the Hidimbi Devi Temple. The tower consists of three square roofs covered with timber tiles and a fourth brass cone-shaped roof at the top. The theme of the main door carvings is about the earth goddess Durga forms. By using whitewashed and mud-covered stoneworks, the base of the temple was made. It can be called as Dhungri Temple because of its location.

The Chaurashi temple Bhramour Himachal Pradesh.

( Dear regular readers of the blog, due to Some Error in my Blogger account I was not Able to update the data on my blog I am Updating all past blogs in a series today, Apologies for the same.)

Enjoy reading.....

Good morning.(25th May 2017)
Chaurasi Temple


The Chaurashi temple is located at Bhramour and a famous temple in Himachal Pradesh. The chief Chaurasi temples are dedicated to Goddess Lakshmi, Lord Ganesha, Lord Manimahesh and Narasimha. Chaurasi temple Complex, built approximately in 9th century. Eighty-four ancient beautifully carved pillars has carefully festooned the temple and thus obtained the name Chaurasi chamba temple. There are 84 big and small temples in Chaurasi temple complex.

Lord Ganesha temple is situated near the entrance of chaurasi temple. The temple was constructed by Meru Verman in circa. The temple of Ganesha is enshrined in a bronze image of Ganesha. The shrine stands near the entrance to the Chaurasi compound.

The temple of Lakshana Devi is the oldest temple at Chaurasi Temple. It retains many of the old architectural features of wooden temples. The temple was constructed by Raja Maru Varman. The temple is built on the rectangular plan. The astadhatu image of goddess Lakshana devi is enshrined inside this small cella. The roof of this temple slides sideways from the central ridge and is thatched with slates.

Manimahesh temple which stands in the centre of Chaurasi temple. Manimahesh Temple is main temple in Chaurashi complex, enshrining a huge Shiva Linga. In reality it is identical with the lord almighty which has been described as creator, protector and destroyer of entire universe.

Chaurasi Temple was built around 1400 years ago. Life of people in Bharmour centres around the temple complex-Chaurasi, named so because of 84 shrines built in the periphery of Chaurasi Temple. Chaurasi is hindi word for number eighty four. The beautiful shikhara style temple of Manimahesh occupies the center of the complex. It is believed that when 84 Siddhas, who had come from kurukshetra, were passing through Bharmour to visit Manimahesh, they fell in love with the calmness of Bharmour and reconciled to meditate here. Chaurasi Temple Complex was built approximately in 7th century, although repairs of many temples have been carried out in later period.

There is another legend associated with Chaurasi temple complex. It is believed that shortly after Sahil Varman’s accession of Brahampura (ancient name of Bharmour), 84 yogis visited this place. They were greatly pleased with the King’s hospitality. As King had no heir, Yogis promised him ten sons. They were requested by the King to stay back in Brahampura till the prediction of Yogis was fulfilled. In due course of time the king was blessed with ten sons and a daughter. Daughter was named Champavati and because of liking of Champavati new capital Chamba was established. It is believed that Chaurasi temple complex in Bharmour was built to honour these 84 Yogis and named Chaurasi after them. There are 84 big and small temples in Chaurasi temple complex. Chaurasi is a spacious level ground in center of Bharmour where the galaxy of temples mostly in the form of Shivlingas exists. The Chaurasi Temple Complex offers a delightful, clean and a scenic view.

Manu Temple,Manali

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Manu Temple -Manali

This magnificent temple is dedicated to the sage Manu, who is said to be the creator of the world and the writer of Manusmriti. The Manu Temple is located in old Manali, at a distance of three kilometers from the main market. The temple is one of the prime attractions in Manali and is believed to be the same place where sage Manu meditated after stepping on earth. This place has a distinct historical background that appeals to most of the people who visit Manali.

Sage Vaivasvata Manu is believed to be the first king to rule the earth after saving mankind from the great flood. He was warned of the great flood by the Matsya Avatar of Hindu lord Vishnu as well as advised to construct a gigantic boat.

As narrated in the Matsya Purana, Lord Vishnu’s Matsya Avatar initially appeared as a small carp to King Manu while he was washing his hands in the river. The small carp requested King Manu to save him. Honoring the carp’s request, King Manu placed it in a water jar. Soon the carp grew too big to fit into the jar and King Manu shifted it into a bigger bowl. The carp kept growing bigger, and King Manu had to shift it from the bowl to a well and then into a reservoir.

The carp now a fish kept growing bigger and bigger, King Manu had to shift the fish back into the river.Very soon even the river seemed insufficient for the fish as it had grown to gigantic proportions and King Manu had to shift the fish into the ocean. That is when the huge fish transformed into Lord Vishnu and informed King Manu of an all-destructive deluge that will soon flood the entire world.

King Manu built a boat big enough to house his family, 9 kinds of seeds and animals and birds to repopulate the earth once the deluge was over.  It is believed that post the deluge, King Manu stepped on the earth and meditated at the very spot where Manu Temple is situated. King Manu later on came to be known as Sage Manu who is also ascribed to the Manusmriti (Laws of Manu).

The Laws of Manu forms the basis of Hinduism. The Manusmiriti text presents itself as a converse given by the Sage Manu to an assembly of Rishis who beseeched him to guide them in how to face natural calamities and establish peace and discipline in the society. The dialog between Sage Manu and other Rishis was captured and preserved and came to be known as Manusmriti.

Shri Naina Devi Temple Bilaspur, Himachal Pradesh

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Shri Naina Devi Temple is located on an altitude of 1177 meters in Distt. Bilaspur, Himachal Pradesh. Several mythological stories are associated with the establishment of the temple.

According to a legend, Goddess Sati burnt herself alive in Yagna, which distressed Lord Shiva. He picked the corpse of Sati on her shoulder and started his Taandav dance. This horrified all deities in the heaven as this could lead to holocaust. This urged Lord Vishnu to unleash his Chakra that cut the Sati’s body into 51 pieces. Shri Naina Devi Temple is the place where eyes of Sati fell down.

Another story related to the temple is of a Gujjar Boy named Naina. Once he was grazing his cattle and observed that a white cow is showering milk from her udders on a stone. He saw the same thing for next several days. One night while sleeping, he saw Goddess in her dreams who told him that the stone is her Pindi. Naina told about the entire situation and his dream to Raja Bir Chand. When Raja saw it happening in reality, he built a temple on that spot and named the temple after Naina’s name.

Shri Naina Devi Temple is also known as Mahishapeeth because of defeat of demon Mahishasur by the Goddess. According to the legends, Mahishasur was a powerful demon who was blessed by the boon of immortality by Lord Brahma, but the condition was that he could be defeated only by an unmarried woman. Due to this boon, Mahishasur started spreading terror on Earth and Gods. To cope with the demon, all Gods combined their powers and created a Devi to defeat him. The Devi was gifted different types of weapons by all Gods. When Mahishasur got mesmerized by the immense beauty of Devi and proposed her to marry him. Devi told him that she will marry him if he would overpower her. During the battle, Devi defeated the demon and took out both his eyes. This urged Gods to happily applaud “Jai Naina” and hence the name.

One more story is associated with Sikh Guru Gobind Singh Ji. When he left for his military campaign against Mughals in 1756, he went  and performed a Sacrificial Yagna to seek blessings of the Goddess. After getting the blessings, he successfully defeated he Mughals.

Baijnath ,Himachal Pradesh

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Baijnath is famous for its 13th century temple in Himachal Pradesh dedicated to Siva as Vaidyanath, ‘the Lord of physicians’. Originally known as Kiragrama, the town lies on Pathankot-Chakki-Manali highway (National Highway No. 20) almost midway between Kangra and Mandi. The present name Baijnath became popular after the name of the temple. The town is located on the left bank of the river Binwa, a corrupt form of ancient Binduka, a tributary of river Beas.

History:-

According to the legend, it is believed that during the Treta Yug, Ravana in order to have invincible powers worshiped Lord Shiva in the Kailash. In the same process, to please the almighty he offered his ten heads in the havan kund. Influenced by this extra ordinary deed of the Ravana, the Lord Shiva not only restored his heads but also bestowed him with powers of invincibility and immortality.


On attaining this incomparable boon, Ravana also requested the Lord Shiva to accompany him to Lanka. Shiva consented to the request of Ravana and converted himself into Shivling. The Lord Shiva asked him to carry the Shivling and told him that he should not place the Shivling down on the ground on his way. Ravana started moving south towards Lanka and reached Baijnath where he felt the need to answer the nature’s call. On seeing a shepherd, Ravana handed over the Shivling to him and went away to get himself relieved. On finding the Shivling very heavy, shepherd kept the ling on the ground and the Shivling got established there and the same is in the form of Ardhnarishwar (God in form of Half Male & Half Female).


In the town of Baijnath, Dussehra festival in which traditionally the effigy of the Ravana is consigned to flames is not celebrated as a mark of respect to the devotion of Ravana towards Lord Shiva.

Nirth a famous sun temple

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Nirth is at 950 m from sea level.Nirth is famous for Sun Temple .which has unique shape of  “Nagara”.The one and only Sun temple in North India.There are only two sun temple in  India.This is 18 km from old province of Rampur Bushahr .One Sun temple is in  Nirth (Himachal Pradesh) and another one at Konark (Andhra Pradesh).
Nirth is a  small beautiful village located on left bank of sutlej  river .This village is  dedicated to god  Surya Dev (Sun) and set it deity chhaya the consert of surya Dev. Carved wooden pillars and cornices decorate parts of the temple. Motifs of flowers and flower buds are beautifully carved on wood. Aedicules in walls have deities that are stone-like but really of red sandstone blackened by years of worship and offering.Nirth is rich in culture, old ladies still wear Rajtu , Dhatu and Gacchi.People follow Hindu religion ,they celebrate  all the festivals Holi ,Diwali,Dussehra and Maha Shivratri.

This Historical temple is concealing so many secret of purna.There is legend that Pandavs stayed in Nirth during their exile.They made separate temple for goddess , earlier there used to be one temple only.


Buddi Diwali is very famous fair of Nirth .People from near by village comes to see the fair.It comes every year in the month of  December.
Lord Ganesh is the disciple of Surya Dev. Lord Ganesh comes from Majhvati village in his  palanquins .Lord Ganesh will dance with the beats of drums and tunes of other musical instruments. On the shoulders of  his devotees his colourful palanquin  swings  up & down and left & right. These palanquins are not very big or with covering, these are open one just like big stools with four horizontal wooden poles to be carried by devotees. But these are beautifully decorated with mostly blood red coloured clothes. On the top rested main idol of the face of Deity made of eight different metals. This one is profoundly decorated with garlands of scented flowers and of coins, various ornaments, golden crown and with a gold umbrella.

Jakhoo Temple - Himachal Pradesh

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Deriving its name from Hindi word Yakhsa - mythological characters in Hindu mythology who are a link between human and gods; Jakhu / Jakhoo is a famous temple dedicated to the monkey god- Lord Hanuman.
Situated at the highest peak in the hill capital of Himachal, at about 8500 feet in the east of historical ridge ground in Shimla, the temple is said to be existing from the times of Ramayana.
This temple of Lord Hanuman, the most faithful aide to Lord Rama is located in the thick forests of Jakhu hills. The devotees need to cover a steep hill trek of around 2 kms to reach the temple. The temple can also be visited on the back of ponies that are available on hire at the base of the hill.

History of Jakhu / Jakhoo Temple - Himachal Pradesh

The temple has a great mythological tale attached to it dating back to the fierce battle between Lord Rama and Ravana at Lanka. During the course of the battle, Lakshmana, the younger brother of Rama got injured by an arrow of Meghanath, Ravana's son and lost his senses. He could not be cured despite numerous efforts. Then a herb practitioner told Lord Rama that Lakshmana could only be saved by Sanjeevani herb to be brought from Himalayas. Hanuman was entrusted with this life saving task of bringing the herb.
While going towards Himalaya to get the herb, He saw sage Yaaku sitting on Jakhu mountain in penance. Lord Hanuman landed on the mountain to gather more information about the herb. The mount could not bear the weight of the Lord and sunk to the earth, remaining half of its original size. Having cleared his doubts about the herb, the Lord restarted his journey and promised Yaaku to meet him while returning.

But on his way back, Lord Hanuman had to fight with a dangerous demon, Kaalnemi. This took a lot of time and He had to take the shortest route to reach Lanka whereas the sage kept waiting for Him. Hanuman did not want to make the sage unhappy. So he appeared before the sage and told him the reason for not keeping his promise. As Hanuman disappeared, having pacified Yaaku, an idol of Him appeared on the hill by itself. Yaaku built a small temple to commemorate the Lord's visit on the hill and kept that idol there. The idol can be seen in the temple till date along with the foot prints of the monkey god.

Like many other hanuman temples in India, endless number of monkeys can be seen at this temple also. These monkeys are generally very peaceful but if provoked can be very dangerous too. Pilgrims offer peanuts and bananas to these monkeys which are readily accepted by them.

Mata Manasa Devi temple-Panchkula

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Mata Manasa Devi temple-Panchkula

Mata Mansa Devi is one of the prominent Shakti temples of North India, situated in the Panchkula district of Haryana state in India. This holy Siddh Peeth is dedicated to Mata Mansa Devi. According to the Hindu mythology, the head of
 Sati had fallen over here.

Mata Mansa Devi is a Hindu temple dedicated to goddess Mansa Devi, a form of Shakti. The temple complex is spread of 100 acres of the Shivalik foothills in village Bilaspur, near Mani Majra, and Panchkula, 10 km from Chandi Mandir, another noted Devi shrine in the region, both just outside Chandigarh.

It is one of the prominent Shakti temples of North India. Thousands of devotees visit the shrine from various parts of the country, and especially during the Navratra mela, this number rises to lakhs everyday for the nine auspicious days.

Mata Mansa Devi Temple at Panchkula is a symbol of Himalayan culture and faith. The shrine located on the foot hills of Shivalik is an epitome of age old tradition of ‘Shakti’ worship in northern India. Himalaya being the abode of Shiva and his consort ’shakti’ became centre of Shakti worship. In the vicinity of Panchkula there are numerous Shakti worshipping centers known by their names such as Chandi, Kalika, Mansa, Bhima etc. Hence, mythological speaking, Chandigarh-Panchkula region undoubtedly continued to be living legends of shaktism where its practices are in vogue.

Mata Mansa Devi is a Shakti roop or form. It is strongly believed that Goddess Mansa, to whom this temple is dedicated, is a powerful Goddess who fulfills the wishes of devotees.

Gurdwara Shri Manji Sahib,Ludhiana, Punjab.

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Gurdwara Shri Manji Sahib,

Gurdwara Shri Manji Sahib is a famous Gurdwara. It is located in Ludhiana, Punjab. Gurdwara Shri Manji Sahib (Also called as Alamgir Sahib) is situated in the Alamgir Village In Ludhiana Dist. Guru Shri Gobind Singh, after his four sons and mother were martyred by the Mughals, was going from Machhiwara on a bed as " Uchh Da Pir " and reached here on 14 Poh 1761 Bikrami (1704 A.D.).

On reaching here, one of the horse traders of the village named Bhai Nigahia Singh, gifted a horse to Guru Gobind Singh. Nabi Khan and Gani Khan were sent back with the bed. Shri Guru Sahib asked an old lady who was picking cow dung whether he could get some water from somewhere to take bath to which the old lady replied that " Pir Ji this is a place of ruins, there is no water here".

There is a well far away but there is a big python that lives there, no one goes there. Shri Guru Gobind Singh hit the python with an arrow and gave it " Mukti " ( exemption from further transmigration ) and the python fell into the well. When the Sikhs went to fetch water, the water had gone bad so close to where Shri Guru was sitting, Shri Guru hit one more arrow and there was a water spring that came out and all the Sikhs had a bath.

On seeing this miracle, the old lady fell into Shri Guru's feet and said " Peer Ji you are a wonderful Peer, I have a request. I have leprosy and I have gone to various places to get the treatment done but it has not been cured, kindly cure my disease and help me to get rid of this disease". Shri Guru Sahib said that whoever takes a bath under this water spring with belief, God will cure all his sadness.

Then Shri Guru sat on the horse given by Bhai Nigahia Singh and went towards Raikot. The old lady had a bath in that water spring and was cured. She went back to The village and told about the whole story. The place where Bhai Nabi Khan and Bhai Gani Khan kept Guru Sahib's bed, today at that place exists a beautiful Gurudwara known as Manji Sahib.

Durgiana Temple in the city of Amritsar

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Durgiana Temple is an important Hindu temple situated in the city of Amritsar, Durgiana Temple is devoted to Goddess Durga. It is also known as the Lakshmi Narayan Temple and was built during the 16th century. Similar to the sarovar in Golden Temple, there is also a water tank or lake similar to the golden temple. It has carved silver gates and so


metimes is also called as the silver temple. There are also idols of Lord Krishna, and Lord Vishnu enshrined in the temple.

The original temple is reported to have been built in the 16th century.
It was rebuilt in 1921 by Guru Harsai Mal Kapoor in the architectural style of the Sikh Golden Temple.The newly built temple was inaugurated by Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya.

Even though Amritsar is not declared a Holy city, restrictions are in force prohibiting sale of tobacco, liquor and meat within a radius of 200 metres (660 ft) around this temple and the Golden Temple.

According to legend, the sacrificial horse was set loose following the Ashwamedha Yajna which Rama performed to stake claim over territories through which the stallion passed. It was here in Amritsar, at the site of the present Durgiana temple, that Luv and Kush, twin sons of Rama living in exile with their mother, Sita, captured the steed. Hanuman who came to defend the captured horse, was taken prisoner by the boys, and tied to a banyan tree. This event, centuries later, prompted the construction of the temple around the tree.

The tree is deemed to be a wish-fulfilling one that remains green throughout the year. Devotees go around it, offering flowers, applying turmeric and vermilion paste on it, seeking a host of favours.

Kali Devi Mandir, Patiala

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Kali Devi Mandir, Patiala


One of the consecrated place of worship for the Hindus, the Kali Devi Mandir in the city of Patiala, Punjab, is devoted to the Hindu goddess Durga – an incarnation of Kali Mata (Mother Kali). Located on the Mall Road of this city, the magnificent temple lies just in front of the Baradari Garden next to the Rajendra Tank. The Patiala Kali Mata Mandir was built by the late Maharaja Bhupinder Singh in 1936. The Maharaja brought the six-foot idol of Kali Devi and the “pawan jyoti” (sacred flame) from the East Indian city of Calcutta. The temple is an architectural wonder from the great days gone by when the city was ruled by the great Patiala Maharajas, who were great promoters of art and culture.


TEMPLE HISTORY

Kali Puja is celebrated with a lot of gusto and fanfare in Bengal after Durga Puja during the time of Diwali. It is believed that Maharaja Krishnan Chandra of Nawadweep was the first to celebrate Kali Puja in his territory. Everyone was ordered to celebrate Kali Puja and thus 10,000 images of Kali were worshipped. Ratanti Kali Puja was celebrated in ancient times before the present Kali Puja. It is believed that the present form of Kali is due to a dream by a distinguished scholar of Indian charms and black magic (‘Tantra’) and the author of Tantric Saar, Krishnananda Agambagish. He was also a contemporary of Lord Chaitanya. In his dream, he was ordered to make her image after the first figure he saw in the morning. At dawn, Krishnananda saw a dark complexioned maid with her left hand protruding with her right making cow dung cakes. Her body was glowing with white dots. The vermillion spread over her forehead while she was wiping the sweat from it. The hair was untidy as well. When she came face to face with an elderly Krishnananda, she bit her tongue in shame. This posture of the housemaid was later utilized to envisage the idol of Goddess Kali. Thus, the image of Kali was formed.

Mukteshwar Mahadev Temple,Pathankot on Shahpur Kandi Dam road.

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Mukteshwar Mahadev Temple is a popular shrine of Lord Shiva and is known as Mukesaran Mandir – located near Pathankot on Shahpur Kandi Dam road. It is the holy temple of the Hindu religion, where the idols of Lord Ganesha, Lord Bramha, Lord Vishnu, Lord Hanuman and Goddess Parvati are present. This temple is one of the most sacred places around Pathankot. There are some caves which date to the time of the Mahabharata.

 According to a legend, the Pandavas stayed in those caves for a night during their exile (Agayatwas).

These caves are on the way to Shahpur Kandi and are situated on the bank of the River Ravi, 22 km from Pathankot City in Shaupur Kandi at Doongh village.
History of this historical ancient temple says, it is 55 hundred years old temple, whose existence is known from the time of Mahabharata. According to Hindu Mythology, Shakuni “the maternal uncle of Duryodhana”, devises a scheme to rob Yudhisthira (The Eldest from Pandavas) of his kingdom and wealth by defeating him in a game of dice, which Shakuni cannot lose in due to his special dice. Unable to resist the challenge, Yudhisthira gambles away his entire kingdom, his wealth, his four brothers and even his wife, in a series of gambits to retrieve one by staking another. So Pandavas lost their kingdom and get the exile (Vanvas) of 12 years and 1 year Incognito (Agayatwas) – in which they have to be live unrecognized.

During this 1 year Incognito, All five pandavas with their wife Draupadi stayed in the form of sage, Brahmins and Hermits and visited unrecognized at different places. During the time of incognito, they reached cooast of ravi river in a state of five rivers (Punjab). Here they built the four caves and one lord shiva temple at the hilltop.

They stayed here in this temple for six months. They crafted the Shivlingam present in the temple and worshipped the lord shiva here. The Havan Kund made by them, is still present there in temple. The Shivling at the Mukteshwar Mahadev temple is surrounded by the idols of Lord Brahma, Lord Vishnu, Goddess Paravati, Lord Hanuman and Lord Ganesha

Suraj Kund Sunam Temple ,Ludhiana-Hisar

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Suraj Kund Sunam is a famous Hindu temple It is a large Sun temple, located to the east of Sunam city (dated to the Vedic period), about 1.5 kilometres away in the Thashil and Sub division of the Sangrur District, was destroyed by Tim

ur or Mohammad Ghaznavi. It is also said that Saraswathi River was flowing nearby. The Suraj Kund is now in a dilapidated condition. It is situated on the Ludhiana-Hisar railway line.


The history of Sunam goes back to the Vedic period, when its name was Surajpur. The Saraswati River is believed to have flowed by it. The modern town was built within the walls of an old fort into which its inhabitants were driven to take refuge.

It is divided into two parts, one in the citadel of the fort and the other on the lowland around it. Though now of little importance, Sunam has played a significant part in the history of the Punjab after the Muhammadan invasion; Al-Baruni mentions it as a famous place in his book ‘Kitab-ul-Hind’, 1050 AD. ‘Sunam’ in Sanskrit means auspicious name, but some say that it was named after Sona, a Gujari, who guided Muhammad of Ghor to conquer the fort of Bathinda and Asked him to give Sunam as her reward. Others accept a derivation from Sunam, which in Aravic means the hump of a camel. When Qutb-un-Din Aibak saw that the place had this shape he named it Sunam, but this etymology is untenable, as the town is said to have assumed its present shape only after Taimur’s invasion (AD 1398). Sunam was held by Hindu Rajas till conquered by Muhammad of Ghor.

Sultan Shams-ud-Din Altmash gave it to his page Sher Khan in Jagir. Ghais-ud-Din balban gave it to Timar Khan, with Samana, (now in Patiala District), on the death of his cousin Sher Khan, and subsequently conferred it on his own son Bughra Khan. Under Muhammad Shah Tughlaq, its dependent tribe revolted. Firoz Shah brought a canal through Sirhind and Mansurpur to the town in 1360, and in 1398 Taimur attacked it. It is an ancient site, and by digging 40 of 50 feet deep, statues, big bricks and bones are found. In the time of Akbar, it was a Pargana of Sirhind. During Muslim rule, Sunam was a centre of politics like Samana and Sirhind (now in Patiala District).

Baba Ala Singh, the founder of the erstwhile Patiala State, had won this town from Muslim rulers. Akbar’s courtier Abul Fazal has recorded in his Ain-i-Akbar ri that Emperor Akbar often came to Sunam on hunting expeditions.

Alathiyur Hanuman Temple Alathiyur, near Tirur, Malappuram district Kerala,

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Alathiyur Hanuman Temple is located in Alathiyur, near Tirur, Malappuram district in the state of Kerala, India. The temple is dedicated to Lord Sree Rama, his brother Bharatha and Lord Hanuman. According to the history, the temple is very ancient and the deity of Hanuman present in the temple is installed 3000 years ago by Sage Vasishtha, one of the Saptarishis, the seven great sages of Hindu Mythology.

The Alathiyur Hanuman Temple is extremely beloved to its devotees for very many reasons. Lord Rama is the presiding Deity here. The daily puja-rituals, offerings by devotees, and the spectacular annual Temple Festival – all are held in honor of the Lord Rama. However, the devotees always address this temple as ‘Hanuman Kavu’ Temple. And, in a way, it symbolizes the triumph of the supreme strength of the devotion of Lord Hanuman as an ideal Bhakta, which overshadows the presiding deity, Lord Rama.

Here, Sri Rama is visualized as the Maryada-Purushothaman – he is separated from his beloved wife, Devi Sita, by the demon King Ravana who had abducted her to Lanka. Sri Rama is seen entrusting his beloved Bhakta, Hanuman the possible task of locating the details of Sita. Sri Rama shares with Hanuman about how to look out for Devi Sita in Lanka. Hanuman, to reach Lanka would have had to cross the vast and formidable sea that separates Lanka from the main land. Thirty three crore Gods gathered to witness this significant act. It was an act in which the the Lord himself, Sri Rama, seeks the assistance of his bhakta, Hanuman. All the Gods bestowed Hanuman with their enormous strength, so that he succeeded in his mission. For Hanuman, this is was a very significant moment, and hence, his pre-eminence at Alathiyur.

The temple of Sri Hanuman is adjacent to the main temple of Sri Rama, who is the presiding deity. Sri Hanuman stands leaning a little towards the left, symbolic of how he hears his master’s words. Sri Rama is confiding in Hanuman the cue-word ( Abhignana Vaakyam ) that would enable him to gain the confidence of Sita. Hanuman has a mace in his hand. All the Gods blesses Lord Hanuman with all their powers. He is all set to accomplish his mission of finding out the whereabouts of Devi Sita. Here he is the personification of divine strength, confidence, concentration of purpose, Bhakti, and above all humility. He is the symbol of supreme self-sacrifice. He seems to be assuring Sri Rama: “Your wish is my command”. Devotees of Hanuman visit the temple to make their wishes fulfilled and be heard by the mighty Hanuman.

There is a platform to commemorate Sri Hanuman’s mighty leap to Lanka over the sea. There is a long granite stone at one end of this platform and it symbolizes the sea. Devotees com running and leap over this long stone. By doing this, auspicious impact is expected especially for the better health and life of children.

The Anjaneya temple was established by sage Vasishta in Alathiyur, Kerala. The temple's  history is based on the epic of the Ramayana. In the sanctum sanctorum, Sri Rama appears alone  without  Mother Sita. Sri Hanuman graces in the other shrine  as listening to the Sri Rama telling him how to identify the mother Sita,  to help him to spot her without any doubt. Devas contributed all their might to Hanuman to enable him to succeed in his mission.  The idol of the Sri Lakshmana is established a little far away, that he would not disturb the privacy between Rama and Hanuman when the former was narrating  some past incidents to Hanuman to identify mother Sita.
Sri Hanuman is a staunch follower of the Sri Rama who dedicated his service to Rama only. He expected nothing in return for his services in searching Mother Sita.  He was the abode of all the noblest divine qualities coupled with an unparallel physical and mental prowess to conquer any situation of any gravity.  But he himself was not aware of his extraordinary capabilities.  He never spoke to anybody about his powers but simply felt and said that he was born for the service of Sri Rama.  He was only saying that he was the last servant of the lord. The interesting thing to be noted,  is that,  Sugriva got back his kingdom for the service he rendered to the Lord.  Angatha was nominated as the heir-apparent of Kishkinda.  Vibishana was crowned as the king of Lanka. Hanuman expected nothing. He respectfully declined to accept the pearl chain offered to him by Mother Sita.  Sri Rama could not find anything that would be a fitting reward to him.  Rama finally asked him to embrace him and blessed him eternity. Hanuman was born on the new moon day. Worshipping him on this day brings immense benefits to the devotees.

Bhadrakali temple Thanesar, District Kurukshetra, Haryana.

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Bhadrakali temple is located on Jhansa road, Thanesar, District Kurukshetra, Haryana.
 Bhadrakali temple is also known as Shri Devikoop temple. The temple is dedicated to Devi Kali which is one of the nine forms of Devi. The temple is among 51 Shakti-peethas. Bhadrakali shakti peetha is also known as Savitri peetha. A big idol of Devi Kali is established in the temple. One can see a big lotus as one enters into the temple which has the impression of left leg of Devi Sati. This is built of white marble.

As per mythology, Devi Sati gave her life by jumping into the fire of Havan organised by her father King Daksheshwara. When Lord Shiva was running around the earth carrying her body then Lord Vishnu divided the body in 51 parts using his Sudarshan chakra.

Out of those 51 parts, the right ankle of the Sati fell here inside a well, so this temple is known as Devikoop.

It is said that the Pandavas of Mahabharat worshipped Devi Durga here along with Shri Krishna and sought blessings for the victory in the war against Kauravas. After winning the war, they donated horses in this temple and since then the tradition is prevalent here. It is also said that Lord Krishna and Balrama had their mundan( bald head) ceremony here so devotees come here for the same for their children.

All the festivals are celebrated in this temple. The main attraction is Durga puja and Navratra celebrations here. Devotees gather in large number during these days and the temple is decorated with lights and flowers. The atmosphere of the temple gives peace to the mind of people coming here.⁠⁠⁠⁠

Sheetla Mata temple, Gurugram(Gurgaon)

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Sheetla Mata temple, Gurugram(Gurgaon) is a temple dedicated to the Mata Sheetla Devi, she is Kripi/Kripai/Lalitha wife of Guru Dronacharya who was the teacher of the Pandavas and Kauravas according to Indian epic Mahabharata. The district Gurgaon, now renamed as Gurugam derives it name from Guru + Gram or the village of the guru.The temple is located on Sheetla mata Road in Gurgaon city of Gurgaon district in the state of Haryana in India. The shrine is very famous and is visited by large number of people.

Temple history:-
The Sheetla Mata temple is dedicated to the wife of Guru Dronacharya, Kripi/Kirpai, also called Lalitha. Kirpai, also called Lalita and later Mata Sheetla, used to live in Keshopur village located in the nearby Union Territory of Delhi. Dronacharya her husband used to visit her daily at Keshopur from his Gurugram ashram. She devoted herself to look after the sick children, specially those suffering from the smallpox. People called her Mata (Mother) out of affection and respect. After her death a temple was built in her honour by the villagers and she began to be remembered as Mata Sitla or Mata Masani, i.e. 'the goddess of smallpox'. It is said that more than three centuries ago, Masani Mother appeared in a dream to Chaudhri Singh Ram alias Singha, a fief-holder of village Gurgaon. She expressed her desire to leave Keshopur and come to Gurgaon. She made him build a place for her. Towards the south of Gurugram village lies Gurugram Bhim Kund near the temple of Dronacharya. Sheetla mata temple lies to the north of Gurugram village. The legend goes that even after Singha had brought and installed the goddess Masani, after her own heart's desire, at village Gurgaon, the residents of Keshopur continued to dispute the claims of Gurgaon folks. This controversy was put at rest during the time of Begum Samru, the Governor of Jharsa under the Mughals. Her child who had contracted smallpox was cured after being consecrated in the prescribed manner before the goddess Masani at Gurgaon. It was then finally established that the goddess had begun to live at village Gurgaon. The current temple was built in the 18th century by the Hindu Jat king Jawahar Singh of Bharatpur, in memory of his victory over the Mughals, for which he had invoked the blessings of Sheetla Mata.

Amba Bhawani Devi Temple at Ambala, Haryana.

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Amba Bhawani Devi  Temple at Ambala, Haryana.

 This temple in Ambala district has derived its name from the presiding Goddess of the temple. There is a popular belief that the city of Ambala has been named after Devi Amba. The deity is known as Amba Devi or Bhawani Devi.

 The temple of Bhawani Amba is considered a very sacred temple. It is a temple of the ancient era and has been there since a very long time.

The Bhawani Amba Temple, which is situated in the city of Ambala, is an ancient temple and it has been the witness to the city’s history since Ambala’s birth. All the temples are unique in their own ways and each of the temples has different history and legends associated to them. The beautifully carved out pillars and the intrinsic carvings on the walls of the temple speaks volume about the rich artistry.


It is believed that it was here that Goddess Bhagawati Ma appeared in ten different forms.

Why did  Goddess appear in 10 different forms is because-

One day, Lord Shiva was upset with Devi Parvati, and he decided to leave. Devi Parvati tried to stop Him, but He wouldn’t listen. Smiling slowly, hoping to persuade Her Lord, Devi Parvati asked him to please abandon this idea of going elsewhere. But Lord Shiva ignored her words and left anyway. As He proceeded, Shiva saw Sri Mahakali standing in His path, blocking His movement. Lord Shiva simply turned and began to walk in another direction. There too, another form of Bhagawati stood, blocking his path. Lord Shiva kept changing directions, but no matter where he turned, some form of Bhagawati prevented him for moving forward.

Lord Shiva tried ten different directions and in this way, Goddess Bhagawati Ma appeared in ten different forms in the ten different directions. She took the form of Kali, Tara, Chinnmasta, Shodashi, Bhuvaneshwari, Tripurabhairavi, Dhumavati, Bagalamukhi, Matangi and Kamala.

Sri Mangalanathar Mangaleswari Temple, Ramanathapuram

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Sri Mangalanathar Mangaleswari Temple at Utharakosamangai in Ramanathapuram
 of Tamil Nadu.

According to the legends, Mandodhari (wife of the Ravana) was  very adamant that she would marry only a Shiva devotee.  She prayed to Lord Shiva. Lord Shiva asked the sages in the ashram to take care (safe custody) of one of the veda scripts(Agamas) as he was going to grace Mandodhari and said that he would take back from them on his returning back. Lord Shiva appeared before Mandodhari as a child. Ravana who came there touched the child knowing that  it was Lord Shiva.  Lord Shiva tested Ravana by changing himself into fire form. All places around the world  caught in this fire. The sages failed to protect the book and died. At this time, sage Manickavasagar courageously withstood the fire and saved the book. Then Lord graced Mandodhari’s wish and helped her to marry Ravana.The Lord changed Manickavasagar into his Linga form. The sage is still in the temple in the Linga form.
There is a 6 ft (1.8 m) tall maragatha Nataraja idol carved out of emerald inside the temple. The temple has a seven-tiered rajagopuram. There are separate shrines for Mangalanathar in the form of linga. A hall of Saharasralinga  has thousand linga enshrined in it.
The temple is considered sacred along the lines of Ramanathapuram, Sethu Madhava Theertham and Lakshmana Theertham. The emerald image of Nataraja is anointed with sandal paste round the year except on Tiruvathidirai festival day when special worship is practised. It is believed that even small vibrations can damage the image and hence no percussion instruments are used during worship practises. The front hall has linga made of  spatika, that is anointed with cooked rice every afternoon.  As per Hindu legend, Vishnu and Brahma contested for superiority, Shiva appeared as a flame, and challenged them to find his source. Brahma took the form of a swan, and flew to the sky to see the top of the flame, while Vishnu became the boar Varaha, and sought its base.  Neither Brahma nor Vishnu could find the source, and while Vishnu conceded his defeat, Brahma lied with the help of a thazhamboo (a type of flower) and said he had found the pinnacle.  As a punishment, Shiva ordained that Brahma would never have temples on the earth in his worship and all Shiva temples do not use thazhamboo for worship.  This is one temple, where thazhamboo is still used for worship practises. Manickavasagar, the 9th century Tamil saivite saint poet and nayanar has revered Mangalanathar and the temple in his verses in Tevaram, compiled as the fifth Tirumurai. Arunagirinatha, a 15th-century Tamil poet has composed Tamil hymns glorifying Subramanya in the temple. As per Hindu legend, Subramanya was awarded the Airavata (white elephant) of celestial deity Indra at this place.
Uthiram means upadesam (teaching),  Kosam means rahasiyam (secret) and mangai means Parvathi/Shakthi .  Here Lord Shiva taught the secrets of veda to Parvathi.  Here Lord shiva gave dharshan to saint Sri Manikavasagar.  It is believed that Goddess Parvathi is worshipping Lord Shiva here. This temple is praised in 38 places in Thiruvasagam , the famous  Shiva hymn.

Rameshwaram Temple, Rameswaram

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Rameshwaram Temple is situated in the island of Rameswaram, off the Sethu coast of Tamil Nadu and is reached via the Pamban Bridge across the sea. The huge temple is known for its long ornate corridors, towers and 36 theerthams.

Rameshwaram Jyotirlinga represents the southernmost of the 12 Jyotirlingas of India and has been a time honored pilgrimage center held on par with Banaras. Rameshwaram Temple Jyotirlinga is associated closely with the Ramayana and Rama's victorious return from Sri Lanka.

The devout considers a pilgrimage to Kashi incomplete unless he or she visits Rameswaram also and performs abhisheka for Sri Ramanatha with Ganga water.

Rameswaram Temple:-
The temple, situated on an island in the Gulf of Mannar, reflects divinity in serenity.  It is a massive structure having a majestic gopuram and a 1200- metre-long corridor, the longest of such temple corridors in India.

Rameswaram temple is considered to be one of the holiest temples in India and it was built in the 17th century although construction had begun in the 12th century AD.  One of the finest specimens of Dravidian architecture, the temple has gigantic dimensions. Covering an area of 15 acres, it is 264 meters to the west and 200 metres north to south consisting of three prakaras. It has the largest temple
On the tall stone pillars of temple, beautiful carvings can be seen. Elephants with their trunks raised are seen. The four sides of the temple are enclosed by strong stone walls. They are 650 ft. and 12ft. wide and tall respectively. This wonderful temple built on the sand island, is a work of great art and very impressive.

According to legends this is the place where Lord Rama offered prayers to Lord Shiva to atone for killing Ravana. Rameswaram temple has great religious significance and draws ardent devotees in large numbers throughout the year.

There are 2 Sivalingams in the temple. One Sivalingam, made out of sand by Seetha of Ramayana fame is the Moolavar and is known as Ramalingaswamy.

 According to the legend, Lord Rama returned to India after killing Ravana in Srilanka. Lord Rama wanted to worship Lord Shiva at Rameswaram to free himself from the sin(Brahma hatya dosha) of killing Ravana. Hence he directed Hanuman to bring a shivalingam from Kailash/Banaras. Hanuman was delayed on his return with the lingam. In the meantime, the stipulated auspicious time has arrived for performing the worship to Lord Shiva. Hence Lord Rama performed the worship to the lingam made out of sand by Seetha so as to finish the worship within the stipulated auspicious time. Hanuman got depressed with this and tried his best to remove the lingam made out of sand by Seetha but failed in his attempts. Lord Rama pacified Hanuman and assured him that the lingam brought by Hanuman will also be installed at the place and that worship will first be offered to the lingam (known as Kasi Viswanatha) brought by Hanuman. Even today the first worship is offered to the lingam brought by Hanuman and then only the worship is offered to the principal sanctum Lord Ramalinganaswamy.

Hanuman, Krishna, Ganesha and Subramanya as well as 22 sacred wells/bathing ghats or ‘tirthas’ within the temple and each well apparently gives a different taste of water. Devotees offer prayers after first bathing at one of these tanks.On the right side of the main shrine, Shiva’s consort Parvati has her own temple.

In Rameswaram Temple, a spiritual “Mani Darisanam” (Mani Darshan) happens in early morning everyday. This “Mani” is made of “spatikam”[a precious stone] and in form of “Holy shivling”. According to some accounts, this is “Mani” of “sheshnag” (Bhagwaan Vishnu’s bed).

Surya Koteeswarar Temple, Kumbakonam in Thanjavur

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Surya Koteeswarar Temple at Keels Surya Moolai near Kumbakonam in Thanjavur district.

The legend has it that thle cosmic sun radiate the energy of millon of sun in the galaxy. Several years ago this concept was discovered by siddhas and they had claimed that the Sun God worshipped Lord Shiva in this temple to receive energy for his day-to- day activities. It is for this reason that Lord Shiva is worshipped in the name of Sri Surya Koteeswarar in this temple.

Sun God was sad that He could not participate in the Pradosha pujas dedicated to Lord Shiva.  Pradosha time means evening when Sun has to be on duty and evening time is His setting time.  He spoke to his disciple Sage Yagnyavalyaka who learnt all Vedas and Sastras from Sun.  He prayed to Lord Surya Koteeswarar to bless his Guru-Sun God.  He encased all the powers of Vedas in the Bhaskara Chakra he made and submitted it at the feet of Lord Surya Koteeswara.  The lamps he lit with the Iluppai oil also helped Sun to have daily darshan of Lord without any breaks.

There was a sacred tree, iluppai tree,  for the temple and He crushed oil from the seeds of the tree.  He also created a forest of iluppai trees.  From the oil crushed from these trees he lit 10 million deepas a day to worship Lord Surya Koteeswarar, which took place during the twilight hours coinciding with Pradosha time also.  Sun God had the darshan of all these Deepas and derived the benefits of Pradosha worship.  This puranic story happened in this place, named Keela Surya Moolai.  The shrine of Lord is facing east and that of Mother Pavalakodi Amman, the south.

Lord Bhairava in the temple is praised as Swarna Bhairava.  It is noteworthy that during Aarati, a small red ray appears on His neck, a thrilling experience.  By the movement of the coral light on the neck, devotees believe that He relieves the adverse aspects of Sun and Moon Gods.  People also pray to Lord Bhairava for relief from burdens.  In some temples, the rays of Sun fall on the Lord during a few days in a year only.  Here, it is a day-to- day happening.  The shadow of Lord falls on the wall during the whole day.  Durga in the temple has Her toe ring only in one leg.  People perform abishek to Lord with green coconut for relief from adverse Surya aspects.  Undertaking feeding in the temple satisfies our ancestors. Sun God is worshipping Lord Surya Koteeswarar each day from morning to dusk. The shadow of Lord falls on the wall as a proof of this belief. Devotees light lamps to Lord Surya Koteeswarar during the pradosha time, perform abishek and offer vastras.

The temple has shrines for Lords Ananda Dakshinamurthi, Shakti Vinayaka, Muruga with His consorts Valli and Deivanai,  Mother Durga, Nagalingam and Chandikeswara.  Navagrahas with their vahans are in northwest corner shrine while Lord Bhairava and Sun God have their shrines in the northeast corner of Swami Mandapam.

Selva Anjaneyar Temple at Chennimalai , Erode - Tamil nadu

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Mano-Javam Maaruta-Tulya-Vegam
Jite Indriyam Buddhi-Mataam Varissttha |
Vaata-Atmajam Vaanara-Yuutha-Mukhyam
Shriiraama-Duutam Sharannam Prapadye |

Selva Anjaneyar Temple at Chennimalai in Erode district of Tamil nadu. It is believed this temple is more than 500 years old.

During  his search for Mother Sita who was caged in the Ashoka vana of Ravana, it is believed that Anjaneya passed through Chennimalai.  The spot where he stayed,  has grown into a rock later.  The present temple is built on this rock. Fifty years ago people began to worship Sri Hanuman installing the idol on the rock. It is a staunch belief of the people, that the Panchaloha (made of five metals) Anjaneya , weighing 650 kg, has wonderful powers.

 Though there are many Anjaneya temples in the country, the idols are made of stone only.  This is the only temple that has a Panchaloha idol, 5.5. feet tall.  It is a hill temple.

Even inspired poets find it difficult to describe the greatness, valour and devotion of Sri Anjaneya who had totally surrendered himself to the service of Lord Shri Rama.  He is gracing from this temple. Devotees offer Tulasi garland,sendura and butter on realizing their prayers.