Shobha visited her aunt(atthai) in Saibaba Colony last week and was gifted a large chunky jackfruit. The atthai has a few jackfruit trees in her compound and tends to their nutrition requirements meticulously. As a result the trees bear fruit for about 3-4 months every year.
The cutting & hacking, removal of the thick prickly skin & removal of the velvety yellow fruit & ejection of the seeds is an expert job and this duty is normally handed over to Shobhas father. But notwithstanding his "expertise: this process leaves behind quite a mess which requires articulate clean up. This time around we were lucky - our newly appointed man Friday appeared to be an expert too on this subject. He was excited at seeing the jackfruit and immediately took the fruit away to a remote corner and went about the task of skinning the fruit. He did this with such clinical precision and did not leave behind any kind of mess.
The skin had been neatly chopped away, the sticky interiors were expunged, the velvety fruit sliced open & seeds removed and the fruits deposited attractively in a steel bowl.
Some people love both the aroma & the taste of jackfruit - Shobha & her father fall in this category. Others like me are neutral to smell but like the taste of the ripe fruit. A third category like Guhan find both the smell & taste disgusting & nauseating - Guhan is very clear - its either he or the jack fruit, both cannot coexist in the same room - so make your choice !
The jackfruit tree bears fruits in the trunks or near the base of older branches from where the female flowers emerge in the first place. Given that jackfruit is the heaviest among the tree borne fruits, reaching up to 35 kg in weight, it is possible that the trees bear them in the trunk or older branches that are strong enough to hold the fruit.
Origin: The jackfruit is believed indigenous to the rain forests of the Western Ghats of India. It spread early on to other parts of India, Southeast Asia, the East Indies and ultimately the Philippines. It is often planted in central and eastern Africa and is fairly popular in Brazil and Surinam.
Jackfruit can be eaten unripe (young) or ripe, and cooked or uncooked. The seeds can also be eaten cooked or baked like beans. The leaves are sometimes used as a wrapping for steamed Idlis. Jackfruit is commonly known as "Pala Pazham" in Tamilnadu and "Plava or Chakka" in Kerala. The tree is found in almost every household in Kerala. (Family elders: Can you recollect the abundant "plavus" in the spacious compound around Lakshmi Nivas ?) A large variety of dishes are prepared with both the unripe as well as ripened fruit. Chakka Varaval, Chakka Mezhukku Varatti, Chakka Aviyal,Chakka Chips, Elisseri,Chakka Varatti (Jam), Chakka Pradaman(payasam or kheer) are some of the popular dishes served in Kerala weddings.
Tit Bit: Another innovative way of consuming this fruit - slice open the velvety fruit on one side, lift the flap, add a few teaspoons (or tablespoons if you wish) of honey, close the flap & drop the whole thing into your mouth golgappa (panipuri) stye. Its heavenly, simply melts in your mouth & slides smoothely down your gullet !
Friday, May 22, 2009
Monday, May 18, 2009
e-Scooter Rally to Maruthamalai
It was the morning of Sunday 17 May'2009. We had been planning to test drive the BSA Motors electric scooter
s on the Maruthamalai ghats. So we gathered at the Sankrithi BSA showroom at 8.00 am - Shobha & I, Ramesh & Prakash. Two e-scooters were brought out of the showroom - a blue Roamer & a Black Diva. Ramesh & Prakash wore smart black BSA T-shirts and donned white & red BSA peak caps. The scooter rally started at 8.20 am and took off towards Maruthamalai - a distance of around 10 kms. We followed in our blue Indigo. We went past GCT & then turned right at TNAU point towards Maruthamalai. Enroute we crossed Vadavalli as well as the vast sprawling campus of Bharatiar University and finally reached the base of Maruthamalai hills - one of the well known abodes of Lord Muruga. Then the climb began - the scooters went first into the ghats and we followed. The gradient climbing ability of the e-scooters was excellent. The 500 watt Roamer maint
ained the specified speed of 40 Kmph while the 250 watt Diva followed at moderate speed of 25 Kmph. Halfway up the ghat climb we stopped briefly for photographs. Then the journey resumed. Being e-Scooters these vehicles climbed silently as they are powered by electric motors. Since there are no engines as in petrol vehicles, these scooters are eco friendly and do not spew exhaust fumes.
We reached the top in virtually no time. We then took some time off to visit the sanctum of Lord Muruga and offer our prayers. Then we began the downward descend. The e-Scooters desecnded at much faster speeds since they had the gravitational support.
On our return we were ravenously hungry and so were the boys. We stopped over at Vadavalli Ananda's for a comprehensive breakfast of Rava Roast, vada sambar & strongly flavored decoction coffee.
We were back at the showroom at 10.20 am. The entire trip/rally had taken all of two hours of which 45 minutes were spent at Anandas. The Rally was remarkably successful - proved beyond doubt the hill climbing capability of BSA e-Scooters.
Trivia: Low speed BSA e-Scooters do not require registration or license and are powered by maintenance free batteries. They are extremely economical to run and batteries are rechargeable. The electricity consumption for charging the battery is one unit which translates to Rs.2 @ domestic rate. The range(or mileage) of a fully charged battery is around 60-70 Kms. This means cost of running an e-Scooter is 3 paise/Km as compared to Rs.1.25/Km for petrol vehicles. This vehicle is ideal for city running and totally pollution free.
s on the Maruthamalai ghats. So we gathered at the Sankrithi BSA showroom at 8.00 am - Shobha & I, Ramesh & Prakash. Two e-scooters were brought out of the showroom - a blue Roamer & a Black Diva. Ramesh & Prakash wore smart black BSA T-shirts and donned white & red BSA peak caps. The scooter rally started at 8.20 am and took off towards Maruthamalai - a distance of around 10 kms. We followed in our blue Indigo. We went past GCT & then turned right at TNAU point towards Maruthamalai. Enroute we crossed Vadavalli as well as the vast sprawling campus of Bharatiar University and finally reached the base of Maruthamalai hills - one of the well known abodes of Lord Muruga. Then the climb began - the scooters went first into the ghats and we followed. The gradient climbing ability of the e-scooters was excellent. The 500 watt Roamer maint
ained the specified speed of 40 Kmph while the 250 watt Diva followed at moderate speed of 25 Kmph. Halfway up the ghat climb we stopped briefly for photographs. Then the journey resumed. Being e-Scooters these vehicles climbed silently as they are powered by electric motors. Since there are no engines as in petrol vehicles, these scooters are eco friendly and do not spew exhaust fumes.We reached the top in virtually no time. We then took some time off to visit the sanctum of Lord Muruga and offer our prayers. Then we began the downward descend. The e-Scooters desecnded at much faster speeds since they had the gravitational support.
On our return we were ravenously hungry and so were the boys. We stopped over at Vadavalli Ananda's for a comprehensive breakfast of Rava Roast, vada sambar & strongly flavored decoction coffee.
We were back at the showroom at 10.20 am. The entire trip/rally had taken all of two hours of which 45 minutes were spent at Anandas. The Rally was remarkably successful - proved beyond doubt the hill climbing capability of BSA e-Scooters.
Trivia: Low speed BSA e-Scooters do not require registration or license and are powered by maintenance free batteries. They are extremely economical to run and batteries are rechargeable. The electricity consumption for charging the battery is one unit which translates to Rs.2 @ domestic rate. The range(or mileage) of a fully charged battery is around 60-70 Kms. This means cost of running an e-Scooter is 3 paise/Km as compared to Rs.1.25/Km for petrol vehicles. This vehicle is ideal for city running and totally pollution free.
For more information on BSA e-Scooters log onto: http://www.bsamotorsindia.com/index.asp
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Kumbakonam Temple Visits IV
Sarangapani Temple:
The Sarangapani temple is the principal and largest of the Vishnu temples in Kumbakonam dating to the thirteenth-century. It is among the 108 Tirupatis and is given third place next to Srirangam and Tirupati. The shrine is in form of a chariot. A beautiful tank called Hema Pushkarni separates this shrine and the Adi Kumbeshwara temple. Entry, into a hundred-pillar hallway from the seventeenth century (Nayak period), is through a twelve-storied pyramidal gopuram, more than 40m high which is considered one of the largest gopurams in South India. A smaller gopuram leads into a second courtyard that contains another columned mandapa and to the right, a shrine to Lakshmi. The central shrine dates from the late Chola period with many later alterations. Its entrance, within the innermost court, is guarded by huge dvarpalas, identical to Vishnu whom they protect. Between them are carved perforated stone screens in different designs, and in front of them stands the sacred, square fireplace (to do homam). During the day, pinpoints of light from ceiling windows penetrate the darkness around the sanctum, designed to resemble a chariot with reliefs of horses, elephants and wheels. A painted cupboard contains a mirror for Vishnu to see himself when he leaves the sanctum sanctorum. There are 2 entrances to the sanctum. One is kept open throughout the Uttarayan period and the other during the Dakshinayan period.
By the side of the temple is the Golden Lotus tank also known as Lakshmi Theertham. Goddess Lakshmi performed penance here and Vishnu came down as Lord Aravamudhan and married Her. Sarangapani, Aravamudhan and Komalavalli are the presiding deities.
Chakrapani Temple: Sri Chakrapani Temple, is situated at Kumbakonam a temple town in tamilnadu, India. This temple is considered to be one of the most important Vishnu temples in South India, along with Srirangam and Tirupati. Seven of the Alwars sang the glories of this temple. Lord Sarangapani is the presiding Deity of the temple.
The images of Chakrapani and with 8 arms and Sudarshanavalli Thayar with a gracious visage are inspiring. Brahma, Surya and Agni are depicted as worshipping the Lord. According to legend, Surya once competed with Vishnu to decide who was brighter. Vishnu appeared in the form of a Chakra and put down the pride of Surya. Like Shiva, Lord Chakrapani has a third eye on His forehead.
Most of the temple was built by the Nayak kings between the 13th and 17th centuries, but the central shrine dates to the end of the Chola period. There are two entrances for entering the central shrine of the temple.You enter the southern entrance during the dakshinayana period, when the sun is in the Southern Hemisphere and the northern entrance during the period of uttarayana, when the sun is in the northem hemisphere. This shrine is also called Baskara Sthala as it was established by the Sun. The passage around the sanctum in the south is Ganapathi and in the north Panchamuka (5 faced) Hanuman. In a circle of lotus blooms, the Deity stands, while goddess is seated. Wielding conch discus, bow, axe, udakkai, gadha, pan and lotus in eight hands He stands. The archana worship is conducted with Bel leaves.
Tirukkudanthai Keezhkottam Nageswaraswamy Temple: This temple is a big one located in the center of Kumbakonam town. Sun God Sooriyan and Adhiseshan are said to have worshipped Lord Shiva st this sivasthalam. A special feature of this temple is that the sun's rays falls on the Sivalingam (Nageswaraswamy) in the morning on 3 days in a year during the Tamil month of Chithirai - 11th, 12th and 13th day of that month. It is widely believed that Sun god Sooriyan Himself performs pooja at that time to Lord Shiva. Devotees gather in large numbers during these 3 days to witness the event. Scupltures depicting the whole story of Ramayana is found on the inner walls of the prakaram surrounding the sanctum. The goddess is Brihannayaki. This is the 27th in the series of Tevara Stalams located South of the river Cauvery. It is well known for its sculptural work, Vimanams and Mandapams.
The Legend: It is believed that Surya is said to have worshipped Lord Shiva here to regain his lost splendour and hence the temple tank is named after Lord Surya. Also known as "Vilvavanam", it is believed that a Vilva leaf from the pot carrying the celestial nectar (associated with the Kumbheswara temple) had drifted away and landed here. Aadi Seshan is said to have worshipped here and Lord Shiva is said to have blessed him with the might to bear the weight of the earth, here.
About The Temple: Possibly the oldest in Kumbakonam, the Nageshwara temple, one of the finest early Chola temples, noted for the quality of its sculpture. This temple is believed to have been completed during the reign of Parantaka I (907-c.940). Though the temple is small but it is known for its marvellous architecture that exceeds many of the other Chola temples. The Nritta Sabha, or the dance hall, has an elevated Mandapam with a flight of steps. The 12 zodiac signs, 2 mammoth horses, 4 elephants all in stone adorn the Nataraja shrine.
The principal shrine to Lord Shiva, standing in a country is connected to a Mandapam (also spelt as Mandapa). The main niches on the sanctum wall contain sculptures; on the north, "Dakshinamurti" ("South-Facing" Shiva as teacher), on the west Ardhanarishvara (male Shiva and female Shakti in one figure) and Brahma on the south. Joining them are high-relief near-life-size sculptures of unidentified figures, perhaps worshippers, donors or royalty. Within the courtyard, a shrine to Nataraja features rearing horses and wheels, with tiny figures as spokes. The Nataraja shrine here is shaped in the form of a chariot, and the shrine dedicated to the Sun God is of great sculptural significance. So imposing is the shrine to Nataraja, that the hymns of Appar are addressed to Aadalvallar of Kudandai Keezhkottam in awe.
Someswarar Temple: This temple is known as Kudanthai Karonam and located near Potramarai Kulam. The Sikkam (threads) around the Amirthakalasam (the nectar pot) fallen here and took a shape of Linga and hence known as Sikkeshwarar.Once Chandran (Moon god) due to Guru's (Brahaspathi) curse arrived Kumbakonam and worshipped the Lord Shiva Sikkeshwarar, he created a holy water source for the worship, this tank was known as Chandrapushkarani (does not exist now). Thirumalanavar worshipped Somanathar and received the boon to get victory over Asuras. He also built a shrine for Maleeswarar (a Linga) and Mangala Nayagi amman.
Paranthaka Chola king constructed a shrine for Choleeswara and Tripurasundari amman for wanted of a child. One among the Navagraha - Guru (God of planet Jupiter) worshipped the main deity Someshwarar and hence the Lingam is also known as Vyazha Someshwarar (Guru's Sikkeshwarar). Shivagami and Nataraja can be seen.Kodipanchagraha temple is also present.
Sambandar's beautiful idol is seen. Thirupathigam (hymn's of Nalvar) in the form of epigraph is found in this temple.
The main deity is in Linga form and the Banam ( prominent cylindrical structure of Linga) is of special type known as Narmadhai banam.
The Murugan is in the form of Arumugan (6 faces and 12 hands) in a sitting pose over his vaghana (ambassador) a Mayil (peacock), his legs were decorated with Patharatchai (shoe). Saint Arunagirinathar has sung a hymn about this Arumugan of this temple in his work Thirupugal. Thirugnana sambandar has sung a hymn about this temple deity.
Ramaswamy Temple: The temple town of Kumbakonam is the abode of several deities each unique and distinct. The temple of Lord Rama situated in the centre of the town is a connoisseurs' delight. The temple is replete with puranic lore. King Raghunayak ruled Tanjore from 1614-1640. He was an ardent devotee of Rama . His lieutenant Govinda Dikshitar called Govinda Ayyan was also devout and looked after the temple works. King Raghunayak dug a holy tank in Darasuram near Kumbakonam . while the work was in progress they found icons of Rama and Sita in the tank. The King's joy knew no bounds. Thus he built a temple for Rama and called it Ramaswamy temple. This temple is unique as Rama and Sita are in a Pattabishekam posture-Coronation scene . Rama and Sita are surrounded by Lakshmana, Shatrugna, Bharatha and the ever obedient Hanuman with Veena in one hand and the holy book of Ramayana in the other hand in a sitting posture. This coronation scene attracts people from far off places who are awe struck at the divine sight of the celestial confluence. A separate sanctum sanctorum is dedicated to Srinivasa with Sreedevi and Bhoodevi . There are separate shrines for Azhwars and acharyas. The temple looks majestic with a mammoth Gopuram which seem to beckon the devotees to propitiate the lord inside. There is a sprawling Mantap which is a treasure trove of sculptures about which we shall read in the next article. Presiding deities�Rama and Sita in the Pattabishekam Kolam.
The Sarangapani temple is the principal and largest of the Vishnu temples in Kumbakonam dating to the thirteenth-century. It is among the 108 Tirupatis and is given third place next to Srirangam and Tirupati. The shrine is in form of a chariot. A beautiful tank called Hema Pushkarni separates this shrine and the Adi Kumbeshwara temple. Entry, into a hundred-pillar hallway from the seventeenth century (Nayak period), is through a twelve-storied pyramidal gopuram, more than 40m high which is considered one of the largest gopurams in South India. A smaller gopuram leads into a second courtyard that contains another columned mandapa and to the right, a shrine to Lakshmi. The central shrine dates from the late Chola period with many later alterations. Its entrance, within the innermost court, is guarded by huge dvarpalas, identical to Vishnu whom they protect. Between them are carved perforated stone screens in different designs, and in front of them stands the sacred, square fireplace (to do homam). During the day, pinpoints of light from ceiling windows penetrate the darkness around the sanctum, designed to resemble a chariot with reliefs of horses, elephants and wheels. A painted cupboard contains a mirror for Vishnu to see himself when he leaves the sanctum sanctorum. There are 2 entrances to the sanctum. One is kept open throughout the Uttarayan period and the other during the Dakshinayan period.
By the side of the temple is the Golden Lotus tank also known as Lakshmi Theertham. Goddess Lakshmi performed penance here and Vishnu came down as Lord Aravamudhan and married Her. Sarangapani, Aravamudhan and Komalavalli are the presiding deities.
Chakrapani Temple: Sri Chakrapani Temple, is situated at Kumbakonam a temple town in tamilnadu, India. This temple is considered to be one of the most important Vishnu temples in South India, along with Srirangam and Tirupati. Seven of the Alwars sang the glories of this temple. Lord Sarangapani is the presiding Deity of the temple.
The images of Chakrapani and with 8 arms and Sudarshanavalli Thayar with a gracious visage are inspiring. Brahma, Surya and Agni are depicted as worshipping the Lord. According to legend, Surya once competed with Vishnu to decide who was brighter. Vishnu appeared in the form of a Chakra and put down the pride of Surya. Like Shiva, Lord Chakrapani has a third eye on His forehead.
Most of the temple was built by the Nayak kings between the 13th and 17th centuries, but the central shrine dates to the end of the Chola period. There are two entrances for entering the central shrine of the temple.You enter the southern entrance during the dakshinayana period, when the sun is in the Southern Hemisphere and the northern entrance during the period of uttarayana, when the sun is in the northem hemisphere. This shrine is also called Baskara Sthala as it was established by the Sun. The passage around the sanctum in the south is Ganapathi and in the north Panchamuka (5 faced) Hanuman. In a circle of lotus blooms, the Deity stands, while goddess is seated. Wielding conch discus, bow, axe, udakkai, gadha, pan and lotus in eight hands He stands. The archana worship is conducted with Bel leaves.
Tirukkudanthai Keezhkottam Nageswaraswamy Temple: This temple is a big one located in the center of Kumbakonam town. Sun God Sooriyan and Adhiseshan are said to have worshipped Lord Shiva st this sivasthalam. A special feature of this temple is that the sun's rays falls on the Sivalingam (Nageswaraswamy) in the morning on 3 days in a year during the Tamil month of Chithirai - 11th, 12th and 13th day of that month. It is widely believed that Sun god Sooriyan Himself performs pooja at that time to Lord Shiva. Devotees gather in large numbers during these 3 days to witness the event. Scupltures depicting the whole story of Ramayana is found on the inner walls of the prakaram surrounding the sanctum. The goddess is Brihannayaki. This is the 27th in the series of Tevara Stalams located South of the river Cauvery. It is well known for its sculptural work, Vimanams and Mandapams.
The Legend: It is believed that Surya is said to have worshipped Lord Shiva here to regain his lost splendour and hence the temple tank is named after Lord Surya. Also known as "Vilvavanam", it is believed that a Vilva leaf from the pot carrying the celestial nectar (associated with the Kumbheswara temple) had drifted away and landed here. Aadi Seshan is said to have worshipped here and Lord Shiva is said to have blessed him with the might to bear the weight of the earth, here.
About The Temple: Possibly the oldest in Kumbakonam, the Nageshwara temple, one of the finest early Chola temples, noted for the quality of its sculpture. This temple is believed to have been completed during the reign of Parantaka I (907-c.940). Though the temple is small but it is known for its marvellous architecture that exceeds many of the other Chola temples. The Nritta Sabha, or the dance hall, has an elevated Mandapam with a flight of steps. The 12 zodiac signs, 2 mammoth horses, 4 elephants all in stone adorn the Nataraja shrine.
The principal shrine to Lord Shiva, standing in a country is connected to a Mandapam (also spelt as Mandapa). The main niches on the sanctum wall contain sculptures; on the north, "Dakshinamurti" ("South-Facing" Shiva as teacher), on the west Ardhanarishvara (male Shiva and female Shakti in one figure) and Brahma on the south. Joining them are high-relief near-life-size sculptures of unidentified figures, perhaps worshippers, donors or royalty. Within the courtyard, a shrine to Nataraja features rearing horses and wheels, with tiny figures as spokes. The Nataraja shrine here is shaped in the form of a chariot, and the shrine dedicated to the Sun God is of great sculptural significance. So imposing is the shrine to Nataraja, that the hymns of Appar are addressed to Aadalvallar of Kudandai Keezhkottam in awe.
Someswarar Temple: This temple is known as Kudanthai Karonam and located near Potramarai Kulam. The Sikkam (threads) around the Amirthakalasam (the nectar pot) fallen here and took a shape of Linga and hence known as Sikkeshwarar.Once Chandran (Moon god) due to Guru's (Brahaspathi) curse arrived Kumbakonam and worshipped the Lord Shiva Sikkeshwarar, he created a holy water source for the worship, this tank was known as Chandrapushkarani (does not exist now). Thirumalanavar worshipped Somanathar and received the boon to get victory over Asuras. He also built a shrine for Maleeswarar (a Linga) and Mangala Nayagi amman.
Paranthaka Chola king constructed a shrine for Choleeswara and Tripurasundari amman for wanted of a child. One among the Navagraha - Guru (God of planet Jupiter) worshipped the main deity Someshwarar and hence the Lingam is also known as Vyazha Someshwarar (Guru's Sikkeshwarar). Shivagami and Nataraja can be seen.Kodipanchagraha temple is also present.
Sambandar's beautiful idol is seen. Thirupathigam (hymn's of Nalvar) in the form of epigraph is found in this temple.
The main deity is in Linga form and the Banam ( prominent cylindrical structure of Linga) is of special type known as Narmadhai banam.
The Murugan is in the form of Arumugan (6 faces and 12 hands) in a sitting pose over his vaghana (ambassador) a Mayil (peacock), his legs were decorated with Patharatchai (shoe). Saint Arunagirinathar has sung a hymn about this Arumugan of this temple in his work Thirupugal. Thirugnana sambandar has sung a hymn about this temple deity.
Ramaswamy Temple: The temple town of Kumbakonam is the abode of several deities each unique and distinct. The temple of Lord Rama situated in the centre of the town is a connoisseurs' delight. The temple is replete with puranic lore. King Raghunayak ruled Tanjore from 1614-1640. He was an ardent devotee of Rama . His lieutenant Govinda Dikshitar called Govinda Ayyan was also devout and looked after the temple works. King Raghunayak dug a holy tank in Darasuram near Kumbakonam . while the work was in progress they found icons of Rama and Sita in the tank. The King's joy knew no bounds. Thus he built a temple for Rama and called it Ramaswamy temple. This temple is unique as Rama and Sita are in a Pattabishekam posture-Coronation scene . Rama and Sita are surrounded by Lakshmana, Shatrugna, Bharatha and the ever obedient Hanuman with Veena in one hand and the holy book of Ramayana in the other hand in a sitting posture. This coronation scene attracts people from far off places who are awe struck at the divine sight of the celestial confluence. A separate sanctum sanctorum is dedicated to Srinivasa with Sreedevi and Bhoodevi . There are separate shrines for Azhwars and acharyas. The temple looks majestic with a mammoth Gopuram which seem to beckon the devotees to propitiate the lord inside. There is a sprawling Mantap which is a treasure trove of sculptures about which we shall read in the next article. Presiding deities�Rama and Sita in the Pattabishekam Kolam.
Saturday, May 2, 2009
Kumbakonam Temple Visits III
Tiruchatthimuttham:
This temple is located near Patteeswaram.The nearest railway station is at Darasuram, which is on the Thanjavur - Kumbakonam section of the Southern Railway. Located at a distance of about 8 Kms from Kumbakonam.The deity is known as Sivakozhundeeswarar and the goddess is perianayagi ammai. This the 22nd amongst the Tevara Sthalams South of the river Cauvery and the saint Tirunavukarasar has sung hyms of the Lord.
Swamimalai:
Swamimalai is a sylvan village, located about five kilometers west of Kumbakonam on the banks of a tributary of river Cauvery. Swamimalai is hailed as one of the 6 padai veedu shrines of Skanda where he sojourned during his battle against the demon Soorapadman. It has been praised in Tirumurugaatruppadai of the tamil sangam period and by the Tiruppugazh hymns of Arunagirinathar. Swamimalai is located in the vicinity of the temple town of Kumbhakonam. Very closeby is the grand temple of Tiruvalanchuzhi now in a state of neglect.
The presiding deity,Swaminathan, here expounded the inference of the Pranava mantra OM to his own Father Lord Siva Himself. The temple is built on an artificial hillock of about 60 ft height with stone steps representing the Hindu cycle of 60 years - leading to the Lord. On the ground level there are shrines to Sundareswarar & Meenakshi. The temple has an imposing golden chariot made out of 7 Kilos of gold, 85 Kilos of silver and other metals like copper.
For more details log onto: http://murugan.org/temples/swamimalai.htm
Tirukkudamookku Adi Kumbeswarar: This is an ancient temple dedicated to Shiva in the heart of the town.The Adi Kumbeswarar Temple is the most important shrine in the temple town of Kumbakonam and 26th in the series of Tevara Stalams in the Chola kingdom located south of the river Kaveri. The temple is said to be over 1300 years old. The Saivite Saints Sambandar, Appar have sung its praise. The Chola and Naik Kings patronized this temple The Mangalambikai shrine here is revered as a Shakti Peetham (Mantra Peetham). The Mahamagam festival,held once every 12 years,attracts crowds from all over India.
The Temple: This temple covers an area of about 4 acres & the rajagopuram rises to a height of 128 feet and is endowed with several images of great beauty. Four prakarams line this temple.
The huge Mahamagam tank is surrounded by 16 picturesque mandapams, dating back to the 16th century. The Kalyana Mandapam hall in the temple, is the seat of the Tirukkalyana Utsavam. The Navaratri mandapam bears a carvings of the 12 zodiac signs and the 27 asterisms. This temple also houses two nadaswarams made of stone. Many images in this temple deserve mention, especially those of Kiratamurthy and Subramanyar. The Image of Lord Subrahmanya, is a rare specimen. It has six heads but only six hands holding different kinds of weapons.
Kumbeswarar is represented as a Shivalingam fashioned out of earth - (said to have been made by Shiva in the guise of a hunter - Kiratamurthy). Shiva is also known as Amudha Kumbhesar and Amudheesar. The Kumbariya Vinayakar shrine is situated near the tank, while Aadi Vinayakar is worshipped in the temple. Moorka Nayanaar is one of the 63 Nayanars associated with this temple.
Legend:
According to purana, a pot (kumbam) containing nectar and the seed of creation, was decorated by Lord Brahma with the sacred thread, with coconut and mango leaves on the top and was kept on the peak of Mount Meru. At the time of deluge, the sacred pot was carried by the currents and reached Kumbakonam where it got tilted. Now Lord Shiva disguising as a hunter and aimed an arrow at the pot and all materials inside the pot fell at different places, where we find today shrines dedicated to Siva. The nectar settled at two places one of which became the famous Mahamaham Tank. Out of the pieces of the broken pot Lord Siva made out a Sivalingam and entered into it. This now enshrined in the temple, and hence the name Adi Kumbeswarar, meaning one who entered the Kumba or vessel long long ago. Now you know how Kumbhakonam got its name !
For more details log on to the official temple website: http://www.adikumbeswarar.org/
This temple is located near Patteeswaram.The nearest railway station is at Darasuram, which is on the Thanjavur - Kumbakonam section of the Southern Railway. Located at a distance of about 8 Kms from Kumbakonam.The deity is known as Sivakozhundeeswarar and the goddess is perianayagi ammai. This the 22nd amongst the Tevara Sthalams South of the river Cauvery and the saint Tirunavukarasar has sung hyms of the Lord.
Swamimalai:
Swamimalai is a sylvan village, located about five kilometers west of Kumbakonam on the banks of a tributary of river Cauvery. Swamimalai is hailed as one of the 6 padai veedu shrines of Skanda where he sojourned during his battle against the demon Soorapadman. It has been praised in Tirumurugaatruppadai of the tamil sangam period and by the Tiruppugazh hymns of Arunagirinathar. Swamimalai is located in the vicinity of the temple town of Kumbhakonam. Very closeby is the grand temple of Tiruvalanchuzhi now in a state of neglect.
The presiding deity,Swaminathan, here expounded the inference of the Pranava mantra OM to his own Father Lord Siva Himself. The temple is built on an artificial hillock of about 60 ft height with stone steps representing the Hindu cycle of 60 years - leading to the Lord. On the ground level there are shrines to Sundareswarar & Meenakshi. The temple has an imposing golden chariot made out of 7 Kilos of gold, 85 Kilos of silver and other metals like copper.
For more details log onto: http://murugan.org/temples/swamimalai.htm
Tirukkudamookku Adi Kumbeswarar: This is an ancient temple dedicated to Shiva in the heart of the town.The Adi Kumbeswarar Temple is the most important shrine in the temple town of Kumbakonam and 26th in the series of Tevara Stalams in the Chola kingdom located south of the river Kaveri. The temple is said to be over 1300 years old. The Saivite Saints Sambandar, Appar have sung its praise. The Chola and Naik Kings patronized this temple The Mangalambikai shrine here is revered as a Shakti Peetham (Mantra Peetham). The Mahamagam festival,held once every 12 years,attracts crowds from all over India.
The Temple: This temple covers an area of about 4 acres & the rajagopuram rises to a height of 128 feet and is endowed with several images of great beauty. Four prakarams line this temple.
The huge Mahamagam tank is surrounded by 16 picturesque mandapams, dating back to the 16th century. The Kalyana Mandapam hall in the temple, is the seat of the Tirukkalyana Utsavam. The Navaratri mandapam bears a carvings of the 12 zodiac signs and the 27 asterisms. This temple also houses two nadaswarams made of stone. Many images in this temple deserve mention, especially those of Kiratamurthy and Subramanyar. The Image of Lord Subrahmanya, is a rare specimen. It has six heads but only six hands holding different kinds of weapons.
Kumbeswarar is represented as a Shivalingam fashioned out of earth - (said to have been made by Shiva in the guise of a hunter - Kiratamurthy). Shiva is also known as Amudha Kumbhesar and Amudheesar. The Kumbariya Vinayakar shrine is situated near the tank, while Aadi Vinayakar is worshipped in the temple. Moorka Nayanaar is one of the 63 Nayanars associated with this temple.
Legend:
According to purana, a pot (kumbam) containing nectar and the seed of creation, was decorated by Lord Brahma with the sacred thread, with coconut and mango leaves on the top and was kept on the peak of Mount Meru. At the time of deluge, the sacred pot was carried by the currents and reached Kumbakonam where it got tilted. Now Lord Shiva disguising as a hunter and aimed an arrow at the pot and all materials inside the pot fell at different places, where we find today shrines dedicated to Siva. The nectar settled at two places one of which became the famous Mahamaham Tank. Out of the pieces of the broken pot Lord Siva made out a Sivalingam and entered into it. This now enshrined in the temple, and hence the name Adi Kumbeswarar, meaning one who entered the Kumba or vessel long long ago. Now you know how Kumbhakonam got its name !
For more details log on to the official temple website: http://www.adikumbeswarar.org/
Friday, May 1, 2009
Kumbakonam Temple Visits II
Kanjanoor:
The main temple for Lord Sukran is located at Kanjanur, 18 km in the Kallanai-Poompuhar Highway of Thanjavur district. This is the 36th in the series of Thevara Sthalams in Chola Nadu north of the Cauvery. The deity is Agneeswarar and Ambal Karpagambal, tirtham is Agni Tirtham. It is one of the Navagraha Sthalams in Thanjavur area.This shrine is also referred to as Palaasavanam, Bhrammapuri and Agnistalam. Stone images of Natarajar and Sivakami are seen in this temple in the Nataraja Sabha referred to as the Mukti Mandapam. The Shivatandavam here is referred to as Mukti Tandavam. Legend has it that Shiva blessed Paraasara muni with a vision of the cosmic dance - Mukti tandavam here.
Tiruvidaimarudur:
Tiruvidaimarudur is considered to be the 30th in the series of Tevara Stalams in the Chola kingdom located south of the river Kaveri. The deity is known as Marudavaanar or Mahalingeswarar. The consort is called Perunalamaamulaiyaal, Brihadsundarakuchambika. Vriksham is Marudamaram,the Theertham is Cauvery & Patikam : Appar, Sundarar. Significance: This huge temple is one of the greatest Saivite shrines in Tamilnadu and is referred to as Madhyarjunam Kshetram and is said to be on par with Chidambaram and Varanasi. Madhyarjunam translates into 'Idai Marudu' in Tamil. Marudu stands for the stala vruksham maruda maram. Kings from as far away places are said to have visited this shrine. Legend has it that Shiva was worshipped by Saraswathi, Lakshmi, Kaali, the VEdas, Vasishtar, Skanda, Vishnu and Agastya. This temple is surrounded on four corners by temples dedicated to Viswanathar, Rishipureeswarar, Aatmanathar and Chokkanathar and hence the name Pancha Lingastalam. One of the interesting beliefs held here is that an abhishekam performed to Chokkanathar to the accompaniment of the megaraagakurinji raaga would result in a bountiful monsoon.
According to legends it is considered highly auspicious to do a pradakshinam (a circumambulatory walk through the corridors) on these 3 corridors:
Aswamedha praharam: This prakaram or corridor is the outermost prakaram and doing pradhakshinam in this praharam will give the effect of doing Ashwamedha yagam.
Kodumudi praharam: This is the middle corridor and doing pradakshinam in this prakaram will give the effect of visiting Mount Kailash - the Abode of Lord Shiva.
Pranava praharam: This the innermost corridor and doing pradakshinam in this prakaram will give mokshaa (salavation).
King Varaguna Pandian of Pandiya Naadu,an ardent devotte of Shiva, visited this temple to rid himself of Brahmahati Dosham. He entered the temple from the East but exited from the West and thus got rid of the Brahma Hatti Dosham.
A separate shrine for Mookambikai is of special significance here. Lord Shiva appeared in the form of Arthanareeswarar to sage Markandeyar at this sivasthalam.
Patteswaram:
The ruling goddess of this temple is known by many names such as Vishnu durga, Durga lakshmi, Navasakthi Nayaki, Navayoga Nayaki, Navagraha Nayaki, Navaratri Nayaki, Navakoti Nayaki, to name a few. She is said to protect the northern gate of this temple. The temple has five majestic gopurams and the splendid architecture of this place can be attributed to the styles of the Pallavas, Cholas and the Nayaks. Traditionally, the ruling deity is Dhenupureeswarar or Patteeswarar and the goddess is His Consort, also known as Gnanambika. This is the 23rd among the Thevara Sthalams located to the South of the Cauvery. The place has a long association with Lord Rama. Viswamitra got enlightened here on Gayatri Mahamantra and was conferred the title - Brahmarishi. She was the crowning triumph of the Chola emperors. Seated on the Mahishan, She appears as the Simhavahini, with Her eight hands holding the conch, wheel, bow, arrow, knife and a parrot, abhayakaram, and kedayam . Draped in traditional madisar saree with lemon and arali garlands, she is ‘shanta swaroopini’
People believe that everyday during the Rahu kalam, Rahu comes and worships Durga. The temple's tank is called the Rama Theertham. Tirugnana Sambandar and Ramalingar have composed many hymns in praise of Her.
Thiruvalanchuzhi:
Sri VellaiPillaiyar Temple is situated at Thiruvalanchuzhi, a village near Kumbakonam. It is easiest approached via Swamimalai from where it is around 5 Kms. A white colored image of Ganapati - Shweta Vinayakar(Vellai Vinayakar or Nurai Pillayar) is the center of worship here. Legend has it that the Gods (the Devas) fashioned this image out of the foam that was generated when the milky ocean (Ksheera Samudram) was churned by them, in their quest for the celestial nectar Amritam. Indra the King of Devas is said to have had this image in his possession after gaining immortality through Amritam, and during his penance at Swamimalai, set the image down at Tiruvalanchuzhi, after which it became rooted to the spot. Inscriptions reveal that Raja Raja Cholan had made several endowments here. There are inscriptions here from the period of Parantaka Chola I.
The main temple for Lord Sukran is located at Kanjanur, 18 km in the Kallanai-Poompuhar Highway of Thanjavur district. This is the 36th in the series of Thevara Sthalams in Chola Nadu north of the Cauvery. The deity is Agneeswarar and Ambal Karpagambal, tirtham is Agni Tirtham. It is one of the Navagraha Sthalams in Thanjavur area.This shrine is also referred to as Palaasavanam, Bhrammapuri and Agnistalam. Stone images of Natarajar and Sivakami are seen in this temple in the Nataraja Sabha referred to as the Mukti Mandapam. The Shivatandavam here is referred to as Mukti Tandavam. Legend has it that Shiva blessed Paraasara muni with a vision of the cosmic dance - Mukti tandavam here.
Tiruvidaimarudur:
Tiruvidaimarudur is considered to be the 30th in the series of Tevara Stalams in the Chola kingdom located south of the river Kaveri. The deity is known as Marudavaanar or Mahalingeswarar. The consort is called Perunalamaamulaiyaal, Brihadsundarakuchambika. Vriksham is Marudamaram,the Theertham is Cauvery & Patikam : Appar, Sundarar. Significance: This huge temple is one of the greatest Saivite shrines in Tamilnadu and is referred to as Madhyarjunam Kshetram and is said to be on par with Chidambaram and Varanasi. Madhyarjunam translates into 'Idai Marudu' in Tamil. Marudu stands for the stala vruksham maruda maram. Kings from as far away places are said to have visited this shrine. Legend has it that Shiva was worshipped by Saraswathi, Lakshmi, Kaali, the VEdas, Vasishtar, Skanda, Vishnu and Agastya. This temple is surrounded on four corners by temples dedicated to Viswanathar, Rishipureeswarar, Aatmanathar and Chokkanathar and hence the name Pancha Lingastalam. One of the interesting beliefs held here is that an abhishekam performed to Chokkanathar to the accompaniment of the megaraagakurinji raaga would result in a bountiful monsoon.
According to legends it is considered highly auspicious to do a pradakshinam (a circumambulatory walk through the corridors) on these 3 corridors:
Aswamedha praharam: This prakaram or corridor is the outermost prakaram and doing pradhakshinam in this praharam will give the effect of doing Ashwamedha yagam.
Kodumudi praharam: This is the middle corridor and doing pradakshinam in this prakaram will give the effect of visiting Mount Kailash - the Abode of Lord Shiva.
Pranava praharam: This the innermost corridor and doing pradakshinam in this prakaram will give mokshaa (salavation).
King Varaguna Pandian of Pandiya Naadu,an ardent devotte of Shiva, visited this temple to rid himself of Brahmahati Dosham. He entered the temple from the East but exited from the West and thus got rid of the Brahma Hatti Dosham.
A separate shrine for Mookambikai is of special significance here. Lord Shiva appeared in the form of Arthanareeswarar to sage Markandeyar at this sivasthalam.
Patteswaram:
The ruling goddess of this temple is known by many names such as Vishnu durga, Durga lakshmi, Navasakthi Nayaki, Navayoga Nayaki, Navagraha Nayaki, Navaratri Nayaki, Navakoti Nayaki, to name a few. She is said to protect the northern gate of this temple. The temple has five majestic gopurams and the splendid architecture of this place can be attributed to the styles of the Pallavas, Cholas and the Nayaks. Traditionally, the ruling deity is Dhenupureeswarar or Patteeswarar and the goddess is His Consort, also known as Gnanambika. This is the 23rd among the Thevara Sthalams located to the South of the Cauvery. The place has a long association with Lord Rama. Viswamitra got enlightened here on Gayatri Mahamantra and was conferred the title - Brahmarishi. She was the crowning triumph of the Chola emperors. Seated on the Mahishan, She appears as the Simhavahini, with Her eight hands holding the conch, wheel, bow, arrow, knife and a parrot, abhayakaram, and kedayam . Draped in traditional madisar saree with lemon and arali garlands, she is ‘shanta swaroopini’
People believe that everyday during the Rahu kalam, Rahu comes and worships Durga. The temple's tank is called the Rama Theertham. Tirugnana Sambandar and Ramalingar have composed many hymns in praise of Her.
Thiruvalanchuzhi:
Sri VellaiPillaiyar Temple is situated at Thiruvalanchuzhi, a village near Kumbakonam. It is easiest approached via Swamimalai from where it is around 5 Kms. A white colored image of Ganapati - Shweta Vinayakar(Vellai Vinayakar or Nurai Pillayar) is the center of worship here. Legend has it that the Gods (the Devas) fashioned this image out of the foam that was generated when the milky ocean (Ksheera Samudram) was churned by them, in their quest for the celestial nectar Amritam. Indra the King of Devas is said to have had this image in his possession after gaining immortality through Amritam, and during his penance at Swamimalai, set the image down at Tiruvalanchuzhi, after which it became rooted to the spot. Inscriptions reveal that Raja Raja Cholan had made several endowments here. There are inscriptions here from the period of Parantaka Chola I.
Kumbakonam Temple Visits
This was a visit I had made before I got into the blogging habit. The year was 2006 and we were in Chennai for our visa interview at the US Consulate. On the final day day of the trip we visited Ankichi Periamma, Sambamoorthy Anna & Manni at Rail Nagar. After a pleasant evening and sumptuous dinner Anna dropped us off a the Mofussil Bus terminus from where we boarded a late night bus for Kumbakonam.
We reached Kumbakonam early morning around 5.00 am and went straight to Hotel Raya's. A nice hotel conveniently situated at the hub of Kumbakonam. We hired a taxi and left on a temple trip in and around Kumbakonam.
Garbarakshambigai:
Our primary objective was to visit Tiru Karugavoor Garbharakshambigai Temple. This temple is located 20 kilometers South West of Kumbakonam. In this temple Parvathi took the form of Sri Garbharakshambikai in order to give special protection to women during pregnancy. Bhavana was pregnant at that time and Shobha made an offerring of Castor Oil which was placed at the feet of the Goddess and charged with manthras. When women get labour pains, this oil is smeared on their abdomen. This will eliminate all complications, dangers and after effects and make the deliveries quite easy. (In fact Shobha carried the castor oil to the USA and when when complications appeared during Bhavana's delivery, she quietly smeared the oil on her abdomen and lo and behold the complications disappeared and the delivery was smoothe)
Childless couples also come here to pray and make offerring of ghee. If the couples consume some of this Ghee at night daily for 48 days the woman will conceive soon and be blessed with children.
As per legend when Vedika, the pregnant wife of Sage Nithuvar, was cursed by Sage Urthvapada with foul disease, Goddess Parvathi came to her rescue and saved the embryo and kept it in a divine pot, till it bloomed into a full fledged child. From then onwards goddess has taken permanent abode here as Garbharakshambigai. The Lord here is called Mullaivananathar and his Linga is Swayambhu or "self manifested". The linga is made of anthill mud and hence no water is used for abhishekam. Instead the lingam is pasted with a musk called called "Punuhu".
Tirunageswaram:
Next we visited the Naganatha swamy Temple located around 7 Kms east of Kumbakonam. This is the 29th in the series of thevara sthalams south of the Cauvery and hymns have been sung by Thirunavukarasar, Sambandar, Sundarar. The lord is known as Sanbakaranyeswarar, Naganathar and his consort is Girikusambikai. The real significance of this temple is that this is one of the Navagraha Sthalas(Rahu Sthala) in Tamilnadu. Rahu worshipped the Lord here on Sivarathri day to redeem himself from the curse of a rishi. Sundays are very auspicious and devotees perform milk abhishekam to Rahu, who is enshrined with His consorts. A noteworthy feature is that the milk turns blue. A dip in Soola Theertha is said to cure diseases and give prosperity.
The mythological serpents Aadi Seshan,Dakshan & Karkootakan worshipped Siva here. The temple occupies 15 acres and has large prakarams, towering gopurams and several mandapams. Fort like walls surround the outermost prakarams of the temple. There are 12 Tirthams here.
This temple was built by Gandaraditya Chola son of Parantaka Chola I
For more details log onto the official website of the temple : http://thirunageswaramraghutemple.org/index.htm
Tirumanagalakudi:
Devotees set to Suriyanar Temple to worship the Sun God should visit this place for relief of adverse effects of the nine planets (Navagrahas). This is 38th among Tevara Sthalams located on the Northern Bank of the Cauvery in Thanjavur District.The deity is Prananadeswarar (Swayambhu Lingam) and the consort is Mangalambikai. Thirumangalakudi is known as Panchamangala Kshetra. The name of the place is Mangalakudi. The Goddess is Mangalambika. The tower is Mangala Vimanam. The Holy Water is Mangala Theertham. The Vinayaka is Mangala Vinayaka. Everything in the temple denotes Mangala or Prosperity.
There is no special place for the Navagrahas here. It is believed that the the planets in the Suriyanar Temple are the ones belonging to this temple. For more details log onto to website: http://www.dinamalar.com/koil_english/Shiva_01Arulmigu%20Prananadeswarar%20Temple_Thirumangalakudi.asp
Suriyanar Temple:
This is a unique temple dedicated to the Sun God and it also houses shrines to each of the other eight celestial bodies - the Nava Grahams. Suryanaar Koyil was built by the Chola kings. Inscriptions from the period of Kulottunga Chola I (1075-1120) refer to this temple as the Kulottunga Chola Martanda Alayam. Inscriptions from the period of Krishna Deva Raya, speaking of endowments made to this temple are also seen here. The presiding deity here is Suryanarayana in a chariot like vimaanam, representing the sun's chariot. There are also shrines to Kasi Viswanathar, Visalakshi and Brihaspati (Guru) in the sanctum. Shrines to the other celestial bodies are located outside of the sanctum. The Kol Theertha Vinayakar shrine is considered to be of importance here. An elaborate worship protocol involving circumambulating the entire temple nine times, is prescribed for devotees visiting the temple.
Uppiliappan Temple:
Next on our itinerary was Sri Oppiliappan Temple situated about 7 kms south of Kumbakonam and about 1\2 km from Kumbakonam - Karaikal bus route. This is one of the important Divya Desams and the presiding deity is known by different names: Tiruvinnagarappan, Oppiliappan, Uppiliappan, Srinivasan, Vankatachalapati. The Goddess is also known by different names namely:Bhoomi Devi, Bhoodevi,Bhoomi Nachiar, Dharani Devi, Vasundhara. The Deity stands majestically facing east. His consort Bhoomidevi is seated with a bending knee and folded hands facing north. Markandeya is seated facing south in a posture indicative of giving Kanyadan.
As per legend Lord Oppiliappan appeared to Nammalwar in 5 different forms as Ponnappan, Maniappan, Muthappan, Ennappan and Tiruvinnagarappan. Nammalwar, Tirumangai Alwar, Poigai & Pey Alwar have sung praises of the Lord. The Vimanam is named as Suddhananda, meaning "pure happiness". This place is also known as Markandeya Kshetra and Tulsi Vanam. The holy temple tank is called "Ahoratra Pushkarini". To the south of the temple, three holy rivers flow-known as Dakshina Ganga, Dakshina Yamuna and Dakshina Godavari.
Speciality of the Temple:
All food offerings strictly and completely saltless. It is a sin to carry salt inside the temple. Hence the Lord is also called as 'Lavana Varjita Venkatesa' i.e. Venkatesa who avoids salt.
The utsava deity oppiliappan is never taken out of the temple, without His consort, Bhoomidevi.
For history,legends & other details log onto: http://oppiliappantemple.org/efirstpage.html
Nachiyar Koil, Thirunaraiyur:
One of the 108 divya desams,the place is almost an hour's drive from the temple town of Kumbakonam in Thanjavur district. The main deity here is Lord Vishnu in the form of Srinivasar (Tirunaraiyur Nambi) and His consort is Vanchulavalli thaayaar. The holy theertham here is known as Manimukta Pushkarini and this sthalam has been sung by Tirumangai Alwar, who refers to the Lord as "Naraiyur Nindra Nambi. This temple was built by the Chola King Ko Chenkannan. Naachiyaar or Taayaar, gets the place of primary importance in this shrine, thus the name, Naachiyaar Koil. The Lord appears in the marriage pose or Kalyanakkolam with Vanchulavalli Taayaar (Nambikkai Naachiyaar) in the sanctum sanctorum. A special shrine dedicated to the Kal Garudan at Nachiyar Koil is very famous and it is on Garuda that the Uthsava moorthi is taken during the temple festivals. Specialty of the Kal Garuda - When it is just taken out of the shrine, only four people are needed to carry the mount. With each step, the mount increases in weight and by the time it is carried out of the temple, 64 people are required to carry it! There are also shrines to Yoga Narasimhar, Veera Hanuman, Ramar and Chakrapani.
......to be continued.....
We reached Kumbakonam early morning around 5.00 am and went straight to Hotel Raya's. A nice hotel conveniently situated at the hub of Kumbakonam. We hired a taxi and left on a temple trip in and around Kumbakonam.
Garbarakshambigai:
Our primary objective was to visit Tiru Karugavoor Garbharakshambigai Temple. This temple is located 20 kilometers South West of Kumbakonam. In this temple Parvathi took the form of Sri Garbharakshambikai in order to give special protection to women during pregnancy. Bhavana was pregnant at that time and Shobha made an offerring of Castor Oil which was placed at the feet of the Goddess and charged with manthras. When women get labour pains, this oil is smeared on their abdomen. This will eliminate all complications, dangers and after effects and make the deliveries quite easy. (In fact Shobha carried the castor oil to the USA and when when complications appeared during Bhavana's delivery, she quietly smeared the oil on her abdomen and lo and behold the complications disappeared and the delivery was smoothe)
Childless couples also come here to pray and make offerring of ghee. If the couples consume some of this Ghee at night daily for 48 days the woman will conceive soon and be blessed with children.
As per legend when Vedika, the pregnant wife of Sage Nithuvar, was cursed by Sage Urthvapada with foul disease, Goddess Parvathi came to her rescue and saved the embryo and kept it in a divine pot, till it bloomed into a full fledged child. From then onwards goddess has taken permanent abode here as Garbharakshambigai. The Lord here is called Mullaivananathar and his Linga is Swayambhu or "self manifested". The linga is made of anthill mud and hence no water is used for abhishekam. Instead the lingam is pasted with a musk called called "Punuhu".
Tirunageswaram:
Next we visited the Naganatha swamy Temple located around 7 Kms east of Kumbakonam. This is the 29th in the series of thevara sthalams south of the Cauvery and hymns have been sung by Thirunavukarasar, Sambandar, Sundarar. The lord is known as Sanbakaranyeswarar, Naganathar and his consort is Girikusambikai. The real significance of this temple is that this is one of the Navagraha Sthalas(Rahu Sthala) in Tamilnadu. Rahu worshipped the Lord here on Sivarathri day to redeem himself from the curse of a rishi. Sundays are very auspicious and devotees perform milk abhishekam to Rahu, who is enshrined with His consorts. A noteworthy feature is that the milk turns blue. A dip in Soola Theertha is said to cure diseases and give prosperity.
The mythological serpents Aadi Seshan,Dakshan & Karkootakan worshipped Siva here. The temple occupies 15 acres and has large prakarams, towering gopurams and several mandapams. Fort like walls surround the outermost prakarams of the temple. There are 12 Tirthams here.
This temple was built by Gandaraditya Chola son of Parantaka Chola I
For more details log onto the official website of the temple : http://thirunageswaramraghutemple.org/index.htm
Tirumanagalakudi:
Devotees set to Suriyanar Temple to worship the Sun God should visit this place for relief of adverse effects of the nine planets (Navagrahas). This is 38th among Tevara Sthalams located on the Northern Bank of the Cauvery in Thanjavur District.The deity is Prananadeswarar (Swayambhu Lingam) and the consort is Mangalambikai. Thirumangalakudi is known as Panchamangala Kshetra. The name of the place is Mangalakudi. The Goddess is Mangalambika. The tower is Mangala Vimanam. The Holy Water is Mangala Theertham. The Vinayaka is Mangala Vinayaka. Everything in the temple denotes Mangala or Prosperity.
There is no special place for the Navagrahas here. It is believed that the the planets in the Suriyanar Temple are the ones belonging to this temple. For more details log onto to website: http://www.dinamalar.com/koil_english/Shiva_01Arulmigu%20Prananadeswarar%20Temple_Thirumangalakudi.asp
Suriyanar Temple:
This is a unique temple dedicated to the Sun God and it also houses shrines to each of the other eight celestial bodies - the Nava Grahams. Suryanaar Koyil was built by the Chola kings. Inscriptions from the period of Kulottunga Chola I (1075-1120) refer to this temple as the Kulottunga Chola Martanda Alayam. Inscriptions from the period of Krishna Deva Raya, speaking of endowments made to this temple are also seen here. The presiding deity here is Suryanarayana in a chariot like vimaanam, representing the sun's chariot. There are also shrines to Kasi Viswanathar, Visalakshi and Brihaspati (Guru) in the sanctum. Shrines to the other celestial bodies are located outside of the sanctum. The Kol Theertha Vinayakar shrine is considered to be of importance here. An elaborate worship protocol involving circumambulating the entire temple nine times, is prescribed for devotees visiting the temple.
Uppiliappan Temple:
Next on our itinerary was Sri Oppiliappan Temple situated about 7 kms south of Kumbakonam and about 1\2 km from Kumbakonam - Karaikal bus route. This is one of the important Divya Desams and the presiding deity is known by different names: Tiruvinnagarappan, Oppiliappan, Uppiliappan, Srinivasan, Vankatachalapati. The Goddess is also known by different names namely:Bhoomi Devi, Bhoodevi,Bhoomi Nachiar, Dharani Devi, Vasundhara. The Deity stands majestically facing east. His consort Bhoomidevi is seated with a bending knee and folded hands facing north. Markandeya is seated facing south in a posture indicative of giving Kanyadan.
As per legend Lord Oppiliappan appeared to Nammalwar in 5 different forms as Ponnappan, Maniappan, Muthappan, Ennappan and Tiruvinnagarappan. Nammalwar, Tirumangai Alwar, Poigai & Pey Alwar have sung praises of the Lord. The Vimanam is named as Suddhananda, meaning "pure happiness". This place is also known as Markandeya Kshetra and Tulsi Vanam. The holy temple tank is called "Ahoratra Pushkarini". To the south of the temple, three holy rivers flow-known as Dakshina Ganga, Dakshina Yamuna and Dakshina Godavari.
Speciality of the Temple:
All food offerings strictly and completely saltless. It is a sin to carry salt inside the temple. Hence the Lord is also called as 'Lavana Varjita Venkatesa' i.e. Venkatesa who avoids salt.
The utsava deity oppiliappan is never taken out of the temple, without His consort, Bhoomidevi.
For history,legends & other details log onto: http://oppiliappantemple.org/efirstpage.html
Nachiyar Koil, Thirunaraiyur:
One of the 108 divya desams,the place is almost an hour's drive from the temple town of Kumbakonam in Thanjavur district. The main deity here is Lord Vishnu in the form of Srinivasar (Tirunaraiyur Nambi) and His consort is Vanchulavalli thaayaar. The holy theertham here is known as Manimukta Pushkarini and this sthalam has been sung by Tirumangai Alwar, who refers to the Lord as "Naraiyur Nindra Nambi. This temple was built by the Chola King Ko Chenkannan. Naachiyaar or Taayaar, gets the place of primary importance in this shrine, thus the name, Naachiyaar Koil. The Lord appears in the marriage pose or Kalyanakkolam with Vanchulavalli Taayaar (Nambikkai Naachiyaar) in the sanctum sanctorum. A special shrine dedicated to the Kal Garudan at Nachiyar Koil is very famous and it is on Garuda that the Uthsava moorthi is taken during the temple festivals. Specialty of the Kal Garuda - When it is just taken out of the shrine, only four people are needed to carry the mount. With each step, the mount increases in weight and by the time it is carried out of the temple, 64 people are required to carry it! There are also shrines to Yoga Narasimhar, Veera Hanuman, Ramar and Chakrapani.
......to be continued.....
Sunday, April 26, 2009
A Trip to Kalpathy
26 April'09:
We had travelled out of Coimbatore after a gap of several months owing to pre-occupation with establishing the e-Scooters dealership at Coimbatore. Shobha & I badly needed an outing & decided to take atrip to Palakkad. We first visited Manapally Kavu and offerred prayers to the Devi and Ayyappa. As always the Devi was magnificent and we worshipped as if in a trance.
Next we travelled to Kalpathy Heritage Village. Kalpathy is one of the oldest Agraharams(Brahmin Settlements) in Palakkad. It was declared a Heritage Village by the Government of Kerala some years ago the purpose being to preserve the original culture, tradition & lifestyle. Kalpathy is located on the banks of the Kalpathy River, a tributary of the Bharathapuzha. We visited the Viswanatha swamy temple (Kundambalam) and the Mandakkara Maha Ganapathy temple. The Viswanathaswamy temple, whose origin dates back to 1425, is a Tamilnadu style temple & the deities are Kasi Viswanathar & Visalakshi. Other subshrines inside the temple are of Vinayakar, Subramaniar, Kala Bhairavar. There is also the Kanaka Sabhai where dancing idol of Natarajar can be seen. This temple reminds of the setting at Kasi hence sometimes referred to as half-Kasi.The famous annual Kalpathy Ratholsavam (Temple car festival) takes place in November of every year here. Kalpathy Ratholsavam is a spectacular procession of beautifully decorated temple chariots drawn through the streets by thousands of devotees
It is believed that the Manthakara Mahaganapathy temple was established by the residents of the New Kalpathy village in recent times (less than a hundred years ago) to ward off 'Sivadhristi'.
Other attractions in Kalpathy are the various music festivals and kutcheris conducted here on a regular basis. Of note are the Tyagaraja aradhana conducted every year at the Ramadhyana madhom.
After spending around an hour at Kalpathy we drove to Chathapuram, a nearby village, where we had nice simple sumptuous home made meal at Lakshmi Mess run by a Brahmin family. The family was very friendly and served us with great hospitality. The menu comprised of rice, sambar, varaval, rasam, appalams, mango pickles & curds. All for a royal price of Rs.20/- We had a round of photographs with the family.
And then it was time to bid adieu ! It was half a day well spent and the trip was fun and exteremely relaxing.
For pictures please log onto: http://picasaweb.google.com/ramakrishnan49/KalpathyHeritageVillage?authkey=Gv1sRgCJ3G4s7JkuH0swE#
We had travelled out of Coimbatore after a gap of several months owing to pre-occupation with establishing the e-Scooters dealership at Coimbatore. Shobha & I badly needed an outing & decided to take atrip to Palakkad. We first visited Manapally Kavu and offerred prayers to the Devi and Ayyappa. As always the Devi was magnificent and we worshipped as if in a trance.
Next we travelled to Kalpathy Heritage Village. Kalpathy is one of the oldest Agraharams(Brahmin Settlements) in Palakkad. It was declared a Heritage Village by the Government of Kerala some years ago the purpose being to preserve the original culture, tradition & lifestyle. Kalpathy is located on the banks of the Kalpathy River, a tributary of the Bharathapuzha. We visited the Viswanatha swamy temple (Kundambalam) and the Mandakkara Maha Ganapathy temple. The Viswanathaswamy temple, whose origin dates back to 1425, is a Tamilnadu style temple & the deities are Kasi Viswanathar & Visalakshi. Other subshrines inside the temple are of Vinayakar, Subramaniar, Kala Bhairavar. There is also the Kanaka Sabhai where dancing idol of Natarajar can be seen. This temple reminds of the setting at Kasi hence sometimes referred to as half-Kasi.The famous annual Kalpathy Ratholsavam (Temple car festival) takes place in November of every year here. Kalpathy Ratholsavam is a spectacular procession of beautifully decorated temple chariots drawn through the streets by thousands of devotees
It is believed that the Manthakara Mahaganapathy temple was established by the residents of the New Kalpathy village in recent times (less than a hundred years ago) to ward off 'Sivadhristi'.
Other attractions in Kalpathy are the various music festivals and kutcheris conducted here on a regular basis. Of note are the Tyagaraja aradhana conducted every year at the Ramadhyana madhom.
After spending around an hour at Kalpathy we drove to Chathapuram, a nearby village, where we had nice simple sumptuous home made meal at Lakshmi Mess run by a Brahmin family. The family was very friendly and served us with great hospitality. The menu comprised of rice, sambar, varaval, rasam, appalams, mango pickles & curds. All for a royal price of Rs.20/- We had a round of photographs with the family.
And then it was time to bid adieu ! It was half a day well spent and the trip was fun and exteremely relaxing.
For pictures please log onto: http://picasaweb.google.com/ramakrishnan49/KalpathyHeritageVillage?authkey=Gv1sRgCJ3G4s7JkuH0swE#
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Trikkakkara & Dhanwantari Temples
9-10 December'08: I had an official visit planned to Ernakulam and drove down via Palakkad & Thrichur on 9th afternoon. After a brief stopover at Angamali for tea/snacks, reached Ernakulam late evening and checked into Hotel Bharat. Next morning got up early and after a refreshing cold water bath left around 6 AM via Edapally for Trikakkara a distance of around 10 Kms. This is the location of the famous Vamanamoorthy Temple, which is a Divya Desam, and the epicentre from where the annual Onam festival begins every year. It has been glorified by the tamil hymns of Nammalwar, of the 1st millennium CE.
We first visited the adjacent Mahadeva Temple which also has sub shrines for Parvati, Durgai, Ganesha & Subramania. Just outside the temple facing the deity is a cement throne where it is believed that King Mahabali, an ardent Siva devotee who visits Kerala every year, sits and blesses the people of Kerala.
After offering prayers and witnessing the Deeparchanai we proceeded to the Vamanamoorthy Temple. Seeveli was in progress and the Utsava Murthy of Lord Vamana was being taken in a procession by the Head Priest followed by temple musicians to the accompaniment of molam & nadaswaram. They circumambulated the seeveli pura in the purathambalam three times before entering the chuttambalam with the Utsava Murthy.
We then went in and prayed to Lord Vamana, who is the 5th reincarnation of Lord MahaVishnu. The Lord had taken the form of a young Brahmin boy to rein in the arrogant Bali, an Asura who through his rigorous penances had become very powerful and a big threat to the Devas in heaven. Bali however was large hearted and when Vamana asked for three paces of land he immediately agreed much against the advise of Sukracharya, the preceptor of the Asuras. And instantaneously Vamana grew to massive proportions and assumed Viswa Roopa and with one pace covered the whole earth and with the second pace covered the entire skies . There was no more place to offer and so Bali offered his head to the Lord and the Lord thus put his foot on his head and crushed his arrogance and pushed him down to the nether world or patala. Bali realised his folly and thereafter became an ardent devotee of Mahavishnu. Thus he transformed from an evil asura to a good asura and came to known as Mahabali. He asked permission from Vishnu that he be allowed to come to Kerala, the land which he ruled, once every year to be among his subjects. Thus the annual Onam festival came to be celebrated in Kerala to coincide with Mahabali's Visit.
The inner sanctum is circular with a conical pagoda shaped vimanam . The Deity was brightly illuminated with oil lamps all around and the deeparchanai was wonderful. The priest gave us prasadam of chandanam, bhasmam & kumkumam and sweet aval-jaggery. As we circumambulated the chuttamabalam we prayed at the sub-shrines of Ganesha, Ayyappa and Gopalakrishna.
The temple campus is very large and probably extends to around 2-3 acres. There is a small and beautiful temple tank on the North side known as Kapila Teertham. Local legends associate the theertham with the source of water with which Mahabali Chakravarti symbolically made his offering of land to Vamana.
Local Legends: There are interesting local legends surrounding this place. A devout farmer, appalled by the lack of crop from his fields of plantain trees, worshipped the deity here with an offering of a bunch of gold plantains upon which he was blessed with a bountiful harvest of a breed of bananas now known as "Nendiram Pazham".
For more details on legendslog onto: http://www.onamfestival.org/king-mahabali-onam.html
We were back at Hotel Bharat for delicious Kerala style breakfast if idli, appam & stew, idiappam, steamed nendram pazham & fruit juice. I was in official meetings from 9.00 am to 4.30m pm after which we set out on our return journey. We made a deviation at Angamali and traveled via Kaladi to Thotuva to visit and pray at the Dhanwantari Temple.
Thottuva Dhanwantari:
Dhanvantari (also Dhanwantari) is considered an avatar of Vishnu from the Hindu tradition. He appears in the Vedas and the Puranas as the physician of the Gods (devas), and the God of Ayurvedic medicine. It is common practice for worshipers to pray to Lord Dhanvantari seeking his blessings for sound health.
Thottuva Dhanwantari is of special significance as this is our ancestral temple - my granfather & his father hailed from Thottuva/Koovapady. The temple itself which was modest to begin with has expanded considerably and been transformed into a wonderful temple in recent years with generous donations from devotees including NRI's. As you circumambulate the inner sanctum you pray at the sub shrine of Ganesha. You can see depicted on the walls depictions of the ten avataras of Vishnu - Matsya, Kurma, Varaha, Narasimha, Vamana, Parasurama, Rama, Balarama, Krishna & Kalki. Shobha offerred Pushpanjali and Aal Roopam for good health and after witnessing deeparchanai we received chandanam, Bhasmam & pazham/sugar as prasadam. On the outer prakaram there are subs hrines of Bhagavati & Sastha.
Legend: Dhanvantari is depicted as Vishnu with four hands, medical herbs in one hand and a pot containing rejuvenating nectar or Amrita in another. The Puranas state that Dhanavantari emerged from the 'Ocean of Milk' with the pot of nectar during the Samudra Mathanam whilst the ocean was being churned by the devas and asuras, using the Manthara mountain and the serpent Vasuki. The pot of Amrita was snatched by the Asuras or Demons, and after this event another avatar, Mohini, appears and takes the nectar back from the Asuras
We first visited the adjacent Mahadeva Temple which also has sub shrines for Parvati, Durgai, Ganesha & Subramania. Just outside the temple facing the deity is a cement throne where it is believed that King Mahabali, an ardent Siva devotee who visits Kerala every year, sits and blesses the people of Kerala.
After offering prayers and witnessing the Deeparchanai we proceeded to the Vamanamoorthy Temple. Seeveli was in progress and the Utsava Murthy of Lord Vamana was being taken in a procession by the Head Priest followed by temple musicians to the accompaniment of molam & nadaswaram. They circumambulated the seeveli pura in the purathambalam three times before entering the chuttambalam with the Utsava Murthy.
We then went in and prayed to Lord Vamana, who is the 5th reincarnation of Lord MahaVishnu. The Lord had taken the form of a young Brahmin boy to rein in the arrogant Bali, an Asura who through his rigorous penances had become very powerful and a big threat to the Devas in heaven. Bali however was large hearted and when Vamana asked for three paces of land he immediately agreed much against the advise of Sukracharya, the preceptor of the Asuras. And instantaneously Vamana grew to massive proportions and assumed Viswa Roopa and with one pace covered the whole earth and with the second pace covered the entire skies . There was no more place to offer and so Bali offered his head to the Lord and the Lord thus put his foot on his head and crushed his arrogance and pushed him down to the nether world or patala. Bali realised his folly and thereafter became an ardent devotee of Mahavishnu. Thus he transformed from an evil asura to a good asura and came to known as Mahabali. He asked permission from Vishnu that he be allowed to come to Kerala, the land which he ruled, once every year to be among his subjects. Thus the annual Onam festival came to be celebrated in Kerala to coincide with Mahabali's Visit.
The inner sanctum is circular with a conical pagoda shaped vimanam . The Deity was brightly illuminated with oil lamps all around and the deeparchanai was wonderful. The priest gave us prasadam of chandanam, bhasmam & kumkumam and sweet aval-jaggery. As we circumambulated the chuttamabalam we prayed at the sub-shrines of Ganesha, Ayyappa and Gopalakrishna.
The temple campus is very large and probably extends to around 2-3 acres. There is a small and beautiful temple tank on the North side known as Kapila Teertham. Local legends associate the theertham with the source of water with which Mahabali Chakravarti symbolically made his offering of land to Vamana.
Local Legends: There are interesting local legends surrounding this place. A devout farmer, appalled by the lack of crop from his fields of plantain trees, worshipped the deity here with an offering of a bunch of gold plantains upon which he was blessed with a bountiful harvest of a breed of bananas now known as "Nendiram Pazham".
For more details on legendslog onto: http://www.onamfestival.org/king-mahabali-onam.html
We were back at Hotel Bharat for delicious Kerala style breakfast if idli, appam & stew, idiappam, steamed nendram pazham & fruit juice. I was in official meetings from 9.00 am to 4.30m pm after which we set out on our return journey. We made a deviation at Angamali and traveled via Kaladi to Thotuva to visit and pray at the Dhanwantari Temple.
Thottuva Dhanwantari:
Dhanvantari (also Dhanwantari) is considered an avatar of Vishnu from the Hindu tradition. He appears in the Vedas and the Puranas as the physician of the Gods (devas), and the God of Ayurvedic medicine. It is common practice for worshipers to pray to Lord Dhanvantari seeking his blessings for sound health.
Thottuva Dhanwantari is of special significance as this is our ancestral temple - my granfather & his father hailed from Thottuva/Koovapady. The temple itself which was modest to begin with has expanded considerably and been transformed into a wonderful temple in recent years with generous donations from devotees including NRI's. As you circumambulate the inner sanctum you pray at the sub shrine of Ganesha. You can see depicted on the walls depictions of the ten avataras of Vishnu - Matsya, Kurma, Varaha, Narasimha, Vamana, Parasurama, Rama, Balarama, Krishna & Kalki. Shobha offerred Pushpanjali and Aal Roopam for good health and after witnessing deeparchanai we received chandanam, Bhasmam & pazham/sugar as prasadam. On the outer prakaram there are subs hrines of Bhagavati & Sastha.
Legend: Dhanvantari is depicted as Vishnu with four hands, medical herbs in one hand and a pot containing rejuvenating nectar or Amrita in another. The Puranas state that Dhanavantari emerged from the 'Ocean of Milk' with the pot of nectar during the Samudra Mathanam whilst the ocean was being churned by the devas and asuras, using the Manthara mountain and the serpent Vasuki. The pot of Amrita was snatched by the Asuras or Demons, and after this event another avatar, Mohini, appears and takes the nectar back from the Asuras
Sunday, November 9, 2008
Cairo Conference: 2-5 November'08
The Annual Bosch AA MD meeting was held in Dubai in 2007. As promised, Bosch hosted the 2008 Conference in Cairo (Egypt) situated in North East part of the African continent and West of Jerusalem. Bosch teams from South took off from Chennai & Ba
ngalore by Oman Air which was routed via Muscat. Flights from Mumbai & New Delhi were routed via Doha & Bahrain. Before departure all MD's were given Bosch branded Peter England shirts & Blue T-Shirts. The spouses received smart black leather hand bags. Bosch's gift hamper also included an attractive electronic photo frame with USB/Flash Drive connectivity
2 Nov'08: Our flight left Chennai around 7.00 am & landed in Cairo around 1.30 pm local time. Food aboard Oman Air can was quite ordinary though we were served "Hindu Vegetarian" as specified at the time of booking.
We were received at Cairo airport by the local agents of Tour operators carrying Bosch banners for identification. Passport control was quick & efficient at Cairo and after collecting our baggage we wheeled out through an underpas
s to the waiting coaches and were transported to the Sofitel El Gezirah Hotel located 19 Kms from the airport. The elderly lady guide Ana bombarded us with all kinds of information about Egypt, its civilization, population, government,culture, industries, climate, currency, religion and a variety of other tit bits. At the Hotel we were received by the friendly and hospitable hotel staff & were served the customary welcome coffee/tea & cookies. This hotel located on the southern tip of the El Gezirah Island on the River Nile, is an exquisite resort within the city. The Nile is the longest river and has nurtured along its banks one of the oldest civilizations of the world surpsassed in antiquity only by the Indus Valley Civilization. The Nile is divided into two - while the White Nile rises in the Gr
eat Lakes region of Central Africa, the Blue Nile has its origins in Ethiopia.
Located within walking distance from El Gezirah are the Opera House, the Egyptian Museum, the Cairo Tower. The hotel offers breathtaking views of the Nile, the Pyramids of Giza and the Cairo Citadel.
The panoramic and magnificent views of the Nile from the Hotel Room are best described in the phographs captured and shown here.
Dinner for the evening was aboard a stationary cruise boat named "Omar Khayyam" anchored on the banks of the Nile. It turned out to be a quiet & uneventful affair and there was neither alcohol nor any Egyptian dances on the menu as the name might imply.
Cairo by night is well illuninated and bustling with activity. The tall & slim Cairo Tower with soft illumination on the lattice exterior and colors continuously changing from Green to Purple to Red fires up your imagination. It has a revolving restaurant at the top which was the favorite dining spot of former President Gamel Abdel Nasser.
3 Nov'08: The day
started with early breakfast at El Gezirah & then we transported to the Four Seasons Hotel, situated across from El Gezirah on the opposite bank of the Nile, for Day 1 of the Conference.The proceedings began with a crisp, well rearched & impressive presentation by Mr.V.Viswanathan, the suave & stylish MD of Bosch India, highlighting Bosch India's success story and the growing importance of the Indian operations in Bosch Worldwide. He also talked about the global recession, its impact on Indian economy and the hard road that lay ahead for all of us. This was followed by a power packed presentation by Mr. Ravi Krishnamoorthy, Regional Director-India & SAARC- AA, an electrifying video titled "Mission Im
possible" and the commitment to continue the double digit growth initiative. There were also smart presentations on Advertising * Comunications and on Benchmarking Projects undertaken by the four Regional Managers. The Glittering Awards Ceremoney that followed as glamorous as any Bollywood event with Mr.Srinivasa playing the role of an MC efficiently & effectively. The ceremoney threw up many new Stars & Champions. Many of the erstwhile champions of yesteryears had been upstaged !
Lunch was served at a Four Seasons restaurant. The vegetarians had a tough time finding something to eat and most of them were seen making a scramble for fried rice, fruit salad (both were in short supply) or desserts. Yoghurt was not on the menu and this made matters difficult.
Meanwhile the spouses had been taken on a sight seeing tour of Cairo and they lunched at an Indian restaurant "The Kandahar" and from reports received it appears they all enjoyed fabulous Indian food. The detailed descriptions provided by one of the spouses was mouth watering!
After lunch, confer
ence participants as well spouses were directly transferred to the Valley of Giza comprising the wonderful ancient monuments of architectural prowess representing ancient Egyptian civilization - three Pyramids and the Sphinx. The three largest pyramids were the Great Pyramid of Khufu, the Pyramid of Kafhre and the Pyramid of Menkaura. Each Pyramid is a tomb dedicated to a different king of Egypt. The Sphinx - built over 4000 years ago and representing the strength of the then King- stands up as a majestic & regal structure inspite of extensive erosion by wind & sand. It has a man's head and a lions body - 150 ft lo
ng body, 50 ft long paws and head 30 ft x 14 ft. The visit transported us back in time several thousands of years to the period of Tutankhamen & Nefretiti and Cleopatra and the Pharoahs.
We returned to the hotel by 6.00 pm and after a bit of relaxation we departed around 9.00 pm for the night dinner cruise on the Nile Maxim. We enjoyed top-class service aboard the cruise, gliding past Cairo's illuminated skyline while we dined, with entertainment provided by a spectacular Belly-dancing and Tanoora folk dance. As we drifted along the Nile, the house band performed Western, Oriental and Arabic tunes. We returned a little fatigued & sleepy to El Gezirah past mid-night for a well deserved rest.
4 Nov'08: The MD's had a delayed transfer and hence were able to enjoy a relaxed breakfast. Some of us decided to smuggle yoghurt containers which came in handy during lunch. The MD's & spouses left simultaneously at 9.30 am - the spouses for the Museum tour & MD's for the Day 2 meeting at 4 Seasons. The morning meeting was brief - there were brainstorming sessions & presentations on how to increase the Diesel business. Then a brief address by yours truly to thank the Bosch Management for making wonderful & meticulous arrangements at Cairo. Mementoes in the form of Tanjore Plates were presented on behalf of Stanes Motor Parts Limited to Mr.Viswanathan & Mr.Ravi
Krishnamoorthy. After a comprehensive concluding address by Mr.Viswanathan we all transferred for shopping to the Star City shopping mall. The spouses were already there after lunching once again at Kandahar. The mall was not the curio shoppers paradise that we were expecting - the items on display were more expensive than the malls in New York ! We contented ourselves with Cappucino & Mocha.
For night dinner we were transferred to the Valley of the Giza Pyramids. It is an exquisite Bedouin Dinner and we were greeted on arrival by a convoy of camels, a dancing horse and a group of Bedouin musicians and escorted to a tent where tables are neatly arranged. The pyramids were artificially illuminated and looked romantically eerie in the starlit night. The weather was breezy and cool. Some were smartly wearing cardigans or shawls. A few ventured out on camel rides in the darkness.
A young not sufficiently experienced MC made his appearance and attempted to
regale the crowd with his immature rhetorics. This is followed by a series of folk dances by young,beautiful, lissome, colorfully attired Arab maidens. A petite female Fillipino DJ made her appearance, jived and belted out Western tunes. The crowd was busy digging into the food and not sufficiently attracted to the dance floor barring a few veterans like Sham Sunder & Pritipal. Navaneetha Krishnan( SO Kerala) was conspicious by his complete absence from the dance floor - remember his exploits in Dubai ! 
5 Nov'08: This is our final morning at Cairo and we checked out after breakfast. The coach took us back to Cairo airport. There is a nice curio shop at the Duty Free and we shopped to our heart's content - papyrus paintings, models of pyramids & sphinnx, key chains,bottle openers, painted ceramic mugs & glasses, coasters etc. We once again traveled by Oman Air via Muscat. This time the transit time at Muscat lasted over five hours. More shopping opportunities were presented at Muscat Duty Free - liquor,dates & chocolates were the favorites.
We reached Chennai at 6.00 am on 6 Nov'08. The Grand Conference Tour to Cairo was over.
For more photographs log on to web album : http://picasaweb.google.com/ramakrishnan49/CairoVisit#
For Belly Dance on Nile Cruise log onto :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HRObvfbmteU
ngalore by Oman Air which was routed via Muscat. Flights from Mumbai & New Delhi were routed via Doha & Bahrain. Before departure all MD's were given Bosch branded Peter England shirts & Blue T-Shirts. The spouses received smart black leather hand bags. Bosch's gift hamper also included an attractive electronic photo frame with USB/Flash Drive connectivity2 Nov'08: Our flight left Chennai around 7.00 am & landed in Cairo around 1.30 pm local time. Food aboard Oman Air can was quite ordinary though we were served "Hindu Vegetarian" as specified at the time of booking.
We were received at Cairo airport by the local agents of Tour operators carrying Bosch banners for identification. Passport control was quick & efficient at Cairo and after collecting our baggage we wheeled out through an underpas
s to the waiting coaches and were transported to the Sofitel El Gezirah Hotel located 19 Kms from the airport. The elderly lady guide Ana bombarded us with all kinds of information about Egypt, its civilization, population, government,culture, industries, climate, currency, religion and a variety of other tit bits. At the Hotel we were received by the friendly and hospitable hotel staff & were served the customary welcome coffee/tea & cookies. This hotel located on the southern tip of the El Gezirah Island on the River Nile, is an exquisite resort within the city. The Nile is the longest river and has nurtured along its banks one of the oldest civilizations of the world surpsassed in antiquity only by the Indus Valley Civilization. The Nile is divided into two - while the White Nile rises in the Gr
eat Lakes region of Central Africa, the Blue Nile has its origins in Ethiopia.Located within walking distance from El Gezirah are the Opera House, the Egyptian Museum, the Cairo Tower. The hotel offers breathtaking views of the Nile, the Pyramids of Giza and the Cairo Citadel.
The panoramic and magnificent views of the Nile from the Hotel Room are best described in the phographs captured and shown here.
Dinner for the evening was aboard a stationary cruise boat named "Omar Khayyam" anchored on the banks of the Nile. It turned out to be a quiet & uneventful affair and there was neither alcohol nor any Egyptian dances on the menu as the name might imply.
Cairo by night is well illuninated and bustling with activity. The tall & slim Cairo Tower with soft illumination on the lattice exterior and colors continuously changing from Green to Purple to Red fires up your imagination. It has a revolving restaurant at the top which was the favorite dining spot of former President Gamel Abdel Nasser.
3 Nov'08: The day
started with early breakfast at El Gezirah & then we transported to the Four Seasons Hotel, situated across from El Gezirah on the opposite bank of the Nile, for Day 1 of the Conference.The proceedings began with a crisp, well rearched & impressive presentation by Mr.V.Viswanathan, the suave & stylish MD of Bosch India, highlighting Bosch India's success story and the growing importance of the Indian operations in Bosch Worldwide. He also talked about the global recession, its impact on Indian economy and the hard road that lay ahead for all of us. This was followed by a power packed presentation by Mr. Ravi Krishnamoorthy, Regional Director-India & SAARC- AA, an electrifying video titled "Mission Im
possible" and the commitment to continue the double digit growth initiative. There were also smart presentations on Advertising * Comunications and on Benchmarking Projects undertaken by the four Regional Managers. The Glittering Awards Ceremoney that followed as glamorous as any Bollywood event with Mr.Srinivasa playing the role of an MC efficiently & effectively. The ceremoney threw up many new Stars & Champions. Many of the erstwhile champions of yesteryears had been upstaged !Lunch was served at a Four Seasons restaurant. The vegetarians had a tough time finding something to eat and most of them were seen making a scramble for fried rice, fruit salad (both were in short supply) or desserts. Yoghurt was not on the menu and this made matters difficult.
Meanwhile the spouses had been taken on a sight seeing tour of Cairo and they lunched at an Indian restaurant "The Kandahar" and from reports received it appears they all enjoyed fabulous Indian food. The detailed descriptions provided by one of the spouses was mouth watering!
After lunch, confer
ence participants as well spouses were directly transferred to the Valley of Giza comprising the wonderful ancient monuments of architectural prowess representing ancient Egyptian civilization - three Pyramids and the Sphinx. The three largest pyramids were the Great Pyramid of Khufu, the Pyramid of Kafhre and the Pyramid of Menkaura. Each Pyramid is a tomb dedicated to a different king of Egypt. The Sphinx - built over 4000 years ago and representing the strength of the then King- stands up as a majestic & regal structure inspite of extensive erosion by wind & sand. It has a man's head and a lions body - 150 ft lo
ng body, 50 ft long paws and head 30 ft x 14 ft. The visit transported us back in time several thousands of years to the period of Tutankhamen & Nefretiti and Cleopatra and the Pharoahs.We returned to the hotel by 6.00 pm and after a bit of relaxation we departed around 9.00 pm for the night dinner cruise on the Nile Maxim. We enjoyed top-class service aboard the cruise, gliding past Cairo's illuminated skyline while we dined, with entertainment provided by a spectacular Belly-dancing and Tanoora folk dance. As we drifted along the Nile, the house band performed Western, Oriental and Arabic tunes. We returned a little fatigued & sleepy to El Gezirah past mid-night for a well deserved rest.
4 Nov'08: The MD's had a delayed transfer and hence were able to enjoy a relaxed breakfast. Some of us decided to smuggle yoghurt containers which came in handy during lunch. The MD's & spouses left simultaneously at 9.30 am - the spouses for the Museum tour & MD's for the Day 2 meeting at 4 Seasons. The morning meeting was brief - there were brainstorming sessions & presentations on how to increase the Diesel business. Then a brief address by yours truly to thank the Bosch Management for making wonderful & meticulous arrangements at Cairo. Mementoes in the form of Tanjore Plates were presented on behalf of Stanes Motor Parts Limited to Mr.Viswanathan & Mr.Ravi
Krishnamoorthy. After a comprehensive concluding address by Mr.Viswanathan we all transferred for shopping to the Star City shopping mall. The spouses were already there after lunching once again at Kandahar. The mall was not the curio shoppers paradise that we were expecting - the items on display were more expensive than the malls in New York ! We contented ourselves with Cappucino & Mocha.
For night dinner we were transferred to the Valley of the Giza Pyramids. It is an exquisite Bedouin Dinner and we were greeted on arrival by a convoy of camels, a dancing horse and a group of Bedouin musicians and escorted to a tent where tables are neatly arranged. The pyramids were artificially illuminated and looked romantically eerie in the starlit night. The weather was breezy and cool. Some were smartly wearing cardigans or shawls. A few ventured out on camel rides in the darkness.
A young not sufficiently experienced MC made his appearance and attempted to
regale the crowd with his immature rhetorics. This is followed by a series of folk dances by young,beautiful, lissome, colorfully attired Arab maidens. A petite female Fillipino DJ made her appearance, jived and belted out Western tunes. The crowd was busy digging into the food and not sufficiently attracted to the dance floor barring a few veterans like Sham Sunder & Pritipal. Navaneetha Krishnan( SO Kerala) was conspicious by his complete absence from the dance floor - remember his exploits in Dubai ! 
5 Nov'08: This is our final morning at Cairo and we checked out after breakfast. The coach took us back to Cairo airport. There is a nice curio shop at the Duty Free and we shopped to our heart's content - papyrus paintings, models of pyramids & sphinnx, key chains,bottle openers, painted ceramic mugs & glasses, coasters etc. We once again traveled by Oman Air via Muscat. This time the transit time at Muscat lasted over five hours. More shopping opportunities were presented at Muscat Duty Free - liquor,dates & chocolates were the favorites.
We reached Chennai at 6.00 am on 6 Nov'08. The Grand Conference Tour to Cairo was over.
For more photographs log on to web album : http://picasaweb.google.com/ramakrishnan49/CairoVisit#
For Belly Dance on Nile Cruise log onto :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HRObvfbmteU
Saturday, October 4, 2008
Madurai Meenakshi Temple
Date: 2 October'2008. Being Gandhi Jayanthi and a holiday, we decided to make a trip from Coimbatore to Madurai by road. The route: Pollachi-Palani-Odanchattram-Dindigul-Kodai Road-Madurai. The weather was bright & sunny and the Western Ghats gave us company for a better part of the journey. While bypassing Palani town we saw the abode of Lord Muruga atop Palani hills - a magnificent sight. Likewise at Dindigul we saw the Dindigul Fort (a 17th century fort currently under the management of ASI) with the Abhiramiamman Temple at the top. The hill is in a shape of a pillow or "Dhindu" in Tamil hence the name Dindigal. Reached Madurai in the evening after a five hour drive. Checked into the M.R.International Hotel located on Dhanappa Mudali Street near the Temple.
One of South India's great temple towns, Madurai is synonymous with the celebrated Meenakshi Temple. Situated on the banks of river Vaigai, Madurai has a rich cultural heritage passed on from the great Tamil era more than 2500 years old. It was the capital city for the great Pandya kings. As per legend Lord Shiva blessed the land and its people while divine nectar showered on the city from his matted locks. Thus the city got the name of Madhura-puri. ("Madhura" means nectar)
The ancient city of Madurai supposedly was laid out in a lotus-like formation, with the temple at the center and streets and main thoroughfares layered one after the other concentrically, outward from the center. The important streets (veedis) around the proximity of the temple are Adi (innermost), Chittirai, Avani Moolam, Masi & Veli (outermost). Adi Veedi lies inside the temple walls whereas Chittirai Veedi is just outside. Chittirai Veedi has recently been nicely paved with cement tiles and no vehicular traffic is permitted. Devotees can therefore walk around the temple without hindrance.There are four main Gopurams through which the temple can be entered into - one in each cardinal direction.
Our visit coincided with the festival period of Navaratri and hence the temple was thronging with devotees.
After checking into the hotel, we freshened up, changed and walked to the temple through the West Tower Street. Entry through the West Gopuram was not permitted and we walked around the paved West Chittirai veedhi ,turned into the South Chittirai Veedhi and joined a long queue for entry through the South Gopuram. The queue was fast moving and within 20 mts we entered the Gopuram. Security was strict, devotees were frisked and all hand bags were electronically scanned. Once inside the Adi Veedi we had to stand in another queue before entering the prakaram. We passed through the Kili Mandapam & Oonjal Mandapam (west of Potramarai Kulam) before turning West into the Amman Sannithi prakaram. To the South of the Amman Sannithi outer prakaram, we witnessed a splendid Kolu arrangement- there were several stalls displaying hundreds of Kolu bommais of various gods & goddesses & depicting many legends. In the North corner of the South side was the Utsava Murthy of Goddess Meenakshi dressed in the finest silks & rich ornaments and bedecked by beautiful flower garlands. We also saw different vahanas (for carrying the deities) on display-covered in silver kavachams - Gundodharan,Swan, Kamadhenu the Divine cow, Yali which has a lions body & face and an elephant's trunk, Horse & Adhikara Nandi. After seeing the Kolu we entered the inner sanctum for Goddess Meenakshi's darshan. The crowd was well regulated and there was a raised walkway sloping downwards which allowed the devotees to have continuous darshan of the deity as you walked towards the garbha griha. The moolavar was so divinely & infinitely beautiful that you cannot simply take your eyes away even for a second. She fills you with joy and wonderment, lifts your spirits and you feel completely satisfied and totally at peace. Meenakshi's idol is made of green stone, hence she is also known as "maragathambal" or "maragathavalli".
There are twin pillayars just outside the garbha griha on the South side. As you circumambulate the prakaram there are subshrines for Pillayar ( south west corner facing east) and Muruga with his consorts (north west corner facing east). On the outer walls of the garbha griha there are niche images of the Goddess Sakti in different forms.
Next we emerged from the Ambal sannithi from the North side and entered the outer prakaram of Sundareswarar sannithi. The prakaram corridors are supported by magnificent carved pillars. On the west side is located the Kalyanasundareswarar Mandapam which is multi pillared mandapam where you can see large sculpted idols depicting Meenakshi Kalyanam. Then you reach the East side of the prakaram where the Navagrahas are located as also the Meditation hall. The most magnificent sculptures are found in the Kambathadi Manadapam which also contains the Nandi, Dwaja Sthambam as well as a large holder which can hold myriad lamps. There are also giant idols of Agni Veerbhadrar, Aghora Veerabhadrar, Alankattu Kali & Oorthvathandavamurthy. There are sculptures of Sadaasivan/Parvati and Gayatri Devi on either side of the entrance to the inner prakaram. There are several other pillars in the Kambathadi Mandapam carrying exquisite sculptures of deities & legends.
Next you enter the inner prakaram and straightaway go into the inner sanctum - here again the crowds are well regulated. There are fewer devotees here as compared to the ambal sannithi. As you walk towards the garbha griha you see the magnificent Velli Ambalam to the North - the silver mandapam (also known as the Rajatha Sabha) where stands the huge stone sculpture of Nataraja the eternal cosmic dancer - covered totally in silver kavacham. Huge standing idols of Patanjali & Vyakrapadar can also be seen there. In fact the entire mandapam is covered in silver. A unique feature of this Nataraja is that the Lord has his left leg on the ground and his right leg is raised in a dance pose. Lord Shiva performed seven types of dance. Among them, the dance he performed in Madurai came to be known as 'Paramananda Thandavam' and also 'Chokka Thandavam'. ( for more details log onto: http://www.madurai.com/velli.htm )
After offering prayers to Lord Sundareswara, we exit from the north side go towards the east and circumambulate the inner prakaram. The niche images on the outer walls of the garbha griha are: Dakshinamurthy on the South, Lingodbhavar on the west and Durgai on the north. All these niche images are at a height and there are steps leading up to them. Each of the niche deities is flanked by two stone elephants eating "karumbu" or sugarcane. In fact there are two stone elephants also flanking the Shiva Lingam just outside the garbha griha. The outer walls of the Garbha Griha depict in plaster the various stories from Thiru Vilayadal Puranam - a collection of 64 legends.
On the pillared pavilions of the inner prakaram as you circumambulate you can see: East- 63 Nayanmars, Saraswati, Saptha Mathas flanked by Ganesha & , West : Large east facing subshrine of Soma Skandar ( Swami & Ambal with Muruga in the centre), Muruga with his consorts, a large 16 faced linga, a Panchamukha linga, two Jwara Murthy's, the Kanaka Sabha, Bhikshadanar, Kasi Viswanathar & Visalakshi, several other lingams, North: Medha Dakshina Murthy, Mahalakshni,Ratna Sabha, East: West facing Bhairavar, Chandran, Suryan etc.
On the North side are also seen subshrines to Sitthar & Sandikeswarar. Adjacent to the Sithar shrine is the stump of the Kadambam tree where Indira is said to have worshipped Shiva to rid himself of the "Brahma Hathi Dosham". The Vimanam above the Garbha Griha is called the Indira Vimanam. After praying to Sundareswarar we walk back towards our Hotel. We enter the Mohan's Bhojanalaya on Dhanappa Mudali Street and order Gujarathi thali. The place is ordinary but neat and clean. The food is simple but excellent to taste and we enjoyed a hearty meal. Rate: Rs.45/thali. Strongly recommended.
3 October'2008: We get up early morning and reach the temple around 5.30 am. There were no queues. But there was a throng of devotees at the ambal sannithi. As we completed our worship we saw that the Utsavamurthy of the Lord had been taken out of the Palli Arai and being carried in a silver palanquin towards the Sundareswarar Sannithi to the accompaniment of nadaswaram & chants by devotees. We joined this congregation and accompanied the lord till they reached the swami sannithi. It was a wonderful experience. Then we prayed at the Sundareswarar sanctum. This time we took a special entrance ticket of Rs.15/- and could therefore have a darshan of the Lord at close quarters.
After this we went to the Ayiram Kaal Mandapam ( containign 985 pillars) and visited the museum which contained a large number exqusite sculptures, paintings, panchaloha idols, ivory & antique items, rare coins etc. It also houses the exquisite Chitra Sabha where you can see the magnificent dancing idol of Nataraja & his consort Sivagami.
Next we exited to the Oonjal Mandapam after praying to Mukkurini Pillayar in the swami sannithi prakaram south side. We went around the Potramari Kulam or the Golden Lotus Tank. This theertham is said to have been created by Lord Sivaperuman by thrusting his `Soolam' (three pronged spear) into the earth. This theertam is also called Adhi Theertham,Parama Theertham ,Gnana Theertham , Mukthi Theertham and as Sivaganga because the water from Ganga from the head of Lord Siva confluences with it and as `Uthama Theertham' because of its purity than any other theertham.
To the south west corner of the teertham is a small pillayar placed in a trough of vibhuti and completely smeared with vibhuti. It is customary for devotees to pick up vibhuti from the trough and smear the pillayar.
Finally we exited the temple complex, had lunch at Meenakshi Bhavan, went to the hotel & checked out and visited the Puthu Mandapam located outside the East Gopuram. This Mandapam was built by King Thirumalai Naicker with the work starting in 1626 and ending in 1645. Also known as the Vasantha Mandapam the central portion is kept locked for use during festivals. The surrounding pavilions have been let out for shops. The sculptures on the pillars are breathtaking. This great monument of National Heritage is ill maintained.
With that our visit to the Meenakshi temple concluded. For more details about the temple log on to:
http://www.maduraimeenakshi.org/templenew.php?link=history
We left Madurai after lunch - this time we took a different & shorter route - via Dindigul, Odanchattram -Dharapuram-Palladam-Coimbatore. From Odanchattram to Palladam was a state highway but road was excellent and there was very little traffic. We completed our return journey in less time and also travelled 30 Kms less. A memorable but action packed trip.
See photogallery at : http://picasaweb.google.com/ramakrishnan49/MaduraiMeenakshiTemple#
One of South India's great temple towns, Madurai is synonymous with the celebrated Meenakshi Temple. Situated on the banks of river Vaigai, Madurai has a rich cultural heritage passed on from the great Tamil era more than 2500 years old. It was the capital city for the great Pandya kings. As per legend Lord Shiva blessed the land and its people while divine nectar showered on the city from his matted locks. Thus the city got the name of Madhura-puri. ("Madhura" means nectar)
The ancient city of Madurai supposedly was laid out in a lotus-like formation, with the temple at the center and streets and main thoroughfares layered one after the other concentrically, outward from the center. The important streets (veedis) around the proximity of the temple are Adi (innermost), Chittirai, Avani Moolam, Masi & Veli (outermost). Adi Veedi lies inside the temple walls whereas Chittirai Veedi is just outside. Chittirai Veedi has recently been nicely paved with cement tiles and no vehicular traffic is permitted. Devotees can therefore walk around the temple without hindrance.There are four main Gopurams through which the temple can be entered into - one in each cardinal direction.
Our visit coincided with the festival period of Navaratri and hence the temple was thronging with devotees.
After checking into the hotel, we freshened up, changed and walked to the temple through the West Tower Street. Entry through the West Gopuram was not permitted and we walked around the paved West Chittirai veedhi ,turned into the South Chittirai Veedhi and joined a long queue for entry through the South Gopuram. The queue was fast moving and within 20 mts we entered the Gopuram. Security was strict, devotees were frisked and all hand bags were electronically scanned. Once inside the Adi Veedi we had to stand in another queue before entering the prakaram. We passed through the Kili Mandapam & Oonjal Mandapam (west of Potramarai Kulam) before turning West into the Amman Sannithi prakaram. To the South of the Amman Sannithi outer prakaram, we witnessed a splendid Kolu arrangement- there were several stalls displaying hundreds of Kolu bommais of various gods & goddesses & depicting many legends. In the North corner of the South side was the Utsava Murthy of Goddess Meenakshi dressed in the finest silks & rich ornaments and bedecked by beautiful flower garlands. We also saw different vahanas (for carrying the deities) on display-covered in silver kavachams - Gundodharan,Swan, Kamadhenu the Divine cow, Yali which has a lions body & face and an elephant's trunk, Horse & Adhikara Nandi. After seeing the Kolu we entered the inner sanctum for Goddess Meenakshi's darshan. The crowd was well regulated and there was a raised walkway sloping downwards which allowed the devotees to have continuous darshan of the deity as you walked towards the garbha griha. The moolavar was so divinely & infinitely beautiful that you cannot simply take your eyes away even for a second. She fills you with joy and wonderment, lifts your spirits and you feel completely satisfied and totally at peace. Meenakshi's idol is made of green stone, hence she is also known as "maragathambal" or "maragathavalli".
There are twin pillayars just outside the garbha griha on the South side. As you circumambulate the prakaram there are subshrines for Pillayar ( south west corner facing east) and Muruga with his consorts (north west corner facing east). On the outer walls of the garbha griha there are niche images of the Goddess Sakti in different forms.
Next we emerged from the Ambal sannithi from the North side and entered the outer prakaram of Sundareswarar sannithi. The prakaram corridors are supported by magnificent carved pillars. On the west side is located the Kalyanasundareswarar Mandapam which is multi pillared mandapam where you can see large sculpted idols depicting Meenakshi Kalyanam. Then you reach the East side of the prakaram where the Navagrahas are located as also the Meditation hall. The most magnificent sculptures are found in the Kambathadi Manadapam which also contains the Nandi, Dwaja Sthambam as well as a large holder which can hold myriad lamps. There are also giant idols of Agni Veerbhadrar, Aghora Veerabhadrar, Alankattu Kali & Oorthvathandavamurthy. There are sculptures of Sadaasivan/Parvati and Gayatri Devi on either side of the entrance to the inner prakaram. There are several other pillars in the Kambathadi Mandapam carrying exquisite sculptures of deities & legends.
Next you enter the inner prakaram and straightaway go into the inner sanctum - here again the crowds are well regulated. There are fewer devotees here as compared to the ambal sannithi. As you walk towards the garbha griha you see the magnificent Velli Ambalam to the North - the silver mandapam (also known as the Rajatha Sabha) where stands the huge stone sculpture of Nataraja the eternal cosmic dancer - covered totally in silver kavacham. Huge standing idols of Patanjali & Vyakrapadar can also be seen there. In fact the entire mandapam is covered in silver. A unique feature of this Nataraja is that the Lord has his left leg on the ground and his right leg is raised in a dance pose. Lord Shiva performed seven types of dance. Among them, the dance he performed in Madurai came to be known as 'Paramananda Thandavam' and also 'Chokka Thandavam'. ( for more details log onto: http://www.madurai.com/velli.htm )
After offering prayers to Lord Sundareswara, we exit from the north side go towards the east and circumambulate the inner prakaram. The niche images on the outer walls of the garbha griha are: Dakshinamurthy on the South, Lingodbhavar on the west and Durgai on the north. All these niche images are at a height and there are steps leading up to them. Each of the niche deities is flanked by two stone elephants eating "karumbu" or sugarcane. In fact there are two stone elephants also flanking the Shiva Lingam just outside the garbha griha. The outer walls of the Garbha Griha depict in plaster the various stories from Thiru Vilayadal Puranam - a collection of 64 legends.
On the pillared pavilions of the inner prakaram as you circumambulate you can see: East- 63 Nayanmars, Saraswati, Saptha Mathas flanked by Ganesha & , West : Large east facing subshrine of Soma Skandar ( Swami & Ambal with Muruga in the centre), Muruga with his consorts, a large 16 faced linga, a Panchamukha linga, two Jwara Murthy's, the Kanaka Sabha, Bhikshadanar, Kasi Viswanathar & Visalakshi, several other lingams, North: Medha Dakshina Murthy, Mahalakshni,Ratna Sabha, East: West facing Bhairavar, Chandran, Suryan etc.
On the North side are also seen subshrines to Sitthar & Sandikeswarar. Adjacent to the Sithar shrine is the stump of the Kadambam tree where Indira is said to have worshipped Shiva to rid himself of the "Brahma Hathi Dosham". The Vimanam above the Garbha Griha is called the Indira Vimanam. After praying to Sundareswarar we walk back towards our Hotel. We enter the Mohan's Bhojanalaya on Dhanappa Mudali Street and order Gujarathi thali. The place is ordinary but neat and clean. The food is simple but excellent to taste and we enjoyed a hearty meal. Rate: Rs.45/thali. Strongly recommended.
3 October'2008: We get up early morning and reach the temple around 5.30 am. There were no queues. But there was a throng of devotees at the ambal sannithi. As we completed our worship we saw that the Utsavamurthy of the Lord had been taken out of the Palli Arai and being carried in a silver palanquin towards the Sundareswarar Sannithi to the accompaniment of nadaswaram & chants by devotees. We joined this congregation and accompanied the lord till they reached the swami sannithi. It was a wonderful experience. Then we prayed at the Sundareswarar sanctum. This time we took a special entrance ticket of Rs.15/- and could therefore have a darshan of the Lord at close quarters.
After this we went to the Ayiram Kaal Mandapam ( containign 985 pillars) and visited the museum which contained a large number exqusite sculptures, paintings, panchaloha idols, ivory & antique items, rare coins etc. It also houses the exquisite Chitra Sabha where you can see the magnificent dancing idol of Nataraja & his consort Sivagami.
Next we exited to the Oonjal Mandapam after praying to Mukkurini Pillayar in the swami sannithi prakaram south side. We went around the Potramari Kulam or the Golden Lotus Tank. This theertham is said to have been created by Lord Sivaperuman by thrusting his `Soolam' (three pronged spear) into the earth. This theertam is also called Adhi Theertham,Parama Theertham ,Gnana Theertham , Mukthi Theertham and as Sivaganga because the water from Ganga from the head of Lord Siva confluences with it and as `Uthama Theertham' because of its purity than any other theertham.
To the south west corner of the teertham is a small pillayar placed in a trough of vibhuti and completely smeared with vibhuti. It is customary for devotees to pick up vibhuti from the trough and smear the pillayar.
Finally we exited the temple complex, had lunch at Meenakshi Bhavan, went to the hotel & checked out and visited the Puthu Mandapam located outside the East Gopuram. This Mandapam was built by King Thirumalai Naicker with the work starting in 1626 and ending in 1645. Also known as the Vasantha Mandapam the central portion is kept locked for use during festivals. The surrounding pavilions have been let out for shops. The sculptures on the pillars are breathtaking. This great monument of National Heritage is ill maintained.
With that our visit to the Meenakshi temple concluded. For more details about the temple log on to:
http://www.maduraimeenakshi.org/templenew.php?link=history
We left Madurai after lunch - this time we took a different & shorter route - via Dindigul, Odanchattram -Dharapuram-Palladam-Coimbatore. From Odanchattram to Palladam was a state highway but road was excellent and there was very little traffic. We completed our return journey in less time and also travelled 30 Kms less. A memorable but action packed trip.
See photogallery at : http://picasaweb.google.com/ramakrishnan49/MaduraiMeenakshiTemple#
Saturday, August 9, 2008
Kanchipuram Temples -Vaikunda Perumal-Kachapeswarar
28 July'08: The Vaikunda Perumal Temple was built by the Pallava king Nadivarman II during the 7th century. This is particular temple is dedicated to Lord Vishnu. The Lord is in the sitting posture. The Goddess is known as Sri Vaikundavalli Tayar. In fact, Lord Vishnu's image can be seen in standing, sitting and reclining forms on the towering vimanas. There are also many beautiful lion pillared cloisters as well as several bas reliefs in the main shrine of the temple. Inscriptions on the walls that tell of the history of the temple as well as of the city itself . The sculptures are mindblowing and comparable with those in the Kailasanathar temple as they belong to the same era. These sculptures are a legacy of India's architectural history & richness and must be preserved at all costs for the sake of posterity. India's Department of Archeology maintains & preserves this temple.
As per legend devoted worshippers of Siva, on the occasion of Maha Sivarathri, would be blessed with sons who will be devotees of Lord Vishnu. The Pallava king was blessed with a son Parameswara Varman who was a great devotee of Lord Vishnu and built this Vaikuntha Perumal temple, in the 7th century A.D.
This temple gains local importance on the holy night of the Vaishnavites - Vaikunda Ekadasi. Except on that day, this temple is easily accessible to tourists
Kachapeswara Temple: (Siva Kanchi) This temple is believed to have been built by the Pallava dynasty. Legend has it that Vishnu worshipped Siva in the form of a Turtle. The main deity is therefore known as Kachapeswarar - Kacchapa meaning turtle. This is a beautiful temple (but no great architecture) with regular poojas and coming under the administration of the Hindu Religious & Endowments Board. Moolavar Amman is absent but there exisits a shrine for Utsavar. There are also shrines for Vishnu Durgai, Pancha Shakti Vinayakar & Vishnu worshipping Shiva under Murukkai tree (Sthala Vriksham). There is a nice & clean temple tank with steps all around, where devotees can have "Snanam".
Legend: The Devas approached Lord Vishnu and wanted to know the secret of achieving eternal life. HE asked them to get Mout Meru, churn it in the ocean & drink the resultant nectar that is produced. So Devas brought the Meru and with the help of Asuras churned the Ocean using Vasuki as the rope. This churning produced great disturbance undersea and therefore Vishnu took the shape of a turtle and went under water and pivoted Mt.Meru on his back to facilitate smooth churning. However many undersea creatures were disturbed and Vishnu was advised by Siva to go to Kanchipuram and do penance in the form of a turtle under the Murukkai tree.
Sriperumbudur: We left Kanchipuram around 4.30 pm reached the Bangalore-Chennai highway (15 km from Kanchipuram) drove eastward, crossed the Rajiv Gandhi Memorial (an outstanding architectural feat comprising seven beautiful columns) & took a diversion to the left into Sriperumbudur town and visited the ancient Adikesava Perumal Temple, the Avatara Sthala of Saint Ramanuja, the great philosopher of Vaishnavism. Three important idols of the saint carved out during his lifetime, have been installed in Srirangam, Sriperumbudur, his birthplace, and Melkote.
The idol installed in the Sriperumbudur temple was embraced by him, and he transferred all his spiritual powers to it (it is known as "Thaanuhanda Thirumeni" meaning the idol embraced by him).
Ramanujam spent much of his life in Kancheepuram in the service of Lord Varadharaja Perumal. It is said that Perumal appeared in his dream and asked him to go to Srirangam to promote Vaishnavism from there. Hence, at the age of forty he went to Srirangam, where he first performed the daily temple duty of Thirumanjam Kaikariyam (carrying water for the holy bath of the Lord). However, he was elevated to be the Madathipathi of Srirangam Math. Born in 1017 CE, he lived for 120 years and attained Nirvana at Srirangam, where his body has been preserved in a Samadhi.
We reached Chennai around 8.30 pm. For photo gallery log onto: http://picasaweb.google.com/ramakrishnan49/VaikundaPerumalTemple
As per legend devoted worshippers of Siva, on the occasion of Maha Sivarathri, would be blessed with sons who will be devotees of Lord Vishnu. The Pallava king was blessed with a son Parameswara Varman who was a great devotee of Lord Vishnu and built this Vaikuntha Perumal temple, in the 7th century A.D.
This temple gains local importance on the holy night of the Vaishnavites - Vaikunda Ekadasi. Except on that day, this temple is easily accessible to tourists
Kachapeswara Temple: (Siva Kanchi) This temple is believed to have been built by the Pallava dynasty. Legend has it that Vishnu worshipped Siva in the form of a Turtle. The main deity is therefore known as Kachapeswarar - Kacchapa meaning turtle. This is a beautiful temple (but no great architecture) with regular poojas and coming under the administration of the Hindu Religious & Endowments Board. Moolavar Amman is absent but there exisits a shrine for Utsavar. There are also shrines for Vishnu Durgai, Pancha Shakti Vinayakar & Vishnu worshipping Shiva under Murukkai tree (Sthala Vriksham). There is a nice & clean temple tank with steps all around, where devotees can have "Snanam".
Legend: The Devas approached Lord Vishnu and wanted to know the secret of achieving eternal life. HE asked them to get Mout Meru, churn it in the ocean & drink the resultant nectar that is produced. So Devas brought the Meru and with the help of Asuras churned the Ocean using Vasuki as the rope. This churning produced great disturbance undersea and therefore Vishnu took the shape of a turtle and went under water and pivoted Mt.Meru on his back to facilitate smooth churning. However many undersea creatures were disturbed and Vishnu was advised by Siva to go to Kanchipuram and do penance in the form of a turtle under the Murukkai tree.
Sriperumbudur: We left Kanchipuram around 4.30 pm reached the Bangalore-Chennai highway (15 km from Kanchipuram) drove eastward, crossed the Rajiv Gandhi Memorial (an outstanding architectural feat comprising seven beautiful columns) & took a diversion to the left into Sriperumbudur town and visited the ancient Adikesava Perumal Temple, the Avatara Sthala of Saint Ramanuja, the great philosopher of Vaishnavism. Three important idols of the saint carved out during his lifetime, have been installed in Srirangam, Sriperumbudur, his birthplace, and Melkote.
The idol installed in the Sriperumbudur temple was embraced by him, and he transferred all his spiritual powers to it (it is known as "Thaanuhanda Thirumeni" meaning the idol embraced by him).
Ramanujam spent much of his life in Kancheepuram in the service of Lord Varadharaja Perumal. It is said that Perumal appeared in his dream and asked him to go to Srirangam to promote Vaishnavism from there. Hence, at the age of forty he went to Srirangam, where he first performed the daily temple duty of Thirumanjam Kaikariyam (carrying water for the holy bath of the Lord). However, he was elevated to be the Madathipathi of Srirangam Math. Born in 1017 CE, he lived for 120 years and attained Nirvana at Srirangam, where his body has been preserved in a Samadhi.
We reached Chennai around 8.30 pm. For photo gallery log onto: http://picasaweb.google.com/ramakrishnan49/VaikundaPerumalTemple
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
-
Thenilapuram is a small village in Palakkad district of Kerala around 80 Kms south of Coimbatore where I live. We travelled to this village ...
