Monday, October 13, 2008
BENUSAGAR - BIHAR
For an example of a temple-town, once in all her glory and playing all important role in history and now in ruins, there could be no better instance in Bihar than Benusagar, a village in Singhbhum district. Benusagar, now a hamlet with age-old relies, jungles, bushes and snakes, is situated seven miles south from Majgaon by road, in the extreme south-west of the Kolhan area and on the border of Singhbhum district in Bihar and Mayurbhanj district in Orissa. The village takes its name after a large tank to the north of the village. The tank is evidently ancient and is now silted up with weeds. There is a small island in the middle of the tank, which is covered with shrub and jungle; but it is this island which once had a number of temples and throbbed with life and pilgrims. There are a number of low mounds of brick marking the ruins of several old temples and a number of beautifully sculptured images lying half buried in the ground. According to local tradition, the tank was excavated and Raja Benu, son of Raja Keshna of Keshnagarh, built a fort round the township.The ruins with ancient relies had attracted the attention of Col. Tickell, one of the earliest British administrators of Singhbhum district. He visited the place in 1840 and has left the following account of the place: "In Aula pir, to the far south, a few Kols at of the poorest kind have built a wretched, straggling hamlet near the banks of what once was a truly magnificent tank. It is called Benusagar, and is said to have been built by one Raja Benu, who fled from the place owing to the incursions of the Mahrattas. This was probably during the days of the celebrated Murari Rao; for judging by the trees which now luxuriate amidst the buildings, the place must have been deserted and in ruins full 200 years ago. The tank, which I placed as well as the jungle allowed me, is about 600 yards square. On the east bank are the remains of a handsome stone ghat; the west side may be similar, but was inaccessible bv reason of thickets. On the summit of the ample bandh or embankment, surrounding the water, lie stones richly carved? It is probable that they once constituted small temple ranged around. In the centre of the tank does a temple crown an island, now almost a shapeless mass. On the south-east corner of the tank are the debris of a garhi or small fort, which appears to have been a parallelogram of about 300 by 150 yards, enclosed by a massy wall with towers at the corners. In the centre are two sunken platforms, with stone steps descending into them, in which lie idols in all stages of decay; some of these were buried many feet under a loose reddish soil having the appearance of decayed bark. Three of the best preserved of these I took away, with the help of some Nagpur Dhangars, not one of the people of the country daring to touch them. About 300 yards to the south of the garhi is another mound of hillock of broken bricks, which I was told was the office of the Raja.To the west of this, and all along the bank of the tank, the plain now covered with jungle- grass, and here and there cultivated with gora dhan or highland rice by the Kols, is scattered with bricks, showing that a substantial town or bazaar must have existed here."Tickell was neither an archaeologist nor an iconographist. The Archaeological Department had deputed Mr. Beglar who, after a close inspection, ascribed the origin of the temples to the Seventh century A.D. A part of his observations may be quoted: "The sculptures that exist are entirely Brahmanical with two exceptions.The exceptions are small naked figure which, from its evident resemblance t Jaina figures, I take to be Jaina; and a seated figure, Wit the hands in the attitude of teaching, resembling: figure of Buddha and, like many of them, with his head covered by little curls. That this figure is Buddhist, its general re semblance to figures of Buddha inMagadh lead me to believe; still there is nothing impossible in its being Jaina With these two exceptions, all the figures are Brahmanical and almost exclusively Saivic, Ganesh, Kali,Mahisasuri Devi etc., fragments of these being frequent. A remarkable piece of sculpture, of curious and excellent execution and very spirited design, represents the forepart of an elephant elaborately ornamented. The elephant is kneeling, and evidently formed either a pedestal of a figure or projected from the plinth near the entrance of some one of the numerous temples, in a manner similar to the projecting figures of elephants in other parts of India. The excellence of execution and design of this piece of sculpture entitles it to a place in any museum." It is extremely unfortunate that, since Beglar wrote, there has been a further deterioration of the sculpture and many of the images are said to have disappeared. Benusagar and its surrounding area had once evidently played a very great role in the history of Jainism, Buddhism and Brahmanism. The low mounds of bricks found at Benusagar are obviously stupas so well-known in Jain and Buddhistic shrines.Incidentally, it may be mentioned that there are a large number of stupas in the neighboring villages of Keshnagarh, Ruam and Itapukri. These -various places had or still have a number of ancient relies. Ruam has some old remains of a moat, tanks and an accumulation of ancient copper slag and all these indicate a township at one time. About Ruam, L. S.S. O'Malley, the author of the old Singhbhum district gazetteer mentions: "It contains some remains which probably mark a former settlement of the Sravakas or lay Jains, though local tradition ascribes them to a Rajah called Ruam who is said to have a fort here. " O'Malley is probably not -wrong, as Jainism had struck deep roots in Singhbhum along with Manbhum (now Purulia district).Singhbhum borders Kalinga (Orissa). There was active trade and commerce and a constant passage of pilgrims between Kalinga and these areas and the road to Kalinga passed through this region. Singhbhum was also included in the empire of Kharavela, the great Jain Emperor of Orissa.Mahavira Vardhamana, the 24thTirthankara of Jainism, had passed through this area, visiting places in Manbhum and Singhbhum, district and then going to Orissa. Mahavira went to Kalinga, as the king of Kalinga was a friend of his father. An old Jain work, the Haribhadriya-Virtti, mentions this The Emperor Kharavela's famous Hathigumpha inscription has a reference to Gorathagiri (Barabar hills in Gaya), Rajagriha (Rajgir in Patna), and the Gangetic plains of Pataliputra.The route from Kalinga to Magadha, where Gorathagiri, Rajagriha, and Pataliputra were situated, ran through the Singhbhum district. Singhbhum has been referred to in the Jaina treatise of Achranga-Sutra, along with references to the neighboring areas known as Vajjabhumi. Jainism had spread from Bihar to Kalinga through Singhbhum and it is not surprising as we find relies of Jainism scattered in Manbhum and Singhbhum districts. Emperor Asoka was a great patron of Buddhism but he was not unsympathetic or 'bigoted towards Jainism. It can be readily said that during his time there was no active interference with Jaina Munis or Jaina temples. Some of the periods of history relating to the area where Benusagar is located are shrouded in the dark. It is, however, well-known that in the Seventh century A.D. of the Christian era, one Sasanka ruled over this territory. A seal of Sasanka has been found engraved on the hill of Rohtasgarh. Two copper plate records of Sasanka's reign, found at Midnapore, establish that this area too was under his control. Ganjam plates of Madhavaraja Il, dated 61920 A.D., mention hini as Maharajadhiraja, that is, the suzerain lord of Ganjam. From all these data it would be safe to assume that Sasanka had his rule extended from Rohtasgarh to Ganjam in the early half of the Seventh century A. D. and that Singhbhum must have been included within his empire. There is a tradition at Kichang, six miles away from Benusagar in the Keonjhar district of Orissa, that the king named Sasanka built the temples of Benusagar. This Sasanka lost his realm to the combined attack of Harsha and his ally Bhaskaravarman, of Kamarupa.Most of the antiquities at Benusagar could be said to belong to the Pala period. The Bhanjas of Orissa, who split into several branches, also used to assume indepen- dence over some principalities or other whenever any chance occurred. At one time they ruled over a very extensive area in Kalinga (Orissa) and the border tracts of Bengal and Bihar. It is possible that some time or other some of the Bhanja kings had also controlled or ruled Singhbhum district. This is indicated by the similarity in the sculpture of the antiquities found in several villages of Keonjhar, Mayurbhanj and other districts in Orissa and this part of Bihar as in the case of the Benusagar relies. Benusagar must also have had the impact of the invasion of Rajendra Chola the Great, in the 10th century A.D. of the Christian era. Rajendra Chola invaded Orissa and lower Bengal and presumably must have gone through Singhbhum district and the neighboring districts of Mayurbhanj and Keonjhar, which were once feudatory states.Later, Mahipala I of the Pala dynasty established the second Pala empire in which this area, too, was included. Regarding this the revised District Gazetteer of Singhbhum mentions:"This is confirmed by the mention of the various feudatories who helped Ramapala, a descendant of Mahipala 1, in crushing the Kaivartta rebellion in Bengal; and in establishing the third Pala Empire. The Ramacharita of Sandhyakaranandi gives a list of loyal feudatory princes; and: amongst these, is mentioned Lakshmisur of Aparamandara, who is described as the head of the group of feudatory chiefs of all the forest countries; and whose territory was in the neighborhood of that of Surapala, ruler of Kujabati, which is about 14 miles north of Naya Dumka in the Santal Parganas and Rudra-Sikhara, ruler of Tailakampa (Telkupi in the 'Manbhum district). All these show that Lakshmisur headed all the Mankis in the forest tract. He was possibly the medieval chief Manki, a caste that was prevalent in the Chota- nagpur division during the advent of the British rule in Bihar. It is also possible that his territories included Singhbhum." The medieval remains at Benusagar and, as a matter of fact, the remains throughout Singhbhum district, have witnessed a checkered history through the ages. Not withstanding the remote location of Benusagar in an area inhabited by the aboriginal tribes, both Tickell and Beglar had done well in visiting the places. Beglar had visited it twice in 1840 and 1875. The place has since been declared protected under the Ancient Monuments Preservations Act (Act VIII) of 1904. Now a number of archaeological remains have been collected in a particular spot known as Devasthan on the eastern embankment of Benusagar. Devasthain is of recent origin. Its consists of a low enclosure constructed with disjecta from ruined temples and thatched houses. In this enclosed area, and in its proximity, quite a number of stone images have been kept. Some of them are complete and the others are damaged. There are eight phallic emblems of Siva and the foundations of four temples, with their remains scattered round them. The building materials were bricks and two kinds of stones : chlorite and laterite.The devasthan occupies disjecta member testify to the place, where the collected disject member testify to the existence of at least four structures, excluding those which still lie buried under the ground. There are small brick mounds to the north and the south of this devasthan; these mounds probably mark the sties of ancient temples. The present dak bungalow standing on the southern side of the tank has also been erected on this site of a temple. Ample evidence, therefore, exists to conclude that the area round about the tank possesses ruins of several temples, of which none is surviving to our time, though signs of iconoclastic vandalism are absent. In the absence of large-scale excavations, the exact number of structures cannot now be determined. There are eight phallic symbols of Mahadeva, which suggest the existence of eight separate temples. The other miscellaneous images found in the devasthan area were either decorative elements of the fanes or those originally enshrined in the side niches of the temples.The Revised District Gazetteer of Singhbhum mentioned : "The available evidence, therefore, makes it quite clear that Benusagar was a place of worship for the Saivas, possibly a place of Ashta-Sambhu. That the number of Sambhus might have been increased infinitely in later times is also probable. In medieval eastern India, a practice has grown up to establish places of worship, with eight phallic emblems of Siva- Mahadeva; and several places shared this feature with Benusagar. These are Bhuvaneswar in Orissa, Kiching in the Mayurbhanj district, a place only five miles to the south of Benusagar,Khekparta near Lohardaga in the district of Ranchi. Since none of the temples have survived, it is difficult to opine about the style of temple architecture that was prevalent at Benusagar; but, the examples of such places as Kiching and Ranipur-Jural possibly indicate that they followed the Nagara style of temples. Hypothetically, we may be permitted to assume that the temples at Benusagar belong to the distant epochs. The first between 8th or 9th century A.D., when the Palas under Dharmapala and Devapala established the Pala Empire from Kanauj up to the sea coast; and the second from 10th to 11th century A.D., when the second Pala Empire was established by Mahipala I. According to tradition, Raja Benu, son of Raja Keshna of Keshnagarh, excavated the tank of Benusagar. Keshnagarh with the ruins of a fort was visited by Mr. Beglar but no object of special interest isreported to have been found by him" *
KONCH - BIHAR
Konch is a large village about eighteen miles from Gaya on the Gaya-Daudnagar road. Gaya is the headquarters of the Gaya district and is served by the Gaya railway station of the Eastern Railway (Grand Chord line). It is also well situated on an all-weather road from Calcutta to Mughalsarai. Passenger buses run daily from Gaya to Daudnagar via Konch. Horsedrawn light vehicles (ekkas) are also available. There is an Inspection Bungalow available to the public at Tikari, which is four miles away from Konch. Ekkas are also available at Tikari. Passenger buses too ply from Tikari.Konch contains remains of numerous temples, but the principal one is an ancient temple entirely of bricks. The temple is a square building, the dimension of which on the outside is 27 feet 6 inches square with a chamber inside 11 feet square. The entrance is to the east. The height is nearly 70 feet. It has two storeys. The lower story is vaulted in the Hindu fashion, that is, it has two arched roofs meeting in a ridge. Bricks overlapping on all the four sides till they meet at a point form the upper storey. The doorway isalmost as high as the room inside. The construction of the temple in bricks is a feat of high engineering skill considering the time it was built.There is a mandap or a flat-roofed pillared hall in front. The mandap has now crumbled down. The stone pillars that supported it are lying in front of the temple. They are granite pillars and are ornamented by a single lotus carved on each of the faces in the lowest square portions of the pillars. This mandap was most likely built to form a roof for the accommodation of the large collection of statues assembled there. A casual look at the Konch temple brings to mind the image of the Mahabodbi temple at Bodh Gaya. As a matter of fact, there is a theory that the ancient brick built temple at Konch served as the model for the Mahabodhi temple. But the Konch temple differs from the Mahabodhi temple at Bodh Gaya in that the latter has its four, sides straight from top to bottom, while the Konch temple has its sides curved in the, upper portion. Moreover, the Bodh Gaya temple has numerous niches with images and ornamentation’s on the exterior of its walls, whereas the exterior of the Konch temple has no such niches. In the temple at Konch each wall is divided externally into seven phases by deeply recessed upright lines. These divisions still remain strongly pronounced, while a general coat of plaster mostly conceals the curved ornamentation.The lower rectangular portion gives admission into the sanctum. The portion above consists of an upper rectangle surmounted by a triangular opening. This upper portion of the opening leads to the upper chamber. J. D. Beglar, Assistant Archaeological Surveyor at that time, had visited the place during 1872-73 and he has mentioned in his report (1878) that the tower was surmounted by a cylindrical pinnacle as in the ease of the temple of Bodh Gaya. This pinnacle had a hemispherical top. It also appears from his observations that the upper portion of the opening threw light on the object of worship, while the front of the object was dark. With the construction of the upper chamber the whole of the interior has now become dark.The statues and other relies, whether inside or lying about, is Brahmanical. Inside the temple there are statues of Haragauri and the Ashta Saktis. The most interesting piece inside the shrine is a panel sculpture of the Dashavataras representing, Vishnu. A remarkable fact is that the Konch temple representation of the Dashavataras differs from such representations elsewhere as it divides the Vamana, avatara into two scenes by leaving out the ninth or the Buddha avatara and by representing Vishnu in the tenth or Kalki avatara along with a female deity with a small horse standing in front. These Dasharataras are exquisitely sculptured.A fish standing vertically on its tail represents the fish incarnation. The tortoise incarnation bears a close resem- blance to the Saivic emblems of the argha and lingam with the sole addition of a couple of human figures on the sides holding a string which is wound round the lingam; the lingam thus does the duty of Mount Mandar.This temple of Siva worship is clearly of Brahmanical origin. The construction, the images and the tradition all support this. It has not yet been definitely established as to when this temple was originally constructed. The massiveness of the pillars shows that it must have been built at a very early period.Tradition assigns it to Bhairavendra and also suggests it be dedicated to Surya. Beglar recorded the following lines of a ballad very popular in the area when lie carried out the archaeological survey in 1872-73:Konch base' sab soch mite'Durj Raj pasend Maha", mun gyan' Bed Puranan Ki Charcha'Tanha, Punjat hei a'd Bhawa'ni'Sah, sara’f, haraf, chaab jiwan par bin bhakha'niTatenhi Tatenhi Thun Mathu Ki Ja’nha' detAbhy bar Sewsimbha Bhawasii.These lines mean:"Konch was established, all troubles ceased, Durj Raj chose a wise Mahamuni (as chief?), and discourse of Vedas and Puranas spread. There is worshipped Bhavani; merchants, good men, evil men, all life (heard of) the fame; on going (there) the gift of fearlessness and virile strength is bestowed by Siva and Bhavani." (Translation is Beglar's).Beglar, however, himself recorded that many people of the locality did not agree with the interpretation, as many of the words are obsolete. At present these lines are almost forgotten in the locality. It may be mentioned that Kanch or Koncheswara is a name of Lord Siva. It was suggested that the lingam inside and the panel of sculpture of the Dashavatara, coupled with the absence of figures or images on the exterior, indicated that this Siva temple, of prior origin to the Buddhist edifices in the Gaya district. The exterior of the temple with the missing cylindrical pinnacle mentioned by Beglar has further led to the theory that the Konch temple was the model on which the Mahabodhi temple of Bodh Gaya was built. This theory has not, however, been investigated properly. In Hiuen Tsangs description this temple is stated to have been built by a Brahman. He puts the probable date of the construction between the, First and Sixth Century A.D. Beglar's visit to the temple in 1872-73 has left for us a record of how he found the temple. Beglar has also given his opinion as to the age of the temple and discards the view that it was originally a Buddhist chaitya where a lingam was introduced. According to him the temple is clearly a Brahmanical one and dedicated to Lord Siva. He has fully supported Hiuen Tsang's observation that this was a Hindu temple.Beglar's account of the -external shape of the Konch temple is interesting and may be quoted. He observed: "The external shape of the tower, however, differs from that of the great Buddha Gaya temple in being a curved and not a straight-sided pyramid; it is consequently more graceful than the temple at Buddha Gaya. The ornamentation externally consists of a great oval on each face, at a point nearly in the middle of the total height of the tower proper, and of various mouldings and indentations rather sparingly used; the whole of the ornamen- tation is of brick cut to shape, and it is evident from the way the ornaments are distributed, that the whole of it was cut on the external faces of the tower after it had been built up plain. The labor required may easily be imagined too; this is due to the fact that the face of the brick-work is so even; for I do not think it possible without subsequent laborious rubbing down, that any amount of care in setting the bricks, and iri the preservation of the shape and sharpness of edges of the bricks during manufacture, could produce the wonder- fully smooth even face that the work has to this day, not with- standing the ravages of time."The temple does not appear to have been originally covered with plaster, but portions of it are now covered with plaster, the remains, no doubt, of a coat put on at some subsequent period. "The tower is, or was surmounted by a cylindric pinnacle like the temple of Buddha Gaya. This sort of pinnacle is very remarkable, and its form resembling a lingam may be more than a mere accident of construction. Constructively, it was evidently impossible to form in brick the amalaka which invariably surmounts temples of stone, itself again surmounted by either urns or tapering discs ending in a spire."Major General Cunningham, however, was of the opinion that the date of this temple should be ascribed to the Eighth Century A.D.According to the commonly accepted tradition, however, Bhairavendra who lived in 1450 A.D built the temple. There is no accurate information as to when this Bhairavendra actually lived. It has been pointed out that the style and the general appearance of the temple have a great similarity to the temples at Deo and Umga in Gaya district. The two temples at Deo and Umga are taken to have been built about the 8th century A.D.Major General Cunningham and H. B. Garrick who had visited the place in 1880-81 have observed: "I found nothing that appeared to give any clue to the age of the temple save the great front opening formed by overlapping bricks, like those of Buddha Gaya temple, an the later temples of Deo-Barnarak and Mahadeopur. From its general resem- blance in other respects to the Barnarak temples, I conclude that it may be of the same age, that is about the 8th century A.D."T. Bloch, Archaeological Surveyor, Bengal Circle, had visited the area in 1902 and, agreeing with this view, had observed about Konch, Utren, Deo and Umga temples in Bihar as follows: " I have grouped these places together, because I consider it evident that the temple at Konch is of the same period as the temple at Deo and Umga. The resem- blance in style is remarkable. It originally had in front a flat-roofed pillared hall or mandapa which still may be seen on an old photograph, taken by Mr. Peppe, but which now hat fallen in, the stone pillars supporting it still lying in front of thetemple. The same is characteristic for the temples at Deo and Umga, and the ornamentation of the Spire at Deo also is of the same kind as at Konch. The temple at Umga is plain, without ornaments. Moreover, tradition points to Bhairavendra, who lived about 1459 A.D., as the builder of the Konch temple. From his time also date, as we know from local inscriptions, the principal monuments at Deo and Umga. For these reasons, I think that the hitherto accepted date of the Konch temple, viz., eighth century A -D. should be put back for some seven centuries. The temple at Konch is not in a good state of preservation; although repaired some time ago, a great portion of the brick wall in front of the spire has fallen down. The building is worth being kept in a permanent state of repairs."To the cast of the temple there is a large sheet of water with brick-covered mounds on all sides. In the west there is a ruined temple, 12 feet 3 inches square inside, and at the north-western corner there is a second ruined temple only 7 feet 8 inches square inside, with walls 2 feet 9 ½ inches thick. The Konch village, which stands to the south of the lake and the great temple, has also several sculptured images of which the best are a figure of Vishnu and a seated Buddha.The temple is daily visited by a large number of local devotees. Special puja is offered on Shivaratri and other auspicious days to propitiate Lord Shiva when large crowds visit the temple. A big mela is held during the Shivaratri festival and thousands of people assemble, in the mela. It is a pity such an important and famous temple, which may have been taken as a model for the Mahabodhi temple of Gaya, should remain neglected and unprotected under the Ancient Monuments Act. Rapid decay has already set in and it is believed a large number of relies have already been removed.
NALANDA TEMPLE - BIHAR
The village Nalanda in the district of Patna has a very hoary history recalling the days of Mahavira and Buddha. Nalanda is 55 miles south-east of Patna and seven miles north of Rajgir, the ancient Rajagriha. Nalanda is now served by a branch section of the Eastern Railway from Bakhtiarpur station on the Howrah-Mughalsarai route. Nalanda is also well connected by an all-weather road with Patna via Bakhtiarpur and several passenger buses run daily from Patna to Rajgir via Nalanda and back. A number of taxis are also available at Bakhtiarpur railway station, which is at a distance of 25 miles from Nalanda. Ekkas and rickshaws are available at Nalanda. There is an Inspection Bungalow and some dharamshala.3 at Nalanda. The visitors can also stay at Rajgir, only seven miles away, where a large number of rests houses, dormitories, dharmashalas, besides private houses are available on rent.A large number of ancient Buddhist establishments, stupas, chaityas, temples and monastery sites have been excavated and they show that this was one of the most important Buddhist centres of worship and culture.Regarding the historicity of Nalanda, we read in Jaina texts that Mahavira Vardhamana spent as many as fourteen rainy seasons in Nalanda. Pali Buddhist literature, too, has ample references to Nalanda, which used to be visited by Lord Buddha. During the days of Mahavira and Buddha, Nalanda was apparently a very prosperous temple city, a great place of pilgrimage and the site of a celebrated university.It is said that Asoka gave offerings to the chaitya of Sariputra at Nalanda and erected a temple there. Tara- nath mentions this and also that Nagarjuna, the famous Mahayana philosopher of the second century A.D., studied at Nalanda. Nagarjuna later became the high-priest there. Suvishnu, a Brahmanacontemporary of Nagarjuna, was supposed to have built 108 temples at Nalanda to prevent the decline of both the Hinayana and the Mahayana schools of Buddhism.Aryadeva, a philosopher of the Madhyamika School of Buddhism (Fourth Century A.D.), Asanga, a Buddhist philosopher of the Yogachara school (Fifth Century A.D.) and Vasubandhu (brother of Asanga) were actively associated with Nalanda.The excavations at Nalanda, according to the archaeologists, do not, however, reveal anything substantial to suggest the occupation of the site before the Guptas. The copper plates of Samudragupta and the coin of Kumaragupta, discovered in the course of the excavations, are the earliest datable finds. According to Hiuen Tsang, one Sakraditya built a monastery at Nalanda and several of his successors, namely, Buddhagupta, Tathagatagupta, Baladitya and Vajra built somemonasteries nearby. Sakraditya has been identified with Mahendraditya, i.e., Kumaragupta I (c. 413-455). Buddhagupta seems to be the same as Buddhagupta (c. 476-96) and Baladitya seems to be the king who had to encounter the Huna chief, Mihirakula, early in the Sixth Century. Fa Hien, who -visited India in the early Fifth Century, however, does not mention the monastic establishments, although he mentions that the village Nalo was the place of birth and death of Sariputra and had a stupa. Nalo may be Nalanda. Hiuen Tsang had visited Nalanda and had seen an 80' high copper image of the Buddha raised by Purna-varman. Hiuen Tsang also mentions that king Harsha- vardhana of Kanauj (606-647) at Nalanda was building a large monastery of brass. It is said that one thousand monks from Nalanda were present at the royal congregation at Kanauj. Nalanda was a flourishing university teaching hundreds of students when Hiuen Tsang visited the place.Hiuen Tsang's account mentions a number of monasteries and temples at Nalanda. He studied philosophy, logic, grammar, medicine and Atharvaveda at Nalanda University. He had very high praise for the priests and students and was struck by the great fervor with which discussions used to be held from morning till night. Hiuen Tsang was given the name of Mokshadeva at Nalanda.After Hiuen Tsang as many as 11 Chinese and Korean travelers had visited Nalanda. Another pilgrim who stayed at Nalanda for a considerable time was Tsang. He mentions that there were more than 3,000 monks at the Nalanda monastery and that they were supported by more than 200 villages gifted by kings. The older monks helped the younger ones. A basic knowledge of the Tripitakas was the minimum qualification required of all the monks who came to learn. They were subjected to a severe test before they could be admitted for a course of study. He also mentions about the strict rules of discipline that the monks were observing and that there daily life was regulated by a water clock.The Pala emperors, who held East India from the 8th to the 12th Century A.D., had also been very sympathetic to Nalanda and they were known to have established a number of other monasteries in Bihar and other Provinces. One of these was Vikramasila, which is generally identified with Patherghatta in Bhagalpur district. The Odantapuri monastery established by the Palas is said to be atthe site of the modern town of Bihar in Patna districting only five miles from Nalanda.The monasteries and the university at Nalanda had a long line of great scholars, some of whom have been mentioned. One of them was Dignaga, the founder of the mediaeval school of logic. Dharmapala was another great scholar who had just retired before Hiuen Tsang's arrival. Silabhadra was the head of the Nalanda monasteries when Hiuen Tsang visited the place. Silabhadra was probably succeeded by Dharmakirti, who is said to have defeated Kumaralila, a renowned Brahmanical philosopher. Padmasambhava, a great Buddhist scholar from Nalanda, had visited Tibet. He is credited with having founded the institution of Lamaism in Tibet. Another Nalanda scholar, Santarakshita, had also visited Tibet and stayed on there till his death in 762.There are also a large number of authoritative epigraphic and literary references, which help one in the reconstruction of the history of Nalanda. Some of the images with inscriptions and copper plates are preserved in the Patna and Nalanda museums. One of the important Nalanda stone inscriptions, discovered in 1863, refers to the eleventh year of Mahipala I. This inscription also refers to the destruction of Nalanda by fire and its subsequent restoration. The excavations made in Nalanda show unmistakable signs of such a fire. The end of Nalanda as one of the most important and glorious centres of Buddhistic monasteries and temples can only be explained in the context of the wider issue of the decline of Buddhism from India. Bihar and Bengal were the last two provinces where the light of Buddhism was kept aflame with the help of royal patronage. Tantricism had already crept in as is amply borne out even by some of the finds in Nalanda. Buddhism was already on the decline when Hiuen Tsang visited the place. Many of the important centres of early Buddhism were found deserted by him. The preaching of Kumarilabhatta and Sankara-charya in the Eighth century brought in a revival of Brahmanical Hinduism and a consequent decline of Buddhism, which had already decayed considerably. The Muslim invaders were fanatic against the Buddhist monks and monasteries, and their fanaticism led to the final destruction of in any of them. The Buddhist laity had almost disappeared and royal patronage had dried up. These two pillars being removed, it was no wonder Buddhism disappeared under file impact of Muslim fanaticism. It is said that Mohammad Bakhtiar Khilji destroyed Nalanda and the monks were either killed or had fled. The great collection of works the result of centuries ofscholastic studies-and manuscripts were burnt or destroyed. According to a Tibetan source, there was a sort of revival after the raid of the Turks and a temple was reerected at 'Nalanda. There was a lamentable quarrel between tile Brahmana sadhus and the Buddhist monks, as a result of -whie. fire was set to the Buddhist temples and the great conflagration that followed destroyed Ratnodadhi, one of the libraries of Nalanda.Buchanan Hamilton had visited tile place in the first quarter of tile 19th century and his memories show that he had seen a number of Brahmanical and Buddhist images. The place remained neglected till the sixties of the 19th century when General Cunningham identified the place with the ancient Nalanda. To we owe a very great debt, as it was lie who actually re-discovered Nalanda andthus astounded the world. Cunningham identified the place with the ancient Nalanda mainly oil the basis of the distances and the directions given by the Chinese pilgrims and from the epigraphical evidences of some inscriptions he found. Bradley carried out some excavations and published a monograph in 1872. The Royal Asiatic Society of London gave a liberal grant and the Archaeological Survey of India, with the help of this grant, took up a well-planned excavation of the site of Nalanda from 1915. Later on, the Archaeological Survey of India did the excavations on its own resources. Great results have been achieved by theactivities of the Archaeological Survey of India and a very large number of relies have been found and the monuments were saved from further ruin. Nalanda, as the site of a great temple city at one time, is one of the most important visiting places in India now. Some references have to be made as to the results of the excavations. There is an archaeological museum at Nalanda and the Custodian of the museum issues admission tickets, for a very small fee, to see the monuments at the site and the museum. The approach road to the site of the excavation leads one through an old passage and on the left is the monastery site No. 1 and on the right monastery sites Nos. 4 and 5. The most imposing and the largest structure is the main stupa site No. 3.This stupa is a huge square structure standing in the middle of a court surrounded by small votive stupas. Five of these stupas are extremely wellpreserved. There is a large stone image of Avalokit- esvara. There is also a small shrine with an image believed to be of Nagarjuna. Monastery sites No. Mr. A. Ghosh has described me as the most important of the monastery group, with as many m, nine strata and each of them is indicated by concrete pavements and super-imposed walls and drains. The monastery contains a number of monk cells with wide verandahs in front. A copper plate inscription of Dharmapala (c. 770-815), the predecessor of Devapala, and another one of Samudra- gupta, of the Gupta dynasty (c. 335-75), were found here. Monastery site 'No. 4 has also a large number of cells as in other monasteries and it is here that a coin of Kumaragupta (A.D. 413-55) was found. Mr. Ghosh mentions: "Traces, of the (destruction of the lower monastery by fire exist in the burnt wooden door frames and mud mortar of the face masonry of the walls". There are in all eleven monasteries, sites and several chaitya sites that have been excavated. All them have extremely interesting finds for the ordinary visitor, not to speak of the student of archaeology. For the students of temple history, a ruined stone temple, described in the Archaeological Survey of India Report as Stone Temple site No. 2, is of great importance. We would do well to quote the fine description of it given by Shri Ghosh: "Specially interesting here is the dado of 211 sculptural panels over the moulded plinth. These panels are symmetrically arranged, 20 appearing on each side of the main entrance and 57 in each of the three remaining walls. The pilasters intervening between the panels are decorated with pot-and-foliage design and are surmounted by arches, some of them being pointed. There is a large variety of scenes depicted on them; human figures in variousattitudes; household scenes; kinnaras playing on musical instruments; Siva and Parvati separately or together-, Kartikeya on his peacock; the gods Agni, Kubera, Gajalakshmi; the child Gautama with his writing material; scenes of archery; the Kachchhapa Jataka: a human-headed bird with a foliated tail; makara designs; a snake charmer; geometrical and scroll patterns etc. The visitor will at once be reminded of the terracotta plaques that are arranged in rows on the different terraces of the huge temple at Paharpur in the Rajshahi district of Bengal. A striking similarity is noticeable in both the places not only in the subjects depicted but also in their arrangement and style of execution. "It has been suggested that the sculptures belong to the Sixth or Seventh Century A.D. As, the present temple' seems to belong to a later date, it is likely that the sculptures originally belonged to an earlier temple and were utilized to decorate the present temple when it was built."The row of panels is surmounted by two or, at some places three cornices, which are also decorated at intervals with chaitya motif, birds, human beads etc. As one gets up by the staircase facing east, one finds oneself oil il pradakshinapatha or circumambulation path, upon which rises a shrine show in two different states of construction'’.Iti chaitya site. No. 12 there are two brick shrines and in each there is a colossal stucco statue of the Buddha in Bhumisparsa mudra. * To the east of chaitya site No. 14 is an inscribed statue of the Buddha again in Bhumisparsa mudra and attended by several figures. The pedestal gives the names of the female donor. Nearby there is another colossal image of the Buddha in Dharma chakra mudra. Again, close by there is an image of Marichi, the Buddhist goddess of dawn. Marichi has three faces of which that of a pig and there are seven pigs represented on the pedestal. The Buddhist image has been adopted as a Hindu deity by the villagers and is worshipped.It may be mentioned that a large number of images have also been found in the neighboring villages of Bargoan, Begampur and Jagdishpur. At Bargoan there is a modern temple of Surya, where we have a collection of a number of Brahmanical and Buddhist images like Surya, Vishnu, Siva- Parvati,Avalokitesvara, Parvati, etc. In a tank nearby many Buddhist and Brahmanical gods, including mukha- lingams, have been found. At Jagdishpur, about two miles to the south- west of the excavations, there is a large image of Buddha seated under a Bodhi tree and a number of incidents of Lord Buddha's life are sculptured oil the top of the back slab which supports this, colossal figure of the Buddha. The Nalanda museum has an exclusive collection of images of the, Pala, Gupta and other periods. The images are either Buddhistic or Brahmanical and several of them show clear Tantric influence. Some of the images are in bronze. The Buddha images are of various types and so are the images of the Bodhisattvas. There are some images of common types of Manjushri Bodhisattvas. There are also finely executed images of Jambhala, the Buddhist (rod of wealth, Tara Prajnapara- mita, Marichi, Hariti, Srasvati, Aparajita, etc. Brahmanical images include those of Vishnu, Balarama, Siva-Parvati, Surya, Durga, Mahishasurmardini, Revanta, Ganesha, etc.The museum has also a collection of copper plates, stone inscriptions, and brick inscriptions, ceiling plaques, coins, carved bricks, pottery and small heaps of burnt rice. Nalanda naturally attracts thousands of visitors who draw great inspiration from the surroundings and the findings and go back with nostalgic memories of what a great temple-city Nalanda once was.
VAISALI TEMPLE - BIHAR
Vaisali was once a prosperous town and the centre of Jain culture. It has declined in glory considerably but attempts are being made to revive it.Vaisali is a village connected by road with the headquarters of a sub-division of Hajipur, Muzaffarpur district, as well as with Muzaffarpur, the district headquarters town. It is 22 miles from Hajipur and 30 miles from Muzaffarpur by road. The nearest railway station is Hajipur. Passenger buses run from both Muzaffar- pur and Hajipur to Vaisali. Horse- drawn ekkas and rickshaws are also available at Hajipur station.Vaisali is an ancient place. It finds mention in the Ramayana. The legend is that the Ikshvaku queen Alambusha had a son Visala, who had founded the city named Visalapuri. Sumati, who had played host to Sri Ramchandra, was one of the descendants of Visala. The Puranas also mention King Visala. Sri Ramchandra is supposed to have passed one night here while going to Janakpur. During the time of Vardhamana Mahavira, the 24th of the Jain Tirthankaras and a contemporary of Lord Buddha, Vaisali was a prosperous place. Mahavira Vardhamana had visited it. A large section ofSwetambar Jains takes Vaisali to be the birth-place of Mahavira. But this is riot accepted by all the Swetambar Jains. Nor do a large section of Digambar Jains accept Vaisali as the birthplace of Mahavira. In recent years, however, the bulk of the Jains of Bihar and some other places have started treating Vaisali to be the birth-place of Mahavira and Mahavira Jayanti-the birth-day of Lord Mahavira-is now celebrated with great pomp at Vaisali.According to others, however,Kundaligram in Monghyr district is the birth-place of Mahavira Vardhamana. The third theory is that Mahavira was born at Kundalpur, near Nalanda, in Patna district. Whichever be the place of birth of Lord Mahavira, there is no doubt that Vaisali was the chief seat of Government of the Vrju Lichchavis in Mahavira's time and Vanijagrama,adjoining Vaisali, was the centre of trade and commerce. While describing the historicity of this glorious place, Dr. Radha Kumud Mookerji in his article "Vaisali in Indian History and Culture" mentions: "Vaisali was then at the height of its prosperity with its three districts containing, according to the Tibetan tradition, houses numbering 7000, 14000 and 21000 respectively, and, according to a Jataka, was encompassed by three wallswith their separate gates and watch-towers. According to the Mahavastu, the citizens of Vaisali were distinguished as Adhantara Vaisalikas, the cockneys of the city, and Babira Vaisalikas, the citizens of Greater Vaisali outside the Metropolis and their total number was "twice 84000" i.e. 1,68,000. The early Buddhist work Mahavagga describes Vaisali as 'an opulent, prosperous and populous town, with 7707 storeyed-buildings, 7707 Aramas and 7707 lotus-ponds,' with its Rajas or chiefs also numbering 7707. It will not be quite fair to assume that this description of the city contained in canonical Buddhist texts is imaginary oz, fictitious. Each of these chiefs decorated the capital with a variety of structures, houses and places, chaityas and viharas. The Buddhist texts single out eight of its famous, chaityas which were (i) Udena to the east of Vaisali, (ii) Gotamaka, to the south, (iii) Saptamraka (Sattamba) to the west, (iv) Bahuputra on the north, (v) Chapala, (vi) Kapinahya, (vii) Sarandada and (viii) Markatahrada. The Lichchavis of Vaisali made a gift of all those shrines to the Buddha.There could be no doubt that the personality and preaching, of Mahavira rapidly built up Vaisali as a centre of Jainism and of the spiritual discipline and asceticism upon which it was based. Vaisali thus achieved an early reputation in the religious world of India for its teachers devoted to the practice of uttermost penance and austerity of which Mahavira stood out as the most prominentexample". This Lichchavi capital of Vaisali was commonly known as Basarh and continued in comparative oblivion till 1903 when the Department of Archaeology sponsored a series of excavations. Dr. Bloch carried out the first excavations from 1903 and Dr. Spooner continued this work in 1912. Through the efforts of the Archaeological Department a large number of terracotta figurines, pieces of pottery, inscribed seals etc. have been found at Vaisali. Dr. Bloch found over 700 clay sealings and about 1100 seal impressions of approximately 120 varieties, which were mostly of unbaked clay, and went back to the days of the Guptas in the Fourth and Fifth Centuries A.D. The scripts on the seals are said to be of the Gupta type, but the emblems on them have no Buddhist symbols. Most of the seals refer to officials, guilds, corporations, temples and private individuals. The seals are preserved in the Patna Museum.Among the types of pottery found in different strata, there are wares, jar, bottle-necked jar, cooking pans, lamp, perforated lid with figure of peacock etc.In the course of the last ten years a great attempt has been made by the Jains and others, liberally helped by the State Government, to revive the glory of Vaisali. Excavations are being carried out and many more relies have been found. A fine -modern temple has been built, with an image of Mahavira Vardhamana installed therein. The temple is artistically erected and has started attracting pilgrims. On Mahavira Jayanti day thousands of pilgrims offer puja here. Vaisali was selected as the site for rearing an institution for the study of Jainology. An ancient Jain image found in the recent excavations has been preserved. A small museum has been sponsored at Vaisali itself and a large number of finds are kept there. On the occasion of Mahavira Jayanti a big mela is held which is attended by thousands of people. Cultural meetings are a usual feature of the Mahavira Jayanti celebrations.Vaisali is also important for the Buddhists. Buddha visited the place thrice. It was at Vaisali that the second great Buddhist Council was held. While sojourning at Vaisali, Buddha permitted the nuns to enter the Sangh, against his personal wishes, at the request of Ananda, his favourite disciple, and his foster mother, Maha Prajapati, became the first Buddhist nun at Vaisali.
SOUTH INDIAN TEMPLES 2
AdiKumbeswara Temple
Shiva
Idols :
Adi Kumbeswara,Mangalambika
Description :
Adi Kumbeswara temple is situated on the banks of river Cauvery in the temple town of Kumbakonam which is considered one of the seven important holy cities of India. Of the many Shiva temples in Kumbakonam, the temple of Adi Kumbeswara is considered very sacred. The presiding deity here is Sri AdiKumbeswara and His consort is Mangalambika. The AdiKumbeswara temple is famous for its Mahamagam tank. The great Mahamagam festival, attracting lakhs of people from far and wide, is celebrated in honour of Sri Kumbeswara. It is celebrated once in every 12 years. It is believed that on this auspicious day the tank receives supplies of water from the Ganges and eight other holy rivers and all the deities are said to remain present here on that occasion. The Mahamagam tank is also known as Anuratha theertham, Kanni theertham and Papanasa theertham. A Mutt of Sri Sankaracharya of Kanchipuram is built in this city. It is the Headquarters of Sri Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam. Kumbakonam has got so many temples of Siva and Vishnu and numerous mutts and religious institutions to inculcate Bhakthi in the masses and elevate their souls and minds from all vices and worldly pursuits towards spiritual advancements.
Architecture :
This celebrated temple is situated in the heart of the town facing the east and occupies an area of 1,89,000 sq.feet. The main gopuram, is 128 feet in height and contains many figures of rare and exquisite beauty. There are four prakarams to the temple in which rows of houses, shops, and many shrines dedicated to Vinayaka,subramanya, Bhikshatana, Sapta Kannikas,etc.may be found. The Vanni maram which is the sthala vriksha is found in the third prakaram. The shrine of Adi Vinayaka is also found in this prakaram. Vinayaka was named so because, it is said that he came there even before Lord Shiva came to this place. The temple also contains some wonderful pieces of sculpture and architecture. All the 27 stars and 12 rasis have been artistically carved on a single block of stone in the Navarathri Mandapam. The image of Lord Subramanya is a rare specimen with six heads but only six hands,holding powerful weapons. The mahamagam tank is surrounded on all sides by 16 beautiful mandapams.
Festivals :
The Maha Magham Festival is celebrated once in 12 years in the month of Masi (Feb - Mar), when Jupiter passes through the sign of Leo. The devout believe that the nine sacred rivers of India appear in this tank on the Mahamagam day.
Legends & Myths :
During Maha Pralaya after Dwapara Yuga, a Kumbam full of Amaruth and Seeds of Creation was set afloat by Lord Shiva. The Lord proclaimed that the place where the pot touched the ground would be considered the holiest of all the places. When the Kumbam finally rested in this place, the Lord appeared in the guise of a hunter and broke the Kumba with His arrow. The Amruth got split and pooled in a place which became the famous Mahamagam Tank. The Lord then gathered the sand wet with the remaining nector and shaped it into a Mahalingam called Shri AdiKumbeswara. The divine consort is Mangalambiga. The nectar in the broken pot spread out on the ground up to a distance of 5 Krosas,i.e.,10 miles, and touched the five famous shrines of Siva around Kumbakonam, namely Tiruvidaimarudur, Tirunageswaram, Tiru Dharasuram, Tiruvoragam and Tirupadalavanam, and hence these five places came to be known as Pancha Krosa Sthalas. A pilgrim is required to visit these places first before entering the temple of Adi Kumbeswarar to offer worship.
Location :
Kumbakonam,TamilNadu
Transportation :
Air: Trichy(92 km) Rail: On Chennai-Trichy line. Road: Connected to all major cities.
Near by Temples :
Sarankapani temple, Kasi Visvanatha, Someswara, Gautameswara and Vedaranya Perumal.
Adinathaswamy Temple
Vishnu
Idols :
Adinathaswamy
Description :
Alwar Tirunagari is situated at 20 miles east of Tirunelveli and 17 miles west of Tiruchendur. It is a very famous Vaishnavite centre and contains one of the largest temples in the district of Tirunelveli, dedicated to Lord Vishnu as Adinathaswamy. It is also the birth place of Saint Nammalwar and Manavalamuni. There are nine sacred Vaishnavite centres on the banks of river Thambraparni, known as Nava Tirupatis. Alwar Thirunagari called as Thirukurugur, is one among them. The other places are Srivaikuntam, Thiruvaragunamangai, Thirukulanthai, Thirupulingudi, Thirukolur, Thiruperai and the two shriines of Thirutholaivillimangalam, together called as Rettai or Twin Tirupatis. Within the temple walls, there is a very big tamarind tree whose bark is stripped by devotees for using as a medicine for the cure of otherwise incurable diseases. During the flowering season, the tree is loaded with flowers but bears no fruit. The origin of the tree dates back to thousands of years and is known only by legend which has held it in great sanctity from the hoary past.
Architecture :
The Adinathaswamy temple has a grand structure with lofty mandapams through which the main entrance leads to the inner precincts. A number of paintings depicting scenes from the Ramayana are found here. There are some 48 remarkable pillars, carved out of a single block of granite. There is also a gold-plated chariot for the ceremonial drive of Lord Adinathaswamy during the Vaikasi festival, which is celebrated during the month of May - June.
Legends & Myths :
The story goes that the tree is none other than Adisesha, the Heavenly serpent-couch of Lord Vishnu, who took the form of a tree and remained near the Adinathaswamy temple to receive Lord Vishnu at a later date. It was at the suggestion of the divine architect Viswakarma that Siva sent Agastya to the South to restore the balance of the land upset by the gods assembling in Kailas to witness his marriage. Angry with Viswakarma for preventing him from beholding Siva's marriage, Agastya cursed him saying, "Though you are a first-rate architect and engineer, your work shall not be accepted as original or geniune and you shall not be paid the worth of your skill and labour". Getting angry at these words, Viswakarma cursed him in return. These legendary curses wore supposed to bear their immediate consequences. So sage Agastya prayed to Lord Siva to grant him the boon that the Tamil language might attain the same importance and glory as the language of the Vedas. Siva appeared before him and said that soon an Alwar would be born on the earth and he would raise the standard of the Tamil language to its full height.
Location :
AlwarTirunagari,TamilNadu
Transportation :
Rail: Tirunelveli-Tiruchendur railroute. Road: Alwar Tirunagari is situated at 20 miles east of Tirunelveli and 17 miles east of Tiruchendur.
Near by Temples :
Venkatachalapathy temple at Krishnapuram, Sri Subramanya temple at Triuchendur, SriVaikuntanatha temple at SriVaikuntam, and Papavinasar temple at Papanasam.
Adipuriswarar Temple
Shiva
Idols :
Adipuriswarar
Description :
Thiruvottriyur is a famous pilgrim centre, 10 Km from Chennai. The Siva temple here is dedicated to Adipureeswara. It is said that the linga therein, is in the form of an ant hill. Saivite saint Pattinathar attained mukti here. Devotees worship at the Pattinathar Samadhi. Another Saivite saint connected with this temple is Sundarar, who in the presence of this God is said to have married SangiliNachiyar.
Location :
Thiruvottriyur,TamilNadu
Transportation :
Tiruvottriyur is 10 km from Chennai.
Near by Temples :
Triplicane Parthasarathi temple and Mylapore Kapaleeswarar temple at Chennai, Amman temples at Tiruverkadu and Mangadu,Shiva temple at Tirukkazhukundram.
AdiSankara Temple
Shiva
Idols :
AdiSankara
Description :
Kaladi is revered as the birth place of the great Indian philosopher Adi Sankara, the greatest exponent of Advaita philosophy. This sacred land is situated on the banks of Periyar river, about 13 km from Alwaye. Sri Sankara is of international renown as an acute and profound thinker. He brought about a renaissance of Indian spiritual thought in the 1st century. In a short life span Aadi Sankaracharya travelled through the length and breadth of the Indian subcontinent. He established four mutts at the four corners of the country and gave a new life to Hinduism by establishing Shamtha Sthapanam. Sri Adi Sankara Meerthi Mandapam is a 46-metre-tall octagonal tower constructed in honour of Sri Sankara by the Kanchi Mutt. It houses the Paduka Mandapam, Geeta Upadesam Centre and temple-like structures. On the top floor, there is an imposing image of Sri Sankara with his four disciples. The walls are painted with life and works of Adi Sankara. Sri Abhinava Vidya Theertha Narasimha Bharathi of Sringeri Mutt, built shrines of Devi Sharadha, Adi Shankara and Dakshinamoorthy and a Brindhavanam over the Samadhi of Aryamba, mother of Shankara. The shrine was consecrated in 1910 by Sri Narasimha Bharathi and renovated by successive swamijis. The vimanam of the Sharada temple is in Ashta Padma form representing eight petals of Hrudaya Kamalam. The Sankara temple Vimanam is in the form of Shodasakona, representing the 16 kalas of divinity. The Vadakkunathan temple at Trissur, Tiruchendur, Kanchi Kamakshiamman temple, Tirupathi Venkateswara temple, Srisailam, Sringeri, Puri Jagannath temple and Dwaraka are some of the important temples visited by Sri Adi Sankara.
Festivals :
Sankara Jayanthi festival is celebrated during the month of April-May. The other festivals celebrated here are the Chariot festival and Navarathri. The latter is a 9 day festival celebrated during the month of September and October.
Legends & Myths :
Legend is that, Sankara's parents Sivaguru and Aryamba offered worship at the Vadakkunnathar shrine at Thrissur prior to their begetting Sankara.
Location :
Kaladi,Kerala
Transportation :
Air: Cochin - 45 km. Road: Well connected by buses with important towns.
Near by Temples :
Sri Krishna temple, Ramakrishna Advaita Ashram, Vellimanthulli temple(2 km).
AdiSankara Temple
Shiva
Idols :
Adi Sankara
Description :
Sringeri is located amidst the Sahyadri hills in Chikmaglur district of Karnataka on the left bank of the river Tungabhadra. This ancient shrine is one of the most revered Shrine of Sri Adi Sankara situated to the left of the Sharada shrine in Sringeri. It is customary to worship the image of Sri Sankara, seen on a two-foot-high Peetam in Yogasana posture with a Lingam in front of him. The images of his four disciples are depicted near the Peetam. The graceful presence of the Swamiji elevates the divine and spiritual atmosphere. Pilgrims throng here to attend the religious discourses that are held regularly, in the front hall. This sacred place is situated 97 km from Chikmagalur and 336 km from Bangalore. Sri Vidyashankara, Sri Sharadamba and Sri Shankaracharya Math are some of the sacred temples of this place.
Location :
Sringeri,Karnataka
Transportation :
The nearest railhead is Birur on the Bangalore - Pune railroad. The nearest airport is at Mangalore (150 km). Bangalore is at a distance of 336 km from Sringeri.
Near by Temples :
The main point of interest is the Vidyashanakar Temple, which dates from the 14th century.
Shiva
Idols :
Adi Kumbeswara,Mangalambika
Description :
Adi Kumbeswara temple is situated on the banks of river Cauvery in the temple town of Kumbakonam which is considered one of the seven important holy cities of India. Of the many Shiva temples in Kumbakonam, the temple of Adi Kumbeswara is considered very sacred. The presiding deity here is Sri AdiKumbeswara and His consort is Mangalambika. The AdiKumbeswara temple is famous for its Mahamagam tank. The great Mahamagam festival, attracting lakhs of people from far and wide, is celebrated in honour of Sri Kumbeswara. It is celebrated once in every 12 years. It is believed that on this auspicious day the tank receives supplies of water from the Ganges and eight other holy rivers and all the deities are said to remain present here on that occasion. The Mahamagam tank is also known as Anuratha theertham, Kanni theertham and Papanasa theertham. A Mutt of Sri Sankaracharya of Kanchipuram is built in this city. It is the Headquarters of Sri Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam. Kumbakonam has got so many temples of Siva and Vishnu and numerous mutts and religious institutions to inculcate Bhakthi in the masses and elevate their souls and minds from all vices and worldly pursuits towards spiritual advancements.
Architecture :
This celebrated temple is situated in the heart of the town facing the east and occupies an area of 1,89,000 sq.feet. The main gopuram, is 128 feet in height and contains many figures of rare and exquisite beauty. There are four prakarams to the temple in which rows of houses, shops, and many shrines dedicated to Vinayaka,subramanya, Bhikshatana, Sapta Kannikas,etc.may be found. The Vanni maram which is the sthala vriksha is found in the third prakaram. The shrine of Adi Vinayaka is also found in this prakaram. Vinayaka was named so because, it is said that he came there even before Lord Shiva came to this place. The temple also contains some wonderful pieces of sculpture and architecture. All the 27 stars and 12 rasis have been artistically carved on a single block of stone in the Navarathri Mandapam. The image of Lord Subramanya is a rare specimen with six heads but only six hands,holding powerful weapons. The mahamagam tank is surrounded on all sides by 16 beautiful mandapams.
Festivals :
The Maha Magham Festival is celebrated once in 12 years in the month of Masi (Feb - Mar), when Jupiter passes through the sign of Leo. The devout believe that the nine sacred rivers of India appear in this tank on the Mahamagam day.
Legends & Myths :
During Maha Pralaya after Dwapara Yuga, a Kumbam full of Amaruth and Seeds of Creation was set afloat by Lord Shiva. The Lord proclaimed that the place where the pot touched the ground would be considered the holiest of all the places. When the Kumbam finally rested in this place, the Lord appeared in the guise of a hunter and broke the Kumba with His arrow. The Amruth got split and pooled in a place which became the famous Mahamagam Tank. The Lord then gathered the sand wet with the remaining nector and shaped it into a Mahalingam called Shri AdiKumbeswara. The divine consort is Mangalambiga. The nectar in the broken pot spread out on the ground up to a distance of 5 Krosas,i.e.,10 miles, and touched the five famous shrines of Siva around Kumbakonam, namely Tiruvidaimarudur, Tirunageswaram, Tiru Dharasuram, Tiruvoragam and Tirupadalavanam, and hence these five places came to be known as Pancha Krosa Sthalas. A pilgrim is required to visit these places first before entering the temple of Adi Kumbeswarar to offer worship.
Location :
Kumbakonam,TamilNadu
Transportation :
Air: Trichy(92 km) Rail: On Chennai-Trichy line. Road: Connected to all major cities.
Near by Temples :
Sarankapani temple, Kasi Visvanatha, Someswara, Gautameswara and Vedaranya Perumal.
Adinathaswamy Temple
Vishnu
Idols :
Adinathaswamy
Description :
Alwar Tirunagari is situated at 20 miles east of Tirunelveli and 17 miles west of Tiruchendur. It is a very famous Vaishnavite centre and contains one of the largest temples in the district of Tirunelveli, dedicated to Lord Vishnu as Adinathaswamy. It is also the birth place of Saint Nammalwar and Manavalamuni. There are nine sacred Vaishnavite centres on the banks of river Thambraparni, known as Nava Tirupatis. Alwar Thirunagari called as Thirukurugur, is one among them. The other places are Srivaikuntam, Thiruvaragunamangai, Thirukulanthai, Thirupulingudi, Thirukolur, Thiruperai and the two shriines of Thirutholaivillimangalam, together called as Rettai or Twin Tirupatis. Within the temple walls, there is a very big tamarind tree whose bark is stripped by devotees for using as a medicine for the cure of otherwise incurable diseases. During the flowering season, the tree is loaded with flowers but bears no fruit. The origin of the tree dates back to thousands of years and is known only by legend which has held it in great sanctity from the hoary past.
Architecture :
The Adinathaswamy temple has a grand structure with lofty mandapams through which the main entrance leads to the inner precincts. A number of paintings depicting scenes from the Ramayana are found here. There are some 48 remarkable pillars, carved out of a single block of granite. There is also a gold-plated chariot for the ceremonial drive of Lord Adinathaswamy during the Vaikasi festival, which is celebrated during the month of May - June.
Legends & Myths :
The story goes that the tree is none other than Adisesha, the Heavenly serpent-couch of Lord Vishnu, who took the form of a tree and remained near the Adinathaswamy temple to receive Lord Vishnu at a later date. It was at the suggestion of the divine architect Viswakarma that Siva sent Agastya to the South to restore the balance of the land upset by the gods assembling in Kailas to witness his marriage. Angry with Viswakarma for preventing him from beholding Siva's marriage, Agastya cursed him saying, "Though you are a first-rate architect and engineer, your work shall not be accepted as original or geniune and you shall not be paid the worth of your skill and labour". Getting angry at these words, Viswakarma cursed him in return. These legendary curses wore supposed to bear their immediate consequences. So sage Agastya prayed to Lord Siva to grant him the boon that the Tamil language might attain the same importance and glory as the language of the Vedas. Siva appeared before him and said that soon an Alwar would be born on the earth and he would raise the standard of the Tamil language to its full height.
Location :
AlwarTirunagari,TamilNadu
Transportation :
Rail: Tirunelveli-Tiruchendur railroute. Road: Alwar Tirunagari is situated at 20 miles east of Tirunelveli and 17 miles east of Tiruchendur.
Near by Temples :
Venkatachalapathy temple at Krishnapuram, Sri Subramanya temple at Triuchendur, SriVaikuntanatha temple at SriVaikuntam, and Papavinasar temple at Papanasam.
Adipuriswarar Temple
Shiva
Idols :
Adipuriswarar
Description :
Thiruvottriyur is a famous pilgrim centre, 10 Km from Chennai. The Siva temple here is dedicated to Adipureeswara. It is said that the linga therein, is in the form of an ant hill. Saivite saint Pattinathar attained mukti here. Devotees worship at the Pattinathar Samadhi. Another Saivite saint connected with this temple is Sundarar, who in the presence of this God is said to have married SangiliNachiyar.
Location :
Thiruvottriyur,TamilNadu
Transportation :
Tiruvottriyur is 10 km from Chennai.
Near by Temples :
Triplicane Parthasarathi temple and Mylapore Kapaleeswarar temple at Chennai, Amman temples at Tiruverkadu and Mangadu,Shiva temple at Tirukkazhukundram.
AdiSankara Temple
Shiva
Idols :
AdiSankara
Description :
Kaladi is revered as the birth place of the great Indian philosopher Adi Sankara, the greatest exponent of Advaita philosophy. This sacred land is situated on the banks of Periyar river, about 13 km from Alwaye. Sri Sankara is of international renown as an acute and profound thinker. He brought about a renaissance of Indian spiritual thought in the 1st century. In a short life span Aadi Sankaracharya travelled through the length and breadth of the Indian subcontinent. He established four mutts at the four corners of the country and gave a new life to Hinduism by establishing Shamtha Sthapanam. Sri Adi Sankara Meerthi Mandapam is a 46-metre-tall octagonal tower constructed in honour of Sri Sankara by the Kanchi Mutt. It houses the Paduka Mandapam, Geeta Upadesam Centre and temple-like structures. On the top floor, there is an imposing image of Sri Sankara with his four disciples. The walls are painted with life and works of Adi Sankara. Sri Abhinava Vidya Theertha Narasimha Bharathi of Sringeri Mutt, built shrines of Devi Sharadha, Adi Shankara and Dakshinamoorthy and a Brindhavanam over the Samadhi of Aryamba, mother of Shankara. The shrine was consecrated in 1910 by Sri Narasimha Bharathi and renovated by successive swamijis. The vimanam of the Sharada temple is in Ashta Padma form representing eight petals of Hrudaya Kamalam. The Sankara temple Vimanam is in the form of Shodasakona, representing the 16 kalas of divinity. The Vadakkunathan temple at Trissur, Tiruchendur, Kanchi Kamakshiamman temple, Tirupathi Venkateswara temple, Srisailam, Sringeri, Puri Jagannath temple and Dwaraka are some of the important temples visited by Sri Adi Sankara.
Festivals :
Sankara Jayanthi festival is celebrated during the month of April-May. The other festivals celebrated here are the Chariot festival and Navarathri. The latter is a 9 day festival celebrated during the month of September and October.
Legends & Myths :
Legend is that, Sankara's parents Sivaguru and Aryamba offered worship at the Vadakkunnathar shrine at Thrissur prior to their begetting Sankara.
Location :
Kaladi,Kerala
Transportation :
Air: Cochin - 45 km. Road: Well connected by buses with important towns.
Near by Temples :
Sri Krishna temple, Ramakrishna Advaita Ashram, Vellimanthulli temple(2 km).
AdiSankara Temple
Shiva
Idols :
Adi Sankara
Description :
Sringeri is located amidst the Sahyadri hills in Chikmaglur district of Karnataka on the left bank of the river Tungabhadra. This ancient shrine is one of the most revered Shrine of Sri Adi Sankara situated to the left of the Sharada shrine in Sringeri. It is customary to worship the image of Sri Sankara, seen on a two-foot-high Peetam in Yogasana posture with a Lingam in front of him. The images of his four disciples are depicted near the Peetam. The graceful presence of the Swamiji elevates the divine and spiritual atmosphere. Pilgrims throng here to attend the religious discourses that are held regularly, in the front hall. This sacred place is situated 97 km from Chikmagalur and 336 km from Bangalore. Sri Vidyashankara, Sri Sharadamba and Sri Shankaracharya Math are some of the sacred temples of this place.
Location :
Sringeri,Karnataka
Transportation :
The nearest railhead is Birur on the Bangalore - Pune railroad. The nearest airport is at Mangalore (150 km). Bangalore is at a distance of 336 km from Sringeri.
Near by Temples :
The main point of interest is the Vidyashanakar Temple, which dates from the 14th century.
SOUTH INDIAN TEMPLES 1
Aadhivarahaperumal Temple
Vishnu
Idols :
Aadhivarahaperumal,Anjilaivalli
Description :
TiruKkalvanoor is the temple name enshrining Aadivarahaperumal in standing posture facing West. Anjilaivalli Naachiyaar is the Goddess present here. Tradition is that Goddess Parvathi meditated upon Lord Shiva here. Under His Order, She worshipped her brother Vishnu (in Vamana avatar), who is enshrined in a small shrine in this Kanchipuram. SreeNarayana attained this name 'Kalvan' on overhearing a conversation between Lakshmi and Parvati. So, Parvathi addressed him as "Kalvan" and the place was later called as 'TiruKalvanoor'. There are three shrines to Vishnu near the temple tank, representing the reclining, sitting and standing postures of Vishnu (Kidandaan, Irundaan and Ninraan). The name Kalvan also refers to the deity at Kaarvaanam enshrined in the Ulagalanda Perumaal temple. The Vaishnava Sthalas situated in the temple town of Kanchipuram is parted as Shiva Kanchi and Vishnu Kanchi. The Divya Desams in Vishnu Kanchi are Attigiri, Ashtabuyakaram, Tiruttankaa, Tiruvelukkai and Tiruvegkaa. The other divyadesams revered in Shiva Kanchi are TiruOorakam (Ulagalanda Perumaal Koyil), Tiru Neeragam, Tiruppaatakam, Nilaattingal Tundam, Tirukkaaragam, Tirukkaarvaanam, Tirukkalvanur, Tiruppavalavannam and Parameswara Vinnagaram.
Festivals :
Vaikuntha Ekadasi in Margazhi and Pavitrotsavam in the month of Pankuni are celebrated in grand manner, other festivals are also celebrated here.
Location :
Tirukkalvanoor,TamilNadu
Transportation :
This temple is situated inside the shrine of Kamakshi amman in Kanchipuram.
Aandalakkumaiyan Temple
Vishnu
Idols :
Aandalakkumaiyan,Ranganayagi
Description :
TiruAadanur, located at 8km from the temple town of Kumbakonam and 3km from Swamimalai is one of the 108 Divyadesa sthalas. The Moolavar here Aandalakkumaiyan holding a writing on his left hand. Tirumuga mandalam is on the eastern side. Tirumangai alwar has sung Pasuram on praise of the Lord present here. The images of TirumangaiAlwar and Kamadenu are found near the presiding deity Aandalakkumaiyan. The deity is also called as 'Aadanur Andalukkum Iyan'.
Legends & Myths :
TiruAadanur is situated 3.5kms from Swamimalai station.
Location :
TiruAadanur,TamilNadu
Aandarkuppam Temple
Murugan
Idols :
Subramanya
Description :
Andarkuppam is an ancient temple situated near Ponneri north of Chennai. Lord Subramanya is the presiding deity of the temple. The temple has been glorified by the hymns of Arunagirinathar in his Tiruppugazh. The temple entrance is adorned with a grand five story raja gopuram. Unique feature of this temple is that Lord Subramanya is worshipped in three forms in as baalaroopam in the mornings, Youvanaroopam in the afternoons and in the vriddha or aged form in the evenings. Other shrines are Viswanathar, Visalakshi, Natarajar and Vinayakar.
Festivals :
Skanda Sashti , Tai Poosam, Karthigai are the festivals celebrated in this temple among other festivals. Arunagirinathar festival is celebrated in the month of Aani on the day of Bharani Asterism.
Legends & Myths :
According to the legend this region was once covered with bushes and shrubs. A herd of cows used to discharge their milk at a particular spot in the bushes each day. When examined an image of Murugan was found at that spot in between the bushes. Another legend is that Lord Subramanya punished Bhrama the creator, for not knowing the principle of the oneness of creation or the pranavam Om. The image of Subramanya in the temple is enshrined in a pose as having punished Brahma the creator for his ignorance.
Location :
Aandarkuppam,Chennai,TamilNadu
Transportation :
This temple is located north of Chennai near Ponneri.
AdikesavaPerumal Temple
Vishnu
Idols :
Aadikesava Perumal,Alarmel Mangai
Description :
This celebrated Vaishnava sthala is located in the temple town of Kanchipuram near Varadaraja Perumal temple. Adikeshava Perumal also called as Gajendra varadan and Chakradarar in standing posture facing west is the Moolavar and Alarmelmangai is the presiding goddess of the temple. The Moolavar present here gives darshan with his eight arms holding weapons on each hand. The right arms holds chakara, sword, flower and an arrow. The left arms holds a conch, bow, shield and mace. Tirumangaialwar and Peyalwar has glorified this sthala through their paasurams.
Festivals :
Brahmotsavam festival is celebrated for 10 days in the month of Chittirai.
Legends & Myths :
This temple is associated with the legend of Gajendra Moksham, where it is believed that a devout elephant Gajendran, who was in the habit of making an offering of lotus flowers from the Ashtabhuja temple tank, to Vishnu was caught by the grip of a crocodile. The pleas of the elephant were answered by Vishnu who vanquished the elephant with his disc
Location :
Ashtapuyagaram,TamilNadu
Transportation :
This temple is situated at about 1.5 kms from the Varadarajar temple in Kanchipuram. Buses are available from all the main towns nearby Kanchipuram.
AdiKesavaPerumal Temple
Vishnu
Idols :
AdiKesavaPerumal,Maragadavalli Nachiyar
Description :
Tiruvattaru is situated on the Tirvandrum-Kannyakumari rail road. Buses are available from Trivandrum. The temple resembles that of the Tiruvanandhapuram Padmanabaswami temple in its architecture. It consists of 3 grand prakarams and 3 entrances. The temple is built in such a way that, the rays of the evening sun falls exactly on the image inside the main sanctum.
Legends & Myths :
Legend has it that Lord Sri Krishna vanquished the demon Kesi after a great fight. As Kesi's wife Asuri prayed the rivers Ganga and Tamirabarani to flood the place in order to prevent his husband from Krishna's grip, the two rivers entered the city fiercefully. But Krishna created a mount and made the rivers flow on either sides of the mount as a circle of garland. As Lord Krishna killed the demon AdiKesi He came to be known as AdiKesar. The place where the two rivers split is called as "Muvathu Mugam" or "Thodai Piralli". These two rivers are revered by the people in a ceremony called as "Theerthavari".
Location :
Tiruvataaru,Kerala
Transportation :
The temple is reached through buses enroute Trivandram - Nagercoil. Devotees have to getdown at Thoduvetti and walk 9kms from the busstop.
Vishnu
Idols :
Aadhivarahaperumal,Anjilaivalli
Description :
TiruKkalvanoor is the temple name enshrining Aadivarahaperumal in standing posture facing West. Anjilaivalli Naachiyaar is the Goddess present here. Tradition is that Goddess Parvathi meditated upon Lord Shiva here. Under His Order, She worshipped her brother Vishnu (in Vamana avatar), who is enshrined in a small shrine in this Kanchipuram. SreeNarayana attained this name 'Kalvan' on overhearing a conversation between Lakshmi and Parvati. So, Parvathi addressed him as "Kalvan" and the place was later called as 'TiruKalvanoor'. There are three shrines to Vishnu near the temple tank, representing the reclining, sitting and standing postures of Vishnu (Kidandaan, Irundaan and Ninraan). The name Kalvan also refers to the deity at Kaarvaanam enshrined in the Ulagalanda Perumaal temple. The Vaishnava Sthalas situated in the temple town of Kanchipuram is parted as Shiva Kanchi and Vishnu Kanchi. The Divya Desams in Vishnu Kanchi are Attigiri, Ashtabuyakaram, Tiruttankaa, Tiruvelukkai and Tiruvegkaa. The other divyadesams revered in Shiva Kanchi are TiruOorakam (Ulagalanda Perumaal Koyil), Tiru Neeragam, Tiruppaatakam, Nilaattingal Tundam, Tirukkaaragam, Tirukkaarvaanam, Tirukkalvanur, Tiruppavalavannam and Parameswara Vinnagaram.
Festivals :
Vaikuntha Ekadasi in Margazhi and Pavitrotsavam in the month of Pankuni are celebrated in grand manner, other festivals are also celebrated here.
Location :
Tirukkalvanoor,TamilNadu
Transportation :
This temple is situated inside the shrine of Kamakshi amman in Kanchipuram.
Aandalakkumaiyan Temple
Vishnu
Idols :
Aandalakkumaiyan,Ranganayagi
Description :
TiruAadanur, located at 8km from the temple town of Kumbakonam and 3km from Swamimalai is one of the 108 Divyadesa sthalas. The Moolavar here Aandalakkumaiyan holding a writing on his left hand. Tirumuga mandalam is on the eastern side. Tirumangai alwar has sung Pasuram on praise of the Lord present here. The images of TirumangaiAlwar and Kamadenu are found near the presiding deity Aandalakkumaiyan. The deity is also called as 'Aadanur Andalukkum Iyan'.
Legends & Myths :
TiruAadanur is situated 3.5kms from Swamimalai station.
Location :
TiruAadanur,TamilNadu
Aandarkuppam Temple
Murugan
Idols :
Subramanya
Description :
Andarkuppam is an ancient temple situated near Ponneri north of Chennai. Lord Subramanya is the presiding deity of the temple. The temple has been glorified by the hymns of Arunagirinathar in his Tiruppugazh. The temple entrance is adorned with a grand five story raja gopuram. Unique feature of this temple is that Lord Subramanya is worshipped in three forms in as baalaroopam in the mornings, Youvanaroopam in the afternoons and in the vriddha or aged form in the evenings. Other shrines are Viswanathar, Visalakshi, Natarajar and Vinayakar.
Festivals :
Skanda Sashti , Tai Poosam, Karthigai are the festivals celebrated in this temple among other festivals. Arunagirinathar festival is celebrated in the month of Aani on the day of Bharani Asterism.
Legends & Myths :
According to the legend this region was once covered with bushes and shrubs. A herd of cows used to discharge their milk at a particular spot in the bushes each day. When examined an image of Murugan was found at that spot in between the bushes. Another legend is that Lord Subramanya punished Bhrama the creator, for not knowing the principle of the oneness of creation or the pranavam Om. The image of Subramanya in the temple is enshrined in a pose as having punished Brahma the creator for his ignorance.
Location :
Aandarkuppam,Chennai,TamilNadu
Transportation :
This temple is located north of Chennai near Ponneri.
AdikesavaPerumal Temple
Vishnu
Idols :
Aadikesava Perumal,Alarmel Mangai
Description :
This celebrated Vaishnava sthala is located in the temple town of Kanchipuram near Varadaraja Perumal temple. Adikeshava Perumal also called as Gajendra varadan and Chakradarar in standing posture facing west is the Moolavar and Alarmelmangai is the presiding goddess of the temple. The Moolavar present here gives darshan with his eight arms holding weapons on each hand. The right arms holds chakara, sword, flower and an arrow. The left arms holds a conch, bow, shield and mace. Tirumangaialwar and Peyalwar has glorified this sthala through their paasurams.
Festivals :
Brahmotsavam festival is celebrated for 10 days in the month of Chittirai.
Legends & Myths :
This temple is associated with the legend of Gajendra Moksham, where it is believed that a devout elephant Gajendran, who was in the habit of making an offering of lotus flowers from the Ashtabhuja temple tank, to Vishnu was caught by the grip of a crocodile. The pleas of the elephant were answered by Vishnu who vanquished the elephant with his disc
Location :
Ashtapuyagaram,TamilNadu
Transportation :
This temple is situated at about 1.5 kms from the Varadarajar temple in Kanchipuram. Buses are available from all the main towns nearby Kanchipuram.
AdiKesavaPerumal Temple
Vishnu
Idols :
AdiKesavaPerumal,Maragadavalli Nachiyar
Description :
Tiruvattaru is situated on the Tirvandrum-Kannyakumari rail road. Buses are available from Trivandrum. The temple resembles that of the Tiruvanandhapuram Padmanabaswami temple in its architecture. It consists of 3 grand prakarams and 3 entrances. The temple is built in such a way that, the rays of the evening sun falls exactly on the image inside the main sanctum.
Legends & Myths :
Legend has it that Lord Sri Krishna vanquished the demon Kesi after a great fight. As Kesi's wife Asuri prayed the rivers Ganga and Tamirabarani to flood the place in order to prevent his husband from Krishna's grip, the two rivers entered the city fiercefully. But Krishna created a mount and made the rivers flow on either sides of the mount as a circle of garland. As Lord Krishna killed the demon AdiKesi He came to be known as AdiKesar. The place where the two rivers split is called as "Muvathu Mugam" or "Thodai Piralli". These two rivers are revered by the people in a ceremony called as "Theerthavari".
Location :
Tiruvataaru,Kerala
Transportation :
The temple is reached through buses enroute Trivandram - Nagercoil. Devotees have to getdown at Thoduvetti and walk 9kms from the busstop.
CHITTIRAI
Chittirai is the first month of the Tamil calander. In this month,the sun shines in all its splendour, and the moon,which borrows its lusture from the sun,derives the same in full. In this month the whole country reverbrates with the joy of harvest. Most of the temples in TamilNadu celebrate the month by having their annual fetivals called as 'Tiruvizha'. It is celebrated for more than 10 days. Chitirai Tiruvizha glorified in the Kutralanathar temple at Kutralam,Vasanthotsavam of Padaleeswarar Temple at Tirupadiripuliyur and the grand Brahmotsavam celebrated at the Triplicane Parthasarathi temple are the magnificent occasions of this month. Though all temples celebrate the month,the city of Madurai is famous for its Chittirai festival.Amongst the many festivals celebrated by the people of Madurai,the 14 day grand Chittirai Festival is considered very auspicious. The Chittirai Tiruvizha (Apr 15-May 15) causes the entire city to take on a festive look. Meenakshi and Sundareswarar are taken in colorful processions. The divine marriage and the coronation are enacted. The float festival here is also of great importance. During the festival, the decorated chariot is taken around the town,carrying the divine couples to the agitating notes of Nadaswaram and beats of drums. The main chariot 20m high requires hundreds of people to haul it. A spiritual ambience descends on Madurai. As the procession passes through the streets and in the vicinity of the "devastanam",offering of coconuts,flowers,camphor and the agarbathis are made by the devotees. A spirit of devotion marked by pomp and gaiety prevades right through the day. The festival draws a mammoth crowd. The Chittrai festival is celebrated in the month of May. The crux of the divine right to rule had its origins in early legends of this temple. The Pandya Princess Meenakshi is married to Lord Sundareswarar in the sacred land of Madurai. It is this event that is celebrated as Meenakshi Kalyanam. Legend has it that Lord Azhagar rode on a golden horse to Madurai to the celestial wedding of Goddess Meenakshi with Lord Sundareswarar. This is celebrated every year on the full moon day of the Tamil month of Chittirai. The spectacular event of the festival is the entry of Lord Azhagar in to the river Vaigai. The Kallazhagar temple at Azhagarkoil looks grandious on this occassion.Other important Festivals celebrated in this temple are the 12 day Float Festival(Jan/Feb) celebrated in the Mariamman Teppakkulam Tank, the 15 day 'harmony' festival Avani Moolam in the month of September,Nine days Navarathri festival in the month of September/October
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