Pictures are taken from various sources for spreading knowledge.
this is a non- commercial blog. Thanks for your great pictures.
tamilandvedas.com, swamiindology.blogspot.com
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சிவபெருமானுடைய வடிவங்களில் வேறு சில மூர்த்திகளையும் காண்போம் :லிங்கோத்பவர் ஏகபாத மூர்த்தி , ஊர்த்வ தாண்டவர், கால சம்ஹார மூர்த்தி
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LINGODBHAVA
Lingodbhava is a familiar figure of Siva on the west wall of the central shrine of Siva temples in tamil Nadu. As his name implies, he is represented within a huge linga, the portion of the feet below the ankles being hidden in the linga. Brahma in the form of a swan is seen soaring up on the left side of Siva; while on the right side, Vishnu is delving below into the depths of the earth in the form of a boar.
The swan and the boar are in some pictures found to be half man and half animal.
On the east main gopura/ tower of the Chidambaram temple is an image of Lingodbhava surrounded by flames of fire.
Also these gods, i.e. Brahma and Vishnu stand on either side of Siva with folded hands.
The figure emanating from the middle of the linga has four hands and hold in its back arms the axe and the antelope and in the front hands, the Abhaya and Varada postures.
In Thanjavur inscriptions Lingodbhava is mentioned by the name Lingapuranadeva.
Story of Lingodbhava
A dispute arose between Brahma and Vishnu as to who is the greater of the two. Siva told them that whoever first saw the top or the bottom of his own fiery linga form and came back to report, he would be considered greater. Brahma soared on his swan to see the top of the Siva linga, while as a boar Vishnu dug down and down to see its bottom. Ages passed away and neither came to his goal.
At last Brahma saw one ketaki flower coming down; it had fallen from Siva’s head ages ago. Brahma suborned it to give false evidence and then came back and uttered a lie that he had seen the top of the linga, citing the ketaki flower as its witness. Sive knew the lie and cursed Brahma that he should thenceforward go without any worship in temples. Brahma had five heads at that time. Sive cut off the head that uttered a lie. The flower ketaki too, which abetted the crime, was excluded from the flowers dear to Siva.
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EKAPADAMURTI
Images called Ekapadamurti or Ekapada Trimurti show gods Brahma and Vishnu , with folded hands and characteristic symbols, are represented as proceeding out of the body of Siva at his waist as in the Tiruvotriyur sculpture or from behind his knee as in the image of Tiruvanaikkaval; they are either developments of Lingodbhava wherein the superiority of Siva over the two other members of the Hindu triad was established or an invention of the Hindu sculptor.
The Karanagama (kaarana aagama) mentions Ekapadamurti as one of the sportive forms of Siva and describes him as having one foot, three eyes and four arms in which are seen the tanka and deer and the Varada and Abhaya postures..
On the right and left sides of Siva, almost touching his shoulders, are Brahma and Vishnu holding their symbolical weapons in two hands and worshipping Siva with the other two.
The single foot, which is the characteristic feature of these figures , is in the case of Tiruvanaikkaval image , placed on the back of the bull. in it are also seen the vehicle of bBahma, the swan, at the right bottom and at the corresponding left bottom , the standing Garuda vehicle of Vishnu and a sage, perhaps Narada.
Apparently Ekapadamurti has to be connected with Aja Ekapad, a name given in the Rig Veda to one of the Ekadasa Rudras
Tamil version follows
To be continued……………………..
Tags- Hinduism through 500 Pictures in Tamil and English-33; படங்கள் மூலம் இந்து மதம் கற்போம்-33, Lingodbhava, Ekapadamurti
Pictures are taken from various sources for spreading knowledge.
this is a non- commercial blog. Thanks for your great pictures.
tamilandvedas.com, swamiindology.blogspot.com
xxxx
Badavilinga, Hampi
Tamil version will be posted tomorrow
Brahma Vishnu Shiva are the three gods forming Hindu Trinity.Lord shiva is worshipped in 64 forms according to Sivapurana . He is worshiped in linga form as well; it is a formless, shapeless stone or metal. It rests on a pedestal; such structures are seen from Kedarnath to Kedeeswaram in Sri Lanka. And we find ancient Lingas in South East Asian countries too. Of late Hindus have built modern Shiva temples in all the countries in the world. Naturally formed Kailash mountain in the shape of a huge linga has been in our literature for at least 2500 years.
God is with form or without form. Linga means a mak or a symbol. Sanskrit students learn grammar from the age of five with words like akaaraantha pull Lingah Rama Sabdah, ,Ekaarantha stree Lingah ….etc. In some places image of Shiva is shown inside Shiva linga and it is known as Lingodbhava Murti
in Madurai and other places, big temple are erected over lingams two thousand years ago. If thousand mini lingas re sculpted over a linga statue it is called Sahasra Linga.
In Amarnath and other places even naturally formed ice lingas are worshipped. If they appear naturally then they are called Swaambu / spontaneous ingas.
It is a common adage that Siva is fond of bathing as Vishnu is fond of decoration. And so there is aways a copper vessel with a hole at the bottom hanging over the linga with dripping water. And the base or the pedestal of the linga is designed in such a way the water is drained off. The base is called Yoni in Sanskrit and Aavudaiyaar in Tamil.
Shiva abhishekap priyah
Vishnu alankaara priyah
Linga is considered as a symbol of Brahman. The quadrangular bottom of the shaft represents Brahma and the octagonal middle Vishnu and the circular upper portion Siva.
Sometimes a single linga is called Sahasra/ thousand linga. It is divided into 25 facets each of these latter having miniature representations of forty lingas and making up thus the number one thousand .
Sahasra = Aayiram in Tamil ; thousand in English
Huge lingams are found in Thanjavur, Gangakonda Cozapuram in Tamil Nadu.
Chenkal in Kerala
Twelve Most Famous Linga Temples in India
1. Mallikarjunam in Srisailam, Andhra Pradesh
2. Mahakalam in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh
3. Kusmesam near Aurangabad, Maharashtra
4. Omkareswar in Omkaram on Narmadha, Indore (M.P)
5. Vaidhyanatham in Bihar
6. Bimasankaram in Maharashtra
7. Trayambakeswar in Maharashtra
8. Kedarnath in Uttar Pradesh
9. Visveswar in Benares, Uttar Pradesh
10.Rameswaram in Tamilnadu
11.Nagesam in Dwaraka, Gujarat
12.Somanatham in Saurastra, Gujarat
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Karnataka- Cambodia Sahsralingas
“Sahasraliṅgeśvara temple located near sirsi and is situated on the banks of the river shalmala, where a thousand lingas are found.
We have similar sahsralingas in river in Cambodia as well.
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Badavilinga Temple (or Shree Badavilinga Gudi) is a small but incredible temple dedicated to Lord Shiva. Known for its impressive monolithic Shivalinga, which stands at about 3 meters (10 feet) tall, Badavilinga Temple attracts devotees and tourists around the year. It’s the largest Shivalinga in Hampi.
The colossal Shivalinga here is carved out of a single black rock stone and the statue is submerged in water.
Badavilinga Temple is on Hampi’s outskirts, close to the popular Lakshmi Narasimha Temple.
Bhojeswar Temple
The Mysterious link between Karnataka and Cambodia
Old article written 14 years ago by me and posted in this blog.
It is very interesting to find out a mysterious link between the Indian state of Karnataka and a South East Asian country Cambodia. This is an ancient link but existing till today. In both these places we find the sculptures SAHASRA LINGA, literally translated one thousand Lingas. Linga is the shapeless form of Hindu God Shiva.
Cambodia is famous for its Angkor Watt temple. This is the largest Hindu temple in the world outside India. The temple is dedicated to Lord Vishnu and full of beautiful sculptures. It is a historical fact that the Hindus ruled various parts of South East Asia for 1300 years from 1st century AD. But not many people noticed the mystery of Sahasra Linga.
Sahasra Linga is located seventeen kilometres from Sirsi In the northern part of Karnataka known as Uttara Kanara. One can see hundreds of Shivalingas carved in stones and rocks in the middle of the river. The river is called Shalmala. All the statues are washed by this holy river water for ever. During Hindu festival Shivratri thousands of pilgrims visit this place and offer pujas. One advantage of visiting this place during Shivratri is the water level in the river is low and most of the Lingas are visible with their bases called Yonis. No one knew when and who carved them. People visit this spot for its scenic beauty as well. This place is situated in the middle of forest in the Western Ghats.
There is another place in Cambodia with the same name Sahasra Linga and there also the carved Shiva Lingas are in the middle of a river. The only difference is nobody worships it in Cambodia but tourists visit his place out of curiosity and to enjoy nature.
Bhuteswar, Chattisgarh
Cambodian Sahasralinga is located 25 kilometres from Angkor watt. There are statues of Hindu gods Lakshmi, Rama and Hanuman in addition to the Lingas. The place is called Kbal Spean and its meaning is ‘the Head Bridge’. Unlike Karnataka this place is not easily accessible. Tourists have to climb very hard and rough rocks. They have to go via a stone bridge. Animal figures are also carved on the side rocks. The river Slung Kbal Spean is flowing from Kulen mountains. There is a fifty feet high water falls which adds beauty to this holy spot. Long ago the kings used to come here for holy bath. No one knew who carved these lingas and for what purpose. But the tourists are told that the Lingas are symbols of creative energy and the river water that flows on the lingas will make the Cambodian paddy fields more fertile. A lot of Hindu symbols were destroyed during the civil war in Cambodia. But these Sahasra Lingas were not affected because of the surrounding thick forest. Those who wanted to travel to this place leave from Banteasy Srei and travel 12 kilometres and then walk for 45 minutes through rough terrain. The area is closed for tourists around 3 pm.
One of the remarkable sculptures here is of Maha Vishnu and Brahma emerges from his belly on a lotus flower. It is very heartening to see Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva, all the three greats of the Hindu Trinity at the same place.
Any one who wants to see the pictures can see them on You Tube and images through google websites. Just type Sahasralinga in Karnataka and Sahasralinga in Kbal Spean you will see the beautiful images and videos.
Now the question is how come the same name and the same sculptures exist in two different places which are wide part by thousands of miles? Who and Why did they carve them? Neither the Indians nor the Cambodians knew. But if we dig deeper we can find the answers. I have shown somewhere
that Agastya was associated with the Pandyas in many copper plate inscriptions of the Pandyas and the famous Raghuvamsa Kavya of Kalidas. He led the Pandyas and other South Indian kings to South Asian countries two thousand years ago. He was the torch bearer of Hindu culture. Since those people were without a religion and culture Sage Agastya civilised them. This was not invasion but cultural expansion. As a token of gratitude Agastya statues were installed by the local people in different countries in South East Asia. Even before the British reached these areas French archaeologists and historians went to do a lot of research and published books on the temples. Anyone who has access to those French books can see the pictures of Agastya statues.
It is a well recognised fact that all the South East Asian scripts are evolved from Indian Brahmi. All Indian scripts also evolved from the same Brahmi. The Pallava script contributed to most of the S E Asian scripts. If one places the pictures of Pallava temples and S E Asian temples the similarity can’t be missed . And if one places more pictures from the Central American Maya temples the link can be easily established. So we can assume that the culture travelled from South India towards S E Asia and then to Central and South America.
Thanjavur Brihadeeswar
There is even mention of 1000 pillar Hall/Mandap in the Maya culture.
There are more Sahasralingas in India. For instance Pathan in North Gujarat has one Sahasralinga. But because of the foreign invasions followed by destructions only a 48 pillar mandap exists today with few lingas.
Sahasralinga also means one thousand linga forms on the face of a single big linga. The best of the Sahasralingas of this type is seen in Parasurameshwara Temple in Bhuvaneswar,Orissa.
Amazing Facts about Shivalinga
Post No. 12,924
Date uploaded in London – – 16 JANURARY 2024
Where is the tallest Shiv linga in the country?
Maha Mrityunjay Temple is a Hindu Temple dedicated to Hindu God Shiva, situated in Nagaon, Assam, India. This Temple is special in its architectural sense as it is built in a form a Shivling. It is the World’s largest Shivalinga, at the height of 126 foot.
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What is the meaning of Linga Worship?
“ God is Omnipresent and All-pervasive. By the very nature of these qualities, He cannot have any form. He is, therefore, formless (Arupa). But in order to bless us, He assumes innumerable forms (Rupa). The Linga form in which we worship Isvara is symbolic of both His formlessness and form. It is symbolic of form because it has a particular shape; It is symbolic of formlessness because it has neither head nor limbs. The very conception of a Linga denotes something which has neither beginning nor end; the literal meaning of Linga is symbol.(Kanchi Paramacharaya 1894-1994)
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Why do we see Lingodbhava Murti in all Tamil Temples?
Isvara assumes various forms in pursuance of His Divine Leela. The prime manifestation with a form of the formless Isvara, is known as the Lingodbhava Moorthi, and He made his appearance in that form exactly at midnight on Sivaratri. That is why all devotees keep vigil during the night of Sivaratri, and worship Isvara at midnight.
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How Big is the Linga in Thanjavur Big Temple?
29 ft; It is 8.7 m (29 ft) high, occupying two storeys of the sanctum. It is one of the largest monolithic linga sculptures in India. Linga itself is 12 feet tall.
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Where is the tallest Shiv linga in Kerala?
Maheshwaram Shiva Parvathi temple, which houses the tallest Shiva lingam in Kerala, having a height of 111 ft, is located in Chenkal village. It is near Thiruvananthapuram .
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Shiva linga in Water Springs
In many places Shiva Linga is in the midst of a water spring or a tank. This is because Shiva is called ABISHEKA PRIYA (bathing) and Vishnu is called ALANKARA PRIYA (decoration).
Thiruvanaikkaa near Trichy has Jambukeshvar Shiva temple where the Linga is in a water spring. There are similar temples in Sirkazi, Thiruvedakam near Madurai etc.
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Natural Wonder- Ice Lingas in Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh.
Amarnath is the place in Jammu Kashmir state where a Linga is formed naturally inside a cave. It is made up of ice and it appears in and around August every year and then disappears.
Similar Ice Lingam is formed in a cave near Manali in Himachal Pradesh. It is called Amarnath of Himachal Pradesh. The 25-foot high Shiva lingam made of snow and ice is at Anjani Mahadev Temple.
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kotilingeswara temple
Ashta / Eight Famous Lingas in Tiruvannamalai in Tamil Nadu
The names of the Ashtalingams are:
Indra Lingam (East)
Agni Lingam (South East)
Yama (Ema) Lingam (South)
Niruthi Lingam (South West)
Varuna Lingam (West)
Vayu Lingam (North West)
Kubera Lingam (North)
Esanya Lingam (North East)
During every full moon day lakhs of devotees go round the hill at Tiruvannamalai and they worship all the above eight Lingas in eight different directions.
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Sun Light falls on Lingas
Kings of Choza Dynasty were great Shiva Bhaktas. They had clever civil engineers who built temples with many wonders. One of the wonders is to make the sun light enters into the sanctum sanctorum of the temple so that Sun worships the idol. And Chozas belonged to Sun Race (solar race)
One such temple where the sun rays enter and falls on Shiva Linga in the Garbha Griha is in Karaikurichi near Ariyalur. Sun light falls on the Linga twice a year in Uttarayana and Dakshinayana periods. Every year it happens on the same day in Hindu Calendar.
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Ghee Linga in Thrissur in Kerala
Since Lord Shiva is ABISHEKA PRIYA (fond of bathing), people pour various liquids on the idol . Thrissur Vadakkunathan temple has the famous Ghee Linga. For centuries , devotees have been bathing the god with clarified butter. Now the linga has disappeared because of the solidified layers of Ghee on the idol. People take the ghee as Prasad.
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Linga with holes on the top
Every temple has a special feature in Tamil Nadu. We see Shiva lingas with some peculiarities and stories are told about them. In Thirunallur and Needur we see Lingas with holes on top. In one place it is attributed to Saint Bhringi. He took the form of a beetle and made the whole. In Another temple also similar story is told.
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Kailash and Shivlinga Mountain
In the Himalayan range we come across hills which look like huge Shiva Lingas. Hindus give importance to such places. We have Linga shaped Mt. Kailash and mountain shaped like Linga in the Himalayas. It is called Shivling Mountain.
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Koti Linga and Sahasra Linga
We come across innumerable Lingas in certain places and they are called Koti Lingas. If they carve 1000 squares with Linga figure in one single shiva stone, it is called Sahasra Linga. Many temples have Sahasra Lingas.
—subham—
Tallest Shivalinga Near Trivandrum (Thiru Anantha Puram)
During my visit to India in March- April 2024, I had a busy Wedding schedule. I attended one wedding in Chennai and celebrated another wedding in Kovalam beach near Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala.
Kerala now has one of the tallest Shiva lingams in the country after the India Book of Records certified the 111.2-feet structure of Maheshwaram Sri Shiva Parvathy Temple at Chenkal in Thiruvananthapuram district.
The cylindrical structure has eight floors, six of which represent chakras or energy centres of the human body. Temple authorities are now hoping the shiva lingam will enter the Limca and Guinness Book of Records.
Pilgrims would be able to see a ‘kailasam’, a replica of Himalayas, and idols of Shiva and Parvati from the top of the shiva lingam. The pathway is adorned with murals and statues with 108 shiva lingams on the base floor.
It is the only temple in the world, where devotees can worship 12 Jyothirlingams of Lord Shiva and 32 forms of Lord Ganesha at one place.
—subham—
Tags-Hinduism through 500 Pictures in Tamil and English; படங்கள் மூலம் இந்து மதம் கற்போம் -Part 25, Linga, Shivalinga, Jyotirlinga, Sahasralinga
Oct 18, 2025, 11:24 AM | Updated 11:30 AM ISTTR Ramesh had challenged the construction of a shopping complex in front of the eastern gopuram of the Arunachaleswarar temple.A PIL by temple activist T. R. Ramesh has brought the Arunachaleswarar Temple under judicial spotlight, as the Madras High Court questions how far state-run temple departments can go in the name of modernisation and revenue.
Around 200 kilometres from Chennai is one of the most famous Shiva temples of Tamil Nadu, the Arunachaleswarar Temple in Tiruvannamalai, standing at the foot of the Annamalaiyar hill.
It is a landscape where devotion and heritage have converged for centuries. To this day, thousands of devotees walk barefoot around the hill every full moon on the 14-kilometre Girivalam path, their chants mingling with the scent of camphor and jasmine that fills the night air.
But it is during Karthigai Deepam that the town truly transforms. Lamps flicker on every street, temple gopurams give a golden glow, and atop the hill, a massive flame is lit, said to symbolise Lord Shiva himself as an eternal light.
This annual spectacle draws pilgrims from across India, reaffirming Tiruvannamalai’s place at the centre of Shaivite devotion. Amid this timeless faith, however, a modern battle over the temple’s surroundings has taken shape, a case that may redefine how sacred heritage coexists with the world around it.
A few days ago, the temple witnessed something unusual. Two judges of the Madras High Court came to look at construction works inside and outside the temple. These had been brought to their attention through a PIL filed by temple activist T. R. Ramesh.
While he had challenged the building of a shopping complex in front of the Rajagopuram (eastern tower) of the temple, the Bench later expanded the matter to assess other projects proposed by the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HRCE) department.
Hours later, after a thorough inspection, Justices R. Suresh Kumar and S. Sounthar, who were hearing the matter, returned and, after a few days, passed orders staying all such civil works. The final judgment in the matter is expected soon.
Given the stand of the Court till the last hearing, it is unlikely to go in HRCE’s favour. The outcome, Hindu activists believe, will set a national precedent to stop seeing temples as sources of revenue generation and to draw a red line on what can and cannot be done at a heritage structure in the name of modern amenities.
At this timely moment, Swarajya spoke with Ramesh to follow up on the case, about which he had spoken with this publication in great detail before approaching the Court in November 2023.
Q: Could you begin by explaining what exactly your PIL challenged? It would be helpful for those who have not followed the matter previously.
A: The PIL was filed against a government order, G.O. No. 336 of 2023, that approved the construction of 150 shops, a shopping complex, right opposite the Raja Gopuram, the main eastern tower of the Tiruvannamalai temple. The estimated cost was Rs 6.36 crore, taken from the temple’s funds.
The land in question belongs to the temple and has a 16-pillar mandapam at its centre. That mandapam holds immense religious significance. During festivals, processional deities are first brought there for worship before being taken out in chariots or palanquins.
The open space is crucial because the Tiruvannamalai temple has almost one festival every month. It has two or three major festivals during the year, but almost every month there is some celebration.
During festival times, thousands of people gather in that space. That open space is very important, both for religious significance and practical reasons. Whenever there is open space in a vantage position, the HRCE department wants to develop it in the name of building shops or other constructions.
Q: How did the court respond when you initially brought this to its attention?
A: Soon after they brought the G.O., they started constructing. I was in Delhi at the time for a case in the Supreme Court. When pictures of the construction reached me, I mentioned it before a special Bench of Justice Mahadevan and Justice Adikesavulu, who were hearing temple cases.
I mentioned the matter on a Thursday afternoon, explaining what was going on in Tiruvannamalai. I managed to produce pictures of the construction and the plan to the Honourable Bench. I had asked a colleague to take printouts and give them to the court. When the judges saw that, they were shocked.
The government counsel said, “No, there are already shops there, we are just reconstructing them.” All sorts of lies were presented before the court. The counsel also claimed that there were shops as early as 1920 and that the court had recognised them. It was a blatant lie.
In 1920, the court had said that the land belongs to the temple, not to the municipality, and also that no shops should be opened there. I had that judgment, given to me by a devotee, and I presented it too.
When the judges saw that they were being misled, they were very upset. At 2:45 p.m., they said, “This work should stop right now, at this minute.” They told the government counsel, “Call the Commissioner and instruct him immediately. We want the status by 4 o’clock.” By 4 p.m., they confirmed the work had been stopped. Remember, I had not even filed any petition yet.
Subsequently, I filed the petition and the stay order continues.
Q: Please tell us about the arguments made in court. Did you mention anything more than what you have said earlier, that the HRCE Act does not allow the use of temple funds for these purposes? What was the stand taken by the department?
A: Yes. We were helped by a judgment delivered by the Madras High Court. On 9 January 2025, there was another case regarding a shopping complex being built using temple funds, not within the temple complex, but nearby.
That construction was challenged before the Chief Justice’s Bench. After extensive arguments, the Chief Justice said that temple funds cannot be used to build a shopping complex.
That was the Nandishwarar Temple near Chengalpattu. The order was very detailed and said that neither surplus funds nor the main funds of a temple can be used for such constructions. The government made the Executive Officer of the temple file an appeal before the Supreme Court. In May, the special leave petition was dismissed, so the High Court’s order became final.
Subsequently, when the Tiruvannamalai case came up again in August, we brought this order to the attention of the temple Bench and pointed out that it had been upheld by the Supreme Court. Immediately, the HRCE took a different stance, stating that they would not construct shops now, but would instead construct a queue complex and waiting area.
It is alleged that they had already taken money from the contractor in advance. When the work was stopped, the contractor demanded his money back. To compensate, officials told him they would give him some other civil work in the same place.
That is when I objected, saying that the case was about G.O. 336, which specifically concerned a shopping complex. If they wanted to do something else, they should withdraw that G.O.
The court said they should not go ahead with the construction, but the matter was not finalised. They were asked to bring proper plans and drawings for the proposed queue complex outside the temple.
When those plans were submitted, I produced photographs showing that massive constructions for a queue complex and waiting area were already going on inside the temple, very close to the ancient wall.
This construction inside the temple had not been disclosed. The HRCE presented it as if they were only proposing the queue complex outside, while work was already going on inside. When I presented the photographs, the judges were shocked that HRCE had hidden this fact.
They said, “How can you build such a thing inside the temple? You cannot do this at all.” On that day, a stay order was given, preventing any construction inside or outside the temple.
The court also said they would inspect the temple themselves. The inspection took place on 5 October. I requested that the petitioner also be present, and the judges agreed.
Q: Since the stay on construction continues, it is clear that the judges were not pleased with what they saw on site. But could you please walk us through what happened that day? Was it a thorough inspection or just a quick visit?
A: It was a detailed check. The two judges were there for a few hours. During the inspection, they found three guest houses built inside the temple in the fourth prakara, all modern structures.
They also saw a massive Annadhanam hall under construction. The officials had earlier said it would only be temporary and covered with asbestos sheets, but the judges observed that concrete pillars were already up.
I pointed out that they had not even obtained municipal approval. They (HRCE) said they would get the approval. I asked how they could even start without it. The judges noted everything, including a modernised mandapam being used as the temple office. They were visibly disturbed.
Q: What followed that was the last hearing on 9 October. What did the Bench say about the inspection, and did you make any fresh arguments?
A: Last week, when the matter came up again, HRCE submitted a list of ongoing works and falsely claimed most were 70 per cent complete, clearly to pressure the court.
I again raised the issue of the Annadhanam hall, saying that the municipality cannot approve it without referring it to the Heritage Commission, as per the Tamil Nadu Heritage Commission Act, 2012, which came into force on 1 March 2025.
Under that Act, any construction, development, or alteration in a heritage place cannot happen without approval from the Heritage Commission. The government counsel tried to say they had approval from a heritage committee, but that was a temporary body appointed by the court, not the statutory commission. The judges agreed.
I also presented an affidavit filed by the Municipal Commissioner in 2005 in the Supreme Court, stating there were only two shops inside the temple selling puja articles, and no shops outside or adjacent to it. All encroachments had been removed. The Supreme Court had accepted that affidavit and said that any future construction must have municipal approval.
I asked how these massive works could happen without it. Someone should go to jail for this.
The court continued the stay and directed the Tamil Nadu government to form the Heritage Commission within four weeks. The Act came in 2012 but was never operationalised until March 2025.
The court took cognisance after I presented the copy of the Act and the G.O. putting it into force. I doubt if the government will comply because the proposed composition of the Commission has too many bureaucrats and too few experts.
These are the developments so far.
Q: Are you happy with how the court proceedings have gone?
A: As far as interim measures go, yes. But look at the blatant violations. First, HRCE did not obey the law. Under the HRCE Act, temple funds can only be used for dharmic purposes. Constructing a shopping complex, that too in a sacred space used for monthly festivals, is completely anti-Hindu.
Second, the temple is being controlled illegally by HRCE. There is no order appointing an Executive Officer to this temple, yet one functions there, issuing tenders and orders. I have pointed this out to the court, but they said it does not fall under this PIL.
They already spent around Rs 50–75 lakhs on preparatory work. My prayer includes refunding that money to the temple and punishing those responsible, but the court has been silent on that so far.
The judges’ inspection made it clear that HRCE’s functioning is deeply problematic. I am grateful to the judges for personally visiting. Only then could they see the extent of what was happening in Tiruvannamalai.
The overall impression seems to be that all is not well, including crowd management and general administration. In fact, the judges orally observed that, given the scale of the temple and the crowds it attracts, it should be managed like Tirupati, under a Devasthanam-type structure.
That gives an idea of their thinking. They perhaps feel enough is enough.
So, I believe any judgment in the Tiruvannamalai case will be along similar lines, against the HRCE department.
Maa Annapurna idol adorned in gold at Kashi Vishwanath Temple complex
Story by HT Correspondent, VARANASI
• 6h •
The Silver coated idol of Goddess Maa Annapurna, housed in a temple located in Ishana Kona (the north-east corner ) of the Shri Kashi Vishwanath Temple premises, has been coated with gold, the temple administration said in a statement on Saturday.
A new chapter in the splendour and grandeur of the ancient idol began in 2025, when silver plated stone idol and the temple it resides in were adorned with gold from top to base, according to the Shri Kashi Vishwanath Temple administration.
The distribution of a symbolic “treasure trove” (Kazana) to devotees from the treasury of the Maa Annapurna Temple began on Dhanteras (October 18) and will continue until October 22, the day of Annakut. The prasad, given as part of this tradition, consists of a coin and puffed rice, and holds special significance for devotees who visit the temple and seek the blessings of the Goddess.
The original idol of Goddess Maa Annanpurna was reinstalled in the Ishan Kon of the Kashi Vishwanath Temple in 2021, following traditional rituals. The chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, Yogi Adityanath, presided over the reinstallation ceremony. Alongside the original golden idol of Maa Annapurna, a silver-plated stone idol was also installed in the temple. This Silver plated idol of Maa Annapurna has now been coated with gold.
The original idol was stolen during the colonial period by idol smugglers and remained preserved in a museum in Canada for approximately 108 years. Its identity was confirmed through the joint efforts of Indian and Canadian universities. Following diplomatic and cultural efforts spearheaded by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the idol was repatriated to India in November 2021 and reinstated in the temple.
–subham—
Tags- Kasi, Varanasi, Golden , Annapurani, Diwali Darshan,Annakut, Kazana
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இந்தக் கட்டுரை நாளைகுத் தமிழில் வரும்
Sudarsana Chakram is one of the main symbols of vaishnavas- Vishnu devotees. Vaishnava worship it separately in Vishnu temples under the name chakra perumal. It is in a separate shrine inside the temple.
Silpasara book describes Sudarsana to be brilliant as fire with sixteen arms holding thw weapons conch, discuss, bow, axe ,sword, arrow, trident,noose, goad, lotus, thunderbolt, plough, pestle, club and spear.
The figure has protruding teeth, fiery hair and three eyes . it is fully decorated and stands in front of a shatkona or hexagon. Dancing thus amidst flames of the discuss, the Sudarsana is supposed to kill all enemies. sometimes the image may be represented with four or eight arms holding the discuss in all of them.
At Tirupati the Sudarsana has sixteen arms but instead of hexagon an equilateral triangle is at the back. Within that a seated Narasimha is in Yogasana posture with flames of fire proceeding from his crown. This form of Narasimha is popularly known as Jvaalaa Narasimha.
The famous Chakrapani temple at Kumbakonam is dedicated to the discus Sudarsana of Vishnu.
The Sudarshana Chakra (Sanskrit: सुदर्शनचक्र, Sudarśanacakra) is a divine discus, attributed to the god Vishnu in the Hindu scriptures. The Sudarshana Chakra is generally portrayed on the right rear hand of the four hands of Vishnu. In the Rigveda, the Sudarshana Chakra is stated to be Vishnu’s symbol as the wheel of time according to one scholar.
IN THE EPICS
The Ramayana states that the Sudarshana Chakra was created by the divine architect, Vishvakarma. Vishnu slays a danava named Hayagriva on top of a mountain named Chakravana, seizing the discus from him.
In Mahabharata we find it in the hands of Krishna.
He beheads Shishupala with the Sudarshana Chakra at the Rajasuya yajna of Emperor Yudhishthira. He also employs it during the fourteenth day of the Kurukshetra War to obscure the sun. The Kauravas are deceived, allowing Arjuna to slay Jayadratha, avenging the death of his son. Vishnu used it to kill the crocodile which caught the leg of Gajendra. It is in the story of Gajendra Moksha sculpted from Gupta days.
Ahirbudhnya Samhita, Vishnu emanated in 39 different forms.[10] The Samhita is characteristic for its concept of Sudarshana. It provides mantras for Sudarshana, and details the method of worship of the multi-armed Sudarshana.
The Puranas also state the Sudarshana Chakra was made by Vishvakarma, featuring a legend regarding its origin: Vishvakarma’s daughter, Sanjña, was married to the sun god, Surya. However, due to her consort’s blazing light and heat, she could not approach him. When she informed her father regarding this, Vishvakarma diminished the brilliance of the sun so that his daughter could be with him. From the splendour of the Sun, Vishvakarma produced three divine objects: the aerial vehicle Pushpaka Vimana, the Trishula of Shiva, and the Sudarshana Chakra of Vishnu.
IN HISTORY
A Vrishni silver coin from Alexander Cunningham’s Coins of Ancient India: From the Earliest Times Down to the Seventh Century (1891)
The chakra is found in the coins of many tribes with the word gana and the name of the tribe inscribed on them.
Vrishni copper coins dated to later time were found in Punjab. Another example of coins inscribed with the chakra are the Taxila coins of the 2nd century BCE with a sixteen-spoked wheel.
A coin dated to 180 BCE, with an image of Vasudeva-Krishna, was found in the Greco-Bactrian city of Ai-Khanoum in the Kunduz area of Afghanistan, minted by Agathocles of Bactria.[18][19] In Nepal, Jaya Cakravartindra Malla of Kathmandu issued a coin with the chakra.
The Chakra Purusha in Pancharatra texts has either four, six, eight, sixteen, or thirty-two hands
The Chakra Purusha in Pancharatra texts has either four, six, eight, sixteen, or thirty-two hands.
***
The Sudarshana Homam is performed by invoking Sudarshana along with his consort Vijayavalli into the sacrificial fire. This homam is very popular in South India.
***
IN TEMPLES
Though Chakraperumal or Chakratalvar shrines (sannidhis) are found inside Vishnu’s temples, there are very few temples dedicated to Chakraperumal alone as the main deity (moolavar):
Sri Sudarshana Bhagavan Temple, Nagamangala
Chakrapani Temple, Kumbakonam – located on the banks of the Chakra Bathing Ghat of the Kaveri river. Here, the god is Chakra Rājan and his consort is Vijayavalli.
Jagannath Temple, Puri, where Jagannath (a form of Vishnu-Krishna), Subhadra, Balabhadra and Sudarshana are the main deities.
The temple of Chakraperumal in Gingee on the banks of Varahanadi is now defunct
***
form of Shatrughna
In Kerala, Sudharsana Chakra is worshiped both directly and in the form of Shatrughna, one of four sons of King Dasharatha, and brother to Lord Rama, considered an avatar of Sudharsana Moorthy.
Alathiyur Pavelikkara Narayanathu Kavu Sudarshana Temple, Triprangode, Malappuram. A rare sudarshana temple complex in Kerala dedicated to Lord Sudarshana. Along with the main deity, Badrakali, Shastha and naga are worshipped here. The temple is also the paradevatha of mangalassery.
Thuravoor Sree Narasimha Moorthy Temple, Alappuzha- One of the rare temple complexes in Kerala, where two sanctum sanctorums are situated within a single Nalambalam (temple structure), one of the sanctums in dedicated to Lord Narasimha and the other to Maha Sudarsana Moorthy. The Sudarsana Moorthy Temple is believed to be 1300 years old.
Sreevallabha Temple, Thiruvalla, Pathanamthitta – One of the oldest and largest temples in Kerala and one of the 108 Divya Desams, Sudharsana Moorthy is worshipped along with Sreevallabha in this temple. The temple for Sudarshana Chakra was built by Sreedevi Antherjanam of Sankramangalathu Illam, and was rebuilt by Queen Cherumthevi in 59 BC.
Thrichakrapuram Temple, Puthanchira- The main deity is Sudharsana Moorthy.
Ayyarvattom Sree Maha Sudharshana Temple, Eravannur, Kozhikode
Pallikkara Sri Mahavishnu Sudharsana Temple, Kozhikode
The Chakraperumal shrine inside the Simhachalam Temple is home to the rare 16-armed form.
Other temples with shrines to Sudarshana Chakra are Veeraraghava Swamy Temple, Thiruevvul; Ranganathaswamy Temple, Srirangapatna; Thirumohoor Kalamegaperumal temple, Madurai; and Varadharaja Perumal Temple, Kanchipuram.
—subham—
Tags- Vishnu, discus, Sudarsana, Chakra, weapon, temples for Sudharsana, Hinduism through 500 Pictures in Tamil and English; படங்கள் மூலம் இந்து மதம் கற்போம்-16
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this is a non- commercial blog. Thanks for your great pictures.
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xxxx
Village Gods and Goddesses are found all over India. There are three types of village Gods and Goddesses:
1.Gods and Goddesses of Vedic Origin
2.Local Heroes and Heroines with Memorial Stones
3.Persons who self- sacrificed in Sati and Navakandam.
Since it is a vast subject we will look at Village Gods and Goddesses only. All such Gods and Goddesses have Sanskrit names such as Sastha/Ayyanar, Rakkaayee/Vedic Goddess Raka, Kaththaayee/ Kathyayani, Makamaayee /Mahaa Maayaa., Mookkaayee/Mukambhika etc
Kanchi Paramacharya (1894-1994) dispelled the wrong notion that these Gods are of local origin.
The only difference from the big temples and the shelter less, open spaced Village gods is that they are maintained by Non Brahmins. Moreover, they don’t have daily pujas or rituals. During summertime they are celebrated on a grand scale. Lot of Brahmin families hold such Gods and Goddesses as their family deities. Every year, particularly during weddings, birth of new babies they go there and give offerings.
Another difference is offering flesh and wine. This is also over blown by half baked foreigners and Dravidians. They offer meat, fish and wine because they consume it every day. Even Cigarettes, Cigars and Beedies were offered to the village Gods for the same reason.
Sati Stones (Following Parvati’s self -sacrifice in to her father’s Yaga Kundam chaste women also do that; Sati means Parvati), Nava Kandam (Cutting his own body into nine different parts as in Mahabharata) memorials are found all over India. Because Muslim invaders destroyed them in the North, we see a smaller number of monuments in North India. Unfortunately, this topic has not been dealt with on Pan Indian basis.
Kanchi Paramacharya mentioned this type of worship in his lectures. Dr R Nagaswamy, world famous archaeologist and historian, has contributed much on this topic. Local villagers raise a memorial for a hero and in course of time, it became temples. In and around Madurai we see such temples.
(author who lived in Madurai visited Peacchi Amman, Chellath Amman, Sittuk Kuruvi Kali Aaththaa temples very often in Madurai. Just before entering Meenakshi temple used to worship Muniswaran in the northern entrance, and Madurai Veeran in the Eastern entrance. He used to go to Mari Amman temple with his mother outside the town and offer silver replicas of Body parts to avoid small pox. His mother used to offer Maa Vilakku/ lighted wicks in the midst of sweet flour. This is to show that Brahmin families worship village Goddesses. Every year during summer, street aster street celebrate their Goddesses and march to Vaigai River to dissolve/immerse the Goddesses they made with clay. Very big crowd with all the music and dance march to the river bank)
Even big temples have village Gods at the entrance or in front of them. Mostly they are outside villages or towns are in the border of a town.
Each festival of such Gods has different customs. Fire Walking is one of them; offering hair, making Gruel or Sweet Pongal for distribution, taking the clay model of goddesses in procession, making temporary Urchava Murtis with clay and paint, immersion on the third day of festival, carrying Umbrellas (Kudai Eduththal) men dressing themselves like females, wearing only neem leaves to hide their private parts etc are found throughout Tamil Nadu.
Dr Nagaswamy has written one article about the references in Raurava Agama about erecting memorials for the departed heroes or saints. Brahmins used to bury the stones under the earth in their gardens.
Orthodox Hindus bury the dead saints and erect Tulsi Plant Brindhavanams for Vaishnavie saints , Adhistanam with Lingas for Saivite saints. Such Samadhis are seen from Kashmir to Kanyakumari.
After Gajabhahu visited the erection of Patni Goddess Stone for Kannaki in Kerala around 132 CE, Patni cult spread all over Ceylon/Sri Lanka. This shows creation of new gods in Hinduism.
Now Samadis of Shirdi Baba, Sathya Sai Baba, Ragavendra, Ma Ananda mayi, Dhargas of Muslim saints, Gurudwaras of departed Sikh Gurus, Maharashtra Hindu sains, Samadhis of great composers are visied by millions. They are all considered Gods and regular pujas are offered. This is to show that hero worship is not new to Hindus.
Renula Devi, Draupati temples are in several places.
Not only villages, even cities have their Goddesses according to Valmiki Ramayana, Silappadikaaram, Manimekali and several other Hindu books.
Greatest of the ancient Tamil poets, Tiru Valluvar justified it in his Kural couplet:
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Hinduism through 500 Pictures in Tamil and English – படங்கள் மூலம் இந்து மதம் கற்போம்-2 (Post.15,050)
Before moving to Skanda/Muruga, I wanted to add few more points about Lord Ganesh
Ganesh with his mount Rat
Sometimes Ganesa is said to have two wives, even though he is a bachelor/Brahmachari
The two wives are not women but symbols of Siddhi/Success and Buddhi /Wisdom.
Like Goddess Shakti and Lord Shiva, Ganesh also has three eyes. Third Eye means Wisdom.
Vinayaka means one who has none above him. That means he is the Head.
Every Hindu God has weapons. This is to control evil forces or kill evil tendencies in us.
There are a few interesting stories.
Why does he have elephant face?
Once he was asked to guard the entrance of the building where his mother was taking a bath. When shiva came, Ganesa stopped him following Mother’s instruction. Enraged Siva cut off his head in anger. When Parvati felt sad, he found the nearest animal elephant and cut its head and fixed it on Ganesa. There is something more to this incident. His elephant trunk reminds Hindus their great symbol Aum. Another name for Om or Aum is Pranava. Great Saints called Ganesa- Pranava swarupa.
3.Why does he have Four Hands?
God is above all of us. We have only two hands. But with his four Helping Hands, he is quick to render help. There is an interesting story in Tamil books. When three people wanted to see Lord shiva in his abode, house in Kailash in the Himalayas, an old lady, great poet Avvaiyar can’t walk 3000 miles from Tamil Nadu. Ganesa with his trunk lifted her and she reached Kailash before her friends reached. So gods’ many hands help us quickly.
Ganapati in Dancing pose- Narthana Ganapati
Another interesting story about Ganesa is mango fruit story. Hindus have an Inter Galactic Traveller named Narada. He goes from one galaxy to another at the speed of thought, faster than light. He came to Kailash with one mango fruit and gave it to Lord shiva. When he was about to cut it into two and give them to Ganesa and Murugan, Narada said,
“Stop, stop, please. It should not be cut, because it’s a divine fruit.
Then Siva told his boys that whoever goes round the world and comes back first will get it. Murugan flew in his Vahana, vehicle peacock. But clever Ganesa went round their father and mother and fell at their feet saying, ‘You Are the World’. Both felt happy and gave him the whole mango. Murugan came later and felt that he was cheated. He went to Palani hills and stood there. Then the whole world went and pacified him with Panchamrutam, a special fruit salad. Here is a message to all of us- Father and Mother are greater than the world!
One more story ….. once Lord Shiva went in a hurry without saluting Ganesa. His chariot wheel had broken down, and he got stuck. Later he realised he didn’t say ‘Bye’ to his son. He went back and praised him, and he was successful in his task. This was told by a great saint called Arunagirinathar in his book Tiruppugaz. Here is a message to all of us. We must always worship God before starting anything.
****
Now let us look at Lord Skanda/ Murugan
Dandaayutha Paani appaerance in Palani, Taml Nadu (Danda= stick; Paani=Hand)
Skanda or Kumara is represented with Six Faces – shadaanana in Sanskrit Aarumugam in Tamil—and as riding on a peacock. Because he was brought up by six mothers, the Krittikas- Pleiades stars- he is known as Shanmaatura and Kaartikeya. His story is narrated in Skandapurana – available in Tamil and Sanskrit. He killed demon Taaraka and rent asunder Krauncha mountain.
He is associated with snake and Sashti- sixth day- is sacred to him. He married Indra’s daughter Devasena and Tamil forest maid Valli. About 1800 years ago Sudraka in his Sanskrit drama Mrichchakatikaa shows a thief worshipping Skanda before robbing a house holder.
In tTamil Nadu six shrines are his main shrines in addition to scores of places, where he resides at the top of hills. In Tamil literature he is the god of Kurinchi region, hilly landscape. In Karnataka Kukke Subrahmanya is a famous Skanda shrine.
Skanda is called Murugan in Tamil ; his other popular names are Subrahmanya, Kartikeya, Shanmukha, Saravanabhava,Guha etc.
He is called Tamil God because he taught Tamil to the great sage Agastya who was sent by Lord Shiva from north. Arunagirinathar who composed 1300++verses called Tiruppugaz repeatedly praised him as Tamil god 500 years ago.
Lord Skanda / Murugan killed asuras/ demons Suurapadman in the south and Taarakaasura in the north.
Sangam age poets praised him sky-high in two books Tirumurugatruppadai and Paripatal.
In Sanskrit, Kalidasa composed Kumaarasambhava about the birth of Kumaara alias Kartikeya. That work influenced the Gupta kings to name their children Skanda Gupta and Kumaara Gupta even though they were Parama Bhagavatas, i.e. Worshippers of Lord Vishnu.
Son of Shiva and Uma, younger brother of lord Ganesh, he is called Senaapati, that is the commander of the army of the Devas. So he is the god of war and the planet mars. He was produced from the six fire sparks from lord Shiva and brought up by six Kartika women and they are represented as stars in the heaven called Pleiades.
Lord Shiva cast his seed into fire, and it was received by Ganges; so he is known Agni bhu/fire born and Gaangeya.
He is represented riding on a peacock with a spear in his hand. He is shown with six heads to represent symbolically six Krittika/Kartikai women.
Because of his popularity , Adi Shankara established Kaumaaram- worship of Kumara/ Kartikeya – as one of the six systems. He has composed several hyms glorifying Subrahmanya.
Somaskanda idols are found in many south Indian temples. It means Skanda with uma (sa+ uma+ skanda= Somaaskanda)
Uma with Skanda
Six Faced (Aaru-Six, Mukan-Face)
Lord Skanda is called Murugan in Tamil.Murugan means handsome one, beautiful.
He has six heads and 12 hands in Shanmuga form. Shanmukha means six faces. You may wonder why? If you are at school final level, please got to Level Two of Skanda Murugan.
In normal form, he is also shown as a child like Ganesa. He is Kumara (youth) or Baala kumara.
Subrahmanya means he possesses all the qualities of Brahman (god).
The name Kartikeya came to him because he was raised by six Krittika women personified as stars in the sky.
He was born in a grass land and so he is known as Saravana bhava.
Saravana is the name of the forest/grass land
We know that Ganesa is the head of Bhuta Ghana’s and in the same way Murugan is the Commander of the Divine Army.
His festivals are Skanda Sashti, Vaikaasi Visaakam and Thai Poosam. In the modern day, New Year/ January First is also celebrated by visiting Murugan Temples by foot.
Skanda worship is very popular in Tamil speaking world such as South India, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Singapore, Mauritius, Seychelles , South Africa etc Tamils celebrate all his festivals with Kavadi. They carry it to the Temple . A normal Kaavadi will have a long pole tied with two baskets on either side. Devotee s carry food and offerings to god in the attached pots or baskets. Later they constructed different shapes.
Another important thing is that his temples are mostly on top of hills or at the foot of the hills. There are six famous temples for him in Tamil Nadu.
Subrahmanya Bharti was a great devotee of Lord Skanda and he also composed several poems praising him.
There are very interesting stories about him. I will tell you a few stories here.
Story 1 (already given in Ganesa)
Mango Fruit Story
Story Two
He wanted to marry a girl called Valli, who fell in love with him. But she hesitated a lot. Murugan prayed to his brother Ganesh, the elephant headed god. He cam in the form of a real elephant and chased Valli and she naturally fell in the hands of Lord Murugan..
Another story is there was a demon called Sura Pathman and Muruga killed him. This is enacted every year during Skanda shasti festival in November. Tens of thousands of people go to see Sura Samhara at Tiruchendur in Tamil Nadu.
Number six is his favourite number. He was brough up by six women and his favourite geometrical diagram is Shad Kona- Star shaped. He is supposed to reside in this magical star diagram.
He is easily identified by the Spear weapon (Vel in Tamil) in his hand.
Vaikasi Visakam and Skanda Shasti are his big festivals. Thai Poosam is celebrated in Batu Caves in Malaysia
His special Prasad is Pancha Amrutam- made up of five fruits and jaggery or honey.
His famous temples are in …..
Batu Caves in Malaysia
Nallur and Kathigamam in Sri Lanka
Palani, Tiruttani, Swami malai, Palamuthircholai, Tirupparankundram and Tiruchendur in Tamil Nadu, India.
Om Saravana Bhava is his mantra
Sangam Tamil literarture has a full book on Him called Tirumurugaatruppadai (shortened as Muruguதிருமுருகாற்றுப்படை (முருகு)). He is the god of mountainous area calledகுறிஞ்சி Kurinji . in addition to Murugu, we have several long poems devoted to him in Paripatal where 8 long poems are attributed to him.
In Tolkappiam , oldest tamil book, he is placed next to Vishnu and he was given the name சேயோன் Seyon , meaning the Redman.
Subrahmanya with his weapon Vel/Spear
மாயோன்மேயகாடுறைஉலகமும்
சேயோன்மேயமைவரைஉலகமும்
Among the Ten Idylls of Sangam period, the long poem on Skanda Murugan, திருமுருகாற்றுப்படை (முருகு), ‘Tirumurugaatruppadai’ is given the first place. All these signify the importance given to Skanda/Murugan. Sangam poets called him வேள் , செவ்வேள் நெடுவேள், வேலன் in addition to Murugan.since he belonged to mountainous landscape calledகுறிஞ்சி KURINJI, he is called Kurinjik kizavan குறிஞ்சிக்கிழவன்.
Murugan means the Handsome one. He is always presented as a Young god. Nakkirar who composed the long poem on him portrayed him as young and beautiful :
என்றும் இளையாய் ,அழகியாய் ஏறூர்ந்தான் ஏறே
He is described as a Heroic god. He has Spear in his hand.. it is called Vel வேல்.
He is shown riding a peacock or an elephant named Pinimukam பிணிமுகம்
We see lot of similarities between Kumarasambhava of Kalidasa and Sangam books. But two important differences are marrying Tamil Valli and killing Tamil demon Suurapadman.
When Tamil girls become love sick, their mothers thought they are possessed by Murugan and sought the help of special village priest to drive away the sickness. He used to come in special dress and stage a dance with spear and offer meat and rice balls smeared with goat’s blood.
Tiru murugatruppadai explains that he is also worshipped in other places as well
முருகன்இருப்பிடங்கள்
சிறு தினை மலரொடு விரைஇ, மறி அறுத்து,
வாரணக் கொடியொடு வயிற் பட நிறீஇ,
ஊர்ஊர் கொண்ட சீர் கெழு விழவினும், 220
ஆர்வலர் ஏத்த மே வரு நிலையினும்,
வேலன் தைஇய வெறி அயர் களனும்,
காடும் காவும், கவின் பெறு துருத்தியும்,
யாறும் குளனும், வேறு பல் வைப்பும்,
சதுக்கமும் சந்தியும், புதுப் பூங் கடம்பும்,
மன்றமும் பொதியிலும், கந்துடை நிலையினும்
–From Tirumurgaatruppadai
–subham—
Tags- Lord Skanda, Murugan, Subrahmanya, Kartikeya, Peacock, Vel/Spear, Hinduism through 500 Pictures in Tamil and English – படங்கள் மூலம் இந்து மதம் கற்போம்-2
Of these, Thalaiyaalankaanam battle is celebrated much.
As I mentioned earlier Tamil kings fought among themselves and killed each other. Bards sang about the victorious kings or chieftains or the commanders and got prizes. No where in the world we such a long fighting. They fought for 1500 years continuously among themselves. We will see more in Pura naanuuru.
Of these, Venkatam is famous because of the Venkata achala pathi Vishnu temple, which is the world’s richest temple. Neither Vatican nor Mecca attract such a large crowd in the world. The oldest book Tolkappiam said Tamil language was spoken only up to that point.
வடவேங்கடம் தென்குமரி
ஆயிடைத்
தமிழ்கூறு நல்லுலகத்து
(தொல்காப்பியம், சிறப்புப்பாயிரம்:1-3)
Another interesting historical reference is to the Mauryan Invasion of Tamil Nadu. The words used by the poet Maamuulanaar is the mountain that was levelled by Mauryans. It shows that the Mauryan army laid road route across that hill. We have references from Jain books that Chandra Gupta Maurya spent his last days in Karnataka as a Jain devotee. This reference, coupled with Asoka’s reference to Tami kingdoms, give a clear history for the Tamil Kings from Third Century BCE.
Kolli Malai was also famous in those days for the presence of Kollip Paavai, a goddess who had mysterious powers.
The name Agastya is not at all mentioned in Sangam Tamil Literature. But the word Pothiyin Malai shows that it became famous because of Agastya’s residence there. In other verses the hill is compared with Himalayas in reverence. It is part of the 1000 mile long Western Ghats called Sahyaadri in Sanskrit.
Tamil words Malai, Kundram and Sanskrit words Achala, Adri , all meant mountain.
Tirupparam Kundram is famous until this day because of Lord Skanda (Murugan in Tamil) temple.
Imayam, i.e. Himalaya is mentioned in several places. They used the Sanskrit word Hima (snow) in many places in addition to Vada Varai (Northern chain of mountains).
Sirumalai is famous for its sweetest, smallest banana fruits till this day.
Parambu Malai became most famous hill in Sangam Tamil Literature, because of the philanthropist chieftain Paari. Three Tamil kings ganged themselves and killed him. Brahmin poet Kapilar, the greatest of the 450+++ Sangam poets gave us lot of interesting information about this Parampu hills. When the jealous Tamil kings laid a siege, Kapilar trained the birds to bring grains for the people. Moreover Kapilar says that Paari gave all the three hundred towns to the poor. This statistic is very important. If a a small Parambu area has 300 towns 2000 years ago, one could imagine how many towns Tamils had in the vast area of Chera, Choza, Pandya kingdoms!
Muthu kundram hill is known as Vriddhachalam and Chirappali is called Trichy nowadays.
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97.
Tamil Forests
in Tamil is Kaanam or Kaadu. கானம், காடு is forest
Of these Aalangkaanam is famous because it was a battlefield.
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98.Holy Towns
Tamils have been great Hindus, and they worshipped all the Six Gods mentioned by Adi Shankara and in addition they worshipped local heroes as Village Gods.
Arangam is Sri Rangam with very big Vishnu Temple and Venkatam also. Alaivaay/Tiru Chendur and Parankundru/Tirupparamkundram are famous Skanda/Murugan temples.
Dhanushkoti via Rameswaram is famous because one of the 12 Jyotirlinga Shrines.
Of these Kartikai and Panguni are Sanskrit words used for Tamil months. In fact all Tamil months in the present day calendar are Sanskrit names. Most of these festivals are celebrated until this day.
The 12 month system shows that Tamils knew zodiac for at least 2000 years. Purananuru mentions zodiac signs. It shows that we followed our own Hindu system and not the Greek one.
Tamils being Pukka Hindus treated all the water sources as holy and took ritual baths in the rivers and seas. The safest point for anyone to take a holy dip is called Thurai in Tamil and Ghat in Sanskrit.
Rig Veda, the oldest book in the world has the highest number of hymns in praise of water. The greatest wonder is that Brahmins around the world recite those Water Mantras three times a day. In all Hindu ceremonies water filled pot is a must. It is called Poorna Kumbha; even in death ceremonies they break water pots to show that the soul has merged with water and earth.
Tamil Akananuru mentioned at least 16 Ghats/Thurais. Following are important:
Aanporunai / Tambrbarani river Thurai, Uraiyur Kaviri Thurai, Thozunai (River Yamuna) Dhanuskodi, Thondi, Koodal and Korkai. The last three are not used anymore because of natural changes.
We will see more wonders in the next part
To be continued………………………
Tags- Ancient Tamil Encyclopaedia- Part 15; One Thousand Interesting Facts! – Part 15 , Tamil festivals, Tamil shrines, Tamil holy rivers, Akanauru wonders,
Pictures are taken from various sources for spreading knowledge.
this is a non- commercial blog. Thanks for your great pictures.
tamilandvedas.com, swamiindology.blogspot.com
xxxx
Kalidasa is the greatest poet of India. He lived 2100 years ago in North India. His seven great works survived until this day. No poet in the world excelled him until this day. He used over 1500 imageries, similes, metaphors and allegories in his books. Not even Shakespeare in his 37 plays and over 154 sonnets used such imageries. In fact, Shakespeare even copied him and created Miranda (The Tempest) in the model of Shakuntala. He copied the Vidushakas of Kalidasa and created Caliban (The Tempest).
Like all great Hindu poets Kalidasa left no personal details. Of all the historical Hindu dynasties, he used only Magadha dynasty’s name. it proved that he lived during or immediately after the Magadha rule. In his Raghuvamsa we see Raghu conquering all countries up to Iran. We know that Vikramaditya was the one who ruled such a vast empire. Kalidasa is associated with the great ruler Vikramaditya and even Chandragupta II took that title later.
Kalidasa’s work Kumara sambhava made a big impact on the Vaishnavite Gupta empire and they suddenly switched over to Saivite names such as Kumara Gupta and Skanda Gupta. Three Gupta Kings named themselves as Kumaragupta.
First Mystery
He lived in the first century BCE. Bhasa, another great playwright credited with 13 plays, lived before him. He used stories from Ramayana and Mahabharata for his dramas. Kalidasa took Lord Skanda (also known as Kumaara) for his work. This shows he lived before the Parama Bhagavathas, i.e. The Gupta kings. Gupta kings used title Parama Bhagavathas in their coins and inscriptions to say that they are followers of Vishnu.
But why did Kalidasa choose Lord Skanda/ Kartikeya/Kumara rejecting Vishnu and Siva? It is a mystery. The legend is that he was blessed by Kali. His very name suggested that he was blessed by Kali. But he never did any work on Kali. But in all his seven works he praised Brahma, Vishnu and Siva and said all are one and the same. In most of his works he used Siva in the initial Prayer song. All these show that he lived before Vaishnavite/ Parama Bhagvathas Gupta kings.
The reason for him choosing Lord Skanda may be the Yaudheya Kings who produced coins with the image of Lord Skanda.
Second Mystery
Why didn’t he finish Kumarasambhava, the birth of Lord Kumara/Skanda? What happened to him? Where did he go? Did he die suddenly? No clue is available in any Hindu literature. But Gupta inscriptions and sculptures show his great influence. Most famous art historian Sivaramamurti rightly pointed out that Kalidasa must have lived long before the Gupta rule, because sculptures and paintings follow what is written in literature not vice versa. This has been proved around the world.
Third Mystery
In Kumarasambhava Kavya, we see the role of Sapta Rishis- Seven Great Seers. Even today Brahmins worship Sapta Rishis three times a day in their Sandhyavandana, in the order Atri, Brhu, Kutsa, Vasishta, Gautama, Kashyapa and Angirasa. The surprising thing is that Panini used them in the same order 2700 years ago. But Kalidasa gave importance to the junior most Angiras in the list. He is the one who requests Himavan to give his daughter Uma to Lord Siva in marriage. Traditions of the Seven Rsis by John E. Mitchiner says saint Valmiki refers only to six seers and Mahabharata has two different lists. He added that Kalidasa and Varahamihira used the new list and so this new list must be in use between 300 BCE and 300 CE. But why did Kalidasa choose junior most or the last one (Angiras) to head the representation to Himavan? It remains as an unsolved mystery.
Another interesting point is 2000 year old Sangam Tamil literature mentioned Sapta Rishis in two poems saying Tamils worshipped them (Natrinai 231 and Pari.5-43)
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UMA Mystery in Tamil Literature
One more mystery is there, but it is from Tamil literature.
Sangam Tamil literature, mostly secular, but refers to all Hindu Gods, both Vedic and post Vedic gods. Among the goddesses Lakshmi , Durga , and Kali are mentioned but with Tamil names only. Uma is the only Goddess name used with Sanskrit name UMA (in Tamilized form UMAI). It shows that Kalidasa’s Kumarasambhava has made a big impact on Tamils and so they copied Uma from his book.
And this is not the only place. Even the description of Muruga/Skanda has many similarities ( I have written about it in articles on Skanda/Muruga)
–subham—
Tags- three mysteries, Kalidasa plays, Uma mystery, in Sangam Literature
Pictures are taken from various sources for spreading knowledge.
this is a non- commercial blog. Thanks for your great pictures.
tamilandvedas.com, swamiindology.blogspot.com
xxxx
Madurai Meenaakshii Sundareswarar (Shiva ) temple is considered one of the wonders of the world. It is because it contains over 30,000 sculptures (stuccos) and paintings. The stone sculptures are carved with very great precision. A small mistake would have made the sculptor to restart the work again and work for many years. It had beautiful and tall towers during the visit of Tamil Miracle Boy Saint Tiru Gnana Sambandar around 600 CE. Sekkilzar of tenth century mentioned the tall towers in Peria Puranam; Sambandar mentioned just the towers. But the present structure has only one old tower built in 12th century by Sundara Pandya. Later Madurai Nayak Kings, particularly Tirumalai Nayak, and Nattukkotai Nagarathar Chettiyars added several towers and Mandapas/buildings.
The British took over the management of the temple when corruption was reported in the 18th century. There are several miracles of Goddess Meenakshi well documented in the temple records. Let us look at some miracles.
1
Peter Pandya alias Rous Peter
Rous Peter was the collector of Madurai between 1812 and 1828. He was a devotee of Madurai Goddess Meenakshi. He made lavish gifts to Madurai temple and Alagarkoil (Kalla Azakar) Vishnu temple. He was popularly called Peter Pandya. It is said that once he shot a wild elephant and it started attacking him. Immediately he prayed to Goddess Meenakshi and fired another shot which killed the elephant. This story appeared in print.
Another popular version is that one day he was sitting in his court hall and writing a judgement during rainy season. At that time a beautiful little girl appeared before him and asked him to come out of the building. Attracted by her charm he followed her , but she disappeared. As soon as he came out of the building, it collapsed. He realised that it was Goddess Herself came and saved his life twice. As a thanksgiving he donated some jewels to the temple, and they are still used on festival days.
2
Tirumalai Nayak (1623-1659)
Tirumalai Nayak renovated the temple completely during his reign. His wife constructed Ashtasakthi Mandapam. During his reign the beautiful Pudumandapam in front of the temple was built. He showed personal interest in the development of the temple. He revived the Sengol/ sceptre Festival. This meant he was only a servant of Goddess Meenakshi who gives her golden sceptre to him to rule Her country . Since Greek ambassador Megasthenes (3rd century BCE) mentioned the Pandya queen in his book Indica, this must have started 2300 years ago.
Rev. William Taylor has recorded Nayak’s personal involvement in the administration of the temple to weed out corruption. It reports a miracle. Goddess Meenakshi (Parvati, wife of Shiva) appeared in Nayak’s dream and told him there is no care for me. Very next day he called the temple administrator and told him quietly, “for the future we ourselves will piously undertake the anointing, the purveying of offering food (prasaadam) to God, the robing of the images with garlands and flowers, lighting of the sacred lamps and the whole of the daily duties throughout the temple”. He also donated lands yielding 12,000 pons (gold coins) every year for the administration of the temple.
Later, from the first day of the month Thai, Eswara year, on the Makara Sankaranthi Day, he handed charge over to one Paranetha Pandaram, the son of the hereditary female lamp-lighter of the temple. This is recorded in a translation by Rev William Taylor.
3
Early Miracle recorded in Temple Document
In 1365, Kumara Kampana Udayar, a prince of the Vijayanagara Empire, invaded Madurai in Tamil Nadu after conquering many kings on his way. He sounded the death knell of the Muslim Sultanate which ruled Madurai for half a century. Ibn Batuda, the African traveller, has recorded all the atrocities done to Hindus by the Muslim sultans. Though he was a Muslim he was disgusted by the sultans massacring Hindu women and Children; he has given a graphic account of incidents which he saw with his own eyes.
When Kumara Kampana entered Madurai with his wife Queen Ganga Devi (author of Madura Vijayam in Sanskrit) he saw a miracle. Nelson gives a graphic account of the reopening of the Meenakshi temple after the elimination of Sultans:
“Kampana Udayar was taken on an appointed day to witness the reopening of the Pagoda (temple) and on his entering and approaching the shrine for the purpose of looking upon the face of God. Lo! and behold! Everything was precisely in the same condition as when the temple was first shut 48 years ago. The lamp that was lighted on that day was still burning and the sandal wood powder, the garland of flowers and the ornaments usually placed before the idol on the morning of the festival day were found to be exactly as it is .
This is not Nelson’s words. This is written in the Temple Record book called Seethala Kurippedu in old Tamil. Nelson has given a brief translation. And such a record written in the temple never exaggerates nor tell lies.
4
Fourth Miracle
My father V Santanam, freedom fighter and News Editor, Dinamani, Madurai was part of the 1963 Kumbabishekam (consecration done every 12 years) of the Madurai Temple. Then Kumbaabishekams were done in 1974 and 2009. During the last Kumbabishekam there was a controversy about the Consecration Date. A section of the temple priests was not happy about the chosen date. But it was already announced publicly. There was a big embarrassment about changing the date. At last, all the parties concerned, agreed to leave it to Goddess Meenakshi to pass a final judgement. The modus operandi generally followed in such a dilemma, is to write YES and NO on paper bits and roll them out and put them in a pot. One from the audience of devotees is called at random, again by someone unconnected with this process, and asked to pick up ONE rolled paper bit. A little girl from the audience was called to pick up Yes or No paper bit on an auspicious day. To the surprise of all the girl picked YES paper bit. Then casually someone asked the girl her name, she said MY NAME IS MEENAAKSHI. Everyone was wonderstruck and had the hair stood on end (goosebumps, elation).
Miracles never stop. They do happen even today. My friend Siddhivinayakam on a casual telephone call from India told me how he named his baby daughter. When he was struggling with different names suggested by family members, he heard someone saying Meenakshi suddenly from unknown source. We call it Asariri, i.e. ‘not from human body’ or from an unseen person.
God Shiva and Goddess Meenakshi have been worshipped for at least 2300 years in Madurai temple. Now millions visit the temple every month.
–subham—
Tags- Madurai Temple, Goddess Meenakshi, Four miracles, Peter Pandya, Tirumalai Nayak, Kampana Udayar, Ganga Devi
Tamil and Vedas 