SOUTHERN INDIA S VERITABLE PARADISE FOR PILGRIMS

Gopurams soaring high. Temple towns filled with arcbitectural marvels.
Intricate sculptures adorning temple walls. Delicate minarets reaching out to the sky. Towering catbedrals and doznes of shrines . Southern India is a treasure house of a glouries heritage.

Bowhere is this rich heritage more visible than in Tamil Nadu, home to some of the most exquisite temples in the world. The earliest Temples were built of brick and mortar. UP to about 700 BC, temples were scooped out of rocks. The Pallara Kings (up to 900 AD) were great builders in stone. The Cholas (9001250 AD) added ornate mandapams and large gopurams. The Pandya style (up to 1350 AD) SAW THE EMERGENCE OF BUGE TOWERS, HIGH WALL ENCLOSURES AND TOWED GATEWAYS. The Vijayanagar Kings (1350-1560 AD) brought in intricacy and beauty, while the Naiks (1600-1750 AD) developed large prakarams and pillared halls.

The most Indian of Indian cities. Chennai is home to dozens of temples, some of them over 1200 years old. The Kapaleeswarar Temple at at Mylapore is an ancient shrine glorified in the Tamil hymns of the 7th century AD. Dedicated to Lord Shiva, the temple has a vast tower studded with stucco images.


The Parthasarthy Temple at Trilicane, is one of 108 Divya Desams- the Temples and Celestial Abodes of Lord Vishnu. Built in the 8th century by an early Pallava King., this Temple has five shrines and is the only Divya Desam, where Lord Krishna is seen enshrined with images of his family.

The two-spired Shore Temple housing the shrines of both Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu is at Mamallapuram 64 km from Channai. Also here is the Stalasayana Perumal Temple.

Kanchipuram one of the seven most sacred pilgrim centers of Hindus, was once called the city of Thousand Temples. It is home to the imposing 14th century Sri Kamakshi Temple, dedicated to Goddess Kamakshi, the magnificient Ekambareswarar Temple, whre Lord Shiva is worshipped as the Prithvi Lingam and the Sri Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham. The temple is also one of the Panchabhoota Stalams signifying the five elements.

The Temple Town of Tiruvannamalai is home to one of the grandest temples in India, the Arunachaleswarar Temple. Among the most revered of Shiva Temples this temple has a great tradition of festivals, the most important of which is Kartikai Deeoam. The Temple town was also home to Sri Ramana Maharishi, the saint- philosopher, whose movement today is famous worldwide.

The Nataraja Temple at Chidambaram is one of the most ancient and most celebrated shrines in India. Lord Shiva can be seen in his Ananda Tandava pose (The Cosmic Dance of Bliss). One of the Panchabhoota Stalams and one of the five Dance Halls of Shiva, the Chidambaram Temple Complex reflects a collection of architectural and sculptural styles, assimilated over several centuries.

Sirkazhi near Chidambaram has one of the most revered Shiva Temples of Tamil Nadu. It also home to the Shiva saint Tirugnanasambandar . Also near Chidambaram is the ancient temple townof Mayiladuturai, with several temples, the foremost of which are the Mayuranathar and Parimala Ranganathar Temples.

At Thanjavur is the famed Brihadeeswarar Temple, built during the reign of Raja Raja Chola.Testimony to the Cholas; commitment to arts and culture, the temple is an architectural marvel with an imposing 200 feet high Vimana. Thanjavur also has 70 other temples.

At Mannargudi, near Thanjavur is the huge, 1000 year old Rajagopala Temple, referred to as Dakshina Dwara situated on the banks of River Cauvery, Kumbakonam is home to Kashi Viswanathar, Kumbeswarar, Nageswarar, Sarangapani and Ramaswammy Temples. The Mahamagam Festival occurs once every 12 years.

In and around Tiruchchirappalli are the Rock Fort Temple. Uraiyur, Samayapuram, Tiruvanaikkval, Srirangam Uttamar Koli, Vayaluretc. The largest and among the grandest templesin India, Srirangam enshrines Lord Ranganatha and its etrance is crowned with the loftiest tower in India. The Mariamman Temple near Tiruchchirappalli is a centre of Shakti worship.

At Pillayarpatti, Karaikkudi, is one of the oldest cave temples of Tamil Nadu, housing the familiar image of Karpaka Vinaayakar. Nearby is the hill temple of Shanmukhanthan at Kunnakudi.

The crowing glory of the historic city of Madhurai is the Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple and ancient centre of worship as well as an art gallery of vast proportions. The festival traditions here represent a confluence of the Saiva, Shakti, Skanda and Vaishnava streams of Hinduism.

The Azhagar Koli near Madhurai, has been venerated by the hymns of the Alwars. Also near Madhurai is the hill temple of one of the revered Aaryu Padai Veedu Shrines (Six Abodes) of Lord Murugan.

Known as the Varansi of South India, the sacred island of Rameswaram, is held in great reverence by devotees of both Lord Vishnu and Lord Shiva. The Ramanathanswamy Temple has a thousand Pillared Corridor-said to be the longest in the country. The deity here constitutes one of the 12 Jyotirlingams of India. Another famous temple here is the Kothandaramaswamy Temple.

The ancient shrine of Kanniyakumari gives the southernmost tip of India its name. The Temple here is dedicated to the virgin Goddess Kanniyakumari who is believed to stand guard over the country. The Vivekananda Rock Memoral here is the place where sami Vivekananda the patriot saint of modem India sat in a long and deep meditation in 1892.

Nine ancient shrines in Tirunelveli are closely associated with Nammalawar. Eight of the nine. Navagaraha stalams in Tamil Nadu are temples dedicated to Lord Shiva. Seven of these are associated with the Bhakti movement of the 1st millennlum.

Near Tirunelveli is Srivilliputtur, the birthplace of Sri Andal, one of the 12 Alwars and another of the revered Tiruppavai humns.

The Lord Murugan shrine at Marudamalai, the Lingeswarar Temple and the Perur Patteeswaraar Temple are located near Coimbatore.

A SPIRITUAL JOURNEY IN THE HEART OF INDIA.

Orissa is a treasure trove of monuments. Its Temples are built in the Lndo-Aryan Nagara style of architecture, with distactive features specific to the region. They usually consist of a sanctiom, one or several front porches, usally with pyramidal roofs, a dancing hall and a of offerings. The Golden Triangle of Orissa comprising Bhubaneswar, Puri and Konark attracts millions of devotees and tourists alike. However, there are hundreds of lesser known Temples in Orissa, each with its own history and rich traditions.

Bhubaneswar, The capital city of Orissa, is a city of Temples. Built over several centuries, many of these V have architectural significance too. The thousand-year-old Lingaraj Temples, is one of the best examples of the Orissa style of Temples building. Located in a specious courtyard covering over 2,50,000 sq.ft, the Temples is bouded by fortified walls. The elaborately carved tower is 180 feet high. The Bhagwati Temples is located in the northwest corner of the courtyard. Thesre are several other shrines and Temples in the courtyard. The 10th century Mukteshwara Temples, dedicated to Lord Shiva, is considered to be the gem of Orissa’s architecture. Although it is a small shrine, literally every inch of its surface is carved. This Temple has also been described as a dream realized in sandstone. Located on the eastern bank of the Bindu Sagar Lake, the Anantha Vasudeva Temple is one of the few Vaishnavaite Temple in Bhubaneshwar. The Temple enshrines images of Lord Krishna, Balarama and Subhadra. Other important Temples in Bhubaneshwar are the Parasurameswara Temple, Raja Rani, Kedareshwar and Siddeshwara.

Puri, is a Venerated pilgrim centre, enshrining Krishna- Jagannath in a colossal Temple. Also enshrined here are images of Balarama and Subhadra, the brother and sister of Lord Krishna. The vast Temple complex is spread across more that 4,00,000 sq ft. A 20 feet high ortified wall encloses the complex which houses about 120 shrines and Temple. The shikara of the Jagannath Temple towers to a height of 192 feet. The Rath Yatra during June-July is a spectacular festival, involving the procession of three colossal chariots bearing the three deities, through the streets of Puri.

The magnificent Sun Temple at Konark, endorses the genius of the architects who envisioned and built it. Also known as the black pagoda, this is one of the grandest Temple of India. The entire Temple has been conceived as a Chariot of the Sun God, with 24 Wheels, with spokes and elaborate carvings. The Temple is pulled by seven horses and two elephant-crushing lions guard the entrance. Even in its ruined state, the Sun Temple is truly awe-inspiring.

Mosques & Shrines in Western India

The Haji Ali Dargah is one of the better-known landmarks o0f Mumbai, Set 500 yards into the sea, this mausoleum of the famous Muslim saint. Haji Ali, is accessible only during low tide. The Dargah of Sayeed Burhan Ud Din in Aurangabad is associated with the Chisti missionary buried here in 1334. It is believed that the shrine contains hair from the Prophet’s beard, which magically increases in number when they are counted each year. Another important shrine in Aurangabad is the Dargah of Baba Shah Muzaffar, a Sufi saint and a great spiritual advisor of Aurangzeb.

At Khuldabad, near Aurangabad is the VargaH OF Sayeed Zain-ud din. The Dargah houses a sacred relic, the Robe of Prophet Mohammed. This jealously-guarded relic is revealed to the public once a year, on the twelfth day of the Isalamic month of Rabi-ul-Awwal (usually around November).

When the tomb becomes the focus of a festival attracting crowds of worshippers from all over Indai. In the small village Shivapur, near Pune, lies the celebrated Kumar Ali Darveh Dargah, visted by people belonging to all religions. A unique feature of this Dargah is the presence of two huge stones which can be easily lifted by recting the sacred name of Kamar Ali Darvesh in one breath. The Dargah is also the venue of an annual ‘Urs’. In the centre of the old city of Ahmedaba, In Gujarat, lies one of the most beautiful mosques of India, the Jumma Masjid, built by the city’s founder, Sulthan Ahmed Shah in 1423 AD. Built in yellow sandstone, this Mosque combines the best of Hindu and Muslim styles of architecture. Also in Ahmedabad is the Sidi Sayyid Mosque, famed for its exquisite stone window tracery. Each year, during the six-day Urs, thousands of devotees from different religious backgrounds, gather at the Dargah of Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti, in Ajmer. Rajasthan, the final resting place of the Sufi Saint. It is believed that those who pray here with a pure and devour heart will have their whishes fulfilled.