Brihadeeswara & Somnath Temple

 Brihadeeswara Temple

Also known as Peruvudaiyar Kovil and RajaRajeswaram, this 11th century temple was built by the Chola emperor Raja Raja Chola I. Dedicated to Lord Shiva, Brihadeeswara temple is the largest temple in India that is situated at Thanjavur city of Tamil Nadu.

Cholas are known for their majestic and splendid scale of structures. The opulence and artistic proficiency of Cholas is well reflected in the grand and magnificent architecture of the temple. Made entirely of granite stone, it was built as per the principles of Vaastu Shastras and Agamas.

The most remarkable thing related to the architecture of this UNESCO World Heritage Site is that it doesn’t leave any shadow on the ground at the noon time. The millenary celebrations of its construction took place in 2010 amid many enthusiastic and grand cultural events.

Millennium Celebrations :-

Built in year 1010 CE in Thanjavur by Raja Raja Chola, Brihadeeswarar Temple is popular among people as ‘Big Temple’ and it turns 1000 years in September of 2010. To celebrate 1000th year of this grand structure, town and state government organize several cultural events. This occasion was to bring to mind 275th day of Raja Raja Chola’s (985-1014 CE) 25th regal year 1010 CE who handed over one gold-plated kalasam, which is a finial or a copper pot, for final consecration towards crowning Vimana, a 59.82 meters tall tower on top of sanctum.

Bharathanatyam Yajna :

In order to mark this occasion, state government of Tamil Nadu organizes one Bharathanatyam Yajna, which is a show of classical dance under Padma Subramaniam, a noted dancer. Association of Bharatanatyam Artistes of India (ABHAI) and Brhan Natyanjali Trust of Thanjavur organized this jointly. For marking this building’s 1000th year anniversary, a thousand dancers from Mumbai, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, New Delhi, Pune, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Malaysia, U.S. and Singapore dances in concert on Thiruvichaippa or Thirumurai’s ninth divine music’s recorded eleven verses, whose composer was Karuvur Thevar or guru of Raja Raja Chola named Tiruvisaippa. This whole event turns this small town into one cultural hub, which began on September 26th 2010 for 2 days as street dancers and performers perform throughout town.

Commemorative Stamps and Coins :

On September 26th of 2010, this was 5th day of Big Temple’s millennium celebrations as recognition of contribution by Big Temple to cultural, epigraphical and architectural history of country, India Post releases one special five rupees postage stamp, which features giant 216 feet tall Raja Gopuram.

The Reserve Bank of India commemorates this event by way of releasing a five rupees coin having this temple’s model on it. A Raja, Cabinet Minister of Communication and Information Technology releases an esteemed Brihadeeswarar Temple special stamp. G K Vasan, Cabinet Minister of Shipping was first to receive this stamp.

A Commemorative Coin of 1000 Rupees is also going for release with same picture like on 5 Rupees coin. In Republic of India currency, it will be first Rs 1000 coin going for release. It will be a Non Circulative Legal Tender or NCLT.

On 1st April 1954, Reserve Bank of India releases a 1000 Rupees currency note, which features Brihadeeswarar Temple’s panoramic view marking this temple’s cultural significance and heritage. In 1975, then government whose Prime Minister was Indira Gandhi demonetizes all 1000 Rupees currency notes, which was an effort for limiting black money. Now, among collectors these currency notes are popular.

M Karunanidhi, chief minister of Tamil Nadu renames Semmai Paddy as Raja Rajan-1000, which is one special kind of paddy variant high in productivity for marking celebration of millennial year of Raja Raja Cholan, builder of Big Temple.

 Somnath Temple

This is one of the oldest pilgrimage centres in India and finds mention in the ancient books, like Shivpuran, Skandpuran and Shreemad Bhagvat. Som refers to the ‘Moon God’, thus Somnath means ‘Protector of the Moon God’. According to a legend, Som got the temple built in the honor of Lord Shiva as it was Shiva who cured the illness, which was inflicted on him due to his father-in-law’s curse.

It is one of the most revered ‘jyotirlings’ among the 12 existing jyotirlings of India. The temple is located in Prabhas Kshetra in Saurashtra (Gujarat). Prabhas Kshetra is also the region in which, it is believed that, Lord Krishna left his mortal body.

Another interesting thing about the place is that it is built on the shore of Arabian Sea and in between the temple and the South Pole, in a straight line there is no land area. Somnath temple was destroyed and re-built many times. The place also has a Somnath museum, Junagadh gate, beach and a sound and light show to amuse the pilgrims.

Badrinath & Konark Sun Temple

 Badrinath Temple

Situated close to the Alaknanda River, the abode of Lord Badrinath is located in the Chamoli district, a small town of Badrinath (Uttarakhand). This holy shrine of Lord Vishnu forms a part of the four holiest sites (Char Dhams) in Hindu religion. It is also one of the four Chota Char Dham pilgrimage sites (comparatively minor pilgrimage sites). It is one of the 108 temples dedicated to Lord Vishnu (Divya Desams), which find mention in the works of Tamil saints who existed from 6th to 9th century.

Mata Murti-Ka-Mela – in which the mother of Lord Badrinath is worshipped and it takes place in the month of September.

Badri-Kedar Festival – extending to 8 days, it takes place in the month of June and is celebrated in both the temples of Badrinath and Kedarnath.

The Badrinath temple was installed by Adi Shankara. He set up his own people there. Even today, the descendants of the families that he set up traditionally, the Nambudiris, are the priests in the temple. Visually, this area is an incredible place. The town is not very well kept, but if you look around at the rest of it, it is incredibly beautiful. From Govind Ghat to Badri, that 25-kilometer drive is probably the most incredible drive you can have anywhere in the world. I have traveled to many places but this 25-kilometer drive is so incredible, there are no words to describe how the mountains are.

From Kaladi to Badrinath, the distance is more than three thousand kilometres by walk. Adi Shankara walked such distances not just south to north but also east to west. He walked up and down the country thrice and east to west once. Once, when he was up in the north, he came to know intuitively that his mother was dying. At the age of twelve, his mother had given him permission to take sanyas only after he had promised her that he would be there with her at the moment of her death. So when he realized that his mother was ill, he walked all the way back to Kerala just to be with her beside her deathbed. He spent a few days with his mother and after she had died, he walked back north again. When you travel to the Himalayas, you will wonder how anyone could have walked through this. Imagine the effort involved. Motorized travel destroyed pilgrimage! If you had walked, it would settle your life for good.

The purpose of coming to the Himalayas is not to achieve something. This was an opportunity to simply be dwarfed – if not dissolved, at least to be dwarfed. You can’t believe that thousands of years of ago, people went into these mountains when there were no roads, automobiles or maps of where the mountain begins and where it ends. Just going. If you want to progress on the path of yoga, this is needed. Not knowing where the end is, simply keep going. “It doesn’t matter where it begins or where it ends, till I reach there, I simply keep going.” Unless a person has this attitude and strength within himself, the spiritual path is out of question.

 The Konark Sun Temple

The Sun temple is situated in the small town of Konark, which is situated in the Puri district of Odisha. This marvel of architecture is dedicated to Lord Sun. And resembling his carriage, the temple has been built in the shape of a chariot, which has twelve wheels and is shown as being dragged by the seven horses.

The temple is believed to be constructed in the 13th century by a king called Narasimhadeva. Like with most things in India, this temple too has connections with a few legends. As per one of the legends, God Krishna cursed, one of his own sons with leprosy.  To seek penance, Samba worshiped Lord Sun (Surya) for a period of twelve years. Pleased with his devotion, Surya healed him. Samba made the Sun temple in return to express his gratitude.

The mesmerizing beauty of the place was best summed up by the Rabindranath Tagore through these words: ‘Here the language of stone surpasses the language of man.’

Purpose of Building Konark at this Place :-

The beauty of the Sun-rise and the roaring voice of the sea charmed Narasimhadeva since his early life. The river chandrabhaga which is now dead, was once flowing within a mile to the north of the temple site and was joining the sea. On its banks, existed flourishing towns and important trading centres. Trade was carried on with foreign countries as well, by sea routes, as there was no better communication other than the river in those days.

Narasimhadeva had preferred the place for his proposed temple, for not only enabling him to bring his building meterials from different places by the said river, but the sanctity of the was also considered by him. In this connection there is an interesting legend which says that, once Samba, the son of Sri Krishna, incurred the displeasure of Narada. Who revenged himself by getting Samba afflicted with leprosy.Ultimately, when Samba, was found innocent, he was advised to practice penance in the Maitreyi forest for 12 years, to please Surya(Sun God) to cure him of his disease. He acted accordingly and after the prescribed period the Sun appeared before him and asked to recite the twenty-one different names of the deity. Next morning when Samba was taking his bath in chandrabhaga, his hands came in contact with something in the water. He immediately lifted it up and saw an image of Surya (Sun God) standing on a lotus pedestal, holding two lotuses in his both hands. He carried the image to his Ashrama (hermitage) and installed it in a temple, built by him. Samba was however completely cured, after sometime, by worshipping the deity.

In addition to the above legend, there is another legend associated with it. It is believed that in the proximity of Konark Temple, there was a pool in which once a stone was dropped by King Narsimha Deva and it was galloped by the Raghab Fish. On hearing this, the goddess Dhama got disturbed. She gave a suggestion to Sivai Santra to construct a temple by dropping stones from sides. Thus, the Sun temple is believed to have been built in this manner.

Besides the sanctity and the favourable surroundings, the presence of majestic sea eternally roaring and rolling within a striking distance, was perhaps an added attraction for them.

Laxminarayan Temple & Iskcon Temple

 Laxminarayan Temple

Inaugurated by Mahatma Gandhi in 1939, the temple was built by the industrialist Baldeo Das Birla in Delhi and can be visited by people of all castes and creed. Laxminarayan is a form of Lord Vishnu (Narayan) when he is with Goddess Lakshmi (his consort).

The primary shrine is devoted to Laxminarayan, other smaller shrines are dedicated to other Gods like Shiva, Hanuman, Krishna, Ganesh and Buddha. Spread in an area of 7.5 acres the temple is one of the tourist attractions of Delhi and has a huge garden, fountains and a large hall called Geeta Bhawan to conduct discourses, apart from the holy shrines.

The Most Important Temples of Hindus:-Built in 1938, famous Birla Mandir in Delhi was inaugurated by Mahatma Gandhi (Father of the Indian Nation) on the express condition that people of all castes and especially untouchables would be allowed in. (Refer to section People). Consequently a plaque at the gate reiterates that people of all faiths and classes are welcome. Till date, it remains one of the most popular temples in Delhi.

The Architectural Brilliance of The Birla Mandir (Temple) :- Birla Mandir is also famous for the festival of Janmashtami (birth of the Hindu deity Krishna). The festival is celebrated here with much goodwill and cheer.

The temple is designed in the Orissan style, with tall curved towers capped by large amalakas (circular ribbed motif at the summit of a temple tower). The exterior is faced with the white marble and red sandstone typical of Delhi’s Mughal architecture. The interior court is overlooked by two-storey verandahs on three sides; there are gardens and fountains at the rear. The profusion of sculptures, idols, spires and jalis, the Birla Mandir in Delhi is also considered as splendor in terms of its architecture.

Experience Beauty And Divinity Melt In The Heart of Stones :-The architecture is amazing. Built in the Nagara style of architecture interspersed with modern influences, the Birla Mandir awakes from the womb of lush green Link Road reigning the whole terrain. The temple faces the east and is adorned with exquisite carvings depicting scenes from Hindu mythology. The other awe-inspiring thing is apparently the soaring spires of the shrine. You will be amazed to see the main spire (shikhara), nestling above the sanctum sanctorum, soaring with its head high at almost 160 ft. Enjoy a leisure walk through the spacious corridors and you will be overwhelmed to see such beautiful friezes and artistic sculptures that only add to the aesthetic beauty of this temple. Do you know that 101 skilled pundits from Varanasi, headed by Acharya Vishvanath Shastri, were employed to create this magic in stones. Remember to visit the Buddha shrine, the rippleless walls embellished with fresco paintings depicting the Lord's life and work. Children can also enjoy their hearts out at the miniature rock temples nestling at the backyard of the temple. There is also an arena said to be the erstwhile gym of Bhima, the second Pandava of the Mahabharata fame. An artificial landscape complete with mountains and cascading waterfalls makes for a perfect solitude.

 Iskcon Temple

Also known as the Krishna Balaram mandir, ISKCON (International Society for Krishna Consciousness) was built in the year 1975. Located in the holy land of Vrindavan (Mathura, Uttar Pradesh), the land which is believed to be the abode of Lord Krishna in his young age, the ISKCON temple is well known for the utmost standard of cleanliness and worship they maintain. The chants of ‘Hare Krishna’ reverberate in the temple all hours of the day.

The temple belongs to the Gaudiya Vaishnava sect of Hinduism, which was founded by Chaitanya Mahaprabhu in the 16th century. Inside the temple there are idols of Krishna, Radha, Balarama, along with the idols of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and Swami Prabhupada (founder of ISKCON).

For understanding India in its various hues one can start from its temples, i.e. undertake a Pilgrimage holiday in India and start to learn what binds its diverse population and begin to unravel the intriguing phenomenon called India. Mahatma Gandhi said that the essence of all religions is one; only their approaches are different. Likewise, from the different temples of India, one can realize the essence of the enigmatic land of India.

What is ISKCON? :-The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), otherwise known as the Hare Krishna movement, includes five hundred major centers, temples and rural communities, nearly one hundred affilated vegetarian restaurants, thousands of namahattas or local meeting groups, a wide variety of community projects, and millions of congregational members worldwide. Although less than fifty years on the global stage, ISKCON has expanded widely since its founding by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda in New York City in 1966.

ISKCON belongs to the Gaudiya-Vaishnava sampradāya, a monotheistic tradition within the Vedic or Hindu culture. Philosophically it is based on the Sanskrit texts Bhagavad-gītā and the Bhagavat Purana, or Srimad Bhagavatam. These are the historic texts of the devotional bhakti yoga tradition, which teaches that the ultimate goal for all living beings is to reawaken their love for God, or Lord Krishna, the “all-attractive one”.

God is known across the world by many names including Allah, Jehovah, Yahweh, Rama, etc. ISKCON devotees chant God’s names in the form of the maha-mantra, or the great prayer for deliverance: Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.

Many leading academics have highlighted ISKCON’s authenticity. Diana Eck, Professor of Comparative Religion and Indian Studies at Harvard University, describes the movement as “a tradition that commands a respected place in the religious life of humankind.” In the 1980s Dr. A. L. Basham, one of the world’s authorities on Indian history and culture, wrote of ISKCON that, “It arose out of next to nothing in less than twenty years and has become known all over the West. This, I feel, is a sign of the times and an important fact in the history of the Western world.”

ISKCON’s founder, Srila Prabhupada, has drawn appreciation from scholars and religious leaders alike for his remarkable achievement in presenting India’s Vaishnava spiritual culture in a relevant manner to contemporary Western and worldwide audiences.

Members of ISKCON practice bhakti-yoga in their homes and also worship in temples. They also promote bhakti-yoga, or Krishna Consciousness, through festivals, the performing arts, yoga seminars, public chanting, and the distribution of the society’s literatures. ISKCON members have also opened hospitals, schools, colleges, eco-villages, free food distribution projects, and other institutions as a practical application of the path of devotional yoga.