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Abodes Of Vishnu

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Sri Ranganathar
Sri Sathyanarayana

All about the Alwars, the works of the Alwars, historical background, the shrines, their geographical distribution and more. A region wise index pointing to the divya desam shrines all over India with details on historical background, temple layout, architecture, iconography, festivals etc.

The Ranganathar temple at Srirangam in Tamilnadu is the foremost of the 108 Divya Desams and is a repository of history and art. The Venkateswara temple at Tirumala-Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh is the most visited temple in India. The Parthasarathy temple at Tiruvallikkeni is a historic monument coexisting with the hustle and bustle of Chennai.

The Padmanabha swami temple at Tiruvanandapuram in Kerala is a vast temple complex steeped in tradition. Badrinath in the lofty Himalayas was visited by Adi Sankara several centuries ago. Dwarka in Gujarat, enshrining Krishna is an integral part of Indian mythology related to Krishna.

Sri Varadarajar Perumal

The five Krishnaranya shrines of Tamilnadu are Tiruvazhundur, Tirukkannankudi, Kapistalam, Kannapuram and Kannamangai The massive Varadaraja Perumaal temple complex is the foremost of the 14 Divya Desam shrines in Kanchipuram, Tamilnadu. Shrines associated with the Pancha Pandavas in Kerala are Chengannur , Tiruppuliyur , Aranmula , Tiruvamundur and Tirukkadittanam Tiruchherai near Kumbhakonam hosts a spectacular chariot procession in the month of January.

Ahobilam in Andhra Pradesh, Sholingur near Chennai are home to ancient hill temples enshrining Narasimha. The Trivikrama avataram of Vishnu is enshrined at Tiruoorakam at Kanchi, Trikakkara in Kerala, Tirukkovalur near Tiruvannamalai, & Sirkazhi near Chidambaram.

Srivilliputtur is the birthplace of Andal, whose hymns are sung through the morning hours of the month of Margazhi in Tamilnadu. Ayodhya and Mathura are an integral part of Indian mythology and have been revered by the hymns of the Alwars.

The presiding deity at Nachiyaar Koyil near Kumbhakonam in Tamilnadu is taken out in procession on a stone Garuda mount (Kal Garudan). The Koodalazhagar temple within the city and the Kallazhagar temple in the suburbs are the well known Divya Desam shrines in the Madurai area. The Tirukkurunkudi temple near Tirunelveli enshrining Azhagiya Nambi is of great sculptural splendour.

Sri VaiKunda Perumal

SriVaikuntham and Alwar Tirunagari are the foremost of 9 shrines in the Tirunelveli region addressed by the saint Nammalwar in his hymns. Tirukkottiyur near Madurai is closely associated with incidents from the life of Ramanujacharya. At Tiruvattar and Tirupatisaram in Kanyakumari district, worship is carried out as per the Kerala Tantram protocol.

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Abodes of Skanda

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Thiruchendur
Swamimalai
Thiruparankundram

Kartikeya or Murugan is held in special reverence by the Tamil speaking populace. Skanda has been eulogized by 2000 year old Tamil Sangam literature and by the Sanskrit hymns of Aadi Sankaracharya & Kalidasa .

The story of Skanda’s birth: Kaama, the Lord of desire was burnt to ashes by the gaze of Shiva’s third eye. Shiva’s marriage to Uma resulted in the birth of Skanda , the valiant commander of the Gods.

The six most revered shrines of Murugan eulogized in the 2000 year old Tamil Sangam literature.

Visit Viraalimalai , Vayalur , Vaideeswaran Koyil, Togaimalai, Swamimalai, Sikkal, Mayiladuturai, Ettukkudi, Ennkann, Chettikkulam near Thanjavur, Tiruchirappalli

Tiruthani

Visit Kumarar Koyil , Tiruchendur, Kazhugumalai, Sindupoonturai, Valliyur, Kurukkutturai, Kunnakkudi, Palani, Melakkodumalur, Pazhamudirsolai and Tirupparamkunram near Tirunelveli, Karaikkudi and Madurai

Experience the old world charm of Murugan temples in the vicinity of Kanyakumari , part of the erstwhile Travancore kingdom Ayikudi, Velimalai, Vellimalai and Tirumalai.

Mandiramalai, Marudamalai, Chennimalai, Sivanmalai, Alavaippatti, Kanakagiri, Kanjamalai, Kapilarmalai, Kollimalai, Skandasramam, Tiruchengode and Vennaimalai – near Coimbatore, Erode, Salem.

Palani
Palamuthir
Vadapalani
Vallakotai
Thiruporur

Cheyur, Aandaarkuppam, Kanda Kottam, Tirumayilai, Vadapalani, Kumaran Kunram, Kunrattur, Madhurantakam, Kumara Kottam, Tirupporur, Vallakkottai, Tiruttani.

Visit Mayilam near Tindivanam – Vallimalai and Kangeyanallur near Vellore.

Subrahmanya near Mangalore in Karnataka (Tuluva Naadu) is considered to be one of the seven Mukti Stalams of the region. Udayanapuram near the famed Vaikom Mahadevar temple in Kerala (Chera Naadu) enshrines Subramanya and is closely associated with the Vaikom Ashtami festival.

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Anbe Shivam (Loving is Shivam)

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Arunachala

Shiva is referred to as ´the good one´ or the ´auspicious one´. Shiva – Rudra is considered to be the destroyer of evil and sorrow. Shiva – Shankara is the doer of good. Shiva is ´tri netra´ or three eyed, and is ´neela kantha´ – blue necked (having consumed poison to save the world from destruction. Shiva – Nataraja is the Divine Cosmic Dancer. Shiva – Ardhanareeswara is both man and woman.

Kapaleeswarar

He is both static and dynamic and is both creator and destroyer. He is the oldest and the youngest, he is the eternal youth as well as the infant. He is the source of fertility in all living beings. He has gentle as well as fierce forms. Shiva is the greatest of renouncers as well as the ideal lover. He destroyes evil and protects good. He bestows prosperity on worshipers although he is austere. He is omnipresent and resides in everyone as pure consciousness.

Eakambareswarar

Shiva is inseparable from Shakti – Parvati the daughter of Himavaan – Haimavati. There is no Shiva without Shakti and no Shakti without Shiva, the two are one – or the absolute state of being – consciousness and bliss.

Ramanathaswamy

The five mantras that constitute Shiva´s body are Sadyojaata, Vaamadeva, Aghora, Tatpurusha and Eesaana . Eesaana is Shiva not visible to the human eye, Sadyojaata is Shiva realized in his basic reality (as in the element earth, in the sense of smell, in the power of procreation and in the mind). The Vishnudharmottara Purana of the 6th century CE assigns a face and an element to each of the above mantras. ( Sadyojaata – earth, Vaamadeva – water, Aghora – fire, Tatpurusha – air and Eesaana – space).

Natarajar

The names of the deified faces with their elements are Mahadeva (earth), Bhairava (fire), Nandi (air), Uma (water) and Sadasiva (space). Panchamukha lingams have been seen from the 2nd century onwards. The Trimurthi Sadasiva image of Shiva in the Elephanta Caves near Mumbai is a portrayal in stone, of the five faces of Shiva. The fourth and the fifth heads are not seen in this image here.

Jumbulingeswarar

The works of sages Vyasa, Vasishta, Patanjali, the poet Kalidasa, the tamil saint poets Nayanmars – Appar, Sundarar, Sambandar, the poet Manikkavachakar, the mystic tamil siddhas, tantric philosophers, the spiritual leader Adi Sankaracharya and others such as Basavanna and Appayya Deekshitar speak of the attributes of Shiva.

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Abodes Of Ganesha

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Anantha Vinayagar

Ganesha the elephant faced God is usually worshipped first before any other worship service is carried out to any other deity.

Pillayaarpatti near Karaikkudi in Tamilnadu houses an ancient temple with a rock cut shrine to Ganesha, Karpaka Vinayakar . It is rich in festivals and traditions.

Echanari Vinayagar

The State of Maharashtra holds Ganapati in great reverence. 8 of these shrines around Pune are collectively referred to as the Ashta Vinayak temples. The Siddhi Vinayak temple in Bombay is a modern shrine visited by thousands throughout the year. Vatapi Ganapati is an image of Ganapati said to have been brought back by the Pallava King during his conquest of Badami, formerly known as Vatapi.

Karpaga Vinayagar

The hill temple dedicated to Taayumanavar – Shiva of the 1st millennium CE, is popularly reffered to as the Ucchi Pillayar temple (Rock Fort – Malaikkottai temple complex) and is associated with legends from the Ramayana.

The Tiruvalanchuzhii Shiva temple near Kumbhakonam in Tamilnadu is known more popularly for its shrine to Sweta Vinayakar, said to be made of the foam of the milky ocean (Ksheera Sagaram).

Manakula Vinayagar

Moreshwar in Moregaon, is one of the most popular of the Ashta Vinayaka shrines in Maharashtra depicting Ganapati on a peacock mount. Ranjangaon in Maharashtra enshrines Mahaganapati depicting the legend of Shiva invoking Ganesha during his battle with the demons. Mahad in Maharashtra enshrines Varadvinayak associated with the legend of Rukmangada, Indra and the Bhadravana forest.

Pasikula Vinayagar

Ozar in Maharashtra depicts Ganapati as Vigneshwar who quelled the arrogance of the demon Vignaasuran.

Ballal Vinayak at Pali in Maharashtra is associated with the legend of a young lad Ballal’s devotion to Ganapati. Chintamani Vinayak in Maharashtra is associated with the legend of the Chintamani gem and Kapila Muni. Siddhi Vinayak in Siddhatek in Maharashtra commemorates the legend of Vishnu invoking Ganesha, during his battle with the demons.

Uchi Pillayar

Ganesh Chaturti: Here is a special Templenet feature brought out for Ganesh Chaturti 1999, with links to related websites. The Gokarana Shivastalam in Karnataka and the Vaidyanath Jyotirlinga Temple at Deogarh in Bihar are prominent centers of Shiva worship. Ganesha is said to have been the cause of the origin of these worship centers.

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Amman Temples

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Sakthi

The Indian system of beliefs worships the primeval source of energy Shakti – in the form of the mother Goddess Devi. Variations of this worship are seen throughout the subcontinent.

The Kanyakumari temple at the southernmost tip of the Indian sub continent, enshrines Parvati as a child, and is rich in legends, festivals and traditions.

Kamakshi

The Kamakshi Amman temple at Kanchipuram in Tamilnadu is a vast and ancient temple complex, closely associated with the religious leader Aadi Sankaracharya and the Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham The Kamakhya Devi temple in Assam in North Eastern India is revered as one of the Shakti Peethams, and is visited by several, throughout the year. The Ambika or Ambaji shrine at Arasur in Gujarat is considered to be one of the Shakti Peethams and is a popular pilgrimage site.

Meenakshi

The Kalikambal temple at Chennai in Tamilnadu is visited by thousands throughout the year. The deity here is believed to have been worshipped by Chattrapati Shivaji during his tour of the region.

Bhagavathi

The Kalighat Kali temple in Calcutta in Bengal, is one of the most visited temples in Eastern India, and is regarded as one of the Shakti Peethams of the Indian subcontinent.

Astalakshmi

The Mahalakshmi temple at Kolhapur in Maharashtra is revered as one of the Shakti Peethams of India. The Bhavani temple at Tuljapur in Maharashtra is closely connected with the great Maratha ruler Shivaji. The Vaishnao Devi temple in Jammu is an ancient pilgrimage site accessed via an ardous trek through the Himalayas. It is visited by thousands throughout the year.

Selliamman

The Bhagawati temple at Chotanikkara in Kerala is a well visited temple, enshrining Rajarajeswari a manifestation of Mahakali, Maha Saraswati and Mahalakshmi.

The Bhagawati temple at Kodungallur in Kerala is an ancient one, enshrining Kali – also believed to be a manifestation of Kannagi of the celebrated Tamil epic Silappadikaram.

Kalikambal

Chamundeswari Temple built at Chamundi hills near Mysore enshrines Chamundeswari the tutelary deity of the Maharajahs of Mysore. The Kamakshiamman shrine at Maangaadu near Chennai is an ancient temple and a popularly visited one. Here is a collection of Shiva temples in Tamilnadu where the Amman (Ambaal or Devi) shrine is of significance.

Samayapuram

Karumaariamman at Tiruverkadu near Chennai is a manifestation of the mother goddess Maariamman, held in reverence throughout the southern state of Tamilnadu.

The Maariamman shrine at Samayapuram near Tiruchirappalli in Tamilnadu is an ancient one, attracting thousands of pilgrims from all over the state.

Tiruverkadu

Mangala Gowri temple at Gaya This Upa Shakti Peetha temple enshrining Devi at Gaya is a center of tantric worship. Mookambika – Kollur: Rich in legend and tradition, this temple at Kollur is closely associated with Adi Sankaracharya. In the village of Abhaneri near Udaipur are several archeological remains from the yesteryears.

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