Temples of South India

Temples of South India

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Book Specification

Item Code: NAM329
Author: Macherla Diwakar
Publisher: Techno Book House, Tamil Nadu
Language: English
Edition: 2015
ISBN: 9789383440344
Pages: 224 (150 B/W Illustrations)
Cover: Paperback
Other Details 8.5 inch x 5.5 inch
Weight 250 gm

Book Description

Back of the Book

Hindus can proudly claim to be the descendants of a race that believes in idol worship, in worshipping stones, animals, birds and reptiles. We visit temples with the weirdest and most bizarre sthala puranas, and are not ashamed of it. We are not ashamed of our Naga sadhus either, for they are just another manifestation of the freedom of thought and action that this land is famous for. All this and more represents the inclusiveness of what is popularly known as Hinduism, but which in reality is Sanatana Dharma, the eternal path.

Introduction

Templeck to 80,000 years. In any case, Rudra, the fierce form of Lord Shiva, is mentioned in the Vedas, which predate the Puranas by a long way.

However, our brief here is not worship can be said to be as old as the hills. Well, not nearly. The hills came first and the temples later. Worship through the medium of stones was the origin, doubtless. Organised worship, in the form of temples, followed in due course. Even the sthala puranas of the various temples only speak of the origin of the idol. To give just one example, the Sri Guruvayurappan idol, in Guruvayur, is stated to be given by Lord Krishna, anticipating the destruction of Dwaraka, to His devotee, Udhava. Udhava then asked for guidance from Brihaspati, the Guru of the Gods, and Vayu, the God of Wind. Guru and Vayu installed the deity, in the presence of Parasurama. Since Guru and Vayu installed the idol, the place came to be known as Guru- Vayuur or oor: place, and the deity as Sri Guruvayurappan. This was just after the advent of Kali Yuga, some 5,000 years ago. The first historical mention of the Guruvayur temple was a good deal later-in the 14th century. However, worship of the idol is slated to have been going on for a much longer period.

Likewise, worship at Sri Dharma Sastha temple in Sabarimala is stated to have begun around 4,500 years back. Similarly, Sri Parthasarathy Swamy temple, in Triplicane, Madras, is first mentioned by Periyalwar, who is said to have lived about 4,000 years ago. In all these cases, the idols came first and the structures later. There are also thousands of instances where monarchs built temples and installed the idols. These are in a different category altogether.

Worship of Shiva goes back even earlier, to the Tretaya Yuga-2, 165,000 years back, if you take the scriptures literally, or 7,200 years ago, according to Yogi Yugteswar Giri (1855-1936), who thinks that the earlier "traditional or long count view is based on a misunderstanding." Be that as it may, tens of temples are strewn across the land where the Shiva Lingam was ostensibly installed by Lord Rama, who lived in the Tretaya Yuga. The most prominent example is Sri Ramanatha Swamy temple in Rameswaram. But this is a point that is likely to be disputed by devout Vaishnavas. Without getting into the Shaiva- Vaishnava controversy, we would like to advert to the Lingam in Sri Vruddha Mallikarjuna Swamy shrine, in Srisailam, which is said to be the oldest entity in Sri Mallikarjuna Swamy/Goddess Brahmaramba Devi temple complex, dating ba to do research about temple worship, but to write about the temples per se. We are glad to say that all the temples––one hundred per cent of them, covered in this book were personally 'visited by the author, during a period spanning slightly more than a year. Trains and mainly buses, were the chosen mode of transport. For three reasons. They are cheap, safe and that is the way ninety per cent of Indians travel.

Hindus can proudly claim to be the descendants of a race that believes in idol worship, in worshipping stones, animals, birds and reptiles, a race whose men wear the holy marks on their bodies, and whose women sport the vermilion mark on their foreheads. We believe in the Vedas and Upanishads, the epics and the numerous puranas. We visit temples with the wierdest and most bizarre sthala puranas, and are not ashamed of it We are not ashamed of our Naga sadhus either, for they are just another manifestation of the freedom of thought and action that this land is famous for. All this and more represents the inclusiveness of what is popularly known as Hinduism, but which in reality is Sanatana Dharma, the eternal path.

The paths are many, but the goal is one, proclaimed the Vedas of our rishis, eons ago. We don't have priests or prophets who order us to read a particular book or follow a particular way of life, or risk excommunication or, worse, death. We have assimilated many religions or at least the worthy practices of other faiths. We were secular long before the word was coined. However, we are now confronted by a grave danger from exclusive religions and their phoney secular friends. The danger to our Sanatana Dharma–temples are just one part of it–is real and clear. But we can take heart from what the great modem rishi, Sri Aurobindo, said: "Hindu culture is not such a weak and fluffy thing as to be easily stamped out; it has lasted through something like five millenniums and is going to carry on much longer and has quite enough power to survive."

Contents

Andhra Pradesh / Telangana
1 Lepakshi 9
2 Vontimitt 10
3 Nandalur 12
4 Brahmamgari Mattam 12
5 Ahobilam 14
6 Mahanandi 16
7 Srisailam 18
8 Alampur (Telangana) 21
9 Tirupati- Tiruchanur 22
10 Tirumala 23
11 Nagari 25
12 Narayanavanam 26
13 Nagalapuram 27
14 Bhadrachalam (Telangana) 28
15 Parnasala(Telangana) 30
16 Dwaraka Tirumala 31
17 Vijayawada 32
18 Rajamundry 33
19 Ryali 35
20 Annavaram 36
21 Samalkot 38
22 Draksharama 39
23 Kotipalli 41
24 Ainavilli 42
25 Mukteswaram 43
26 Appanapalli 43
27 Antarvedi 44
28 Palakkolu 46
29 Bhimavaram 47
30 Srikakulam 48
31 Prasanthi Nilayam 49
Karnataka
1 Gokarna 53
2 ldagunji 55
3 Murudeshwara 56
4 Kollur 58
5 Udupi 60
6 Karkala 62
7 Sringeri 63
8 Horanadu 65
9 Dharmasthala 66
10 Belur 68
11 Halebidu 70
12 Belavadi 72
13 Shravanabelagola 73
14 Srirangapattana 75
15 Sri Chamundi Hills 76
16 Bengaluru 78
17 Nanjangud 80
18 Somanathpur 82
Kerala
1 Thiruvananthapuram 85
2 Thrissur 86
3 Guruvayur 88
4 Mammiyur 90
5 Sabarimala 91
6 Ambalapuzha 93
7 Chengannur 95
8 Aranmula 97
9 Thiruvalla 98
10 Chottanikkara 101
11 Kalady 103
12 Kozhikode 105
13 Pulpally 106
Tamil Nadu
1 Chidambaram 110
2 Gangaikonda Cholapuram 112
3 Tiruvannamalai 113
4 Tiruvallur 116
5 Tiruvottiyur 117
6 Tiruvanmiyur 119
7 Tiruvaiyaru 120
8 Thingalore 122
9 (Raja) Mannargudi 123
10 Tirukkandiyur 124
11 Thanjavur 126
12 Swamimalai 128
13 Thiruvalanchuzhi 129
14 Patteswaram 130
15 Darasuram 132
16 Oppiliappan Kovil 133
17 Tirunageswaram 135
18 Kumbakonam 137
19 Kanchipuram 139
20 Kundrathur 146
21 Tiruchi 147
22 Jambukeswaram 149
23 Srirangam 151
24 Samayapuram 153
25 Pillayarpatti 154
26 Kundrakudi 156
27 Rameswaram 157
28 Madurai 159
29 Tirupparankundram 162
30 Koodal Azhagar 163
31 Alagar Kovil 165
32 Pazhamuthircholai 166
33 Srivilliputhur 168
34 Tenkasi 170
35 Kuttralam 172
36 Sankarankovil 173
37 Tiruchendur 174
38 Krishnapuram 177
39 Tirunelveli 178
40 Kanniyakumari 180
41 Suchindram 182
42 Palani 185
43 Sri Masaniamman Kovil 187
44 Marudhamalai 188
45 Perur 190
46 Dhyanalinga 191
47 Bannari 192
48 Avinashi 194
49 Tirumurugan Poondi 196
50 Bhavani 198
51 Tiruchengode 200
52 Salem 201
53 Tharamanalam 203
54 Sirkazhi 205
55 Vaitheeswarankoil 206
56 Tirukkadaiyur 208
57 Tiruttani 210
58 Puducherry (Pondicherry) 212
59 Chennai (Madras) 215

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