A 100 Year old Temple has been Brought Down by Tamil Nadu government
There is this magnificent Chettinad House. The palace of Kumararani Meena Muthiah ji and her brother-in-law, Sri MAM.Ramaswamy ji.
Bang opposite to this lies this government poramboke land.
The Tamil Nadu Government has set up a huge structure designed as the Manimandapam for Ambedkar on this land.
We have no problem.
And there is this Fishermen Training institute of the Government on this land, situated next to the Manimandapam.
We have no problem.
And then there used to be a small Temple dedicated to Angalaparameshwari.
It is no longer there.
Brought down thrice by the government officials.
The first was a shack.
The next two were brick and mortar structures.
Twice these simple devotees withstood the acts of government vandalism.
The nativeâs resilience is broken now, with this third show of stealthy governmental might.
Now, we have a problem.
This Angalaparameshwari vigraha was unearthed from Bhoodeviâs garbha hundred years ago. And the simple folks from far and near worshipped Her with great devotion. People from the fishermen colony of the Foreshore Estate on the beach, simple dalits from the Ayodhya Kuppam, The Dumming Kuppam, The Border Thottam and even from the far away Adyar Kuppam used to trek miles to have Her darshan. And the month of Aadi would spread the aroma of delicious pongal from scores of earthen pots from the Temple site.
I got a call from the Mylapore M.L.A, Sri Lakshmananâs (BJP) office. A specific request was made if I could visit the place and do something !!! This comes under his constituency!
The District Secretary of South Chennai for Hindu Munnani, Sri Sukumar ji called me subsequently. Can I visit the site and could we do something together on this issue?
I told them that I would visit at 5 P.M. on Friday, the 30th July. I did.
I was amazed to see close to fifty women making pongal, an offering to their Angalaparameshwari.
I introduced myself. And sat down to have a chat with the simple women.
1. They have been coming to the Temple each Sunday, since their childhood.
2. Most of them told me that this has been the practice since the times of their grand parents.
3. They identified the problem to the christian lady officer who works in the fishermen training institute, 50 metres from the Temple. I have to check this out in depth.
4. They are all deeply hurt and would not know what to do or whom to approach.
THE PLAN
I suggested that we had three options:
1. Go to court and fight this out legally, though we may not have any proper documents to support our case. This is lengthy, cumbersome and we could lose.
2. Raise a lot of dust through agitation, for which most of the women may not be inclined at this juncture. So we will keep this option open to sometime later.
3. Bring this to the notice of the rulers in a step-by-step manner, a calculated design by which we make this Temple popular, as also make the administration sit up and notice our strength in prayer.
OPERATION TIRUVILAKKU PUJA
I suggested to them that we should instantly commence a Tiruvilakku puja at this site. This should take place unfailingly each Friday evening. I would come to initiate this Puja on 06th August, 2004 at 5 P.M. We should ensure a large participation each week. Women numbering 100 should be around each week and all efforts should be taken by the women to swell these numbers with the passage of every week.
EACH ONE REACH ONE
To start with, it was agreed that each of the 50 women who assembled to hear me would bring another women along with her, so there should be a healthy strength of hundred women on the very first Tiruvilakku puja on 6th Aug.
This has been agreed.
I requested them to make the puja as simple as possible. No elaborate materials as this would be a weekly ritual and there should not be any drop out because of any costs involved that they would find hard to bear.
I assured them that with the passage of time, the Temple would become so popular that we will have more people lining up to have the darshan of Angalaparameshwari. A silent word of mouth publicity on miracles, that should catch like a hungry flame through thatched slums far and wide.
We will put our friendly Press sometime during the course of one such Pujas. So lot more people come to hear of this wonderful Angalaparameshwari.
And when such a hype is created, with more and more women participating in the rituals, the government cannot prevent the construction of a pukka Temple on this site.
That power of prayer would humble even the most arrogant of administrators.
there is a town called nachiyar koil, somewhere near tanjore, i thnk it definetly has a popular temple, but can't confirm wheather it is the same one as the one you have mentioned
I am not sure that temple is the Singanachiar koil. There is a famous temple which i visited last november, in the place called Nachiar Koil near Kumbakonam. The temple has Adikesava perumal, with Perumal, Mahalakshmi, Balaramar, Prathyumnan and Anirrudhan. The deities are so beautiful and the features are so sharp.
The speciality of the temple is the Kal (stone) Garudan. Usually in most temples, the Garudan is made of Wood. Here it is made of stone and the they say that during the urchava, as they lift the Garudan, it becomes heavier and heavier as they move towards the temple Gopuram. It becomes lighter again when they bring it back to its original place.
Another feature of this temple is that usually the perumal will be in the center of the entrance, while mahalaskhmi will be slightly towards his left. The perumal will be right in line with the dhawajasthambam. But here, it will be mahalakshmi who is in line with the Dwajasthambam.
There are hundreds or temple in the Thanjavor belt which are quite old
Sridhar
One good idea to figure out the identity of the "singanachiar" temple i speak about is that , the chief deity most probably must be a female....that is none other than the step mother of Raja Raja Cholan himself ! . The original name of temple is "singala nachiyar kovil" ..singala = lanka as you know.
Have you read Ponniyin Selvan of Kalki ? Kalki says such a temple exists today(As of 1950s when it was written)
However , i do hear that the maintenance of the Big Temple i.e.Periya Kovil is not good enough.Is it true ?
It was added up in the UNESCO World Heritage Centers recently i believe.
Kindly circulate the appeal by Shri SeethaRam Balusu (SeethaRam
Balusu <rambalusu@yahoo.com> )
for: a) information; and b) please sign a petition on saving
Tirumala
Thanks
================================================
Namaste',
I request you to please pass the following mail to your distribution
list to help save Tirumala ( a famous Sri Srinivasa/ Sri
VenkatEswara/ Sri Balaji -Temple in Tirupathi, AP, India).
Appreciate your kindness in helping spread the word to preserve our
Vedic/Hindu Religious Historical place with Archeological
importance. If we can't help ourselves, who do we expect help from?.
We already organized protests in front of Indian Consulates in New
York, Washington,DC. etc. and sent appeals to our Respected (Muslim)
President, (Sikh) Prime Minister and (Christian) Chief Minister of
Andhra Pradesh, among others. Please respond to me at
RamBalusu@yahoo.com.
with kind regards,
SeethaRam
(SeethaRam Balusu)
==================
From: "SeethaRam Balusu"
To:
Subject: PLEASE HELP SAVE OUR RELIGIOUS HISTORY OF BHOOLOKA
VAIKUNTAM ........
Date: Fri, 30 Jul 2004 08:12:55 -0400
Dear Friends:
Namaste',
Many people have already signed the petition... (signed and e-
petitions pouring in every minute) ... Have YOU ?
"IF YOU CLAIM YOU ARE A RESPONSIBLE CITIZEN IN THIS SOCIETY, THEN,
ALWAYS RESPOND IMMEDIATELY TO ANYTHING THAT DAMAGES THE NOBLE
CAUSE OR DIVINE FAITH OR SOCIAL JUSTICE ETC....., DO YOUR
DUTY.... GOD TAKES CARE OF THE RESULTS."
NEED YOUR HELP AND SUPPORT. PLEASE SIGN THE PETITION AT YOUR
EARLIEST CONVENIENCE. Also be kind and understand, if you receive
duplicate mails
I believe, if we let it go by ignoring the present, our future would
have been wiped out long time in the past. It is the intention of
the movement to stop such activities going on right now and any
plans for such future activities. And also to request/demand the
Authorities to reconstruct whatever can be to bring back the past in
the near future. Here, in U.S. and maybe in other Western countries,
even a less than a 100 year old structure will be
considered "Historical" and they take lot of pains to restore and
spend enormous amounts to protect and preserve. In India, we are
talking about the structures of great importance and magnitude as
they are representing Vedic Religion and Ancient History. So, kindly
do your part, that is if you agree, and sign the petition and
encourage your friends, family members and neighbors to do the same.
Dear believers in and supporters of: ANCIENT VEDIC / HINDU RELIGION
& HISTORY and
Devotees of Lord Sri Venkateswara (Sri Balaji /VISHNU ),
*** PLEASE HELP SAVE TIRUMALA ***
You may or may not be following what is happening at Tirumala,
Tirupathi during the last six months. TTD Authorities, in the name
of improving the facilities to the visitors, is categorically
destroying the ancient historic structures, all in the name of
the 'Master Plan'. The 600-year old 1000-pillar Mandapam was
demolished completely. The 1000-year old house where the temple
architect once stayed to formulate the procedures was removed. The
garden from where fresh flowers used to garland our beloved Lord is
now in ruins. Instead flowers from cold storage are given to the
Lord. Even the Aaraadhana practices are changed to provide more
visitors to pass through the gates. The world's richest God does
not have proper rest or food. In any country in this world, millions
is spent to restore the old glory, but at Tirumala millions is spent
to destroy the heritage.
Facilities to the visiting devotees can be improved, but without
disturbing the sanctity of Lord's abode. The power and glory of
Tirumala is not only in the sanctum sanctorum, but also the
surroundings. All the structures, gardens, pushkarini, and also
people play their part to maintain the balance. Recent court order
has temporarily stopped the demolitions. Now, it is up to the
Devotees of the Lord around the world to respectfully demand the
authorities not only to restore what was destroyed, but also
provide immunity for the future activities.
This is what we can do at this stage -
1, 2, & 3: PLEASE Visit www.savetirumala.org and sign the
petition. These signatures will play a very big part in the court's
decision on the future proceedings. Also, the governments will have
to take the mass opinion of the people in making their decisions.
You can see a video clip that shows before and after the
destruction. Other links also show many pictures of what is
happening.
This is a test for every devotee of Lord Venkateswara. Let us do our
bit.
History and heritage that is over 600 - 1000 years old is being
wiped out stealthily!
Due to the importance of subject matter, just want to make sure the
word is spread and will be sending to various groups and your mail
ID may be in more than one (that is how popular you are!). IF YOU
BELIEVE IN THE CAUSE, Sign the pitition and KINDLY FORWARD THIS MAIL
TO YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY ALSO. Your Signature/Petition may be the
last one needed to make the difference. If you disagree, forgive me
for inconveniencing you.
REMEMBER .... It is yOur Religion, It is yOur Tradition, It
is yOur History, It is Future for yOUR Future generations ...
that is AT STAKE......
Act, We Must; Speak out We Must; Unite, We
Must ........ and ..........
NOW !!!
Amarnath,
But from posts, this could be a different temple somewhere in the Tanjavur district. I will check with my friend who knows a lot about temples there.
Regarding thanjai periya koil, it is under UNESCO. I also visited it during my recent trip and noticed nothing different there. The problem with ASI or UNESCO management is that it just becomes a tourist spot with no or little respect for agama and pooja. They are more interested in manicuring the lawns outside, than the temple itself.
Regarding the modification/changes in Tirupati temple , i would like to say that we must adapt ourself to the changes that times bring to us.
Come on , its only expansion that is being planned.
Yes Yes but please dont destroy centuries old buildings and all those <!--emo&--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/sad.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='sad.gif' /><!--endemo-->
Keep in mind that the temple should not be treated like a tourist attraction alone.
09 August, 2004
1000 Pillared Mandap and Sri Tridandi Swamiji
As you are aware the 1000 pillared Mandapam was brought down in one stroke by the TTD some time ago. Sri Sri Sri Tridandi Srimannarayana Ramanuja Chinna Jeeyar Swamiji was very vocal in his opposition to this move as this wiped out the 700 years plus of History from the sacred Hill.
There were plans by the government to bring down the Pedda Jeeyar Mutt as also the Hathiramji Mutt, to facilitate the construction of the Mahaprakaram of the Temple (expansion project).
Despite strong opposition from Sri Tridandi Chinna Jeeyar Swamiji, the Devasthanam and the Government of Andhra Pradesh went on ruthlessly destroying ancient structures on the Sacred Hill under the guise of providing extra amenities to the pilgrims.
Vexed with the problem, following steps were taken by the Chinna Jeeyar Swamiji today which has brought the desired results:
1. His devotees marched to Raj Bhavan, Hyderabad and presented a memorandum to the Governor against senseless destruction of ancient monuments in the Tirumala Hills.
2. Swamiji leaked out to the press that He might go on a Hunger strike if the Government did not rescind its stand by the 11th of this month.
3. This brought the Endowment Minister to His doorstep this afternoon. After consultations with the Swamiji the Department issued a press statement rescinding its stand on construction of Mahaprakaram by demolishing further monuments. In addition, the Government has also given a direction to the TTD that the 1000 pillared Mandap has to be reconstructed using the same pillars and restored to its pristine glory at the very site that it stood. The Press statement released by the government is as under:
GOVERNMENT DECIDES TO RECONSTRUCT VEYYI KALLA MANDAPAM IN TIRUMALA
No: 1237 dated 09 Aug 2004
Government after taking note of public opinion and the sentiments of devotees across the country, have decided to restore the Veyyi Kalla Mandapam to its pristine glory. The restored Mandapam will have all the thousand pillars as of yore, many of the pillars had collapsed and had been lost due to efflux of time. The restoration shall ensure that all geographical features should also be restored to the same condition as before. This includes the Mitta. The Mandapam will be restored to its original location. The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams was directed to take up the work immediately. The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams was also directed not to take up the construction of Mahaprakaram according to a memo issued by the Revenue Department.
ISSUED BY THE COMMISSIONER I&PR DEPARTMENT, HYDERABAD
Text ends
The ETV news at 9-00 P.M. showed the Endowment Minister, Sri Satyanarayana Rao and the TTD Chairman, Sri T.Subbirami Reddy in consultation with Sri Tridandi Swamiji along with the former Joint Executive Officer, TTD Sri Balasubramaniam. Following is the translation of Swamijiâs interview to the TV channel:
QUOTE
âA mandapam built some 600-1000 years ago has been reduced to rubble. If a Christian or Muslim institution was brought down in such a manner, thousands of heads would have been hacked. This attack is happening only in case of Hindu Temples and religious institutions. And blood would have flowed freely on the streets. This should remain a sacred Temple, not a picnic spot as officials intended to convert it. I hold the media and the officials involved also responsible for state of affairs regarding Hindu religious matters. They cannot wash off their sins by any explanations. I advise the media to make balanced reporting in futureâ
UNQUOTE
I am also happy to inform you that the auction of 0.56 acres of land belonging to the Hathiramji Mutt, Tirumala (land is situated at Tirupati) has also been cancelled. I understand that there has been such a pressure on the Mutt and the Government that they have called it off under a face saving formula that they got a bid for Rs36 lakhs which is well below the market value. But a permanent solution has to be found to stop such future auction plans by the Government of Andhra Pradesh.
Namaste,
----------------------------------
Jai Sri Venkateshwaraya Namaha,
Its a victory of Chinna Yeeyar Swami he threatened to go on an indefinite strike from the 11th of this month if the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam doesn't restore all the ancient structures it tore down, they seemed to be defiant but today they finally gave up and agreed to restore every structure they demolished and agreed to do the work as per the wishes of Chinna Yeeyar swami.
This is how all the Jeeyar (or shankaracharyas as they are known elsewhere in the country) it is a victory of one man I hope others learn from Tridandi Chinna Jeeyar swami.
This article points to an interesting architectural connection between India and Egypt. The preservation of the sphinx motif in India is of great interest. The story the author narrates is not from the mainstream Mahabharat but from some regional variant. I wonder what was the direction of influence with respect to the Sphinx motif.
let us travel to Orissa and see the Sun Temple Konarak, Temples of Bhubhneshwar.
1. Sun Temple Konark (12 pics) - The crowning glory of Oriyan temple architecture, the 13th century Sun temple also known as âthe Black Pagodaâ. Built by Raja Narasimha I of the Ganga dynasty, the temple is a pageant of human grandeur, in its perception, and execution. It resembles a colossal chariot, with 24 wheels, pulled by seven straining horses and has a three tiered pyramidal roof topped off by a fine spire. The Sun Godâs chariot also represents the seven days of the week, and the 24 hours of the day in its concept.
Wheel of the Chariot. Each of the wheels is 9 feet 8 inches in diameter, with rims 8 inches deep, axles protruding 11 inches and 16 spokes alternatively thick & thin.
Garud. The national emblem of the Republic of Indonesia is âGaruda Pancasilaâ. The Garuda in Indonesian history holds a place of honor. It is a symbol of national emblem with Lord Vishnu riding it. Garuda sculpture is shown in countless temples. Garuda stands for complete devotion to Lord Vishnu and subsequent freedom from evil. Garuda also stands for the freedom of the people of Indonesia from foreign rule. http://www.esamskriti.com/html/new_photo...bcatid=141
2. Temples Bhubneshwar (6 pics) - the ancient capital of the Kalinga empire and now the capital of Orissa, Bhuvanesvara modern day Bhubaneshwarâs history goes back over 2,000 years. âBhubaneshwarâmeans the âthe abode of Godâ or âmaster of the universeâ. The sculptural decoration of the Mukteswara is referred to as the âgem of Oriya architectureâ. Richly sculpted, the temple offers pride of place to tales from the Panchatantra. What you see is a highlight of the temple i.e. its magnificent torana â the decorative gateway, an arched masterpiece, reminiscent of the Buddhist influence in Orissa. The temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva.
Rajarani Mandir is famous for its ornate deul or compass, decorated with some of the most impressive Oriya temple architecture. The temple is remarkable for the absence of any presiding deity. The templeâs name is supposed to be derived from the red-gold sandstone used in building it â rajarani being the local name for the stone. Also see the famous Lingaraja Mandir.
Parasurameswara Mandir. The temple is usually regarded as the oldest among the temples of Orissa, is probably dated in the 5th or 6th century A.D. at the latest and was built in the Kalinga school of architecture. It was dedicated to Lord Shiva, but there are images of Lord Vishnu, Yama, Surya and seven Mother goddesses. Lavishly decorated it has exquisite friezes depicting animal life, human figures and floral motifs, coupled with impressive busts of Shiva.
Subject: Destruction in the premises of Sacred Tirumala
Dear Sir/Madam,
CAR RALLY BY DEVOTEES ON 6th NOV'04
WHY THIS MESSAGE FOR YOU?
If you have come to read the mail from the subject, I am sure you
would be interested in knowing more about this. In any case, please
ignore this message,if it is not intended for you.
THE FACTS YOU WANT TO KNOW?
The facts about the happenings at Tirumala since Nov'
03 are very startling. This is being perpetuated, and public is
misguided in the guise of " Better facilities to piligrims". Please
be informed about the correct position by going to the links.
You can understand the real issue and identifythe
facts from fiction. You can pass on the information to your friends
and neibhours.
You can participate in the car rally on the 6th Nov from Vijayawada
to Tirupati.
You can also try to put the facts on the local media You can oppose
the mindless destruction of our heritage and culture by writing
letters to the concerned authorities.
Hyderabad, Oct. 5: A V Ramana Dikshitulu, the main archaka of the famed Sri Venkateswara Temple at Tirumala, gets Rs 200 per day as wages for serving the Lord. He only gets this money on the days he performs the rituals. But he is definitely better off compared to thousands of other archakas across the State who lead a hand-to-mouth existence.
Compare this with the salary and perks drawn by the officials of the Tirumala Tirupati Board, mostly on deputation from other government departments. They travel and live luxuriously and have the best of comforts. For many of the archakas, even travel by train is a great luxury. The NTR governmentâs scrapping of hereditary rights way back in 1987 had literally pushed many archakas to the streets. They are now asking for the revival of hereditary rights, which will at least ensure them a modest living. The archakas also want the government to give them
endowment lands for cultivation.
âI feel ashamed to reveal my salary,â says Dikshitalu, who holds a doctorate in philosophy. âI get Rs 200 per day. Sometimes when I work for 30 days a month I can make Rs 6,000. There are archakas in Tirumala who earn less than Rs 2,000 per month. We are servants of God and we are treated shabbily.â Most of the archakas in Tirumala depend on the money given by pilgrims and the meagre share from Arjita Seva tickets.
<b>The archakas of the mutli-crore temple are drawn from members of four traditional archaka families. Government figures themselves narrate the sad tale of thousands of other arch-akas. Out of the 32,000-odd temples across the State, over 27,000 temples have income below Rs 1,000 per annum. So there is no need to talk about the life of archakas in these temples.</b>
âWhy are we forced to live like beggars?,â asks Dr M V Soundararajan, head priest of Chilkur Balaji Temple. âWe have been demanding the restoration of hereditary rights and the lifting of the ban on aarthi, hundi and gifts,â he said
Miraculous Events at Ancient Shiva temple!
Miraculous Events taking place at Ancient Shiva temple. Contact info at the end of the article.
Lord Thadavaneswarar Temple
A 1000 years old temple worshiped by Pandavas
Mukanur Lord Shiva temple
Click here for photo http://sifyimg.speedera.net/sify.com/cms.../Samachar%
20Religion/13588583_4.jpg
Temples are the outlets of the omnipotent, omnipresent God. Temples are inevitable for worship. Worship liberates one from the chain of births and re-births. Constructing a temple is like performing a Yagna. Even more so, renovating one is like performing "ASWAMEDHA YAGNA" by doing so, one's family is blessed for 21 generations, says the Scriptures.
An Ancient Lord Shiva Temple for Lord Thandavaneswarar and Goddess Sivakamasundari, which is believed to be more than 1000 years old is situated in small village named "MUKANUR" , Sankarapuram Taluk, Villupuram Dt. of Tamil Nadu. This village is on the Tiruvanamalai -Sankarapuram Road, 3kms west of Kaduvanur.
The temple is said to have been constructed by Musukunda Chakravarty the one who brought Athmalingam to Thiruvarur temple in Tamil Nadu. Pandavas worshipped the deities during their vanavasam. Kanchi Mahaswamigal stayed in the village for 15 days and performed pooja in the temple during 1928. The temple was in a dilapidated condition and required renovation as per the Agama Sastras.
With the blessings of Sri Jayendra Saraswathi Swamigal" of Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham, the renovation work of the aforesaid temple commenced on 25.1.02. The temple is having Lord Shiva in Lingam form, Goddess Parvathi and Lord Subramaniya in icon forms. These idols are in the temple for over 1000 years.
In addition to the above, now, the murtis of Lord Ganapathy, Koshtam, Lord Kalabairavar, Lord Sandikeswarar and Navagraham have been installed in the temple.The speacial feature of this temple is "Nandi" is available for Goddess Sivakamasundari. The Mahakumbhabheshegam of the temple have been performed by Pattam Sri Halasianatha Sivachariar, Chief Priest of Sri Arunachaleswarar Devasthanam, Tiruvanamalai on 21 st March'2003.
During the course of the work and Poojas undertaken at the temple
site, in connection with the above renovation and kumbabhishegam,certain fascinating experiences have occurred the salient one are briefed hereunder:
While performing abhishegam, the Lingam changed to Golden colour.
While doing swarnabhishegam green, yellow and black and brown colours.
While performing abhishegam with milk, the Pranava Mantra "OM" appeared in Sanskrit in Lingam.
In the Lingam, eyes, eyebrows and facial like structure are apparently visible.
In the scared fire while performing Homam and Yaga Sala pooja, the images of Nagas, Siva Lingam, Lord Ganesa, Nandhi and Shirdi Sai Baba appeared photos of which have been taken and is availble with us .
Siddhars are believed to be messengers of God. A jeeva samadhi of a siddhar is believed to be with the precincts of the temple. The above happenings are not just what happened before the eyes alone; they have come alive in the photograph taken on such occasions. Religious magazine publications have widely covered these in their issues(Anmeegam, Gnanamani, Deivam Pesugirathu, Sannadhi, Deepa Aradhanai, Gopura Dharisanam, Anmeega Bhoomi, Arul, and also the "Dinamani" the national daily news paper in Tamil Nadu).Devotees who are interested to involve in the noble cause may do so and get the blessings of the Lord Dhandavesvarar and Goddess Sivakamasundari.
For further details contact:
S Varadarajan
Old No.39, New No.6,Salai Street,Mylapore
Chennai - 600004
Phone: 91-044-24611244
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Prabhas Patan (Bhalka Tirtha)-Somnath
"Bhalka" is the name of the village, and "Tirtha" indicates that it is a holy place. After the destruction of the Yadu and Bhoja dynasties in Dwarka, Lord Krishna left his palaces and came to this area called Prabhaskshetra. He was accompanied by Uddhava. When he was absorbed in deep thought, a hunter named Jara shot an arrow that accidentally hit Krishna's foot, which wounded him. There is a temple built by the tree that is said to be the tree under which the Lord was sitting. On-the altar there is a beautiful white Deity of Krishna sitting. One can see Krishna's foot - coloured pink with different auspicious symbols. Near him is the hunter, Jara, with folded hands and one knee on the floor. This place is a few km east of Veraval on the road to Somnath. Near Prabhasa, the Yadavas became intoxicated and fought with each other. Arjuna also came to Prabhasa. The Gita Mandir is located at the confluence of three rivers, called Triveni Tirtha, about a kilometer south of the Somnath Temple by the sea. It is said that Lord Krishna walked about 4 km, from Bhalka Tirtha to this place, after He was shot in the foot by the hunter, and left the Planet at this point. There are a few other temples here and the place where Lord Balarama passed away. The ancient Suraja Mandir, which is a temple dedicated to the sun god, was partly destroyed by Mahmud of Ghazni.
<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Ranchorji Temple-DAKOR
Krishna is the most loved God in Gujarat. He is also referred to as Ranchor because he fled from the battlefield while fighting against the armies of King Jarasandha. Ranchor literally means "one who gave up the battlefield". This Deity was installed and worshiped in Dwarka since 800 years. The present temple was built in 1772, about 200 years ago. The Deity of Sri Ranchorji is similar to the Deity of Dwarkadish in Dwarka, both being made from black stone. Devotees are allowed to touch the feet of the Deity. Every full moon day a large numbers of devotees come to this temple. After the death of Kansa, Mathura was besieged by the soldiers of Kalayavana and Jarasandha. At that time Krishna fled from the city, and thus He is known as Ranchor, or one who fled from fighting. In order to prevent further killing of soldiers and to attend to other important business, Lord Krishna left the battlefield without fighting. Krishna, the Ranchorji, did not leave the battlefield because He was afraid, but because He had some other purpose. The purpose was to attend to a confidential letter sent by Rukmini, His future first wife. The act of Krishna's leaving the battlefield is a display of one of His six opulences. Krishna is the supreme powerful, the supreme wealthy, the supreme famous, the supreme wise, the supreme beautiful, and the supreme renouncer. His leaving the battlefield is an example of His super-most opulence of renunciation. Mangala-arati is every morning at 6.45 am. Ranchorji is dressed and decorated in full view of the public. Ranchodji is especially fond of moga laddus. Saffron-flavored milk that has been cooked overnight in silver pots by a process of slow combustion of cow dung is offered in the morning. There are 5 aratis a day-three in the morning and two in the afternoon �and eight darshans. There is a big festival on Sharad Purnima day, the full-moon day of Sharad season (Sept-Oct). The temple is closed in the afternoon.
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<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Rukmini Devi Temple-Dwarka
This small temple, which is 1.5 km north of town, is an architectural masterpiece. Rukmini is the most important of Krishna's 16,108 wives. The temple walls are decorated with beautiful paintings depicting the pastimes of Rukmini and Krishna. This temple is said to date back to the 12th century. The story behind this temple is that one day Durvasa Muni, who is easily angered, invited Lord Krishna and His wife Rukmini to dinner. When a person was invited to dinner, etiquette demanded that he, not eat or drink until served by his host. On the way to dinner Rukmini felt very thirsty, and she asked Krishna for help. Krishna put his foot in the ground and the waters of the Ganges came from the earth. Durvasa was not aware of what was happening. But, as Rukmini was drinking the water, Durvasa turned and saw her drink without his permission. Angered he cursed her that she would be separated from her Lord Krishna. Therefore the Krishna temple is in the town and her temple is located just outside the town.
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<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Somnath Temple-Somnath
Somnath temple is on the shores of the Arabian Sea, 6 km south of Veraval. It is one of the 12 Shiva jyotirlingas. A Shiva temple has stood at this place since ancient times. The temple was destroyed and raided by invaders several times, first by Mahmud of Ghazni in 1026. It is said that this temple was originally built by Soma, the moon-god, to atone for the curse Daksha put on him. it is said that Soma was cursed by Daksha because he showed partiality to Rohini over his other wives, who were also daughters of Daksha. Because of the curse the moon began to wane. Daksha advised Soma to go to Prabhasa to get rid of the curse. The moon bathed here on amavasya- the new moon day and regained light. Since the moon gained light here this place is know Prabhasa. Somnath means the "Lord of the moon". Somnath is located by the River Saraswati. This temple is said to have been made by the moon-god out of gold, then by Ravana out of silver, then by Krishna out of wood, and later by (one of the Pandava brothers) from stone. Two thousand brahmanas are suppose to have served in this temple. The temple was also supposed to have once had barbers, 500 dancing girls, and 300 musicians. The temple was raided and destroyed, by Mahmud of Ghami in 1026. He moved a solid silver gate at that time and brought it back to his homeland. The temple was also destroyed in 1297, 1394 and for the last time in 1706 by Aurangazeb, just before he died. The present temple was rebuilt 1950. It is big, but not very artistic. The present temple has a tower over 50m (165 ft) high over the main sanctum (altar). It was constructed on the exact spot where the original temple was situated. You can see the remains of an ancient temple next to the present temple. The main aratis are at 7 am, noon and 7 pm. It is a very popular temple as non-Hindus can also enter.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
<b>demolition of two 100-year-old temples </b><!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Assam, India > Guwahati, Nov 5 : Normal life was affected today following a 12-hour "Guwahati city bandh" to protest against the alleged demolition of two 100-year-old temples by the Kamrup district administration.
The bandh was jointly called by the Viswa Hindu Parishad (VHP), Bajrang Dal, RSS and Bharatiya Yuva Morcha.
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<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Sarma alleged that the district administration destroyed one Hanuman temple and another Vishnu temple on the banks of the river Brahmaputra in the Uzan Bazaar area of the city as it falls near the approach road to the Raj Bhavan.
He claimed that the demolition work was carried out on November two last at a time when thousands of devotees were present inside the temple and offering puja. PTI <!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>Build temples in Dalit colonies: Kanchi seer </b>
Hyderabad, Nov. 7: <b>Swami Jayendra Saraswati of Kanchi Kamakothi Peetham </b>has asked for the construction of more temples in Dalit colonies to promote Hindu dharma. He said this while taking part in a meeting on governance of temples at the Endowments Commissionerate on Sunday. A number of Hindu seers took part in the meet organised by the Hindu Dharma Acharya Sabha.
The Kanchi seer, emphasising the need to spread Hindu culture among Dalits, said that small get-togethers should be held in temples in Dalit colonies regularly to erase differences between various communities. Village-level committees should be set up to supervise the administration of such temples and the government should extend monetary help, he said.
The Hindu religion was under threat because of the conversions which took place since Independence, said the Kanchi seer. âWe cannot expect those who have gone away to come back,â he said. âBut we have to take measures to stop further degeneration.â
Nrusimha Bharati Swamy of Pushpagiri Peetham opposed government control in managing temples. Pej-awar Swamy of Pejawar Mutt in Karnataka also suggested that the government should not interfere in the affairs of Peethams. Acharya Sabha convenor, Dayananda Saraswati, and Chinna Jeeyar Swamy, who sent a message, also demanded that the government withdraw from temples administration.
deccan.com/City/CityNews.asp?#Build%20temples%20in%20Dalit%20colonies:%20Kanchi%20seer<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>Shiva idol stolen at Kerela</b>
Kanhangad (Kerala)
The main idol of the Shiva temple here was found stolen early Monday morning, police said. The over 200-year-old panchaloha (of five metals) idol of lord Shiva, weighing 8 kg, was stolen after the door of the sanctum sanctorum of the Poonkavu Karpooreshwara temple was broken open by thieves. <!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
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