Thiruvarur Thiyagarajar Temple
About Thiruvarur
The actual history of Thiruvarur Periya Kovil (Thiyarajar Temple) goes back more than 30th Century BC. The chola kings just renovated the Thiyarajar temple and built few extra shrines inside the temples. The known foremost devotee Tirunavukkarasar on 7th Century CE itself has said in his pasurams that the real existence of this cultural heritage is unknown and the temple is in existence for many centuries. According to history, the central temple in Tiruvarur was installed by Muchukanta Chola. Tiruvarur is also associated with another legendary king, Manuneedhi Cholan.
The actual history of Thiruvarur Periya Kovil (Thiyarajar Temple) goes back more than 30th Century BC. The chola kings just renovated the Thiyarajar temple and built few extra shrines inside the temples. The known foremost devotee Tirunavukkarasar on 7th Century CE itself has said in his pasurams that the real existence of this cultural heritage is unknown and the temple is in existence for many centuries. According to history, the central temple in Tiruvarur was installed by Muchukanta Chola. Tiruvarur is also associated with another legendary king, Manuneedhi Cholan.
Tiruvarur is mentioned in the works of Thirugnana Sambanthar and Tirunavukkarasar, the foremost Saivite saints of 7th century CE.Tirunavukkarasar mentions several Tiruvarur temple traditions, such as Marghazhi Aathirai Vizha, Panguni Uttirai Perunaal and Veedhivitakanin Veedhi Panni. The granite structure of the Tyagarajaswami temple was first constructed by Aditya Chola I in 9th century and revamped during the reign of Rajaraja Chola I. The temple was upgraded and rebuilt with stone by Rajendra Chola I. The royal patronage continued and the town flourished as a cultural centre during the rule of the Nayaks, Vijayanagar kings and Marathas. This temple is one of the biggest in the country and this has the biggest temple chariot in the world. The Arulmigu Thyagarajaswamy Chariot festival (offen stated as Tiruvarur Chariot festival) celebrated here in months of March -April attracts large crowds. Tiruvarur chariot is very famous one and it is called as 'Aalither' in Tamil meaning chariot like ocean.
Thiyagarajar
Thiruvarur Deities:Vanmikanathar represents the Moolavar while the shrine dedicated to Thiyagaraja is the better known shrine in the temple.
The Vanmikanathar Legend relates to Shiva appearing within an anthill in response to prayers from the Gods.
Legend has it that the Thiyagaraja (Somaskanda) image at Thiruvarur was created and worshipped by Maha Vishnu. Somaskanda is symbolic of fertility, of royal lineage etc.
Somaskanda Iconography: Somaskanda refers to a manifestation of Shiva with Skanda and Uma by his side.
Thiyagaraja represents the Somaskanda manifestation of Shiva at Thiruvarur and at a few other shrines. Thiyagarajar is referred to as Veedhi Vitankar in the Tevaram hymns.
The Thiyagaraja Shrine at Thiruvarur is steeped in mysticism. Thiyagaraja is associated with the Ajapaa Natanam.
Nilothapalambal
Nilothpalambal Inside the main temple there is another seperate shrine for Goddess Nilothpalambal. The Goddess,with two hands is Aadi Parasakti.Alongside the Goddess,an assistant is seen carrying on her shoulder Lord Muruga- an interesting feature-and the Goddess is shown touching the head of Lord Muruga.
Thear thiruvzhila
Teppa Thiruvzhila
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Madurai Meenakshi Amman Temple
About Madurai
Madurai Temple
India is the place of worship. In India, there are so many holy places are available. Among them, Madurai plays an important role. Its well developed structure, culture and civilizations show the prosperity of Madurai city. Madurai is popularly known as "Temple city", since it has so many temples. It has another name (i.e.,) Non-sleeping city. It is the second biggest city of Tamilnadu state. Madurai city is famous for Jasmine Flowers. It is the one of the South India's greatest temple town and is synonymous with the celebrated Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple situated on the banks of river Vaigai. Madurai was an important cultural and commercial centre even as early as 550 AD. It was the capital city for the great Pandya kings.
The Pandyan King Kulasekarar built a great temple and created a lotus shaped city around the temple. On the day the city was to be named, as Lord shiva blessed the land and its people, divine nectar (Madhu) was showered on the city from his matted locks. This city was henceforth known as Madhurapuri. As far as Madurai is concerned, its structure looks like a Lotus. Of course, the Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple is situated at the center of the city. This is the center part of the lotus. Around the temple, the city has been developed. Every street around the temple is named the Tamil month calendar name. Today the city is well developed with the latest technologies and become the spot for Information Technology Park. Now Madurai is becoming Tier II city.
The Pandyan King Kulasekarar built a great temple and created a lotus shaped city around the temple. On the day the city was to be named, as Lord shiva blessed the land and its people, divine nectar (Madhu) was showered on the city from his matted locks. This city was henceforth known as Madhurapuri. As far as Madurai is concerned, its structure looks like a Lotus. Of course, the Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple is situated at the center of the city. This is the center part of the lotus. Around the temple, the city has been developed. Every street around the temple is named the Tamil month calendar name. Today the city is well developed with the latest technologies and become the spot for Information Technology Park. Now Madurai is becoming Tier II city.
Temple Name: Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple
Pre-Historic Name: Aalavai, Naanmada Koodal, Kadambavanam
Temple Deities: Lord Sundareswarar, Goddess Meenakshi, Mukkuruni Vinayagar, Subramaniyar, Nandi, Ellam Valla Sidhar, Durga, Dhakshinamoorthy, Kala Bhairavar, Bhadra Kali, Hanuman, Navagraham and more
Temple Holy Tree: KadambamTemple Holy Water or Theertham: Golden Lotus Tank (Potramarai Kulam), Vaigai, Theppakkulam, etcTemple Opening time: 5.00 A.M. to 12.30 P.M. and 4.00 P.M. to 10.00 P.MTemple Pooja Schedule:
Pre-Historic Name: Aalavai, Naanmada Koodal, Kadambavanam
Temple Deities: Lord Sundareswarar, Goddess Meenakshi, Mukkuruni Vinayagar, Subramaniyar, Nandi, Ellam Valla Sidhar, Durga, Dhakshinamoorthy, Kala Bhairavar, Bhadra Kali, Hanuman, Navagraham and more
Temple Holy Tree: KadambamTemple Holy Water or Theertham: Golden Lotus Tank (Potramarai Kulam), Vaigai, Theppakkulam, etcTemple Opening time: 5.00 A.M. to 12.30 P.M. and 4.00 P.M. to 10.00 P.MTemple Pooja Schedule:
Thiruvanandal Puja - 5.00 A.M. to 6.00 A.M.Chithirai Brahmotsavam (Chitra Festival)
Vaikasi Vasantham Festival
Aani Unjal Festival
Aadi Mulaikottu Festival
Avani Moola Utsavam Festival
Purattasi Navaratri Festival
Ayppasi Kolattam Festival
Karthigai Kolattam Festival
Margazhi Thiruvathirai & Thiruvempavai Festival
Thai Theppotsavam
Masi Mandala Utsavam Festival
Panguni Summer Vasantham Festival
Temple Address: Arulmigu Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple, Madurai 625 001
Temple Place: Madurai
Arulmigu Meenakshi Sunderaswara Temple
Arulmigu Meenakshi Sunderaswara Temple
Meenakshi
The Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple or Meenakshi Amman Temple (In Tamil: மீனாக்ஷி அம்மன் கோவில்)is a historic Hindu temple located in the holy city of Madurai, Tamilnadu, India. It is dedicated to Lord Shiva (in the form of Sundareswarar or Beautiful Lord) and his consort, Goddess Parvati (in the form of Meenakshi or Fish-eyed Goddess). The temple forms the heart and lifeline of the 2500 year old city of Madurai, home of the Tamil Language.According to Hindu legends, Lord Shiva, in the form of Sundareswarar, with his divine group of followers, appeared here in Madurai to marry Pandya King Malayadwaja Pandya's daughter, Meenakshi, believed to be an incarnation of Hindu Goddess Parvati. This temple is one of the most sacred abodes of Parvati. Also we can say it as "First Sakthi Peedam".
Golden Lotus Tank in Meenakshi Amman Temple
Potramarai
Potramarai Kulam (Golden Lotus Tank), the sacred pond inside the Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple is a very holy site for the devotees and people go around the lake before entering the main shrine. The etymology for the word means, the Pond with the Golden Lily and as the Lily that grows in it has a golden color. According to the legend, Lord Shiva promised to a stork that no fish or other marine life would grow here and thus no marine animals are found in the lake. In the Tamil legends, the lake is supposed to be a judge for judging a worth of a new literature. Thus, authors place their works here and the poorly written works are supposed to sink and the scholastic ones are supposed to float.
The temple has a stunning architecture and it was a frontrunner in the election for the modern seven wonders of the world for its architectural importance. The complex houses 12 magnificent gopurams or towers that are elaborately sculptured and painted. The temple is a significant symbol for the Tamil people, and has been mentioned since antiquity in Tamil literature, though the present structure is believed to have been built only recently in the early 17th century.
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Thiruvaiyaru Temple
Thiruvaiyaru
Tyagaraja was the greatest among the music composers of South India and one of the musical prodigies of all time. He was the father of modern Karnataka music and his works are of delicate spirituality, full of melodic beauty and in the highest sense artistic. As a child he as already remarkable for his predilection for music and a gift for composing and wrote his first song when he was hardly 13. Soon he reached the loftiest pinnacle of musical fames and composed the grandest songs ever written and two music plays of uneqalled beauty.
Sri Tyagaraja attained mukti in the year 1847. The mortal remains of this great soul were interred on the banks of the Kaveri and a Brindavana was erected over the spot.The Umayalpuram brothers, Krishna Bhagavatar and Sundara Bhagaavatar and othes used to go to the Samadhi every year on the Pushya Bahula panchami day, do puja and then return home and perform the aradhana proper. From the year 1907 onwards, the Samadhi Utsava entered a new phase. Tillisthanam Narasimha Bhagavatar and Panju Bhagavatar, along with Tiruch Govindasami Pillai, the great violinist, began to celebrate the festival on a grand scale.
Thyagaraja is the most popular of the musical Trinity, all born in Thiruvarur, the sacred town which has been placed on the same pedestal with Kasi(Benaras), as having the unique distinction of giving salvation or mukthi to the person born in the former and shuffling of his mortal coils in the latter.Grand son of Giriraja Kavi and son of the Ramabrahmam, a scholar learned in Vedas and Shashtras, he had his first music lesson from Sonti Venkataramanayya, the Palace Vidwan of Thanjavur. At the age of 16, he was initiated into the tharaka mantra of Sri Rama by a sage from Kanchi. He spent most of his time doing pooja and singing to the idols of Rama, Lakshmana and Sita, and thus his compositions were inspired and infused with Rama bhakthi. His music as extensive, yet direct and instantaneous. His compositions in vogue may be about 600 to 700, as his journey far and wide in the realms of his imagination created melodic patterns in various varjya and vakra ragas.
At Tirupathi, he is said to have miraculously raised the drawn curtain with his song, “Theradiyzka RAdha” and breathed life into a person who had drowned in a temple well with his kriti, “Najeevadara”, Another incident is related of how Rama and Lakshmana armed with bows and arrows guarded his palanquin when it was attacked by robbers.Aware of his approaching end, he took Sanyasa. On the 10th day of his Sanyasa, he merged with eternity
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KUMBAKONAM TEMPLE
Kumbakonam is a popular tourist town, 300 km south of Chennai in South India.This southern semi-urban town, engulfed in Temples, is famous for tourism activities. . This is a town where traditional arts and trade still flourish to a large extent. . To mention a few, popular beetle-leaves trade, weaving industry, beverage manufacturing etc. The town is world famous for the existence of Monuments, and has been a great tourist spot. The Great Festival of South India is Mahamaham . Mahamaham is celebrating once in 12 years. Kumbakonam is also called Temples Town. Kumbakonam Temples are very old and full of sculptures and through out the year the Kumbakonam Temples are having the festivals seasons with traditional concepts. Kumbakonam Kumbeswarar Temple and Kumbakonam Sarangapani Temple are main temples
List of temples near by kumbakonam
Kumbeswarar Temple
Sarangapani Temple
Nageswarar Temple
ChakkarapaniTemple
Ramaswamy Temple
Bramman Temple
Sree Vijendra Mutt
Veerasaiva Mutt
KasiViswanathar
Someswarar Temple
Banapureeswarar
Veerabhathirar
OPPILIAPPAN KOIL (THIRU VINNAGAR)
Opiliappan Koil, also known as thiru Vinnagar is a very sacred place like Thirupathi. The legend of this sthala is found in Brahmanda purana in Sanskrit.This place is about 5 miles to the east of Kumbakonam and buses ply often.
SWAMIMALAI (MURUGAN TEMPLE)
This place is about 5 kms from Kumbakonam on the road leading to Thiruvayaru in the west. It is also one of the Panchakarosa sthalas, and the fourth in the Padaividus of Muruga.The meaning of pranava was explaned by Muruga to Esware here!
PATTISWARAM (DURGA DEVI)
Pattisvaram is about 5 kms to the south-west of Kumbakonam on the south of the river Arisil. Pattai, the daughter of the divine cow kamadhenu worshipped here and so the place got the name of Pattisvaram. The presiding deit is Dhenupuriswarar and Gnaanmbikai
Vizha Pooja - 6.30 A.M. to 7.00 A.M.
Kalasandhi Puja - 7.30 A.M. to 8.30 A.M.
Thrikalasandhi Pooja - 10.30 A.M. to 11.30 A.M.
Uchikkala Puja - 11.30 A.M. to 12.30 P.M.
Maalai Pooja - 4.30 P.M. to 5.00 P.M.
Ardhajama Puja - 7.30 P.M. to 8.30 P.M.
Palliarai Pooja - 9.15 P.M. to 10.00 P.M.
Temple Festivals: Tiruvarur Temple
