Tamilnadu Pilgrim Tour Package in Mahabalipuram
The Shore Temple (built in 700-728 AD) is so named because it overlooks the shore of the Bay of Bengal. It is a structural temple, built with blocks of granite, dating from the 8th century AD. It was built on a promontory sticking out into the Bay of Bengal at Mahabalipuram, a village south of Chennai in the state of Tamil Nadu in India. The village was a busy port during the 7th and 8th century reign of the Pallava dynasty during the reign of Narasimhavarman II.[1]
As one of the Group of Monuments at Mahabalipuram, it has been classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.[2] It is one of the oldest structural (versus rock-cut) stone temples of South India
The Shore Temple is a five-storeyed structural Hindu temple rather than rock-cut as are the other monuments at the site. It is the earliest important structural temple in Southern India. Its pyramidal structure is 60 ft high and sits on a 50 ft square platform. There is a small temple in front which was the original porch.[3][4] It is made out of finely cut local granite.[5] The shore temple is also one of the most popular temples. Recent excavations have revealed new structures here under the sand.[4][6]
Shrines
The temple is a combination of three shrines. The main shrine is dedicated to Shiva as is the smaller second shrine. A small third shrine, between the two, is dedicated to a reclining Vishnu and may have had water channeled into the temple, entering the Vishnu shrine. The two Shiva shrines are orthogonal in configuration. The entrance is through a transverse barrel vault gopuram. The two shikharas have a pyramidal outline, each individual tier is distinct with overhanging eaves that cast dark shadows.[1] The outer wall of the shrine to Vishnu and the inner side of the boundary wall are extensively sculptured and topped by large sculptures of Nandi.[3] The temple’s outer walls are divided by plasters into bays, the lower part being carved into a series of rearing lions.[7]
Tamilnadu Pilgrim Tour Package in Tiruvottiyur
Thyagaraja Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to Hindu go Shiva. It is located in Tiruvottiyur in the northern suburbs of Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. The temple is revered by the Tevaram hymns of Saiva nayanars, the 7th century Tamil saint poets and classified as Paadal Petra Sthalam. The temple is closely associated with the saint poet Sundarar and Pattinathar. The temple has been in vogue from the Pallava times of 7th century and widely expanded by Chola kings during the 11th century. The temple has a seven tiered gateway tower, a tank, with the overall temple area covering 1 acre. The temple is administered by the Hindu Religious and Endowment Board of the Government of Tamil Nadu. The temple draws parallel with the Thygaraja temple in Tiruvarur as both the temples were expanded by Rajendra Chola I and both have the same dance poses of Shiva.
Tamilnadu Pilgrim Tour Package in Rameshwar
Ramanathaswamy Jyotirlinga Temple is a famous Hindu temple dedicated to god Shiva located in the island of Rameswaram in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. It is one of the 275 Paadal Petra Sthalams, where the three of the most revered Nayanars (Saivite Saints), Appar, Sundarar and Tirugnana Sambandar have glorified the temple with their songs. The temple was built during the 12th century[citation needed] by Pandya Dynasty . The temple has the longest corridor among all Hindu temples in India.[1] The temple is located in Rameshwaram, an island town in South India, considered a holy pilgrimage site for Shaivites, Vaishnavites and Smarthas. The Temple is also one of the 12 Jyothirlinga temples, where Shiva is worshipped in the form of a Jyotirlingam meaning “pillar of light”.
The primary deity of the temple is Ramanathaswamy (Shiva) in the form of lingam.[1] There are two lingams inside the sanctum – one built by Sita residing as the main deity, Ramalingam and the one brought by Hanuman from Kailash called Vishwalingam.[2][3][4] Rama instructed that Vishwalingam should be worshipped first since it was brought by Hanuman – the tradition continue even today.[3]
Like all ancient temples in South India, there is a high compound wall (madil) on all four sides of the temple premises measuring about 865 feet furlong from east to west and one furlongs of 657 feet from north to south with huge towers (Gopurams) at the east and west and finished gate towers on the north and south. The temple has striking long corridors in its interior, running between huge colonnades on platforms above five feet high.[5]
The second corridor is formed by sandstone pillars, beams and ceiling. The junction of the third corridor on the west and the paved way leading from the western gopuram to Setumadhava shrine forms a unique structure in the form of chess board and it is popularly known as Chokkattan Madapam where the Utsva deities are adorned and kept during the Vasntotsavam (Spring festival) and on the 6th day festival in Adi (July–August) and Masi (February–March) conducted by the Setupati of Ramnad.
The outer set of corridors is reputed to be the longest in the world being about 6.9 m height, 400 feet in each in the east and west and about 640 feet in north and south and inner corridors are about 224 feet in east and west and about 352 feet each in north and south.[6] Their width varies from 15.5 feet to 17 feet in the east and west about 172 feet on the north and south with width varying 14.5 feet to 17 feet.[1][3][6] The total length of those corridors is thus 3850 feet. There are about 1212 pillars in the outer corridor.[6] Their height is about 30 feet from the floor to the center of the roof. The main tower or rajagopuram is 53 m tall.[citation needed] Most pillars are carved with individual composition.[6]
Tamilnadu Pilgrim Tour Package in Palani
Palani is a city and a municipality in the Dindigul district of the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located about 100 km South-east of Coimbatore City and 60 km west of Dindigul. It is the location of the far-famed temple of the god Kartikeya, resorted to by more than 7 million devotees each year.
Temples
Palani is home to one of the most sacred shrines of the God Subrahmanyan, as worshipped in the Hindu cult of Koumaram. The Dhandayudhapani Temple dedicated to Lord Murugan, and regarded one of his Arupadai Veedu (Six Battle Camps), is situated here. The temple situated atop the Sivagiri is small but attracts a flood of devotees from all over the country. The architecture of the temple appears to be of the Pandya school. The Garbagriham is surmounted by a gold gopuram, most admirably worked. The walls of the Garbagriham have numerous stone inscriptions describing offerings made by devotees to the temple. Steps are hewn into the rock, besides a wide path meant for the ascent of elephants, up the hill. In addition, a funicular railway with three tracks and a rope way have been provided more recently for the comfort of the pilgrims.
In keeping with the traditions of all temples of the God Subrahmanyan, another temple is dedicated to his worship near the foot of the Sivagiri. It goes by the name of Thiru Avinankudi, and is remarkable for the exquisite appearance of the chief deity besides other sculptures.
Besides this, right at the foot of the Sivagiri is a small shrine dedicated to the god Ganapathi, where he goes by the name Pada Vinayakar. It is common amongst the pilgrims to pay their obeisances at this shrine before commencing their ascent of the hill to worship the Lord Subrahmanyan. A particular offering here is the breaking of coconuts, by flinging them against an enclosed stone before the shrine, of which many hundreds are broken by the devotees in the course of a day.
Within the town is another temple dedicated to the Goddess Parvathi as Periyanayaki Amman. It popularly goes by the name of the Oorkovil – the town’s chief temple. A particularly intriguing aspect of the temple is that, although it is referred to as the temple of Periyanayaki Amman, the central sanctum, the sanctum of supreme honour in Hindu temple architecture, is accorded to the Lord Subrahmanyan. The temple is large in expanse and displays an interesting blend of Pandya and Nayaka architecture. A tradition associated with the temple is that, formerly, a subterranean passage connected it with the Periya Avudaiyar temple some distance from the town, and was used to convey the idols under a peculiar circumstance of duress – when a Nawab attacked; however, beyond the fact, obvious from his title, that he was a Muslim, nothing is known of the Nawab or of his attack. Some evidence may be said to exist of an attack since some of the sculptures in the Nayaka mandapam in front of the temple have their limbs missing.
A short distance from the town is a temple dedicated to Shiva as Periya Avudaiyar. This temple, located right on the banks of the Shanmugha Nadi, is situated in particularly peaceful environs far-removed from the bustle of the town.
Near the Periya Nayaki Amman temple are two others – the Mariyamman Temple and the Perumal Temple. The former is particularly resorted to in times of epidemics, the goddess there being regarded as the protectress against illnesses.
The Kannadi Perumal Temple, dedicated to Vishnu, is a small temple situated on a hillock 9 km south of Palani, a short distance from the highway to Kodaikanal. The name of the temple is derived from its tradition that the presiding deity of the temple wards off the effects of dhrishti, a Sanskritic term which may be held to mean ‘casting an evil eye’. One of the practices of the devotees of the temple is to bring the first-born calves of their cows to the temple seeking the deity’s blessing, as the protector of cattle. On account of its secluded location it is not resorted to by many
Tamilnadu Pilgrim Tour Package in Madurai
Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple or Meenakshi Amman Temple or Tiru-alavai[1][2] (IAST mīnākṣi Amman Kovil) is a historic Hindu temple located in the southern banks of river Vaigai[3] in the temple city[4] of Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India. It is dedicated to Parvati who is known as Meenakshi and her consort, Shiva, named here as Sundareswarar. The temple forms the heart and lifeline of the 2500 year old city[5] of Madurai. The complex houses 14 gateway towers called gopurams, ranging from 45-50m in height, the tallest being the southern tower, 51.9 metres (170 ft) high,[6] and two golden sculptured vimana, the shrine over sanctum of the main deities. The temple is a significant symbol for the Tamil people, and has been mentioned since antiquity in Tamil literature, though the present structure is built during 1623 to 1655 CE[6][7][8] The temple attracts 15,000 visitors a day, around 25,000 during Fridays[9] and gets an annual revenue of sixty millionINR. There is an estimated 33,000 sculptures in the temple[9] and it was in the list of top 30 nominees of the “New Seven Wonders of the World”. The annual 10 day Meenakshi Tirukalyanam festival celebrated during April–May attracts 1 million visitors.
Tamilnadu Pilgrim Tour Package in Velankanni
Velankanni church can be traced to the mid-16th century and its founding is attributed to three miracles: the apparition of Mary and Jesus to a slumbering shepherd boy, the curing of a lame buttermilk vendor, and the survival of Portuguese sailors assaulted by a violent sea storm.
Although all three events resulted in the erection of a shrine, it was the promise of the Portuguese sailors that caused a permanent edifice to be built at Velankanni. The chapel was dedicated on the feast of the Nativity of Mary (8 September), the day of their safe landing. More than 500 years later, the festival and celebration is still observed and draws nearly 2 million pilgrims each year. The Shrine of Our Lady of Velankanni, also known as the “Lourdes of the East”,[2] is one of the most frequented religious sites in India. The Basilica of Our Lady of Good Health was built in the late 16th century with modifications by Portuguese and further expansions later on due to influx of pilgrimages.
The Gothic style of architecture is a unique feature of the church. The church itself is an imposing building with inspiring architecture. While the buildings have been painted white, the roof of the church is made of red tiles, providing a striking contrast to the colour of the walls.
As a token of gratitude to Mary, Portuguese sailors who escaped from a severe cyclone, built a 24 foot by 12 foot shrine with a dome overhead. In their subsequent visits, they brought porcelain plates and other artistic offerings to beautify it. The main ornamentation was a statue of Mary holding her infant son, standing on a globe. The keepers of the shrine eventually built a museum to display the offerings. Periodically this is changed and the new items are added to the showcases.
In the year 1771, Velankanni acquired the status of a parish with Antonio de Rozario as the first parish priest. The church building was raised to the status of basilica in 1962 by Pope John XXIII.
Every year, 10 days of festivals are celebrated in August and September, attracting about 1.5 million people.[3] Masses are conducted in at least eight languages including Tamil, English, Malayalam, Kannada, Telugu, Konkani, Hindi and Marathi
Kerala Pilgrim Tour Package in Kalpathy
Sri Visalakshi Sametha Sri Viswanathaswamy temple[1], popularly known as Kasi Viswanathaswamy Temple or locally as kundukovil is a famous Hindu temple located in the Kalpathy village of Palakkad in Kerala, India. It is the site of the annual Kalpathi Ratholsavam which is one of the most famous temple festivals of Kerala. This ancient temple nestles by the banks of the serene Kalpathy river (Nila Nadhi). Dedicated to Lord Siva and his consort Visalakshi (another name for Parvati), it dates back to early fifteenth century. The similarity to the Varanasi Kashi Viswanatha temple on the banks of Ganges is responsible for the moniker kasiyil pakuthi kalpathy and the name Dakshina Kashi associated with this temple. The Temple is surrounded by the four Tamil Brahmin agraharams or traditional villages: New Kalpathy, Old Kalpathy, Chathapuram and Govindarajapuram.
Kerala Pilgrim Tour Package in Parassinikadavu Muthappan temple
Muthappan Temple, also called Parassinikadavu Muthappan temple is a Hindu temple, located on the banks of the Valarpattanam river about 10 km from Taliparamba in Kannur District, Kerala.[1][2] Principal deity of the temple is Sree Muthappan, a manifestation of two mythical characters called Thiruvappana and Vellattam. According to the local tradition, Thiruvappana and Vellattam are the characterization of Lord Vishnu and Lord Shiva, two among the Trimurtis in Hinduism, respectively.[3]
Rituals of the temple is unique in that it does not follow the Satvic Brahminical form of worship, as in other Hindu temples of Kerala. The main mode of worship is the a ritual enactment of both the characters of Muthappan, through a traditional dance known as Muthappan Theyyam.[3][4] Fish, meat and toddy are the customary offerings to Muthappan.[5] Muthappan Thiruvoppana Mahothsavam is the major festival of the temple, celebrated for three days every year on 19, 20 and 21 of Kumbham (the days correspond to 3, 4 and 5 March).
Kerala Pilgrim Tour Package
in Lokanarkavu Temple
Lokanarkavu Temple is in Memunda 4 km from Vatakara, in Kozhikode District, North Malabar region of Kerala state of south India. Lokanarkavu is a short form of Lokamalayarkavu which means lokam (world) made of mala (mountain), aaru (river) and kavu (grove). It is the official family temple of the 500 Aryan Nagariks[citation needed] who had migrated to Kerala and their successors. The closest railway station is at Vadakara,which is 5 km from temple. Te nearest airport is Calicut airport which is 87 km away.
Pooram is the important festival here and it is conducted with great pomp and show. The week-long festival begins with Kodiyettam (flag hoisting) and concludes with Arattu. The temple dedicated to goddess Durga has great historical importance as Thacholi Othenan, the legendary martial hero of Kerala, used to worship here every day.
Kerala Pilgrim Tour Package in Wayanad
Mananthavady is a town and taluk in the Wayanad district of Kerala, India. It is located on the banks of Mananthavady Puzha, a tributary of the Kabini River This area was once ruled by the Pazhassi dynasty and the tomb of Pazhassi Raja is an important heritage site located in the heart of the town. This is also the headquarters of the Adivasi Gothra Mahasabha. . The District Hospital in Mananthavady is the only major treatment facility for the service of the tribal communities and other less privileged sections of Wayanad. It is the third biggest town in Wayanad District, after Sulthan Bathery and Kalpetta.[1]
Mananthavadi is located 35 km north-east of the district headquarters Kalpetta, 80 km east of Thalassery and 110 km north-east of Kozhikkode. Thalassery-Bavali Road is the major road passing through Mananthavadi, which is well connected with both Mysore and Kodagu. Mananthavady is well connected with Mysore(110 km away), via Kartikulam, Bavali and H D Kote, through Nagarhole National Park. This road is parallel to Kabini River and closed during the night time to protect wild animals. Another road goes to Gonikoppal(60 km away) in Kodagu, via Kartikulam, Tholpetty forest, Kutta and Ponnampet.[2]
