sri-bhimalingeshwara-temple-kargal
http://rohithshetty143.blogspot.in/2013/06/sri-bhimalingeshwara-temple-kargal.html
kadavinakatta - A Holy Place of Goddess Durga Parameshwari and a Beautiful Dam
http://prayanika-thejourney.blogspot.in/2012/06/kadavinkatta-holy-place-of-goddess.html
Dudhsagar Falls, goa
http://rohithshetty143.blogspot.in/2013/05/dudhsagar-falls-goa.html
halebeedu
http://rohithshetty143.blogspot.in/2013/11/hoysaleswara-temple-halebeedu.html
goodanagundi-water-falls
http://rohithshetty143.blogspot.in/2013/06/goodanagundi-water-falls.html
http://rohithshetty143.blogspot.in/2014_01_01_archive.html
Friday, January 10, 2014
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Trip to Tirupati-Tirumala Temple
Introduction
The temple of lord Venkateshwara/Balaji/Timmappa, is situated on the seventh peak called ‘Venkatadri’ in Tirumala hill town, near Tirupati in the Chitoor district of Indian state Andhra Pradesh.
Main deity, the Balaji / Venkateshwar
The stone idol of the lord, placed in the main shrine, is 8 feet tall from the toe to the crown, but its origin is not known. Its references are said to be available in Rigaveda and in other oldest possible records like the Sangam Tamil literature, book 11 of ‘Silpadikaram’ where he is mentioned as Tirubengadam. The idol is also known as MOOL VIRAAT, MOOLAVAR or DHRUB BERAAM.
There are many stories move around the idol related to its origin.
1.It is said that the idol was hidden under a huge ant hillock. One day a farmer heard a voice coming from the heaven and asking him to feed the ants. This voice was also heard by the king Thondaman or Thondaiman, ruler of Thondaimandalam in the ancient times in Tamilnadu, presently known as Kanchipuram and its surroundings. Following the voice, he started giving lot of milk to the ants. This made the hill melt. As the hill melted, the hidden idol of the lord became visible.
2. As per other version of the story, the Lord Vishnu felt that he can be nearer to his devotees in the form of an idol and he transformed himself into the idol of Lord Venkateshwara.
3. While searching his wife Laksmi, who had left home out of anger, he met Varah Swamy and wanted some place to live there. Varah Swamy agreed to give him some place to stay, but on payment. The Lord was penniless at that time. He assured him that his devotees will worship and make offers to him first before they come to his temple, this way his debt will be compensated.
4. He took loan from lord Kubera during his marriage with Padmavati. He requested Goddess Laksmi , his wife , to makehis devotees so rich that they can make offers in his hundi without any difficulty so that he can make himself free from the debt of Lord Kubera. Goddess Laksmi agreed to it.
5. Once the lord was hit by a shepherd on his head. He lost a small part of his scalp and became bald headed. Gandharva princes, Neela Devi marked this. She had magical powers. She cut a part of her hair and implanted it on the bald portion of the lord Venkateshwara ‘s head. The lord felt obliged to her and requested to accept the hairs rendered by his devotees in return of what she has done for him.Right from that time Neela Devi accepts the hairs, rendered by his devotees.
Temples history
The first temple of the lord was believed to be built by theking Thondaman with a ‘prakar’ for regular prayers and a godown to store grains and other valuables on one of thepeaks of Venkatadri hill on the southern bank of Sri Swami Pushkarni. He also made approach road to reach to his temple. Later Chola dynasty developed the temple at a large scale. It initiated competition among the kings. The temple attained maximum of its riches in size and diamond and gold during the regime of Vijaynagara emperors.The coronation ceremonies of the emperors were celebrated here also.Krishnadevaraya was a regular visitor of the temple. It was he who got the viman roofing gilded. He had installed a statue of himself and his consort in the portals at the temple.
The Maratha general Ragho ji Bhonsle set up a regular administration for the general management and to conduct worship in the temple. In the later periods the rulers of Mysore and Gadwal played important role.
During British time the administration of the Sri Venkateshwara temple and some other shrines were regularized in a better way and TTD (Tirumala Tirupati deva Darshanam) was established under the TTD Act 1932. TTD is operated by a board of trustees.TTD runs various welfare activities. An executive officer appointed by the Andhra Government is responsible to take care of daily management and operations.
Queue system at Vaikuntam Queue Complex(VQC)
The entrance for darshan is through the Vaikuntam Queue Complex. The complex is a series of inter-connected halls that leads to the main temple. An efficient queue system ensures that pilgrims move in an orderly fashion through the Queue Complex, towards the main temple.
To get a Darshana (view of main deity) by pilgrims are needed to be in any one queue system, out of four different types. As more than fifty thousand pilgrims visit the Sri Venkateswara Temple every day, TTD has organized efficient systems to ensure the smooth movement of pilgrims.
The halls in the Queue Complex are clean, spacious and airy.TTD provides a wide range of facilities in the Queue Complex:
Four different queue systems
1. Divya Darshana – It is for for pedestrian Devotees, who step up the hill to reach the Tirumala through Gali Gopuram or Srivari Mettu by foot. As they get more priority & in this line one can finish there Darshana in about 1 to 2 hours only. Bio-metric counters are established on these foot paths, to facilitate free darshan, free accommodation (P.A.C) and free food facilities at Tirumala.
2. Dharma Darshan/ Sarva Darshanam - It is a free darshan. It takes 8 hours to some times whole day to get Darshana as number of devotees will be more in this queue as well as it is free and many believes this is the way, where god will be pleased more & it for them, who have more time to spend in temple campus.
The timings for Sarvadarsanam are different on different days of the week. For Timing detail refer this link : http://www.tirumala.org/maintemple_programme.htm
On normal days, about 18 hours are allotted for Sarvadarsanam and on peak days, it is open for 20 hours.
3. Sudarshanam –it is a paid queue system, charging Rs. 50 per visitor. Devotees in this line can finish there darshan in about 3-4 hours, who have less time to spend in queue. For this devotees are needed to take Sudarsanam token at a).Second Choultry (behind the Railway Station), b).Bhudevi Complex, c). Alipiri Tollgate, d).Sreenivasam in Tirupati, e).Srivari Sannidhi, Tirupati, f ). RTC Bus stand in Tirupati, g).TTD Information centre ,Renigunta (opposite to the Renigunta Railway Station).
The time of darshan is indicated on the tokens.Pilgrims can enter the Vaikuntam Queue Complex at Tirumala at the time indicated on the tokens. As this system saves on waiting time, it provides pilgrims with enough time to visit temples in the vicinity like Sri Govindarajaswami Temple and Kapila Teertham at Tirupati, Sri Padmavathi Ammavari Temple at Tiruchanur and Sri Kalyana Venkateswara Swami Temple at Srinivasa Mangapuram.To help TTD keep a track of the number of pilgrims and ensure their smooth flow, one token is issued per head. Collective tokens for groups are not issued.Sudarshan tokens to a tune of 5000 per day, Tuesday and Wednesday 2000 per day will be issued from 05:00am
4. Shighra Darshan/urgent Darshana/Special Entry Darshan – It is a another paid queue system, charging Rs.300 per visitor. Devotees in this line can finish there darshan in about 2-3 hours. it is for who have less time to spend in temple & also can afford it.
The tickets will be issued at VQC-I in a separate queue line with 4 counters, after taking the tickets, the pilgrims are directly allowed for Darshan. Seeghra Darshan tickets will be issued on all the Sarva Darshan timings.
5. Apart from these lines there is a special darshan is arranged for the physically disabled and the aged, the infants along with parents through a separate gate at the Maha Dwaram,the main temple entrance. If necessary, such pilgrims can be accompanied by an attendant.
This is much appreciable to queue system by considering all the possibilities & many times, they mix , divert and redirect, all these queues to control the crowd at their level best.
It is visited by almost 60 to 70 thousand Devotees daily as everyday is a festival day for Devotees. The lord is worshiped six times a day as per Vaikhanas Bhagvad Shastram, Vimaanarachnaa Kalpam. This worship is performed strictly by Vaikhanas priests only. They are rendering their services for generations.
This number of Devotees goes up to 5 to 6 lacs during Vaishnava festivals like Vaikunta Ekaadasi, Ramnavami, Vasantotsava and Janmastami as they are celebrated with great enthusiasm. It even crosses 6 to 7 crores during special occasions like Brahmotsava, which is celebrated in the month of September at highly grand and glorified level. On these nine days of celebrations, the Tirumala turns into an ocean of Devotees.
There are officers to look after the facilities in the Vaikuntam Queue Complex, regulate the queues and attend to complaints
Its annual budget is estimated Rs. 10 billion, coming purely from devotees, making it rond richest temple in the world after Vatican city.
photo : ‘’The Shrine, with gold covered huge gopuram /tomb of lord Venkateshwar/Balaji temple, where main deity resides”
meanings :
1. Darshana : get view of main deity / Lord Balaji/ Lord venkateshwar
2. Gopuram : Tomb / Shrine of temple .
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Trip to Mahabalipuram / Mamallapuram, is a tourist town 60 km south of Chennai famous for its stone carvings.
Mahabalipuram / Mamallapuram, is a tourist town 60 km south of Chennai famous for its stone carvings.
History of this place
Megalithic burial urns, cairn circles and jars with burials dating to the very dawn of the Christian era have been discovered near Mamallapuram. The Sangam age poem Perumpāṇāṟṟuppaṭai relates the rule of King Thondaiman Ilam Thiraiyar at Kanchipuram of the Tondai Nadu port Nirppeyyaru which scholars identify with the present-day Mamallapuram. Chinese coins and Roman coins of Theodosius I in the 4th century CE have been found at Mamallapuram revealing the port as an active hub of global trade in the late classical period. Two Pallava coins bearing legends read as Srihari and Srinidhi have been found at Mamallapuram. The Pallava kings ruled Mamallapuram from Kanchipuram; the capital of the Pallava dynasty from the 3rd century to 9th century CE, and used the port to launch diplomatic missions to Ceylon and Southeast Asia.
Believed to be ‘the city of great wrestler’ (Mamallavan or Mahabali), Mahabalipuram literally means ‘city of the Great Bali’. Derived from Mamallapuram, Mahabalipuram is a modern name given to the town. An 8th century Tamil text written by Thirumangai Alvar described this place as Kadal Mallai, (Sea Mountain) ‘where the ships rode at anchor bent to the point of breaking laden as they were with wealth, big trunked elephants and gems of nine varieties in heaps’. It is also known by several other names such as Mamallapattana and Mamallapuram. Another name by which Mahabalipuram has been known to mariners, at least since Marco Polo’s time is "Seven Pagodas" alluding to the Seven Pagodas of Mahabalipuram that stood on the shore, of which one, the Shore Temple, survives. The temples of Mamallapuram, portraying events described in the Mahabharata, built largely during the reigns of Narasimhavarman and his successor Rajasimhavarman, showcase the movement from rock-cut architecture to structural building. The city of Mahabalipuram was largely developed by the Pallava king Narasimhavarman I in the 7th century AD.The mandapa or pavilions and the rathas or shrines shaped as temple chariots are hewn from the granite rock face, while the famed Shore Temple, erected half a century later, is built from dressed stone. What makes Mamallapuram so culturally resonant are the influences it absorbs and disseminates. The Shore Temple includes many bas reliefs, including one 100 ft. long and 45 ft. high, carved out of granite.
All but one of the rathas from the first phase of Pallava architecture are modelled on the Buddhist viharas or monasteries and chaitya halls with several cells arranged around a courtyard. Art historian Percy Brown, in fact, traces the possible roots of the Pallava Mandapa to the similar rock-cut caves of Ajanta Caves and Ellora Caves. Referring to Narasimhavarman's victory in AD 642 over the Chalukyan king Pulakesin II, Brown says the Pallava king may have brought the sculptors and artisans back to Kanchi and Mamallapuram as 'spoils of war'.
The fact that different shrines were dedicated to different deities is evidence of an increased sectarianism at the time of their construction. A bas-relief on a sculpted cliff has an image of Shiva and a shrine dedicated to Vishnu, indicating the growing importance of these Sangam period deities and a weakening of the roles of Vedic gods such as Indra and Soma.
The modern city of Mahabalipuram was established by the British in 1827.
The monuments are mostly rock-cut and monolithic, and constitute the early stages of Dravidian architecture wherein Buddhist elements of design are prominently visible. They are constituted by cave temples, monolithic rathas (chariots), sculpted reliefs and structural temples. The pillars are of the Dravidian order. The sculptures are excellent examples of Pallava art.
It is believed by some that this area served as a school for young sculptors. The different sculptures, some half finished, may have been examples of different styles of architecture, probably demonstrated by instructors and practiced on by young students. This can be seen in the Pancha Rathas where each Ratha is sculpted in a different style. These five Rathas were all carved out of a single piece of granite in situ. While excavating Khajuraho, Alex Evans, a stonemason and sculptor, recreated a stone sculpture made out of sandstone, which is softer than granite, under 4 feet that took about 60 days to carve. The carving at Mahabalipuram must have required hundreds of highly skilled sculptors.
How to reach from chennai
Buses arrive in the centre of the town from either Koyembedu (CMBT) or Tiruvanmiyur (in Chennai) and Kanchipuram. There are direct buses from CMBT but you can also take any bus that has ECR written on the front, however be warned some of these ECR buses will drop you outside town, and don't go into the town proper. You can also catch the bus from Pondicherry.
A taxi from Chennai will cost Rs. 600-800 one-way (USD 15 to 20) though the rates are likely to be higher based on the season, cab operator. Visitors outside Chennai, even Indian nationals and most definitely from Overseas are likely to be asked for higher rates. To or from the airport will cost Rs 800-1,200 and will take one hour off peak and 1 1/2 hours peak time. Please negotiate the cab fares at the beginning of the journey and remain firm if the operator asks for more.
The drive from Chennai on the East Coast Road is, by Indian standards, a wonderful experience: it is one of the few toll roads in India and maintained well. That said, it's still only one lane per direction with no divider, so overtaking tends to be hair-raising and high-speed head-on collisions are all too common. The road runs parallel to the coast of Bay of Bengal making it a scenic driveway, although you will not see the sea until the last few miles. The 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami wreaked havoc around here, so you will see shanty-towns built for affected fishermen and much of the greenery has been swept away.)
History of this place
Megalithic burial urns, cairn circles and jars with burials dating to the very dawn of the Christian era have been discovered near Mamallapuram. The Sangam age poem Perumpāṇāṟṟuppaṭai relates the rule of King Thondaiman Ilam Thiraiyar at Kanchipuram of the Tondai Nadu port Nirppeyyaru which scholars identify with the present-day Mamallapuram. Chinese coins and Roman coins of Theodosius I in the 4th century CE have been found at Mamallapuram revealing the port as an active hub of global trade in the late classical period. Two Pallava coins bearing legends read as Srihari and Srinidhi have been found at Mamallapuram. The Pallava kings ruled Mamallapuram from Kanchipuram; the capital of the Pallava dynasty from the 3rd century to 9th century CE, and used the port to launch diplomatic missions to Ceylon and Southeast Asia.
Believed to be ‘the city of great wrestler’ (Mamallavan or Mahabali), Mahabalipuram literally means ‘city of the Great Bali’. Derived from Mamallapuram, Mahabalipuram is a modern name given to the town. An 8th century Tamil text written by Thirumangai Alvar described this place as Kadal Mallai, (Sea Mountain) ‘where the ships rode at anchor bent to the point of breaking laden as they were with wealth, big trunked elephants and gems of nine varieties in heaps’. It is also known by several other names such as Mamallapattana and Mamallapuram. Another name by which Mahabalipuram has been known to mariners, at least since Marco Polo’s time is "Seven Pagodas" alluding to the Seven Pagodas of Mahabalipuram that stood on the shore, of which one, the Shore Temple, survives. The temples of Mamallapuram, portraying events described in the Mahabharata, built largely during the reigns of Narasimhavarman and his successor Rajasimhavarman, showcase the movement from rock-cut architecture to structural building. The city of Mahabalipuram was largely developed by the Pallava king Narasimhavarman I in the 7th century AD.The mandapa or pavilions and the rathas or shrines shaped as temple chariots are hewn from the granite rock face, while the famed Shore Temple, erected half a century later, is built from dressed stone. What makes Mamallapuram so culturally resonant are the influences it absorbs and disseminates. The Shore Temple includes many bas reliefs, including one 100 ft. long and 45 ft. high, carved out of granite.
All but one of the rathas from the first phase of Pallava architecture are modelled on the Buddhist viharas or monasteries and chaitya halls with several cells arranged around a courtyard. Art historian Percy Brown, in fact, traces the possible roots of the Pallava Mandapa to the similar rock-cut caves of Ajanta Caves and Ellora Caves. Referring to Narasimhavarman's victory in AD 642 over the Chalukyan king Pulakesin II, Brown says the Pallava king may have brought the sculptors and artisans back to Kanchi and Mamallapuram as 'spoils of war'.
The fact that different shrines were dedicated to different deities is evidence of an increased sectarianism at the time of their construction. A bas-relief on a sculpted cliff has an image of Shiva and a shrine dedicated to Vishnu, indicating the growing importance of these Sangam period deities and a weakening of the roles of Vedic gods such as Indra and Soma.
The modern city of Mahabalipuram was established by the British in 1827.
The monuments are mostly rock-cut and monolithic, and constitute the early stages of Dravidian architecture wherein Buddhist elements of design are prominently visible. They are constituted by cave temples, monolithic rathas (chariots), sculpted reliefs and structural temples. The pillars are of the Dravidian order. The sculptures are excellent examples of Pallava art.
It is believed by some that this area served as a school for young sculptors. The different sculptures, some half finished, may have been examples of different styles of architecture, probably demonstrated by instructors and practiced on by young students. This can be seen in the Pancha Rathas where each Ratha is sculpted in a different style. These five Rathas were all carved out of a single piece of granite in situ. While excavating Khajuraho, Alex Evans, a stonemason and sculptor, recreated a stone sculpture made out of sandstone, which is softer than granite, under 4 feet that took about 60 days to carve. The carving at Mahabalipuram must have required hundreds of highly skilled sculptors.
How to reach from chennai
Buses arrive in the centre of the town from either Koyembedu (CMBT) or Tiruvanmiyur (in Chennai) and Kanchipuram. There are direct buses from CMBT but you can also take any bus that has ECR written on the front, however be warned some of these ECR buses will drop you outside town, and don't go into the town proper. You can also catch the bus from Pondicherry.
A taxi from Chennai will cost Rs. 600-800 one-way (USD 15 to 20) though the rates are likely to be higher based on the season, cab operator. Visitors outside Chennai, even Indian nationals and most definitely from Overseas are likely to be asked for higher rates. To or from the airport will cost Rs 800-1,200 and will take one hour off peak and 1 1/2 hours peak time. Please negotiate the cab fares at the beginning of the journey and remain firm if the operator asks for more.
The drive from Chennai on the East Coast Road is, by Indian standards, a wonderful experience: it is one of the few toll roads in India and maintained well. That said, it's still only one lane per direction with no divider, so overtaking tends to be hair-raising and high-speed head-on collisions are all too common. The road runs parallel to the coast of Bay of Bengal making it a scenic driveway, although you will not see the sea until the last few miles. The 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami wreaked havoc around here, so you will see shanty-towns built for affected fishermen and much of the greenery has been swept away.)
City Bus routes from chennai
It is easy to get around the town on foot, though bike rental is also available. It is relatively a small city and all point of interest are close to each other. Paid parking areas are available near the Shore Temple and the Five Rathas. Note, for visiting both Shore temple and the File Rathas you need to buy entry tickets. These ticket counters starts at morning 6.00 AM to & gets closed by 5.30PM and both these places gets closed by 6PM. So, you cannot enter unless you buy the ticket before 5.30 PM.
A combined entrance tikcet to the Shore Temple and the Five Rathas costs Rs 250 for foreigners and Rs.10 for Indian citizens. Local guides, who speak multiple languages, are available for around Rs 200 for a tour of all main attractions.
You can also hire a cab (non-ac) for about Rs.150 for 2 1/2 hours, during which you will be taken to all the major tourists spots in Mamallapuram
Map of Mahabalipuram
1. shore Temple
It is believed that there were seven magnificent temples what are known as the seven pagodas, built near the sea share. But the lonely survivor is the shore temples. It was originally constructed during the 7th century and later it was Narasimha Varman II, (Rajasimha) completed the skilled work in his rule. This is one of the oldest of the south Indian Temples which were structural temples constructed in the nature Dravidian style. This shore temple has gained popularity and tourists gather here because it has been listed among the world heritage sites of the UNESCO. The temple is full of designs made by carvings.
There are three temples of which two Shiva Temples face east and west respectively. The other one is the Vishnu Temple. The Vishnu temples were built by Narasimha Varman I and the other two were built by Narasimha Varman II. One can find the beautifully carved twin Dwarka Palaks (gate keepers) at the entrance of the east facing Shiva Temples. On both sides of the temple inside are the marvelous sculptures of Lord Brahma and Lord Vishnu with their better halves. The top part of the Shivalinga figure inside the temple is found damaged. There are sculptures of Somaskanda - lord Shiva with his better half, Parvati, and his sons, Skanda and Ganesha are found on the near wall. Apart from Lord Shiva’s sculpture, one can find the sculptures of Narasimha and Goddess Durgha also
The central shrine is in the form of a rectangle. It has a magnificent statue of lord Vishnu which is known as Sthala Shayana Perumal or Ananthasayana which means sleeping Vishnu. The peculiarity about this particular temple is - Vishnu reclines on the floor listening silently the sounds of names. The figure of Vishnu is found in segments which are to be looked through various doors. The other sculpture is portrayed in such a may that Lord Vishnu seated in mount Garuda helping Gajendra, the elephant, found in the southern wall and the northern wall is the portrayals from the life of lord Krishna. The grand temple is surrounded by mandapas and compound walls. There is a rock-cut of a lion rode by two young women. The lion has a small cut, a square shaped cut in its belly. A Huge rock near by the temple has been the target of the waves to touch it from the ancient days. There is also a carving of a buffalo demon running with a stick in his hand, located in the northern side. The temple looks beautiful due to the lights during weekend evenings.
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Pataleshwar temple (Panchaleshvara cave),Pune
Pataleshwar Cave Temple
Just across the river on the Jungli Maharaj Road is the wonderful Pataleshwar temple (Panchaleshvara cave) dedicated to lord Shiva. The Nandi and the pillars are carved from one single rock. This Shiva Temple was made in the 8th century but was not completed, but today it's an active temple.
In front of the excavation is a circular Nandi mandapam (pavilion). Cut from one rock, this temple is reminiscent of the Kailasa temple at Ellora. It has a Shiva Shrine, as well as one in honor of his bull Nandi.
This small 8th century temple is located in the heart of the city at Shivaji Nagar ,next to Jangali maharaja samaadhi at Jangali Maharaj Road . It is a perfect example of rock-cut architecture. This wonderful temple resembles the grand rock temple at Elephanta but unfortunately was never completed. The Pateleshwar temple includes a “cave” in its vicinity and thereby it is also known as, “Patleshwar Cave Temple”.
The rock-cut cave is actually a Shiva temple wherein most of the rocks date back to 700-800AD. The rock has been cut into pillars, seating areas and similar rooms. The temple is fairly simple with just a few ornate carvings on the black rock. The heart of the cave includes, a cube-shaped room about 3-4 meters on each side, which also includes a lingam. Along with lord Shiva there are statues of Sita, Rama and Laxmana. This makes this place visited by a large number of Hindu devotees, specially devotees of lord Shiva and his bull, Nandi.
Just near to Patleshwar Temple is Jangli Maharja temple dedicated to Hindu ascetic who died here in 1818.
There is also a museum which exhibits a grain of rice, with 5000 characters engraved, recorded in Guinness Book of World Records.
How to reach there : GO TO PUNE -MAHANAGARA PALIKA -BUS STATION (MA.NA.PA)
from there it is walkble distance or catch auto charging Rs 15-20 only
The temple opens daily from 08:00am till 05:30pm. Many local rickshaws operating, are the easiest way reach Patleshwar Cave temple.
Just across the river on the Jungli Maharaj Road is the wonderful Pataleshwar temple (Panchaleshvara cave) dedicated to lord Shiva. The Nandi and the pillars are carved from one single rock. This Shiva Temple was made in the 8th century but was not completed, but today it's an active temple.
In front of the excavation is a circular Nandi mandapam (pavilion). Cut from one rock, this temple is reminiscent of the Kailasa temple at Ellora. It has a Shiva Shrine, as well as one in honor of his bull Nandi.
This small 8th century temple is located in the heart of the city at Shivaji Nagar ,next to Jangali maharaja samaadhi at Jangali Maharaj Road . It is a perfect example of rock-cut architecture. This wonderful temple resembles the grand rock temple at Elephanta but unfortunately was never completed. The Pateleshwar temple includes a “cave” in its vicinity and thereby it is also known as, “Patleshwar Cave Temple”.
The rock-cut cave is actually a Shiva temple wherein most of the rocks date back to 700-800AD. The rock has been cut into pillars, seating areas and similar rooms. The temple is fairly simple with just a few ornate carvings on the black rock. The heart of the cave includes, a cube-shaped room about 3-4 meters on each side, which also includes a lingam. Along with lord Shiva there are statues of Sita, Rama and Laxmana. This makes this place visited by a large number of Hindu devotees, specially devotees of lord Shiva and his bull, Nandi.
Just near to Patleshwar Temple is Jangli Maharja temple dedicated to Hindu ascetic who died here in 1818.
There is also a museum which exhibits a grain of rice, with 5000 characters engraved, recorded in Guinness Book of World Records.
How to reach there : GO TO PUNE -MAHANAGARA PALIKA -BUS STATION (MA.NA.PA)
from there it is walkble distance or catch auto charging Rs 15-20 only
The temple opens daily from 08:00am till 05:30pm. Many local rickshaws operating, are the easiest way reach Patleshwar Cave temple.
Saturday, August 25, 2007
visit my photos , on august 15th we visited vishalghad,
this was third spot we covered after Jothibha
see this link for all the photos we took,
dont miss any
http://picasaweb.google.com/madhukeshwart/Vishaalghad
this was third spot we covered after Jothibha
see this link for all the photos we took,
dont miss any
http://picasaweb.google.com/madhukeshwart/Vishaalghad
Jyotiba,17kms from kolhapur
on august 15th 2007, after finishing the Mahalaxmi darshan ,we visited jothibha ,
this was 2nd spot ,we covered after taking darshan of mahalaxmi temple, kolhapur
Jyotiba is a holy site of hindu's near Wadi Ratnagiri, &Jyotiba is 17 kms, north-west of Kolhapur
The deity of the temple is known by the same name, and is held by the locals to be an incarnation of three gods: Brahma, Vishnu, Mahesha, and Jamadagni.
An annual fair takes place on the full moon night of the Hindu months of Chaitra and Vaishakha.
this was 2nd spot ,we covered after taking darshan of mahalaxmi temple, kolhapur
Jyotiba is a holy site of hindu's near Wadi Ratnagiri, &Jyotiba is 17 kms, north-west of Kolhapur
The deity of the temple is known by the same name, and is held by the locals to be an incarnation of three gods: Brahma, Vishnu, Mahesha, and Jamadagni.
An annual fair takes place on the full moon night of the Hindu months of Chaitra and Vaishakha.
see this link for all the photos we took,,,
http://picasaweb.google.com/madhukeshwart/Jothibha
http://picasaweb.google.com/madhukeshwart/Jothibha
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Kolhapur ,217 kms from pune, on NH4 ,
It was one of my lifes best trip ,which ever I enjoyed in my life ...
We started at 14th august 2007 ,at midnight 12:00 o'clock,
when whole india was busy in celbrating 60th independence day...
we too started with a slogan in raising voice.....
"Bollloooooooooo Bharath maaaaaaaaaaaaaaataaaki Jai...."
"vvvvvvvvvvvvvanddeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee maataram...."
(At the same time we even started getting SMS's on our cell with wishes
of Independence day , suddenly ,some how it came into our mind
to we should wish all of our friends in different way, one person used to call his friend
and used to say "Bollloooooooooo Bharath maaaaaaaaaaaaaaataaa ki",then all used
support him with high pitch " Jai....""
similarly "vvvvvvvvvvvvvanddeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee maataram...."with big voice,
then every one ,started wishing all of their freinds in similar way ,it continued
till morning 4 am,even we repeated the same thing whole day )
we started our trip from pimpri, pune ....... to satara (94 kms),
from satara to kolhapur (123 kms) on NH4 ,we reached kolhapur at
around 5 am , 15th aug 2007, then we took ladge and took bath and
the reached temple -mahalaximi temple around 6am ...
how to reach kolhapur?
We started at 14th august 2007 ,at midnight 12:00 o'clock,
when whole india was busy in celbrating 60th independence day...
we too started with a slogan in raising voice.....
"Bollloooooooooo Bharath maaaaaaaaaaaaaaataaaki Jai...."
"vvvvvvvvvvvvvanddeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee maataram...."
(At the same time we even started getting SMS's on our cell with wishes
of Independence day , suddenly ,some how it came into our mind
to we should wish all of our friends in different way, one person used to call his friend
and used to say "Bollloooooooooo Bharath maaaaaaaaaaaaaaataaa ki",then all used
support him with high pitch " Jai....""
similarly "vvvvvvvvvvvvvanddeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee maataram...."with big voice,
then every one ,started wishing all of their freinds in similar way ,it continued
till morning 4 am,even we repeated the same thing whole day )
we started our trip from pimpri, pune ....... to satara (94 kms),
from satara to kolhapur (123 kms) on NH4 ,we reached kolhapur at
around 5 am , 15th aug 2007, then we took ladge and took bath and
the reached temple -mahalaximi temple around 6am ...
how to reach kolhapur?
The Shri Mahalakshmi Temple of Kolhapur in Maharashtra, India, is one of the Shakti Peethas, listed in various puranas of Hinduism.
According to these writings, a shakti peetha is a place associated with Shakti, the goddess of power. The Kolhapur peetha is of special religious significance, being one of the six places where it is believed one can either obtain salvation from desires or have them fulfilled. The temple takes its name from Mahalakshmi, the consort of Vishnu, and it is believed that the divine couple reside in the area.
The temple belongs, architecturally, to the Chalukya empire, and may have been first built circa 700 AD. Mounted on a stone platform, the image of the four armed and crowned goddess is made of gemstone and weighs about 40 kilograms.
A stone lion, the vahana of the goddess, stands behind the statue. The crown contains an image of the Sheshnag — the serpent of Vishnu. In Her four hands, the deity of Mahalakshmi holds objects of symbolic value. The lower right hand holds a mhalunga (a citrus fruit), in the upper right, a large mace (kaumodaki) with its head touching the ground, in the upper left a shield (khetaka), and in the lower left, a bowl (panpatra). Unlike most Hindu sacred images, which face north or east, the image of this deity looks west (Pashchim).
There is a small open window on the western wall, through which the light of the setting sun falls on the face of the image for three days around the 21st of each March and September
Kolhapur Mahalaxmi
(collected from google images,as we can't take photos of goddess,Mahalaxmi)
see some of the pics we took in temple campus
visit my photos , on august 15th we visited mahalaxmi-temple of kolhapur_maharastra
see this link to see all the photos ,which we took at kolhapur
http://picasaweb.google.com/madhukeshwart/Kolhapur_mahalaxmi_temple
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