Holy Pilgrimage –Some of the Shiva Temples in India -4 at 5:45 PM

Holy Pilgrimage – Some of the Shiva Temples in India

Thanthondreeswarar Temple (Belur, Salem)

 

Sri Thanthondreeswarar Temple or Sri Thanthondrieswarar Temple (Tamil: ஸ்ரீ தான்தோன்றீஸ்வரர் கோவில், Thanthondreeswarar Temple ^?) is at Belur in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu.
The temple was built by the Cholas kingdom in the 12th century AD. The main deity is Lord Thanthondreeswarar (Lord Shiva) and the female deity is Goddess Dharmasamvarthini.
Thanthondreeswarar Temple is located on the banks of Vasishta Nadi (Vasishta River). The temple has a serene atmosphere and is surrounded by beautiful hillocks.
This temple comes under the Hindu Religious Charitable Endowment Department.

 

History

The inner sanctum was constructed by 'Milagu Chetty' and the rest were constructed by King Paranthaga Chola (Paranthaka Chola). Construction of Rajagopuram was started during the 12th century by King Paranthaka Chola, but was left incomplete.
It also showcases the Dravidian architecture and is representative of the Chola Empire's Ideology and the Tamil civilisation.

Myth

Manickam Chetty, a pepper merchant was living near a village close to the temple. His job was carrying loads of pepper and selling it in the market place. One day he was crossing this dense forest where the shrine is located at present. As darkness sunk in, he wanted to take rest. In order to eat, he crossed pea aubergine (Sundaikai, an edible vegetable) with a stone. Suddenly he heard a voice saying, "The stone hurts my head. Apply some pepper on my head. Bewildered by this incident, the merchant said that he did not have any pepper and added that he had only Black Gram (Ulundu). Next day he proceeded to the market place and opened his baggage. He was shocked to find black gram instead of pepper. He worshipped God and prayed for His forgiveness. God asked him to bring some mud from the place where he had crushed pea aubergine (sundaikai) and spray it in the baggage containing black gram. He followed His instructions and black gram transformed into pepper again.
On his way back, out of curiosity, he examined the place where he took rest. He was surprised to find a Suyambu Lingam (Lingam which originates by itself from earth). He worshipped the Lord and it is believed that the inner sanctum of the temple was built by him. Henceforth he was called Milagu Chetty (Milagu means Pepper) and the place where pepper transformed into black gram is called Ulundurpettai. The place has retained its name since then. As per history the inner sanctum was constructed by Milagu chetty and the rest was constructed by king Paranthaga chola. This has been mentioned in the book "The Manual Of Salem District in the Presidency of Madras" by Lee Fanu   and the same idea has been endorsed by Rajannan, a History professor.
Le Fanu, Henry (1883). A Manual of the Salem District in the Presidency of Madras. Kessinger Publishing. ISBN 978-1-4367-3939-9.

Rajagopuram

The Rajagopuram is about 97 feet tall having 7 stages(floors). Consecration Ceremony (Kumbabishekam) for the new Rajagopuram was performed on the 24th of February 2002

 

Brahmanda Purana

Brahmanda purana is one of the 18 puranas in Sanskrit and is written by the great saint, Vedha Vyasa. In 130th chapter of this purana, Sudamuni narrated the glory of Lord and this temple to his disciples and other saints.

Kanampulla Nayanar

Kanampullar, one of the Nayanmars hailed from a rich family in this same village. He was a sincere devotee of Sri Thanthondreeswarar. He considered lighting lamps in this temple as his prime duty and did it with utmost dedication.
He went through a rough phase and lost all his wealth. Poverty drove him to Thirpuliswaram and he continued lighting lamps in a Shiva temple there. To earn his living, he used to cut a kind of grass called Kanampul and sell it in the market. He spent his meagre income on oil and wicks.
Lord Shiva decided to test his devotion. One day his grass was not sold and he did not have enough money to buy oil and wick to light the lamps. He used his locks of hair as wick in the lamp and lighted it. Extremely pleased with the supreme devotion of Kanampullar, Shiva appeared in front of him and he became one with God.
A statue of Kanampullar holding a lamp can be seen in this temple in front of Pradhosha Nandi (The Devine Bull). He is the 48th among the Nayanmars.

 

Transportation

Temple is located close to the Belur Bus Terminus (Approx 600 Meter from Bus Terminus).

Bus Route

Belur is 30 km from Salem city and is 6 km to the north of Valappadi, a neighbouring town.
Bus service to Belur is available from neighbouring towns Salem, Attur & Vazhappady frequently. In addition this, buses from Salem to other places like Karumanthurai, Kariya Kovil, Pappanayakanpatty, Thumbal, Pagudupatu and Arunuthumalai fly via Belur.

Rail Route

Nearest Railway Station is Vazhappady.
Everyday Chennai Salem Express (Train No 1063) starts from Chennai Egmore and arrives at Valzhappady around 5:30 AM.

Air Route

Flights from Chennai to Salem Airport fly daily excepting on Tuesdays.

 

 

Lodheshwar Mahadev Mandir, Uttara Pradesh

 

A Shiva temple which is situated at village Mahadeva in tehsil Ram Nagar of district Barabanki on the banks of Ghaghra.
The deity of Shivling worshiped in this temple is one of the rarest of the 52 Shivlings found on the Shakti Pithas across India. This ancient temple has been mentioned several times in Mahabharat.
There are several instances in Mahabharat where this ancient temple is referred to. Pandav after the Mahabharat had performed the Mahayagya at this place, a well exists even today by the name Pandav-Kup. It is said that the water of the well is having spiritual qualities and those who drink this water get cured of a number of ailments.
During the fair held on the occasion of Mahashivratri at Mahadeva millions of devotees throng the place

 

Mahabhairav Temple, Assam

 

The ancient Mahabhairav Temple is located at a hillock on the northern part of Tezpur town, Assam. This temple is believed to have been established by king Bana in the pre-historical times. This Shiva temple was originally built of stone but the present one was renovated and built with concrete. During the Ahom rule, the kings especially of the Tungkhungiya dynasty donated large area of Devottar land to the Temple and pujaris and Paiks were appointed to look after the temple. The responsibility of management was in the hands of a Borthakur. The temple is now managed by the Government through a managing committee headed by the District Deputy Commissioner. Shivaratri is celebrated in the temple with big festivity and people from all over the country visit it.

History

The archeologists believe that the temple was built during 8th to 10th century A.D. by the kings of the Salasthamba dynasty. That originally there was a stone temple is evident from the huge pillars scattered all around the temple. But the original temple was destroyed by the ravages of time. It was however, rebuilt by successive kings and rulers, until it was heavily damaged by the catastrophic earthquake of 1897.
The present structure of the temple was built sometime in the early part of the present century by a devotee and monk Sri Swayambar Bharati, popularly known as Naga Baba.  After a few years, another monk Sri Mahadeo Bharati built the “Nat Mandir” close to the temple. After a few years another devotee built the cement-concrete idols of Ganesh and Hanuman as “Dwarpaals” in front of the temple. Since then the developmental works of the temple had been somewhat sluggish although not completely stopped, one major work being the exquisitely curved ornamental frontispiece of the main entrance gate of the temple by a local artist, Sri Joy Das

 

 

Mahadeva Temple, Kalanjoor, Kerala

 

Mahadeva Temple, Kalanjoor popularly known as Thrikkalanjoor Sree Mahadeva temple is a Hindu temple. It is 80 kilometers to the south-west of the Sabarimala temple on the Punular-Muvattupuzha highway in Pathanamthitta District, Kerala, India. A majestic banyan tree, flanked by an Althara that is visible from a distance for any traveler on the main road, announces the presence of the temple to the devotee.
A Mandapam artistically etched with magnificent mural paintings announcing the prowess of artists and artisans of yore surrounds the banyan tree. Inside the Mandapam there is an idol of Nataraja, the dancing manifestation of Lord Shiva, facing the east.. From this Mandapam towards the west, a 60 feet high Gopuram (artistically carved towering arches) could be seen on the eastern side. The 18 ascending steps from the Gopuram lead to the sacred idols of Indiliyappan (Sastha) and the Mahasiva idol, which is the presiding deity of the Mahadeva temple.
Due to the presence of Mahadeva and Sastha idols in the temple, there are two Dhwajas (towering flag posts coated with copper) adjacent to each other which is a rare spectacle seldom seen in other temples. The Mahasiva idol and the Sastha idols are installed facing each other in this temple. The real name of the temple is Sankarapurathu Mukkalvattom Devaswom, but is popularly known as Thrikkalanjoor Sree Mahadeva temple.

Festivals

The annual temple festival starts in the Malayalam month of Meenam (March/April) and ends with Thiruvathira Arattu. The festival lasts eight days. On the sixth day Indilayappan festival is celebrated. Renowned artists from South India participate in this festival, which is famous for its Carnatic music renditions. Great exponents of Carnatic music like Chembai, Chemmankudi, Balamuralee Krishna, Yesudas, Seshagopal have performed here. Kathakali and other classical arts are other major attractions during the festival.
Kalamezhuthum Pattum for Indiliyappan (Sastha) and 41 days bhajan during Mandalapooja (December/January), Shivarathri, Ashtamirohini, Bhagavatha Sapthaham during the Malayalam month of Dhanu (January/February), Ramayana masam, Vinayaka Chathurthi, Ponkala, Pathamudayam etc. are a few other notable festive occasions that occur throughout the year.

 

Mankameshwar Temple, UP

 

Mankameshwar Mandir (Temple) in Agra is devoted to Lord Shiva. The temple is situated at Rawatpara, near Agra Fort Railway Station. It is one of the ancient temples devoted to Lord Shiva.It is said that the shivlinga covered by the silver metal was founded by lord shiva himself during Dwapara era, when krishna was born in mathura. For child krishna darshan shiva arrived from mount kailash and rested here. Shamshaan(cremation ground) yamuna which used to flow here, shiva meditated and nightstayed here, wished if i would be able to make krishna play on my lap i wil put a linga here.Next day after seeing shiva's swaroop, ma yashoda asked shiva not to come near the child as krishna might get afraid of him.Seeing this krishna did a leela(drama), started crying pointing towards shiva who was sitting under a banyan tree in samadhi position.seeing this ma yashoda called lord shiva and asked him to give his blessings to her child(krishna).Coming back from gokul, shiva came back and laid his linga(swaroop) here.Thus,he said my wishes were fulfilled here;Whosoever in coming future comes here with his mankamna(wishes) you lingaswaroop will fulfill his or her mankamna(wishes).From then onwards this lingaswaroop is known as shri mankameshwarnath ji.
The temple has one sanctum sanctorum where the vigraha of Lord Shiva sits. It is surrounded by the typical Shiva family idols. One has to descend down a score of stairs to reach the sanctum sanctorum. One can reach fully close to the main vigraha provided one doesn't wear leather items and English style pants, pyjamas, and salwaar suits.
On 24 July 2004, lord krishna's swaroop(ShriNath ji) was established under the guidelines of Shri nanaji bhai mukhiya ji of Shri Dwarikadeesh nath ji,mathura.Madhurashtkam and aarti of shrinath ji is a special scene to see.
Behind the sanctum sanctorum are several small temples within the main temple complex. These are devoted to various deities like Lord Ganga, Saraswati, Gayatri, Hanuman, Kaila devi, Narsimha, Krishna, Rama to name a few.
Math is looked afterby shri shri mahant Yogesh Puriji, who succeeded his father late shri shri mahant Udhav Puriji. 11 Akhand jyoti are being lit everyday(24 hrs.) of desi ghee. Devotees after fulfilling their wishes comes here to light a deepak of 1.25 Rs. to 1.25 lakh Rs. everyday.
Math also runs a Hospital, Vidyalaya, Gowshaala, at village, digner shamshabad road agra. 17 km far from the temple. Temple of shri girraj maharaj(govardhan nath) is getting constructed over there. At rawatpada a pre-nursery school, homeopathic clinic, computer education centre, a dharmshaala(guesthouse) is also run by the Math Administrator, shri Harihar Puriji.
There are special paan which you get near Mankameshwar. These are folded in such a manner so that their shape becomes that of a pyramid. They are then coated with "chandi ka verk" (Silver Foil) and garnished with coconut powder.

 

 

Markandeshwar Temple, Haryana

 

The name Markandeshwar is associated with Maharishi Markandeya, a great devotee of Shiva. The Markandeshwar Mahadev temple is located in the town of Shahbad Markanda, which is situated in the Kurukshetra district of Haryana in North India. Shahbad Markanda lies on the banks of the river Markanda, a tributary of the Ghaggar, and supposed to be a part of the ancient Vedic Saraswati River basin system. The river derives its name from Maharishi Markandeya as well and several ancient ashramas of Rishi Markandeya can be seen along the banks of the river in the neighboring districts.
The walls of the Markandeshwar Mahadev temple carry a scene depicting Lord Shiva saving Rishi Markandeya from Yamraj, the Hindu God of death.

 

Story of Maharishi Markandeya

Markandeya was an exemplary son, who was destined to die at the age of 12. He grew up to be a great devotee of Shiva and on the day of his destined death he continued his worship of Shiva in His form of Shivalingam. The messengers of Yama, the God of death were unable to take away his life because of his great devotion and continual worship of Shiva. Finally, Yama came himself to take Markandeya's life away and sprung his noose around the young sage's neck. By mistake, the noose landed around the Shivalingam and out of it, Shiva emerged in all his fury attacking Yama for his act of aggression. After defeating Yama in battle to the point of death, Shiva then revived him, under the condition that the young Markandeya would live forever. Thus, the Maha Mrityunjaya Stotra is attributed to Maharishi Markandeya.
The Markandeya Purana comprises a dialogue between Markandeya and a sage called Jaimini and a number of chapters in the Bhagavata Purana are dedicated to his conversations and prayers  Maharishi Markandeya is also mentioned in the Mahabharata

History of the temple

The Markandeshwar Mahadev temple is supposed to be the place where the young Markandeya was praying to Shiva in order to win over his destiny. This is where Shiva fought with Yama and blessed Maharishi Markandeya with the boon of immortality. The original temple dated back to pre-Mahabharat times and was founded in the third millennium B.C. The current structure is more recent and dates back to the early 20th century.

Days to visit

Pilgrims turn out to visit the Markandeshwar Mahadev temple in large numbers on Sundays and during the month of Shravan, which roughly corresponds to the months of July–August in the Julian calendar. The temple can be reached very easily and it is located 20 kilometers south of Ambala on the Ambala-Delhi section of the famous Grand Trunk Road. A Markundeshwar Mahadev temple also situated near village AJARI, Sirohi road, Sirohi which is 28 km east from Sirohi District and known as one of the oldest temple in the area. 365 days water flowing form the markundeshwar temple. there are three Kund where people also do Pind dan'.

 

 

Mukteshwar Temple, Punjab

 

Mukteshwar temple (मुक्तेश्वर मंदिर) is one of the most sacred places around Pathankot Punjab. These caves are on the way to Shahpur Kandi and This temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva and is situated on the bank of the River Ravi, about 20–22 km from Pathankot City in Shaupur Kandi. The temple is also known as the Mukesran Mandir A mela, called the Mukesran Da Mela, is held every year, in the month of April, to mark Baisakhi. Lots of pilgrim from all over the Punjab and nearby state Himachal and Jammu and kashmir comes here for puja every year (worship) mainly on that mela and on Shiv Ratri

History

These caves which date to the time of the Mahabharata according to a legend, the Pandavas stayed in those caves for a while during their "Agayatwas" (exile) and is believed to have served as the house of the Pandavas, during their exile. Situated at the hilltop, Mukteshwar temple has a white marble Shivling, with a copper Yoni. The Shivling is surrounded by the idols of Lord Brahma, Lord Vishnu, Goddess Paravati, Lord Hanuman and Lord Ganesha..

Transport

This temple is very well connected by road to nearby state Jammu and kashmir, Himachal and is just 21 km away from Pathankot, one can easily reach here by road. The Ranjit Sagar Dam Hydroelectric Project is just 2 km from here. The left bank of river falls in the Punjab State and the Right Bank in J&K State, so the view of the river Ravi and hills is awesome.

 

 

Negheriting Shiva Doul, Assam

 

The Negheriting Shiva Doul is a Shiva temple in Dergaon, Assam.  Situated on a hillock   at about one and half km north from the National Highway 37 in the Golaghat district of Assam, the temple was first constructed by the Kacharis during 8th – 9th century AD. Later due to natural calamities it came into destruction.  In 1687 it was re-constructed by Ahom king Swargadeo Rajeswar Singha.  The famous architect assigned to the job was Ghanashyam Khonikar.

 

History

It is believed that the stones used to construct the temple were existed in the bank of river Dihing. Due to natural calamities the temple was destroyed and the remains were found in deep forest called Gajapanemara. Knowing somehow about the ruined temple and the Shiva linga, Ahom king Susenphaa (1439–1488) then built the temple right on that foundation and established the linga. However, as the Dihing river changed the course, the temple was again destroyed and merged into the river water. A devotee of lord Shiva found the ruined temple and the linga in the shallow water of river Dihing,  now this place is known as Sheetal Negheri.  Ahom king Rajeswar Singha (1751–1769) brought the linga from the river and reconstructed the present temple and established the linga in it.

Architecture

The main temple is surrounded by four other temples namely the Bishnu, Ganesh, Surjya and Durga temple.  A Banalinga of 3 feet in diameter is established in the main temple.  According to legend a Rishi named Urba wanted to establish a second Kashi right on this place for which he collected lots of Shiva lingas there.

The name

The place where the temple is located was once the habitat of a peculiar bird locally known as Negheri. From this name the place has come to be known as Negheriting.

Maintenance

A priest named Bhudhar Agamacharji was appointed by king Rajeswar Singha for proper maintenance of the temple and also for the rituals to be performed. The Agamacharji family still performs worship and other maintenance works regularly.  Customs of performing songs and dances called Deonati were prominent there in the temple.

The Monkeys

One of the attractions of the temple is the monkeys. The temple is the house of the rhesus monkeys where a sizeable population of this species is there

 

 

Om Tat Sat

                                                        

(Continued...)                                                                                                                              

(My humble  salutations to the great devotees ,  wikisources  and Pilgrimage tourist guide for the collection )

Holy Pilgrimage –Some of the Shiva Temples in India -4 at 6:04 AM

Holy Pilgrimage – Some of the Shiva Temples in India

 

Kampaheswarar Temple, Thirubuvanam, Tamilnadu

 

The Kampaheswarar Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to the god Shiva. It is situated in the town of Thirubuvanam on the Mayiladuthurai-Kumbakonam road. Shiva is worshipped as "Kampaheswarar" as he removed the quaking (Skt. Kampa) of a king who was being haunted byb a Brahmarakshasa.

 

Architecture

The temple follows the Dravidian style of architecture. An unusual feature of the temple is that the vimana is extremely high unlike other Dravidian-style South Indian temples.

History

As per inscriptions found in the south wall of the temple, the shrine was constructed by the Chola king Kulothunga Chola III as a memorial of his successful North Indian campaign

The Temple

 

The main deity of the temple is Shiva lingam in the form of Kampaheswarar. There is a separate shrine for Sarabeswarar,  a fusion of man, eagle and lion - the deity is believed to have relieved the devas (celestial deities) from the furty of Vishnu in the form of Narasimha after he slayed Hiranyakasibu.  A sculpture of Sharbeshwaramurti in the Tribhuvanam temple, a Shiva temple in Tanjore district, in Tamil Nadu is seen with three legs, with body and face of a lion and a tail. It has four human arms, the right upper hand holds axe, noose is held in the lower right hand, the deer in the upper left hand and fire in the lower left hand. Narasimha is shown with eight arms, flaying and struggling under Sharbeshwaramurti’s feet.  The shrine has sculptures of Sridevi and Bhudevi, the consorts of Vishnu.

 

 

Kandariya Mahadeva Temple

 

The Kandariyâ Mahâdeva Temple (Devanagari: कंदरिया महादेव, IAST: Kandariyā Mahādeva) is the largest and most ornate Hindu temple in the medieval temple group found at Khajuraho in Madhya Pradesh, India. It is considered one of the best examples of temples preserved from the medieval period in India.  Khajuraho was once the religious capital of the Chandela Rajputs and today is one of the most popular tourist destinations in India. The Kandariya Mahadeva temple is the largest of the Western group of temples and was built by Vidyadhara  arguably one of the greatest Chandela kings. The temple was built around 1050 on Hindu beliefs dating back to 1000 BC; The main spire or sikhara rises 31 m to depict Mount Kailash, the Himalayan mountain abode of Shiva and is surrounded by 84 miniature spires (or Urushringas). Inside the sanctum is a marble linga representing Shiva.  The Archaeological Survey of India protects the temple, which is part of the UNESCO World Heritage site at Khajuraho.

 

The temple takes its name from kandara or cave and Mahadeva, another name for Shiva. Like many other temples in the Khajuraho complex, it has a linear series of access-steps facing the east-west directions. Other features are columned halls with balconies, an entrance porch, and the inner sanctum. Decorating the sides of the temple are over 646 statues. At the top of the shikhara is the amalaka, a circular ring motif common in North Indian temple architecture. The erotic figures do not span the whole temple and are not to be found among the 226 found inside.The temple includes some of the most energetic eroticism to be seen at khajuraho.

 

Kasi Viswanathar Temple, Umayalpuram, Tamilandu

 

Kasi Viswanathar Temple is a Hindu temple located at Umayalpuram in the Thanjavur district of Tamil Nadu, India. The temple is dedicated to Shiva.

Legend

According to Hindu mythology, when Shiva accompanied Murugan to Swamimalai in order to obtain the meaning of the Pranava Mantra from him, Shiva asked Uma to stay back. The place where Uma was told to remain got the name Umayalpuram.
The temple is also associated with a Gandharva woman named Vijaya who worshipped Shiva and obtained a darshan of him at this place.

Shrines

The presiding deity is Shiva and the goddess is Kumkuma Sundari. There are shrines to Ganesha, Murugan and Bhairava.

 

 

Keesaragutta Temple, Andhra Pradesh

 

Keesaragutta Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Siva and his consorts Bhavani and Sivadurga at Keesaragutta in Rangareddy district. It is about 40 km from Hyderabad and 10 km from ECIL. It is located on a small hillock. The temple draws thousands of devotees on Shivaratri

Legend

Legend has it that Sri Rama installed the Siva lingam here to atone for the sin of killing Ravana, a Brahman. He selected this beautiful valley surrounded by hills and verdant greenery for the purpose and ordered Hanuman to bring a Sivlingam from Varanasi. Hanuman was late in arriving with the Siva lingam and as the auspicious hour was nearing, Lord Siva himself appeared before Sri Rama and presented a Sivilingam for installation. Hence the lingam in the temple is called Swayambhu Linga. It is also called Ramalingeswara as lord Sri Rama had installed the lingam.
Hanuman returned with 101 lingams for selection from Varanasi and felt aggrieved at not having his lingam installed. Hence he threw them all over the area. Even to this day several lingams are found scattered all over the place outside the temple.
To mollify Hanuman, Sri Rama ordained that precedence would be given to him for worship at the temple. He also said that the hillock where the lingam was installed would bear his name kesarigiri i.e., Hanuman, the son of Kesari. Over a period of time, it has become corrupted and is now known as Keesara and the hill as Keesaragutta. Ever since, the rituals follow the command of Sri Rama.

 

 

Ketakeshwar Dewal, Assam

 

Ketakeshwar Dewal (shrine) is a holy site in the Ketakibari area of Tezpur in Assam. It is reputed to have one of the largest Shiva lingas in the world.
The actual site has two parts - one part where the actual linga is located and another part a few metres away where the original base of the linga is located. Legend has it that during a severe earthquake in the past the linga was uprooted from its base and deposited where it currently stands.
This shrine is open to visitors and there is a local committee which oversees the development of the area around the site. Originally it was in the middle of bamboo groves with a small pathway for people to approach on foot. Recently there is a full shelter that has been built on the site for the protection of the holy area from the natural elements as well as for the devotees to assemble and offer their prayers.

 

Kinnaur Kailash, Himachala Pradesh

 

The Kinnaur Kailash (locally known as Kinner Kailash) is a mountain in the Kinnaur district of the Indian state Himachal Pradesh. The Kinnaur Kailash has a height of 6500 meters and is considered as sacred by both Hindu and Buddhist Kinnauris. This mountain is sometimes confused with the Mount Kailash in Tibet. The Kinnaur Kailash Range borders the district of Kinnaur in the south and is dominated by the Kinnaur Kailash (elevation- 6349m) and Jorkanden (elevation- 6473m) peaks. The pass accessible on the trek is the Charang La at an altitude of 5300m.  It is considered as the toughest trekk in Himachal Pradesh.

Legend

As per legend this shrine too finds its presence since the time of bhasmasur, the Deadly Asur/demon who got a boon/vardan from lord shiva that whoso ever's head will be touched by him, will be turned into bhasma or ashes. Seeing the powerful effects of this boon he tried to bhasam Lord Shiva. Lord Shiva kept on hiding from place to place and then finally came to this place. He resided here for some time meditating with Lord Vishnu. Then finally Lord Vishnu helped him by killing the demon. The Shrine is filled with amazing aura and one can feel it.

 

Kokarneswarar Temple, Thirukokarnam, Tamilandu

 

The Kokarneswarar Temple is situated in town of Thirukokarnam located 5 kilometres from the town of Pudukkottai in the Tamil Nadu, India. The presiding deity is Kokarneswarar considered to be a form of the Hindu God Shiva. His consort Brihadambal is the family deity of the Tondaiman Dynasty which ruled Pudukkottai state. The temple was constructed by the Pallava king Mahendravarman I.
Within the temple complex, there are shrines to Ganesa, Gangadhara and the Saptakannis. There is also an idol of the saint Sadasiva Brahmananda beneath a bikula tree.

 

Komrelly Mallanna Temple, Andhra Pradesh

 

Komuravelli Mallikarjuna swamy Temple popularly known as Komuravelli Mallanna Temple is a Hindu temple located on a hill called Indakeeladri in Komrelly village. It is located near Siddipet on NH - 7 highway.^[1] The main deity is of Mallanna or Mallikarjuna Swamy (Lord Shiva). It is located about 95 kilometers from Hyderabad.

The temple

The Mallanna deity with Golla Kethamma and Medalamma is at the main temple. The temple is specially popular with the devotees belonging to the Kuruma and Yadava communities. The Oggu Katha singers sing the tale of Mallanna here.
The temple is visited during Shivarathri day when Pedda Patnam is celebrated.
Another temple, Konda Pochamma temple is nearby which is visited by the devotees who visit Mallanna temple.
Founder&Chairman of the Temple: Masanpally Narsing Rao Yadav. He lived in Hyderabad. First he started the kalyanam. He founded the temple. He died in 1991.

Komrelly Mallanna story

There is no written script for the lord mallanna story. The story is written by "Oggu Katha".In these story swamy mallanna married goddess medallamma by facing conditions which are put by her brothers.

 

 

Kote Jalakantheshwara temple

 

A temple dedicated to the Hindu God Shiva located near the Kalasipalya Bus Stand, Bangalore, India. The temple dates back to the Chola era and was renovated by Kempegowda. The unique feature of this temple is it contains three sanctums dedicated to Jalakantheshwara, Parvathi and Kailashnathar.

 

Koteshwar, Kutch, Gujarat

 

Koteshwar is name of an ancient Shiva temple located at the western tip of India in Lakhpat taluka, Kutch District of Gujarat.
The story of Koteshwar begins with Ravana, who won it as a boon from Lord Shiva for an outstanding display of piety, this Shiva linga of great spiritual power. But which Ravana, in his arrogant haste, accidentally dropped and it fell to earth at Koteshwar. To punish Ravana for his carelessness, the linga turned into a thousand identical ones, some versions of the story say ten thousand, some a million. Unable to distinguish the original, Ravana grabbed one and departed, leaving the original one here, around which Koteshwar Temple was built. The temple is also known as Kotilingeshwar Temple. ^]
Another version of story says, when Lord Shiva was delighted with the worship and forfeit of Ravana, he gave him a Ling-full of religious power. Lest Ravana should become endless as a result of this advantage, all the Gods united together and conspired to gain the Ling from Ravana through dishonesty and installed it as Kotilengeshwar
The temple is situated on a high plinth overlooking the sea. Koteshwar Temple is the last outpost of human construction at the westernmost limit of India, is the breaking point of the skyline from the flat brown horizon to the east and the wide blue horizon to the west. From this point, the glow of light from Karachi, Pakistan can be seen in a clear night. It is an excellent sunset point.  Koteshwar is a tourist-place that is situated in the Kori Creek of the Arabian Sea on the western end of Kutch just opposite to Karachi-Pakistan.
It is located 215 km away from Bhuj, District head quarter of Kutch and only 4 km from Narayan Sarovar, another ancient Hindu pilgrimage site.
Hiuen-Tsiang mentioned it as “Kie-tsi-fa-lo, situated on the western border of the country close to the river Indus and to the great ocean of Kutch. According to Hieu-en-Tsiang, Koteshwar port was five miles in boundary near the mouth of the river Indus. There were 80 monasteries with about 5000 monks in them. In the middle of the completion were thirteen temples of which Mahesh Mandir was full of good monument
The temples have been rehabilitated and renovated over many centuries by various rulers of Kutch, renovation done by local Kutchi karigargs.
Koteshwar at present shows us a few signs of its former greatness. It stands as amazing on the sea-shore, rising courageously from the sea that washes its western parts and temples are enclosed by prepared walls, the gate approached by three flights of steps. Koteshwar, as such, once was an ancient port  and now is a fishing village more famous for the Koteshwar Shiva Temple, which stands here.

 

 

Kunnuvarankottai Kasi Visalakshi-Viswanathar Temple, Tamilandu

 

The Kasi Visalakshi Viswanathar temple is in the village of Kunnuvarankottai. This village is served by three rivers — Vaigai, Maruda and Manjalaru — called the Triveni Sangam (tri = three, veni = river, sangam = confluence). The river Vaigai takes a slightly northern course (Tamil: உத்தரவாஹினீ) near this village, like the Ganges takes at Varanasi.

 

Kunnuvarankottai

Kunnuvarankottai is a village near Batlagundu which is on the foothills of Kodaikanal in Dindigul district. The Tamil name for this village is Kundru-Aran-Kottai which now is known as Kunnuvarankottai or Kannapatti.

Kasi Visalakshi Viswanathar temple

Villagers believe that bathing in the confluence during holy days like Amavasya will enable the devotees to realise the purpose of life. There is a 300-year-old Visalakshi Viswanathar temple in the village by the riverside. The presiding deities are Goddess Visalakshi and God Viswanathar. It is similar in nature to the Kasi Visalakshi Viswanathar temple in many respects. As per the temple legend, the locals say that this idol was brought by a devotee from Kasi or Varanasi
The Kumbhabishekam of this temple was completed in 2001. In January 2013, the Punaruddharana Kumbhabishekam of this temple was completed.  Shri K. V. Vishwanathan Sivachariyar is the priest. The temple conducts many festivals every year including Sivarathri (பிரதோஷம், சங்கடஹர சதுர்த்தி, சஷ்டி, நவராத்திரி).

Special feature

Sri Sacchidananda Bharati I (1623–1663) was born in this area and the annual birthday is celebrated in this temple every year in Sravana month Rohini star. A Dhyana mandapam in the memory of this saint is in this village near the Vaigai River. It is pertinent to note that the current and the previous pontiff of Sringeri Sarada Peetam Sri Sri Sri Abhinava Vidyateertha Swamigal visited this temple in 1965 and Sri Sri Bharathi Teertha Swamigal have graced this temple twice till date respectively. (Last visit was on June 2nd 2012)
With the blessings and benevolence of Sri Sri Bharathi Teertha Swamigal, the Kumbhabhishekam of this temple was completed in January 2013 and a mandapam was constructed in front of Lord Sri Dakshinamoorthy shrine in this temple with the help of devotees

 

Kurakkavu Temple, Kerala

 

Kurakkavu Devi Temple is located at Krishnapuram. It is in Allappuzha District about 7 kilometres (4.3 mi) from Kayamkulam town. It is famous for offering vettila (betel leaf) to Devi. Lord Shiva is worshiped in the form of Kiratha Moorthy.

 

Lakshmeshwara Temple, Karnataka

 

Lakshmeshwara (Kannada: ಲಕ್ಷ್ಮೇಶ್ವರ )is a town in Shirahatti taluk, Gadag district, in the Indian state of Karnataka. It is about 50 km from Gadag and 55 km from Hubli.  Lakshmeshwara is an agricultural trading town.
There are many important temples in this historic town, including the Shiva temple, the "Someshwara Temple". There are two historical Jain temples (Sannabasadi and Shankabasadi) in the town, as well as its notable Jamma Masjid. Lakshmeshwara is also home for many shrines, a dargah, the Kodiyellamma temple, the Mukha Basavanna shrine, and a gigantic idol of Suryanarayana.

History

 

Lakshmeshwara is famous for prolific culture and literature. It is a place with rich heritage in Karnataka hence it is called as Tirulugannada Nadu. Many kings have patronised the place.
Lakshmeshwar or ancient Huligere or Puligere was the capital of Puligere-300. Puligere means pond of tigers. There are theories of the origin of the name Lakshmeshwara  from King Lakshmanarasa who was ruling Puligere or from the temple called Lakshmi-Lingana gudi, which means the temple of Lakshmi.
Other names include Purigere, Porigere, Purikanagar and Pulikanagar.
Adikavi Pampa wrote his famous poetry in Lakshmeshwara.
Many Jain saints and writers have flourished here. They include Devachakra Bhattaraka, Shankanacharya, Hemadevacharya, Padmasena, Tribhuvana Chandra Padmita and Rama Dvacharya.

Kannada inscriptions

At the Someshwara temple complex, there are many Kannada inscription  Over 50 stone inscriptions (records) show the cultural importance.

• The Kannada (Kannadiga) poet Kayasena of Mulgund, who wrote in the Bharmamrita, was a disciple of Narendrasena II of the Lakshmeshwar inscription of 1081.
• Lakshmeshwar inscription of the reign of Jagadekamella II.
• Two Jain Inscription of Mulgund and Lakshmeshwar
• The Lakshmeshwar inscriptions (in Kannada dated January 13, 735), during 733–744 CE Vikramaditya II was the son of King Vijayaditya who ascended the Badami Chalukyas throne following the death of his father.

 

 

Leaning Temple of Huma, Orissa

 

The Leaning Temple of Huma in India is the only leaning temple in the world  It is located in Huma, a village situated on the bank of the Mahanadi, 23 km south of Sambalpur in the Indian state of Orissa. The temple is dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva.
It is not know if this structure is leaning by design or from another reason. While the edifice leans, the pinnacle of the temple is perpendicular to the ground.

 

Architecture

Apart from the main temple the Bhairavi Devi temple is situated to the left of the main temple and Bhairo temple is situated to the right of the main temple.According to historical records Ganga Vamsi Emperor Anangabhima Deva-III built this temple.Temple was rebuilt or renovated by King Baliar Singh (1660-1690 A.D.), the fifth Chauhan king of Sambalpur. The rest of the temples were built during the rule of King Ajit Singh (1766-1788 A.D.) of Sambalpur.

 

The temple is positioned on the rocky cradle just on the bank of the river Mahanadi. The basis of leaning cannot be assumed to be the technical flaws at the time of construction. It is also not easily acceptable that weak foundation might have caused leaning attitude of the temple. In fact, construction of temple is quite favourite of Chauhan Kings as well known to us from innumerable temples built during their reigns. They had already established themselves as good builders. Again, the temple is not an enormous structure. There might have been interior displacement of the rocky bed on which it stands, either due to flood current in the river Mahanadi or earthquake, thus affecting the straight posture of the original temple.
In other words, the plinth of the temple has deviated slightly from its original arrangement and as a result, the body of the temple has tilted. there is no denying the fact that this has fascinated the attention of historians, sculptures and other researchers. The surprising thing is, the main temple is tilted to one direction and other small temples are tilted to some other directions. Within the temple complex i.e. within the boundaries of temple, everything found to be in tilted condition including the boundaries and the angle of inclination is not changed since last 40/50 years as said by the villagers and priests. The reason of the tilt can be due to some geological reason, may be the earth crust is uneven in structure. The angle of inclination is yet to be measured.

Legend

The worship of Shiva is said to have been initiated by a milkman, who daily crossed the Mahanadi to a place on the bank where the underlying rock cropped out. Here he daily offered his dole of milk, which was at once consumed by the rock, and this miraculous circumstance led to enquiries, which ended in the construction of the present temple.

Annual fair

An annual fair takes place at the foothill of the temple in March every year on the occasion of Shivratri, which is a typical village fair with its unforgettable golden chasm. There is a special type of fish found here known as 'Kudo' fish. They are so tame that they will eat foods from the hands of those who are on the banks

Om Tat Sat

                                                        

(Continued...)                                                                                                                              

(My humble  salutations to the great devotees ,  wikisources  and Pilgrimage tourist guide for the collection )