Holy Pilgrimage - Hindu temples in Nepal -3

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Holy Pilgrimage  - Hindu temples in Nepal










Muktinath Temple, Nepal



Muktinath is a sacred place both for Hindus and Buddhists located in Muktinath Valley at an altitude of 3,710 meters at the foot of the Thorong La mountain pass (part of the Himalayas), Mustang district, Nepal. The site is close to the village of Ranipauwa, which sometimes mistakenly is called Muktinath as well.
The Hindus call the sacred place Mukti Kshetra, which literally means the "place of liberation or moksha". Mainly the temple is with a predominant Sri Vaishnava origin and worshipped by Buddhists. This temple is considered to be the 105th among the available 108 Divya Desam. The ancient name of this place, before Buddhist origin is known as Thiru Saligramam. This houses the Saligrama sila considered to be the naturally available form of Sriman Narayana  - the Hindu God HEAD. It is also one of the 51 Sakthi peetams.  The Buddhists call it Chumig Gyatsa, which in Tibetan means 'Hundred Waters'. For Tibetan Buddhists, Muktinath-Chumig Gyatsa is a very important place of Dakinis, goddesses known as Sky Dancers and one of the 24 Tantric places. They understand the murti to be a manifestation of Avalokitesvara.


The central temple

The central shrine of Sri Muktinath, predominant among all 108 Hindu SriVaishnava Divyadesam is considered one of the eight most sacred shrines for Hindu Vaishnavas known as Svayam Vyakta Ksetras, the other seven being Srirangam, Srimushnam, Tirupati, Naimisharanya, Totadri, Pushkar and Badrinath. The temple is very small. Muktinath is one of the most ancient Hindu temples of God Vishnu. The murti is of gold and is tall enough to compare with a man. The prakaram(outer courtyard) has 108 bull faces through which water is poured. It is of freezing temperature. The sacred water that flows in 108 pipes around the temple complex denote all sacred Pushkarini waters (Temple Tanks) from all 108 Sri Vaishnava Divya Desams including Srirangam, Tirumala, Vaikunta, where the devotees take their sacred bath even in the freezing temperatures. There is an old Buddhist monk present in the temple. The worship is conducted by Buddhist . nuns.

Legend

The Tibetan Buddhist tradition states that for this reason Guru Rinpoche, also known as Padmasambhava, the founder of Tibetan Buddhism, had meditated at Muktinath on his way to Tibet. This temple is praised by many saints of Hindu tradition. The scripts narrating the importance of this temple is available in Vishnu Purana with the Gantaki Mahathmya.
The waterway downstream from Muktinath along Kali Gandaki is the source of all Silas or Shaligrams that are required to establish a temple of Vishnu anywhere in the world. It is considered to be one of the holiest places of pilgrimage of Hindus, Buddhists, and Vaishnavas. It has 108 water springs and this number carries great significance in Eastern philosophy. In Hindu astrology, there are 12 zodiac or Rashi and 9 planets or Graha, giving a total of 108 combination. Also there are 27 Lunar mansions or Nakshatras which are divided in 4 quarters or Padas each giving a combination of 108 Padas in total.

Sri Murthy Mahatmyam

This is the only place on earth where you can find all five elements from which everything is made, according to the Buddhist and Hindu tradition: fire, water, sky, earth and air at the same place together in their own and distinct form. This place is near Jwala Devi temple.
The entire river bed has Shaligram stones which are used to worship Lord Vishnu.
According to Sri Vaishnava philosophy it is considered to be one of the Divya desam (108 in total) or holy places of worship of Lord Vishnu praised by Alwars in a compilation called the Nalayira Divya Prabandha.
It is said that one has to be gifted to get the darshan of Lord Sri Murthi and Goddess Sri Devi Thayaar.

Prasad

A local nun manages the pujas in the temple. Pilgrims who go there should offer prasad to the deity.

Darshan, sevas and festivals

The most suitable time to visit Muktinath is from March to June, as the weather conditions would not be safe enough to travel in other months. The journey passes through many archeological sites and temples.

Sri Vaishnavaitic Reference

Thirumangai Alvar could not reach Muktinath, but had sung from nearest place in praise of Lord Sri Murthy. Periyalvar had sung in praise of Sri Murthi as "Salagramamudaiya Nambi". Recently the pontiff of Srivilliputtur (the most venerated Srivaishnava pilgrim centre in Tamil Nadu in India), 'Sri Manavala Mamunigal Mutt' H.H 23rd peetam Sri Sri Sri Satakopa Ramanuja Jeeyar Swamiji has made the installation of the idols of Andal (Sri Gotha Devi), Ramanuja, and Manavala Mamunigal in this sacred place of predominant Sri Vaishnava origin during the yagna performed between 3-8-2009 and 6-8-2009. This is considered to be one of the mile stones in the History of Muktinath by the devotees. A large crowd of Sri Vaishnava Devotees pay their visit to this most sacred Sri Vaishnavaitic Shrine where the lord resides in the form of Sri Paramapatha Nathan with His divine consorts of Sri, Bhoomi, Neela and Gotha Devis. The importance of this place is very high that even Buddhism worships this Lord Sriman Narayana of Muktinath for attaining Salvation Mukti. The sacred water that flows in 108 pipes around the temple complex denote all sacred Pushkarini waters from all 108 Sri Vaishnava Divya Desams including Srirangam, Tirumala, Vaikunta, where the devotees take their sacred bath even in the freezing temperatures.

Travel access

Access is difficult because of tough weather conditions. One can fly from Kathmandu to Pokhara and then from Pokhara to Jomsom Airport. From there, one can either trek all the way or take a jeep to Muktinath. Some tourists are also known to charter a helicopter all the way to Muktinath which takes around forty five minutes to reach. The helicopter can be hired only when the weather permits.
Arriving by helicopter for a longer period of stay is not recommended because of the risk of acute mountain sickness. Accommodation is available in Ranipauwa,Jharkot,Chhongur, Kagbeni or Jomsom.


Chandannath Mandir, Nepal




Chandannath Mandir (चन्दननाथमन्दीर) is a Hindu temple in Jumla, Nepal. It is located at Khalanga Bazar Jumla.
Origin
It was built during the Kallala Dynasty. People believe that there was a person named Chandannath of Kashmir who brought the statue of the god Narayan and put it at the location of the temple, prompting construction during the Kallala Dynasty. It is not used much except during festivals.
Some local people also believe that there was a cow,who didn't give milk to her owner in the home(cow shed)but she went to the place(now,where a temple is exist)and give her milk spontaneously.one day her owner knew that and told all the villagers.Than they established this temple.

In this temple local people change lingo every year.The length of the lingo is approx.more than 52 feet.they strongly believe that something wrong is going to be happened if that lingo is break during change.



Bageshwori Temple, Nepal




Bageshwori Temple (Nepali: बागेश्वरी मन्दिर) is one of the most important Hindu temples in Nepal, located at the center of Nepalgunj, the biggest city in mid-western development region. It is dedicated to goddess Bageshwori- a Durga.  The temple area also houses another famous temple- the temple of lord Shiva with mustache, which is one of the only two such temples in the country.
There are several other smaller temples inside the temple area including a temple of lord Buddha, statue of lord Ganesha, and the temple of lord Hanuman. The Bageshwori pond that is situated within the temple area is also famous among the devotees, specially for the reason that the temple of lord Shiva with mustache stands at the center of it.
Bageshwori temple is known to be one of the oldest in the region, and the oldest temple in Banke District. Every year it attracts a large number of devotees from around the country, as well as from the nearest border cities of India. Especially in the festival of Dasain, the biggest festival in the country, the temple receives a huge crowd of people wishing to pray the goddess and offer animal sacrifices.
The temple's image can be seen in Nepalese one-rupees coins and postal stamps

Other Temples in Nepal

Kathmandu District

Lalitpur District
Bhaktapur District
Kabhrepalanchwok District
  • Gorkha District
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  • Gorkha Kalika (Gorkaha Bazar)
Makawanpur District
Kaski District
  • Bhimkali Mandir (भिमकाली मन्दीर)
  • Bindhabasini Mandir (विन्धबासीनी मन्दीर)
  • Talbarahi Mandir (तालबाराही मन्दीर)
  • Dhodbarahi Mandir (Tanhu) (ढोडवाराही मन्दीर)
  • Kalika Mandir' Kalikasthan,Kalika V.D.C.-4 (कालीका मन्दीर)
  • Bhadrakali Mandir भद्रकाली मन्दिर
  • Sitaladevi Mandir
  • Akaladevi Mandir
Dhanusha District
Bharatpur, Nepal
  • Devghat Mandir (देवघाट मन्दीर)
  • Bageshwari Mandir (बागेस्वरी मन्दीर)
  • Gansehthan Mandir (गणेशथान मन्दीर)
  • Zakhadi Mai Mandir (जखडी माइ मन्दीर)
  • Kalika Mandir (कालीका मन्दीर)
  • Pasupatinath Mandir (पसुपतीनाथ मन्दीर)
  • Rameshor Mandir (रामेश्वर मन्दीर)

Nawalparasi, Nepal
  • Daunne Devi Mandir (दाउन्ने देबी मन्दीर)
  • Maula kalika Mandir (मौला कालिका मन्दीर)
Birendranagar
  • Deutibajy Mandir (देउती बज्यै मन्दीर)
  • Kakrebihar Mandir (काक्रेविहार मन्दीर)
Other Districts







 




Om Tat Sat
                                                        
(Continued...)                                                                                                                              



(My humble  salutations to the great devotees ,  wikisources  and Pilgrimage tourist guide for the collection )
Posted by gopalakrishna Friday, May 3, 2013
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Holy Pilgrimage - Hindu temples in Nepal -2

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Holy Pilgrimage  - Hindu temples in Nepal







 

 

Akash Bhairav Temple, Nepal




Akash Bhairav is a Hindu deity. Considered the "god of the sky", several large temples in Kathmandu are dedicated to him.
The head of the Aakash Bhairav was dug up several hundred years ago in Kathmandu. The head now resides in a Hindu temple in Indra Chock Kathmandu not far fromDurbar Square and is taken out of the temple once a year and is blessed by the Kumari - the living goddess who lives in the nearby Kumari Chowk. Once a year this ceremony is held in the month of August/September.
In September 2007 Nepal's state-run airline confirmed that it had sacrificed two goats to appease Akash Bhairab, whose symbol is seen on the company's planes, following technical problems with one of its aircraft. Nepal Airlines said the animals were slaughtered in front of the plane - a Boeing 757 - at Kathmandu airport. The airline said that after the ceremony the plane successfully completed a flight to Hong Kong. "The snag in the plane has now been fixed and the aircraft has resumed its flights," senior airline official Raju KC was quoted as saying. The company did not say what the problem was, but reports in local media had blamed an electrical fault

 

Dakshinkali Temple, Nepal



Dakshinkali Temple or Dakshin Kali Temple,  located 22 kilometres (14 mi) outside Kathmandu and about 1 kilometre (0.6 mi) outside the village of Pharping, is one of the main temples of Nepal dedicated to the goddess Kali. Animal sacrifices, particularly of cockerels and uncastrated male goats, are the main way that the goddess is worshipped, and this is especially seen during the Dashain festiva



Doleshwor Mahadeva Temple, Nepal





Doleshwor Mahadeva (Nepali:डोलेश्वर महादेव) is a Hindu Temple of Lord Shiva located in the Sipadol VDC, south eastern part of Bhaktapur District, Nepal, and is believed to be the head part of Kedarnath located in Uttarakhand, India


Chandeshwari Temple, Nepal



Along Arniko Highway 5 kilometers before Dhulikhel is the town of Banepa, Nepal. One of the attractions of Banepa is the temple of Chandeshwori, located approximately 1 kilometer northeast of the town along the Punya mata River. It is believed to be built in the 17th century. The temple features a mural of Chandeshwari slaying the demon Chanda.
The Chandeshwari temple complex (also called Chandeshwori) lies just outside Banepa in the east of the Kathmandu Valley. The myth of the Chandeshwari tempel is that this is the place where the mother goddess (Sati / Parvati and in Banepa known as Chandeshwari) defeated the demon Chanda. The demon was a plague to the world since Shiva gave him a boon that made him undefeatable except by women. The desperate gods asked Brahma for advice and he sent them to the forest around Banepa where the mother gods lived in those days. In the mean time Narada went to Chanda and provoked him to come to Banepa to fight the gods. When Chanda arrived with a big army of demons, all the gods took the forms of different birds and flew. The mother goddess quickly disappeared in a tree but Chanda saw that and cut down the tree with his sword. Now the goddess appeared on a big lion and a terrible fight between her and Chanda started. But Chanda had no chance and was killed by the mother goddess. Out of the belly of Chanda who was a big devotee of Shiva a lingam grew. This lingam can be seen in the small temple just in front of the big temple in the Chandeshwari temple complex. It is said that down at the big rocks around the river you can still see the marks of the big fight between the goddess and the demon.


Manakamana Temple, Nepal




The Manakamana temple situated in the Gorkha district of Nepal is the sacred place of the Hindu Goddess Bhagwati, an incarnation of Parvati.  The name Manakamana originates from two words, “mana” meaning heart and “kamana” meaning wish. Venerated since the 17th century, it is believed that Goddess Bhagwati grants the wishes of all those who make the pilgrimage to her shrine to worship her.


Location

The Manakamana temple lies 12 Km south of the town Gorkha  The temple is located on a distinguished ridge 1302 meters above sea level and overlooks the river valleys of Trisuli in the south and Marsyangdi in the west. The spectacular views of the Manaslu- Himachali and Annapurna ranges can be seen to the north of the temple. The temple is approximately a 104 Km drive from Kathmandu and can also be reached via bus east from Pokhara in around three to four hours.[3]

Mythical Foundation

The legend of Manakamana Goddess dates back to the reign of the Gorkha king Ram Shah during the 17th century. It is said that his queen possessed divine powers, which only her devotee Lakhan Thapa knew about. One day, the king witnessed his queen in Goddess incarnation, and Lakhan Thapa in the form of a lion.  Upon mentioning the revelation to his queen, a mysterious death befell the king. As per the custom of that time, the queen committed sati (ritual immolation) on her husband’s funeral pyre. Before, her sati the queen had assured Lakhan Thapa that she would reappear in the near future. Six months later, a farmer while ploughing his fields cleaved a stone. From the stone he saw a stream of blood and milk flow. When Lakhan heard an account of this event, he immediately started performing Hindu tantric rituals at the site where the stone had been discovered thus ceasing the flow of blood and milk. The site became the foundation of the present shrine. According to tradition, the priest at the temple must be a descendent of Lakhan Thapa.

Manakamana Darshan

Darshan comes from the Sanskrit word meaning sight. The pilgrimage to Manakamana is made by a great many people every year. This religious expedition to see the Goddess Bhagwati at Manakamana is hence referred to as Manakamana Darshan. According to Hindu mythology the universe is said to consist of five cosmic elements- earth, fire, water, air and ether. The offerings to the Goddess are made on this basis. At least one of the following should be amongst the worship materials:
1.   Abir (vermillion)
2.   Kesar (pure saffron extract)
3.   Flowers and leaves
4.   Dhup (incense)
5.   Diyo (oil lamp)
6.   Bastra (Cloth, usually in red as it is considered auspicious)
7.   Fruit and foods such as coconuts and sweet desserts
8.   Bell
9.   Betel nut and jannai (sacred thread)
10.                     Anna, grain (rice)

There is a tradition of sacrificing animals at the temple. Some pilgrims sacrifice a goat or pigeon in a pavilion behind the temple.  However, recently the District Livestock Service Office, Gorkha has banned the sacrifice of birds such as pigeons, roosters, and ducks to name a few. Senior livestock service officer Chhetra Bahadur K.C. said poultry sacrifice would not be permitted until further notice.
Manakamana darshan is most popular during Dashain (Sept –Oct) and Nag Panchami (July –August) during which time devotees stand for as long as five to ten hours to pray to Goddess Bhagwati.

Temple Architecture

The Manakamana temple is set in a square and looks across a massive sacred magnolia tree.  The temple is four storied with tiered pagoda style roofs and lies on a square pedestal. In 1996, brass plates were installed on the roof.  The entrance to the temple is in the southwest direction and is marked by one stone, which is the sacrificial pillar.

Cable Car

In earlier times the only way to reach the Manakamana temple was by walking uphill for about three hours. Now, there is a cable car that runs from the cable station of Cheres, just 5 kilometers east of Mugling to Manakamana. The cable car rides over the distance of 2.8 kilometers in 10 minutes more or less.  The cable car usually operates during the daytime from 9am to 5pm stopping during lunch break from noon to half past one.  His Royal Highness Crown Prince Dipendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev inaugurated Manakamana cable car on November 24, 1998. The cable car system was imported from Austria and guarantees a hundred percent safety. It has features such as automatically operated generators in case of power failure and hydraulic emergency drive. The employees working at the cable car service are qualified and well trained for emergencies.
The bottom station of the cable car is placed at Kurintar (258 meters) and the top station is at Mankamana (1302 meters).[5] With 31 passenger cars and 3 cargo cars, the cable car can handle up to 600 persons per hour. The number of passengers per carrier is 6. The cable car requires a starting power of about 523 Kilowatt and continues further at a power of 420 Kilowatt. All passengers are insured up to Rs. 1,00,000. The tickets for the cable car are valid for seven days from the date of issue.
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Manakamana in need of restoration

The highly acclaimed Manakamana temple is currently in plight. After the disastrous earthquake in 1934, Manakamana’s southwest portion began to tilt. The entrance to the temple has digressed from its silver doorframe and the wood frames are also decaying. Two colossal black wooden pillars supporting the temple have also shifted positions, causing the temple to incline. Mice and cockroaches can be seen crawling on the temple premises. The earthquake on November 13, 2011 with its epicenter in northeast Gorkha further weakened the temple’s structure because of which the temple base depressed into the ground. The slopes next to the temple have faced numerous mudslides creating a threat to the temple.
According to a report submitted by the Department of Archaeology (DoA) and the Ministry of Culture (MoC) in 2011, the wooden planks supporting the temple are swarming with termites. The improper channeling of water has led to the decay of the temple’s brick foundation. However, a research officer at DoA asserted that the temple is damaged beyond repair and must in fact be relocated.
The government of Nepal has donated over one Kg gold for the renovation of the Manakamana temple


Janaki Mandir, Nepal




Janaki Mandir (Nepali: जानकी मन्दिर) is a Hindu temple at the heart of Janakpur, Nepal. It is dedicated to goddess Sita.
It is an example of 'Hindu-Rajput' architecture. This is considered as the most important model of the Rajput architecture in Nepal.


History

The Janaki Mandir was built by Queen Brisabhanu Kunwari of Tikamgarh from central India in AD 1911, at a cost of rupees 900,000. In local parlance, the temple is also called Nau Lakha Mandir or Temple of Nine Lakh Rupees.
In 1657, a golden statue of the Goddess Sita was found at the very spot, and Sita is said to have lived there. The legend had it that it was built on the holy site where Sannyasi Shurkishordas had found the images of Goddess Sita. In fact, Shurkishordas was the founder of modern Janakpur and the great saint and poet who preached about the Sita Upasana (also called Sita Upanishad) philosophy. Legend has it that King Janaka performed the worship of Shiva-Dhanus on this site.






Om Tat Sat
                                                        
(Continued...)                                                                                                                              



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

Posted by gopalakrishna Thursday, May 2, 2013
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