Historical temples

parthasarathy temple>

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To add some variety to your temple journey visit the Parthasarathy temple in Chennai. Though the common features of ancient temples are very much prevalent in this ancestral temple but it has some striking features, which makes the temple outstanding among others.

Journey to the Parthasarathy temple in Madras is very easy as it is situated in the heart of the Chennai city. Madras is the earlier name of the present Chennai city. Parthasarathy temple is in the Peter's Road, which is at Triplicane. You can visit this temple either by bus or auto rickshaw or by hired luxurious cabs. If you are going by auto rickshaw be careful about the fares. The standard charge for the auto rickshaws Rs. 8 for every kilometer you travel. Even if it is metered it is better to negotiate the fare first. The same concept applies for the luxurious cabs.

The Parthasarathy temple in Chennai has its origin back in 8th century. It was generally built by the Pallavas and later reformed by the Vijayanagar Kings during 11th century. The literal meaning of 'Parthasarathy' is the charioteer. According to the great Indian epic 'Mahabharata' 'Partha' meant Arjuna while sarathy is meant as charioteer. In the epic it is said during the great battle of Mahabharata Lord Krishna was the charioteer of Arjuna. In the epic Arjuna or partha was a brave warrior and Lord Krishna was a good friend, philosopher and guide to the Partha or Arjuna.

Though the Parthasarathy temple is devoted to the various incarnations of Lord Vishnu the main deity is 'Lord Krishna' one of the incarnation of Lord Vishnu. Also the other exquisite feature of this Parthasarathy temple is the colored gopuram. 'Gopuram' is said to the pyramidical shaped temple top which is a stereotyped feature of the South Indian temples.

kapaleeshwartemple>

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Visiting to temples can serve many purposes. It just depends on your preference. Like if you are curious to know about the ancient culture of Hindus you can visit temples. If you are give some spiritual touch to your tour then you can also visit the temple. Also if you want to understand ancient India with all its political, cultural principles then also you can tour to the temples. So if any of these topics are your interest then in your Chennai temple tour list you can add a visit to the Kapaleeswarar temple in Chennai

The Kapleeswarar temple is situated in Kutchery Road, Mylapore. Mylapore is located in the city of Madras. So you can tour to this temple either by auto rickshaw or 'call taxis' or the deluxe cabs. If you are hiring auto rickshaw, which is the cheapest mode of transport, you need to negotiate the fare carefully. The standard charge for auto rickshaws is Rs.8 for every kilometer you travel. The call taxis charge higher but they are very prompt service and they will pick you up from your doorstep. You can also tour by deluxe cabs. If you prefer you can drive the deluxe cabs yourself.

The Kapleeswarar temple is an emblem of Dravidian style and architecture. The notable feature of this structure is the 37-meter tall gopuram i.e. the pyramidical shaped temple top trying to touch the ultimate cool blue-sky surface which is spread all over the universe. As you enter the temple you can view a sculpture, which has an interesting story behind it. It is believed that a saint known as Gnanasambandar sung and brought a dead girl back to life.

The goddess Parvati is believed to be the wife of Shiva according to the Hindu religious belief. Here in this Kapaleeshwarar temple you can view goddess Parvati been depicted as peacock and she is worshipping the lingam or the idol of Lord Shiva. You can also see the bronze carvings of the 63-Shaivate saints, which are carried in procession during the Aruvathumoovar festival, which is held in March-April. In the courtyard of the temple there is a holy Punnai tree, which is one of the oldest trees of Chennai city.

vadapalani murugan temple>

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The Vadapalani Murugan Temple was built some 125 years back. The temple was just built starting with just a Murugan Picture.

Vadapalani Murugan Temple


According to this temple history a devotee named Annaswami Tambiran made a small hut and kept a Murugan painting for his worship. While he was meditating and worshipping he used to experience some divine power used to enter his body and made him to do mysterious things. Whatever he said had started to become true and this saying started to be said as “Arul Vakku” and he started to help the needy by getting jobs for the jobless, curing decease and marriage problems.One day he was feeling sick and according to the instruction of a Sadhu he visited Tiruthani and prayed to God that he would offer part of his tongue cut with knife at Bali Peetam and when he returned back his sickness went off. Then he went to Palani by foot and he experienced many divine

things happening on his way. Then he returned back and started to worship Lord Muruga in the small hut. When started to feel that his life is going to be an end he requested his close friend Ratnaswami to continue the pooja activities to the Murugan painting, which he was

Vadapalani Murugan Temple Tank


doing. And Ratnaswami started to do the pooja work as he promised his friend and he built a small shrine and he also started to give Arul vakku. The public started to offer money to him and this was used to erect the Temple but before the Temple got finished Ratnaswami also expired.

Then entered into the arena some humanist philanthropists who metamorphosed that simple hut into a superb spiritual abode. Among the builders, the renowned Saiva Pravakta Kripananda Variyar's name takes first place. Thus emerged this great Muruga kshetra, and now a great temple drawing a steady streams of pilgrims throughout the year.

There are many sannadhi’s inside the Temple Varasiddhi Vinayaka,

Chokkanathar, Mother Parvati, Kali, Bhairava, Shanmuga with Valli and Devasena.

Vadapalani Murugan Temple Tank


The moolavar in standing posture resembles the Palani Muruga in every respect. In the inner prakara, there are many niches housing Dakshina Murti, Chandikeswar, Mahalakshmi, etc., It has a spacious hall used for conducting marriages and religious discourses. It is one of the most-frequented Murugan shrines in the city of Chennai. The entrance to this temple is crowned with a rajagopuram adorned with several stucco images depicting legends from the Skanda puranam. In front of the temple

is the temple tank. The eastern tower rises to a height of 40.8 metres. The 108 bharata natyam dance gestures can be seen on the eastern tower as well.

This temple is dedicated to Lord Muruga, worshipped as Lord of Tamil, by the people of Tamil Nadu. Although Lord Muruga in this temple has become very popular among the devotees, this temple is a full-fledged Siva temple with "Sanctum Sanctorums" for Lord Shiva, Goddess Parvathi, Lord Ganesh, in addition to Lord Muruga. Another God who is more popular in this temple is Lord Anjaneya, whose figure is sculpted on a pillar. Devotees apply butter to Lord Anjaneya and pray for the fulfillment of their wishes. This temple became popular more because of the patronage of the film-industry as most of the activities are concentrated in and around Kodambakkam and Vadapalani. More than 7000 marriages have taken place in the temple premises because people consider it auspicious for getting married there. This temple is always bustling with activity throughout the year and attracts devotees from far and wide.

saibaba temple temple>

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Saipuram Shirdi Sai Baba Temple is situated at Injambakkam, in a lavish seven acres of pristine land facing the Bay of Bengal, on the outskirts of Chennai. Known as the Shirdi (the place where Sri Sai Baba lived) of the South, the temple complex has a number of buildings and temples. The majestic view of the seashore from the temple is a memorable experience.

Before proceeding to the main temple of Shri Shirdi Sai Baba one comes across the shrine of Lord Ganesh. The main temple of Shri Shirdi Sai Baba is an elegant hexagonal structure of white marble, towering over a height of 100 ft. The image of Shri Sai Baba is handcrafted in pure white marble in his famous sitting posture. The holy fire (Dhuni), from which Baba used to collect the ash (Udi), which is distributed to the devotees, has been burning uninterruptedly since Baba's days and is kept burning at Saipuram.

Other shrines here are dedicated to Lord Shiva and Parvati, Durga Devi, Lord Hanuman, Lord Ram, Sita and Lakshman, Lord Venkateswara, Navagrahas, Lord Krishna and Radha, and Lord Muruga with his consorts Valli and Devyani.

Another important spot here is the wish-fulfilling tree, devotees visit this place and tie a turmeric dipped string around the tree on Thursdays and Fridays. It is believed that ones difficult problems and wishes are being fulfilled by doing this.

Besides the Aarti, special pujas, marriage ceremonies and thread ceremonies are conducted on request. Arrangements for feeding the poor are also provided.

Meditation Hall, a free Health Care Center, a stall selling puja items, a bookshop selling Sai paraphernalia, a canteen, generator and telephone and transportation facilities are provided.

kamakshu temple kanchipuram temple>

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The town of Kanchi was the capital of the ancient Pallavas. The Kailasanathar temple here is one of the grand Pallava monuments. The Kamakshi Amman temple at Kanchipuram is an ancient one and is associated with Aadi Sankaracharya of the 1st millennium CE. The Tamil saying Kanchi Kamakshi, Madurai Meenakshi and Kaasi Visalakshi illustrates the importance of the Shakthi shrine that it is.



Ekambreswarar temple, the Kamakshiamman Temple and the Kumara Kottam temple and the Ulagalanda Perumaal Temple are the primary shrines in Periya Kanchipuram. The first three mentioned above are located in a manner as to suggest the Somaskanda manifestation of Shiva, Uma and Skanda in the town of Kanchi. There are no shrines to Ambal, in any of the shrines to Shiva in Kanchi. Kamakshi is considered to be wholly present in Kanchipuram, as the only Ambal shrine.



Legend has it that Kamakshi offered worship to a Shivalingam made out of sand, under a mango tree and gained Shiva's hand in marriage. (See also Ekambreswarar temple and Nilattingal Tundam).

The temple covers an area of about 5 acres, and the sanctum is crowned with a gold plated vimanam. Kamakshi is enshrined in a seated posture in the sanctum - and is referred to as the Parabhrama Swarupini, seated with Bhrama Vishnu Rudra Eswara and Sadasiva. A Sri Chakram has been installed in front of the image and worship is offered to it.

It is believed that Kamakshi was originally a Ugra Swaroopini, and that Aadi Sankaracharya, upon establishing the Sri Chakra, personified her as the Shanta Swaroopini (see also Akhilandeswari at Tiruvanaikkaval). It is believed that during the days of Adi Sankara, the presence of the Ugra Swaroopini was felt outside the temple precincts, and that Sankaracharya had requested her not to leave the temple complex. Symbolic of this, the festival image of Kamakshi, takes leave from Sankaracharya, at his shrine in the inner prakaram, each time she is taken out in procession.



The layout of the temple is rather complicated. The outer prakaram houses the temple tank, and several mandapams such as the 100 pillared hall, the dwajaarohana mandapam etc. Imposing views of the golden vimanam can be had from the outer prakaram, which is pierced with four entrances on all four sides. Images to Vishnu (Ninraan, Irundaan, Kidandaan) are seen near the temple tank.

One enters the four pillared hall then the inner prakaram, and climbs a series of steps, and reaches the sanctum. Immediately surrounding the sanctum are small shrines to Ardhanareeswarar, Soundaryalakshmi, Kallar (who has been mentioned in the hymns of Tirumangaialwar) and Varaahi. In this prakaram are shrines to Bangaru Kamakshi, Maha Saraswathi and Aadi Sankaracharya.

Kanchipuram is the seat of the Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham established by Adi Sankaracharya. It is believed that Sankaracharya attained samadhi at Kanchipuram, although another school of thought holds that Kedarnath in the Himalayas is the site of his samadhi.

Festivals: Four worship services are offered each day. The jewels adorning the image of the deity are of great beauty. The annual festival is celebrated in the month of Maasi. The silver chariot festival falls on the 7th day. Other festivals include Navaratri, Aadi and Aippasi Pooram, Sankara Jayanthi and Vasanta Utsavam in Vaikasi.

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Kamakshi Amman Temple is a famous Hindu temple dedicated to goddess Kamakshi, one of the forms of the goddess Tripura Sundari. It is located in the historic city Kanchipuram, near Chennai, India and is popularly associated with Adi Sankaracharya, one of the greatest Hindu saints. Along with Madurai Meenakshi, Thiruvanaikaval Akilandeswari, Vishalakshi Varanasi, Kamakshi is an important part of worship of Parvati.

The main deity is seated in a majestic Padmasana posture, an yogic posture signifying peace and prosperity, instead of the traditional standing pose in most other temples of Parvati. The goddess holds a sugarcane bow and lotus and parrot in the lower two of her arms (Many of the Hindu god forms generally have four arms) and has the two divine instruments Pasa and Angusa in her upper two arms. There are no traditional Parvati or Shakthi shrines in the city of Kanchipuram, apart from this temple, which is unusual in a traditional city that has hundreds of traditional temples. There are various legends attributed to it. One of them according to Kamkshivilasa is that the Goddess had to absorb all the other shakthi forms to give boon to Manmatha (the Hindu god of fertility and love).[1] Another legend attributes it to the Raja Rajeswari pose of the deity that signifies an absolute control over the land under its control, leaving no other forms of Shakthi.[2] Legend has it that Kamakshi offered worship to a Shivalingam made out of sand, under a mango tree and gained Shiva's hand in marriage.

Mamallapuram

• main temple


• Rathas


• Morbi


• Praesent


• Pellentesque

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Mahabalipuram (Tamil: மகாபலிபுரம்) also known as Mamallapuram (Tamil: மாமல்லபுரம்) is a town in Kancheepuram district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It has an average elevation of 12 metres (39 feet).
Mahabalipuram was a 7th century port city of the South Indian dynasty of the Pallavas around 60 km south from the city of Chennai in Tamil Nadu. It is believed to have been named after the Pallava king Mamalla. It has various historic monuments built largely between the 7th and the 9th century, and has been classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

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The temples of Mamallapuram, built largely during the reigns of Narasimhavarman and his successor Rajasimhavarman, showcase the movement from rock-cut architecture to structural building. 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 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. [1]

All but one of the rathas from the first phase of Pallava architecture are modelled on the Budhist 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'.[2]

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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. [3] While excavating Khajuraho Alex Evans a stone mason and sculptor recreated a stone sculpture made out of sandsstone, 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. [4]

Some important structures include:

* Thirukadalmallai, the temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu. It was also built by Pallava King in order to safeguard the sculptures from the ocean. It is told that after building this temple, the remaining architecture was preserved and was not corroded by sea.
* Descent of the Ganges - a giant open-air bas relief
* Arjuna's Penance - relief sculpture on a massive scale extolling an episode from the Hindu epic, The Mahabharata.
* Varaha Cave Temple - a small rock-cut temple dating back to the 7th century.
* The Shore Temple - a structural temple along the Bay of Bengal with the entrance from the western side away from the sea. Recent excavations have revealed new structures here. The temple was reconstructed stone by stone from the sea after being washed away in a cyclone.
* Pancha Rathas (Five Chariots) - five monolithic pyramidal structures named after the Pandavas (Arjuna, Bhima, Yudhishtra, Nakula and Sahadeva) and Draupadi. An interesting aspect of the rathas is that, despite their sizes they are not assembled — each of these is carved from one single large piece of stone.