beejakshara mantra Chennai temples -Sri Kalikambal Temple

The temple is located at Thambu Chetty Street. Chennai city was once called Chennamman Kuppam in the name of Goddess Chennaman and later Chenna pattinam. The Kali of the erstwhile Chennamman Kuppam is today’s Kalikambal. The temple was once located inside the St George fort and later shifted here during the British regime. The temple has the sanctity of the two Pancha bootha Sthalams - Kanchipuram and Thiruvannamalai.

At the foot of the Goddess is present the Arthameru installed by Aadhi Shankarar. Kamadeswarar is present in a separate shrine. Many sages Vyasar, Parasar, Agasthiar, Ankiresar, Pulasthiar and Varunan and Celestial Gods Indhran, Guberan and Viwaakarma worshipped Kalikambal. It is said that Guberan got all his wealth only after worshipping Kalikambal here

Chathrabathi Sivaji worshipped Kalikambal in 1677. Bharathiar used to worship Kalikambal while working in Suthesamithran magazine and his verse ‘Yathumahi Ninral Kali’ was sung on Kalikambal only. The famous TMS’s song ‘Ullam Uruhuthaiya’ was sung for the first time here only, in 1952 by Sri Andavan Pichai.

More details in Vikatan Publication’s ‘ Nimmadhi Tharum Sannidhi Part 1‘ book.

beejakshara mantra Chennai Temples - Pancha Bootha Sthalams:

There are Pancha boodha sthalam equivalents in Chennai at the heart of the city which are considered very powerful and they are:
1) Kalahasthi temple at Pavalakara (Coral Merchant) street, near Mallikeswarar temple, Mannady representing Air
2) Arunachaleswara temple near Lakshmi Amman Koil stop in Thiruvotriyur bus route representing Fire. There is one more Arunachaleswarar temple at the end of Palliappan street (George town).
3) Gangadareswarar Temple, Purasawalkam representing Water
4) Chidambaranatha (Nataraja) temple near Choolai Post office representing Sky and
5) Ekambareswara Koil at Mint representing Earth

Note: Thanks to Mrs Prasanna Rajagopalan & shantiraju trips blog for the information

beejakshara mantra India - At a Glance

Introduction to Indian Tourist Attractions


India is actually a ‘Jewel in the Crown’ as far as tourism is concerned. The country is a hot-spot tourist destination for tourists from all over the world. India is synonymous with great culture, unique civilization, glorious history and ancient traditions. India is a paradise for travelers and has many cultural, architectural, historical, culinary, adventure, religious, spiritual, sports, and more wonderful opportunities for travelers. There is a lot to see and do in India. India is a vast country with people of many different ethnic backgrounds, religions, customs, languages, lifestyles and cuisines.

A visit to this great country offers a wonderful opportunity to see the interesting mix of various religions, festivals, customs, sounds and sights. The whole of India encompasses numerous tourist attractions from Kashmir in the north to Kanyakumari in the south, Gujarat in the east to Arunachal Pradesh in the east. Some of the more magnificent tourist attractions that can be found in India come in the form of beautiful natural places – the mighty Himalayan Mountains and other mountain ranges like Sahyadris, Shivaliks, Nilgiris, Aravallis etc. and majestic rivers likes Ganges, Yamuna, Jhelum, Narmada etc. and beaches, coastlines, deserts, forests, sanctuaries and national parks and so on. Other tourist attractions include the exquisite temples, palaces, forts, museums, historical monuments and so on. The famous tourist places are Delhi, Rajasthan, Agra, Goa, Kashmir, Kerala, Kovalam, Alleppey, Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai, Kolkata, Aurangabad and many more.

Delhi


Delhi is India’s capital city and is a well developed and modernized city with a pulsating and happening lifestyle. Most of the tourists start their tour of the country from this city. Delhi has always been the home of the highest seat of power and administration since long ago. Even today, it is the political and administrative nerve center of India and is home to the highest offices of the government. Delhi was the capital of Mughal Empire and thus has many Mughal buildings with typical Mughal architecture. The places of tourist interest in Delhi are the Qutub Minar, Jama Masjid, Red Fort, Chandani Chowk, Hauz Khas, Safdarjung’s Tomb, Lodhi Gardens, Raj Ghat, India Gate, Old Fort, Zoo, Nehru Planetarium, Pragati Maidan, Doll’s Museum, Birla Mandir, Jantar Mantar Lotus Temple, Parliament House and Rashtrapati Bhawan etc. All the Mughal buildings are impressive structures made of red sandstone with marvelous carvings. The places for shopping are the Janpath, Palika Bazaar, Connaught Place, South Extension and Sarojini Nagar Market and so on.

Rajasthan



Rajasthan is the desert state of India and is famed for the glorious history of the Rajput kings and warriors. It is home to magnificent forts, palaces, temples, lakes, lake palaces, shrines and mausoleums. The places worth visiting in Rajasthan include Jaipur, Jodhpur, Udaipur, Bharatpur, Ranthambore and Jaisalmer etc. Jaipur, the Pink City is home to the famous Amber Fort, Jaigarh Fort, Nahargarh Fort, Jantar Mantar, Hawa Mahal etc. The tourist attractions of Jodhpur are Jaswant Thada, Umaid Bhawan Palace and Mehrangarh Fort along with many more. Udaipur is famous as the Lake City and the major tourist attractions include City Palace, Lake Palace, Saheliyon ki Bari, Lake Pichola and Jagdish Palace etc. Rajasthan has many tiger reserves and wildlife sanctuaries like Ranthambore National Park, Bharatpur Bird sanctuary and so on. The heritage hotels in Rajasthan are wonderful places and they also form perfect venues for lavish weddings. Ajmer is famed for the Ajmer Sharif Dargah.

Agra



Agra is famous for being the home of the world famous and world heritage site the Taj Mahal, one of the Seven Wonders of the World. Other tourist attractions in Agra include the Agra Fort, Jama Masjid, Sikandara, Itmad-ud-Daulah’s Tomb and Fatehpur Sikri. Taj Mahal is a magnificent building made of white marble, built by Shah Jahan in the memory of his wife, Mumtaz Mahal.

Kashmir

Kashmir is rightfully called a Paradise on Earth and is renowned for its lovely valleys, mountains, and lakes. The places interest for tourists in Kashmir are Srinagar, the capital city, Dal Lake, Nagin Lake, Shankaracharya Temple, ChasmeShahi, Shalimar Garden, Nishat Garden, Hazratbal Shrine, Gulmarg, Khillanmarg and Pahalgam.

Goa



Goa is famous all over the world for its dazzling beaches and beautiful coastline. The major tourist destinations in Goa are Panaji, Mapusa, Margao, Ponda, Bicholim, Mormugao, Tiracol etc. The tourist attractions in Goa include the St Francis Church, Mangeshi Temple, Miramar Beach, Dona Paul, Colva and Calangute Beach in addition to many more.

Kerala

Kerala is home to some of the best beaches and backwaters in the world. It is also the home of beautiful temples like the Swami Ayyappa Temple, various churches, synagogues etc. in Kerala. Kovalam Beach is a very popular beach of untold beauty. Kerala is well known for its ayurvedic treatments and spas. Alleppey is full of lagoons, backwaters, canals, coir factories and lovely nature with lush green plantations.

Mumbai

Mumbai is Maharashtra’s capital city and is considered to be India’s financial capital. Mumbai is famed for its Elephanta Caves, Malabar Hill, Mahalaxmi Temple, Hanging Gardens, Haji Ali Shrine, Siddhivinayak Temple, Kamala Nehru Park, Taraporewala Aquarium, Gateway of India and Marine Drive.

Bangalore

Bangalore is Karnataka’s capital city and is also known as the ‘Garden City of India’. The well known tourist attractions of Bangalore are Lal Bagh, Bangalore Palace, Bull Temple, Vidhana Soudha, ISKCON, Cubbon Park and Venkatappa Art Gallery etc. There are many more attractions in the state of Karnataka like Mysore City, Vrindavan Gardens, and Vijayanagara.

Chennai

Chennai is Tamil Nadu’s capital city and houses many forts, palaces, temples and shrines. The popular tourist places in Chennai are Kapeeleswarar Temple, Fort St. George, Government Museum, Marina Beach, George Town, National Art Gallery, Corporation Complex and the High Court Complex.

Kolkata



Kolkata is West Bengal’s capital and the tourist attractions here include Howrah Bridge, Belur Math, Kali Temple, Victoria Memorial, Alipore Zoo, Millennium Park and Birla Planetarium etc.

There are many more world heritage sites in India like the Ajanta and Ellora Caves of Aurangabad, Khajuraho Temples, Bodh Gaya, Varanasi etc.

HYDERABAD

beejakshara mantra Sri Ekambareswarar Temple

This 500 year old temple is located at the Thangasalai street (Mint street), Parktown and is one of the three temples that were popular even before the arrival of the British. A big, beautiful and well maintained temple with a temple tank (with water as well). In almost all the (ancient) temple tanks in this area, it is quite heartening to see water in spite of being in the densest commercial place. JJ’s water harvesting has paid off??.

The temple is considered equivalent to Kanchi Ekambareswarar temple, one of Pancha bootha sthalangal representing land. Lingams of all the other Panchabootha sthalams (Kalahasthi, Thiruvannamalai, Thiruvanaikaval and Chidambaram) and all the 63 Nayanmars are also present. There are 300 years old Ashwatha Tree and Kallala tree and there is a lingam shrine under the Ashwatha tree, the speciality of which being that people can do pooja to the lingam themselves. In a single sculpture, Panchamuha Vinayahar is on one side and Murugar is on the other side with a five headed Snake. The Navagraha shrine here is considered one of the most sacred shrines in the city.

Location : 70 kms south of Chennai
Also Known as : The City Of Thousand Temples
Prime Attractions : The Ekambareswarar Temple
Temperature : Max 37°C to Min 20°C
Population : 30.38 lakh (2001 census)
Area : 11.6 Sq. Kms

beejakshara mantra Thiruvannamalai - A Great Place of Lord Shiva

Thiruvannamalai, a town of about 1.5 lakh people and a district head quarters is one of the numerous temple towns in Tamilnadu. Even in this state filled with many such places, Thiruvannamalai stands out. The gigantic Arunachaleshwara temple complex set against the backdrop of the majestic Arunachala (red mountain) hill attracts devotees and tourists in thousands. The whitewashed Raja gopuram at 218 feet is one of the tallest temple towers in the state. It may not be as colourful as the Madurai one, but is every bit as impressive with its scale.

The temple complex as seen in Google Earth

While the temple, impressive as it is, is just a part of what makes Thiruvannamalai special. It is the holy Arunachala mountain, considered an embodiment of Lord Shiva himself that adds to the flavor of the town. It has been and continuing to attract countless saints / sadhus over the centuries . The more famous of the sadhus, Ramana Maharishi amongst the earliest, with their international followers brought a different dimension to TVmalai. Crisscrossing foreigners in their cycles and sundry sadhus (real and fake) jostling for space with the devotees give a unique feel to the town. A massive afforestation effort has even managed to green this grey mountain and climb up the hill is a nice trek.

Where it is Situated ?

"The Arunachaleswar Shiva temple in Tiruvanamalai situated at the foot of the Arunachala hill, is one of the largest (25 acres) and oldest temples in all of south India. The era of its founding is unknown; the complex grew over several millenia; and the large towers, called gopurams, were erected between the 10th and 16th centuries. The tallest gopuram is over 60 meters tall and has 13 stories..."

* "The hill temple Arunachaleswara temple is one of the largest shrines in South India, sprawling 25 acres. It is dedicated to Lord Siva and one of the 12 Jothilingams in India. The giant 200 ft Gopuram towers over the giant gateway..."

* "The ancient and vast Arunachaleswarar Temple as it stands today is the result of several centuries of building, alteration and extension. A Nandi faces the main shrine in each of its five prakarams. The outermost prakaram houses the thousand pillared hall and the Shiva Ganga tank and is pierced on four sides with colossal Gopurams..."

* "...When we observe the general structure of the temple, we notice that there are five small gopurams on the inner boundary and four big gopurams on the outer boundary. The inner gopurams are known as Kitti gopurams. There are two gopurams in the East and one gopuram each for the other three directions. The first of the two Eastern gopurams is called Kili gopuram. There are indications that this was built in the 11th century. The gopurams built during this period have no more than five stories. The Kili gopuram was built by Veera Rajendra Chozhan around 1063 A.D. He is referred to as Maharaja Thiribuvana Chakravarthigal in the inscription.This name was also given to the gopuram. The Kitti (smaller) gopurams, except the top of the western one, were built by the Hoysala King Vallala Maharaja III. His name is given to the biggest Kitti gopuram which is in the East..."

An interesting legend...

In India there are three major categories of pilgrimage temples dedicated to the god Shiva: the Jyotir Lingams; the Svayambhu Lingams, and the Bhuta Lingams. Located in five south Indian temples, the Bhuta Lingams are sa to be places where Shiva manifested himself as the natural elements. The temples and their respective elements are Chambaram: ether, Sri Kalahasti: wind, Tiruvanaikka/Jambunath: water, Kanchipuram: earth, and Tiruvanamalai: fire. Chambaram is also associated with the heart, Tiruvanaikka with the stomach, and Tiruvanamalai with the chest.

An interesting legend, told in the excellent book Pilgrimage in the Hindu Tradition by Alan Morinis, tells how the sacred hill of Arunachala came to be associated with the fire Lingam of Shiva. Mourning the loss of his wife Sati, Shiva was wandering nude in the forests of Daruvana and was seen by the wives of certain sages. The women were aroused at the sight and desired to unite with him. The jealous sages cursed the god's linga (phallus) to fall off. As it touched the earth it grew to immense size like a great shining column. The gods Brahma and Vishnu saw it when its top had reached upwards beyond the clouds and its lower end was buried deep in the earth. They deced to investigate. Taking the form of a boar Vishnu dived into the depths of the primeval ocean to reach the base of the column, and Brahma taking the form of a swan flew up to its top. When they returned Vishnu honestly confessed that he could not find the foundations, while Brahma boasted that he had reached the summit. At this moment Shiva appeared, denounced Brahma as a liar, praised Vishnu for his honesty, and declared that the column could not be measured because it was his Linga. At the request of Vishnu, Shiva left part of his Linga in its 'tejas', or fire form, on the Arunachala hill.

The Arunachaleswar Shiva temple in Tiruvanamalai (Tiruvanamalai is the Tamil word for the Sanskrit Arunachala), situated at the foot of the Arunachala hill, is one of the largest (25 acres) and oldest temples in all of south India. The era of its founding is unknown; the complex grew over several millenia; and the large towers, called gopurams, were erected between the 10th and 16th centuries. The tallest gopuram is over 60 meters tall and has 13 stories. The central temple enshrines images of Shiva as Lord Annamalai and his consort as Unnamalai. Every year during the Hindu month of Kartikai (November-December), the great Deepam festival is held to celebrate Shiva's manifestation as the light of Arunachala. For ten days the whole city of Tiruvanamalai is alive with celebration, processions, dancing and singing. On the final day of the festival, the eve of the full moon, a huge beacon fire is lighted atop the hill in commemoration of the fire left by Shiva. Many thousands of pilgrims flock to this exciting festival from all over southern India. Arunachala hill is consered a miraculous healing place, especially for ailments of the lungs and barrenness in women. The hill of Arunachala is also a symbol of spiritual knowledge and several great sages have lived here, including Arunagirinathar, the author of the Tiruppugal, and Sri Ramana Maharshi (1879-1950).

Access
Thiruvannamalai is 107 km from Kumbakonam and 185 km from Chennai.The nearest Airport from Tiruvannamalai is Chennai which is 182 k.m. Tiruvannamalai is situated in between Katpadi and Viluppuram Junctions on the railway line. It is well connected by road with various parts of country.

beejakshara mantra Sri Chenna Malleeswarar Temple and Sri Kesava Perumal Temple

The temple is located between DevarajaMudali street on the east, NSC Bose Road on the North, Nainiappa Naicken street on the west and Rasappa Chetty street on the South.
This is one of the three temples that were popular even before the arrival of the British. This Shiva-Vaishnav twin temple was initially located near St George fort but the British demolished it to expand their army. Due to the public outcry, the temple was then shifted to the Devaraja Mudali street. In the process, the Vigraha of this Perumal temple got mixed up with the 4 idols of the Thiruneermalai Perumal temple and the idol of Thiruneermalai temple was brought here by a mistaken identity but remains here since then.

There will always be a good fragrance of jasmine at the Malleeswarar temple. All the 63 Nayanmars are present in a separate shrine.
More details on the temple here

beejakshara mantra Chennai Temples Episode 1

Sri Kandaswamy Temple or Kandakottam Sri Muthukumara Swamy Temple

This temple is located at the Rasappa Chetty Street.
When Mari Chettiar and Kandappa Achari were going to Thirupporur Murugan temple by walk, they rested at a place and a dream came to both of them simultaneously that there is a Murugan idol below the earth there. The idol was unearthed, brought here and a temple was built during 1670s. The main deity here is Thirupporur Kandaswamy and the Urchava idol is Muthukumara Swamy. Inside the temple, the ‘Saravana Poihai’ temple tank is present and surprisingly the water is at the same level as when the temple was built many hundred years ago, in spite of being located in the city’s densest commercial place.

beejakshara mantra The Rameshwaram - one of 12 jyothirlingas

Apart from being a Pilgrimage centre, Rameshawaram is one of the major marine food centres in the south, much of its fish and prawn catch being exported. Known as the Varanasi of the south, Rameswaram is a major pilgrimage centre for both Shaivites and Vaishnavaites, as it was here where Lord Rama worshipped Lord Siva after the war against Ravana. At the heart of the town is the Ramanathaswamy Temple, one of the most important temples in southern India.

Rameswaram lies on an island in the Gulf of Mannar, connected to the mainland at Mandapam by rail and by one of India's engineering wonders, the Indira Gandhi Bridge. The bridge took 14 years to build and was opened by Rajiv Gandhi late in 1988.

Sightseeing at Rameshwaram : Rameshwaram temple
Ramanathaswamy Temple : A remarkable example of late Dravidian architecture, this temple is most noted for its excellent corridors lined with massive sculptured pillars with their elaborate design, style and rich carving. Legend has it that Rama sanctified this place by worshipping Siva here after the battle of Sri Lanka. The construction work commenced in the 12th century AD and further developments were made over the centuries by successive rulers, and hence, today its gopuram is 53 m high. Only Hindus are allowed to enter the inner sanctorum.

Kothandaraswamy Temple & Dhanushkodi : 12 km from town, this temple was the sole structure to withstand the 1964 cyclone which washed the rest of the village away. Legend states that Vibishana, brother of Sita's kidnapper Ravana, surrendered to Rama at this spot.

Adam's Bridge : Adam's Bridge is the name given to the chain of reefs, sandbanks and islets that almost connects Sri Lanka with India. According to legend, this is the series of stepping stones used by the monkey army, lead by Hanuman to cross the ocean in a bid to rescue Sita from the clutch of Ravana.

Gandhamadana Parvatam : The stepped mandapam or hall, about a mile and a half west of the Ramanathaswamy Temple offers an excellent view of the countryside. There is a footprint here believed to be of Lord Rama.

Dhanushkodi Beach : Dhanushkodi beach is the best place for a laid back leisure hours.

Best Season to Visit : Through out the year.

Reaching Rameshwaram :
Rail : The are many train to Chennai daily. It is connected directly to Manamadurai and Trichy. The passenger trains run at regular interval from Madurai.
Road : The city is well connected to Madurai, Kanyakumari, Chennai and Trichy. It is also connected to Pondicherry and Thanjavur via Madurai.

STD/ISD Codes :
If dialing from India -------04573 (number)
If dialing from abroad -------++91-4573 (number)

Shopping in Rameshwaram :
Rameswaram is famous for variety of exquisite handicraft and decorative items. There are several shops near the temples, where you can find different items made from palm leaf, beads and seashells. Khadicraft is the place from where you can purchase your handicraft items. Rameswaram silk sarees are very popular among the ladies.

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In short
Rameshwaram, Southeast of Madurai, on an island in the Palk Straits, is the temple town of Rameswaram, a sacred place for Hindus. According to the Ramayana, this is the place where Rama worshipped Lord Shiva, to absolve himself of the sin of killing Ravana. Every nook and corner of Rameswaram is steeped in episodes from the Ramayana. Rameswaram is the Varanasi of the south, and is a major pilgrimage centre for Vaishnavites and Shaivites.

Place of importance :- one of the 12 Jyotirlingas in India. Legend says that Ramanatha Swamy Temple stands where Lord Rama performed worship of a Sand Lingam made by Sita. Lunch at Rameshwaram. Return to Madurai.

Ramanathaswamy, The 17th century temple close to the sea, on the eastern side of the island, is ,renowned for its magnificent pillar corridor, running to a length of 1200 metres, and flanked by ornate pillars.

Agnitheertham, 100 metres away from the temple is Agnitheertham, where Rama worshipped Lord Shiva, to cleanse away the sin of killing Ravana.

Gandamadana Parvatham, Situated on the highest point in the island, 2 km north of Rameswaram town centre, is the venerable shrine, housing the imprint of Lord Rama's feet placed on a chakra.

Access by Air:
Rameshwaram doesn’t have its own airport: the nearest airport is Madurai, which is 173 kms away.

Access by Rail:
Rameshwaram is connected with all major cities like Madras, Madurai, Coimbatore, Trichy and Tanjavur.

Access by Road:
Connected by road to all important towns.

more...
After Morning breakfast check out hotel and proceed to Kanyakumari it is the place were Arabian Sea, the Indian Ocean and the Bay of Bengal meets and it is very important pilgrimage center for Hindu's on arrival Kanyakumari check in hotel later on proceed for a local tour visit Vevakananda rock, Gandhi Museum, Kumari Amman Temple etc evening after sun set return back to hotel and over night stay at hotel .

titbit : Rameshwaram is the birth place of THE GREAT PRESIDENT OF INDIA A.P.J ABDUL KALAM

beejakshara mantra What to do on VAIKUNTA EKADASI-Holy Day

    Since yesterday, I have received so many mails asking me
    "What to do on VaikunTa Ekadasi ?  So, I have taken an opportunity to explain you briefly what you should do on the Holy day of VaikunTa Ekadasi.

•  One must wake up by 5 'o clock (A.M) in the morning.
•  Have to take head bath with oil .(Abyanga snanam)
•  After taking bath, Prayer room and Kitchen should be cleaned. So that prayer performing premises will be in good condition.
•  Main Door of the house should be decorated with mango leaves, Kumkum and Turmeric.
•  Prayer room should be decorated with holy designs with design powders.
•  Get Ready with Lord Vishnu Photo and puja tools like Kumkum, Turmeric mixed with rice (Akshinatalu), Leaves of Tulasi, Any sweet like Rava LaDdu, Kheer offerings to God should be ready while you start before praying.
•  Light oil lamps (DeepaAraDhana) with coconut oil or Ghee is so important.
•  Before performing Puja you must sit facing to East and should wear Tulasi Mala(Tulasi Haram) according to Hindu dharma.
•  Prayers should start with Lord Ganesh then should continue with Vishnu SahasraNamam, SriManNarayana Stotram, vishnu Puram, Dashavatarams. As this day is totally dedicated to Lord Vishnu, Stotrams, slokas, Mantras and all prayers belongs to Lord vishnu only.
•  Visiting to Lord Vishnu or Lord Venkateswara temples, by entering enter from North Main entrance of the temple is so Holy and Divine.
•  Chant 108 times of Great Mantra " Om Namo Narayanaya".
•  For Better Life Progress Visiting temple before the Sun Rise is Mandatory.

 -- OM NAMO NARAYANAYA -- OM BHAGHAVATHEY VASUDEVAYA -- OM NAMO VENKATESWARAYA-- GOD BLESS ALL ----

Gsv Pics | Gsv Vids | Techno zip | Divine-Thought | For The Sake of Us | Gsv Films

beejakshara mantra Oldest temples in Chennai

Triplicane

Sri Parthasarathy Temple

This is one of the 108 Divya desams. The name of the place came from the term - Allikkeni, meaning the temple tank of Alli flowers called Kairavinisaras. Per Legend, Thiruvengadamudayan gave dharshan as Krishnan to Chola king Sumathirajan per his request and so the deity is called Venkatakrishnan and the vigraha was installed by Attreya maharishi. The main deity is in the form of charioteer and so has a big moustache and the whole family of Krishnar - consort Rukmani, elder brother Balaramar, younger brother Satyaki, son Pradhyumna and grandson Anirudha are present in main shrine which can not be seen anywhere else. Since Krishnar promised not to take any weapons in His hands during the Mahabharatha war, He is seen here with Sangu only (without the Chakra). The Utsava vigraham bears scars supposed to be from the arrows of Bheeshmar, when he was the charioteer to Arjuna in the Mahabharatha war.

The special significance of the temple being that the perumals of the 5 divya desams - Thirupathi Venkatesa Perumal, Srirangam Ranganathar, Kancheepuram Varadarajar, Ahobilam Narasimhar and Ayodhi Ramar - are present in separate shrines. As a rarity there are two dwajasthambams one for Sri Parathasarathy and the other for Sri Narasimhar. Also during Brahmosthavams, the temple car will run twice.

Ramanujar’s father AasuriKesavacharyar conducted an yagna here and got Ramanujar as his son. Thyagarajar, Muthuswamy Dhikshithar and Bharathiar lived here. ‘Bharathiar Illam’ is very nearby and all Bharathiar songs on Krishnar are based only on this deity. Viveknandhar also visited this temple.

More details on the temple here

Sri Thiruvetteeswaran Temple

This temple at Thiruvetteeswaranpet (part of Triplicane) is a 500 years old temple. When the forest in this area was cleared off to expand the Nawab’s Chepak palace, the axe fell on a Shivalinga by mistake and blood oozed out. This temple was then built. Kasi Viswanathar and Visalakshi are also present.

Mylapore

Sapthasthana Temples of Shiva:

There are seven Sapthasthana (Saptha meaning seven) temples for Shiva in Mylapore worshipped by the Saptha rishis - Adri, Brigu, Kutsa, Vashishta, Gautama, Kasyapa and Angirasa. Originally they were all part of a single temple but in due course they have become separate temples. It is highly powerful to worship all the seven deities in a single trip.

More details on the Sapthasthana temples here

1. Kapaleeswarar Temple
   Worshipped by Sage Kasyapar, this is the most popular of the Sapthasthana temples. This is one of the 275 Thevara Padal Petra Sthalams; out of these, this is one of the 40 temples that have west facing Shiva shrines. The original temple was located near the sea but got submerged in the sea and the current temple was built around 350 years back. Parvathi Devi worshipped Shiva here in the form of Peacock. The 63 Nayanmar festival is highly popular.
2. Sri Velleeswarar Temple
   Worshipped by Sage Angeerasa, this temple is located at the South Mada street very close to the Kapaleeswarar temple. The legend has it that Asura Guru Sukracharyar worshipped Shiva here in order to regain his vision.
3. Sri Valiswarar Temple
   Worshipped by Sage Gautama, this 2000 years old temple is located at Gopathy Narayana Chetty Street opposite to Kolavizhiamman Temple. Vali got all his powers after his tapas towards Easwaran here. Pancha lingams came out from the earth as seen in a separate shrine which is an appropriate place for meditation. There are shrines for Vinayahar, Natarajar, Goddess Sivahami, Murugar with Valli and Deivanai, Chandeeswar, Anjaneyar, Vishnu, Durgai, and Ayyappan. Navagrahas with their respective vahanas and Saneeswarar separately are present in different shrines. In the Southwest of the outer praharam, a lizard has been carved out to indicate that this is a Parihara sthalam.
4. Sri Theerthapaleeswarar Temple
   Worshipped by Sage Adri, this temple is located in the Dr.Natesan street of Krishnapet, Triplicane Mirsahib market area opposite to mosque. The temple has significance that when the seven deities of the Sapthasthana temples take bath in the sea during the Theerthavari festival in the tamil month of Masi, this deity takes the first place. Sage Agasthiar worshipped Shiva here.
5. Sri Karaneeswarar Temple
   Worshipped by Sage Vasishta, this 12^th century temple is located in the Bazaar street of Karaneeswararpet. The Shivalingam here is in square shape as seen in only Thirukkadaiyur and Kalahasthi. Since Shiva is the ‘reason’ for everything, He is called Karaneeswarar (Karanam in Tamil means reason).
6. Sri Virupaksheeswarar Temple
   Worshipped by Sage Kutsa, this is the oldest temple of Mylapore and is near Karaneeswara temple and Mundakkanni Amman temple. Sivanesan Chettiar, who built this temple, had a daughter called Poompavai and when she died, Thirugnana Sambandhar brought her back from her burnt bones. ‘Viroopam’ means ‘Contradicting the Nature’ and since Shiva’s third eye contradicts the nature, He is called Virupaksheeswarar.
7. Sri Malleeswarar Temple
   Worshipped by Sage Brigu, this temple is located near the Karaneeswara temple. This was once a forest of Jasmines and so the Easwaran here is called Malleeswarar. Prarthan, King of Ayodhya, was in tapas and conducted a Yagna here towards Shiva. Indhran tried to sabotage his tapas but could not. In praise of the intensity of his tapas, Shiva appeared before him along with his consort. Neem and Aswatha trees are grown together as a single tree.

Sri Madhava Perumal Temple

Located to the east of Sanskrit College and north of Kapaleeswarar temple it is very near the Mundakkanni amman temple. The temple is amazingly clean, aesthetically painted, well lit and very well maintained. Peyazhwar was born near this temple and worshipped Madhava Perumal daily. Also Thirumazhisai Azhwar was enlightened by Madhava Perumal. The legend has it that Goddess Sridevi was brought up in Bruhu Maharishi Ashram here and Madhava Perumal married her. The temple tank Sandhana Pushkarani here is the erstwhile pond of Bruhu Maharishi’s Ashram.

More details on the temple here

Sri Adhikesava Perumal temple

This is one of the oldest temples of Mylapore. As a contrast to the Madhava Perumal Temple, this is being maintained poorly.

Sri Vedhantha Desikar Temple

This is located very near the Adhikesava Perumal temple. Initially there was only Vedhantha Desikar shrine but later Srinivasa Perumal shrine also came in.

More details on the temple here

Sri Mundakkanni Amman Temple

Located at about half a kilometer north of Kapaleeswarar Temple and at a few hundred meters to the east of Sanskrit College, this is a very popular and powerful Amman temple. Amman is a Swayambu putru.

Sri Kolavizhiamman Temple

Located at Gopathy Narayana Chetty Street opposite to Valiswarar temple and to the east of Mundakkanni Amman Temple, this is a 1000 years old temple. It is said that a British lost his vision after photographing the Firewalk festival and regained his vision only after worshipping this Goddess.

Sri Ramakrishna Math Temple

The place where the temple is located is the place where Thirugnana Sambandhar brought back the daughter of Sivanesan Chettiar, Poompavai, to life after she reduced to ashes. Also Mother Sharadha Devi stayed here for a month in 1910. The specialty of the temple being that it has the combined architectural styles of Buddha, Jaina and South Indian Temples. There is a big and beautiful prayer hall where Sri Ramakrishnar’s life size marble idol is present and is being decorated very neatly and beautifully. It is a pleasure to sit there for a meditation during the evening Aarthi. The bhajans set in vibrations that can not be explained by words. It could also be an enchanting experience if one sits in the outer praharam amidst the garden (a nice sound system is there) especially with family and relatives. A beautiful place for a peaceful evening - Experience it.

Just by the side, the old temple is also present.

More details on the temple here

Sri Gnanasundara Vinayahar Temple

This is a 400 years old popular temple. Located at the junction of the St Marry’s Road and Ramakrishna Math Road, this has the following legend: The main deity here was once lying along other stones at the Dharga in Ramakrishna Math road. When Arcot Nawab was going through this route, his horse was tied to this stone but the horse got the ‘Valippu’. When the horse was untied, it came back to normalcy but when it was tied again to the stone, it got the ‘Valippu’ again. They then identified the stone as the Vinayahar idol and this temple was built.

Sri Thiruvalluvar Temple

Located very near to the Mundakkanni amman temple, this is the birthplace of Thiruvalluvar and little known even to the locals. A more than 2000 years old Iluppai tree under which Thiruvalluvar is said to have born got damaged in 1935 and the base of the tree is being protected with a cover. There is a famous incident in Thiruvalluvar-Vasuki life in which, while Vasuki was fetching water in a pot from a well, Thiruvalluvar called her and she went leaving the pot as it was but incidentally the pot remained half way as it was. This historical well can be seen here.

Ekambareswarar and Kamatchi are the main deities along with Vinayahar, Murugar, Navagrahas and Saneeswarar shrines. The Ekambareswarar shrine is considered as the birth place of Thiruvalluvar by some researchers and as the Samadhi by others.

While Thiruvalluvar is considered as the Tamil God, it is surprising that his original birth place is being maintained so poorly. What’s the point in installing a 133 feet Thiruvalluvar status at Kanyakumari keeping this place so badly? How many Tamils know that there is a temple for Thiruvalluvar right at the heart of the city? This being a temple is the only reason for this neglect by both the Dravidian parties?

Sri ApparSwamigal Temple

Located just opposite Sanskrit College

Adayar

Sri Ashtalakshmi Temple at Besant Nagar

A very popular temple located right on the beach shore. The main deity here is 7 feet high Mahavishnu with Mahalakshmi. It has shrines for all the 8 Lakshmi Goddesses and is built based on the architecture of the Uthiramerur Perumal temple. Lakshmi shrines are located in the 2 tiers of the vimanam of the main Perumal shrine and is constructed in such a way that you will not come on top of any of the deities below while going over the 2 tiers.

Location: In the main Besant Nagar M.G.Road, while going towards Elliots Beach/ Velankanni church, just before the church, take the right turn to enter the Kalakshetra Colony (there is one Kalakshetra ‘Road’ at Thiruvanmiyur which is different). Go straight upto a Police booth and then take a left turn to reach the temple.

Another popular temple ‘Arupadai Murugan’ Temple is nearby.

More details in Vikatan Publication’s ‘Nimmadhi Tharum Sannidhi - part 2‘ book

Sri ArupadaiVeedu Murugan Temple at Besant Nagar

This new stone temple has shrines for all the six Padai veedu of Lord Muruga in the same direction as the original temples. The land for this was donated by MGR during his regime but the temple was built years later by NRI Chettiars. Popular temple and can be seen in many films and serials.

This is located near the Ashtalakshmi Temple. After entering the Kalakshetra Colony main road (Tiger Varadhachari Road), go straight till the T junction at the very end of the road and then turn left to reach the temple.

More details on the temple here

beejakshara mantra Golden Temple Vellore South India Tamilnadu

The India's second largest Golden temple of hindus attracting many foreign tourists. In this scenario I would like to provide some photos, when the temple was under construction.

Sripuram Vellore Golden Temple is a spiritual park at the foot of a small range of green hills at a place called Malaikodi in the city of Vellore in Tamil Nadu, India. An important feature is Sripuram Lakshmi Narayani temple or Mahalakshmi temple whose Vimanam and Ardha Mandapam is overlaid with gold inside the temple and exterior.

The 20 hectares and was constructed by Vellore-based Sri Narayani peedam led by spiritual leader Sri Shakti Amma, also known as Amma Narayani Temple, which is 55 000 square meters is a set of prints and sculptures in gold. The lighting is arranged so that the temple glitters even at night. The Sripuram is the largest structure of gold.

VELLORE GOLDEN TEMPLE -SOUTH INDIA TAMILNADU. VIDEO

Even SATARIA a wreath at the foot of the Lord is divided into solid gold weighing 1 kg. Towards the exterior of the temple is in the form of a star. Walls records monitoring amma.All Sakthi lessons must pass through the shape of the star to the shrine. The Golden temple Praharam  resembles the Indian Parliament.

The landscape of Sripuram is natural. The temple garden is well maintained

natural  fertilizers.

The atmosphere around the Sripuram temple makes you peaceful. Ecopond Sarvatheertham where all the major rivers waters  are gathered .The pond is wonderful for birds  supplemented by more than 20 thousands, trees of various species.

Uniqueness in Sripuram Mahalakshmi temple is the Star Path.The  Star path makes human body calm and peace .

beejakshara mantra Chinnakadai Sri Mariamman or Renuka Parameswari Temple

Temples within Chennai City

Chinnakadai Sri Mariamman or Renuka Parameswari Temple

Located at the NSC Bose road in the Mint street junction at Sowcarpet, the highlights of this tiny temple being:

• More than 200 years old, artistically done temple
• In the sanctum sanctorum, the goddess is present in two forms - as Seethala Devi in full human form and as Renuka Parameswari with her whole body below the earth and only the head above the earth.
• Kasi Viswanathar in linga form along with Kasi Visalakshi is also present
• Camphor burns always in front of the temple - It is believed that the Goddess gives dharshan in the form of light (deepam). It is believed that lighting camphor in front of the temple for Rs 5.25 during the Brahma Muhurtham (4:30 AM to 5:30 AM) will get one’s wish fulfilled within 11 days.
• The steps to the ambal shrine are very powerful since the Goddess was initially present here and later shifted backwards to accommodate more crowd.
• During Fridays, the temple will be kept open till 12 midnight
• Worshipped by Vallalar and Vivekanandhar
• Hanging a garland of a lemon with 7 green chillies at house entrance after the pooja here will remove all the dhrishties and bad vibrations.