Category: Temple
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Visiting Brihadishvara temple and exploring the cultural heritage of Thanjavur
Brihadishvara temple was built between 1003 and 1010 during the reign of Raja Raja Chola who apart from being a supreme ruler, was a true patron of art and architecture. The Brihadishvara temple is considered a paragon of Dravidian architecture that went on to inspire the design of temples in South India for over a millennium…
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I complete Char Dham yatra at Dwarkadheesh temple in Gujarat
The melodies of a distant shenai are wafting in the air, I hear the drumbeats. I lift my head and I see a large maroon flag sweeping the blue sky. It’s striking, splendid; connoting majesty !!! There is a bustle around me, a sense of urgency, people are rushing in a direction. I join them. As I…
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Nageshwar Mahadev at Dwarka: The 12th Jyotirlinga
Nageshwar or the Lord of Nagas is the 12th jyotirlinga of Lord Shiva. This temple is located very close to the Dwarka town, the place where the iconic Dwarkadheesh temple is located. The devotees who visit Dwarka usually accommodate a short trip to Nageshwar in their itinerary. It takes about 30 mins to reach Nageshwar temple…
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Somnath: History, mythology & the 1st Jyotirlinga of Lord Shiva
21st April 2018; a fine dawn, I woke up for the nth time. I had been doing this for the last 2 hours just to again fall asleep each time. But this time before my eyelids could redo what they have been doing, I was hit with a strong pungent smell. As I looked around…
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Kanchipuram : The heritage city of Temples
Kanchipuram is a very old town and is well known for its temples. The town is believed to be one of the holiest places and is one of the Sapta Puris of Hinduism. Kanchipuram was ruled by the Pallava rulers followed by the Cholas, the Pandyas and the Vijayanagara empire. The town has some major…
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Pilgrimage to Mata Vaishnodevi shrine #2: Adhkwari to Bhawan
Trek to Mata Vaishnodevi shrine is an arduous pilgrimage and often tests the endurance of the devotees to its limit. Yet year after year millions of devotees undertake the trek with unflinching devotion for the divine mother. Most devotees divide their journey (at least psychologically) into 2 parts – Ban Ganga to Adhkwari and then…
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Mata Vaishnodevi shrine at Katra #1: Ban Ganga to Adhkwari
A shivering cold night, mantras played on speakers are wafting in the air accompanied with zealous chants of “ZORR SE BOLO… JAI MATA DI…“, there are horses and mules rushing up and down the tortuous paths and there are enervated people climbing with their walking sticks, panting, struggling to catch a breath yet unwilling to…
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Mystic dham of Lord Jagannath at Puri
The Jagannath temple at Puri was constructed in 12th century by the Ganga dynasty rulers who ruled over Kalinga (present day Odisha). As per the legends, the temple was originally constructed by the divine architect Vishwakarma and the idols were carved by the supreme Lord Vishnu himself who appeared in the form of a carpenter.…
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A guide to the Jagannath Temple at Puri
The Jagannath temple at Puri is one of the Char Dhams. It is also known as the Purushottama kshetra, Martya Vaikuntha, Sri Khetra, Nilachala Dham etc. Owing to its reverence, there is a huge influx of devotees throughout the year. There are many legends and miracles surrounding this mystic temple.
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11th century Lingaraj temple in the city of Temples
Lingaraj temple in Bhubaneswar is one of the oldest known Shiva temples in India. The word Lingaraj translates to King of Lingas. Here Lord Shiva is worshiped as Harihara and Tribhuvaneshwara.
Jolly Miles 