Shri KedarNath Temple : Holiest & Highest Jyotirling + Kedar Nath Temple Openings + Timing + Kedarnath Tour

One among the twelve Jyotirlingas of Lord Shiva, the holiest of shrines in the Hindu religion and a very significant destination of the Chardham quartet, the majestic Kedarnath temple sits at a high altitude of 3583 mts above sea level surrounded by the mighty peaks of the Himalayas near the Mandakini river in Kedarnath, Uttarakhand in India.

There are Four Other Kedars

• Madhyamaheshwar
• Tunganath
• Kalpeshwar
• Rudranath

Legend Behind Kedarnath Temple:-

The origin of the revered temple can be found in the great epic - Mahabharata. According to legends, the Pandavas sought the blessings of lord Shiva to atone their sin after the battle of Mahabharata. Lord Shiva eluded them repeatedly and while fleeing took refuge at Kedarnath in the form of a bull. On being followed, he dived into ground leaving behind his hump on the surface. The remaining portions of Lord Shiva appeared at four other places and are worshipped there as his manifestations.The arms appeared at Tungnath, the face at Rudranath, the belly at Madmaheshwar and his locks (hair) with head at Kalpeshwar. Kedarnath and the four above mentioned shrines are treated as Panch Kedar.

Structure of Kedarnath Temple:-

Kedarnath Shrine is scenically placed amidst the lofty, snow - covered mountains and grassy meadows covering the valleys. Immediately behind the temple is the high Keadardome peak, which can be sighted from great distances. It is believed that the temple of Kedarnath was constructed by the Pandavas. At the entrance of the temple is the statue of Nandi, the divine bull of Shiva. Walls inside the temple are exquisitely carved with images. The revered Shiva Lingam housed in the temple is in the unusual pyramidal form.

Best Time to visit:-

The ideal time or peak season to go for a Char Dham Yatra is from May to October, except monsoons. This is because; all the four sacred sites are perched in Garhwal Himalayas, which is prone to heavy snowfall. As a result, all the passage leading to the shrines are blocked. Moreover, during the monsoon season, there is undue threat of having landslides, which can further disrupt the journey. For safety reasons, the gates of the temples are also closed for this period of time and the idols are shifted to nearby pilgrim points.

Note:-Kedarnath Temple is open for devotees from 6 am to 2 pm and 5 pm to 8 pm.Shingar Darshan is from 5 pm onwards and Aarti is performed at 6:45 pm. Sharavani Annakoot Mela is celebrated on the day before Raksha Bandhan during August. Special Samadhi puja is help on the closing day of Kedarnath

How To Reach KedarNath:

By air: Nearest Airport Jolly Grant, Dehradun (251 kms.)

By Rail: Rishikesh (234 kms.)

Kotdwar (260 kms.)

By Road:

Approachable on foot from Gaurikund, which is connected by road to Rishikesh, Kotwar, Dehradun, Haridwar and other important hill stations of Garhwal and Kumaon region.

Pilgrimage Attractions near Kedarnath

Shankaracharya Samadhi

Behind the Kedarnath Temple lies the samadhi or the final resting place of Adi Guru Shankaracharya. It is believed, after establishing the four dhams in India, he went for his samadhi at an early age of 32 years.

Excursions Chorabari (Gandhi Sarovar) (2 kms.)

A small lake from where Yudhishthir, the eldest of the Pandavas, is believed to have departed to heaven. The floating ice on the sparkling waters of the lake is a fascinating sight.

Vasuki Tal (6 kms.)

A picturesque lake, 4,135 mts. above sea level is encircled by lofty mountains and offers a commanding view of the Chaukhamba peaks.

Gaurikund (14 kms.)

The trekking base to Kedarnath. A temple dedicated to Gauri and thermal springs of medicinal value are noteworthy.

Sonprayag (20 kms.)

The confluence of Son Ganga and Mandakini rivers. The road to Triyuginarayan diverts from here.

Triyuginarayan (25 kms.)

A 5 kms. trek from Sonprayag, it is the mythological venue of the marriage of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati.An eternal flame, which is said to have been a witness to the marriage, burns in front of the temple even today.

Guptkashi (49 kms.)

The temples of Ardhnarishwar and Vishwanath are noteworthy.

Ukshimath (60 kms)

Winter home of the deity of the Kedarnath Temple and the seat of the Rawal of Kedarnath.

Agastyamuni (73 kms.)

Famous for the temple dedicated to sage Agastya.

Chandrashila (93 kms.)

The Chandrashila peak provides a rare view of snow-clad peaks. The rhododendron Forests and alpine meadows dominate the trek fromTungnath to Chandrashila.

Deoria Tal (68 kms.)

Sari village is the last bus terminus on Chopta-Ukhimath road from where a 2 kms. trek leads to Deoria Tal. This beautiful lake at an altitude of 2,438 mts. gives the spectacular reflection of snow capped peaks in the lake water. Ideal spot for angling and bird watching.

Jagannath Temple : Hyderabad, Puri Jagannath Mandir

Jagannath Temple ("Jagan" means Universe and "Nath" means Lord, thus "Lord Of Universe"), the temple is dedicated to Lord Krishna (one of the incarnation of Lord Vishnu). This temple is said to be a replica of original Jagannath Temple of Puri (Orissa) in context of design/pattern and not in size.

The idols of divine trio in Puri – Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Subhadra are installed in the temple.

While the main structure of temples houses the Lord Krishna along with his brother Balabhadra and Subhadra, it also has five small surrounding temple to house Lord Ganesh (left to the main entrance), Lord Shiva (in front along the steps), Goddess Bhimala (incarnation of Goddess Paravathi, on left back side), Goddess Laxmi (back right side) and two shrines side by side is Navgraha (Nine Planet Lords) and Shri Hanuman (on middle right side). Each of them having a dedicated priest. There are total 3 entrances to this temple , the main entrance opens right in front of the main temple as shown on the second pic top right.

The highlight of the temple is its 'shikhara' (temple tower), standing at an imposing 72 feet tall.

Three gates leads the devotees to the sanctum sanctorum of the temple where the idols of the presiding deities— Lord Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra.

Interesting aspect of this temple architecture and of the original one in Puri is, the exteriors are embellished with some amorous sculpture of male and female the same way as we have in Khujaraho Temples (pic on right has 5 such sculpt, one of them is a Lion ridding on an Elephant). There are plenty of theories or concepts behind these sculptures on temple walls as I read on web

- These sculpt represents the external desire of human and one needs to raise above all these desires to reach to GOD.

- Some one said, these are carved on exteriors so to protect it from lighting, rains etc as Lord of water Indra as himself being a great sex admirer won't destroy anything which itself shows as a sex lover.

- As lord Krishna himself was a great Casanova and thus sculpture was made according to his very nature.

The Hyderabad Kalinga Cultural Trust has worked for several years to build the replica of the Puri temple in the heart of the city, Banjara Hills. Jagannath Ratha Yatra is the most celebrated festival in the temple. In 2010, Hyderabad Jagannath Ratha Yatra date is July 13.

Below is the contact info for Kalinga Samaj and temple.

Kalinga Cultural Trust

Kalinga Cultural Centre

Plot No 1269

Road No 12,

Banjara Hills

Hyderabad – 500034

Phone: 040 – 23303889

Akshardham Temple at Delhi:Worlds Largest Hindu Temple Complex

Akshardham is a Hindu temple complex in Delhi, also referred to as Delhi Akshardham or Swaminarayan Akshardham, the complex displays centuries of traditional Indian and Hindu culture, spirituality, and architecture.The Delhi Akshardham is an imitation of the Akshardham in Gandhinagar, Gujarat.

The temple is situated in East Delhi area, near the Akshardham Flyover. Spread over an area of 100 acres, it stands adorned with 20,000 statues, floral motifs, arches and exquisitely carved pillars. The construction work on this huge temple complex started in the year 2003 and it took approximately 2 years to complete it fully.

Construction

Around 1997 and 1998, the idea to start development on the temple, by beginning the stone carving, had been requested. However, this idea was denied by Pramukh Swami Maharaj who believed that the construction should only start after the land was acquired. The initial work done on the site was on the foundation. Due to the soft river bank, the site wasn't considered ideal for construction. As a result, a deep foundation was imperative. To construct a stable foundation, 15-foot (4.6 m) of rocks and sand were entwined with wire mesh and topped by five feet of concrete. Five million fired bricks raised the foundation another 21.5-foot (6.6 m). These bricks were then topped by three more feet of concrete to form the main support under the monument.

On 2 July 2001, the first sculpted stone was laid.The team of eight sadhus consisted of scholars in the field of the Pancharatra Shastra, a Hindu scripture on architecture and deity carving. The sadhus watched over stone work as well as the research on carvings on Indian craftsmanship from between 8th and 12th century. This research was done at various sites such as Angkor Wat, as well as Jodhpur, Jagannath Puri, Konark, and other temples in South India.

Seven thousand carvers and three thousand volunteers were put to work for the construction Akshardham.With over 6,000 tons of pink sandstone coming from Rajasthan, workshop sites were set up around places within the state. Amongst the carvers were local farmers and fifteen hundred tribal women who had suffered from a drought and received economic gain due to this work. The initial stone cutting was done by machine, while the detailed carvings were done by hand. Every night, over one hundred trucks were sent to Akshardham, where four thousand workers and volunteers operated on the construction site.

Sit Around :

Yagnapurush Kund, A Musical Fountain. Also World's Largest Yagna Kund (Sacrificial Fire).

Must See :

Epic Period Film Featuring an Exciting and Inspiring Pilgrimage of Neelkanth Varni a Child-yogi of 18th Century.

There are three halls inside the premises of the Akshardham Temple, where exhibitions are organized on a regular basis.

Hall 1 (Sahajanad Pradarshan)

Sahajanad Pradarshan exhibition is organized in hall number one and showcases life like robotics and panoramas. Scenes from Swaminarayan's life, conveying his message of peace and harmony, also form a part of the exhibition.

Hall 2 (Nilkanth Kalyan Yatra)

Hall number 2 has Delhi's first format screen and showcases Nilkanth Kalyan Yatra, the journey of Lord Swaminarayan during his teenage years.

Hall 3 (Sanskruti Vihar)

The Sanskruti Vihar exhibition of hall number three provides you a peek into the 10,000 years of Indian history in just 10 minutes.

Some Amazing Facts About The Temple

1. It is one of the biggest and most intricate religious places of worship ever constructed.

2. The Akshardham monument, built without steel, is entirely composed of sandstone and marble

3. It consists of 234 ornately carved pillars, 9 ornate domes, 20 quadrangled shikhars, a spectacular Gajendra Pith (plinth of stone elephants) and 20,000 murtis and statues of India's great sadhus, devotees, acharyas and divine personalities

4. The monument was built after over 300 million man hours of services rendered by 11,000 volunteers, sadhus and artisans

5. The ornate external wall (Mandovar) is the only and largest, intricately carved structure with dimensions of 611ft x 31ft that is built in the last 800 years

6. The Gajendra Pith stretching for 1,070 ft and weighing 3,000 tons, has 148 full-sized elephants, 42 birds and animals, 125 human sculptures!

7. The Akshardham parikrama (circumambulatory path) consists of 1,152 pillars, 145 windows and 154 samvaran shikhars; amounting to a total of 53,956 stones.

Entry Formalities: Only small female purses or male wallets allowed .Cell phones and other electronic devices are prohibited. Entry to the complex is free. But for exhibitions and light and sound show inside the complex, one has to take tickets

How to Reach Akshardham temple:

The mandir is about 9-10 kms from the New Delhi Railway station if you exit from platform no. 12 (Ajmeri Gate) and not platform no1. (Paharganj). Auto Rickshaws are easily available.

The Akshardham Metro Station is a complement of the mandir located nearby. A metro train to the station can be easily boarded from the New Delhi Metro Station.

It is around 4 kms from the Nizamuddin Railway Station. You can take an auto from the prepaid counter at the station.

Timings of Akshardham Temple at Delhi:

Tuesday - Sunday 9 AM-7 PM (The entire complex is closed on Mondays)

The Swaminarayan Akshardham Temple has recently entered the Guinness Book of World Records for being the worlds largest Hindu temple complex. The temple is spread over an area of 86,342 square feet. It is 356 feet long, 316 feet wide and 141 feet high.

Things to do:

Murti Darshan: 9 AM to 7 PM

Exhibitions: 9 AM to 6 PM (Fees Apply)

Musical Fountain Show: 6.45 PM (Fees Apply)

Premvati Food Court: 11 AM to 10 PM

Hare Rama Hare Krishna,Lord Krishna At Vrindavan

It was really one of most beautiful moments of my life when I went to temple in vrindavan. I cant tell you what kind of feelings(positive) were coming in my mind when I was there because i don't have enough words to say. If these pictures are so beautiful that can make you lost, can you imagine what kind of feeling will come to you when you will see him through your own eyes.

If you are looking for peace of mind you should go to meet Lord Krishna at Vrindavan or Mathura.

Srisailam Temple + Bhramaramba Mallikarjunaswamy Temple-One Of The 12 Jyotirlinga Temples Dedicated To Lord Shiva.

This was my first visit from Hyderabad after my posting.My Mom and Dad came to Hyderabad first time so by the weekend we decided to go to Srisailam.We booked a Car started our journey in morning 5:00 AM.Here are few intresting facts about the Srisailam.
Srisailam is a holy town and mandal, situated in Nallamala Hills of Kurnool district, Andhra Pradesh, India. It is located on the banks of River Krishna, about 232 km south of Hyderabad. The presiding Deities of this kshetram Lord Mallikarjuna Swamy is one of the twelve Jyothirlingas and Goddess Bhramaramba Devi is one of the eighteen Mahasakthis and both are self-manifested. The unique feature of this kshetram is the combination of Jyothirlingam and Mahasakthi in one campus, which is very rare and only one of its kind.There is a common belief in vogue that this Holy Kshetram exists from times immemorial. The antiquity and origin of God Mallikarjuna Swamy and Goddess Bhramaramba Devi is not known.

Lord Rama himself installed the Sahasralinga, while the Pandavas lodged the Panchapandava lingas in the temple courtyard.Heroic legends from the Mahabharata and Ramayana are sculpted in stone on the temple walls and the Mahabharata epic refers to Srisailam as Sri Parvata - the blessed hill. You can hear the buzzing of a bee through a tiny hole in the Brahmaramba temple, where Parvati, in the form of a bee, slew the demon Mahisasura.


DARSHANAM

The timings of the temple is as follow:


From To
4.30 AM - 5.00 AM Mangalavadyams.
5.00 AM -5.15 AM Suprabhatam.
5.15 AM -6.30 AM Pratahkalapuja, Gopuja and Maha Mangala Harathi.
6.30 AM -1.00 PM Darshanam, Abhishekam and Archanas by the devotees.
1.00 PM -3.30 PM Alankara Darshanam.
4.30 PM -4.50 PM Mangalavadyams.
4.50 PM -5.20 PM Pradoshakalapuja.
5.20 PM -6.00 PM Susandhyam and Maha Mangala Harathi.
5.50 PM -6.20 PM Rajopachara puja (Parakulu) to Bhramaramba Devi.
6.20 PM -9.00 PM Darshanam, Abhishekam and Archanas.
9.00 PM -10.00 PM Dharma Darshanam.
9.30 PM -10.00 PM Ekantha Seva.
10.00 PM -Closure of the temple.

Srisailam near Hyderabad is also an unique forest sanctuary apart from being an important pilgrimage town. It is a wonderful destination for it makes a refreshing weekend break from Hyderabad. The forest of Srisailam is the hub of the largest tiger reserve in India. The reserve of Srisailam acquires 3568 square kilometers of land and shelters animals and birds of different species. They are as follows:

* Blackbuck
* Panthers
* Tiger
* Chinkara
* Spotted deer
* Nilgai
* Pangolins
* Leopards
* Soft-shelled turtles
* Porcupines
* Crocodiles
* Birds
* Snakes


Places Can Be Visited:-

Distances of all tourist attractions from Srisailam temple

1. Sikharam : 8K.M
2. Hathakeshwaram : 4K.M
3. Phaladhara & Panchadhara : 4K.M
4. Kailasa dwaram : 7K.M
5. Bhimuni Kolanu : 10K.M
6. Sakshi Ganapathi : 3K.M
7. Srisailam Dam : 15K.M
8. Istha Kameswari : 21K.M
9. Pathaleshwara Swami : 1K.M
10. Ankalamma Temple : 0.5K.M
11. Bayalu Veerabhadra swami : 1/2K.M
12. Pancha Mathalu : Towards West of Sri Bhramaramba devi temple
13. Mallamma kanniru : 1K.M
14. Sivaji memorial : 0.5K.M
15. Siddhi Ramappa Kolanu : 0.5K.M
16. Ganga Bhavani bathing ghats : 0.5K.M
17. Pathala Ganga : 2K.M
18. Akka mahadevi caves : 12K.M
19. Kadali vanam : 17K.M
20. Bhairava sela : 13K.M

On the way while coming back we were crossing forest of Srisailam which is largest tiger Reserviour in India.when we crossed the srisailam dam it staretd raining and till we were in forest it was raining whole time. On the way we saw monkeys and cows crossing the roads.I heard a lot about the forests but it was my visit to any forest.It was really one of the most memorable journey.

How To Reach:-


Air:

The nearest Airport is Hyderabad (230 K.M.) from where buses are plying to Srisailam everyday frequently

Rail :

Markapur, which is 91 K.M. from Srisailam in Guntur-Hubli, line on South Central Railway from where buses are available to Srisailam.
Road:

Srisailam is well connected by A.P.S.R.T.C.Buses not only from all corners of the State but also from Bangalore, Chennai etc. The Karnataka Road Transport Corporation is also running buses from various main cities of that state.

India's Largest Temple-Sri Ranganathaswamy/Sri Rangam Temple (Srirangam)

One of the largest temples or religious place in the world is Sri Rangam Temple at Srirangam town of Tamil Nadu state of India.The first of the Vaishnava temples in south India, the Sri Rangam temple is the premier amongst the 108 Vaishnava divyadesas. The Vaishnava Acharyas made it the head quater of the Vaishnava movement. In present times the temple is managed by the Vaishnava Acharyas from the place Nathumani. The temple is dedicated to Lord Vishnu, the preserver of the entire Universe.



History Of Temple:-
Sriranga Mahathmiyam is the compilation of religious accounts of the temple, detailing the origins of its greatness. According to it, Lord Brahma, the Lord of Creation in Hindu mythology was once in a state of deep meditation and in His supreme trance received the gift of the Lord Vishnu's idol, "Ranga Vimana". He was told by the Supreme Lord that there would be seven other appearances of such idols on earth -- Srirangam, Srimushnam, Venkatadri (Tirumala), Saligram (Muktinath), Naimisaranya, Totadri, Pushkara and Badrinath.The idol was then passed on by Brahma to Viraja, Vaiswatha, Manu, Ishwaku and finally to Rama. Lord Rama, himself an avatar of Vishnu, worshipped the idol for a long time, and when he returned victoriously from Sri Lanka after destroying Ravana, he gave it to King Vibhishana as a token of appreciation for the latter's support for Rama against his own brother, Ravana. When Vibhishana was going via Trichy en route to Sri Lanka, the Lord wanted to stay in Srirangam.

About The Temple:-
The temple occupies an area of 156 acres (6,31,000 m²) with a perimeter of 1,116m (10,710 feet) making it the largest temple in India and one of the largest religious complexes in the world. In fact, Srirangam temple can be easily termed as the largest functioning Hindu temple in the world (Angkor Wat being the largest non-functioning temple). However, lots of shops restaurants and flower market occupies the first two pragarams out of seven (Pragarams are the inner columns surrounded by the compound walls (mathil suvar) while the outer column known as Mada veethi). Thus the other massive Tamil temples like Chidambaram (Nataraja swamy Temple), Tiruvannamalai (Annamalaiyar temple), Meenakshi Amman Temple claim to be the biggest temples (Note- all these massive temples are entirely dedicated for the religious rituals and massive in size, structure and tradition.) The temple is enclosed by 7 concentric walls (mathil suvar)with a total length of 32,592 feet or over six miles. These walls are enclosed by 21 Gopurams (Towers).

Festivals:
On the 120th day of the year, the Utsavmaurthy is taken out for procession from its inner sanctum. The Aadi Bharam motsavam is celebrated in the month of Panguni while the great Adhyayanotsavam is performed in the month of Margazhi. The echoes of the recitation of the Prabandham hymns or the Alwar Pasurams can be heard within the thousand pillars.

How to Reach Sri Rangam/ Ranganathaswamy Temple:

By Air
Trichy/Tiruchirapalli is well connected to cities like Chennai, Bangalore, Madurai, and Colombo. The Trichy airport is about 7 km from the city.

By Rail
Trichy/Tiruchirappalli is an important Railway junction of the Southern Railways. It connects many important cities and towns of South India such as Chennai, Thanjavur, Madurai and Chidambaram.

By Road
Trichy/Tiruchirappalli is well connected by road to Madurai, Chennai, Pondicherry and Thanjavur/Tanjore.

Dilwara Temple Mount Abu( Extraordinary Architecture And Marvelous Marble Stone Carvings InThe World)

Dilwara Jain Temples is one of the finest Jain temple known world over for its extraordinary architecture and marvelous marble stone carvings, some experts also consider it architecturally superior to the Taj Mahal.

These temples were built between 11th to 13th century AD, The beautiful lush green hills surrounding the temple gives a very pleasant feeling. The ornamental details of marble stone carvings is phenomenal and unmatched, The minutely carved ceilings and the pillars are just amazing. All this was done at a time when no transport or roads were available at a height of 1200+ Mtrs in Mount Abu, Huge blocks of marble stones were transported on elephant backs from the Arasoori Hills at Ambaji to this remote hilly region of Mount Abu. Dilwara temples is also a popular Jain pilgrimage attraction.

Five Unique Temples of Dilwara

There are 5 temples in all, each with its own unique identity though together they are named after the small village in which they are located. These are:

• Vimal Vasahi (Shri Adi Nathji temple)
• Luna Vasahi (Shri Nemi Nathji temple)
• Pithalhar (Shri Rishabh Deoji temple)
• Khartar Vasahi (Shri Parshav Nathji temple)
• Mahaveer Swami (Shri Mahaveer Swamiji temple)

The Vimala Vashi temple

The Vimal Vashi temple is the earliest and more important of the temples here. It was built in 1021 AD and is dedicated to the first Jain Tirthankara, Adinath.The main shrine and the front of the cells are surrounded by elaborate columns.

The Luna Vashi or the Teja PalaTemple

The Luna Vashi temple is dedicated to the 22nd Tirthankara Shri Nemi Nathji. It resembles the architectural plan of the Vimal Vashi temple although it was built 200 years after that temple. The two brothers, Vastu Pala and Tej Pala, both ministers of a local ruler, built this magnificent temple in 1230 AD. The temple is the among the last few monuments built in the Solanki style, which came to an end towards the end of the 13th century AD with the Muslim occupation of Gujarat.

Pittalhar Temple

This temple was build by Bhima Shah, a minister of Sultan Begada of Ahmedabd. A massive metal statue of Rishab Dev (Adinath), cast in five metals is installed in the temple. The main metal used in this statue is 'Pital' (brass), hence the name 'Pittalhar'. The Shrine consists of a main Garbhagraha, Gudh mandap and Navchowki.

Parshavanath Temple

This temple, dedicated to Lord Parshavnath was built by Mandlik and his family in 1458-59 A.D. It consists of a three storied building, the tallest of all the shrines at Dilwara. On all the four faces of the sanctum on the ground floor are four big mandaps. The outer walls of the sanctum comprise of beautiful sculptures in gray sandstone, depicting Dikpals, Vidhyadevis, Yakshinis, Shalabhanjikas and other decorative sculptures comparable to the ones in Khajuraho and Konark.

Mahaveer Swami Temple

This is a small structure constructed in 1582 A.D. and dedicated to the 24th Jain Tirthankara, Lord Mahaveer. There are pictures on the upper walls of the porch painted in 1764 A.D. by the artists of Sirohi.

HOW TO REACH

BY AIR - The nearest airport is Udaipur, which is connected to several cities by regular flights.

BY RAIL - Abu Road is the closest railhead for Mt Abu. Direct trains run from Abu Road to Ajmer, Jodhpur and Agra. The railhead is on the meter-gauge line between Delhi and Ahmedabad. Some important train connections are :

• Gujarat Mail (Mumbai-Abu Road-Delhi-Sarai Rohilla)
• Aravali Express (Ahmedabad-Abu Road-Marwar)
• Ahmedabad Mail (Delhi-Sarai Rohilla-Abu Road)
• Surya Nagri Express (Jodhpur-Abu Road- Ahmedabad)
• Ranakpur Express (Ahmedabad-Abu Road-Jodhpur)

BY ROAD - Mt. Abu is 185 km from Udaipur. It takes seven hours to reach Udaipur by buses

Lord Srinivasa Govinda at ISKCON, Bangalore

"ha ha Prabhu karo doya, deho more pada chaya, ebe jashak tribhuvana’

Our own velentine king lord Krishna is known by names as "Gopal, Hari, Murari, Govinda, Srinivasa Govinda,Shyam,Mohan and many more. ISKON is one of the most famous group of devoties all around the world. Devoties From Many countries come to India specially for ISKON. ISKON has many branches all around like Delhi,Mumbai,Banglore etc.

I have been visited to pune, Delhi, Mumbai branches of ISKON.

Over the last six years by the divine will of Lord Sri Krishna and the powerful desire and mercy of His pure and exalted devotee, Srila Prabhupada along with the surrender and vision of the Bangalore ISKCON Temple President Madhu Pundit Prabhu and the temple devotees with the support of thousands of donors primarily from Bangalore and Karnataka, an incredible temple complex has manifest complete with three temples.

In the first temple Lord Narasimha is worshipped along with His pure devotee Prahlada. Next is the temple of Sri Srinivasa Govinda. The main temple hall contains the presiding Deities, Sri Radha Krishna-chandra along with Sri Nitai Gauranga and Sri Krishna Balarama.

Here, everyone attends the Mangala Aratik, performs Tulasi puja, sings Narasimha Aratik, chants 16 rounds of Hare Krishna maha-mantra will all the devotees in the main temple hall.

A most unique and ecstatic program is the “Sahastra-koti Hari-nama Japa Yajna for World Peace & Harmony.” This takes place on the steps of the Lord Narismhadeva temple, the first temple the pilgrims visit. From a booth over a loud-speaker system a devotee welcomes the pilgrims to the temple and introduces them to the Hare Krishna maha-mantra, gives them a card with the Hare Krishna mantra printed on it, and explains they can chant the mantra once on each of the 108 steps to Lord Narsimhadeva’s temple. Most of the pilgrims choose to enter the temple this way and therefore they all chant one complete round of the Hare Krishna mantra before entering the temple complex! I have spent quite a bit of time at this part of the temple and it is my favorite place. The pilgrims chant the Hare Krishna mantra guided by Srila Prabhupada who is loudly chanting the Hare Krishna mantra over a sound system along with other devotees who encourage the pilgrims to chant Hare Krishna louder… It can be a very ecstatic transcendental experience indeed.

Festival:

A major festival of south India, Vaikuntha Ekadashi is observed with all solemnity in the temples of Lord Vishnu. The Vaikuntha Dwara (gate) of all Vishnu temples is opened on this day. Thousands of devotees pass through this gate to get special mercy of Lord Srinivasa Govinda. Lord Srinivasa Govinda receives a gorgeous bathing ceremony and special alankara on this day with sparkling jewels.

For More Information visit

http://iskconbangalore.org

Rameswaram Temple ,Tamilnadu( Pilgrimage to Varansi Is Incomplete Without A Pilgrimage to Rameswaram)

One of the Most importan temples described in hindu culture is Rameswaram Temple in Tamilnadu. This Shivastalam is considered to be one of the holiest shrines in India. It represents the southernmost of the 12 Jyotirlingams of India and has been a time honored pilgirmage center held on par with Banaras. The island-temple town is located off of the Sethu coast of Tamilnadu (south eastern). This shrine is regarded as the 8th of the Tevara Stalams in the Pandya region of Tamilnadu Rameshwaram is significant for the Hindus as a pilgrimage to Benaras is incomplete without a pilgrimage to Rameswaram. The presiding deity here is in the form of a Linga with the name Sri Ramanatha Swamy, it also happens to be one of the twelve Jyotirlingas.

View Of the West Gopuram of Rameswaram temple

The masterpiece of South Indian architecture boasts of the largest temple corridor in India. Different rulers built the Ramanatha Swamy Temple over a period of time starting from the 12th century. The temple comprises twenty two wells where the taste of the water of each well is different from the other.

The grandest part of the temple is the 1219 m pillared corridor consisting of 3.6 m high granite pillars, richly carved and well proportioned. The perspective presented by these pillars run uninterruptedly to a length of nearly 230 m.

According to the Puranas, upon the advice of Rishis (sages), Rama along with Sita and Lakshmana, installed and worshipped the Sivalinga here to expiate the sin of Brahmahatya (killing of a Brahmin) (Ravana was a Brahmin the great grandson of Brahma).[citation needed] Rama fixed an auspicious time for the installation and sent Anjaneya to Mount Kailas to bring a lingam. As Anjaneya could not return in time, Sita herself made a linga of sand. When Anjaneya returned with a linga from Mount Kailas the rituals had been over.

Inside view of Rameswaram temple

To comfort the disappointed Anjaneya, Rama had Anjaneya’s lingam (Visvalingam) also installed by the side of Ramalinga, and ordained that rituals be performed first to the Visvalingam.

In Rameshwaram Temple, a spiritual "Mani Darshan" happens in early morning everyday. This "Mani" is made of "sphatik"[a precious stone] and in form of "Holy shivling". according to ved this is "Mani" of "sheshnag".

Sethu Karai is a place 22 km before the island of Rameshwaram from where God Ram is claimed to have built a Floating Stone Bridge Ramasethu till Rameshwaram that further continued from Dhanushkodi in Rameshwaram till Talaimannar in Sri Lanka as mentioned in the great Hindu epic Ramayana.

Worship: Six worship services are carried out each day, the first being at 5am. Special worship services are carried out every Friday.

Festivals: Rama's worship is commemorated in the month of Aani (June 15-July 15); two annual Bhrammotsavams are celebrated in Aadi and in Maasi.

Theertham (Water springs): There are 36 Theerthams in Rameswaram of which 22 are in the temple and these waters are said to possess medicinal properties. Bathing in these is considered to be of great significance. The Agni theertham refers to the ocean while the Koti theertham is located within the temple itself.

How to reach there:-

By Air:

The nearest airport is at Madurai, at a distance of 154-km. Rameshwaram is well connected by trains from all the major cities of India. State transport buses are available from the railway station to the various places in and around Rameshwaram. For local transportation taxis, auto-rickshaws, cycle-rickshaws and tongas are available. Also city bus service is available in the island.

By Train:

The railway network connects Rameshwaram to and from Chennai, Madurai, Coimbatore, Trichy and Thanjavur. The 2 km long Indira Gandhi Bridge connects the island of Rameshwaram with the mainland of Mandapam.

By Road:

Well connected by roads and bus services to all the major cities nearby, especially, Thiruvallur, Kanyakumari, Trichy, Pondicherry, Tanjore and Chennai

Shirdi wale Sai baba(listen download sai bhajans and aarti)

Samadhi Mandir:-

Samadhi Mandir of Shri Sai Baba was actually owned by a millionaire from Nagpur, a famous Sai devotee Shreemant Gopalrao. Gopalrao wanted to keep an idol of Murlidhar here. However, Baba himself became Murlidhar and the Mandir became the Samadhi Mandir of Baba.

The Mandir is built with stones and Baba's Samadhi is built with white marble stones. A railing is built in marble around the Samadhi and is full of ornamental decorations. In front of the Samadhi are two silver pillars full of decorative designs. Just behind the Samadhi is Sai Baba's marvelous statue made of Italian marble, which shows him seated on a throne. Late Balaji Vasant made this idol.

Dwarkamai:-

Shri Sai Baba came to Shridhi with a marriage procession. He stayed at Dwarkamai till the very end of his life. Dwarkamai is situated on the right side of the entrance of Samadhi Mandir. Here he solved problems of the people, cured their sickness and worries. Before Baba's arrival in Shridhi, Dwarkamai was an old mosque in a dilapidated condition. Baba turned it into Dwarkamai and proved that God is one.

The first level of Dwarkamai has a portrait of Baba and a big stone on which Baba used to sit. This level has two rooms. One contains the chariot and the second a palkhi. Just in front of the room where the chariot is kept is a small temple. A saffron flag flies over it.

The second level of Dwarkamai has a square stool made of stone, which Baba used for taking a bath. The main attraction of this place is the oil painting of Shri Sai Baba sitting in a carved wooden shrine. This level also has the grinding stone and the wooden vessel called Kolamba in which Baba used to keep the Bhiksha brought from the village.

Gurusthan:-

Sai Baba first came to Shridhi in the form of Bal Yogi - a child ascetic. He was first spotted seated under a Neem tree. This place came to be known as Gurusthan. The renovation of Gurusthan was made on 30th September 1941. The present temple was built after this period. There is a small shrine in Gurusthan. On a elevated platform of this shrine a big portrait of Baba is placed. On the side is a marble statue of Baba. In front of the portrait are a Shivling and the Nandi. Photos of twelve Jyotirlingas are kept in the temple. The branches of the Neem tree have come out through the roof of the temple.

At a short distance lies Baba's CHAVADI. Baba used to sleep here every alternate day. The Chavadi is divided into two parts. One part of the Chavadi has a large portrait of Baba along with a wooden bed and a white chair belonging to him.There is a cottage of Abdul Baba, an ardent devotee of Shri Sai Baba, in front of the Chavadi. Abdul Baba looked after the Lendi Baug. There are photos and various things, which were handled by Sai Baba and Abdul Baba in the cottage.

Lendi Baug:-

At some distance from Gurusthan there is the Lendi Baug. This Baug was made and watered daily by Baba himself. It got its name from a Nalla (a drain), which used to previously flow there. Baba used to come here every morning and afternoon and take rest under a Neem tree. Baba dug a pit, 2 feet deep, under the Neem tree and kept a Deep lit in that pit. One octangular Deepgriha called Nanda Deep has been built in marble stone in memory of this place. It constantly burns in a glass box. On one side of the Deepgriha is a Peepal tree and on the other side is a Neem tree.

Some distance away is a Datta Mandir below an Audumbar tree. In the Mandir there is a statue of Datta built in marble stone. The statue of Datta was installed on 6th December 1976. Just behind the Datta Mandir is a Samadhi of the horse, Shyamsundar which belonged to Baba and which used to bow to him.

Khandoba Mandir:-

This temple is situated on the main road. In front of this temple Baba was welcomed by Poojari Mhalsapati, of this temple, saying "Aao Sai", when Baba stepped in Shridi. In this temple there are icons of Khandoba, Banai and Mhalsai.

How to reach there:-

By Air

The nearest airport to Shirdi is at Nashik, 75kms away, Aurangabad is at a distance of 150kms, which is connected by all the major towns of India. You can also come till Mumbai by air and travel down to 296kms to reach Shirdi. Mumbai has both international and domestic airports that grant connectivity to the world. Domestic airport in Pune is about 231kms from Shirdi. There are regular public and private transport operators that ensure your easy access to the sanctum of Saibaba.

By Rail/Train

Kopergaon on Daund-Manmad Line is an important railway station about 16kms from Shirdi. This station is on the route of the Karnataka Express from New Delhi to Bangalore. Manmad is another important station about 58kms from Shirdi which carries a number trains from Mumbai and Delhi. Shirdi has a computerized Railway Ticket Booking Center within the temple premises. From here you can have railway tickets of whichever destination all through India.

By Road

Shirdi can be reached by taking a Bus from almost all major cities of Maharashtra. Shirdi is on the Ahmednagar-Manmad Highway, 250 km from Mumbai and 75 km from Nashik. MTDC runs buses from all major destinations.

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