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Temples of South India

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Item Code: NAM329
Publisher: Techno Book House, Tamil Nadu
Author: Macherla Diwakar
Language: English
Edition: 2015
ISBN: 9789383440344
Pages: 224 (150 B/W Illustrations)
Cover: Paperback
Other Details 8.5 inch x 5.5 inch
Weight 250 gm
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Shipped to 153 countries
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Book Description
Back of the Book

Hindus can proudly claim to be the descendants of a race that believes in idol worship, in worshipping stones, animals, birds and reptiles. We visit temples with the weirdest and most bizarre sthala puranas, and are not ashamed of it. We are not ashamed of our Naga sadhus either, for they are just another manifestation of the freedom of thought and action that this land is famous for. All this and more represents the inclusiveness of what is popularly known as Hinduism, but which in reality is Sanatana Dharma, the eternal path.

Introduction

Templeck to 80,000 years. In any case, Rudra, the fierce form of Lord Shiva, is mentioned in the Vedas, which predate the Puranas by a long way.

However, our brief here is not worship can be said to be as old as the hills. Well, not nearly. The hills came first and the temples later. Worship through the medium of stones was the origin, doubtless. Organised worship, in the form of temples, followed in due course. Even the sthala puranas of the various temples only speak of the origin of the idol. To give just one example, the Sri Guruvayurappan idol, in Guruvayur, is stated to be given by Lord Krishna, anticipating the destruction of Dwaraka, to His devotee, Udhava. Udhava then asked for guidance from Brihaspati, the Guru of the Gods, and Vayu, the God of Wind. Guru and Vayu installed the deity, in the presence of Parasurama. Since Guru and Vayu installed the idol, the place came to be known as Guru- Vayuur or oor: place, and the deity as Sri Guruvayurappan. This was just after the advent of Kali Yuga, some 5,000 years ago. The first historical mention of the Guruvayur temple was a good deal later-in the 14th century. However, worship of the idol is slated to have been going on for a much longer period.

Likewise, worship at Sri Dharma Sastha temple in Sabarimala is stated to have begun around 4,500 years back. Similarly, Sri Parthasarathy Swamy temple, in Triplicane, Madras, is first mentioned by Periyalwar, who is said to have lived about 4,000 years ago. In all these cases, the idols came first and the structures later. There are also thousands of instances where monarchs built temples and installed the idols. These are in a different category altogether.

Worship of Shiva goes back even earlier, to the Tretaya Yuga-2, 165,000 years back, if you take the scriptures literally, or 7,200 years ago, according to Yogi Yugteswar Giri (1855-1936), who thinks that the earlier "traditional or long count view is based on a misunderstanding." Be that as it may, tens of temples are strewn across the land where the Shiva Lingam was ostensibly installed by Lord Rama, who lived in the Tretaya Yuga. The most prominent example is Sri Ramanatha Swamy temple in Rameswaram. But this is a point that is likely to be disputed by devout Vaishnavas. Without getting into the Shaiva- Vaishnava controversy, we would like to advert to the Lingam in Sri Vruddha Mallikarjuna Swamy shrine, in Srisailam, which is said to be the oldest entity in Sri Mallikarjuna Swamy/Goddess Brahmaramba Devi temple complex, dating ba to do research about temple worship, but to write about the temples per se. We are glad to say that all the temples––one hundred per cent of them, covered in this book were personally 'visited by the author, during a period spanning slightly more than a year. Trains and mainly buses, were the chosen mode of transport. For three reasons. They are cheap, safe and that is the way ninety per cent of Indians travel.

Hindus can proudly claim to be the descendants of a race that believes in idol worship, in worshipping stones, animals, birds and reptiles, a race whose men wear the holy marks on their bodies, and whose women sport the vermilion mark on their foreheads. We believe in the Vedas and Upanishads, the epics and the numerous puranas. We visit temples with the wierdest and most bizarre sthala puranas, and are not ashamed of it We are not ashamed of our Naga sadhus either, for they are just another manifestation of the freedom of thought and action that this land is famous for. All this and more represents the inclusiveness of what is popularly known as Hinduism, but which in reality is Sanatana Dharma, the eternal path.

The paths are many, but the goal is one, proclaimed the Vedas of our rishis, eons ago. We don't have priests or prophets who order us to read a particular book or follow a particular way of life, or risk excommunication or, worse, death. We have assimilated many religions or at least the worthy practices of other faiths. We were secular long before the word was coined. However, we are now confronted by a grave danger from exclusive religions and their phoney secular friends. The danger to our Sanatana Dharma–temples are just one part of it–is real and clear. But we can take heart from what the great modem rishi, Sri Aurobindo, said: "Hindu culture is not such a weak and fluffy thing as to be easily stamped out; it has lasted through something like five millenniums and is going to carry on much longer and has quite enough power to survive."

Contents

Andhra Pradesh / Telangana
1Lepakshi9
2Vontimitt10
3Nandalur12
4Brahmamgari Mattam12
5Ahobilam14
6Mahanandi16
7Srisailam18
8Alampur (Telangana)21
9Tirupati- Tiruchanur22
10Tirumala23
11Nagari25
12Narayanavanam26
13Nagalapuram27
14Bhadrachalam (Telangana)28
15Parnasala(Telangana)30
16Dwaraka Tirumala31
17Vijayawada32
18Rajamundry33
19Ryali35
20Annavaram36
21Samalkot38
22Draksharama39
23Kotipalli41
24Ainavilli42
25Mukteswaram43
26Appanapalli43
27Antarvedi44
28Palakkolu46
29Bhimavaram47
30Srikakulam48
31Prasanthi Nilayam49
Karnataka
1Gokarna53
2ldagunji55
3Murudeshwara56
4Kollur58
5Udupi60
6Karkala62
7Sringeri63
8Horanadu65
9Dharmasthala66
10Belur68
11Halebidu70
12Belavadi72
13Shravanabelagola73
14Srirangapattana75
15Sri Chamundi Hills76
16Bengaluru78
17Nanjangud80
18Somanathpur82
Kerala
1Thiruvananthapuram85
2Thrissur86
3Guruvayur88
4Mammiyur90
5Sabarimala91
6Ambalapuzha93
7Chengannur95
8Aranmula97
9Thiruvalla98
10Chottanikkara101
11Kalady103
12Kozhikode105
13Pulpally106
Tamil Nadu
1Chidambaram110
2Gangaikonda Cholapuram112
3Tiruvannamalai113
4Tiruvallur116
5Tiruvottiyur117
6Tiruvanmiyur119
7Tiruvaiyaru120
8Thingalore122
9(Raja) Mannargudi123
10Tirukkandiyur124
11Thanjavur126
12Swamimalai128
13Thiruvalanchuzhi129
14Patteswaram130
15Darasuram132
16Oppiliappan Kovil133
17Tirunageswaram135
18Kumbakonam137
19Kanchipuram139
20Kundrathur146
21Tiruchi147
22Jambukeswaram149
23Srirangam151
24Samayapuram153
25Pillayarpatti154
26Kundrakudi156
27Rameswaram157
28Madurai159
29Tirupparankundram162
30Koodal Azhagar163
31Alagar Kovil165
32Pazhamuthircholai166
33Srivilliputhur168
34Tenkasi170
35Kuttralam172
36Sankarankovil173
37Tiruchendur174
38Krishnapuram177
39Tirunelveli178
40Kanniyakumari180
41Suchindram182
42Palani185
43Sri Masaniamman Kovil187
44Marudhamalai188
45Perur190
46Dhyanalinga191
47Bannari192
48Avinashi194
49Tirumurugan Poondi196
50Bhavani198
51Tiruchengode200
52Salem201
53Tharamanalam203
54Sirkazhi205
55Vaitheeswarankoil206
56Tirukkadaiyur208
57Tiruttani210
58Puducherry (Pondicherry)212
59Chennai (Madras)215

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