Directory of Temples, Travelogues, Geographical map, Photos and more…

May 2, 2008

Dear All,

The Blog http://shanthiraju.wordpress.com/ contains the following:

Comprehensive directory of more than 200 Chola/ Pallava and older temples within Chennai City

More than 200 Chola/ Pallava and older temples around Chennai (within 100 km radius)

Ancient temples in and around Vellore

Travelogues on many temple visits with photos

My Photos on temples are available here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/rajushanthi/collections/

I have also created a geographical map of 108 Divya desams here:

http://www.platial.com/raju0704/map/99885#108_Divya_Desams

All the 84 of the 108 Vishnu Divya desams of Tamilnadu have been marked out (the rest are in the other states and they are coming up soon). Unlike the print maps, this is online map is dynamic and you can zoom it to street level. This is possibly the first of its kind for the Hindu temples.

The following posts could be of interest to you:

Sri Yoga Ramar temple at Nedungunam near Vandavasi

One of the biggest temples for Lord Rama

The biggest Vaishnav temple of Vellore and Thiruvannamalai districts

Lord Rama is seen in a rare posture as Yoga Ramar in a sitting meditative posture without His usual Kothandam

Sri Pundarikaasha Perumal Temple at Thiruvellarai near Trichy

The temple is considered the oldest of the Vaishnavaite temples of South. It is older than Srirangam which was built during Rama's period, whereas this temple was built by Sibhi, 4 generations older forefather of Rama. Hence the name Aadhi Vellarai. According to the Puranas, 64 `Chathuryugas' (the present Kaliyuga being one of them) have passed since the Lord enshrined here.

Situated in a sprawling 14 acre site and resembles an old fort with 36-feet-high massive compound walls on all sides

Only a handful of temples have been dedicated to Lord Varaha, the most important of them being those at Thiruvidanthai near Mahabalipuram and Srimushnam near Kumbakonam where the Lord is hailed as `Gnanapiran.' But one place, which bears the name of this incarnation is Swedha Varaha Kshethram or Thiruvellarai

Here Thayar gets the first rights over Perumal. Only in two other Divya Desams this happens - Nachiyar temple in Thiru Naraiyur, Andal in Srivilliputhur. As per the boon of the Lord, Mother Shenbagavalli took the premier place and comes before the Lord in palanquin during the festival occasions.

A Temple tank Swastik Kulam (pond) or Maamiyaar -Maattu Penn (Mother in law - Daughter in law) theertham, maintained by Archeological Survey of India (ASI) is outside the temple on the south-eastern side. The Swasthik shape of the tank makes it possible that people bathing at one ghat cannot view any other ghat. There are beautiful sculptures in the pillars above the steps.

In front of big pillar in this temple, when we make any sound, it replicates and echo around the temple in the inner prakaram. Because of this, some of the paasurams in Divyapprabhandhams are recited for 2-3 times.

There are two cave temples in the rocks, one of them belongs to the period of `Pallava Malla' Nandivarman II and another belongs to the period of Rajaraja 1. There is another cave temple carved out of a rock known as Swedhagiri where Lord Siva, known as `Vada Jambunathar' and Pundarikaksha are enshrined.

This is a must visit temple for its sheer majesty, architectural marvel and heritage history.

Regards,Raju