BeHind The Temple RockS- On Tour 1

To cover the entire temples of India, I have chosen a new path today. I will cover them in trips wise—Of course the very important temples are always presented in separate.

            I have started my journey from Bangalore to Sri KalaHasthi  à Tirupathy à Kailashnath kona àNagalapuram-- Veda Narayana Swamy Temple àSurutapalli—Pallikondeswara swamyà Chennai

            I have specified all the significance of temples SriKalaHasthi and Tirupathy with my special images at below links:

Sri KalaHasthi:  http://www.amazingbharat.com/2014/03/sri-kalahasthi-vayu-linga-of-lord-shiva.html

Tirupathy: http://www.amazingbharat.com/2013/06/tirupati-shri-venkateswaraswamy.html

Kailashnatha Kona or Shiva Kona:

            We started from Tirupathy to Chennai, where on the way we first came across Kailasha Kona popularly known as Kailashnath Kona.

            This is a wonderful place where you can see the water falls and many visitors. It is located in the valley of Nagiri hills near Puttoor. First we will come across the sacred ant hill with Lord Subramanya Swamy temple. Few steps ahead is the main temple with waterfalls.

            The water here is rich in minerals and possess curing property. Puranas reveal that Lord Kailasanatheswara Swamy( An Incarnation of Lord Shiva) attended the marriage of Lord Venkateswara Swamy and Goddess Padmavathi at Narayanavanam and selected this waterfall for meditation for sometime. The entire place is entirely surrounded with trees and full of monkeys. It is an natural spot to be explored.

People come in large number during the Maha Shivaratri and Kartheeka Maasam, bathes in the holy medicated water and offers prayer to Lord Shiva.

Here Goddess Parvathi deity is also there. Devotees are blessed with good health.

Veda Narayana Swamy at Nagalapuram:

            A very ancient temple on our next stage of journey is Shri Veda Narayana Swamy at Nagalapuram of Chittoor district, Andhra Pradesh. The significance of temple has a relation with Matsya Avtar, the very first Incarnation of Lord Vishnu. It is believed that Shri Maha Vishnu in his Incarnation Matsya Avatar, killed demon Somakudu here and retrieved Vedas. He hands over the Vedas to Lord Brahma here in this sacred place. This town is once known as HariKantapuram.

            Deity is the Matsyavatar of shri Maha Vishnu which is Swayambhu along with Sridevi and Bhudevi on either side. A peculiar feature of the idol is that it holds the Sudarshana Chakra in ready for release state.

            Story of the temple is, According to Hindu Mythology --One Kalpa equals 4,320 Million years and it is one single day for the Universal Creator Lord Brahma, and once he goes to sleep or meditation he sleeps for one Kalpa.Though Lord is in a stage of deep meditation or sleep – all the 4 vedas are spelled by the four faces of Lord Brahma. A demon who has observed all this importance of Vedas think that he also can become an creator like Brahma on having the Vedas. The Vedas created were stolen by the demon – Rakshasa named Somakasur during this time frame and he hides in the deep oceans.

            Knowing this Lord Brahma, thinks that it is not possible to continue his creation without Vedas and hence approaches Shri Maha Vishnu, asks him to rescue the Vedas.

Lord Vishnu then Incarnates in his Matsya Avatar, the very first Incarnation of Dashavatar.  For years he fought with the demon inside the deep ocean and succeeds in killing him. He collects the Vedas in form of kids at his stomach and Later Vedas were handed over to Lord Brahma in this sacred place.

            Another very important significance of the temple is during the Incarnation of Matsyavatar, Lord fought with demon for years in sea and hence to give warmth to his body Lord SuryaBhagavan makes his sun rays to fell on him. This day is celebrated in temple as the day of surya pujotsawam. Significance is sun rays fall directly on the deity which is 630 foot distant inside the temple. On the first day sun rays fall on the feet of deity, second day on the stomach and third day on the head by making the deity more powerful. To view it many people across the world come here.

This temple was re constructed by King Shri Krishna Devaraaya—the history on the Sashanam of temple says that when the king is returning back after establishing his victory statue in Pottunur and was on his way to a Utsav in kumbakonam, he comes across the sacred city of Harikantapuram temple which is constructed by Pallavas. He then reconstructs the temple and renames the town as nagalapuram in the name of his mother Nagamamba.

Other temples within the premises are:

1. Sri Vedavalli  Tayaru
2. Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy
3. Sri Veeranjaneya swamy
4. Sri Bhakta Anjaneya swamy
5. Sri Rama with sita Lakshmana deity.

Pallikondeswara swamy with Sri sarvamangala—surutapalli

            In our next stage of Journey we reached Surutapalli  -- another very famous temple built around 800 years ago. It is in chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh. It is a unique shiva temple as the deity resembles us like Vishnu’s Ananthasayana pose. Lord Shiva is seen reclining on the lap of goddess parvathi. We can see Kamadhenu and Kalpa Vruksha on either sides of the deity. Inside the temple, the foot steps of Lava Kusa can be found.Another deity of DakshinaMurthy is found here and is considered to be most powerful. Goddess Parvathi is called Marhathambhikai, has to be visited first once we are in temple and is very beautiful along the side of Valmikiswarar Svyambhu Lingam( Valmiki).  The garbha gruha is guarded by Kubhera ( God of wealth) with his consorts Sanganidhi on left and  Padumanidhi on right.Kanchipuram Sankara Paramacharya found this place as the sacred ones as it is traced with Ramayana Period findings.

            This temple was built by the Hari hara Bukkaraya Depicts and this is the only temple in world where we can find Lord Shiva in the sayanam. We can also see other deity’s of Varasidhi Vinayaka, Venugopala Swamy, kashi viswanath with visalakshi on inner premises of temple. Ramalingeswara and Valmikeshwara deity’s sit facing each other. It is said that Valmiki has performed penance before writing Ramayana here. The Lingam is in Triangular shape and there is large Nandi outside the temple.

SthalaPuran:

As we all had a note of how and why Sagaramathanam has happened in my previous writings at:

http://www.amazingbharat.com/2014/03/lord-vishnu-and-his-incarnations-with.html

            When the Milk Ocean is being Churned many came out among them is one toxic poison HALAHAL which was swallowed by Lord Shiva on request of entire worlds. The potential of poison is so strong that it turned Lord’s neck to Blue in color and hence he is named as Neelakantha also. Goddess Parvathi immediately puts her hand and stops the poison from entering his body. Lord Shiva becomes dizzy and lay down with his head on Parvathi’s lap and the whole world went dark. As soon as the effect of the Kalakutta poison is diminished Lord becomes normal. Devas and Asuras wish to have his darshan and when Nandi refused permission to visit him. The sacred Bull asks them to pray waiting until Lord Shiva and Parvathi were out. With the Prayers of them lord gave them darshan with Ananda Tandavam on the top of forehead of Rishaba Vahana. This period is known as Pradosha Kalam. This temple is the origin of Pradosha kalam. This is celebrated on every fortnight. It is believed that who ever performs it will attain Shanthi( Peace) and will be comforted from obstacles of life. Even Lava and Kusha , who unknowingly fought their father Lord Rama came here along with valmiki and worshipped Lord Shiva to get rid off their sin.