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Temple Elephant, OppiliappanTemple, Thirunageswaram
The Oppiliappan Temple, also known as Thiruvinnagar, Uppliyappan Temple, Oppiliappan Kovil and Oppiliappan Sannidhi is a Narayana temple located near the village of Thirunageswaram in the Thanjavur district of Tamil Nadu, India. The presiding deity in this temple is Lord Uppiliappan Perumal with his consort Bhumi Devi and her father sage Markandeya. The temple is regarded as one of the 108 Divya Desams.
The Temple is located about 7 kilometres (4.3 mi) from Kumbakonam and is reachable by the State highway SH-147. It one of the main pilgrimage centres of South India and is also known as "South Tirupathi".
It is at this site, where great God Shiva bathed in theertham to get rid of his sin, plucking Brahma's Fifth head. So bathing in the temple theertham (which, nowadays is devoid of water) is said to absolve even the greatest sins.
In a basement in Delhi a women repeatedly throws cleaned village hair onto spikes whilst at the same time pulling it towards her. This ensures that all the hair left in her hand will be the same length.
All painted with red and yellow paint
Check out my portfolio and other photography at Matthieu Photography
In the town of Eluru in the state of Andhra Pradesh a young girl works at getting the strands of temple hair all the same length.
A barber shop owner stands outside his salon in central Delhi. Hair from the barber shops is swept up and then sent off to the hair processing factories. This hair has a variety of uses ranging from stuffing for jackets, cosmetic brushes as well as the extraction of the amino acids within the hair which can be used in food and medicine.
A scene of the children sleeping in the government school after having their mid-day meal. In india millions suffer from hunger and lack of education. Malnutrition is one of the major concern the government is battling. The mid-day meal program comes as a relief for children and pregnant women. In India children go to school to survive the hunger more than for education. There is no fan, no light, no clean water, unkept classrooms, no bathrooms, no transport, no proper care-takers, no good teachers, only the palpable spirit of survival.
At Edgeware road in central London the owner of a wig shop holds a manniquins head with human hair. The most expensive wigs are Indian temple hair wigs, these can fetch several hundred pounds.
In a hair processing factory in the town of Eluru in the state of Andhra Pradesh razor blades and other items that were swept up with the hair are removed. Hair from the barber shops is collected and then sent off to the hair processing factories. This hair has a variety of uses ranging from stuffing for jackets, cosmetic brushes as well as the extraction of the amino acids within the hair which can be used in food and medicine.
The Indian Association for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (IAPEN) is an organization in the field of parenteral and enteral nutrition and promotes basic research, clinical research, advanced education, organization of consensus statements about clinical care and quality control.
The International Conference on Digestive Disorders is hosted and organized by IAPEN - Bangalore Regional Center and IAPEN - Tirupathi Regional Center on 23-24 February 2013 at Hotel Bliss, Tirupathi, Andhra Pradesh, India. The conference theme is Opportunities and Challenges in Digestive Disorders Research.
Sarangapani Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to Vishnu, located in Kumbakonam, Tamil Nadu, India. It is one of the Divya Desams, the 108 temples of Vishnu revered in Nalayira Divya Prabandham by the 12 poet saints, or Alwars. This temple is along Kaveri and is one of the Pancharanga Kshetrams.
The temple is believed to be of significant antiquity with contributions at different times from Medieval Cholas, Vijayanagar Empire and Madurai Nayaks. The temple is enshrined within a huge granite wall and the complex contains all the shrines and the water bodies of the temple. The rajagopuram (the main gateway) has eleven tiers and has a height of 53 m. The Potramarai tank, the temple tank, is located opposite to the western entrance of the temple.
Sarangapani is believed to have appeared for sage Hemarishi. The temple has six daily rituals at various times from 5:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., and twelve yearly festivals on its calendar. The temple chariot festival is the most prominent festival of the temple, celebrated during the Tamil month of Chittirai (March–April). The twin temple chariots are the third largest in Tamil Nadu, each weighing 300 t.
LEGEND
As per Hindu legend, the Vaishnava deity, Sarangapani, an incarnation of Hindu god Vishnu, appeared for a sage Hema Rishi, who performed penance in the bank of Potramarai tank. The penance was performed to obtain Lakshmi, the consort of Vishnu, as his daughter. Vishnu was pleased by the penance and he wished the sage to get Lakshmi as his daughter. Lakshmi emerged from the Potramarai tank among thousand lotuses and was thus named Komalavalli (the one who emerged from lotus). Vishnu descended to earth as Aravamudhan in a chariot drawn by horses and elephants from his abode Vaikuntam. He stayed in the nearby Someswaran Temple to woo Lakshmi to marry him and the couple eventually got married. The name Sarangapani derives from the Tamil word Sarangam meaning bow and pani meaning hand - the one holding bow in his hand is Sarangapani.
THE TEMPLE
Sarangapani is the largest Vishnu temple in Kumbakonam and has the tallest temple tower in the town. The temple is enshrined within a huge wall and the complex enshrines all the water bodies of the temple except the Potramarai tank. The rajagopuram (the main gateway) has eleven tiers and has a height of 53 m. There are five other smaller gopurams in the temple. The rajagopuram has figures depicting various religious stories. The temple faces east and the Potramarai tank is located outside the western entrance. The central shrine of the temple is in the form of a chariot drawn by horses and elephants, with openings on either side, showing the descent of Sarangapani from heaven in the chariot. There is a sculptural representation of the sage Hemarishi in the western part of the temple. The central shrine of the temple houses the image of Sarangapani in pallikonda posture, with his head resting on his right hand. The are other images of sage Hemarishi, Lakshmi and festival images enshrined within the sanctum. There are two stepped entrances to the sanctum named as Utharayana Vaasal and Dhakshanayana Vaasal, each open for a six month period. From the 15th of January to 15th of July, Utharayanya Vaasal is opened while Dhakshanaya Vaasal is opened during the other half of the year. The Potramarai tank has a central hall called Hemarishi Mandapam. The temple has two processional chariots carved out of wood stationed outside the rajagopuram.
In Bharatanatyam, a South Indian dance form, 108 karanas form the basic movements. Some of these karanas are sculpted around the walls of the temple. Similar sculptures are found in the Brihadeeswarar Temple in Thanjavur and Nataraja Temple in Chidambaram.
RELIGIOUS SIGNIFICANCE
Sarangapani temple is considered third in the line of Srirangam and Tirupathi temples. The temple is revered in Nalayira Divya Prabandham, the 7th–9th century Vaishnava canon, by Aandaal in one, Periyalvar in three, Bhoothathalvar in two, Thirumalisai Alvar in seven, Peialvar in two, Nammalvar in eleven and Thirumangai Alvar in 25 versesl. The temple is classified as a divyadesam, the 108 Vishnu temples that are reverred in the Vaishnava canon. As per a Hindu legend, Nathamuni, who compiled Divya Prabandham by the twelve azhwars, found only the first ten verses sung on Aravamudhan. Nammazhwar recited the remaining 3990 verses unconsciously while he was in deep meditation and Nathamuni compiled all of them.
Pancharanga Kshetrams (also called Pancharangams, meaning the "five Rangams or Ranganathas") is a group of five sacred Hindu temples, dedicated to Ranganatha, a form of the god Vishnu, on the banks of the Kaveri River. The five Pancharanga Kshetrams in the order of their successive locations, on the banks of the Kaveri River are: The Srirangapatnam called the Adi Ranga, the first temple on the banks of the Kaveri River from the upstream side; the Srirangam (island in Tiruchirappalli) in Tamil Nadu known as Adya Ranga (the last temple), Appalarangam or Koviladi at Tiurppernagar in Tamil Nadu, Parimala Ranganatha Perumal Temple or Mayuram at Indalur, Mayiladuthurai and Vatarangam at Sirkazhi. The Sarangapani temple at Kumbakonam is mentioned in place of Vatarangam in some references.
WORSHIP & FESTIVALS
The temple follows Pancharatra Agama and Vadakalai tradition. The temple priests perform the pooja (rituals) during festivals and on a daily basis. Like other Vishnu temples of Tamil Nadu, the priests belong to the Vaishnavite community, a Brahmin sub-caste. The temple rituals are performed six times a day; Tiruvanandal at 8:00 a.m., Kala santhi at 9:00 a.m., Uchikalam at 12:30 p.m., Ntiyanusandhanam at 6:00 p.m., Irandamkalam at 7:30 p.m. and Ardha Jamam at 9:00 p.m. Each ritual comprises three steps: alangaram (decoration), neivethanam (food offering) and deepa aradanai (waving of lamps) for both Sarangapani and Thayar. The food offering during the six times are curd rice, Ven pongal, spiced rice, dosa, Ven pongal and sugar pongal respectively. The worship is held amidst music with nagaswaram (pipe instrument) and tavil (percussion instrument), religious instructions in the Vedas (sacred text) read by priests and prostration by worshippers in front of the temple mast. There are weekly, fortnightly and monthly rituals.
Akshaya Tritiyai - 12 Garuda Sevai Chaitra Brahma Utsavam celebrated during the Tamil month of Chittirai (April - May), Vasantotsavam during Vaikasi (May - June), Pavitrotsavam - Ekadasi Jyeshotsavam during Adi(July - August), Sri Jayanthi - Uriyadi Utsavam during Avani (August - September), Navaratri Utsavam - Saraswathi Puja - Vijayadasami during Purattasi (September - October), Deepavali - Shraddha of Sri Lakshmi Narayanaswami during Aippasi (October - November), Deepa Utsavam - Unjal Utsavam during Karthigai (November - December), Pakal Pattu - Ira Pattu Pongal Sankaramana Utsavam during Margazhi (December - January), Kanu Utsavam - Amavasya - Ratasaptami during Thai (January - February), Masi Magaham - Float Festival during Masi (February - March) and Brahmmotsavam - Tirukkalyanotsavam during Panguni (March - April) are the festivals celebrated in the temple.
The twin temple chariots weigh 300 t each and has been renovated in 2007. The chariots were not drawn for some years during the preceding period. The chariots are next only in size to the ones in Thygaraja temple in Thiruvarur and Andal Temple in Srivilliputhur. The chariots are pulled by hundreds of devotees across the streets around the temple twice a year, once during the Brahma Utsavam during April-May and other during Ratasaptami in January-February. The festival idols of Sarangapani and Kamalvalli are brought to the thermutti (chariot station) after elaborate religious rituals.
As per a temple legend, once a staunch Brahmin devotee of Aravamudhan spent most of his life to the service of the deity. At the end of his life, he felt his loneliness and prayed for his karma to be performed. Aravamudhan descended himself to perform the last rites on a Deepavali day. The ritual is performed annually by the priests and is one of its kind where death rituals are performed in the precincts of a Vishnu temple.
WIKIPEDIA
We met this person in the mamandoor bus station when we were taking some refreshing drink after a 4 Days tiredsome DOA Trek. He was begging the bus stand. We dont have any money in the pocket since the wallet was in the Car. When he came to Peter and asked for money, Peter just noticed his pocket, he was having a 100 rupees note with some more notes. We were thinking that we dont have money but he is having but still want more from this trekkers.
This the falls we discovered in our V4 Exploration.
After 3 days of trekking (almost covered some 50 kms) .We walking through a stream..so thirsty
so tired .After a L curve we suddenly saw face of this falls ..We can't control our excitement ..We discovered another one falls !!Ohhh!
Then we played in it ...took bath..climbed over it...Played with it ...It's nature's toy...Isn't it.
At last,it came the naming confusion.
My self and guru suggested "Angel Falls"(In the meaning of bliss form angel in heaven)
but karthick suggested "Rain falls"(It Seems heavy raining ,if u under this falls)
A debate went on..At last we decided the name as "Rain falls" and marked the name in our GPS(for future tracking purpose)
And left the place..It's still unforgettable moments.
You know ;) ....Still i prefer name "Angel falls !"
Category: Parks for All Seasons
Description: Inspired by a poem by Tirupathi Chandrupatla
Location: Calderstones Park
An entry in the 2013 Parks Photography Competition. Details of the competition can be found at liverpool.gov.uk/leisure-parks-and-events/parks-and-green...
In Walthamstow in east London a wig shop owner stands in front of a display of human hair wigs. The wigs are generally made in the country they are sold in.
At a hair processing factory in Eluru in the state of Andhra Pradesh, temple hair is first soaked in caustic soda and shampoo over night then rinsed out the next morning and laid out to dry.
This is Tirumala hills, where Lord Venkateshwara resides in his grand temple. Every week millions of people visit this temple, situated on a plateau at the top of a range of hills. The donations to this temple are so plentiful that a team of money counters do their job in continuous shifts spanning most of the 24 hours.
At a hair processing factory in Eluru in the state of Andhra Pradesh, temple hair is first soaked in caustic soda and shampoo over night then rinsed out the next morning and laid out to dry.
KA 01 AB 5372.B9R VOLVO MULTI AXLE 2+2 A/C SEMI SLEEPER COACH ROUTE : COIMBATORE - TIRUPATHI - VIJAYAWADA
Patiala Locomotives Works , Patiala assembled 39356 KJM ( KRISHNARAJAPURAM ) Brand new WAP7 in transit to DLS KJM powering TIRUPATHI - CHAMRAJNAGAR EXP meeting recently POHed 20019 KJM WDP4 meeting at Mysore
Varadharaja Perumal Temple, Kanchipuram, India
Varadharaja Perumal Temple or Hastagiri or Attiyuran is a Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu located in the holy city of Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu, India. It is one of the Divya Desams, the 108 temples of Vishnu believed to have been visited by the 12 poet saints, or Alwars. It is located in a suburb of Kanchipuram known as the Vishnu Kanchi that is a home for many famous Vishnu temples. One of the greatest Hindu scholars of Vaishnava VisishtAdvaita philosophy, Ramanuja is believed to have resided in this temple. The temple along with Ekambareswarar Temple and Kamakshi Amman Temple in Kanchipuram is popularly known as Mumurtivasam (abode of trio), while Srirangam is referred to as ‘ The Koil’ (meaning: "temple") and Tirupathi as the ‘Malai’ (Meaning: "hill"). Among the Divya Desams, Kanchipuram Varadaraja Perumal temple is known as the ‘Perumal Koil’. This is one of the most sacred places for Vaishnavites. There is another famous temple of Varadarajaswamy in Kurmai, of Palamaner mandal in Chittoor District of Andhra Pradesh, called the Kurma Varadaraja Swamy Temple.
Varadharaja Perumal Temple or Hastagiri or Attiyuran is a Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu located in the holy city of Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu, India. It is one of the Divya Desams, the 108 temples of Vishnu believed to have been visited by the 12 poet saints, or Alwars. It is located in a suburb of Kanchipuram known as the Vishnu Kanchi that is a home for many famous Vishnu temples. One of the greatest Hindu scholars of Vaishnava VisishtAdvaita philosophy, Ramanuja is believed to have resided in this temple. The temple along with Ekambareswarar Temple and Kamakshi Amman Temple in Kanchipuram is popularly known as Mumurtivasam (abode of trio), while Srirangam is referred to as ‘ The Koil’ (meaning: "temple") and Tirupathi as the ‘Malai’ (Meaning: "hill"). Among the Divya Desams, Kanchipuram Varadaraja Perumal temple is known as the ‘Perumal Koil’. This is one of the most sacred places for Vaishnavites. There is another famous temple of Varadarajaswamy in Kurmai, of Palamaner mandal in Chittoor District of Andhra Pradesh, called the Kurma Varadaraja Swamy Temple.
LEGEND
Indra, the king of celestial deities, after getting released from the curse of Goddess Saraswati, installed the silver and golden lizards who were the witness of the ordeal. Brahma performed a yagna here, which was about to be washed away by the fast flowing river Vedavathi. The temple deity, Vishnu laid himself flat to stay the flow and the yagna was successfully performed. Vishnu emerged with brilliance of thousand Suns as Devarajaswamy and stayed here permanently. As is the case with the association of South Indian temples with a sacred tree, the name of the temple, Attigiri is derived from Atti tree, considered sacred to Vaishnavas.
Thirukkachi Nambigal(Also known as Kanchi Purnar) was an ardent devotee of this temple. He used to bring flowers everyday from Poovirundhavalli, where he maintained a garden. He did Aalavatta Kaingariyam, waving to produce breeze with the help of hand fan. It is believed that Vardharaja used to converse with him, while he was doing that seva. Aalavatta Kaingariyam is a worship practise followed in modern times also.
Nambi also composed Devarajaashtakam(A Sanskrit poem of 8 verses) on the presiding deity. Sri Ramanujar, another great Vaishnavite, got answers to his six questions from Lord Varadharaja through Sri Thirukkachi Nambigal.
HISTORY
There is a belief that the temple was first built by the Pallava king Nandivarman II. Varadharaja Perumal Temple was originally built by the Cholas in 1053 and it was expanded during the reigns of the great Chola kings Kulottunga Chola I and Vikrama Chola. In the 14th century another wall and a gopura was built by the later Chola kings. When a Mughul invasion was expected in 1688, the main image of the deity was sent to Udayarpalayam, now part of Tiruchirapalli District. It was brought back with greater difficulty after the involvement of local preceptor who enlisted the services of general Todarmal. Robert Clive, the British general during the colonial period visited the Garuda seva festival and presented a valuable necklace (now termed Clive Maharkandi), which is adorned during a special occasion every year. There are inscriptions dated 1532 CE (record 544 of 1919) indicating the gift of number of villages made by Achutaraya. Vira Narasingaraya Saluva Nayaka who was directed by Achutaraya broke the royal order by giving more lands to Ekambaranathar temple than the Varadaraja Swamy temple against the instruction of an equal gift to either of the temples. Achutaraya on hearing this equally distributed the lands to both the temples. In modern times, the administration is carried out by Hindu Religious and Endowment of the Government of Tamil Nadu.
There are inscriptions dated 1532 CE (record 544 of 1919) indicating the gift of number of villages made by Achutaraya. Vira Narasingaraya Saluva Nayaka who was directed by Achutaraya broke the royal order by giving more lands to Ekambaranathar temple than the Varadaraja Swamy temple against the instruction of an equal gift to either of the temples. Achutaraya on hearing this equally distributed the lands to both the temples.
ARCHITECTURE
The temple covers an area of 93,000 m2 complex and shows the architectural skills of ancient Vishwakarma Sthapathis in temple architecture and is famous for its holiness and ancient history. The temple has three outer precincts (prakarams) namely Azhwar Prakaram, Madai Palli Prakaram and Thiru Malai Prakaram. There are 32 shrines, 19 vimanams, 389 pillared halls (most having the lion type yali sculpture) and sacred tanks some of which located outside the complex.
The main sanctum faces west and can be entered through a 130 feet tall, 7-tiered rajagopuram (main gateway tower). The eastern gopuram is taller than the western gopuram, which is contrasting to large temples where the rajagopuram is the tallest one. One of the most famous architectural pieces in the temple is the huge stone chain sculpted in a single stone.[14] There is a 100 pillared hall which has sculptures depicting Ramayana and Mahabaratha. It is a masterpiece of Vijayanagara architecture.
The shrine of Varadarajaswamy is on a small hillock 10m tall and a flight of 24 steps, termed "Hasthagiri". It has murals of the late Vijayanagara empire on the ceiling. Another significant features of the temple are beautifully carved lizards and gilded with gold, over the sanctum. The vimana over the sanctum of Varadaraja Swami is called Punyakoti Vimanam and the one over Perundevi Thayar shrine is called Kalyana Koti Vimanam.
Apart from the main stone idol, the temple has the wooden image of Varadarajaswamy preserved within a silver box from which water is pumped out every 40 years. There is a shrine of Narasimha on the hillock. The origin of the mask of Narasimha is mysterious and believed to possess inexplicable powers.
In the second precinct downstairs contains four shrines, of which the important one is of Malayala Nachiar (Kerala consort), presumably built during the Chera kings in the early 14th century.
The third precinct has the shrine of Goddess Perundevi Thayar - it is customary for devotees to visit the shrine first before visiting the main Perumal shrine. There are four small pillared halls, identical in structure, called Thulabara Mandapas built during the 1532 for a ceremony of Achutaraya of the Vijayanagara empire.
The image of Chakrathazwhar (Sudarsana) in the temple is depicted with six hands. There festival image of the temple has seven different images of Sudarshana depicted within the same Chakra.
LITERARY MENTION
Vedanta Desika, the revered polymath next only to Ramanuja mentions the annual ten day festival celebrated in May. In one of the verses, he graces the deity as under.
"He is the single root-source for this entire universe,
beginning with space,and all other elements;
like the pupil in the eye of the Vedas."
Vedanta Desika, ( of Thooppul) visits Varadaraja Perumal once a year during the month of Puratasi (Sept-Oct). This is the only Divya Desam, where Desikar enters the Sanctum of Lord Varadaraja. No other Azhvaar has this privilege
The temple also finds mention in the Thirtha Prabandha, a travelogue with descriptions of pilgrim centers throughout India written by Sri Vadiraja Swamy.
Tyagaraja and Muthuswami Dikshitar, the celebrated composers of the 18th century created compositions on the festival. Thirumangai Alvar - 4 Paasurams, Bhoothathalvar - 2 Paasurams and Peyalvar - 1 Paasuram.
FESTIVAL
The temple is famous for its huge umbrella used during festive occasions. During the bhramotsavam (major festival) in Vaigasi (May/June), thousands of people throng the temple and that increases at least by a two-fold during the Garuda Vahanam and the Ther festival (temple chariot).
WIKIPEDIA
Warding off the "evil eye"(jealousy?) in India.
Exif data auto added by theGOOD Uploadr
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Canopy Rope Bridge 1 (Talakona Waterfalls):
The visitors can enjoy the long canopy rope (Wooden Suspension Bridge) of 240 meter which is about 35 to 40 feet in height, giving a thrilling experience while walking. There will the company of birds along with mighty trees and monkeys.
Brief Info. on Talakona Waterfalls, Andhra Pradesh:
With a 270 feet (82 m)-fall, Talakona is the highest waterfall in the Andhra pradesh state, India and the best time to visit is from oct- feb. Talakona means 'head hill' in Telugu. This waterfalls, located amidst the Sheshachalam range of Venkateshwara reserve forest, was declared as Bio-Sphere Reserve in 1989-90 because of wide variety of plant species present in the region. This place is believed to be the starting point of 'Seshachalam Hills' which are extended till Tirumala.
It is just 49 kilometres (30 mi) from Pileru, 58 kilometres (36 mi) from Tirupathi, 220 kilometres (140 mi) from Chennai, and 105 kilometres (65 mi) from Chittoor and 250 kilometres (160 mi) from Bangalore.
Sarangapani Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to Vishnu, located in Kumbakonam, Tamil Nadu, India. It is one of the Divya Desams, the 108 temples of Vishnu revered in Nalayira Divya Prabandham by the 12 poet saints, or Alwars. This temple is along Kaveri and is one of the Pancharanga Kshetrams.
The temple is believed to be of significant antiquity with contributions at different times from Medieval Cholas, Vijayanagar Empire and Madurai Nayaks. The temple is enshrined within a huge granite wall and the complex contains all the shrines and the water bodies of the temple. The rajagopuram (the main gateway) has eleven tiers and has a height of 53 m. The Potramarai tank, the temple tank, is located opposite to the western entrance of the temple.
Sarangapani is believed to have appeared for sage Hemarishi. The temple has six daily rituals at various times from 5:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., and twelve yearly festivals on its calendar. The temple chariot festival is the most prominent festival of the temple, celebrated during the Tamil month of Chittirai (March–April). The twin temple chariots are the third largest in Tamil Nadu, each weighing 300 t.
LEGEND
As per Hindu legend, the Vaishnava deity, Sarangapani, an incarnation of Hindu god Vishnu, appeared for a sage Hema Rishi, who performed penance in the bank of Potramarai tank. The penance was performed to obtain Lakshmi, the consort of Vishnu, as his daughter. Vishnu was pleased by the penance and he wished the sage to get Lakshmi as his daughter. Lakshmi emerged from the Potramarai tank among thousand lotuses and was thus named Komalavalli (the one who emerged from lotus). Vishnu descended to earth as Aravamudhan in a chariot drawn by horses and elephants from his abode Vaikuntam. He stayed in the nearby Someswaran Temple to woo Lakshmi to marry him and the couple eventually got married. The name Sarangapani derives from the Tamil word Sarangam meaning bow and pani meaning hand - the one holding bow in his hand is Sarangapani.
THE TEMPLE
Sarangapani is the largest Vishnu temple in Kumbakonam and has the tallest temple tower in the town. The temple is enshrined within a huge wall and the complex enshrines all the water bodies of the temple except the Potramarai tank. The rajagopuram (the main gateway) has eleven tiers and has a height of 53 m. There are five other smaller gopurams in the temple. The rajagopuram has figures depicting various religious stories. The temple faces east and the Potramarai tank is located outside the western entrance. The central shrine of the temple is in the form of a chariot drawn by horses and elephants, with openings on either side, showing the descent of Sarangapani from heaven in the chariot. There is a sculptural representation of the sage Hemarishi in the western part of the temple. The central shrine of the temple houses the image of Sarangapani in pallikonda posture, with his head resting on his right hand. The are other images of sage Hemarishi, Lakshmi and festival images enshrined within the sanctum. There are two stepped entrances to the sanctum named as Utharayana Vaasal and Dhakshanayana Vaasal, each open for a six month period. From the 15th of January to 15th of July, Utharayanya Vaasal is opened while Dhakshanaya Vaasal is opened during the other half of the year. The Potramarai tank has a central hall called Hemarishi Mandapam. The temple has two processional chariots carved out of wood stationed outside the rajagopuram.
In Bharatanatyam, a South Indian dance form, 108 karanas form the basic movements. Some of these karanas are sculpted around the walls of the temple. Similar sculptures are found in the Brihadeeswarar Temple in Thanjavur and Nataraja Temple in Chidambaram.
RELIGIOUS SIGNIFICANCE
Sarangapani temple is considered third in the line of Srirangam and Tirupathi temples. The temple is revered in Nalayira Divya Prabandham, the 7th–9th century Vaishnava canon, by Aandaal in one, Periyalvar in three, Bhoothathalvar in two, Thirumalisai Alvar in seven, Peialvar in two, Nammalvar in eleven and Thirumangai Alvar in 25 versesl. The temple is classified as a divyadesam, the 108 Vishnu temples that are reverred in the Vaishnava canon. As per a Hindu legend, Nathamuni, who compiled Divya Prabandham by the twelve azhwars, found only the first ten verses sung on Aravamudhan. Nammazhwar recited the remaining 3990 verses unconsciously while he was in deep meditation and Nathamuni compiled all of them.
Pancharanga Kshetrams (also called Pancharangams, meaning the "five Rangams or Ranganathas") is a group of five sacred Hindu temples, dedicated to Ranganatha, a form of the god Vishnu, on the banks of the Kaveri River. The five Pancharanga Kshetrams in the order of their successive locations, on the banks of the Kaveri River are: The Srirangapatnam called the Adi Ranga, the first temple on the banks of the Kaveri River from the upstream side; the Srirangam (island in Tiruchirappalli) in Tamil Nadu known as Adya Ranga (the last temple), Appalarangam or Koviladi at Tiurppernagar in Tamil Nadu, Parimala Ranganatha Perumal Temple or Mayuram at Indalur, Mayiladuthurai and Vatarangam at Sirkazhi. The Sarangapani temple at Kumbakonam is mentioned in place of Vatarangam in some references.
WORSHIP & FESTIVALS
The temple follows Pancharatra Agama and Vadakalai tradition. The temple priests perform the pooja (rituals) during festivals and on a daily basis. Like other Vishnu temples of Tamil Nadu, the priests belong to the Vaishnavite community, a Brahmin sub-caste. The temple rituals are performed six times a day; Tiruvanandal at 8:00 a.m., Kala santhi at 9:00 a.m., Uchikalam at 12:30 p.m., Ntiyanusandhanam at 6:00 p.m., Irandamkalam at 7:30 p.m. and Ardha Jamam at 9:00 p.m. Each ritual comprises three steps: alangaram (decoration), neivethanam (food offering) and deepa aradanai (waving of lamps) for both Sarangapani and Thayar. The food offering during the six times are curd rice, Ven pongal, spiced rice, dosa, Ven pongal and sugar pongal respectively. The worship is held amidst music with nagaswaram (pipe instrument) and tavil (percussion instrument), religious instructions in the Vedas (sacred text) read by priests and prostration by worshippers in front of the temple mast. There are weekly, fortnightly and monthly rituals.
Akshaya Tritiyai - 12 Garuda Sevai Chaitra Brahma Utsavam celebrated during the Tamil month of Chittirai (April - May), Vasantotsavam during Vaikasi (May - June), Pavitrotsavam - Ekadasi Jyeshotsavam during Adi(July - August), Sri Jayanthi - Uriyadi Utsavam during Avani (August - September), Navaratri Utsavam - Saraswathi Puja - Vijayadasami during Purattasi (September - October), Deepavali - Shraddha of Sri Lakshmi Narayanaswami during Aippasi (October - November), Deepa Utsavam - Unjal Utsavam during Karthigai (November - December), Pakal Pattu - Ira Pattu Pongal Sankaramana Utsavam during Margazhi (December - January), Kanu Utsavam - Amavasya - Ratasaptami during Thai (January - February), Masi Magaham - Float Festival during Masi (February - March) and Brahmmotsavam - Tirukkalyanotsavam during Panguni (March - April) are the festivals celebrated in the temple.
The twin temple chariots weigh 300 t each and has been renovated in 2007. The chariots were not drawn for some years during the preceding period. The chariots are next only in size to the ones in Thygaraja temple in Thiruvarur and Andal Temple in Srivilliputhur. The chariots are pulled by hundreds of devotees across the streets around the temple twice a year, once during the Brahma Utsavam during April-May and other during Ratasaptami in January-February. The festival idols of Sarangapani and Kamalvalli are brought to the thermutti (chariot station) after elaborate religious rituals.
As per a temple legend, once a staunch Brahmin devotee of Aravamudhan spent most of his life to the service of the deity. At the end of his life, he felt his loneliness and prayed for his karma to be performed. Aravamudhan descended himself to perform the last rites on a Deepavali day. The ritual is performed annually by the priests and is one of its kind where death rituals are performed in the precincts of a Vishnu temple.
WIKIPEDIA
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Varadharaja Perumal Temple, Kanchipuram, India
Varadharaja Perumal Temple or Hastagiri or Attiyuran is a Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu located in the holy city of Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu, India. It is one of the Divya Desams, the 108 temples of Vishnu believed to have been visited by the 12 poet saints, or Alwars. It is located in a suburb of Kanchipuram known as the Vishnu Kanchi that is a home for many famous Vishnu temples. One of the greatest Hindu scholars of Vaishnava VisishtAdvaita philosophy, Ramanuja is believed to have resided in this temple. The temple along with Ekambareswarar Temple and Kamakshi Amman Temple in Kanchipuram is popularly known as Mumurtivasam (abode of trio), while Srirangam is referred to as ‘ The Koil’ (meaning: "temple") and Tirupathi as the ‘Malai’ (Meaning: "hill"). Among the Divya Desams, Kanchipuram Varadaraja Perumal temple is known as the ‘Perumal Koil’. This is one of the most sacred places for Vaishnavites. There is another famous temple of Varadarajaswamy in Kurmai, of Palamaner mandal in Chittoor District of Andhra Pradesh, called the Kurma Varadaraja Swamy Temple.
we can see the gates at the bottom of the hill
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