The Mallikarjuna Temple, Srisailam, Andhra Pradesh

Mallikarjuna Temple (also simply known as Srisailam Temple) is a Hindu temple dedicated to the deity Shiva, located at Srisailam in Indian state of Andhra Pradesh.

It is significant to the Hindu sects of both Shaivam as this temple is referred to as one of the twelve Jyothirlingas of Lord Shiva. Here Parvati is worshiped as "Mallika" and Shiva is worshipped as "Arjuna", represented by the lingam.

When Shiva and Parvati decided to find suitable brides for their sons. Shiva got Buddhi (intellect), Siddhi (spiritual power), and Riddhi (prosperity) married to Ganesha. Kartikeya on his return was enraged and went away to stay alone on Mount Kraunja in the name of Kumarabrahmachari. On seeing his father coming over to pacify him, he tried to move to another place, but on the request of the Devas, stayed close by. The place where Shiva and Parvati stayed came to be known as Shrishailam.

As per Hindu legend, the presiding deity in the form of Linga (an iconic form of Shiva) was worshipped with jasmine (locally called in Telugu as Mallika), leading to the name of presiding deity as Mallikarjuna.

Mahashivratri is the main festival celebrated at Srisailam Mallikarjuna Swamy temple.

The temple complex covers 2 hectares and houses four gateway towers known as gopurams. The temple has numerous shrines, with those of Mallikarjuna and Bhramaramba being the most prominent. The temple complex houses many halls; the most notable is the Mukha Mandapa built during the Vijayanagar period. The temple is situated facing East. The center mandapam has several pillars, with a huge idol of Nadikeshwara. The temple is enclosed by tall walls measuring 183 m (600 ft) by 152 m (499 ft) and 8.5 m (28 ft) tall. There are a number of sculptures in the precinct each rising above another. The Mukamandapa, the hall leading to the sanctum, has intricately sculpted pillars. The shrine where Mallikarjuna is housed is considered the oldest in the temple, dating back to the 7th century. There is a Sahasra linga (1000 linga), believed to have been commissioned by Rama and five other lingams believed to have been commissioned by Pandavas. A mirror hall in the first precinct has images of Nataraja.

On the way to the main temple is located Shikhareshwaram temple. It is said that by having darshan in the temple one does not get rebirth. Krishna River here is called Patal Ganga. One has to go down 852 stairs to reach the river. The Shiva Linga is bathed with the water of this river.

The Bhimashankar Temple, Pune, Maharashtra

Bhimashankar Temple is a Jyotirlinga shrine located 50 km Khed taluka (alias Rajgurunagar), near Pune, in Maharashtra. It is located 127 km from Shivajinagar (in Pune) in the Ghat region of the Sahyadri Mountains. Bhīmāshankar is also the source of the river Bhima, which flows southeast and merges with the Krishna river near Raichur. The other Jyotirlinga shrines in Maharashtra are Trimbakeshwar near Nashik and Grishneshwar.

The Bhimashankar temple is a composite of old and new structures in the Nagara style of architecture. It shows the excellency of the skills achieved by ancient Vishwakarma sculptors. It is a modest yet graceful temple and it dates back to the 13th century while the sabhamandap was built in the 18th century by Nana Phadnavis. The shikhara was built by Nana Phadnavis. 

The Mokshakund thirtha is behind the Bhimashankar temple, and it is associated with the rishi Kaushika. There are also the Sarvathīrtha, the Kusharanya thirtha - where the Bhima river begins to flow eastward, and the Jyanakund.

Bhimashankar can be termed a pilgrim's paradise. The dense forests surrounding the high ranges are an abode for rare species of flora and fauna.

Bhimashankar is the source of the Bhima River, which flows southeast and merges with the Krishna River.

The Kedarnath Temple, Garhwal, Uttarakhand.

Kedarnath Temple dedicated to Shiva, is located on the Garhwal Himalayan range near the Mandakini river, in the state of Uttarakhand. Due to extreme weather conditions, the temple is open to the general public only between the months of April (Akshaya Tritiya) and November (Kartik Purnima, the autumn full moon). During the winters, the vigraha (deity) from Kedarnath temple is carried down to Ukhimath where the deity is worshiped for the next six months.

The temple is not directly accessible by road and has to be reached by a 22 kilometres (14 mi) uphill trek from Gaurikund. Pony and manchan service is available to reach the structure. According to Hindu legends, the temple was initially built by Pandavas, and is one of the twelve Jyotirlingas, the holiest Hindu shrines of Shiva. Pandavas were supposed to have pleased Shiva by doing penance in Kedarnath. The temple is one of the four major sites in India's Chota Char Dham pilgrimage of Northern Himalayas and is the first of the Panch Kedar pilgrimage sites. This temple is the highest among the 12 Jyotirlingas. Kedarnath was the worst affected area during the 2013 flash floods in North India. The temple complex, surrounding areas, and Kedarnath town suffered extensive damage, but the temple structure did not suffer any "major" damage, apart from a few cracks on one side of the four walls which was caused by the flowing debris from the higher mountains. A large rock among the debris acted as a barrier, protecting the temple from the flood. The surrounding premises and other buildings in the market area were heavily damaged.

It is one of the 275 Paadal Petra Sthalams, expounded in Tevaram, a sacred Tamil Shaivite text written during 6th and 7th century by 63 saints called Nayanars. This temple is sung by Thirugnanasambandar, Appar, Sundarar and Sekkizhar in their Tevaram texts.

After completing the pilgrimage of Lord Shiva's darshan at the Panch Kedar Temples, it is an unwritten religious rite to visit Lord Vishnu at the Badrinath Temple, as a final affirmatory proof by the devotee that he has sought blessings of Lord Shiva.

According to the hagiographies based on Madhava's Sankshepa-shankara-vijaya, the 8th century philosopher Adi Shankara died at the mountains near Kedarnath; although other hagiographies, based on Anandagiri's Prachina-Shankara-Vijaya, state that he died at Kanchipuram. The ruins of a monument marking the purported death place of Shankara are located at Kedarnath.

The head priest (Raval) of the Kedarnath temple belongs to the Veerashaiva community from Karnataka. However, unlike in Badrinath temple, the Raval of Kedarnath temple does not perform the pujas. The pujas are carried out by Raval's assistants on his instructions. Kedarnath Teerth Purohits are the ancient Brahmins of this region, their ancestors (Rishi-Muni) have been worshiping the lingam since the time of Nara-Narayana. King Janmejay, grandson of the Pandavas, gave them the right of worshiping this temple, and they have been worshiping pilgrims ever since.

The Omkareshwar Shiva temple, Khandwa, Madhya Pradesh

Omkareshwar Shiva temple, is in Khandwa, Madhya Pradesh. It is one of the 12 revered Jyotirlinga shrines of Shiva. It is on an island called Mandhata or Shivapuri in the Narmada river at Khandwa district in Madhya Pradesh. The shape of the island is said to be like the Devanagari ॐ symbol.

There are two main temples of Lord Shiva here, one to Omkareshwar (whose name means "Lord of Omkara or the Lord of the Om sound") located in the island and one to Mamleshwar (whose name means "Immortal Lord" or "lord of the Immortals or Devas") located on the south bank of Narmada River on the mainland.

As per Hindu legend, Vindya, the deity controlling the Vindyachal mountain range was worshipping Shiva to propitiate himself from the sins committed. He created a sacred geometrical diagram and a Lingam made of sand and clay. Shiva was pleased with the worship and believed to have appeared in two forms, namely Omkareshwar and Amaleswara. Since the mud mound appeared in the form of Om, the island came to be known as Omkareswar. There is a shrine for Parvati and Ganapati in the temple.

The second story relates to Mandhata and his son's penance. King Mandhata of Ikshvaku clan (an ancestor of Lord Ram) worshipped Lord Shiva here until the Lord manifested himself as a Jyotirlinga. Some scholars also narrate the story about Mandhata's sons-Ambarish and Muchukunda, who had practiced severe penance and austerities here and pleased Lord Shiva. Because of this, the mountain is named Mandhata.

The third story from Hindu scriptures says that once upon a time there was a great war between Devas (gods) and Danavas (demons), in which Danavas won. This was a major setback for Devas and hence Devas prayed to Lord Shiva. Pleased with their prayer, Lord Shiva emerged in the form of Omkareshwar Jyotirlinga and defeated Danavas.

Philosophy of Omkaar - Advait Matt says Omkaar is composed of two words, Om (sound) and Akaar (srishti). Both are one not two since Advait means "not two". Om beej mantra of Srishti, itself is creator of Srishti.

Adi Shankara's Cave – Omkareshwar is said to be the place where Adi Sankara met his guru Govinda Bhagavatpada in a cave. This cave can be found even today just below the Shiva temple where an image of Adi Shankara has been installed.

Mahakaleshwar Jyotirling Temple, Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh

Mahakaleshwar Jyotirling is one of the twelve Jyotirlingams at Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh.The temple is situated on the side of the holy river Shipra. The presiding deity, Shiva in the lingam form is believed to be Swayambhu, deriving currents of power (Shakti) from within itself as against the other images and lingams that are ritually established and invested with mantra-shakti.

The idol of Mahakaleshwar is known to be dakshinamukhi, which means that it is facing the south. This is a unique feature, upheld by the tantric shivnetra tradition to be found only in Mahakaleshwar among the 12 Jyotirlingas. The idol of Omkareshwar Mahadev is consecrated in the sanctum above the Mahakal shrine. The images of Ganesh, Parvati and Karttikeya are installed in the west, north, and east of the sanctum sanctorum. To the south is the image of Nandi, the vehicle of Shiva. The idol of Nagchandreshwar on the third storey is open for darshan only on the day of Nag Panchami. The temple has five levels, one of which is underground. The temple itself is located in a spacious courtyard surrounded by massive walls near a lake. The shikhar or the spire is adorned with sculptural finery. Brass lamps light the way to the underground sanctum. It is believed that prasada (holy offering) offered here to the deity can be re-offered unlike all other shrines.

Devotees are not allowed to bring bags , mobile phones and cameras during the visit . Lockers and Cloak Rooms are there for devotees where they can keep their belongings.

Shakti Peethas are shrines that are believed to have enshrined with the presence of Shakti due to the falling of body parts of the corpse of Sati Devi, when Shiva carried it. Each of the 51 Shakti Peethas has shrines for Shakti and Kalabhairava. The Upper Lip of Sati Devi is said to have fallen here and the Shakti is called as Mahakali.

According to the Puranas, the city of Ujjain was called Avantika and was famous for its beauty and its status as a devotional epicenter. It was also one of the primary cities where students went to study holy scriptures. 

The temple complex was destroyed by Sultan Shams-ud-din Iltutmish during his raid of Ujjain in 1234-5. The Jyotirlinga was dismantled and believed to be thrown into a nearby 'Kotiteerth Kunda' (a pond neighbouring the temple) with the Jaladhari (a structure supporting the Lingam) stolen during the invasion. The present structure was built by the Maratha general Ranoji Shinde in 1734 CE after Baji Rao I appointed him to collect taxes in malwa region.

The Somnath temple, Prabhas Patan, Gujarat.

The Somnath temple or Deo Patan, is located in Prabhas Patan, Veraval in Gujarat. Reconstructed several times in the past after repeated destruction by several Muslim invaders and it is unclear when the first version of the Somnath temple was built.

The Somnath temple was actively studied by colonial era historians and archaeologists in the 19th- and early 20th-century, when its ruins illustrated a historic Hindu temple in the process of being converted into an Islamic mosque. After India's independence, those ruins were demolished and the present Somnath temple was reconstructed in the Māru-Gurjara style of Hindu temple architecture.

The Somnath temple is located close to the ancient trading port of Veraval, one of three in Gujarat from where Indian merchants departed to trade goods. The 11th-century Persian historian Al-Biruni states that Somnath has become so famous because "it was the harbor for seafaring people, and a station for those who went to and fro between Sufala in the country of Zanj (east Africa) and China".

Somnath means "Lord of the Soma" or "moon". The site is also called as Prabhasa. Somnath temple has been a jyotirlinga site and a holy place of pilgrimage. It is one of five most revered sites on the seacoast of India, along with the nearby Dvaraka in Gujarat, Puri in Odisha, Rameshvaram and Chidambaram in Tamil Nadu. The Somnath temple is not mentioned in ancient Sanskrit texts of Hinduism. The "Prabhasa-Pattana" site of Somnath is mentioned in ancient texts.

The Grishneshwar Jyotirlinga Temple, Aurangabad, Maharashtra

Grishneshwar Jyotirlinga Temple, sometimes referred to as the Ghrneshwar or Ghushmeshwar Shiva Temple, is located in Ellora (also called Verul), less than a kilometer from Ellora Caves – a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is about 30 kilometres (19 miles) north-west of the city of Aurangabad, Maharashtra. This 240 ft x 185 ft temple is the smallest Jyotirlinga temple in India.

The temple structure was destroyed by the Delhi Sultanate in 13th and 14th-century. The temple went through several rounds of rebuilding followed by re-destruction during the Mughal-Maratha conflict. It was rebuilt in the current form in the 18th century under the sponsorship of queen Ahilyabai Holkar of Indore, after the fall of the Mughal Empire. It is presently an important and active pilgrimage site of the Hindus and attracts long lines of devotees daily. Anyone can enter the temple premises and its inner chambers, but to enter the sanctum sanctorum core (garbha-ghrya) of the temple, the local Hindu tradition demands that men must go bare-chested.

The Grishneswar temple is an illustration of maratha temple architectural style and structure. The temple, built of red rocks, is composed of a five-tier shikara. The temple was re-constructed by Maloji Bhosale of Verul, (grandfather of Shivaji) in the 16th century and later again by queen Ahilyabai Holkar in the 18th century. She is credited with rebuilding some of major Hindu temples such as the Kashi Vishvanath temple in Varanasi, a Vishnu temple in Gaya, and a much larger Shiva Jyotirlinga temple in Somnath Temple.

The Ramanathaswamy Temple, Rameshwaram, Tamilnadu

Ramanathaswamy Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to the god Shiva located in Rameshwaram, Tamilnadu. It is also one of the twelve Jyotirlinga temples. The temple is one of the holiest Hindu Char Dham (four divine sites) sites comprising Badrinath, Puri, Dwarka and Rameshwaram. The temple has the longest corridor among all Hindu temples in India. The temple is located in Rameswaram considered a holy pilgrimage site for Shaivites, Vaishnavites and Smarthas. The presiding deity, the Lingam of Ramanathaswamy (Shiva), was established and worshiped by Rama before crossing his bridge to Lanka.

According to the Ramayana, Rama, who is the seventh avatar of the god Vishnu, prayed to the god Shiva to absolve him of the sin of killing a Brahmin committed during the war against the Rakshasa king Ravana (who was a brahmin, son of a vedic rishi) in Sri Lanka. Rama wanted to have a large lingam to worship Shiva. He directed Hanuman, the lieutenant in his army, to bring a lingam from the Himalayas. When Hanuman was delayed in bringing the lingam, devi Sita built a small lingam out of the sand available in the seashore, which is believed to be the lingam in the sanctum.

The primary deity of the temple is Ramanathaswamy (Shiva) in the form of lingam. There are two lingams inside the sanctum - one built by Rama, from sand, residing as the main deity, Ramalingam and the one brought by Hanuman from Kailash called Vishwalingam. Rama instructed that the Vishwalingam should be worshipped first since it was brought by Hanuman - the tradition continues even today.

Like all ancient temples in South India, there is a high compound wall on all four sides of the temple premises measuring about 865 feet furlong from east to west and one furlong of 657 feet from north to south with huge towers (Gopurams) to the east and the west and finished gate towers to the north and south. The temple has striking long corridors in its interior, running between huge colonnades on platforms above five feet high. The outer set of corridors is reputed to be the longest in the world, measuring about 6.9 m in height, 400 feet each in the east and west and about 640 feet in the north and the south.

There are separate shrines for Ramanathaswamy and his consort goddess Parvathavardhini separated by a corridor. There are separate shrines for the goddess Vishalakshi, the utsava images, sayanagriha, Vishnu and Ganesha. There are various halls inside the temple, namely Anuppu Mandapam, Sukravara Mandapam, Setupati Mandapam, Kalyana Mandapam, and Nandi Mandapam.

There are sixty-four Tīrthas (holy water bodies) in and around the island of Rameswaram. According to Skānda Purāṇa, twenty-four of them are important. Bathing in these Tīrthas is a major aspect of the pilgrimage to Rameswaram and is considered equivalent to penance. Twenty-two of the Tīrthas are within the Rāmanāthasvāmī Temple. The number 22 indicates the 22 arrows in Rama's quiver. The first and major one is called Agni Theertham, the sea (Bay of Bengal).

It is said that every devotee should bathe in these theerthams before going to the sanctum sanctorum of the temple. Hanuman’s tail scar can still be seen on this Shivalinga. There are historical references that this is a tail scar trace that occurred when trying to remove the Ramalingam to dedicate the lingam brought from Hanuman Kasi.

The Advaita school of Hinduism established by Sankaracharya, who created Hindu monastic institutions across India, attributes the origin of Char Dham to the seer. The four monasteries lie across the four corners of India and their attendant temples are Badrinath Temple at Badrinath in the North, Jagannath Temple at Puri in the East, Dwarakadheesh Temple at Dwarka in the West and Ramanathaswamy Temple at Rameswaram in the South.

The temple priests are Marathi Brahmins of Maharashtra who get Diksha from Sringeri Mutt.

The Nageshvara Temple, Dwarka, Gujarat

Nageshvara is one of the legendary temples mentioned in the Shiva Purana and is one of the twelve Jyotirlingas. It is located in a forest called Daarukavanam in Dwarka, Gujarat. Close to the temple is another important spiritual spot called Gopi Talav Tirth, a lake that is connected to the legends of gopis visiting Lord Krishna and eventually offering their lives to merge with the soil here.

Legend goes that it was here that a demon called Daaruka imprisoned a Shiva devotee called Supriya. The chants of ‘Om Namaha Shivay’ by Supriya invoked Lord Shiva who arrived here and vanquished the demon. A self-manifested Shivalinga appeared here and is prayed to this date.

The Lingam is an oval Rudraksha with three faces. Rudrakhsa is said to be the tears of Lord Shiva.

The significance of the Nageshwar temple is that this powerful Jyotirlinga protects the devotees from all kinds of poison. Devotees also believe that the one who prays to the lord becomes free of poison i.e.negativities. The lingam at Nageshwar is unique as it consists of a stone popularly known as the Dwarka Stone.

The Nageshwar Temple is loacted on the route between Dwarka city and Beyt Dwarka Island.

According to the history of the Nageshvara temple, there are two stories behind this Jyotirlinga. The two legends relate to the existence of this numinous temple. The first story dates back to a hundred years in the Shiva Purana, about a demon couple named Daruka and Daruki.

Now known as Dwarka, the city was earlier named after the Asura couple and called, “Darukavana”. Daruka’s wife Daruki was a devotee of Goddess Parvati. But, Daruka was a cruel demon who found joy in troubling people around him.

One day, he imprisoned an ardent devotee of Lord Shiva named, Supriya, with several others. Daruka misused the blessings granted to him and continued to torment the local folks by one means or another. While in captivity, Supriya advised all the people to loudly chant the mantra of “Om Namaha Shivaye”.

Supriya told the villagers that this mantra is powerful enough to protect them all. When Daruka came to know about this, he was furious and he went to kill her. This is when Lord Shiva appeared in the form of a Linga on earth. Shiva couldn’t kill the demon because of the boon granted to him by his wife, Parvati. Hence, he assured Supriya and all others that he would protect them all in the form of the Jyotirlinga.

The Vaidyanatha Jyotirlinga Temple, Deoghar Jharkhand.

Vaidyanatha Jyotirlinga temple, also known as Baba Baidyanath dham is one of the twelve Jyotirlingas, the most sacred abodes of Shiva. It is located in Deoghar in the Santhal Parganas, Jharkhand.

According to Hindu beliefs, the demon king Ravana worshipped Shiva at the current site of the temple to get the boons that he later used to wreak havoc in the world. Ravana offered his ten heads one after another to Shiva as a sacrifice. Pleased with this, Shiva descended to cure Ravana who was injured. As he acted as a doctor, he is referred to as Vaidhya ("doctor"). The temple derives its name from this aspect of Shiva.

Kanwar Yatra is an annual pilgrimage of devotees of Shiva, known as Kānvaris to Hindu pilgrimage places of Sultanganj in Bihar to fetch holy waters of Ganges River. Millions of participants gather sacred water from the Ganga and carry it across hundreds of miles to dispense as offerings in Baidyanath Temple in Jharkhand.

This place could have been a center of tantric cults like Kapalika/Bhairava where Lord Shiva is worshipped significantly as smasan vasin (meaning, residing in crematorium), sava bhasma bhushita (meaning, smearing body with ashes of burnt bodies).

The Maa Parvati temple is tied up with the main temple, with huge red sacred threads which is unique and worthy of reverence, showing the unity of Shiva and Shakti. According to the stories narrated in the Shiva Purana, the holy Baidyanath temple resembles the unity of souls and thus fits marriage for Hindus.

The Trimbakeshwar Shiva Temple, Nashik

Trimbakeshwar Shiva Temple, Nashik, Maharashtra. It is dedicated to the god Shiva and is one of the twelve jyotirlingas. The temple is located between three hills namely Brahmagiri, Nilagiri and Kalagiri. The temple has three lingas representing Shiv, Vishnu and Brahma.

As per the Shiva Purana, once Brahma and Vishnu had an argument in terms of supremacy of creation. To test them, Shiva pierced the three worlds as a huge endless pillar of light, the jyotirlinga. Vishnu and Brahma split their ways to downwards and upwards respectively to find the end of the light in either direction. Brahma lied that he found out the end, while Vishnu conceded his defeat. Shiva appeared as the second pillar of light and cursed Brahma that he would have no place in ceremonies while Vishnu would be worshipped till the end of eternity. The jyotirlinga is the supreme partless reality, out of which Shiva partly appears. The Jyotirlinga shrines, thus are places where Shiva appeared as a fiery column of light. Originally there were believed to be 64 jyotirlingas while 12 of them are considered to be very auspicious and holy. Each of the twelve jyotirlinga sites take the name of the presiding deity - each considered different manifestation of Shiv. At all these sites, the primary image is lingam representing the beginningless and endless Stambha pillar, symbolizing the infinite nature of Shiv.

Lord Shiva showed himself as a Jyotirlinga on the night of the Aridra Nakshatra. It is believed that a person can see the Jyotirlingas as columns of fire piercing through the earth as he reaches a higher level of spiritual attainment. Each Jyotirlinga site takes the name of the presiding deity. Basically, the Jyotirlinga signifies the infinite nature of Lord Shiv. At the highest level, Shiva is regarded as formless, limitless, transcendent and unchanging absolute Brahman and the primal Atman (soul, self) of the universe.

The extraordinary feature of the Jyotirlinga located here is its three faces embodying Lord Brahma, Lord Vishnu, and Lord Rudra. All other Jyotirlingas have Shiva as the main deity. Due to the excessive use of water, the linga has started to erode. It is said that this erosion symbolizes the eroding nature of human society. The Lingas are covered by a jeweled crown which is placed over the Gold Mask of Tridev (Brahma Vishnu Mahesh). The crown is said to be from the age of Pandavs and consists of diamonds, emeralds, and many precious stones. The crown is displayed every Monday from 4-5 pm.

This place is famous for its many religious rituals (vidhis). Narayan Nagbali, Kalsarpa Shanti, Tripindi Vidhi are done here. Narayan Nagbali puja is performed at Trimbakeshwar only. This puja is performed in three days. This puja is performed on special dates. Some days are not suitable to perform this puja. This puja is performed for many reasons like to cure an illness, going through bad times, killing a Cobra (Nag), childless couples, financial crisis or you want to perform some religious puja to have everything.

The Kashi Vishwanath Temple

The Kashi Vishwanath Temple is a famous Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Shiva. It is located in Vishwanath Gali of Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh. The temple stands on the western bank of the holy river Ganga, and is one of the twelve Jyotirlingas, the holiest of Shiva temples. The main deity is known by the names Shri Vishwanath and Vishweshwara literally meaning Lord of the Universe. Varanasi was called Kashi ("shining") in ancient times, and hence the temple is popularly called Kashi Vishwanath Temple.

The temple is considered a central part of worship in the Shaiva philosophy by Hindu scriptures. It had been demolished by many Muslim rulers many times, most recently by Aurangzeb, the sixth Mughal emperor who constructed the Gyanvapi Mosque on its site. The current structure was built on an adjacent site by the Maratha ruler, Ahilya Bai Holkar of Indore in the year 1780. The original Vishwanath temple was destroyed by army of Aibak in 1194 CE, when he defeated the Raja of Kannauj as a commander of Mohammad Ghori; the Razia Mosque would be constructed in its place, a few years later. In 1230, the temple was rebuilt by a Gujarati merchant during the reign of Delhi's Sultan Iltutmish (1211–1266 CE). It was demolished again during the rule of either Hussain Shah Sharqi (1447–1458) or Sikandar Lodhi (1489–1517).

As per the Shiva Purana, once Brahma and Vishnu had an argument about who was supreme. To test them, Shiva pierced the three worlds as a huge endless pillar of light, the jyotirlinga. To determine who was mightier Vishnu took the form of a boar and sought out the bottom while Brahma took the form of a swan to fly to the pillar's top. Brahma out of arrogance lied that he had found out the end, offering a katuki flower as witness. Vishnu modestly confessed to being unable to find the bottom. Shiva then took the form of the wrathful Bhairava, cut off Brahma's lying fifth head, and cursed Brahma that he would not be worshipped. Vishnu for his honesty would be worshiped as equal to Shiva with his own temples for all eternity. The jyotirlinga is an ancient axis mundi symbol representing the supreme formless (nirguna) reality at the core of creation, out of which the form (saguna) of Shiva appears. The jyothirlinga shrines, thus are places where Shiva appeared as a fiery column of light. There are 64 forms of Shiva, not to be confused with Jyotirlingas. Each of the twelve jyotirlinga sites take the name of the presiding deity - each considered different manifestation of Shiva. At all these sites, the primary image is lingam representing the beginningless and endless Stambha pillar, symbolizing the infinite nature of Shiva.

The Manikarnika Ghat on the banks of Ganges near to the Kashi Vishwanath Temple is considered as a Shakti Peetha, a revered place of worship for the Shaktism sect. The temple was managed by a hereditary group of pandits or mahants.

My Kudumba Kshethram Nadackal Sree Bhagavathy Temple, Nadackal, Erattupetta

Nadackal Sree Bhagavathy Temple, Nadackal, Erattupetta is my Kudumba Kshethram. 

Among the Hindus, it is believed, that  the family deity is the one who protects the family and the succeeding lineage / generations. Worshiping  of family deity should not be ignored  as it helps the  family lineage grow and take strong roots.

Kudumba Devta temple is the place where our paternal forefathers once worshiped. The belief has been that when we visit the temple the souls  of our forefathers will be happy and bless us with good, prosperous and healthy life. This is true of Hindus belonging to various castes. As for Brahmins, they can trace their paternal lineage to one sage / Maharishi. So, members of a particular family having the same Gothra never fail to visit the family deity's temple once a year. If you don't know your gotra/clan take 'Kashyap' as Gotra since he is considered the manasputra of Brahma who gave life to all creatures with his wife Aditi and others.

When you stand before the Garbagraha (sanctum) or Srikovil at such a temple, let it be borne in your mind, you are standing in the  same spot where, way back a few centuries ago, your forefathers stood and prayed to the deity with intense devotion and bhakti for their welfare and their descendants, including you!!.

The temple of your family deity assumes much significance because it is the confluence of countless divine souls of  our grandfathers and great grandfathers and their blessings will never let us down in our endeavours and in our time of distress. Worship of Kudumba Devta tradition has it, governs only the paternal lineage  - pithas Vhamsavali. (your mother is part of this lineage).

Kudumba Devatas, it is strongly believed by the learned Pundits, are capable of reducing the  effects of Karma from which no one can escape. This dogma permeates in all aspects in Hinduism. Our protecting shield against the effects of Karma is sincere prayer or "Kudumba Daiva Vazhipadu". 

Hindu women, normally, worship two family deities. One is of the family in which they were born and the other being that of the groom's family after marriage. Women usually stop worshipping their  family deity after marriage. Some Pundits are of the opinion that it is wrong for the women to forget their  family deity and they can carry on  their worship on festival occasions. The link with wife's family deity should not be broken.

If a girl gets married into  another family, the family deity of her husband   becomes her deity and her descendants (Vamsavali) who  take the leneage forward.  it is imperative that she must have more involvement with her husband's family deity than other deities.

When there is a wedding, Upanayanam, Grahapravesam  or any other joyous family function, visiting the Kudumba Devta temple is a must.

In the case of wedding, the family must take the groom and the bride to the Kudumba  Devta temple soon after wedding. If time is not ripe, it should be done within a year from the day of wedding.

In the case of elderly couple celebrating 60th birthday (Saishtiaptapoorthy) or 80th birthday (Sathabishekam), worshiping the family deity is highly  recommended. 

If the  elderly couple have health problems, etc., they can pray to the image of the family deity kept in the Puja room at home..

If there is a birth of a child or grand child in the family, it will be well and good to pay a visit to the family deity's temple for prayer and blessings. 

As for tonsuring  of young kids, which is a common ritual in South India, if your family temple is not Praththanasthala, it should not be done there unless specified. For such a prayer involving tonsuring -"Mudikooduthal", Prarthanasthala is the best bet. 

When you go to your family deity's temple, it is a great thing if make monetary contribution to the temple liberally.

An important charitable act is offering Annadhanam - giving free food to the devotees and the poor people.

After your payer at the temple, keep the Prasadam,in particular, Kungumam or veeputhi in your Puja room. 

Never fail to allow a few minutes daily to pray to your family deity.  Be assured that the God or Goddess  will follow you wherever you go and protect you or at least save you from big obstacles. 

Mind you, in the family deity reside the souls of your forefathers who never fail to protect you and your family members from any other evil forces or witchcraft. 

When you stand before the deity -  any god or goddess,  trust is an important factor. This trust is the driving force behind you that helps you  improve the confidence level in you.

The history of the Nadackal Sree Bhagavathy temple is mysterious. There are many legends connected to the temple, and the people who visit the premises automatically fall into a reverential trance like state. It is believed that the temple functioned under a Brahmin family who, under unclear circumstances handed it over to the Poonjar Royal Family. The temple has the deity of Bhadrakali. The idol is a ‘Kannadi Bimbam’ resembling the shape of a mirror. The four walls of the sanctum sanctorum have lamps carved on rock, which is a hallmark of the temples belonging to the Poonjar Royal Family. In 2015, a shrine for Ayappa was built in the temple premises to house an idol given by a family to the Bhadrakali Temple four decades prior. The Meenabharani and Patham uthayam festivals are celebrated here.

VANKHANDI MAHARAJ OF BHIMTAL

Vankhandi Maharaj is evolved soul who is close to 161 years of age. He lives on the feature behind Sattal Lake called “Hidamba”. Sattal (Seven Lakes) and area around is famous birdwatcher’s paradise. Because of the ecosystem created by the green mountains, shrubs and the seven lakes, namely Ram Tal, Sita Tal, Laxman Tal, Purna Tal, Garud Tal (also called Panna Tal), Nal-Damayanti Tal and Sukha Tal (also called Khurdariya Tal) which are said to be interconnected, hundreds of varieties of birds inhibit the place in season. He planted about 2000 medicinal plants also in the forest. This is the place where Ghatotkach was born who changed the course of Mahabharata. Vankhandi Maharaj, a priest and preservationist lives on the slope now, and has made an asylum for the wild creatures around the slope. The region is known as Bankhandi Ashram.

Vankhandi Maharaj participated 12 Kumbha Melas which is organising in every 12 years. Last year when my sanyasi friend Swamy Dhyan Yogi met him, he said since I took bath for the last 12 Kumbha Melas, this year I am not participating Kumbha Mela. 

To reach here one has to come to Sattal which is around 5 kms from Bharat Mata Udyan and walk up to a steep climb of 3 kms which takes anything between 25 minutes to 1 hour depending upon the levels of fitness.

As the name goes, Vankhandi Maharaj is deeply connected with Flora and Fauna and has spent whole of his life doing things for the forest and animals. He is known to make the leopards sit by tapping on their heads.

On this Republic Day, 26 January, 2022 military officials came to the ashram to felicitated Vankhandi Maharaj and hoisted the National flag at ashram premises.

It is good to meet him, he greets you well, speaks very nicely and has profound knowledge and at the same time it is a good trek.

#vankhandi_maharaj #bankhandi