OM SHUKLAM BHARATHARAM VISHNUM SHASHI VARNAM CHATURBUJAM PRASANNA VADANAM DHYAYEDH SARVA VIGNO UPASHAANTHAYETH GAJAANANAM BOOTHA GANAATHI SEVITHAM KAVITHA JAMBU PALASAARA BHAKSHITHAM UMA SUTHAM SHOKA VINASA KAARANAM NAMAAMI VIGNESWARA PAADA PANKAJAM I feel that I should start about the temples from our own MANGALA VINAYAGAR, who is the presiding deity of our beautiful colony in Trivandrum. Our Lord was first situated on the banks of the river Karamana, being the deity of a family. The place was not developed and was only getting started. Even though the temple was a very tiny one, the Lord was very powerful. Later, as the population of the colony grew, the family handed over the deity to us, after getting the consent of the Lord through Devaprassnam. A new temple was constructed and the Lord was shifted there . HE had blessed all the residents and all others who believed in HIM. Daily pooja (2 times) and Ganapathy Homam is performed by learned Poojari. All the festivals are celebrated and Prathishta Day is celebrated in a grand manner. I will give you one instance of the Lord’s grace. My tenent wanted was anxious for his son to get admission in engineering college (in 1993). The boy was very apprehensive, he expected his name in the last list only and his father may have to get admission by paying a fat sum. I told him to keep some money as offering for the Lord and he will get good news. He did as I said. The next week the list was out and this fellow got admission on merit. He was very happy. I sent the money to the temple. He is now well employed and earning a fat salary. Such is the Lord’s blessing. Let us pray to Him for properity, health,happiness and peace. With warm wishes, Varloo
how abt a nice articles on temples of india.... dear varloo, this article of urs makes me feel u can go a little length more by introducing all the temples that u visit or have heard like how we get it in mangayar malar of course with a little more personal details which may not be available in brochures and an insight as to where u can stay, to see ,the best season and so on with beautiful pictures....regards sunkan
See the temple Dear Sunkan, our colony has a group site in yahoo. Go to yahoo.com and then Groups, then click vinayaknagar and you can see the front view of Mangala Vinayagar temple. You can also browse and see what all activites are going there, with pictures. Thanks for the suggestion, I shall write about all the temples. With warm wishes, varloo
Pazhavangadi Sri Maha Ganapathy Next is the famous Pazhavangadi Mahaganapathi Temple. This is a very famous temple, situated in the heart of Trivandrum. One can visit this temple and then visit the Sri Ananthapadmanabha TempleJust walkable distance only. This temple is being maintained by the Indian Army, while majority of the temples of Kerala are managed by the Devaswam Board and some are private. There is info about this temple in the Sakthi Vikatan of 27-4-2006 issue. When the headquarters of the Travancore Kingdom was at Padmanabhapuram (Now part of Tamilnadu), the soldiers who kept vigile at the fort were said to be disturbed by a Yakshi during night time. One soldier was an ardent devotee of Lord Ganapathy. He was given duty one night, he believed that the Lord will take care and went to have a bath in the river. He stumbled upon an idol of the Lord then and he took that with him when he went to keep vigil. He was unaffected by the Yakshi. A temple was built at that place for the idol and the soldiers worshipped the Lord. In 1795, the headquarters was shifted to Trivandrum and the soldiers shifted their Lord also.The present temple was built in 1860 and the Lord was kept there by the then ruler Maharaja Ayilyam Thirunal. Thus the temple is being managed by the Army. This temple is very famous, sitauted in the heart of the city and is always thronged by the devotees. The main ritual is breaking coconut, soora thengai udaipathu. Around 2500 coconuts are broken everyday. The place used to be a fruit market in olden days- Pazha angadi, and called Pazhavangadi now. Sri Abhedananda Ashramam This is situated just diagonally behind the Mahaganapathi Temple. It is just n the banks of the temple tank of Sree Anantha Padmanabha Swamy. This was built by Swami Abhedananda Swamigal. Aganda Deepam is burning here, the deepam which is not put off and somebody or the other will be going around this deepam chanting HARE RAMA HARE RAMA RAMA RAMA HARE HARE through out. Devotees who visit this ashram also do the pradakshinam of the lamp chanting and at that time the Ashram member rests. This is a peacful place, with a good garden and samadhi etc. of the Swamiji. There is a small Ganesha temple, Arasamarathadi Pillayar, just at the entrance to this Ashram. This Lord is also very powerful and people throng there. People offer Appam Garland to this Ganesha. With warm wishes, Varloo
Varloo You are a sweetheart. Imagine my joy reading abt Pazhavangadi and Abedananda Ashram first thing in the morning. Pazhavangadi Ganapathy is very powerful. Just last evening, I had an unfinished application and I thought of Him. By night, I got the news that the application has been processed successfully. Pls write abt Aayiram Naagar under the arasamaram near Abedananda Ashram and the Padmateertham Hanumar. I don't miss TVM much, now that you are writing abt this.
