Some Special Temples

Re: Temples for special prayers

Hi Kamala,
What a great coincidence! Yesterday i was thinking about starting a thread on Mannarasala Temple & was browsing the webiste & today i find you have already started one & the first post itself is about Mannarasala.
Let me try to elaborate the rituals done over there from my humble knowledge.The temple is quite famous for the Urulikamazthu ritual.This is done by couples who have not been blessed with kids even after 3years of their marriage .After getting the pooja materials from the administration office the couples have to make three rounds along with the uruli,a brass lamp,red silk cloth & a small idol of serpentine made of brass around the temple accompanied by nagaswaram.Then they have to offer the uruli in front of the main shrine of Nagaraja.The couples should pray to the God to forgive all sins knowingly or unknowingly committed by them or their ancestors & bless them with kids having good health,longevity & good morale (Satsanthanam)Later they should go & get the blessings of Mannarasala Amma(the temple is unique in that the pooja is performed by a brahmin lady)She will pray for the couple & give Prasad.The couples should also get the ghee from the temple & consume it religiously.While taking the ghee the couples should follow strict rituals & shouldnot maintain husband-wife relation in any manner.Once blessed with a child they should come back & perform the Uruli Nivarppu ritual.They should take the blessings of Amma & perform annaprasm &other poojas according to ones wish.
Those who have been able to conceive atleast once,but was not successful (could be miscarriage or any other reasons)should perform a ritual called Uruli Nadakkuvekkal.Only those couples who have not been blessed with a kid even after 3years of marriage need to perform any of these rituals.For others offering prayers will be enough.Many couples have been said to have blessed with kids after coming to Mannarasala.

May God shower his blessings on everyone!

 

Re: Temples for special prayers

Hi ammukutty,

Thanks for your information.One of my relatives after 15years of marriage, went to this temple and got blessed with a beautiful girl baby.

 

Re: Temples for special prayers

Thirumanancheri - For A Blissful Marriage

Thirumanancheri is one among the popular temples of Lord Shiva, where He is devotedly worshiped as Kalyanasundareswarar and His consort, mother Parvati as Kokilaambal. The lord in Sanskrit is also called as Uthvaanganathar. In Tamil they are addressed as 'Arul Vallal' and 'Kuyilinmenmozhiammai'. As per the legend, Shiva and Parvati have a quarrel and thus annoyed with Parvati, Shiva claims Parvati to assume a form of a cow and recede to an earthly life. Yet the pangs of separation seemed to have bothered Shiva. Hence he assures her that her brother, Lord Vishnu will then aid in resorting her normal form and he( Shiva) at the right time will seek her hand in marriage.

In accordance with the verdict of Shiva, Parvati recedes to an earthly life and amidst her wandering reaches a place called Komal, where Lord Vishnu assumes a form of a cowherd to take care of his sister. He releases her from the clutch of the curse in a place called 'Thiruvaaduthurai' and Parvati sheds her assumed cow's form and takes Her normal form in 'Kuthaalam' in the sacrificial fire of Sage Bharata Muni. Shiva and Parvati then unite in marriage in Thirumanancheri. Shiva is also called as 'Sonavaararivaar' for keeping up His word.

Apart from this legend, it is also believed that in response to the wish of Parvati in experiencing an earthly union in marriage with Shiva, Parvati incarnated herself as the daughter of Bharata Muni. The divine couple tied the knot in Thirumanancheri. Henceforth the divinity here in this temple answer the prayers of those devotees who face difficulties in getting married as well as those who face problems in their marriage. An anecdote bearing testimony to the fact is mentioned below.

Two friends due to their close friendship promise to get one's child married to the other in future. In due course of time, one gives birth to a beautiful baby girl and the other to a male child resembling that of a tortoise. The mother of the girl refuses to give her daughter in marriage to her friend's son owing to his peculiar appearance. However the girl casts away her mother's decision and seeks the mercy of Lord Shiva in Thirumanancheri with her man. The benevolent lord bestows a normal form to him and unite them in marriage. Henceforth it is believed that the physical appearance of a person that seems to be an obstacle in one's marriage will be taken care of by Kalyanasundareswarar and Kokilaambal by either rectifying it or by blessing with a spouse who has the maturity to look beyond it. Such is the grace of the lord in this shrine.



Worship
People who are to seek blessings for an early marriage has to carry two garlands, coconuts, lemon, betel leaf, betel nut, sugar and fruits each. After the pooja, one garland is returned to the concerned person along with the other things given for worship. The juice of the lemon is consumed the next day after the bath by the concerned person and the vibhuthi and kumkum are to be smeared on the forehead daily remembering the deities of Thirumanancheri. The garland is to be kept securely and returned to the temple tank once when the wedding is over. This practise has resulted in innumerable speedy weddings. The wedded couple then return to pay their gratitude to the lord.

Temple
The images in the temple are of great beauty. The bronze image of Lord Kalyanasundareswarar dates back to the 10th century. It is inferred from the inscriptions here that the temple's renovation from its brick structure to stone commenced around the 10th century. The inscriptions also bear the names of Sembiyan Mahadevi and Parantaka Chola's contribution to the temple. The moat surrounding the temple is said to have been the seven seas that came to witness the divine wedding.

The temple always presents a crowded appearance with people flocking to seek the grace of the lord for marriage issues and for paying their gratitude for boons received. Thirumanancheri is found in South India near Mayilaaduthurai and Kutraalam, based in Tanjavur.

So pay a visit and experience the abounding grace of the lord.

You can take a train from Chennai (if u r in chennai) and get down at Mayavaram. You can stay tere. There are v good Hotels/Restaurants there. Morning you can leave for the temple through taxi/autos or local buses. You can even make a deal with taxi driver. shouldnt charge more than Rs.300. There are so many navagraha temples in that area (sun God, Rahu, Saneeswarar etc).

It does not close before 1, but if you have to do the "kalyana vendudhal", it may take an hr or so-as they send people in batches!!!

Nand

 

Re: Temples for special prayers

hi ashu,
are you referrring to' thiruvedandhai ',on the way to mahabalipuram? all the other details you have given are similar,but i didnt know it was also called 'asurakaala nalloor'
thanks for the info,
sowpar

 

Re: Temples for special prayers

This time i would like to give details of a interesting temple.why i say this is because this temple fulfils the wish of going abroad.The god here is also called VISA VENKANNA.AND THE TEMPLE IS CALLED VISA TEMPLE.

Chilkur Balaji Temple is located at Chilkur in Moinabad mandal in the Rangareddi district, Andhra Pradesh, India.
This temple is also popularly known as Visa Temple because many devotees come here with the wish of going abroad.
It's customary to go around the temple (known as Pradakshina) eleven times and pray to god for a specific wish. Once this wish comes true, the recipient has to go again and take 108 Pradakshinas.
This is one of the few temples in India which does not accept monetary donations.
Chilkur Balaji temple is one of the most famous temples in Hyderabad area. The nice concept that is implemented in darshan of the lord Balaji, is that all people must stand in queue with utmost discipline. There are no VIP passes and there is no Hundi for donations. When people ask for wish from the god here, they have to do 11 pradakshinas and ask their wish with the witness of Lord Anjaneya. When the wish gets fulfilled, they need to do 108 pradakshinas. The 11 pradakshinas have a significant meaning according to the temple priests. When people wish anything from god, mind has to think about only god and one's self i.e 11(1-1) signifies that god takes care of everybody and everybody should understand that.
There is a Shiva temple in the complex


HISTORY
Twenty Five kilometers from Hyderabad off the Vikarabad road and on the banks of Osmansagar is the picturesque village of Chikur with its ancient temple dedicated to Sri Balaji Venkateshwara. From the style, structure and appearance, it can be inferred that the temple was built half a millennium ago. Set in sylvan surroundings, the temple attracts thousands of pilgrims every year and is an ideal place for sequestered retreat and meditation. It enjoyed in the past, great days of pomp and glory.
The temple is one of the oldest in Telengana, having been built during the time of Akkanna and Madanna, the uncles of Bhakta Ramdas. According to tradition, a devotee who used to visit Tirupati every year could not do so on one occasion owing to serious ill-health. Lord Venkateshwara appeared in his dream and said, "I am right here in the jungle nearby. You don't have to worry." The devotee at once moved to the place indicated by the Lord in the dream and saw a mole- hill there, which he dug up. Accidentally, the axe struck Lord Balaji's idol covered by the mole-hill below the chin and on the chest, and surprisingly blood started flowing profusely from the "wounds", flooding the ground and turning it scarlet. The devotee could not believe his eyes when he saw this. Suddenly he could not believe his ears also when he heard a voice from the air which said,"Flood the mole-hill with cow's milk. "When the devotee did so, a Swayambhu idol of Lord Balaji accompanied by Sridevi and Bhoodevi(a rare combination) was found, and this idol was installed with the due rites and a temple built for it.
Sri Balaji venkateshwara, the Pratyaksha Daiva in kaliyuga, is thus available at Chilkur to shower blessings on His devotees who for any reason are unable to go to Tirupati. Many devout worshippers flock to the temple, to receive the blessings of the Lord and his consorts throughout the year particularly during the Poolangi, Annakota and Brahmothsavams
With the earnest desire to revive the former glory and importance of the temple, the idol of Ammavaru was installed in 1963 the year following the Chinese aggression, and when the aggression was unilaterally vacated, Ammavaru was given the name of Rajya Lakshmi, signifying this welcome event. The unique feature of this idol is that lotus flowers are held in three hands and the fourth hand is in such a position towards the lotus feet which signifies the doctrine of Saranagathi.

May this god bless you with your desired foreign travel.

 

Kali Of Kalighat The Mother Of Univers

Hi
Kolkata has the best of both worlds, the new meets the old on every lane. Small temples dot the alleys and just one form seems to prominently make her presence felt - Kali Ma. This form is a beautiful dark skinned schematic version of the actualy deity that has been influenced by tribal art that is so different from what is found any where else across the country. Like Jagannath temple at Puri, just round stones indicate the presence of the divine.

Culture reaks in every alley and we are faced with either Kali Ma or Shiva in the form of a linga. Such is the spiritualism of people, so ingrained that as anyone passes by, they definitely pay their respects to these wayside homes of the Gods. This is the beauty of India, its something so common and yet so wonderful.

This strange land called Kalighat has all kinds of shops that surround it - butchers, temple items, brothels, drugs whatever - yet in the midst of this lies the potent element of Kali Ma. But beauty in this temple comes with its own share of gore, specially for those who have never witnessed a sacrifice before.


Kalika Mata at Kalighat, a sacred Shakti Peetha




When power is felt up close,
When the female energy in all its fury hits the eye,
When the sound of the conch shell deafens the ear,
Where innocent lambs are slaughtered without a doubt,
Where the floor is a mixture of blood and sacred sindhoor,
The power of being woman comes alive
We are at Kalika Mata temple Kalighat

To read about tantricism is one thing, to actually witness it is quite another. Kali mandir might look normal to anyone, but the effect it left behind was one of mixed feeling within me. All I could see was a helpless lamb being bathed and waiting to be slaughtered, traumatized by the impending reality gaping at it right there on a bright Saturday morning.

As the silvery streaks of water celebrated the lamb with its body shining gold as a sacred offering, and red smeared its face proclaiming it a sacred meal, and the animal is ceremoniously brought to the stake. The head is led through two vertical poles and a third locks it from above, a few sacred words are spelt out to appease the Mother's ever hungry appetite for blood.

The flames rise, the fire lights up her deep red eyes, setting ablaze her fury, and her face looks on awakening the abstraction of her presence - the power of the mother is here. The bells ring and the blade cuts through without question, splattering blood to the floor. Divine food is collected in the cup and offered to the mother, a drop after another rolls down her golden tongue in the twilight.

A half bust black stone is all that one can visualize this power in, crowned by three enrapturing eyes that grab your attention. The Goddess tilts slightly to one side. Her two prominent arms have a deadly sickle in one and wears bangles in the other. This whole form, has the formidable appearance of a Goddess in anger, her fury so vividly captured that the heart pounds when we stare at her face to face.

Nakulish kalipithe dakshapadangulishu cha|
Sarbadhikari devi kalika tatra devta||
​

This was once a deserted small temple with fewer lights. What stands now as the mother with arms on the silver body of Lord Shiva was once just an abstraction that represented the fury of Sati that lives on well after her right toe fell here, cut through by Vishnu's discus, proclaiming it a Shakti Peetha. There was a time when the flames set ablaze this fury of the goddess that was appeased by the taste of human blood.

What surrounds this shakti peetha is a wondrous experience of intense faith coupled with brutality of sacrifice, where the skinning of innocent lambs is a common delight, an offering so sacred that I dare not oppose it in the name of sympathy for innocent life. The only thing I can do is cut three crosses at the balipeeth myself, wash away any dosh in my life and symbolically place my neck there, with my head in offering to calm the wrath of this divine form of the Goddess.

O Mother
Whose eyes can burn this universe
Whose presence can reduce this world to ash
Who is invoked by only those who dare
Who lives in the cremation ground
Who burns with the dead corpse
Who blesses them by pressing their heart
Who guides their ambition by stepping on their thighs
Who brings alive the fiery form of death
Who stares with her three eyes open through the flames
Who raises us from the dead
Who takes us into her lap of love
Who renders us fearless
O Mother, why an innocent lamb, why?


Posted by kavitha BROUGHT TO U BY SUNKAN

 

Re: Kali Of Kalighat The Mother Of Univers

hi sunkan ma'am
very interesting read about Kali Ma. but i oppose the slaughtering of the innocent lamb though. somehow it doesnt justify to sacrifice a helpless animal just to appease her wrath. i mean, after all Kali Ma is Ma...arent mothers the epitome of compassion...???

thanks for posting.
cheers
maya

 

Re: Kali Of Kalighat The Mother Of Univers

dear maya,
this slaughter came in to among the non veg eaters who came together mainly the farmers who offered what they bred and may be wanted to share with the community and we break coconut and give it to all, bhakthi knows no language but yes like u say it is very difficult to accept ..sunkan

 

Re: Kali Of Kalighat The Mother Of Univers

Hi Sunkan,
Thanks for bringing this information.
I have seen Kali Ma posed like that in my relative's house.
they told me that she looks like that because, the evil qualities will flee away by merely looking at her.

sacrificing in the name of appeasing God, to my knowledge is not all acceptable..
we should sacrifice our ego and its related qualities to be able to reach Her and not through animal sacrifices...

sriniketan

 

Re: Kali Of Kalighat The Mother Of Univers

dear srini,
here also near kumbakonam area and all people just leave birds and lambs and they auction it later it goes to the temple each one their own, if you remmember vedan kannappa took meat for shiva and washed him with a mouthful of water, it is just bhakthi what they take they offer and who are we to differ when he himself is appreciative..., this is her finger which fell in many places during shivathandavam so it is just like a block of rock and they have carved the face on it with a very long tongue, and i remember even as a 6 yr old i have told shorbo mongolo mangolyey shibhey shoarbarthithye..bengali style of sarva mangala maangalye...sunkan