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Templenet Archives
 Skanda Sashti 2000: Visit over 54
temples dedicated to Murugan on the occasion of Skanda Sashti,
celebrated in great splendor in temples all over the state of Tamilnadu. Browse through legends, beliefs, literary works & festival
traditions associated with Skanda.
Please visit our daily features during Navaratri 2000 (Sep 28 through Oct 7).
 Temple
of the month (June 2000): The Hoysaleswara
temple at Halebidu near Mysore - is a marvelous specimen of
12th century Hoysala art. The intricate carvings that adorn this temple attract tourists
year round.
 Temple of the Month: Tirupparamkunram near Madurai is featured as the
temple of the month (May 2000).
 Templenet commemorates the birth
anniversary of Aadi Sankaracharya (May 8, 2000) with a special feature on the shrines associated with his life.
 Temple of the Month: -
The Kalikambal temple in the
business district of North Chennai is featured as the Temple of the Month (March - April
2000).
 Saptavitanka Stalams of
Tamilnadu. Visit 7 temples of the
Kaveri basin in Tamilnadu enshrining Tyagaraja or the Somaskanda
manifestation of Shiva and experience a tradition that is over a millennium old.
 The Ganges Our
spotlight in this issue of Templenet is on the river Ganges. Explore the
legends related to the origins of the river Ganges, and its descent to the earth. Visit ancient
towns, untouched by time on the banks of the river. Experience the age old
traditions of thanksgiving accompanying the Ganga Aarti ceremony at
Haridwar. How does modern India relate to the Ganga in the face of pollution and
other issues?
 On the occasion of Mahashivaratri
2000, Templenet is pleased to bring out a special feature on the 12 Jyotirlinga Shrines of Shiva. These shrines have been
held in reverence all over India since time immemorial. The northernmost of these is Kedarnath in the Himalayas while the southernmost
is Rameswaram in southern Tamilnadu.
 Palani - one of the most visited pilgrimage centers in
Tamilnadu (Feb 11, 2000) Palani enshrines Skanda - Dhandayutapaani. Palani has been
venerated by the Tiruppukazh hymns of the Saint Arunagirinathar. This shrine is rich in
legend, tradition, and festivals.
 Where the ancient and the modern
coexist (January 14, 2000). Chennai is one of the best representative
sites in India, of the co-existence of the past with the future. Pongal
is celebrated with great festivity throughout the southern state of Tamilnadu. What better
illustration would be appropriate for this occasion, than a selected presentation on four
ancient temples of Chennai, each over 1200 years old?
 Abodes
of Vishnu (January 7, 2000) Templenet is proud to present a
comprehensive feature Abodes of Vishnu on the Sri
Vaishnava Divya Desams (temples revered by the hymns of the Alwar saints),
describing in detail 108 ancient temples (and celestial abodes) of Vishnu. Browse through
the history of these temples, of the legends associated with them, of their colorful
festivals and traditions. Take a virtual tour of
these temples through the states of Tamilnadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Uttar
Pradesh, Gujarat and Nepal.
 A Himalayan Pilgrimage (December 25, 1999)
(Part I of III) The mighty Himalayas have been revered as the abode of Divinity for
aeons. Badrinath and Kedarnath are two
of the foremost pilgrimage centers, venerated throughout India, in the Tehri-Garhwal
region of Uttar Pradesh. This three part series authored by K. Ram Kumar of Chennai, takes
readers on a journey through Badrinath,
Kedarnath, Joshi Mutt and several other shrines. Experience the ride to Badrinath, the lofty Neelkanth Parvat, the hot
springs and the ever present Alaknanda river in this week's feature.
 Arudra
Darisanam (December 17, 1999) The
pre-dawn hours of the full moon night, in the tamil month of Margazhi coinciding with the
asterism of Tiruvadirai marks the auspicious time for Arudra Darisanam - of Nataraja
in Saivite temples all over Tamilnadu. Arudra Darisanam, this year falls on December 23,
1999. Coincidentally this year's Arudra Darisanam is celebrated on the last full moon of
the millennium which falls on the last winter solstice of the millennium.
 A Dream in marble - The Dilwara Temples at Mt. Abu
(Dec 10, 1999)
The Jain Temples at Mount Abu, built in the Nagara Style are among the finest monuments of India. The
earliest of these temples dates back to the 1026 CE, roughly the period in which the
Brihadeeswarar Temple at Thanjavur was built. Mount Abu - a popular hill station, located
in Rajasthan is on the Ahmedabad - Jaipur - New Delhi railroad, off of Abu Road, the
nearest railhead. P. Ramakrishnan (Mumbai, India) takes us on an
illustrated tour of these temples.
 Kartikai Peruvizha (November 26,
1999)
The Arunachaleswarar
Temple at Tiruvannamalai is one of the grandest in India. The Grand Kartikai
Peruvizha,a complex festival involving a multitude of festivites and hundreds of thousands
of participants happens with amazing regularity, each year - and can be described as a
case study in effective operations management. C. Suresh, originally
from Tiruvannamalai, currently stationed in Pune, India describes with ample
illustration, some of the features of this grand festival.
 Kartikai
Deepam 1997 - An image gallery (November 19, 1999)
Experience the grandeur of the finale of the Kartikai Deepam festival at Tiruvannamalai,
Tamilnadu, India, through a gallery of fine images.
 Abodes of Shiva (October 19, 1999)
Experience the cultural legacy of Tamilnadu as you browse through this bumper issue of
Templenet with over 275 pages, depicting the glory of the ancient Shiva temples of India,
glorified by the Tevaram hymns.
 Special Navratri feature on Ambal Temples in
South India (October 10, 1999)
Vidya Jayaram takes you
on a journey of Ambal temples in Tamilnadu through the eyes (and the words) of the
venerated composer Muthuswamy Deekshitar, in conjunction with Navaratri 1999.
 A Gallery of South Indian Temple Vimanams
(Sep 26, 1999)
The innermost shrine in a
temple is the Garbagriham or the sanctum; in the Dravidian style of architecture, a
sanctum is crowned with a vimanam. The tower crowning the outermost entrance to a temple
is the tallest, and the towers progress in a decreasing order of height towards the
central shrine; a notable exception is the Brihadeeswarar temple, a masterpeice of Chola
architecture where the vimanam towers over the landscape. Experience the glory of South
Indian temple vimanams through this photographic feature.
 A Trip to Kanheri (Sep 17, 1999)
Elisabeth and Tony
Batchelor share their perspective on what makes travel in India so special, in this
article.
 Ganesh Temples in India - Special issue in conjunction with
Ganesh Chaturthi 1999
(Sep 10, 1999)
What is common to the
Rockfort Uchchi Pillaiyaar Temple at Tiruchirappalli, the Ganapateeswaram temple at
Tiruchenkattankudi near Thanjavur, the Sweta Vinayakar Temple at Tiruvalanchuzhi near
Kumbhakonam, and the Karpaka Vinayakar Temple at Pillaiyaarpatti near Karaikkudi? All
these are ancient temples (over 1300 years old) featuring grand shrines to Ganesha.
 The
Rajagopala Temple at Mannargudi - Tamilnadu - Special issue in conjunction with Krishna Janmashtami 1999 (Sep 3, 1999) Visit the grandest temple to Krishna (Rajagopala)
in India at Mannargudi near Thanjavur, Tamilnadu.
Krishna Worship in India - Special issue in conjunction with Krishna Janmashtami 1999 (Sep 3, 1999)
 Indian Temple Architecture (Aug 27,
1999)
Tony Batchelor describes
the Northern and Southern Indian Temple Architectural styles in this introduction to
Indian Temple Architecture.
 Belur - A Temple Retreat
(Aug 20, 1999)
Bangalore based writer
Shruti Nanavati explores the wonders of the Chennakesava Temple at Belur, Karnataka.
 Chennakesava Temple at Belur
(Aug 13, 1999)
Art historian Gerard
Foekema explores the magic of Hoysala art and architecture as manifested in the
Chennakesava Temple at Belur, Karnataka.
 Sun Temples in India - Special issue in conjunction with the Last Total Solar Eclipse of the
Millennium (Aug 6, 1999)
Sun worship in India can
be traced back to the Vedic period. The Sun has been hailed as an inexhaustible source of
energy, and held in reverence and respect. Visit Sun Temples at Konark, Unao, Arasavilli,
Suryanar Koyil, Gaya, Surya Pahar and Modhera.
 Imperial Chola Monuments II (July 30, 1999)
This is a sequel to the
feature on the architectural marvel Brihadeeswarar Temple at Thanjavur. The Gangaikonda
Choleeswaram, the Airavateeswarar Temple at Darasuram and the Kampahareswarar Temple at
Tribhuvanam can be described as veritable art galleries showcasing the glory of Chola art
and architecture of the 11th through the 13th centuries CE.
 Imperial Chola Monuments I
(July 23, 1999)
This feature showcases
the architectural and sculptural splendour of the collossal Brihadeeswarar Temple built by
Raja Raja Chola I the Great (one of the greatest rulers in the history of India) in early
11th century.
 Karpaka Vinayakar Temple at Pillayarpatti (July 15, 1999)
This image of Ganesha is bound to be familiar to
anyone of Tamil origin; however, little is known to many about the fact that this is an
image of the rock cut Karpaka Vinayakar Shrine at Pillayarpatti near Karaikkudi in
one of the oldest Cave Temples (Rock Cut) temples of Tamilnadu.
Earlier Features
Cosmic Dance
Halls (The Five Dance Halls of Nataraja in Tamilnadu)
 The Golden Hall
(Kanakasabhai) at Chidambaram
In terms of its antiquity, richness in terms of worship & festival
traditions, in architectural & sculptural splendour, in its association with music
& dance, Chidambaram is a center second to none in truly representing
the rich Indian cultural heritage.
 The
Silver Hall (Vellisabhai) at Madurai
The Madurai Meenakshi Sundareswarar temple is one
of the greatest Shiva temples in India, known for its sprawling landscape filled with
sculptural wonders; halls, pillars and lofty towers with lavish artwork in all forms.
 The Hall of Rubies
(Ratnasabhai) at Tiruvalangadu near Chennai
This is a vast and beautiful temple heralded as Ratnasabhai
- one of the five Pancha Sabhais special to Nataraja featuring a sprawling well maintained
temple complex with beautiful mandapams and gopurams. It is located within two hours drive
from Chennai, and within an hours drive from Kanchipuram.
 The Copper Hall (Tamrasabhai) at Tirunelveli
This vast temple with sprawling mandapams decked with life sized
images in the town of Tirunelveli is one of the most beautiful temples in India; it houses
the Tamra Sabha (the copper Dance hall) - a beautiful hall with exquisite
woodwork.
 The
Hall of Pictures (Chitrasabhai) at Kutralam
Kutralam is a popular tourist resort in Southern Tamilnadu known for its
waterfalls, amidst picturesque surroundings - and is a source of inspiration of many a
literary work.The Chitra Sabhai or the hall of pictures is located in a
picturesque locale here.
Bhrammotsavam - A Sree
Vaishnava Perspective
The Cosmic Dance of Shiva (May 1999)
Skanda Sashti
Pancha Bhoota Stalam (Shiva Temples Dedicated to the five primary
elements)
Tiruvannamalai - Arunachaleswaram
(Fire- Agni)
Tiruvanaikkaval - Jambukeswaram (Water - Jalam)
Kancheepuram - Kachi Ekambam (Earth - Prithvi)
Sree Kalahasti - Kalahasteeswaram (Air - Vayu)
Chidambaram - "Koyil" (Space - Aakasham)
The Hindu Temple
Hindu Temple Styles
Darbaranyeswarar Temple at
Tirunallar
Eklingji Temple at Eklingji
(Kailashpuri) in Rajasthan
Harshat Mata Temple at
Abhaneri in Rajasthan
Sharda Temple at Pilani in Rajasthan
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