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vel2.jpg (6333 bytes)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.

 

 

 

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Please visit our daily features during  Navaratri 2000 (Sep 28 through Oct 7).

 

halei1.jpg (10672 bytes)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.

tiruppar.jpg (24007 bytes)Temple of the Month: Tirupparamkunram near Madurai is featured as the temple of the month (May 2000).

 

sringeri.jpg (23828 bytes)Templenet commemorates the birth anniversary of Aadi Sankaracharya (May 8, 2000) with a special feature on the shrines associated with his life.

 

 

kalikamb2.jpg (28053 bytes)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).

 

s0231.jpg (59664 bytes)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.


lakshman1.jpg (71455 bytes)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?

s1072.jpg (55046 bytes)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.

palgold.jpg (44258 bytes)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.

teppam.jpg (91299 bytes)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?

df001.jpg (37382 bytes)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.

badr1.jpg (75018 bytes)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.


kapnat.jpg (100872 bytes)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.

abuweek.jpg (40287 bytes)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.

rishab1.jpg (69094 bytes)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.

deepweek.jpg (33729 bytes)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.


abodelist.jpg (25170 bytes)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.

ambal.jpg (92008 bytes)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.



vimweek.jpg (17883 bytes)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.

budhweek.jpg (82375 bytes)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.

Karpak.jpg (32409 bytes)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.

krisweek.jpg (68746 bytes)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)



archweek.jpg (22848 bytes)Indian Temple Architecture (Aug 27, 1999)
Tony Batchelor describes the Northern and Southern Indian Temple Architectural styles in this introduction to Indian Temple Architecture.


belweek.jpg (13632 bytes)Belur - A Temple Retreat (Aug 20, 1999)
Bangalore based writer Shruti Nanavati explores the wonders of the Chennakesava Temple at Belur, Karnataka.

 

belurad.jpg (31973 bytes)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.

solar.jpg (18778 bytes)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.


thisweekbw.jpg (30728 bytes)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.

thisweek.jpg (37285 bytes)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.


pillaya2.jpg (44968 bytes)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)

s1221.jpg (59447 bytes)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.


s0281.jpg (85116 bytes)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.

s0261.jpg (78966 bytes)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.

s1791.jpg (53005 bytes)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.


s1051.jpg (132513 bytes)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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