Madurai

Madurai, situated on the banks of Vaigai river in Tamil Nadu, is famous for the Meenakshi temple. The legend goes that Meenakshi (meaning eyes like a fish), a form of Parvati, was the outcome of prayers by the then King and Queen. She appeared as a three-year-old, with three breasts (one of which would disappear when she met her future husband – Shiv). 

The Lotus Pond of the Meenakshi temple

Named Thadathagai, she was trained like a son and crowned the Queen of Madurai. The tale goes that after conquering the whole world, she reached Mount Kailash where she met Shivji (when, as foretold, her third breast disappeared).

Meenakshi

Her marriage to Shiv ji – known here as Sundareshwar took place in Madurai. 

Sundareshwar

While the main and important deity remains Meenakshi, it is also an important holy Shiv temple – he performed 64 lilas (लीला) here, for the benefit of his disciples. 

The intricate carving of the marriage, the lilas of Shivji etc.

The temple complex is big with several gopurams and mandapams. It also has a hall of 1000 pillars. Details of Meenakshi temple are found in the Sthalpurans.

Carvings in the corridors of Meenakshi Temple

The ancient Alagar Kovil temple, just a few kilometres from Madurai, is situated at the foothills of Alagar hills. 

The Alagar Kovil Temple

In Tamil scriptures, Vishnu is known as Thirumal or Perumal and, in this area, is called Alagar. 

The entrance to the Alagar Kovil temple

The Alagar Koyil is dedicated to Vishnu and is known for its intricate sculpting and mandaps.

The temple has beautiful carvings on its facade.

According to legend, Vishnu had come down for the divine marriage of his sister Meenakshi with Sundareshwar. Unfortunately, the marriage took place before he could reach there. Initially he was annoyed at this, but the couple came to meet him on the way. Vishnu blessed the divine couple and turned back from the banks of the river Vaigai.

The big mandap just outside the Alagar Kovil temple

In April/May each year, the month long Chithirai Festival of the Shaivites celebrates the wedding of Meenakshi with Sundareshwar. The latter fortnight has the Alagar festival that is celebrated by Vaishnavites where the Alagar procession is taken out in a rath.

The rath, just after the Alagar festival

A closer look of the rath of the Alagar festival

Temples around Rameshwaram

In and around Rameswaram are several temples

Situated just 2 km from Rameshwaram Temple, the Hanuman Temple has a huge Five-faced (पांच मुख) idol of Hanuman in black stone. The legend goes that, while on their way to Lanka, Ram and his brother Lakshman were abducted by Ahiravan, Ravan’s brother who hid them in the nether world (paatal lok). The demon Ahiravan could be killed only if five oil lamps, kept in five different directions were extinguished at the same time. Hanuman, facing east, took four other forms - Narasimha facing south, Garud facing west, Varah facing north and Hayagriva facing the sky. He then extinguished the diyas and rescued Ram and Lakshman. 

Five-faced (पांच मुख) idol of Hanuman in black stone

Incidentally he came out of Paatal lok at Naimisharanya (please see an earlier post here). The temple also displays a few stones floating in water, said to indicate those which were used to build the bridge – Ram Setu - between India and Lanka. (Read my post on Dhanushkodi here)

The floating stones in the Hanuman temple

A closer look at a floating stone piece we have

Gandhamathan Parvatham, a hillock and the highest point in the island is said to be the site from where Hanuman set off to Ravan’s Lanka to find Sita. Other legends link it to Hanuman fetching the herb to save Lakshman, still others to it being the place where Hanuman still lives. It gives a birds’ eye view of the whole island. 

The view from the Gandhamathan Parvatham

Rameshwaram temple seen from the Gandhamathan Parvatham

The Ramarpatham Temple situated on it is a two storeyed hall, where Rama's feet is found as an imprint on a chakra (wheel). 

The Ramarpatham Temple

Inside the Ramarpatham Temple

Kothandaramaswamy Temple located at the southernmost tip of Pamban island, is said to be the place where Vibhishan sought refuge with Ram, and where he was subsequently coronated. The temple has the idols of Ram, Sita and Laxman along with Vibhishan. The paintings on the wall depict the story. 

The Kothandaramaswamy Temple where Vibhishan was coronated

Incidentally the Pamban Bridge that connects Rameswaram on the Pamban Island with mainland India is also the country’s first sea bridge and is among the most fascinating places to see in Rameshwaram.

The railway line, visible from the Pamban bridge

Another view from the Pamban Bridge

Dhanushkodi

Dhanushkodi - धनुषकोडी is the spot where the bridge is said to have been built to enable Ramchandra ji to approach the golden city of Lanka to rescue Sita. This bridge was built of floating stones, by Ram’s vanar sena – वानर सेना (the monkey brigade). There are two different tales here. The first goes that the mischievous monkeys Nal and Neel (the sons of Vishwakarma, the architect of the gods) frequently threw the idols of the sadhus into the sea; these idols sank. The sadhus, annoyed at this, cursed that items thrown by the two would henceforth float, enabling them to walk into the sea and collect the idols. In the second version, stones which had the words Ram written on them would float.

And so the bridge – Ram Setu - was built. On Ram’s return with Sita, he broke the bridge by touching it with the tip of his bow - धनुष - hence Dhanushkodi धनुषकोडी or end of the bow. While the bridge is no longer visible, the remains of it are said to be visible in satellite images. Floating stones are today on display at the Hanuman Mandir (more on this in a future post) - we too have a piece.

The calm Bay of Bengal at Arichal Munai, just beyond Dhanushkodi

Another view of the Bay of Bengal at Arichal Munai, just beyond Dhanushkodi

Not so calm - the Indian Ocean at Arichal Munai, just beyond Dhanushkodi

The extreme point at Arichal Munai, just beyond Dhanushkodi

Dhanushkodi, about 25 kms from Rameshwaram, is very close to Sri Lanka. The farthest rail point – the beach town was populated till recently but has suffered natural disasters. In 1964 it was destroyed by a cyclone and the area is now in ruins – declared to be a ghost town. 

The ghost town of Dhanushkodi

Ruins are all that remain of Dhanushkodi

The ruined church at Dhanushkodi

A few kms. beyond is the extreme point of Indian soil - the tip of land bordered by the Bay of Bengal on one side and the Indian Ocean on the other. A good motorable road has very recently been opened from Rameshwaram via Dhanushkodi and beyond upto Arichal Munai. 

Present day Dhanushkodi and the new motorable road

At the end of the road a rotary allows vehicles to turn at the centre of which the national emblem has been erected. it has the sea all around

The rotary with the national emblem at Arichal Munai, just beyond Dhanushkodi. 

Somnath Temple

The Somnath temple, dedicated to Shiv ji, is located in Prabhas Patan near Veraval on the western coast of Gujarat, the nearby towns being Junagarh and Porbandar. This temple features in both the Shiv Puran and the Skand Puran and is believed to be the first among the twelve jyotirling shrines of Shiv; the ling existing from time immemorial and remaining for eternity. However, the names are different in each kalp (the lifespan of one Brahma, with a successor in the next kalp). In this, the seventh kalp, the present Brahma is Shatanand and the Ling is known as Somnath. The names of the shivling in the six earlier kalps were Mrityunjay, Kalagnirudra, Amritesh, Annamay, Kritiwas and Bhairav Nath

The exquisite Somnath temple

Sunset at Somnath temple

Somnath has been a pilgrimage site from ancient times – it is a Triveni sangam (the meeting of three rivers — Kapila, Hiran and Sarasvati) and stands facing the Arabian Sea. Incidentally birth /death at Prabhas Patan is said to lead to salvation. The name of the town Prabhas, means lustre.

The Arabian Sea behind the Somnath temple, as seen from the adjacent Sagar Darshan Atithigruh.

Sagar Darshan Atithigruh maintained by the Somnath Trust

It is believed that this temple was built by the Moon God (also known as Som) after Shiv ji relieved him from a curse given by his father-in-law, Daksh. (Incidentally Daksh was the father of Sati – the first wife of Shiv ji). The story goes that Som, the Moon God, was married to 27 of Daksh’s daughters but showed partially towards one of them – Rohini. Despite being counselled, he did not mend his ways and was cursed by Daksh to become weak and devoid of radiance - his lustre waned. After penance and prays to Shivji / chanting of the Mahamritunjay mantra and bathing in the Sarasvati River at this site, Shivji diluted Daksh’s curse resulting in the fortnightly waxing and waning of the moon.

Som then got the temple built through Vishwakarma (the architect of the gods). The principal temple of Somnath is believed to have been built in gold by the moon god Som, in silver by the sun god Ravi, in sandal wood by Krishna and thereafter in stone.
Tales of its riches attracted several foreign invasions such as by Mohammad Ghazni, but each time the temple was plundered and destroyed, it was restored to its original glory by devout Hindu worshipers. 

A closer view of Somnath temple during the day.

Post-Independence, the present (seventh) reconstruction on the original site, was envisioned by Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, and completed in May 1951 under K. M. Munshi, the then head of the temple trust architecture. Dr. Rajendra Prasad, did the Pran-Pratisthan. The temple's imposing architecture includes intricate carvings, silver doors, an impressive Nandi idol and the central shivling.

Outside the Somnath temple

Golak Dham Part 2

After completing Krishna ji’s rites, Balram (Adishesh or Sheshnag Avatar) cast off his human form and left for his abode from a place (adjacent to Krishna’s own departure), in his original serpent form. This place is marked by an ancient cave known as Dauji - ki - Gufa where you can find the mark of Adishesh depicted on the cave wall from where he is said to have departed. 

Entrance to Baldev ji ki Gufa

Inside Baldev ji ki Gufa. Adishesh is depicted on the wall

A closer view of Baldev ji's footprints in the cave.

Here we also have a temple of Radha and Krishna known as the Gita Mandir.

Entrance to the Gita Mandir

A beautiful murti of Krishna ji

Radha Krishna at Gita Mandir

The entire Srimad Bhagwad Gita is carved out on its pillars of the Gita Mandir

Bhagwad Gita is on the pillars of the Gita Mandir.

A depiction of the Virat roop, shown to Arjun at the Kurukshetra battleground

Virat roop

Located close to Gita Mandir is the Baithak (the 65th of 84 such baithaks) – where Shri Vallabhacharya gave discourses on the Gita.

Entrance to the Baithak of Vallabhacharya

The Baithak of Vallabhacharya

The Baithak of Vallabhacharya

Golak Dham - And Krishna ji’s departure

About 2 kms from the famous Somnath temple is Golak Dham and within, or adjacent to, these premises are several important sites.

After being shot in the foot at Bhalka Teerth, a limping Krishna reached the bank of the river Hiranya just above the Triveni Sangam, and breathed his last at Golok Dham. 

Golak Dham, Somnath where Krishna ji departed from the earth

Krishna's footprints in marble are seen here,

Krishna ji's footprints

The place - called Dehotsarg (leaving the body) or Golak Dham Teerth or Shri Krishna Nij Dham Teerth - is in an open area and very peaceful.

The footprints are enclosed so the public get darshan from a distance. In the background is where the Hiranya river flows.

Balaram, the elder brother of Krishna who was accompanying him, is said to have performed the attendant rites, and immersed ashes in the nearby Triveni (not the one in Allahabad, U.P.). Triveni Sangam Snan ghat, the confluence of the three holy rivers Saraswati, Kapil and Hiranya is a sacrosanct locale revered as the Moksh Teerth. Apart from being a sacred site for taking a dip, it is also the place where ‘Pitra - tarpan’ can be offered to departed parents and other elders. 

The Hiranya river before the Triveni Sangam. The Saraswati river is said to flow underground

The Hiranya river heading towards the confluence of the Triveni.

The Triveni Sangam of the Hiranya, Saraswati and Kapil rivers.
In the background can be seen the Snan Ghat

The Snan Ghat at the Triveni Sangam, Somnath. The place is really clean.

The continuing post on Golak Dham can be read here