Constructed on the principles of Vastu Shastra and Pancharatra
Shastra, this temple is situated near the banks of Yamuna in Delhi. The
Indian-ness of the temple is reflected in its resemblance with ancient
Indian architecture and the spirituality that the place exudes. The
principal deity of Swaminarayan faith, Lord Swaminarayan, is the central
figure of Akshardham. His 11 feet high idol lies below the central dome
of the temple.
The structure has been built of Rajasthani pink
stone and Italian Carrara marble. The magnificent temple of Akshardham
looks more stunning during the night with the beautifully set lighting
arrangements. There are many ways like exhibition, movie, statues and
boat ride through which the information about the history and philosophy
of the Swaminarayan sect and its founder is given to the visitors.
Light and music show, which takes place in the evening, is the most
fascinating element of the temple.
The holy cave of Amarnath is located at an altitude of 3,888 meters
in the state of Jammu and Kashmir. Engulfed with ice-clad mountains, the
cave is also covered with layers of snow most times of the year. In the
summer season, (June to August) it becomes accessible and hence opens
up to receive the pilgrims.
The cave is believed to be around 5000
years old. As per a popular legend, Buta Malik (a Muslim shepherd) met a
holy man who handed him a bag full of coal. On reaching home, he found
that the coal has got converted into gold. Moved by the miracle the
shepherd went in search of the saintly man and instead found the sacred
abode of Lord Shiva. The pilgrimage towards Amarnath consists of a 5 day
trek in which the devotees brave tough and uncertain climatic
conditions and walk for 40 miles (distance covers journey from:
camp-holy cave-camp).
3. Badrinath Temple
Situated close to the Alaknanda River, the abode of Lord Badrinath
is located in the Chamoli district, a small town of Badrinath
(Uttarakhand). This holy shrine of Lord Vishnu forms a part of the four
holiest sites (Char Dhams) in Hindu religion. It is also one of the four
Chota Char Dham pilgrimage sites (comparatively minor pilgrimage
sites). It is one of the 108 temples dedicated to Lord Vishnu (Divya
Desams), which find mention in the works of Tamil saints who existed
from 6th to 9th century.
The ancient abode of Lord Vishnu can be visited only between April to
November as in the rest of the months the weather is too harsh for
undertaking a pilgrimage journey. Two of the famous festivals related to
the temple are –
Mata Murti-Ka-Mela – in which the mother of Lord Badrinath is worshipped and it takes place in the month of September.
Badri-Kedar Festival – extending to 8 days, it takes place in the month of June and is celebrated in both the temples of Badrinath and Kedarnath.
4. Brihadeeswara Temple
Also known as Peruvudaiyar Kovil and RajaRajeswaram, this 11th
century temple was built by the Chola emperor Raja Raja Chola I.
Dedicated to Lord Shiva, Brihadeeswara temple is the largest temple in India that is situated at Thanjavur city of Tamil Nadu.
Cholas
are known for their majestic and splendid scale of structures. The
opulence and artistic proficiency of Cholas is well reflected in the
grand and magnificent architecture of the temple. Made entirely of
granite stone, it was built as per the principles of Vaastu Shastras and
Agamas.
The most remarkable thing related to the architecture of
this UNESCO World Heritage Site is that it doesn’t leave any shadow on
the ground at the noon time. The millenary celebrations of its
construction took place in 2010 amid many enthusiastic and grand
cultural events.
5. Dwarkadhish Temple
The holy abode of Lord Krishna, Dwarkadhish temple is situated in the
Dwarka city (Gujarat). Also known as Jagat Mandir, the temple has two
doors for entry and exit for pilgrims. The entry door is called Swarg
Dwar (doorway to heaven) and the exit door is called Moksha Dwar (the
doorway to liberation).
A part of the Char Dham pilgrimage, the
5-story structure of the temple is standing with the support of 72
pillars. Placed on the banks of River Gomti the temple reaches the
height of 51.8 meters and a flight of 56 steps need to be taken to reach
the Swarg Dwar. Inside the shrine, the Lord dazzles his devotees
through his image built in black stone and reaches up to 2.25 ft.
6. Gangotri Temple
The sacred origin of Ganga Maa (mother) is worshipped at Gangotri
temple, which is situated in the Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand. A
partially submerged Shivaling lying along the temple in the waters of
Bhagirathi signifies the place where God Shiva entangled Ganga in his
hair. Built in the 18th century the temple is made from the white
granite.
The holy temple of Gangotri opens up on Akshaya Tritiya
(usually falling in the months of April or May). On this occasion, an
idol of Ganga Maa is brought back from the Mukhyamath temple (her winter
abode), which is at a distance of 20 km. On Diwali, every year, Maa
Ganga again travels back to the Mukhyamath temple.
7. Golden Temple
Sri Harmandir Sahib (also known Darbar Sahib or Golden temple) is the
most pious pilgrimage place for Sikhs. The temple was built on the
values of universal brotherhood and equality. The four doors, opening in
the four prominent directions, openly welcome people from any faith or
race to seek religious and spiritual contentment. The structure, revered
for its superb architecture, is built on a level lower than that of the
immediate surroundings, symbolizing the value of humility.
The
holy scripture of Sikhs, Guru Granth Sahib, was first placed in Sri
Harmandir Sahib after its compilation and first Granthi (or head priest)
of this Sikh pilgrimage centre in India, was Baba Buddha ji.
8. Gomateshwara Temple
Situated in the Shravanabelagola town of Karnataka, Gomateshwara
temple is dedicated to Lord Bahubali also known as Gomateshwara. Built
in the 10th century it is one of the most important pilgrimage places
for Jains. The statue inspires awe among people world over because of
its unique structure. Standing at an enormous height of 58.8 ft the idol
is carved out of a single granite rock. This monolithic structure
stands at such a great height without any external support. The base of
the Bahubali idol has got inscriptions written in three different
languages – Marathi, Kannada and Tamil.
The most important event
occurs in the temple after every 12 years. It is called
Mahamastakabhishek and is a very important festival for Jains. In which
Lord Bahubali is bathed and smeared with various things like saffron
paste, sugarcane, turmeric, milk and vermillion and offered various
precious stones and coins (like gold and silver).
9. Iskcon Temple
Also known as the Krishna Balaram mandir, ISKCON (International
Society for Krishna Consciousness) was built in the year 1975. Located
in the holy land of Vrindavan (Mathura, Uttar Pradesh), the land which
is believed to be the abode of Lord Krishna in his young age, the ISKCON
temple is well known for the utmost standard of cleanliness and worship
they maintain. The chants of ‘Hare Krishna’ reverberate in the temple
all hours of the day.
The temple belongs to the Gaudiya Vaishnava
sect of Hinduism, which was founded by Chaitanya Mahaprabhu in the 16th
century. Inside the temple there are idols of Krishna, Radha, Balarama,
along with the idols of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and Swami Prabhupada
(founder of ISKCON).
For understanding India in its various hues
one can start from its temples, i.e. undertake a Pilgrimage holiday in
India and start to learn what binds its diverse population and begin to
unravel the intriguing phenomenon called India. Mahatma Gandhi said that
the essence of all religions is one; only their approaches are
different. Likewise, from the different temples of India, one can
realize the essence of the enigmatic land of India.
10. Kanchipuram Temples
‘The City of Thousand Temples’ – Kanchipuram (Tamil Nadu) is one of
the seven sacred places in India wherein the people can attain Moksha,
as per the Hindu religion. Every temple in Kanchipuram is a fascinating
piece of architecture. Among the most revered temples of Kanchi 3 major
ones are mentioned below:
Kamakshi Amman Temple:
Goddess Kamakshi is one of the manifestations of Parvati and unlike the
standing poses in which we usually find her idols, the enchanting idol
at Kamakshi temple is sitting in Padmasana (a yogic sitting posture).
Ekambareswarar Temple:
This shrine of Lord Shiva is also the largest among all the temples of
Kanchipuram. The main lingam of the Ekambareswarar temple is made of
sand and is said to be built by the Goddess Parvati.
Varadaraja Perumal Temple:
It is one of the 108 temples of Vishnu (Divya Desams). This temple
along with the temples of Kamakshi and Ekambareswarar are collectively
called Mumurtivasam (home of trio).
11. Kashi Vishwanath Temple
Located in the ancient and holy city of Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh),
Kashi Vishwanath temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva, also referred to as
Vishwanath or Vishweshwara, meaning emperor of the universe. The city of
Varanasi is also known as Kashi that is why the temple is famously
called Kashi Vishwanath temple.
The distinguished temple has been
visited by many great holy men like Swami Vivekanand, Adi
Shankaracharya, Goswami Tulsidas and Gurunanak. The merit or the
blessings received from sighting jyotirling at Kashi Vishwanath is equal
to that earned from visiting the rest of the 11 jyotirlings placed at
several areas in India. A visit to the sacred temple of Shiva is
believed to be one of the ways through which one can attain Moksha
(ultimate liberation of the soul).
12. Kedarnath Temple
Situated in the Himalayan range of Garhwal area (Uttarakhand), Kedarnath temple
is one of the most sacred Shiva temples in the world. This holy abode
of Shiva is said to be built by the Pandavas to atone for their sins
committed during their battle with Kauravs. The temple was restored by
Adi Sankaracharya in 8th century. It is one of the Chota Char Dhams of Uttarakhand
and requires a pilgrim to walk a distance of 14 kms over the hilly
surface. One can make use of a pony or manchan to simplify the journey.
Surrounded
by the glaciers and snow-covered peaks and standing at a height of
3,583 m, the temple is closed during winters due to severe cold
conditions. Even the idol of Lord Shiva is shifted to Ukhimath and
worshiped there throughout the 5/6 months for which the extreme
conditions prevail.
13. Khajuraho Temple
Khajuraho is a town in the state of Madhya Pradesh,
which houses several temples built between 10th to 12th centuries.
Spread across an area of 20 sq km, the monuments of the town are
recognized as UNESCO World Heritage Site. The temples are built of
sandstone and dedicated to the deities of Hindus and Jains.
The
temples are world famous for the erotic cravings, which can be seen
along other cravings depicting the activities of routine life. It is
believed that there were over 75 temples in the area but right now about
20 exist. The temples have been divided into three zones – eastern,
western and southern. The Western zone consists of the most famous
temples; the largest temple of Khajuraho, Kandariya Mahadeva Temple,
falls under this zone.
An annual Khajuraho Dance Festival,
celebrating classical dance forms of India, is held against the
background of Chitragupta or Vishwanath temple in the first week of
February.
14. Laxminarayan Temple
Inaugurated by Mahatma Gandhi in 1939, the temple was built by the
industrialist Baldeo Das Birla in Delhi and can be visited by people of
all castes and creed. Laxminarayan is a form of Lord Vishnu (Narayan)
when he is with Goddess Lakshmi (his consort).
The primary shrine
is devoted to Laxminarayan, other smaller shrines are dedicated to other
Gods like Shiva, Hanuman, Krishna, Ganesh and Buddha. Spread in an area
of 7.5 acres the temple is one of the tourist attractions
of Delhi and has a huge garden, fountains and a large hall called Geeta
Bhawan to conduct discourses, apart from the holy shrines.
15. Lingaraja Temple
Lingaraja temple is one of the oldest and largest temples of the
‘Temple City of India’ – Orissa. Drenched in the architectural style
typical of Kalinga, the temple doesn’t only attract religious devotees
but also the historians.
The idol of Lingaraj usually represents
Lord Shiva, but over here it symbolizes Shiva and Vishnu. The combined
form of both the Gods is referred to as Harihara. A large lake called
Bindu Sagar touches the temple from one side and is said to have healing
powers. Non-Hindus are not allowed to enter the premises, thus they can
see the magnificent structure from a platform outside the temple.
Shivratri is the main festival of the temple.
