QUES ANSW DIVINE 66DD Dearfriends, These areinformation posted by members compiled as QA by me in 1998’s-2008’s and storedin my computer. At this date I have no information of the members posted.
BEING COMPILATION THERE MAY BE ERRORS. Sincerely, R. Gopalakrishnan, 78, Former AGM Telecom Trivandrum dated 06-12-2021 Q1 Every body would havevisited Padmanabha swamy temple at Trivandrum. What are the not much knownfacts about the temple? A1 Elaborate rituals are conducted in thetemple, because of the twelve thousand sacred'salagramas' which constitute the idol. The Siveli Mandapam, thetower and the outer pathways bear theimprint of master sculptors. An example of their finecraftsmanship is seen in a piece of carving which has the figure of an elephant on one side and that of a bull on the other. Their forms are so expertly blended that the horns of the bull appear as the tusks of the elephant when viewed from the other side and the rolledup trunk ofthe elephant serves as the hump forthe bull. Murajapam - Murajapam is conducted at the SreePadmanabhaswamy Temple once insix years. It is mainly for thewelfare of the country. Murajapamwill conduct when 12 Bhadradeepam joins. This year Bhadradeepam started on November 21 and ends on 14th January 2008. The14th January 2008 will witness this wonderful and unique festival of Sree Padmanabha Swamy being worshipped asfrom immemorial times by the illumination with one Lakhs of Deepams or One Hundred Thousand Lights. This splendor happens once in six years. This dayis also the culmination of a Ritual, which is a Yagna, commencing FiftySix Days before. This Ulsav is in the Sree Padmanabha Swamy Temple (in theheart of this Bhu Bhaga This part of the land) considered as theBrahmasthan of the city of Thiruvananthapuram. The Ottakkal Mandapam isa marvel of ancient workmanship,one slab of granite weighing so many tones. All these are the beautiful settings for the jewel of the Sanctum sanctorum,"Sri Padmanabha Swamy". Namaskaram should not be doneof this mandapam since it s part of the garbhagraha. It was as answer to the prayer to the Lord to be of such proportions for human eyes to see that theLord took the form of the length of three times that of thesage's(Vilvamangalam) Yoga Dandu (staff) of about eighteen feet. Indian iconography is to the marvel at for theconcept and the creation of a technique by which a form of the divinecould be made of an amalgam known as KATU SARKARA YOGAM. This splendid Idol crafted of this complex substance contains 12,000 saligramo-silas brought from Nepal onelephant's back Annadhanam - Everyday food is offered to devotees from11.30 to 12.30 He is Vishnu, lying on the serpent Ananta. From His navel rises Brahma and under his righthand Siva is seen. The Bhagavatham is recountingthe pilgrimage of Balarama reveals His coming to worship Sri Padmanabha Swamy after a bath in the holywaters of Padmathirtha and gifting of ten thousand cows. The famous Vaishnava saint,Sri Ramanuja has offered his prayers here, and so has the ecstaticdevotee, Sri Chaithanya Mahaprabhu whoidentified this Temple as one among the six Narayanasthals of Bharatham. This is a Mahakshethra and is one of the 13 Vishnu shrines of Kerala identifiedas Divya Deshams or Thiruppathies by the great Alwar Saints. The rituals performed here are detailed and much more than in many other Temples. There are daily three full pujasfrom dawn to night. Two Utsavams, theKalasams, the Kalabham and the recitation of many Puranas take place here. Maharaja Anizhom Thirunal Marthanda is hailed the architect ofmodern Travancore. A grand Yajna wasconducted by him known as Lakshadeepam,inclusive of the lengthy Murajapam. The first Lakshadeepam was in mid January (Makaram 1st)1750 AD. By the supreme grace of God it continues unbroken to date. It has beenthe privilege of the successive SriPadmanabha Dasas (The rulers of Travancore) to ensure its conduct every six years without fail. The Lakshadeepam and the Deeparadhana on that day bring to the mindthe thought of 'Tamaso Ma Jyothirgamays'. Q2 What ismurajapam? A2 The entire fifty-six day Yajna known as the Murajapam,which preceded the Lakshadeepam, literally means Japa done in cyclic rotation. Q3 Everybody knowsabout the kedavilakku in south indian temples. Do there any such temple innorth? A3 yes. Onesuch is Mahad: (Raigarh Dist.), 24kmsfrom Karjat, 6 kms from Khopoli or 120kms from Pune. Varadavinayaka as known here, idol facing east, trunk twisted to left, with Riddi & Siddi, 25ft highdome with pinnacle. In the temple of Varadvinayak, one Nandadeep (lamp) is lit and burning for last 107years. Q4 Which is thetemple in the north where 5km is walk is required to circumbulate once? A4 It is Siddhatek:Situated on the banks of river Bhima, in Ahmednagar district. Take Pune - Solapur road via Daund(Daund is 78 kms from Pune andDaund-Siddhatek is another 18kms). Sage Vyasar had performed yagnya (sacrifices)here. It is said that, years ago therewas a heap of ashes from this sacrificial fire. The swayambhu idol of ShreeSiddhivinayaka is placed in brass frame. Brass idols of Jay and Vijay are placed on both sides ofSiddhivinayaka. Howeverbelly of the idol is not big. Riddhi & Siddhi are sitting on one lap of Vinayaka.The pradakshana (circumnavigation) of the God is said to be very fruitful. One has to travel 5 kms. To complete one Pradakshana as the idol is attached to the hillitself. Q5 What is thespeciality of the Vinayaga temple in Moregaon? A5 Moregaon: Moregaon, on the banks of river Karha is in Baramati Taluka. Shape of this place islike a peacock & long ago therewere many peacocks here, as such called "Moregaon'. We drove on Pune-Solapurhighway. Moregaon lies on the right side of Chaufula at a distance of 79 km from Pune On climbing the steps you willsee a big 'Nandi in front of Ganapatiinstead of Lord Shiva!! How come? :- 'Yearsago, this Nandi was taken on a cart for its consecration in front of a near by Shivaalaya. However, thecart carrying Nandi broke down infront of Mayureshwara' s temple and Nandi sat before Mayureshwar' s temple for ever. People tried their best to shiftNandi from this place but Nandi didnot move an inch. The artisan had a dream in the night. Nandi appeared in hisdream and said, "I want to staybefore Mayureshwar only. Don't try to shift me elsewhere forcefully, I won't come." People leftwith no other alternative, dropped theidea of shifting Nandi to other place. Hence this Nandiji was consecrated before Mayureshwar. Q6 What is the story connectedwith Ramanuja and Tirupathi temple? A6It is said that Sri Ramanuja, who is considered tobe the Avatara of Adisesha, took the form of a cobra, and went in through theopening intended for the Abhisheka Tirtha, and prayed to the Lord, whereupon the Lord himself took up the twoemblems of Lord Vishnu. Q7 Indian mythological scripturestell us about incarnations of two kinds. Which are they? A7 Some ofthem take human or animal forms to accomplish brief missions, others are bornin a blessed family and grow up like other children. But they areextraordinary, both in intelligence and physical strength. Q8 We all knowabout the Navagraha temples around Kumbakonam. Out of this what is thespecility with Sooryanar temple? A8 It is to be noted that the first of these, the Suryanaar temple is theonly one that is dedicated to the planet or the celestial body itself. All of the other eight are ancient templesdedicated to Shiva. Q9 Do we havenavagraha temples near Tirunelveli? A9 Yes. It is to be noted that there is another set of ninetemples in Tirunelveli district which are said to constitute the Navagraha cluster of templesin that part of the state. Q10 Is there anytradition that the gateway of the templeis intended to stand for the universe, and the vigraha of the Lord inside forthe supreme spirit ? A10 Yes. According to one tradition, the gateway of thetemple is intended to stand for the universe, and the vigraha of the Lordinside for the supreme spirit. Q11 What do thecurtain before the idol in Vaishnava temples means? A11 There is always a curtain before the Lord, which according to theVaishnavite texts shouldbe of three colors, white, red and black, representing the three gunas, Satva,Rajah and Tamas. When the veil of the gunas is lifted, theresplendent Lord is seen. Q12 Is there atradition that temple is like a human body? A12 Yes. According to another tradition, the temple is justlike a human body, which is conceived of as a walking temple of God, with theJiva in the centre. Thetop of the temple is the head; the Garbha Griha is the neck, the front mantapais' the stomach; the prakara walls are the legs; the gopura is thefeet and the Lord is the Jiva in the body. Q13 What is Vimana? A13 The tower overthe main shrine is called the ‘Vimana’ and is generally ornamentedwith plaster figures right up to the top. Q14 We all knowabout the Nandi in Siva temples. Do any thing like that in Vaishnavite temples? A14 In front of the sanctum is located the Nandi or the bull in the caseof Saiva temples, and theGaruda in the case of the Vaishnava temples with a Bali Peetha and aDhwaja stambha, in front. Q15 what issthalavriksha? A15 Agamas have also givenparticulars of trees, which are known as Sthala Vrikshas, which are to be plantedin different temples. Q16 A very strikingquestion-People performing sraddah know for washing the feet for the Pithristhe Mandala type(circular) and the Viswa devas the Sthandila type(square type)circles have put.Can you find any analogy for this in temples? A16.Yes. So far as the main shrine and Vimana goes, it can be built onthree plans viz., Square or Circular or Apsidal, The Square pattern is calledthe ‘Sthandila’ and the Circular is called the ‘Mandala.’ These two plans areactually derived from the Vedic tradition in which two different kinds of firealters viz., namely the ‘Ahavaniya’ and the ‘Garhaspatya’ which are square and circular in their shape, arementioned. Even now in the Sraddha ceremonies that we perform, the Pithris andthe Viswa devas are given two different types of asanas, the Pithris theMandala type(circular) and the Viswa devas the Sthandila type(square type). The Squarepattern is called the ‘Sthandila’ and the Circular is called the ‘Mandala. The Apsidalform of temple is rather rare, and only one important temple of Andhra desa namely the Kaportheswara temple of Chejerla isbuilt in this model. This is also probably on the Dakshinagni altar model. Q17 Do the God islooked upon as king? A17 yes. The Lordis looked upon as a reigning king, and due regal honors is done to him. In the Tirupati temple forexample, the almanac is read out every day before the Lord and a statement ofaccounts also submitted as in a royal court A similar practice isfollowed in Guvayoor temple in Kerala Q18 What are theinformative details of Mallikarjuna temple?Where is the temple? A18 On the top of the Srisailamhill, is the famous temple of Lord Siva, known as Mallikarjuna which is oneof the twelve Jyotirlinga. The Sthalamahatmyam of the temple has a very interesting story, regardingthe origin of the temple, where a princess called Chandravati who was the daughter of a Gupta Kingcalled Chandragupta, is said to have offered daily a garland of Jasmine flowersto the God in Srisailam and eventually married him. This legend embodied in theSthalamahatmyam is partly represented in detail in one of the stone records ofthe 16th century in this temple. It is Interesting to note, that the Chenchus the local tribes have free permission, even today, to go intoany part of the temple, Including the Garbha Griha, enshrining thesacred Linga. Such a catholic form of worship is unknown anywhere else inAndhra, except at Srisailam and this custom probably dates back to the Buddhistperiod when caste rules were not so rigid. There are good travel facilities to the temple. From Kurnool, Guntur and otherplaces direct buses now go to Srisailam. The ghat road from Dornal,recently opened, takes one straight to the temple by road Q19 What are someinteresting information about Tirupathi Balaji temple.? A19 Tirupati is the mostsacred Vaishnavite temple of Andhra Desa. It has a reputation not only in Andhra but allover India and the presiding deity Lord Venkateswara is worshipped by NorthIndian pilgrims as 'Balaji." The Temple is still very active and live, andis probably the richest temple in Andhra Desa, and perhaps in the whole ofIndia. The group of hills is alsocalled Seshachalam Hills and these seven peaks are said to represent the seven hoods of LordAdisesha the king of serpents. The consort of LordSrinivasa is not with him on the top of the hill, but is worshipped at Alameluma-ngapuram, at the foot of the hills. Theshrine of Lord Venkateswara stands over a ciuster of seven hills, which aresaid to form the Meruparvatha According to the legends, this temple is a sacredplace in all the four yugas, and was known as Vrishabhachala in the Krithayuga,Anjanachala in the Tretayuga, Seshachala in the Dwaparayuga and Venkatachala inthe present Kaliyuga. Saint Ramanuja, thegreat Vaishnavite reformer of the twelfth century, is said to have settled thedispute and established the worship of Lord Srinivasa here. It is said that Sri Ramanuja, who is considered to be the Avatara ofAdisesha, took the form of a cobra, and went in through the opening intendedfor the Abhisheka Tirtha, and prayed to the Lord, whereupon the Lord himselftook up the two emblems of Lord Vishnu. All the jewels and ornaments ofthe Lord were to be removed on Thursday and the God was to be dressed only with flowers onthat day. . No animals or birds should be killed in hunting and no one should be allowed to dieon the top of the hill but brought down. Distance of seven to eight miles round the Swami pushkarini was markedoff as reserved for the Lord and within that limit no other temple should beconstructed. The exact period at which the temple was founded is unknown, andtradition has it that the temple is Swayambhustala In the lower Tirupati we have the temple of Sri Kodanda Ramaswami. In Tiruchanur, which is twomiles from Tirupati is the temple of goddess Alamelumanga, the consortof the Lord on the top of the hill. A visit to Tirupati will not be completeunless a Darsan of this Goddess is also had. Sri Adisankara in the courseof his tours is said to have established a Dhanakarshana Yantra at Tirupati. This is established by the fact that even todaythe income of the temple from the offerings of the devotees is going up byleaps and bounds. This is a temple in which the presence of the Lord is actually felt, and whereany prayer is still answered provided there is sincerity and devotion in theheart of the pilgrim. Q20 Where isAhobilam? A20 Ahobalam is a religious centre of very great antiquity. It issituated at a distance of thirtymiles from Nandyal Railway station of Kurnool District. Q21 What is thespeciality with the Alampur rock cut temples? A21 Alampur which houses a number of sacred shrines like those of Sangameswara and the Nava Brahmatemples. On the other hand, they have a close similarity to some of the rock-cuttemples of Western India. Thereare nine temples here. in the interior of these temples, one is oftenlikely to wonder whether he is in a rock-cut shrine or in a structural temple.It is stated that Brahma performed a great penance at this place for thousandsof years, and pleased Lord Siva who conferred the powers of creation on him. The nineBrahma temples here are known as Bala Brahma, Kumara Brahma, Arka Brahma, Veera Brahma,Viswa Brahma, Taraka Brahma, Garuda Brahma, Swarga Brahma, and Padma Brahma. These nine aspects arepeculiar to these temples alone, and are not found anywhere else in India. Daily hundreds of pilgrims visit this holy andsacred place. In addition to these temples here, there is thesacred Sangameswara, which is the meeting placeof Tungabhadra and Krishna.–Alampur Q22 What is the worth mentionspeciality of lepakshi temple in Anantaur in Andhra pradesh? A22Lepakshi is a smallvillage, which lies nine miles east of Hindupur in Anantapur District of Andhra. Hindupur is a railway station on the mainmetre-gauge line between Hyderabadand Bangalore, and from Hindupur there is a good metalled road toLepakshi on which several good bus connections exist Lepakshi is famous for its temple of Veerabhadra, and is also a renownedplace where the best specimens of the mural paintings of the Vijayanagar kingsare available. Two hundred yards eastof the temple is a colossal Nandi, which is the largest Nandi in India. It is carved out of a monolithic rock, measuring twentyfeet in height and thirty feet in length. It is a remarkable piece of work andhas been done with great -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Thatha_Patty" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/thatha_patty/532576336.383935.1638763605418%40mail.yahoo.com.
