http://112.196.11.34/dailypost/Details.aspx?id=2211&boxid=57681&uid&dat=2011-08-14
http://112.196.11.34/dailypost/Details.aspx?id=2579&boxid=58322&uid=&dat=2011-08-21
Jagannath Temple: Until I find the published post:
The Holy Trinity of Puri
The Jagannath Temple in Puri is perhaps one of the holiest places in Eastern India. One of the
dhams of the ‘Chardham’, the shrine of the temple encloses the trio of deities, Balabhadra,
Subhadra and Jagannath. The temple is ancient; legend has it that and at some point in the distant
past, it had been covered by sand, and had fallen into oblivion. After several years, it was re-
discovered, because of the golden ‘Shikhara’ jutting out of the sand. The temple is huge and
beautifully designed. One can imagine the age of the temple by looking at the intricate engraved
figures on all the walls of the main shrine. It is situated central among many other temples, all
within a single perimeter.
Due to commercialization of the place, and the immense crowds, to reach the sanctum (where the
original idols are placed and worshipped) for darshan, one has to hire a local pundit, ‘Panda’.
They start approaching you the moment you set foot in Puri, starting from the railway station, all
the way to the hotel. Even if you don’t hire one and arrive at the temple yourself without a
Panda, you will eventually find yourself obliged to hire one, just so that you can be guided
through the labyrinths of the temple; spaces halls and corridors, and also through the swarming
crowds. When you finally do reach the holy shrine, you are granted just a moment’s glimpse of
the holy gods, above and past the bowed heads of people already standing there in prayer.
I was fortunate to have entered temple premises when it was somewhat less crowded, perhaps as
it was just nearing the time of closure for the morning. So, the few who were present were able
to pray and worship in peace, without being nudged, shoved or pushed from all directions. Even
the inner sanctum where the deities are enshrined could be beheld in peace – a powerful aura
pervades within this sacred abode. Perhaps it is due to atmosphere around – the slight chanting,
the scent of incense sticks, the idols projected as the centre of spiritual power, the dim light,
people bowing in reverence, people prostrating on the floor, the ancient smoothened rock tiles,
the darkened walls, the coolness of the temple interiors, all come together to bring about a certain
indescribable sense of contentment. I cannot explain that momentary bliss.
The other temples contain the shrines of other divinities, who are equally revered. The entire
temple compound is expansive; the Jagannath temple forming the epicenter of this huge
enclosure of holiness. People sitting in prayer, some in meditation, Pandas guiding their clients
around; religion is a busy activity.
The Jagannath temple is protesting against the years of neglect and use; the walls are crumbling
at some places, while at others, the delicate carvings are getting eroded. The carved walls are
being restored by some masons working at one façade of the temple and an enforcing structure
has been built on another side to support the weakening beams of the aging temple. Outside the
temple, it is a busy marketplace, filled with an assorted variety of shops – small and big, selling
sweets or souvenirs, flowers or clothes.
Weaving through the intricate streets, perhaps in a rickshaw, one can reach back to the sea side
of Puri, where religion merges with the deep blue waters of the Bay of Bengal. And yet, after
visiting the hallowed portals of the Jagannath temple, for quite some time, the spiritual state of
mind lingers, as if the holy trinity had created a lasting impression in one’s soul.
Murudeshwar:
The sheer scene of the place is dramatic.. the massive statue of the benign Shiva towering
over all, the azure blue of the Arabian sea in so many directions around, the pyramidal
rise of the Gopura in front of the temple… one cannot help be mesmerized by the first
glance
This is Murudeshwara, which is itself another name for the Lord Shiva, Home to one of
the oldest Lord Shiva temples in the region… almost 500 years? Old...built on the
coastline of Karnataka; this beach town has been a place of religion and worship for
many years, for the local Kannadiga people. People flock in crowds, daily to give their
offerings to the divine lord.
When approaching this coastal pilgrimage destination, one is greeted by the beach on
both sides – and the silvery statue of Shiva ahead... looming, growing the closer one
gets.
The temple is built on a narrow peninsula type of land, which grows into a slight hill at
the absolute corner nearest to the sea. This hill, called Kanduka Giri, is where the ancient
temple resides, flanked by the tall 243 feet Gopuram in front, and the 123 ft Shiva statue
at the other side, farther way. The Gopuram, with 21 floors inside is equipped with a lift
too, which visitors can use to go to the 21 st floor for a nominal fee. Imagine the view from
the top!
Though the temple itself is old, the entire campus, with the beautifully maintained grassy
slopes, the tall beautifully engraved Gopura façade, and the Shiva structure has been
donated and maintained by a philanthropist Mr. R N Shetty. The temple’s inner sanctum
is still preserved however in its true form – the old stones, the dark interiors and the holy
God.
The left boundary of the Gopuram grounds has a railing to fence the area from the
sloping ground further, which finally meets the sea waters. Not too far away, on the left,
one can see the sandy beach, with a few fishermen’s boas here and there – the green
coconut trees and palms providing a green lush background to this panorama…. At the
backside of the Gopuram, some steps to the left at a higher level is the actual temple,
which too overlooks the sea. The golden façade of the temple is beautifully carved
figures and characters from Hindu mythology. Entering the cool interiors of the temple,
one cannot help but feel at peace.
The central piece of attraction however is the Shiva statue – slated to be one of the tallest
in the world, it is spectacular – the entire figure of the Lord Shiva in meditation is of a
silver texture, with the exception of the golden snake entwined on his neck. Which is of a
golden colour. Climbing 2 flights of steps, between lush green slopes, a gigantic Nandi
Bull and more statues, one feels like a midget in front of the statue; there is a cavern at
the bottom, where statues depicting the story of Murudeshwara, have been placed. The
best part of the statue for me was the semicircular balcony sort of structure which was
build around the statue, for the sides facing the sea. The view from these areas is
magnificent –, pink flowers on some bushes in the immediate vicinity, followed by the
green of the slopes immediately below, which had the entire backdrop of the sandy
beach, the clear blue sky and, the shiny glimmer from the sea waves. The sea breeze was
even stronger at that height…
This place is doubly popular because of its beautiful beaches too = on both sides of the
temple grounds, the Arabian Sea is at its best, flowing gently into the land, which is soon
covered by the green carpet of coastal vegetation – far away, another hill can be seen on
the background. The beach to the left is more popular, crowded with people, some boats,
and a few restaurants overlooking the sea on a mini 4 storied lighthouse shaped structure.
A little further down the road in the same direction one enters, are a couple of hotels,
which cater to people who come here for religious or holiday purposes. Medium
budgeted, this is the ideal destination for a complete family, where the elders can enjoy
the company of God, while the youngsters can enjoy playing in the sea, while everyone
else can enjoy the complete picture of the blue Arabian Sea, the green palms, the clear
skies the sea breeze, and of course the divine presence.
http://112.196.11.34/dailypost/Details.aspx?id=2579&boxid=58322&uid=&dat=2011-08-21
Jagannath Temple: Until I find the published post:
The Holy Trinity of Puri
The Jagannath Temple in Puri is perhaps one of the holiest places in Eastern India. One of the
dhams of the ‘Chardham’, the shrine of the temple encloses the trio of deities, Balabhadra,
Subhadra and Jagannath. The temple is ancient; legend has it that and at some point in the distant
past, it had been covered by sand, and had fallen into oblivion. After several years, it was re-
discovered, because of the golden ‘Shikhara’ jutting out of the sand. The temple is huge and
beautifully designed. One can imagine the age of the temple by looking at the intricate engraved
figures on all the walls of the main shrine. It is situated central among many other temples, all
within a single perimeter.
Due to commercialization of the place, and the immense crowds, to reach the sanctum (where the
original idols are placed and worshipped) for darshan, one has to hire a local pundit, ‘Panda’.
They start approaching you the moment you set foot in Puri, starting from the railway station, all
the way to the hotel. Even if you don’t hire one and arrive at the temple yourself without a
Panda, you will eventually find yourself obliged to hire one, just so that you can be guided
through the labyrinths of the temple; spaces halls and corridors, and also through the swarming
crowds. When you finally do reach the holy shrine, you are granted just a moment’s glimpse of
the holy gods, above and past the bowed heads of people already standing there in prayer.
I was fortunate to have entered temple premises when it was somewhat less crowded, perhaps as
it was just nearing the time of closure for the morning. So, the few who were present were able
to pray and worship in peace, without being nudged, shoved or pushed from all directions. Even
the inner sanctum where the deities are enshrined could be beheld in peace – a powerful aura
pervades within this sacred abode. Perhaps it is due to atmosphere around – the slight chanting,
the scent of incense sticks, the idols projected as the centre of spiritual power, the dim light,
people bowing in reverence, people prostrating on the floor, the ancient smoothened rock tiles,
the darkened walls, the coolness of the temple interiors, all come together to bring about a certain
indescribable sense of contentment. I cannot explain that momentary bliss.
The other temples contain the shrines of other divinities, who are equally revered. The entire
temple compound is expansive; the Jagannath temple forming the epicenter of this huge
enclosure of holiness. People sitting in prayer, some in meditation, Pandas guiding their clients
around; religion is a busy activity.
The Jagannath temple is protesting against the years of neglect and use; the walls are crumbling
at some places, while at others, the delicate carvings are getting eroded. The carved walls are
being restored by some masons working at one façade of the temple and an enforcing structure
has been built on another side to support the weakening beams of the aging temple. Outside the
temple, it is a busy marketplace, filled with an assorted variety of shops – small and big, selling
sweets or souvenirs, flowers or clothes.
Weaving through the intricate streets, perhaps in a rickshaw, one can reach back to the sea side
of Puri, where religion merges with the deep blue waters of the Bay of Bengal. And yet, after
visiting the hallowed portals of the Jagannath temple, for quite some time, the spiritual state of
mind lingers, as if the holy trinity had created a lasting impression in one’s soul.
Murudeshwar:
The sheer scene of the place is dramatic.. the massive statue of the benign Shiva towering
over all, the azure blue of the Arabian sea in so many directions around, the pyramidal
rise of the Gopura in front of the temple… one cannot help be mesmerized by the first
glance
This is Murudeshwara, which is itself another name for the Lord Shiva, Home to one of
the oldest Lord Shiva temples in the region… almost 500 years? Old...built on the
coastline of Karnataka; this beach town has been a place of religion and worship for
many years, for the local Kannadiga people. People flock in crowds, daily to give their
offerings to the divine lord.
When approaching this coastal pilgrimage destination, one is greeted by the beach on
both sides – and the silvery statue of Shiva ahead... looming, growing the closer one
gets.
The temple is built on a narrow peninsula type of land, which grows into a slight hill at
the absolute corner nearest to the sea. This hill, called Kanduka Giri, is where the ancient
temple resides, flanked by the tall 243 feet Gopuram in front, and the 123 ft Shiva statue
at the other side, farther way. The Gopuram, with 21 floors inside is equipped with a lift
too, which visitors can use to go to the 21 st floor for a nominal fee. Imagine the view from
the top!
Though the temple itself is old, the entire campus, with the beautifully maintained grassy
slopes, the tall beautifully engraved Gopura façade, and the Shiva structure has been
donated and maintained by a philanthropist Mr. R N Shetty. The temple’s inner sanctum
is still preserved however in its true form – the old stones, the dark interiors and the holy
God.
The left boundary of the Gopuram grounds has a railing to fence the area from the
sloping ground further, which finally meets the sea waters. Not too far away, on the left,
one can see the sandy beach, with a few fishermen’s boas here and there – the green
coconut trees and palms providing a green lush background to this panorama…. At the
backside of the Gopuram, some steps to the left at a higher level is the actual temple,
which too overlooks the sea. The golden façade of the temple is beautifully carved
figures and characters from Hindu mythology. Entering the cool interiors of the temple,
one cannot help but feel at peace.
The central piece of attraction however is the Shiva statue – slated to be one of the tallest
in the world, it is spectacular – the entire figure of the Lord Shiva in meditation is of a
silver texture, with the exception of the golden snake entwined on his neck. Which is of a
golden colour. Climbing 2 flights of steps, between lush green slopes, a gigantic Nandi
Bull and more statues, one feels like a midget in front of the statue; there is a cavern at
the bottom, where statues depicting the story of Murudeshwara, have been placed. The
best part of the statue for me was the semicircular balcony sort of structure which was
build around the statue, for the sides facing the sea. The view from these areas is
magnificent –, pink flowers on some bushes in the immediate vicinity, followed by the
green of the slopes immediately below, which had the entire backdrop of the sandy
beach, the clear blue sky and, the shiny glimmer from the sea waves. The sea breeze was
even stronger at that height…
This place is doubly popular because of its beautiful beaches too = on both sides of the
temple grounds, the Arabian Sea is at its best, flowing gently into the land, which is soon
covered by the green carpet of coastal vegetation – far away, another hill can be seen on
the background. The beach to the left is more popular, crowded with people, some boats,
and a few restaurants overlooking the sea on a mini 4 storied lighthouse shaped structure.
A little further down the road in the same direction one enters, are a couple of hotels,
which cater to people who come here for religious or holiday purposes. Medium
budgeted, this is the ideal destination for a complete family, where the elders can enjoy
the company of God, while the youngsters can enjoy playing in the sea, while everyone
else can enjoy the complete picture of the blue Arabian Sea, the green palms, the clear
skies the sea breeze, and of course the divine presence.
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