Around Mysore - Nanjangud and Somnathpur

A couple of interesting places to visit around Mysore, for those who are making their nth trip to Mysore, n not being equal to 1. I am sure the first trip is always reserved for the palace, Srirangapatna and Chamundeswari temple - rightfully so. If you are done with the routine visits, then a couple of places worth checking out are Nanjangud and Somnathpur.

NANJANGUD: Nanjangud Sri Kanteswara temple is dedicated to lord Shiva. It is located at a distance of about 25 kms from Mysore. It is located on the banks of river Kabini, one of the tributaries of Kaveri. Nanjangud also has a rail head.

The best part of the temple is its proximity to the river bank. When the river is in full flow, like the time I had been there in August, it is a wonderful sight. Pilgrims throng the temple after taking a holy dip in the river, which in itself is a very pleasant experience. No great facility for a dress change though. We need to adjust with some make-shift arrangements.

Apart from taking a dip in the river, one could also go boating on the river in country made boats, Parisal. That again has its own charm. Taking a ride through the small, but beautiful, bamboo grooves in Parisal was one of the memorable experiences of my life.

The temple in itself is quite a massive structure with a 7-tier temple tower greeting you at the entrance. Sandstone colour of the temple tower adds its own touch of beauty to the structure. The temple compound walls are also wonderfully structured with fascinating carvings, both inside as well as outside the temple. The Primary lord, Nanjundeswarar, signifies Shiva who drank poison for the benefit of the world.

The place is considered to be a very sacred one and is revered as Dakshina Kasi. Apart from Shiva, the temple houses sanctums for lordess Parvati and Vishnu among others. There are innumerable wonderfully carved sculptures adorning the temple. There is also a section on sculptures of lord Shiva in various forms, which again speaks volume on Indian craftsmanship. Outside the temple one would also find a huge statue of Shiva in human form, in a sitting posture. The statue, although a recently established one, adds its own touch of sanctity and religious fervour to the atmosphere.

Near-by Nanjangud one could also find decent eating options.

SOMNATHPUR: Quite in contrast to Nanjangud, is Somnathpur or Somnathpura. It used to be a fully functional temple in the good old days, but it is now restricted to tourist interest. Built during the Hoysala period, it is the less known relative of Belur and Halebid temples. In fact, the structure of Somnathpura is quite similar to Halebid, which is so very unique to the Hoysala architecture. This temple too is dedicated toChennakesava. The temple is under the maintenance of Archealogical Survey of India (ASI) and is reasonably well-maintained. It is located at a distance of about 35kms from Mysore in the route to Bannur.

The temple has faced limited destruction compared to Belur and Halebid and hence offers more splendour for the eyes. Words are quite limited to express the beauty of the place. If you are one fascinated by history, architecture and sculptures, then Somnathpur should be definitely on your agenda of places to visit. Such is the treasure trove of sculptures and wall carvings here.

Inside the main temple, you would find three sanctums, dedicated to Kesava, Janardhana and Venugopala. Each of the sanctum has an elaborate entrance with intricate carvings that you could just adore for hours. Each of the pillars inside is uniquely carved and you are left wondering how did they manage to construct such wonders. The layered stone dome that resembles a chandelier beats the pillars in its own way. Unfortunately, the inner sanctums are not well-lit preventing one from taking decent pics.

While you relish the beauty of the inner sanctum and are left awe-stuck, the carvings on the outer wall transport you to a totally different world. You are sure to stretch the memory of your camera, just going on a clicking rampage. Even after that, you are likely to feel whether you have made full justice to the place by clicking enough pics. No camera or camcorder can amply capture what is on display. Probably your eyes are the best possible camera and your brain the best storage medium of all these memories.

One could spend several minutes just adoring the beauty of one sculpture and there are thousands and thousands of them lined all across the walls. Where do we start and where do we end? Well this is the question you will keep asking yourself and probably pass the blame on available time.

Sculptures are presented in three layers. To put very simply, the lower section with innumerable small ones, the middle section with reasonably big ones and the top (vimana) section with its own set of decorations. Leaving aside the main portion of the primary sculptures, one could be left wondering even at the beauty of the simple niceties that adorn these sculptures. Be it the tools on hands of the lords or the umbrella like covering above the head of each lord or the intricacies of leaves in a sculpted tree. The list is endless. One has to view it in person to rejoice it all. My words and pics are only like a small drop in a ocean of architectural treasure trove. Be there to check it out yourself.

NEAR-BY TEMPLES TO VISIT: Apart from Nanjagud and Somnathpur, if you are covering Mysore from Bangalore, then a couple of places you could cover en-route are Maddur and Mallur. Maddur is famous for its vadas and you should definitely try them when you are there. It is located at almost half way between Bangalore (Bengaluru) and Mysore. This apart, Maddur has an Ugra Narasimhar temple where Narasimha is in a state of anger and is seen here in the form of killing the demon Hiranyakashyap. There is a small Varadaraja Perumal temple near-by where the main statue is about 12 ft tall and is a divine sight.

Mallur or Dodda Mallur has a temple for lord Rama in the name of Aprameya. It is at a distance of about 50 kms from Bangalore. It is quite an old and historically recognised temple. Apart from the primary lord, the temple is more famous for Navneet Krishna. In fact, more people now know the temple only by this name. The most interesting aspect of the Navneet Krishna here is that it is in the posture of a child crawling. We have seen pictures of the same several number of times. But, to find statue of Krishna as a crawling child in a stone form is quite unique and you could catch the same here.

Temples in and around Salem - Part III

In this third part of the series on Temples around Salem, I would like to cover temples along the Salem-Tiruchengode route. You can look at Part I of the series at http://travelwithguru.blogspot.com/2011/04/temples-in-and-around-salem-part-ii.html and part 2 of the series at http://travelwithguru.blogspot.com/2011/04/temples-in-and-around-salem-part-ii.html

Apart from Tiruchengode Arthanareeswarar temple, most of the temples along this route are quite small, but some have significant history backing it. Tiruchengode is about 40 kms from Salem. It is well connected through the National Highway and hence commuting is easy.

1. Tiruchengode Kailasanathar Temple: Before visiting the main Tiruchengode hill top temple, one could visit the Kailasanathar temple located at the foot hill. It is a reasonably spacious temple and carries sanctums for gods and goddesses that you generally associate with a Shiva temple. The temple is well maintained and the entrance door carvings are a great treat for the eyes.

2. Tiruchengode Arthanareeswarar Temple: Undoubtedly, the main attraction in this region. The historically famous Arthanareeswarar temple on hill top. It is believed the temple was constructed during 2nd century AD. So, technically, it is over 2000 years old. It is amazing to realise such a wonderful temple having been constructed in that age. Every pillar and corner of the temple speaks volumes of the wonderful craftsmanship that prevailed in the region. A look above and the ceilings are filled with wonderful carvings.

Arthanareeswarar represents union of Lord Shiva and Lordess Parvathi in one human form. The primary statue of the god is said to have been made out of Nava Bhashan, a material that is said to have curative and anti-ageing properties. It is indeed sad that over several centuries people have scrapped out the Nava Bhashan from the idol, wanting to benefit from its medical properties. As a result, the idol looks to be in quite a dilapidated state. One could still make out the broad framework of the idol, but to view the statue in a bad state is disturbing.
There is also a sanctum for lord Muruga, in the name of Sengootu velavar, whose statue is also in the same state as Arthanareeswarar having been made of the same Nava Bhashan. There is also a separate sanctum for lord Vishnu here, assuming the name of Adhi Kesava Perumal. The premise also holds a huge puthu, probably among the biggest I have seen.

It is only recently that a road has been laid through the hill for devotees to reach the temple by vehicle. The road through the hill goes in a slightly round-about fashion, but is definitely worth the experience. The view of the Tiruchengode town and nearby hills from the temple premise is also a great spectacle.

3. Kalipatti Kandhaswamy Temple: On the way back to Salem from Tiruchengode, you could cover a few temples. First among them is a famous Murugan temple at Kalipatti, about 25 kms from Tiruchengode. The temple is backed by significant history and is said to have been one of the key contenders for Arupadai Veedu Murugan shrines. Here, instead of the Vibhooti (holy ash), devotees are given black ash made of sugarcane. This is supposed to have medicinal properties and has even historically supposedly been used for snake bites.

4. Ariyanoor 1008 Linga Temple: This is a modern temple in Ariyanoor, less than 10 kms from Kalipatti. The 1008 lingas are installed all along the way to a small hillock. Each of the lingas carry an unique name too. Once you reach the top of the hillock, there is a big Ganapathi statue to welcome you. The view from there is extremely scenic with coconut and banyan groves. There are also separate sanctums here for each of the Arupadai Veedu Murugan temples. The statues here are pretty much the replica of the original.

Each of the 1008 lingas are sheltered by individual roofing that makes it really a wonderful sight. There is a huge separate sanctum for the primary linga called Arunachaleswarar. To fully justify the grand construction around, the primary linga is really huge in proportion make it an awesome spectacle. There is also a separate sanctum for Lord Anjaneya in the premise.

5. Uthama Cholapuram Siva Temple: Just a km from Ariyanoor is the famous historic Siva temple at Uthama Cholapuram. Here, the lord assumes the name of Karabureswarar and is said to have emerged suyambu. The temple is said to be over 1200 years old. It is believed that the famous Tamil poet Aavaiyar is said to have presided over the marriage of Angavai and Sangavai, the two daughters of King Pari, extensively covered in Tamil history. In fact, there is a life-size statue of Aavaiyar placed at the entrance of the temple. A nice way to complete a temple tour in and around Salem.

Temples in and around Salem - Part II

This is in continuation with my previous post on Temples in and around Salem - Part 1. You can access it at http://travelwithguru.blogspot.com/2011/04/temples-in-and-around-salem-part-i.html.

In this post, I would like to cover temples in the Salem-Namakkal route. There are numerous temples along this route. Most of them are relatively small, nevertheless, significant temples and can be covered in a day.

1. Skandasramam:One of the primary landmarks of Salem or probably the most known temple closest to Salem. It is about 10 kms from Salem town. It islocated on top of a small hill called Skandagiri. A couple of small hairpin bends would take you to the main entrance of the temple. The temple was set up in the 1970s. As the name indicates, it is the temple dedicated to lord Muruga. However, the temple is more famous for the sheer size of statues of various gods and goddesses in its premises. In specific, the relatively big statues of Pancha Mukha Vinayaka, Anjeneya, Danvantiri and Dattareya deserve special mention.

There is also a special hall here for statues of various renowned sages and saints across India. Also, extremely unique and interesting in Skandasramam, is the presence of Nava grahas like Surya, Chandra, Ragu and Kethu with their spouses. I found this quite fascinating. Everything about Skandasramam is quite big in scale and the Nava grahas that way do not disappoint. It is very tough to find statues of Nava grahas with such grand sizes and finesse as you observe in Skandasramam. The same foundation have a Skandasramam constructed in Selaiyur in Tambaram, Chennai which is equally impressive. But, it is always good to visit the place where it all started. A must visit in Salem, especially if you have not been to the one in Chennai.

2. Kumaragiri Murugan Temple: For those fit bodies and souls, the next temple to check out is Kumaragiri. The temple is located on a hill top and is dedicated to Lord Muruga. One needs to climb more than 700 steps to reach Kumaragiri hill top. Unfortunately, you cannot take your vehicle along and will have to be climbed by stairs. The temple truly looked fascinating from the foot of the hill but looked like an exhaustive climb. Given our plans for covering more temples that morning, we decided to give it a skip. But, if you have the time and stamina, it is worth the climb. I will have to probably catch it sometime later.

3. Oothumalai Balasubramaniar Temple: The next hill top we covered was Oothumalai. Here, you could go all the way to the temple by car. Oothumalai isabout 11 kms from Skandasramam. This hill top temple too is dedicated to lord Muruga, assuming the name of Balasubramaniar. It is a small temple, but very interesting for two reasons: Here, Lord Muruga is seen holding the neck of his beloved peacock, a unique posture not to be seen in any other temple. Also, the view from the hill top is amazing and one could capture a good view of Salem town from here.

As you descend a few meters, you would notice a small Shiva temple. Next to the linga, on the rocks one would find wonderful engravings of gods and goddesses along with a suyambuSudharshana chakra. This small section of engravings is fenced and is worth a visit if you do reach Oothumalai.

4. Oothumalai Sathyanarayana Temple: In Oothumalai itself, opposite to the small Shiva temple, a climb through a series of steps would take you to a Vishnu temple, assuming the name of Satyanarayana. It is one of the very few temples dedicated to Satyanarayana in Tamil Nadu and hence assumes significance. The flight of steps are few, probably less than 60, but slightly steep in nature. The temple is a small one but the statue of the principle lord here is worth a visit for its beauty. It does feel quite enchanting to take a round around the temple premise.

5. Rasipuram Kamatchi Amman Temple: As you proceed along the route to Namakkal from Oothumalai. Rasipuram is about 27kms from Salem. This Kamatchi Amman temple is actually in a small town called Pudupalayam, about 3 kms fromRasipuram. The temple is again a small one, but the goddess here is a pretty divine sight.

6. Rasipuram Kailasanathar Temple: The more famous temple at Rasipuram is the Kailasanathar temple dedicated to Lord Shiva. This is a relatively old temple and is relatively a big temple compared to the ones seen thus far. The Lordess here is known by the name Dharma Samvardhini. Like in a typical Shiva temple, there are shrines for lord Muruga, Vinayaka and Dhakshinamoorthy too. A moment away from temples, Rasipuram is famous for its Ghee roast dhosas and is a definite must try item there.

7. Senthamangalam Vishnu Temple: The next temple that could be connected is Senthamangalam Vishnu temple. This is again quite an old temple and is worth a quick look. The temple is located just adjacent to the main bus stand of the town.

8. Dattagiri Dattareyar Temple: Quite close to Senthamangalam, there is a small hill top called Dattagiri. The temple is primarily dedicated to Dattareyar, unison of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. However, very few locals are aware of the temple as belonging to Dattareyar. There is also a sanctum for Muruga here and that is what the locals associate with the temple. The same foundation of Skandasramam is also credited with construction of the Dattagiri temple.

A certain distance to the temple can be covered by your vehicle. However, one would also have to climb a series of about 50 steps as well to reach the temple. The temple primarily has two deities at the top, Lord Muruga and Lord Dattareya, both being quite magnificent structures. There is also a provision to take a round around the temple premise. This is quite a fascinating one given the cool breeze around.

There is also a small temple at the foot hill. Although small, this house foursanctums for Vana Durgai, Ayyapa, Dakshinamoorthy and Saneeswara. One has to take a round trip of the premise to catch sight of the four wonderful sculptures. As though to say it has been set up by the same foundation as Skandasramam, the four statues are quite big in size and the artistry is spell binding. In specific, the statue of Vana Durgai is such a wonderful sight and is worth all the effort.

9. Namakkal Anjeneya Temple: This is one of the more famous temples and has a good coverage on the net. Just thought would include it to give it a completeness. The Hanuman statue here is one of the largest in the region. Several larger statues of Hanuman are now seen across the state, but clearly this is among the oldest and hence carries its own charm and significance. The temple, by size is quite a small one with just the Hanuman statue. The statue is however not covered on top, as the legend has it that any efforts to place a roof on top of the statue has been unsuccessful in the past, either lost to fire or otherwise. The statue is wonderfully sculpted in such a way that the eyesight of Hanuman directly falls on the feet of Narasimha statue located quite a few meters away at the foot of the Namakkal fort.

10. Namakkal Narasimha Temple: The fort temple at Namakkal is quite an old one made by sculpting through the rocks. It is a wonderful exhibition of Indian craftsmanship. The premise of the lord is like a cave, as is generally the case with Narasimha temples. Narasimha is not alone here. We also have rock carvings of Shiva, Brahma and his sons too standing besides him. Interesting aspect of the statue is the red mark on Lord Narasimha's hands, reflecting the legend that the lord presented himself at Namakkal, after killing Hiranya Kashipu. The lordess here is known by the name Namagiri thayar. The sight of the lordess is indeed a great spectacle and quite a divine experience.

11. Paramathi Bheemeswara Temple: One other temple we explored is Bheemeswara temple at Paramathi. This is beyond Namakkal, at about 15-20 kms away. Here, there is an old Suyambhu linga temple that is said to have been installed and worshipped by Bheema from Mahabharatha, and hence the name Bheemeswara. This is quite a small temple, but the pillars and carvings tell a great story of how they have stood the test of times.

ADDITIONAL NEAR-BY VISITS: Apart from the temples above, there are a couple of other temples that could also be explored. A Murugan temple at Belukurichi, which is located between Rasipuram and Senthamangalam could be added to the itinerary. Also, there are a couple of old temples at Mohanur, about 15 kms from Namakkal again, but in a different direction from Paramathi. There is one temple here dedicated to Lord Shiva and one to Lord Vishnu, that could also be worth a visit.

Temples in and around Salem - Part I

Just back from a temple tour around Salem. Did a lot of net search to arrive at the list of temples to cover. So, thought would be a good idea to put in at one-place list of possible temples to cover. Broadly there are three routes of coverage, one could plan from Salem: Salem and around, Salem - Namakkal and Salem-Tiruchengode route. I would thus like to make my blog post a three part-series. In the first part, I would cover temples in Salem and around Salem.

1. Raja Ganapathy Temple:It is located at 1st Agraharam, one of the primary market areas of the town and is always bustling. It is a good temple to start one's temple tour around the region. For the size of the outer structure of the temple, the statue of lord Ganesha inside is reasonable large in size and gives one a pleasant feel. This is a small but powerful temple located at the heart of Salem Town.

2. Sugavaneswarar Temple: This temple within Salem is dedicated to Lord Siva. It is a reasonably big temple and one of the primary landmarks of the town. The Siva is said to be a suyambu, meaning, to have come into existence on its own without anyone constructing it. In fact, this is one of the five temples around river kaveri in that region to have emerged on its own. The main linga is in a slightly slanted position. Lordess Swarnambikai is housed in a separate sanctum. There are shrines for other gods like Ganapathy, Muruga and Dakshinamoorthy too.

3. Kottai Mariamman Temple: Kottai Mariamman is believed to be the primary goddess protecting the town. Pilgrims and locals alike throng in big numbers to this temple. The goddess here is in the form of a small, beautiful looking statue and the sight is very pleasing to the eyes. Unlike in a typical Mariamman temple, at the feet of the lordess one would not find a skull or a devil, but rather just a lotus bud, making it quite unique.

4. Kottai Perumal Temple: Kottai Perumal temple is also located in the Kottai region of Salem. Kottai means Fort. When I visited the temple, there was some major renovation work at the temple and hence could not catch a complete glimpse of the gods here. Some of the statues were completely covered in cloth, while in certain other cases only part of the sanctum was open.

5. Ayodhiapattinam Ramar Temple: As the name of the town suggests, this is a temple dedicated to lord Rama. It is quite an old temple with wonderful sculptural works. It is about 10 kms from Salem on the eastern direction. The temple sanctum ceilings are filled with paintings depicting various mythological scenes, although it has got slightly eroded over time. The walls and pillars of the sanctum are beautifully decorated with intricate carvings and sculptures. Legend has it that given the delay in time for Rama to reach Ayodhya from Sri Lanka in time for his Pattabhisheka, Lord Rama had his pattabhisheka done at Ayodhiapattinam, when the good time was still available and later did it in Ayodhya with all necessary procedures. So, we find Rama and Sita in a sitting posture, which is generally not found in other temples.

Ram is seen here with his left leg folded and Sita Devi with her right leg folded. Also housed in the same sanctum are Lakshmana, Hanuman, Vaali and Vibishena. A look at the sanctum gives one a feel that one is actually witnessing a pattabhisheka. In general, we find Sita to be standing to the right side of Rama in most temples. However, here we will have Sita devi seated to the left of Rama as is done during Pattabhisheka.

6. Belur Thanthondreeswarar Temple: About 18kms from Ayodhiapattinam is Belur. Here, there is an historic, grand temple of Shiva with the name Thanthondreeswarar. It is said to have been built in the 12th century. Thanthondree means emerging on its own and as the name indicates, this is a suyambu linga. For a suyambu linga, one would be surprised by the relatively large size of the linga. The rajagopuram of the temple is quite an imposing one and is a 7-tier structure. The temple pillar carvings are also a wonderful work of art. The lordess is known by the name Dharma Samvardhini. One would also find a sanctum for Kalyana Ganapathy, which houses two Vinayaka statues within the same sanctum, one large and one slightly smaller one. People offer prayers here for early marriage of their children.

7. Tharamangalam Kailasanathar Temple: This is an historic old temple at Tharamangalam, about 30 kms from Salem. It is to the west of Salem and hence in the opposite direction to Ayodhiapattinam. This is a temple constructed by the Cholas and carries their typical architectural marks. Lord here assumes the name of Kailasanathar and Lordess is Abirami. The temple tower is an imposing structure but, we could not manage a glimpse of it, since it was completely covered for renovation work. The pillars and ceilings have wonderful stone carvings that one could admire all day long.

There are a couple of interesting features within the temple. The temple's inner walls carry sculptures of various gods, goddesses and sages equidistant from each other, in a variety of postures and displaying varied emotions. One could spend hours admiring the craftsmanship of each of these sculptures. Secondly, we have sculptures of Manmathan and Rathi, Indian god and goddess of love, staring benevolently at each other. This is said to be quite unique not found in any other temple. There is also a pathala linga here in the underground that can be reached by a series of few steps.

8. Omalur Chinna Tirupathi Temple: Omalur is about 10 kms from Taramangalam and from Omalur, the Chinna Tirupathi temple is about an other 10kms. There is one place called Chinna Tirupathi near Salem as well. So, make sure you do not land up at the wrong place. The temple is quite an old one, but has been significantly extended in recent years. So, at the outset the temple looks quite new. However, one can observe the contrast in new and old architecture when one enters the inner sanctum. As the name indicates, it is a temple dedicated to lord Vishnu. The lord here assumes the name of Prasanna Venkatesa Perumal.

REACHING SALEM: Salem is about 300 kms from Chennai. It is an important rail and road junction and is well connected. It is also easily accessible from Bangalore. It is the closest rail head for Yercaud, one of the hill stations in the region, commonly referred as Poor man's Ooty. The Salem town is famous for its steel plants, limestone mines and Mangoes. The town also has an airport where currently only a single flight plies to Chennai.