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 around Chennai - Tiruvalangadu, Thirupasoor and around Tiruvallur

If you are starting from Chennai and would like to visit some old, interesting temples on the outskirts of Chennai, then a half-day trip or even a day trip around Tiruvallur would be ideal. We did a half day trip around Tiruvallur. Since we had already visited the primary deity of Tiruvallur, Veeraraghava Perumal temple earlier, we skipped it for this trip. Instead, decided to check out a couple of old temples around the region, starting from Tiruvalangadu.

REACHING THERE: Tiruvalangadu is located around 50 kms from Chennai and is located on the Tiruvallur-Arakonnam stretch. The road is good in parts and at the best decent for the remainder of the journey. The nearest rail heads are Tiruvallur and Arakonnam. Tiruvalangadu too has a railway station served by the EMU (more popularly called the electric trains) from Chennai.

TIRUVALANGADU, RATHINA SABHAI: Tiruvalangadu is one of the Pancha Sabhais of Lord Shiva, where he is said to have performed his cosmic dance. Tiruvalangadu is called the Rathina Sabhai (meaning Hall of Rubies/Jewels). This is regarded the first of Sabhais (not sure of the reasoning) and is here that Shiva performed his famous Oorthava Thandavam, one where he raises his left leg up facing the sky. The reasoning behind the dance has an interesting history behind it.

To keep the story short, once there was a duel between Lord Shiva and Lordess Sakthi on who is superior. It was decided the verdict for the same would be decided based on a dance competition. During the dance, Shiva's left ear ring fell on the ground. Knowing that if the lord picks up the ring by hand, the competition would come to a close and Sakthi would be pronounced the winner, Lord Shiva picked up the ear ring from his left leg and wears it on the ear using his leg, thus signifying the reasoning behind the famous Oorthava Thandavam posture.

Rathina Sabhai, being the dance floor, has a separate sanctum within the temple. Although not strictly adorned with jewels, the place definitely carries a mystic feel. The primary deity here is known by Vadaranyeswarar. The Lordess is known by the name Vandarkuzhali (meaning one thronged by bees, like a flower). It is also believed that if one listens closely, one could hear the sound of bees within the sanctum.

The visit to the temple should ideally start with the Kali sanctum located in the outer boundary of the main temple. One needs to make a trip around the temple on the outside to reach the Kali temple. Here one finds the Lordess in a dancing posture, signifying again the dance competition that happened at this historic venue.

Tirvalangadu is also one of the five suyambu (meaning self-manifested) Shiva temples in Tamil Nadu associated with a kind of forest. Tiruvalangadu is associated with Banyan forest. In fact, the name Tiruvalangadu in Tamil essentially means Lord of the Banyan forest. However, there is hardly any banyan tree left in the region. The only one I could spot was the Sthala viruksha of the temple. It was quite an expansive, strong tree.

Despite the temple being famous and rich in history, the temple appears to receive limited patronage. In fact, the approach roads are not great, sign boards limited and the huge temple had quite a deserted look even on a Sunday. That was bit surprising, given its relative proximity to Chennai.

THIRUPASOOR: Our next halt was Thirupasoor. The temple is again a very ancient one and is believed to have been constructed by Karikala Chozhan, belonging to the early Chola dynasty. The temple has the distinction of having been sung by three of the four primary poets associated with Shiva temples. The temple is located on the main road that connects Tiruvallur to Tiuvalangadu. It is very unlikely you would miss this temple en route.

As one enters the temple, one could easily sense the strong history the temple represents and how it has stood the test of times. The temple is a reasonably big one and the lord here is known by the name Vaaseswarar. The Lordess is known by Than Kadhali (meaning my lover). The story being the lord was so awe-struck by the beauty of the Lordess that he proclaimed to the world that she is his lady love.

Thirupasoor is also one of the five Shiva temples associated with a forest. This is supposed to be a temple to have emerged within a Bamboo forest. Like in Thiruvalangadu, here too the only Bamboo tree was inside the temple. Wonder how the place would have been, had it still been a Bamboo forest. One interesting facet about the temple is the Navagraha sanctum. One would never find such wide spaced Navagrahas in any other temple. The temple walls around the Shiva sanctum are located with numerous inscriptions. They appear to be badly maintained and makes me wonder whether there is some untold history hidden there.

KAKALOOR HANUMAN TEMPLE: This is a relatively small temple around Tiruvallur, nevertheless a powerful one. The Hanuman deity here is a suyambu and is believed to be over 500 years old. The place can be reached by taking a sub-route from Tiruvallur. The temple was constructed by one of the disciples of Shri Raghavendra. The deity is relatively large in size with clear features. On one hand, Lord Hanuman is see here holding a flower.

TIRUVALLUR PANCHA MUKHA ANJANEYA TEMPLE: Away from an historic circuit of temples, this is one of the modern temples in Tiruvallur. The Viswaroopa Pancha Mukha Anjaneya statue at over 40 feet stands tall. The statue is made of green granite and very impressive. The temple is privately maintained and when we visited, the sanctum construction was still on. Although there were adequate sign boards leading to the temple,the approach roads were in real bad state. At one point, we even decided to make a return trip without visiting the temple. However, the sight of Lord Hanuman made us forget the strain taken.

PUTLUR ANGALAPARAMESWARI TEMPLE: This was like the best reserved for the last. Putlur is a small village locted on the Chennai- Tiruvallur route. The place also has a railway station. Putlur, as the name signifies, relates to Puthu, a termite made structure associated with abode for snakes and regarded sacred in Hindu religion. Here the Lordess herself resides in the form of puthu and not as an idol. The legend being that Lordess Sakthi was tired and wanted some water. While Lord Shiva was away to get water, the Lordess rested herself lying down resting on her arms. The puthu as it stands today, resembles such a posture of a pregnant lady and definitely makes for an interesting visit.

SCHEDULING YOUR TRIP: The best way to schedule your trip is to plan it as half day trip from Chennai. Start early in the day, say by 6AM from Chennai and you should be able to complete visit to all the temples by 12PM. If its your first visit to the region, then you should definitely make a visit to Veeraraghava Perumal temple as well, being one of the 108 divya desams. Further, you could also consider visiting Hirudayaleeswarar temple and Bhakthavatchala Perumal temples at Tiruninravur, en route to Tiruvallur from Chennai. Tiruninravur is also a rail head in that route.

Krishnapuram - Interesting Venkateswara temple near Tirunelveli

Through this post, I introduce you to a small village called Krishnapuram located in South Tamil Nadu. Krishnapuram, the name, stands for the land of Krishna. Accordingly, the primary temple of the place belongs to Lord Vishnu. The primary temple deities here share the same names as Tirupati. The temple, although not large in size, is definitely worth a visit for some interesting wonders it offers.

REACHING THERE: Krishnapuram is located near Tirunelveli in South Tamil Nadu. The village is located en route to Tiruchendur, from Tirunelveli and hence could easily fit into your tour itinerary. The nearest town would be Tirunelveli, at a distance of just about 10kms. The nearest rail head would also be Tirunelveli.

KRISHNAPURAM TEMPLE: The outside look of the temple may not be really stunning. By its exterior appearance, one could easily pass it on as just an other temple. But the real beauty definitely lies inside. The temple deities here share the same name as that of Tirupati Venkateshwara. As such, the presiding deity is known by Venkatajalapathi, with his consorts, Sri Devi and Bhoo Devi.

As soon as you enter the temple, the main hall that leads to the temple sanctum, leaves you amazed. The pillars of the walls carry wonderful work of art that leaves you thinking that this place has something unique to offer and makes you feel good that you did the right thing by visiting the temple and did not shrug it off as a regular one.

What is unique about this wonderful sculptures in the temple, is the sheer size of it. Each of these sculptures is huge in size, almost the size of a human. This adds great life into these sculptures, and as they say, they are truly life-like. Creating these six feet sculptures calls for intricate detailing and the sculptors have truly lived up to this task.

Each of these sculptures carry so much of detailed work that one could easily pass off an entire day just observing the finer aspects of the work. These stone marvels depict a variety of themes. Some of these sculptures relate to war heroes, some of them are manifestations of the Lord and some depict an artist at work.

The astonishing work of art at the entrance hall is just a precursor to what is found inside the main sanctum. Here again, you are loaded with great sight for your eyes, as you come across more life-like sculptures adorning each pillar. In fact, each side of the pillar is decorated with an unique sculpture. As you stay engrossed in this spectacle, you are forced to wonder, how many people must have worked on these sculptures and how long this exercise would have taken.

ADDITIONAL NEAR-BY VISITS: The Nava Tirupati circuit, of nine Vaishanvite temples located on both banks of the river Tamirabarani is not far off from here. So, one could easily start of early morning from Tirunelveli, visit Krishnapuram and then proceed for Nava Tirupati temples. As the name suggests, each of these Nava Tirupati temples is associated with a particular planet and is definitely worth a visit. Some of these temples have their own interesting wonders to offer (more on Nava Tirupati later).

SCHEDULING YOUR TRIP: Plan for a day long trip. Start from Tirunelveli, make the first halt at Krishnapuram, then complete the Nava Tirupati circuit by after noon. After lunch on the way, proceed to Tiruchendur. On the way, do not forget to check out Vana Tirupati, the new abode of Lord Venkateshwara. You can find all about Vana Tirupati, located at Punnai Nagar near Nazreth, in my older blog post, http://www.travelwithguru.blogspot.com/2009/12/vana-tirupati-new-abode-of-lord.html

So, push off to check out this great wonder at Krishnapuram.