OM NAMOH SHIVA

ON THE PATH OF RIGHTEOUSNESS !

2011-02-19T04:57:00.000-08:00

Our parents teach us from infancy all the values that we follow through our life , and we also learn from our teachers and friends as well as from our environment what is right and what is wrong , and the fact of the matter is that many a time there are inner conflicts which confuse us as to the right path to follow !

This happens primarily because of the fact that we find a lot of contradictions between what we have been taught as our value systems, and what we actually find happening all around us !

Naturally , we are often left confused and groping for the right path to follow in our lives , and this often leaves us searching for the path of righteousness ! We are often distracted from our correct thoughts and right way of living , when we practically see a lot which is just not right happening around us !

That is the time we often question ourselves whether we are having the right value systems !
God comes to our rescue at such times and reinforces our belief in our own value systems , our beliefs , our convictions , and our firm resolve to do always that which is just and right !

God , thank you for always being there, to help us to always do the right thing, today, every day , and for the rest of our lives !!

WORLD'S MOST POWERFUL MANTRA !

2010-11-04T03:14:00.000-07:00

Om Namah Shiva is known as the great redeeming mantra also known as five-syllable mantra

The meaning :

It means "I bow to Shiva." Shiva is the supreme reality, the inner Self. It is the name given to consciousness that dwells in all. Shiva is the name of your true identity- your self.

According to Hindu mythology there are three Gods who run this creation. The Brahma - who creates the universe, the Vishnu - who preserves the Universe and the Shiva- who in the end destroys the universe. Among the three deities, Shiva, though considered as destroyer, also symbolize the - the inner self which remains intact even after everything ends.

In this mantra the chanter (one who repeats the mantra) bow to Shiva- his true self.

Om Namah Shiva is a very powerful mantra. It has been said about this mantra that if this mantra vibrates continually in your heart, then you have no need to perform austerities, to meditate, or to practise yoga. To repeat this mantra you need no rituals or ceremonies, nor must you repeat it at an auspicious time or in a particular place."

This mantra is free of all restrictions. It can be repeated by anyone, young or old, rich or poor and no matter what state a person is in, it will purify him.

The Worship of Sivalingas

2010-10-02T04:12:00.000-07:00

Sivalinga literally means the body of Siva. Next to the symbol of AUM, it is perhaps the most potent, powerful and popular symbol in entire Hinduism. In almost all the Siva temples, worship is generally made to Sivalingas only. Very rarely we come across his images in the sanctum sanctorum of any Siva temple. A Sivalinga is usually a round or cylindrical and protruding object. The cylindrical part is held firmly by a circular base.

On the physical plane, the object resembles the male sexual organ, suggestive of the creative power of Siva. The circular base resembles that of the female, suggestive of his consort Parvathi. Physically a Sivalinga is a phallic symbol, representing the male and female sexual organs in a state of conjugal bliss. Mentally it symbolizes the union of mind and body. Spiritually it represents the union between Purusha and Prakriti, the highest principles of the manifest universe.

The Sivalinga is also symbolic of the Supreme Self. It is verily Maheswara Himself, the Highest Self and the Lord of the universe. In this aspect it has three parts. The lower part represents Brahma. The middle part, which is octagonal in shape, represents Vishnu. The upper part, which is cylindrical in shape, represents Rudra and is also called Pujabhaga since it receives the actual offerings of milk and other substances.

The Sivalingas are normally found installed in the temples . But many devotees of Siva keep them in their houses and offer regular worship. People are however cautioned not to keep Sivalingas in their houses without offering worship, since they are believed to be powerful sources of divine energy. Sivalingas are either naturally found or made artificially. Different materials are used in their making, such as clay, gold, crystal, glass, diamonds, precious stones and wood. The round and smooth stones found in the river beds of the Narmada or the Godavari are considered to be the most ideal for worship. Sometimes Sivlingas are made temporarily with clay or sandal paste and disposed of after worship. Some devotees wear Sivalingas on their bodies or around their necks. When Sivalingas are found fortuitously in the river beds and desolate places, it is considered to be a great omen. They are housed in temples or houses and offered regular worship.

Maha Mritunjay Stotaram

2010-10-02T04:08:00.000-07:00

Chandrarkagni vilochanam, smitha mukam,
Padmadwayantha sthitham,
Mudra pasa mrugakshasuthra vilasath paanim
Himaam suprabham,
Kotindu prakalathsudhaplutha thanum haaraathi,
Bhooshojwalam,
Kantham viswa vimohanam, pasupathim,
Mruthyunjayam bhavayeth.

I meditate on that victor over death,
Who has moon, sun and fire as eyes,
Who has a smiling face,
Who sits on two lotus flowers,
Whose hands shine with the sign the rope,
The deer and the garland of rudraksha,
Who has the pleasant shine of the ice,
Who has a body drenched by nectar,
From billions of moons,
Who ornaments himself with several garlands,
Who is very handsome,
Who can attract the entire world,
And who is the lord of all beings.

LORD SHIVA PRAYERS FOR ALL !

2009-03-08T03:20:00.000-07:00

Lord Shiva Prayer - I
Om Sarva Mangal Manglaye Shivay Sarvaarth Sadhike
Sharanye Trayambake Gauri Narayaani Namostu Te
Meaning:
Oh the divine couple Shiva Parvati !
O ! Thee, the protectors of this universe,
Along with Lords Brahma and Vishnu
We pray to You for our well-being, prosperity and the enlightenment of our souls.

Lord Shiva Prayer - II
This mantra is a prayer to Lord Shiva who is addressed as Sankara and Trayambaka. Sankara means giver of blessings: (sana = blessings, Kara = the Giver). Trayambaka is the three eyed one, where the third eye signifies the giver of knowledge, which destroys ignorance and releases us from the cycle of death and rebirth.

Om Namastestu Bhagavan
Visvesaraya Mahadevaya
Trayambakaya Tripurantakaya
Trikagni - Kalaya
Kalagni - Rudraya Nil - Kanthaya Mrityunjaya
Sarvesvaraya Sadadhivaya
Sriman Mahadevaya Namah.
Meaning:
Om. I bow down to Lord Shiva, who is the creator and protector of the universe, who is the greatest among Gods, who has three eyes, who is the annihilator of all the three worlds, one whose throat is blue, who is the conqueror of death, who is the Lord of all, who is propitious who is possessed of all marks of greatness and who is the greatest among Gods. To him my prostration.

Lord Shiva Prayer - III
Naagendra haaraaya thriloochanaaya bhasmaangadhaaraaya maheshwaraaya
Nityaaya shudhdhaaya digambaraaya tasmai nakaaraaya namahshivaaya
Meaning:
Salutations to Shiva who wears a serpent as garland, who is three-eyed, whose bare body is covered with ashes, who is forever pure and the very embodiment of sacrifice.

Shiva Dhun
Shivo Bhokta, Shiva Bhojya
Shivo Karta, Shivah Karma
Shivah Karanatmakah
Meaning:
Shiva is the experiencer and the highest object of experience. Shiva is the goal of Sadhana. There is nothing apart from Shiva. There is nothing other than Shiva. Whatever there is, is Shiva. There is nothing, which is not Shiva. There is no place, which is not Shiva. There is no time, which is not Shiva. To be aware of this is to be aware of Shiva.

LORD SHIVA CHALISA - MEANING

2009-03-08T03:16:00.000-07:00

Lord Shiv Chalisa	English Translation
Jai Ganesh Girija Suvan Mangal Mul Sujan Kahat Ayodhya Das Tum Dev Abhaya Varadan	Glory to Lord Ganesh, the Divine Son of Goddess Girija, the cause of all auspiciousness and intelligence. Ayodha Dass (the composer of these verses) humbly requests that every one be blessed with the boon of being fearless.
Jai Girija Pati Dinadayala Sada Karat Santan Pratipala Bhala Chandrama Sohat Nike Kanan Kundal Nagaphani Ke	O Glorious Lord, consort of Parvati You are most merciful. You always bless the poor and pious devotees. Your beautiful form is adorned with the moon on Your forehead and on your ears are earrings of snakes' hood.
Anga Gaur Shira Ganga Bahaye Mundamala Tan Chhara Lagaye Vastra Khala Baghambar Sohain Chhavi Ko Dekha Naga Muni Mohain	The holy Ganges flows from your matted hair. The saints and sages are attracted by Your splendid appearance. Around Your neck is a garland of skulls. White ash beautifies Your Divine form and clothing of lion's skin adorns Your body.
Maina Matu Ki Havai Dulari Vama Anga Sohat Chhavi Nyari Kara Trishul Sohat Chhavi Bhari Karat Sada Shatrun Chhayakari	O Lord, the beloved daughter of Maina on Your left adds to Your splendid appearance. O Wearer of the lion's skin, the trishul in Your hand destroys all enemies.
Nandi Ganesh Sohain Tahan Kaise Sagar Madhya Kamal Hain Jaise Kartik Shyam Aur Ganara-U Ya Chhavi Ko Kahi Jata Na Kauo	Nandi and Shri Ganesh along with Lord Shiva appear as beautiful as two lotuses in the middle of an ocean. Poets and philosophers cannot describe the wonderful appearance of Lord Kartikeya and the dark complexioned Ganas (attendants).
Devan Jabahi Jaya Pukara Tabahi Dukha Prabhu Apa Nivara Kiya Upadrav Tarak Bhari Devan Sab Mili Tumahi Juhari	O Lord, whenever the Deities humbly sought Your assistance, You kindly and graciously uprooted all their problems. You blessed the Deities with Your generous help when the demon Tarak outraged them and You destroyed him.
Turata Shadanana Apa Pathayau Lava-Ni-Mesh Mahan Mari Girayau Apa Jalandhara Asura Sanhara Suyash Tumhara Vidit Sansara	O Lord, You sent Shadanan without delay and thus destroyed the evil ones Lava and Nimesh. You also destroyed the demon Jalandhara. Your renown is known throughout the world.
Tripurasur Sana Yudha Machayi Sabhi Kripakar Lina Bachayi Kiya Tapahin Bhagiratha Bhari Purva Pratigya Tasu Purari	O Lord, Purari, You saved all Deities and mankind by defeating and destroying the demons Tripurasura. You blessed Your devotee Bhagirath and he was able to accomplish his vow after rigorous penance.
Danin Mahan Tum Sama Kou Nahin Sevak Astuti Karat Sadahin Veda Nam Mahima Tab Gayaee Akatha Anandi Bhed Nahin Payee	O Gracious One, devotees always sings Your glory. Even the Vedas are unable to describe Your greatness. No one is as generous as You are.
Pragate Udadhi Mantan Men Jvala Jarat Sura-Sur Bhaye Vihala Kinha Daya Tahan Kari Sahayee Nilakantha Tab Nam Kahayee	Lord, when the ocean was churned and the deadly poison emerged, out of Your deep compassion for all, You drank the poison and saved the world from destruction. Your throat became blue, thus You are known as Nilakantha.
Pujan Ramchandra Jab Kinha Jiti Ke Lanka Vibhishan Dinhi Sahas Kamal Men Ho Rahe Dhari Kinha Pariksha Tabahin Purari	When Lord Rama worshipped You, He became victorious over the king of demons, Ravana. When Lord Rama wished to worship Thee with one thousand lotus flowers, the Divine Mother, to test the devotion of Shri Ram, hid all the flowers at Your request.
Ek Kamal Prabhu Rakheu Joi Kushal-Nain Pujan Chaha Soi Kathin Bhakti Dekhi Prabhu Shankar Bhaye Prasanna Diye-Ichchhit Var	O Lord, You kept on looking at Shri Ram, who wished to offer His lotus-like eyes to worship Thee. When You observed such intense devotion, You were delighted and blessed Him. You granted His heart's desire.
Jai Jai Jai Anant Avinashi Karat Kripa Sabake Ghat Vasi Dushta Sakal Nit Mohin Satavai Bhramat Rahe Mohin Chain Na Avai	Glory be unto You O Gracious, Infinite, Immortal, All-pervading Lord. Evil thought torture me and I keep on travelling aimlessly in this world of mundane existence. No relief seems to be coming my way.
Trahi-Trahi Main Nath Pukaro Yahi Avasar Mohi Ana Ubaro Lai Trishul Shatrun Ko Maro Sankat Se Mohin Ana Ubaro	O Lord! I beseech Your help and seek your divine blessing at this very moment. Save and protect me. Destroy my enemies with Your Trishul. Release me from the torture of evil thoughts.
Mata Pita Bhrata Sab Hoi Sankat Men Puchhat Nahin Koi Svami Ek Hai Asha Tumhari Ava Harahu Aba Sankat Bhari	O Lord, when I am in distress, neither my parents, brothers, sisters nor loved ones can relieve my suffering. I depend only on You. You are my hope. Eliminate the cause of this tremendous torture and bless me with Your compassion.
Dhan Nirdhan Ko Deta Sadahin Jo Koi Janche So Phal Pahin Astuti Kehi Vidhi Karai Tumhari Kshamahu Nath Aba Chuka Hamari	O Lord, You bless the downtrodden with prosperity and grant wisdom to the ignorant. Lord, due to my limited knowledge, I omitted to worship Thee. Please forgive me and shower Your grace upon me.
Shankar Ho Sankat Ke Nishan Vighna Vinashan Mangal Karan Yogi Yati Muni Dhyan Lagavan Sharad Narad Shisha Navavain	O Lord Sankar, You are the destroyer of all miseries. You remove the cause of all obstacles and grant Your devotees eternal bliss. The saints and sages meditate upon Thy most beautiful form. Even celestial beings like Sharad and Narad bow in reverence to You.
Namo Namo Jai Namah Shivaya Sura Brahmadik Par Na Paya Jo Yah Patha Karai Man Lai Tapar Hota Hai Shambhu Sahayee	O Lord, prostration to You. Even Brahma is unable to describe Thy greatness. Whosoever recites these verses with faith and devotion receives Your infinite blessings.
Riniyan Jo Koi Ho Adhikari Patha Karai So Pavan Hari Putra-hin Ichchha Kar Koi Nischaya Shiva Prasad Tehin Hoi	Devotees who chant these verses with intense love become prosperous by the grace of Lord Shiva. Even the childless wishing to have children, have their desires fulfilled after partaking of Shiva-prasad with faith and devotion.
Pandit Trayodashi Ko Lavai Dhyan-Purvak Homa Karavai Trayodashi Vrat Kare Hamesha Tan Nahin Take Rahe Kalesha	On Trayodashi (13th day of the dark and bright fortnights) one should invite a pandit and devotedly make offerings to Lord Shiva. Those who fast and pray to Lord Shiva on Trayodashi are always healthy and prosperous.
Dhupa Dipa Naivedya Charhavai Anta Vasa Shivapur Men Pavai Kahai Ayodhya Asha Tumhari Jani Sakal Dukha Harahu Hamari	Whosoever offers incense, prasad and performs arti to Lord Shiva, with love and devotion, enjoys material happiness and spiritual bliss in this world and hereafter ascends to the abode of Lord Shiva. The poet prays that Lord Shiva removed the suffering of all and grants them eternal bliss.
Nitya Nema kari Pratahi Patha karau Chalis Tum Meri Man Kamana Purna Karahu Jagadish Om Shivaya Namaa	O Universal Lord, every morning as a rule I recite this Chalisa with devotion. Please bless me so that I may be able to accomplish my material and spiritual desires. Om Shivaya Namaa

DIFFERENT NAMES OF LORD SHIVA !

2009-03-08T03:14:00.000-07:00

108 Names of Lord Shiva
S No	Lord Shiva Name	Meaning
1	Aashutosh	One who fulfills wishes instantly
2	Aja	Unborn
3	Akshayaguna	God with limitless attributes
4	Anagha	Without any fault
5	Anantadrishti	Of infinite vision
6	Augadh	One who revels all the time
7	Avyayaprabhu	Imperishable Lord
8	Bhairav	Lord of terror
9	Bhalanetra	One who has an eye in the forehead
10	Bholenath	Kind hearted Lord
11	Bhooteshwara	Lord of ghosts and evil beings
12	Bhudeva	Lord of the earth
13	Bhutapala	Protector of the ghosts
14	Chandrapal	Master of the moon
15	Chandraprakash	One who has moon as a crest
16	Dayalu	Compassionate
17	Devadeva	Lord of the Lords
18	Dhanadeepa	Lord of Wealth
19	Dhyanadeep	Icon of meditation and concentration
20	Dhyutidhara	Lord of Brilliance
21	Digambara	One who has the skies as his clothes
22	Durjaneeya	Difficult to be known
23	Durjaya	Unvanquished
24	Gangadhara	Lord of River Ganga
25	Girijapati	Consort of Girija
26	Gunagrahin	Acceptor of Gunas
27	Gurudeva	Master of All
28	Hara	Remover of Sins
29	Jagadisha	Master of the Universe
30	Jaradhishamana	Redeemer from Afflictions
31	Jatin	One who has matted hair
32	Kailas	One Who Bestows Peace
33	Kailashadhipati	Lord of Mount Kailash
34	Kailashnath	Master of Mount Kailash
35	Kamalakshana	Lotus-eyed Lord
36	Kantha	Ever-Radiant
37	Kapalin	One who wears a necklace of skulls
38	Khatvangin	One who has the missile khatvangin in his hand
39	Kundalin	One who wears earrings
40	Lalataksha	One who has an eye in the forehead
41	Lingadhyaksha	Lord of the Lingas
42	Lingaraja	Lord of the Lingas
43	Lokankara	Creator of the Three Worlds
44	Lokapal	One who takes care of the world
45	Mahabuddhi	Extremely intelligent
46	Mahadeva	Greatest God
47	Mahakala	Lord of All Times
48	Mahamaya	Of great illusions
49	Mahamrityunjaya	Great victor of death
50	Mahanidhi	Great storehouse
51	Mahashaktimaya	One who has boundless energies
52	Mahayogi	Greatest of all Gods
53	Mahesha	Supreme Lord
54	Maheshwara	Lord of Gods
55	Nagabhushana	One who has serpents as ornaments
56	Nataraja	King of the art of dancing
57	Nilakantha	The one with a blue throat
58	Nityasundara	Ever beautiful
59	Nrityapriya	Lover of Dance
60	Omkara	Creator of OM
61	Palanhaar	One who protects everyone
62	Parameshwara First among all gods	First among all gods
63	Paramjyoti	Greatest splendor
64	Pashupati	Lord of all living beings
65	Pinakin	One who has a bow in his hand
66	Pranava	Originator of the syllable of OM
67	Priyabhakta	Favorite of the devotees
68	Priyadarshana	Of loving vision
69	Pushkara	One who gives nourishment
70	Pushpalochana	One who has eyes like flowers
71	Ravilochana	Having sun as the eye
72	Rudra	The terrible
73	Rudraksha	One who has eyes like Rudra
74	Sadashiva	Eternal God
75	Sanatana	Eternal Lord
76	Sarvacharya	Preceptor of All
77	Sarvashiva	Always Pure
78	Sarvatapana	Scorcher of All
79	Sarvayoni	Source of Everything
80	Sarveshwara	Lord of All Gods
81	Shambhu	Abode of Joy
82	Shankara	Giver of Joy
83	Shiva	Always Pure
84	Shoolin	One who has a trident
85	Shrikantha	Of glorious neck
86	Shrutiprakasha	Illuminator of the Vedas
87	Shuddhavigraha	One who has a pure body
88	Skandaguru	Preceptor of Skanda
89	Someshwara	Lord of All Gods
90	Sukhada	Bestower of happiness
91	Suprita	Well pleased
92	Suragana	Having Gods as attendants
93	Sureshwara	Lord of All Gods
94	Swayambhu	Self-Manifested
95	Tejaswani	One who spreads illumination
96	Trilochana	Three-Eyed Lord
97	Trilokpati	Master of all the Three Worlds
98	Tripurari	Enemy of Tripura
99	Trishoolin	One who has a trident in his hands
100	Umapati	Consort of Uma
101	Vachaspati	Lord of Speech
102	Vajrahasta	One who has a thunderbolt in his hands
103	Varada	Granter of Boons
104	Vedakarta	Originator of the Vedas
105	Veerabhadra	Supreme Lord of the Nether World
106	Vishalaksha	Wide-eyed Lord
107	Vishveshwara	Lord of the Universe
108	Vrishavahana	One who has bull as his vehicle

MEANING OF LORD SHIVA !

2009-03-08T01:48:00.000-08:00

Shiva the name of the Lord is a mantra. It is a part of the very holy mantra of shaivam The Holy Five Letters. mantra means powerful word. The mantras are revealed to and through the sages in their matured spiritual state to the entire world. These mantras may or may not be associated directly to one particular language. At times they get interpreted in the languages. The name shiva and The Holy Five Letters are accepted as they are in different languages.

In saMskR^itam the word shiva means auspicious, prosperous (maN^gaLam). The Lord who is called pashupati, Asutosha being the Supreme that can not be measured by the thoughts, appears to the one who worships as the God graceful, blissful and nurturing. Its auspicious and graceful forms and names are invoked by the worshiper for the upliftment of oneself.

In thamiz it refers to shiva - civappu - chemporuL meaning the Perfect Being. The God staying in a state blissful, enjoying in Its Own Self eternally, without any flaws is the Supreme Lord shiva. The Perfection is the completeness - there is nothing external that is required to make the Self blissful. In this context it would be worthwhile to contemplate on the mantra shivatarAya.

GODS OF THE TRINITY !

2009-03-08T01:44:00.000-08:00

Shiva is one of the gods of the Trinity. He is said to be the god of destruction. The other two gods are Brahma, the god of creation and Vishnu, the god of maintenance. The three gods represent the three fundamental powers of nature which are manifest in the world viz. creation, destruction and maintenance. These powers exist perpetually. Creation is going on all the time. So is destruction and maintenance. All three powers are manifest at all times. They are inseparable. Creation and destruction are like two sides of a coin. And maintenance is an integral part of the processes of creation and destruction. For example, morning dies to give birth to noon. Noon dies when night is born. In this chain of birth and death the day is maintained. To indicate that these three processes are one and the same the three gods are combined in one form of Lord Dattatreya. Lord Dattatreya has the faces of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva.

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2009-01-17T08:48:00.000-08:00

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GRISHNESHWAR JYOTIRLING , VERUL , INDIA

2008-12-14T02:19:00.000-08:00

The Jyotirlinga named Ghrushmeshwar, Ghurmeshwar or Ghushmeshwar is situated in a village called Verul which is 20 km away from Daulatabad and approximately 100 kms from Manmad station in Maharastra. This Jyotirlinga is located at Devagiri near Ellora caves in Maharashtra. The Lord is known by several names - Kusumeswarar, Ghushmeswara, Grushmeswara, Grishneswara.

Thousands and thousands of Devotees come to this Jyotirlinga Temple with a belief in their mind that on Offering Puja at this Temple is blessed with the fulfillment of their Desires and solving of all Problems.

BAIJNATH JYOTIRLING , KIUL , INDIA

2008-12-14T02:17:00.001-08:00

The Temple of Lord Baijnath is situated in Bihar. On the rail route from Patna to Kolkata is a place called Kiul. About 100 kms south-east of this place is Devghar – where this ancient Temple is situated. By worshipping Vaijnath Jyotirlinga one can eliminate all his/her worries and miseries. It is also a giver of Moksha and all types of happiness. Devotees carry ‘Kanwars’ on their shoulders and complete their travel here. It is also said that by offering Puja at this Jyotirlinga Temple a devotee get relief from even all disease and premature death.

NAGESHWAR JYOTIRLING, DWARKA , INDIA

2008-12-14T02:15:00.000-08:00

Temple of Lord Nageshwar is situated in Gujarat, and is about 12 kms on way from Gomti-Dwarka to Bhet-Dwarka. It is one of the 12 Jyotirlinga Shrines of Shiva. It is said that Lord Krishna Himself used to worship it and perform Rudrabhishekam. Lord Nageswar temple attracts thousands of pilgrims all round the year. This powerful Jyotirlinga symbolizes protection from all poisons ...from the effect of all evil forces around you. It is said that those who pray to the Nageshwar Linga become free of poison ...the poison of snakes ...poison of creatures ...poison of Evils.

BHIMASHANKAR JYOTIRLING , PUNA , INDIA

2008-12-14T02:14:00.000-08:00

Temple of Lord Bhimashankar is situated in a deep Forest around 128 kms. away from Pune. It is located at Bhuvanagiri village in Puna district of Maharashtra. River Bhimarati has been sourced from here. The holy jyotir Lingam is situated on top of the Sahyadri hill temple. Lord Siva is believed to be taking rest here after killing the Demon Tripurasura. The sweat drops fall of Lord Siva were converted into the river Bhimarati. The Bhimashankarar Lingam measures around one and a half feet & quite narrow. The Goddess is worshipped as Kamalaja. Shivaji, the Maratha ruler had made rich endowments for the maintenance of the temple. On the request of the Devas, Lord Siva resides here under the name of Bhimashankarar.

TRIMBAKESHWAR JYOTIRLING, NASHIK, INDIA

2008-12-14T02:12:00.000-08:00

Trimbakeshwar is one of the twelve Jyotirlingas which is 28 kms. (18 miles) from Nashik. The most interesting feature of this Jyotirlinga is that it has three faces embodying Lord Brahma, Lord Vishnu & Lord Shiva. All other JYOTIRLINGA have only Shiva as the main deity. The temple is situated at the foothills of a mountain called Brahmagiri. The holy river Godavari which is called the Ganga of South India originates from this Bramhagiri mountain. This is the only Jyotirlinga temple where the Holy Lingam is worshipped in the form of Lord Shiva, Lord Vishnu and Lord Brahma.

It is said that by offering Puja at this Jyotirlinga Temple with holy heart a devotee gets the blessings of all 3 Gods i.e. Lord Shiva, Lord Vishnu and Lord Brahma and full prosperity comes in his life. He or she also get the peace from within and his or her all desires get fulfilled with the blessings of three Gods.

MALLIKARJUNA JYOTIRLING , ANDHRA PRADESH , INDIA

2008-12-14T02:09:00.000-08:00

Mallikarjuna is situated on the divine Shri Shaila Mountain on the banks of the river Patal Ganga, Krishna river in the state of Andhra Pradesh of Southern India. This is also known as Kailash of the south.

According to Shiva Purana, Lord Shri Ganesh was married off before Kartikeya and for this reason Kartikeya became very angry. Eventually he left his parents i.e. lord Shiva & Parvati and Kailas Parvat and started living on Shree Shaila Mountain of south India (presently in the state of andhra Pradesh). Lord Shiva and Parvati remained very sad for Kartikeya and both came to Shri Shaila mountain themselves where Kartikeya lives. Eventually Lord Shiva bestowed his eternal light i.e. Jyoti for the establishment of the Mallikarjuna Jyotir Lingam and resided on that mountain in the name of Mallikarjuna. Mallika is Parvati, while Arjuna is another name of Lord Shiva. In this way both Lord Shiva and Devi Parvati i.e. Durga reside in this lingam.

It is the belief of thousands of devotees that by offering Puja here at this temple, one become free from all his sins and worries. The person becomes free from the vicious cycle of life and death. Adjacent to the temple there is another holy shrine of Goddess Jagdamba i.e. Devi Durga. Here she is known as Bhramaramba.

RAMESHWARAM JYOTIRLING, MADURAI, INDIA

2008-12-14T02:07:00.000-08:00

One of the most famous Jyotirlinga Temple Rameswar is situated in the state of Tamilnadu. The sanctification of the temple of Lord Rameshwar was done by Lord Rama himself, and thus this name. It is situated in a large island surrounded by sea. It is approached from Madurai, which by itslf is well connected by all means of transportation.

The legend is that Lord Rama started meditation of Lord Shiva for getting his blessings to get the victory over 'Lanka' and to defeat Ravana for rescuing his beloved wife Sita. Lord Shiva Blessed Lord Rama and conferred his eternal light i.e. Jyoti, which was the origin of the Rameswar Jyotir Lingam.

Offering Puja at Rameswar Shrine is extremely auspicious. This is the place where both lords (Lord Shiva and Lord Rama) met to each other. Lord Rama became successful and rescued his wife by defeating Ravana. Likewise it is said that if somebody with full devotion offer Pooja at this very temple he or she also get the success with the blessings of Lord Shiva and his or her Desires get fulfilled.

OMKARESHWAR JYOTIRLING, INDORE, INDIA

2008-12-14T02:05:00.000-08:00

The Temple of Lord Omkareshwar is situated on the banks of River Narmada, in between Indore & Khandwa. The temple is situated on an island - Mandhata Island , which is 2 km long and 1 km wide, encircled with Holy Narmada River. The name Omkareshwar derives from the word Om, which signifies the most sacred Hindu symbol. Seen from the air, this island resembles to the shape of sacred 'OM' symbol. Omkareshwar is one of the 12 revered Jyotirlinga shrines of Shiva. This is not Ordinary Shiva Lingam which is generally installed ritually with Mantra Shakti by several priests. There are two temples here one to Omkareshwar and one to Amareshwar. It is said that if someone offer Puja at both of these temples then his or her secret desires is fulfilled with blessings of Lord Shiva. People from different part of the country and even from abroad comes to these temples for fulfilling their Desires.

MAHAKALESHWAR JYOTIRLING, UJJAIN, INDIA

2008-12-14T02:01:00.000-08:00

Mahakaleshwar Temple is one of the most lively Shiva Temples in India. This is one of the most holiest 12 Jyotirlinga Shiva Temples in India. Mahakaleshwara Temple is located at the bank of river Shipra, in the dense Mahakal forests in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh.

Mahakaleshwar is One of the 12 Jyothir linga temples. The temple is below the ground level. The lingam of the Mahakal at the Mahakaleswar Temple is believed to be swayambhu (born of itself), deriving currents of power (Shakti) from within itself as against the other images and lingams which are ritually established and invested with mantra-shakti. He is also known as Dakshina moorthy facing south. It is an important pilgrimage centre in India and is revered as one of the 12 Jyotilinga manifestations of Shiva.

The Mahakaleshwar Temple is one of the famous tantrik center too. Several impressive ceremonies are held here during the day. However, everyday morning one Tantrik ritualis performed in this temple and that is the "Bhasm Arti" that involves smearing (Bathing) the linga with hot ashes from the burning ghats (cremation grounds) of a corpse that has been cremated. Shiva is believed to dwell in cremation grounds, and the ash-smearing ceremony is a homage to the Destroyer of the Universe himself. This form of worship is symbolic of Death and Life being inseparable and the only one of its kind in the world.

Millions of devotees of this Temple believes that offering Puja at this Jyotirlinga Shiva Temple will not only fulfill all of their desires but also protect them from every chance of premature death and eradicate all blockages in life which hinders prosperity.

VISHWANATH JYOTIRLING, VARANASI , INDIA

2008-12-14T01:55:00.000-08:00

Viswanath Temple of Varanashi i.e. Kashi is regarded as one of the most lively and auspicious Shiva temple in the entire world. Viswanath Temple of Kashi (Varanasi) is very famous and very auspicious temple to all Hindus. This is Jyotirling Shiva. It is said that the person who offer Puja to Lord Shiva with 'Bel Pallab' ( the sacred Wood-apple leaves ), all his desires get fulfilled. The person who have lost everything of his/ her mental peace (Shanti), gets back everything with the blessings of Lord Shiva. He (Lord Shiva) is open handed to all ...very very kind hearted ...gives you everything which is beneficial for you.

It's said that People never come back with empty hands from Viswanath Temple after offering Puja to Lord Shiva. It sounds like a mere story but true as millions of devotees say that if somebody offer Puja with a holy mind to Lord Shiva of Kashi Viswanath with Ganga Water , Billa Patra, Akanda or Dhutra, Lord shiva get immensely satisfied with him / her and blessed for fulfilling his / her secret desire. Lord Shiva sets him/her free from all distress and give Shanti ...peace in mind.

Varanasi is very very holy city. Very auspicious city. Its said that Bhagwan Sri Ram came here and stayed. Panch Pandava also came here and established SHIVLING. Mahaprabhu Sri Chaitannya came here. This is the place where so many noble men stayed for long time like – Vaskar Rao, Tailang Swami, Katia Baba, Swami Avdhoot, Sant Kinaram, Swami Bisudhyananda, Shyama charan Lahiri etc.

Even sitting at a long distant place offer your Special online Puja to Lord Shiva at the holiest temple i.e. Kashi Viswnath Temple of Varanasi - for getting your secret desires fulfilled and getting a peace in your life.

KEDARNATH JYOTIRLING, GAURIKUND , INDIA

2008-12-14T01:53:00.000-08:00

Temple of Lord Kedarnath is situated on the banks of River Mandakini which is on the west side of Kedar mountain in Himalayas. It is situated at an altitude of 3,581 metre i.e. around 11630 ft. and it is a 14 km trek from Gaurikund. This place is reached by road via Rishikesh, from where it is more than 200 kms. The last phase is completed by a steep walk of about 3-4 hours through a very cold climate in a low oxygen atmoshphere.

Lord Shiva manifested here in the form of Jyotirlingam or the cosmic light. Kedarnath is one of the twelve Jyotirlingas. This ancient and magnificient temple is located in the Rudra Himalaya range. This temple, over a thousand years old

Kedarnath is amongst the holiest pilgrimages for the devouts. It is set amidst the stunning mountainscape of the Garhwal Himalayas at the head of the Mandakini River. Kedar is another name of lord Shiva, the protector & the destroyer. Shiva is considered the embodiment of all passions - love, hatred, fear, death & mysticism which are expressed through his various forms.

SOMNATH JYOTIRLING , VERAVAL, INDIA

2008-12-14T01:47:00.000-08:00

Somnath Temple Jyotirlinga is situated at Somnath Patan (the south coast of Saurashtra), near Veraval in (Prabhas Kshetra) Kathaiwad district in Gujarat. Somnath is considered to be the first of the 12 Jyotirlingas of Shiva and is a revered pilgrimage center in India. The temple of Somnath, one of the 12 Jyotirlingas of Lord Shiva is situated 79 Kms. from Junagadh and 25 Kms. from Chorwad. According to the legend, Somnath is as old as creation, built by none other than the Moon God himself. The Mahabharata also refers to the Prabhasa Kshetra and the legend of the moon worshipping Shiva.

Somnath JyotirlingaTemple has been destroyed and rebuilt a number of times in the history: It withstood Shocks and attacks of destroyers several times but still survives. The temple has wonderful architectural beauty with sight facing the blue Arabian Sea. A short distance from the Somnath temple is Bakhla Tirth, where Lord Krishna was said to have been struck by the stray arrow of a Bhil tribal.

SOMNATH TEMPLES , CHORWAD , INDIA

2008-12-14T01:45:00.000-08:00

The temple of Somnath, one of the 12 Jyotirlingas of Lord Shiva is situated 79 Kms. from Junagadh and 25 Kms. from Chorwad. According to the legend, Somnath is as old as creation, built by none other than the Moon God himself. The remains of the temple of Somanath "withstood the shocks of time and survived the attacks of destroyers. The temple has imposing architecture and is a beautiful sight facing the blue expanse of the Arabian Sea. A short distance from the Somnath temple is Bakhla Tirth, where Lord Krishna was said to have been struck by the stray arrow of a Bhil tribal. The Present Temple, Kailash Mahameru Prasada is built in the chalukya style of temple architecture and reflects the inherent skill of Sompuras, Gujarat's master masons.

Soma is the name for the moon, the son in-law of Daksha. Once Soma disobeyed a certain instruction of his father-in-law. Daksha was so angry that he cursed him, saying, "Thou shalt wane!" The moon, who used to shine in full splendor every night till then, started to shrink. However, before the curse brought about an absolute end to the moon, many a god requested Daksha to revoke his curse. Daksha asked Soma to take a bath in the sea at the mouth of the river Saraswati and then to pray to Lord Shiva. Hence at Prabhasa, Shiva came to be known as Somanath, the Lord of the moon.

OMKARESHWAR, MORTAKKA, INDIA

2008-12-14T01:44:00.000-08:00

Situated on the banks of the Narmada, Omkareshwar is one of the 12 revered Jyotirlinga shrines of Shiva. It is located at a distance of about 12 miles from Mortakka in Madhya Pradesh. The river Narmada spits into two and forms an island Mandhata or Shivapuri in the center. The shape of the island resembles that of the visual representation of the Omkara sound, Om. There are two temples here, one to Omkareshwar and one to Amareshwar.

Legend has it that the Vindhya mountain prayed to Shiva - Omkareshwara and was blessed here. Legend also has it that upon the request of the Devas, the Shivalinga split into two, one half being Omkareshwara and the other Amaleshwara or Amareshwar. King Mandhatha of the Ishvaku clan is believed to have worshiped Shiva here. The Omkareshawar temple is built in the North Indian style of architecture, with high spires. Devotees consider worship to Panchamuga Ganesha, to be very auspicious.

MEENAKSHI TEMPLE, MADURAI , INDIA

2008-12-14T01:42:00.000-08:00

No text can do justice to the Meenakshi temple. The gigantic temple complex, the statues exploring the entire range of human emotions, everything here is larger than life. The Meenakshi temple complex is a city temple - one of the largest and certainly one of the most ancient. According to legend Madurai is the actual site where the wedding between Shiva and Meenakshi took place. The soaring and exquisitely carved towers enclose the temple dedicated to Meenakashi. The south gateway contains the twin temples of Shiva and Meenakshi and is about nine storeys high.

The Sri Meenakshi Sundareswara temple and Madurai city originated together. According to tradition, Indra once committed sin when he killed a demon, who was then performing penance. He could find no relief from remorse in his own kingdom. He came down to earth. While passing through a forest of Kadamba trees in Pandya land, he felt relieved of his burden. His servitors told him that there was a Shivalinga under a Kadamba tree and beside a lake. Certain that it was the Linga that had helped him; he worshipped it and built a small temple around it. It is believed that it is this Linga, which is till under worship in the Madurai temple. The shrine is called the "Indra Vimana".

Once Dhananjaya, a merchant of Manavur, where the Pandyas had arrived after the second deluge in Kumari Kandam, having been overtaken by nightfall in Kadamba forest, spent the night in the Indra Vimana. When next morning he woke up, he was surprised to see signs of worship. Thinking that it must be the work of the Devas, he told the Pandya, Kulasekhara, in Manavur, of this. Meanwhile Lord Shiva had instructed Pandya in a dream to build a temple and a city at the spot Dhananjaya would indicate. Kulasekhara did so. Thus originated the temple and city.

KAILASH TEMPLE, ELLORA , INDIA

2008-12-14T01:41:00.000-08:00

Kailash Temple is situated at Ellora and is believed that it was constructed by excavating approx. 200,000 tones of rock and is possible the world's largest monolithic structure. Representing Shiva's Himalayan home, the temple is exquisitely sculpted and is considered as one of the most astonishing 'buildings' in the history of architecture. A crowning glory of the art, Kailash temple at Ellora is indeed unique. Instead of carving down into the face of a cliff and creating underground halls which had been the practice, the sculptors/architects set aside all convention and created a full temple, identical in every detail to a structural, 'built-up' example, by carving vertically down into the living rock.

The scheme of the Kailash temple is basically divided into four main parts: the body of the temple itself, the entrance gateway, an intermediate nandi shrine and the cloisters surrounding the courtyard. Much of the imposing character of the main shrine is due to its substantial plinth, which on first examination seems to be a floor by itself. Above and below this, the sub-structure is heavily molded, while the central space is occupied by a frieze of elephants and lions.

The Kailash temple is not only the single largest work of art executed in India, but as an example of rock-cut architecture it stands unrivaled. One gradually becomes aware of the stupendous labor that it involved (over a hundred years), and finally, the sculpture that adorns it. Standing within its walls, one cannot help but be aware of the spiritual energy that went into its creation - a jewel hewn out of the rock itself.

BAIJNATH TEMPLE, NAGARKOT, INDIA

2008-12-14T01:39:00.000-08:00

One of the most remarkable monuments of the Bias valley is the temple of Baijnath. The village of that name is situated 23 miles east of Nagarkot, as the crow flies, close to the Mandi border and on the main road which leads from the Punjab plains through Kangra, Kulu, Lahul, and Ladakh to Central Asia.

Baijnath is in reality the appellation of the chief temple dedicated to SivaVaidyanatha ("Lord of Physicians") which has know the Village itself. The original name of the village was Kiragrama.The Baijnath temple is orientated due west. It consists of a puri or adytum, 8 feet square inside and 18 feet outside, surmounted by a spire of the usual conical shape, and cf a mandapa or front hall, 20 feet square inside, covered with a low pyramid shaped roof.

Both the south and north wall of the mandapa are adorned with a graceful balcony window. The four corners are strengthened by means of massive buttress-like projections in the shape of half-engaged - miniature sikhara temples, each containing two niches in which image slabs are placed. Smaller niches in slightly projecting chapels are found between the corner projections and the entrance and balcony windows.

MUKTESWARA TEMPLE, BHUBANESHWAR, INDIA

2008-12-14T01:37:00.000-08:00

Built in the year of AD 950, Mukteswara temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva, and is carved with figures of ascetics in several poses of meditation. The highlight of the temple, is the magnificent torana - the decorative gateway, an arched masterpiece, reminiscent of Buddhist influence in Orissa.

This temple is considered to be the gem of Orissan architecture. The sculptured gateway, the Jagamohana with diamond shaped latticed windows and decorated interiors and the plethora of sculptural work all deserve mention in this temple dedicated to Shiva Although it is only a small monument rising to a height of 35 feet. Literally every inch of its surface is carved. This temple has also been described as a dream realized in sandstone and it is a monument where it is said sculpture and architecture are in complete harmony with one another. This temple dates back to the 10th century.

The sculptural decoration of the Mukteswara is exquisitely executed. The beautiful sculptures eloquently speak of the sense of proportion and perspective of the sculptor and their unique ability in the exact depiction of the minutest objects. The builders of Mukteswara Temple introduced new architectural designs, new art motifs and new conceptions about the icnography of the cult images. There are a number of depictions of skeletal ascetics among the sculptural images, most of them shown in teaching or meditation poses, which seems appropriate as the name Mukteswara means "Lord who gives freedom through Yoga".

LINGARAJA TEMPLE, BHUBANESWAR, INDIA

2008-12-14T01:36:00.000-08:00

Situated in the ancient capital of the Kalinga empire, Bhubaneswar's, the Lingaraja Temple is probably one of India's most remarkable ancient, architectural achievements, with a 54-meter tower dominating the landscape. Encapsuled by high walls on all sides, the Lingaraja temple or the Bhubaneshwar is one of the most well known temples in Orissa. It is one of the best and splendoured examples of the architectural excellence which the artists had achieved during the 11th century.

The outer walls of the temple exhibit unparalled carvings. The beautifully carved and sculpted images of various God and Goddess are unrivalled. The temple complex has three compartments and each one has a temple each. Towards south of the entrance to main temple is image of Lord Ganesha, at the back is the image of Goddess Parvati and to north is Lord Kartikya. The Lingaraja temple has got various pillars and halls which add to its beauty.

The vast Bindu Sagar lake is the center around which are located the multitude of temples of Bhubaneshwar. The Lingaraja temple is located in a spacious courtyard covering over 250000 sq feet and is bounded by fortified walls. Its tower rises up to 180 feet and is elaborately carved.

RAMESHWARAM , KANYAKUMARI, INDIA

2008-12-14T01:34:00.000-08:00

Rameshwaram is an island situated in the gulf of manner at the very tip of the Indian peninsula. A very important pilgrim centre of the Indians. Rameshwaram is the place from where Lord Rama, built a bridge across the sea to rescue his consort Sita, from her abductor, Ravana. This is also the place where Rama worshipped Lord Shiva to cleanse away the sin of killing Ravana. Both the Vaishnavites and Shaivites visit this pilgrimage which is known as the Varanasi of the south.

Rameshwaram is significant for the Hindus as a pilgrimage to Benaras is incomplete without a Pilgrimage to Rameshwaram. The presiding deity is the Linga Of Sri Ranganatha, which happens to be one of the twelve Jyotirlingas of India. Rameshwaram is also popularly referred to as the 'Benaras of the south'. In order to attain Moksha it is believed that the visit to Rameshwaram is mandatory.

Mythological History
According to the Hindu mythology i.e. the story of Ramayana Lord Rama performed thanksgiving rituals to Lord Rama after the battle at Sri Lanka and his triumph over the demon king Ravana. Owing to this Rameshwaram attracts Vaishnavites (worshippers of Lord Vishnu) and Saivites (worshippers of Lord Shiva) alike. Sri Lanka is at a distance of 24 kilometers from Rameshwaram. In fact the entire area of Rameshwaram is associated with various incidents from the Ramayana. Rameshwaram happens to one of the most visited pilgrim sites in India.

Location and Area
The religious island is spread in an area of 61.8 square kilometers and happens to be in the shape of a conch. The Ramanatha Swamy Temple occupies major area of Rameshwaram. The masterpiece of Dravidian architecture boasts of the largest temple corridor in India. Different rulers built the Ramanatha Swamy Temple over a period of time starting from the 12th century. The temple comprises of twenty-two wells where the taste of the water of each well is different from the other.

AMARNATH TEMPLES , SRINAGAR , INDIA

2008-12-14T01:32:00.000-08:00

Amarnath is 145 km east of Srinagar in Kashmir. There is an ice Silva-linga here that changes size with the seasons, and also as the moon waxes and wanes it becomes bigger and smaller. On the full moon day the linga is about 6 ft high. Each year on the full moon day of July-August (Sravana) when the Siva-linga attains its maximum height there is a festival at this cave temple. It is said that Lord Siva first appeared on this day.

It is located in a glacial valley at 4,175m (13,700 ft.). The cave is about 150 feet high and 90 feet long. Within the cave there are four or five ice formations that resemble the figures of different gods. The biggest figures of different gods. The biggest figure is regarded as Siva (Amarnath). On the left side of the linga is an ice formation called Ganesh, and on the right side is one of Parvati and Bhairava.

The area is covered with snow from September to June. The cave opens only in July and August. This is the rainy season, so pilgrims have to brave the rain to get there. About 25,000 people make this pilgrimage each year. You can also hire ponies and dandies for the trip. It is very crowded during the annual Sravana festival. There is a yearly pilgrimage starting from Srinagar that is led by the Chhari Saheb, the holy seepter.

Amarnath Yatra
The of the most important event during July/ August, is Amarnath Yatra to the Holy Pilgrimage. This is an annual event when thousands of Hindus from different corners of the Globe visit Amarnath caves. The pilgrims trek from Pahalgam to these caves and worship the great ice Lingam. Legend has it that Shiva recounted to Parvati the secret of creation in a cave in Amarnath. Unknow to them, a pair of mating doves eavesdropped on this conversation and having learned the secret, are reborn again and again, and have made the cave their eternal abode. Many pilgrims report seeing the doves-pair when they trek the arduous route to pay obeisance before the ice-lingam (the phallic symbol of Shiva). This is an event you certainly will talk about for the rest of your life.

The Legend
There is famous Rigvedic Verse that says "Ekam Sat " that is "There is one Being ,the sages call Him by many names." The God (Parmeshwar) has three deities who carry on the world .This is Known as Holy Trinity. Brahma- the creator, Vishnu - the perpetuator of life and Shiva (Mahesh ) -the purifier and perpetuator of good and destroyer of evil. Rig Veda refer Shiva as Rudra as in its following verse . "We Worship Tryambaka (Rudra) , Who spread Fragrance and Increases Nourishment , May He release me ,like the cucumber from its stem , From Mortal Life , But not From Immorality . "(Rig Veda Mandal VII Sukta 59 and Mantra 12)

EKLINGI TEMPLE, UDAIPUR , INDIA

2008-12-14T01:31:00.000-08:00

Known as the protector deity of Mewar, Eklingji Temple is located about twelve miles to the North of Udaipur in Rajasthan. This deity was regarded as the pragmatic ruler by the Maharajas of Mewar - who considered themselves to be regents (Dewans) under Eklingji. A beautiful town, Eklingji attracts thousands of visitors throughout the year. This temple is said to have been founded by Acharya Viswaroopa a contemporary of Adi Sankaracharya and is linked with the Sharada Math at Dwaraka founded again by Adi Sankaracharya.

The temple occupies an area of about 2500 sq. feet and is about 65 feet in height. The temple area is fortified and a strong wall runs around it. The main entrance to the temple on the Western side welcomes visitors into a big hall resting on profusely carved pillars. In this hall, is a silver image of Nandi. There are two more Nandis in the temple, one made of black stone and the other of brass.

Other deities housed in the temple complex include Parvati, Ganesh, Ganga, Kartikeya, Yamuna and Saraswathi. There are also small temples dedicated to Ambamata, Kalka Mata and Ganesh in the temple complex. There is another temple called Nathon Ka Mandir in the temple complex with inscriptions dating back to the 10th century CE. No worship is offered here.

THOUSAND PILLAR TEMPLE, WARANGAL, INDIA

2008-12-14T01:29:00.000-08:00

About 150 kms. from Hyderabad lies the ancient city of Warangal. Noted today for its beautiful lakes, magnificent temples and wildlife, Warangal possess the marvelous thousand pillared temple, built by King Rudra Deva in the 12th century. The famous Thousand Pillar Temple, built in 1163 AD, by king Rudra Deva is an important monument situated near the Hanamkonda-Warangal highway. One thousand richly carved pillars and a magnificent black basalt Nandi bull are unique to this temple which is dedicated to Lords Shiva, Vishnu and Surya.

The temple is in shape of a star and has three shrines dedicated to Lord Shiva, Vishnu and Surya. The temple is built on a 1m high platform on the slopes of the Hanumakonda hill, and has a majestic monolithic Nandi. The black basalt Nandi, a monolith, has a lovely polished finish. There are many small lingam shrines surrounding the gardens. The temple is famous for its richly carved pillars, screens and detailed sculpture.

GANPATIPULE , MAHARASHTRA, INDIA

2008-12-14T01:27:00.000-08:00

Set along the western coast of Maharashtra, is a small little village, called Ganapatipule. It is known for its serene beach and the 400-year old Swayambhu Ganapati temple. Ganapatipule offers itself as an ancient pilgrim centre bearing a Swayambhoo, a naturally formed idol of Ganapati. The Temple is at the foot of a hill adjacent to a glorious beach. The hill itself is considered sacred and a perennial spring flows from the hill to a pond besides the Temple.

During 16th Century AD, a villager, fed up with frequent quarrels in his village, escaped to the Kerda jungles. On his way there, he stumbled upon a naturally formed Ganapati idol. Seeing this as a good omen, he built a temple there. As the word spread, people gathered and gradually even settled there. They worshiped the idol, performed prayers and made additions to the shrine. The Temple becomes the hub of grand activity for five days celebration of Ganesh Chaturthi. Villager's and pilgrims join enthusiastically in a procession honoring Ganapati. A taller idol is placed in an ornate palanquin and carried on the shoulders of the devotees through the village. The idol in the sanctum is placed in a way that also makes it visible.

Swayambhu Ganapati Temple is known for its unique idol of Ganapati built on pule (white sand). It is swayambhu (self-originated) and not man made. The idol of Ganapati is made out of copper and depicts the God astride a lion. It is placed in the Sanctum Sanctorum and at sunrise and sunset, a shaft of golden light penetrates and illuminates the idol. Early in the morning, the rhythmic beat of the nagaras can be heard from the Temple.

LEPAKSHI TEMPLES , ANDHHRA P , INDIA

2008-12-14T01:18:00.000-08:00

The Vijayanagar Empire caused a number of monuments to be built and patronized in the State of Andhra Pradesh. The ornate Lepakshi temples being one of the popular temples of that era. Lepakshi is a small village, which lies nine miles east of Hindupur in Anantapur District of Andhra and is famous for its temple of Veerabhadra, and is also a renowned place where the best specimens of the mural paintings of the Vijayanagar kings are available.

The flat stuccoed granite ceilings of the Vijayanagar Empire provided a suitable background for frescoes as seen at Lepakshi. This temple is a notable example of the Vijayanagar style of architecture, and is built on a low rocky hill, which is called Kurmasaila so called because the bill is like a tortoise, in shape. An inscription on the exit of the outer wall of the temple records that one Virupanna constructed it in the 16th century.

The beautiful sculptures on the prakaram attract the pilgrims' attention. These include 14 forms of Siva, like Dakshinamurthi, Ardhanareeswara, Tripurantaka etc. The hall of creepers is another excellent work of art, which has provided perennial inspiration to textile designers over the years. About 500m, North-East of the temple stands India's largest monolithic Nandhi, measuring about 8.25m long and 4,60m high.

CAVE TEMPLES, BADAMI , INDIA

2008-12-14T01:16:00.000-08:00

Situated in North Karnataka, Badami was     founded by Pulakesin I in the 6th century A.D and was once the capital of     the Chalukya empire. The Chalukyas are to be acknowledged with path-finding     a new architectural style, examples of which can be seen in Badami, Aihole,     Pattadakal and other neighboring areas. They built a number of temples, and     other monuments that marked the beginning of the Hindu style of     architecture. This new style combined the best of two distinct styles - the     North Indian, Indo-Aryan Nagara style and the South Indian Dravidian style.     Known as the Chalukyan style, this style is manifested in many cave temples,     dedicated to Brahmanical deities, as well as the many Buddhist and Jain     monasteries in the region.

The caves found here are as follows
Cave 1 : The first cave made of red sandstone, dates back to 578     A.D. and was probably the first to be carved. One has to climb up 40 odd     steps to reach the colonnaded verandah, a hall with numerous pillars and a     square shaped sanctum hollowed in the control back wall.

Cave 2 : Dedicated to lord Vishnu depicted here as a dwarf or     'Trivikrama' of awesome dimensions with one foot mastering the Earth and the     other the sky, the second cave is atop a sandstone hill.

Cave 3 : Still going higher up one comes across this cave antedating     578 A.D. The facade of the cave is nearly 70 feet wide, on the plinth one     can see the carvings of ganas. The sheer artistry and sculptural genius     makes this cave the highlight of Deccan art.

Cave 4 : The only Jain cave, the construction of Cave four started     in the 6th century and completed after nearly 100 years later then the     earlier three caves.

KAILASH MANSAROVAR , KUMAON, INDIA

2008-12-14T01:11:00.000-08:00

Mount     Kailash - The abode of Lord Shiva and goddess Parvati
Mt.     Kailash is claimed to be the apex of the Hindu religious axis, is also one     of the highest mountains in Tibet at 22,022 feet. Lord Shiva resides over     here among the peaceful Himalayas. A mythological story says that Lord Shiva     once built a house for himself but gave it away to a devotee who asked for     it. Thus without changing his residence he settled in the mountain of     Kailash. This is his abode where he stays with his whole family including     his wife Goddess Parvati and children Lord Ganesha and Lord Kartikiya and     the other Shiv Ganas (group of Shiva Devotees) like Nandi and others.     According to ancient religious texts, the abode of Lord Vishnu is called     Vaikuntha, the abode of Lord Bhrama is called Bhramaloka and the abode of     Lord Shiva is called Kailash. Of the three, one can only go bodily and     return in this life from Kailash having experienced divinity. The Hindus,     Bons and Jains all alike travel to this place as pilgrims. A journey to     Kailash is considered as once in a lifetime achievement.

Legends, Myths & Beliefs
      It is because of Kailash - Mansarovar, which is 865-kms from Delhi, that     Kumaon is sometimes called "Manaskhand". Many myths are associated     with this unusual mountain and lake. The Buddhists, the Jains and the Bonpas     of Tibet too, all revere this spot with great fervour and devotion.     Therefore, it is not surprising for a devotee to come across the worlds "Om     Mani Padme Hum" ("Hail to the jewel (of Creation) in the Lotus)     written on stones and taken from Buddhist scriptures. The Bonpas make an     anti-clockwise pilgrimage around Mt. Kailash whereas the believers of the     jain faith specially visit astpaad near the southern face of Kailash in the     Kailash --mansarovar region.

      Among the thousands of deities of Hinduism, Lord Shiva is the most beloved     and the most sort after lord. Lord Shiva finds a great place in the heart of     all devotees be it the Human beings, the Devataas or the Rakshasaas. He is     even called Bhola Baba because of his uniqueness of being simple and he     grants whatever the devotee asks for. This is the reason why he is having a     large following in all the 3 worlds of Akash, Bhumi, & Patal. Bhola Baba     filled with Vairagya (dispassion) is a joy of all spiritual seekers.

THANJAVUR TEMPLES , TAMILNADU, INDIA

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Thanjavur was the royal city of the Cholas, Nayaks and the Mahrattas. Thanjavur derives its name from Tanjan-an asura (giant), who according to local legend devastated the neighbourhood and was killed by Sri Anandavalli Amman and Vishnu, Sri Neelamegapperumal. Tanjan's last request that the city might be named after him was granted.

Thanjavur rose to glory during the later Chola reign between the 10th and the 14th Centuries and became a centre of learning and culture. It is the headquarters of the disrict of the same name. Thanjavur district, the ' Rice Bowl ' of Tamil Nadu, is also known for its exquisite handicrafts, bronzes and South Indian Musical Instruments.

History
A brief introduction to the Later Cholas or the Thanjavur Cholas. Rajaraja Cholan the Great, occupies the foremost place in the history of the later Cholas. Vijayalaya Chola was the founder of the later Chola dynasty. He conquered the country from a vassal chief of the pallavas, and established Thanjavur as the capital of the dynasty. His son and successor Aditya I conquered the pallavas and the Kongu country; and his son Parantakan I (AD 907-953), under his leadership, the cholas acquired a dominion which foreshadowed the greater empire Rajarajan and Kulotungan.
Pilgrimage Attraction of Thanjavur

Bragatheeswarar Temple
The Big Temple. Rajaraja Cholan, the Great Chola king built Bragatheeswarar Temple. Big Temple is an example for the Indian sculptural architecture greatness. Temple is surrounded by moat on two sides and Grand Anaicut river on the other side. This temple is unique to have the tallest tower over the sanctum sanctorum unlike the other temples. It is 216 feet tall. The stupa at the top is made of bronze.The walls of the sanctum are covered, with the wall paintings of Chola and Nayak periods, comparable to the famous Ajanta cave frescoes.

Guarding the inner shrine of the temple, is the gigantic statue of Nandi, the Bull. The Nandi is 12 feet tall, 191/2 feet long and 81/4 feet wide. And it weighs around 25 tons. Nayaka kings constructed a Mandapam for the Nandi to protect it from sun and rain.
Puliyur Vyagrapureeswarar Temple
Around 80 Kms from Thanjavur, situated 3/4 Km North of Ramarmadam Busstop in Nagapattinam - Tiruvarur Main Road. The ancient history says Kamadhenu, the devalogha cow prayed to Lord shiva in this shrine to get rid of its sabam. One more speciality about this temple, on evenings, Nataraja is worshipped first prior to all other gods. This is also referred as Dhakshina Chidambaram. chidambaram is where famous temple of lord Nataraja located. This village is also called as Vyagrapuri named after the lord.
Sikkal Singaravelavar Temple
Around 80 Kms from Thanjavur situated in Nagapattinam Tiruvarur Main Road. The ancient history says here only Lord Murugan got the 'Sakthi Vel' from Parvathi (refered as Velnedunkanni amman in this temple ) and killed Suran. This temple is one of the few temples in Tamilnadu which has both Siva and Vishnu in the same campus. The 'Vel vankuthal' festival in the Tamil month of Iyappasi is very famous here.

SHANKARACHARYA TEMPLE , KASHMIR. INDIA

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Kashmir has produced a galaxy of great saints, seers and savants who have enriched, elevated and refined life and helped the people at large in distress. This is perfectly showcased in the

Shankracharya Temple. The temple shows the early Kashmiri style. It tries to introduce the early Sihara style and has still one-storeyed gable pediment which is evident even now. Here we find the early specimen of the horse shoe arch, prominent in the final stages of this architecture, as, for example, in Martand.

It was first built by Jalauka, the son of great Emperor Ashoka, about 200 B.C. The temple was later rebuilt and dedicated to Jyesthesvara by Gopaditya, who ruled from 253 A.D. to 328. The hill was called Gopadri and the village at its foot on the south is still called Gopkar. It is also said that once Shankaracharya, a famous Hindu saint, came to Kashmir from South India to revive Hinduism. He stayed on the top of the hill for sometime and the hill thus came to be known as Shankaracharya hill.

This temple stands on a solid rock and consists of an octagonal basement of 13 layers. Each of the four sides has two projections which terminate in pediment and agable, the latter intersecting the main roof half way up its slope. The body of the temple is surrounded by a terrace enclosed by a stone wall or parapet, 3.5 feet high. This in following the outline of the basement, preserves its octagonal shape. From the terrace another flight often steps leads to the door of the temple. The interior is a chamber, circular in plan, with a basin containing a lingam. The whole of the building is of stone, which is laid throughout in horizontal courses, no cement appearing to have been used.

KEDARNATH TEMPLE, UTTAR KASHI , INDIA

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Amidst the dramatic mountainscapes of the majestic Kedarnath range stands     one of the twelve 'Jyotirlingas' of Kedar or Lord Shiva. Lying at an     altitude of 3584 mts. on the head of river Mandakini, the shrine of     Kedarnath is amongst the holiest pilgrimages for the Hindus.

Kedarnath     is a majestic sight, standing in the middle of a wide plateau surrounded by     lofty snow covered peaks. The present temple, built in the 8th century by     Adi Shankaracharya, stands adjacent to the site of an earlier temple built     by the Pandavas. The inner walls of the assembly hall are decorated with     figures of various deities and scenes from mythology. Outside the temple     door a large statue of the Nandi Bull stands as guard.

      Dedicated to Lord Shiva, the exquisitely architectured Kedarnath temple is     said to be more than a 1000 years old. Built of extremely large, heavy and     evenly cut gray slabs of stones, it evokes wonder as to how these heavy     slabs were handled in the earlier days. The temple has a " Garbha Griha"     for worship and a Mandap apt for assemblies of pilgrims and visitors. A     conical rock formation inside the temple is worshipped as Lord Shiva in his     Sadashiva form.

Kedarnath is situated in the Uttar Kashi district of the northern state of     Uttaranchal. Very close to the Indo-Chinese border, it is the source of the     Mandakini River. It is couched in the scenic locales of the Garhwal     Himalayas at 3583 meters above sea level. It is very cold in the winters     with the ground being covered with snow. In the summers, the mercury barely     crosses the 20°C mark. The place experiences about 150 cm of rainfall     during the monsoons and so the best time to visit is between May and     October. Kedarnath is near to Rishikesh (234 km) and Dehradun (250 km).

KASHI VISHWANATH TEMPLE, VARANASI, INDIA

2008-12-14T00:55:00.000-08:00

The oldest living city in the world, Varanasi is the ultimate destination of all Hindu pilgrims searching for moksha from the cycle of birth and re-birth. The word 'Kashi' originated from the word 'Kas' which means to shine. Kashi is mentioned repeatedly in the scriptures - the Brahmanas, Upanishads and the Puranas. It is the oldest center of learning and the University here is still widely respected for its Sanskrit, Philosophy, and Arts faculties. Hyuen Tsang, the Chinese traveler visited Varanasi in the 7th century.

Stepped in tradition and mythological legacy, Kashi is the 'original ground' created by Lord Shiva and Parvati. The Kashi Vishwanath Temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva. The temple was destroyed in the various invasions and was rebuilt in 1776 by Rani Ahilyabai of Indore. Hundreds and thousands of pilgrims flock to Varanasi to offer homage and wash away their sins.

Vishweshwara jyotirlinga has a very special and unique significance in the spiritual history of India. Deeply and intimately implanted in the Hindu mind, the Kashi Vishwanath Temple has been a living embodiment of our timeless cultural traditions and highest spiritual values. The Temple has been visited by all great saints- Adi Shankaracharya, Ramkrishna Paramhansa, Swami Vivekanand, Goswami Tulsidas, Maharshi Dayanand Saraswati, Gurunanak and several other spiritual personalities.

LIFE FORCES OF LORD SHIVA !

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Shiva is called Om which represents the five elements of the process of a life-cycle. Om has three sound elements which give the sounds of vowels, such as 'A', 'Ou' and 'Ma', and two physical elements, such as a 'dot' and a 'crescent'. 'A' represents birth, 'Ou' life, 'Ma' death, 'dot' disintegration of the body into original five elements and 'crescent' the soul moving to another physical body or returning to merge with the Supersoul. In the human form, each element of this life-cycle process also represents one face each of the five faces of Shiva. Therefore, Om also stands for Shiva and denotes the Universe.

Shiva is depicted as a five-facad form to represent these five elements that support life on earth. Each face has three eyes, which also represent birth, life and death.

Shiva appears as a luminous lingam. Although it has a special form, the Lingam is considered as a formless and infinite object representing the Lord as the universe. The base of the object representing 'Ou' is considered to be 'Om' which depicts the Lord and the Universe. Such a set is worshipped as Shiva everywhere in the Hindu world. The lingam also is believed to have five faces. Four faces are usually carved on all four directions and the fifth, which is not carved, is believed to be facing upwards.

HOW TO DO LORD SHIVA PUJA !

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After taking bath, wearing neat and clean clothes, the worshipper should make oneself sanctified. All the things for Shiv-poojan, as given before in the list of substantial material required, should be kept ready. The CHAUKI, on which the Shiv-Diety is to be throned should be covered by the white cloth and then the phallus-deity be enthroned after giving it a bath in milk, then in GANGAAJAL (water of river Gangaa) in full devotion.

In the same way, the SHIV-TALISMAN should also be placed on the CHAUKI. Shiv-Deity, may be of any metal, stone, wood or clay. It is convenient to have an inscribed Talisman on a copper-plate, otherwise it can be drawn on a bark of birch tree by white sandal.

After giving throne to Lord Shiva, incense stick and the clay-lamp be lighted. The KALASH should also be placed on the right side, filled with water. The leaves of the wood-apple should be sanctified by giving them wash in clean water. It is the assumption that ‘Raam’ ‘Raam’ is also written on these leaves by white sandal, it is more pleasing to God Shiva.

To begin with Pooja after having seat on the Aasan infront of the Diety.

NANDI, THE SACRED WHITE BULL !

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Lord Shiva's guardian is Nandi (the white bull), whose statue can often be seen watching over the main shrine. The bull is said to embody sexual energy, fertility. Riding on its back Lord Shiva is in control of these impulses.

LORD SHIVA IN DANCING FORM !

2008-11-30T02:35:00.000-08:00

               Thiruvalangadu,                north of Madras, is associated with the dance contest between Lord Shiva and his consort in the form of Kali.

According to legend Lord Shiva  danced vigorously,and to subdue Kali , threw up his leg in                the rhythm of the dance. Being a lady Kali  could not repeat this                feat and stood dismayed.

This dance and the subjugation of Kali,                are described in the hymns of the female saint-poet Karaikkal                Ammai.

ALMIGHTY LORD SHIVA !

2008-11-30T02:14:00.000-08:00

LORD SHIVA IS THE SUPREME COMMANDER

OF ALL THE FORCES IN THE UNIVERSE !

Shiva Nataraj's dance represents both the destruction and the creation of the universe and reveals the cycles of death, birth and rebirth. His Dance of Bliss is for the welfare of the world. In the pose of Nataraj, the King of Dance is giving darshan to his beloved devotees within the "Hall of Consciousness", which is the heart of man. Under his feet, Shiva crushes the demon of ignorance called Apasmara Purusha, caused by forgetfulness. One hand is stretched across his chest and points towards the uplifted foot, indicating the release from earthly bondage of the devotee. The fire represents the final destruction of creation, but the dance of the Nataraj is also an act of creation, which arouses dormant energies and scatters the ashes of the universe in a pattern that will be the design of the ensuing creation.

TRUST IN LORD SHIVA !

2008-11-30T02:05:00.000-08:00

LORD SHIVA THE SUPREME POWER !

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MAY THE SUPREME POWERS OF LORD SHIVA BLESS ALL OF YOU !

Lord Shiva, the third in the trinity is Shiva, also known as Maheshwar (the great Lord), Mahadeva (the great God), Shambhu, Harihara (in union with Vishnu), Pinaakdhari (bearer of the axe), Mritunjaya (conquerer of death), and represents destruction, austerity & the malignant forces of life.

He is also represented as Mahakala & Bhairava, the terrible as well as many other forms including Rudra (howler). In ancient vedic hymns. Rudra is the malignant God of storm and wind, & is also considered the god of death. Rudra fires arrows of sickness at gods. men and animals. He is the father of Maruts, who were occasionally called Rudras.

As Rudra, he is identified with the star Sirius (Sothis), and is a supreme hunter. His appearance and nature changed with the emergence of Hiduism, when he became a beneficent and beautiful God, the Lord of animals and the patron of the hunters.

His name changed to Shiva, and is since then one of the most prominent deities of Hinduism. Shiva is also the master of all beings of the underworld including demons (bhutas ), ghosts (pretas), and pishachas (flesh eaters) but his destructive activities are compensated by his attitude of favors to his devotees.

He is originator of music and dance (Nataraja - the Dancing Shiva is the symbolism of the dance called Tandava), creator of grammar (vyaakrana), inventor of Yoga & a perfect householder as well as ascetic.

MAHAMRITUNJAY MANTRA ( HINDI )

2008-11-02T07:16:00.000-08:00

|| OM NAMAH SHIVAY ||

SIGNIFICANCE OF DANCE FORM !

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This cosmic dance of Shiva is called 'Anandatandava,' meaning the Dance of Bliss, and symbolizes the cosmic cycles of creation and destruction, as well as the daily rhythm of birth and death. The dance is a pictorial allegory of the five principle manifestations of eternal energy — creation, destruction, preservation, salvation, and illusion. According to Coomerswamy, the dance of Shiva also represents his five activities: 'Shrishti' (creation, evolution); 'Sthiti' (preservation, support); 'Samhara' (destruction, evolution); 'Tirobhava' (illusion); and 'Anugraha' (release, emancipation, grace).The overall temper of the image is paradoxical, uniting the inner tranquility, and outside activity of Shiva.

SYMBOLISM & FORM OF NATARAJA !

2008-10-19T01:12:00.000-07:00

In a marvelously unified and dynamic composition expressing the rhythm and harmony of life, Nataraj is shown with four hands represent the cardinal directions. He is dancing, with his left foot elegantly raised and the right foot on a prostrate figure — 'Apasmara Purusha', the personification of illusion and ignorance over whom Shiva triumphs. The upper left hand holds a flame, the lower left hand points down to the dwarf, who is shown holding a cobra. The upper right hand holds an hourglass drum or 'dumroo' that stands for the male-female vital principle, the lower shows the gesture of assertion: "Be without fear."Snakes that stand for egotism, are seen uncoiling from his arms, legs, and hair, which is braided and bejeweled. His matted locks are whirling as he dances within an arch of flames representing the endless cycle of birth and death. On his head is a skull, which symbolizes his conquest over death. Goddess Ganga, the epitome of the holy river Ganges, also sits on his hairdo. His third eye is symbolic of his omniscience, insight, and enlightenment. The whole idol rests on a lotus pedestal, the symbol of the creative forces of the universe.

ORIGIN OF NATARAJA FORM !

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An extraordinary iconographic representation of the rich and diverse cultural heritage of India, it was developed in southern India by 9th and 10th century artists during the Chola period (880-1279 CE) in a series of beautiful bronze sculptures. By the 12th century AD, it achieved canonical stature and soon the Chola Nataraja became the supreme statement of Hindu art.

LORD SHIVA - DANCING NATARAJA !

2008-10-19T01:08:00.000-07:00

Nataraj, the dancing form of Lord Shiva is a symbolic synthesis of the most important aspects of Hinduism, and the summary of the central tenets of this Vedic religion. The term 'Nataraj' means 'King of Dancers' (Sanskrit nata = dance; raja = king). In the words of Ananda K. Coomaraswamy, Nataraj is the "clearest image of the activity of God which any art or religion can boast of…A more fluid and energetic representation of a moving figure than the dancing figure of Shiva can scarcely be found anywhere,

STORY OF SHIVA WORSHIP IN PHALLIC FORM !

2008-10-19T00:53:00.000-07:00

According to another legend, once Brahma and Vishnu, two other deities of the holy Trinity, had an argument as to their supremacy. Brahma being the Creator declared himself to be more revered, while Vishnu, the Preserver, pronounced that he commanded more respect. Just then a colossal lingam, known as Jyotirlinga, blanketed in flames, appeared before them. Both Brahma and Vishnu were awestruck by its rapidly increasing size. They forgot their quarrel and decided to determine its size. Vishnu assuming the form of a boar went to the netherworld and Brahma as a swan flew to the skies. But both of them failed to accomplish the self- assumed tasks. Then, Shiva appeared out of the lingam and stated that he was the progenitor of them both and that henceforth he should be worshipped in his phallic form, the lingam, and not in his anthropomorphic form.

STORY OF THE TIGER & THE LEAVES !

2008-10-19T00:52:00.000-07:00

Once    a hunter while chasing a deer wandered into a dense forest and found himself    on the banks of river Kolidum when he heard the growl of a tiger. To protect    himself from the beast he climbed up a tree nearby. The tiger pitched itself    on the ground below the tree fostering no intention to leave. The hunter stayed    up in the tree all night and to keep himself from falling asleep, he gently    plucked one leaf after another from the tree and threw it down. Under the tree    was a Shiva Linga and the tree blessedly turned out to be a bilva    tree. Unknowingly the man had pleased the deity with bilva leaves.    At sunrise, the hunter looked down to find the tiger gone, and in its place    stood Lord Shiva. He prostrated before the Lord and attained salvation from    the cycle of birth and death. 

OM NAMOH SHIVA !

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All through the day the devotees keep severe fast, chant the sacred Panchakshara mantra "Om Namah Shivaya", make offerings of flowers and incense to the Lord amidst ringing of temple bells. They maintain long vigils during the night, keeping awake to listen to stories, hymns and songs. The fast is broken only the next morning, after the nightlong worship. In Kashmir, the festival is held for 15 days. The 13th day is observed as a day of fast followed by a family feast.

BATHING OF SHIVA LINGA

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The phallus symbol representing Shiva is called the lingam. It is usually    made of granite, soapstone, quartz, marble or metal, and has a yoni or    vagina as its base representing the union of the male and female sexual organs.    Devotees circumambulate the lingam and worship it throughout the night.    It is bathed every three hours with the five sacred offerings of a cow, called    the panchagavya - milk, sour milk, urine, butter and dung. Then the five    foods of immortality - milk, clarified butter, curd, honey and sugar are placed    before the lingam. Dhatura and jati, though poisonous fruits, are believed    to be sacred to Shiva and thus offered to him.

SHIVRATRI RITUALS

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On the day of Shivratri, a three-tiered platform is built around a fire. The    topmost plank represents swargaloka (heaven), the middle one antarikshaloka    (space) and the bottom one bhuloka (earth). Eleven urns or kalash,    are kept on the swargaloka plank symbolising the eleven manifestations    of the Rudra Shiva. These are decorated with bilva (woodapple    leaves) and mango leaves atop a coconut representing the head of Shiva. The    uncut shank of the coconut symbolises his tangled hair and the three spots on    the fruit Shiva's three eyes.

SHIVRATRI - FESTIVAL FOR WOMEN !

2008-10-19T00:48:00.000-07:00

Shivratri is considered especially auspicious for women. Married women pray    for the well being of their husbands and sons, while unmarried women pray for    an ideal husband like Shiva, who is the spouse of Kali, Parvati and Durga. But    generally it is believed that anyone who utters the name of Shiva during Shivratri    with pure devotion is freed from all sins. He or she reaches the abode of Shiva    and is liberated from the cycle of birth and death.

ORIGIN OF SHIVRATRI

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According to the Puranas, during the great mythical churning of the ocean    called Samudra Manthan, a pot of poison emerged from the ocean. The gods    and the demons were terrified as it could destroy the entire world. When they    ran to Shiva for help, he in order to protect the world, drank the deadly poison    but held it in his throat instead of swallowing it. This turned his throat blue,    and since then he came to be known as Nilkantha, the blue-throated one.    Shivratri celebrates this event by which Shiva saved the world.

MAHASHIVRATRI FESTIVAL !

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Maha    Shivratri, the night of the worship of Shiva, occurs on the 14th night of the    new moon during the dark half of the month of Phalguna. It falls on a    moonless February night, when Hindus offer special prayer to the lord of destruction.    Shivratri (Sanskrit 'ratri' = night) is the night when he is said to have performed    the Tandava Nritya or the dance of primordial creation, preservation    and destruction. The festival is observed for one day and one night only.

LORD SHIVA IS ALWAYS HIGH !

2008-10-19T00:45:00.000-07:00

Since Shiva is regarded as a mighty destructive power, to numb his negative    potentials he is fed with opium and is also termed as Bhole Shankar,    one who is oblivious of the world. Therefore, on Maha Shivratri, the night of    Shiva worship, devotees, especially the menfolk, prepare an intoxicating drink    called Thandai (made from cannabis, almonds, and milk) sing songs in    praise of the Lord and dance to the rhythm of the drums.

LORD SHIVA - DESTROYER OF UNIVERSE !

2008-10-19T00:43:00.000-07:00

Shiva is believed to be at the core of the centrifugal force of the universe,    because of his responsibility for death and destruction. Unlike the godhead Brahma, the Creator, Shiva is the dissolving force    in life. But Shiva dissolves in order to create, since death is the medium for    rebirth into a new life. So the opposites of life and death and creation and    destruction both reside in his character.

LORD SHIVA - A DIFFERENT GOD !

2008-10-19T00:42:00.000-07:00

The actual image of Shiva is also distinct from other deities: his hair piled    high on the top of his head, with a crescent tucked into it and the river Ganges    tumbling from his hairs. Around his neck is a coiled serpent representing Kundalini    or the spiritual energy within life. He holds a trident in his left hand    in which is bound the 'damroo' (small leather drum). He sits on a tiger    skin and on his right is a water pot. He wears the 'Rudraksha' beads    and his whole body is smeared with ash.

LORD SHIVA AS A PHALLIC SYMBOL !

2008-10-19T00:40:00.000-07:00

Shiva, in temples is usually found as a phallic symbol of the linga,    which represents the energies necessary for life on both the microcosmic and    the macrocosmic levels, that is, the world in which we live and the world which    constitutes the whole of the universe. In a Shaivite temple, the linga is placed    in the centre underneath the spire, where it symbolises the naval of the earth.

THE FASCINATING GOD !

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Shiva    is 'Shakti', Shiva is power, Shiva is the destroyer, the most powerful god of    the Hindu pantheon and one of the godheads in the Hindu Trinity. Known by many    names - Mahadeva, Mahayogi, Pashupati, Nataraja, Bhairava, Vishwanath, Bhava,    Bhole Nath - Lord Shiva is perhaps the most complex of Hindu deities. Hindus    recognise this by putting his shrine in the temple separate from those of other    deities.

HOLY GANGA FLOWS FROM LORD SHIVA !

2008-07-04T23:08:00.000-07:00

Bhagirahta was the well acclaimed fore father of  Rama of  Raghu Vamsa and as folklore goes his forefathers were known as sagaras  and they had been burnt down due to a curse in the past . And it was for  the  elevation of these ancestors from the curses to a state of being transported to heaven, is it that   Bhagiratha was very keen on bringing the holy river Ganga to the  Earth.

This intention was with the belief  that the moment h holy waters of the river Ganga were to touch the ashes of the sagaras, they would immediately be  released  from the curse on them for their sins.

With this in mind Bhagiratha did very severe penance with the sole objective of getting the blessings of Lord Indra for this, and indeed this permission was granted but with the condition that although he was permitted to bring the river Ganga down from Heaven to the Earth, the actual decision of  coming down to the arth would be that of Ganga.

Therefore BhagIrahta again started his austerities and prayed  to the goddess Ganga., to which she agreed  but at the same time clarified that  he should locate a person who could withstand the force with which she will descend to earth Bhagiratha agreed to this and zeroed down to the refuge- i.e. the most powerful Lord Shiva !

Having decided on this he did severe austerities  for pleasing Lord Shiva., who on appreciating his devotion and efforts, agreed to hold the Ganga on it's downward trip from Heaven to the Earth .  On hearing of this Ganga out of her  sheer  ignorance and pride thought that Lord Shiva would not be able to withstand her force !

She  therefore came down with the intention of  pushing the Almighty Lord , creator of the entire universe down with her  heavy force, not realising that she was insignificant in front of the Lord !  The Lord arrested  the flow of the Ganga  in His matted hair, and even though she tried her level best to rush out of His matted hair, it was all in vain. since not even a single drop of water could escape !

Bhagiratha got very worried by these developments as it had been his initial intention to bring down the Ganga to planet Earth, and he therefore again prayed to the Lord to show mercy on her. and to this the Lord  readily agreed by allowing the Ganga  to pass through a strand of His matted hair.

Now, the visibly humbled Ganga flowed  very humbly and with  tremendous grace, extending  ample prosperity on her way to Patala, and it was in this way that the antcestors of BhagIratha were brought to heaven by the holy water of the Ganga !

STORY OF THE ELEPHANT DEMON !

2008-07-04T23:00:00.000-07:00

There is an interesting story about a demon who was in the form of an elephant (gajasura) ,  who did severe penance and by virtue of the same got several  powerful boons from the Gods. But, this elephant  demon, did not try to use  these  gifted powers for good  and constructive things, but rather started  using them for destructive activities .

He ventured to do all possible to disturb, destroy and cause harm to others. In fact the situation had become such that  even the Devas were not able to take him on on account of the powers that he had acquired through his extreme penance !

As happens with all evil forces, this demon elephant was also doomed to be destroyed on account of his actions, which would eventually lead him to his own death. It so happened that when he started to attack the devotees  of Lord  Shiva who were completely immersed in worship of God at the holy abode Kashi, his  ego and mad rage  came in the way of his coming to realize whom he is taking on  into battle.

Eventually, Lord Shiva, the supreme power of the universe, on seeing his devoteest being harmed , took things into his own hands and immediately  destroyed the demon by ripping its body apart ,  the   loud cries of the demon  in pain could be heard all over, and in this way he lost his life, since evil cannot survive for very long !

SUDARSHAN CHAKRA TO LORD VISHNU

2008-07-04T22:47:00.000-07:00

The story goes something like this that for the protection of the world  Lord  Vishnu wanted to have in his possession a weapon which is  all powerful.  With this in mind he went on to commence the worship of Lord Shiva with a thousand   flowers so as to get the sudarshana  chakra as a boon from the Lord Almighty., This had been created by Lord Shiva for jalandhara samhara.

Therefore Maha  Vishnu collected the required flowers and started the worship. of  Lord Shiva , but  during the worship, Lord Vishnu found that he fell short of one flower to thousand, and since he did not want to stop  his prayer  to Lord Shiva at any cost whatsoever, he did not hesitate a single moment , and went on to pluck out and offered one of this eyes as a substitute for the missing thousandth flower.

Lord Shiva was overwhelmed by this extreme devotion, and immediately gave the  Sudarshan Chakra  to  Maha  Vishnu, and thenceforth Maha Vishnu got the name "lotus eyed" (padmaksha) due to the devotion in offering the eye to make up for a lotus. 

VANQUISHING OF DEMON JALANDHARA

2008-07-04T22:44:00.000-07:00

Have you per chance ever heard of this story of ancient times, wherein several thousands of years ago  as the folklore goes, there was a demon king by the name of Jalandhara, who through his harsh austerities  and  penance  had obtained several boons from the Gods, and it was on account of these boons he  had become so powerful that had  gone on to  capture  all the worlds and rule over them !

Since he went unchallenged it came into his head one day that he should take on the might of the Devas , and so he went on to challenge them to fight against him.Since none of the Devas was prepared to fight against him  since he was very powerful, everybody gave in to him without much resistance.

Further encouraged by this, Jalandhara went on to  take on the more powerful worlds of  Satya  loka  and Vaikuntha  where again nobody was prepared to do battle with him, but he was informed that only Lord Shiva can fight against him.

Being stupid  enough to take on the might of Lord Shiva, he  went to Mount Kailash  the abode of Lord Shiva, to fight with the God !  Lord Shiva wanted to teach the demon a lesson and therefore took  the form of an old man and stood on his way. The  old man asked Jalandhara where he was going. to which he got the reply that he was going to fight against Lord Shiva.

On hearing this the old man smiled and asked him to lift a disc (chakra)  lying on the ground so as to check his strength by lifting the same above his head, prior to his fighting with the All Powerful Lord Shiva . "

On hearing these words Jalandhara was quite amused since he felt that  the old man twas not aware  of  Jalandhara's strength, and just to show him his strength , he started lifting it and realized that it was not an easy job., and it was then that he realised that it was not an easy task. It  was therefore with great diffculty that  he  took the disc  and put it on his head.

Immediately he did so, the  disc not only cut off  his head  but also decimated  his entire body into small pieces ! This was the end of the so called invincible demon who had ventured to conquer the entire world , but he had overestimated his strength in taking on the might of the Almighty Lord Shiva.

THE WEDDING OF PARVATI MATA !

2008-07-04T22:41:00.000-07:00

This is a narration of how Parvati came to get married to Lord Shiva . As most of you must already be aware, Shakthi was born as Parvati, the daughter of the king of Himalayas. Unlike other children her age , as a young child, she was not very keen in playing like the other children. Rather, she was more interested in keeping herself absorbed in the meditation and prayer of  Lord Shiva in the mountains. She also had a burning desire to marry Lord Shiva , and it was for  that she wanted to perform austerity in the snow covered Himalayas.

Although her  parents had shown an initial hesitation , they but finally had to bow down in the face of sheer determination displayed by Parvati., who was performing all her austerities from an ashram. In fact the reality was that Lord Shiva was very happy with Her worship and devotion, and came to her place disguised as an old devotee.Parvati gave due respect to the  Old devotee of Her beloved Lord Shiva.This old devotee tried to dissuade her from wasting her youth in meditation and prayer of Lord Shiva, and that instead she should enjoy life by getting married to some one else !

He also went on to make the remarkable suggestion that She could get married to Him, instead of desiring for Lord Shiva who  spends his time dancing away in the cemeteries and wearing  on his body an attire which includes skulls and bones !  On hearing these words Parvati, not realising that it is the Lord Himself before her , got very angry at him,  and informed him that she  gave due respect to him only since he appeared to be a devotee and she would not want to hear anything of disregard to her Lord !.

She also immediately asked him to leave the place, on seeing which the Lord was extremely pleased with her determination and devotion, and went on to disclose his identity. Parvati was really astonished on coming to know the reality and pleaded for forgiveness from her Lord. On the contrary, Lord Shiva had taken her scolding in the right spirit and took it to signify the great love she had for Him ! He there and then granted her the wish that she had been aspiring for all along i.e. Her getting married to Him.

On hearing of this grand news, the Parvati's family was delighted  beyond measure, and in celebration of the same  proceeded to decorated the region in the most wonderful manner one could ever imagine. They were indeed very happy to learn of their beloved daughter's wedding to the Lord Himself !  And in preparation for the same,  the young and most beautiful Parvati was decorated with the choicest ornaments, and the best of attire .

And the Groom - Lord shiva - came to the wedding place - astride an old bull, with skull and bone ornaments, with the skin of the tiger as the clothing, accompanied by the roar of the Buta Ganas !  On seeing this, Parvati's mother fainted immediately since she could not imagine to see the groom in such a form for her sweet daughter, softer than the flowers. Now the Lord changed to the form, glittering in a beautiful wedding robe - with golden ornaments and splendid clothing!

When Menai woke up and saw the Groom she was thrilled to see such a beautiful form and was very pleased that He is "the suitable" groom for her daughter. The play of the Lord has no bounds ! Menai saw only the external appearance of the Groom. Other than the great Parvati who knows the glory of that Groom ?! The enchanting Lord in the wedding robe got married to the Daughter of the mountains and this form of God is called Kalyana Sundharar.

BURNING OF TRIPUR DEMONS !

2008-07-04T22:35:00.000-07:00

Tripura  Antakar : Destroyer of three cities .( VIra Murti )

What is tripura and what does it signify  ? It is an amalgamation of  the three main impurities  which go on to bond a person, namely ego ( aham ), deeds and their effects ( karma ) and illusion ( maya ) . One who is truly blessed by God Almighty is fortunate enough to an absence of all these three impurities, since these are burned away , and in their place is a state of total peace and tranquility,  with Lord Shiva  taking abode in such places,  and dancing out there ! ( Thirumular ) 

Now coming to the story : there were these three demons who had been granted a boon by Lord Shiva that they would be invincible, and could not be destroyed unless and until they were all together, and would need to be killed by a single arrow . These three demons were named Kamalakshan, Tarukakshan and Vvidhunmali, and they went on to create their forts in different areas and ruled the world.

However there were some Devas who were not too happy with the activities of these demons and they went on to complain about the same to Lord Shiva. But Lord Shiva told them that he just could not do anything to these three demons as long as they continued to pray to him .Since these demons were very regular in their prayers to him , he would not venture out to destroy them !

So Lord Vishnu took on the form of a sage, and started the task of  teaching each of these three demons mayavatham, resulting in their stopping their prayers to the Lord,  instead praising themselves and troubling the Devas by torturing them. Now since these three demons had given up all the goodness they had within them, Lord Shiva appeared before them so as to destroy them , and these  three demons got together, having forgotten the boon they had been given by the Lord . They dared even to fight with Lord Shiva assuming that they were invincible ! 

On this fateful day , the earth became the chariot for the Lord, Lord Brahma became the  charioteer, Lord Vishnu the arrow,  the sun and the moon the wheels of the chariot , the mountain meru as the bow,  and the serpent Vasuki as the string in the bow. In this way, all the gods were present in some form or the other in that specially crafted chariot.

Only one aspect needed attention  since the gods of  fire and death were in the wheel instead of the arrow., which was soon rectified by Vinayaka who broke the wheel to put them in the arrow, and eventually when everything was in place , the Devas were very proud of the fact that with their support Lord Shiva was proceeding to decimate the three demons into non existence.

Lord Shiva however has entirely different plans in mind, he did not actually use any of the Devas for what he had in mind ! He just smiled and in that smile the three demons were burnt down , since the rudhraksha appeared from the three eyes of Lord Shiva during tripurasamhara  The Devas were really astounded to realise they had been really stupid to assume that the Lord could not destroy the demons without their support .

Now comes the interesting part , the destruction of the Lord was a creative one , to destroy meant that he recreated by purifying the evil forces . That is what exactly happened in this case as well ! Lord Shiva granted the gift of life to each of these demons , with one of them being given the task of fanning him with chamaran and the other two being  used as his security at his abode . This was essentially because they were initially his ardent devotees , even though they went wrong subsequently. 

STORY OF VIRABHADRAR

2008-07-04T22:24:00.000-07:00

Lord Brahma  had a son by the name of Daksha, and  Godess Shakti appeared as Dakshayani, the daughter  of Daksha. Godess  Shakti prayed to Lord Shiva to get married to her, and  the Lord accepted  Dakshayani  ignoring the ostentation of Daksha.  

Daksha felt very insulted since the Lord did not get married to his daughter with his special arrangements. He decided  to retaliate by arranging a yagya in which all the Gods were worshipped except for Lord Shiva. All the Devas  went to attend this yagya out of sheer fear, and accepted the offerings made to them on the occasion..

Since this was a very high handed behaviour on the part of Daksha , he was advised by the great sage DadhIchi to  not perpetuate such a yagya where Lord Shiva was being totally ignored since this could lead to serious consequences. However, Daksha chose to ignore this good and sound piece of advice which had been given to him, and continued his Yagya as per previous plans made by him .

On learning of this Dakshayani came to the yagya to advise her father Daksha to refrain from such practises , and to also make offerings to the Lord of gods,  her husband Lord Shiva. But Daksha again ignored her advice and in fact went on to make allegations against both her and Lord Shiva. As was to be expected, this elicited a very angry response from Daksha's daughter, and she  prayed to the Lord to teach Daksha a lesson .She also ventured to leave the form of Dakshayani, and entered into the yagya fire taking on the form of  the daughter of king of Himalayas.

Lord Shiva also took immediate action by the creation of  VIra Bhadrar and Bhadra Kali ( Vira Bhadrar is the only deity among the  25 maheshwara  murtis, to have the characteristic of not being  the manifestation of Lord Shiva Himself, but a power of Lord Shiva). Lord Shiva advised  them to destroy the yagya of Daksha, and they virtually charged into the place where the yagya was being performed , immediately mutilating the Devas taking part in the worship, and also cut off the head of Daksha, becoming such a powerful force that nobody could bring a halt to their activities.

Lord Vishnu also came on the scene and put up a brave front, but could not stop these deadly powers, resulting in the Devas gathered there pleading for mercy from  Lord Shiva, which he generously agreed to, and after forgiving them on their specific request also went on to give back life to Daksha by affixing the head of a goat on his body, thereby bringing him back to life..  Daksha was then filled with remorse and repented for his sins. Even today you can see the temple of  Thirup Pariyalur which stands as a testimony to the destruction of the Daksha Yagyam.

LORD SHIVA'S CRESCENT MOON ON FOREHEAD !

2008-07-04T22:22:00.000-07:00

Did you know that King Daksha had twenty seven stars as daughters, and all of them were married to the moon. But here is the other side of the story : the moon had special attraction towards Rohini . So what was to happen, all the other wives made a big issue of it all and went and complained to their father Daksha that their husband moon is not treating them fairly.

Now look at the rage the father got into when he learned that his daughters were not being treated properly : Daksha put a curse on the moon under which it would lose its luminance day by day. And from that day onwards the moon started losing it's luminance part out of his 16 parts. And with this happening , and the moon losing it's luminance each day , it got afraid and ashamed and thereafter disappeared into the ocean. As a result of this,there were many herbs which require the light of the moon to grow, which started suffering in the absence of the moon.

Moreover , due to the moon disappearing in the ocean, there was a lot suffering in the entire world and it was to end this problem only that the celestials advised the moon to take refuge in the Lord Shiva, and left with only one kala, he took refuge in Lord Shiva. Being the graceful Almighty, Lord Shiva wore the moon crescent on His head, making him grow for 15 days and decay for 15 days periodically.

This is the story behind how Lord Shiva has come to have the crescent of the moon on his forehead !

WHERE DID THE ELIXIR OF LIFE COME FROM ?

2008-07-04T22:09:00.000-07:00

Amrita, the nectar of life !

Amrita ( the elixir of life ) is what you take if you want to live forever, and poison is what destructs life, the two extremes  of  life itself , one which sustains life forever , the other brings it to a grinding halt within seconds !

Now here's the story behind Amrita , the nectar of life and how it came about ! It was one fine dat that both the Demons and the Devtas, wanted to have the amrit, the nectar that would make one live long avoiding death. The amrit was however in the waters of the great ocean and could only be procured by churning the huge ocean to get out the nectar. Both the demons and the devta gods got together to collectively churn the big ocean.

They started the churning of the ocean with mandhara mountain as the stem and serpent vasuki as the rope, and in the entire process, due to the pain that the serpent vasuki felt, it emitted the poison hala which was very destructive. At the same time due to the churning process yet another poison came out from the ocean .Now both these poisons put together became a disastrous poison that threatened the very existence of all including the devta gods, demons and the lives of all others in the area.

What was to be done under such dire circumstances ? Lord Vishnu made his best efforts to stop the poisons but his body turned blue, and he just could not stop it despite his best efforts. Being scared of the destroying power of the poison, all of them sought the help of Lord Shiva, And here is the flip side , when it came to the Amrit , all these people never thought of offering it first to Lord Shiva, it was only the poisons that were offered to Him !

The Graceful God took the poison as if it is a fruit in the hand. Asked all of them, what He should do with that. They pleaded that the poison would annihilate them all if He left it off. Lord smilingly put it into His mouth ! But isn't all the worlds very much inside the God ? Though it will not affect the Lord, but the worlds would be again affected by the poison, Goddess Shakti, the mother of all creatures, stopped the poison in His throat by putting her hand in His throat. The poison stayed there as a small black (blue) stain. Hence the Lord is called NiIlakanthar .

Now with the blessings of God, the divines continued to churn the ocean and got the amriit. God gave the amrita to the devta gods, but had only the poison. Remember, it is Lord Shiva, who remains Eternal and does not ever need to imbibe the nectar of life , he is therefore the greatest nectar of life !

WHAT IS THE GREATEST TRUTH OF LIFE ?

2008-07-04T22:03:00.000-07:00

Dakshinamurthy : South facing Lord Shiva.

The story goes something like this that the four sons, of Brahma, Sanaka, Sanandana, Sanatana, Sanat Kumara, did austere prayer and meditation to arrive at what exactly is the Supreme Truth. This was something which was perplexing them and they had done a lot of analysis on the same , but were still not able to arrive at the correct answer. What is the greatest truth in this entire universe , who could answer this question for them ??

Finally, they came to the conclusion that if anyone can answer this question of theirs it has got to be the Supreme Commander of this entire Universe , Lord Shiva Himself !! Having decided this , they came to Lord Shiva so as to get the knowledge of the Truth, but when they reached him , they found him sitting under the banyan tree, and the four sages also quietly sat down around Him.

Lord Shiva was sitting in a yoga stance without even uttering a single word , and the the four sages got all their doubts cleared just by that posture. The form in which God appeared as a Supreme Guide is the form of wisdom known as Dakshinamurthi.

This explains that the very basic fact of life is that the absolute Truth cannot be explained in words and must be experienced. Including the great chinmudra posture, the posture of shrI dakshinamurthi, who is the teacher amongst all of the teachers, indicates a lot of information that needs days to explain.

In fact the posture of the Guru is a thing to be thought about deeply always, to understand what it signifies , and the rest will all become clear by itself .

Does that make sense , the postures of tranquility and peaceful meditation is the ultimate truth, get immersed so much in  the supreme power , that nirvana  is an absolute certainity , the path to salvation !!

GODESS SHAKTI BECOMING HALF WITH LORD SHIVA

2008-07-04T21:58:00.000-07:00

Among the ardent devotees of Lord Shiva is sage Bhringi, who is known to worship only Lord Shiva and not Godess Shakti, who being the power,  as the name itself suggests, who had pulled out the energy from  sage Bhringi 's  body. This resulted in his not being able to stand us straight and he therefore requested Lord Shiva for help , on which  Lord Shiva provided him with a stick , using support of which to stand still in one place , the sage continued his worship of the Lord !

Now, on the other hand, Goddess Shakti  had the desire of becoming an inseparable part of Lord Shiva's form., and for this she observed the Kedhara Maha Vrata austerity, which is now known as  Deepawali , and being pleased with  this austerity of hers, Lord Shiva granted her the boon of being  an integral part of His form. Henceforth , the  Supreme Power of the universe appears as male on the right hand side and female on the left side , and is  termed  as Ardhanarlshivara.

Significance of this form

Lord Shiva's this form is one of the important forms which is worshipped by the Hindus in India , and it is a much acknowledged form in the Hindu scriptures , as per which God  is not only male, He is male - female and neutral too ! This logic states that since God is conceptually beyond sex,  and although gets referred as He/She most of the time , it would be more correct to refer to God as It since this defines God's intrinsic condition, as do many hindu scriptures.

Purely looked at, this form of God is also associated with the Grace of God. Shiva and Shakti are one and the same Supreme Power. The formless God is called parashiva. On Its own free-will for the benefit of pashus (souls), which are drowned in Pasha (bondage), It thinks to create the worlds. Its dynamism of creation thus springs out of It, which is called Shakti. Now Shiva and Its power Shakti create everything. This is the form of their togetherness that springs out of Lord Shiva. Because of this, the form is associated with the grace of God. Shiva and Shakti though the same may also act independently.

They are associated like the person and the action of the person. They are one and the same like the ice and the water - one becomes the other. For this reason scriptures describe that  Shakti to Shiva is a wife (they are together), mother (shakti becomes Shiva - so Shiva comes out of Shakti) and daughter (Shiva become shakti). Poet  Kalidasa hails them as inseparable like the word and its meaning, the letter and  it's pronunciation !!

LORD SHIVA IS INFINITY PERSONIFIED !

2008-07-04T21:54:00.000-07:00

There was a time, much before the creation of the universe, Lord Brahma and Lord Vishnu were having a quarrel as to who is the greater power of the two . Lord Brahma  staked claim to the supreme position since according to him he is the creator of the whole world.  Lord Vishnu rejected the claim saying the creation would not be useful without his sustenance of the world. They were not able to decide who was the more powerful , and therefore the war of words between these two great Gods escalated, and they were not able to come to any conclusion. Suddenly , at that very point of time , just to  make them realize the truth there appeared a pillar of fire which was so huge that both of them were astonished to see it ! 

Just to decide who was the greater of the two of them they decided to see who could explore the tip of the pillar by reaching the end first Lord Brahma took the form of a swan and went up to reach the top of the pillar, and Lord Vishnu took the form of a wild pig and went down to reach the bottom of the pillar and it was agreed that whoever sees the  tip of the same would be the greatest of the two of them.

Now here is the i nteresting part , this pillar was not an ordinary column of fire, it was the Supreme force of Lord Shiva himself, being beyond the limitations of form, color and all other qualities, also having no beginning and no end ! The two Gods set out on their strength to explore the endings the column of fire ut it went on and on only till infinity ! They soon realised that it was futile to look for the end , and as time went on they became more and more tired . Lord Vishnu returned back realizing that it should be the great Lord Shiva having no limits tor boundaries which can ever be measured by all available knowledge,

This then made them realise the truth as to who is actiually the greatest .Lord Vishnu accepted his failure. at that very moment , and Lord Brahma on the other hand, though realizing it is impossible to see the top of the fire column, returned back saying that he had seen the tip of the column, and since his lie stood exposed he is not till day worshipped. Now both of them realizing the greatness of the Supreme power of Lord Shiva, the Gracious one, with lots of devotion and sincerity, started worshipping him.

The Lord out of his grace blesses all the souls in a way they can easily understand and in turn worship the Supreme, Power of Lord Shiva which can not be put into mere words since it is unexplainable, and unexplorable, and appears as a Lingam which is a vertical pillar resembling the flame. As it resembles the flame, iti s neither a form nor a formless, but is just a symbol of the Supreme jyoti. The Lord later appeared in a special form and blessed both Vishnu and Brahma

This form which came out of the formless Supreme out of Its grace to bless the sincere worship of Brahma and Vishnu is a form but represents the formlessness of the Supreme Lord Shiva , and is considered to be very holy by the shaivites ( worshippers of Lord Shiva ) . The shiva lingam (meaning symbol of shiva) is the foremost of all the symbols of Lord Shiva which are worshipped by the shaivites. And much in a similar way as the ashes are closely associated with the fire, the Holy Ash is associated with this Fire pillar signifying Lord Shiva and is considered to be most sacred by all the worshippers of Lord Shiva ! the shaivites.

LIBERATION OF BODY AND SOUL !

2008-07-04T21:41:00.000-07:00

Have you ever thought of liberation, I mean real liberation from all the worldly surrounding, a state in which you have total tranquility and peace of mind ?

Does such a state exist ? If yes, how do we go about acquiring the same on this our journey of life !

Here is what it is all about :

Mokhsa or Mukti = Moha(passion) + Kshaya (banishment).

Moksha or Mukti is the state wherein there are no attachments of any kind..  "Moksha" effectively stands for the exalted and blissful state wherein one has no desires.   This happens when all the karmic forces surrounding the soul are completely destroyed, the soul becomes the supreme soul.

This supreme soul is removed from from the cycle of birth and rebirth . Advaitism gurus propagate that Moksha is the natural state of the soul.

It is a journey by the soul to attain this Moksha and it can be attained by one's own efforts by stopping the influx of Karmas and eradication of Karmic Forces.   "Moksha" should be the only objective of one's life.

How do we start this journey?  We'll learn more about this in the next post !

JOURNEY OF MUKTI WITH LORD SHIVA

2008-07-04T21:37:00.000-07:00

Lord Shiva is one who gets very easily pleased....he exhibits total compassion for all his devotees and we are indeed fortunate to be looked after so very well by our Lord Shiva . So go on and just forget all of your worries and insecurities, revel in Shiva Bhakti…......lets begin our journey.

Our journey starts with Bhole Shankar’s Bhakti and Darshan, leading to invoking his mantras and learning about Him. Deriving some inspiration from the Spiritual Avatars, Teerth Yatra punya, which will then lead us to practicing meditation and other techniques for our spiritual growth.

Finally, we are bound to meet up with our Guru and guiding force of our life , who will push us up into the next realm of our very own existence, helping us find our own path , as we go along on our way !

May Lord Shiva fulfill all our wishes and aspirations, be it material or spiritual – everything is a journey, Lord Shiva is listening – that I know....and guiding us, all the way , all through our lives , just have deep and true faith in Him !

MAHA MRITUNJAY MANTRA

2008-07-04T21:33:00.000-07:00

Maha Mrityunjaya Mantra

Tryambakam yajamahe,
Sugandham Pushti vardhanam
uruva rukumiva bandhanath,
mruthyor muksheeya mamruthhaath

IS THE FOUNDATION STRONG ENOUGH ?

2008-07-04T21:31:00.000-07:00

Have you ever thought of how strong is the foundation on which your life rests ? The stronger the foundation , rest assured , the stronger will be the capacity you have withiin you to take on all the challenges that come your way !

Just in a similar way, you have the civil engineers checking the strength of the foundation of a building, before giving it certification of being fit for habitation.

God too tests the foundations to assess whether our Faith is true and runs deep within our hearts.

We have the case of Shiruthondar, an ardent devotee of Lord Shiva was also subjected to a foundation test by none other than the Lord himself, coming to him disguised as an ascetic. When Shiruthondar displayed his finer self by showing that he was truly emancipated and was having no attachment to the world, Lord Shiva came before him and said, "Worship Me as your own Self."

To which the reaction from Shiruthondar was that Lord, show to me your presence in all Creation and " then I shall worship Me, for then I can know that I am really You."

Lord Shiva offered him blessings him and he saw all as Light. The vision was the finale of his career in maaya. He merged as light merges in Light, without noise and without announcement. Even his body became a streak of light which rose up into the depths of space. This was the case of one who had the faith , running true and deep in his heart !

SERVICE IS TRUE WORSHIP OF THE LORD !

2008-07-04T21:30:00.000-07:00

Think of the number of times you could have done some good for some stranger, but something held you back ! Are we not supposed to go that extra mile whenever opportunity comes our way to help others, so as to make the world a happier place for all of us !

Here is this story telling us we often do tend to become indifferent to the sufferings of others : Hundreds of pilgrims were returning back up from the ghats after having taken their ceremonial bath in the holy river, most of them with their clothes still drenched with water, clinging to their bodies, with some of them complaining of being disturbed by the sight of this pathetic couple. while there were others who said that we will help you out by bringing the Ganga water you are asking for , after we have offered our prayers and worship to Lord Shiva.

Here was this aged couple, with the old man dying of thirst , but no was offering immediate help. And then there was this robber who was in a great hurry to get into the temple to go and pick pockets of a few devotees, when he heard the voice of the old woman asking for a few drops of water. He halted there and then and asked the old lady what the matter was to which she replied that they had come to take darshan of the Lord Vishweshwara of Kaashi, but her husband had fainted out of sheer exhaustion, and all she wanted was a few drops of Ganga water to pour down his throat., but she could not leave him there and go for water. She asked for his help !

The robber was touched by her predicament , and since he had a little Ganga water in the hollow gourd he had with him, he knelt down near the dying person on the lap of the old woman, but the woman told him that the moment the Ganga water goes down his throat, he may die since he is in the last stage of life, and you should therefore speak a a few words of truth as you pour the water !

Since the robber could not comprehend what she meant, so she explained that he was required to speak of some good deed that he had performed during his life, within the hearing of the old man, and then pour the water In his mouth." This was a real difficult situation for the robber. He was trying to figure out what to do , telling the old lady that he hadn't done a single good deed in his entire life , perhaps the very first good deed he was doing was the present act of offering water to this thirsty man !

And having said so, he proceeded to place the gourd at the lips of the old man and gave him a mouthful of water .At that very moment, the old couple had disappeared and in their place stood before him Lord Shiva and Parvati Mata, both of them offering their blessings to the robber.

Lord Shiva said, "Son, life is to be dedicated for the service of others and not devoted to the exclusive interests of oneself. Howsoever many wicked deeds you might have done so far, for your selfless offering of Ganga water with truth on your tongue, We bless you with this Vision. Remember there is no morality higher than truth; there is no prayer more fruitful than seva (selfless loving service.")

FOR THE LOVE OF GOD !

2008-07-04T21:28:00.000-07:00

Are we not supposed to each one of us be conscious of the love our near and dear ones have for us , the love that we have experienced from our parents as well as from all others whom we share a close relationship with ?

God, too shares the same love for each of us , even though we are not able to recognize the existence of God due to our lack of vision, but then we must be able to know what Love is purely by experience !

Remember when you shared this special love and  experienced the love of your parents, of a friend, of a partner or of a brother or sister, or the love you  have for your very own kids. This love is in itself a spark of God, who is all Love, who is all the Love in all the worlds at all times.

Remember when you called  upon your mother and the love she bore towards you and even if your physical mother could not come to your rescue, some Mother or the Supreme Mother herself was most certainly there for you !.

Here is a wonderful story to make the point.   It was a dark night when Lord Shiva and Godess Parvati were journeying through the sky, at which time they saw a man sitting on the branch of a tree, just about to fall on the ground due to extreme fatigue in his hands and legs. Godess Parvati on seeing this pleaded to Lord Shiva on the behalf of this falling man asking that he be saved, and Shiva preferred that Parvati should save him, instead!

In the meantime, the fall of the man had become a distinct possibility and therefore they decided that if during his descent the man shouted "mother" ( amma )  Parvati would save him whereas if while falling he were to chant the name " father " ( appa )  Lord Shiva would help to save him.

The man fell, but he shouted neither Mother nor Father, but Ayyo (sigh of misery), and so he had to descend alone to his destiny !

Do always remember, even if you are not able to recognize the Good Lord, you must most definitely be able to understand what Love is by sheer experience !

Truth is that if you remember  God with the purity of your heart , he will most definitely come to your rescue in your hour of need !  God loves each of us more than we can even ever realize  ! Rejoice in this  love of  God for us  !

PUJA OF THE LORD SHIVA IDOL !

2008-07-04T21:25:00.000-07:00

Here is yet another interesting story about this sadhu seeking spiritual enlightenment, for which he had approached a guru for guidance as to how he should go about it .The guru handed him over an idol of Lord Vishnu along with the requisite advise as to how he should go about with the worship.The sadhu followed the instructions but found that even after some months of meticulous puja, he did not get any spiritual elevation.He therefore reverted back to his guru and told him about the same ,and the guru gave him another idol, this time of Lord Shiva and asked him to give it another try.However, after another six months he was back again to his guru, asking for another idol, since as he told that even Lord Shiva had failed him !

Therefore this he was given a Godess Durga idol, which again went on to install in the shrine at his home, where the previous two idols were standing, dust-ridden and neglected, on the window sill. And then one fine day, while Durga-puja was going on, the sadhu was quite surprised to note that the perfumed smoke from the incense sticks that he had burnt was drifting towards the idol of Lord Shiva on the window sill.

He got quite agitated at this , since he felt that the perfumed smoke was meant only for the latest idol and not for the stone idol of Lord Shiva which had been deaf to all his requests made over a period of time . Therefore, he took things into his hands and ventured to tie a piece of cloth round the face of Shiva, so as to close the nostrils and prevent it from inhaling the perfume.

To his amazement, Lord Shiva appeared at just that moment in all his resplendent Glory before the sadhu ! Wasn't this sadhu quite dumbfounded at the miracle unfolding before his very own eyes ! He was not able to figure out how and why the ill-treatment had induced Lord Shiva to give him darshan. Here is what had really happened !

The sadhu for the first time had come to believe that the Lord Shiva idol was alive, conscious, and full of life and it was this belief of his that had forced him to tie the bandage to the nose of the idol. The moment he realised that the idol was full of consciousness, he got the Realisation he was struggling for.

Therefore, the sadhu should see, not the stone which is the material stuff of the idol, but the Power that is inherent in it, that is symbolised by it, the same Power that is inherent in his own heart and that pervades and transcends all creation. This is the spiritual enlightenment we should each one of us seek, on this, our journey of life !

LORD SHIVA JYOTIRLING AT GRINESHWAR

2008-07-03T23:01:00.000-07:00

This temple is located at Grineshwar in Visalakam, near the Ellora caves, in Maharashtra state. And as is the case for the other temples , there is a a story behind this one as well , and it goes something like this that in the ancient days gone by there was a devout woman by the name of Kusuma who was a great worshipper of Lord Shiva and as a part of her daily prayer ritual she regularly immersed a Shiva lingam in a water tank.

And the sad part of the story goes on to state that her very own husband's first wife, being jealous of Kusuma's position of standing and respect in society, went on to murder the latter's son in absolute cold blood. And the miracle happened when Kusuma immersed in the deepest of sorrow, continued with her daily ritual of prayer and worship and the moment she immersed the Shiva lingam again in the tank, her son was brought back to life. It is said that Lord Shiva also emerged in front of Kusuma and the villagers, and it is ever since that day that the shiva lingam at this location has been worshipped in the form of a Jyotir linga Ghusmeshwar.

The Jyotir Lingam exists at Devagiri near Ellora and here Lord Shiva is known by several names - Kusumeswarar, Ghushmeswara, Grushmeswara, Grishneswara . Here again , as the story goes in days gone by there once lived a religious brahmin along with his wife, who was a great devotee of Lord Shiva, and the two of them had not been with a son.

On great pressure from his family he got married to his second wife, who soon bore him a son , but the first wife was very peeved and jealous , so much so that she would spare no efforts in torturing the second wife . The second wife was a staunch follower of Lord Shiva , and would daily immerse his shiva lingam in the water tank at that place as a part of thwe daily prayer ritual .

As time went by , the second wife's son grew up to become a smart young boy , and the couple decided to get him married off. Before this could happen, the first wife killed the boy with an axe, and the second wife was in extreme grief , but continued her worship of Lord Shiva by immersing the shiva lingam in the water tank daily. One fine day, her son came back to life, emerging from the water tank. It was a real miracle for all to behold !

Lord Siva also immediately appeared before them & blessed them, declaring that he would give darshan to devotees in his Jyotir Linga swarupam at the same spot where his Lingams used to be immersed in the tank by the second wife.

Today, this Jyotir Lingam is considered to be at two places, one at Devagiri near Ellora & the other at the Kailasa temple at Ellora.

LORD SHIVA JYOTIRLING AT KEDARNATH

2008-07-03T22:57:00.000-07:00

Kedarnath, considered to be one of the holiest places of pilgrim for the devout and religious hindus, is located on the Mandakini River, with the temple, believed to be very ancient, having been been continually renovated over the past hundreds of years , and as per legend, when Lord Shiva wished to elude the Pandavas, he took refuge at Kedarnath disguised in the form of a bull, and when he was followed, he buried himself into the ground,with only the hump remaining on the surface, and it is this hump that is worshipped in a conical Shiva Pinda form at the temple at Kedarnath.

And the remaining parts of the body of the bull being worshipped at four other places , namely :

the arms (Bahu) at Tungnath,

face (mukh) at Rudranath,

navel (nabhi) at Madmaheshwar

and hair (jata) at Kalpeshwar.

Taken along with the main temple at Kedarnath, these places are called as the Panch Kedar, with the lingam at Kedarnath, being in a pyramidal shape , very unlike the usual cylindrical shape of the lingam at other places.This lingam is considered to be a part of the 12 Jyotirlings in India..

Kedarnath is located on the Himalayan slopes in the Gharwal district of Uttar Pradesh, and the interesting part is that there is even a mention of the greatness of this temple in the vedas as well as the epics. And the name is very apt , since the name Kedara for the Lord signifies " Lord Shiva holding the holy Ganges river in his matted locks and allowing it's even flow to the entire world." .

Kedarnath temple is at an elevation of 11,735 feet above sea level, and the  region of the Himlayas, where the shrine is located is known by several names such as Gandhamadana parvatham, Sumera parvatham, Pancha parvatham, etc. (Pancha parvatham, for this is the spot of five sacred peaks namely Rudra Himalayas, Vishnupuri, Brahmapuri, Udayagiri & Swargarohini.

Although you will find the exteriors of the temple to be quite simple, but the interior of the temple is adorned with several marvellous sculptures. There is an irregular shaped conical rock,approximately five feet by four feet., in the garbagriha, and Lord Shiva in the form of a jyotirlingam is worshipped here as Lord Kedareshwar. Common belief over the years is that the jyotirlingam found here actually represents the rump of the bull, which was the form that Lord Siva assumed, when the Pandavas tried to get in touch with him to repent for the sins perpetrated by them during the Kurukshetra war.

This was primarily since it was not the opportune time for humans to worship the Lord at this place, therefore Lord Shiva had taken on the form of a bull to get away from the place. The temple structure that stands till date at this location is believed to have been built by the Pandavas.

The shrine is covered by snow for 6 months in a year (closed from Oct-Nov upto Apr-May). This, it is believed, is the time of the year when the Devas are worshipping the Lord !

LORD SHIVA JYOTIRLING AT TRYAMBAKESHWAR

2008-07-03T22:55:00.000-07:00

For going to the Triyambakeshwarar temple, one has to go to the outskirts of  Nasik City in Maharashtra, and the first time you see it you are really impressed by the size of the domes of the temple, and the ancient look that it projects, giving you the feeling that you are back in the era of ancient civilization. The other thing you notice about the temple is that it has an  Indo Aryan style of architecture,.with the temple structure having been adorned with numerous idols and sculptures, and is encompassed within a  massive stone wall.

There is a huge bull in front of the temple & another marble Nandi is seen on the inside. All these sculptures are seen to be adorned even to the garbagriha with  carvings of  humans, animals and yakshas on them . And from the last Jyotir Lingam at the centre of the garbagriha, trickles the Ganges continuously throughout the year. It is also said that at the garbagriha  one can also see the flames emanating out, and at the same time once can also hear a rumbling sound !

One must most definitely make  visit to this ancient temple to get a feel of the way things were thousands of years ago !

LORD SHIVA JYOTIRLING AT VISHWANATH

2008-07-03T22:51:00.000-07:00

Kashi is among the holiest of holy spots for visit by the Hindus, and it is the belief that a visit to Kashi Vishwanath during one's lifetime will lead to the liberation and moksha of the soul from the body, and it is therefore that religious minded hindus in India, try to make at least one visit to this place in their lifetime !.

In fact Lord Shiva himself has announced this place to be his Royal residence. Since Lord Shiva's wife's mother felt shame at her son-in-law having no proper place to live, so as to please Parvathi Devi, Lord Shiva asked Nikumbha to provide him with a dwelling place at Kashi.

And it was specifically on the request of Nikumbha that a brahmin named Aunikumbha made Divodas construct a temple for the Lord at this place, and out of extreme pleasure Lord Shiva went on to grant boons to all of his devotees, but Divodas was left out and not not blessed with a son, which lead to him being angered, and in a fit of rage he went on to demolished the structure that he had constructed..In retaliation, Nikubha set a curse on the entire area that it would have no people inhabiting it, and when eventually the place was not having a single soul there.

Lord Shiva again took up his residence out there permanently. And thereafter Lord Shiva along with his consort Parvathi Devi once again started blessing his devotees with wonderful boons. In fact, Parvathi Mata was so pleased that she offered food (annam) to all and sundry and is therefore worshipped as Annapoorani ( giver of food to all ) .

At this place, the Shiva lingam is placed in a square shaped brass plated pit, and all the devotees are allowed  to offer prayers such as abhishekam with holy water of the river ganges, garlanding of  the Lord, karpoora aarathi,and other puja activities in  person to the swaymbhu lingam. Another aspect is that there are several smaller shrines around the main shrine, with the entrance of each ghat having a Shiva linga shrine. Lord Shiva is  seen placed on a pedestal at every location in the city, even though there may be no shrine at each such location. Yet another temple known as the Dhundiraja Ganapathi temple is located just behind the main temple .

LORD SHIVA JYOTIRLING AT NAGNATH / NAGESHWAR

2008-07-03T22:46:00.000-07:00

Nageshwar is in close proximity to the city of Dwaraka, and falls on the way to Beti Dwaraka. The story which originates to thousands of years ago goes like this that there lived in this area a vicious demon by the name of  Daruka, who though he was a very staunch devotee of Lord Shiva , took great pleasure in torturing and harassing the good natured people of the area.

One fine day, a merchant by the name of Supriya, who was a strong Shiva devotee, sailed into the area with his goods, at the place where Daruka lived with his wife Daruki, and Daruka requested Supriya to guide him on the path of devotion to Siva, by explaining the norms of performing pooja and penance. Sensing that Daruka could put to bad use any powers gained by him through such penance, Supriya refused to cooperate with him. This of course was bound to enrage Daruka who then began to torture Supriya, who being a firm believer in the Lord and was not reacting to  the  torture. Lord Shiva was extremely pleased at this and suddenly appeared to kill the demon Daruka. After this , Daruki, Daruka's wife, ventured out and started creating even more even more trouble than her husband.ever had , leading to Lord Shiva vanquishing her as well, and  giving darshan to his devotees at this place in the form of Nageshwar. 

The Nageswara Jyotirlingam is claimed to exist in 3 places, one at Dwarka, another at Audhgram,and the third near Almora in Uttar Pradesh.The Siva lingam is facing in the south direction, with the Gomugam facing towards the east direction, and there is an interesting story one recounts about this position, wherein a devotee by name of Naamdev was singing bhajans in front of the Lord, and on seeing this some of the other devotees requested him to stand towards the side so as to not obstruct the view towards the Lord. Reacting to this Naamdev in turn told them to suggest at least one direction in which the Lord was not present so that he could go and stand at that place.. This of course, though not intended,  enraged the devotees and they virtually carried out Naamdev, leaving him on the southside. Lo and behold , to the amazement of all, they now found that the Linga was facing South with the Gomugam facing East. This was an eyeopener, and  the message came out loud and clear to all the devotees gathered there in worship of the Lord Almighty !

LORD SHIVA JYOTIRLING AT RAMESHWARAM

2008-07-03T22:43:00.000-07:00

Rameshvaram which is considered to be one of the sacred Dhamas, is also one out of of the twelve sacred Jyotir Lingam locations in India . All these 12 locations spread across the Indian sub-continent are the places where it is said that Lord Shiva came to manifest himself in the form of a towering column of fire. In the ancient times , during the era of Lord Rama , the Jyotir Lingam had been worshipped by him to make up for the sin committed by him of killing Ravana. Hanumanji had been sent to bring the Linga from Kailasa so that Lord Rama could worship it , but since it was getting late, Lord Rama went on to worship the Lingam that was made out of sand by Sita Mata.

In fact, this Lingam which had been worshipped by Lord Rama thousands of years ago, is now known as Ramanathar Lingam, and on Hanumanji returning and finding out that his Lord Rama had not used the Lingam that he had brought, he was quite disappointed.. But when Lord Rama came to know of this , he immediately pacified Hanumanji and gave the name of Lingam Kasi Viswanathar to the lingam brought by Hanumanji. And to this day, even thousands of years later, devotees are called upon to first do worship of Kasi Viswanathar before worshipping Ramanathar.

Yet another interesting aspect of this temple is that it is located on the very extreme south eastern point of the Indian peninsula, and it is at this place that the Sethu bridge had been constructed at that point of time so to as to link this land to Sri Lanka so as to enable all the Varnarams to reach over to the other side at Lanka,when they had gone to rescue Sita Mata from the clutches of Ravana.

If you observe the temple, you will also find that the shape of this island temple resembles the Panchajanya (Vishnu's conch) and like the Tamil letter 'OM'.

Interesting part about this temple complex is that it has a total of 51 teerthams, of which 22 are located within the temple itself, and these large number of teerthams has made Rameshwaram very famous. You may only consider your pilgrimage to be complete only once you have taken a bath in the Agni teertham, where the waters are also considered to have medicinal qualities.

LORD SHIVA JYOTIRLING AT BHIMASHANKARAM

2008-07-03T22:11:00.000-07:00

As you enter the inner room of the temple , you find the holy Shiv Linga installed at this sanctum santorum ! The location of Bhimashankaram is at Bhuvanagiri village in Pune district of Maharashtra, and is the origination point of the river Bhima.

The temple at this place is built in the Nagara style is an ancient structure of very limited size , and the Jyotir Lingam is positioned on top of the Sahyadri hill temple. Lord Shiva is considered to be taking relaxing here after the Tripurantaka samharam, and it is the formation of sweat on the body of Lord Siva which is said to have been transformed into the river stream, flowing as the river Bhimarati as we know it today. As on date there are several new buildings which have been added to the complex, and this includes two idols of Nandideva, one of which is very ancient, while the other one has been installed in recent times. The area behind the temple has a theertham and a well from which the water is drawn.

The Bhimashankarar Lingam measures around one and a half feet narrow, and the Goddess here is worshipped as Kamalaja. Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaja, the then Maratha ruler of the area had made elaborate arrangements for the r the maintenance of the temple. The moola lingam is installed at a lower level.

One aspect which is interesting is that there is yet another temple at Guwahati in Assam which is also called as the Bhimshankaram and there is a common belief that this is the real Bhimashankaram. The story goes something like this : Bhima, the son of Kumbakarnan & Karkadi, was an asura , and on hearing that his grandfather, uncles & father had been killed by a brahmin & kings, he set out to destroy them. In doing so he went in for severe penance & got tremendous shakti from Lord Brahma, resulting in King Priyadarman of Kamarupa being put in prison.

Thereafter, Priyadarman and his wife Dakshinadevi prayed daily to Lord Shiva with utmost sincerity, and fearing that they would overcome him, Bhima requested them to discontinue their prayers and worship of Lord Shiva. On their refusing to do so,he ventured out to kill both of them. It was at this critical juncture that Lord Shiva emerged out of the Lingam that they had been worshipping and killed Bhima. And to this day , based on the request of the Devas of the area , Lord Shiva still resides here under the name of Bhimashankaram.

LORD SHIVA JYOTIRLING AT VAIDYANATHAN

2008-07-03T21:38:00.000-07:00

There is a story behind the fame of Vaidyanathan which unfolds as follows : This tells of the evil demon lord from the pages of the holy Ramayan, the devouted King Ravana of the kingdom of Sri Lanka ( once known as Ceylon ) who had gone into very severe meditation so as to invoke Lord Shiva, and in doing so he had placed a request before God to come and visit Sri Lanka, so as his capital may become invincible.

Ravana is said to have even made an attempt to lift Mount Kailash, the holy mountain, which is Lord Shiva's abode, and carry it with him to his capital; but Lord Shiva immediately pulverized him with the force of just his finger, and Ravana prayed to him for the Lord's mercy, after which Shiva gave him one of the twelve

Jyotirlingams on the condition that if ever Ravana was to place it on the ground it would take root immediately and hence Ravana had to carry it back inone go on his trip back to his capital. However, this was not to be since Varuna the God of water entered Ravana's stomach belly, and caused him to feel the need to relieve himself.

Vishnu then came down in the form of a lad and volunteered to hold the Jyotirlingam as he relieved himself. But before Ravana could return, the young lad placed the jyotirlingam on the ground to which it became rooted. A disappointed Ravana offered severe penances to Shiva here, and cut off nine of his heads as a part of his repentance. Shiva revived him and joined the heads to the body, like a Vaidya or a physician, hence this Jyotirlingam goes by the name Vaidyanath. The same legend holds at Gokarnam in Karnataka.

LORD SHIVA JYOTIRLING AT OMKARESHWAR / MAMLESHWAR

2008-07-03T03:05:00.000-07:00

There are actually two Jyotir Lingama at this place, having split into two from the original one, and these two Siva lingams are known as Omkareswarar & Amaleshwarar. In the case of this location, the story goes as follows : There was an Emperor by the name of Mandhata belonging to the Ishvaku clan, who was renowned for his greatnessand ruled the kingdom very disreetly.He was involved in truly great penance, and as on date there is an ashram called Mandhata ashram, named after him, out here.

This all powerful and spiritual jyotirlinga of Lord Shiva is located at Ujjain in Madhya Pradesh, and it was here only that Lord Shiva came in the form of Mahakal, emerging out of the linga which had only then split into two, and immediately killed the demon. It is therefore firmly believed that all those who worship and pray to the linga at this location, will never come to fear death, and if their worship and prayer to God is true, they will most certainly be out of the cycles of life and death, for all times to come !

The Omkareshawar temple at Ujjain , Madhya Pradesh, is built is bearing the hall mark of north indian style of architecture, and the devotees consider the offering of prayers to five faced ( Panchamuga ) idol of Lord Ganesha,installed in this temple, to be most auspicious. At this place there is also a shrine for Annapoorani Mata. Yet another interesting aspect of this place is that Shiva Lingas of various sizes are sold in huge numbers at this place. 

Long ago , at one point of time , it is said, Sage Naradar on his visit to the Vindhyas mountain range, had sung praises of Mount Meru. Mount Vindhya , on hearing all these praises immediately prayed to Lord Shiva, with the plea that it also be given a position of stature. And he got the blessings of Lord Shiva who appeared there in the form of Omkareshwarar & Amaleshwarar and gave the gift of growth, but on the condition that none of the worshippers of Lord Shiva would be afflicted on account of this growth. 

However, this was not to be since the Vindhyas never stopped stop growing, so much so that they even went on to create obstructions for the sun and the moon. At the same time, Sage Agasthyar was called to checkthe growth, and he told the Vindhyas to agree to stop it's growth till he got back there. The sage never ever returned to the place, and it was only in this way was it that the growth of the Vindhyas was made to come to a halt.

This religious place Omkareshwar is located on the Mandhata hills in Madhya Pradesh, Central India , and was known as the city of Shivpuri in the ancient past. This temple dates way back to the Krita Yuga and the river Narmada flows here around the Mandhata hill in the form of an Om (Omkaram). 

LORD SHIVA JYOTIRLING AT MAHAKALEASHWAR

2008-07-03T02:45:00.000-07:00

The pilgrimage spot which is located exactly opposite to the Mahakaleshwarar temple is called Koditheertham & it is said that the colour of the waters of this theertham keeps changing. The Moola lingam at this location is very small & is located underground, whereas the lingam in the top level is known as Ongareshwarar. Godess Kali who is said to have visited Vikramaditya is called by the name of Harasiddhi Mata.

The story goes something like this there once lived a brahmin in having four sons who lived in the city of Avanti , and all four of them were very great devotees of Lord Shiva. During the same period, there also existed a ferocious demon by the name of Dushanan, who was a major trouble maker, and had a tendency to disrupt all the religious and social activities taking place in the area.

To counter the negative forces of the demon, all the brahmins of the area congregated to the spot , and along with the four devouted sons, offered prayers to Lord Siva. They together created a Lingam at the spot by digging out mud from the nearby area, and a pond was created at the spot from where they had excavated the mud to make the Lingam, This time when the demon Dushanan tried to come and disrupt their prayers, Lord Siva rose from that very pond in the form of Mahakaleshwarar & immediately destroyed Dushanan.

It was only on the request of all the brahmins collected there was it that Lord Shiva gave darshan to devotees at this sthanam, one of the several Jyotir Linga sthanams in India.

LORD SHIVA JYOTIRLING AT MALIKARJUNA

2008-07-03T02:27:00.000-07:00

The story goes something like this : Lord Shiva and Godess Parvathi had decided to find suitable brides for their sons, Ganesha and Muruga. There was an argument on among both their sons as to who was to get married . Lord Shiva informed them both that of the two, the one who would traverse round the world in Pradakshinam , would be the one to get married off first. Indeed , interestingly enough, both set off on their journey around the world, and by the time Lord Muruga could actually not take even one complete round of the world on his vahana( vehicle ), Lord Ganesha had already taken seven rounds of his parents, (for according to Sastras, going in pradakshinam round one's parents is equivalent to going once round the world (Boopradakshinam).

Therefore , Lord Shiva went ahead and got Siddhi & Buddhi, the daughtersof Viswaroopan married to Lord Ganesha. Muruga, on returning from his long journey round the world, was shocked and angered to learn of the developments. In his state of fury , he went away to stay alone on Mount Kravunja in the name of Kumarabrahmachari. Later, on seeing Lord Shiva coming over to soothe and console him, he tried to move to another location, but on the request of the Devas, stayed at a nearby place. And the actual place where Lord Shiva and Godess Parvathi had come to stay is now known as Sri Sailam. It is believed that even today, Lord Shiva visits Lord Muruga on the Amavasya day & Parvathi Mata on the Pournami day.

The temple which stands a testimony to all these happenings at this holy place is constructed facing the east direction, with the central portion consisting of several pillars , and a huge idol of Nadikeswarar

LORD SHIVA JYOTIRLING AT SOMNATH

2008-07-03T00:50:00.000-07:00

SOMNATH is the holy place where Chandra Devan had offered worship to Lord Shiva so as to free himself of the curse imposed on him by Daksha. Here is the story behind the curse :

Chandra Devan is considered to have built the temple at Somnath & therefore the name of Somanathar has been given to the Lord. Chandran Devan had fallen madly in love with Rohini, one of the daughters of Dakshan and wanted to marry her . But her father Dakshan wanted to marry all his daughters to one able & loving person, who would treat all his daughters with equal love and affection . Chandran got married to all the daughers on this condition , but his love for Rohini was too great & the time soon came that the other daughters complained to their father about the same .

Dakshan was furious about the neglect of his other daughers , and in a fit of rage he cursed Chandran to diwminish in power & beauty. When Chandran Devan went on to beg to be forgiven for his trespasses , Dakshan said that the only by offering prayers to Lord Shiva is it that he could be freed from the curse. Chandran then came to Somanath & offered prayers to Lord Shiva, doing penance for about 4,000 years. Lord Siva then came before him and told him that he could not fully remove the effects of the curse. Instead, he would be able to wane in 15 days, but would grow again. This is the story said for the waxing & waning of the moon, producing new moon & full moon.

12 JYOTIRLINGS OF LORD SHIVA IN INDIA !

2008-07-02T22:41:00.000-07:00

1 Somnath in Saurashtra(Kathiawad) , Gujarat.

2 Mallikarjun in Shrishailam or Srisailam AP (also listed as a Shakti Pitha site).

3 Mahakal in Ujjain OR Mahakalaswar at Ujjain, MP state.

4 Omkar in Mammaleshwaram (at Omkareshwar on the river Narmada, MP)

5 Vaijnath in Parli (Vaidyanath at Deogarh, Bihar

6 Bhima Shankar in Dakini northwest of Poona, in Dhakini, Maharashtra

7 Rameshwaram in Setubandha, TamilNadu

8 Nagesh, Naganath/Nageshwar, in Darukavana, Maharaashtra

9 Vishweshwar/ Viswanath in Banaras/Varanasi , UP

10 Trimbakeshwar near Nasik on the banks of river Gautami/Godavari , Maharashtra

11 Kedarnath/Kedareshwar in Utterkhand Himalayas, UP

12 Ghurmeshwar in Shivalaya OR Grineshwar in Visalakam, near Ellora caves, Maharashtra.

Remember, one who recites names of all these 12 jyotirlings regularly in the morning and evening each day, washes away all the sins which were committed in the previous 7 cycles of birth, and goes on to attain all the powers and siddhis !

MAHASHIVRATRI - FESTIVAL OF LORD SHIVA !

2008-07-01T21:10:00.000-07:00

Mahashivratri refers to the worship of Lord Shiva, this auspicious day occuring on the 13th or 14th day of the dark period of Phalgun , which falls during the months of February - March.Literally, Mahashivratri means " the night of Lord Shiva " , and on this day a majority of the ceremonies performed to honour Lord Shiva are performed during the night time . In fact , it was on this very day that Lord Shiva got married to the Godess Parvati. Devoutees of Lord Shiva flock to the Shiva temples in the thousands to pay homage to their creator.

To celebrate this festival , several of the ardent devotees keep a fast , some to the extent that they do not even consume a single drop of water, and also stay awake the whole night . During the festival , the Shiv Linga is worshipped all night by washing it at a regular interval of every three hours with milk, curd, honey,rose water etc. , simultaenously chanting the Magic Mantra " om namoh shiva ". Also , an offering of leaves as well as fruit of the Bael tree are made to the Shiv Linga since these are considered to be very sacred and the belief is that the Godess Lakshmi, the creator of all wealth, resides within them.

 

On this auspicious day, Mahimna Stotra of Pushpadanta or Ravana's Shiva Tandava Stotra are sung by the devoutees with great passion , and people repeatedly chant the Panchakshara Mantra, Om Namah Shivaya. It is said that he who utters the various Names of Lord Shiva during the Shivaratri festival, with total devotion and concentration, is pardoned from all sins. He directly reaches the abode of Lord Shiva and lives there happily for all times to come , having been emancipated from the endless wheel of birth, death and rebirth. This is known as " "Moksha"!

LORD SHIVA'S RETINUE OF DEITIES !

2008-06-20T21:58:00.000-07:00

Lord Shiva is the one who has a team of his devouted players , performing the task of contolling the universe , and the most important ones amongst these are Nandi, Bhringi, Virabhadra and Chandesvara. Each one of them has an important role to play in the performing of assigned duties as per the wishes of the Lord , and in most temples where the Lord is worshipped you will find them to be also present . Let's see what each one of them is doing in the retinue of deities of Lord Shiva !

Nandi 

Worshippers of Lord Shiva hold Nandi the bull in reverence , and you will usually find him seated in front of the image of Lord Shiva in most of the temples , gazing at the Lord all of the time . Nandi is the vehicle of the Lord , and he is also worshipped by the devoutees first before they actually worship the Lord . In most cases his image is found at the entrance to the temple of Lord Shiva . 

Here, the saying goes that no one is supposed to pay homage to the Lord without first paying homage to Nandi . In doing so they are to look at the image of Lord Shiva in the temple from afar , from the space between the ears and the top of Nandi's head . In fact , in India there are several temples purely dedicated to the worship of Nandi . A classic example is the Nandiswara temple in Karnataka . 

Nandi symbolises the animal qualities in man which Lord Shiva rides so as to transform with his own energies . Nandi is supposed to have all the sciptural and spiritual knowledge as well as the knowledge of devoution to Hanumnaji. Interestingly enough , in several parts of India , it is a tradition to let a bull roam freely in each of the villages , so as to inseminate the various cows , as a special mark of respect to Nandi.

Bhringi 

To begin with , Bhringi was actually a demon named Andhaka , and by the powers and grace of Lord Shiva he was transformed into an ardent and most loyal devoutee , and admitted into the armies of the Lord , as it's leader . And to say the very least about Bhringi's devoution to Lord Shiva , he would not offer his worship to anyone except for and exclusively for Lord Shiva . So much so that he would not even offer his worship to Godess Parvati !

The saying goes that once when Bhringi found the Lord in his half masculine and half feminine form in fusion with Godess Parvati , he tried to offer his worship to the Lord , and the Lord alone , by trying to enter the masculine side of Lord Shiva's form ( Ardhanariswara form ) by assuming the form of a bee. This one sided devoution of Bhringi was bound to annoy the Godess Parvati ! Soon enough , Lord Shiva made his devoutee realise the folly of his ways , and thereafter there was a change in his behaviour.

Virabhadra 

Here we have Lord Shiva in his most violent and ferocious mood , and he manifested himself in this form when he found that his wife Sati was being disgraced and insulted by her own father in front of a large public gathering . And unable to bear up to the humiliation by her own father , Sati went on to immolate herself ! Lord Shiva's anger had no boundaries , and he went to Daksha's place along with his huge armies , and beheaded him there and then itself . This is the angry and destructive form of Lord Shiva wherein he is shown wearing a garland of skulls , and with his four arms holding different weapons . Virbhadra is essentially a warrior God , having been worshipped in ancient and medieval times . 

Chandesvara 

A ferocious God willing to do battle for a noble and divine cause, being worshipped by the devoutees prior to their offering obeisance to Lord Shiva in the various Shiva temples. This is a form of Chandi in it's human aspect and signifies the relationship between Chandi or Durga Mata and Lord Shiva ! 