Most beautiful temple in India

[Perfection]

Mudumalai national park (Admission Rs 30, Dec to June) is the best place in Tamil Nadu for wildlife viewing. It is home to chital (spotted deer), gaur, tiger, panther, wild boar, sloth bear, otter, crocodile and wild elephants numbering around 600. Heavy rain is common in Oct and Nov. Minibus tours (Rs 35 per person for 45 min, 15 km) run from 7 am to 9 am and 3 pm to 6 pm around the outskirts of the park. Masinagudi is the nearest village (7 km from Theppakadu). Bus runs at every two hour. Trekking can be done outside the national park.



Tirunelveli - Kantimati and Nellaipapper temples, Tiruchendur shore temple (13 km).

Kuttalam waterfalls : Near Tenkasi on the Kerala border.

Hogenakal waterfalls : On Salem - Hosur road near Karnataka border.

[Perfection]

Ajmer, Rajasthan

Places of interest

The chief objects of interest are Pushkar, and the Dargah, tomb of the most revered Muslim sufi saint Moinuddin Chishti, the Gharib Nawaz.

Pushkar is a town in the state of Rajasthan in India near Ajmer, about 23 km away, and is an important tourist destination. Pushkar is famous for Pushkar Lake and the 14th century Hindu temple to Brahma, God as the Creator of all creation. This is the only temple of Brahma in the world. Pushkar is also famous for its annual Camel Fair.

The Dargah Shareef of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti is situated at the foot of the Taragarh hill, and consists of several white marble buildings arranged around two courtyards, including a massive gate donated by the Nizam of Hyderabad, a mosque donated by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan, the Akbari Masjid, and the domed tomb of the saint. To this place Emperor Akbar, with his queen, performed pilgrimage on foot from Agra every year in observance of a vow he had made when praying for a son. The large pillars, erected at intervals of 3 km the whole way between Agra and Ajmer, marking the daily halting places of the royal pilgrim, are still extant.

Taragarh Fort, the fort of Ajmer, seat of the Chauhan rulers, is claimed to be the first hill fort of Asia, built at a time when the Aravalli mountain ranges were above the snowlines. This gives it the reputation of being one of the oldest hill forts of the world, and it is definitely the oldest among the hill forts in India.

The Adhai-din-ka-jhonpra, a Jain temple constructed in 1153 and converted into a mosque by Qutubuddin Aibak after 1193, is situated on the lower slope of the Taragarh hill. With the exception of that part used as a mosque, nearly the whole of the ancient temple has fallen into ruins, but the relics are not excelled in beauty of architecture and sculpture by any remains of Hindu art. Forty columns support the roof, but no two are alike, and great fertility of invention is manifested in the execution of the ornaments.

[Perfection]

Magazine, the city's Museum, was once the residence of Prince Salim, son of Emperor Akbar, and presently houses a collection of the Mughal and Rajput armour and sculpture. This residence of Salim is significant from a historical point of view, because Salim as Emperor Jahangir read out the firman for trade to India to the British East India company from here, thus starting the chain of events that lead to India's colonisation by the British.

The summit of Taragarh hill, overhanging Ajmer, is crowned by a fort, the lofty thick battlements of which run along its brow and enclose the table-land. The walls are 3 km in circumference, and the fort can only be approached by steep and very roughly paved planes, commanded by the fort and the outworks, and by the hill to the west. On coming into the hands of the British Raj, the fort was dismantled by order of Lord William Bentinck, and was converted into a sanatorium for the troops stationed at the British cantonment town of Nasirabad.

Mayo College was established in 1875 by Lord Mayo, Viceroy of India. The architecture of the school buildings evoke the grandeur of erstwhile princely Rajasthan. The main building of the school, in white marble, is a classic example of Indo-Saracenic architecture, and the design now lies in the archives of the British Museum in London.

The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception is the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Ajmer.

[Perfection]

Balaji Temple, Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh

Tirupati is the richest worship place in the world, after Vatican. The sacred temple is located on the Tirumala hills. The 80 meter wide and 123 meter long temple covers an area of 2.2 acre. The 12th-century Vaishnavite shrine is located 67 km from Chitoor. Tirupati has got a busy Railway station (16 km). Devotees climb the 4000 steps to the top of the hill bare footed within 3 to 4 hour.

The Sanctum sanctorum is adorned by the Venkateswera idol, which stands to a height of eight feet under the gold gilded dome called the Ananda Nilaya Divay Vimana. Idol is believed to be Swayambhoo and it looks exquisitely wrought in its jet-black stone structure. The deity bears a clear impression of Goddess Lakshmi on the right side of his chest. His two upper arms hold a (conch-shell) sankha and (disk) chakra. His lower left hand is turned inward, the palm of his lower right hand is turned outward offering blessings. Since the lord’s eyes are so beautiful it is covered with a tilak of camphor. It is also believed that his eyeballs are enclosed because his gawk would singe the whole planet.

The deity in the shrine is ornamented with precious stones, which gives it a unique appeal. Devotees are filled with a bizarre experience, when they stand in front of the lord. It is firmly believed that the deity is so benevolent that he grants the wish of anyone who offers him something.



Tonsuring head is the main vazhipadu (offering). Human hair has auctioned at $25 million. People throw diamonds, gold and cash to the offering box. More than a million pilgrims visit the temple every year. Daily, the temple is visited by 50,000 pilgrims. On the Dusehra day (Brahmolsavam in September), it reaches to 5 lakh, a day.

Tirupati has got a good stock of gold and diamonds (12 ton has a value of more than Rs 52,000 crore) received by offerings. Annual offering comes to 400 crore. The income of the temple including other sources of income reaches 650 crores. Recently, a priest has stolen 1.305 kg antique gold ornament from the temple due to utter poverty and triggered a controversy. He arranged two dughters marriage with this money. Lord's Darshan will take 4 hour to a day in peak season. Laddu is the main Prasad. There is a musical fountain at back side of the temple.

[Perfection]

Tamil Nadu is a land of varied beauty with majestically sculptured grand temples. Tamil Nadu with it's 32 districts has an area of 130,058 sq km. Tamil Nadu receives 2 million foreign and 50 million domestic tourists. Thousand Lights mosque, Chennai is one of the largest mosques in the country. Marina Beach in Chennai is one of the longest beaches in the world. The Chettinad region of the state is renowned for its Palatial houses and cuisine.

Tamil Nadu boasts some of the grandest Hindu temples of Dravidian architecture. These temples are of a distinct style renowned for their towering Gopurams.

The main temples having artistic beauty and archeological importance are located at Chennai (Kapaleeswar Temple of Mylapore), Mahabalipuram (Shore temple & rathas), Kanchipuram, Palani Subramanya temple (Kavadi festival), Madurai (Meenakshi Amman temple), Kumbakonam, Chidambaram, Srivilliputtur, Trichy, Srirangam (Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple, the largest Hindu temple with tallest gopuram), Thanjavur (Brihadishwara Temple), Rameshwaram, Suchindram near Nagarkovil, Kanyakumari, Airavateswara temple in Darasuram, Nellaiappar Shiva temple of Tirunelveli, Gangaikonda Cholapuram, Thiruvannaamalai (Arunachal temple, tower), Tiruttani, Swamithoppe, Tiruchendur and Tiruvallur.

Festivals

The colorful festivals with a variety of customs will be an enchanting experience to the tourist.

Pongal (January 14), also called as Tamizhar Thirunaal (festival of Tamils) or Makara Sankranti elsewhere in India, a four-day harvest festival is one of the most widely celebrated festivals throughout Tamil Nadu. The Tamil language saying Thai Pirandhal Vazhi Pirakkum — literally meaning, the birth of the month of Thai will pave way for new opportunities — is often quoted with reference to this festival. The first day, Bhogi Pongal, is celebrated by throwing away and destroying old clothes and materials by setting them on fire to mark the end of the old and emergence of the new. The second day, Surya Pongal, is the main day which falls on the first day of the tenth Tamil month Thai (January 14 or January 15 in western calendar). The third day, Maattu Pongal, is meant to offer thanks to the cattle, as they provide milk and are used to plough the lands.

Jallikattu, a bull taming contest, marks the main event of this day. During this final day, Kaanum Pongal — the word "kaanum", means 'to view' in Tamil — youths used to gather at river banks to view and select their future life partners, but
that practice has declined.



Chitrai festival, Madurai (Mid April) : The first month in the Tamil calendar is Chitterai and the first day of this month in mid-April is celebrated as Tamil New Year. Thiruvalluvar Calendar is 31 years ahead of Gregorian Calendar. Aadi Perukku is celebrated on the 18th day of the Tamil month Aadi, which celebrates the rising of the water level in the river Cauvery.

Apart from these major festivals, in every village and town of Tamil Nadu, the inhabitants celebrate festivals for the local gods once a year and the time varies from place to place. Most of these festivals are related to the goddess Maariyamman, the goddess of rain.

Festivals including Deepavali, Ayudha Pooja, Dasara, Krishna Jayanthi and Vinayaka Chathurthi are celebrated widely.

[Perfection]

Tamil Nadu is also home to many beautiful hill stations. Popular among them are Udhagamandalam (Ooty), Kodaikanal, Yercaud, Coonoor, Topslip, Valparai, Yelagiri and Manjolai. The Nilgiri hills, Palani hills, Shevaroy hills, Kolli Hills and Cardamom hills are all abodes of thick forests and wildlife.

Mukurthi National Park & Kalakkad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve are the two tiger reserves in the state. Mudumalai National Park, The Gulf of Mannar Biosphere Reserve, Indira Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary and National Park, Vedanthangal Bird Sanctuary and Arignar Anna Zoological Park are popular with wildlife lovers. The mangrove forests at Pichavaram are also eco-tourism spots of importance.

Kanyakumari, the southern most tip of peninsular India, is famous for its distinct and beautiful sunrise, Vivekananda Rock Memorial and Thiruvalluvar's statue built off the coastline.

The prominent waterfalls in the state are Courtallam, Hogenakal, Papanasam, Manimuthar, Thirparappu, Pykara and Silver Cascade.

[Perfection]

Bhadrachalam temple (Sree Seetha Ramachandra Swamy shrine) is on the banks of river Godavari in Khammam district of Andhra Pradesh. The 17th century temple is major Hindu pilgrim centre of South India. Sri Ramanavami is celebrated with great pomp and glory here (March-April). The other main festival is Vaikunta Ekadasi (Dec-Jan). The day begins at the temple with "Prabhadhotsavam" or awakening ceremony at 4.30 am with specially composed songs of Tumu Narasimhadas, poems, Sannai Trupets Naubat etc. Abhishekam will be performed at 7.00 am to Lord Rama daily. At the temple, daily 150 devotees are provided free meals.

The 8 hour boating in the Godavari river is a great experience. The itinerant sands of the river make the boating more lively. A camp in tent will make the trip more enjoyable.





Legend

This tribal hamlet acquired its present name from Bhadra, who was a great devotee of Lord Ram. The town of Bhadrachalam has been closely associated with the holy epic Ramayana. Legend has it that this was the place form where Ravana had kidnapped Sita.

Best Season: Oct - March.

How to Reach :

The temple is 126 km from Vijayawada via NH 221.

[MelvinFloyd]

Some most beautiful Temples in India are:

1. Golden Temple
2. Adikesava Perumal Temple at Chennai
3. Agastheeswarar Temple at Arungulam
4. Airavata esvara Temple at Darasuram
5. Aratturai Nathar Temple at Tirunelvayil.
________________________________
travel in spain

[Perfection]

Kollur Mookambika temple



Ratholsavam (chariot festival) will be conducted on 26 March 2011 at Kollur Mookambika temple (135 km north of Mangalore, Karnataka). It is the only temple that is dedicated to goddess Parvathi and believed to be created by Parashurama. The temple is on the banks of river Souparnika at the foothills of Western Ghats. This attractive Mookambika temple with gold plated crest and copper roofs attracts thousands of devotees.

The Goddess Mookambika is in the form of Jyotir-Linga incorporating both Shiva and Shakthi. The Panchaloha image (five element mixed metal) of the Goddess on Shree Chakra is stated to have been consecrated by Adi shankaracharya during his visit to this place. There is an exquisite sculpture of Panchamukha Ganesha.





Nearby Tourist places

Kodachadri (12 km by trek/30 km by jeep costing Rs 1400 for the return trip, Rs 400 for stay)
Maravabthe - famous for beach
Murudeshwar - Famous for the Shiva temple and beach
Anejari camp cum Mookambika Wildlife Sanctuary

[Perfection]

Mangala Devi Temple, Thekkady







The Mangala Devi Temple is located in the forested Periyar wild life sanctuary near Kumily, Idukki Dt., Kerala. The 1000 year old temple is an architectural find in the middle of deep woods atop a 1337 m high peak. About 15 km from Thekkady, this ancient stone temple dedicated to local deity Mangala/ Kannaki, is designed in typical Pandian style. Timing 6 am to 6 pm. Entry up to 3 pm.

The temple serves as a perfect vantage point to view the Western Ghats from a different perspective, and enjoy panoramic views of the vast plains of Tamil Nadu stretching into distance.

Visitors are allowed to this sacred shrine only during the Chithra Pournami festival day when it is thronged by the locals from in and around Thekkady. Both Keralites and Tamilians visit the shrine to offer puja amidst of high security. To visit this temple otherwise, you would require permission from Wildlife Warden of Thekkady. Contact Wildlife Warden for permit : 04869 222027.

The pilgrimage route passes through dense forests and the impact is minimised through strict vigil by forest personnel. Night stay is not permitted. No photography is permitted due to an inter state border issue.

Route : Reach Kumily by bus from Kottayam/Kochi. Access from Kumily by jeep (Rs 50, Car Rs 800) and the rest by a 13 km trek.

Festival Date : 17/18 April 2011.