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Temples/
Pilgrimages/ Places of worship in Tamilnadu
Sri
Parthsarathy Temple, Chennai
Sri Parthasarathy Temple, devoted to Lord Krishna, was originally
built by the Pallavas in the 8th century and renovated in the 16th
century bt the Vijayanagars. It houses the five 'avatars' of Lord
Vishnu, and has a small temple shrine dedicated to Vishnu's
consort, Vedavalli Ammai. It's one of the oldest surviving temple
in Chennai.
Sri Kapaleeswar Temple, Chennai
Kapaleeswarar, an ancient Shiva temple, is the biggest temple in
Chennai. A masterpiece of Dravidian style and displays the
architectural elements - gopurams, mandapams and a tank. There are
some fragmentary inscriptions dating back to 1250 AD.
Brihadeeshwara Temple, Tanjore
Brihadeshwara Temple & Fort built by great Chola king in the 10th
century it is an outstanding example of Chola architecture and is
listed in world heritage. On the top of the apex of 63 metres
high, a dome is said to be constructed from a single piece of
granite, weighing an estimated 81 tones. The dome was hauled into
place along a 6 km earthwork ramp in a manner similar to the one
used by the Egyptian Pyramids. The temple has been the sense of
continuous worship for over thousand years.
Shree Meenakshi Temple, Madurai
This temple is dedicated to the consort of Lord Shiva with its
towering gopurams (rising high above the surrounding country
side). Every day, the Meenakshi Temple attracts pilgrims in
thousands, from all over India. The temple is named after the
daughter of a Pandyan king who, according to legend, was born with
three breasts. At the time of the birth, the king was told that
the extra breast would disappear, when she met the man she was
supposed to marry, and this happened when she met Lord Shiva on
Mount Kailas. Shiva arrived in Madurai, later, in the form of Lord
Sundereshwara, and married her. The Meenakshi temple is an
excellent example of Dravidian architecture, with gopurams or
multi pillared halls, covered from top to bottom, in a profusion
of multicoloured images of gods, goddesses, animals and mythical
figures. The temple occupies an area of around six hectares, and
has four entrances to it.
Nataraja Temple, Chidambaram
Chidambaram was a Chola capital from 907 to 1310 and the Nataraja
Temple was erected during the reign of Vira Chola Raja (927-997).
The complex is said to be the oldest in southern India. It covers
13 hectares and has four gopurams, the north and south ones
towering at 49m high.
Two of the gopurams are carved with the 108 classical postures of
Nataraja, Siva in his role as the cosmic dancer.Other notable
features of the temple are the 1000-pillared hall, the Nritta
Sabha court carved out like a gigantic chariot, and the image of
Nataraja himself in the inner sanctum.
There are other temples in the complex, including those dedicated
to Parvati, Subrahmanya and Ganesh, and a newer Vishnu temple.
The Nataraja Temple courtyard with its many shrines is open from 4
am to noon and 4.30 to 9 pm. The special puja ceremony, held at 5
pm every Friday evening, is certainly spectacular with fire
rituals and the clashing of bells and drums. Every other night, at
the same time, regular puja ceremonies are conducted.
Marudhamalai Temple, Coimbatore
Dedicated to Lord Subramanya, this hilltop temple is one of the
most visited temples in the region, the reason being that the
residing deity Dandayuthapani is believed to have performed
several miracles here. Thai Poosam and Tirukarthigai festivals are
celebrated with great pomp and gaiety at this temple. Marudhamalai
is 12 kms from the Railway Station.
Thirumoorthy Temple, Coimbatore
It is situated at the foot of Thirumoorthy Hills adjoining the
Thirumoorthy Dam. This is about 20 kms. from Udumalpet on the
Highway from Palani to Coimbatore. A perennial stream flows by the
side of the Sri Amalingeswarar temple and nearby there is a
waterfalls. The Crocodile Farm at Amaravathi Dam is just 25 kms.
from here.
Perur Temple Coimbatore
This Temple is 7 kms from Coimbatore Railway Station and was
constructed by Karikal Cholan over 1500 years ago. There are
shrines to the presiding deity Patteeswarar and his consort
Pachainayaki and some elegantly carved sculptures in the
Kanagasabai hall. Devotees flock to this temple in hundreds during
the Panguni Uthiram festival which is celebrated in March every
year.
Ramanathaswamy Temple, Rameshwaram
Close to the sea, on the eastern side of the island, is this 17th
century temple, renowned for its magnificent pillar corridor,
running to a length of 1200 metres, and flanked by ornate pillars.
This is the longest corridor in India. Construction of the temple
began, in the 12th century AD, and additions were made to the
building, over the succeeding centuries by various rulers, and,
today, its gopuram is 53.6 metres high. There are 22 sacred wells
in the temple, the water of each tasting different from the
others.
Rock Fort Temple
This temple crowns a massive outcrop of rock, that soars 83 metres
upwards, from the surrounding plains. It is reached by a steep
flight of 437 steps, cut into the rock. Halfway up is the Sri
Thayumanaswamy Temple, dedicated to Lord Shiva. It has a
100-pillared hall, and a Vimana, covered with gold. On the
southern face of the rock, are several beautifully carved,
rock-cut cave temples, of the Pallava period. Non - Hindus are not
allowed into the sanctum sanctorum, at the summit. Built by the
Nayaks, who were the founders of the city, it was one of the main
centres, around which, the wars of the Carnatic were fought in the
18th century, during the British - French struggle for supremacy
in India.
Shore Temples, Mamallapuram
The shore temples were built in the 7th century, during the reign
of Rajasimha, and depict the final phase of Pallava art. These
beautiful temples, ravaged by wind and sea, were given the World
Heritage listing, a few years ago. The two spires of the temples,
contain a shrine for Lord Vishnu and for Lord Shiva. The
Mahabalipuram dance festival is held every year from January 15 to
February 15. During this period, dances from all over the country
are staged here, including Kathakali from Kerala, Kuchipudi from
Andhra Pradesh as well as tribal dances, puppet shows and
classical and traditional music concerts.
Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple, Srirangam
This temple, 6 kms north of the city, is among the most revered
shrines to Lord Vishnu in South India, and probably, the largest
temple complex in India. Enclosed by seven rectangular walled
courtyards, this 13th century temple has 21 gopurams. The town,
and the temple, are set on a 250-hectare island in the Cauvery,
connected to the mainland by a bridge. The temple is very well
preserved, with excellent carvings, and numerous shrines to
various gods, though the main temple is dedicated to Vishnu.
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