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Let me let you a secret on Anantheshwara temple VRP. Every Monday is special for Lord Anantheshwara. Now they have changed the name to Madanantheshwara as well.
People light oil wicks on Mondays. There ends the secret.
It is a shiva temple. Another legend also has it that Anantheshwara is Parashurama (avatar of vishnu) in shape of Linga.
No one actually knows how a shiva temple was transformed to a vishnu temple.
But what does it matter whether it is Hari or Hara?
One should visit the Shankaranarayanan temple at Shankarankovil near Tirunelveli.
The story which is painted on the temple walls is this. Gomathi (parvati) did her penance to marry Shiva. Shiva appeared in her dreams and said that he will come on a specific day at a specific time to marry her.
When the date and time arrived, Gomathi was waiting with a garland, only to see Vishnu arrive at that time!
It was shiva who appeared in the form of Vishnu to show that both are same.
Till this day, it's a confluence of shaivism and vaishnavism there. Hence the temple name Sankaranarayanan.
Back to Udupi from tirunelveli - here's another temple, where vishnu is in the form of Shiva!
So VRP. remove the darkness (from your mind as well :D). The lord is in the form of a linga here in the sanctum and he has a face kavacha made in silver.
And the fact that south temple sanctums are dark are to re-inforce the thought that, don't search for god in a rock. He's in you. If you can't see in the darkness here, you can't see him as long as there's darkness within as well!
Chotti mooh, badi baat. I'm also searching for shiva still. Even after he blocked my way in Ujjain!

Had to add this, since I mentioned about Sankaranarayanan temple in shankarankovil. Quiz though not related to this thread.
What's special about the gopura of the shankarankovil temple in tamilnadu?

Quote:

Originally Posted by MX6 (Post 2041863)
It is a shiva temple. Another legend also has it that Anantheshwara is Parashurama (avatar of vishnu) in shape of Linga.
No one actually knows how a shiva temple was transformed to a vishnu temple.

But what does it matter whether it is Hari or Hara?

So VRP. remove the darkness (from your mind as well :D).

And the fact that south temple sanctums are dark are to re-inforce the thought that, don't search for god in a rock. He's in you. If you can't see in the darkness here, you can't see him as long as there's darkness within as well!


What's special about the gopura of the shankarankovil temple in tamilnadu?

a. That was enlightening. Really appreciate it. In fact I thought I was wrong - because when I mentioned this temple earlier, I thought it was Shiva temple. Then with all the discussions flowing got confused. During the second visit, I asked around, and I was told it was Vishnu temple. May be it is high time I brushed up my knowledge of Kannada!stupid:


b. Yes, you are right. What does it matter who the god is? I only need to have the faith and belief, and HE takes care of the rest. In fact, my visit to temples are pretty rare. Only when I go to new places, I look up the places of interest and try to find out their uniqueness / speciality.


c. I know only two facts about Shankarankovil - (a) deity is half vishnu and half shiva (much like 'arthaneeswara' - half man, half woman) and (b) one of the tallest gopuras in Tamil Nadu (after Thanjai 'periyakovil'...)

The 3rd tallest gopura in TN is of Srivilliputtur temple!
But this Gopura has another speciality!

Talking of Srivilliputtur, here's a tougher quiz question. What's the speciality of Srivilliputtur gopura?

Quote:

Originally Posted by MX6 (Post 2042059)
What's the speciality of Srivilliputtur gopura?

Is that the one which is used by Govt of TN in their emblem?

Bingo. Srivilliputtur Andal temple gopura is the TN govt insignia. That is the Third highest in TN and 4rd highest in India. First is the infamous Murdeshwara, which displaced the top one which was Ranganathaswamy gopura. Second highest now is Ranganathaswamy temple of Srirangam, third is Sankarankoil (not sure of this - citation needed), pushing Srivilliputtur to 4th.
I sometimes wish that Murdeshwara gopura wasn't built. It has pushed temples of significance like Srirangam to second spot. In a race to be the tallest, the gopura looks bland and spoilt the beauty and tranquil of Murudeshwara.
And the gopura is a plain concrete structure with no artistic intricacies.

South TN houses some of the tallest gopuras ever - Ranganathaswamy, Brihadeeshwara, Srivilliputtur, Tenkasi, Sankarankoil, Madurai Melagopuram, Tiruchendur.
Thanks to TRRaj's logues, I find the chola temples are being resurrected! Way to go!

Quote:

Originally Posted by vrprabhu (Post 2042089)
Is that the one which is used by Govt of TN in their emblem?

Thats nice info. Thanks guys. Is this the one in Virudunagar right? Only heard about it. Never visited.

PS MX why is that you Avatar does not show up? Is it a problem with my browser alone?

My avatar doesn't show up? I can see it here! Try using some other browser! Man, that's one of my favourite photos (my daughter's hand on mine - hers being in colour and mine in B/W). That photo was taken when she was 5 days old!

Srivilliputtur comes on the route from Madurai to Rajapalayam (famous for dogs). It's not in Virudhunagar. It's near Virudhunagar.
From virudhunagar one can go through Maharajapuram (a town etched in annals of classical music for producing doyens like Maharajapuram Vishwanatha Iyer and Maharajapuram Santhanam) or through Sivakasi (which is famous worldwide for firecrackers.

Quote:

Originally Posted by MX6 (Post 2042208)
My avatar doesn't show up? I can see it here!

Srivilliputtur comes on the route from Madurai to Rajapalayam (famous for dogs). It's not in Virudhunagar. It's near Virudhunagar.

I can see your avatar clearly.

Ampere, MX6 appears to be a veggie - he missed out the famous 'biriyani' of these places - which is one more thing to be enjoyed! :)

By "In Virudunagar" I meant the district.

Google maps show a roundabout route from Maharajapuram.
Sivakasi seems the straighter route from Madurai.

On Carnatic music, I have listened to many of Santhaman's recordings, but I am a novice to comment.
Only thing I can say is for a "newbie" to carnatic music, he gives an amazing feel and texture, after which the folks graduate to next level.


PS: Needless to say I am still a newbie!

I'm a veggie. And yes, the Biriyani is very famous. I'd been to a friend's place for lunch in Virudhunagar once. He is a 100% non-veg guy. When in Rajasthan, he was very interested in Camel meat. I told him that the locals might skin him alive if he casts a second glance at those creatures!
Anyway, when I went to his house for lunch, I was literally bowled over.
His mother had moved all the animals and birds that roam freely in his house to an enclosure behind, washed the whole house with water mixed with tumeric. Bought separate clay pots to cook only for me! She softly tells me in typical Thevar's tamil, Brother (they refer to sons as thambi which literally means younger brother) told me that you are veggie. So I did all this. Hope you don't mind. Had you been non veg, I'd have kept mutton sambhar for you!
South TN is also known for Virundhombal (treating a guest).
I understood the true meaning of the tirukkural that day.
Virundhu Purathada, Thaanundal Saava
Marundheninum vendatpaa dandru

When there's guest waiting outside, even if you have medicine that keeps death away (Amruth), one can't consume it themselves!

So I'm aware of the Biriyani there in Virudhunagar. But yes, being a veggie, I've stayed away! I prefer animals roaming around free than seeing in a plate.
But my friend is a great animal lover too. He swears by this line - "I love animals - they are very tasty"

Quote:

Originally Posted by vrprabhu (Post 2042221)
I can see your avatar clearly.

Ampere, MX6 appears to be a veggie - he missed out the famous 'biriyani' of these places - which is one more thing to be enjoyed! :)

So Am I ! On my last trip from KK to Madurai, I was feeling very hungry and the hotels that we saw at Tirunelveli either full (brimming is the word)
or non-veggie, we decided to pack curd rice and stopped some where before Virudhunagar and had it under a tree!

All that talk of food is making my stomach rumble....:)

GSB's in coastal area eat fish (MX6 has confirmed what I had heard earlier about the 'special' grant / permission in this regard) and don't eat meat. I don't relish fish (eat rarely if it is fried - the smell puts me off) and chicken once in a while.

Suddenly, one day I felt like a glutton and stopped eating fish and chicken. Would sit with other non-veggies, but have only veg dishes.

Until one fine evening, when we landed in Hyderabad. We were going around Nampally, when an aroma wafted by... my resolve crashed! Of course, it is only on rare occasion that I have fish / chicken now, but the blame for breaking my resolve is to be shared 50 : 50 between the Hyderabadi Biryani and my will power:)

To get back to our trip, here is the person whose will, power, faith and devotion has moved no less than the almighty....
Stress buster!!-img_2591.jpg

Quote:

To get back to our trip, here is the person whose will, power, faith and devotion has moved no less than the almighty....
And, since faith can move mountains, this is what the faith achieved!

Stress buster!!-img_2594.jpg

(those who tuned in late, please refer to earlier posts on 'Kanakanakindi')

With the darshan over, we move to Mangalore. Usual traffic - and the rain ravaged roads, with a couple of good patches in between. Usual jam at Surattkal - but we cross within 10 minutes!!

The goodness of the rain transforms the countryside -


Stress buster!!-img_2595.jpg

We witnessed heavy to moderate rainfall (do I sound like a TV weather anchor? :)) -
Stress buster!!-img_2596.jpg


And, this is for praful. How I wish NH17 could be like this throughout!! Not a fancy wish - I am sure it can be done...

Stress buster!!-img_2600.jpg

See the Omni overtaking the tanker? They are the addition to already manic bus drivers on this route.. those who value their life and limb, give a wide berth the moment you see them in your rear view mirror!


The next three / four days go by rapidly, shuttling between the various places / centres where Manipal operates (Bejai / Attavar / Light House Hill). Concretisation of roads going on - the traffic is crawling at many places. Oh, Mangalore! What have you turned into?!?

This is the house of our hosts in Mangalore. Long time since I spent some time in a house with a well - with flats and concrete jungle mushrooming, these are on their way out!

Stress buster!!-img_2601.jpg

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(Think I have to spend a couple of days in Mangalore without any plans to get some pictures)

Daughter gets settled in her hostel, and we proceed to Calicut...

Left Mangalore by about 8.00 AM.

It was raining / drizzling intermittently.

Road conditions ranged for good to bad to worse... crossing Ullal bridge took a lot of time - the roads at either end of the bridges is a nightmare and the bridges itself are in a poor shape.

After some time, we reach Kerala border, and the road improves... (however there were bad stretches also ahead). Look at the tyre tracks - lot of people who where ahead appear to have stopped here for a break, and savour the scenery....

Stress buster!!-img_2603.jpg


Went to pluck this - it was childhood favourite because of a unique smell / aroma (any idea which flower it is?), and saw this farm house (I think) set in the midst of a huge estate surrounded by trees (you can see only a part of it in the picture)...

Stress buster!!-img_2606.jpg

Stress buster!!-img_2605.jpg

Right now, that place seems like heaven...:)

The pic reminds me of my parents house in Udupi. Only thing is that it's more like a forest there. I have not ventured behind the house myself in the last 2 years. Clearing out shrubs does expose cobras there.


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