From the unreal lead me to the real,
From the darkness lead me to light,
From death lead me to immortality,
Oh! God excuse me for all my sins.
In India we hold a strong view on the existence of God. Worshipping the
Lord is one of the major activities of Indians. The devotional pattern here
has been such that since time immemorial people in order to showcase their
immense love towards the Almighty have built umpteen temples. Temples thus
have become the ultimate destination of confessions.
Tamilnadu - The Holy State
Tamilnadu, also known as the" Temple State Of India", is the
southernmost part of the country. The land is located on the shores of the
Bay of Bengal and the deep blue Indian Ocean. It is the home of three famous
Indian kingdoms namely- Chera, Chola and Pandya. Tamilnadu is also the
second most industrialized state of India with Chennai as its capital. Some
of the oldest prehistoric settlements of India have been found in this area.
Tamilnadu has been the centre of culture, art and tradition since ancient
times.
The Art Of The Lifetime
Tamil
Nadu is one such Indian state which has been blessed with the awe inspiring
sights of magnificent temples. Architecture is the simplest way of
articulating time and space, of modulating reality, of making people dream
and on this very thought the temple architecture of Tamilnadu has grown with
innovation. Thousands of temples with lofty towers dot the skyline of the
entire state. These temples act as torch bearers of the triumphant heritage
of the Tamilians and speak of the greatness of the bygone eras. Tamilnadu is
the home of the legacy of ancient Dravidian art and culture, characterised
best by deliberately ornate temples with their towers known as gopurams
which aspire to touch the heaven.
The Meenakshi Temple
The Meenakshi Temple complex is a city temple in Madurai. It is one of the
largest and certainly one of the most ancient in Madurai and most revered in
India. The soaring and exquisitely carved towers enclose the temple
dedicated to Meenakshi. The south gateway contains the twin temples of Shiva
and Meenakshi and is about nine storey high in Madurai.
Chidambaram
Chidambaram is one of the most venerated temples in Tamilnadu dedicated to
Lord Natarajah. Chidambaram is about 250 km south of Chennai . The temple
has attained sanctity and sacredness due to its venerability and its
association with so many miracles mentioned in Hindu scriptures.
Rameswaram
Rameswaram
is a major pilgrim centre of the Hindus. According to 'Ramayana', the Hindu
epic, Lord Rama himself had stationed the Lingam in this place which
therefore gains an additional importance and is venerated by all the Hindus
of India. The other pilgrimage site in this island of Rameswaram is
Dhanuskodi that is also called 'Sethu'. There are several other small
temples of interest dotted around this island.
Kapaleeswarar Temple
Kapaleeswarar Temple is situated in Mylapore, a suburb of Chennai. The main
deity, Lord Shiva, is worshipped as Kapaleeswarar and the Goddess as
Katpahavalli. The temple has been in existence for more than a 1000 years.
Kapaleeswarar Temple is very famous and draws large number of devotees
especially during festival days.
Sri Parthasarathy Temple
Settled in the Triplicane area of Chennai, Sri Parthasarathy Temple is
dedicated to Lord Vishnu who is worshipped as Lord Venkatakrishnar.
Swamimalai
Swamimalai
is one of the 6 well known abodes of Lord Subramanya. The temple stands on
an artificial hill and is approached by a flight of steps. The deity is
worshipped as Swaminathan. The temple here has three 'gopurams'.
Sri Parthasarathy Temple
The temple is dedicated to Lord Vishnu, who is worshipped as Lord
Venkatakrishnar.
Palaniandavar Temple
This temple is dedicated to Lord Subramanya. This place is very much adored
by the devotees.
