Namaskaram !
Welcome, Padharo ! I'm Mathini, a French woman who has been living in Rajasthan for 10 years. Despite being imbued with Indian culture from a young age it wasn't until 2014 that my Indian adventure really began. I left everything behind in France and set off on a 6-year journey through the land of Gandhi. These adventures are gathered in this blog which aspires, in an intentionally positive spirit, to bear witness to India's remarkably diverse and multifaceted cultural heritage. If this website sparks a desire to pack your bags and set off for an Indian adventure, it will have achieved its purpose. Subh Yatra on Magik India and beautiful explorations in the sacred land of Bharat...
The “Pancha Bhoota Sthalas” refers to the five temples dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva, each of these temples representing the five prime elements of nature; water, air, ether, fire and earth. “Pancha” means five, “Bhoota”, elements and “Sthalas”, place.
These temples are all located in the South of India, four in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh:
- EARTH (Prithvi): Ekambareswarar Temple (Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu)
- WATER (Jalam): Jambukeswara Temple (Tiruchirapalli, Tamil Nadu)
- FIRE (Agni): Annamalaiyar Temple (Tiruvannamalai,Tamil Nadu)
- AIR /WIND (Vayu): Sri Kalahasti Temple (SriKalahasti, Andhra Pradesh)
- ETHER / SKY (Akaasam): Chidambaram Temple (Chidambaram, Tamil Nadu)
1. EARTH – Ekambareswarar Temple, Kanchipuram
Ekambareswara, a superb temple on the north side of town, is is the largest temple in Kanchipuram.
Its gopuram (entrance tower) stands nearly 60m tall, which makes it one of the tallest in India.
The temple’s earliest foundations date from about 600 CE; successive dynasties such as the Pallavas, Pandyas and Cholas, and later the Vijayanagar kings, all remodelled or added to the building.
The sanctum sanctorum houses a Prithvi Lingam representing Earth (prithvi means “earth”).
The hall with 540 pillars and 1008 Shiva Lingams is particularly impressive. Another of the temple’s particularities is a mango tree said to be 3500 years old and to produce four different kinds of mango…
2. WATER – Jambukeswara Temple, Tiruchirapalli
Two kilometres from famous Sri Rangam temple is Jambukeswarar, one of Trichy’s most revered temples. Its Shiva Lingam is an Appu Lingam, representing water.
The sanctum receives a constant flow of water from an underground source. Jambukeswarar temple is also one of the 275 Paadal Petra Sthalams, temples glorified in the songs of praise of the four greatest Shaivite saints or Nayanars…
3. FIRE – Annamalaiyar Temple, Tiruvannamalai
Arunachaleswarar (or Annamalaiyar) temple is located at the foot of Arunachala Hill.
As Shiva is believed to have appeared in this place as a column of light, he is represented here by a fire lingam or Agni Lingam.
Annamalaiyar symbolises duty, virtue, self-sacrifice and liberation by means of ascetic renunciation.
The temple is one of the largest in India, covering six hectares. The initial structure dates from the 9th-century Chola dynasty. Later extensions are attributed to the Vijayanagar Sangama dynasty of the 14th and 15th centuries and the Saluva and Tuluva dynasties of the 15th and 16th centuries.
4. AIR/WIND – Srikalahasti Temple, Andhra Pradesh
Kalahasti is located 36 km away from the famous temple of Tirupati. The interior of the temple was built around the 5th century and the outside during the 12th century by the Chola and Vijayanagar kings.
Lord Shiva is worshiped here as Kalahasteeswara symbolizing the salvation and the death of the ego. Shiva is embodied by a white Vayu Lingam that is said to be self-manifested (Swayambhu). This lingam can not be touched by the devotees, not even by the Brahmins (priests).
It is said that a lamp in the sanctuary keeps flickering even when no air flow is observed.
5. ETHER/SKY – Chidambaram Temple
The temple complex covers 20 hectares in the heart of the city. This is an ancient and historic temple dedicated to Shiva Nataraja (dancing Shiva) but also to Lord Govindaraja Perumal (Vishnu). This is one of the few temples where both Shaivite and Vaishnavite deities coexist.
The word “Chidambaram” derives from “chit”, which means “conscience”, and “Ambaram”, “heaven” (or aakasam aakayam); This refers to the chidaakasam, the sky of consciousness, which is the ultimate goal to be achieved according to the Vedas (old scriptures). According to a second interpretation “Ambalam” would mean “stage show.” A third theory states that Chidambram derives from “chitrambalam” meaning “dances of God.”
The unique feature of this temple is the idol of Nataraja. It represents Lord Shiva as Lord of the Bharata Natyam dance (Indian classical dance). This is one of the few temples where Shiva is represented by a murthi (anthropomorphic image). The cosmic dance of Shiva Nataraja symbolizes the movement of the universe sustained by Lord Shiva.
Char Dham, meaning ‘four abodes’, is the pilgrimage circuit around the four most revered pilgrimage sites in all India. These are in Badrinath, Dwarka, Puri and Rameshwaram, located at the four cardinal points of the Indian sub-continent.
Hindus believe that a pilgrimage or yatra around the Char Dham cities opens the way to moksha, liberation from the cycle of deaths and rebirths. They also think that every believer should try to visit each of these places at least once in their life.
Chota Char Dham: Over time, another Char Dham pilgrimage circuit has developed, in Uttarakhand state in North India. Its importance has increased considerably since the 1960s, with improvements in roads and other infrastructure. It is known as Chota Char Dham, ‘the four small abodes’ or ‘Himalayan Char Dham’.
Most pilgrims start their Chota Char Dham pilgrimage at Haridwar. Others set off from Rishikesh, or from Dehradun, capital of Uttarakhand. From there, the tradition is to visit Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath and Badrinath in that order.
CHAR DHAM
Badrinath
Badrinath stands on the river Alaknanda, 3000m above sea level in the Garhwal Himalayas.
According to the sacred Bhagavata Purana texts it is at Badrinath that Vishnu, in his incarnation as Narayana, performed a great penitence for the wellbeing of all living beings.
The town’s main attraction is Badrinath temple. Legend has it that the sage Adi Shankara found a figurine of the god Badrinarayan (Vishnu) made of holy black saligram stone in the river Alaknanda. It was kept in a cave near the Tapt Kund hot springs until the 16th century when the king of Garhwal had it moved to its current temple.
Dwarka
Dwarka is one of the seven oldest and most holy towns in India (the Sapta Puri).
It is said that Lord Krishna, an incarnation of the god Vishnu, migrated from Mathura to Dwarka to found his capital here 5000 years ago. The town is also famous for its saint and poetess Mirabai…
KNOW MORE ABOUT ITPuri
Puri, in Odisha, a major Hindu pilgrimage town, is the abode of residence of Jagganath, “lord of the universe”, one of the aspects of god Vishnu. The town is entirely dedicated to him.
Devotion here reaches its peak at the Ratha Yatra (chariot festival), when the statues of Jagannatha, his brother Balabhadra and his sister Subhadra are paraded through the streets in chariots…
KNOW MORE ABOUT ITRameshwaram
Ramanathaswamy temple is a major pilgrimage site for Hindus, for several reasons. It contains one of the 12 Jyotir Lingams or “lingams of light”.
It is also one of the 275 Paadal Petra Sthalams, the Shiva temples glorified in the verses of the three most venerated Nayanars (Shivaite saints), Appar, Sundarar and Tirugnana Sambandar…
KNOW MORE ABOUT ITCHOTA CHAR DHAM
Yamunotri
Yamunotri, 3300m up in the Garhwal Himalayas, marks the source of the Yamuna, one of seven India’s most holy rivers.
Yamuna temple, on the left bank of the sacred river, was built by Pratap Shah, a 19th-century Maharaja of Tehri Garhwal. The idol is made of black marble. For Hindus the Yamuna, like the Ganges, has the status of a holy mother.
Gangotri
Gangotri is a town near the source of the Ganges, more than 3000m above sea level in the Garhwal Himalayas.
India’s holiest river is called Bhagirathi at its source and Ganga (Ganges) after it reaches Devprayag, where it is joined by the Alaknanda river.
The actual source of the river is at Gaumukh on the Gangotri glacier, 18km from the town. Gangotri temple was built by the Gurkha general Amar Singh Thapa in homage to Mother Ganges.
Kedarnath
Kedarnath is situated about 3583 meters above the sea level near the Chorabari Glacier. It is the abode of one of 12 Jyotirlingam dedicated to Lord Shiva.
According to legend, the five Pandava brothers wanted to meet Shiva to ask him the absolution of their murders committed during the war against the Kauravas. Shiva decided to test them and went from town to town to finally arrive at Kedarnath in the form of a buffalo. Bhima, one of the Pandava brothers recognized him. Shiva decided then to sank into the ground, leaving only his hump on the surface. It is this hump that is worshiped in the temple of Kedarnath.
Due to the extreme weather, the temple is open only late April until November. During the winter, the vigrahas (deities) of Kedarnath temple are transported to Ukhimath.
The temple is not directly accessible by road. It is reached by a trek of 19km.
Badrinath
see above
KNOW MORE ABOUT THE CHOTA CHAR DHAM
The name Kumbha Mela means “festival of the jar”. It is probably the world’s biggest pilgrimage; gathering up to 100 million people in one place, to bathe in the sacred waters of four holy cities.The belief is that it opens the door to moksha (liberation) and spiritual awakening. A surprising and spectacular event that leaves no visitor unmoved, whether they are believers or not.
Attukal Pongal is a special version of the Pongal harvest festival that takes place each year at the Attukal Bhagavathy temple, 2km from Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum) in Kerala. On this occasion nearly 3 million women, from all social classes, meet in the streets around the temple to prepare the famous “pongal” rice.
Kanyakumari, formerly called Cape Comorin, it the southern tip of India where the Arabian Sea meets the Indian Ocean. The place is named after the goddess Devi Kanya Kumari, a form of Parvati. The town is mainly a holy place for Hindus because of its Bhagavathy Kumari temple and its connections with Swami Vivekananda, Mahatma Gandhi and the sage Agastyar.
Vivekananda Rock Memorial***
The Vivekananda memorial stands on a rock about 500m off the coast.
It can be reached by ferry across a rather rough stretch of sea. It was built in 1970 in honour of Swami Vivekananda’s visit to Shripada Parai in 1892.
The story goes that he swam to the rock and meditated there. It is said that is here that he attained enlightenment and became a great philosophical reformer.
rock memorial vivekananda website
“You have to grow from within. No one can teach you, no one can make you spiritual. There is no teacher but your own soul” Swami Vivekananda
Thiruvalluvar Statue **
Next to the Vivekananda memorial, on a second rock, is a huge stone statue of the Tamul poet Thiruvalluvar, author of the Thirukkural, a work in rhyming couplets setting out various teachings on how to live a harmonious life. It can be reached by ferry from the Vivekananda memorial.
The statue was inaugurated on 1 January 2000. Twenty-nine metres tall, it stands on a 12m plinth on which the Thirukkural‘s 38 chapters on virtue are carved. The combined height of plinth and statue is 133ft (40.5m), representing the 133 chapters of the Thirukkural.
Bhagavathy Kumari Temple**
Bhagavathy Devi, also known as Devi Kanya Kumari, is the goddess Durga in the form of an adolescent girl.
She is the goddess of sannyas (renunciation) and penitence. The Goddess is believed to be the one who removes the rigidity of our mind,
This highly revered temple is also one of the 51 Shakti Peethas; it is said that the spine of the goddess Sati’s body fell here.
Gandhi Memorial*
Near the Kumari Amman temple stands a memorial to Mahatma Gandhi, who visited Kanyakumari in 1925 and 1937.
Some of Gandhi’s ashes were kept here before being scattered at sea.
The memorial is built in the Odisha architectural style and designed so that each year on 2 October, Mahatma’s birthday, the sun’s rays fall exactly on the spot where the funerary urn stood.
The height of the building’s centre is 79 feet, representing the age at which Mahatma died.
Thanumalayan / Suchindrum Temple (13km)***
The Thanumalayan is dedicated to the three gods of the Trimurti or Hindu trinity.
Thanu is a reference to Shiva, Mal to Vishnu and Aya to Brahma. The temple was built in the 17th century and its 40m gopuram is remarkable for the intricacy of its carvings of Hindu deities. This place is also called Suchindrum in sacred scriptures.
Legend has it that Indra, king of the Devas, came to pray at the temple to be released from a curse. Suchi comes from a Sanskrit word for “purify”. It is also said that Indra visited the temple at midnight every night to perform an Ardhajama Puja (night ritual).
Thirukokarnam temple, 5km from Pudukkottai, is dedicated to the Hindu goddess Praghathambal or Araikasu Amman and to Gokaneshwarar, one of the forms of the god Shiva.The temple looks unimpressive from outside, but once inside you find a fascinating labyrinth of subterranean shrines.
Tiruchirappalli, better known as Trichy is instantly recognisable from the temple perched on high rock outcrop near the centre and it is one of the oldest cities in Tamil Nadu. From this distant past, this bubbling city preserves a great spiritual tradition represented by its innumerable temples of which the famous “Sri Rangam”, the largest of all India, is part.
A stop at Tiruvannamalai is a mystical moment. The town takes its name from Annamalaiyar temple around which it grew, and Shiva worship is a key activity for the town. For Hindus, Arunachala Hill overlooking the town represents Shiva himself and is an object of special devotion. The town is full of hermitages and ashrams that bear witness to its powerful spiritual charge.
Legends about the Arunachala Hill
A legend tells us that one day Shiva’s consort Parvati put her hands over his eyes, for fun. It lasted a mere fraction of a second in godly terms, but it meant that the earth was shrouded in darkness for years. Parvati had to perform many austerities to regain Shiva’s confidence. She started her austerities in the Himalayas and finished them in the south, on Arunachala Hill. And there Shiva appeared in a luminous column, and light was restored to the world. Shiva merged with Parvati to form Ardhanarishvara, a being who is half male, half female, and who has lived in the hill ever since.
The Siva Mahapurana, an ancient mythological and religious scripture, tells of a quarrel between Brahma the creator and Vishnu the preserver. Each claimed to be the Supreme Lord and a terrible battle ensued, plunging the universe in confusion and causing great distress to living creatures. Shiva was moved by compassion and manifested in a blazing pillar of light, challenging Brahma and Vishnu to find the base and top of the pillar.
Brahma took the form of a sign and vanished into the sky, hoping to see the top of the pillar. Vishnu took the form of a boar and dug down into the earth to find its base. Neither could find what they were looking for. They came back exhausted and disoriented.
At that moment, the central part of the pillar opened up and Shiva was revealed in all his glory. Brahma and Vishnu realised they were wrong and acknowledged Shiva as the Supreme Being. Shiva changed the blinding light of the column into a sacred mountain called Arunachala
Karthigai Deepam
Every year on the tenth day of the Karthikai Deepam festival a sacred fire is lit in Arunachaleswarar temple.
Devotees fill pots with embers from the fire and carry them to the top of Arunachala Hill. There, at sunset, an enormous barrel containing hundreds of litres of ghee (clarified butter) is set alight. The fire on Arunachala can be seen for miles around as a reminder of when Shiva appeared as a column of light.
The day before each full moon, pilgrims perform Giri Valam, a circumambulation round the foot of the hill.
[ Kartikai Deepam 2018 ]
And now, let’s visit Tiruvannamalai!
Annamalaiyar Temple
Arunachaleswarar (or Annamalaiyar) temple, at the foot of Arunachala Hill, is dedicated to Shiva. The temple is one of the largest in India, covering six hectares. The initial structure dates from the 9th-century Chola dynasty. Later extensions are attributed to the Vijayanagar Sangama dynasty of the 14th and 15th centuries and the Saluva and Tuluva dynasties of the 15th and 16th centuries.
It is an important place of pilgrimage because it is a Pancha Bhoota Stala, i.e. a place associated with one of the five elements of nature.
As Shiva is believed to have appeared in this place as a column of light, he is represented here by a fire lingam or Agni Lingam.
Annamalaiyar symbolises duty, virtue, self-sacrifice and liberation by means of ascetic renunciation. Another sanctum houses Parvati, Shiva’s consort, in the form of Unnamulai Amman.
This Shiva temple is also considered an Aathara Stala, i.e. a place considered to personify one of the Tantric chakras. This one is associated with the Manipooraga chakra which symbolises spiritual ignorance.
Arunachala – Annamalai hill
Arunachala Hill, overlooking the town, is a very holy place for Hindus. It is one of the five principal Shaivite (shiva cult) holy places in South India.
Hindus regard it as Adi-Lingam, the “first lingam”, the first manifestation of Shiva.
The simple fact or seeing or even thinking of Arunachala is said to be enough to neutralise all karma. It is also said that this hill is the centre of the world and that Lord Shiva lives there with his consort Parvati.
As Arunachala is regarded as Lord Shiva in person, the circumambulation round it, called Giri Pradakshina in Sanskrit and Giri Valam in Tamil, is considered to be of great spiritual benefit.
Ramana Maharshi Ashram
Another important place in Tiruvannamalai is the Ramana Maharshi Ashram located at the foot of Arunachala hill, west of Tiruvannamalai. It is said that Ramana Maharshi and Arunachala hill are inseparable.
Ramana Maharshi (1879 – 1950) is considered a holy man by the Hindus but also by many faithful from around the world who continue to meditate on his samadhi (tomb). His teaching is centered on the notion of ‘Self’ and the question ‘Who am I?’ (Atma Vichara).
His story with Arunachala begins after he has had a deep mystical experience revealing to him the deep purpose of life. Then, Ramana Maharshi went to Tiruvannamalai where he remained in a state of meditation for more than 2 years. He retired to a sacred cave on Arunachala hill (which can still be visited) and found his Ashram at the foot of it. He lived there until his death in 1950.
If you wish to make a spiritual retreat, you can stay at the Ashram in a basic room. This requires you to inform the Ashram management well in advance.
Yogi Ramsuratkumar Ashram
Yogi Ramsuratkumar ashram is another important sacred place to visit in Tiruvannamalai. Born in 1918 on the banks of the Ganges, Yogi Ramsuratkumar, abandoned his family life from an early age to devote himself to spirituality.
An incident led him to investigate the cause of life and death. In 1947 and 1948, he went to the Sri Aurobindo Ashram, in Pondicherry, and to that of Ramana Maharshi but it is at the Papa Ramdas Ashram, in Kanhangad, that he will be initiated into the mantra ‘Om Sri Ram Jai Ram Jai Jai Ram ‘. As he repeated this mantra, it is said to have merged with the ‘Brahman’, the primordial existence.
yogiramsuratkumarashram.org/home
