Tuesday, September 26, 2017

TEMPLES WITH GREAT WONDERS

Konark Sun Temple

An Architecture Marvel of Eastern India 
A symbol of India's heritage, Konark Sun Temple, commonly known as Konark is situated in the eastern state of Odisha (earlier known as Orissa), India and is one of the eminent tourist attractions. Konark houses a massive temple dedicated to the Sun God. The word 'Konark' is a combination of two words 'Kona' and 'Arka'. 'Kona' means 'Corner' and 'Arka' means 'Sun', so when combines it becomes 'Sun of the Corner'. Konark Sun Temple is situated on the north eastern corner of Puri and is dedicated to Sun God. Konark is also known as Arka khetra. There are three images of Sun god at three different sides of the temple, positioned in proper direction to catch the rays of the sun at morning, noon and evening.


Sun Temple of Konark, built in the middle of 13th century, is a massive conception of artistic magnificence and engineering dexterity. King Narasimhadeva I, the great ruler of the Ganga
dynasty had built this temple, with the help of 1200 artisans within a period of 12 years (1243-1255 A.D.). Since the ruler used to worship the Sun, the temple was considered as a chariot for the Sun God. Konark Temple was designed in the form of a gorgeously decorated chariot mounted on 24 wheels , each about 10 feet in diameter, and drawn by 7 mighty horses. It is really difficult to understand, how this huge temple, every inch-space of which was so wonderfully carved, could have been completed within such a short time. Whatever that might
be, the konark temple even in its present ruined state, still a wonder to the whole world. Great poet Rabindranath Tagore wrote of Konark:

 "here the language of stone surpasses the language of man."

Around the base of the temple there are images of animals, foliage, warriors on horses and other interesting structures. On the walls and roof of the temple beautiful erotic figures are carved. Sun temple of Konark is a masterpiece of Orissa's medieval architecture.


The Konark temple is widely known not only for its architectural greatness but also for the sophistication and abundance of sculptural work. Konark is an exceptional mixture of marvelous temple architecture, heritage, exotic beach and salient natural beauty. The large structure of Konark Temple seen today is actually the entrance of the main temple. The main temple which enshrined the presiding deity has fallen off and only the remains can be seen. Even in its ruined state it is a magnificent temple reflecting the mastermind of the architects that imagined and constructed it.

  Dharmapada's Tale

 According to folklore - King Narasimhadeva- the first - had hired a chief architect called Bisu Maharana to build the temple. He had a workforce of 1200 artisans working under him for 12 years on this gigantic project. They had almost finished the construction, but, they failed to find a way to mount the crown stone and ensure that it stayed put in place. Its heavy weight could bring the entire structure crashing down and this worried all the artisans. Huge iron rods measuring upto 30 metres in height and 30 inches in circumference were used in building the sun temple. The impatient king ordered the temple to be finished in three days or the artisans be put to death.

At the time, Bisu Maharana's twelve-year-old son, Dharmapada arrived at the site. Bisu Maharana had never set eyes on his son, as he had left his village when his wife was still pregnant. Dharmapada provided proof that he was indeed the son of Bisu Maharana by bringing with him their old pet dog that Bisu had left behind at home and also cherries from a bush in their garden that grew nowhere else but at Bisu Maharana’s garden. Thus convinced that it was his son, Bisu was overcome with joy. Seeing the crestfallen faces of all the artisans and the worry creases on his father’s forehead, Dharmapada probed into the matter and came to know about the impending death sentence of all the 1200 artisans as they were not sure of how to mount the crown stone.

Dharmapada then proposed a solution to mount the crown stone by placing a strong magnetic rod in the dome at the top which would keep the iron-ore laden rocks all attracted and in place. The structure stood strong and sturdy after they followed Dharmapada’s suggestion of mounting the crown stone. But, the artisans were still apprehensive that the king would be displeased to learn that a 12 year-old boy had succeeded where 1200 of his best artisans had
failed. This could result in the king ordering the death of all artisans due to their failure too. Thus, the artisans wanted to kill Dharmapada, so that the King would never come to know of the boy and his achievement in a matter of 2 days. Bisu Maharaha was torn between the love for his son and his responsibility to save the reputation and lives of all the artisans who looked upon him as their leader.

Seeing the catch-22 situation that his father was caught in, Dharmapada climbed onto the temple and leapt into the water. He gave up his life to save his father and his co-workers. The king, who later came to know of what had transpired chided the artisans saying he had only threatened them with their life as he wanted the structure to be completed soon. He also was very regretful that an able, creative artisan had been lost due to a wrong presumption. By Padma Jairam.


Main Attractions

§    The main temple structure and the geometrical patterns all around the temple
§    The carved wheels and the spokes of the wheel which serve as sun dials
§  Architectural figures including the war horses, the elephants and the guarding lions at the entrance §  The Nata Mandir (Dancing Hall)
§   Three images of Sun God at three direction of the temple to catch the rays of the Sun at dawn, noon and sunset
§  The various images of dieties, dancers, musicians, elephants and mythical creatures The second level of the temple structure which showcases the famous erotic sculptures
§   The Nava Graha (Nine Planets) Temple
§   The Konark is the third link of Odisha's Golden Triangle. The first link is Jagannath Puri and the second link is Bhubaneswar (Capital city of Odisha)
§   The Konark temple is constructed as a gigantic chariot with 24 wheels about three meters high and pulled by 7 horses, housing the Sun God within the entrance is guarded by two huge lions, each killing a war elephant and beneath the elephant is a man. The lions represent pride, elephants represent wealth and both of them consumes man
§   Konark temple was initially built on the sea bank but now the sea has receded and the temple is a little away from the beach. This temple was also known as 'BLACK PAGODA' due to its dark
color and used as a navigational landmark by ancient sailors to Odisha
§  Everyday, the Sun's rays would reach the Nata Mandir from the coast and reflects from the diamond placed at the center of the idol
§   A heavy magnet was placed at the temple top and every two stones of the temple is sandwiched by iron plates. The idol was said to have been floating in air due to the arrangement of magnets. The magnet at the top is said to have disturbed compasses for coastal voyagers and later on removed


The Sun Temple of Konark has been declared a world heritage site
by United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in
1984.


  Location - Puri District,
State of Orissa
  Date of Inscription - 1984
  Criteria - (i)(iii)(vi)
  Property - 11 ha
  Ref - 246
  Brief Description - On the shores of
the Bay of Bengal, bathed in the rays of the rising sun, the temple at Konarak
is a monumental representation of the sun god Surya's chariot; its 24 wheels
are decorated with symbolic designs and it is led by a team of six horses.
Built in the 13th century, it is one of the most famous Brahman  sanctuaries.


The mythological reference states that Lord Krishna's son Samba was smitten with leprosy due to his father's curse. The former underwent severe penance for 12 years at Mitravana near the confluence of Chandrabhaga River with the sea at Konark and ultimately succeeded in pleasing the God Surya, the healer of all skin diseases, and was cured of his illness. In gratitude, he decided to erect a temple in the honor of Surya.


While bathing in the river on the following day, he found an image of God, fashioned out of Surya's body by Viswakarma. Samba installed this image in a temple built by him in Mitravana, where he propitiated the God. Since then, this place has been regarded as sacred.


In ancient times worship of Sun god was in vogue and the people were accustomed with the worship of two Supreme deities--one mother Earth as Dharitri Maata and the other the Sun, the Dharam devata. Sun god is regarded as the supreme lord of the universe and the prime object of life giving energy, being the healer of diseases and bestower of desires.


Surya has been a popular deity in India since Vedic period. Therefore, it is described in Rig Veda regarding Prayer of Sun God as follows. It was dedicated to the Sun-God (Arka) popularly called Biranchi-Narayan, and the tract in which it is situated was known as Arka-Kshetra as well as padma-kshetra. Among the five great religious zones or Kshetra which were located in Odisha (Orissa), Konark was considered to be one, the other four being Puri, Bhubaneswar, and Jaipur.
There are several smaller shrines situated in the neighborhood of the Sun Temple. In them are found Rameswar,Chitreswara,Tribeniswara, and Utpaleswar, all Siva-lingas; and Ramachandi Rudrani, Khileswari, Charchika and Chitreswari, various forms of Goddess Durga. Legends embodied in the Kapila Samhita, the Madala Panji, and the Prachi-mahatmya, take the sanctity of Konark back to mythical times. The legends of these late texts are an obvious adaptation of a much earlier tradition as recorded in the Bhavisya Purana and the Samba Purana.

History of Konark Sun Temple

The Sun Temple at Konarak was built in about 1250 ADby the East Ganga king Narasimhadeva. It is thought he built the temple to commemorate military successes against Muslim invaders.
According to local legend, the temple has a great aura of power that comes from two very powerful magnets said to have been built into the tower - magnets that allowed the king's throne to hover in mid-air.
European mariners sailing off the coast used the temple's tower for navigation, but dubbed it the Black Pagoda for the frequent shipwrecks that occurred along the coast. They attributed the disasters to the legendary magnets' effect on the tidal pattern.
Konarak was sacked by the Muslim Yavana army in the 15th century. The central statue enshrined in the temple was smuggled away to Puri by priests, but the Sun Temple was badly damaged in the attack.
Nature took over the destruction from there. Over the centuries, the sea receded, sand engulfed the building and salty breezes eroded the stone. It remained buried under a huge mound of sand until the early 20th century, when restoration began under the British.
British archaeologists uncovered the lower parts of the temple that had remained well preserved beneath the sand and restored what they could of the rest of the ruins. Trees were planted to shelter the temple from the damaging winds and a museum was opened to display
whatever sculpture wasn't left in situ or sent to Delhi, Calcutta and London.
In 1924, the Earl of Ronaldshay proclaimed the newly-revealed temple to be "one of the most stupendous buildings in India which rears itself aloft, a pile of overwhelming grandeur even in its
decay."

What to See at Konark Sun Temple

The Konark Sun Temple takes the form of a huge chariot for the sun god Surya, with 12 pairs of stone-carved wheels and a team of seven galloping horses (only one of which survives intact).
The temple also symbolizes the passage of time, which is under the sun god's control. The seven horses, which pull the sun temple eastwards towards the dawn, represent the days of the week. The 12 pairs of wheels represent the 12 months of the year and the eight spokes in each
wheel symbolize the eight ideal stages of a woman's day.
The main entrance to the complex is on the eastern (sea-facing) side, in front of the Hall of Offerings(bhogamandapa). This was a later addition to the complex and was likely used for ritual dance performances, as its walls are carved with sculptures of musicians and dancers
as well as erotic scenes.
The sanctuary tower was once the centerpiece of the Konark Sun Temple, but today it is no more than a jumble of sandstone slabs off the western wing. The imposing structure with the pyramidal roof that now takes center stage is actually the porch (jagamohana).
The roof of the porch has three tiers covered in statues, mostly musicians and dancers sereneding the sun god during his daily passage through the heavens. Sculptures on the bottom platform include a Shiva Nataraja, performing the cosmic dance. The interior is now blocked up.
Just beyond the porch is a double staircase that leads to a shrine containing a statue of Surya, the sun god. The beautiful image is carved of high-quality green chlorite stone and is one of the masterpieces of Konarak. Surya wears tall riding boots and is accompanied by a small figure of Aruna, the charioteer, at his feet. From here you can climb down into the remains of the inner sanctum, where the deity was originally enshrined.

The surfaces of the temple are carved with exquisite stone sculptures with a wide variety of subjects, including manyerotic scenes based on the Kama Sutra. Erotic sculptures are found especially in niches halfway up the porch, along the sides of the platform and around the doorways of the main building.
Similar sculptures can be found on the temples of Khajuraho in Madhya Pradesh. The erotic art most likely symbolizes the ecstatic bliss enjoyed by the soul when it unites with the divine, but there are a number of theories on the matter.
Other sculptures decorating the temple's exterior include deities, animals, floral patterns, voluptuous women, mythical beasts and aquatic monsters. The 24 giant wheels are beautifully
carved and each of the eight spokes bears a medallion containing figurative carvings.
Friezes above and below the wheels depict military processions and hunting scenes, with thousands of rampaging elephants. Look for the giraffe in the top frieze along the south side of the platform - this proves that Konarak traded with Africa in the 13th century.
 Once in 2000 years, the Sun’s rays reach the temple from the coast and reflect back from the
diamond placed at the center of the idol
.





AJANTA AND ELLORA CAVES
KAILASANATHA TEMPLE (CAVE16)
The last great cave temples of India are Ellora Caves – group of 34 monasteries and temples made at the ancient trade route between the nearby Paihan and the important city of Ujjain. Not that many know that in total in this area there are more than 100 rock cut caves but these 34 are located closer together (their entrances are spread along the cliff face for a bit more than 2 km), have common interesting history and magnificent architecture and art. These "royal" caves were hewn in the vertical basalt cliff of the Charandri hill (Sahyadari Hills) sometimes around 630 – 1000 AD. Some sources state that some caves are older – from 550 AD.
Caves are numbered from 1 to 34 starting from the south-east to the north-west. In Ellora Caves this numbering means much more than just simple numbers attributed by scientists for the convenience. In general smaller numbers here mean older caves with somewhat less elaborate interiors, while larger number is attributed to newer cave which has more exquisite sculptures and other artwork.
While the previous giant achievement of ancient Indian civilisation –Ajanta Caves – has more impressive natural setting and is more ancient (what also is a value), Ellora is even more rich with art than Ajanta. Knowing how incredibly rich are Ajanta Caves this might seem impossible – but this is a fact recognised by numerous visitors to both sites.
HISTORY IN SHORT
Rashtrakuta dynasty ruled in large part of contemporary India in the 6th – 10th centuries. These powerful clans had excellent internal organisation and managed to keep control over the vast area with sure hand, wisdom and also skilled use of religion as the organising institute for society. In these times Central India experienced gradual shift from Buddhism to Hinduism, at the end of this period Jainism became more widespread. These religions rather peacefully co-existed in Central India and Ellora Caves serve as one of the best examples for this. Ellora, especially the glorious Kailasanatha Temple is the highest architectural attainment throughout the rich history of art during the time of this dynasty.

First caves in Ellora were created shortly after the previous royal shrines of this region – Ajanta Caves – were abandoned. In many aspects Ellora Caves continue the tendencies originating in Ajanta, but there are numerous influences from other regions of India and new trends in art represented in Ellora.
The first group of shrines were created by Buddhists of Mahayana branch. These are caves numbered from 1 to 12 and were built in 630 – 700 AD (some sources state that in 400 – 800 AD).
Next group was created when the influence of Buddhism vaned and Hinduism gradually became the mainstream religion. In fact some of Ellora Hinduist shrines are older than some Buddhist caves. Local rulers were more supportive to Shaivism – a trend of Hinduism devoted to Shiva – thus also Ellora got exquisite shrines devoted to Shiva. These caves are numbered 13 – 29 and built in 550 – 780 AD (other sources state that in 600 – 900 AD).
Last group of shrines was created in times when local rulers were more inclined towards Jain religion, Digambara branch. Jain caves form a distinct group, numbered from 30 to 34, created sometimes around 800 – 1000 AD.
Cave temples hewn in rock were considered to be the best possibility to go away from the reality of the material world and meditate close to the heart of the mountain. But these caves were not an another reality hidden away from the mundane world – they formed a part of political ambitions of the people of influence, they served as intellectual and arts centre of Central India.
Contrary to Ajanta Caves, Ellora Caves did not recede in oblivion, they were admired by people throughout the history up to this day. Nowadays this is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Maharashtra state and one of the older UNESCO World Heritage monuments.

DESCRIPTION OF ELLORA CAVES

There is no place for illusions about this chapter – words can not describe the incredible richness of artistic and phylosophical messages emanated by thousands of sculptures, drawings and inscriptions in Ellora. Below you will find just an attempt to list the caves and outline some of their values.

BUDDHIST CAVES


These caves, numbered from 1 to 12, were created in 630 – 700 AD (or in 400 – 800 AD?). Newest are Caves 11 and 12, oldest is Cave 6. These are the largest Buddhist cave temples in India.
Most structures (all except Cave No.10) are viharas – Buddhist monasteries. Here they are large, multi-storeyed premises with apartments, kitchens and other rooms making them suitable for living. Some have shrines with Buddhas.
·         Cave 1 - vihara with eight small cells. Possibly served as a granary for other viharas, comparatively simple design with little adornment.
·         Cave 2 – large vihara with enormous central chamber supported by 12 square pillars. Adorned with numerous sculptures of seated Buddhas.
·         Cave 3 and Cave 4 – similar to Cave 2, in poor condition.
·         Cave 5 (Maharwada) – the largest vihara. Named after local Mahar people – they used this enormous chamber as a hideaway during the monsoon. Central hall is 36 meters long, contains sculpture of seated Buddha.
·         Cave 6 – created after 600 AD. Among other values contains two beautiful sculptures of star goddess Tara and goddess of learning Mahamayuri with peacock.
·         Cave 10 (Vishvakarma, Visvakarma, "Carpenter’s Cave", Sutar-ka-Jhopda, Sutar-ki-Jhopari) – the most famous local Buddhist cave, chaitya griha. Built around 700 AD.Cave has a beautiful multi-storeyed entrance with two pillared side porticos. They have chambers – possibly intended to be sanctuaries but not completed. Behind the entrance there is enormous chaitya (shrine). Columns in the main hall have ghata-pallava (vase and foliage) capitals. Main hall has central nave and two side aisles – separated by 28 octagonal columns.Vaulted roof of chaitya has the characteristic ribs – resembling wooden architecture and used in many other cave temples.In the rear end there is 3.3 m high Buddha statue seated in preaching pose. Behind Buddha on the rear wall there is carved large Bodhi tree.Initially cave had a high screen hall, now ruined.
·         Cave 11 (Do Tal or Dho Thal – „two storeys”) – vihara, one of latest Buddhist structures here, with three storeys. Third, basement storey was discovered in 1876. It has been converted to Hinduist shrine as witnessed by images of Durga and Ganesh. Buddha shrine has been left intact.
·         Cave 12 (Tin Tal or Teen Thal – „three storeys”) – vihara, one of latest Buddhist structures here, with three storeys. Upper hall contains five large sculptures of bodhisattvas, hall is flanked by seven Buddhas.
HINDU TEMPLES
Built sometimes around 550 – 780 AD (or 600 – 870 AD?), numbered from 13 to 29. Three oldest caves (17 – 29) were built during the time of earliest Kalachuri dynasty well before Rashtrakuta dynasty. The oldest are caves 28, 27. Ellora Hindu temples were created during the time of prosperity and serve as magnificent testimony to high achievements of Indian civilisation.
·         Cave 14 – carved in the early 600s, contains exquisite stone carvings - friezes. Initially was shaped as a Buddhist vihara but during the work converted to Hindu shrine. Entrance guarded by river goddesses Ganga and Yamuna.
·         Cave 15 (Dasavatara - Cavern of the ten avatars) – built in the middle of the 8th century, two floors. Upper floor contains some of the most exquisite carvings. Initially started as a Buddhist vihara – it was shaped like open court with free-standing monolithic mandapa with two-storeyed cave temple at the rear. Cave contains exquisite sculptural groups depicting scenes of Hindu religious motifs including panels with five of Vishnu’s ten incarnations – avatars. Contains also one of famous Hindu artworks – Shiva as Nataraja, the Cosmic Dancer.
·     Cave 16 (Kailash Temple, Kailasanatha)  one of the highest achievements of ancient architecture worldwide, designed to resemble Mount Kailash – the abode of Lord Shiva. Created sometimes around 760 – 860 AD, started during the reign of Rashtrakuta kind Krishna I (ruled in 757 – 773). Although technically sculpted out of single rock, Kaliash Temple is free standing structure with many stories, two times larger in area than, f.e. Parthenon in Athens. It is the largest monolithic human built structure of the world, up to 36,6 metres high. Length of structure – 84,1 m, width – 47 mw. Art historian Sharada Srinivasan considers that the work at such cave temple was started by levelling the area above the temple and exactly measuring the silouette of the future temple from above. After that artisans started to carve down the rock as if it was cheese, immediately carving elaborate sculptures. Debris possibly was removed over temporary rock bridges. It is assumed that construction of this temple took 100 years starting from around 760 AD, 200,000 tonnes of rock were removed. This required extremely good planning and precise work to avoid damage to completed work. Initally Kailasanatha was covered with thick, white colored plaster, thus resembling the sacred icy Kailash mountain in Tibet. Temple starts with high entrance gate or gopuram. It serves as a screen between the sacred temple and the outer world. Behind the gopuram there opens a courtyard with three storeys high columned galleries. In the middle of this courtyard stand several buildings – also hewn out of the same monolithic cliff. Earlier there were flying bridges connecting galleries with the structures in the centre but these have collapsed now (or removed after the construction works were completed?). First after the gopuram comes a 7 metres high shrine to bull Nandi with two monolithic towers - Dhvajastambhas – flanking it. Next behind the Nandi image there is the largest structure inside the temple – large mandapa – hall of the temple and the main shrine of Kailash Temple, called Nandi Mandapa. Temple over the shrine rises up to 29,3 m high and stands on 16 pillars. Initially temple was colored in bright colors, today nearly all color is gone. Only few paintings remain on the ceiling of mandapa. On existing remnants it is seen that the painting has been done three times at least. The giant mandapa is held by numerous life-sized elephants – also carved out of the original rock! This artistic method originates from Pitalkhora Buddhist caves, the 2nd century BC and later has been repeated in many artworks. Adjoining the mandapa comes the last structure inside the courtyard – Shiva temple. It is formed like a pyramid, resembling South Indian temples. Both Nandi Mandap and Shiva temple are housing lingams. Southern Indian influences in the architecture of Shiva temple could be explained by presence of Southern Indian artists – the state governed by the Rashtrakuta dynasty included also part of Southern India. Shiva temple has many similarities to South Indian Virupaksha Temple at Pattadakal which was made several decades earlier.

How the Construction of Kailash Temple was Done


It seems a Mahayagya was performed for the rock. There is Vedic tradition of asking permission from the rock, ground, water whenever a path is carved through the mountain, earth or river respectively. After humbly taking permission through proper Vedic rituals, the construction process starts. Chanting Vedic mantras the rock was energized, sanctified then taking permission from god and remembering Vishwakarma, the mammoth task was taken to carve the rock. Even while carving it seems that methodical Vedic principles were followed because even to this day when you chant Mantras within the temple, the sound resonates, vibrates and echoes in a peculiar manner making you feel slowly connected to a Vedic cosmos, which cannot be felt anywhere in the world. The enormity of the temple conveys the endless creation of infinite Universe that Bhagwan created for us before de-manifesting it again to maintain cycle of creation to destruction.
The Kailash temple is not built. All is cut and carved from one gigantic piece of rock, hewn out of the Charanandri hills of the Sahyadri range of the Deccan Plateau at a village, which once was called Elapura, (later renamed as Ellora by british), 30 km northwest of Sambhajinagar (aurangabad). The Kailash temple was cut from the top down in a U-shape form, about 50 Meters deep in the back and sliding to lower levels on the sides to the front where there is an entry gate. From where the cutting was started is not known, definitely it could be from the Ganesh Dwar (every Hindu temple has a place that is dedicated to Bhagwan Ganesh, Son of Bhagwan Shiv), but later were the de-pilings done simultaneously or step by step – nothing is clear even after deep research conducted by several experts.

Another interesting facts about the unique construction of Kailash temple is the digging of holes that cannot be done by human beings of even height of 3 feet. The way holes are dug it shows someone very small can carve it in as normal human being cannot enter and dig such holes. Such narrow holes can only be drilled if we are using hi-tech computer controlled machines. There are numerous shafts, holes and narrow lanes which cannot be made by humans. It is possible that they are created using waters mixed with some secret chemicals but then how can so uniformly it withstand the perpendicular wall, how the flow was controlled in the floors, if entrance of humans are not possible to stop at other side then how it was halted on other side, why it does not surpassed from other side, as the solution could had caused problem in maintaining symmetricity. Neither hi-tech tools, nor chemical were used so does Patalwasis (smaller humans of Patal Lok) crossed the dimension and helped in construction of Great Kailash temple and its perimeter.

Based on Archaeological Survey of India, ASI’s information, stunning Architectural feats.
  • The rear wall of its excavated courtyard has length of 276 feet (84 m), breadth of  154 feet (47 m) and height of 100 ft (33 m) high.
  • The temple is built carving a big rock of 164 feet (50 m) deep, 109 feet (33 m) wide, and 98 feet (30 m) high.
  • Largest  cantilevered rock ceiling in the world.
  • Located at 99-km from Sambhaji Nagar (aurangabad), Maharashtra. The entire complex of Ajanta encompasses 29 rock-cut rooms.
  • It is assumed by some experts that the entire complex and temple structure might be created between 200 BC and AD 650 only using rudimentary hand tools.
  • Four are Chaityas (temples) and Most others are Viharas (living quarters).
  • The carving was done from top to down digging a single basalt cliff rock.
  • Work happened only 16 hours a day. The reflection of sun rays from mirrors were used as there was no electricity in ancient period. However, there are so many inner parts of the structure where even sun rays cannot reach even using multi-layered mirror arrangement so delicately carving intricate designs in such places is done using yogic eyes.
  • During Satyug, average height of people were 32 feet and their lifespan was lakhs of years with wishful death for Yogis. It is highly possible that the major carving of digging deep the entire mountain were done by these pious and strong people.
·         Today building a massive structure like Kailash temple would require pre-design and 3D conceptions using latest CAD softwares and high-tech computers. Imagining  how the structure will look at which area we should have distance properly maintained to start carving, where we should pause, which side we should start building entrace, how the internal design be formed. There are hundreds of questions which require answers and only getting resolutions around these queries alone would require several months of hundreds of dedicated designs, 3D graphic artistes and designers who have knowledge of construction and civil work.
·         Most important of all we need an architect who is perfectionist having in-depth knowledge of Vastu, Vedic science of construction and mantras. Even one single mistake would mean abandoning the entire rock and searching for the new mountain. Administering thousands of labors to slice the rock and carve it with so much perfection need an able leader and astute decision maker who has complete design in mind with exemplary intricate details, before materializing it in real.
·         The precision with which the sculpts can be cut is still not invented by engineers in the world today. So we will need manual labors to minutely carve the temple. It will require at least 10,000 skilled workers to carry out the digging, carving, sculpting and materializing the entire structure as envisioned. The total duration required to complete the task cannot be estimated because till date in modern times, no single mid-size rock is cut to create a temple.
·         It is very difficult to meet such Hindu Sages who can strongly interact with ancient Gurus and ask for the process to replicate the feat. There are Sages in Himalayas and forests in India who can help the builders. But these Sages use physical body (human form) to undertake penance and elevate their soul to next level and meet Bhagwan himself. They are above all senses including the one to recreate a mammoth structure.
·          
·         Cave 21 (Rameshvara, Ramesavara) – possibly the oldest Hindu cave in Ellora, from the late 500s. Contains some of the most beautiful carvings. At the far end of entrance verandah two beautiful figurines of river goddesses Ganga and Yamuna.
·         Cave 22 (Nilkantha) – contains beautiful stone carvings.
·         Cave 25 (Kumbharvadam). Contains beautiful sculpture of Surya – Sun god – driving his chariot towards the dawn.
·         Cave 27 (Gopilena) Beautiful waterfall between cave 28 and Dumar Lena adds unexpected charm to these unique monuments.
·         Cave 29 (Dhumar Lena) – created in the late 6th century. Unusual, cross-shaped planning. Contains enormous, beautiful sculpted panels with depictions of Shiva, other exquisite carvings.

JAIN TEMPLES
Creators of these last five temples draw much of inspiration from the older, existing temples. Jain temples are not large if compared to Hindu and Buddhist structures – Jain religion is religion of asceticism. Jain stone carvings though are unsurpassed in quality and complexity. Earlier many stone carvings were covered with paint which for most part is gone now.
·         Cave 30 (Chhota Kailash) – smaller version of Kailash Temple with beautiful pillars.
·         Cave 32 (Indra Sabha – Indra’s Assembly Hall). Extremely ornate, two floors. In the centre there stands monolithic shrine. Ceiling is adorned with enormous carving of lotus. Contains remnants of valuable mural which in its artistic technique shows the beginning of medieval period in Indian painting. Sculpture of naked Gomateshwara who stands meditating in a forest without noticing how the vines have grown and twisted around his legs and scorpions and snakes crawl around him.
·         Cave 33 – contains remnants of valuable mural which in its artistic technique shows the beginning of medieval period in Indian painting.
·         Cave 34 – small and can be accessed only through the opening in Cave 33.



Lepakshi Temple
The Lepakshi temple, also known as Veerbhadra temple is one among the spectacles of Indian history which have hidden treasures in its chest. The small village where the temple finds itself is in Anantapur District of Andhra Pradesh. It is a paragon of excellent architecture and art. Once the quintessence of Vijayanagara Empire, Lepakshi is culturally and archaeologically significant as it acts as the prime location of the shrine dedicated to Veerabhadra. The Lepakshi Temple is an exhibition of timeless art, with famous frescoes and murals.
The Lepakshi Temple is home to the miraculous hanging pillars and a cave chamber where Sage Agasthya is said to have lived. Another thing which makes the temple unique and a place to must visit is a footprint that is believed to be of Maa Sita. As soon as you step inside the temple, you get the glimpses of the history of Vijayanagara kingdom by way of pictorial representations. From the figures of musicians and saints to that of Parvati and Lord Shiva, the Lepakshi Temple has everything which makes it an attraction of archaeological and artistic splendour. Apart from the architectural importance, the temple according to Skanda Purana is a divyakshetra, in other words, an important pilgrimage destination of Lord Shiva.

Legend and History of Lepakshi Temple
The origination of name Lepakshi has two myths associated with it. According to the first legend, Lepakshi found its roots in the legendary Ramayana when Ravana had kidnapped Sita. As he was taking her away, the bird Jataya tried saving her from his hand. Defeated by Ravana, he fell on the floor. As he was counting his last breathe Lord Rama helped him attain Moksha by saying 'Le Pakshi' which in Telugu means 'Rise Bird.' Hence the name Lepakshi originated.

According to another legend, there were two brothers in the Vijayanagar Kingdom - Virupanna and Veerupanna. Virupanna's son was blind, and it is said that he gained sightedness while he was playing around the Shivalinga in the temple. Veerupanna was one of the financiers of Vijayanagar. Blamed by others for using the royal treasury; some say for the completion of the temple while some say for curing his son, the king gave orders for taking off his eyes. Disturbed by the false accusation, he forestalled the punishment and threw his eyes onto the walls of the temple. Hence, the place got its name
 Lape-Akshi meaning the village of the blinded. Now the eerie part is that the temple wall still has the blood marks of the eyes. 
Architecture of Lepakshi Temple
The temple is an outcome of Vijayanagara Architectural Style. It is divided into three parts, namely, Mukha Mandapa or the assembly hall,  Arda Mandapa or the Ante-Chamber, and lastly, Garbhagriha or the Sanctum Sanctorum.

The pillars and walls have the images of divine beings, musicians, dancers, saints, guardians, and 14 avatars of Shiva. The fresco painting technique is used with bright colours to make the scenes of Rama and Krishna from famous epics: Ramayana, Mahabharata and the Puranas. The fresco on the ceiling of Ante-Chamber is Asia's largest fresco painting. It measures 23 by 13 feet. This is a representation of the 14 avatars of Lord Shiva. These paintings showcase the beauty of Vijayanagara pictorial art. The colours are subtle personifying the grandeur of its history. A blend of mineral and vegetable colours make the walls of the Lepakshi temple awe-inspiring.

The entrance to the sanctum has the figurines of goddesses Yamuna and Ganga. The Hall's exterior columns are full of decorations in the form of carvings of soldiers and horses. The northeastern part of the room has the images of Nataraja and Brahama along with that of a drummer. One can also see the carvings of dancing nymphs around it. The southwest hall has the image of Parvati flanked by the female attendants. 
The deity Veerbhadra is deified in the sanctum sanctorum. A life-size image of his having been decorated with skulls could be seen. It is believed that Sage Agasthya has installed the image of Linga here. The ceiling above the deity has the painting of it builder brothers, Virupanna and Viranna.

Within the temple, on its eastern wings is the chamber of Lord Shiva and his consort Parvati. The other chamber has the image of Lord Vishnu.


India’s second largest monolith after Gomateshwara 
Another architectural marvel of Lepakshi is the colossal statue of Nandi, Lord Shiva’s bull. About a mile before the main temple, the statue is India’s second largest monolith after Gomateshwara, standing tall at 27 feet by 15 feet and carved out of a single stone. The structure is famous for its mammoth size and flawlessly proportioned body, and the finely carved ornaments around its neck and in its ears.
Inside the temple, a gargantuan statue of Ganesha is yet another spectacle. And if this was not enough to quench the thirst of art history lovers, the largest Nagalinga in India draws one’s attention, with its enormous Naga with three coils and seven hoods forming a canopy over a black granite Shivalingam.
The frescos at the Lepakshi temple are some of the finest specimens of art history in India. The 24 by 14 feet mural of Veerabhadra on the wall of the main sanctum sanctum is the largest fresco in India! The fresco depicting scenes from the wedding ceremony of Lord Shiva and Parvati, popularly known as the Shiva-Parvati Kalyanam is also something to look out for.

Attractions at Lepakshi Temple
Key points of interest in the temple include a rock chain, Vastu Purush, the Padmini race lady, the hanging pillar, Monolithic Nagalinga, Durga Paadam, Lepakshi saree designs, and Eyes of Viroopaakshanna.

1. The Hanging Pillar: One of the most peculiar things about the temple is its hanging pillar. It is suspended in the main hall which is said to be the hall of reception for Shiva and Parvati's marriage. The miraculous thing about the pillar is that  Among the 70 pillars of the Lepakshi Temple, this pillar is a salute to the makers of the temple. A British Engineer to know about the secret of its hanging in the air had made an unsuccessful attempt to move it which is the reason behind it dislodgement. To prove its uniqueness people often pass clothes from under it.

2. Naglinga: The Naglinga here is the largest Monolithic Naglinga in India. History says that this was built in just an hour by the sculptors while their lunch was being prepared.

3. Durga Padam or the footprint of Maa Sita: The Lepakshi Temple owes its fame to the remarkable attractions it has. One among these is the Durga Padam which makes the place more pious.

4. Lepakshi Saree Designs: On your arrival at this grand temple, you get a chance to glance at the beautiful Lepakshi saree designs that are carved on the pillars. The brilliantly carved textures are an epitome of creativity in the hands of Indian carvers.





Brihadeshwara Temple

Brihadeshwara Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva located in Thanjavur in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is also known as Periya Kovil, RajaRajeswara Temple and Rajarajeswaram. It is one of the largest temples in India and is an example of Dravidian architecture during the Chola period. Built by emperor Raja Raja Chola I and completed in 1010 AD, the temple turned 1000 years old in 2010. The temple is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site known as the “Great Living Chola Temples”, with the other two being the Brihadeeswarar Temple, Gangaikonda Cholapuram and Airavatesvara temple.The temple stands amidst fortified walls that were probably added in the 16th century. The vimanam (temple tower) is 216 ft (66 m) high and is the tallest in the world. The Kumbam (the apex or the bulbous structure on the top) of the temple is carved out of a single rock and weighs around 80 tons. There is a big statue of Nandi (sacred bull), carved out of a single rock measuring about 16 ft (4.9 m) long and 13 ft (4.0 m) high at the entrance.The entire temple structure is made out of granite, the nearest sources of which are about 60 km to the west of temple. The temple is one of the most visited tourist attractions in Tamil Nadu.The great Tamil ruler, Rajaraja Chola I of the Chola dynasty, built the Brihadeswara temple. Later various additions were made in the temple but the most prominent one among these was the addition of a copper pot over the tower by King Rajaraja Chola II. The main deity that is worshiped in this temple is Lord Shiva. He is worshipped in the form of Lingam. This was originally called Adavallan that meant an expert dancer. The same name occurs in Thiruvisaipa as the name of the deity at Chidambaram. The tower over the shrine is named Dakshina Meru after the abode of Lord Shiva at Kailash that is also called Meru Mountain in Hindu scriptures.Temple is designed in such a way that the vimana never ever casts a shadow on the ground at noon. Each and every work over stone, bronze, sculpture etc. exhibits the excellence of art which prevailed during the Chola period. The entrance to the temple has magnificent sculptures on the wide Gopuram. The main deity of the temple is “Shiv Lingam”. There are many sub shrines within the fortified walls. The inscriptions found inside the temple reveals that on those days (1000 years ago) nearly 1000 staffs were employed to maintain the temple. Among which 400 were temple dancers. On the walls of main enclosure of sanctum sanctorum, tourists can see mural paintings and Chola frescoes.Built by the greatest of Chola rulers, Rajaraja, the temple was named after him as Rajarajesvaram, meaning `the temple of the Isvara (God) of Rajaraja. Later on, it came to be known as the Brihadisvara temple meaning the temple of the `Great Isvara. Rajaraja Chola, like other Chola rulers, was a great patron of art and architecture. During the time of the Cholas, most of the magnificent temples as well as exquisite bronze sculptures in South India were created. The style and grace of these sculptures and temples, and an eye for the minutest of the details, till today, is without parallel.

ABOUT THE TEMPLE
The Siva Lingam here is gigantic, more than 12 feet tall. The Nandi facing the sanctum is also 12 feet in height and the dwarapalaks (the guardian deities of temple) and deities around the main shrine look elegant. The main attraction here is the huge tower above the sanctum which is about 216 feet. The tower stands tall and one can see this fabulous structure even as one enters Tanjore. The architect and engineer of the temple was Kunjara Mallan Raja Raja Perunthachan as stated in inscriptions found at the temple. The temple was built per ancient texts called Vaastu Shastras and Agamas. The temple was built using a measure of 1 3/8-inch called an angula (24 units equalling 33 inches called a hasta, muzam, or kishku). This is the same measure found in ancient Lothal and other sites in the Indus Valley dating back 4000 – 6000 years. This same measure is used to build structures compliant with the Vaastu Shastras and Agamas today. While some builders use a different measure this is considered a standard due to its antiquity.The solid base of the temple raises about 5 metres (16 feet), above which stone deities and representatives of Shiva dance. The big Nandi (bull), weighing about 20 tonnes is made of a single stone and is about 2 m in height, 6 m in length and 2.5 m in width. The presiding deity of lingam is 3.7m tall. The prakaram (outer precincts of the temple) measures 240m by 125m. The outer wall of the upper storey is carved with 108 dance karanas – postures of Bharathanatyam, the classical dance of Tamil Nadu. The shrine of Goddess was added by Pandyas during the 13th century, Subramanya Shrine by Vijayanagara rulers and the Vinayaka shrine was renovated by Maratha rulers. There were significant additions from the Thanjavur Nayaks.The temple complex sits on the banks of a river that was channeled to make a moat around the complexs outer walls, the walls being built like a fortress. The complex is made up of many structures that are aligned axially. The complex can be entered either on one axis through a five-story gopuram or with a second access directly to the huge main quadrangle through a smaller free-standing gopuram. The massive size of the main Vimanam (Shikhara) is 60.96 meters high, with 16 elaborately articulated stories, and dominates the main quadrangle. Pilaster, piers(a raised structure), and attached columns are placed rhythmically covering every surface of the Vimanam. The gopuram of the main entrance is 30 m high, smaller than the vimana. It is unusual in the dravidian architecture where the gopurams are generally the main towers and taller than the vimanam.

MAIN TEMPLE

A first rectangular surrounding wall, 270 m by 140 m, marks the outer boundary. The main temple is in the center of the spacious quadrangle composed of a sanctuary, a Nandi, a pillared hall and an assembly hall (mandapas), and many sub-shrines. The most important part of the temple is the inner mandapa which is surrounded by massive walls that are divided into levels by sharply cut sculptures and pilasters providing deep bays and recesses. Each side of the sanctuary has a bay emphasizing the principle cult icons. The karuvarai, a Tamil word meaning the interior of the sanctum sanctorum, is the inner most sanctum and focus of the temple where an image of the primary deity, Shiva, resides. Inside is a huge stone linga. The word Karuvarai means "womb chamber" from Tamil word karu for fetus. Only priests are allowed to enter this inner-most chamber.In the Dravida style, the Karuvarai takes the form of a miniature vimana with other features exclusive to southern Indian temple architecture such as the inner wall together with the outer wall creating a pradakshina around the garbhagriha for circumambulation (pradakshina). The entrance is highly decorated. The inside chamber housing the image of the god is the sanctum sanctorum, the garbhagriha. The garbhagriha is square and sits on a plinth, its location calculated to be a point of total equilibrium and harmony as it is representative of a microcosm of the universe. In the center is placed the image of the deity. The royal bathing-hall where Rajaraja the great gave gifts is to the east of the hall of Irumudi-Soran.The inner mandapa leads out to a rectangular mandapa and then to a twenty-columned porch with three staircases leading down. Sharing the same stone plinth is a small open mandapa dedicated to Nandi, Shivas sacred bull mount.


TEMPLE DEITIES

The "moolavar" or prime deity of the Brihadeeswarar Temple is Shiva. All deities, particularly those placed in the niches of the outer wall (Koshta Moorthigal) like Dakshinamurthy, Surya, Chandra are of huge size. The Brihadiswarar temple is one of the rare temples which has idols for “Ashta-dikpaalakas” (Guardians of the directions) – Indra, Agni, Yama, Nirrti, Varuna, Vayu, Kubera, Isana – each of whom was originally represented by a life-sized statue, approximately 6 feet tall, enshrined in a separate temple located in the respective direction. (Only Agni, Varu?a, V?yu and Isana are preserved in situ.)

Adjoining structures

Surrounding the main temple are two walled enclosures. The outer wall is high, defining the temple complex area. Here is the massive gopuram or gateway mentioned above. Within this a portico, a barrel vaulted gorpuram with over 400 pillars, is enclosed by a high wall interspersed with huge gopurams axially lined up to the main temple.

A widely held belief is that the shadow of the Vimana never falls on the ground. However, several photographs exist showing the shadow on the ground.The temple is said to be made up of about 60,000 tons of granite. The capstone itself is made of four pieces of granite and weighs about 20 tons., on top of the main gopuram is believed to have been taken to the top by creating an inclined slope to the height of 66m to the top of the gopuram.

The temple has Chola frescoes on the walls around the sanctum sanctorum potryaing Shiva in action, destroying demonic forts, dancing and sending a white elephant to transport a devotee to heaven. These frescoes, discovered in the 1940s by S. K. Govindasami of the Annamalai University, portray the mythological episodes of the journey of Saint Sundarar and the Chera King to heaven, the battle scene of Tripurantaka (Lord Siva) with Asuras (demons). The Chola artists have proved their mettle by portraying even the Asura women with a sense of beauty. Some of the paintings in the sanctum sanctorum and the walls in the passage had been damaged because of the soot that had deposited on them once uopn a time. Owing to the continuous exposure to smoke and soot from the lamps and burning of camphor in the sanctum sanctorum over a period of centuries certain parts of the Chola paintings on the circumambulatory passage walls had been badly damaged. The Tanjore Nayak kings replaced them with a few paintings of their own, about 400 years ago. The Archaeological Survey of India, for the first time in the world, used its unique de-stucco process to restore 16 Nayak paintings, which were superimposed on 1000-year-old Chola frescoes. These 400-year-old paintings have been mounted on fibre glass boards, displayed at a separate pavilion.

Art and sculpture at its best
The Sanctum Sanctorum which houses the Shiva Linga is a double walled structure with a passage between the two walls, this was built in this way to hold the 40000 tonne Vimana. Fresco paintings adorn the walls from the base to the ceiling along this passage, they are, of course not open for public. There is an article on the internet on how these 15 feet paintings were photographed by ASI with great difficulty since there was less than 7 feet gap between the two walls of the passage. Forget photography, how did they even manage to paint them in the first place, 1000 years ago !! The paintings are believed to be on par with those at Ajantha. There are some paintings along the pillared corridors surrounding the temple and in the Nandi Mandapam but most of these belong to the later periods especially the Nayak reign in the 16th Century A.D.Everything about this temple is big, including the sculpture. The size of the temple did not seem to deter the sculptors from filling it with sculpture ranging from huge statues to minute figures.Located somewhere in the middle of the Vimana on the North side is the most interesting sculpture in the Brihadeeswara Temple – a figure of a foreigner complete with modern clothes and a hat! It is shocking yet amusing to find such a figure in a Hindu temple. While nobody knows for sure how it came to be sculpted, it must have been an addition during the later Centuries when this part of the country began to have more trade relations with the West or did the Chola sculptors meet up with a foreigner?Another interesting sculpture is this figure adjacent to the above figure – this forlon looking lady at the edge of the picture can also be found in the Virupaksha temple at Hampi, this figure is an exact replica of the one at Hampi! Now, now, who copied whom? It is most likely that these figures were added much later but how did they manage to fit it along with the existing sculpture? If you zoom your camera lens, the lady actually looks very different from the statues of women on most Hindu temples ! Out of thousands of figures in the Virupaksha temple, why did they choose only this one to replicate?
Other shrines

As one walks around the vast temple premises, they will find pillared corridors with hundreds of Nandi mounted on them. There are smaller shrines dedicated to other Deities like Lord Ganesha and Lord Subramanya. Of these, the shrine dedicated to Lord Subramanya is the most beautiful with ornate sculpture. This is the standard size of a Dravidian style temple, Raja Raja Chola magnified the style by several times and built the Brihadeeswara Temple.The temple "vimana" visible from a few kilometres away towers to a whopping 216 ft. This huge temple was built entirely of granite, which is one of the hardest rocks on the surface of the Earth.How did people cut these rocks when they had only soft iron tools a 1000 years ago? The Chola king Raja raja who built this temple in about 20 years moved more stone over more distance than the pharoahs who built the great pyramid of Egypt.


The entrance to the main temple complex is through two beautiful arches, with ornate gopuras on top of them, covered with stucco figures of various deities. The outer one is called the Keralantakan entrance, and commemorates Rajaraja’s victory over the Cheras of Kerala. The inner one is simply called the Rajarajan entrance, and is flanked by two huge and fierce dwarapalas or guardian deities, a feature typical of Chola architecture. Inside, the temples enormous pyramidal vimana, nearly 60m tall, soars spectacularly into the sky, representing the sacred mountain Meru. Inscriptions in the temple refer to it as Dakshina Meru, or the Meru of the south. Built in solid granite, it narrows tier by tier to a bulbous shikhara at the top. A rare feature in this temple is that the vimana is much taller than the entrance gopuras. It is usually the other way round in this region.The vimana is hollow inside, all the way to the top. At its base, the sacred garbhagriha houses an enormous monolithic Shivalinga, called Brihadeeshwara, the main deity of this temple. He is also called Rajarajeshwara, which means, the Lord worshipped by Rajaraja. Two walls surround the garbhagriha, forming two passages running all around it. Chola frescos covered the walls of the inner passage, but they were painted over in the Nayaka era. The ASI used a process called de-stucco, to chemically peel the top layer off, preserving both sets of paintings. The Nayaka paintings are now on display, mounted on fiberglass boards. An incomplete series of sculptures decorates the walls of the outer passage, depicting Lord Shiva in 81 of the 108 karanas, or dance movements in Bharatanatyam.

A shrine dedicated to Chandikeshwara, a saint worshipped along with Lord Shiva, stands close to the main vimana. The practice of building separate shrines for attendant deities besides the main one, began under the Cholas. There are more shrines dotting the complex, added by the Nayakas and Marathas. A huge monolithic nandi or bull, the second largest of its kind, stands in a pavilion facing the vimana - it was added in the 16th century. The Brihadeeshwara Temple was the first of the Chola temples to be inscribed on UNESCO’s list of World Heritage Sites. A masterclass in architecture, engineering, logistics, planning, execution and record-keeping, the temple truly reflects an empire at its peak and bears testimony to a civilization with extraordinary knowledge, ability and sophistication.

The other important idols of this temple are:

Lord Dakshinamurthy
Lord Ganesha
Lord Surya
Lord Chandra

The entire surroundings of Brihadeeswara Temple contains of 250 lingams as a representation of Lord Shiva.This temple has a special environmental pleasure where the lingam is installed with a special stone called Chandrakanta stone, which makes the place cool during summer and comfort warm during winter.It is said that more than 130,000 granite have been used to build the main structure of the Brihadeeswara Temple.Brihadeeswara Temple has the idols of Ashta-dikpaalakas which is known as the guardians of the directions. The presence of this six feet tall Ashta-dikpaalakas make this temple one of the rare temples in India.

LEGEND AND STORIES

"The Brihadeshwarar temple was built to grace the throne of the Chola empire by the Tamil emperor Arulmozhivarman, popularly called Rajaraja Chola I, in compliance to a command given to him in a dream. One of the first great Tamil Chola building projects, the temples foundations were laid out in 1002 CE. An axial and symmetrical geometry rules the temple layout. Temples from this period and the following two centuries are an expression of the Tamilars (Chola) wealth, power and artistic expertise. The emergence of such features as the multifaceted columns with projecting square capitals signal the arrival of the new Chola style.Intended to display the emperors vision of his power and his relationship to the universal order, the temple was the site of the major royal ceremonies such as anointing the emperor and linking him with its deity, Shiva, and the daily rituals of the deities were mirrored by those of the king. It is an architectural example showcasing the pure form of the Dravida type of temple architecture and representative of the Chola Empire ideology and the Tamil civilisation in Southern India. The temple ""testify to the brilliant achievements of the Chola in architecture, sculpture, painting and bronze casting."" Arulmozhivarman, a Tamil emperor who was popular as Rajaraja Chola I laid out foundations of Brihadeeswarar Temple during 1002 CE. It was first among other great building projects by Tamil Chola. Main purpose of building this temple was to grace throne of Chola Empire with compliance of one command Rajaraja Chola I receive in a dream. Grandeur and scale is in Chola tradition. A symmetrical and axial geometry rules layout of this temple. Temples from same period and two following centuries are expressions of Tamils Chola power, artistic expertise and wealth. Emergence of these types of features, such as multifaceted columns along with projecting signals of square capitals signifies arrival of Chola style, which was new at that time. Brihadeeswarar Temple’s build was like one royal temple for displaying emperor’s vision for relationship and power to universal order. This temple was one site of primary royal ceremonies, such as anointing emperor and to link emperor with Shiva, its deity and deity’s daily rituals was a mirror of those by king. It is one architectural exemplar, which showcases true form of Dravida kind of architecture in temples and is a representative of ideology of Chola Empire and Southern India’s Tamil civilization. Brihadeeswarar Temple “testifies to Chola’s brilliant achievements in architecture, painting, bronze casting and sculpture.”A wish for establishing such a huge temple as per saying of people occurred to then king Raja Raja, who was staying as one emperor in Sri Lanka.Brihadeeswarar Temple is first among all buildings, which make use of granite fully and it finished within five years from 1004 AD to 1009 AD.Thanjavur became a center of learning during 10th to 14th century AD. The Brihadeeswara temple is the major center of tourist attraction at Thanjavur. Thanjavur is the ancient capital of the Chola kings. King Rajaraja Chola constructed the Brihadeeswara Temple in 10th century AD and the architect Sama Varma designed it.The Cholas were great patrons of art. During their reign, the most magnificent temples as well as exquisite bronze icons were created in south India. Sama Varma designed a unique structure because no shadows of the temple were cast on the ground at any time of the year. It is symbolic of the fact that the Supreme is considered to be there and yet not there. The temple is the finest contribution of the Chola dynasty to the Dravidian style of temple architecture.The inner wall of the garbhagriha or the sanctum sanctorum has sculpted 108 dance poses called karmas performed by Lord Shiva himself. The Shiva lingam is called Peruvudaiya, Rasjarajeshwaramudvya. It is a huge lingam, which is set in a two-storeyed sanctum. Many inscriptions give details about contemporary times while according to experts the visual imagery is reflective of the rites and rituals of Vedic times. Rajaraja Chola crowned it with 12.5 ft tall finial of 9.25 kilograms of choppers plated with 800 grams of gold. Subsequent rulers made their contributions to the temple but they do not give the look of being added later. A huge statue of Nandi measuring 6 m length and 3.7 m in height faces the inner sanctum. The statue of Nandi was created from a single rock piece and weighs 25 tonnes. It is in fact one of the largest statues of Nandi bulls in India. The temple also has a spacious ground, number of pillared halls, shrines and 250 lingams.The temple was constructed over a period of seven years from 1003 to 1010AD, and was completed in the 25th year of Rajarajas reign. It was conceived by Karuvurar, a yogi and siddha, as a tremendously powerfully energy center, and was financed by Raja Raja Chola in the eleventh century. However, according to historical lore, Rajaraja disagreed with Karuvurar over certain aspects of the temple. It isnt quite clear what the disagreement was about but tales tell of how Rajaraja wished that the kumbabhishekam and inauguration of the temple should take place on a certain date, which Karuvurar disagreed with. Whatever the reason, Rajaraja asked the yogi to leave. Karuvurar had to wash his hands off the whole affair. However, he constructed a little hut in the corner of the temple premises and resided there.When the time came to install the enormous linga into the peetha or avudaiyar, the Chola engineers struggled immensely as the linga wouldnt fit, any which way they tried. Finally, in desperation they approached Karuvurar, who taking his spittoon, spat into it, and handed it to them to place in the peetha before installing the linga. The engineers did as told, and astonishingly, the linga fit. But t was not a happy occasion. Karuvurars spitting was a symbolic way of saying that the linga was lost. It had become cursed. Since then, many tales tell of the curses that befell the Chola dynasty. Rajaraja himself is said to have committed suicide, though the truth of this is not reflected in any historical sources. Even today, it is said that any ruler who visits the temple will lose his mandate soon!It is said that Rajarajas son, Rajendra Chola constructed the Gangaikonda Cholapuram temple to correct for his fathers rash actions. The temple is very similar to the Brihadeeswara temple in all aspects, except that it is not as grand a temple. The tower is only 160 feet in height as compared to the 216-foot high tower at Thanjavur.The Big temple of Thanjavur was called as Rajarajeeswaram , abode of the Lord of Rajaraja Chola or the Temple for Lord Iswara built by Raja Raja Chola the great. With the fall of the Cholas, Thanjavur was resurrected by the Nayaks and Marathas during that time frame the name was sanskritised and called Brahadeeswara temple.The temple had its foundations laid out by the Tamil emperor Arulmozhivarman, popularly called Rajaraja Chola I, (R?jar?ja Cho?an) in 1002 CE, as the first of the great Tamil Chola building projects.The Brihadeshwarar Temple was built to grace the throne of the Chola empire in compliance to a command given to him in his dream.The scale and grandeur is in the Chola tradition. An axial and symmetrical geometry rules the temple layout.Temples from this period and the following two centuries are an expression of the Tamils (Chola) wealth, power and artistic expertise. The emergence of such features as the multifaceted columns with projecting square capitals signal the arrival of the new Chola style.The Brihadeshwarar Temple was built to be the royal temple to display the emperors vision of his power and his relationship to the universal order. The temple was the site of the major royal ceremonies such as anointing the emperor and linking him with its deity, Shiva, and the daily rituals of the deities were mirrored by those of the king. It is an architectural example showcasing the pure form of the Dravida type of temple architecture and representative of the Chola Empire ideology and the Tamil civilisation in Southern India. The temple ""testify to the brilliant achievements of the Chola in architecture, sculpture, painting and bronze casting.The Brihadeeswarar Temple was built to display the emperors vision of his power and his relationship to the universal order. On the 275th day of his 25th regal year (1010 A.D) Raja Raja Chola handed over a gold-plated kalasam (copper pot or finial) for the final consecration to crown the vimana. Located in the nerve centre of the Chola empire, the temple attracted musicians, scholars, craftsman and merchants. Most notably, it served as a platform for the dancers who excelled in the traditional dance form of Bharatha Natyam. The Cholas were ousted by the Pandyas. The Pandyas were followed by the Vijayanagara empire. In 1535, the Vijaynagar king installed a Nayak king, hence, the era of Tanjore Nayaks which lasted till mid-17th century. In 1674, the Marathas conquered Tanjore. Later, like the rest of the country, Thanjavur too fell into British hands. The inscriptions and frescoes on the walls of the temple record the rise and fall of the citys fortunes.

SIGNIFICANCE

"Among the many other temples the cholas built, the most important one is Thanjavur Brihadeeswara Temple, built by Rajaraja Cholan, the Great Chola king. The temple, dedicated to Nandi, the Bull is a masterpiece of the captivating Chola architecture. The mount of Lord Shiva i.e. Nandi has been made from a single granite rock.Thanjavur Brihadeeswara Temple is a great example for the Architectural Masterpiece of Chola Rule in South India, and is unique to have the tallest tower (216 ft) over the sanctum sanctorum unlike the other temples.This auspicious Temple is made over a 29 m square base and is surrounded by moat on two sides and Grand Anaicut River on the other side. The compound within the temples inner wall measures about 500 feet x 250 feet. The walls of the sanctum are adorned with the wall paintings of Chola and Nayak periods. The temple has a soaring vimana and a stunted gopuram. The inner sanctum and the gopuram were constructed over a period of 12 years. The temple was constructed from a single piece of granite weighing around 80 tonnes.The Cholas were great patrons of art and during their reign, the most magnificent temples as well as exquisite bronze icons were created in south India. Sama Varma designed the unique structure because no shadows of the temple were cast on the ground at any time of the year. It has been the symbolic of the fact that the Supreme is considered to be there and yet not there. The temple is the finest contribution of the Chola dynasty to the Dravidian style of temple architecture.It is believed that the temple designers studied the architecture of all the famous temple across the country at that time, made blue prints, did a lot of research on the type of soil to be used, analysed how the base would hold such a huge Vimana and came up with some really innovative, ingenious ideas to executing it like the dome of the Vimana alone is 80 tonnes and it is believed to have been placed at the top of Vimana by building a 6 km ramp from the top of the Vimana to a nearby village and the dome hauled up the ramp by elephants !It seems each succeeding tier of the Vimana leading to the temple was built through an interlocking system of stones carved in such a way that they fitted into each other without any material used to bind them together ! What a work of genius !If you can read Tamil, do read Balakumaran’s Udayar, the 6 part novel also talks about the building of the temple. To know the technicalities you can check the internet, there are interesting articles on how the temple was built or watch Discovery Channel’s documentary on the temple, you will be amazed !Raja Raja Chola made sure he left behind enough information through inscriptions on the temple walls. These inscriptions talk about the people who contributed to the temple, the temple funding and utilization of funds, administration and taxes. The temple was not built merely as a place of worship, it was supposed to be a centre of art, learning, performing arts, may be it even served as a fortress or a shelter in times of need. It was also a means of useful employment as it is believed that prisoners of the Chola Empire were used as construction labourers. Probably, this is why, Brihadeeswara Temple, despite being the greatest temple ever built in honour of Lord Shiva, is not exactly of much pilgrim importance."Best time to Visit: is during the Hindu month of Visakha or May month as per English calendar when annual festival is celebrated for 9 days, beginning with Satabhisha star day. This star symbolises the birth star of RajaRaja and hence festival is celebrated every month on satabhisha star day. On festival day, the deity is bathed with water in which fragrant champaka flower is soaked.

One of the most famous, architectural marveled and historically significant Shiva temple known to all the Hindus is the Brihatheeshwarar temple, located in Tanjore. It is one of the largest Hindu temples in South India and is highly treasured that its considered as one of UNESCO’s world heritage site.
In this post, we will look into some unique, interesting and unknown facts about this temple, which makes this special religious structure, even more significant.
1.    The famous Brihatheeshwarar Temple was initially referred to as the Rajarajeshwar Temple. It was the Marathas who gave the temple its current name. They also called it the ‘Great Ishwara Temple’
2.    A unique feature about the temple is, it is the only temple wherein the Temple tower’s (Gopuram) shadow does not appear on the ground at noon.
3.    The Nandi statue located at the entrance of the temple is said to be carved out of a single rock.
4.    The king Raja Raja Cholan built the temple after his visit to Sri Lanka. The king was inspired after witnessing the Vedic structures built by the Hindu kings.
5.    Inscriptions in the temple point towards Kunjara Mallan Raja Raja Perunthachan as the chief architect of the temple. His successors survive to this day and practice the art of Vastu or Vastu Shastra.
6.    The big Tanjore temple is said to have more than hundred underground passages that connects to various other places. Nowadays, most of the passages are sealed. In the earlier days, the passages were used by sages, Kings and Queens to roam about different temples and places, especially during auspicious festivals like Deepavali, Maha Shivarathri and Makar Sankranti.
7.    The temple is said to have a huge cap stone on top of it, and the weight of the stone is said to be 80 tonnes. The Garbhagriha where the Shiva lingam is located is said to generate large amount of electro magnetic energy. The 80 tonne stone acts a repulsive force and channels the energy to the inner areas of the temple to sustain its piousness and divinity. The positive energy radiant within in the temple structure is said to have a calming, soothing effect both mentally and physically on the devotees.
8.    For the construction of the temple, more than 130,000 tonnes of granite was used. Surprisingly, these heavy stones were brought down from a place that was located 50 miles away from the Brihadeeshwar temple.

IN a remarkable feat performed in the face of overwhelming odds, two officers of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and a young photographer have photographed in minute detail four huge frescoes found in the Brihadiswara temple in Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu. What makes their work all the more creditable is the difficult location of the murals, their enormous size and their reflecting surface, all of which posed big challenges.

The passage around the sanctum sanctorum where the murals were found
The murals, each 15 feet tall and 10 feet wide (4.5 metres x 3 metres), are about 1,000 years old. They are located in the narrow and dark passage around the temple's sanctum sanctorum. The great Chola king Raja Raja I built the Brihadisvara temple between AD 1000 and AD 1008 and the paintings were done between AD 1008 and AD 1012. 

CAPTURING THE MAGNIFICENCE.
A single-frame, out-of-perspective picture of the mural depicting Siva as Nataraja
If most visitors had hitherto no access to these paintings because of their location, they can now relish the paintings' exact photographic reproductions, which are on display at the newly opened Interpretation Centre on the temple premises. The photographs measure nine feet by six feet.


Rishi and Rishikumara in the Dakshinamurthy panel
The four paintings depict Siva as Dakshinamurthy, the story of Tamil Saivite saint Sundarar, Siva as Tripurantaka, and Raja Raja Chola and his family worshipping Nataraja (Siva) at the Chidambaram temple. The paintings, rich in detail, offer a lot of historical information. While all the frescoes in the Brihadisvara temple together occupy 660 square metres, these four paintings alone take up 110 sq m.

Village elders reading a document in the Sundarar panel
Photographing the murals was extremely difficult because they are painted on both walls of the dark, dingy and narrow passage, which has no ventilation. The space between the two walls is less than seven feet, so there is not much space for the photographer to step back and capture images. Since the paintings are 15 feet tall, one must crane one's neck to look at the top portions. Most visitors are not allowed to see these paintings because of the narrowness of the passage and the poor light and ventilation.

Royal ladies in the Nataraja panel
Satyamurthy said: "The ASI, Chennai Circle, therefore, undertook a project to photograph the murals, prepare photographic reproductions and display them in almost their true size and original colours. This effort required special techniques because of paucity of space, poor lighting and the enormous size of the murals. They had to be photographed in many small frames and then joined to make one frame. This effort needed high skill."

Vishnu in the Kalyanasundaramurthi panel, in the Ajanta tradition

What is seen in the paintings is seen in the frames. We have assembled the photographs without loss of perspective. Anybody can see the paintings in their original dimensions in our photographs." He explained why the ASI decided to go public with the paintings: "Documentation is important because people of the next generation should know that these paintings existed. Recopying is important. In photography, you get accurate reproduction."





SREE ANANTA PADMANABHA TEMPLE




Sri Ananta Padmanabha temple is one of the most prominent temples of India. It is considered as one of the 108 Vaishnava temples (divya sthanam), one of the seven moksha sthalas and one of the six Narayana sthalas. Lord Balarama, Lord Nityananda and Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu visited this temple. The Temple is located inside the East Fort in the city of Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India. It is the holiest abodes of Lord Vishnu. The main deity, Sri Padmanabhaswamy, is a form of Vishnu in Anantha sayanam posture (in yogic eternal sleep of yoga-nidra). This is an ancient temple and the city of Thiruvananthapuram derives its name from the name of the presiding Deity enshrined in the temple. This city is also called Syanandoora puram.

Inside the temple altar, Lord Vishnu is in a reclining position over Ananta Shesha. He is enjoying the aroma emanating from the lotus held in His left hand, and His right hand is blessing Lord Siva. There are three doors through which we can have the darshan - first the Lord’s face, then His Navel and His lotus feet. Through the first door, the worship is offered to Siva; through the second entrance Brahma prays to Lord Vishnu from his lotus navel, and through the third door is Lord Vishnu’s lotus feet, which are the only shelter and suitable means for a devotee of Lord by which one can cross over the ocean of material existence. Sri Devi and Bhu Devi, the two consorts of Lord Vishnu stand by His side and Lord Brahma is seen on a lotus, which emanates from the navel of Vishnu. Sages Bhrigu, Markandeya and assembly of celestials like Narada etc. are also present.









Legend And History
The origin of the Temple of Sree Padmanabhaswamy is lost in antiquity. It is not possible to determine with any exactitude, from any reliable historical documents or other sources as to when and by whom the original idol of Sree Padmanabhaswamy was consecrated. The Temple has references in Epics and Puranas. Srimad Bhagavatha says that Balarama visited this Temple, bathed in Padmatheertham and made several offerings. Nammalwar, 9th century poet and one among the 12 Vaishnavite saints of the Alvar tradition, has composed ten hymns in praise of Lord Padmanabha. Some well known scholars, writers and historians, like the late Dr. L.A.Ravi Varma of Travancore, have expressed the view that this Temple was established on the first day of Kali Yuga (which is over 5000 years ago). The legends of the Temple are handed down through the centuries. One such legend which finds a place in the old palm leaf records of the Temple, as also in the famous grantha entitled “Ananthasayana Mahatmya”, mentions that it was consecrated by a Tulu Brahmin hermit named Divakara Muni. On the 950th year of Kali Yuga a reinstallation of the idol was done. In the 960th Kali year King Kotha Marthandan built the Abhisravana Mandapam.
The story as narrated in the Ananthasayana Mahatmya goes as follows.
Divakara Muni was a great Vishnu Bhaktha. While at ‘Aanarthadesa’, he performed deep tapas. One day Maha Vishnu appeared before the sage as a lovely child. The charming child attracted the attention of the sage. He requested the God-child to stay with him. The child made his stay conditional. Accordingly, the Sanyasi should treat him with respect. On failing to do so, he would vanish at once. This was accepted and the child stayed with him. The hermit gave him great care and tolerated the childish pranks. One day, when the sanyasi was in deep meditation at his prayers, the chills took the ‘salagram’ which the sanyasi was using for worship and put it into his mouth and made such a nuisance of himself that Divakara Mini was greatly angered and could tolerate it no further. He thereupon chastised the child. In accordance with the earlier agreement, immediately the child ran away and disappeared from the spot. While going he said, “If you wish to see me again, you will find me again in Ananthankaadu”. It was only then that Divakara Muni realized who his erstwhile child guest had been. The hermit was stricken with inconsolable grief and for many days followed what, he believed was the route taken by the child foregoing food, rest and sleep in the process. 

Finally he reached a wooded area near the sea coast, caught a glimpse of the child disappearing into a huge ‘Ilappa’ tree. Immediately the tree fell into the ground and it assumed the form of Sree Maha Vishnu. The divine form had its head at ‘Thiruvallam’(a place about 3 miles from East Fort at where the Temple of Sree Padmanabha Swamy is located) and its feet at ‘Trippapur’ (5 miles away towards the north). Overawed by the majesty and the size of the divine form, which manifested before him, the Sanyasi prayed to the Lord to condense Himself in size so that he could behold Him. There upon the image of the Lord shrank to a size, three times the length of the Sanyasy’s Yoga Dand. His prayers had been granted. He immediately offered a raw mango in a coconut shell(still this offering continues). The Lord ordained that, poojas to Him should be conducted by Tulu Brahmins. To this day half the number of poojaris(priests) in this Temple represent Tulu region. 
Another generally accepted version about the origin of the Temple relates it to the famous Namboothiri sanyasi Vilvamangalathu Swamiyar, whose name is linked with the histories of several temples in Southern India. This Swamiyar was also a Vishnu bhaktha. The legend is almost identical with that of Divakara Muni referred above. It is said that, when Sree Maha Vishnu presented himself in the Ananthasayana rupa (in the form of reclining on Anantha) before the sage at Ananthankaadu, the latter had nothing worthwhile to offer Him. From a mango tree standing nearby he plucked a few unripe mangoes and placed them in a coconut shell lying there and in all humility offered it as ‘nivedyam’ to the Lord. Even today salted mango forms a major offering. The original coconut shell has been encased in gold. It has also been the practice in the Temple for the past several centuries that the morning ‘pushpanjali’ is to be performed by a Namboothiri Brahmin sanyasi (designated Pushpanjaly Swamiyar) specially commissioned for this purpose.
These traditional customs coupled with the fact that the Pushpanjali Swamiyar holds a position of importance in the ‘Ettara Yogam’ (a committee which, at one time in the distant past, was the governing body of the Temple but has, over the years, become a ceremonial and advisory panel) lend substance and some measures of credence to the theory that this Temple was founded by Vilvamangalathu Swamiyar. On the other hand the legend of the Divakara Muni can be substantiated by the presence of a large number of Tulu Brahmins. Besides being represented in the ‘Yogam’, the Namboothiri Brahmins also have a position of eminence in the rituals and ceremonies of theTtemple . The Tantries(high priests) have always been from the Tharananalloor family belonging to this community. It is also believed that the small Sree Krishna Swamy Temple, located near the Western Swamiyar Madham (residence of one of the two Pushpanjali Swamiyars of the Temple) has been built over the Samadhi of Vilvamangalathu Swamiyar.
Some historians and researchers hold the view that the Thiruvambadi shrine of Sree Krishna Swamy is older than the shrine of Sree Padmanabhaswamy. According to legend the Sree Narasimhaswamy and Sree Sastha shrines were established after the installation of the idol of Lord Sree Padmanabhaswamy. There is mention in the ‘Bhagavatha Purana’ (canto 10, chapter 79) that Sree Balarama visited “Syanandoorapuram” or “Ananthasayam” (Thiruvananthapuram) in the course of His pilgrimage. Similarly in the ‘Brahmanda Purana’ also there is a reference to “Syanandoorapura”. These references show that this Temple is of great antiquity and has been held in veneration over the centuries as an important seat of Sree Maha Vishnu. The compositions of Nammalvar, the great Vaishnavite saint, in praise of Sree Maha Vishnu of this city, prove beyond doubt that this Temple existed in the ninth century of this era. In the year 1050A.D.(225ME), the Temple was reconstructed and the management re-organized by the then ruler.
The next important recorded events relate to the period between 1335 A.D. and 1384 A.D. when Venad was ruled by a powerful and wise king named Veera Marthanda Varma. He gradually established his authority completely over the management and administration of the Temple. There are records to indicate that in the year 1375 A.D. the Alpasi Utsavam (ten days festival held in October-November) was conducted in the Temple. Some of the important events relating to the Temple which took place after the demise of this ruler until 1729 A.D. are given below.
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Between 1459 A.D. and 1460 A.D. the idol of Sree Padmanabhaswamy was removed to a ‘Balalaya’ for the purpose of re-construction of the roof of the sanctum sanctorum.
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In 1461 A.D. the idol was re installed and an Ottakkal Mandapam (Single granite stone slab abutting the sanctum sanctorum) was put up.
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In 1566 A.D. the foundation was laid for the Gopuram (pagoda) over the main eastern entrance.
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In 1686 A.D. the Temple was almost fully destroyed in a major fire accident. Work on the re- construction of the Temple was started only in 1724.
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In 1728 A.D. propitiatory ceremonies, connected with the serious fire of 1686, were conducted.
It was in the year 1729 that the great ruler Marthanda Varma became the king of Travancore. He took the steps to renovate the Temple. In 1730 the idol was again moved to ‘Balalaya’ prior to the renovation and reconstruction of the sanctum sanctorum. It took two years for completion. The old wooden idol was replaced by the one that we see today. Made of highly complex amalgam known as Katusarkarayogam, it contains 12008 Salagrams within it. Most of what is seen today within the walls of the temple were constructed. It is recorded that 4000 sculptors, 6000 labourers and 100 elephants worked for a period of 6 months to finish the construction of the sreebalippura (the oblong corridor). This magnificent rectangular corridor built of solid stones protects the Deities during seeveli on rainy days. The gopuram for which the foundation had been laid in 1566, was built during this period. Similarly the flag-staff in front of the main shrine was also erected at this time. Teak wood of required size was brought from the forest for this purpose and transported to the Temple in such a way that no part of the wood touched the ground. The pole was then covered completely with gold sheets. The renovation of the Temple tank, the Padmatheertham, including the flight steps and its completion in the form we see it today was also undertaken during this great ruler’s time.
Fifth Makaram 925ME, 19th or 20th January 1750AD, stood witness to the act of a sublime dedication and the ultimate offering possible for a crowned head – the Thrippadi Danam. After the completion of certain religious ceremonies Maharaja Anizham Thirunal Marthanda Varma arrived in the Temple along with the male family members, his trusted Diwan and other officials. In presence of the Swamiyar, members of the Yogam and Brahmins the Maharaja submitted to Sree Padmanabha Prajapati, his entire State of Travancore along with his total right on it thereof by placing the Crown, the royal umbrella, the twin white Chauries (fans), the Manikandha – which were all symbols of royalty, along with some thulasi leaves on the Mandapam. Last but most significant, he placed his famous sword (the unquestioned insignia of sovereign authority which the King valued the most and which had lashed its unleashed velour in countless battle fields) in the steps of the Ottakkal Mandapam. Even before this, that the male members of the royal family, at the age of one, ware laid on the Ottakkal mandapam and surrendered to Sree Padmanabhaswamy as His own, gaining the supreme title ‘Sree Padmanabha Dasa’.
In 1758, during the reign of Sree Karthika Thirunal Rama Varma, the fabulous Kulasekhara Mandapam was build. It is a marvelous and fantastic architectural work on stone. It is also known as Aayiramkal Mandapam and Sapthaswara Mandapam. It is supported by 28 balustrades of pillars. The pillars on the four corners can produce musical notes when taped.
In 1820 a very big mural mirroring the Ananthasayanam, which is termed as the biggest in the temple murals of Kerala, was drawn during the period of Rani Goury Parvathi Bayi.
Among the rulers of the erstwhile Travancore Maharaja Sree Chithira Thirunal Rama Varma ranks as one among the most illustrious royal personalities, who ruled in his dual capacity as Dasa and Ruler. He ruled as a Sage among Kings. The Kshethra Praveshan Vilambram or the Temple Entry Proclamation was in 1936 which was the epoch-making event of the Maharaja’s religious and political life. This Proclamation, issued on the eve of his twenty forth birthday, has been considered by evaluators as the most socially progressive and religiously liberal ordinance enacted in India. It was a revolutionary and courageous action initiated for the first time in the country towards the eradication of untouchability. The rest of India followed his footsteps.
Both the Thrippadi Danam and the Kshethrapraveshana Vilambaram made history and stand out by themselves as lasting tributes to the vastness of heart and sublimity of conception of those who visualized them.
In 1991, after the demise of Sree Padmanabha Dasa Chithira Thirunal Rama Varma, Sree Uthradam Thirunal Marthanda Varma assumed charge of the Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple. In compliance with the sanction already accorded by Sree Chithira Thirunal, Sree Uthradam Thirunal conducted the Kodi Archana in the Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple. In 1992, Maharaja Sree Chithira Thirunal’s personal worship idols were installed inside the Temple premises.
The mass chanting of Sahasranama was newly introduced on public request. The gold covering of the main Balikkal which was started two years before was completed in 1993. Playing of the percussion instrument known as ‘Edakka’ re-introduced in 1994. Another important work of that year was the gold work in the narrow window-like part at the feet of the Lord on the northern side of the outer wall of the sanctum. The Murajapam and Lakshadeepam were also conducted in the Temple in the grand manner which occurs once in six years. The last Lakshadeepam celebrated in 2008 and the next falls on 2014.

These three doors have a lot of significance to the life of people. The three doors symbolize the birth, life and the death of a person. . The 1st door represents 'Sthithi' (the preservation) as it is said that the Lord being the mother of every soul protects his children (souls) by his divine glance and we can see the Lords Thirumukhamandalam (face-eyes) through this door. The 2nd door is considered to represent 'Shrishti' (the creation) as all life originates from Lord Brahma and he is seen through this door. The 3rd door represents the final part of human life as after leaving the body, the soul reaches the Lord's lotus feet. We can see Brahma worship SriPadmanabha from the navel lotus along with all the Devas. The presence of Lord Shiva under the hands of SriPadmanabha is said to be related to the story of Lord Vishnu vanquishing the demon Keshi. Some also say that it is related to the story of the demon Bhasmasura. Thus to symbolize the protection of Lord Shiva, we can see the Shivalinga under the hands of the Lord SriPadmanabha (SriPadmanabha Daasa Maharaja Swathi Thirunaall says this in his Keerthanam "Chinthayaami the padhaneeraruham" as "Anthakaari Kamalaasana Sevitha"). 33 crore demi-gods along with the Navagrahas are also bowing before the Supreme Lord SriPadmanabha inside the sanctum sanctorum. One can also have the Darshan of sage Bhrigu and sage Markandeya as well as SriDevi and Bhoomi Devi inside the sanctum sanctorum. There are Separate shrines for Lord Vinayagar, Garuda, Anjaneya, Sudharshana, LakshmiNarasihma, Ashtadasabhuja MahaDurga and the Navagrahas in the temple.

Laksha Deepam is a unique festival being celebrated once in six years at Sri Ananta Padmanabha Swamy Temple, Thiruvanantapuram. Lakshadeepam literally translates as one lakh (one hundred thousand) lamps. The entire Temple is adorned with one lakh (one hundred thousand) Oil Lamps in and around temple. The maiden Lakshadeepam was celebrated on the first of Makaram 925 ME / 14th or 15th of January 1750 AD. The festival was conducted with much pomp and fanfare, in the grandest manner possible by King Marthanda Varma. This mega festival is observed on the concluding day of MurajapamMurajapam is a holy prayer offered to the Lord Sri Ananta Padmanabha Swamy once in 6 years which comprises chanting of 3 Vedas (Rigveda, Yajurveda and Samaveda) and Vishnu Sahasranamam for a period of 56 days which ends on the day of Makara Sankrantiin the month of January. Laksha Deepam festival is celebrated on the day ofMakara Sankranti. On this auspicious day the entire temple is adorned with one lakh (one hundred thousand) Oil Lamps in and around temple. This festival still continues as an immensely grand festival and visual magnitude attracting staggering numbers to the doors of this great Temple.

References of Sri Padmanabhaswamy Temple in Vedic scriptures
Sri Padmanabhaswamy Temple stands at a place considered as one of the seven Parasurama Kshetras. Texts including the Puranas, particularly the Skanda Purana,Padma Purana, Vayu Purana, Varaha Purana and Brahmanda Purana have references to this holy site. In the Padma Purana, there is reference to the temple of Ananta sayanam, where the Lord Vishnu is having his yoga-nidra. In the Skanda Purana, Sethu Mahatmya, Brahmakhanda Chapter-52, verses 102 to 105, some of the most important places of pilgrimages are indicated, which include the Ananta Padmanabha Swamy temple. It is also mentioned in the Srimad-Bhagavatamcanto 10 chapter 79 that Lord Balarama visited “Syanandoorapuram” in the course of His pilgrimage. An entire chapter named Anantapura Mahatmyam in Brahmanda Purana is dedicated to this temple.

Other Darshans and Attractions inside the Temple

Inside Sri Padmanabhaswamy Temple complex there are a number of shrines.

Sri Krishna Temple: Sri Krishna Temple is situated in the northern side and it is believed that this is the place where Bilwamangal Thakura disappeared from this world. This temple has a flag staff made of silver.

Hanuman Deity: There is a huge Deity of Hanuman near the golden flag staff of Lord Padmanabha. The body of Hanuman is covered with butter. This butter will not melt even in hot days or even with the presence of fire and will not attract ants and insects. In the seventeenth century, as mentioned above, when there occurred a massive fire in the temple, the butter was not affected. It is mentioned that the fire could not go beyond this point. Also, there are huge Deities of Jaya and Vijaya, the two kshetrapalas (protectors) are located near Hanumanji. It is believed that the foot of one kshetrapala is growing day by day. This is evident from the protruding of the leg beyond the wooden fencing.

Lord Nrsimhadeva Temple: Before entering the main altar of Sri Ananta Padmanabha Swamy, we also are blessed with the darshan of a beautiful form of Lord Nrsimhadeva.

Kulashekhara Alvar mandapam: As we come outside of the main altar of Sri Ananta Padmanabha Swamy we see a small mandapam dedicated toKulashekhara Alvar. This is the place where King Kulasekhara composed many of his divine songs including famous Mukunda-mala-stotra. It is a marvelous and fantastic architectural work on stone. It is also known as Aayiramkaal Mandapamand Sapthaswara Mandapam. It is supported by 28 balustrades of pillars. The pillars on the four corners can produce musical notes when tapped. The pillars are adorned with exquisitely carved figures in half and full relief. It is called asDashavatar Mandapam due to depictions of dashavatara on the mandapa pillars.

Ottakkal mandapam: The Ottakkal mandapam is single stone platform in the Sri Padmanabhaswamy Temple is a striking feature. The Mandapam is in front of the sanctum sanctorum of Lord Sri Padmanabhaswamy. This structure is built with a single slab of granite which is two and a half feet thick and twenty feet square. The Abhishekams to Lord Sri Padmanabhaswamy are performed in thismandapam. Its granite pillars are covered with gold.

Abhisravana mandapam: This structure is in front of the Ottakkal mandapam but outside the Cherruchuttu containing the sanctum sanctorum. Special poojas related with Temple festivals are performed here. Devotees use this mandapam for meditation and prayers.

The Golden flag-staff (Dwaja Stambham): An eighty feet high pole near the eastern corridor was installed by Anizham Tirunal. A teak wood of this dimension was carried from the nearby forest to the Temple. As per Sastras the wood should not touch the ground while in transport. The teak pole was then covered completely with gold foils. The apex of the flag pole has a figure of Garuda Swamy, in kneeling posture.

Nine Entrances: The Temple has nine entrances, indicating the nine orifices of the human body.

Gopuram: The temple has a 100 foot, seven-tier gopuram on the eastern entrance. On the top there are seven golden domes suggesting pointers to the seven Worlds. The 10 incarnations of Lord Sri Krishna are portrayed inside the first storey of the gopuram. . The ground floor under the gopuram is known as the ‘Nataka Sala’ where the famous temple art, Kathakali is staged in the night during the ten-day uthsavam conducted twice a year, during the Malayalam months of Meenam and Thulam. The other three entrances are double storied Padippuras in typical Kerala Style. Entry to the upper levels of the Gopuram is restricted.

The Sreebalippura (Corridor): The Temple has a marvelous Sreebalippura. This magnificent rectangular corridor built of stone surrounds the main shrines and it is through this corridor that the Vahanams are taken out during Sreebali(procession). Records say that daily 4000 stone artisans, 6000 laborers and 100 elephants worked for a period of 6 months to finish the construction of the Sreebalippura. Sreebalippura is supported by 365 and a one quarter of pillars. Each pillar is a monolith. The master artisan Ananthapadmanabha Moothassari was in charge of the work.

Theerthams (Sacred water resources): The temple stands by the side of a tank, named Padma TheerthamPadma theertham is one of the oldest water bodies in the city of Thiruvananthapuram. The Temple has a large number of sacred water resources situated even in places far away from the Temple.

Bells: Large numbers of bells adorn the Temple. In most cases the tip of the bell has a metal banyan leaf attached to its tongue.

Mural paintings: The outer walls of the sanctum sanctorum of Lord Sri Ananta Padmanabha Swamy and Lord Sri Krishna are adorned with murals. Of these, theAnantha sayanam on the backside of the sanctum is termed as the largest one among the temple murals of Kerala, and was painted by a Brahmin artist by name Chalayil Kalahasti. It is of 18 feet long.

Multiplicity of Mandapams: Another feature of this Temple is the multiplicity of Mandapams (platforms). There are 11 mandapams in the Temple and 8 in thePadma theertham pond.

Other stories about the temple –

·         In 1563, 10th January it was reported that milk started flowing from the cracks of the altar wall. This happened three times that year thus instilling the fact that Lord Sri Ananta Padmanabha Swamy is resting on the Milk Ocean. In 1628 this incident about milk was again observed, this time from northern side of Rama temple opposite to main altar. To stop this flow, cracks in this small shrine was sealed. If one is fortunate than one can see these sealed spots with a close look.
·         Even today for a few fortunate at a particular location on the back side of the altar wall near the lotus feet of lord, one can hear the mild sound of sea waves.
·         In 1818, the Deity of the Lord in sleeping pose moved and pujaris could feel the tremor in the altar.
·         In 1865, at midnight one day a massive sound of a lion was heard inside the main temple. Even today after closing the temple gates the temple guards relate the same experience happening, thus indicating the wonderful pastime of Lord Nrsimhadeva in the temple.

Darshan, Sevas and Festivals

Sri Ananta Padmanabhaswamy Temple celebrates bi-annual festivals in the months of Thulam (Alppasi) and Meenam (Painkuni). A Alpassi festival is in October/November and the Painkuni festival which is in March/April, lasts for 10 days each. These festivals culminate with the Aarat (holy bath) procession to the Shankumugham beach. The word Aarat refers to the purificatory immersion of the deities of the temple in sea. This event takes place in the evening. The King of Travancore escorts the Aarat procession by foot. The festival starts with Kodiyettu (flag hoisting) at Sri Padmanabhaswamy’s gold and Sri Krishnaswamy’s silver flag poles. The festival is of ten days duration culminating in the spectacular Palliveta and Aarat processions on the 9th and 10th days respectively. Special Sreebalies (processions) are conducted twice a day, in the evening 4.30 pm and at night 8.30 pm.

The Deities of Sri Padmanabhaswamy, Lord Sri Krishna and Lord Nrsimhadeva are carried in the Aarat procession. The Aarat procession slowly proceeds with pomp and pageantry, colour and music, men carrying divine emblems and insignias of royalty. The procession reaches the Sanghumugham beach and the Vahanams are positioned in the Aarat Mandapam. Deities are given the holy immersion in the sea after the prescribed poojas. After this ceremony, the Deities are taken back to the temple as a procession in the light of traditional torches, marking the conclusion of the festival. Once during the reign of King Marthanda Varma, an elephant ran amock. Since then, the practice of using elephants to carry the Deities in the procession was given up and Vahanas (vehicles) carried on the shoulder by a number of priests came into vogue. Six different kinds of beautiful conveyances are used for these processions. They are the Simhasana Vahanam (Throne), Anantha Vahanam (Serpant), Kamala Vahanam (Lotus), Pallakku Vahanam (Palanquin), Garuda Vahanam (Garuda) and Indra Vahanam (Gopuram). Of these the Pallakku and Garuda Vahanas are repeated twice and four times respectively. The Garuda Vahanam is considered as the favourite conveyance of the Lord.

On the bequest of the Supreme Court of India the seven member committee in the presence of the Head Trustee of Travencore Trust of Sri Anantha Padmanabha Swamy temple at Tiruvananthapur in Kerala have opened the six secret vaults.
They have discovered under 20 feet of the ground approximately $ 22 BILLION (6000CrX22= Rs 1,32,000 Cr)WORTH OF HIGHLY VALUABLE GOLD in the form of, diamond jewelry, golden utensils, weapons, golden idols, golden elephants idols and diamond necklaces having 500 kilograms weight and 18 feet length and bags full of golden coins of different nations, including NAPOLEON and ITALIAN coins in the last one week. With this Sri Anantha Padmanabha Swamy of Tiruvnanthapuram has emerged the richest God on the earth.
Chambers:
The temple management authorities were aware of the existence of six vaults. They are situated very close to the middle of the temple on its western side just below where the deity is placed.
For documentation purposes, these vaults have been designated as vaults A, B, C, D, E and F.
Subsequently, two more vaults have been identified and they have been designated as vaults G and H.
·         Four vaults C, D, E, and F, are in the custody of the temple priests and have been/are opened at least eight times every year and the contents stored in them are routinely taken out for use on special ceremonial occasions.
·         As per the orders of the Supreme Court of India, a court appointed committee opened the vaults on 30 June 2011 and entered vault A. They unlocked an iron grille and a heavy wooden door, then removed a granite slab from the floor. Beneath, five or six steps led to a small, dark room which stored the treasure. The various items found scattered everywhere, They were not arranged systematically. There were baskets, earthen pots, copper pots, all containing valuable objects. It took about 12 days to carry the treasure outside, and to take an inventory of it.
·         Vault B has not been opened presumable for centuries. The Supreme Court appointed committee members opened the metal-grille door to Vault B, and discovered a sturdy wooden door just behind it. They opened this door as well, and encountered a third door, made of iron, which was jammed shut. The observers considered forcing their way in, but deemed this improper; they decided to hire a locksmith. Then, in mid-July, before the locksmith came, the royal family got an injunction from the Supreme Court against opening vault B.
·         Vaults G and H also remain closed for centuries believably as of May 2016, but have been opened in late 1800′s and it also had valuables which have been documented that time.
The main vault or the seventh vault is Vault B.
The mysterious door of Vault B
The entire world stands now to know whats behind that door. According to experts, the door was supposed to unlock by itself when a secret chant is spelled, as it is believed that the door is locked in that way
It is believed that this chamber is being consider as highly mysterious,sacred and risky by Trust members and other learned astrologers. The steel door of Chamber B is having two big COBRA PORTRAITS on it and this door has no nuts, bolts or even latches. It is just a plain chunk of steel


It is considered to be fixed to the chamber by using “NAGA BANDHAM” by the then “SIDDHA PURUSHAS” who lived during the reign of King Marthandavarma. in 16th century
The door to such a vault can only be opened by a highly erudite ‘SADHUS’ who are familiar with the knowledge of extricating “NAGA BANDHNAM” by chanting a very sacred and difficult “GARUDA MANTRA”.
According to the legends, if anyone tries to force open this door ,which has “NAGA BANDHAN” on it, then catastrophes are likely to occur throughout the world.
Vedic Astrologers of India tried to open the door, but they were unable to open the door by chanting the secret “GARUDA MANTA”. If this mantra is chanted properly by some Sadhu, the automatically opens up without any human effort needed to open it. Adding to the belief that Garuda drives away mighty serpents from our way.
As of now, people from other side could listen to the sounds of water or sounds made by snakes as guessed. Till date no one knows what exactly is behind the vault.