Home ::
South
India Temples ::
Badami Cave Temple
Badami
Cave Temple
Location : Badami, Karnataka
Depicting : Various Mythological Characters
Known
For : Cave Temples
Badami
is an interesting place to visit in Karnataka. Badami is picturesquely situated
at the mouth of a ravine between two rocky hills. The place has an artificial
lake, ancient temples, Museum and Hindu and Jain caves carved in the Sandstone
hills. It was once the Capital of the erstwhile Chalukya Empire. They built
many temples and monuments, marking the beginning of the Hindu style of architecture.
The examples of Chalukyan style can be seen in cave temples of Badami, Aihole,
Pattadakal and many other Buddhist and Jain monasteries in the region.
Badami
is famous for its cave temples - all hewn out of sand stone on the precipice of
a hill. The main attractions of Badami are the caves found there. Badami Cave
temple comprises of four caves, the third cave temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu
is the largest and the most picturesquely ornamental.
Badami Cave temples
have some spectacular carving displaying the Hindu gods, Narasimha and Hari Hara.
The temples also have paintings on the ceiling and interesting bracket figures
on the piers. Overlooking the cave temples is a reservoir dotted with temples
dedicated to Vishnu and Shiva. Also a must are the Bhutanath temples that lend
their name to the lake beneath the cave temples. The caves found here are as follows:
Cave
1 The first cave made of red sandstone, dates back to 578 A.D. and
was probably the first to be carved. On the ceiling one can see the paintings
of amorous couples. Shiva and his consort Parvati, and a coiled serpent. The 18-armed
lord Nataraja can be seen in 81 dancing poses. One has to climb up 40 odd steps
to reach the colonnaded verandah, a hall with numerous pillars and a square shaped
sanctum hollowed in the control back wall. Column shafts are masterfully crafted.
Cave 2
The second cave is atop a sandstone hill. It is dedicated to lord Vishnu, depicted
as a dwarf or 'Trivikrama' of awesome dimensions with one foot mastering the Earth
and the other the sky. Another form of Vishnu portrayed here is as 'Varaha' or
as a boar. Then there is a frieze endearingly depicting Vishnu as Lord Krishna.
Cave
3
A climb higher up one comes across third cave antedating 578 A.D.
The facade of the cave is nearly 70 feet wide; the carvings of ganas can be seen
on the plinth. It gives a virtual insight into the art and culture of the 6th
century like costumes, jewelry hairstyle lifestyle etc. The sheer artistry and
sculptural genius makes this cave the highlight of Deccan art. The other attractions
to be looked carefully in this cave are the high relief of Vishnu with a serpent,
Vishnu as Narasimha (Vishnu as Man-Lion) Varaha, Harihara (Shiva Vishnu) and Vishnu
as Trivikrama.
Cave 4 It is the only
Jain cave that lies to the east of Cave 3. The construction of Cave four started
in the 6th century and completed after nearly 100 years later then the earlier
three caves. Here one can see the carvings of the Tirthankara Parshavnatha with
a serpent at his feet; The 24th Tirthankara- Mahavira, sitting in a comfortable
posture also can be seen in the shrine.
|||
Click Here to Book Badami Cave Temple Tour |||
Guruvayoor Temple
Location
: 29 Kms North-West Of Thrissur, Kerala
Popularly Known as
: Dwaraka of the South
Dedicated To : Lord Krishna
Significance : Most Important Hindu Pilgrim Centre in Kerala
Guruvayoor
Temple is one of the biggest like Tirupati, Badami, and Puri. The presiding
deity is four armed Lord Maha Vishnu, while his reincarnation Lord Krishna is
worshipped by devotees here. The devotees have unflinching faith in the wish
fulfilling that makes the greatness and glory of this temple special. The legend
has it that the temple was erected by Guru and his disciple Vayudeva (Air) on
receiving the recommendations of Lord Paramashiva who conjoining the names of
Guru and Vayu named the place as Guruvayoor.
Guruvayoor is one of the most sacred and important pilgrim
places in Kerala. The idol is carved out of an utmost sacred stone 'Pathala Anjana
Sila'. The walls of the famous Krishna Temple are inlaid with exquisite carvings
and paintings. The temple is also foremost in rice feeding ceremonies and hosting
the maximum number of marriages.
At the outer enclosure, ‘Chuttambalam’,
of the temple there is a 33.5-m tall ‘Dwajastambham’ the flag post that
is gold-plated. The square is the most sacred part of the temple called ‘Sreekovil’
that houses the main deity. Also within the temple are images of Ganapathi, Edathedathi
Kavil Bhagavathi and Sree Ayyappa. At little distance of 2 Kms there is home of
50 temple elephants.
How
to Get There
Air : Nearest international airport
is at Nedumbassery (87 km).
Road : The place is well connected
to neighbouring places by good motorable roads.
Timings The temple is open 03:00 am to 01:00 pm & 04:30pm to
08:30 pm.
|||
Click Here to Book Guruvayoor Temple Tour |||
Kanchipuram Temple
Location
: 75-Km From Chennai, Tamil Nadu
Called : Religious Capital Of South
India
Famous Temples In Kanchipuram : Kamakshi Amman Temple, Varadaraja
Temple, Kailashanathar Temple, Ekambareshwar Temple, Kumara Kottam, Ulahalanda
Perumal Temple
Important Festivals Celebrated : Brahmotsavam -Varadaraja
Temple In May .
Garuda Sevai- Varadaraja Temple In June.
Float Festival
-Varadaraja Temple In February And November.
Kamakshi Ammam Festival - February.
Mahashivaratri
Festival - Kailashanatha Temple In February.
Panguni Uthiram -Ekambareshwara
Temple In March-April.
Kanchipuram Temple
Kanchipuram is a small, rural town about 75-km from Chennai in the state of Tamil
Nadu. Kanchipuram was under the Pallavas from the 6th to 8th century AD and later
became the citadel of the Cholas, Vijayanagar Kings, the Muslim and the British.
It has been a center of Tamil learning, cultural and religious background for
centuries. Kanchipuram has magnificent temples of unique architectural beauty
bearing eloquent testimony to its glorious Dravidian heritage. With the Sankara
Mutt acting as the hub of Hindu activities and the temples, Kanchipuram is one
of the most highly visited pilgrimage spots in India, and can rightfully be called
the "Religious Capital of South India".
All
the religious cities in India support one of the two sects in Hinduism - Vaishnavism
and Shaivism, but Kanchipuram has blended itself equally to both the sects,
dividing itself into Vishnu Kanchi, surrounding the Varadaraja Temple, and Shiva
Kanchi, surrounding the Ekambareshwara Temple. The perfect balance is created
by Kamakshi Amman Temple that stands in between as a place of Shakti worship.
How
to Get There Air : Chennai is the nearest airport
to Kanchipuram.
Rail : Trains for Kanchipuram are available
from Chennai, Chengalpattu, Tirupati, and Bangalore.
Road :
Kanchipuram is 75-km away from Chennai and is well connected by a network of roads.
There are frequent buses from the city to Chennai, Bangalore and other places.
For local transportation bicycles can be hired from the shops near the bus stand.
Cycle Rickshaws and auto rickshaws are also available on hire to move in and around
the city.
|||
Click Here to Book Kanchipuram Temple Tour ||| 
