Temple Visits of Parantharami Mani

      Mata Vaishnavi Devi Temple, Gulbarga. This temple built on artificial concrete rocks is situated on the outskirts of Gulbarga (Kalaburagi)  city. The sanctum here is a replica of the cave at Vaishnavi Devi, Jammu. You have to climb 125 steps to reach the top. There is a lift for those who cannot climb for a payment.

 Kalyana Varadaraja  Perumal temple,  Kaladipet.     Had the chance to visit the temple today. The temple is situated in Kaladipet near Thiruvotriyur. It is five minutes walking distance from Kaladipet Metro station. There is a story behind the origin of this temple. In the 18th century there was a President/ Governor of  East India Company by name  Joseph Collett at Madras   between 1717-1720. He developed a weavers  colony near Thiruvotriyur  which was called Collettpet.  It had a population of 489 people inhabiting 105 houses. Over a period  of centuries it became  Kaladipet.        Collett had an Assistant by name Veeraraghava  who used to visit Kancheepuram Varadaraja Perumal temple  at least twice a week. This affected  his official work and Collett  was unhappy. So he gave  a grant to him to build  a temple  for Varadaraja in Collettpet. Veeraragh...

      This temple is situated at Begur near electronic city on the southern suburbs of Bangalore . It is more than 1200 years old constructed during the reign of Ganga king Ereganga Neetimarga ( 843-870).  The temple was expanded extensively during the Chola, Hoysala and Vijayanagara dynasty. An old kannada inscription dated 890 AD mentioing about " Bengaluru war" was discovered in this temple complex. It shows the antiquity of the name Bengaluru. This place is pre historic site  with fields containing bone and  pottery remains. The temple  has shrines of five lingas Nageswara, Nagareshwar, Choleswara, Kalikamtèswara and Karaneshwara. It has big Raja gouram on four sides. Amman here is called Parvathi facing south. There is also a granite Deepasthamba facing the sanctum. 

            This temple situated at Melukote in Mandhya District of Karnataka. The temple is situated at a height of 1777 metres from the  sea level  and one has to climb around 350 steps to  reach the temple.  It was constructed during Hoysala rule around  900 years ago.  The presiding  deity  Yoga Narasimha is in a sitting  posture with the  Yogapatta. It is considered  to be one of the seven  holy centres devoted to the worship of Narasimha. The Mysore king Krishnaraja Wodeyar III in early 19th century  had donated a gold crown to the temple. The temple on the hill is visible at a distance from it. There is a beautiful temple tank on the foothills of the temple. 

 Cheluvanarayana Swami Temple, Melukote =============================== Thirunarayanapuram ===============       Visited this temple yesterday in Mandhya District of Karnataka. It is 158 kms away from Bangalore with a fine motorable road. This temple was constructed in the early years of 12th century by Saint Ramanujar of Vaishnavite order. In the 11th century the Chola King Kulottunga I was ruling and there was a great ideological fight between followers of Saivism and Vaishnavism. Kulothunga was a fanatic Saivite and the atrocities committed by him forced Ramanujar to exile in Melukote around 1099 AD when he was in his 82nd year. He along with his thousands of followers migrated to Melukote. He lived in Melkote for 12 years and constructed this temple. The Moolavar here Cheluvanarayana Swamy  was identified by Ramanujar from the bushes of Yadavadri hills. The auspicious day in the month of January ( Makara) is celebrated every year with enthusiasm. The temple ...

        This temple is situated in old Pallavaram at a distance of 4 km from Madras Airport. It is situated in Perumal Koil Street . The presiding deity of the temple Vaikunta Vasar is with his consorts Sridevi and Boodevi.  The beautiful statues of Jayan and Vijayan the dwarakapalas stand outside the sanctum. There are idols of Yoga Narasimhar and Sudarsana Alwar inside the  Ardha Mandapam . Thayar Kanakavalli is in a separate enclosure  in a sitting posture . This  is a Rahu, Kethu parihara sthalam and a Lizard , Snake bas relief are on the ceiling outside Thayar Sannidhi.           As you enter the temple facing east through a arched entrance you can see a granite Deepa sthambam followed by Balipeetam  and Garudar enclosure. Going by the architecture of the temple the temple cannot be more than 300 to 400 years old. No inscriptions are found in the temple for estimating it’s antiquity.The Vimanam above the san...