Orikkai Mani Mandapam - Temple of holy Sri Mahaswamigal, maha Periyavaal, Sri Chandra Sekarendra Sraswathi Swamigal

Today I had an opportunity to go to the great Mani Mandapam of Orikkai with a team of devotees. We started from Chennai at 6:40 AM and reached Orikkai at about 8:40 AM (nearly 2 hours drive) in a tourist van. Though it is a peak summer, sun has just started showing its heat and it was bearable.

About the temple

The village Orikkai is blessed to have the Mani mandapam or a great temple built to commemorate the sacred memory of  Pujyasri Chandrasekharendra Saraswathi Swamiji, 68th Shankaracharya of Sri Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam.

The construction of temple is not yet fully over. For example the installation of nandhi is in progress now.. However the Kumbabishegam (consecration ceremony)  was performed by Sri Sri Jayendra Swamigal of Kanchi Kamakodi peedam on 28th January 2011.  Please view the video in youtube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3KYh5hMtoFM)

 This temple is built with one material (Granite stone alone, no mix of stone with other materials like bricks etc) like ancient temples built by emperors like Cholas. 

• The Manimandapam has a 100 feet vimana
• a 100 pillared hall
• Paduka mandapa and Rudraksha mandapa
• Statue and padukas of maha Periyavaal

Location

About 5 KM from Kanchi, on the banks of the river Palaar. The manimandapam is located in a calm place away from the rush of the town.

 History

 Once a king in a fit of anger exiled a very devoted servant of a sage called Kanikannan which was an undeserving punishment. The master also followed him and on seeing this the Lord too went with them and halted in Orikkai for one night. Realising his mistake the king apologised to all of them and requested them to come back, which they did. Thereafter the village was called as  Orikkai (oru iravu irukkai - place of overnight stay)

Chatur masya vrata was performed by Pujyasri Chandrasekharendra Saraswathi Swamiji at this place only.

Temple Rules

• As a matte of respect, gents are expected to remove their shirt and go with a angavasthram (towel) around the shoulder.

•  Taking snaps inside the temple is not allowed. 

Thanjavore (Thanjai, Tanjore)- Brahadeeswaram or  Big Temple of Siva -Chola culture

During Feb 2011, I had an opportunity to visit Tanjore and visit this magnificent temple. When I was a school boy I read about this temple in my History book and after that many times contemplated visiting this place, but it materialised only very recently. After seeing the temple and the lovely ambience, I felt that I should have visited this place long back and also made many more visits.

History of the temple:

Thanjavur or Tanjore is in Tamil Nadu, the southern part of India. Once upon a time it was the capital of Chola empire (846-1279 AD). The king Raja Raja Chola, a great lover of art and devotion to God built this temple as a mark of great architectural beauty in the form of sculptures and design. This magnificent ancient temple is more a monument to sculpture and culture of India rather than just a temple. It is a proof of huge labour, best administration and great devotion.

The temple was first called as Rajarajeswaram and now it is called as Brahadeeswaram.

This temple has completed 1000 years and the 1000^th year was celebrated in a grand manner by the State Government of Tamil Nadu in 22^nd to 28^th September 2010.

How to reach there?

From Chennai I had been to Kumbakonam by train for visiting the temples around that place. From kumbakonam I went by bus to Tanjore. You can reach Tanjore directly from Chennai by the following modes:

By Air
The nearest airport from Thanjavur is Tiruchirapalli that is situated 65 kilometers from the downtown Thanjavur. It serves planes from the Middle East, Colombo, Chennai and Madurai. Another airport is Chennai airport that is about 350 kilometers away from Thanjavur. 

By Train
There is a railway junction in Thanjavur. It is well connected to Trichy, Chennai as well as other major cities in and around Tamilnadu. 

By Road
Thanjavur is well connected to all the major towns in Tamilnadu through state highways. Tamilnadu Transport Corporation and similar Transport Corporations of the adjoining states provide bus service to cities in and around Tamilnadu. 

Local Transportation
For local transportation auto rickshaws, cycle rickshaws and taxis are available.

About the temple and ambience:

Plan of the temple:

Are of the temple:  800’ *  400’  total area in which the temple area is 500’ * 250’

• There are two gateways to the temple one after the other in the same direction having separate gopurams (arches) – called as Keralaandhagan Thiruvayil and Rajarajan Thiruvayil
• Nandhi
• Tanjore paintings inside nandhi mandapam

• Ganesha
• Murugan
• Chandigeswarar
• Bramhanayagi amman
• Natarajar
• Sri varahi
• Main deity at the centre of the temple area - Lord Shiva, worshipped in the form of Lingam.
• Sri vimana
• Paintings- Tanjore, Nayakkar and maraati

Other interesting factors:

The temple and the surrounding areas are very well maintained. The place is so neat and clean. There is a proper place for keeping the foot wares and benches to help putting shoes.

A lovely elephant is there at the entrance to greet you.

It is interesting to note that  there is a stone figure of a foreigner with cap –It seems  he is Denmark business man who came during that time to India.

There are around 250 Siva lingams in and around the outer structures

Please visit the following site to have a virtual tour of the temple.
http://www.view360.in/virtualtour/thanjavur/

Bangkok Mariamman Temple

There is a lovely Mariamman temple in the heart of Bangkok city. Many Indians living in Bangkok and Thai people also visit this temple and worship the god by lighting incense sticks and offering banana fruits, tender coconuts etc. There are lot of flower shops near the temple. It was introduced to me by my friend Prabhakar. I used to visit this temple whenever I had a chance to go to Bangkok officially. There are two good South Indian hotels near the temple. One is called Chennai Kitchen and the other one is called Tamil Nadu Restaurant.

 Some of the snaps of mariamman temple are here:

Kuchanur Saneeswara Bagwan temple

What is special about this temple?

This temple is exclusively built for Saneeswarar. You may find sani bagwan or navagrahas only in Shiva temples along with other deities.But here the Shiva temple is a little away from Saneeswarar temple.

The Sani Bagwan here is called "swayambu" meaning emerged on its own. There is a Uthsava murthy nearer to the main idol.

This is the place where Sani Baghwan himself got relieved of the Brahmmahathi dosha.

The temple ambience is so excellent that it is on the bank of a flowing river called Surabhi surrounded by green paddy fields and coconut trees. The speciality is it is a running water and kept clean. It is a pleasure to take bath in this small river where the water is upto the shoulder level and we can easily take dips. It is a belief that any one who takes bath in this river is supposed to get liberated from the sins of previous birth.

Many people having Sani Dosha come here for getting the blessings of Sani Bagwan.

What is the procedure for worshipping?

1. Have Gingelly oil on the head and take bath in the Surabhi river. (They are available near the river itself).There is a belief that people who leave the dress in the river as "vasthra dhanam" will get their prayers fulfilled by te God. . Nice arrangements are made along the banks of the river to collect the dress material s left by devotees in the river. There are temple volunteers who keep collecting the dress by using a stick and keep the river water flowing.
On the day when I went there (4th Sep2010) the weather was so pleasant and the running water was upto the chest level, chill and enjoyable.
2. After the bath, buy 'arugam pull' (sacred grass)and worship Lord Ganesha and Ragu idols on the banks of the river.
3. Get a plate of  rice cooked with gingely seeds and feed it to the crows. (rice plate available in the temple)
4. Get the clay models of the crow and keep it in front of the Saneeswara Bagwan (clay models available in the temple premises)
5. Sprinke the puffed rice and salt in Kodi maram and light lamps of gingely oil.

6. Do archana for the God with a black cloth and coconut. You may consume the coconut as prasadam after the archana , but not supposed to take it home for cooking purpose.
7. You may buy food packets from reliable shops ( There is a mess called Ganapathy mess on the opposite side of the main road  who prepare the food very well for annadhanam. ) and distribute to the poor people around.

How to reach this place?

Reach Madurai by bus, train or flight. Go to Theni or Chinnamanur by bus. There are direct buses (KPN) from Chennai to Theni. From Theni go to Chinnamanur by bus. From Chinnamanur you may go to Kuchanur by bus or auto. 

Decent lodges are available in Theni for staying.

What are the puja timings?

Morning 6:00 AM to 1PM. Evening 4PM to 8:30 PM

Visit to Cholamandalam Artists' Village in ECR Chennai

For art lovers there is a permanent art exhibition in Cholamandalam Artists Village in Chennai. You can even meet the renowned artists living there.

I was always longing to visit this place for a long time and the opportunity came to me in 7th June 2009.

History:

This co-operative artists colony started in 1965 as a joint effort of more than 30 painters and sculptors. The creative work is is happening there in an ongoing basis and all the paintings by different artists ranging from classical to moder art are displayed for viewing and for sale also. This is the first of its kind in the world where a colony of artists are formed in an excellent ambiance on the shores of Bengal sea.

How did I reach there?Address, Phone number and e-mail details:

This village is situated in ECR (East Coast Road) on the way to Muttukaadu, Mahabalipuram, very much nearer to the city and after Thiruvanmiyur. I went through car on my way to Pondichery.

Cholamandal Artist's Village

Injambakkam, Chennai 600041 India

Phone: 00-91-44-24490092, 24494053

e-mail: cholaartist@yahoo.co.in

What is worth seeing there:

I spent more than half a day and felt it is not sufficient to view all the excellent creations of the great artists like Panicker. There are two gallery halls - one in the ground floor and first floor and the other one a small building with AC facilities adjacent to the main gallery. You can spend a lot of time enjoying all types of arts exhibited there. After completing your fascinating journey through the gallery you can come out and view the sculptures of different shapes and themes. You can also walk along the road and see the houses of artists ( even they are built and decorated with great sense of art!)

Note: You are not allowed to take digital camera or video camera inside the exhibition hall.

I am planning to visit again and spend a whole day looking at the paintings and meeting the artists when they are working live of their creations. I also have a dream that at least one of my paintings should hang in the gallery in my life time.

Visit to Swaminarayan Akshardham Delhi - exciting and enjoyable

When I planned a trip to Delhi, one of my relatives insisted (yes, he was very particular or rather forced me) me to visit Akshardham without fail. After visiting only I came to know why he was so particular about this and thanked him a lot for this when I came back after this visit. It was so amazing, exiting and an enjoyable experience.

How did I reach there?
In New Delhi, we stayed in Ginger Hotel ( near Ajmere gate of New Delhi railway station - very good hotel priced reasonably- I will write an exclusive post about this later) and took a taxi to this place (Rs.250 for non AC and 350 for AC taxi) and reached within 20 minutes. While coming we came by auto at the cost of Rs.120/= . This complex is situated in East Delhi and not far away from the city. (Tel: 011 2201 6688, 2202 6688)

How much time one need to spend there?
It took 6 hours for us to spend time there and we enjoyed the whole ambiance in a leisurely manner. We started by 10:30 morning and came back by 4:30 evening. But, unfortunately we missed the musical fountain in the evening as we had to catch the train to Chennai the same night. It is suggested that you allot one full day so that you can enjoy the garden visit, exhibitions and monument visit and musical fountain in the evening and night.

What is Akshardham?
It is a cultural complex and an abode of Bhagwan swaminathan on the banks of Yamuna river opened in 2005 after spending 300 million man hours. The stones were sculptured at different parts of India as a parallel process and later on assembled at New Delhi; otherwise it would have taken 50 years! An example of efficient project management technique!

Entrance gates:
Apart from the main gate that we enter after security check, there are aesthetically designed ten gates inside the complex representing the freedom of thoughts and leading the visitors to the amazing world of temples, gardens and entertainments and exhibitions.
Bhakthi Dwar is the gate of Devotion that exhibits the traditional sculptures as a symbol of devotion; Mayur Dwar is enriched with lot of peacock sculptures.

The main Akshardham Monument:
The monument of Swaminarayan Akshardham is a magnificent structure at the centre of the complex surrounded by holy water called Narayan sarovar. The bottom of the monument's exterior wall is carrying lot of images of Gajendra (elephants) in different forms and the top is decorated by traditional domes and flag at the top. The 148 stone elephants in different shapes and styles called 'Gajendra Peeth' are really worth watching.
Since maintenance work was going on during our visit (last week of June 09) we could not get opportunity to visit inside the temple, where a prayer hall and the idols of God are housed. The maintenance work is expected to be completed after 2 more months.

Exhibitions:
The exhibitions are the most entertaining part of the whole journey inside the complex. The three types of exhibitions are far above the world standards and one has to really experience this to feel its worth. They are performed inside a well managed AC halls with artificially developed ambiances like blue sky, night sky, huge artificial real - life size tress and huts. ( Since visited the temple on the hottest day of summer, the AC halls with huge entertainment items were like heaven to us!) I recommend you strongly that you should not miss this when you go inside. The timings are so convenient that you can join the show in a gap of ten minutes and keep going on until you finish all the three. In between the three shows, you may visit the small refreshment stall to quench your thirst. But you are not allowed to carry anything, even water inside the auditorium. The water bottles would be collected at the gate, numbered and given back to you when you come out.
1. Hall of values -the human values like ahimsa and courage narrated by robotic animated images
2. Neelkanta Yatra - a huge size , giant screen award winning film about the 11 year old child yogi's travel across India
3. Educational boat ride that takes us along an artificial river surrounded by sculptures, dolls etc with lighting and sound effects depicting 10000 years Indian culture and history

Cultural garden:
A walk in the lush green largest garden with statues of historic heroes and freedom fighters is so enjoyable.

Food for your stomach also:
You can relax and enjoy good snacks - crisp dosas and soft idlies of South Indian or Gujarathi kitchdies or hot puris at Premvati Restaurant inside the complex near the Lotus shaped arena after crossing the exhibition halls.

Security Information:
Please note that for we not allowed take cell phone, camera, video camera or any other electronic items or big bags inside the complex. They have to deposited in the cloak room. Visitors have to pass through strict security check . However we can get professionally photographed inside the complex, by the authorised photographers arranged by the temple authorities.

Timings:
The complex is closed on Mondays.
Timings on other days: Opening 9:00 AM Entry closing time 7:00 Pm (April to September) 6:00 PM (October to march)
There is a musical fountain show in the evening 7:30 Pm (April to September) and 6:45 Pm (October to march)

A matter for wallet:
The entry to Akshardham is free.
The cost for the three exhibitions - Rs.125 for adults, 75 for senior citizens and free for children below 4 years
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Information and the photo courtesy - A Book published by Akshardham authorities at the cost of Rs.50/= available inside the complex.

Visit to Taj of Agra and Mathura - Panicker Travels Delhi

I had an opportunity to visit Agra and Mathura on 24th June 2009. 

I took the AC Volvo bus from Panickers Travel of Delhi. The bus was pretty decent and the service was also very prompt. The bus arrived to my pick up point near Scindia House (escorts Office corner ) of Delhi exactly by 6:00 AM as scheduled. They provided good water and cool drinks as a refreshment. The AC effect on the bus was OK. The bus stopped at a decent hotel for breakfast. 

I had a window seat and was watching the road traffic and the scenarios of fast-moving tall trees, trucks, and autos packed with people. The sun was harsh at the start of the day itself and people were covering their heads and noses with clothes. 

 Before visiting Taj, we went to the Agra Fort. The guide explained the history of the fort, the king's palace, court, and the swimming pool used by the ladies. The glimpses of the Taj at a far distance could be seen from this fort. 

The sun was so harsh that we were always thinking of going back to the bus, rather than listening to the details narrated by the guide. We were taken to the official UP government's handicraft emporium. The salesman explained the way how the paintings were done in the marble pieces by placing precious stones. Three workers were doing the art and a practical demo was seen. Taj miniature made of real marble stone was demonstrated by passing light through it. It was informed and proved by him that in fake marbles light will not enter. 

We went to a nearby hotel called Amar,  for lunch. This is a decent hotel and we enjoyed the curd rice and the brown dal very well.

 While travelling towards Agra, we saw many small depleted houses, debris, dust and un-clean remainings of the river. It is sad to note that the approach to the world's wonder was not kept clean by the local authorities. 

 Panicker took us to the South Gate of the Taj, instead of entering through the 13th gate which was very much nearer to the parking place. We were told that the South gate was near the cloakroom and easier to retrieve any items recovered from us like knife etc. But it was painful to walk a long way in the scorching sun towards the south gate. 

After entering the gate, the first sight of the Taj Mahal through the gate was astonishing. We were told that it took 22 years to build this magnificent marble building as the work took place only during the light and not at the night. We could imagine the logistic issues faced during those days when the transportation facilities were very very little. 

 The photographers and the souvenir vendors nag you as you enter the Taj. The sales trick is that a free photo from your camera would be taken first and then they will press you for a professional (?) photo from their camera. I tried with one of the photographers suggested by Panicker for a single photo. He took two snaps of us at the same place. I thought he took the snaps twice, to ensure that it was proper. But when we came out we were given both the photos ( one horizontal and one vertical) and were charged for both (Rs.60/- for each). There were more crowds and a lot of demand for taking photos by sitting on the marble bench before the Taj. 

But it is a horrible experience to pose in the harsh sun on a  heated bench!

 We had to remove our shoes and run to reach the Taj Mahal's entrance. That was a horrifying exercise in the noon when the sun was at 46 degrees. It reminded me of the festival in our Tamil Nadu Village where the devotees had to run over the fire pieces to prove their divinity (தீ மிதி திருவிழா)! Some people returned back, as they could not venture walking barefoot. 

However, as an Indian, it was a proud moment for us that we were at last at the great iconic mahal, which is a symbol of undying love and one of the wonders of the world.