Sunday, September 20, 2009

PONNURU ANJANEYA SWAMY AND SAHASRA LINGESWARA SWAMY

Ponnur Temples are very famous in our region as the 30 to 40 feet high monolithic statues of Hanumanand Garud are in the temple along with Sahasra lingeswara swamy (1001 Shiva Lingas)
The present form of the temple is elegant and it has a few rooms for the devotees who want to stay over night.
Anjaneya swamy is 35 feet tall and main Pooja is performed and aarathi on all days.  The Garud deity is 40 feet tall. and Garud temple is facing the Anjaneya swamy temple.
In 1970's I used to see both the statues in the horizontal position since erection was not done.  The Head of Hanuman  with head of Rama and Sitha is broken due to over weight  so the statue is made smaller by carving again the head of Hanuman within the body area.  I visited this temple recently when my father died since it is customary for us to spend a night after the 9 day cermony  and before the end of a month.  My father died on October 19 2006  so i stayed one night around 30th October 2006 in the temple.  Again, my mother died on 19 October 2008, so on 30 October 2009 I stayed a night in the temple premises.  Aftr one night's stay, early morning took bath and performed prayer and then returned to Hyderbad.  both times. My relation P Nageswararao helped me book the room each time.

It is really one of the  important temples to be visited in this  region.

SIDDI VINAYAKA TEMPLE DADAR MUMBAI



In Dadar, Bombay Siddiviyanaka Temple is well known for the Vara Sidi Vinayaka that is nowdays seen on the TV channels.  I used to catch a bus from AntopHill Central Government Colony  near King Circle railway station and then go to Prabha devi where the temple is located.  During eighties this was a small temple but afterwards they have constructed a huge 3 floor building in the same area with the temple and diety at the ground floor (untouched).  Vara Siddi Vinayaka temple usedto be a common place for the prayers during Dasara and Vinayaka Chavithi periods. About 10 times I visited the temple and the Aarathi Jaya deva Jayadeva  jaya mangala murthy is impressive and takes you to the immortal world of Lord Ganesha.

AHOBILAM NARASIMHA SWAMY TEMPLE

Wednesday, August 19, 2009


AHOBILAM NARASIMHA SWAMY TEMPLE

background : My father-in-law visitied Ahobilam with his family and JOGI (type of procession with diety's photo in his arms ) Pooja along with his family that was before my marriage in Aug 1978.



Having bent of mind towards the GOD now my sankalpam to reach the temples as much as I can, Lord Narasimha moved me to see the temple. Located in forest area one has to walk over the hills to see the nava narasimha temples located one above the other on the way to the hill top where the ugra narasimha stambham is located.

The trip starts with the darshan of Main diety at the groundlevel of the hill. I have climbed over to two more temples over the hill but, moving further is a difficult thing considering my physical stamina. I prayed to the Lord to bless one and all, the near and dear, my children Mothi ANIl and Venkat and my beloved wife.



Ghat route buses run between Ahobilam and the nearest RTC bus stand ( Allagaddais the nearest RTC bus stand / small town now) that is 6 kms away from ahobilam. Buses run to Nandyala so I moved in the afternoon to Nandyala and from there to Mahanandi (15 kms away from Nandyala)

Posted by Murali Ande at 7:38 PM

Saturday, September 19, 2009

VARAHA NARASIMHA SWAMY TEMPLE SIMHACHALAM VISAKAPATNAM





























VARAHA NARASIMHA SWAMY TEMPLE SIMHACHALAM VISAKAPATNAM

In Vishakhapatnam during my M Sc days 1972-1974, I visited Simhachalam two times.
It was on the hill top.
I climbed over the stairs and I was so thin and lean less than 42 kgs, so I was climbing the stairs so rapidly that I could cross many behind me.  The temple is one of the Krishnadevaraya periodtemple with huge Prakaram and sculputres.  The diety of the Varaha Narasimha swamy is inside a linga structure formed by pasting Gandham over the diety. So, i was a bit disappointed as I can not see the real diety's.    But, I prayed severally to the Lord to do all the good for me and my parents and sisters and their families.  I was still a studentof MSc at that time.
In the second visit we went with a group of friends and climbed further up the hill after the temple.  Temple is located some what below the top of the hill.  Then we went on walking climbing down with dangerous and steep so-called steps.  This route was hardly used by the sheapards or cow heard boys to take the goats for green leafy stuff.  then by the time it is sawn, we reached a raod in secluded area on the other side of Simhachalam.    Some how we managed a lift on a truck going towards waltair after it was dark and reached late night the student Hostel in Waltair where we are staying. I was staying in  the Vinaya sagar Hostel  during the second year of my MSc. My room mate was Nageswarachari a srikakulam boy with excellent english proficiency.  He used to appreciate me for my talent in understanding chemistry.  When I was doing my Ph.D he came for interview  in ACC cement company and he has secured the job.  He has written me a letter with a high level poem in English 10 stangas of 4 lines each and I have kept it close to my heart for two decades almost but, now, I can not trace it nor I can find his address.  So strange, a person who was my room mate and who was so nice to me, how time turns the memories into the images run infornt of your  eyes as backlash.  

Friday, September 18, 2009

ANNAVARAM SATYANARASWAMY TEMPLE

ANNAVARAM SATYANARASWAMY TEMPLE ON SATURDAY 7TH AUGUST 2009





Morning I reached Annavaram by train at 7 am and took teple bus from the station to the temple. Reached hill top temple area in 10 minutes and tried for accommodation. since there is provision for couples only I went to the lockers room put mybelongings over there, apying 5rupees only.. Took bath and started for darshan. 2 hours in the que but the darshnam has given the blessing that I wished.  Prayed to the almighty to bless my children particularly my daughter and her family.

Satyanarayana swamy vratham is performed by couples. Large no. of newly married couples accompanied by relatives gave abeautiful sight as the croud is mostly due to the marriage period.
Astothram is the pooja one can have if u r a single since vratham is for performed by the couples only. As the cue is around the main diety garbha gudi all around there are Halls for Vratham.  Each Hall is having a display the token thathey have purchased at the counter that is 500 rupees Hall, 400rupees Hall, 300rupees and 200 rupees.  Minimum is 200 rupeees. This token money includes 60 pojja samagri, 6 coconuts, karpuram 6 bananas and beetel leaves, beetle nuts, flowers, turmeric(pasupu),  Kumkuma etcc. One person in the cue next to me came along with his daughter and grandaughter.  He has taken the 200 rupees token and performed the vratham before joining the cue.  For higher value tokens the cue is shorter, as there is a  place where they can join in the intermediate gate (only a rope is separating-no door). The main diety is Satyanarayana swamy, Lakshmi devi and on the right side of Satyanarayana swamy Half size Lord shiva, all the deities are only about 2 0r 3 feet high.  I prayed to Satyanarayana swamy.  As my father told me, in 1983 when I returned from Kanpur in the month of September around 20th 2003, that time itself he told me by performing the Satyanarayana swamy vratham and doing Annadanam will  remove all the evil powers and life will become normal.  I prayed to the Lord to forgive me since the situation at that time didnot give me the necessary Mano nibbaram since the pooja requires patni, my wife and if it is performed only by my father and mother then, people will come to know that there is some serious problem between me and my wife.  I prayed, repeatedly to bless my daughter and son-in-law to bless with a child and have a happy married life.
  Then I proceeded  downward journey and as I reached the ground level from the Hill where the road is connected to the Annavaram town road I got down.  one hundred yards away there isw a bus stop and I could get abus to Kakinada.  From kakinada, I took a bus to Draksharamam that is Kakinada to Kotipalli bus. Reached Draksharamam in 1 hr time, just one stop before Kotipalli. From bus stand, it is walkable distance so, I  proceeded to Draksharamam temple and  in  about 5 mintues walk reached the temple.  There isw a free choultry, where I could put my belongings.  I have taken a Lock and key for rent frm a nearby Fancy shop (Bonku) for3 rupees rent with advance 30 rupees.  As there is no provision for the room, I have again located a hotel just on the other side of the road for rupees 100 per night.  Not so good, but OK.
After locking my belongigns and before the search for the Hotel room I took darshan of Lord Bhimeswara swamy.  Every thing is described in the next post.

DRAKSHARAMAM BHIMESWARA SWAMY TEMPLE

DRAKSHARAMAM BHIMESWARA SWAMY TEMPLE






सोमवार, अगस्त 17, 2009

Draksharamam मंदिर में shivalinga 14 फुट ऊंचे और भूतल में हम Panavattam के साथ Shivalinga के दर्शन दूसरी मंजिल में है और वसीयत के बारे में 4 फीट ऊंची चोटी भाग है देखा जाता है. मैं उस रात के लिए इंतजार कर रहे थे के रूप में मैं ABISHEKAM प्रदर्शन करना चाहता था, जो केवल सुबह घंटों में किया जाता है. अगले दिन सुबह मैं लिया poojari poja samagri और एक archaka bhraman /. सौभाग्य से इस poojario पहले से ही भवन के विभिन्न भागों के बारे में 5 लोगों की टा समूह को समझा था, इसलिए, मैं उनके साथ शामिल हो गए. हम मुख्य देवता abhishekam मेरी बेटी और बेटे के नाम पर प्रदर्शन किया भाभी था जब पहुंचे. मैं भगवान से प्रार्थना की पृथक उन्हें देने के लिए अच्छे स्वास्थ्य, धन, prospority, सुखी विवाहित जीवन और अच्छे गुणों के साथ एक बेटा.

मेरी योजना मंदिरों इस शनिवार और रविवार उपयोगी है और मैं बस से विजयवाड़ा के retruned यात्रा के लिए. वहाँ मैं बस स्टैंड में थोड़े समय के लिए मेरे भाई से मुलाकात के रूप में वह मुझे सेल फोन पर संपर्क किया. मेरे भाई को विजयवाड़ा से बस से sullurupet जा रहा था. मैं घर पर 11 से हैदराबाद लौट आए. अगले आम तौर पर मैं 9 बजे सुबह की बैठक के लिए जल्दबाजी के रूप में दिन सुबह सोमवार हूँ क्योंकि मैं टीडी स्थानापन्न के कर्तव्यों का पालन किया है