Temples of Kerala

Temples of Kerala form an amazing component to render the state a unique look with the celebrations of various festivals, rituals, customs, traditions, etc. Some of the Keralite temples are linked to the famous epics of the Mahabharata and the Ramayana. The day of an average Hindu Keralite begins with the offerings and prayer in their temples along with a bath in their house or in the nearby pond. Temples can be called by other names like, Mandir, Kovil, Ambalam, Mandira, Koil, Devalayam, Kshethram depending on the local languages which they speak. It is considered that each temple in the state is erected in a form to represent the human body. The temples thus refer to all facets of a human body. There is a belief that a temple should offer quiet, calm and neat environment so that the devotees can enjoy a peace of mind. There are also rules and regulations which are formed by the trustee or board or by default that should be conditioned by the devotees visiting the temple. A majority of the temples permit only Hindus to visit the temple premises. There are also exceptions, wherein one can find no caste bar in temples.

The temple architecture in Kerala had its beginning in the early part of the ninth century in the age of Kulasekharas. This is attributed to the political revival of the Cheras which was accompanied by a religious upheaval giving birth to temples built more or less in permanent material. The earlier Cheras too are said to have extended their patronage to the worship of Lord Vishnu, Skanda or Subrahmanya and Kot-tavai or Goddess Durga indicating the existence of shrines in their times though there is no evidence as to their structural forms. Before the rise of structural temples in different parts of Kerala there were only cave temples and rock-cut caves such as those seen at Vizhinam, Kottakkal and Kaviyur.

Each of the state`s temples possesses a single presiding deity (there are also more than one deity in some temples), the god or goddess who is regarded as the prominent deity. There are also sub deities or upa-devatas which are fixed outside the sanctum sanctorum or Sreekovil. Poojas are carried on as per tantric rules and it is based on the type of temple and its customs and rituals. The eventual authority for performing a tantric pooja in a temple is known as Thanthri. The timings of offerings and Poojas are different in different temples with regard to the ritual, tradition and specialties. Thanthri is regarded as `Father of the Deity`. Especial family possesses the right, which means, this family member is only supposed to perform special Poojas like worship during the festivals, re-installation of deity, etc. There is a belief that, the one which possesses the authority to install the deity is also bears the right to perform tantric rituals and this known as thanthri.

Kerala temples are in sync with the geographic condition of the region and resonate with the region`s tradition. The temples of this state are devoted to a number of gods and goddesses belonging to the Hindu mythology. The temples are among the architectural delights which are carved in the style of tradition. Few of the major Kerala temples are Vadukkumnathan Temple, Ananthapura Lake Temple, Chottanikkara Temple, Vaikom Temple, Mannarshala Temple and the Ambalapuzha Temple. These are some of the temples which demonstrate the religious fervor of the people of the state.

Kerala temple architecture is quite different from the temples of other regions in India. Mainly dictated by the region`s geography which abounds in forests having the bounties of the monsoons, the Kerala temple structure is distinctive. The roofs are pointed and steep, and enveloped with copper sheets. The roofs resemble those in the regions of the Himalayas and in East Asia. The roof`s shape is as per the design of the sanctum below. With a plan of circular nature, one can get to see a conical roof, while in a square plan the pyramidal shape of the roof is visible. The temple roof in Kerala is made of wood and the same is completely covered by copper plates. A majority of the Kerala temples have undergone numerous stages of renovation, due to the spoilable nature of materials used of construction.

The spiritual centres - the great temples of Suchindram and Trivandrum - were and still are architectural monuments in the southern Tamil style, with massively ornate gopurams or gate towers and complexes of stone buildings, quite unlike the more modest wooden buildings of the authentic Keralan temples. Politically the most important aspect of this situation was the great influence of the Tamil Brahmins, who in Travancore outnumbered the Keralan Nambudiris and controlled the major temples. The Sri Padmanabhan temple in Trivandrum held jenmom rights over vast areas of land, which gave the priests great economic power, and during the seventeenth century the Yoggakar, the council of eight Brahmins who had originally governed the temple lands under the king`s supervision, sought greater political power for itself and for the Pillamar, the eight noble clans who collected its revenues.

There are two types of temple in Kerala, the rare stone temples in the Dravidian style, mainly in southern Travancore, and the wooden temples in the ancient and indigenous Keralan style. These forms of architecture differ in much more than choice of building materials. The Dravidian temples of Suchindram and Trivandrum are notable landmarks. Their structures are characterized by the enormous pylon-like gate towers called gopurams, heavily decorated with stone and gilded finials, which tower over all the other buildings in the temple complex and can be seen, like the spire of a cathedral, from a great distance. Within the high stone walls of these Dravidian temples there are veritable towns of halls and shrines, united by elaborate processional corridors. Even outside the main enclosures there are highly decorated dancing halls and other buildings, like the beautiful pavilion which stands for all passers to see in the middle of the great tank beside the temple at Suchindram.

The daily Poojas in the temples of Kerala are carried on by Namboodiri Brahmins, known as Santhi or Poojari, appointed by Trustee or Board. There are temples which are registered in Devaswam board or Trustee and the registered temples in Kerala possess certain rules and regulations of the concerned board. There are also temples in this state which are won by village or a particular family. In Kerala, there can be witnessed several rituals and customs relating to the temples. There are some temples in Kerala which organize annual events or festivals, thus giving more importance to the temple. There are also some Kerala temples which open a certain period of time.

The earlier Kerala temples were largely for Lord Vishnu and Lord Shiva or their different manifestations like Parasurama, Lord Rama, Lord Krishna or Vamana. Shiva is prayed in the form of aniconic and iconic lingam. Swayampradhana shrines to Kartikeya and Lord Ganesha belongs to the later origin, and is visible in temples located in close proximity to Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. The temple inscriptions belong to the ancient Vattezhuttu script of Tamil Nadu. Inscriptions in Malayalam language in the temples are found from the sixteenth century.

Festivals of Kerala Temples

Of the temple festivals, two ancient ones deserve special mention for their historical importance, though they are extinct now. These are the Mahamagha festival conducted at Tirunavay on the banks of the Bharatapuzha near Tirur and the Onam festival of Trikkakara, near Emakulam.

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Spiti Valley The Middle of the Mystic Himalayas

The Spiti Valley and its neighboring valleys are among the most remote in the world, lying on the border with Tibet in a seldom-traveled corner in the far north of India, smack-dab in the middle of the mystic Himalayas.

The valleys are accessible a few months of the year when receding snow allows traffic over 15,000-foot-high (4551M) Kunzum Pass. The only other entrance for sometimes-motorable access is habitually blocked by mud and rockslides. I entered the Spiti Valley by jogging rapidly across a few-hundred-meter-wide avalanche, ricocheting my attention between slippery footholds and the near-vertical slope above while dodging whizzing boulders larger than me.

Though an armored bulldozer worked valiantly to clear the continuing landslide, on this day no vehicles entered the Spiti Valley. For those without a helicopter the third and only other way in is also by foot: over the spectacular Pin-Parbati Pass at 17,552 feet (5319 M), often trekkable in July and August.

Why go to such a remote place? The reasons are multiple, from the unending procession of awe-inspiring glacier-snagged peaks to a flurry of ancient Buddhist monasteries chocked below, above and hanging off granite-hewed cliffs.

The oldest and holiest monastery in the Himalayas is in the Spiti Valley, the Tabo Monastery dating from 996 CE. This and other monasteries are the stomping grounds of the Dalai Lama, whose colorful hangers-on packed the Valley during my week there.

Though his extreme Holiness was very much in rumored evidence, the best I could muster was a photo of a waving hand and glimpse of his bespectacled face as he swept by in a red SUV.

For those planning an assault on the Spiti Valley it’s best to headquarter in Manali, mountain-vacation refuge for those sweltering in India’s lowland cities. Indians visiting Manali are the rich ones, the barely one percent who can afford to escape Delhi and every other big Indian city during the malevolent monsoon that covers the non-mountainous part of India with water, doubling the price of Manali hotel rooms.

The weird is represented, among other examples, by the near-by dinker village of Malana, even by non-dyslexics not to be confused with Manali. In Malana the villagers shun all strangers as untouchable, which is real progress. A decade ago strangers were barred from Malana.

Walking through Malana is like wondering whether you really exist. Villagers look right through you, around you and over you, or run and hide, except the little ones with grimy hands unabashedly begging for chocolate.

The remarkable beauty resides in Manali-area treks fragranced by dense pine forests. My first trek challenged a pass freshly covered in white stuff, a May snowstorm that the night before had literally buried my tent at a mere 10,700 feet (3200 M).

This trek then weirdly led down through the untouchability of Malana, 6000 feet (1700M) almost straight down a freshly muddied and thus very slippery slope to the closest road for a bus back to Manali. Knees past their use-by date took three days to recover.

The next three-day trek over 14,084 feet (4268M) Hampta Pass was spectacularly gorgeous, what most any pass would be with 100 feet (30M) of snow on its traverse, allowing a ski-like descent into the green-meadowy valley below. There I crossed raging glacier-fed torrents on precarious bridges of snow: a pale warm-up for the grandeur of the Spiti and its neighboring valleys.

Modern and up-to-snuff isn’t exactly how you get to some of the remotest valleys on the orb. However, the tent came with a wall-to-wall-plushy mattress and a waterproof rain-fly. Thus I survived the only deluge of the two-week journey.

Before tent-time I’d piddled away two hours waiting for dinner while chatting up the earthy cook and listening to her unending witticisms about the ferocious nocturnal bears that wander the local Great Himalayas National Park, looking for tasty tidbits nestled in canvas.

Surviving the bears, I explored out-of-the-way places beginning with the recent headquarters for human sacrifice in Sarahan, heads tossed into the Sutlej River a vertical mile below the grand twin towers of the combo Buddhist and Hindu Bhimakali Temple.

Blood from the decapitated body was placed on the tongue of the Temple goddess and used to wash her feet, now faded to orange. Leftover bodies were dropped into an adjacent well from which you still oughtn’t drink the water. However, Sarahan beer is nicely chilled at 6300 feet (1920M). But don’t over imbibe because the raucous Temple loudspeakers wake everyone at six am.

The next day required six bus changes to cover fifty six miles (92 Km), taking almost seven hours, the last hour up to Sangla among the most frightening of my life. Every Indian bus requires a conductor and driver. The conductor sells tickets and blows a supersonic whistle full blast in your ear, ostensibly to start, stop or guide the bus so it doesn’t fall off a cliff because all the roads in this part of the world are narrow ribbons snaking along sheer cliffs. I decided to tackle the Spiti in a uniquely weird fashion, by taking local buses for two or three dollars a day instead of shelling out thirty or more for a jeep and driver. So what if it took a week to get all the way to Spiti? And so what if the first night was spent in a tent? Upon arrival in Manali you’re confronted with a hundred hotels scattered over precipitous hillsides surrounded by glaciers and granite, by unique weirdness and remarkable beauty.

Meanwhile the driver is preoccupied with selecting the loudest shrillest tape of Indian “music” to share with those not already deaf from the conductor’s whistle, a task far more important than watching for oncoming trucks. When a bus meets a truck on these single-track roads, which occurs every sixty seconds, one vehicle hugs the cliff wall while the other tracks the edge of the quite slippery cliff.

The driver this day harbored a death wish and visions of Formula One stardom. He’d stick his head out the window to see how close he could drive to the edge that dropped five hundred feet straight down. On one occasion he opened his door to double-check his acuity, which wasn‘t that precise.

I sat on the cliff-side and could usually see the Sutlej River straight below, unobstructed by the inconvenience of a road’s edge. Blind corners failed to discourage our hurtling-projectile of a bus though its front end cornered over the verge while the back end reluctantly and sloppily followed, swinging a crumble further for particularly inspiring views of the shattered hillside below, dizzily seen as if through the wrong end of a telescope.

It had been sprinkling for an hour, lending excitement to riddles of bus maintenance and the slithery mud track to Sangla. Meanwhile the lady next to me leaned over and was sick out my window while the music pounded and the slick bus tires fought for purchase on the next blind curve around the gray-granite blasted cliff.

Exactly one week later this bus missed a curve and landed five hundred feet below, in the Sutlej River, the latest version of human sacrifice. By the time would-be rescuers reached the canyon bottom the bodies had disappeared without, one assumes, the intervention of a temple goddess or close-by well.

Sangla was separated into an older ancient village with a seven-story fort overlooking the high valley and “modern” Sangla right below where I found a slightly strange hotel. Every evening the sheets and towels were washed by tossing them into a huge vat, adding soap, water and stomping feet for an experience similar to crushing grapes. The washer-man exited with clean feet while sheets and towels remained dingy.

The Sangla road dead-ended at Chitkul a few kilometers from the Tibetan border, which is legally crossable nowhere within a thousand miles. To legally enter Tibet you must fly in from a Chinese city or cross overland from Nepal.

This dead-end remoteness rendered Chitkul charming and amazing, largely because it’d been open to foreigners for only a dozen years. The locals wore green-felt hats and lived in ancient wooden hayricks with slate roofs surrounding the mandatory defense-tower, which was dwarfed by the surrounding white-capped peaks.

Every evening the local men got liquored up and toted Chitkul’s sacred ark from the little village square to the temple complex, going into a trance and swinging the ungainly apparatus to simulate the presence of spirits already over-partaken.

The next chore was obtaining the seven-day “inner-line” permit required for entry into the Spiti Valley, an operation requiring three passport photos plus a copy of passport and Indian visa, taking a day of bureaucratic dawdling in the regional center of Recongpeo: grand cost $1.15.The map legend for the Spiti Valley might as well read, “Monsters be here,” but all maps instead describe India’s borders with Tibet, China and Pakistan as unofficial, which is to say unknown and seriously disputed. Clutching a fresh “inner-line” permit I hopped a bus that immediately broke down upon approaching the Spiti Valley, forcing an unplanned night in the strangely-named town of Pooh.

Next morning I was allowed to step off the substitute bus and gingerly rush cross the avalanche-zone with my fellow passengers who waited for a bus that never arrived.

After walking a few miles I found a bus in the first Spiti Valley village and over-nighted in the venerable Tabo monastery, the sprawling monastery complex having been freshly painted for the imminent arrival of the Dalai Lama. Every four years he rededicates the complex of five temples and four shrines with rites of Kalachalena, consisting of instruction, rejuvenation and prayer, the latest from June 12-14, 2004.

I spotted his Holiness during his arrival to dedicate the new monastery down valley at Kungri on June 8 where Tibetan Buddhists and monks thronged, most sleeping in freezing-cold tents at 11,000 feet. Meanwhile I managed to find a sparse guesthouse in Sangam, a couple of miles away in the incredibly beautiful Pin Valley surrounded by mountains folded, spindled and seemingly stapled into fantastically-shaped fissures and wads.

Next morning the Dalai Lama landed in a private helicopter on the Sangam helipad and SUVed to Kungri. There monks in red-pointy helmet-hats fringed with golden manes lined a thoroughfare mobbed with true-believers and an exuberant time was had by all.

After a week exploring the Spiti Valley and somehow missing the Dalai Lama’s every other appearance I returned to truly strange antics above Manali. There lowland Indians, who’ve never seen snow up close, thronged to rent overshoes, ratty fake-fur coats, gloves and hats to brave the sparse dirty snow left on Rohtang Pass, a bare 13,000 foot (almost 4000M) affair.

The Pass attracted Indians like a magnet, creating one of the world’s highest perpetual traffic jams as they wandered the narrow road, careened down practically barren slopes in faux sleighs and posed for group photos in front of grotty snowmen. I was already missing the peace and tranquility of the incredible Spiti Valley.

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East India Golden Triangle Tour

Explore Some Of Best Temples Of India

East India golden triangle tour is one of the most sought after travel circuits of India which provides tourists a wonderful opportunity to see some of the best temples of India. This fascinating travel circuit lies in Orissa in eastern India and covers three popular destinations – Bhubaneswar, Puri and Konark. It is a short period touring option and generally the itinerary is planned in duration of 5 or 6 days. Each destination of this cultural journey has some of renowned temples of India. Here is information about what you will see at each destination of this cultural odyssey in Orissa.

Bhubaneswar: Bhubaneswar is the capital city of the Indian state of Orissa (Odisha). The city has 2000 years old history. Magnificent sculptures and architectural heritage are assets of this historical city. There are hundreds of Hindu temples in this city which attract travelers. Temples are architecturally beautiful and never fail to lure visitors. Travelers can also make excursion to nearby famous places like Udaigiri, Ratnagiri and Lalitgiri. At Udaigiri, Ratnagiri and Lalitgiri travelers have an opportunity to see many magnificent Buddhist temples & monuments.

Major attractions to see in Bhubaneswar include Lingaraj Temple (the truest fusion of dream and reality), Mukteshwar Temple, Parsurameswar Temple, Vital Temple, Raja Rani Temple, Brahmeswar Temple, Bharateswar Temple, Ananta Vasudeva Temple, Mohini Temple and many more.

Puri: Puri is one of the holiest cities for the Hindus. Located in Indian state of Odisha it is also one of the best beaches for swimming in India. It has emerged as a popular beach resort and pilgrimage place and attracts a number of Hindu devotees and vacationers from all over the world. Once can see the spectacular views of both sunset and sunrise from the beach at Puri.

Major attractions to see in Puri include Jagannath Temple, Siddha Mahavir Temple, Jambeswar Temple, Shyamakali Temple, Gundicha Temple, Lokonath Temple and Swetaganga Tank.

Konark: Konark is a small town in Puri district of the eastern Indian state of Orissa. It is the site of the 13th century Sun Temple (also known as Konark Sun Temple or Black Pagoda). The temple is declared as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and internationally renowned with its marvelous architecture. It is also one of the Seven Wonders of India as per the poll collected by NDTV. It is built in the shape of chariot of Lord Surya (the sun god). The stunning stone carving of the temple complex never fails to lure its visitors.

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The Charm of Traveling By Ferry

With the Goan terrain criss-crossed by a number of rivers, at many places one has to cross a river to get to the other side. Before bridges were built, canoes and ferries were an important and essential mode of transport in Goa. The most important crossings were from Panjim to Betim and Agacaim to Cortalim, and vice-versa, across the Mandovi and Zuari rivers respectively.

The ferryboats plied from one ramp to another across the river. Earlier there was only one ramp on each side. But as traffic increased, another ramp was built and the number of ferries crossing the rivers too, increased. Having a single ramp was inconvenient for the passengers, especially at peak hours. No particular timings were observed, and the ferries would cross, once the ferry was full of passengers.

The ferries were connected to the ramp by wooden planks called shigdi in Konkani. People and vehicles walked over these, to board or alight from the ferry. These planks had hoods at one end, which were used to fit and fix the ferry. The planks were left on either side of the river, on the landing. When the ferry reached one of the sides, the planks were pulled by using long iron rods that had hooks to facilitate holding of the planks.

Placing the planks at the right place was important and needed some skill. This was required specially when four wheelers had to move in and out of the ferry. The drivers had also to be skillful and be able to manoeuvre the car on the narrow planks, or risk falling in the water.

There was discipline while boarding the ferry. First of all, the vehicles would move in: Two wheelers, followed by four wheelers. Last came the passengers. Similarly, after mooring, the people would move out first, and then the vehicles. However, some people who were in a hurry to reach their destination, or board a bus, would jump from the ferry ramp, without waiting for the attendants (kalasi) to set the planks. Some of the youngsters and agile passengers would jump even before the kalasis threw the rope to moor the ferry. Funny scenes were sometimes witnessed when a person fell into the water instead of onto a dry ramp or he/she broke the strap of the sandal or slipper.

Traveling across the rivers was cumbersome. Those who wished to travel from Panjim to Margao or Vasco da Gama had to first travel up to Agacaim and go across the river Zuari by ferry for their onward journey. There were bus stands on either side of the river, one at Agacaim and the other at Cortalim. Taxi owners would wait for individuals to come and take the seats. Each passenger would pay for his or her own fare. This was a practical and viable mode of transport for those who could afford to pay the higher fare of the taxi. In return the passenger had a comfortable trip, spending minimum time. Many such taxi 'sharing' service were available in Goa, even ten years back. However, at present most of these services have been discontinued as traveling regularly by taxi has become expensive. Panjim-Mapusa and vice versa has still got this service and has many passengers patronizing the taxis, specially during the morning, afternoon and evening (after office) time.

Traveling to the north, one had to cross the Mandovi river and take a bus or taxi from Betim bus stand and proceed to Mapusa and other onward destination. At every such point (ferry wharfs) the passengers would alight and rush to buy the tickets, to cross the river. Some regular passengers carried monthly or annual passes. Passengers would queue up to buy the tickets at the ticket counter. Sometimes when the ferry was about to leave, latecomers would rush into it, with some jumping in even after the wooden planks.

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