Abstract :
Hinduism is one of the world’s oldest religions, and has over 900 million followers worldwide. Though most of the Hindus live in India there are substantial numbers present in Nepal, Bangladesh and Indonesia.
The most splendidly detailed Madurai Meenakshi Amman Temple
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| Madurai Meenakshi Amman Temple |
According to legend, the sacred Suyambulingam discovered by the king of Gods Indira at Kadambavanam was later enshrined by him in Madurai. The fact that the Lord is seen on the vehicle of Indira in this temple is said to be proof of this. Many historical pieces of evidence of the temple have been found dating back from early A.D. The temple was almost completely destroyed in the year 1310 following the invasion of the Islamic conqueror Malikkapur. As kings who were followers of Islam were noted for their intolerance towards other religions, the invaders destroyed most of the ancient sculptures of the temple.
Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple
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| Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple |
Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple, also known as Thiruvaranga Tirupati, is one of the most illustrious Vaishnav temples in the country, dedicated to Ranganatha, a reclining form of Hindu deity, Bhagwan (God or Lord) Vishnu. Situated in an ethereal setting on the island of Srirangam that is bounded by the two rivers of Cauvery and Kollidam (a tributary of Cauvery), this living temple and sacred centre of pilgrimage is counted as the first and foremost among the 108 Divya Desams dedicated to Bhagwan Vishnu
Constructed in the Dravidian style of architecture, the Temple Complex is massive in scale and spread over 156 acres (63.131 hectares). According to some scholars, this makes Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple the largest Functioning Temple in the World and is often found ranked amongst the largest religious complexes of the world, including the Potala Palace in Lhasa, Tibet, Angkor Wat in Cambodia, Borobodur in Indonesia, Machu Picchu in Peru and the Vatican City.
Jambukeswarar temple
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| Jambukeswarar temple |
The Jambukeswarar Temple in Tiruchirapalli of Tamil Nadu is one of the Pancha Bhoota Stalas (the five Shiva temples). The presiding deity is the Appu Lingam – the water element. It is one of the 275 Paadal Petra Sthalams, where all the Nayanars (Saivite Saints) have sung glories of the deity.
The history of Jambukeswarar temple is that it was built by Kocengannan (Kochenga Chola), one of the Early Cholas, around 1,800 years ago. It is in Srirangam Island, which has the famous Ranganathaswamy temple. Hundreds of devotees gather here every year to watch the Lord and get his blessings.
The temple of bleeding goddess: kamakhya
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| Kamakhya temple |
The Kamakhya Temple, which is situated high aloft a hill called Neelachal Parbat or Kamagiri in the city of Guwahati is one of its several religious landmarks, which speaks volumes about the rich historical treasure over which the state of Assam is seated. This sacred temple in the heart of the capital city of Assam holds more than it meets the eye of the onlooker. The Kamakhya Temple had been built in reverence to Goddess Kamakhya or Sati, who was one of the numerous incarnations of Goddess Durga or Goddess Shakti.
Chennakeshava Temple, Karnataka
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| Chennakeshava Temple, Karnataka |
Situated on the banks of the Yagachi River, this temple was an early masterpiece of the Hoysala Period. It was built by the Vijayanagara ruler to commemorate their victory over the Cholas and is solely dedicated to Vishnu as most of the figural carvings depict aspects of Vishnu, particularly the incarnations and the God seated with Lakshmi.
The enduring testament to the magnificence of the Vijayanagara Empire: Vittala Temple, Hampi, Karnataka
Perhaps one of the most popular of all the temples in the Hampi complex, this houses the famous musical pillars that have amazing acoustics. The British wanted to find out the reason behind this, and so they cut two pillars to check if there was anything inside that was producing the sound. They found nothing but hollow pillars.
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| Vittala Temple, Hampi, Karnataka |
The road leading to the temple was once a market where horses were traded. Even today we can see the ruins of the market on both sides of the road. The temple contains images of foreigners like Persians selling horses.
The iconic chariot was built by the Great King of Vijayanagara, Shri Krishna Deva Raya during the 16th century. Stone Chariot of Hampi is designated as one of India’s most known archaeological destinations. Also, the Government of India printed the chariot in 50 Rupee Note.
The leaning temple of Varanasi, Ratneshwar temple
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| Ratneshwar temple |
The Ratneshwar Mahadev Temple is situated at Manikarnika Ghat, Varanasi. The temple has developed a nine-degree slant. It is also referred to as Kashi Karvat (Kashi is the ancient name for Varanasi and karvat means leaning in Hindi).
A Times Now report said that one of the beliefs held regarding the temple is that the 'ghat' had collapsed and leaned backwards after not being able to withstand its weight. The temple supposedly stood straight before the 1860s
Leaning Tower of Pisa leans about 4 degrees, less than Ratneshwar Temple which leans at over 9 degrees.The viral graphic also claims that the height of the temple is 74m,
The Akshardham Temple Campus in Robbinsville
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| The Akshardham Temple Campus in Robbinsville |
The Akshardham Temple Campus in Robbinsville, New Jersey is the second-largest Hindu temple in the World. The temple campus sprawls over 160 acres. A seat of spirituality, divinity, Hinduism, and humanitarianism, the temple opened its door to devotees in 2014.
One of the most interesting facts about the making of the Akshardham Temple in New Jersey is that stone marble was sourced from Europe and handcrafted in Rajasthan for years. As many as 2000 talented artists in Rajasthan hand-carved the marble stones into beautiful pieces that were assembled two times. For the first time, the marble pieces were assembled in India to check if they would fit accurately and then they were subsequently numbered. A team of accomplished craftsmen organized and assembled the pieces in the USA, according to their numbers.
A verse to Sun God, where even stones speak up in prayer: sun temple, Konark
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| The sun temple of konark |
No text of architecture in India is complete without the mention of Sun Temple at Konark, the namesake of the city itself is an elegy to the Sun God, Kona (corner) and Arka (Sun). On the sparkling coasts of Bay of Bengal rests this edifice that commemorates the work of the masters of ancient times. The temple has an elaborate and intricate mammoth structure that depicts the chariot of the Sun God replete with 24 carved wheels, each of them 3 m in diameter, pulled by seven horses and guarded by two lions at the entrance that bravely crush elephants.
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| A wheel of chariot in sun temple |
An example of a beautiful melee of science, architecture, and devotions the sundials on the temple can calculate time to the exact minute even to this day! There are also three statues of the sun god that catch the rays of the sun precisely at dawn, noon, and sunset! Rabindranath Tagore has famously said about the temple
“Here the language of stone surpasses the language of man.”
The temple beckons to question the monotonous styles of architecture that India has regressed itself to!
A temple turned upside down to worship water, Rani Ki Vav
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| Rani ki vav |
Situated in Patan, Gujarat, Rani Ki Vav is an ancient step-well, that was built by Rani Udaymati in 11th Century AD, to worship hallowed waters of Saraswati River. An exquisite example of subterranean architecture, Rani ki Vav is 64 meters long, 20 meters wide and 27 meters deep and runs downwards up to a length of seven stories. All of these stories are carved with more 500 sculptures all of which represent humans, nymphs, gods, and the kings in varying forms of skill, grandeur, and intricacy, with the central theme being the ten incarnations of Lord Vishnu.
The oldest Temple of the oldest religion: Maa Mundeshwari Temple
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| Maa Mundeshwari Temple |
According to archaeologists British travelers R. N. Martin, Francis Buchanan and Block visited this temple between 1812 and 1904. The inscription made on this temple is of middle of 389 AD indicating its ancestry. The stone carvings of the Mundeshwari Bhavani temple are of Gupta period. It is an octagonal temple made of stone. In the Eastern section of this temple, the grand and ancient idol of the goddess Mundeshwari is the center of the main attraction. The mother is in the form of Vaarahi, whose vehicle is Mahish. There are four entrances to the temple, in which one has been closed and one half open. Panchmukhi Shivaling is installed in the central part of this temple. The color of the stone This Panchmukhi Shivling has been constructed with a special stone which changes its color along with the position of the sun and stone . The statue of Vishal Nandi on the west side of the main entrance. The uniqueness of this temple is in animal (goat) sacrifice. Here the goat is sacrificed but it is not slaughtered. This type of sacrifice is nowhere else.
The largest religious monument: Angkor wat temple
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| Aerial view of Angkor Wat |
Angkor Wat, Cambodia's famous UNESCO World Heritage Site, is breathtaking and thrilling to explore. For instance, it's not only the largest temple but Angkor Wat is the largest religious monument in the world, unfortunately, it didn't make the new list of Seven Wonders of the World, and while it was previously rented for profit to an entity outside of Cambodia, the local government took back control in 2019. Constructed in the early 12th century (between 1113 and 1150), Angkor Wat was shifted from Hindu to Buddhist use sometime around the late 13th century. The temple is still used by Buddhists as a place of worship today.
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| Stone idols |
Let's have some quick facts:
- The Angkor ruins stretch over more than 154 square miles (400 square kilometers). Many visitors underestimate the size of Angkor and visit only a few of the most famous temples.
- Angkor Wat is unusually oriented to the west, a direction typically associated with death in Hindu culture. Archaeologists and scholars disagree as to why the ancient builders chose to deviate from the norm (pointing structures east) at the time.
- Bas-reliefs at Angkor Wat read counterclockwise, another indication that the temple is associated with funeral rituals.
- Also unusual for the time of construction, Angkor Wat was dedicated to Vishnu, a Hindu deity, rather than the current king.
- The original outer wall at Angkor Wat once enclosed the temple proper, city, and royal palace, occupying a space of 203 acres (820,000 square meters). Nothing remains of the wall today.
- Khmer bricks were bonded together almost invisibly by using a vegetable compound rather than mortar.
- Many visitors do not realize that many surfaces of the Angkor temples were once painted. Today, only small traces of the paint remains on just a few temples.
Conclusion:
We are an ancient nation and our monuments and architectural wonders antiquities. Let’s preserve it, not for religious reasons or for a political edge but to be able to share it with our coming generations so that they can marvel at the magnificence of these edifices just like we are able to.
Sources :
https://whc.unesco.org/en/tentativelists/5894/
https://www.thrillophilia.com/blog/indian-heritage/
https://www.tripsavvy.com/angkor-wat-facts-1458741
https://navbharattimes.indiatimes.com/astro/photo/tamilnadu-shrirangnath-temple-lord-vishnu-mumy-also-worship-there-know-story-and-intresting-facts-55997/amp/
https://knowindia.gov.in/culture-and-heritage/monuments/kamakhya-temple.php
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