The Legend of Sri Venkateswara Part 6

During my recent trip to Uttarakhand , I was faced with a problem I had never encountered before. We were passing through Delhi, but we had hardly any time in the city. On earlier visits when I have had to change trains/flights at Delhi, I have always arrived in the morning and left again at night, visiting relatives in between. This time, I was arriving in the city at night, and leaving again early in the morning. There was hardly any time to visit people. I would only have a couple of hours with them before I’d have to leave again. For the first time, we considered booking a hotel, but there again, we were hesitant about the actual hotels, the costs involved, and the logistics of getting from the airport to the railway station and then back again from the station to the airport. That’s when we remembered reading something about a corporate-managed lounge at Delhi station. We soon figured out that we could book online and pay by the hour. Besides, we also learnt that there wasn’t ju

The Legend of Sri Venkateswara Part 6 - The Temple today

This is the final instalment of the story of Lord Venkateswara. Please read the earlier portions before reading further...

Part 1 - The Lord descends on Earth

Part 2 - The Lord finds a mother... and also a wife...

Part 3 - The story of Padmavati

Part 4 - A marriage is fixed.. and the finance too...

Part 5 - The marriage.. and after....

It is believed that the lord remained in the temple in person for a long time in the early part of Kali Yuga. It was only when the age progressed, and the real dark nature of the age started progressing that he decided to transform himself into the statue which is seen today. It is believed that He has shown himself to some of his dearest devotees since then.

It is also believed that Padmavati remains in her hometown at Tiruchanur, while she remains symbolically in the heart of the Lord on the hill. Hence, it is customary to visit her at Tiruchanur after visiting the lord. Also, since it is believed that Mahalakshmi remains in Kolhapur, at the same time occupying the other half of the heart of the lord, it is also believed by some that one should make a trip to Kolhapur after visiting the lord at Tirupati!

Govindaraja Perumal, whom I have mentioned in my earlier post, is considered his elder brother. In some legends, he is said to be Vakula Devi’s so. It is he who keeps records of the amount due to Kubera, and takes care of the repayment. Hence, it is considered respectful to visit him before the lord.

Vakula Devi also has a shrine right outside the shrine of Srinivasa. After seeing the lord, we first see her and then proceed to make our offerings. Right opposite the hundi in which we make our offerings is an image of Mahalakshmi on one of the pillars. It is considered auspicious to pray to her after making our offerings.

Here is a summary of the order in which we are supposed to visit these deities –

1. Govindaraja Perumal – on the foothills

2. Varaha Swamy – just outside the temple of Srinivasa

3. Lord Srinivasa

4. Vakula Devi

5. Offerings – Mahalakshmi

6. Padmavati – Tiruchanur

7. Mahalakshmi – Kolhapur

There have been various other legends about Tirumala. In Hindu mythology, there are also allusions to the deity actually being an image of Shiva, and also other stories suggesting that it is really a Devi temple. While it was Sri Ramanujar who settled a dispute among the Shaivites and Vaishnavites, by giving the lord his choice of arms, there are also other stories which hint of Buddhist influence on the temple too. Here, however, we enter into uncharted waters, and I shall refrain from giving opinions. Today, the temple is most popular among all sections of Indian society, and a mention of the temple brings to mind only the HUGE crowd, unparalleled at any other temple! At times, it can be a terrible experience, but I have been lucky enough to have some memorable experiences, which have been good enough to make me forget the no-so-good ones….. Here’s hoping I get more good experiences to communicate with all of you!

Gokarna Part II – The Five Lingams

We continued our Gokarna trip by visiting four other Shiva temples in the vicinity, all connected to the same story of Gokarna. The story of Gokarna mentions the Mahabaleshwara Lingam as the one brought from Kailas by Ravana, and kept at this place on the ground by Ganesha. (See my earlier post- Gokarna – Pilgrimage and Pleasure). However, the story does not end here. It is believed that, in his anger, Ravana flung aside the materials which covered the lingam- the casket, its lid, the string around the lingam, and the cloth covering it. All these items became lingams as soon as they touched the ground. These four lingams, along with the main Mahabaleshwara lingam are collectively called the ‘ Panchalingams’ . These are: Mahabaleshwara – the main lingam Sajjeshwar – the casket carrying the lingam. This temple is about 35 Kms from Karwar, and is a 2 hour drive from Gokarna. Dhareshwar – the string covering the lingam. This temple is on NH17, about 45 Kms south of Gokarna. Gunavanteshw

The Havelis of Bikaner - A Photo Post

The lanes are narrow , twisting and turning amidst buildings old and new. Crumbling old structures with intricate workmanship stand side by side with art deco buildings, and more modern constructions, which follow no particular style. Autos, bicycles, motorcycles and vans rush past, blowing their horns as loudly as possible, while cows saunter past peacefully, completely unaffected by the noise. In the midst of all this chaos, children play by the side, and women go about their chores, as we explore these by-lanes of Bikaner, and its beautiful Havelis. Facade of one of the Rampuria Havelis

The Elephanta Caves

The Elephanta Caves , located on Elephanta Island, or Gharapuri, about 11 Km off the coast of the Gateway of India, Mumbai, are a UNESCO World Heritage Site. A visit to these caves, excavated probably in the 6 th century CE, is awe-inspiring, and also thought-provoking. Over the years, I have visited the caves a number of times, and also attended a number of talks by experts in the fields of art, history and archaeology on the caves. Together, they help me understand these caves, their art, and the people they were created for, just a little bit better. Every new visit, every new talk, every new article I read about the caves, fleshes out the image of what the island and the caves would have been like, at their peak. I last wrote about the caves on this blog, in 2011, almost exactly 11 years ago. Since then, my understanding of the caves has, I would like to think, marginally improved. Hence this attempt to write a new and updated post, trying to bring to life, the caves of Elephan

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