Places impact you for a variety of reasons. And the same place impacts different people in different ways. This is especially true when it comes to spiritual experiences, where every single person’s experience is unique. And personally, every spiritual experience is unique, the same person can have different deeply spiritual experiences at different places, at different times. This thought has emerged because of my own experiences over the years, but especially so this year, with different and unique experiences at various places I have visited recently. I began this year with a visit to Baroda (Vadodara) with friends. It was meant to be a relaxed trip, a touristy trip, with our sons. We enjoyed ourselves to the hilt, but the highlight of that trip was a visit to the Lakulisha temple at Pavagadh. It was the iconography of the temple that I connected with, and I spent a few hours simply lost in the details of the figures carved around the temple. There was an indefinable connect with
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
Both look lovely.
ReplyDeleteAwwww, what cute mushrooms and the adorable snail... :)
ReplyDeleteSamhith must be freaking out :D
Lovely captures...
ReplyDeleteAwwww.. awesome captures.. Both are cute.. You even make snails sound so interesting.. 'first snail of the year'.. ha ha.. Superb Anu!!
ReplyDeleteVery nice pics! The same camera as before?
ReplyDeletenice...
ReplyDelete@Mridula: Thanks...
ReplyDelete@AAarti" Oh, he is! he looks out for them every morning, even stepping into the muck and filth to get closer to them!
@jayasree: thanks...
@Patty: thanks... but they didnt interest me either till Samhith started getting interested in them!
@Usha: yes,,, same one... have yet to plan for a new one!
@Shrinidhi: thanks...