The absence of ancient Hindu structures in Kashi is something I have always lamented about. The shrines are certainly ancient, and that is something that has always attracted me to the city. However, I miss the beauty of the ancient structures that we see at other sites. This feeling is intensified when I see marble and concrete and tiles in temples that once would have been beautifully adorned with evocative sculptures, and worn by the passage of time, touched by the hands of seekers who came before. This time , this desire to see some remnants of an ancient Hindu structure in Kashi came true when I managed to visit the Kardameshwar Temple. The Kardameshwar temple is not one of the main temples in the city. It is part of the temples on the Pancha Kroshi yatra, a pilgrimage which takes one on a circumambulatory tour of the whole city. The temple is located on the outskirts of the city, on the western bank of a tank called the Kardama Kund. The Kardameshwar temple is one of the...
Navagrahas – the nine planets – Sun (Suryan), Moon (Chandran), Mercury (Budhan), Venus (Sukran), Mars (Angarakan or Sevvai), Jupiter (Guru), Saturn (Shani) and the two shadow planets Rahu and Kethu , form an important part of Hindu Mythology and beliefs. They are believed to govern each and every aspect of our lives, our actions, and even the results of our actions. They inspire varied feelings such as awe as well as fear in the hearts of people, who wonder what effect a particular planet will have on their lives. Every temple in south India has images of the Navagrahas standing in a 3×3 matrix, facing in different directions. However, as we discovered on this trip to Thanjavur and surrounding areas, this is not necessarily true. In many temples in this area, the Navagraha group has Surya in the centre, with all the other 8 facing him. This is the case in most of the Saptha Sthaanam temples, and most Ashta Veeratta Sthalams. Another interesting layout of the Navagrahas is seen in th...