TEMPLES OF INDIA
We all believe that God exsists everywhere.We all long for his grace and blessing.We worship him to get his grace.In order to get the blessing of the omnipresent we build temples where we can focus on the power of the Lord in a consecrated idol for our own benefit in an easy way.
In our country we find many temples.In our temples we have idols installed and they have divinity infused into them and such they have a certain sanctity about them.The sculpture carves the idol and it becomes invested with divinity when we start performing Abhishekams,Archana and Deepaharati for the diety.
In our temples a huge temple bell is rung at the time of the Puja.This is done so that the evil spirit may go away from the temple premises and all the abuses and other bad sounds may be stifled from being heard.
The Puja we do in our house is for our own welfare while the Puja performed in temples is for the whole society.
In temples idol worship becomes very important.We do not consider it as a piece of stone but we consider the idol as our protector,We go to the temple and pray to him and pour out our woe of sufferings to him.When we pray we get peace of mind.
Temples are a great Heritage of our country.Since Temples is a place of Divinity we have to observe certain rules to preserve ,protect and nurture the sanctity of our temples which have been our greatest heritage.
MADURAI MEENAKSHI SUNDARESHWARAR TEMPLE
It is one of the greatest Shiva temples known for its lofty towers,halls and lavish architecture.It is the one of the site of the 64 Tiruvilayadugal of Shiva and is also one of the five Pancha Sabha of Nataraja where Shiva dances with his foot raised.
Legend has it that Meenakshi(Parvati) married Shiva here.Together Meenakshi andShiva have supposed to have ruled over Madurai.During the Chithirai Thiruvizha Meenakshi and Sundareshwarar are taken in a colourful procession.The divine marriage and the coronation are enacted.
The temple has stunning architecture and it was the fore runner in the elections for one of the seven wonders of the world for its architectural importance.
The Shiva shrine lies in the centre of the shrine.The 12 Gopurams of the temple have been elaborately sculpted and painted.It also has a universal sculptor of Lord Nataraja.Here Lord Shiva is seen dancing with his left foot raised.Normally it is with the right foot raised,The massive Nataraja sculptor is enclosed in a huge silver altar and called VelliAmbalam.Outside it is the huge idol carved out of a single stone called the Mukkkuriny Vinayagar.There is the Potramarai Kulam inside the temple premises where the pilgrims visit before entering the main shrine.
Another architectural delight which we find inside is the Aayiram Kaal Mandapam meaning thousand pillars.Each pillar is sculpted and is a monument of Dravidian Sculptor.Just outside the Mandapam are the Musical Pillars.Each pillar when stuck produces a different musical note.
The most important festival associated with the temple is the Meenakshi Thirukalyanam celebrated in April every year.
A visit to this temple is customary to every devout Hindu.It is believed that every wish of the devotee will be granted here and they will be blessed.