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Major Temples of Jammu and Kashmir

About Major Temples of Jammu and Kashmir - Amarnath Temple, Raghunath Temple, Vaishno Devi Temple

Temples of  Jammu and Kashmir - Amarnath Temple

The Amarnath temple is one of the most revered pilgrimage places in India. The cave is located at 86 miles north east of Srinagar at 13000 feet above sea level. Surrounded by the snow clad mountains, Amarnath enshrines a natural Shivalingam of ice formed by the drops of water oozing in the cave. There is a block of ice representing Lord Ganesh to the left of the Shivalingam and other two ice blocks representing Parvati and Barirava lie to the right of the Shivalingam. A small cave inside Amarnath has a chalk like substance which is given to pilgrims as Vibhuti.

According to the tradition that in every lunar month, the icy Shivalingam begins to form, on the first day of the bright half of the month, and reaches its fullest size on the full moon day, and then begins to wane and disappear on the new moon day. The process repeats itself every month. As it is believed that Shiva manifested himself first on the full moon day in the month of Sravana, it is the only summer month that permits travel to this mountainous area.

When all devas, devatas have rebirths and re-incarnations, it is only Lord Shiva who is beyond birth and death. Surprised by this, goddess Shakti asked Shiva how this was possible for him. Lord Mrutyunjaya replied it to be amara rahasya or deathless secret. When the goddess requested the lord to reveal the secret, he takes her to the lonely Amarnath cave leaving behind all his close attendants. He left Nandi at Pahalgham, Moon at Chandanvari, adorning snakes at Sheshnag, Ganapati at Mahagunas. He ordered the five nature-elements, the earth, the air, the water, the fire and the space to guard at Panchatarani. While sitting in the cave, Shiva ordered the Kalagni Rudra to burn off the whole surroundings. But a parrot which was hatching under the feet of lord escaped. When Shiva started telling the secret, goddess listened with “Hmm” and subsequently she goes to sleep. But the new born parrot listens to everything and makes the sound “Hmm”. Then it escapes from the cave and gets into the womb of Vyasa’s wife. It was born as Shuka Brahmarishi. This cave became the holy place as it is in this place, the secret was revealed by Lord Shiva.

Later, a Muslim Shepherd named Buta Malik was given a sack of coal by a sadhu. But after reaching the home, he discovered that the sack contained Gold. Overjoyed, Buta Malik rushed back to look for sadhu and thank him. But on the spot of their meeting discovered a cave, and eventually this became a place of pilgrimage for all believers. The Dogra king Maharaja Gulab Singh was very much pleased by this discovery that he decreed that a representative of the Malik family would always be present at the holy shrine, along with the Pundits during the period of the pilgrimage each year. Also, the family of the Muslim shepherd was granted a large estate near Pahalgam and exempted from paying land revenue to the state apart from sharing a part of revenue from the temple.

The trek to Amarnath begins at Srinagar. The route covers Pampur, Avantipur, Brijbihara, Anantnag, Gautam Nag, Martand, Pahalgam, Chandanwadi, Pishu Ghati, Seshnag, Wavjan, Mahagunus Pass, Panchatarni and Amarnath.

Temples of  Jammu and Kashmir - Raghunath Temple

The Raghunath temple is dedicated to Lord Rama. It is located in the heart of the city of Jammu. This temple’s construction was started in 1835 by Maharaja Gulab Singh and completed by his son, Maharaja Ranbir Singh in 1860. The inner walls of the temple have the coverings made of gold sheet on three sides. There are galleries of lakhs of Saligrams. The temple has seven shrines each with a tower of its own. The main sanctuary is dedicated to Lord Rama whereas other sanctuaries are dedicated to other gods and goddesses from the epic Ramayana in the surrounding region. The temple complex is remarkable for sacred scriptures and it also houses a Sanskrit library containing many rare Sanskrit manuscripts. The architecture of the temple with arches, surface and niches has a great influence of Mughals.

 

Temples of  Jammu and Kashmir - Vaishno Devi Temple

The Vaishno Devi temple is located in the Trikuta Mountain at 61 kms north of Jammu at a height of 5,200 feet above the sea level. The shrine can be visited throughout the year, but in winters, it is difficult due to snowfall.

The legend has that the three main manifestations of Goddess like Mata Maha Kali, Mata Maha Lakshmi and Mata Maha Saraswati united together one day and pooled the collective Tejas or spiritual strength. Then a bright light emanated from the place where a beautiful young girl emerged out of this Tejas. She was told to live on earth, spending her time in upholding righteousness and later merge into Vishnu. So, the girl was born to Ratankar and his wife who called her as Vaishnavi.

The girl was very intelligent and had the hunger for knowledge. She learned the art of meditation and penance. Lord Rama during his fourteen years of exile met her who immediately recognized him and asked him to merge her into himself. But Rama asks her to wait till the end of his exile and at that time if she succeeded in recognizing him, he would fulfill her wish. Later, when Rama became victorious and visits her in the disguise of an old man, Vaishnavi was unable to recognize him.

Lord Rama consoles her that he would fulfill her wish in Kaliyug where he would incarnate as Kalki. He also told her to continue her meditation and set up an Ashram to help the destitute from their sufferings. So Vaishnavi goes to the foot of Trikuta hills, sets up an ashram and begins to meditate.

Later Vaishnavi sheds her human form and assumes the face of a rock immersing her into meditation forever. Now, Vaishnavi, in the form of a five and a half feet tall rock with three heads or the Pindies on the top is the ultimate destination of a devotee.

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An Introduction to Hinduism
Known as “Santana Dharma” in Sanskrit, the Hinduism is the world's oldest organized and most profound religion. It is the everlasting religion which was founded, exists and flourishes in India. It is not founded by a single leader and does ...


The Vedas
The earliest literary creations were the Rig-Veda, the Sama Veda, the Yajur Veda and the Atharva Veda. The Vedas had the Mantras or the hymns, the Brahmanas or the ritual and the ceremonies, the Aranyakas or the forest speculations and ...


The Upanishads
The Upanisads being diverse in character and outlook recognize the intuition rather than reason as a path to ultimate truth. Even though there are supposed to be 108 or more Upanishads, twelve of them are recognized as the principal units. ...


The Epics of India
In the period of the Epics which succeeded the period of the Upanisads, the Ramayana and the Mahabharat, philosophical doctrines were presented in the form of stories and parables. The Avatars or the incarnations of Vishnu, assume a prominent place ...


The Bhagavad-Gita
The Bhagavad-Gita contains the essence of Indian teaching about the duties of life as well as spiritual obligations. It emphasizes on the importance of knowledge, charity, penance and worship. It is referred as the song of the divine one, the ...


The Dharma Sastras
The Dharma Sastras contain treatises on ethical and social philosophy compiled to deal systematically with the proper conduct of life and describe social, ethical and religious obligations. The Sruti and the Smriti are the two authoritative sources of Hinduism. Sruti ...


The Puranas
The Puranas being expressed in the form of parables and narratives have become the scripture for the common people. They are encyclopedias furnishing an image of spiritual, religious, social, political and cultural life comprising an astonishingly varied repertory of folklore ...


Influence of Buddhism and Jainism
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Influence of Vaishnavism
Vaishnavism sometimes referred as the heart of Hinduism is the largest community within the Hinduism worshipping the God Lord Vishnu. There are many divisions focusing on one form or avatar of Vishnu. The twelve Alvars laid the foundations for the ...


Various influences on Hinduism
Influence of Sri Adi Shankaracharya on HinduismThe influence of Sri Adi Shankaracharya on Hinduism is remarkable. During his short but active life, he traveled all over the country, refuting atheistic and materialistic systems of thought, writing commentaries on the Upanisads, ...


On Hindu Gods and Goddesses
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Hindu God - Lord Ganesha
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Hindu God - Lord Brahma
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Hindu God - Lord Vishnu
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Hindu God - Lord Shiva
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Hindu God - Goddess Durga
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Hindu God - Goddess Lakshmi
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Hindu God - Goddess Saraswati
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More Hindu Gods
Hindu God - Lord RamaLord Rama being the seventh incarnation of Lord Vishnu, worshipping him is very popular among all Hindus. In temples Rama is accompanied by his faithful wife, Sita, devoted brother Lakshmana and beloved devotee Hanuman. The great ...


Influence of Navagraha on your life
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Hindu Philosophy
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The Samkhya School of Philosophy
The Samkhya is the oldest of the orthodox philosophical systems in Hinduism postulating that the universe consists of two eternal realities such as the Purusha or the soul and the Prakriti or the matter or nature. Being the silent spectators ...


The Yoga School of Philosophy
The Yoga which is considered to have arisen from the Samkhya philosophy has its primary text as the Bhagavad Gita. It explores the four primary systems of the Karma-Yoga, the Buddhi-Yoga, the Dhyana-Yoga and the Bhakti-Yoga. Being many million years ...


The Nyaya School of Philosophy
The Nyaya School of philosophy is based on texts called the Nyaya Sutras. They were written by Aksapada Gautama. The most important contribution of this school is its methodology based on a system of logic that has been adopted by ...


The Vaisheshika School of Philosophy
Founded by the sage Kanada, the Vaisheshika School of philosophy postulates an atomic pluralism. Accordingly all objects in the physical universe are reducible to a certain number of atoms, and the God is regarded as the fundamental force causing the ...


The Purva Mimamsa School of Philosophy
The Purva Mimamsa School established the authority of the Vedas through the formulation of the rules of Vedic interpretation. Its believers assumed that one must have unquestionable faith in the Vedas and perform the fire-sacrifices or yajnas regularly. Accordingly, it ...


The Vedanta School of Philosophy
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Hinduism as a Religion
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Worship at Temple
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Temple Architecture of India
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Temple Arts of India
Mural PaintingsMural Paintings are the most common temple paintings and its evolution in temples can be traced from Ajanta to Kerala. Linked intrinsically with Indian painting traditions, the Murals are the earliest evidences unearthed from the remnants of ancient civilization. ...


Forms of Hindu worship
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About Hindu Prayers
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Darshan in Hinduism
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Pooja in Hinduism
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Pradakshina in Hinduism
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Prasad in Hinduism
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Basic norms to be followed in a temple
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Temples of Andhra Pradesh - Srisailam Temple
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Temples of Andhra Pradesh - Sri Kalahasthi Temple
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Temples of Andhra Pradesh - Amareswara Swamy Temple
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Major Temples of Goa
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Major Temples of Gujarat
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Major Temples of Jammu and Kashmir
Temples of  Jammu and Kashmir - Amarnath Temple The Amarnath temple is one of the most revered pilgrimage places in India. The cave is located at 86 miles north east of Srinagar at 13000 feet above sea level. Surrounded ...


Temples of Karnataka - Annapoorneshwari Temple
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Temples of Karnataka - Badami Caves
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Temples of Karnataka - Chamundeshwari Temple
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Temples of Karnataka - Shri Dharmasthala Temple
Shri Dharmasthala temple located in the village of Dharmasthala, in Belthangady Taluk of South Kanara District of Karnataka State. It is one of the most sacred places in South India. It is situated in on the Mangalore-Charmady Road 40 miles ...


Temples of Karnataka - The Gokarna Temple
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Temples of Karnataka - Mookambika Temple
Sri Mookambika temple is situated at the foot of a hill called Kudashtri at Kollur about 135 kms from Mangalore. It is one of the seven 'Mukti Sthalams' of Parasurama Kshetra situated in Karnataka. The deity of the temple is ...


Temples of Karnataka - Sringeri Temple
The Sringeri temple is situated amidst the Sahyadri hills in Chikmagalur district of Karnataka on the left bank of Tungabhadra river at 150 km from Mangalore. Being the home of Sharada Peetham established by the revered saint Sri Adi Shankaracharya, ...


Temples of Karnataka - Vishnumurthy Temple
Shree Vishnumurthy Temple is situated in Kulai town at 15 kms north of Mangalore along the west coast high way. It is one of the ancient Vishnu shrines in Mangalore. Shree Vishnumurthy, another form of Lord Mahavishnu is the main ...


Temples of Karnataka - Udupi Sri Krishna Temple
The Udupi Sri Krishna temple located at 60 kms from Mangalore is one of the most popular shrines dedicated to Lord Krishna in the southern region of India. It was built in 13th century and the idol of Krishna was ...


Temples of Kerala - Ambalapuzzha Sri Krishna Temple
The Ambalapuzzha Sri Krishna temple is situated in Ambalapuzzha, a small town in Alapuzzha district of Kerala State. It is one of the three important Sri Krishna temples in the state of Kerala. It is believed to have been built ...


Temples of Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram Attukal Temple
The Attukal Bhagavathy temple in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala is one of the ancient temples of South India and is popularly known as the Sabarimala of the Women. The Goddess in the temple of Attukal is worshipped as the Supreme Mother. The ...


Temples of Kerala - Sree Guruvayoorappan Temple
Located at 29 km north-west of Thrissur District of Kerala, the Guruvayur is one of the most important pilgrimage centers of South India. It is called as the Bhoolokavaikunta meaning the heaven on the Earth. It is also called as ...


Temples of Kerala - Sri Padmanabhaswamy Temple
Sri Padmanabhaswamy temple, located inside the East Fort in Thiruvananthapuram of Kerala is dedicated to Lord Padmanabha, a form of Vishnu. The temple has Vishnu enshrined in Anananthasayanam posture which is in eternal sleep of yognidra. Sri Padmanabhaswamy ...


Temples of Kerala - Sabarimala Temple

About Sabarimala Sree Swamy Ayyappa Temple Sri Sabarimala Sree Swamy Ayyappa temple situated in the Western Ghats Mountains at an elevation of 4135 feet above sea level is the most famous and prominent among all the Shastha temples. ...


Temples of Kerala - Thirunavaya Temple
The Thiruvanaya Navamukunda Temple, located at 8 km south of Tirur, near Ponnani in Malappuram district on the banks of the river Bharathapuzha is popular for holding immense historical importance. In this place, Mamangam, a grand assembly of the rulers ...


Temples of Kerala - Thirunelli Temple
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Temples of Kerala- Vadakkunnathan Temple
The Vadakkkunnathan Temple located in Thrissur of Kerala is one of the largest temples in Kerala which is dedicated to Lord Shiva. This 1000 year old temple is a classic example of the Kerala style of architecture with beautiful murals ...


Temples of Kerala- Chottanikkara Bhagavathy Temple
The Chottanikkara Bhagavathy Temple located at 17kms from Ernakulam of Kerala is one of the most celebrated Hindu shrines of Kerala. The main deity being Rajarajeswari or Adiparasakthi or Durga Bhagavathy or the mother Goddess was brought from Mookambika Temple ...


Major Temples of Maharastra
Temples of Maharastra - Mumbai Devi MandirMaa Mumbadevi temple in Mumbai is temple of Goddess Shakthi. The name of the city Mumbai is also derived from Maa Mumbadevi. The original temple built in 1737 at Victoria Terminus Station in Bori ...


Temples of Orissa - Jagannath Temple
The Jagannath temple is situated in Puri, on the east coast of India, in the state of Orissa. The main presiding deity is Lord Krishna or Jagannath. It is an ancient shrine having a wooden image. There are also wooden ...


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The Konark temple is a colossal temple dedicated to the Sun god. It is a magnificiant temple with extremely beautiful sculptures reflecting the genius of the architects. The combination of Konark with Bhubaneshwar and Puri is referred as the golden ...


Temples of Rajasthan - Ambika Mata Temple

The Ambikamata Temple is situated in Jagat about 58 km from Udaipur. It is called as the Khajuraho of Rajasthan. Even though the temple is small in size, it is quite detailed and dates back to the Pratihara period. Durga, ...


Temples of Tamil Nadu - Chidambaram Temple
The Chidambaram temple located at 250 Km to the south of Chennai in Tamil Nadu. It is the most well known saivite temple with main deity as Nataraja enshrined in the Chitsabha or the Hall of Consciousness in the Anand ...


Temples of Tamil Nadu - Madurai Meenakshi Temple
The Madurai Meenakshi Sundareswarar temple is one of the greatest temples of Meenakshi in India. It is also known for its sprawling landscape filled with sculptured halls, pillars and lofty towers with lavish artwork in all forms. Madurai is also ...


Temples of Tamil Nadu - Rameshwara Temple
The Rameshwara temple is one of the holiest shrines of India having one of the twelve Jyotirlingams. It is a huge temple situated in the island of Rameshwaram at about 160 km southeast of Madurai which can be reached through ...


Temples of Tamil Nadu - Palani Temple
The Palani temple is situated in the district of Madurai about 112 km from Madurai and 152 km from Trichi. Lord Murugan called Thandayudapani is the presiding deity of the temple. This temple is on the 450 feet high Palani ...


Major Temples of West Bengal
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