Indian Columbus

Chickmagalur , the land of coffee, is one of India's most beautiful travel destinations. The word "Chikmagalur" means the land of the younger daughter in the Kannada language. There is a small town near Chikmagalur, which is called  Hiremagalur . This word means the land of the elder daughter. In Hiremagalur, there is a big ancient Rama temple located. This article talks about this temple. Kodanda Rama Temple  is the top attraction of Hiremagalur. The sanctum, along with the beautiful sculptures on the walls of the sanctum, are the works of  Hoysalas . It is dated to the  14th century CE . The Mukha mandapa, tower and the other sub-shrines were later additions by Vijayanagara and other Kings. The neatly maintained east-facing temple has a five-tiered tower. There are a few stucco images on the tower. The images of  Shankaracharya, Madhva and Ramanuja  together are noticeable. Although these images are new, finding the founders of three different schools...

Let me introduce you to a lesser-known Hoysala-period temple near Chennai. Agaram Then is a village around 10 km from Tambaram (outskirts of South Chennai). A small Shiva temple called Pozhichaleeswarar temple is located in this village. The east-facing temple does not have a tower. The sanctum enshrines a small Shiv Linga called Pozhichaleeswarar. The Goddess Anandavalli is found in a separate south-facing shrine. Nandi is found facing toward the sanctum. Nardana Ganapati, Dakshinamurti, Vishnu, Brahma and Durga are found as the niche images. In Ardha Mandapa, the beautiful bronze images of Somaskanda are located. Bhairava, Navagrahas, Chandikeshwara and Hanuman are also found in this temple. A big shrine on the right side of the sanctum enshrines the big icon of Sharbeshwara holding Narasimha on his lap. The holy trees of Arasu and Bilva are found together with a few images of Nagas and Ganesha installed in front of them. The icons of Ganesha and Subramanya are located at the e...

Andanallur, a quaint village, is situated approximately 20 kilometers away from the city of Trichy in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Nestled along the Trichy-Karur route, this village's closest prominent area is Tiruchenthurai. At the heart of Andanallur lies the Vada Teerthanathar temple, an ancient shrine dedicated to Lord Shiva from the Chola period, specifically known as the Vada Teertheswarar temple. This article will delve into the intriguing details of this temple. Highlights: God  -  Vada Teerthanathar a.k.a. Vada Teertheswarar a.k.a. Alanthurai Mahadevar Goddess  -  Bala Soundara Nayaki a.k.a. Bala Sundari Sthala Vruksha (holy tree) - Banyan It is a Devara Vaippu Sthalam History: Originally named Andavanallur, historical records indicate that the primary deity was called Alanthurai Mahadevar. This points to the village's former name as Alanthurai. The temple's construction can be attributed to Parantaka Chola I. Subsequent renova...

Anbil, situated near Lalgudi town within the Tamil Nadu state of India, is a village with a close proximity of approximately 8 kilometers from Lalgudi. In this village, the locality known as Keezh Anbil holds a significant temple devoted to Lord Shiva, named Aalanthurai. This temple holds the distinguished position of being the 57th among the Devara Paadal Petra Sthalams, a collection of 276 highly important Lord Shiva temples, situated in the Chola region to the north of the Cauvery River. Highlights: The temple is venerated by Appar and Sambandhar in their Devaram verses. God  -  Satyavageeswarar, also known as Brahmapureeswarar or Aalanthuraiyar. Goddess  -  Soundara Nayaki Teerth  (Holy water) -  Chandra Teerth Sthala Vruksha  (Holy tree) -  Banyan Considered as one of the Devara Paadal Petra Sthalams. Shiva Linga has square Aavudai (base). Ganesha with an inclined ear, as if listening intently. Legend: According t...

Site Name:   Champakadhama Temple Site Type:  Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu Location:   Bannerghatta, Bangalore, Karnataka state, India Highlights:   One of the oldest temples of Bangalore Nearest Railway Station:   Bangalore Nearest Airport:  Bangalore How to reach:  Well connected by road, rail and air Hotel:  A lot of options including luxurious and budget hotels all over the city Restaurants:  A lot of options across the entire city Bangalore , officially known as Bengaluru, is the capital city of Karnataka state of India. It is called as the 'Silicon Valley of India' as all IT majors have presence in the city. Bangalore is known for its pleasant climate has a lot of tourist attractions which include parks, gardens, temples, etc. Champakadhama temple is one of the important and the oldest temples of Bangalore city. Let us explore this temple in this article. Thousands of people visit the famous Bannerghatta Na...

Site Name:  Jambukeswarar Temple Site Type:  Hindu temple Location:    Thiruvanaikaval, near Trichy city, Tamil Nadu state, India Highlights:   One of 274 Paadal Petra Sthalams (the most important temples of Lord Shiva) Nearest Railway Station:   Trichy Nearest Airport:   Trichy How to reach:   Well connected by road from Trichy  Hotel:  Go to Trichy where there are a lot of options  Restaurants:  Go to Trichy where there are a lot of options Thiruvanaikaval is a town located near Trichy city in Tamil Nadu state of South India. It has an important Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Shiva. This temple is considered as the  60th among the Devara Paadal Petra Sthalams  (274 most important temples of Lord Shiva) located in Chola country north of Kaveri river.  Highlights: Appar, Sundarar and Sambandhar  have revered the temple in their verses in Devaram. One of the ' maada kovi...