Ucchi Pillayar Temple is a 7th century Hindu temple, one dedicated to Lord Ganesha located a top of Rockfort, Trichy, Tamil Nadu, India. According to legend, this rock is the place where Lord Ganesha ran from King Vibishana, after establishing the Ranganathaswamy deity in Srirangam.

Architectural style: Dravidian architecture

Address: Tiruchirapalli Rock Fort, N Andar St, Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu 620002

Phone: 0431 270 4621

It is a long climb up the 344 steps cut into the stone to the top. The temple complex in the fort complex is a collection of three temples: the Manikka Vinayakar temple at the foot of the hill, dedicated to Lord Ganesha. the Ucchi Pillayar Temple at the top of the hill, dedicated to Lord Ganesha.

Lord Ganesha on top of the hills. His father & mother shiva & Parvati in the form of Thayumanavar in the middle of the hills.

 Main Temples and Holy Places of Mathura, Uttar Pradesh

Dvarkadhish Temple

Kesavadeva Temple, Jami and Katra Masjids (mosques)

Vrindavan – The City Of Temples

Vrindavan, around 15 km from Mathura, is a little town and a major place of pilgrimage on the banks of Yamuna. Attracting about 500 000 pilgrims every year, mainly during major festivals like Janmashtami, Holi and Radhashtami, it is noted for its numerous temples, both old and modern, big and small (allegedly 5000 altogether). Vrindavan is synonymous with the childhood pastimes of Sri Krishna.

Vrindavan is also the center for various Vaishava groups. In a centuries-old tradition Hindu widows have been coming to live out the rest of their lives in Vrindavan. They are expected to shed all physical adornments, including long hair, wear only white cotton saris and lead an austere lifestyle. In Vrindavan there are thousands of widows coming mostly from Bengal. They begin their day by bathing in the Yamuna and congregate at ashrams to sing bhajans (devotional songs). In return, they get a daily ration of rice and pulses and some cash. Subsisting on charitable donations made by wealthy traders, the widows pass their life in devotion to Krishna, the Supreme Lord.

History

Madan Mohan Temple on the riverside is the oldest structure in Vrindavan. This famous temple was established by Srila Sanatana Gosvami and was the first Gosvami temple built in Vrindavan, which at that time was just a forest. The original Deity of Madana Mohana was discovered at the base of an old vat (banyan) tree by Advaita Acarya, when He visited Vrindavan. He entrusted the worship of Madana Mohana to His disciple, Purusottama Chaube, who then gave the Deity to Sanatana Gosvami. Sanatana Gosvami spend 43 years in Vrindavan. Worshiped along with Madana Mohana are Radharani and Lalita, who were sent to Vrindavan by Purusottama Jena, the son of Maharaja Prataparudra. 

 This 60 foot high temple was opened in 1580 on a 50 foot hill called Dvadasaditya Tila, next to the Yamuna. Ram Das Kapoor paid to build the temple. One day a ship he owned, loaded with merchandise, went aground in the Yamuna. He was advised by Sanatana Gosvami to pray to Madana Mohana for help. The ship came free and the owner of the ship made a big profit, which he used to built this temple.

Govinda Dev Temple was a grand seven-story structure, with an altar of marble, silver and gold. Architecturally this temple is one of the finest in North India. A sculptured lotus flower weighing several tons decorates the main hall ceiling. It was built in 1590 by Raja Man Singh from Jaipur, a general in Akbar’s army, who was inspired to do it after meeting Rupa Gosvami. It was said to have cost ten million rupees and several thousand men were working for five full years to complete it. Akbar himself had donated the red sandstone for its construction. In 1670, during the rule of a later Mughal king, Aurangzeb, it was plundered and destroyed leaving only three stories of the original temple. During this attack, when few stories remained, all of a sudden the ground began to shake violently and Aurangzeb’s men were terrified and ran for their lives, never to return.

 Temple is now empty and the replica of Govindaji is worshiped in the new Govindaji Mandir (located behind the original temple). The original Govindaji is worshiped in Jaipur.

Jugal Kisore Temple (Kesi ghata temple) is one of the oldest temples of Vrindavan, completed in 1627. After Akbar’s visit to Vrindavan in the year 1570, he gave permission for four temples to be built by the Gaudiya Vaisnavas, which were Madana-mohana, Govindaji, Gopinatha and Jugal Kisore. It is sometimes called the Kesi ghata temple, as it is located next to this ghata.

Opposite from the Govinda Dev Temple is an imposing south-Indian temple called Sri Ranganatha (Rangaji) Temple. It is 30 meters high with three gopurams (gateways), a tall shikhara (crown) and gold-plated decorations. This South Indian style temple was built by the wealthy Seth family of Mathura in 1851 and is dedicated to Lord Sri Ranganatha or Rangaji, a form of Lord Vishnu lying down on the Sesa Naga (divine serpent). This temple has a traditional South Indian gopuram (gateway), a Rajput-styled (architectural style prevailing in the present Indian state of Rajasthan) entrance gate and an Italian-influenced colonnade. One of the enclosures within the precincts of this magnificent temple has a 15-meter-high pillar made of gold. It is one of Vrindavan’s largest temples and is surrounded by high walls. Once a year there is a grand car festival (Ratha Yatra) known as Brahmotsava during the month of Caitra (March-April). This festival lasts for 10 days. At the entrance, there is an electronic puppet show about stories of Krishna and a small museum.

Radharamana Temple is the famous temple of Gopala Bhatta Gosvami. Radharamana means “one who gives pleasure to Radha”. It is one of the many names of Lord Krishna. The seva puja of Radharamana was established in 1542, after the Deity self-manifested from a salagram-sila on the full moon day of Vaisakha (April/May). This event is celebrated every year by bathing the Deity with 100 liters of milk and other auspicious items. The remnants of this abhiseka (bathing) are like nectar. Gopal Bhatta Gosvami’s other shalagram-shilas are worshiped on the altar here. The appearance place of Sri Radharaman Deity is next to the temple. Radharamanji is one of the few original Deities of the Gosvamis still in Vrindavan. The standard of worship is very high.

 

Also kept in this temple is the wooden sitting place (hoki) and shawl (chaddar) or Lord Caitanya that He gave as a gift to Gopala Bhatta Gosvami. There is no Deity of Radharani in this temple, but a crown is kept next to Krishna signifying Her presence. Gopal Bhatta’s samadhi is located here. The fires for cooking in the temple kitchen have been burning continuously since the Deity was installed over 460 years ago and the cooking still follows cookbooks from that time.

History of the Konark Sun Temple, Orissa (Odisha), India

 Odisha (formerly Orissa), an eastern Indian state on the Bay of Bengal, is known for its tribal cultures and its many ancient Hindu temples. The capital, Bhubaneswar, is home to hundreds of temples, notably the intricately-carved Mukteshvara. The Lingaraj Temple complex, dating to the 11th century, is set around sacred Bindusagar Lake. The Odisha State Museum is focused on the area’s history and environment.

Konark Sun Temple is a 13th-century CE Sun temple at Konark about 36 kilometres northeast from Puri on the coastline of Odisha, India. The temple is attributed to king Narasinga Deva I of the Eastern Ganga Dynasty about 1250 CE.

Address: Konark, Odisha 752111
Opened: 1250
Hours: Opens 6AM Closes : 8PM ⋅
Architectural style: Kalinga architecture
Area: 10.62 ha (26.2 acres)

What is special about Sun Temple?

The Konark Sun Temple is a 13th-century Hindu temple dedicated to the Sun God. Shaped like a giant chariot, the temple is known for the exquisite stone carvings that cover the entire structure. It is the best-known tourist destination in Orissa and has been a World Heritage Site since 1984.

Who built the Sun Temple?

Based on Brahmin beliefs, this temple was built in the 13th century by King Narasimhadeva I (1238-1250 CE) of the Eastern Ganga Dynasty and dedicated to Sun God Surya. As per legend, the son of Lord Krishna, Samba, got the Konark Sun Temple constructed to honor Surya the Sun God, as the God had cured his leprosy.

Why Sun Temple is called Sun Temple?

Konark Sun Temple, located in the eastern State of Odisha near the sacred city of Puri, is dedicated to the sun God or Surya. ... Sailors once called this Sun Temple of Konarak, the Black Pagoda because it was supposed to draw ships into the shore and cause shipwrecks.

Why Konark temple is not Worshipped?

The Konark temple is believed to have been destroyed in the 16th century, either by Muslim invaders (Kala Pahad) of Bengal or due to architectural faults which caused auto dismantling of massive stone structures causing the main temple to collapse.

Why is Konark called Black Pagoda?

Why is Sun Temple, Konark called the 'Black Pagoda'? ... So, the temple was used as a navigational point by European sailors. They referred to it as the 'Black Pagoda' due to its dark colour and its magnetic power that drew ships into the shore and caused shipwrecks.   

The Sun Temple of Konark stands at the end of a deserted stretch of coast in Odisha, at the Bay of Bengal. Sailors of yore used this temple as a navigational aid for centuries. It was known as the “Black Pagoda,” which distinguished it from the “White Pagoda” – the Jagannath Temple 32 kilometers further up the coast at Puri. Though the Sun Temple stands nearly three kilometers from the ocean today, when it was built 800 years ago, it stood at the very edge of the sea. There is something raw about the entire ambience of the place. Storms and sea winds batter its stone walls and salt and sand cut away and erode it as the temple appears to be gradually melting away into the sand.

Sun worship is very significant to Indians. The standard daily prayer of brahmins is the Gayatri mantra, addressed to the sun. The practice of Surya Namaskar or Sun Salutation is also an important part of yogic practice.

The Legend

Historians have been unable to unearth any clear reason as to why a temple was erected here, but many legends have come up to fill this gap. The most popular one tells the tale of Krishna’s son, Samba, who was too proud of his beauty. So proud in fact, that he once made fun of sage Narada, a person who was not all that good looking. Narada plotted his revenge and lured Samba into a pool where his stepmothers were bathing in joyful abandon. When it came to Krishna’s notice that his son was misbehaving with his wives, he cursed him with leprosy. Realizing later that the innocent boy had been tricked by Narada’s cunning, Krishna was mortified. But he could not revoke his curse. All he could do was advise his son to worship the sun god Surya, healer of all diseases, and hope for a cure. After twelve years of penance and worship, Samba was at last instructed by Surya to go and bathe in the sea at Konark. He did so and was cured of his awful affliction. Samba was so delighted that he decided there and then to erect a Surya temple on the spot. It was called Konarka, “Place of the Sun,” from which the modern name comes.

The History

Historical fact has always been interwoven with myth in India, and there may be an interesting connection here. We know that the temple was actually built by a king of the medieval Ganga dynasty, Narasingha Deva (1238-1264). The king was popularly known as langulia, “the one with a tail.” One explanation is that Narasingha built the temple to commemorate his victories over the Muslims, who were pushing into Odisha from the west. We know that during his reign he won at least three resounding victories over the invaders.

By the end of the sixteenth century, Konark was famous far beyond the borders of Odisha and had become a great center of pilgrimage and attracted the praise of even such a discriminating critic as Abul Fazl, the court biographer of Akbar. He tells us: “Near Jagannath (Puri) is a temple dedicated to the sun. Its cost was defrayed by twelve years’ revenue of the province. Even those whose judgment is critical, stand astonished at the sight. 28 temples stand in its vicinity; six before the entrance and 22 within the enclosure, each of which has its separate legend.”

Those days are gone. All that now remains is half the main temple, and even that is damaged. Nevertheless, this mere fragment of Konark’s former glory constitutes what is often considered to be the most impressive temple in northern India.

The story is told that Narasingha Deva was delighted with the achievement of his craftsmen. One day, the king decided to see how the building of the Sun Temple was progressing. He disguised himself and wandered about the site, incognito, looking here and there to see that the work was to his satisfaction. In one corner of the vast camp he came across a famous craftsman, absorbed in carving out a block of stone. This artist had an attendant, a young apprentice whose sole job was to squat behind the master and supply him with refreshment whenever he needed it. This refreshment was in the form of pan-betel leaf wrapped around a bitter and heady mixture of chopped areca nut, chewing tobacco, and lime.

The king motioned to the attendant to move, and silently took his place. So absorbed was the master, that he did not notice anything had happened behind him. After a while, he stretched back his hand for more pan. The king, who had been gazing entranced at the beautiful work being done, quickly got out his own pan box of finest silver, took out a bundled leaf, and put it in the outstretched hand. The craftsman popped the pan in his mouth and went on working. For a few moments nothing happened, but then he suddenly realized that the pan he was chewing was of a far higher quality than normal. Turning around to find out what was going on, he recognized the face of his king. Spluttering profuse apologies, the sculptor prostrated himself before the squatting monarch. But Narasingha Deva would have none of it. Rising to his feet, he lifted up the artisan and then bowed down low before him, saying: “Maharaj! You are so talented, you are indeed worthy to have the king as your attendant!”

It is said that gigantic magnets within the temple ensured that the metallic deity of Surya remained suspended in midair. However, when Muslim armies threatened the kingdom a few centuries after it was built, the local maharaja removed the cult image of Surya from the sanctuary and it was taken to Puri for safety. Once the Muslim armies invaded, the place fell into total neglect.

The decay was gradual. Even in 1848, a corner of the tower still stood to a considerable height. In 1820 this was about 35 meters according to the Scots traveler A. Stirling who saw it then. The English architect Markham Kittoe, writing in 1838, estimated it had diminished to “80 or 100 feet, and has at a distance the appearance of a crooked column.” But this brave remnant was not to last long. Ten years later, in 1848, it was blown down in a ferocious gale. When the Indian writer Rajendralala Mitra visited the site after another twenty years, even the sanctuary over which the proud shikhara had towered was reduced to “an enormous mass of stones, studded with a few pipal trees here and there.” The porch – that part of the temple still standing – suffered more from the hands of man than from the elements. The chief villain of the piece was a Raja of Kurda, who took a particular liking to the chlorite slabs that decorated the facade of the building. Again, on-the-spot evidence comes from Kittoe.

“The Kurda Raja has demolished all three entrances and is removing the stones to Puri; the masons pick out the figures and throw them down to take their chances of being broken which most of them are. These they leave on the spot; those that escape uninjured are taken away. Nor were the local people averse to helping themselves to the iron clamps, for the sake of the metal.”

Fortunately, this vandalism was stopped by order of the government in 1838. The story of the conservation and repair of the temple has become an inextricable part of its myth. Sadly, the early part of the story is a classic tale of bureaucratic bungling. The first suggestion to repair the ruin came from the unlikely direction of the Marine Board. In 1806 they submitted a proposal to have the temple repaired so that it could once more be a useful navigational landmark for the ships in the Bay of Bengal! But the government considered the expense involved to be too great.

This was again the reason given by the deputy governor of Bengal in 1838, when he refused to do anything to preserve the temple. In 1882-83, some jungle clearance was undertaken and a few statues mounted on platforms around the site, but in the wrong place. In 1892, Lieutenant Governor Sir Charles Elliot refused to grant any money for restoration, though some individual pieces of sculpture were shifted to the Calcutta Museum a couple of years later. Elliot did suggest that some debris be cleared from the rear of the porch, but this was not done, because the superintendent engineer thought that such action would weaken what remained of the building. Thus a hundred years were wasted before any constructive action was taken to improve the site. In 1900 Sir John Woodburn, the new lieutenant governor, visited Konark and immediately issued an order that repair and restoration should begin without further delay.

Periodic renovations took place well into the twentieth century. The latest survey was by an international team from UNESCO who, in 1980 produced the extraordinary suggestion that the entire temple should be covered in a coat of fiberglass to protect it from the march of time.

INDIA

JORDAN

PERU

CHINA

ITALY

The Pyramid at Chichén Itzá (before 800 A.D.) Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico

Number seven is one of those figures. It symbolises every positive and valuable matter in existence like prosper life, happiness, renewal, and perfection. Some numerologist even believes that number seven is so perfect and powerful that it represents a connection to the universe.

The image of the "Lucky 7" dice roll is usually made of 5 + 2, as on the cover of the Perry Mason mystery novel "The Case of the Lucky Legs", but it sometimes comes up 4 + 3, as on this gold-plated American "Lucky 7" money clip. The "Lucky 7" dice roll is found on quite a lot of hoodoo curio packaging, including 7-day candles; the character called Lady Luck, in her Irish-Amewrican World War Two incarnation, wears dice for earrings and they always show 7. These "Lucky 7" images all derive from the dice game of craps, where rolling 7 wins, and thus the dice that roll 7 are a symbol of gambler's luck

But there is more to the luck of 7 than its place in games of chance. Why is 7 so fortunate? The following colloquy, begun in a Freemasonic mailing list in 1995, was continued in the alt.lucky.w newsgroup and the pre-war blues e-list from 1997 - 1999. It is currently my most complete summary of the LUCKY SEVEN concept.

From: Corrigan

Hello, all. Greetings from Fellowship Lodge #490, Flint, Michigan.

A question that has come up in lodge is the mention of the number seven. Why is the number seven important in Masonry?

I can think of the seven days of the week, the seven arts and sciences, but come to a halt there. Would very much appreciate your comments.

From: " Scotty " Mudie

I sincerely hope you enjoy the research as much as I have.

From: Gordon Charlton,

That reminds me of a story. Whilst on holiday in Austria we participated in the games laid on for the evening by the tour company. We were part of a team of seven, and for each round of the game (a rather silly one involving bending over and throwing bowling balls between your legs) we adopted a different set of seven names.

and so on.

From: Rick Reade

From: Kirk Crady,

From: Michael Sykuta,

From: catherine yronwode

From: Yoke Lim

From: (DHAND302)

From: (WeldonKees) (Paul Edson)

 BANGALORE IS a cosmopolitan city with people from different regions and religions living together in harmony. The city has more than a thousand temples, 400 masjids, 100 churches, 40 Jain mandirs, three Gurudwaras, two Buddha viharas, and one Parsi Agiari.

The tradition of temple construction, started by the founder of Bangalore, continues to flourish. The oldest temple is, perhaps, Domlur Chokkanatha temple of the Chola period (10th Century). The inscriptions here are in Tamil script, but the language is Kannada. According to these inscriptions, there was a Someswara temple here in 1266.

Ulsoor Someswara temple is possibly the next oldest, built by the Hoysalas (between 12th and 13th Century). This temple was renovated and beautified by three generations of the Yelahanka dynasty - Gidde Gowda, Kempe Gowda I and II. The temple is a strange mixture of Hoysala, Chola, and Vijayanagar architecture.

The next series of temples belonging to the period of Kempe Gowda I & II are Dodda Ganapathi, Basavanna, and Karanji Anjaneya in Basavanagudi, Gavi Gangadhareswara in Gavipura, Bande Mahakali, Pralayakalada Veerabhadra, Kalabhairava in Gavipura Guttahalli, Basaveshwara in the fort (shifted to Mamulpet), Anjaneya at Yelahanka Gate, Dharmaraya at the end of OTC Road, and Ranganathaswamy in Balepete.

Many of these temples have an interesting history. Once the river Vrishabhavati originated from the feet of the big Basavanna, but the stream has now dried up. Kadle Kai Parishe, a mela, is held on the last Monday of Karthika (October and November) to offer the first crop of groundnut to Basavanna before sending the produce to the market.

This part of Bangalore wears a rustic look during the mela. The chola style Gavi Gangadhareswara temple has huge tridents, damarus, and discs known as Suryapana and Chandrapana. People throng here on Makara Sankranthi in the evening to watch the sun rays pass through the arch, the window, Nandi's horn, and finally onto the Linga.

The Dharmaraya temple is famous for its Karaga procession connected with Adishakti in the form of Draupadi. Karaga, a five-day festival of Tigalas, who migrated from Tamil Nadu, has many unique features such as intense religious fervour, strict rituals, unchanged traditions over centuries, a fixed route and stops for the procession, welcome and respect shown at all the temples on route. The involvement of all sections of people and the unique communal harmony displayed by the special puja at Tawakkal Mastan Darga are remarkable.

Kadu Malleswara temple has given its name to Malleswaram. Ekoji had donated Medaraninganahalli for its maintenance and thus, the temple must be earlier than his time (1670 A.D). The temple structure around it was built by Yele Mallappa Shetty in 1900.

The adjoining Subramanya temple also has an interesting story. Devotees were in search of Utsava murthi for the main idol and ended up constructing a new temple. The Utsava murthi was in the possession of a Parsi businessman in Eden!

Kote Venkataramanaswamy temple was built by Chikkadevaraya in 1690 and the Basaveshwara there was shifted to Mamulpet.

Possibly, they forgot to shift the scenes from Girija Kalyana on the sanctorum walls along with Basaveswara.

There are also many temples built by the common citizens in Bangalore. Some of them are Kasi Visveswara temple (1840) in Balepete built by Sadashiva Sahu, Bennekrishna temple at Tulasi Thota, the neighbouring Sri Rama temple built by Rao Bahadur Garudachar in 1908 (the idol here was earlier worshipped by saint Tulasi Ramdas, credited with starting the Ramotsava celebrations in Bangalore), Banashankari temple built in 1915 by Basappa Shetty, Narasimha Swamy temple (1800) at Balepete, Srinivasa Mandiram (1889), Manji Someswara temple, Sugriva temple, Laldas temple complex, Subramanya temple (1821) in Ulsoor, and Subramanya temple built by the philanthropist millionaire, Sajjan Rao. The most recent example is the Rama Mandira in Malleswaram, built by the initiative of ordinary employees in Atara Kacheri.

O.T.C. Road and other localities have many temples built and patronised by certain sections such as the Devanga, Golla, Besta, Uppara, Goniga, Kshaurika, Nagartha, Ganiga, Vishwakarma, and so on. There are also a number of temples for the Grama Devathes (village dieties) - Annamma (Subedar Chatram Road), Dandina Mariamma (Shivajinagar), Patalamma (South End), Bisilu Mariamma (Lalbagh), Gangamma (Malleswaram), Muneswara, Bande Mahakalamma (Gavipura), Karumariyamma, and Duggalamma. The Anjaneya temples are popular and the oldest one in Bangalore is perhaps the Gali Anjaneya temple on Mysore Road, said to be established in 1425 by Vyasaraya. It is said to be the sixth of the 635 Anjaneya temples consecrated by Vyasaraya, Anjaneya temples at Yelahanka Gate and Karanji (Basavanagudi) are of Kempe Gowda's time.

Ragigudda and Mahalakshmi layout Anjaneya temples are quite popular and are of recent origin.

The oldest church in Bangalore is the one in Blackpalli (Shivajinagar), Kannika Matha Koil (1658), now upgraded by the Pope as St. Mary's Basilica. It is one of the six basilicas in the country. The other old churches are St. Luke's (Fort, 1830), St. Joseph's (Briand Square, 1857), St. Patrick's (Brigade Road, 1844), Sacred Heart's (Richmond Road, 1874) and others. Among the Protestant churches, the old ones are St. Mark's Cathedral (M.G. Road, 1808), Holy Trinity (M.G. Road, 1851), St. Andrews (Cubbon Road, 1867), East Parade (Dickenson Road, 1862), Wesley Church (Promenade Road, 1896), and Hudson Memorial (City Corporation, 1904).

The oldest masjid, Sangeen Jamia Masjid in Taramandalpet, was built by the Moghuls (1687-1690). Ibrahim Shah Sahele Masjid was built in 1761 (at Kumbarpete) by Hyder Khilledar Ibrahim Khan. Bademakan Masjid (Siddiah Road) was also built during Hyder's period by two Sufi saints hailing from Bijapur. Jumma Masjid (Old Poor House Road) was built by Abdul Quddus in the early 19th Century.

An important masjid is the Jamia Masjid (City Market) built in 1940 and opened by Sir Mirza Ismail. Among the 24 dargas in Bangalore, the popular ones are Kambal Posh Darga (Old Broadway), Hazarat Tawakkal Mastan Shah Darga (Cottonpet), and Besarwali Shahi Darga (Cubbonpet). Sufi saint Tawakkal worked incognito as an ordinary coolie in the construction of Tippu's Fort. His darga is dear to Muslims for its holiness and to Hindus as a resting place for the Karaga during the festival. The Dargas continue to be holy and respected. Places of worship of other religious faiths such as Jains, Buddhists, Sikhs, and Parsees have beautiful architectural features.

The car festivals of many temples and churches such as those at St. Mary's Basilica, Kumaraswamy temple (Hanumanthanagar), Subramanya temple (Sajjanrao Circle), and Ulsoor Someswara temple are popular. So are the Karaga, Kadale Kai Parshe, Dasara by Lancers of Munireddipalya, and the car festivals of Grama Devathas. The existence of these many places of worship and the observance of festivals denote a catholicity of outlook, religious fervour, and fraternity of the common people.