Lord Vishnu Temple:

Lord Vishnu represents the aspect of the Supreme Reality that preserves and sustains the universe. The four arms indicate Lord's omnipresence and omnipotence. The two front arms signify the lord's activity in the physical world and the two back arms signify His activity in the spiritual world.

A conch in the upper left hand indicates that the Lord communicates with His devotees with love and understanding. A chakra in His upper right hand conveys the idea that the Lord uses this weapon to protect His devotees from evil. The mace denotes energy and a mace in the Lord's left lower hand signifies that He sustains the manifest world by the energy that He holds in Himself. His front right hand is depicted bestowing grace on His devotees. 

The snake denotes the mind and the thousand heads of the snake signify innumerable desires and passions of an individual. Just as a snake destroys its victim by its venom, an uncontrolled mind destroys the world by the venom of its possessiveness. The Lord has controlled all desires, and this is symbolized by showing Him seated on the two coils of the snake. When a sincere devotee of the Lord controls his desires, the Lord fulfills the devotee's genuine desires and helps him on his path. 

He is nameless, formless, and immeasurable and he incarnates himself on this earth to uphold righteousness and destroy evil and unrighteousness. 

Badarinath Dham is considered as one of the most sacred centres of pilgrimage situated in the Himalayas in the Garhwal hill tracks (Uttarakhand). Situated at the height of 3133 m (10248 feet) above sea level. Throughout the route to Badarinath there are numerous pilgrimage sites at Deo Prayag, Rudraprayag, Karnaprayag, Nandapr, Vishnuprayag and Pandukeswar

At Badarinath Lord MahaVishnu is believed to have done his penance. Seeing the Lord doing his penance in the open, Goddess Mahalaxmi is believed to have assumed the form of Badari tree to provide him shelter to face the onslaught of the adverse weather conditions, therefore the name Badari Narayan. It is believed that Lord Vishnu revealed to Narad rishi that Nar & Naryans forms were his own.

The image of Badarinarayan here is fashioned out of Saligramam. Badarinarayan is seen under the Badari tree, flanked by Kuber and Garuda, Narad, Narayan and Nar. Mahalakshmi has a sanctum outside in the parikrama. There is also a shrine to Adi Sankara at Badarinath.

Behind the temple of Lord Badarinarayan is the Lakshmi Narsimh mandir, with shrines to Desikacharya and Ramanujachary.At Badarinath one can witness one of the greatest wonders of Nature in the Hot water springs of Taptkund on the banks of ice chilled river Alaknanda. The temperature of the water in the Kund is 55 degree centigrade whereas the normal temperature in this region for most part of the year remains at 9-10 degree centigrade to sub-zero levels. Before visiting the temple the pilgrims take a holy bath in the Taptkund.

The Temple's present structure was built by the Kings of Garhwal. The Temple has three sections - Garbhagriha (Sanctum), the Darshan Mandap, and Sabha Mandap. The Garbhagriha (Sanctum) houses Lord Badari Narayan, Kuber (God of wealth),

 

Narad rishi, Udhava, Nar & Narayan.

Lord Badari Narayan (also called as Badari Vishal) is armed with Shankh (Conch) and Chakra in two arms in a lifted posture and two arms rested on the lap in Yogamudra.The principal image is of black stone and it represents Vishnu seated in meditative pose. The temple also houses Garuda (Vehicle of Lord Narayan). Also here are the idols of Adi Shankar, Swami Desikan and Shri Ramanujam. Guru-Shisya parampara is supposed to have its roots here.

 

Badrinath is mentioned in religious texts as far back as the Vedic period. One legend explains the reason that Vishnu is shown sitting in padmasana, rather than reclining. According to the story, Vishnu was chastised by a sage who saw Vishnu's consort Lakshmi massaging his feet. Vishnu went to Badrinath to perform austerity, meditating for a long time in padmasana. To this day, the area around Badrinath attracts yogis who come for meditation and seclusion.

Another legend says that Shiva and Parvati were doing tapas in Badrinath. Vishnu came in disguise as a small boy, crying loudly and disturbing them. Parvati asked the reason for his crying and he replied that he wanted Badrinath for meditation. Shiva and Parvati found that it was Lord Narayan in disguise. They then left Badrinath and moved to Kedarnath.

According to the Bhagavata Purana, "There in Badrikashram the Personality of Godhead (Vishnu), in his incarnation as the sages Nara and Narayana, had been undergoing great penance since time immemorial for the welfare of all living entities.” The Skanda Purana states that “There are several sacred shrines in heaven, on earth, and in hell; but there is no shrine like Badrinath.” The area around Badrinath was also celebrated in Padma Purana as abounding in spiritual treasures.

Badrinath Temple at Night

The Badrinath temple is one of five related shrines called Panch Badri that are dedicated to worship of Lord Vishnu.

Vishal Badri: Badrinath Temple in Badrinath.

Yogadhyan Badri: located at Pandukeshwar. It also has an image of Badrinath in meditative posture. Legend has it that King Pandu installed a statue here named Yogadhyan Badri.

Bhavishya Badri: 17 km from Jyotirmath at Subain. Legend says that when evil is on the rise in the world, Badrinath will become inaccessible and Lord Badrinath will appear at the Bhavishya Badri temple. Thus it is the future, or Bhavishya Badri.

Vridh Badri: 7 km from Jyotirmath in Animath. Vridh Badri means 'Old Badri.' Legend says this is where the Badrinath image was originally worshipped, before being enshrined at the current Badrinath.

Adi Badri: 17 km from Karnaprayag. A temple complex consisting of sixteen small temples with intricate carvings houses a three foot black stone statue of Lord Vishnu.

History

Badrinath was originally established as a pilgrimage site by Adi Shankara in the ninth century. Shankara discovered the image of Badrinarayan in the Alaknanda River and enshrined it in a cave near the Tapt Kund hot springs. In the sixteenth century, the king of Garhwal moved the murti to the present temple.

The temple has undergone several major renovations, due to age and damage by avalanche. In the 17th century, the temple was expanded by the kings of Garhwal. After significant damage in the great 1803 Himalayan earthquake, it was rebuilt by the King of Jaipur. It is one of the five Punyakshethras (Holy places)where the Hindus offer Shradddhakarmas (oblations) to their 42 line of ancestors (Both from mother's and father's side) (Other four are Kashi, Gaya, Prayaga and Rameswaram). It is believed that once the Shraddha Karma is performed here, the descendants need not perform the yearly ritual.

Thus about 2500 years ago Badarinath was consecrated and worshipped by Adi Shankaracharya. The rituals and procedure of worship as laid out by Adi Shankaracharya is being practised at Badarinath till today. Srimad Bhagvad Gita has explained the significance of the temple and glory of Lord Shri Badarinarayan.

Goddess Lakshmi Temple:

Kolhapur is located in Kolhapur district of Maharashtra. It is situated on the banks of the Panchganga river and is full of ancient temples and shrines.

Legends: The Karavira Mahatmya states that Vishnu resides in the form of Mahalakshmi at Kolhapur. Legend has it that Kolhasura, a demon that tormented the Gods and other beings, was destroyed by Mahalakshmi here at Karavira, and that the spot of his death became a thirtha and that she took abode here in a shrine which constitutes the temple today. (Legend also has it that Parvati - Kolhambika destroyed the demon Kolhasura at Tryambakeshwar).

History::  Although several parts of the temple are of the second half of the second millennium CE, epigraphic references place the deity in the 7th century CE, and the temple in the 10th century CE.  For a period in the interim, this temple had fallen out of worship and

the image of the Goddess was housed elsewhere. Worship was restored in the year 1715 after the Marathas rose to power.

The Temple: The main entrance Mahadwara of the temple is the western entrance. Upon entering the Mahadwara one is confronted with several deepamaalas on either side, and enters the Garuda mandap with square pillars and foliated arches of wood, characteristic of Maratha temples. This mandap dates back to the 18th century. An image of garuda faces the sanctum. Another stone mandap, on a raised platform enshrining Ganesh, also faces the sanctum. Following this is the mandap with three shrines facing west. The central one is that of Mahalakshmi and the two on either side are those of Mahakali and Mahasaraswathi.

The temple complex exhibits mortarless construction echoing the style of the early Deccan temples. Also to be noted here are the horizontal mouldings and the vertical offsets which create a rich light and shade pattern. Also seen in this temple is a rich display of sculpture of figurines in dancing poses, musicians, gods and goddesses. The three sancta have rather simple shikharas of brick and mortar dating back to the 19th century.

The image of Mahalakshmi carved in black stone is 3 feet in height. The Shri yantra is carved on one of the walls in the temple. The sanctum is designed such that once a year, the setting rays of the sun fall on the face of the image of Mahalakshmi for a period of 3 days in the months of Pisces and Leo.

Above the Mahalakshmi sanctum is a shrine with a Shivalingam and a nandi. The devakoshtas house Venkatesha, Katyayani and Gowri Shankar - facing the north, east and the south. There are a number of subsidiary shrines in the courtyard to the Navagrahas, Surya, Mahishasuramardini, Vitthal-Rakhmai, Shiva, Vishnu, Tulja Bhavani and others. Some of these images date back to the 11th century, while some are of recent origin.  Also located in the courtyard is the temple tank Manikarnika Kund, on whose bank is a shrine to Visweshwar Mahadev.

Worship: Five worship services are offered each day here.  The first one is at 5 am, and it involves the waking of the deity with a Kakada - torch, to the accompaniment of hymns. The second worship service at 8 am involves the offeirng of the Shodashopachara pooja consisting of 16 elements. The afternoon and evening services and the Shejaarati pooja constitute the three other services.

A festival image of the deity is taken out in procession around the temple courtyard each Friday, and on full moon days.

The Shri Mahalakshmi Temple of Kolhapur in Maharashtra, India, is one of the Shakti Peethas listed in various puranas of Hinduism. According to these writings, a Shakti Peetha is a place associated with Shakti, the goddess of power. The Kolhapur Shakti Peetha is of special religious significance being one of the six places where it is believed that one can either obtain salvation from desires or have them fulfilled. The temple takes its name from Mahalakshmi, the consort of Vishnu, and it is believed that the divine couple reside in the area.

The temple belongs architecturally to the Kannada Chalukya empire and may have been first built in circa 700 AD. Mounted on a stone platform, the image of the four armed and crowned goddess is made of gemstone and weighs about 40 kilograms. The image of Mahalakshmi carved in black stone is 3 feet in height. The Shri Yantra is carved on one of the walls in the temple. A stone lion, the vahana of the goddess, stands behind the statue. The crown contains an image of

the Sheshnag — the serpent of Vishnu. In Her four hands, the deity of Mahalakshmi holds objects of symbolic value. The lower right hand holds a mhalunga (a citrus fruit), in the upper right, a large mace (kaumodaki) with its head touching the ground, in the upper left a shield (khetaka), and in the lower left, a bowl (panpatra). Unlike most Hindu sacred images, which face north or east, the image of this deity looks west (Pashchim). There is a small open window on the western wall, through which the light of the setting sun falls on the face of the image for three days around the 21st of each March and September.

There are a number of other shrines in the courtyard to the Navagrahas, Surya, Mahishasuramardini, Vitthal-Rakhmai, Shiva, Vishnu, Tulja Bhavani and others. Some of these images date back to the 11th century, while some are of recent origin. Also located in the courtyard is the temple tank Manikarnika Kund, on whose bank is a shrine to Visweshwar Mahadev.

Worship Structure: Five worship services are offered each day. The first one is at 5 am, and it involves the waking of the deity with a Kakada - torch, to the accompaniment of hymns. The second worship service at 8 am involves the offeirng of the Shodashopachara pooja consisting of 16 elements. The afternoon and evening services and the Shejaarati pooja constitute the three other services.

Special Events: A festival image of the deity is taken out in procession around the temple courtyard each Friday, and on full moon days.

The Goddess Mahalakshmi is connected with 'Mahat Lakshana', i.e. having noble characteristics. She is the mother of all the people of the world, distributing affections and nourishment equally to everybody. She likes to be connected with the beautiful (ramya) nature (prakrti) of human life.

Pankajabasini: 'Pankaja' is lotus which comes out of the mud (panka). The Goddess likes it very much to settle on this, for which She is called 'Pankajabasini'. The cause of selecting the lotus for settling on is to teach the world that although it is born from the dirty mud, still the lotus can be blessed for its cleanliness, softness, beauty, purity, splendour and fragrant disseminating qualities. Hence one should not be disheartened for bad family background only, but try to be clean in habits, pure in heart and noble in behaviour.

Padmalayaa: Here 'Padma' is lotus and 'Alaya' is adobe. Goddess Laxmi has selected "padma" for Her "alaya", for which She is called Padmalayaa. In the true sense, 'Padma' is compared with a clean and sacred heart and the Goddess always wants to make this pure heart her abode. In other words, the man with a clean heart can get the blessings of Goddess Mahalaxmi for ever.

Kamalaa: 'Kamal', the flower, being very soft, sacred, pure, clean, splendid and fragrant disseminating, has been liked very much by the Goddess Mahalaxmi, for which She is known as 'Kamalaa'. This gives the indication that the man who seeks blessings of Goddess Mahalaxmi should become like a flower.

Chanchalaa: The Fickle Goddess. Her movements being very fickle (chanchal). She

immediately leaves the man whose character starts to become impure.

Chapalaa: The unstable Goddess. She leaves the men like lightening (chapalaa) who start to become impure, immoral, a deserter, proud and arrogant.

Ksheerabdhi Tanayaa: 'Daughter of Ocean'. 'Ksheerabdhi' is Ocean and 'tanayaa' daughter. She is Ksheerabdhi Tanayaa because She was produced from Ocean when its water was churned out for nectar to make persons immortal. She appeared before the world being ornamented with precious gems and jewels, giving indications that the Ocean is the treasure of gems and jewels from time immemorial.

Men Blessed by the Goddess

According to Hitopadesha - Mitralava, "Goddess Laxmi blesses the man who is industrious and of very promising character. It is the version of the cowards that the wealth is given by Fortune. So discard the fortune and achieve success through your own efforts. If the success is not achieved after all of your efforts, then find out, there must be some faults some where."

Men Debarred from Blessings

Persons not industrious, who are devoid of duties, lazy, coward, desperate, selfish, jealous, tempted, irritable, greedy, envious, despotic, mean, hypocritical, cruel, tyrant, thief, liar, ungrateful, incontinent, inhuman, too much miser, deceitful, crooked, unruly, notorious, stupid, impudent, sinful, devilish are debarred from blessings of Goddess Mahalaxmi.

Mahalaxmi Purana

Outwardly, Mahalaxmi Purana contains a very beautiful story of Lord Jagannath, Balabhadra and Goddess Mahalaxmi, in which Mahalaxmi was driven out from the temple (Srimandir) by the two Lords with the allegation that She frequently visited the cottages of very low class people who were untouchable, and without being purified enough entered the temple palace to cook food and feed the two Lords. They gave her much insultation, calling bad names to Her father and drove out, after disornamenting Her, with caution not to keep steps in temple premises in future.

The bride Mahalaxmi, even after being so much tortured, begged apology to the Lords, but they turned a deaf ear to Her prayer and closed the temple door mercilessly. She cursed them to suffer for this injustice and inhuman behaviour by not getting food to eat till They repent for their misdeeds and request Her to serve the food for Them.

Mahalaxmi ordered the 'Betals' to take away all the belongings of Srimandir, including food stocks, grains, jewels, clothes, and a golden cot in the dead of the night, when the Lords would be sleeping, and dry the water source completely so as to make non-availabile a drop of water in the morning.

The Betals worked strictly according to the orders of their Mistress, and the two Lords Jagannath and Balabhadra became street beggars, begging alms from door to door. But

They were mercilessly driven out by all the citizens taking them to be thieves, Their robust health and appearance having no resemblance with beggars. They adopted all possible means of begging but were not successful in getting alms continuously for twelve years, and suffered from starvation. At last they reached the door of an aristocratic house on the seashore in the guise of Brahmins and begged for food to eat, and this was actually the house of Goddess Mahalaxmi, built by Viswakarma in the boundary of Varun's kingdom.

Mahalaxmi, being aware of all the facts, asked the two Lords through her maids, who were 'Chandal' by caste, the most untouchable persons of the society, how the two brothers, being Brahmin by caste, would take meals in their house. The two brothers decided to cook foods themselves if all the commodities like rice, vegetables, firewood and utensils would be supplied to them by the Mistress of the house, and accordingly they made their request. Orissa Review * December - 2007

Goddess Mahalaxmi arranged a supply of everything for them that they needed, and at the same time prayed to the Wind God to blow violently so that the wood would not burn to heat the water and turn black, creating heavy smoke and troubling the two brothers by causing a flow of tears from the eyes. They tried one after the other to keep the fire burning, but failed to achieve success. The elder brother, out of rage, took a piece of wood in his hand and giving a strong blow to the earthen pot, broke it down into pieces.

Now the two God brothers, finding no other alternative to save their lives, requested the maids to tell their Mistress that they were prepared to take meals in the house, even if they were chandal. The heart of the Goddess was immediately melted with those surrendering words and out of joy, she cooked many things instantly for the Gods and had them served through the maids.

From the mode of preparation of different delicious foods and from the style of serving the same, the two brothers recognised well the Mistress of the house to be none other than the Goddess Mahalaxmi. They begged an excuse for their faults with repentance and took Her on a procession to the Grand Temple, accepting all the terms and conditions brought by the Goddess against untouchability, inhumanity, high-handedness, casteism and many other points. From that day forward, the people of all castes and creeds, from Brahmin to Chandal, began taking of foods cooked in Srimandir together, without the slightest hesitation. The Mahalaxmi puja has continued to be performed in each house in the month of Margashira, every year.

In yesterday's segment of 'Epithets', we ended with the story of Lord Jagannath and Balabhadra accepting foodstuffs

cooked by the Goddess Mahalaxmi, and served by maids of low class. This pastimes is purported to symbolize

Mahalaxmi as representing the good and pious housewives of aristocratic families, who are very affectionate and

sympathetic towards the servants and labourers. The dependents and their family members regard them very highly,

addressing as 'Maa' (Mother) or 'Laxmi Maa' (Holy Mother) and putting forth all of their difficulties before them without

the knowledge of the housemasters, which the Landlords or Headmen do not prefer.

To discuss the subject matter of the story, we can name the landlords as 'Baladeva', but not 'Balabhadra' or

'Balarama'. The meaning of 'Bala' being the 'bullock, strength' and 'Deva' being the 'master' or 'owner', the meaning of

'Baladeva' is akin to 'the powerful landlords'. Similarly, we can name the 'Headmen of the Societies' as 'Jaganath' but

not 'Jagannatha'. Here 'Jaga' is 'people', 'society' and 'Natha' is 'Head'. So 'Jagannatha' is 'Samajapati' or 'Head of

the Society'. As the housewives of the aristocratic families were being called as 'Maa' or 'Laxmi Maa', we can gladly

call them as 'Maa Laxmi' but not 'Mahalaxmi'.

Now Sri Baladeva, being addicted to luxury spent his time and wealth lavishly on opulence, voracious eating (it is

mentioned of his taking 56 pauties of cooked rice at a time), and then having snoring slumber till the foods taken were

digested. As the common men of the society always follow the footprints of their superiors, they all pretended to

Almighty Lord Sri Narayana or Mahavishnu is known for looking after the welfare and well being of the phenomenal world or the creation. The power or energy of Sri Narayana is Sri Lakshmi. Mother Lakshmi is always identified with the Lord, and hence they are known as Sri Lakshmi Narayana. Mother Lakshmi is a mother of prosperity, peace and illumination. Without Her grace one can’t have inner peace or perennial joy. 

Lakshmi is commonly known as Goddess of wealth. Wealth is not only the money. Tradition and values of life is also wealth. Our family and progress is also wealth. Our belongings such as land, properties, animals, grains, etc as well as virtues like patience, persistence, purity etc in the form of a character are nothing but our wealth and so also glory or victory. Thus this eightfold  Sri Lakshmi is known as Sri Ashta Lakshmi. 

Mother Lakshmi is the source and provider of the following enumerated well-known sixteen types of wealth and many more. (1) Fame (2) Knowledge (3) Courage and Strength (4) Victory (5) Good Children (6) Valour (7) Gold and other gross properties (8) Grains in abundance (9) Happiness (10) Bliss (11) Intelligence (12) Beauty (13) Higher Aim, High Thinking and Higher Meditation too (14) Morality and Ethics (15) Good Health (16) Long Life. Let us glance upon the glory of mother Ashta Lakshmi’s individual nature and forms. 

1. Adi Lakshmi: Mother Lakshmi resides with Lord Narayana in the Vaikuntha, the abode of Lord Narayana. She is known as Ramaa, means bringing happiness to the mankind. She is also known as Indira (who holds lotus or purity in the hands or heart.) Divine Mother’s this form is normally seen serving Sri Narayana. Lord Narayana is omnipresent. Adi Lakshmi or Ramaa Lakshmi serves Sri Narayana is symbolic of her serving the whole creation. Though Sri Narayana is attended by innumerable devotees, still she personally loves to serve the Lord. Actually mother Adi Lakshmi and Narayana are not two different entities but one only. Many a place we see her form sitting in the lap of Sri Narayana.

2. Dhanya Lakshmi: Dhanya means grains. This includes all kind of purified food containing all essential vitamins, minerals, protein, calcium, carbohytrade and so on. With the grace of mother Dhanya Lakshmi one gets all essential nutrients grains, fruits, vegetables and other foods.

3. Dhairya Lakshmi: This form of mother Lakshmi grants the boon of infinite courage and strength. Those, who are in tune with infinite inner power, are always bound to have victory. Those who worship mother Dhairya Lakshmi they live and lead a life with tremendous patience and inner stability.

4. Gaja Lakshmi: In the holy book of Srimad Bhagavata the story of the churning of the ocean by Gods and demons is explained in detail. Author, the Sage Vyasa writes that Lakshmi came out of the ocean during the churning of the ocean (Samudra Manthan). So she is known as a daughter of the ocean. She came out of the ocean sitting on a full-bloomed lotus and also having lotus flowers in both hands with two elephants by her sides, holding a beautiful vessels filled with milk and pouring it over Sri Lakshmi. Many a time we see Sri Lakshmi standing in the lotus and elephants are pouring nectar over her. During the festival of the lamps or the Deepavali along with Sri Lakshmi the Ganapati or the Elephant God also gets worshipped; that signifies the protection from evils as well as abundant grace and blessings for additional prosperities!

5. Santan Lakshmi: In the family life, the children are the greatest treasure. Those who worship this particular form of Sri Lakshmi, known as a Santan Lakshmi, are bestowed with the grace of mother Lakshmi and have wealth in the form of desirable children with good health & long life.

6. Vijay Lakshmi: Vijay is victory. Vijay is to get success in all undertakings and all different facets of life. Some are strong physically but weak mentally while others are economically rich but poor in their attitude and cannot exert any influence. Vijay is to have all encompassing victory. Vijay is to rejoice glory of our real nature – Vijay is to conquer the lower nature. Vijay is the victory in external and internal wars and of course eternal wars! Hence those, with grace of mother Vijay Lakshmi, have victory everywhere, at all time, in all conditions. Victory to Vijay Lakshmi !!

7. Dhana Lakshmi: Dhana is wealth. But as per Rigved’s Purush Shukta Dhana is not only a wealth in coins and currency. Even Sun and moon, fire and stars, rains and nature, oceans and mountains, rivers and streams, all these are our wealth, so are the progeny, our inner will power, our character and our virtues. With the grace of mother Dhana Lakshmi we will get all these in abundance.

8. Vidya Lakshmi: Vidya is education. Education is not mere studies to receive the degrees and diplomas certificates from the educational institutes or universities. Rev. Sri Gurudev Swami Sivanandaji Maharaj says:

Serenity, Regularity, Absence of Vanity, Sincerity, Simplicity, Veracity, Equanimity, Fixity, Non-irritability, Adaptability Humility, Tenacity, Integrity, Nobility, Magnanimity, Charity, Generosity and Purity are the eighteen “itis” that only can give immortality.

Education, which cannot give peace to the soul or cannot give the knowledge of the Self and the inner satisfaction, is not education. Education, which cannot wipe the tears of others, known or unknown, is not education. Education is the understanding the situation and silence or art of living and leading the life that can make the life, the Life Divine, where the ultimate Goal of the life is the God-Realisation.

  Such Education can come only through discrimination and dispassion. One can have abundant amount of money, but if he does not know how to make good use of it, it will work to his disadvantage. If an alcoholic or a drug addict gets a big sum of money, it will only hasten his downward journey to destruction.  Vidya Lakshmi is the understanding and the knowledge to mold the ordinary life into the Divine Life.  A life of Service, a life of feeling for a fellow being, a life of charity and generosity, a life of purity, a life for seeking a soul within the soul and a life with an ultimate aim of the realisation of the ABSOLUTE is the only real education, which can come only with the grace of Vidya Lakshmi. 

Thus all these eightfold Sri Lakshmi is ultimately one single power only. That is Adishakti.

    The perennial and unchangeable, ever lasting, eternal truth or the absolute is this Supreme blessedness, the mother Adishakti. She is the origin. She is the light. She is the power, the wisdom and the strength. She is the Supreme Joy, peace, bliss and illumination.

    May Mother Adishakti’s and Sri Ashta Lakshmi’s grace be ever upon we all, to receive Her divine grace for being befitting servant of the mankind in Her cosmic kingdom. Om Shanti.

Sun temple:

As per the Hindu Religion, Surya symbolizes the Sun God. Surya is considered as the only visible form of God that can be seen every day. God Surya is regarded as an aspect of Shiva and Vishnu by Shaivites and Vaishnavas respectively. Surya is also known as Surya Narayana. Surya, the Sun God is also acknowledged as one of the eight forms of Lord Shiva (Astamurti). Surya is the lord of excellence and wisdom.

Surya - The ImageThe celestial body, Surya (the sun) is visible in the sky. Still according to the Hindu beliefs, Surya is depicted as a red man with three eyes and four arms, riding in a one wheeled chariot pulled by seven horses.

Surya - The God of LightSurya forms the major god of the Navgraha (nine planets).Surya is the God of light as per the Vedic texts. Surya is the literal source of life. According to the scientific fact, the whole universe is based on the process of photosynthesis which takes place due to the presence of Surya (the sun).

God Surya - The worship It is believed that Surya has been worshipped since ages to receive the kind blessings of God. A simple namaskaar (folding hands) to the lord makes him happy. Offering water to the God is too considered to receive the mercy. Surya is believed to be a generous deity capable of curing sick people, in India. It is also proved in Science that sunlight is a rich source of Vitamin-D. Surya is usually remembered for the brilliance and light in one's life.

Surya - The Gayatri MantraThe Gayatri Mantra of the Hindu Religion is also associated with the Sun God, Surya. Aditya Hridayam is another hymn associated with Surya, recited by the sage Agatsya to Rama on the battlefield before the fight with Ravana.

Symbol of Surya is also regarded as one of the auspicious signs of the Hindu religion. People place the sign of the Sun over main doors as they think it would bring them good luck.

Konark is also known as Konaditya. The name Konark is derived form the words Kona - Corner and Arka - Sun; it is situated on the north eastern corner of Puri or the Chakrakshetra. Konark is also known as Arkakshetra.

This temple built in 1278 CE by the Ganga  King Narasimha Deva  is one of the grandest temples of India and was referred to as the Black Pagoda. The ruins of this temple were excavated in late 19th century. The tower over the Garbagriha is missing, however the Jagmohana is intact, and even in this state, it is awe inspiring.

Legend has it that Samba, the king of Krishna and Jambavati entered the bathing chamber of Krishna's wifes, and was cursed by Krishna with leprosy. It was decreed that he would be relieved of the curse by worshipping the sun God on the sea coast north east of Puri. Accordingly Samba reached Konaditya Kshetra and discovered an image of Surya seated on the lotus, worshipped him and was relieved of his curse.

It is said that the temple was not completed as conceived because the foundation was not strong enough to bear the weight of the heavy dome. Local beleif has it that it was constructed in entirety, however its magnetic dome caused ships to crash near the

seashore, and that the dome was removed and destroyed and that the image of the Sun God was taken to Puri.

The Temple: The Konark temple is widely known not only for its architectural grandeur but also for the intricacy and profusion of sculptural work. The entire temple has been conceived as a chariot of the sun god with 24 wheels, each about 10 feet in diameter, with a set of spokes and elaborate carvings. Seven horses drag the temple. Two lions guard the entrance, crushing elephants. A flight of steps lead to the main entrance.

The nata mandir in front of the Jagamohana is also intricately carved.  Around the base of the temple, and up the walls and roof, are carvings in the erotic style.  There are images of animals, foliage, men, warriors on horses and other interesting patterns. There are three images of the Sun God, positioned to catch the rays of the sun at dawn, noon and sunset.

The Melakkadambur Shiva temple , built in the form of a chariot during  the age of Kulottunga Chola I (1075-1120),  is the earliest of this kind, and is still in a well preserved state.  It is believed that this temple set the pace for the ratha (chariot) vimana temples in India, as a distant descendant of Kulottunga I on the female line, and thefamous Eastern Ganga ruler Narasimha Deva, built the Sun Temple at Konark in the form of a chariot in the 13th century. Kulottunga Chola is also credited with having built the Suryanaar temple near Kumbhakonam. Temples dedicated to the Sun are not a common feature in the Tamil speaking region of the Indian subcontinent.

See Also:

[edit] Legends

As the legend says that, King Narasimha Deva-I of the Ganga Dynasty had ordered this temple to be built as a royal proclamation of the political supremacy of his dynasty. A workforce of 12 hundred artisans and architects invested their creative talent, energy and artistic commitment for an exhausting period of 12 years. The king had already spent an amount equivalent to the state's revenue receipts of 12 years. However, the completion of the construction was nowhere near sight. Then the king issued a final command that the work be completed by a stipulated date. The team of architects headed by Bisu Maharana was at its wit's end. It was then that Dharmapada the 12 year old son of the chief architect Bisu Maharana arrived there as a visiting onlooker. He became aware of the anxiety looming large among the architects. Although he did not have any practical experience of temple construction, he was thorough in his study of the theories of temple architecture. He offered to solve the confounding problem of fixing the last copping stone at the top of the temple. He surprised everyone by doing that himself. But soon after this achievement the dead body of this adolescent prodigy was found on the sea beach at the foot of the temple. Legend says that Dharmapada laid down his life to save his community.

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Guruvayoor is one of the most popular pilgrimage destinations in kerala. It is well connected by rail and road to Thrissur and hence to the rest of the country. Guruvayoor enshrines the youthful form of Krishna. This is a temple rich in legend, tradition and festivals.

Legend has it that Guru - the preceptor of Gods (Brihaspati) and Vaayu the wind God established this temple. Legend has it that this image was originally worshipped by Bhrama and gifted to Vishnu who retained it with him at Dwarka during his Krishnavataram. At the brink of destruction of Dwarka, Krishna instructed Uddhava to seek Vayu's and Guru's help to find a safe haven for the image. Accordingly Guru and Vayu installed this image at Guruvayur, on one side of a lotus lake, on the other side of which was a shrine to Shiva and Parvati.

It is believed that worshipping here relieves people of bodily ailments. Legend has it that Janamejaya, son of Parikshit was cured of leprosy upon installing the image of Krishna and worshipping here. Yet another legend has it that a Pandya King was cured of a snake bite while worshipping here.

History: The famous work Naaraayaneeyam - authored in the 16th century was composed in the presence of the presiding deity here, and its author is believed to have been cured of an incurable bout of arthritis. At the time of the political turmoil that prevailed during the period of Tippu Sultan, the image of Krishna was taken to Ambalapuzha for safety and worshipped there for a period of 2 years. It was then brought back in 1789.

The temple: The temple faces east. Crowds throng the entrance, and are let in through a queue system. The sanctum can be viewed from the temple entrance. There are also shrines to Durga (Edathidettukkaavu Bhagawati), and Sastha here.

Worship: It is believed that Aadi Sankaracharya set up the worship protocol here. The Nirmalya Darisanam is celebrated in the pre-dawn hours (3 am). The sanctum closes at 9 pm, and it stays open throughout the day except for a break between 1pm and 4 pm. A series of worship services are conducted throughout the day. A festival image of the deity is carried in procession around the temple during various rituals. Worship at Guruvayur is considered complete after visiting the Mammiyur Mahadevar temple nearby.

Festivals: The mandala ulsavam is celebrated for a period of 41 days towards the end of each calendar year. The annual ulsavam or festival is celebrated in the month of Kumbha, and this festival concludes with an elephant race.

HISTORY OF GURUVAYUR

EARLY HISTORY

According to the legends, the idol worshipped here is more than 5000 years old. But there are no historical records to establish it. In the 14th century Tamil literature 'Kokasandesam', references about a place called Kuruvayur is made. As early as 16th century (50 years after the Narayaneeyam was composed) many references are seen about Kuruvayur. In ancient Dravidic, Kuruvai means sea, hence the village on the coast may be called Kuruvayur.

But according to Prof. K V Krishna Iyer (eminent historian), the Brahmins had begun to come and settle at Kodungalloor during the period of Chandra Gupta Maurya ( 321-297 BC). Trikkunavay in the Guruvayur documents is the same as Thrikkanamathilakam or Mathilakam mentioned in the Dutch and

British records. And this place was in between Guruvayur and Kodungalloor. Guruvayur was Trikkunavay's subordinate shrine since they were destroyed by the Dutch in 1755. That way Guruvayur must have come into existence before 52 AD. The story of Pandyan King building a shrine here may be a reference to the Azhavars , but they are all silent in their writing about Guruvayur.

It was Melpathur's Narayaneeyam through which the Temple got publicity. The concept of Unnikrishna popularised by Poonthanam , Kururamma , and Villwamangalam brought more and more devotees to Guruvayur.

MAHATMYAM

From the time immemorial, India has been a spiritually enlightened country consecrated by Rishis and temples of worship. Holy places like Kashi and Rameswaram have magnificent

Temples which, besides their spiritual significance, are noted for their antiquity and historical importance. The artistic excellence and the architectural specialities of Konark and Khajuraho are so indescribable that they always attract not only the pilgrims from within the

country but also swarms of tourists from abroad. But Guruvayur is a pilgrim center which has its own glory and greatness, mainly because of the divinity enshrined in the Sanctum - Sanctorum (central shrine) of the temple and the unique charm of the idol installed in it.

The presiding deity in the Garbhagraha (central shrine) is Mahavishnu, worshipped according to the pooja routines laid down by Adi Sankaracharya and later written in to the

Tantrasamuchaya by Chennas Narayanan Namboodiri (born in 1427). The Chennas Namboodiris are the hereditary Tantri of Guruvayur temple. The people at large, however,

invoke the Lord as UNNIKRISHNA or BALAKRISHNA.

Guruvayur is one of the most important and holiest pilgrim centers of Kerala, attracting thousands of pilgrims from all parts of the Country. The main attraction is a temple dedicated to Lord Sree Krishna known as 'Guruvayurappan'. According to legend, when Lord Sree Krishna left this world, his golden city Dwarka was submerged in the ocean. At that time, an idol of the Lord was saved from the drowning city of Dwarka by the Guru of the Gods and with the help of Vayu, the god of wind, brought to Kerala. As the sacred idol was brought here by the combined efforts of the Guru and Vayu, the Lord here is called Guruvayurappan. It is at this temple that Melpattur Narayana Bhattathiri composed his renowned Sanskrit devotional poem Narayaneeyam.

The temple is built in the typical Kerala temple style. There are two entrances for the temple. The Kizhekke Nada or the Eastern entrance and the Patinjare Nada (Western entrance). In the 'chuttambalam' (outer enclosure of the main temple), there are two small temples for sub deities Lord Sastha and Bhagavathy. The 33 meter high golden 'kodimaram' (flag mast), is also located in the chuttambalam. The entrance to the Nalambalam or the inner sanctum lies just beyond this. The walls of the nalambalam are decorated with arrays of small oil lit lamps, which is a splendid spectacle when lit in the evenings. Within the Nalambalam are ten finely carved pillars on two raised platforms one on either side of the passage. Melpathur Narayana Bhattathiri, an ardent devotee of Guruvayoorappan, sat here, while composing 'Narayaneeyam', a massive Sanskrit poem of 1,036 slokas (verses). The walls of the 'sreekovil' (sanctum sanctroum) is decorated with mural paintings and the roof is gold covered. The idol of Guruvayoorappan is carved out of 'pathalanjana sila', and is decorated with jewels and golden ornaments. On the south west corner there is small shrine dedicated to Vinayaka ( Ganapathi). Next comes the beautiful sculpture of Ananthasayanam ( Lord reclining on the serpant ) on the west side of nalambalam. The passage on the northern side of the nalambalam is used by the devotees for exit after darshan. There is also a small idol of Anjaneya ( Hanuman ) on the northern wall of the nalambalam.

 

MAHATMYAM

SANCTITY OF THE IDOL The idol of Guruvayur temple is unique, since it is carved out of "Pathalanjana Sila", and is considered extremely sacred. This idol was once worshipped by

Mahavishnu in Vaikunta. Vishnu handed it over to Brahma. King Suthapas and his wife who worshipped Bhrama for a child received this idol from Brahma. He

advised them to start worshipping the idol. Once Lord Vishnu appeared before them and blessed them that he himself will be born as their child in their three re-births in three different forms and in three different situations. Thus they got the good fortune to worship the same deity in all three rebirths. They gave birth to

Prasnigarbhan who gave to the world the practice of Brahmacharya Vratha (Celibacy) . In their next birth, Suthapas and his wife were born as Kashyapa and

Adithi . Their son in that birth was Vamana. The third rebirth was as Vasudeva and Devaki. The Lord Krishna was born as their eighth son. In the long run , the

Lord Krishna himself installed this idol in Dwaraka and worshipped it. MAHATMYAM

SANCTITY OF INSTALLATION From Mahavishnu the sacred idol has passed through the hands of Brahma, Suthapas, Kasyapa, Vasudeva, Sree Krishna and finally at the time of Krishna's ascension to Vaikunta, he instructed Udhava to entrust Brahaspathi (the Guru of Devas) with the task of taking the idol to a suitable place where people could worship it, so as to get salvation in Kaliyuga. A deluge had closed in on Dwaraka, but Guru salvaged the idol with the help of his prime disciple, Vayu. Guru and Vayu went around the world in search of an ideal place. They met Parasurama who lead them to a lush green spot with a beautiful lotus tank where they felt the presence of Lord Siva. Lord Siva along with Parvathy welcomed them and said , "This is the same spot you are looking for, here it was, I imparted the Rudrageetham to the Prechethas" .The idol was installed there. Siva with Parvathy left to the opposite bank, at Mammiyur. Siva permitted Guru and Vayu to perform the consecration rites and blessed them that henceforth this place would be known as GURUVAYUR (since the installation was done by Guru and Vayu)

Vishwakarma, the divine architect was requested to built a Temple , which he made in such a way that on the day of Vishu (Summer equinox), the sun himself makes his obeisance . His first rays on that day fall straight on the Lord's feet. The idol was installed in the solar month of Kumbha. (February - March). The ceremony was begun on the seventh asterism of Pooyam (Puozhya) and completed on the day of Anizham (Anuradha)

As the idol was once worshiped by the Lord Mahavishnu himself in Vaikunta, Guruvayur is considered to be " Bhooloka Vaikunta " - the heaven on earth.

The poet depicts the image of Lord Guruvayurappan, in exemplary terms - "Sammohanam Mohanal Kantham Kanthinidhanathopi, Madhuram Madhurya Dhuryadapi, Soundaryotharathopi Sundaratharam”, and these become doubly meaningful and apt when applied to this exquisite work also. The theme of Narayaneeyam is based on the stories in Bhagavatham; it is, almost, an epitome of the great Purana. But unlike Vyasa, who has introduced in the first 'Skandha' itself, the speaker (Sree Suka Brahmarshi) and the listener (Emperor Pareekshith), the poet himself is the speaker in Narayaneeyam, who sings before the Lord Guruvayurappan, in a sublime tune about His glories and prays to Him to bless him to be cured of his disease.

The ‘Parayana' of Narayaneeyam is believed to possess the wonderful power of healing afflictions, both mental and physical, of the devotees. The personal experiences of the poet himself have proved this beyond doubt. The "Nithyaparayana” of Narayaneeyam will enable the devotees to attain " Ayurarogyasoukhyam”.

In the realm of the hymns in Sanskrit, Narayaneeyam occupies an exalted position. As a pure literary piece, it is pre-eminent. And, as a unique hymn saturated with divine "Bhakthi”, it is unparalleled. Dr. B. Ramakrishna Rao, who was the Governor of Kerala happened to hear Narayaneeyam read out, and attracted by the greatness of it, got it translated into Telugu and published in Andhra. Narayaneeyam has been translated into Tamil also.

Narayaneeyam begins worshipping Lord Guruvayurappan in His divine form which is "Sandranandavabodhatmakam” and ends depicting Sree Krishna as if he sees Him before his mortal eyes.

Narayaneeya Sapthaham ( the recitation of Narayaneeyam and explaining the meaning to the public) is conducted in Guruvayur temple by Devaswom on the Narayaneeya Dinam and by others as offerings. It is done for seven consecutive days from early morning till 6.10 pm in the evening. Narayaneeya Sapthaham has started in Guruvayur in the early 50's. It takes about 5 hours to read the slokas and about 45 hours for explaining the slokas. 

Because of his great Godly power, Lord Krishna is another of the most commonly worshipped deities in the Hindu faith. He is considered to be the eighth avatar of Lord Vishnu. Shree Krishna delivered Bhagwad Gita on battlefield to Arjun.

He, like Lord Rama, is also known for his bravery in destroying evil powers throughout his life. The Lord is usually depicted as playing the flute (murali), indicating spread of the melody of love to people.

He is also shown with his childhood devotee Radha. The Lord is usually remembered and worshipped as Radha-Krishna. The pair symbolizes the eternal love between people and god.

Lord Krishna is also shown with his pet cow, his childhood favorite. Lord Krishna performed many divine sports (leela) as a child.

Divine Import of Krishna Leela:It was the darkest hour of the era. The brutalities perpetrated by despot king Kansa had become unbearable. In such a period of crisis, during the Dwapar Yuga, the Divine Power descended on earth in human form as Krishna. He is Raagi as well as Vairaagi; Nar and Narayan; Chakradhar and Murlidhar - all blending into one incarnation, Krishna.

Krishna Bal Leela: Divine Importance

Divine Import of Krishna Leela:It was the darkest hour of the era. The brutalities perpetrated by despot king Kansa had become unbearable. In such a period of crisis, during the Dwapar Yuga, the Divine Power descended on earth in human form as Krishna. He is Raagi as well as Vairaagi; Nar and Narayan; Chakradhar and Murlidhar - all blending into one incarnation, Krishna.

Krishna Bal Leela

Lord Krishna is one of the most loved and adored Gods of Hindu religion. The foremost reason of the glorification and reverence of Bhagwan Krishna is his Bal Leela. Bal Leela depicts various episodes between the period of his birth till the age of ten. Lord Krishna right from the time of his birth displayed

the signs of his divine being.

Killing of Demoness PutanaAccording to legend, King Kansa wanted to kill Krishna as it was predicted that he would grow up to kill the King. So Demoness Putana went about killing all the male infants in Mathura and other neighboring towns in the move to kill the new born Lord Krishna. She took the form of a beautiful woman and smeared her breast with poison. While roaming from one town to another, she reached Nand baba's house, and saw Bal Krishna lying in the cradle. She then fled with the child and fed Lord Krishna her milk in the vain hope of killing him. Lord Krishna kept smiling and drinking the milk and after a while Putana shrieked with pain. It is said that while sucking the milk, Lord Krishna sucked her life thus killing her.

Overturning the Cart by Lord KrishnaAs per a folklore, during one of the birth ceremonies of Lord Krishna, Mata Yashoda kept fast asleep Krishna under a cart full of milk . Lord Krishna started crying for milk after getting up, but Mata Yashoda didn't hear his cries so Lord Krishna kicked the cart with his feet and overturned it. The pots were shattered and milk started flowing into his mouth. When the story of overturned cart was narrated to Mata Yashoda, she could not believe it.

Displaying the Cosmos to Mother YashodaLegend has it that one day Mata Yashoda was cuddling Lord Krishna and playing with him. The child lying on his mother's lap yawned and opened his mouth. Mata Yashoda saw the whole universe in his mouth, the sun, the moon and all the stars, the sky, mountains, rivers, islands, oceans, all the continents, all living as well as non living beings.

Killing of Demon TrinivartaIt is believed that King Kansa sent one of his loyal servant, Demon Trinivarta to kill Lord Krishna. The demon took the form of a whirlwind and carried the child away. As soon as the demon reached the sky, he found it difficult to proceed further on account of the heaviness of the child. Unable to bear his own weight as well as the weight of the child, demon Trinivarta fell on the ground and met his fate. His took his original form after the death and Mata Yashoda was astonished to see her child lying on the dead demon.

The Fruit Seller

According to another famous folklore, Lord Krishna went to a woman fruit seller and asked her to give him some fruits in exchange for a handful of grains. The woman took the handful of grains from Lord Krishna and put in her basket and left. On reaching home, the woman was astonished to see her basket full of precious stones and gems instead of grains.

Omnipresent Lord Krishna

Bal Gopal was very mischievous and found great pleasure in playing pranks on gopis. He would steal their milk, butter, break their earthen pots to get butter. One day Lord Krishna, broke all the earthen pots of a gopi in order to get butter. On being caught red handed, the gopi went to mother Yashoda to inform her of her son's mischievous deeds. She was shocked to see the Lord standing next to his mother; Feeling embarrassed she left the place.

Navagraha TemplesTemples of Tamilnadu

Abodes of Shiva The Navagraha Temple Index

August 2002

A cluster of nine temples in the temple belt of the erstwhile Chola empire of Tamilnadu is referred to as the Navagraha temples -that bear the common thread of their association with

the nine celestial bodies referred to in Indian astrological beliefs.

Introduction to the Navagrahas and the Navagraha temples of the Chola region of Tamilnadu. Listen to kOLaru patikam rendered by the author.

The Suryanaar temple dedicated to the Sun God Surya was constructed during the period of the later Cholas.

Tingaloor Kailasanathar   temple represents Chandrastalam (associated with the moon) in the scheme of the Navagraha temples.

Pullirukku Velur or Vaideeswaran Koyil near Mayiladuturai is an ancient Shiva temple bearing a shrine to Angaarakan and is referred to as the Angaarakastalam.

Tiruvenkaadu near Mayiladuturai is referred to as Aadi Chidambaram and it bears shrines to Nataraja, Aghoramurthy and is referred to as the Budhastalam in the scheme of the Navagraha temples.

The Aabatsahayeswarar temple at Aalangudi bears a shrine to Dakshinamurthy and is referred to as the Gurustalam.

The Agneeswarar temple at Kanjanoor near Kumbhakonam is referred to as the Sukrastalam in the scheme of the Navagraha temples.

The ancient pilgrimage center of Tirunallaar bears shrines to Tyagaraja and Saneeswara.

The Naganathar temple at Tirunageswaram near Kumbhakonam has a shrine dedicated to Raahu.

The Naganathar temple at Keezhperumpallam near Mayiladutrai has a shrine dedicated to Ketu.

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NAVAGRAHAS: THE PLANETARY DEITIESFrom the book “Vedic Heritage Teaching Program” by Sunita and Sundar Ramaswamy(Arsha Vidya Gurukulam, Saylorsburg, PA, 1993), volume 2.IntroductionInvoking the Lord in the form of planetary deities is one of the unique forms of

worshipping God seen in the Vedic culture. The planetary deities are perceived asplaying a significant role in the life of an individual. Jyoti¬am, one of the Ved¹ngas,includes astronomy and astrology. Jyoti¬am connects the life events of a human being tothe orderly patterns of the movements of the planets in the earth’s solar system.In addition, astrology is a predictive science based upon the positions of the variousplanets (a horoscope) cast at the time of one’s birth. While the horoscope indicates thelife pattern destined at birth, the law of karma enables an individual, within the confinesof his birth, to exercise free will through actions and to change destined events. Theseactions include prayers known as ¶¹nti.˜¹ntis are specific prayers offered to God who is invoked in the form of various planetarydeities called grahas. Jyoti¬am recognizes nine planets, nava grahas, that are associatedwith various life experiences. These planetary deities also preside over the twelve signsof the zodiac in the following order: Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra,Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius, and Pisces.Navagraha Devat¹sSØrya devat¹ - The Sun GodBecause the sun's essential nature is light, it is called the ¹tmak¹raka or the presidingdeity of the ¹tm¹. The sun governs a person's confidence, authority, and status. The sunis also the presiding deity of the eyes and rules the sign Leo. The Vi¬ªu Pur¹ªa (2.8.15)states that the sun does not move; nor does it rise or set. Rising and setting implyappearance and disappearance.Candra devat¹ - The Moon GodThe moon is the presiding deity of the mind and emotions. This devat¹ is depicted withcrescent moon/ holding lotus buds in his hands. He rules the sign of Cancer.Kuja devat¹ - The Mars GodThe deity Kuja is also known as Mangala or Ang¹raka. In the Pur¹ªas he is also described

as K¹rttikeya, the son of Lord ˜iva and Goddess Um¹. He is depicted as wearing redclothes and carrying a spear. He governs the qualities of courage and bravery, andpresides over siblings and health. He rules Aries and Scorpio.Budha devat¹ - The Mercury GodBudha is the deity who presides over intelligence. He governs a person's teachingcapacities. He is depicted as holding the Vedas in one hand and a sword, a mace, and ashield in his other hands. He rules Gemini and Virgo.Guru devat¹ - The Jupiter GodGuru is the presiding deity of religious inclinations and prosperity. He is also thepresiding deity of married life for women. He is described in the Pur¹ªas as BÅhaspati,the preceptor of the devat¹s. He is often depicted in a standing posture with four hands,in one of which he holds a weapon called the vajra-¹yudha. He rules Sagittarius andPisces.˜ukra devat¹ - The Venus God˜ukra is the presiding deity of material comforts, arts, culture, and aesthetics. He is alsothe presiding deity of love and married life for men. In the Pur¹ªas he is depicted asbeing the preceptor of King Bali. ˜ukra is depicted as standing with his hands folded. Heis the ruler of Taurus and Libra.˜ani devat¹ - The Saturn God˜ani is the presiding deity of longevity, calamities, and difficulties in life, and, at thesame time, of renunciation and spiritual wisdom. He presides over painful experiencesand inner growth. In the Pur¹ªas, he is considered the son of the Sun God. He isdepicted with a dark complexion, bearing a mace, and moving at a slow pace. He has acrow as his vehicle. His eyes are generally blindfolded because of the belief that hisglance is very powerful and may bring misfortune. He rules Capricorn and Aquarius.R¹hu and Ketu devat¹s - The R¹hu God and the Ketu GodR¹hu is the presiding deity of worldly desires and Ketu is the presiding deity of mok¬a, or

freedom from limitations. Astronomically, they are not planets but the northern andsouthern nodal points of the moon. They are closely connected to each otherastrologically. Mythologically, they are born of a r¹k¬asa (demon). The upper half ofR¹hu's body is similar to a man, while the lower half is like a snake. Conversely, theupper half of Ketu's body is similar to the head of a snake, while the lower half is like aman. They do not rule any signs but give the effects of the ruler of the signs where theyare situated.In many Indian temples, there is an altar dedicated to the nine planetary devat¹s. Theyare placed in the following manner, facing specific directions as pointed by the arrows:Before leaving the temple, one offers prayers to these deities by circumambulating ninetimes around the altar, while chanting the Navagraha Stotram or the following prayer:

AaroGy& p/ddatu no idnkrŠ cNd/o y=o inmRl&-Uit& -UimsutŠ su0a&=utnyŠ p/}aa& gu£gORrvm\ |kaVyŠ komlvaiGvlasmtul& mNdo mud& svRdarahubaRhubl& ivro0=mn& ketuŠ kulSyoNnitm\ ||¹rogyam pradad¹tu no dinakaraå candro ya¶o nirmalambhØtim bhØmisutaå sudh¹m¶u-tanayaå prajñ¹m gurur-gauravamk¹vyaå komalav¹gvil¹samatulam mando mudam sarvad¹r¹hurb¹hubalam virodha¶amanam ketuå kulasyonnatimMay the Sun give us long life and good health; the Moon, pure fame; the son of theEarth (Mars), charisma and prosperity; the son of the Moon (Mercury), intelligence;Jupiter, respectability; the one possessed of the qualities of a poet (Venus), the capacityfor unsurpassed and melodious speech; the one of slow gait (Saturn), continual joy and

pleasure; R¹hu, strength and the destruction of enemies; and Ketu, growth of the family

Navagraha - The Nine Planets

The Navagrahas are considered as earth's cosmic influencers and affect the nature and destiny of the human beings. Hence they are personified as celestial beings and worshipped as deities. Technically, the Sun and the Moon are not planets and Rahu and Ketu are lunar nodes. But they are all referred to as grahas in the Hindu mythology. 

Surya, the Sun God

Surya or Sun is the most powerful living God - whom everyone can see, perceive and pray. Though he is visible, he also has been presented in a variety of forms. Lord of this planet is God Siva 

Surya or Sun is one of the most important deity in the Navagraha grouping. He is the son of Sage Kashyapa and wife Aditi. His chariot is pulled by seven horses, they are symbolic of the seven chakras. The day of the Sun is "Raviwar" or Sunday. Surya is considered both an aspect of Vishnu, and Shiva. As Vishnu, we call him Surya Narayana and of Shiva, as Astamurti.  He is the owner of the astrological sign, Leo. The ill-placement of Sun in the horoscope can cause head aches, mental tension, fevers, body ache, cardiac ailments and blood pressure. Ruby is the gemstone associated with this planet. 

Chandra, the Moon God

Chandra or Moon or Soma is the lunar deity. According to the scriptures, he is handsome, fair and rides his chariot (the moon) across the sky every night, drawn by the ten white horses. He is the god for fertility and indicative of the mind, queen or mother. He is also hailed as Kshuparaka, the illuminator of the night and Nishadipathi, the lord of the night. The day of the Moon is Monday.  He is the owner of the astrological sign, Cancer. Bad placement of the Moon can cause urinary infections, colitis, bronchitis, abdominal pain, etc. Pearl is indicated for the strengthening of the Moon. 

Mangala, the planet Mars

Angaraka or Mangala or Bhauma or Mars is the son of Prithvi or Bhoomidevi (Earth). He is a red planet, lord of martial arts, celibate and a teacher of the occult sciences. He is ruled by Lord Subramanya and presides over "Mangal-war" or Tuesday.  He is the owner of the astrological signs, Aries and Scorpio. Mars weaknesses can cause accidents, blood clots, inflammation of the lungs, typhoid and other circulatory issues. Coral is suggested for strengthening of Mars. 

Budha, the planet Mercury

Budha or Mercury is the son of Moon (Chandra) and Tara. He is believed to be eloquent, mild and considered the lord of merchants and their merchandise. He is ruled by Lord Vishnu and presides over "Budha-war" or Wednesday. 

He is the owner of the astrological sign, Gemini and Virgo. An ill-placed Mercury can cause stammering, paralysis, asthma, bronchitis, nervous disorders, brain fever, nasal disorder, etc. The gemstone for Mercury is Emerald. 

Guru, the planet Jupiter

Brihaspati or Guru or Jupiter is best known for his wisdom and eloquence. He is the personification of piety and religion, he is the priest and the preceptor of the gods or devas. He grants the boon of fatherhood to the childless, good education (Vidya). He is ruled by Lord Dakshinamurthy and presides over "Budhawar" or Wednesday.  He is the owner of the astrological signs, Pisces and Sagittarius. A weak Jupiter can cause diabetes, piles, liver malfunction, tumors, gout, blood cancer, etc. The gemstone for Jupiter is yellow sapphire. 

Sukra, the planet Venus

Sukra or Venus is the son of sage Bhrigu and Ushana and bestower of long life, wealth, happiness, children, property and good education. He is white-complexioned and the preceptor of the Asuras. He is ruled by Goddess Mahalakshmi and represents "Sukra-war" or Friday.  He is the owner of the astrological signs, Taurus and Libra. An ill-placement of Venus can cause indigestion, eye disease, pimples, skin rashes, impotency, venereal diseases, etc. Diamond is the gemstone for Venus

Shani, the planet Saturn

Shani or Saturn, is the son of Surya and Chhaya. He moves very slowly, when compared to the other planets, he takes about 30 years to revolve around the Sun. He represents learning the hard way, with respect to career, life or longevity. He is ruled by Lord Yama and represents "Saniwar" or Saturday. A prayer to him, especially on Saturdays, is said to mitigate the hardships one will have to face during these periods.  He is the owner of the astrological signs, Aquarius and Capricorn. A weakness in Saturn can cause gout, arthritis, asthma, impotency, rheumatism, TB,etc. Blue Sapphire is the gemstone indicated for Saturn. 

Rahu

Rahu is the god of the ascending or north lunar node and believed to cause solar or lunar eclipses. He represents the head of the asura that drank some of the nectar during Samudra mathana and believed to be immortal. He is ruled by Goddess Durga.  A weakness in Rahu causes un-explained miseries and obstacles, he affects the "mind". Gomedh is the gemstone for Rahu. 

Ketu

Ketu is the Lord of the descending or south lunar node. He represents the body of the asura that drank some of the nectar during Samudra mathana. He is referred to as a "shadow planet" as he

does not rule over any of them. He is hailed as the "Moksha-Karaka" or the planet influencing psychic powers. He is ruled by Lord Ganesha and Indra.  A weakness in Ketu affects the body - diseases like leprosy, cancer, paralysis, circulatory issues, they are all attributed to him. The gemstone for Ketu is Cat's Eye. 

Graha is a "cosmic marker of influence" on the living being of mother earth (Bhumidevi or Prithvi). In Hindu Vedic Astrology, the Navgraha (Navagraha - Nine planets or nine realms) are some of the major markers that point out the karmic influence on the behavior of the living beings.

What is Astrology?Astrology is the science of the effects of planetary movements on our lives. Astrology is based on astronomy, and astrologers need to know the correct positions of the planets at any given time, as well as the correct positions of the zodiacal fixed star signs in relation to any place on earth at any given time. Once the correct positions of the signs and planets are known, astrologers can construct charts representing these positions. And using his knowledge, the astrologer can study the charts and can make a wide range of conclusions about the moment the chart was cast for. Primarily, astrology is used to understand one's self, and our karma for this life.

Basic PrincipleThe basic premise of this astrology is that all things are linked. Your karma or fortune is determined by a predestined cosmic design. You are a soul incarnating in a body at a very specific time and place, and your life is a reflection of the greater whole into which you are born just as flowers bloom at certain times, say during spring time, when all conditions are perfectly congenial. So is the case with our births on this palnet.

What are Charts?In Jyotish, the main item is your chart. It's a map of the planets in the signs of the zodiac. Charts are cast based on an exact moment at an exact place on earth. Therefore, the moment you were born and the place you were born has a chart, and that is your "birth chart" or "natal chart".

By reading the chart of the heavens for the time and place of your birth, claim astrologers, they can know much about you. The positions of the planets in the real star-based zodiac are taken and your "dashas" (predictive timeline) are arranged. Your Vedic chart will most likely reflect your real life and your dashas are probably operating the way they should. The

Vedic astrologer looks at these planets, signs and house placements in your chart and can "see" your personality, as well as life events and possibilities - both the good and the bad times in your life. The dashas are then used to determine "when" the events will unfold in the life.

What is Astrology?Astrology is the science of the effects of planetary movements on our lives. Astrology is based on astronomy, and astrologers need to know the correct positions of the planets at any given time, as well as the correct positions of the zodiacal fixed star signs in relation to any place on earth at any given time. Once the correct positions of the signs and planets are known, astrologers can construct charts representing these positions. And using his knowledge, the astrologer can study the charts and can make a wide range of conclusions about the moment the chart was cast for. Primarily, astrology is used to understand one's self, and our karma for this life.

Basic PrincipleThe basic premise of this astrology is that all things are linked. Your karma or fortune is determined by a predestined cosmic design. You are a soul incarnating in a body at a very specific time and place, and your life is a reflection of the greater whole into which you are born just as flowers bloom at certain times, say during spring time, when all conditions are perfectly congenial. So is the case with our births on this palnet.

What are Charts?In Jyotish, the main item is your chart. It's a map of the planets in the signs of the zodiac. Charts are cast based on an exact moment at an exact place on earth. Therefore, the moment you were born and the place you were born has a chart, and that is your "birth chart" or "natal chart".

By reading the chart of the heavens for the time and place of your birth, claim astrologers, they can know much about you. The positions of the planets in the real star-based zodiac are taken and your "dashas" (predictive timeline) are arranged. Your Vedic chart will most likely reflect your real life and your dashas are probably operating the way they should. The Vedic astrologer looks at these planets, signs and house placements in your chart and can "see" your personality, as well as life events and possibilities - both the good and the bad

times in your life. The dashas are then used to determine "when" the events will unfold in the life.