A07 — PRADAKSHINAM TEMPLE VISITS

‘Ammalu., though it is a very busy day for me today, I can afford to allot five minutes to be with you’ ‘Thank you SP, after five minutes, we will go to buy saris’   cartoon courtesy. Ramki, Chennai

                                          “KarasthE hEmAdrau giriSa nikaTasthE dhana-patau gRhasthE svarbhUjA(a)mara-surabhi-cintAmaNi-gaNE SirasthE SItAMSau caraNa-yugalasthE(a)khila SubhE kam-arthaM dAsyE(a)haM bhavatu bhavad-arthaM mama manaH” ( sivanandalahari ) General meaning: The Golden mountain is at your hands; Kubera, the Lord of wealth … Read more

The Kerala Agraharams, colonies of the Brahmins of Tamil origin, are of a unique style. Many of the houses are being sold now and the new houses which come up, have no resemblance to the old ones, constructed under different circumstances, long ago. The Kerala Govt has declared the Kalpathy agraharam as the first heritage … Read more

This year’s Perinkulam car festival was of special significance for me, as my youngest son Srikanth along with his wife Hamsadwani, who are likely to leave shortly to US for higher studies, participated in the festival. I was on a happy high seeing them actively engaged in various activities , extending a helping hand to … Read more

 Satatyanarayanaswamy Temple in  Tampa Florida  is on a hillock and you have to climb nearly fifty steps to reach the temple walls covered with carvings and statuary . The statues of Jaya and Vijaya, on your left and right welcomes you at the entrance.The earth-toned gopuram, which breaks above the tree line, the walls of … Read more

  Visalakshi sametha Sree Viswanatha Swamy, the presiding deity of the prime temple of Kalpathy had already mounted His glamorous chariot in all glory, escorted by other divine family members , all in their own chariots, when I landed at the Kalpathy village during the recent annual car festival celebration. I was witnessing that divine … Read more

From Kasi to Kalpathy for the car festival and from there to Vaikom for Ashtami, soon after returning from the US, was a spiritually rejuvenating reward. The presiding deity of the oldest Shiva temple in Kerala, is affectionately called Vaikkathappan, father of Vaikkom or Mahadevan, God of gods. The sacred vaikkathashtami festival lasting twelve days, takes … Read more

 .       No sooner I landed at the place of my birth to participate in the annual car festival this year, after an unpardonable gap of many  years, than I rushed to the river for a dip, before visiting the recently renovated temple of Viswanathaswamy to offer prayers. I am familiar with the … Read more