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Kamakshi Amman Temple
The Kamakshi Amman Temple, also known as Kamakoti Nayaki Kovil, is a Hindu temple dedicated to the goddess Kamakshi, one of the highest aspects of Adi Parashakti, the supreme goddess in Shaktism. The temple is located in the historic city of Kanchipuram, near Chennai, India. It may have been founded in the 5th-8th century CE by the Pallava kings, whose capital was in Kanchipuram. It may also have been built by the Cholas in the 14th century, and legend also says it was built as recent as 1783. The temple is one of the most important centers of Shaktism in the state of Tamil Nadu. The temple is dedicated mainly to Kamakshi, but also has a shrine for Vishnu, in his form of Varaha. Kamakshi is worshipped in the shrine in five forms. The temple is also the center for the Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham. History The temple may have been founded by the Pallava kings in the 5th-8th century, whose capital was in Kanchipuram. The temple is glorified by the 6th-9th century ''Vaishnavite Alva ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gopuram
A ''gopuram'' or ''gopura'' ( Tamil: கோபுரம், Telugu: గోపురం, Kannada Kannada () is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly in the state of Karnataka in southwestern India, and spoken by a minority of the population in all neighbouring states. It has 44 million native speakers, and is additionally a ...: ಗೋಪುರ, Malayalam language, Malayalam: ഗോപുരം) is a monumental entrance tower, usually ornate, at the Entrance Hall, entrance of a Hindu temple, in the Dravidian architecture, South Indian architecture of the southern Indian states of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Karnataka, and Telangana, and Sri Lanka. In other areas of India they are much more modest, while in Southern Indian temples they are very often by far the highest part of the temple. Ancient and early medieval temples feature smaller ''gopuram'', while in later temples they are a prominent feature of Hindu temple architecture, Hindu Tamil archi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Vaishnavism
Vaishnavism () ), also called Vishnuism, is one of the major Hindu denominations, Hindu traditions, that considers Vishnu as the sole Para Brahman, supreme being leading all other Hindu deities, that is, ''Mahavishnu''. It is one of the major Hindu denominations along with Shaivism, Shaktism, and Smartism. Its followers are called Vaishnavites or ''Vaishnava''s (), and it includes sub-sects like Krishnaism and Ramanandi Sampradaya, Ramaism, which consider Krishna and Rama as the supreme beings respectively. According to a 2020 estimate by The World Religion Database (WRD), hosted at Boston University’s Institute on Culture, Religion and World Affairs (CURA), Vaishnavism is the largest Hindu sect, constituting about 399 million Hindus. The ancient emergence of Vaishnavism is unclear, and broadly hypothesized as a History of Hinduism, fusion of various regional non-Vedic religions with worship of Vishnu. It is considered a merger of several popular non-Vedic theistic traditio ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Brahma
Brahma (, ) is a Hindu god, referred to as "the Creator" within the Trimurti, the triple deity, trinity of Para Brahman, supreme divinity that includes Vishnu and Shiva.Jan Gonda (1969)The Hindu Trinity, Anthropos, Bd 63/64, H 1/2, pp. 212–226.Jan Gonda (1969)The Hindu Trinity, Anthropos, Bd 63/64, H 1/2, pp. 218–219. He is associated with creation, knowledge, and the ''Vedas''. Brahma is prominently mentioned in Creation myth, creation legends. In some ''Puranas'', he created himself in a golden embryo known as the Hiranyagarbha. Brahma is frequently identified with the Rigvedic deities, Vedic god Prajapati.;David Leeming (2005), The Oxford Companion to World Mythology, Oxford University Press, , page 54, Quote: "Especially in the Vedanta Hindu Philosophy, Brahman is the Absolute. In the Upanishads, Brahman becomes the eternal first cause, present everywhere and nowhere, always and never. Brahman can be incarnated in Brahma, in Vishnu, in Shiva. To put it another way, eve ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Shiva
Shiva (; , ), also known as Mahadeva (; , , Help:IPA/Sanskrit, [mɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐh]) and Hara, is one of the Hindu deities, principal deities of Hinduism. He is the God in Hinduism, Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions within Hinduism. Shiva is known as ''The Destroyer'' within the Trimurti, the Hinduism, Hindu trinity which also includes Brahma and Vishnu. In the Shaivite tradition, Shiva is the Supreme Lord who creates, protects and transforms the universe. In the goddess-oriented Shaktism, Shakta tradition, the Supreme Goddess (Devi) is regarded as the energy and creative power (Shakti) and the equal complementary partner of Shiva. Shiva is one of the five equivalent deities in Panchayatana puja of the Smarta Tradition, Smarta tradition of Hinduism. Shiva has many aspects, benevolent as well as fearsome. In benevolent aspects, he is depicted as an Omniscience, omniscient yogi who lives an Asceticism#Hinduism, ascetic life on Kailasa as well as a house ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Shakti Pithas
The Shakta pithas, also called Shakti pithas or Sati pithas (, , ''seats of Shakti''), are significant shrines and pilgrimage destinations in Shaktism, the mother goddess denomination in Hinduism. The shrines are dedicated to various forms of Adi Shakti. Various Puranas such as Srimad Devi Bhagavatam state the existence of a varying number of 51, 52, 64 and 108 Shakta pithas of which 18 are named as Astadasha ''Maha'' (major) in medieval Hindu texts. Legends abound about how the Shakta pithas came into existence. The most popular is based on the story of the death of Sati (goddess), Sati, a deity according to Hinduism. Shiva carried Sati's body, reminiscing about their moments as a couple, and roamed around the universe with it. Vishnu cut her body into 51 body parts, using his Sudarshana Chakra, which fell on earth to become sacred sites where all the people can pay homage to the goddess. To complete this task, Shiva took the form of Bhairava. Most of these historic places ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lalitha Sahasranama
The ''Lalita Sahasranama'' () is a Hindu religious text that enumerates the thousand names of Mother Goddess Lalita, which are held sacred in Hinduism particularly in Shaktism, the tradition focused on the worship of the Divine Feminine (''Shakti''). The text is written in Sanskrit and is a part of the ''Brahmanda Purana'', an ancient scripture that explores the cosmic creation and the divine order of the universe. The names describes the goddess' various attributes, accomplishments, and symbolism in the form of mantras usually chanted or sung as a hymn. Lalita Devi, often known as Tripura Sundari, is a form of Shakti worshipped as the beautiful consort of Lord Shiva and a significant deity in the Hindu pantheon. She is considered the supreme manifestation of feminine energy and is known as the epitome of beauty, grace, power, and compassion. She is also seen as the source of the creation, maintenance, and destruction of the universe, embodying the entire cycle of existence. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Adi Parashakti
Mahadevi (, , IPA: / mɐɦɑd̪eʋiː/), also referred to as Adi Parashakti, and Mahamaya, is the supreme goddess in Hinduism. According to the goddess-centric sect Shaktism, all Hindu gods and goddesses are considered to be manifestations of this great goddess, who is considered as the '' Para Brahman'' or the ultimate reality. Shaktas often worship her as Durga, also believing her to have many other forms. Mahadevi is mentioned as the ''Mulaprakriti'' (Primordial Goddess) in Shakta texts, having five primary forms—Parvati, Lakshmi, Sarasvati, Gayatri and Radha—collectively referred to as ''Panchaprakriti''. Besides these, Goddess Tripura Sundari, a form of Devi, is often identified with the supreme goddess Mahadevi in Shaktism. Author Helen T. Boursier says: "In Hindu philosophy, both Lakshmi (primary goddess in Vaishnavism) and Parvati (primary goddess of Shaivism) are identified as manifestations of this great goddess—Mahadevi—and the Shakti or divine power". Ep ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Thiruvanaikaval
Thiruvanaikaval Paadal Petra Sthalam (திருவனைகோவில்) or 'Thiruvanaikovil'' is a neighbourhood in the city of Tiruchirappalli in Tamil Nadu, India. It is situated on the northern banks of the Kaveri river, on the Srirangam Island. Description The island Srirangam is surrounded by the Kaveri river to the south and the Kollidam river to the north. The Kollidam is the northern distributary of the Kaveri River. The Shri Jambukeshwararbr>Templeis located here. The temple's presiding deity is Lord Shiva (Jambukeshwara) and the goddess is Shri Akhilandeshwari. It is revered as one of the Pancha Bhōōta Sthalam (The Five Elements). whereas Water is the presiding element in the temple. There is a freshwater spring underneath the Shiva Linga. It is believed that the jamun fruit will be ripening every day from the tree in the temple and the same will be served for the deity as the first offering (prasadam). Adi Shankara is said to have visited this shrine and ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Akilandeswari
Akhilandeshwari () is one of the main forms of the Hindu Goddess Adi Parashakti. The famous abode of Akhilandeshwari is the Jambukeswarar Temple in Thiruvanaikaval. She is also revered collectively with the goddesses Meenakshi and Kamakshi, forming the Trishakti triad, the most powerful goddesses in Shaktism. The goddess’s name is split into three components. “Akhila” means the universe, “Anda” means cosmic egg, and “Ishwari” means the divine mother. Therefore, Goddess, the divine mother who protects the entire universe in her womb (cosmic egg), is known as “Akhilandeshwari”. Akhilandeshwari is the presiding deity in the Jambukeswarar Temple in Thiruvanaikaval along with her consort Jambukeswarar, who is an avatar of Shiva. Legend Once Parvati mocked Shiva's penance for the betterment of the world. Shiva wanted to condemn her act and directed her to go to the Earth from Mount Kailash (Shiva's abode) to do penance. Parvati in the form of Akhilandeshwari as ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Varanasi
Varanasi (, also Benares, Banaras ) or Kashi, is a city on the Ganges river in northern India that has a central place in the traditions of pilgrimage, death, and mourning in the Hindu world.* * * * The city has a syncretic tradition of Islamic artisanship that underpins its religious tourism.* * * * * Located in the middle-Ganges valley in the southeastern part of the state of Uttar Pradesh, Varanasi lies on the left bank of the river. It is to the southeast of India's capital New Delhi and to the southeast of the state capital, Lucknow. It lies downstream of Prayagraj, where the confluence with the Yamuna river is another major Hindu pilgrimage site. Varanasi is one of the world's oldest continually inhabited cities. Kashi, its ancient name, was associated with a kingdom of the same name of 2,500 years ago. The Lion capital of Ashoka at nearby Sarnath has been interpreted to be a commemoration of the Buddha's first sermon there in the fifth century BCE. In the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Vishalakshi Temple
The Vishalakshi Temple, also known as Vishalakshi Gauri Mandir and Vishalakshi Amman Kovil. It is one of the famous Hindu temple at Varanasi. Dedicated to the goddess Vishalakshi (an aspect of the goddess Parvati). It was Built and Maintained by Nattukottai Nagarathar a mercantile community from Tamil Nadu It is generally regarded as a Shakti Pitha, the most sacred temples dedicated to the Hindu Divine Mother. The earrings of the goddess Sati were said to have fallen on this holy spot of Varanasi. Vishalakshi Temple is known for its temple festival on Kajali Tij, held on the third day during waning fortnight in the Hindu month of Bhadrapada (August). Location Vishalakshi Temple is situated near Mir Ghat, Varanasi. It is situated north west of the Kashi Vishwanath Temple and of Annapurna Temple. Religious significance The name ''Vishalakshi'' (''Viśālākshī'', , "she who has large eyes")Bangala Bhasar Abhidhaan ( Dictioanary of the Bengali Language), Shishu Sahity ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Madurai
Madurai ( , , ), formerly known as Madura, is a major city in the States and union territories of India, Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is the cultural capital of Tamil Nadu and the administrative headquarters of Madurai District, which is governed by the Madurai Municipal Corporation established on 1 November 1866. As of the 2011 Census of India, 2011 census, it is the List of cities in India by population, third largest metropolis in Tamil Nadu after Chennai and Coimbatore in terms of population and 27th largest List of million-plus urban agglomerations in India, urban agglomeration in India. Located on the banks of River Vaigai, Madurai has been a major settlement for two millennia and has a documented history of more than 2500 years. It is often referred to as "Thoongatha Nagaram", meaning "the city that never sleeps". Madurai is closely associated with the Tamil language. The third Tamil Sangam, a major congregation of Tamil scholars, is said to have been held in the ci ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
