Sent from my iPad Hindu Cave Temples in India Hindu cave temples in India are holy spots were Supreme Truth manifested to save humanity and to reveal knowledge to free living beings from the cycle of birth and death. Many ancient seers of Hinduism attained self realization in these caves. These caves today house Swayambhu Murtis (images that appeared on its own) of gods in Hindu religion. Here are some of the popular cave temples in India. Amarnath Cave Shrine – Ice Shivling – Dedicated to Shiva A natural ice Shivling gets formed in the holy cave of Amarnath. This wonder takes place at a narrow gorge in the Lidder valley in Anantnag District of Jammu and Kashmir – the cave Temple of Amarnath. The journey to Amarnath Cave is restricted to two months before Shravan Purnima (June – August). Vaishno Devi Temple Vaishno Devi Ji Temple is located at Katra in Jammu and Kashmir and is visited annually by more than 5 million devotees. The temple is located on the folds Trikuta - a three-peaked mountain. The murti of Goddess Vaishnodevi is in the form of three natural rock formations. Today the original cave entrance is closed, as it is very narrow and cannot accommodate the volume of devotees. Patal Bhuvaneshwar Patal Bhuvaneshwar Temple in Uttarakhand is a natural cave temple dedicated to various gods in Hindu pantheon and is mentioned in the Skanda Purana. The cave temple is mainly dedicated to Shiva and has naturally formed murtis of various deities. Patal Bhuvaneshwar temple is located about 37 km from Chaukori and 14 km from Gangolihat in Pithorgarh District in Uttarakhand. (More information about Patal Bhuvaneshwar Temple) Elephanta caves Elephanta Caves located in Raigad District in Maharashtra is carved out of solid rock in 6th century AD. The caves are 11 km north-east of the Apollo Bandar, Mumbai. The important murtis here are Trimurti Sadashiva Shiva, Ardhanarisvara, Parvati, Andhakasuravada murti, cosmic dance of Nataraja, Kalyanasundara murti, Gangadhara murti, Ravana shaking Kailasa, Siva as Lakulisa and a panel depicting Saptamatrikas. (You can find a video on Elephanta Caves here) Ellora Some of the important cave temples here are the Kailashnatha Cave Temple dedicated to Shiva and the Dashavatara Cave Temple. Badami Cave Temples These cave temples are located in Badami in Karnataka. There are four caves here. The first three caves are dedicated to murtis of Ganapati, Shiva, Vishnu, Nandi, Nagaraja, Harihara and various incarnations of Vishnu. Shiv Khori Shivkhori is a famous cave temple dedicated to Shiva and is located in Reasi District in Jammu and Kashmir. This is a very long cave and entry is permitted only up to 130 meters. Rest part of the cave is unexplored as there is lack of oxygen. The cave has naturally formed Shivling and murtis of Goddess Parvati and Kartikeya. Bidar Narasimha Swami Cave Temple Narasimha Jhira Cave Temple is popularly known as the Jharani Narasimha Temple and is famous for a swayambhu Narasimha Murti. The temple in situated in a cave where the water runs up to 300 metres. One has to move through waist deep water to reach the feet of the murti. The temple is a kilometre from Bidar town in Karnataka. Nag Hill Caves at Pushkar in Rajasthan Naga Sadhus mediate here. There is a cave here associated to Parashuram. It is located a kilometre south of Pushkar in Rajasthan. Shiva Gufa at Mehargav in Uttarakhand Shiva Gufa is a naturally formed cave at Mehargav on the Uttarkashi – Yamunotri Road. In the cave, one can see a naturally formed Shivling – water naturally falls on top of it continuously. The Guha also has naturally formed ice sculptors of Shiva, Ganesha, Trishul, Lotus and Om. (Picture and more about Shiva Gufa can be found here) Punarjani Cave at Thiruvilwamala in Kerala Punarjani Cave is located near the Thiruvilwamala Temple in Thrissur District in Kerala. The cave is only open during the Krishna Paksha Ekadasi day in Kumbha Masam as per Kerala Calendar. (More info on Punarjani Cave) Guha Ganapati Small Cave Shrines near Mookambika Temple in Karnataka. Guha Ganapati Temples are located on the way to Sarvanjna Peedam from Mookambika Temple. Here there is a Cave with a Ganesh murti popularly known as Guha Ganapathi. (Find more information and pictures of Guha Ganapati here) By listening repeatedly to religious and philosophical discussions and discourses, the path to first hand knowledge of what has been heard gradually opens out. You know, it is as when water uninterruptedly dripping on a stone finally makes a hole in it, and then a flood may suddenly surge through, which will bring enlightenment. Be it the perusal of Sacred Texts, listening to religious discourse, engaging in kirtana – god must be the alpha and omega of whatever is done. When reading, read about Him, when talking, talk of Him, and when singing, sing His praises. These three practices are intrinsically the same; but because people respond differently, the same is expressed in three different ways to suit each person’s temperament and capacity for assimilation. Essentially there is only He and He alone, although everyone has his own individual path that leads to Him. What is the right path for each depends on his personal predilection, based on the specific character of his inner qualifications. Biswakarma Puja is an important observance and festival in Bengal, Orissa and other parts of Eastern India. It is dedicated to Biswakarma, the divine architect of the universe in Hinduism. Biswakarma Puja 2013 date is September 17 in Bengal, Jharkhand, Orissa and North India. Artisans, carpenters, craftsmen, mechanics, smiths, welders, industrial workers, factory workers and workers of all kind worship Biswakarma on this day and pray for a peaceful life, good future, safe working conditions and success in their respective fields. In Hindu religion, Biswakarma is the divine architect of the universe. He is also called the divine carpenter and is mentioned in the Rig Veda and is believed to have composed the Sthapatya Veda, the science of mechanics and architecture. Freshly prepared idols of Lord Biswakarma are installed at workplaces and factories. Special pujas are held on the day. Workers organize and participate in cultural activities and there is also sumptuous feast on the day. Vishwakarma Puja, or Biswakarma Jayanti, is celebrated annually on September 17 in Bengal, Orissa, Jharkhand, Assam, Tripura and other parts of Eastern India. Majority of the Hindu festivals are not celebrated on a constant date because most auspicious days and festivals depend on the lunar calendar and on tithi – lunar day, which changes annually. But majority of times Vishwakarma puja falls on September 17 (very rarely it might vary by a day). This is because Vishwakarma Puja day is calculated based on the transit of the sun. The two major schools of almanacs followed in Bengali are the he Suryasiddhanta and Bisuddhasiddhanta. Both subscribe to the same view. Vishwakarma Puja is dedicated to Lord Vishwakarma the divine architect of the universe in Hinduism. Sudeshna Banerjee writes about this interesting aspect in The Telegraph, Calcutta. “Vishwakarma puja is scheduled on the last day of the Bengali month of Bhadra, more specifically on Bhadra sankranti. That is when the sun transits from Singha (Leo) to Kanya (Virgo) sign,” explains Pulak Bhattacharya of Gupta Press, the 139-year-old almanac that follows Suryasiddhanta. There are usually 156 days of the Bengali year in the five months before Vishwakarma puja, calculates Bhattacharya. In some years, one of the five months may have a day more or less because the number of days in the Bengali month fluctuates between 29 and 32. That is when the last day of Bhadra gets pushed back or forward by a day. A scan of the last two decades of almanacs at the Gupta Press library revealed just two years when the puja has happened a day later — on September 18. “The sun’s transit into Virgo is what determines the puja date for us, too,” adds Manoj Lahiri, who subscribes to Bisuddhasiddhanta. Vishwakarma Puja is an important festival inEastern India and is dedicated to Vishwa Karma, the divine architect of the architect of the universe according to Hindu Scriptures. Vishwakarma or Visvakarma Puja is celebrated annually on September 17. The festival is mainly celebrated in Bengal, Orissa and Tripura. It is a holiday for the industrial belts in this part of India. Kite flying is a major activity on the day. In Hindu Mythology, Vishwakarma is the divine architect of the universe. He is also called the divine carpenter and is mentioned in the Rig Veda and is credited with Sthapatya Veda, the science of mechanics and architecture. Artisans, craftsmen, mechanics, smiths, welders, industrial workers, factory workers and workers of all kind worship Lord Vishwakarma on this day and pray for a better future, safe working conditions and above all success in their respective fields. Workers also pray for the smooth functioning of various machines. Special statues of Lord Vishwakarma are installed in the workplaces and factories. Nowadays, the statue of Vishwakarma is aptly transformed to match the working place – a factory will depict Vishwakarma like a worker there. Generally, Vishwakarma appears in this mythical image with an elephant, which is his vehicle, and fresh fruits are offered to him. The idol of Vishwakarma at the end of the festival is immersed in water. In homes, women apply vermilion on all the gadgets and pray for the wellbeing of the family. Those own vehicles clean it thoroughly and apply vermilion on it. Like in all Hindu festival, there is a special feast on Vishwakarma day. Staff associations arrange cultural programs and all family members participate in the various activities.
Posted on: Tue, 17 Sep 2013 08:06:04 +0000
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