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Unsolved Indian Hindu Temple Mysteries - PART 1
Swapna Gopalakrishnan and 1 more.
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The book, adorned with a beautiful and very intriguing photograph of a temple, has many many more of those strewn across the whole book, giving a very good idea to those of the readers who may be unable to travel to experience the marvels in person.
They more than make up, needless to say, for such paltry missing items such as a table of contents or an introduction, a preface or a foreword.
But as one proceeds to read, the information is daunting in not only being extensive but in its very content. And, strangely enough, this is even more so if one has actually been to some of these marvelous temples, been impressed, delighted, or much more.
One begins to realise at a point early on, too, that some of these are precisely temples that impressed one, far more so than other, far more famous and popular ones on a tour itinerary, for example.
And yet, one realises, what one felt, how one was impressed, had very little to do with all the information these authors provide, which only adds - sometimes tremendously, or besides what one felt, or both.
Finally, one is glad one felt curious enough to get it, and courageous enough to read it, having wondered if one would like it. And grateful that the authors wrote it and published it.
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"In his book ‘The Forgotten Empire ‘published in 1900, Robert Sewell wrote, "With fire and sword, with crowbars and axes, they carried on day after day their work of destruction. Never perhaps in the history of the world has such havoc been wrought... so suddenly, on so splendid a city; teeming with a wealthy and industrious population in the full plenitude of prosperity one day, and on the next seized, pillaged, and reduced to ruins, amid scenes of savage massacre and horrors beggaring description."
"But the ruins that withstood the onslaught are still breathtakingly beautiful. The Vijaya Vittala temple is one such temple. The guardian deity is Vittala, an avatar of Vishnu. It was built in the 15th century. As per legends, the temple was built in honour of Vishnu and He came there to view it himself. He found it to be too grand for His tastes and went back to His temple in Pandharpur which was not as lavish as this temple. The temple has a chariot and a set of musical pillars which are truly outstanding. Besides this, the Maha Mandapa which is the main hall, the shrine dedicated to Devi, ... "
" ... famous for its 56 pillars also known as Sarigama pillars which emit musical notes when struck. The real reason for this cannot be found out. It is an enduring mystery to this day. If one taps the pillars gently with sandal wood, one can actually hear the rhythmic sound similar to Sarigama. Sa, ri, ga, ma represents four of the seven musical notes in Indian music. Each of the main pillars depicts a musical instrument. ... Each main pillar is surrounded by seven smaller pillars which emit the musical notes when tapped gently. Each note emerging from these pillars blends into different melodies which give the effect of music being played on the string, percussion or wind instrument depicted on that particular pillar. When struck it gives out 7 notes of the instrument depicted on the main pillar."
" During the British era, the Britishers decided to solve the mystery as they found it really hard to crack. They cut a pillar and prised it open to see if there was anything inside which produced musical sounds. They found nothing inside. The mystery surrounding these pillars is considered to be nothing short of a miracle. The sculptors of a bygone era had managed to make these masterpieces and though they did not have modern technology at their disposal, they had musical and sculptural skills which defy description. In modern times geologists analysed the pillar and found out that the rocks are resonant because of the presence of metallic ores and large amounts of silica.
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Story #1 Kailasa, Verul
A mountain is carved from the top into a temple
"The Kailasa temple which is situated in Ellora, Maharashtra, India is a mysterious temple dedicated to Lord Shiva. The actual date of construction is not known. But one of the inscriptions reveal the name of the king who ordered for the construction to be Krishna I, a stalwart king of the Rashtrakutas. This has not been confirmed yet. It can only be said that the temple started existing from the 8th century C.E. onwards. One can notice Pallava and Chalukya styles of architecture in the temple. The temple resembles the Virupaksha temple at Pattadakal and the Kailasa temple at Kanchi. The paintings that decorated the temple have long since disappeared as the temple has weathered the elements of nature over many centuries.
"The temple has been carved out of a single mountain. The rock is not limestone or soft rock, it is basalt, an igneous volcanic rock out of which the exquisite temple has been carved out. The vertical excavation method has been used in construction which means that the artisans carved from the top and chipped away downwards. It is believed that the temple took 135 years to be built but there are records which suggest that it was finished in a time span of just 18 years. It is twice the size of the Parthenon in Greece and 50% taller. The Rashtrakuta king commissioned its construction and the end product is so astounding that all who view it are left dumbfounded as it is a masterpiece of rare beauty and visually breath taking. It is a temple worthy of being dedicated to Lord Shiva, one of the Hindu triumvirate of Gods, the other two being Lord Brahma and Lord Vishnu.
"The temple is the only temple in the world which is cut out from a monolith. Historians and archaeologists are speechless as the only tools used by sculptors of those days were hammers, chisels and pick axes. Could they have carved a temple out of the rock face using just these primitive tools? The rock that needed to be cut out was a whopping 400,000 tons. Assuming that it took 18 years [756-774C.E.]to be completed, this works out to a colossal figure of 22,222 tons [ 400,000 ÷ 18] to be excavated every year. Assuming that an army of artisans worked constantly on the temple without taking any breaks and worked like robots, it works out to 60 tons [22,222 ÷ 365] every day. Every hour they needed to cut out 5 tons of rock which is not possible even using the latest modern technology. The sheer amount of work that has gone into it is mind boggling. What is even more mysterious is that the rock which was dug out and thrown away is not to be found anywhere on site. It could not have vanished into thin air."
" ... The temple is an example of perfection personified. There are no mistakes at all. The builders have paid attention to detail. It has underground passages, drains, bridges connecting towers, secret peep holes, balconies, complex stairways and even systems for harvesting of rain water which has been incorporated into the design as well. It is the oldest and biggest of the temples in the Ellora caves. How can the Kailasa temple be the best of the temples when it was constructed before all the other temples in that complex? Human experience shows that over time, the artisans will be able to do better and more complicated work. But here none of the other temples that were constructed after this temple even remotely approach the sheer grandeur of this temple. This is the enduring mystery of this temple which neither historians or archaeologists have been able to solve since centuries. ... "
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"The temple can never be destroyed. Aurangzeb, the Mughal ruler ordered for the destruction of the temple in 1682. He sent a thousand men to demolish the temple and they worked for 3 years. Some of the sculptures of elephants and sculpted figures have been defaced but on the whole, the damage suffered was just minimal. Aurangzeb decided that destroying the temple was not worthwhile as it was just not possible. If the workmen could not destroy the temple over a time period of 3 years, imagine the amount of work that went into its construction. He finally gave up the attempt at vandalism as he had become frightened about the sacredness of this divine monument to Hindu Gods.
"Another legend about this temple states that a Marathi queen prayed to Lord Shiva at Elapura to cure the illness of her husband who was bed ridden. All medicinal remedies had been tried and found wanting. Finally, in desperation she had prayed to Lord Shiva and promised Him that she would construct a temple in His honour if her husband recovered from his illness. When the husband recovered, the queen was joyous and undertook a fast which she would stop only when the temple with the ‘shikhara’ [top] had been constructed. The King sent word to several architects to start the construction. Many architects told the King that they needed months to complete a temple with the ‘shikhara’ on top. Kokasa was the only architect who agreed to do the construction at great speed. He started from the top by carving a rock and within a week, the shikhara was ready and the queen could give up her fast. The temple was called ‘Manikeshwar’ in honour of the queen."
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Story #2 Nidhi Van Temple, Vrindavan
Forest Treasure Temple Lord Krishna visits nightly
"A temple in Vrindavan at Mathura is called the Nidhi Van temple. It is also called as the ‘Bankey Bihari’ temple. Other names for this temple are Murlidhar, Kanha, Giridhar and Leeladhar temple. The name ‘Nidhi Van’ means the treasure in the forest. It is a beautiful temple dedicated to Lord Krishna. It is believed that Lord Krishna comes here every night to dance with His consort Radha Rani and the gopis or cowherd ladies who lived with him in the village Barsana approximately 5,000 years ago."
Better recent estimate places Mahaabhaarata, and Krishna, at or before 4,500 BCE, which makes it closer to seven millennia in past.
" ... He visits the temple every night to this day and this mind-boggling feat accomplished by Him and Him alone has been going on since the temple was constructed.
"The temple is surrounded by a verdant forest. But the trees have extraordinary shapes, they are short and grow downwards. The trunks of the trees are entangled and grow in pairs symbolising love which needs the presence of two lovers to make the phenomenon of love to happen between the two of them. The trees are basil or ‘tulsi’ plants grown to a height of 9 to 10 feet. Usually the shrub grows to a height of only 90 to 100 centimetres. The area around the temple is totally dry and bereft of moisture. The barks of the trees are hollow inside. Yet the trees have green leaves and twigs and are really healthy though they are 5000 years old. There are no insects or birds’ nests in the trees. It is believed that the trees transform into Gopis at night to perform the ‘Ras lila’ dance with Lord Krishna and Radha Rani in their midst. The Gopis are not ordinary women, they are sages who in their previous births won over the Lord by meditating on His holy name with single minded dedication and devotion. The Gopis dance with the Lord so that their individual souls will merge with the Divine soul. The dance is devoid of carnal desires, it is just the culmination of the purest form of love that expects nothing and demands nothing in return. The love between Lord Krishna and Radha Rani is the highest form of spiritual love. Ras Leela is the dance that symbolises the eternal union and bond between the Supreme Lord and His blessed devotees who come together every night to celebrate their celestial togetherness by dancing in the lap of Mother Earth."
"The temple has beautifully decorated idols of Lord Krishna and Radha and prayers and pujas are offered every day as is the practice in other temples. It is only in the evening that the mystery takes over. It has been observed that the monkeys and chirping birds vacate the garden at dusk. They return only the next morning. ... "
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" ... There was an instance of a foreign media house which installed a closed-circuit television camera in the garden. Yet nothing had been recorded though they found the camera to be working in good condition the next day. At other times the spy cameras have been destroyed, damaged, malfunctioned or have gone missing as well to deepen the mystery further."
" ... There was an instance of a foreign media house which installed a closed-circuit television camera in the garden. Yet nothing had been recorded though they found the camera to be working in good condition the next day. At other times the spy cameras have been destroyed, damaged, malfunctioned or have gone missing as well to deepen the mystery further."
" ... It is said that the trees in their happiness at being in the presence of the Divine Lord light up and sparkle in a strange light that emanates from their branches and leaves. The garden has no electricity cables and there are no batteries either, yet the trees light up in an ethereal glow of deep happiness and contentment. People have heard the sound of ‘ghunghroos’ [tiny bells attached to the anklets of dancers] and the flute at night.
"Many historians and scientists have tried to solve this enduring mystery over the years. But they have not been able to offer any explanation to the strange mystery. They have felt supernatural vibes, extreme happiness and a blessed peace and calmness in their bodies, the reason behind these phenomena they have not been able to fathom unfortunately. They have concluded that all possible evidence points to the divine presence in and around the temple. Hence, we can safely assume that the temple of Nidhi Van is the true abode of Lord Krishna, the King of Kings and God of Gods."
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"One of the famous temples in South India is the Padmanabhaswamy temple located in Thiruvananthapuram, the capital city of Kerala state. The name Thiruvananthapuram when translated from Malayalam, the language of the state means the city of Lord Anantha. Lord Anantha or Vishnu is the deity in the temple. He is sleeping in the Anantha shayana pose, the posture of eternal yogic sleep on the serpent Adi Shesha. The awe-inspiring temple has been constructed in a fusion of the Dravidian and Chera styles and features a Gopuram that towers 100 feet above the ground. The temple is a thousand years old. The Gopuram has 7 floors and is a wonder in itself. It was constructed in the 16th century.
Story #3 Padmanaabhaswaamy Temple, TiruAnantapuram
A Hindu Temple Vault that cannot be opened
"In the sanctum sanctorum, Lord Vishnu or Padmanabha Swamy reclines on the massive serpent Adi Shesha which has five hoods that face inwards. The Lord has placed his right hand on a Shiva lingam. He has two wives by His side, one is Sridevi Lakshmi who is the Goddess of prosperity and the other is Bhudevi who is the Goddess of earth. Lord Brahma appears on a lotus which emerges from the navel of the Lord Vishnu. Thus, the entire triumvirate of Hindu Gods – Brahma, Vishnu and Maheshwara is present in the Garbha Griha or sanctum sanctorum of this powerful temple. It is one of the 108 Divya Desams or holy abodes in Vaishnavism. It resembles the Adikesava Perumal temple in Thiruvattur.
"The Gopuram is covered with sculptures of various deities on its walls and is built in the Pandyan style. The construction of the gopuram was started in 1566 by Aditya Verma, the ruler hailing from the Travancore royal family at that time and completed by Marthanda Verma in the eighteenth century. It has seven floors and in the centre of each floor there is a window. On the days of the equinoxes the setting sun shines through each window in turn at approximately 5-minute intervals. On other days the setting sun is completely shut out by the mammoth gopuram. ... "
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"The temple is well known all over the world as the richest temple. The wealth of the temple which has been contributed by grateful devotees over hundreds of years belongs to Lord Padmanabha Swamy alone. The vaults within the temple contain 100 trillion dollars of wealth. The vaults were administered by a trust headed by the Travancore royal family for a long time. But now the Supreme Court has removed the ownership from their hands after T.P. Sundararajan, a retired IPS officer filed a petition for taking stock of the temple’s fabled riches in the year 2011. The Supreme Court appointed a seven-member committee in June 2011 to look into the wealth of the temple which was unaccounted and make a record of it officially."
" ... But vault B which is a source of mystery and wonder has not been opened for centuries. Following the injunctions of the Supreme Court, vaults A, C, D, E, F were opened by the committee and a list of items prepared, but the detailed inventory has not yet been finalized.
"Vaults A, C, D, E and F were opened and the contents within baffled the viewers. Some of the treasures found were a three and a half feet tall idol of Maha Vishnu in solid gold studded with hundreds of diamonds, rubies and other precious stones, an 18-foot-long chain made of pure gold, a golden veil weighing 36 kilograms, a golden sheaf weighing 500 kilograms, 1200 golden chains made with coins studded with precious stones and the like. The eyes of those who went inside the vaults were bedazzled by the sight of sacks full of necklaces, diamonds, rubies, sapphires, emeralds, precious gems and objects made of precious metals other than gold. In vault A they found 800 kilograms of gold coins dating back to 200 B.C.E. The value of each coin is approximately 2.7 crore or US $380,000. A golden throne meant for seating the 18-foot-long deity of the Lord studded with precious stones and rare gems and ceremonial attire for the Lord weighing 30 kilograms were among the spectacular finds along with golden coconut shells studded with rubies and emeralds, coins dating back to the rule of Napoleon, coins hailing from the Roman empire. Those who went inside said that they saw golden crowns studded with diamonds and other precious stone, hundreds of chairs made of solid gold, golden pots and jars numbering thousands. The treasure found so far is the greatest treasure in the recorded history of the world as it contains only gold and precious stones in huge quantities that are yet to be fully enumerated and evaluated.
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"One month after the Supreme Court order Mr. T.P. Sundararajan passed away. The Lord was not pleased with his petition; this is what the common man feels about his sudden demise in July 2011. The vault B is the most mysterious vault and cannot be opened in any manner. During the reign of King Marthanda Verma when the last inventory was done, sages with great spiritual power had locked the door of vault B using Naga Paasam mantras (serpent noose). Only a saint of great power can unlock the door by chanting Garuda mantra in the proper way with correct intonation.
"One month after the Supreme Court order Mr. T.P. Sundararajan passed away. The Lord was not pleased with his petition; this is what the common man feels about his sudden demise in July 2011. The vault B is the most mysterious vault and cannot be opened in any manner. During the reign of King Marthanda Verma when the last inventory was done, sages with great spiritual power had locked the door of vault B using Naga Paasam mantras (serpent noose). Only a saint of great power can unlock the door by chanting Garuda mantra in the proper way with correct intonation.
"The steel door to the vault has the picture of two cobras and no bolts and no latches and no means of entry whatsoever. It has the picture of cobras, enchanting female vampire Kanjirottu Yakshi, deities and spiritual entities that indicate that anyone who attempts to open the door by any means other than Garuda mantra will have to face great danger and lose his life in the process. It can only be opened by the chanting of the sacred Garuda mantra. The mantra can be chanted only by a sadhu of great spiritual stature and there is no one in the world at present who has the required stature or knowledge of the precious Garuda mantra which alone can unlock the door of the greatest treasures in the temple. Hence the secret for opening the door has been lost forever and ever in the mists of time.
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"If anyone uses man made technology to open the door of vault B it is believed that catastrophes will occur to India and the rest of the world as the Lord’s wrath will be incurred by doing so. Vault B was last opened in the year 1880 by using the Garuda mantra. Historical records maintained by the royal family of Travancore which conducted an inventory in that year mentions the figure of 12000 crore Indian rupees to be the estimated amount of wealth lodged in the mysterious vault. In 2020 that works out to 50 trillion Indian rupees or US $700 billion.
"Attempts had been made in the past as well to loot the vaults. In the eighteenth century Padmanabhan Thampi, arch rival of Marthanda Verma had advanced upon Thiruvananthapuram and sent his men to loot the vaults. But the men were confronted by divine serpents in hundreds and fled in all directions. Emily Gilchrist who visited Travancore in the year 1933 mentioned in her book ‘Travancore: A Guide Book for the Visitor’ that in the year 1908 a group of people had tried to force entry into the vaults as the State needed extra money to meet expenses, they barged their way in with lit torches only to find serpents in their thousands. The people fled for their lives on account of this divine intervention by Lord Vishnu himself to safeguard the wealth that rightly belonged to him and none else.
"In another instance hundred years ago, the temple authorities decided to make use of some of the wealth as there was a famine in the land and people were subjected to untold hardship, with that intention in mind they went to unlock the doors of the vault. But they heard the sound of gushing ocean waves from behind the door. It is believed that the vault is connected to the Arabian sea and any attempt to use modern technology to unlock the door will bring about catastrophe to the people of Kerala and the world. Hence the door will never be opened as even the priests of the temple and other spiritual gurus are of the opinion that faith should not be trampled upon by opening vault B under any circumstances. It is the most sacred vault in the temple and deeply connected to Lord Vishnu.
"Nowadays the temple has security cameras, metal detectors and two hundred armed guards toting machine guns and other high-tech gadgetry to safeguard its treasure away from prying eyes. The fantastic wealth in the temple has been donated to the deity by devotees during the thousand years of its existence. The Supreme power who resides within its sacred doors has been answering their prayers for hundreds of years. None dispute His power and authority over the assets of the temple as all the wealth belongs to Him. ... "
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Story #4 Brhadeeshwara Temple, Tanjavur
A temple with Apex weighing 80 tons
"The Brihadishvara temple situated in Thanjavur district of Tamil Nadu is one of the most mysterious temples in India. ... "
" ... It took only seven years to construct this awe-inspiring temple, it was constructed between 1003 to 1010 A.D. But the amount of blood, sweat and toil that has gone into the making of this temple is astonishing to say the least. The temple is a part of the UNESCO world heritage site known as “Great living Chola temples” along with Gangaikonda Cholapuram temple and Airavatesvara temple which were also built by Chola rulers."
" ... Over the course of history, it was damaged during raids and wars initiated by the Muslim rulers of Madurai and was later repaired by Hindu rulers. As a result of the damage sustained, some of the original artwork is now missing. ... Over the course of a thousand years the temple saw many repairs, renovations and additions. After the 16th century, the Hindu rulers who regained power built massive walls to protect the temple as they recognised its value and prestige."
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"The temple is built out of granite. The builders used 1.3 lakh tons of granite to build the temple, processing 50 tons of rock every day. Where did the granite come from? There is no mountain or rocky hill or quarry up to a distance of 60 kilometres from the temple site. The granite was hauled in across huge distances to the site by using elephants. It was a really difficult endeavour in human history."
"The temple is built out of granite. The builders used 1.3 lakh tons of granite to build the temple, processing 50 tons of rock every day. Where did the granite come from? There is no mountain or rocky hill or quarry up to a distance of 60 kilometres from the temple site. The granite was hauled in across huge distances to the site by using elephants. It was a really difficult endeavour in human history."
"The vimanam or temple tower is 216 feet high. It has been built by using the interlocking technique to hold each brick in place as the builders of the eleventh century did not use cement, mortar, plastic, stucco or adhesives to fuse one granite brick to another. This is a puzzling technique as one brick just fits over another and is locked in place one on top of the other. A Kumbam or round apex structure which weighs 80 tons and is carved out of a single ton of granite has been placed at the top of the temple tower. This is the most fascinating mystery of all time. At that time, there were no cranes or lifting machines to hoist the Kumbam to the very top of the tower which was 66 metres above the ground. Then how did the artisans manage to do the impossible? They built a ramp of 6 kilometres length reaching up to that height of 216 feet and used elephants, horses, bulls and labourers to haul the Kumbam to the top of the structure. After it reached there the sculptors carved the rock into a spectacular octagonal design which still towers over the temple to this day. This is a stupendous feat in itself as everything was set in place by using man’s effort alone and without using modern machinery, cranes or turbo powered vehicles."
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" ... Another wonder of this unique temple is that it has no foundation. It was built on plain land. The base is very wide and the whole structure still stands straight to this day though it was built a thousand years ago. ... "
"The Shiv lingam in the sanctum sanctorum was never consecrated and the reason for this is not known to this day. ... Raja Raja’s son Rajendra Chola felt the pain and inner turmoil of his father and built a replica of this temple which is known as Gangaikonda Cholapuram temple. It is built on a smaller scale and does not possess either the grandeur or beauty of the original Brihadishvara temple in Thanjavur."
"The temple completed thousand years of its existence in 2010 and this occasion was celebrated grandly by the government of Tamil Nadu in the month of September of that year by hosting cultural events. Commemorative stamps, coins and notes were issued in honour of the great temple. ... "
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Story #5 Lepaakshie
The only Hanging Pillar temple in India
"Approximately 140 kilometres from Bengaluru, one will come across the splendid Veerabhadra temple at Lepakshi. Lepakshi is a small village in Anantpura district of Andhra Pradesh, towards the east of Hindupur. One of the legends of the temple says that this is the spot where Jatayu fell and attained salvation or ‘Moksha’. ... Rama and Lakshmana searched for Sita in hills and dales as they did not know where she had vanished. As they were searching, they saw Jatayu fallen on the ground and heaving his last breath. Jatayu told them that Ravan had abducted Sita. Having said that, he passed away. At that moment, Sri Rama who is one of the avatars of Vishnu told the dead bird “Le, pakshi” which means “Rise, O bird” in Telugu. Jatayu rose again as a spirit and flew away to heaven as he was freed from his mortal coils. Hence the village where this incident occurred was called ‘Lepakshi’ from that point of time onwards."
"The temple was constructed in 1530 C.E. by Virupanna Nayak and Veeranna Nayak, two brothers. Virupanna Nayak was the treasurer of the Vijayanagara kingdom and the King Achutharaya was the ruling monarch. Virupanna Nayak conceived the idea of building the fabulous temple as he found the image of Veerabhadra. The patron deity of the Vijayanagar rulers was Lord Shiva. Veerabhadra is one of his angry avatars. Lord Shiva heard that his wife Sati Devi had collapsed and died as she was unable to tolerate the insults heaped on her husband by her father, Daksha during his yagna. Lord Shiva in a fit of grief tore a lock of hair from his head. When this lock touched the ground, it became Veerabhadra, a furious avatar of Lord Shiva who immediately went to Daksha’s palace and killed him. Thus Veerabhadra avenged the death of Sati Devi.
"The exquisite temple is a tribute to the Vijayanagar style of architecture. It is claimed that Amarashilpi Jakanachari was in charge of constructing half the temple and the other half was constructed by the famous sculptors of those times Dakoju and Maroju. The whole temple has been sculpted by Viswakarma Brahmins of that time and it bears testimony to their astounding talent. There are three shrines dedicated to Shiva, Vishnu and Veerabhadra within the huge complex amongst many other Gods and Goddesses. But the temple bears the name of Veerabhadra and he is the guardian deity of the shrine. A reference has been made in the Skandapurana that Lepakshi temple is one of the 108 places of pilgrimage dedicated to Lord Shiva.
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"The temple boasts of many wonders within its precincts. First and foremost is the stone bull or Nandi which is carved a little distance from the temple, it is the largest such structure in the whole world. It is 15 feet high and 27 feet wide. It is carved out of a single block of stone. It is the largest Nandi monolith in the world. Its limbs are perfectly proportioned and it is decorated with garlands and bells that make it an attraction for all eyes."
"The temple boasts of many wonders within its precincts. First and foremost is the stone bull or Nandi which is carved a little distance from the temple, it is the largest such structure in the whole world. It is 15 feet high and 27 feet wide. It is carved out of a single block of stone. It is the largest Nandi monolith in the world. Its limbs are perfectly proportioned and it is decorated with garlands and bells that make it an attraction for all eyes."
"The most fantastic object within is the hanging pillar. There are 70 pillars in all, but one of the pillars does not touch the ground, it literally hangs from the ceiling and is elevated by half an inch in the air."
" ... During the era of the British, a British engineer by the name of Hamilton wanted to find out how the pillar stood aloft without any means of support. He passed an iron rod under the pillar with force and managed to make one corner of the pillar touch the ground. But this spoilt the alignment of 10 other pillars and ceiling and he ran away as he felt that it would collapse on his head. If he had not been so meddlesome and crafty, the whole pillar would be fully suspended in the air even now, a truly wonderful sight to behold."
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Story # 6 Konark
Sun temple designed to levitate the idol
" ... The temple was built by King Narasimha Dev I of Eastern Ganga dynasty. Exact year in which the construction was started is not known, but historians say that the construction was started around 1250 A.D. and it took around 16 years to complete the iconic temple. ... 1200 artisans toiled for years to bring to life the beautiful temple which is a treat for the eyes. Poet Rabindranath Tagore spoke in glowing terms about the temple by saying “Here the language of stone surpasses the language of man.”
"According to mythology, this temple was built by Samba, the son of Lord Krishna. Samba was suffering from leprosy as he was cursed by Lord Krishna. He performed severe penance for 12 long years at Mitravana, a spot near the point where Chandrabhaga river meets the sea at Konark. The Sun God was pleased with his meditation and cured him of his ailment. In gratitude Samba decided to build a temple in honour of the Sun. The very next day when he was bathing in the Chandrabhaga river, Samba discovered an image of the Sun God which had been carved by Viswakarma, the sculptor of heaven. Samba built a temple in Mitravana and installed the image as the deity in the sanctum sanctorum. This is why the temple is considered so sacred as its construction has been sanctioned by the Gods themselves.
It's unclear why anyone Indian should call that myth, and credit the temple to "King Narasimha Dev I of Eastern Ganga dynasty", who may have rebuilt an ancient temple.
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"The King spent vast sums of money to finance the temple. But the construction went on endlessly without ever nearing completion. Finally, he lost his patience and told the artisans to complete the temple by a certain date. The main architect Bisu Maharana led the team of artisans. He tried his best to finish the temple on time. But he was faced with a complicated problem. He did not know how to place the final stone in the cupola. The entire team lost hope and were on the verge of admitting defeat. It was at that time that Bisu’s son Dharmapada who was just an onlooker decided to pitch in with his own brand of expertise. He studied diligently the theories of temple architecture and solved the puzzle. He did not have any experience in building temples. Yet he deciphered by himself how it had to be done and surprised everyone by placing the topmost stone all by himself. The people cheered as the temple was finished by his intervention at the last minute. But the little boy felt unhappy that he had upstaged his dear father by completing the work and stolen the credit for it as well. So, he committed suicide by flinging himself from a high cliff because he wanted to safeguard the name of his people who had slogged so hard. He wanted everyone to realize that they were the real heroes behind the symphony in stone that the temple is and always will be."
Not pleasant, to say the least.
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"The magnificent temple is designed as a chariot of the sun God which has 24 wheels or 12 pairs of wheels pulled by seven highly decorated horses. Each wheel has 7 spokes. The wheels are sundials and the precise time can be calculated by the shadows cast by the spokes. Just imagine how the astronomers, engineers and sculptors must have collaborated to a high degree to achieve this level of perfection. This design is unique and praise worthy as it is a novel concept. In addition to this grand piece of art, there are innumerable sculptures covering every square inch of the temple.
"It is a highly decorated temple and every single piece is carved out of stone, a material which is very difficult to handle. The artisans carved thousands of images which include Gods, heavenly and earthly musicians, dancers, lovers, scenes showing the myriad activities of the King during hunts, battles and at court. Besides this they have carved birds, animals, mythological creatures and decorative designs based on floral and geometrical motifs. The base of the temple has nearly 2000 charming elephants that march resolutely and bring the temple to life in more ways than one. It is a stupendous achievement of human effort to create such a spectacular temple using Orissa sandstone and black granite and that is why the temple has been declared as a world heritage site by UNESCO. It has been built as a tribute to the beliefs of the Brahmins of that time who had enormous talent, money and spiritual devotion to a very high degree to achieve the impossible in terms of temple construction and design. They paid utmost attention to detail to such an extent that this temple cannot be replicated anywhere else in the world.
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"The temple shows the movement of the Sun God who arrives on a flashing chariot in the morning every day and drives out the darkness that has enveloped the earth during the night. At the entrance there is a Natya Mandir which depicts dancers paying homage to the Sun God without whom life on earth as we know it will cease to exist. Many fascinating legends abound. It is claimed that a 52-ton magnet was kept on the top of the temple so that the deity in the sanctum sanctorum levitated in the air under its magnetic pull. It would have presented a stunning sight as it floated in the air without any supports to give it balance. This magnet was so powerful that it disturbed the movement of the ships on the coastline. Ships which were passing through the sea at Konark felt drawn to the temple due to the magnetic effect and crashed themselves on the shore line as they were unable to sail further. The compasses of the ship malfunctioned and the ships were damaged beyond repair. ... "
"Muslim voyagers attacked the temple complex and took away the magnet from its resting place right on top of the temple. The magnet acted as the central stone keeping all the other stones of the temple aligned perfectly. The removal of the magnet made the structure below to crash and fall down and thus a significant portion of the temple collapsed to a point of no return. ..."
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"The temple was damaged by the attack of Kalapahad in 1568 C.E. He destroyed most of the temples in Orissa and their idols as well. He damaged the idols of the Konark temple. He was not satisfied by what he had done and he wanted to ruin the temple further. The stone walls were 20 to 25 feet thick and he could not make them crumble to a heap try as he might. He managed to dislodge the arch stone on top of the temple and as it collapsed, the main structure of the temple sustained irreparable damage. Gradually most of the other stones also crumbled to a heap as they were balancing on the arch stone.
"Orissa came under Muslim control and there were further attempts by the invaders to vandalise temples. There were many attacks between the fifteenth and seventeenth centuries. The Brahmins of Konark temple stole the deity and hid it under the sand for years in order to safeguard its sanctity and beauty. Some reports say that the deity was taken to Puri and kept in the temple of Indra in the compound of the Puri Jagannath temple. Some people believe that the image of the Sun God in the National Museum at Delhi is the presiding deity of the Konark temple of yore. But there are many others who believe that the Puja deity of the temple is yet to be discovered.
"Once the presiding deity had been removed from the temple, people ceased to worship at the temple and stopped making pilgrimages to the holy spot. The bustling port at Konark closed down due to frequent attacks by pirates. It was a prosperous city at one time when the temple housed the powerful deity. But when the worship at the temple stopped, people started to leave the city in large numbers ... "
" ... Even as it stands amidst ruins, it captures the attention and mind of the viewer as its fine sculptures of humans and animals seem naturally beautiful beyond belief. Critics have hailed it as the best example of Orissa art and architecture. It has an innate superiority over other temples in the world. ... "
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Story #7 Jagannaatha, Puri
Lord of the The Universe temple
"The Jagannatha temple at Puri is one of the most mysterious temples in the world. Lord Jagannatha or Vishnu is the guardian deity in this famous Hindu temple and it is situated at Puri in Odisha on the eastern coast of India. It was built on the site of an earlier temple. The construction of the temple was begun by King Anantavarman Chodaganga Deva, I of the Eastern Ganga dynasty in 1112 C.E. It was completed and renovated by his illustrious son Anangabhima. Other kings belonging to the Ganga dynasty and Suryavamshi dynasty also developed the temple during the course of their lifetime.
"The temple has many legends associated with it. The Lord Vishnu appeared as a dazzling blue jewel near a banyan tree on the seashore at the end of Treta Yuga. It sparkled with a brilliant radiance and it was able to give instant salvation to all who viewed it. Hence Yama, the God of death hid it in the earth. Indradyumna, the King of Malwa, wanted to trace the jewel in Dvapara Yuga. So, he undertook rigorous penance and at last, he attained his goal. Lord Vishnu appeared before him and told him to go to the seashore at Puri where he would find a floating log from which he could carve the blessed image.
"Indradyumna found the log which was floating on the sea shore and he was surprised to see that it shone with a radiance that was really mysterious. Narada instructed him to carve three idols out of it and offer pujas to it daily. Indradyumna decided to build a beautiful temple to house the three idols and he got Viswakarma, the architect of the Gods to build the temple. It was then that Lord Vishnu himself appeared in the form of a carpenter and told the king that he will carve the idols provided that he was never disturbed during the process. Indradyumna agreed to his condition and gave him a room to stay in the temple itself. Two weeks passed and there were no sounds of carpentry from within that room. The queen became anxious, she presumed that the carpenter had died. So she pestered her husband Indradyumna and both of them entered the room together though the king was in two minds. Lord Vishnu who was inside the room vanished immediately leaving behind the unfinished idols. The king was distraught and did not know how to proceed further. But a celestial voice told him to install the unfinished idols in the sacred precincts of the temple. ... "
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"The first miracle is the miracle of the flag on the top of the temple. This always flies in the opposite direction of the wind. This goes against the laws of physics. Every cloth starting from a small flag in the hand of a child to the giant sails on a ship always fly in the direction of the wind. But the flag atop the sacred temple at Puri flies against the wind each and every time defying the law of nature.
"The second miracle is that the flag mounted on the top of the temple is changed every single day. A priest scales the temple with bare hands without any protective gear or ropes attached to him should he lose balance and fall. It is a height of 45 stories that he has to climb and climb he does with just Bhakti or devotion to egg him on. It is believed that if the flag is not changed for even a single day, the temple will be shut for 18 years. This ritual of changing the flag has been going on since hundreds of years since the day the temple was built in honour of the mighty Lord.
"The third miracle is that the marvelous temple does not have a shadow at any time of the day. It is the law of nature that when sunlight falls on any object, it lights up that object and the shadow of the object falls on the side opposite to the source of light. But the temple does not cast any shadow though it is a huge structure. ... His temple sanctified by His presence does not have a shadow throughout the day, summer or winter.
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"The fourth miracle is the Sudarshana Chakra which is mounted on the top of the temple. It is made of metal and it weighs a ton. How was it carried aloft in the twelfth century when they did not have cranes or powerful machinery to do it? All they had at their disposal was human effort and it is inconceivable how such a heavy object could be hoisted to such a great distance, 45 stories above ground level. Another mystery is that the Chakra looks the same from whichever angle you view it. Its appearance is the same no matter which direction you see it.
"The fifth miracle is that the birds do not fly above the temple. Normally we see birds always flying around here, there and everywhere. They are always flying in the blue sky. They don’t know any rules; they are accustomed to roam all over the buildings in their flight path. Yet the temple of the Lord of creation is avoided by them. Perhaps they have more sense than we credit them with. Even planes do not fly above the temple. ... "
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"The sixth miracle is that the food prepared by the cooks in the temple as ‘prasadam’ or holy offering to the Lord is never wasted ever. It is considered to be a bad omen in Hindu culture to waste food that has been cooked. Accordingly, the temple cooks do not waste any food though they do not have an idea about how many people will visit the temple on any particular day. Maybe 1000 devotees will visit or maybe a lakh devotee might visit, the food that is prepared is just enough for all who come seeking ‘darshan’ of the Lord from far and near. Not a grain of rice or vegetable is ever considered as a leftover and needs to be thrown in the garbage bin at the end of the day. This is the will of the Supreme Lord asserting itself when the temple authorities are totally in the dark about the exact number of expected visitors on any day.
"The seventh miracle is the shutting out of the sound of the ocean waves that crash relentlessly across the shore in Puri. ... "
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"The eight miracle is the direction from which the breeze blows in Puri. In every town by the seashore the breeze from the sea always blows into the land during the day and in the evening the land breeze blows into the sea. But here in Puri, the direction is reversed. During the daytime, the breeze blows from the land to the sea and in the evening, the sea breeze takes over. Such a miracle does not take place anywhere else on earth other than in Puri and this puzzles non-believers who cannot find any explanation for this no matter how much they torment their brains for a logical solution.
"The ninth miracle is the miracle of the pots used to cook prasadam for offering to the Lord. Exactly seven pots are used and they are mounted one on top of the other over firewood in the traditional manner. The miracle is that the food kept in the topmost vessel gets cooked first followed by the other vessels in the order in which they are placed. As the vessel at the bottom of the pyramid gets more heat, it should get cooked first, but to the astonishment of all and sundry it is the vessel at the top that gets cooked first. This miracle can never be understood as it contradicts the laws of physics.
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"The tenth miracle is the most astounding mystery of all. The Krishna idol at Puri has the heart which belonged to Lord Krishna in its innermost chamber. Lord Krishna died in 3102 B.C. He was killed by a hunter who shot an arrow at his foot thinking that it was a deer. After Lord Krishna died, the grieving hunter cremated the body. But the heart did not burn down. It was discovered among the ashes. It was a lump of metal and it made a strange vibrating sound. The heart was not made of flesh and hence the hunter was not able to destroy it. He thought that he would be able to make some money by trying to sell it. But no one was interested in buying it. Finally, the hunter put the heart on a wooden plank and left it to float in the river. The King of Puri saw it floating upstream and brought it ashore. He understood that it was the heart of Lord Krishna and decided to put it in the idol of the Lord at the Jagannatha temple in Puri."
" ... The idols are made of neem wood. They need to be replaced every 12 years and the secret behind this was revealed by one of the men who had actually seen the heart during a transfer. Nearly 50 years ago he saw the heart and told others that it was leaking a silvery fluid. Krishna is a God and a superhuman. His heart is some type of electrical device. It is made from Brahma Padartha or Divya Padartha which is a divine material."
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Story #8 Airaavateshwara, Dhaaraasamudra
Musical staircase Temple
"Airavatesvara temple is a famous temple constructed in honour of Lord Shiva. It is located in the town of Darasuram, near Kumbakonam in Tamil Nadu. It was built by Rajaraja Chola II between 1146 to 1172 C.E. It is a UNESCO world heritage site. Along with the Brihadeeswara temple at Thanjavur and the Gangaikonda Cholapuram temple at Gangaikonda, this temple is referred to as one among the Great Living Chola temples."
" ... The tank is called Yama Teertha.
" ... Earlier Chola Kings resided in the capital city of Gangapuri or Gangaikonda Cholapuram, ... Even though it is much smaller than the Gangaikonda Cholapuram temple and Brihadeeswara temple, the sculptures here are intricate and exquisite in detail. ... "
"The Airavateswara temple was a huge structure at one time. According to inscriptions from that age, it had seven streets and seven courts. But as of now there is only one court which is situated in the main temple. All the other structures have been damaged beyond repair and have ceased to exist. Some ancient ruins can be found at a distance from the temple to this day. ... There were sustained attacks on the capital city by Malik Khafur in 1311, Khusrau Khan in 1314 and Mohammed bin Tughlaq in 1327 and after defeating the locals, the armies of the Delhi Sultanate plundered and looted the temples before destroying them. In 1378, the Vijayanagar empire defeated the Sultan’s army and repaired and restored the temple to some extent. Inscriptions from a later point of time explain that the kings of a later era specifically Cholas, Pandyas and the Vijayanagar empire gave grants and gifts to the temple to restore some part of its earlier glory."
"This beautiful temple is home to a musical staircase that has baffled the viewers from the time of its inception. There is a square porch of 7 metres which has 10 steps that produce musical notes when stepped on. Across the years, the steps have undergone damage. When a person walks or steps on the steps, a musical note is produced by each of the seven steps. Seven notes of the musical scale in Indian classical music are heard when each step is climbed. The remaining 3 steps when stepped upon emit the sound of “Om” which is the holy mantra of Hinduism as well as the sound of the universe. The ten steps have been enclosed with an iron grill to prevent further damage from onlookers who have dented the steps in the centre itself and tried to break it up into pieces just to satisfy their curiosity. ... "
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Story #9 Hampi
Musical Temple Pillars
"Hampi is an ancient ruin in the state of Karnataka. It is located around 350 kilometres north of Bengaluru. It was the capital city of the Vijayanagara kingdom which was established by the Nayak kings. There are temples, palaces, market streets, forts, baths, elephant stables and several ancient monuments spread over an area of more than 25 square kilometre. It is a place of astounding natural beauty as well. The hills around Hampi abound with huge boulders and the Tungabhadra river meanders along in its silvery wake giving the area the look of an open-air arena. The beauty of the ruins takes the visitor back in time to a bygone era when this ancient ruin was a prosperous kingdom. Gold and diamonds were traded on the streets and visitors from all over the world thronged to this spot to drink in the beauty of the magnificent city which had something to offer for everyone. It is a tourist spot par excellence with great scenic beauty that can whisk you back to the past. You will feel sorrowful when you realise that the most spectacular monuments have been razed to the ground by the sword of destruction. Yet what remains is still splendid enough to make you gasp in awe at the miracles that abound in the name of the musical pillars of Vijaya Vittala temple which is still well preserved."
" ... The Vijayanagar empire was founded by two brothers, Harihara and Bukka who were also known as the Sangama brothers. They hailed from the city of Warangal where they were working as treasurer and minister. The city was attacked by the Muslims in 1323 and the brothers fled to Kampili. Kampili was attacked by Muslims and the brothers fled from there too. They crossed the river Tungabhadra along with their Guru named Vidyaranya and beheld a strange scene that electrified them. Some dogs were chasing hares and the hares were fleeing in panic. When they reached a certain field, the hares turned back and chased the pursuers. The dogs were taken aback at this role reversal and fled for their lives. The Guru advised the two brothers to establish a kingdom here as the land had magical properties. The three of them had been watching the duel between the hares and hounds and it filled them with courage, they felt that this was a land in which they could stand up to the Muslim invaders and show them their place.
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"From the year 1336 to 1565 the beautiful city of Hampi was ruled by four dynasties. They were the Sangam dynasty, Saluva dynasty, Tuluva dynasty and Aravidu dynasty. The rulers of these dynasties did all in their power to increase the richness and wealth of the city and it became one of the greatest trading centres in the world at that time. They built over 500 monuments, some of which remain to this day. The markets of Hampi swarmed with merchants from Persia and Portugal who traded in diamonds, pearls, horses, fine silks and brocades. Merchants from overseas came here to buy and sell and went back to their nations with reports of the beauty of this city. “The city is such that the pupil of the eye has never seen a place like it, and the ear of intelligence has never been informed that there existed anything to equal it in the world”. This eulogy was written by a 15th century Persian ambassador Abdul Razaak who marvelled at the architecture of the city.
"The greatest of the rulers was Krishna Deva Raya who ruled Hampi between 1509 and 1529. At that time, the King undertook the practice of Tula Bhara wherein his weight was measured by a 5-metre-tall pair of scales which can be seen even today behind the Vittala temple. The King gave away gold, gems, silver and precious stones equal to his weight ... During his time, Vijayanagara empire ruled almost the whole of South India and also beyond. The Deccan Sultans of Bidar, Bijapur, Ahmednagar, Golconda and Berar attacked Hampi in 1565 in the Battle of Talikota. Vijayanagar was poised to win this decisive battle when two Muslim generals who commanded the army of Vijayanagar beheaded the King of Vijayanagar Aliya Rama Raya in an act of treachery. Seeing the King dying on the battle field after being killed by his own generals, the rest of the soldiers did not have the heart to carry on and the Muslim invaders routed them as they had lost their fighting spirit.
"For 6 long months the Muslim invading army savaged the city. They looted the markets and destroyed the temples. Massive destruction ravaged the city beyond repair. The golden era of the Vijayanagar empire thus came to an end. Kings who ruled later could not bring back its lost glory. Now all that remains are forlorn ruins which stand still, silent reminders of a glorious age in history.
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"In his book ‘The Forgotten Empire ‘published in 1900, Robert Sewell wrote, "With fire and sword, with crowbars and axes, they carried on day after day their work of destruction. Never perhaps in the history of the world has such havoc been wrought... so suddenly, on so splendid a city; teeming with a wealthy and industrious population in the full plenitude of prosperity one day, and on the next seized, pillaged, and reduced to ruins, amid scenes of savage massacre and horrors beggaring description."
"But the ruins that withstood the onslaught are still breathtakingly beautiful. The Vijaya Vittala temple is one such temple. The guardian deity is Vittala, an avatar of Vishnu. It was built in the 15th century. As per legends, the temple was built in honour of Vishnu and He came there to view it himself. He found it to be too grand for His tastes and went back to His temple in Pandharpur which was not as lavish as this temple. The temple has a chariot and a set of musical pillars which are truly outstanding. Besides this, the Maha Mandapa which is the main hall, the shrine dedicated to Devi, ... "
" ... famous for its 56 pillars also known as Sarigama pillars which emit musical notes when struck. The real reason for this cannot be found out. It is an enduring mystery to this day. If one taps the pillars gently with sandal wood, one can actually hear the rhythmic sound similar to Sarigama. Sa, ri, ga, ma represents four of the seven musical notes in Indian music. Each of the main pillars depicts a musical instrument. ... Each main pillar is surrounded by seven smaller pillars which emit the musical notes when tapped gently. Each note emerging from these pillars blends into different melodies which give the effect of music being played on the string, percussion or wind instrument depicted on that particular pillar. When struck it gives out 7 notes of the instrument depicted on the main pillar."
" During the British era, the Britishers decided to solve the mystery as they found it really hard to crack. They cut a pillar and prised it open to see if there was anything inside which produced musical sounds. They found nothing inside. The mystery surrounding these pillars is considered to be nothing short of a miracle. The sculptors of a bygone era had managed to make these masterpieces and though they did not have modern technology at their disposal, they had musical and sculptural skills which defy description. In modern times geologists analysed the pillar and found out that the rocks are resonant because of the presence of metallic ores and large amounts of silica.
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Story #10 Kaamaakhyaa, Assam
The menstruating temple deity
"The Kamakhya temple is a Hindu temple which is situated on the Nilachal hill in the western part of Guwahati city in Assam. It is also known as Kamrup- Kamakhya temple and Kamakhya Devalaya. The shrine is dedicated to the mother Goddess Kamakhya. Her name means ‘Renowned Goddess of desire’. There are ten temples within the complex dedicated to various aspects of Shaktism. The deities Tripurasundari, Matangi and Kamala reside within the main temple along with Goddess Kamakhya, the guardian deity. The other seven Kali, Tara, Sodashi, Bhairavi, Chhinnamasta, Dhumavati, Bagalamukhi have individual temples within the complex in which they are worshipped separately. Many Hindus go to this temple to worship the Mother Goddess as She is known to be beneficial and generous in rewarding the requests of Her devotees. Besides it is one of the oldest among the 51 Shakti Peethas.
" ... Shiva married Sati, the daughter of Daksha as she was in love with Him and adored Him. Daksha strongly opposed this marriage as he felt that Lord Shiva was not a suitable groom for his daughter. ... Daksha’s daughter appreciated Lord Shiva’s real beauty of spirit and wedded Him despite opposition from her father."
"Eminent archaeologists have declared after examining the evidence at the site that there existed a huge temple built of stone in the 8th – 9th century. ... The temple was destroyed by Hussein Shah during his invasion of the Kamata kingdom. The temple lay in ruins and these ruins were discovered by Vishwasingha, the founder of the Koch dynasty. His son Nara Narayan of Coochbehar started rebuilding the temple and completed it in the year 1565."
" ... In the month of June every year, the Goddess bleeds. The river Brahmaputra which flows near the temple turns red in hue. The temple is then closed for 3 days. ... "
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Story #11 Sri Ranganathaswamy temple, Srirangam
Temple with 1000 Years old Ramanujacarya’s body
"Sri Ranganathaswamy temple at Srirangam is situated at Tiruchirappalli in Tamil Nadu ... It is a famous temple where Sri Ramanuja, a noted Bhakti saint who advocated Vaishnavism spent 80 years of his life on earth. He lived for 120 years from 1017 to 1137 A.D. He was the head priest of this temple. When he had completed all his works on earth, he told his disciples that the time had come for him to pass away. His head was placed on the lap of Embar and his feet were placed on the lap of Vaduga Nambi. He was listening to the recitation of Divya Prabandham and looking at the Sri Padukas of Yamunacharya as he breathed his last."
" ... For the past 980 years the body has been kept in the same sitting posture and it has not decayed despite the passage of time. The Egyptian mummies have been preserved in a sleeping posture and covered with cloth after applying layers of various chemicals to keep them preserved. The holy body of Ramanujam has not been subjected to any such treatment and yet it remains free of decay. ... "
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Story #12 Lord Jagannath temple, Bhitargaon Behata, Ghatampur area, Kanpur
Temple predicts monsoon fury
"One of the mysterious temples in Uttar Pradesh is known to predict rainy season and the yield of water well in advance to the actual occurrence. Lord Jagannath temple situated at Bhitargaon Behata village in Ghatampur area of Kanpur district in Uttar Pradesh is credited with this rare distinction. There are many other mysteries associated with this temple but this is the main mystery.
"The head priest Dinesh Shukla lives there with his family. His family has been serving the temple for six generations. The villagers gather to see the accumulation of water droplets on the ceiling of the temple. If the droplets are big, it indicates heavy monsoon for the region. If the droplets are small, then the rainfall will be scanty and drought conditions will prevail that year. The farmers of the village of Bhitargaon Behata and other surrounding villages depend on this forecast to facilitate their agricultural plans.The temple is under the control of the State Archaeological Department. As this temple has the ability to predict with accuracy the capricious monsoon, it is called as Monsoon or Rain temple by the locals. The exact year when it was constructed remains a mystery. Some say that it was built during the 11th century. After studying the carvings in and around the temple, others say that it was built somewhere between the 12th and 14th century. Ajay Tribedi, the noted historian insists that it was built by the Gujjar Parhari rulers. In his opinion, it was built during the time scale starting from the 11th and ending with the 13th century. It is believed by the locals that it was built by Samrat Harshavardhana in 600 C.E. But there is no solid proof to back any of these theories. The only fact that has been proved is that the temple was last renovated in the 11th century.
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"The guardian deity of the temple is Lord Jagannatha or Vishnu. He is carved in black stone and rests on a stone pedestal. Lord Balabhadra is on the right and Goddess Subhadra is on the left of Lord Jagannath whose idol is the largest among the three. To the left of the three deities, there is a smaller replica of the three sibling deities and this is the deity which is carried in ceremonial procession in a chariot during the Ratha Jathra every year. It is celebrated on the same day as the Rath Yathra in Puri and with the same rituals and fanfare associated with an event of this magnitude. Nearly 20,000 people had gathered last year and it was a grand success. The Archaeological Survey of India has banned traditional form of worshipping as the crowds could harm the central core structure of the temple and set it on the path to eventual destruction. Krishna Janmashtami is another festival which is celebrated with pomp and show and considerable religious fervour.
"The temple covers an area of 100 feet X 70 feet. The design of the temple is unorthodox and unconventional. It resembles a Buddhist stupa from the outside. The interiors are built in Nagara style. The temple faces east. A 100 feet well and pond is situated on both sides of the entrance. On the top of the temple a discus or Nila chakra is mounted and a flag in yellow and saffron flies aloft the chakra. The discus and the flag flying atop it are similar to the Jagannatha temple at Puri. The chakra is believed to have magnetic properties as no fatalities have occurred during thunderstorm in the region.
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"The miracle of the water drops collecting on the ceiling is attributed to the design of the temple roof which is a domed structure. The unique structure of the ceiling allows for the moisture to collect on it at least seven days before it rains and pours down. If the moisture collected on the roof is more, it falls down in big drops from the ceiling and the farmers surmise that heavy rains will fall down that year and nourish their crops. On the other hand, if the moisture is minimal, water drops do not cascade down and the rainfall for that particular year will be scanty. The farmers flock to the temple in hordes to divine the nature of the upcoming monsoon season in advance so that they can make the right agricultural decisions and preparations based on those decisions every year. In fact, they organise special prayers to Lord Jagannath so that He will bless them with a heavy monsoon and a bountiful yield to fill their coffers to overflowing.
"The mystery behind the accumulation of moisture on the roof top of the powerful temple has never been explained satisfactorily. This strange miracle occurs at least 15 days before the onset of the monsoon season. Archaeological experts and scientists have visited the temple many times and studied the phenomenon in detail. Yet they have not been able to unravel the mystery. ... "
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CONTENTS
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Story #1 Kailasa, Verul
A mountain is carved from the top into a temple
Story #2 Nidhi Van Temple, Vrindavan
Forest Treasure Temple Lord Krishna visits nightly
Story #3 Padmanaabhaswaamy Temple, TiruAnantapuram
A Hindu Temple Vault that cannot be opened
Story #4 Brhadeeshwara Temple, Tanjavur
A temple with Apex weighing 80 tons
Story #5 Lepaakshie
The only Hanging Pillar temple in India
Story # 6 Konark
Sun temple designed to levitate the idol
Story #7 Jagannaatha, Puri
Lord of the The Universe temple
Story #8 Airaavateshwara, Dhaaraasamudra
Musical staircase Temple
Story #9 Hampi
Musical Temple Pillars
Story #10 Kaamaakhyaa, Assam
The menstruating temple deity
Story #11 Sri Ranganathaswamy temple, Srirangam
Temple with 1000 Years old Ramanujacarya’s body
Story #12 Lord Jagannath temple, Bhitargaon Behata, Ghatampur area, Kanpur
Temple predicts monsoon fury
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REVIEW
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Story #1
A mountain is carved from the top into a temple
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"The Kailasa temple which is situated in Ellora, Maharashtra, India is a mysterious temple dedicated to Lord Shiva. The actual date of construction is not known. But one of the inscriptions reveal the name of the king who ordered for the construction to be Krishna I, a stalwart king of the Rashtrakutas. This has not been confirmed yet. It can only be said that the temple started existing from the 8th century C.E. onwards. One can notice Pallava and Chalukya styles of architecture in the temple. The temple resembles the Virupaksha temple at Pattadakal and the Kailasa temple at Kanchi. The paintings that decorated the temple have long since disappeared as the temple has weathered the elements of nature over many centuries.
"The temple has been carved out of a single mountain. The rock is not limestone or soft rock, it is basalt, an igneous volcanic rock out of which the exquisite temple has been carved out. The vertical excavation method has been used in construction which means that the artisans carved from the top and chipped away downwards. It is believed that the temple took 135 years to be built but there are records which suggest that it was finished in a time span of just 18 years. It is twice the size of the Parthenon in Greece and 50% taller. The Rashtrakuta king commissioned its construction and the end product is so astounding that all who view it are left dumbfounded as it is a masterpiece of rare beauty and visually breath taking. It is a temple worthy of being dedicated to Lord Shiva, one of the Hindu triumvirate of Gods, the other two being Lord Brahma and Lord Vishnu.
"The temple is the only temple in the world which is cut out from a monolith. Historians and archaeologists are speechless as the only tools used by sculptors of those days were hammers, chisels and pick axes. Could they have carved a temple out of the rock face using just these primitive tools? The rock that needed to be cut out was a whopping 400,000 tons. Assuming that it took 18 years [756-774C.E.]to be completed, this works out to a colossal figure of 22,222 tons [ 400,000 ÷ 18] to be excavated every year. Assuming that an army of artisans worked constantly on the temple without taking any breaks and worked like robots, it works out to 60 tons [22,222 ÷ 365] every day. Every hour they needed to cut out 5 tons of rock which is not possible even using the latest modern technology. The sheer amount of work that has gone into it is mind boggling. What is even more mysterious is that the rock which was dug out and thrown away is not to be found anywhere on site. It could not have vanished into thin air."
" ... The temple is an example of perfection personified. There are no mistakes at all. The builders have paid attention to detail. It has underground passages, drains, bridges connecting towers, secret peep holes, balconies, complex stairways and even systems for harvesting of rain water which has been incorporated into the design as well. It is the oldest and biggest of the temples in the Ellora caves. How can the Kailasa temple be the best of the temples when it was constructed before all the other temples in that complex? Human experience shows that over time, the artisans will be able to do better and more complicated work. But here none of the other temples that were constructed after this temple even remotely approach the sheer grandeur of this temple. This is the enduring mystery of this temple which neither historians or archaeologists have been able to solve since centuries. ... "
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"The temple can never be destroyed. Aurangzeb, the Mughal ruler ordered for the destruction of the temple in 1682. He sent a thousand men to demolish the temple and they worked for 3 years. Some of the sculptures of elephants and sculpted figures have been defaced but on the whole, the damage suffered was just minimal. Aurangzeb decided that destroying the temple was not worthwhile as it was just not possible. If the workmen could not destroy the temple over a time period of 3 years, imagine the amount of work that went into its construction. He finally gave up the attempt at vandalism as he had become frightened about the sacredness of this divine monument to Hindu Gods.
"Another legend about this temple states that a Marathi queen prayed to Lord Shiva at Elapura to cure the illness of her husband who was bed ridden. All medicinal remedies had been tried and found wanting. Finally, in desperation she had prayed to Lord Shiva and promised Him that she would construct a temple in His honour if her husband recovered from his illness. When the husband recovered, the queen was joyous and undertook a fast which she would stop only when the temple with the ‘shikhara’ [top] had been constructed. The King sent word to several architects to start the construction. Many architects told the King that they needed months to complete a temple with the ‘shikhara’ on top. Kokasa was the only architect who agreed to do the construction at great speed. He started from the top by carving a rock and within a week, the shikhara was ready and the queen could give up her fast. The temple was called ‘Manikeshwar’ in honour of the queen."
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December 31, 2022 - January 01, 2023.
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Story #2
Forest Treasure Temple Lord Krishna visits nightly
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"A temple in Vrindavan at Mathura is called the Nidhi Van temple. It is also called as the ‘Bankey Bihari’ temple. Other names for this temple are Murlidhar, Kanha, Giridhar and Leeladhar temple. The name ‘Nidhi Van’ means the treasure in the forest. It is a beautiful temple dedicated to Lord Krishna. It is believed that Lord Krishna comes here every night to dance with His consort Radha Rani and the gopis or cowherd ladies who lived with him in the village Barsana approximately 5,000 years ago."
Better recent estimate places Mahaabhaarata, and Krishna, at or before 4,500 BCE, which makes it closer to seven millennia in past.
" ... He visits the temple every night to this day and this mind-boggling feat accomplished by Him and Him alone has been going on since the temple was constructed.
"The temple is surrounded by a verdant forest. But the trees have extraordinary shapes, they are short and grow downwards. The trunks of the trees are entangled and grow in pairs symbolising love which needs the presence of two lovers to make the phenomenon of love to happen between the two of them. The trees are basil or ‘tulsi’ plants grown to a height of 9 to 10 feet. Usually the shrub grows to a height of only 90 to 100 centimetres. The area around the temple is totally dry and bereft of moisture. The barks of the trees are hollow inside. Yet the trees have green leaves and twigs and are really healthy though they are 5000 years old. There are no insects or birds’ nests in the trees. It is believed that the trees transform into Gopis at night to perform the ‘Ras lila’ dance with Lord Krishna and Radha Rani in their midst. The Gopis are not ordinary women, they are sages who in their previous births won over the Lord by meditating on His holy name with single minded dedication and devotion. The Gopis dance with the Lord so that their individual souls will merge with the Divine soul. The dance is devoid of carnal desires, it is just the culmination of the purest form of love that expects nothing and demands nothing in return. The love between Lord Krishna and Radha Rani is the highest form of spiritual love. Ras Leela is the dance that symbolises the eternal union and bond between the Supreme Lord and His blessed devotees who come together every night to celebrate their celestial togetherness by dancing in the lap of Mother Earth."
"The temple has beautifully decorated idols of Lord Krishna and Radha and prayers and pujas are offered every day as is the practice in other temples. It is only in the evening that the mystery takes over. It has been observed that the monkeys and chirping birds vacate the garden at dusk. They return only the next morning. ... "
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" ... There was an instance of a foreign media house which installed a closed-circuit television camera in the garden. Yet nothing had been recorded though they found the camera to be working in good condition the next day. At other times the spy cameras have been destroyed, damaged, malfunctioned or have gone missing as well to deepen the mystery further."
" ... It is said that the trees in their happiness at being in the presence of the Divine Lord light up and sparkle in a strange light that emanates from their branches and leaves. The garden has no electricity cables and there are no batteries either, yet the trees light up in an ethereal glow of deep happiness and contentment. People have heard the sound of ‘ghunghroos’ [tiny bells attached to the anklets of dancers] and the flute at night.
"Many historians and scientists have tried to solve this enduring mystery over the years. But they have not been able to offer any explanation to the strange mystery. They have felt supernatural vibes, extreme happiness and a blessed peace and calmness in their bodies, the reason behind these phenomena they have not been able to fathom unfortunately. They have concluded that all possible evidence points to the divine presence in and around the temple. Hence, we can safely assume that the temple of Nidhi Van is the true abode of Lord Krishna, the King of Kings and God of Gods."
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January 01, 2023 - January 01, 2023.
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Story #3 Padmanaabhaswaamy Temple, TiruAnantapuram
A Hindu Temple Vault that cannot be opened
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"One of the famous temples in South India is the Padmanabhaswamy temple located in Thiruvananthapuram, the capital city of Kerala state. The name Thiruvananthapuram when translated from Malayalam, the language of the state means the city of Lord Anantha. Lord Anantha or Vishnu is the deity in the temple. He is sleeping in the Anantha shayana pose, the posture of eternal yogic sleep on the serpent Adi Shesha. The awe-inspiring temple has been constructed in a fusion of the Dravidian and Chera styles and features a Gopuram that towers 100 feet above the ground. The temple is a thousand years old. The Gopuram has 7 floors and is a wonder in itself. It was constructed in the 16th century.
"In the sanctum sanctorum, Lord Vishnu or Padmanabha Swamy reclines on the massive serpent Adi Shesha which has five hoods that face inwards. The Lord has placed his right hand on a Shiva lingam. He has two wives by His side, one is Sridevi Lakshmi who is the Goddess of prosperity and the other is Bhudevi who is the Goddess of earth. Lord Brahma appears on a lotus which emerges from the navel of the Lord Vishnu. Thus, the entire triumvirate of Hindu Gods – Brahma, Vishnu and Maheshwara is present in the Garbha Griha or sanctum sanctorum of this powerful temple. It is one of the 108 Divya Desams or holy abodes in Vaishnavism. It resembles the Adikesava Perumal temple in Thiruvattur.
"The Gopuram is covered with sculptures of various deities on its walls and is built in the Pandyan style. The construction of the gopuram was started in 1566 by Aditya Verma, the ruler hailing from the Travancore royal family at that time and completed by Marthanda Verma in the eighteenth century. It has seven floors and in the centre of each floor there is a window. On the days of the equinoxes the setting sun shines through each window in turn at approximately 5-minute intervals. On other days the setting sun is completely shut out by the mammoth gopuram. ... "
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"The temple is well known all over the world as the richest temple. The wealth of the temple which has been contributed by grateful devotees over hundreds of years belongs to Lord Padmanabha Swamy alone. The vaults within the temple contain 100 trillion dollars of wealth. The vaults were administered by a trust headed by the Travancore royal family for a long time. But now the Supreme Court has removed the ownership from their hands after T.P. Sundararajan, a retired IPS officer filed a petition for taking stock of the temple’s fabled riches in the year 2011. The Supreme Court appointed a seven-member committee in June 2011 to look into the wealth of the temple which was unaccounted and make a record of it officially."
" ... But vault B which is a source of mystery and wonder has not been opened for centuries. Following the injunctions of the Supreme Court, vaults A, C, D, E, F were opened by the committee and a list of items prepared, but the detailed inventory has not yet been finalized.
"Vaults A, C, D, E and F were opened and the contents within baffled the viewers. Some of the treasures found were a three and a half feet tall idol of Maha Vishnu in solid gold studded with hundreds of diamonds, rubies and other precious stones, an 18-foot-long chain made of pure gold, a golden veil weighing 36 kilograms, a golden sheaf weighing 500 kilograms, 1200 golden chains made with coins studded with precious stones and the like. The eyes of those who went inside the vaults were bedazzled by the sight of sacks full of necklaces, diamonds, rubies, sapphires, emeralds, precious gems and objects made of precious metals other than gold. In vault A they found 800 kilograms of gold coins dating back to 200 B.C.E. The value of each coin is approximately 2.7 crore or US $380,000. A golden throne meant for seating the 18-foot-long deity of the Lord studded with precious stones and rare gems and ceremonial attire for the Lord weighing 30 kilograms were among the spectacular finds along with golden coconut shells studded with rubies and emeralds, coins dating back to the rule of Napoleon, coins hailing from the Roman empire. Those who went inside said that they saw golden crowns studded with diamonds and other precious stone, hundreds of chairs made of solid gold, golden pots and jars numbering thousands. The treasure found so far is the greatest treasure in the recorded history of the world as it contains only gold and precious stones in huge quantities that are yet to be fully enumerated and evaluated.
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"One month after the Supreme Court order Mr. T.P. Sundararajan passed away. The Lord was not pleased with his petition; this is what the common man feels about his sudden demise in July 2011. The vault B is the most mysterious vault and cannot be opened in any manner. During the reign of King Marthanda Verma when the last inventory was done, sages with great spiritual power had locked the door of vault B using Naga Paasam mantras (serpent noose). Only a saint of great power can unlock the door by chanting Garuda mantra in the proper way with correct intonation.
"The steel door to the vault has the picture of two cobras and no bolts and no latches and no means of entry whatsoever. It has the picture of cobras, enchanting female vampire Kanjirottu Yakshi, deities and spiritual entities that indicate that anyone who attempts to open the door by any means other than Garuda mantra will have to face great danger and lose his life in the process. It can only be opened by the chanting of the sacred Garuda mantra. The mantra can be chanted only by a sadhu of great spiritual stature and there is no one in the world at present who has the required stature or knowledge of the precious Garuda mantra which alone can unlock the door of the greatest treasures in the temple. Hence the secret for opening the door has been lost forever and ever in the mists of time.
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"If anyone uses man made technology to open the door of vault B it is believed that catastrophes will occur to India and the rest of the world as the Lord’s wrath will be incurred by doing so. Vault B was last opened in the year 1880 by using the Garuda mantra. Historical records maintained by the royal family of Travancore which conducted an inventory in that year mentions the figure of 12000 crore Indian rupees to be the estimated amount of wealth lodged in the mysterious vault. In 2020 that works out to 50 trillion Indian rupees or US $700 billion.
"Attempts had been made in the past as well to loot the vaults. In the eighteenth century Padmanabhan Thampi, arch rival of Marthanda Verma had advanced upon Thiruvananthapuram and sent his men to loot the vaults. But the men were confronted by divine serpents in hundreds and fled in all directions. Emily Gilchrist who visited Travancore in the year 1933 mentioned in her book ‘Travancore: A Guide Book for the Visitor’ that in the year 1908 a group of people had tried to force entry into the vaults as the State needed extra money to meet expenses, they barged their way in with lit torches only to find serpents in their thousands. The people fled for their lives on account of this divine intervention by Lord Vishnu himself to safeguard the wealth that rightly belonged to him and none else.
"In another instance hundred years ago, the temple authorities decided to make use of some of the wealth as there was a famine in the land and people were subjected to untold hardship, with that intention in mind they went to unlock the doors of the vault. But they heard the sound of gushing ocean waves from behind the door. It is believed that the vault is connected to the Arabian sea and any attempt to use modern technology to unlock the door will bring about catastrophe to the people of Kerala and the world. Hence the door will never be opened as even the priests of the temple and other spiritual gurus are of the opinion that faith should not be trampled upon by opening vault B under any circumstances. It is the most sacred vault in the temple and deeply connected to Lord Vishnu.
"Nowadays the temple has security cameras, metal detectors and two hundred armed guards toting machine guns and other high-tech gadgetry to safeguard its treasure away from prying eyes. The fantastic wealth in the temple has been donated to the deity by devotees during the thousand years of its existence. The Supreme power who resides within its sacred doors has been answering their prayers for hundreds of years. None dispute His power and authority over the assets of the temple as all the wealth belongs to Him. ... "
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January 01, 2023 - January 01, 2023.
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Story #4 Brhadeeshwara Temple, Tanjavur
A temple with Apex weighing 80 tons
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"The Brihadishvara temple situated in Thanjavur district of Tamil Nadu is one of the most mysterious temples in India. ... "
" ... It took only seven years to construct this awe-inspiring temple, it was constructed between 1003 to 1010 A.D. But the amount of blood, sweat and toil that has gone into the making of this temple is astonishing to say the least. The temple is a part of the UNESCO world heritage site known as “Great living Chola temples” along with Gangaikonda Cholapuram temple and Airavatesvara temple which were also built by Chola rulers."
" ... Over the course of history, it was damaged during raids and wars initiated by the Muslim rulers of Madurai and was later repaired by Hindu rulers. As a result of the damage sustained, some of the original artwork is now missing. ... Over the course of a thousand years the temple saw many repairs, renovations and additions. After the 16th century, the Hindu rulers who regained power built massive walls to protect the temple as they recognised its value and prestige."
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"The temple is built out of granite. The builders used 1.3 lakh tons of granite to build the temple, processing 50 tons of rock every day. Where did the granite come from? There is no mountain or rocky hill or quarry up to a distance of 60 kilometres from the temple site. The granite was hauled in across huge distances to the site by using elephants. It was a really difficult endeavour in human history."
"The vimanam or temple tower is 216 feet high. It has been built by using the interlocking technique to hold each brick in place as the builders of the eleventh century did not use cement, mortar, plastic, stucco or adhesives to fuse one granite brick to another. This is a puzzling technique as one brick just fits over another and is locked in place one on top of the other. A Kumbam or round apex structure which weighs 80 tons and is carved out of a single ton of granite has been placed at the top of the temple tower. This is the most fascinating mystery of all time. At that time, there were no cranes or lifting machines to hoist the Kumbam to the very top of the tower which was 66 metres above the ground. Then how did the artisans manage to do the impossible? They built a ramp of 6 kilometres length reaching up to that height of 216 feet and used elephants, horses, bulls and labourers to haul the Kumbam to the top of the structure. After it reached there the sculptors carved the rock into a spectacular octagonal design which still towers over the temple to this day. This is a stupendous feat in itself as everything was set in place by using man’s effort alone and without using modern machinery, cranes or turbo powered vehicles."
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" ... Another wonder of this unique temple is that it has no foundation. It was built on plain land. The base is very wide and the whole structure still stands straight to this day though it was built a thousand years ago. ... "
"The Shiv lingam in the sanctum sanctorum was never consecrated and the reason for this is not known to this day. ... Raja Raja’s son Rajendra Chola felt the pain and inner turmoil of his father and built a replica of this temple which is known as Gangaikonda Cholapuram temple. It is built on a smaller scale and does not possess either the grandeur or beauty of the original Brihadishvara temple in Thanjavur."
"The temple completed thousand years of its existence in 2010 and this occasion was celebrated grandly by the government of Tamil Nadu in the month of September of that year by hosting cultural events. Commemorative stamps, coins and notes were issued in honour of the great temple. ... "
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January 01, 2023 - January 01, 2023.
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Story #5 Lepaakshie
The only Hanging Pillar temple in India
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"Approximately 140 kilometres from Bengaluru, one will come across the splendid Veerabhadra temple at Lepakshi. Lepakshi is a small village in Anantpura district of Andhra Pradesh, towards the east of Hindupur. One of the legends of the temple says that this is the spot where Jatayu fell and attained salvation or ‘Moksha’. ... Rama and Lakshmana searched for Sita in hills and dales as they did not know where she had vanished. As they were searching, they saw Jatayu fallen on the ground and heaving his last breath. Jatayu told them that Ravan had abducted Sita. Having said that, he passed away. At that moment, Sri Rama who is one of the avatars of Vishnu told the dead bird “Le, pakshi” which means “Rise, O bird” in Telugu. Jatayu rose again as a spirit and flew away to heaven as he was freed from his mortal coils. Hence the village where this incident occurred was called ‘Lepakshi’ from that point of time onwards."
"The temple was constructed in 1530 C.E. by Virupanna Nayak and Veeranna Nayak, two brothers. Virupanna Nayak was the treasurer of the Vijayanagara kingdom and the King Achutharaya was the ruling monarch. Virupanna Nayak conceived the idea of building the fabulous temple as he found the image of Veerabhadra. The patron deity of the Vijayanagar rulers was Lord Shiva. Veerabhadra is one of his angry avatars. Lord Shiva heard that his wife Sati Devi had collapsed and died as she was unable to tolerate the insults heaped on her husband by her father, Daksha during his yagna. Lord Shiva in a fit of grief tore a lock of hair from his head. When this lock touched the ground, it became Veerabhadra, a furious avatar of Lord Shiva who immediately went to Daksha’s palace and killed him. Thus Veerabhadra avenged the death of Sati Devi.
"The exquisite temple is a tribute to the Vijayanagar style of architecture. It is claimed that Amarashilpi Jakanachari was in charge of constructing half the temple and the other half was constructed by the famous sculptors of those times Dakoju and Maroju. The whole temple has been sculpted by Viswakarma Brahmins of that time and it bears testimony to their astounding talent. There are three shrines dedicated to Shiva, Vishnu and Veerabhadra within the huge complex amongst many other Gods and Goddesses. But the temple bears the name of Veerabhadra and he is the guardian deity of the shrine. A reference has been made in the Skandapurana that Lepakshi temple is one of the 108 places of pilgrimage dedicated to Lord Shiva.
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"The temple boasts of many wonders within its precincts. First and foremost is the stone bull or Nandi which is carved a little distance from the temple, it is the largest such structure in the whole world. It is 15 feet high and 27 feet wide. It is carved out of a single block of stone. It is the largest Nandi monolith in the world. Its limbs are perfectly proportioned and it is decorated with garlands and bells that make it an attraction for all eyes."
"The most fantastic object within is the hanging pillar. There are 70 pillars in all, but one of the pillars does not touch the ground, it literally hangs from the ceiling and is elevated by half an inch in the air."
" ... During the era of the British, a British engineer by the name of Hamilton wanted to find out how the pillar stood aloft without any means of support. He passed an iron rod under the pillar with force and managed to make one corner of the pillar touch the ground. But this spoilt the alignment of 10 other pillars and ceiling and he ran away as he felt that it would collapse on his head. If he had not been so meddlesome and crafty, the whole pillar would be fully suspended in the air even now, a truly wonderful sight to behold."
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January 01, 2023 - January 01, 2023.
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Story # 6 Konark
Sun temple designed to levitate the idol
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" ... The temple was built by King Narasimha Dev I of Eastern Ganga dynasty. Exact year in which the construction was started is not known, but historians say that the construction was started around 1250 A.D. and it took around 16 years to complete the iconic temple. ... 1200 artisans toiled for years to bring to life the beautiful temple which is a treat for the eyes. Poet Rabindranath Tagore spoke in glowing terms about the temple by saying “Here the language of stone surpasses the language of man.”
"According to mythology, this temple was built by Samba, the son of Lord Krishna. Samba was suffering from leprosy as he was cursed by Lord Krishna. He performed severe penance for 12 long years at Mitravana, a spot near the point where Chandrabhaga river meets the sea at Konark. The Sun God was pleased with his meditation and cured him of his ailment. In gratitude Samba decided to build a temple in honour of the Sun. The very next day when he was bathing in the Chandrabhaga river, Samba discovered an image of the Sun God which had been carved by Viswakarma, the sculptor of heaven. Samba built a temple in Mitravana and installed the image as the deity in the sanctum sanctorum. This is why the temple is considered so sacred as its construction has been sanctioned by the Gods themselves.
It's unclear why anyone Indian should call that myth, and credit the temple to "King Narasimha Dev I of Eastern Ganga dynasty", who may have rebuilt an ancient temple.
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"The King spent vast sums of money to finance the temple. But the construction went on endlessly without ever nearing completion. Finally, he lost his patience and told the artisans to complete the temple by a certain date. The main architect Bisu Maharana led the team of artisans. He tried his best to finish the temple on time. But he was faced with a complicated problem. He did not know how to place the final stone in the cupola. The entire team lost hope and were on the verge of admitting defeat. It was at that time that Bisu’s son Dharmapada who was just an onlooker decided to pitch in with his own brand of expertise. He studied diligently the theories of temple architecture and solved the puzzle. He did not have any experience in building temples. Yet he deciphered by himself how it had to be done and surprised everyone by placing the topmost stone all by himself. The people cheered as the temple was finished by his intervention at the last minute. But the little boy felt unhappy that he had upstaged his dear father by completing the work and stolen the credit for it as well. So, he committed suicide by flinging himself from a high cliff because he wanted to safeguard the name of his people who had slogged so hard. He wanted everyone to realize that they were the real heroes behind the symphony in stone that the temple is and always will be."
Not pleasant, to say the least.
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"The magnificent temple is designed as a chariot of the sun God which has 24 wheels or 12 pairs of wheels pulled by seven highly decorated horses. Each wheel has 7 spokes. The wheels are sundials and the precise time can be calculated by the shadows cast by the spokes. Just imagine how the astronomers, engineers and sculptors must have collaborated to a high degree to achieve this level of perfection. This design is unique and praise worthy as it is a novel concept. In addition to this grand piece of art, there are innumerable sculptures covering every square inch of the temple.
"It is a highly decorated temple and every single piece is carved out of stone, a material which is very difficult to handle. The artisans carved thousands of images which include Gods, heavenly and earthly musicians, dancers, lovers, scenes showing the myriad activities of the King during hunts, battles and at court. Besides this they have carved birds, animals, mythological creatures and decorative designs based on floral and geometrical motifs. The base of the temple has nearly 2000 charming elephants that march resolutely and bring the temple to life in more ways than one. It is a stupendous achievement of human effort to create such a spectacular temple using Orissa sandstone and black granite and that is why the temple has been declared as a world heritage site by UNESCO. It has been built as a tribute to the beliefs of the Brahmins of that time who had enormous talent, money and spiritual devotion to a very high degree to achieve the impossible in terms of temple construction and design. They paid utmost attention to detail to such an extent that this temple cannot be replicated anywhere else in the world.
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"The temple shows the movement of the Sun God who arrives on a flashing chariot in the morning every day and drives out the darkness that has enveloped the earth during the night. At the entrance there is a Natya Mandir which depicts dancers paying homage to the Sun God without whom life on earth as we know it will cease to exist. Many fascinating legends abound. It is claimed that a 52-ton magnet was kept on the top of the temple so that the deity in the sanctum sanctorum levitated in the air under its magnetic pull. It would have presented a stunning sight as it floated in the air without any supports to give it balance. This magnet was so powerful that it disturbed the movement of the ships on the coastline. Ships which were passing through the sea at Konark felt drawn to the temple due to the magnetic effect and crashed themselves on the shore line as they were unable to sail further. The compasses of the ship malfunctioned and the ships were damaged beyond repair. ... "
"The temple shows the movement of the Sun God who arrives on a flashing chariot in the morning every day and drives out the darkness that has enveloped the earth during the night. At the entrance there is a Natya Mandir which depicts dancers paying homage to the Sun God without whom life on earth as we know it will cease to exist. Many fascinating legends abound. It is claimed that a 52-ton magnet was kept on the top of the temple so that the deity in the sanctum sanctorum levitated in the air under its magnetic pull. It would have presented a stunning sight as it floated in the air without any supports to give it balance. This magnet was so powerful that it disturbed the movement of the ships on the coastline. Ships which were passing through the sea at Konark felt drawn to the temple due to the magnetic effect and crashed themselves on the shore line as they were unable to sail further. The compasses of the ship malfunctioned and the ships were damaged beyond repair. ... "
"Muslim voyagers attacked the temple complex and took away the magnet from its resting place right on top of the temple. The magnet acted as the central stone keeping all the other stones of the temple aligned perfectly. The removal of the magnet made the structure below to crash and fall down and thus a significant portion of the temple collapsed to a point of no return. ..."
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"The temple was damaged by the attack of Kalapahad in 1568 C.E. He destroyed most of the temples in Orissa and their idols as well. He damaged the idols of the Konark temple. He was not satisfied by what he had done and he wanted to ruin the temple further. The stone walls were 20 to 25 feet thick and he could not make them crumble to a heap try as he might. He managed to dislodge the arch stone on top of the temple and as it collapsed, the main structure of the temple sustained irreparable damage. Gradually most of the other stones also crumbled to a heap as they were balancing on the arch stone.
"Orissa came under Muslim control and there were further attempts by the invaders to vandalise temples. There were many attacks between the fifteenth and seventeenth centuries. The Brahmins of Konark temple stole the deity and hid it under the sand for years in order to safeguard its sanctity and beauty. Some reports say that the deity was taken to Puri and kept in the temple of Indra in the compound of the Puri Jagannath temple. Some people believe that the image of the Sun God in the National Museum at Delhi is the presiding deity of the Konark temple of yore. But there are many others who believe that the Puja deity of the temple is yet to be discovered.
"Once the presiding deity had been removed from the temple, people ceased to worship at the temple and stopped making pilgrimages to the holy spot. The bustling port at Konark closed down due to frequent attacks by pirates. It was a prosperous city at one time when the temple housed the powerful deity. But when the worship at the temple stopped, people started to leave the city in large numbers ... "
" ... Even as it stands amidst ruins, it captures the attention and mind of the viewer as its fine sculptures of humans and animals seem naturally beautiful beyond belief. Critics have hailed it as the best example of Orissa art and architecture. It has an innate superiority over other temples in the world. ... "
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January 01, 2023 - January 01, 2023.
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Story #7 Jagannaatha, Puri
Lord of the The Universe temple
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"The Jagannatha temple at Puri is one of the most mysterious temples in the world. Lord Jagannatha or Vishnu is the guardian deity in this famous Hindu temple and it is situated at Puri in Odisha on the eastern coast of India. It was built on the site of an earlier temple. The construction of the temple was begun by King Anantavarman Chodaganga Deva, I of the Eastern Ganga dynasty in 1112 C.E. It was completed and renovated by his illustrious son Anangabhima. Other kings belonging to the Ganga dynasty and Suryavamshi dynasty also developed the temple during the course of their lifetime.
"The temple has many legends associated with it. The Lord Vishnu appeared as a dazzling blue jewel near a banyan tree on the seashore at the end of Treta Yuga. It sparkled with a brilliant radiance and it was able to give instant salvation to all who viewed it. Hence Yama, the God of death hid it in the earth. Indradyumna, the King of Malwa, wanted to trace the jewel in Dvapara Yuga. So, he undertook rigorous penance and at last, he attained his goal. Lord Vishnu appeared before him and told him to go to the seashore at Puri where he would find a floating log from which he could carve the blessed image.
"Indradyumna found the log which was floating on the sea shore and he was surprised to see that it shone with a radiance that was really mysterious. Narada instructed him to carve three idols out of it and offer pujas to it daily. Indradyumna decided to build a beautiful temple to house the three idols and he got Viswakarma, the architect of the Gods to build the temple. It was then that Lord Vishnu himself appeared in the form of a carpenter and told the king that he will carve the idols provided that he was never disturbed during the process. Indradyumna agreed to his condition and gave him a room to stay in the temple itself. Two weeks passed and there were no sounds of carpentry from within that room. The queen became anxious, she presumed that the carpenter had died. So she pestered her husband Indradyumna and both of them entered the room together though the king was in two minds. Lord Vishnu who was inside the room vanished immediately leaving behind the unfinished idols. The king was distraught and did not know how to proceed further. But a celestial voice told him to install the unfinished idols in the sacred precincts of the temple. ... "
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"The first miracle is the miracle of the flag on the top of the temple. This always flies in the opposite direction of the wind. This goes against the laws of physics. Every cloth starting from a small flag in the hand of a child to the giant sails on a ship always fly in the direction of the wind. But the flag atop the sacred temple at Puri flies against the wind each and every time defying the law of nature.
"The second miracle is that the flag mounted on the top of the temple is changed every single day. A priest scales the temple with bare hands without any protective gear or ropes attached to him should he lose balance and fall. It is a height of 45 stories that he has to climb and climb he does with just Bhakti or devotion to egg him on. It is believed that if the flag is not changed for even a single day, the temple will be shut for 18 years. This ritual of changing the flag has been going on since hundreds of years since the day the temple was built in honour of the mighty Lord.
"The third miracle is that the marvelous temple does not have a shadow at any time of the day. It is the law of nature that when sunlight falls on any object, it lights up that object and the shadow of the object falls on the side opposite to the source of light. But the temple does not cast any shadow though it is a huge structure. ... His temple sanctified by His presence does not have a shadow throughout the day, summer or winter.
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"The fourth miracle is the Sudarshana Chakra which is mounted on the top of the temple. It is made of metal and it weighs a ton. How was it carried aloft in the twelfth century when they did not have cranes or powerful machinery to do it? All they had at their disposal was human effort and it is inconceivable how such a heavy object could be hoisted to such a great distance, 45 stories above ground level. Another mystery is that the Chakra looks the same from whichever angle you view it. Its appearance is the same no matter which direction you see it.
"The fifth miracle is that the birds do not fly above the temple. Normally we see birds always flying around here, there and everywhere. They are always flying in the blue sky. They don’t know any rules; they are accustomed to roam all over the buildings in their flight path. Yet the temple of the Lord of creation is avoided by them. Perhaps they have more sense than we credit them with. Even planes do not fly above the temple. ... "
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"The sixth miracle is that the food prepared by the cooks in the temple as ‘prasadam’ or holy offering to the Lord is never wasted ever. It is considered to be a bad omen in Hindu culture to waste food that has been cooked. Accordingly, the temple cooks do not waste any food though they do not have an idea about how many people will visit the temple on any particular day. Maybe 1000 devotees will visit or maybe a lakh devotee might visit, the food that is prepared is just enough for all who come seeking ‘darshan’ of the Lord from far and near. Not a grain of rice or vegetable is ever considered as a leftover and needs to be thrown in the garbage bin at the end of the day. This is the will of the Supreme Lord asserting itself when the temple authorities are totally in the dark about the exact number of expected visitors on any day.
"The seventh miracle is the shutting out of the sound of the ocean waves that crash relentlessly across the shore in Puri. ... "
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"The eight miracle is the direction from which the breeze blows in Puri. In every town by the seashore the breeze from the sea always blows into the land during the day and in the evening the land breeze blows into the sea. But here in Puri, the direction is reversed. During the daytime, the breeze blows from the land to the sea and in the evening, the sea breeze takes over. Such a miracle does not take place anywhere else on earth other than in Puri and this puzzles non-believers who cannot find any explanation for this no matter how much they torment their brains for a logical solution.
"The ninth miracle is the miracle of the pots used to cook prasadam for offering to the Lord. Exactly seven pots are used and they are mounted one on top of the other over firewood in the traditional manner. The miracle is that the food kept in the topmost vessel gets cooked first followed by the other vessels in the order in which they are placed. As the vessel at the bottom of the pyramid gets more heat, it should get cooked first, but to the astonishment of all and sundry it is the vessel at the top that gets cooked first. This miracle can never be understood as it contradicts the laws of physics.
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"The tenth miracle is the most astounding mystery of all. The Krishna idol at Puri has the heart which belonged to Lord Krishna in its innermost chamber. Lord Krishna died in 3102 B.C. He was killed by a hunter who shot an arrow at his foot thinking that it was a deer. After Lord Krishna died, the grieving hunter cremated the body. But the heart did not burn down. It was discovered among the ashes. It was a lump of metal and it made a strange vibrating sound. The heart was not made of flesh and hence the hunter was not able to destroy it. He thought that he would be able to make some money by trying to sell it. But no one was interested in buying it. Finally, the hunter put the heart on a wooden plank and left it to float in the river. The King of Puri saw it floating upstream and brought it ashore. He understood that it was the heart of Lord Krishna and decided to put it in the idol of the Lord at the Jagannatha temple in Puri."
" ... The idols are made of neem wood. They need to be replaced every 12 years and the secret behind this was revealed by one of the men who had actually seen the heart during a transfer. Nearly 50 years ago he saw the heart and told others that it was leaking a silvery fluid. Krishna is a God and a superhuman. His heart is some type of electrical device. It is made from Brahma Padartha or Divya Padartha which is a divine material."
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January 01, 2023 - January 01, 2023.
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Story #7 Airaavateshwara, Dhaaraasamudra
Musical staircase Temple
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"Airavatesvara temple is a famous temple constructed in honour of Lord Shiva. It is located in the town of Darasuram, near Kumbakonam in Tamil Nadu. It was built by Rajaraja Chola II between 1146 to 1172 C.E. It is a UNESCO world heritage site. Along with the Brihadeeswara temple at Thanjavur and the Gangaikonda Cholapuram temple at Gangaikonda, this temple is referred to as one among the Great Living Chola temples."
" ... The tank is called Yama Teertha.
" ... Earlier Chola Kings resided in the capital city of Gangapuri or Gangaikonda Cholapuram, ... Even though it is much smaller than the Gangaikonda Cholapuram temple and Brihadeeswara temple, the sculptures here are intricate and exquisite in detail. ... "
"The Airavateswara temple was a huge structure at one time. According to inscriptions from that age, it had seven streets and seven courts. But as of now there is only one court which is situated in the main temple. All the other structures have been damaged beyond repair and have ceased to exist. Some ancient ruins can be found at a distance from the temple to this day. ... There were sustained attacks on the capital city by Malik Khafur in 1311, Khusrau Khan in 1314 and Mohammed bin Tughlaq in 1327 and after defeating the locals, the armies of the Delhi Sultanate plundered and looted the temples before destroying them. In 1378, the Vijayanagar empire defeated the Sultan’s army and repaired and restored the temple to some extent. Inscriptions from a later point of time explain that the kings of a later era specifically Cholas, Pandyas and the Vijayanagar empire gave grants and gifts to the temple to restore some part of its earlier glory."
"This beautiful temple is home to a musical staircase that has baffled the viewers from the time of its inception. There is a square porch of 7 metres which has 10 steps that produce musical notes when stepped on. Across the years, the steps have undergone damage. When a person walks or steps on the steps, a musical note is produced by each of the seven steps. Seven notes of the musical scale in Indian classical music are heard when each step is climbed. The remaining 3 steps when stepped upon emit the sound of “Om” which is the holy mantra of Hinduism as well as the sound of the universe. The ten steps have been enclosed with an iron grill to prevent further damage from onlookers who have dented the steps in the centre itself and tried to break it up into pieces just to satisfy their curiosity. ... "
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January 01, 2023 - January 01, 2023.
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Story #9 Hampi
Musical Temple Pillars
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"Hampi is an ancient ruin in the state of Karnataka. It is located around 350 kilometres north of Bengaluru. It was the capital city of the Vijayanagara kingdom which was established by the Nayak kings. There are temples, palaces, market streets, forts, baths, elephant stables and several ancient monuments spread over an area of more than 25 square kilometre. It is a place of astounding natural beauty as well. The hills around Hampi abound with huge boulders and the Tungabhadra river meanders along in its silvery wake giving the area the look of an open-air arena. The beauty of the ruins takes the visitor back in time to a bygone era when this ancient ruin was a prosperous kingdom. Gold and diamonds were traded on the streets and visitors from all over the world thronged to this spot to drink in the beauty of the magnificent city which had something to offer for everyone. It is a tourist spot par excellence with great scenic beauty that can whisk you back to the past. You will feel sorrowful when you realise that the most spectacular monuments have been razed to the ground by the sword of destruction. Yet what remains is still splendid enough to make you gasp in awe at the miracles that abound in the name of the musical pillars of Vijaya Vittala temple which is still well preserved."
" ... The Vijayanagar empire was founded by two brothers, Harihara and Bukka who were also known as the Sangama brothers. They hailed from the city of Warangal where they were working as treasurer and minister. The city was attacked by the Muslims in 1323 and the brothers fled to Kampili. Kampili was attacked by Muslims and the brothers fled from there too. They crossed the river Tungabhadra along with their Guru named Vidyaranya and beheld a strange scene that electrified them. Some dogs were chasing hares and the hares were fleeing in panic. When they reached a certain field, the hares turned back and chased the pursuers. The dogs were taken aback at this role reversal and fled for their lives. The Guru advised the two brothers to establish a kingdom here as the land had magical properties. The three of them had been watching the duel between the hares and hounds and it filled them with courage, they felt that this was a land in which they could stand up to the Muslim invaders and show them their place.
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"From the year 1336 to 1565 the beautiful city of Hampi was ruled by four dynasties. They were the Sangam dynasty, Saluva dynasty, Tuluva dynasty and Aravidu dynasty. The rulers of these dynasties did all in their power to increase the richness and wealth of the city and it became one of the greatest trading centres in the world at that time. They built over 500 monuments, some of which remain to this day. The markets of Hampi swarmed with merchants from Persia and Portugal who traded in diamonds, pearls, horses, fine silks and brocades. Merchants from overseas came here to buy and sell and went back to their nations with reports of the beauty of this city. “The city is such that the pupil of the eye has never seen a place like it, and the ear of intelligence has never been informed that there existed anything to equal it in the world”. This eulogy was written by a 15th century Persian ambassador Abdul Razaak who marvelled at the architecture of the city.
"The greatest of the rulers was Krishna Deva Raya who ruled Hampi between 1509 and 1529. At that time, the King undertook the practice of Tula Bhara wherein his weight was measured by a 5-metre-tall pair of scales which can be seen even today behind the Vittala temple. The King gave away gold, gems, silver and precious stones equal to his weight ... During his time, Vijayanagara empire ruled almost the whole of South India and also beyond. The Deccan Sultans of Bidar, Bijapur, Ahmednagar, Golconda and Berar attacked Hampi in 1565 in the Battle of Talikota. Vijayanagar was poised to win this decisive battle when two Muslim generals who commanded the army of Vijayanagar beheaded the King of Vijayanagar Aliya Rama Raya in an act of treachery. Seeing the King dying on the battle field after being killed by his own generals, the rest of the soldiers did not have the heart to carry on and the Muslim invaders routed them as they had lost their fighting spirit.
"For 6 long months the Muslim invading army savaged the city. They looted the markets and destroyed the temples. Massive destruction ravaged the city beyond repair. The golden era of the Vijayanagar empire thus came to an end. Kings who ruled later could not bring back its lost glory. Now all that remains are forlorn ruins which stand still, silent reminders of a glorious age in history.
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"In his book ‘The Forgotten Empire ‘published in 1900, Robert Sewell wrote, "With fire and sword, with crowbars and axes, they carried on day after day their work of destruction. Never perhaps in the history of the world has such havoc been wrought... so suddenly, on so splendid a city; teeming with a wealthy and industrious population in the full plenitude of prosperity one day, and on the next seized, pillaged, and reduced to ruins, amid scenes of savage massacre and horrors beggaring description."
"But the ruins that withstood the onslaught are still breathtakingly beautiful. The Vijaya Vittala temple is one such temple. The guardian deity is Vittala, an avatar of Vishnu. It was built in the 15th century. As per legends, the temple was built in honour of Vishnu and He came there to view it himself. He found it to be too grand for His tastes and went back to His temple in Pandharpur which was not as lavish as this temple. The temple has a chariot and a set of musical pillars which are truly outstanding. Besides this, the Maha Mandapa which is the main hall, the shrine dedicated to Devi, ... "
" ... famous for its 56 pillars also known as Sarigama pillars which emit musical notes when struck. The real reason for this cannot be found out. It is an enduring mystery to this day. If one taps the pillars gently with sandal wood, one can actually hear the rhythmic sound similar to Sarigama. Sa, ri, ga, ma represents four of the seven musical notes in Indian music. Each of the main pillars depicts a musical instrument. ... Each main pillar is surrounded by seven smaller pillars which emit the musical notes when tapped gently. Each note emerging from these pillars blends into different melodies which give the effect of music being played on the string, percussion or wind instrument depicted on that particular pillar. When struck it gives out 7 notes of the instrument depicted on the main pillar."
" During the British era, the Britishers decided to solve the mystery as they found it really hard to crack. They cut a pillar and prised it open to see if there was anything inside which produced musical sounds. They found nothing inside. The mystery surrounding these pillars is considered to be nothing short of a miracle. The sculptors of a bygone era had managed to make these masterpieces and though they did not have modern technology at their disposal, they had musical and sculptural skills which defy description. In modern times geologists analysed the pillar and found out that the rocks are resonant because of the presence of metallic ores and large amounts of silica.
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January 01, 2023 - January 01, 2023.
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Story #10 Kaamaakhyaa, Assam
The menstruating temple deity
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"The Kamakhya temple is a Hindu temple which is situated on the Nilachal hill in the western part of Guwahati city in Assam. It is also known as Kamrup- Kamakhya temple and Kamakhya Devalaya. The shrine is dedicated to the mother Goddess Kamakhya. Her name means ‘Renowned Goddess of desire’. There are ten temples within the complex dedicated to various aspects of Shaktism. The deities Tripurasundari, Matangi and Kamala reside within the main temple along with Goddess Kamakhya, the guardian deity. The other seven Kali, Tara, Sodashi, Bhairavi, Chhinnamasta, Dhumavati, Bagalamukhi have individual temples within the complex in which they are worshipped separately. Many Hindus go to this temple to worship the Mother Goddess as She is known to be beneficial and generous in rewarding the requests of Her devotees. Besides it is one of the oldest among the 51 Shakti Peethas.
" ... Shiva married Sati, the daughter of Daksha as she was in love with Him and adored Him. Daksha strongly opposed this marriage as he felt that Lord Shiva was not a suitable groom for his daughter. ... Daksha’s daughter appreciated Lord Shiva’s real beauty of spirit and wedded Him despite opposition from her father."
"Eminent archaeologists have declared after examining the evidence at the site that there existed a huge temple built of stone in the 8th – 9th century. ... The temple was destroyed by Hussein Shah during his invasion of the Kamata kingdom. The temple lay in ruins and these ruins were discovered by Vishwasingha, the founder of the Koch dynasty. His son Nara Narayan of Coochbehar started rebuilding the temple and completed it in the year 1565."
" ... In the month of June every year, the Goddess bleeds. The river Brahmaputra which flows near the temple turns red in hue. The temple is then closed for 3 days. ... "
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January 01, 2023 - January 01, 2023.
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Story #11 Sri Ranganathaswamy temple, Srirangam
Temple with 1000 Years old Ramanujacarya’s body
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"Sri Ranganathaswamy temple at Srirangam is situated at Tiruchirappalli in Tamil Nadu ... It is a famous temple where Sri Ramanuja, a noted Bhakti saint who advocated Vaishnavism spent 80 years of his life on earth. He lived for 120 years from 1017 to 1137 A.D. He was the head priest of this temple. When he had completed all his works on earth, he told his disciples that the time had come for him to pass away. His head was placed on the lap of Embar and his feet were placed on the lap of Vaduga Nambi. He was listening to the recitation of Divya Prabandham and looking at the Sri Padukas of Yamunacharya as he breathed his last."
" ... For the past 980 years the body has been kept in the same sitting posture and it has not decayed despite the passage of time. The Egyptian mummies have been preserved in a sleeping posture and covered with cloth after applying layers of various chemicals to keep them preserved. The holy body of Ramanujam has not been subjected to any such treatment and yet it remains free of decay. ... "
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January 01, 2023 - January 01, 2023.
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Story #12 Lord Jagannath temple, Bhitargaon Behata, Ghatampur area, Kanpur
Temple predicts monsoon fury
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"One of the mysterious temples in Uttar Pradesh is known to predict rainy season and the yield of water well in advance to the actual occurrence. Lord Jagannath temple situated at Bhitargaon Behata village in Ghatampur area of Kanpur district in Uttar Pradesh is credited with this rare distinction. There are many other mysteries associated with this temple but this is the main mystery.
"The head priest Dinesh Shukla lives there with his family. His family has been serving the temple for six generations. The villagers gather to see the accumulation of water droplets on the ceiling of the temple. If the droplets are big, it indicates heavy monsoon for the region. If the droplets are small, then the rainfall will be scanty and drought conditions will prevail that year. The farmers of the village of Bhitargaon Behata and other surrounding villages depend on this forecast to facilitate their agricultural plans.The temple is under the control of the State Archaeological Department. As this temple has the ability to predict with accuracy the capricious monsoon, it is called as Monsoon or Rain temple by the locals. The exact year when it was constructed remains a mystery. Some say that it was built during the 11th century. After studying the carvings in and around the temple, others say that it was built somewhere between the 12th and 14th century. Ajay Tribedi, the noted historian insists that it was built by the Gujjar Parhari rulers. In his opinion, it was built during the time scale starting from the 11th and ending with the 13th century. It is believed by the locals that it was built by Samrat Harshavardhana in 600 C.E. But there is no solid proof to back any of these theories. The only fact that has been proved is that the temple was last renovated in the 11th century.
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"The guardian deity of the temple is Lord Jagannatha or Vishnu. He is carved in black stone and rests on a stone pedestal. Lord Balabhadra is on the right and Goddess Subhadra is on the left of Lord Jagannath whose idol is the largest among the three. To the left of the three deities, there is a smaller replica of the three sibling deities and this is the deity which is carried in ceremonial procession in a chariot during the Ratha Jathra every year. It is celebrated on the same day as the Rath Yathra in Puri and with the same rituals and fanfare associated with an event of this magnitude. Nearly 20,000 people had gathered last year and it was a grand success. The Archaeological Survey of India has banned traditional form of worshipping as the crowds could harm the central core structure of the temple and set it on the path to eventual destruction. Krishna Janmashtami is another festival which is celebrated with pomp and show and considerable religious fervour.
"The temple covers an area of 100 feet X 70 feet. The design of the temple is unorthodox and unconventional. It resembles a Buddhist stupa from the outside. The interiors are built in Nagara style. The temple faces east. A 100 feet well and pond is situated on both sides of the entrance. On the top of the temple a discus or Nila chakra is mounted and a flag in yellow and saffron flies aloft the chakra. The discus and the flag flying atop it are similar to the Jagannatha temple at Puri. The chakra is believed to have magnetic properties as no fatalities have occurred during thunderstorm in the region.
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"The miracle of the water drops collecting on the ceiling is attributed to the design of the temple roof which is a domed structure. The unique structure of the ceiling allows for the moisture to collect on it at least seven days before it rains and pours down. If the moisture collected on the roof is more, it falls down in big drops from the ceiling and the farmers surmise that heavy rains will fall down that year and nourish their crops. On the other hand, if the moisture is minimal, water drops do not cascade down and the rainfall for that particular year will be scanty. The farmers flock to the temple in hordes to divine the nature of the upcoming monsoon season in advance so that they can make the right agricultural decisions and preparations based on those decisions every year. In fact, they organise special prayers to Lord Jagannath so that He will bless them with a heavy monsoon and a bountiful yield to fill their coffers to overflowing.
"The mystery behind the accumulation of moisture on the roof top of the powerful temple has never been explained satisfactorily. This strange miracle occurs at least 15 days before the onset of the monsoon season. Archaeological experts and scientists have visited the temple many times and studied the phenomenon in detail. Yet they have not been able to unravel the mystery. ... "
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January 01, 2023 - January 01, 2023.
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Unsolved Indian Hindu Temple Mysteries - PART 1
Swapna Gopalakrishnan and 1 more
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August 22, 2022 -
September 11, 2022 - September 12, 2022 -
December 31, 2022 - January 01, 2023.
Purchased August 22, 2022.
ASIN:- B08CTVJTG2
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https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4981851783
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