Kamakhya Temple ( Guwahati,  Assam )

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Kamakhya temple is one of the biggest Shakti shrines in the whole of India and also serves an important pilgrimage center for the tantric worshippers as well as the general Hindus. It is a place where the beliefs and practices of the Aryan communities coincide with those of non-Aryan communities, in Assam. The earlier form of the temple was destroyed by the Kala Pahar and was later reconstructed by the reigning king of the Koch Dynasty, Chilarai, in the year 1565. The current structure is a sacred complex consisting of three major chambers.

The large western chamber of Kamakhya temple is rectangular in shape, while the middle chamber is square and contains inscriptions and images of Naranarayana of the Koch Dynasty. However, the most sacred shrine located within the temple is in the third chamber. This chamber is in the form of a cave and has a yoni-like cleft in the bedrock. There is a natural spring that flows through the cleft and keeps it moist. The whole temple, in general, is dedicated to the different forms of Mother Shakti, namely Sundari, Tripura, Tara, Bhuvaneshvari, Bagalamukhi and Chinnamasta.

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Apart from these shrines dedicated to Mother Goddess, there are five temples located within the complex of Kamakhya temple, dedicated to the different forms of Lord Shiva (Heruka, Tatpurusa, Aghpra, Umananda and Siddhesvara) and three temples of Lord Vishnu as well, in the form of Kedara, Gadadhara and Pandunath. The temple is one of the biggest Tantra worshipping centers in India, attracting thousands of sanyasins and babas every year, to honor the Mother.

A number of legends and myths have been associated with Kamakhya temple. Some believe that it is one of the Shakti Peeths, where, the reproductive organ (yoni) of Sati settled on the earth, following Her death. Many others associate the temple with Goddess Kali and emphasize the creative symbolism of the yoni. The major festival of the temple is the Ambubachi mela, held annually to celebrate the yearly menstruation of Goddess Kamakhya. It is said that during the month of Ahar (i.e. mid June), the natural spring that flows through the yoni like image of the Goddess turns red, resembling menstrual fluid.

At the time of Ambubachi mela, Kamakhya temple remains closed for three days and on the fourth day, the door is opened and a number of rituals are performed. Thousands of devotees and tourists line up at the temple, on this day every year, to observe the unique phenomenon and get the blessings of the Goddess. Besides this, a number of other pujas are held in the temple all round the year. These pujas include Durga Puja, Durgadeul, Madandeul, Manasa Puja, Pohan Biya and Vasanti Puja. Offerings are mainly in the form of flowers and fruits, but may include animal sacrifices as well.

Jain Temple Jaisalmer ( Rajasthan )

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Jain Temples situated in the Jaisalmer Fort are a must visit site in Jaisalmer, Rajasthan. You will find these temples to be very old and high pilgrimage as well as archeological value attached to them. These are a group of Jain temples dating back 12th and 15th centuries and are dedicated to various Jain Tirthankars (Hermits). On the walls of the temples, you can find animal & human figures, carved in famous Dilwara style.

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These temples are built in the Dilwara style that is famous all over the world for its architecture. The style got its name from the famous ‘Dilwara Temples’ situated on Mount Abu, a famous Hill station and pilgrimage destination in Rajasthan. The Jain temples in the Jaisalmer Fort are dedicated to Rikhabdevji and Shambhavdev Ji, the famous Jain hermits known as ‘Tirthankars’. Like all other structures in Jaisalmer, these temples are craved of yellow sandstones. The beautifully carves decorations on the wall will give you divine peace. The Astapadhi Temples that are situated in the same complex are a must visit too.

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The temple complex is open through out the morning till 12noon, for the visitors. So try to get up a bit early or you might miss this splendor. The campus also contain Gyan Bhandar library. Well if you are a student of comparative archeology or otherwise, the library will prove to be a good place to prowl as it contains some of the rare manuscripts available in India.

Murugan Temples ( Chennai, TamilNadu )

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The Murugan temple at Tirupporur is one of the major temples dedicated to Lord Muruga in Tamilnadu. The Murugan temple is situated at a distance of about 45 Km from Chennai. It is an ancient temple, which was built during the reign of the Pallava rulers. The Murugan temple is associated with many legends. According to one legend, Lord Vishnu and his consort Lakshmi were subjected to the curse of saint Kanva. Lord Shiva came to Tirupporur and relieved them from this curse.

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It is because of this reason the Tirupporur temple is so significant for Lord Shiva and his son Muruga, who are worshipped here. According to the Sthalapurana, Lord Muruga with his consorts Valli and Devayanai granted protection to the Gods and explained the meaning of Pranavam or reality to Agastya Muni at Tirupporur. Legend also has it that Vishnu worshipped Shiva on the Pranava Hill.

Skanda is enshrined in several forms at the Murugan temple and all the forms are related to legends from the Skanda Puranam. The most interesting of these is the depiction of Skanda as a warrior, “Samhara Subramanya”. At the Murugan temple, Skanda is also enshrined in the form of a child.