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BODY LANGUAGE

What is body language?

Body language is a form of non-verbal communication a lot of information. Body language includes gestures facial expressions I contact, and even the tone of the voice. Body language gives a lot of information to the audience. In fact it enhances the speech and often emphasises the points which Speaker wants to make. When the Speaker wants to express himself or herself clearly and effectively body language lends a helping hand. Therefore it’s necessary for the speakers to understand the body language as well as the practice of the language should be their mandate.
Positive body language is critical for your confidence and for giving your presence felt. standing tall using open gestures and maintaining eye contact makes you make you appear more confident and assertive which in turn can influence how others perceive your personality.

Building relationships
good body language can help you to build a rapport with your listeners and establish connection with others. You can be on the same page to influence people you will sound more trustworthy with a positive body language. It in its facilitates better communication and augments relationship building.

Helps creating an impression
Whether it’s a professional situation or you are conversing to a group of friends your body language definitely helps you to create a better impression. Authentic and genuine expression body language can foster better understanding and deeper connections with others.

Enhances self-awareness
When you pay good attention to create your own positivity with the body language it also helps you in self-awareness. It allows you to recognise your conduct and behaviour. It also helps you to make adjustments as they will be needed to improve your interaction with others and overall personality
Insured body language is a powerful tool for communication, relationship building and self-expression. Being mindful of your body language can contribute to the development of a good personality by a nursing your communication skills, building confidence and fostering meaningful connections with others.

PublicSpeaking and body language.
The role of body language in PublicSpeaking is critical. Holding high head straight back and avoiding drooping shoulders gives a very impressive picture of yours to the audience. It enhances your confidence and also your credibility. you are able to maintain good eye contact with the audience whether it is one person or it’s a group of people or you are speaking on from the stage. It also helps you to use your gestures and gestures and facial expressions to enhance your communication.

what is the ideal posture?

The ideal posture is one where your body is properly aligned in a balanced position promoting optimal health and minimising strain on muscles and joints. Some suggestions are as below.
Keep your feet shoulder with apart distribute your body weight evenly on both feet straight line from your ears through your shoulders hips knees and down to your ankles. Tuck in your chin slightly and keep head aligned with your spine. Relax your shoulders and keep them Old back forward avoid leaning to one side or oscillating from 1 foot to another
While sitting sit back in your chair properly supported keeping your spine straight and head upright on the shoulders.

How to maintain eye contact with the audience?

It’s critical that you maintain a good eye contact with your audience. You don’t have to fix your gaze on one or two persons you have to scan the entire room so that we entire audience feels that you are with them. Hold attention with appropriate VoiceModulation. and face gestures.

What is the ideal movement on the stage?

The ideal movement on the stage depends on various factors such as context of the performance the style of your presentation and the mix of the audience. Movement should be purposeful. Don’t go for the sake of moving but advancing or getting back or going to one direction or the other if it is done with deliberation the same can be very effective.

How to use body language to emphasise an article that further the points that you are making in the speech?

As has been detailed above use your hand gestures to further illustrate your concepts for example if you are talking about size of size of something you can use your hands to indicate it scale. Likewise facial expressions also convey range of emotions. Spiling following or brown or raising your eyebrow can help you emphasise the tone and importance of what you are saying. Likewise your posture gives dignity and grace your presence on the stage. In short body language must be properly understood By the public speaker and he or she must use it to their advantage.

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PUBLIC SPEAKING

Public Speaking

What is PublicSpeaking? Your ability to communicate to an audience whatever you have in mind clearly and effectively insured is PublicSpeaking. However, it must be understood that the elements of good PublicSpeaking or also this is Siri for your good conversational skills. Thus unless you are able to communicate clearly and effectively it becomes difficult for you to build relationship and influence people.

What are the main elements of PublicSpeaking?

Cicero said the most important thing is that you should know your audience. You should know their likes and dislikes. You should know what is the desired outcome that they need. Cicero said it in three words: ethos pathos and logos, ethos refers to your credibility or your status to speak on that particular subject for which you have invited you have an invite. Pathos is of course the need of the audience he said earlier you must understand audience and what they expect of you. Logos is how you construct your arguments and how you deliver so that there is Takeaway and people feel that the time they have spent with you is worth it.
Thus, clarity in speech, effective modulation so that you are aware able to hold the attention of the people, understanding the response of the audience from the stage to keep them well-connected are the few things you must concentrate upon. You can carry out above by working on the subject, practising and developing your communication skills.

One might ask what are the benefits of developing public speaking skills. This has been the concern of people from times immemorial. The simple answer to this question is: (a) to influence people, (b) to convince them of your views, and (c) to impress them in any kind of interviews. If you have something to say and you are committed and you feel that it is good for the society which you want to serve, there is nothing like developing the area of public speaking. Effective communication on the subject to the desired audience makes public speaking critically important. This has been so in the past. This is so now and it will remain so in future times to come.

Why should a leader must be a good public speaker? Or even a person who wants to grow and be highly successful?

Being a good public speaker is essential for a leader for several reasons which are listed below:

Effective communication is primary means through which leaders express their vision strategies and inspire their team to follow the same. They can motivate only if they are enthusiastic and good public speakers. Another important point is that they have to build the trust. Trust can be built only with effective communication which should be also be honest is delivered confidently.
A great leader definitely possesses a Charisma which depends on how committed and honest he is to what he is expressing we have seen that great leaders over the world have been spending a lot of time and they have been practising the important speeches. It has been said that John Kennedy who is reckoned as one of the most effective speakers spent six months creating his inaugural speech. This inaugural speech of John F. Kennedy is recognised as one of the finest speeches in the world.

What is the importance of good public speaking skills in modern times?

A big public speaking event or a presentation where you have been invited to address certain group of people for a course is of utmost importance. It requires great public speaking ability.

Networking is very important today.In the business environment you should be excellent in conversational skills. Above all, good conversation requires all the qualities of a good public speaker but of course with the difference that it is more intimate and does not require the rhetoric which helps the public speaker on the stage. Besides people who go for interviews we have to communicate very well and that also requires it that public speaking ability.

Insured public speaking is critical for a person to grow in his career and be a successful person.

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INCREDIBLE INDIA !! [BLOG#32]

JALAKANDESWARAR TEMPLE

Jalakandeswarar Temple is a temple dedicated to Lord Shiva which is located in the Vellore Fort, in heart of the Vellore city, in the state of Tamil Nadu, India.

The temple of the Vijaynagar period stands inside the Vellore Fort, which is under the control of the Archaeological Survey of India, along with the St. John’s Church, Tippu Mahal, Hyder Mahal, Candy Mahal, Badhusha Mahal and the Begum Mahal.
According to legend, there used to a giant ant-hill which had grown over a swayambhu Shiva Lingam at the location where the sanctum sanctorum of temple now stands. This ant-hill was surrounded by stagnant water, as a result of collection of rain water. Chinna Bommi Nayaka, a Vijayanagar chieftain, who was controlling the fort had a dream where the Lord Shiva asked him to build a temple at that location. Nayaka, proceeded to demolish the anthill, found the lingam and build the temple in 1550 CE, and since the Lingam was surrounded by water (called Jalam in Tamil) the deity was called as Jalakandeswarar (translated as “Lord Siva residing in the water”). The temple was built during the reign of the Vijayanagaram king Sadasivadeva Maharaya (1540–1572 CE). The temple also has the statue of Sri Akhilandeshwari Amma, the consort of Jalakandeswarar.

The Jalakanteshwara Temple is a fine example of Vijayanagaram Architecture. The temple has exquisite carvings on its gopuram (tower), richly carved stone pillars, large wooden gates and stunning monoliths and sculptures. These Vijayanagara sculptures are similar to the ones present in Soundararajaperumal Temple, Thadikombu, Krishnapuram Venkatachalapathy temple, Srivilliputhur Divya Desam and Alagar Koyil. The Gopuram of the tower is over 100 ft. in height. The temple also has a Mandapam, with the hall supported by carved stone pillars of dragons, horses and yalis (lion like creature).
The temple itself is built in the middle of a water tank (called Agazhi in Tamil), and there is water surrounding the temple like a garland. The circumference of the water tank is 8000 ft. The wedding hall (Kalyana Mantapam) inside the temple has a two-faced sculpture, that of a bull and an elephant. The water used for bathing the deity (abishekam) is drawn from an ancient well called the Ganga Gouri Thertam, within the temple.

Behind the Nandi statue, there is an earthen lamp, which is said to revolve when some people place their hands on it. The revolving is said to indicate that their wishes have been granted. Some devotees of the temple worship the golden and silver lizard sculptures and the snake sculptures in order to get relief from ‘sarpa dosham’.
The temple was mutilated during the Muslim invasion and capture of Vellore Fort. Following the desecration of the temple during Muslim invasion and rule, worship in the temple was stopped. An Islamic structure was also built to serve as a makeshift mosque, after destroying an Amman (Nagalamman) Temple, which stood on that site. The temple was being used as an arsenal for nearly 400 years. On the fears of desecration, the main deity was moved away to the Jalakanda Vinayakar Temple in Sathuvacheri for safe keeping. The temple was vacant for nearly 400 years. In 1921, the Vellore Fort was handed over to the Archaeological Survey of India for maintenance. At that time, the temple was not used for worship, and the ASI was keen to maintain this status quo. However, in 1981, the deity was brought inside the fort by Mailai Sundaram Guruji of Thangal Ashram and re-installed inside the temple, and worship re-instated.

Several attempts had been made in the 20th century, to re-instate the main deity inside the Jalakandeswarar Temple. However, the Archaeological Survey of India wanted to maintain the status quo, and did want the temple to be used for worship. However, on 16 March 1981, the deity was removed from the Jalakanda Vinayakar Temple in Sathuvacheri and secretly brought inside the fort, hiding it inside a closed truck, and stealthily installed in the early morning hours. The temple was open to religious practices from 1982.

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INCREDIBLE INDIA !! [BLOG#31]

MAA DEWRI TEMPLE

Dewri Mandir is a mandir situated in Diuri village, Tamar near Ranchi in Jharkhand in India. It is located near the Tata-Ranchi Highway (NH33). The main attraction of this ancient mandir is, 700 year old murti of the Goddess Durga, Kali. The murti have 16 hands (Normally Goddess Durga has 10 Hands). It is an ancient Mandir and It was renovated few years back. The ancient mandir was constructed by interlocking stones without using chalk or binding material. This temple is also known as, Mata Dewri Diri in tribal Bhumij Munda languages.

At the temple devotees tie yellow and red sacred threads on bamboo for the fulfilment of their wishes. Upon the fulfillment of their wishes, they again come to the temple and untie the thread. Dedicated to Solha Bhuji Goddess, an avatar of Goddess Durga, Dewri Mandir temple is located a little outside the main city of Ranchi. Spread over nearly two acres, this old temple in Ranchi also houses an idol of Lord Shiva here. As per the Legends, whoever has tried to alter the structure of this temple, has had to face the wrath of the gods and suffer consequences. Dewri Temple is also believed to be the only temple where six tribal priests, known as Pahans, perform rituals and offer prayers alongside the Brahmin priests, who are mainly known as Pandas. Located about 60 km from Ranchi, this temple is on the right side of the Ranchi-Tata road, toward the town of Tamar.

It is said that this Mandir was built during 16th to 20th century. The doors of this Mandir is made up of stone. This Mandir’s deity’s Murti have sixteen hands. According to the media reports this Mandir’s murti’s architecture style is similar to the murti’s found in temples of Odisha state.
This mandir is of Maa (mother) Deudi Devi. Devadi Maa is Maa Kali. The Murti of the deity has 16 arms and it is 3 foot tall. Deity is holding bow, shield, flower and param in her arms. Deori Maa’s Murti have different types of Gold jewelry. This deity’s name also reported as Dewri devi.

According to a legend associated with this Mandir this Mandir was built by Adivasi king Kera. It is believed that this Mandir is 700 years old. It is said that this temple was established in year 1300 by King Kera, a Munda king of Singhbhum. Legends says that the king established, built this Mandir, when he was returning from a war after defeating. He established this temple at this very place and by the blessings of goddess Ma (Mother) Kali he got his state back.

According to anathor legend, Chamru pandas (Brahmin) use to come to visit two times in a year to the king of this region. The king asked them to live in this place to do puja, and they started to live at this place. One day these Brahmins was doing tapasya in this wild, when goddess gave darshan (visit) to them and said she wants to meet them. The Brahmins told this incident to the king. King cleared this temple’s area, during this work they found a black stone. The labours returned their respective homes after being tired, they came next day to do work when they saw a mandir formed at this place. Some peoples believes that this mandir was built by Emperor Ashok, when he was on the war campaign of Kalinga (Now knows as Odisha). The Mandir have impact of tribal culture (specially Bhumij tribes). Here tribal peoples do the work of everyday puja. The temple is situated near Ranchi of Jharkhand. Tribal pahans (prist) do the puja for six days of week and only one day a Brhamin do the work of puja at this temple. The Garbhagriha have the murti of Maa Deudi Devi.

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INCREDIBLE INDIA !! [BLOG#30]

TULJA BHAVANI TEMPLE

Shree Tulaja Bhavani Temple (Marathi: श्री क्षेत्र तुळजा भवानि देवस्थानम्) is a Hindu temple dedicated to goddess Bhavani. It is located in Tuljapur in Dharashiv district of Maharashtra, India, and is considered as one of the 51 Shakti Pithas. It is situated 45 km from Solapur. The temple was built in 12th century CE by Maratha Mahamandaleshwara Māradadeva of the Kadamb dynasty.

Bhavani is a form of the goddess Durga who is worshipped in Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Telangana, Northern Karnataka, and Nepal. “Bhavani” literally translates to “giver of life”, meaning the power of nature or the source of creative energy. She is considered to be a mother who provides to her devotees and also plays the role of dispensing justice by killing Asuras. Along with temples of Renuka at Mahur, Mahalaxmi at Kolhapur, and Saptashringi at Vani, the temple of Bhavani at Tuljapur forms the four great Shaktipitha in Maharashtra. Shivaji, the founder of the Maratha kingdom, was reputed to frequently visit this temple to seek blessings. The history of the temple dates back to the days of ‘ Skanda Purana ‘ as it finds a mention in that holy script. According to the epic story, there was a sage “Kardam” and his consort “Anubhuthi’ with an infant, in this area. After his death his wife “Anubhuthi” performed a penance for goddess in the name of Bhavani on the banks of the river “Mandakini” to look after her child. There was a demon (Rakshasa) by name “Kukur” who tortured her. Then Goddess Bhavani rescued Anubhuthi and killed the demon. The goddess on the prayer of her favourite devotee settled on the hill of “Bala Ghat”. Since then the Mother Goddess came to be called as Bhavani of Tuljapur or Tulja Bhavani. The Bhavani temple is the place where Shivaji, the founder of the Maratha empire was blessed by the Goddess.

Tulajapur is at 45 km from Solapur. Historically this temple was built in the 12th century CE. There is another Tulja Bhavani temple built in 1537-1540 in Chhattisgarh. There is a third temple of Tulja Bhavani in the village of Patnakuva Gandhinagar in Gujarat. According to the priest, this Goddess came here from Tuljapur during 14th century. The Goddess is said to be swayambhu (self emanated). The Goddess is kuldevi (clan goddess) for many Maratha clans of Maharashtra. The Goddess is either revered by or is the Family Deity for many other Marathi castes at different levels of social hierarchy.
Along with temples of Renuka at Mahur, Mahalaxmi at Kolhapur, and Saptashringi at Vani, the temple of Bhavani at Tulajapur forms the four great Shaktipitha in Maharashtra. Many legends are associated with the temple. One legend involves a demon, Madhu-Kaitabh, who was wreaking havoc upon both the gods and humans. Unable to find any solution, they turned to Lord Brahma for help, who advised them to turn to the Goddess Shakti. She took up the form of a destroyer, and powered by the other (Sapta) Mata Varaahi, Brahmi, Vaishnavi, Kaumaari Indraani, and Saambhavi, vanquished the demon and restored peace. Legend also states that Bhavani finished another demon that had taken up the disguise of a buffalo (Mahisha), and took shelter on the Yamunachala Hill which is part of Balaghat mountain range. The Tulajabhawani temple is located on this hill. Another legend mentions the story of a sage known as “Kardam” After his death his wife “Anubuti” had performed a penance at the banks of river “mandakini ” for Bhavani mata to look after her infant child. While performing the penance the demon known “Kukur” tried to disturb her penance during which the Goddess came to the aid of “Anubuti” and killed the demon “Kukur”. From that day onwards the Goddess Bhavani came to be known a Tulaja Bhavani.

The main entrance of the temple bears the name of Sardar Nimbalkar. The other two entrances are named after the parents of Chhatrapati Shivaji, Shahaji and Jijabai. As one enters the Sardar Nimbalkar entrance, there is a temple dedicated to Markandeya Rishi on the right. After descending the stairs, one sees the main Tulja Temple. There is yagna kund (Holy fire pit) in front of this temple. On the floor near two main gates (Raja Shahaji Mahadwar and Rajmata Jijau main gate), there are two libraries named, Shree Santh Dnyaneshwar Dharmik Library and Shree Tukaram Dharmik Library. After alighting from the stairs, there is `Gomukh Theerth` on the right side and `Kalakh`, also known as `Kallol Theerth` on the left side. Before entering the sanctum sanctorum of the Goddess, devotees take a dip here in these theerths (Shallow tanks of “holy” water). There are also Amruth Kund and a Datta temple on the premises. A Siddhi Vinayak temple is situated on the left side of the main gate whilst on the right, there is a temple of Aadishakti, Aadimata Matangadevi. A temple of goddess Annapurna is also present in the main complex.

The idol of Goddess Tulja Bhawani is believed by her devotees to be `swayambhu` (“self-manifested” or “that which is created by its own accord”). The high granite idol is three-foot tall, with eight arms holding weapons, and bearing the head of the slain demon Mahishasura. The Goddess is also known as Tulaja, Turaja, Tvarita and Amba.The Goddess is kuldevi (clan goddess) for Maratha clans of Maharashtra. The Goddess is either revered by or is the Family Deity for many castes including Bhope, Dhangar,Mali, Deshastha Brahmin, Bharbhunja, Burud, Kolhati, Gavli, Jogi, Johar, San Teli, Gavandi, Pangul, Sonar, Lonari, Kasar, Bhute, Kalar, Aagri and Koli.Adi maya Adi shakti temple is the temple north to the Tulajabhavani temple. First this pooja starts, and is then followed by the pooja of Tulajabhavani which then takes place.

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INCREDIBLE INDIA !! [BLOG#29]

POLALI RAJARAJESHWARI TEMPLE

Polali Rajarajeshwari Temple is a temple located in Polali, Dakshina Kannada district in Karnataka. The primary deity of the temple is Shri Rajarajeshwari. The temple was constructed in the 8th century AD by King Suratha and has been developed by many dynasties which ruled over the region. The idol of Sri Rajarajeshwari, another name/form of the divine Goddess Sri Lalita Tripurasundari, is completely moulded from clay with special medicinal properties. The temple portrays Hindu architecture with roofs adorned with wooden carvings of gods and copper plates. Daily and special poojas are conducted in the temple under the auspices of the head priest madhava bhat. Annual festivals are held in the temple with much fanfare. Polali Chendu festival is an important festive event where football is played to represent the fight of good over evil. The Chendu festival is followed by the annual festival in March, which lasts for a month and is attended by people from all over the world.

The temple is located in Polali on the banks of the river Phalguni in Kariyangala village of Bantwal taluk, Dakshina Kannada, Karnataka. The temple is surrounded by lush paddy fields. The Phalguni river flows on the northern side of the temple. The nearest city from the temple is Mangalore at 19 km away.
The place where the temple was located was known as Pural in ancient times. The word Pural means Flute in Tulu language. The origin of the word Pural is the Mugera language. The word Pural or Purel also has the meaning of changing sides, which may also apply in this case as the river takes an abrupt turn near the temple. In Sanskrit, it was referred to as Paliapura, which later came to be known as Polali in Kannada. In several ancient epigraphs and records, the main deity of the temple was referred to as Porala Devi.

The temple has been referred to in many ancient inscriptions, including the Markandeya Purana, Ashoka inscriptions and travel accounts of ancient travellers. According to an inscription discovered in the vicinity of the temple, the temple around the clay idol was built in 8th century AD. It is a widely held belief that the temple was built by King Suratha, and that the king offered his own crown, studded with precious jewels, to be placed on the head of the deity. The king, having lost most of his kingdom in a war and being betrayed by his own ministers, is believed to have taken refuge under a sage named Sumedha in forests located around what is the location of the temple now. The clay idol of the main deity in the temple is historically believed to be up to 5000 years old. The king is reported to have carved the clay idol of Shri Rajarajeshwari himself and offered penance to the deity in return for his kingdom. Many ancient inscriptions alluding to the temple were reported around the temple, but were lost over time primarily due to the neglect of their keepers. The remaining inscriptions, which are available today were obtained in kariyangala village, Ammunje and in the temple itself and is now under custody of the Karnataka Government.

The region surrounding the temple were ruled by many dynasties including Kadamba, Chalukya, Alupa, Rashtrakoota, Hoisala, Vijayanagara, Ikkeri, Mysore etc. Most of these dynasties spent a lot of resources on this temple and donated agricultural lands for the benefit of the temple. Kings from the Alupa dynasty, which ruled the region around 710 AD to 720 AD were particularly noted to have contributed to the development of the temple and to have encouraged the worship of Shri Rajarajeshwari in the region. In later years, Queen Chennammaji of Keladi is reported to have visited the temple and gifted the temple with a grand chariot.

Records written by Abdul Razzak in 1448 suggest that the temple was initially built from molten brass. He recorded that the temple had four platforms. An image of the deity, 5 to 6 feet in height, with red rubies for eyes were present on the highest of the platforms. Today, the idol of the main deity, Shri Rajarajeshwari is a stucco image of the deity with a height of 10 feet. The clay used for making the idol was specially prepared with herbal mixtures for added strength. The temple also has smaller idols for other deities including Subramanya, Bhadhrakali, Mahaganapathi and Saraswathi. During a religious event named Lepashta Gandha, the idols are coated with a special soil mixture with eight medicinal properties once every 12 years. The soil used for coating was prepared hundreds of years ago and not prepared freshly on each occasion. The roof of Mukhamantapa, a section of the temple has many Gods and Goddesses exquisitely carved in wood. The roofs of other sections of the temple like the Dhwajastambha, the Garbagriha and the Pillar of lights are covered in copper plates.

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Religious tourism places in India.

Religious Tourism

KEDARNATH TEMPLE

Kedarnath Temple (Sanskrit: केदारनाथ मंदिर, IAST: Kēdāranātha Mandira, lit. ’temple of the God of the field’) is a Hindu temple, one of the twelve jyotirlinga of Shiva. The temple is located on the Garhwal Himalayan range near the Mandakini river, in the state of Uttarakhand, India. Due to extreme weather conditions, the temple is open to the general public only between the months of April (Akshaya Tritiya) and November (Kartik Purnima, the autumn full moon). During the winters, the vigraha (deity) of the temple is carried down to Ukhimath to be worshipped for the next six months. Kedarnath is seen as a homogeneous form of Shiva, the ‘Lord of Kedarkhand’, the historical name of the region.
The temple is not directly accessible by road and has to be reached by a 22 kilometres (14 mi) uphill trek from Gaurikund. Pony, mule and manchan service is available to reach the temple. According to Hindu legends, the temple was initially built by the Pandavas, and is one of the twelve Jyotirlingas, the holiest Hindu shrines of Shiva. The Pandavas were supposed to have pleased Shiva by doing penance in Kedarnath. The temple is one of the four major sites in India’s Chota Char Dham pilgrimage of Northern Himalayas and is the first of the Panch Kedar pilgrimage sites. This temple is the highest among the 12 Jyotirlingas. It is one of the 275 paadal petra sthalams expounded in the Tevaram, a sacred Tamil Shaivite text written during the 6th and 7th centuries by 63 saints called Nayanars. This temple is sung of by Thirugnanasambandar, Appar, Sundarar and Sekkizhar in their Tevaram texts.

RAM TEMPLE

Ram Temple is an important Hindu temple currently under construction in Ayodhya , Uttar Pradesh , India . Its sanctum sanctorum and first floor were ready in January 2024 and on January 22, 2024, the idol in the child form of Shri Ram was consecrated .This temple is situated at the place which is considered to be the birthplace of Ram, the main deity of Hinduism . Earlier, the site housed the Babri Masjid, which was constructed after demolishing an existing un-Islamic structure, which was later demolished. In 2019, the Supreme Court of India ruled on the disputed land , stating that the land belongs to Hindus and a Ram temple can be built on it. Muslims will be given a separate piece of land to build a mosque. The court cited as evidence a report by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), which cited evidence suggesting the presence of a non-Islamic structure beneath the demolished Babri Mosque. Bhoomipujan to begin the construction of Ram temple was performed on 5 August 2020. The temple currently under construction is being maintained by Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust. The inauguration of the temple is scheduled for 22 January 2024.

GOLDEN TEMPLE

The Golden Temple (also known as the Harmandir Sahib (lit. ’House of God’, Punjabi pronunciation: [ɦəɾᵊmən̪d̪əɾᵊ saːɦ(ɪ)bᵊ]), or the Darbār Sahib, (lit. ”exalted court”, [d̪əɾᵊbaːɾᵊ saːɦ(ɪ)bᵊ] or Suvaran Mandir) is a gurdwara located in the city of Amritsar, Punjab, India. It is the pre-eminent spiritual site of Sikhism. It is one of the holiest sites in Sikhism, alongside the Gurdwara Darbar Sahib Kartarpur in Kartarpur, and Gurdwara Janam Asthan in Nankana Sahib. The man-made pool on the site of the temple was completed by the fourth Sikh Guru, Guru Ram Das, in 1577. In 1604, Guru Arjan, the fifth Sikh Guru, placed a copy of the Adi Granth in the Golden Temple and was a prominent figure in its development. The gurdwara was repeatedly rebuilt by the Sikhs after it became a target of persecution and was destroyed several times by the Mughal and invading Afghan armies. Maharaja Ranjit Singh, after founding the Sikh Empire, rebuilt it in marble and copper in 1809, and overlaid the sanctum with gold leaf in 1830. This has led to the name the Golden Temple. The Golden Temple is spiritually the most significant shrine in Sikhism. It became a centre of the Singh Sabha Movement between 1883 and the 1920s, and the Punjabi Suba movement between 1947 and 1966. In the early 1980s, the gurdwara became a centre of conflict between the Indian government and a radical movement led by Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale. In 1984, Prime Minister Indira Gandhi sent in the Indian Army as part of Operation Blue Star, leading to deaths of more than 1,000 soldiers, militants and civilians, as well as causing much damage to the gurdwara and the destruction of Akal Takht. The gurdwara complex was rebuilt again after the 1984 damage.

VENKATESWARA TEMPLE

The Sri Venkateswara Swami Temple is a Hindu temple situated in the hills of Tirumala at Tirupati in Tirupati district of Andhra Pradesh, India. The temple is dedicated to Venkateswara, a form of Vishnu, who is believed to have appeared on the earth to save mankind from trials and troubles of Kali Yuga. Hence the place has also got the name Kaliyuga Vaikuntha and the deity here is referred to as Kaliyuga Prathyaksha Daivam. The temple is also known by other names like Tirumala Temple, Tirupati Temple and Tirupati Balaji Temple. Venkateswara is known by many other names: Balaji, Govinda, and Srinivasa. The temple is run by Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), which is under control of Andhra Pradesh Government. The head of TTD is appointed by Andhra Pradesh Government. The temple is one of the Pancha Kshethram where Maha Lakshmi was born as Bhargavi – the daughter of Maharishi Bhrigu. The other four temples of the Pancha Kshethram are Sarangapani temple, Kumbakonam, Oppiliappan temple, Nachiyar Koil and Sundararaja Perumal Temple, Salem. Tirumala hills are part of Seshachalam Hills range. The hills are 853 metres (2,799 ft) above sea level and comprise seven peaks, representing the seven heads of Adisesha. The temple lies on the seventh peak—Venkatadri, on the southern banks of Sri Swami Pushkarini, a holy water tank. Hence the temple is also referred to as “Temple of Seven Hills”.Tirumala town covers an area of about 10.33 sq mi (26.75 km²). The temple of Venkateswara was built by Thondaman king and reformed periodically by Cholas, Pandyas and Vijayanagar. The temple is constructed in South Indian architecture and is believed to be constructed over a period of time starting from 300 CE. The Garbhagruha (Sanctum Sanctorum) is called Ananda Nilayam. The presiding deity, Venkateswara, is in standing posture and faces east in Garbha Gruha. The temple follows Vaikhanasa Agama tradition of worship. The temple is one of the eight Vishnu Swayambhu (self-manifested) Kshetras and is listed as the 75th Divya Desam, one of the 108 temples mentioned in the Naalayira Divya Prabandham. The Temple premises have two modern Queue complex buildings to manage the pilgrim crowd, Tarigonda Vengamamba Annaprasadam complex for free meals to Pilgrims, hair tonsure buildings and a number of pilgrim lodging sites. The temple is one of the richest in the world in terms of donations received and wealth.

SOMNATH TEMPLE

The Somanath temple (IAST: somanātha) or Deo Patan, is a Hindu temple located in Prabhas Patan, Veraval in Gujarat, India. It is one of the most sacred pilgrimage sites for Hindus and is the first among the twelve jyotirlinga shrines of Shiva It is unclear when the first version of the Somnath temple was built, with estimates varying between the early centuries of the 1st millennium and about the 9th century CE. The temple is not mentioned in the ancient Sanskrit texts of Hinduism; while various texts, including the Mahabharata and Bhagavata Purana, mention a tirtha (pilgrimage site) at Prabhas Patan on the coastline of Saurashtra, where the temple is presently located, there is no evidence that a temple existed at the site in ancient times. The temple was reconstructed several times in the past after repeated destruction by multiple Muslim invaders and rulers, notably starting with an attack by Mahmud Ghazni in the 11th century. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, historians and archaeologists of the colonial era actively studied the Somnath temple because its ruins showed a historic Hindu temple that was turning into an Islamic mosque. After India’s independence, those ruins were demolished, and the present Somnath temple was reconstructed in the Māru-Gurjara style of Hindu temple architecture. The contemporary Somnath temple’s reconstruction was started under the orders of the first Deputy Prime Minister of India, Vallabhbhai Patel after receiving approval for reconstruction from Mahatma Gandhi. The reconstruction was completed in May 1951, after Gandhi’s death.

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SIVASAGAR SIVADOL TEMPLE

Shiva dol (meaning the temple of Shiva) is a group of structures comprising three Hindu temples of Sivadol, Vishnudol (temple of Vishnu) and Devidol (temple of Durga in the local Assamese language) shrines, and a museum. These are located on the banks of the Sivasagar (“the ocean of the god Shiva”) tank, also known as the Borpukhuri tank, in the heart of Sivasagar, in the Indian state of Assam. The tank was constructed between 1731 and 1738 and the temples were built in 1734 by Bar Raja Ambika, queen of Ahom king Swargadeo Siva Singha (1714–1744). The height of the Sivadol (dol means temple in Assamese) is 104 feet (32 m) and the perimeter is 195 feet (59 m) at the base. It is crowned with an 8-foot (2.4 m) high golden-dome.

Sivasagar Sivadol is located at 26°59’18″N and 94°37’59″E, in the heart of the Sivasagar city, which was known earlier as Sibsagar in the Sibsagar district of Upper Assam in Northeast India.
Sivsagar, present day Sivasagar, was the capital of Ahom kingdom. The Ahoms had migrated from South China in 1228 and established their first capital at Charaideo 28 kilometres (17 mi) from present day Sivasagar in 1253. Initially they were / Ancestor worshippers close what we see in Taoism and Shinto, and very much a part of the practices till date Buddhists some of the practices of Mahayana and Theravada school of thoughts, though Hinduism came to prevail. It was the capital of the Ahom Kingdom till the British Raj was established in India. The tank was constructed between 1731 and 1738 and the temples were built in 1734 by Bar Raja Ambika, queen of Ahom king Swargadeo Siba Singha.

The Sivsagar tank was built by Bar Raja Ambika, the chief consort of Siva Singha in 1733. A battle was fought against the Moamoria rebels In its vicinity in the reign of Gaurinath Singha.The Sivasagar tank, also known as the Borpukhuri tank, was built by constructing embankments and the water level thus created in the lake remains above the adjoining ground level. The lake has a total area of 257-acre (104 ha) with a water spread of 129-acre (52 ha). It is said that the lake water remains stable throughout the year without any fluctuations even during the monsoon months. The depth of water in the lake is 27 feet (8.2 m). Many notable structures have been built on the banks of the lake. Three Hindu temples Sivadol, Visnudol and Devidol, a Buddhist shrine and a bird watching tower to watch wintering birds visiting the area, are located on its east bank. The Tai Museum located on the west bank of the tank is built with red bricks. A church and two mosques are also located on the bank of the tank.

The Sivadol or Shiva temple, built in the Shikhara architecture (more specifically Ahom temple architecture), has a central tower which is said to be the tallest Shiva temple tower in India at a height of 104 feet (32 m). The base of the temple measures 195 ft (59 m) in circumference. The temple is built with stone and bricks. Inside the Garbhagriha (sanctum sanctorum), the Shiva Linga (aniconic symbol of Shiva) is deified, which is in a reverse setting. The Shikhara or Vimana (temple tower), which rises above the sanctum sanctorum, has a four-tiered, 8 feet (2.4 m) mastaka and is crowned by a kalasha made of gold. The tower itself is built with parallel ridges and furrows. The lower part of the tower is flanked by four smaller identical towers, which are known as the angashikaras. The garbagriha, where the main deity is deified in the form of a reversed Shiva linga, is interconnected with an antarala, a small antechamber, which has a roof known as do-chala, which is akin to a typical hut built in Assam. The antarala is also connected to one of the mandapas (outdoor halls). The exterior walls of the temple are embellished with sculptures and floral designs set in Bas-relief.

Some of the unique sculptures set on the outer walls of the temple are of the goddess Durga, which are seen carved with 2 arms, 4 arms, 6 arms, 10 arms and 16 arms. The sixteen armed Durga holding various weapons is a “pan-Himalayan” theme adopted in plastic arts of Ahom temple architecture. Durga is depicted decimating Mahishasura, the demon king with a buffalo head, by thrusting a spear. She is riding a lion, her mount, which supports her in the fight with the demon. This feature represents the harmonious blend of Brahminical Hindu culture with the Shaktism cult which the royalty of Ahom dynasty had adopted as their religious practice throughout their kingdom.

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TRISHUND GANAPATI TEMPLE

Trishundya Ganpati is a temple located in Somwar Peth , Pune . Among all the Ganesha temples in Pune, this is the best sculptured temple. This temple belongs to Giri Gosavi panta. Below the idol in the temple of these three trunks Ganesha is the tomb of the founder of the temple, Mahant Sri Dattaguru Goswami Maharaj. After anointing the idol, it pours water on the samadhi in the basement. Since this temple belongs to the Tantramargiyas of Girigosavi sect, common devotees did not visit here. Although the current main idol in the temple is of Trishund Gajanana, the original idea of building a Shiva temple must have been there.

This temple was built and completed by Bhimgirji Gosavi Mahantani on 26 August 1754. His descendants lived in the village of Ghampur in Indore. In the government records Till 1917 the temple had no owner. A branch of a tree in front of the temple fell on a nearby Nerlekar’s house, so he complained to the municipality; Then the municipality inquired. The owner of the temple was found to be a gentleman named Gosavi of Indore. He was called from Indore. They uprooted the tree. Later, the front part of the temple was turned on with wood; A coal warehouse was built in the assembly hall of the temple. Later he left this vakhar to a friend named Kulkarni and left for Indore. In 1945 Kailasgir Gosavi was named as the occupant. But, due to not being able to provide documentary evidence, their right to the temple was lost. In the year 1985, a trust was established for the maintenance of the temple.

While arranging the temple, it was planned that there should be a temple above and a basement below, a mausoleum and a school for the stubborn. All routine facilities were in the basement. There was an underground footpath to go near Nagzhari for the ritual. There was a large room in the wall of the well at the water level. There was a marble bathing square for the principal Guruvaras of the Tantrasadhas. The basement rooms have doors and niches in the walls of the rooms. The ceiling of the room has two notches in the stone and from those grooves the ceiling was hung upside down with the help of a rope and the smoke of certain plants was smoked on the burning coals. The temple has three parts namely sanctum sanctorum, darshan mandap and assembly mandap. The temple is on a square three and a half feet above the ground. The meeting hall and the original sanctum sanctorum are deep inside.

Behind the statue of Gajanana in the sanctum sanctorum is the niche. There is a three and a half feet tall recumbent idol of Sheshshayi Bhagavan, but it is not visible due to the darkness of the sanctum sanctorum and the Ganesha idol. The statue of Lord Ganesha has a square sitting position and the trishund Lord Ganesha is seated on a peacock. Out of the three trunks, the right trunk is touching the modakpatra in the lower hand. The middle trunk is rolling on the stomach and the left trunk is touching the chin of Shakti sitting on the left thigh.

The facade of the temple looks like a carved cave. Also every door inside is a unique piece of sculpture.Outside the main entrance there is a sculpture of British soldiers with guns chained to a rhinoceros. The symbol of Bengal and Assam – the rhinoceros – may have been shown in jail as a metaphor for the imperialist British beginning to swallow up Bengal. The temple has no peak. At the top is a turtle. Perhaps the original idea of installing a Shivlinga above was half-baked. The temple has shivlingas one on top of the other instead of a peak.

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TUNGNATH TEMPLE

Tungnath (IAST:tuņgnāth) is one of the highest Shiva temples in the world and is the highest of the five Panch Kedar temples located in the Rudraprayag district, in the Indianstate of Uttarakhand. The Tungnath (literal meaning: Lord of the peaks) mountains form the Mandakini and Alaknanda river valleys. It is located at an altitude of 3,690 m (12,106 ft), and just below the peak of Chandrashila. It has a rich legend linked to the Pandavas, heroes of the Mahabharataepic.

According to Hindu mythology, Shiva and his wife, Parvati both reside in the Himalayas: Shiva resides at Mount Kailash. Parvati is also called Shailaputri, which means ‘Daughter of the Mountain’. Many folk legends related to the Garhwal region, Shiva and the creation of the Panch Kedar temples are narrated.Hindu epic Mahabharata. The Pandavas defeated and slayed their cousins — the Kauravas in the epic Kurukshetra war. They wished to atone for the sins of committing fratricide (gotra hatya) and Brāhmanahatya (killing of Brahmins — the priest class) during the war. Thus, they handed over the reins of their kingdom to their kin and left in search of Shiva and to seek his blessings. First, they went to the holy city of Varanasi (Kashi), believed to be Shiva’s favourite city and known for its Kashi Vishwanath Temple. But, Shiva wanted to avoid them as he was deeply incensed by the death and dishonesty at the Kurukshetra war and was, therefore, insensitive to Pandavas’ prayers. Therefore, he assumed the form of a bull (Nandi) and hid in the Garhwal region.

As per the Hindu mythology, not finding Shiva in Varanasi, the Pandavas went to Garhwal Himalayas. Bhima, the second of the five Pandava brothers, then standing astride two mountains started to look for Shiva. He saw a bull grazing near Guptakashi (“hidden Kashi” — the name derived from the hiding act of Shiva). Bhima immediately recognized the bull to be Shiva. Bhima caught hold of the bull by its tail and hind legs. But the bull-formed Shiva disappeared into the ground to later reappear in parts, with the hump raising in Kedarnath, the arms appearing in Tungnath, the face showing up at Rudranath, the nabhi (navel) and stomach surfacing in Madhyamaheshwar and the hair appearing in Kalpeshwar. The Pandavas pleased with this reappearance in five different forms, built temples at the five places for venerating and worshipping Shiva. The Pandavas were thus freed from their sins.

A variant of the tale credits Bhima of not only catching the bull, but also stopping it from disappearing. Consequently, the bull was torn asunder into five parts and appeared at five locations in the Kedar Khand of Garhwal region of the Himalayas. After building the Panch Kedar Temples, the Pandavas meditated at Kedarnath for salvation, performed yagna (fire sacrifice) and then through the heavenly path called the Mahapanth (also called Swargarohini), attained heaven or salvation. The Panch Kedar Temples are constructed in the North-Indian Himalayan Temple “Katyuri” architecture with the Kedarnath, Tungnath and Madhyamaheshwar temples looking similar.

After completing the pilgrimage of Shiva’s darshan at the Panch Kedar Temples, it is an unwritten religious rite to visit Vishnu at the Badrinath Temple, as a final affirmatory proof by the devotee that he has sought blessings of Shiva. Legend also states that Rama, the central character of Ramayana, meditated at the Chandrashila peak which is close to Tungnath, in India. It is also said that Ravana performed penance to Shiva, the lord of the peaks, when he resided here.

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