Penang (Malaysia)Snake Temple The Temple of the "Azure Cloud"

The Snake Temple (Chinese: 蛇庙; pinyin: Shé Miào; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Tsuâ-biō) is situated inSungai Kluang, Bayan Lepas, Penang, Malaysia and is perhaps the only temple of its kind in the world. 

The temple is filled with the smoke of burning incense and a variety ofpit vipers. The vipers are believed to be rendered harmless by the sacred smoke, but as a safety precaution, the snakes have also been de-venomed but still have their fangs intact.

Visitors are warned against picking up the reptiles and placing them on their bodies for taking pictures. Local devotees believe that the temple's snake population has come there of its own accord.

The temple was built circa 1850 in memory of Chor Soo Kong (祖師公), by a Buddhistmonk. Chor Soo Kong (also known as Qingshui) was born with the Tan surname (陳昭應, or Tan Chhiau-eng) in China during the Song Dynasty (960-1279). He was very serious about spiritual attainment and was ordained at a young age. 

Legend has it that Chor Soo Kong, who was also a healer, gave shelter to the snakes of jungle. When he died at the age of 65 after a lifetime of good deeds, he was bestowed the honorific title Chor Soo, meaning an eminent historic figure continuously revered by a community generation after generation. After the completion of the temple, snakes appeared on their own accord. The Snake Temple was originally named the "Temple of the Azure Cloud" in honor of the beauty of Penang's sky.

Believers from as far away as Singapore and Taiwan come to pray in the temple on Chor Soo Kong's birthday (the sixth day of the first lunar month).

(Source:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snake_Temple)

The pictures of the temple and the snakes are given below:

The Snake Temple is open daily from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and entrance to the temple grounds is free. Photography inside of the Snake Temple is not allowed to prevent stressing the resident reptiles. Snakes can also be found hanging from branches in the courtyard interior of the temple. 

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Hindu Festivals-Part I.. Ganesh Chadurthi

All festivals in Hinduism are predominantly religious in character and significance. Many festivals are seasonal. Some celebrate harvest and birth of God or Heroes. Some are dedicated to important event in Mythology. Many are dedicated to Ganesh, Shiva & Parvati, Vishnu & Lakshmi and Brahma & Saraswati

Details of the important Hindu festivals are given here in different Parts.


In Part I of the series the details of Ganesh Chadurthi are given as below

Ganesh Chadurthi (Vinayagar chadurthi, Pillayar /chadurthi)'

Ganesha Chaturthi (Devanagari: गणेश चतुर्थी, Kannada: ಗನೆಶ ಚತುರ್ಥೀ), also known as Vinayaka Chaturthi is the Hindu festival of Ganesha, the son of Shiva and Parvati, who is believed to bestow his presence on earth for all his devotees in the duration of this festival. It is the birthday of Ganesha who is widely worshipped as the god of wisdom, prosperity and good fortune.

The festival is observed in the Hindu calendar month of Bhaadrapada, starting on the shuklachaturthi (fourth day of the waxing moon period). The date usually falls between 20 August and 15 September. The festival lasts for 10 days, ending on Anant Chaturdashi (fourteenth day of the waxing moon period).

While celebrated all over India, it is most elaborate in western and southern India. Outside India, it is celebrated widely in Nepal and by Hindus in the United States, Canada and Fiji.

Two to three months prior to Ganesh Chaturthi, artistic clay models of Lord Ganesha are made for sale by specially skilled artisans. They are beautifully decorated & depict Lord Ganesh in various poses. The size of these statues may vary from 3/4 of an inch to over 25 feet.

Ganesh Chaturthi starts with the installation of these Ganesh statues in colorfully decorated homes and specially erected temporary structures mandapas (pandals) in every locality. The pandals are erected by the people or a specific society or locality or group by collecting monetary contributions. The mandapas are decorated specially for the festival, either by using decorative items like flower garlands, lights, etc. or are theme based decorations, which depict religious themes or current events.

The priest, usually clad in red silk dhoti and shawl, then symbolically invokes life into the statue by chanting mantras. This ritual is the Pranapratishhtha. After this the ritual called as Shhodashopachara (16 ways of paying tribute) follows. Coconut, jaggery, 21 modakas, 21 durva (trefoil) blades of grass and red flowers are offered. The statue is anointed with red unguent, typically made of Kumkum & Sandalwood paste . Throughout the ceremony, Vedic hymns from the Rig Veda, the Ganapati Atharva Shirsha Upanishad, and the Ganesha stotra from the Narada Purana are chanted.

For 10 days, from Bhadrapad Shudh Chaturthi to the Ananta Chaturdashi, Ganesha is worshipped. On the 11th day, the statue is taken through the streets in a procession accompanied with dancing, singing, and fanfare to be immersed in a river or the sea symbolizing a ritual see-off of the Lord in his journey towards his abode in Kailash while taking away with him the misfortunes of his devotees, this is the ritual known as Ganesh Visarjan. At individual homes the Visarjan is also done on 3rd, 5th or 7th day as per the family tradition. All join in this final procession shouting "Ganapati Bappa Morya, Pudhachya Varshi Laukar ya" (O lord Ganesha, come again early next year). After the final offering of coconuts, flowers and camphor is made, people carry the idols to the river to immerse it.

The main sweet dish during the festival is the modak (modagam or modakam in South India). A modak is a dumpling made from rice flour/wheat flour with a stuffing of fresh or dry-grated coconut, jaggery, dry fruits and some other condiments. It is either steam-cooked or fried. Another popular sweet dish is the karanji (karjikaiinKannada) which is similar to the modak in composition and taste but has a semicircular shape.

Public celebrations of the festival are hugely popular, with local communities (mandalas) vying with each other to put up the biggest statue & the best pandal. The festival is also the time for cultural activities like singing and theater performances, orchestra and community activities like free medical checkup, blood donation camps, charity for the poor, etc.

Today, the Ganesh Festival is not only a popular festival, it has become a very critical and important economic activity for Maharashtra. Many artists, industries, and businesses survive on this mega-event. Ganesh Festival also provides a stage for budding artists to present their art to the public. The same holds true for Hyderabad and Chennai too. In Maharashtra, not only Hindus but many other religions also participate in the celibration of Ganesha festival like Muslims, Jains, Christian and others. This festival has managed to re-establish the unity among the Indians during British Era.

Source:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ganesh_Chaturthi

                                                        WORSHIP OF GANESH

                                                Immersion of Ganesh Idols

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Twelve Jyotirlinga Shrines in India

A Jyotirlinga or Jyotirling or Jyotirlingam (Hindi: ज्योतिर्लिङ्ग) is a shrine where Lord Shiva, an aspect of God in Hinduism is worshipped in the form of a Jyotirlingam or "Lingam (pillar) of light." There are twelve traditional Jyotirlinga shrines in India.

Source:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:The_12_Jyotirlingas-Map.jpg

The following slogam explains the twelve points in India where the Jyotir Lingams are situated

Saurashtre Somanaatham Cha Sree Saile Mallikarjunam
Ujjayinyaam Mahaakaalam Omkaare Mamaleswaram
Himalaye to Kedaram Daakinyaam Bhimashankaram
Vaaranaasyaam cha Viswesam Trayambakam Gowtameethate
Paralyaam Vaidyanaatham cha Naagesam Daarukaavane
Setubandhe Ramesham Grushnesam cha Shivaalaye || 

Source:http://www.vedarahasya.net/jyotir.htm

The Dwadasa Jyotirlinga shrines or the 12 shrines enshrining Shiva in the form of a Jyotirlingam, have been held in reverence since time immemorial in the Indian system of beliefs. The southernmost of these is located at Rameswaram, while the northernmost is located in the snowy heights of the Himalayas at Kedarnath. These temples are closely linked with legends from the puranas and are rich in history and tradition.

1.Somnath is the foremost of the 12 Jyotirlinga Shrines of Shiva, held in reverence throughout India and is rich in legend, traditions and history. It is located at Prabhas Patan in Saurashtra in Gujarat.

2. Ujjain - Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga shrine The ancient and historic city of Ujjain or Avanti in Madhya Pradesh  is home to the Jyotirlinga shrine ofMahakaleshwar.

3. Omkareshwar: an island in the course of the river Narmada in Madhya Pradesh  is home to theOmkareshwar Jyotirlinga shrine and the Amareshwar temple.

4. Kedarnath - the Northernmost of the Jyotirlingas. Kedarnath, nestled in the snow clad Himalayas is an ancient shrine rich in legend and tradition. It is accessible only on foot, six months in a year.

5.Sree Sailam - Sree Sailam near Kurnool enshrines Mallikarjuna in an ancient temple rich in architectural and sculptural wealth. Aadi Sankaracharya composed his Sivanandalahiri here.

6.Bhimashankar - Jyotirlinga Shrine is associated with the legend of Shiva destroying the demon Tripurasura. Bhimashankar is located in the Sahyadri hills of Maharashtra, accessed from Pune.

7.Varanasi - The most celebrated pilgrimage site in India TheVishwanath temple in Benares in Uttar Pradesh  is the goal of the thousands of pilgrims that visit this ancient city. The Vishwanath shrine is revered as one of the 12 Jyotirlinga shrines of Shiva.

8.Tryambakeshwar -  The origin of the river Godavari is intimately linked with thisJyotirlinga shrine near Nasik in Maharashtra.Grishneshwar Jyotirlinga Shrineis a temple located in the vicinity of the tourist town of Ellora, which has several rock cut monuments from the 1st millennium CE.

9.Vaidyanath temple at DeogarhThe ancient pilgrimage town ofDeogarh in the Santal Parganas area of Bihar is revered as one of the 12 Jyotirlingas of Shiva.

10.Nageshwar near Dwarka in Gujarat  is one of the 12Jyotirlinga shrines of Shiva.

11.Rameswaram: This vast temple in the island of Rameswaram, in Southern Tamilnadu enshrines Ramalingeswarar, and is revered as the southernmost of the 12 Jyotirlinga shrines of India.

12.Grishneshwar Jyotirlinga Shrineis a temple located in the vicinity of the tourist town of Ellora, which has several rock cut monuments from the 1st millennium CE.

Source:http://www.templenet.com/jyotir.html

Other links:http://www.jyotirlingatemples.com/

http://www.nivalink.com/pilgrimage/jyotirlinga.html

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Hindu Festivals -Part IV Onam(Thiru Onam)

Onam (Malayalam: ഓണം) is a Hindu festival and the state festival of Kerala celebrated by the people of Kerala, India. 

The festival commemorates the Vamanaavatar of Vishnu and the subsequent homecoming of the legendary Emperor Mahabali. It falls during the month of Chingam (August–September) and lasts for ten days. 

Mahabali's rule is considered the golden era of Kerala.

The following song (in Malayalam Language) is often sung over Onam:

“

Maveli nadu vaneedum kalam, manusharellarum onnupole amodhathode vasikkum kalam apathangarkkumottillathanum kallavum illa chathiyumilla ellolamilla polivachanam kallapparayum cherunazhiyum kallatharangal mattonnumilla adhikal vyadhikalonnumilla balamaranangal kelppanilla

”

...(Translation)

“

When Maveli ruled the land, All the people were equal. And people were joyful and merry; They were all free from harm. There was neither anxiety nor sickness, Deaths of children were unheard of, There were no lies, There was neither theft nor deceit, And no one was false in speech either. Measures and weights were right; No one cheated or wronged his neighbor. When Maveli ruled the land, All the people formed one casteless races

”

(Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Onam)


The festival is marked by various festivities, including intricate flower carpets, elaborate banquet lunches, snake boat races, Onappottan, Kaazhchakkula in Guruvayoor, Puli Kali, Kaikottikkali etc. These festivities make Onam a unique festival on the earth which is embellished by most number of cultural elements and it can be undoubtedly said that these elements constitute the colorfulness, diversity and richness that no other festival can claim.

The Customs of Onam Festival  

a) Pookalam 

Pookalam

A flower carpet called 'Pookalam' is laid in front of every house to welcome the advent of the vanquished king, and earthen mounds representing Mahabali and Vishnu are placed in the dung-plastered courtyards. 

Traditional rituals are performed followed by a lavish feast called 'Sadhya'. Onam also means new clothes for the whole family, sumptuous home-cooked delicacies on plantain leaf and the lingering aroma of the sweet Payasam.

Onam Feast

 b) Kaikottikali 


Onam is in the air.Its time to revive our rich folk arts when women come out with their dances, especially kaikottikalli.This is the period from "atham" to Onam when the Malayali celebrates a bumper harvest and is in a festive mood.  
The women-folk neatly decked up in mundu-veshti and ornamental flowers in their hair decorate their frontyard and "nadumittam" with flowers and light a lamp near an idol of Ganapathy in a gesture to overcome all hurdles in their pah to prosperity. 

 

Nadumittam

 
The simple rythmic group dance which involves clapping each other's palms while encircling the pookalam is what's known as kaikottikali, the essence of Onam. 

 

Kaikottikali

 
Women, young and old, take part in the folk dance which signifies joy, happines and festivity. Though kaikottikali is neither a ritual form of dance or stage art, it derives its "ragachaya" from kathakali and the songs are based on episodes and legends like Krishnaleela, Shakunthalam, Kuchelavritham and Dhruvacharithram. Emphasis is given on rythmic movements than on mudra.The uniqueness of kaikottikali lies in the fact that the songs are sung by the participants themselves and the dance involves just simple steps in unison. 
 
The most common ragams found in the kaikottikali songs include the Hussaini, Bhairavi and Kamboji and on several occasions the song deviate from puranic tales to folk stories.  
Songs are also sung in praise of Saraswati, Ganapathy and Krishna which is considered to be very auspicious. Sadya over, on Onam day, women dance away to glory till the euphoria wanes.  

c.)The Spectacle 
 
Spectacular parades of caparisoned elephants, fireworks and the famous Kathakali dance are traditionally associated with Onam.

Parade of Caparisoned Elephants 

 
Kathakali dance

It's also the season of many cultural and sport events and carnivals. All this makes Onam-time a perfect period to visit this coastal state, touted as "Gods Own Country". No wonder the Government of Kerala has declared this time every year as Tourism Week. 

 
d) The Grand Boat Race 
 
One of the main attractions of Onam, is the 'Vallamkali' or boat races of Karuvatta, Payippad, Aranmula and Kottayam. Hundreds of oarsmen row traditional boats to the rhythm of drums and cymbals. These long graceful Snake Boats called 'Chundans' are named after their exceedingly long hulls and high sterns that resemble the raised hood of a cobra.

  
Boat Race

 
Then there are 'Odis', the small and swift raiding crafts adorned with gold tasseled silk umbrellas, the 'Churulans' with their elaborately curled prows and sterns, and the 'Veppus', a kind of cook-boat. This traditional village rivalry on watercrafts reminds one of ancient naval warfare.  

Thousands throng the banks to cheer and watch the breathtaking show of muscle power, rowing skills and rapid rhythm. These boats - all pitted against their own kind - rip through the backwaters of Kerala in a tussle of speed.  
 
Onam is for All 

Although this festival has its origin in Hindu mythology, Onam is for all people of all class and creed. Hindus, Muslims and Christians, the wealthy and the downtrodden, all celebrate Onam with equal fervor. The secular character of Onam is peculiar to this land where unity had always coexisted with diversity, especially during festivals, when people come together to celebrate life's unlimited joys. 

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World's Biggest Hindu Temple - 2009 edition of the Guinness World Records

BAPS Swaminarayan Akshardham

BAPS Swaminarayan Akshardham is a 100-acre Hindu temple complex in New Delhi, India. It aims to showcase Hinduism's ancient art, culture and spiritual heritage.

Since its opening in November 2005, Swaminarayan Akshardham has become a popular landmark of India's cultural and religious landscape, attracting more than five million visitors a year. It featured in the 2009 edition of the Guinness World Records book for being the largest Hindu temple in the world.

Lotus garden

Over 60 acres of the complex comprise various forms of landscaping. One part is the Lotus Garden, a lotus-shaped sunken garden with messages from great world thinkers sharing their faith in God and humanity.

Largest Hindu temple in the world

The central feature of the complex is the ornately hand-carved stone temple, ormandir. Built according to ancient Vedic texts, and measuring 356 ft (109 m) long, 316 ft (96 m) wide and 141 ft (43 m) high, it is the world's largest comprehensive Hindu temple.

It was built within five years by 11,000 artisans and volunteers of BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha, an international socio-religious organisation. ..

Exterior carvings

The outer wall of the temple is profusely covered with 200 stone figures of India's sages and intricate depictions of nature.

Temple sanctum

Enshrined in the temple's inner sanctum is an 11 ft.-high gilded murti (sacred image) of Bhagwan Swaminarayan, the deity to whom the temple and complex are dedicated. Other images include those of popular Hindu deities and spiritual leaders of the Swaminarayan tradition.

Interior carvings

The temple is a fusion of pink sandstone on the outside and white marble on the inside, but with no structural steel used anywhere. The interior is filled with 234 ornately carved pillars, 9 ornate domes, and intricately designed ceilings. In total, there are more than 20,000 carved figures.

Elephant plinth

The temple stands on a 1,070 ft..-long plinth of 148 full-sized elephants carved entirely from stone. Together, they weigh 3,000 tonnes.

Stone colonnade

The temple and its surrounding area are garlanded by a 3,000 ft (214 m)-long two-tiered stone colonnade. It features 1,152 pillars, 145 windows and 154 cupolas.

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Visit to Shirdi and other temples-Part 1

My wife and myself went on a two days Air package tour (22.8.14 and 23.8.14) organized by Akshayam Travels to Shirdi and other temples nearby. I am sharing my experience of the tour in two parts. Part 1 of this article covers the visit to Shirdi on 22.8.14 and Part 2 covers other places.

(Note: Since I could not take the mobile phone inside the mandhir, I could not take any photos in and outside  the mandhir. All the pictures in the article are taken from Google images.)

Delay in reaching Pune:

The tour group consisted of 23 persons including the coordinator Mr.S.Anantasehan who is also the proprietor of Akshayam Travels . All of us assembled in Chennai airport at 3.15 am on 21.8.14. As per the tour programme, we started from Chennai to Pune by Spicejet flight which departed at 5.15 am and supposed to reach Pune at  6.45 am. But due to heavy rains and poor visibility the plane could not land at Pune and it was diverted to Mumbai airport. 

After reaching Mumbai airport it was announced that the plane will take off after 8 am.Since the rains continued to lash Pune, the take off was repeatedly postponed and all the passengers were not allowed to get out of the plane. The cabin crew  in the plane were busy in selling the food items for breakfast of the passengers. Even at 10.30 am we were not told about exact time of departure. There was an announcement that those who wanted to get off at Mumbai could get down from the plane and some passengers left the plane.

At this stage many passenger got restless and asked the air hostesses to arrange for breakfast. After some delay all the passengers were provided cup of noodles as breakfast by the air hostesses. 

After the improving of weather condition at Pune, the flight left Mumbai airport at 11 pm and reached Pune airport at 12 pm. 

Bus travel to Shirdi :

After collecting our luggage, we got into an air conditioned  bus waiting at Pune Airport. The coordinator of the tour expressed regret for the delay in the flight which has upset the tour programme.

After getting our feedbacks,he also announced that instead of taking lunch, we could go straight to Saibaba temple in Shridi since darshan for the group was fixed at 4.30 pm. All of us were provided with bananas, biscuits and drinking water in the place of lunch.

The bus route from Pune to Shridi is in  the worst condition with so many ups and downs. The driver drove the bus very fast and we had hopes that the bus would reach Shridi by 4.30 pm positively.

The coordinator of the tour(who is also Proprietor of the Travel company) who is an ardent devotee of Shirdi Saibaba,  engaged all of us by singing prayer songs in praise of Baba and describing about the importance of various places of worship in Shirdi like Samadhi Mandhir,Chavadi,Dwarakamai etc.

There was heavy traffic jam in a place  just 20 kms from Shirdi and the bus started moving inch by inch with other vehicles. After nearly 40 minutes,the bus could start from the place and reach Shirdi at 5.30 pm instead of the target of 4.30 pm. Meanwhile the coordinator talked to many persons in Shirdi to allow the group special darshan at 5.30 pm.  He  advised us to leave the cameras,mobiles,chappels inside the bus to avoid waiting time in the temple. 

Peaceful darshan of Shirdi Saibaba and other deities:

The bus stopped just in front of the gate of the Samadhi Mandhir  for special darshan and all of us were allowed inside. 

Without wasting any time, we were straight away taken in a special queue and we were in front of the Saibaba Samadhi and idol within 5 minutes. It was really like a miracle that we had a nice and peaceful darshan inspite of all the difficulties and the delay undergone by us  in the journey.

After worshiping Baba, we left Samadhi Mandhir  and took tiffin with coffee/tea etc in a nearby restaurant and proceeded to see the other important places associated with Baba. 

Baba's Chavadi:

Baba used to sleep here every alternate day.  The Chavadi is divided into two parts.  One part of the Chavadi has a large portrait  of Baba along with a wooden bed and a  white chair belonging to him.Every Thursday the Palakhi from DwarkaMai arrives here.Baba's Photograph, his Paduka (slippers), and Satka are kept in the Palakhi. The chair, on which Baba used to rest, and the bed, on which Baba had his  last bath, are also kept in this temple.

There were separate queues for the gents and ladies to enter the chavadi to worship the portrait of Baba.

While coming out of the Chavadi, we could hear the bhajan during  the Aarthi for Baba which was telecast live. We were surprised to see a dog sitting in front of the Chavadi closing its eyes and in full attention as if listening to the bhajan. 

Dwarakamai :

Dwarkamai is situated on the right of the entrance of Samadhi Mandhir. Baba stayed at Dwarkamai till the very end of his life.

The first level of Dwarkamai has a portrait of Baba and a big stone on which Baba used to sit. This level has two rooms. One contains the chariot and the second a palkhi. Just in front of the room where the chariot is kept is a small temple. A saffron flag flies over it. The second level of Dwarkamai has a square stool made of stone, which Baba used for taking a bath. 

The main attraction of this place is the oil painting of Shri Sai Baba sitting in a carved wooden shrine. This level also has the grinding stone and the wooden vessel called  in which Baba used to keep the Bhiksha brought from the village.

(http://shirdisaitemple.com/shirdi-article/id/86/dwarkamai-shirdi) 

The dhuni ,located in Dwarakamai is the sacred, perpetually burning fire that Baba built and which has been maintained ever since, though today the fire is much bigger and is enclosed behind a wire cage. The sacred ash(udi) produced in the Dhuni is distributed to the devotees.

Laksmibai's house:

The next place visited by us is the house of Laksmibai who was a great devotee of Baba.In the house, there is a portrait of Laksmibai and the frame containing  the nine coins given to her by Baba before he attained samadhi. There is also the pillar on which Baba used to recline whenever he visited Laksmibai's house to take the food prepared by Laksmibai.

Hanuman (Maruti) Mandir :

We also worshiped Hanuman in the Hanuman Mandhir which is located in  the lane that runs between Dwarkamai and Chavadi.

Three temples and other important places seen by us inside Samadhi Mandhir:

We went again inside Samadhi Mandhir and worshiped the deities in three small temples. They are dedicated to Ganesh,Shani (i.e. Saturn) and Mahadev (i.e. Shiva).

The we saw the Neem tree under which Baba used to sit from the time he appeared in Shridi for the first time and the Garden which was maintained by Baba and the perpetually-burning lamp which was lit by Baba.

After completing our visit to the Mandhir, we reached the Hotel Kuber Inn where rooms were booked for us. 

We took our dinner in the hotel and spent the night.

Thus the first day of the tour ended and the details of our second day of the tour is  posted by me in 'Visit to Shirdi and other temples-Part 2' with the following link:

http://anayang95.blogspot.in/2014/08/visit-to-shirdi-and-other-temples-part-2.html

CONTACT DETAILS OF AKSHAYAM TRAVELS:

Mobile:   09840306678

             09944531961

             044-43537361

Email:       akshayamtravels@gmail.com

Website:  http://www.akshayamtravels.com/

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