#Thread Did you know that there are 7 temples in Tamil Nadu around Thiruvarur that are known as Sapta Vitankas because they have 7 images of Somaskanda that are believed to be divinely created without a chisel? (Vi-Tanka). These were sacred to Saint Thiagaraja. #TamizhTales
Each of these shrines is associated with a certain form of dance. The Sapta Vitankas have been glorified by the Tevaram verses of Nayanmars or Saivite saints of TN from 1st millennium CE. The first one is at Thiruvarur and is known as Thyagaraja Swamy Kovil #TamizhTales
Next is the Tirunallar temple that has a shrine dedicated to the planet Saturn. This is one of the Navagraha temples as well. King Nala from Mahabharat is said to have worshipped here. #TamizhTales
Next is the Kayarohaneswarar temple of Nagapattinam, also known as the Neelayadhakshi Amman temple as it is also considered to be one of Devi’s Shakti Sthalas. Bhagwan Shiv here is also known as Sundar Vitangar. #TamizhTales
Fourth #SaptaVitanka temple is Kannayariamudayar Temple at Thirukkarayil. Lord Shiva is known here as Aadi Vitankar #TamizhTales
Fifth of the #SaptaVitanka sthalams is the Avani Vitankar or Brahmapureeswarar temple at Thirukkolili. Lord Brahma is said to have worshipped here prior to commencing the act of creation. It had an emerald lingam that was stolen from the temple. #TamizhTales
Sixth of the seven #SaptaVitanka sthalams is the Neelavitankar at Thiruvaaimur. The original brick and mortar temple at this site was rebuilt in the 12th century CE by Vikrama Chola. #TamizhTales
Final #SaptaVitanka Sthalam is the Vedanarayaneswarar temple of Thirumaraikkadu. It is believed that Rama attempted to build a bridge to Sri Lanka from Vedaranyam first and was directed by Shiva to proceed to Rameswaram to build a bridge. #TamizhTales (pics sourced via internet)
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#thread Sembian Mahadevi was a 10th cent CE Chola Queen who built/renovated more than 14 temples. She was the queen of Gandaraditya Chola and mother of king Uttama Chola. She built temples, established Veda salas, gave land grants even after she was widowed. #tamizhtales
Marxist distortians like Romila Thapar will tell you that Hindu queens had no power, and that they committed Sati after their husbands died. But here is a 10th century Queen who not only built/renovated temples, she ensured a common style to all of them and installed inscriptions
Today we visited the Uma Maheshwarar temple built by Sembian Mahadevi in a village called Konerirajapuram, a little away from Kumbhakonam. Surrounded by lush green paddy fields, the temple today is known for the 9 feet Nataraja commissioned by Sembian Mahadevi. #tamizhtales
#thread#templesofgoa Stunning laterite stone temple of Shri Saptakoteshwar in #khandepar village in Goa. Located on the banks of the River Khandepar, the temple is of Shri Saptkoteshwar, a form of Lord Shiva. Shri Saptakoteshwar was the patron deity of the Kadambas who ruled Goa
According to Goan archeologist, Shri Mitragotri, this temple was probably built first by the Kadamabas but renovated extensively by the Vijayanagara kings. The existing temple is a 3 storey structure built out of laterite stone, crowned with a dome with a lotus bud shaped kalasha
Two laterite stone Nandis and two stone elephants placed at the corners, facing each cardinal directions. Inside the temple, there is a small, but beautiful Nandi carved in black granite. The garbhgriha is in the form of a rock-cut cave carved out of a massive laterite block.
#thread#mangalurumusings I was lucky to have the Darshan of Devi Rajrajeshwari at the Shri Raja Rajeshwari Temple at Polali, located 19 kilometres away from Mangalore. Inscriptions say that this temple existed from 8th century CE.
The temple was renovated and expanded many times by many dynasties that ruled over the region, from the Kadambas to the Alupas to the Nayakas of Keladi.
What is unique about this temple is that the Murtis of Sri Rajarajeshwari, Bhadrakali, Sri Ganesh and Subramanya enshrined in the Garbhagriha are moulded from clay with special medicinal properties and painted over. They are not carved out of stone or cast in metal.
The famous dancing girl of Mohenjodaro is one of the earliest examples of the lost-wax technique made by the people of the Sindhu-Saraswati civilisation. Lost-wax technique was called मधूच्छिष्टविधान in ancient Sanskrit treatises on Shilpshastra. #BastarKiBaate#बस्तरकीबातें
Dhokra artisans from the Kondagaon district of Bastar use the technique of lost-wax hollow casting to create exquisite objects. Witnessed this entire age-old process in the workshop of Rajendra Baghel, national award winning Dhokra artisan. #BastarKiBaate#बस्तरकीबातें
There is a lot of talk these days about minimalism, particularly among the neo-rich urban crowd who are burdened with the ‘problem of plenty’. We live in a society that celebrates consumption and accumulation. I myself am a hoarder of all things handmade and beautiful.
As a result, my home feels like a museum and my closet is overflowing with beautiful, hand-woven sarees. But even beauty is bondage. I realise that now, as I take my baby steps on the long road of #अनासक्ती
#thread So as per available info in the #punegangrape, 14 year old girl is called to pune station, allegedly by her 23 year old ‘peaceful’ friend at night. ‘Friend’ doesn’t turn up, but ‘peaceful’ autodriver knows exactly where to find the girl, and knows she is alone.
‘Peaceful’ autodriver takes her out of station, calls his ‘peaceful’ friends and they take the girl to multiple locations in two days including a lodge in Khadki and the girl is r@ped multiple times. In all this, her phone is switched off.
Two days later, peaceful gang is r@pists drop the girl on a bus to Mumbai, her phone works and she calls her ‘friend’, the same guy who didn’t turn up on day 1. Peaceful ‘friend’ doesn’t go to the cops, but takes the girl to Chandigarh!