In the temple at #thirumazhappadi there is an inscription dating to the 15th regnal year of #rajendra I. His father #Rajaraja I had wanted to renovate the mazhappadi temple. In 1013 he issued a proclamation directing that the srivimanam be removed and replaced with a stone based one (katraLi). Further he had directed that all the inscriptions in the temple we logged and reinscribed upon consecration. Rajaraja died the following year. Rajendra I undertook the renovation and it was completed it in 1026. Once this was done Rajendra I sent a

Want the next gen to be comfortable with who they are? Here are a few thoughts. Feel free to add them
1. Talk politics in front of them - let them learn to listen - answer their questions. Teach them to be aware but not talk about it in school etc.
2. Talk caste - let them hear it from you and not from someone who is going to guilt trip them
3. Talk about the ecosystem (esp D if u are in TN and how it will be loaded against you)
4. Teach them they neither have to be apologetic or do reparations for perceived atrocities
5. Teach them to respect every

1986 - saraswati puja i was chilling out with all the books tucked in the swami room. My friend showed up and during our chat asked if i were not taking the anatomy prize exam the next day. I said no. My mom overheard the conversation stormed in and asked why? I said in MMC all prize exams are fixed and it's a waste of time.. my mom just said - does that give u an excuse to give up and not try? I said anyway can't study now the book is in the puja. She went in took out my grays anatomy made me do a namaskaram plonked it into my hand and said - there is

How village temples preserve a sense of community - a lesson from #govindarajapuram

Most palakkad agraharams are generally a single long street with town house style layouts. Most of them have a small temple - each with its own history agama and utsava. The Govindarajapuram temple has sri bhumi sametha varadaraja as it's deity and follows the vaikasana agama and has its chariot festival around utthradam of mesha masam (chittirai). The palakkad agraharams originally were landed but with time and redistribution - many of the families fell into penury

Village tots ride up with him! Some finishing touches Temp down breezy ready to roll

Big day today #govindarajapuram #ther samkalpam for #kalababishekam prior to the ther.. purushasukta abishekam for mulavar taitriya upanishad parayaNam ... The samkalpam stresses on the welfare of the grAmam and its residents

After 4 years #amma making the trip to the annual #ther at #govindarajapuram Pandemic robbed her participation in her favorite event - a restart today The usual pit stop.. #pongal in the evening is a treat!

Would be interesting to compare #ps2 to the other movie that was made of a #kalki opus - #parthibankanavu
Given #ps is far more complex nuanced and layered it's apples and oranges - caveats noted #ps vs #pk

First casting - make up was not advanced in #pk so we all knew that SV Ranga Rao was the ascetic but the casting was perfect. A handsome Gemini and Vaijayanthi make the casting of #ps2 pedestrian. But also Subbiah and Ragini.. and Jaffer Sitaraman and siruthondar
2. For the most the adaptation of #pk stayed true to Kalki this is where most

Ok here is the morning after tweet #ps2
1. A few minutes of magic between kundavai and vanthiyadevan - just amazing stunning visuals beautiful love
2. The movie should have stopped at adita karikalans death and done a PS3 (i know i know) the hurry to finish lead to an unrecognisable last part..
4. Some sections brilliant where you can see glimpses of manis genius - i still think that if he had stayed closer to the script and avoided the kalamukha army rashtrakutas etc he would have gotten a better finish
5. A few moments between AK and

Like every parent here - we ve had conversations.. for us these conversations have happened overtime - and hence a reinforcement. The caveat for all of us is that we are trying to instill caution to people whose age and hormones promote risk taking.. we can advise and hope it is remembered that's all.. this is what we shared 1. Don't wear your heart on your sleeve... attraction is not sufficient to squander your life away 2. You can't wish someones religion away - the dogma of religion is part of upbringing - if it teaches that a non believer

The samadhi of AryAmba is the holiest spot in kAladi.. it marks the place where Sankara performed the rites of his mother helped only by two families - one which lifted her head and another the feet on to the pyre.. centuries later sri sri sacchidaananda ShivAbhinava nrusimha bharathi set out in the quest of kaladi with the support of the maharaja of travancore (mUlam TiruNAL rAma varma) - officials with various clues were able to identify a place

Some Ganeshas that my phone found
#vinayakachaturthi #belur #halebid 2012

Once an avadoota vairAgi from the north came to sringeri. The tungA was in spate. To have a darshan of sri sri chandrasekara bharathi mahAswamigal (SA) one had to cross the river on a boat. The others who were on the boat were not keen on taking the vairAgi with them. They rebuffed his attempts at getting on the boat forcibly. That they two high officials from the Mysore Sircar had come to the southern shore and were waiting at the adishtAna of the purvAcArya in order to meet srimad AcharyaL. Srimad AcharyaL stepped out of the mutt to meet them and

In sringeri during navarAtri suvaasini pUja is a special feature everyday. Once on mahAnavami a lady came with the desire that if she could participate as a suvAsini she would also get a sAri. However on that day the list of suvAsinis to be worshipped had been finalised and she did not get an opportunity. She was very sad. Having come though she decided to get chandramouLiswara theertham eat and leave. As sri sri chandrashekhara bharathi mahAswamigal was giving theertha she extended her hand. Seeing the sorrow in her face sri AcharyaL enquired the cause

Even if a community of crows scatter let our community stay together

A simple ritual with a simple prayer - for family and community done the day after pongal
#kanu

Adding to this an incident from the #raghuvamsam where dilipa was prepared to exchange his life for the life of nandini the cow of vaSiSta

For millennia cattle have sustained us worked for us enriched us

A day to thank them and find ways to ensure that when they have outlived our need they don't have to visit the abattoir
#mattupongal

From the go suktam

Around 1940 in Kolkata some persons started building a Hanuman temple. Some kALi upAsakas objected to this stating that this being kAli's katta there cannot be a temple for any other devata. This became a big dispute and ended in court. The judge who examined this addressed both parties said - this being an issue of religion it will be better for an elder in your religion to make a decision. If both of you agree on one i intend to send the records to him and ask him to make a determination. Both parties decided that if the sringeri AcArya makes a

A person who wanted to improve the world came once to jagadguru sri sri chandrasekara bharathi mahaswamigaL and explained his plans for the world. Sri AcharyaL listened patiently. Then..
SA: You are saying many things. Won't it be difficult to implement? Forget funds don't you 1/ need people? They have to be dharmic. They have to be educated. They have to practitioners of AcAra. They should be able to communicate in a way that people understand
Devotee: i am happy to start this first
SA: oh! Very good. Do you have time to be involved in this?
D: i have

Short thread of some Deccan rock cuts at darasuram. This is a depiction of kannappa nayanar at - kirata rupam - bow leather drape leather strapped footwear rudraksha in hands

A thread on the dArAsuram depictions of the stories of the 63 nAyanmars
அன்று வன் தொண்டர் தம்மை அருளிய ஆரூர் அண்ணல்
முன் திரு வாக்கால் கோத்த முதல் பொருள் ஆனார் என்றால்
1. Thillai vaazh anthaNar போற்றி நீள் தில்லை வாழ் அந்தணர் திறம் புகலல் உற்றேன்
நீற்றினால் நிறைந்த கோல நிருத்தனுக்கு உரிய தொண்டாம்
போற்றினார் பெருமைக்கு எல்லை ஆயினார் பேணி வாழும்
ஆற்றினார் பெருகும் அன்பால் அடித்தவம் புரிந்து வாழ்வார்
2.13

This thread will have some potpourri stuff from GKC large deep well (right in pic current level in pic 2 so what is with the lion.. the simha kupa is actually a step well When the water is abundant you just grab it from the entrance as it recedes you walk done (see the dome of the passage in pic 2 all the way down till the water reaches about 35 feet ( wondering if there are any secret passages around 😀)

The balustrades of darasuram are indeed iconic - the idea seemed to be to provide the effect of a ratha while retaining all the components of an agamic temple This is the elephant in the southern entrance