Heard about a Marathan run that is conducted as part of Maha Shivarathri celebrations -Shivalaya Oottam

Marathan run by devotees covering 12 Shiva Alayams/ Temples chanting Govinda..Gopala...

This practice is related to an legend #story of #Mahabharata

Do read this #Thread

Andhakasuravadha Samharamurti -#story #Thread
Sculpture of Bhagwan Shiva as the destroyer of the Asura Andhaka - Cave 29,Ellora caves

Asura Andhaka hangs on to a trishula held by 6-armed Shiva.

Once Parvathi & Shiva were relaxing in the pleasant gardens of Mount Mandhara.

Bhagwan Shiva sat down there to enjoy the happiness.Parvati closed the eyes of Shiva playfully & darkness covered the whole universe.Parvati was perplexed & her palms were wet with perspiration.A few drops of her sweat mixed with sweat from Shiva’s body& fell to the ground.

From this sweat,a fierce creature was born,it started to roar.Child was born blind as Shiva's eyes were closed so was named as Andaka.Andha means darkness&also ignorance.Around the same time Asura Hiranyaksha was performing rigorous tapas Shiva for a boon of powerful son.

Bhagwan Shiva was pleased by tapas of Hiranyaksha & blessed him with darshan.Hiranyaksha asked for a powerful son,Shiva told him that he cannot have his own son,but can adopt a blind child who would become very powerful later.Shiva gave child Andaka to Hiranyaksha.

Hiranyaksha returned to his kingdom with Andaka.Later after the vadh of Hiranyaksha, Andaka is said to have lived with his cousins.He was ridiculed,so dejected Andaka went to forest.He did severe tapas for over many years towards Brahma Dev. Brahma dev appeared before him.

Margabandhu Stotram - #Thread

"Shambho Mahadeva deva
Shiva Shambho Mahadeva devesha Shambho
Shambho Mahadeva deva...

By reciting this stotra one can have Bhagwan Shiva with them as Marga-bandhu(travel companion) written by Sri Appayya Dikshitar.

This stotra was written praising Sri Margabandheswarar, Virinjipuram,Near Vellore,TN - Magnificent &very ancient temple famous for its compound wall/ Madhil azhagu-has minute stone carvings all around.This place gets its name-Virinjipuram as Brahma(Virinchi)worshiped Siva here

It is said that ,Dhanabalan a pepper merchant lost his loads to thieves.He prayed to Shiva &,he came as a soldier on a horse & retrieved pepper loads but also accompanied Dhanabalan on his journey.Due to this he is called Vazhi Thunai Nathar in Tamil & Margabandu in Sanskrit.

As per sthala purana,Brahma was born as Shivasarma here in archaka family. When Shivsarma’s father died,he had to undertake pooja responsibilities as a small boy.Shivasarma’s mother prayed to Margabandeeswar.Shiva came as an elderly person & conducted Upanayanam Brahmopadhesam

Small boy was then paraded on an elephant with the holy water pot and the temple door opened automatically.While he attempted to do abhishek for Margabandheeswarar,as a small boy,he was unable to reach the head of the lingam,so he surrendered to Shiva stating his inability.

#sculpture #story - Kalanemi Vadh by Hanuman #Thread

Events happened when#Hanuman went to get Sanjeevani herbs from dronagiri hills in Himalayas

It is beautifully craved in one of the pillars of Sesharaya mandapa in Srirangam Temple,TN

Laxmana was hurt after the battle with Indrajit,son of Ravana.He was wounded badly.Hanuman approached the Royal Physician Sushena for advice.Sushena asked Hanuman to rush to Dronagiri Hills and fetch four important plants.

4 plants/herbs:-Mrutha sanjeevani (restorer of life), Vishalyakarani (remover of arrows), Sandhanakarani (restorer of the skin) and Savarnyakarani (restorer of skin colour)
Reference:- Srimad Valmiki Ramayana, 74th chapter, Yuddakanda, Slokas 29-34

Hanuman flew across the ocean n reaches the dronagiri hills &since he couldn’t identify the specific herbs,he uproots the dronagiri hill &brings it back in time to save laxman.
What happened in hills:-
Ravana heard from his spies that hanuman has went in search of medicinal herb.

So Ravana sent his uncle Kalanemi to stop or delay Hanuman at any cost. Kalanemi disguises as a Rishi welcomes Hanuman in his asharam in the hills & then he persuades Hanuman to have a bath in a pond.

Ganga Snan-Taking bath in sacred Ganga River.Will this act wash away our paap and lead to Moksha?#Thread

Lakhs of people perform Ganga Snan all around the year.

There is an interesting story which explains that mere Ganga Snan won’t wash away paap or help in achieving Moksha.

Once Bhagwan Shiva&Parvati Devi was traveling on earth.Parvati saw so many people heading towards River Ganga to take bath.Parvati wondered if all these people will attain Moksha by bathing in Ganga&asked to Shiva.If they get moksha then there would not be enough space in swarga.

Shiva laughed&said that only a few among them will get Moksha.Only a person who has come with firm belief,devotion& pious mind will get Moksha.

Most of these people who take ganga snan have come to perform it as a mere custom.Some are here to show off that they are religious.

Bhagwan Shiva also told Paravati that one who is really praying for Moksha will attain it on this earth itself&for such people taking ganga snan¬ taking it is of same value.
Devi argued that lakhs of people have come from far off places for ganga snan must be spiritual &good.

Shiva agreed to prove that he was right.Shiva disguised as a sick person with leprosy.Parvati devi as his beautiful wife&went to banks of Ganga.Parvati devi as wife started asking people to help her husband perform Ganga Snan so that he will be cured of leprosy,but in vain.

Kolaru Pathigam-Thevaram hymn composed by ThiruGnana Sambandar- #Thread

In Tamil Kol means planets,Aru means cut- set of songs in Kolaru Pathigam addresses all Navagrahas& last 2 lines of every song with end a plea to Bhagwan Shiva to reduce/erase the ill effects of Navagrahas

கோளறு பதிகம் - This pathigam was sung by Thirugnana Sambandar at Thirumaraikadu Kshetram -Vedaranyam,Tamilnadu

Thirugnana Sambandar & Appar(Thirunavukkarasar) travelled together to various Shiva Alayam to spread shivam & bhakti among people.They both reached Thirumaraikadu.

Thirumaraikadu(Vedaranyam) -
Appar & Sambandar were asked to enter the temple through side entrance.The main door was locked by Vedas many years ago.Appar&Sambandar sang devotional hymns praising Shiva, after which the gates opened & closed.After which main door opened for all.

After darshan of Bhagwan Shiva at Thirumaraikkadu,Sambandar received a message to travel to Madurai.
During that time, Samanam was on the rise in the Pandya Kingdom.The Pandya King converted to Samanam.The Queen Mangaiyarkkarasi was a staunch Shiva devotee and was upset.

Kularchirai Nayanar ,Chief Minister of Pandya kingdom was in agony by the turn of events.Queen requested Kulachirai Nayanar to escort Thiru gnana Sambandar to Madurai.Kularchirai Nayanar met Thiru gnana Sambandar at Thirumaraikkadu & requested him to visit Madurai.

Sri Gurubhyo Namah.
Some tweets on Adi Shankaracharya and in particular the Guru Parampara of @sringerimath. [I had done this series earlier 5 years ago on account of Shishya Sweekaram].

Adi Shankara established the Sringeri Peetham as the 1st of 4 amnaaya peetams.

The four being
1. Sarada Peetam at Sringeri.
2. Govardhana Peetam at Puri
3. Kalika at Dwaraka
4. Jyothir at Badarikashramam.

He installed his 4 most prominent shishyas as heads of the peetams.

Sureshwaracharya was assigned to Sringeri as its head.

Sringeri is a corruption of Rshyashrunga giri.

Rshyashrunga maharshi [and his father Sri Vibandhaka Maharshi] did their tapas at this place.

It is at Sringeri that Shankara spent 12 of His precious 32 years!!

That gives you and idea how much He loved this place.

Rshyashruga maharshi had a horn on his forehead, a result of being born to a deer. His mere presence was enough to shower rains!!

Rshyashrunga was one who led Putrakamesthi Yaagam of Dasaratha Maharaj and which resulted in Sri Rama's birth!!

EVOLUTION OF CROWNS

The ancient Indian kings called a head crown as a Mukut and it would mostly constitute of a golden ornamental headgear like an oval cap with gems.

Sometimes it would also include a halo circle to show the divinity of the king

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As it was considered that kings were appointment by the gods themselves. Example the kings of mewar considered themselves to be the ‘Diwan of eklingji')

But in most cases very few Mukut with halo effect have been found.

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Samudragupta in the gupta era coin. You can see the helmet like headwear on him.

Till gupta era the solid golden head wear was used in most days of the monarch.

But since the onset of 8th century it reduced in usage and was now used only as a ceremonial headwear.

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Whereas earlier the Maharaja had to wear the mukut whenever his court was in session.

Still mukut was being used prominently for ceremonial activities till recent times.

Maharaj Dahir of Sindh👇

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But as times past the style of headwear also changed.

The kings mostly wore turbans ordained with pearls and gems while rarely anyone wore a true Mukut after 16th century.

Portrait of Sri Krishna Dev Raya👇

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Statue of Equality (Ramanuja) Muchintal, Hyderabad, Telangana

The Statue of Equality is a monument in India dedicated to the 11th-century Vaishnavaite Sage Bhagavad Ramanuja, commemorating 1000 years since his birth. It was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji in 2019.

In 2014, Sri Chinna Jeeyar came up with the idea to commemorate the 1000th anniversary of Sri Ramanuja's teachings by building the Statue of Equality. The statue is constructed on an estimated 34 acres in Hyderabad, India.

It consists of a 216 foot tall statue of Ramanuja and is surrounded by 108 Divyadesams (model temples) and includes an educational gallery. The project budget is 1000 crore rupees.The foundation stone for the Statue of Equality was laid by Chinna Jeeyar.

The statue was built by Aerosun Corporation in China before being shipped to India. It is made of panchaloha, a combination of gold, silver, copper, brass and titanium. The statue relies on donations to fund its construction.

The temple is located on the 27,870 square metre second floor with a 120 kg statue of Ramanuja, representing the years he lived, meant for daily worship. The 1,365 square metre third floor including a Vedic digital library and research center.

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