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Aandaal
Andal ( ta, ஆண்டாள்), also known as Kothai, Nachiyar, and Godadevi, was the only female Alvar among the twelve Hindu poet-saints of South India. She was posthumously considered an avatar of the goddess Bhudevi. As with the Alvar saints, she was affiliated to the Sri Vaishnava tradition of Hinduism. Active in the 8th-century, with some suggesting 7th-century, Andal is credited with two great Tamil works, ''Thiruppavai'' and '' Nachiyar Tirumoḻi'', which are still recited by devotees during the winter festival season of Margaḻi. Andal is a prominent figure for women in South India and has inspired several women's groups such as Goda Mandali. Legends According to literary and religious tradition, Periyalvar (பெரியாழ்வார்), originally called Vishnuchithan, was an ardent devotee of Perumal (Vishnu) and he used to string garlands to the deity every day. He was childless and he prayed to God to save him from the longing for a child. On ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ranganathaswamy Temple, Srirangam
Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to Ranganatha (a form of Vishnu), located in Srirangam, Tiruchirapalli, Tamil Nadu, India. Constructed in the Hindu architectural style, the temple is glorified by Alvars in their Naalayira Divya Prabhandam and has the unique distinction of being the foremost among the 108 Divya Desams dedicated to the god Vishnu. It is the most illustrious ''Vaishnava'' temples in South India rich in legend and history. The temple has played an important role in Vaishnavism history starting with the 11th-century career of Ramanuja and his predecessors Nathamuni and Yamunacharya in Srirangam. Its location, on an island between the Kollidam and Kaveri rivers, has rendered it vulnerable to flooding as well as the rampaging of invading armies which repeatedly commandeered the site for military encampment. The temple was looted and destroyed by the Delhi Sultanate armies in a broad plunder raid on various cities of the Pandyan kingdom in e ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Srirangam Ranganathaswamy Temple
Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to Ranganatha (a form of Vishnu), located in Srirangam, Tiruchirapalli, Tamil Nadu, India. Constructed in the Hindu architectural style, the temple is glorified by Alvars in their Naalayira Divya Prabhandam and has the unique distinction of being the foremost among the 108 Divya Desams dedicated to the god Vishnu. It is the most illustrious ''Vaishnava'' temples in South India rich in legend and history. The temple has played an important role in Vaishnavism history starting with the 11th-century career of Ramanuja and his predecessors Nathamuni and Yamunacharya in Srirangam. Its location, on an island between the Kollidam and Kaveri rivers, has rendered it vulnerable to flooding as well as the rampaging of invading armies which repeatedly commandeered the site for military encampment. The temple was looted and destroyed by the Delhi Sultanate armies in a broad plunder raid on various cities of the Pandyan kingdom in e ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hinduism
Hinduism () is an Indian religion or '' dharma'', a religious and universal order or way of life by which followers abide. As a religion, it is the world's third-largest, with over 1.2–1.35 billion followers, or 15–16% of the global population, known as Hindus. The word ''Hindu'' is an exonym, and while Hinduism has been called the oldest religion in the world, many practitioners refer to their religion as '' Sanātana Dharma'' ( sa, सनातन धर्म, lit='the Eternal Dharma'), a modern usage, which refers to the idea that its origins lie beyond human history, as revealed in the Hindu texts. Another endonym is ''Vaidika dharma'', the dharma related to the Vedas. Hinduism is a diverse system of thought marked by a range of philosophies and shared concepts, rituals, cosmological systems, pilgrimage sites, and shared textual sources that discuss theology, metaphysics, mythology, Vedic yajna, yoga, agamic rituals, and temple building, among other to ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Braj
Braj, also known as Vraj, Vraja, Brij or Brijbhoomi, is a region in India on both sides of the Yamuna river with its centre at Mathura-Vrindavan in Uttar Pradesh state encompassing the area which also includes Palwal and Ballabhgarh in Haryana state, Bharatpur district in Rajasthan state and Morena District in Madhya Pradesh.Janet Cochrane, 2008Asian Tourism: Growth and Change page 249. Within Uttar Pradesh it is very well demarcated culturally, the area stretches from the Mathura, Aligarh, Agra, Hathras and districts up to the Farrukhabad, Mainpuri and Etah districts. Braj region is associated with Radha and Krishna who according to scriptures were born in Barsana and Mathura respectively. It is the main centre of Krishna circuit of Hindu pilgrimage. It is located 150 km south of Delhi and 50 km northwest of Agra. Etymology The term Braj is derived from the Sanskrit word ''vraja (व्रज)''. Vraja was first mentioned in Rigveda, and in Sanskrit it means a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Radha
Radha ( sa, राधा, ), also called Radhika, is a Hindu goddess and the chief consort of the god Krishna. She is worshiped as the goddess of love, tenderness, compassion, and devotion. She is the avatar of goddess Lakshmi and is also described as the chief of the ''Gopis'' (milkmaids). During Krishna's youth, she appears as his lover and companion. Many traditions and scriptures accord Radha the status of the eternal consort and wife of Krishna. Radha, as a supreme goddess, is considered as the female counterpart and the internal potency (''hladini shakti'') of Krishna, who resides in Goloka, the celestial abode of Radha Krishna. Radha is said to accompany Krishna in all his incarnations. In Radha Vallabh Sampradaya and Haridasi Sampradaya, only Radha is worshiped as the supreme deity. Elsewhere, she is venerated with Krishna as his principal consort in Nimbarka Sampradaya, Pushtimarg, Mahanam Sampraday, Swaminarayan Sampradaya, Vaishnava-Sahajiya and Gaudiya Vaishnavis ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gopi
Gopi ( sa, गोपी, ) or Gopika in Hinduism are worshipped as the consorts and devotees of Krishna within the Vaishnavism and Krishnaism traditions for their unconditional love and devotion ('' Bhakti'') to god Krishna as described in the Sanskrit scriptures like Bhagavata Purana and other Puranic literature. Gopis are often considered as the expansion of goddess Radha, the chief consort of Krishna. The Raslila of gopis with Krishna has inspired various traditional performance art forms and literatures. According to Indian philosopher, Jiva Goswami, gopis are considered as the eternal beloved and manifestation of the internal spiritual potency of Krishna. Among the gopis, Radha is the chief gopi and is the personification of bliss potency (''hladini shakti'') of Krishna. She alone manifest the stage of "''Mahabhav"'' or supreme love for Krishna and holds a place of particularly high reverence and importance in a number of religious traditions. Etymology Gopi (गो ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tamil Culture
Tamil culture is the culture of the Tamil people. Tamil culture is rooted in the arts and ways of life of Tamils in India, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Singapore, and across the globe. Tamil culture is expressed in language, literature, music, dance, theatre, folk arts, martial arts, painting, sculpture, architecture, sports, media, comedy, cuisine, costumes, celebrations, philosophy, religions, traditions, rituals, organizations, science, and technology. Language and literature Tamils have strong attachment to the Tamil language, which is often venerated in literature as "''Tamil̲an̲n̲ai''", "the Tamil mother". It has historically been, and to large extent still is, central to the Tamil identity. Like the other languages of South India, it is unrelated to the Indo-European languages of northern India. The Tamil language preserves many features of Proto-Dravidian, though modern-day spoken Tamil in Tamil Nadu freely uses loanwords from Sanskrit and English and vice versa. Also, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Brindavan
Vrindavan (; ), also spelt Vrindaban and Brindaban, is a historical city in the Mathura district of Uttar Pradesh, India. It is located in the Braj, Braj Bhoomi region and holds religious importance in Hinduism as Krishna spent most of his childhood days in this city. Vrindavan has about 5,500 temples dedicated to the worship of Krishna and his divine consort Radha. It is one of the most sacred places for Vaishnavism tradition. Vrindavan is a significant part of the "Krishna pilgrimage circuit" which also includes Mathura, Barsana, Gokul, Govardhan, Kurukshetra, Dwarka and Puri. Etymology The ancient Sanskrit name of the city, (), comes from its groves of ''vṛndā'' (Ocimum tenuiflorum, Holy basil) and ''vana'' (a Grove (nature), grove or forest). Geography Vrindavan is located at . It has an average elevation of 170 metres (557 feet). Yamuna river flows through the city. It is located 125 km away from Delhi and 15 km away from Mathura City. Cli ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gopi
Gopi ( sa, गोपी, ) or Gopika in Hinduism are worshipped as the consorts and devotees of Krishna within the Vaishnavism and Krishnaism traditions for their unconditional love and devotion ('' Bhakti'') to god Krishna as described in the Sanskrit scriptures like Bhagavata Purana and other Puranic literature. Gopis are often considered as the expansion of goddess Radha, the chief consort of Krishna. The Raslila of gopis with Krishna has inspired various traditional performance art forms and literatures. According to Indian philosopher, Jiva Goswami, gopis are considered as the eternal beloved and manifestation of the internal spiritual potency of Krishna. Among the gopis, Radha is the chief gopi and is the personification of bliss potency (''hladini shakti'') of Krishna. She alone manifest the stage of "''Mahabhav"'' or supreme love for Krishna and holds a place of particularly high reverence and importance in a number of religious traditions. Etymology Gopi (गो ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Chitra Pournami (festival)
Chaitra Pournami is an multi-sect multi-community Hindu festival observed on Purnima day of Chaitra month. It is celebrated across various parts of South Asia observed on full moon day in the month of Chithirai, corresponding in the Gregorian calendar to a day in April or May. In some parts of India, The festival is dedicated to Chitragupta, a Hindu god who is believed to record humans' good and bad deeds for Yama, the Hindu god of death and the underworld. On this day, devotees ask Chitragupta to forgive their sins. On the festival day, many devotees bathe in rivers or other water bodies to symbolise their sins being washed away. This is especially popular at the river Chitra in the district of Tirunelveli in Tamil Nadu, India. In Kerala's capital, Thiruvananthapuram, there is an old temple of Chitra Pournami Valiya Thottam Bhagavathi at Pachalloor en-route Kovalam. Here, this festival has been celebrated for the last 200 years. The temple belongs to Melanganathil Veedu-Valiya ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Azhagar Koyil
Alagar Kovil or 'Azhagar Kovil' is a village in Madurai district in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The history and living of the village is centered around Kallazhagar Temple. Constructed in the Dravidian style of architecture, the temple is glorified in the ''Divya Prabandha'', the early medieval Tamil canon of the Azhwar saints from the 6th–9th centuries CE. It is one of the 108 ''Divyadesams'' dedicated to Vishnu, who is worshiped as Kallazhagar and his consort Lakshmi as Thirumamagal. Kallazhagar Temple Kallazhagar Temple covers an area of about and has a five-tiered ''gopuram'' (gateway tower). The temple is enclosed in a rectangular enclosure with huge granite walls. The central shrine houses the image of the presiding deity, Sundarabahu Perumal in standing posture. The images of Sridevi and Bhudevi are also housed in the sanctum. There are two life size images of Narasimha, the avatar of Vishnu. One of them is shown holding the demon Hiranya and other slaying ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
