Rameshwaram Temple in Tamil Nadu

Rameshwaram : The place Where lord Ram workshiped eshwaran called Rameshwaram

This place is associated with Ramayana .where Lord Rama came here and workshiped shivalingam after victory of Ravana.

Lord Ram return from srilanka with sita to ayodhya on the way he taking rest in the island he was drinking water in the seashore .there was a celestial proclamation you are drinking water without workshiping me. Listening to this word he need shivalingam to

Worship. Hanuman was entrusted task bringing an image of viswanathar from banaras.

As the auspicious time for the installation has neared, but since Hanuman has still not reached, Sita makes a Linga out of sand and the puja is performed within the stipulated time. It is consecrated as Ramalinga. Meanwhile, Hanuman returns from Shiva’s abode with two Lingas. He is disappointed that the ceremony is already over. In anger, he tries to uproot the sand Linga with his tail, but in vain. Rama pacifies Hanuman and installs a Linga brought by Hanuman from Kailas to the left of Ramalinga, and ordered that all pujas be first performed for this Linga, called Vishwalinga. This priority in puja is followed even today. Rama then performs abhisheka with holy water from the Ganga. He aims an arrow at a point to create a spring and takes the purifacatory bath. This is the much-revered Kodi Theertha, situated in the first corridor of the Rameswaram temple.

Temple is situated in the island of Rameswaram, off the Sethu coast of Tamil Nadu and is reached via the Pamban Bridge across the sea. The huge temple is known for its long ornate corridors, towers and 36 theerthams.

Rameshwaram Jyotirlinga represents the southernmost of the 12 Jyotirlingams of India and has been a time honored pilgrimage center held on par with Banaras. Rameshwaram Temple Jyotirlinga is associated closely with the Ramayana and Rama's victorious return from Sri Lanka.

Structure of Rameshwaram Temple
Rameswaram Temple is spread over an area of 15 acres and has lofty gopurams, massive walls and a colossal Nandi. Rameswaram Jyotirlinga also boasts of a 4000 feet long pillared corridor with over 4000 pillars, supposedly the longest in the world. The carved granite pillars are mounted on a raised platform. Worth noticing fact about this corridor is that the rock is not indigenous to the island and is said to have been brought in from elsewhere in Tamil Nadu across the sea.

The eastern Rajagopuram towers to a height of 126 feet and has nine levels. The Western Rajagopuram is also quite impressive though not as tall as the Eastern one. The temple also has several mandapams with mini shrines to other deities. There is a huge Nandi measuring 12 feet in length and 9 feet in height with the idols of Viswanatha Naicker and Krishnama Naicker. The lingams are housed in the inner section of the Ramalingeshwara. High walls enclose the temple, forming a rectangle with huge pyramidal gopura entrances on each side.

Ramanathaswamy Temple

To worship Lord Ramanatha or Ramalinga, the hallowed sand Linga made by Sita and installed by Sri Rama, pilgrims enter through the eastern gopuram. They offer prayers to Lord Anjaneya smeared with sindhoor. Then comes the Nandi Mandapa, which houses the flag staff and the Nandi. The stuccoed massive image of the bull is made of lime stone, measuring 17.5 feet high, 23 feet long and 12 feet wide. On either side of the Nandi, one finds interesting sculptural representations of the ocean gods Mahodathi and Ratnakara. The sanctum is flanked on either side by shrines of Vinayaka and Subramanya. Inside the sanctum, we worship Sri Ramanathaswamy. It is said this Linga contains marks of Hanuman’s tail, with which he tried to uproot it in a fit of anger. The Linga is decorated with silver kavacha. It is customary to offer abhisheka to the Lord with holy Ganga water.

In the front mandapa, there is a canopy, carved under which are images of Rama, Sita, Lakshmana, Hanuman with the two Lingas brought from Kailas, and Sugriva, appearing to be informing Rama about Hanuman’s return. In three other canopies in the front hall, we find exquisitely-carved figures of Hanuman, Gandhamadhana Linga and Agastya Linga.

Parvathavardhini

She is the consort of Lord Ramanatha and is enshrined separately to His right. There is a Sri Chakra installed inside. Special significance is attached to a Devi shrine situated on the right of the Lord’s shrine. In Madurai, too, the shrine of Meenakshi is situated to the right of Lord Sundareshwara. On Fridays, an especially decorated image of Parvathavardhini is taken round the temple corridor in a golden palanquin.

Vishwanatha & Visalakshi

To the north of Ramalinga shrine, Lord Vishwanatha or Vishwalinga has a separate shrine. This is one of the two Lingas brought from Kailas by Hanuman. As per tradition, pujas are first performed to Vishwalinga and then to Ramalinga. In the first inner corridor, Visalakshi, consort of Vishwanatha, is enshrined.

Sayanagruha (Palliyarai)

This is in the north-eastern corner of the corridor around the Visalakshi shrine. The gold image of the Lord is ceremoniously brought here every night from the main shrine and placed in the Oonjal (swing) by the side of the Devi’s golden idol. The Sayana puja and the early morning puja, when the Lord is taken back in a procession to the sanctum, are worth witnessing.

Jyothirlinga

In the first inner corridor, devotees offer worship to the venerated Spatika Linga, installed by Vibhishana. This Linga is the southernmost among the 12 famous Jyothirlingas in the country.

Sethumadava

There is a legend associated with this shrine. Once there ruled a Pandya king by name Punyanithi. As he had no issues, he along with his queen undertook a Sethu Theertha Yatra. Soon he found a baby girl in the palace garden and adopted her as his daughter. As years passed, the princess reached marriageable age. One day an old Brahmin from Kashi, holding Ganga water, appeared in the palace garden and sought her hand in marriage. The king got angry and ordered the old Brahmin to be kept chained in the temple corridor. That night the king had a dream in which he realized that the old man in chain was none other than Lord Vishnu with his daughter, Goddes Lakshmi, by his side. He fell at the Lord’s feet and sought forgiveness. He gave his daughter in marriage to Lord Vishnu at Rameswaram. He is known as Sethu Madhava or Shwetha Madhava (as his image is made of white marble). In Kashi, Lord Vishnu is worshipped as Bindu Madhava.

Puja Timings

The temple remain open from 5 am to 1 pm and from 3 pm to 9 pm. The Elaborate pujas are offered six times daily.

Timings	Pujas
5.00 am	Palliyarai (Sayanagruha) Deeparadhana
5.10 am	Saptika linga Deeparadhana
5.45 am	Thiruvananthal Deeparadhana
7.00 am	Vila Puja
10.00 am	Kaalasanthi Puja
12.00 noon	Uchikala Puja
6.00 pm	Saayaraksha Puja
8.30 pm	Ardhajaama Puja
8.45 pm	Palliyarai Puja

Vaitheeswaran Dr GOD

Vaitheeswaran Temple

Vaitheeswaran

Vaithee means Doctor Eswaran means lord(GOD)

Vaitheeswaran means the Lord Doctor in the Tamil language. Prayers to Lord Vaitheeswaran will cure diseases and illness.

Nadi Astrology seen in this place.The people around the world any religion can known about their past,present and future using Thump Impression.That great part of this compilation predicting the future of all human beings born or yet to be born

. DO you know that your Past, Present and Future has been written 2000 year ago in palm leaf.

Vaitheeswaran temple is known in Hindu scriptures as Pullirukkuvelur, (Pul - Irukku - Vel - Ur, the words in Tamil meaning Bird (Jatayu), Rig Veda, Lord Murugan and Sun respectively) is one of the important Shiva temples in the South.

The Legend
There are many legends associated with this temple. It is said that Lord Murugan received his Vel in order to vanquish the demon King Soorapathman in this place. It is also believed that Lord Shiva himself appeared at this place with Goddess Thaiyalnayaki carrying the "Sanjeevi Thailam" (panacea for all ills) and the soil from the roots of the vilva tree in order to cure all illnesses of mankind.

A King by the name of Veerasena was a devotee of Lord Shiva and he found that his son Chithrasena was suffering from an incurable illness. So he took the advice of his Guru and arrived at this place, and after offering puja to the deity smeared his body and that of his son Chitrasena with the sacred ash viboodhi found in the Jatayu kundam where upon he found that his son was cured of his illness.

The tank in front of the temple of Goddess Thaiyalnayaki is a very holy Theertham (also spelt as Teertha). It is said that this water cured the white leprosy of a devotee called "Suntharan" and red leprosy of Ankaragan, and when this Theertham was sprinkled on the severed head and body of Thakkan, the two pieces miraculously joined together and he was brought back to life.

The Deity
In other temples only the main deity is considered to be potent, here three deities the Ishwara, The Devi and Muruga are very powerful in bestowing grace. Muruga here known as "Muthu Kumaraswami" is the most charming figure and innumerable legends have arisen to reveal his grace. It was this Kumara, who taught saint Kumaragurupara, the opening sentence for his devotional lyrics.

The spear is inseparable from Muruga and he is also called "Vel-Muruga". It was the spear that pierced the chest of Surapadma and put an end to all his evil deeds. And this spear was bestowed to Muruga here only by his mother Parvati.

The Temple
As we enter the town two tall Gopurams eastern and western Gopurams can be seen. The south entrance is not so magnificent, which leads to the temple tank Siddamrita Teertham, a very sacred pool. This picturesque pool is surrounded by a covered corridor with fine flight of steps to the water, which ripple around a water pavilion in its midst. Its waters are said to contain medicinal properties and peculiarity is that it harbours no fogs. People with various illnesses come here to get cured and hence this place is called "Vaitheeswaran" - the one who cures of illnesses.

Three important sanctums, one for Vaidyanada facing west and for Devi Thayalnayaki and selva Muthukumaraswami facing south adorns the interior. In the north corridor abutting the Shiva's sanctum is the shrine of Avudai Amman the Bhadrakali.

Another salient feature of the temple is the presence of Planet Angaraka (Tuesday) and Jvaraharesvara (Lord of fevers). Even for every fatal ill like Smallpox, application of neem leaves is considered to be effective and this temples holy tree (Thalamaram) is neem, seen near the eastern Gopuram, with a sturdy trunk and sprawling branches.

The sanctum of the Ishwara has a corridor around it, with the festival icons of Adikara Nandi and Jatayu. The Navagraha images stationed in the east corridor are devoid of Angaraka and Sun. The south corridor has the Jatayu Kunda, the place where Rama performed the last rites to Jatayu, with images of Rama, Lakshamana, Visvamithra, Vasista and Jatayu over that Kunda. Another unusual thing here is the presence of Sattanada above Dakshinamurti.

Services And Festivities
There are six daily worships and the temple is closed in the afternoon between 12 noon and 5 pm. There are festivals throughout the year. A special puja is conducted every month during karthikai with the main festival falls in the month of Thai (Jan/Feb) to Sri Selvamuththukumarar. Puja for Ankaragan is conducted on Tuesdays and he is taken in procession. On these days large numbers of devotees bathe in the water of the Siththamirtha Theertham (also spelt as Teertha) and offer their prayers to the deities in order to receive divine blessing.

HOW TO GET THERE

Air: The nearest airport is at Trichy.
Rail: The nearest railway station is at Kumbakonam. There are frequent trains from Mayladuthurai,Kumbakonam and Ariyalur.
Road: There are regular buses from kumbakonam almost every hour and a few other buses to Trichy and Chidambaram. Tourists who wish to drive from Chennaican reach the temple via the Chennai-Kumbakonam-Thanjavur highway. It is 245 km from Chennai, 74 km from Thanjavur and 34 km from Kumbakonam.

NADI ASTROLOGY

History

In India someone having records of your past, present and future, hard to believe it. Yes, It is possible in Nadi Astrology. Nadi is an ancient astrology, which has been composed by great Maharishis (sages) of India in the past usingtheir spiritual powers. The sages recorded these predictions for everyindividuals for the betterment of humanity and to safeguard dharma (righteousness). These sages predicted the characteristics, family history, as well as the careers of innumerable individuals contain in several thousand volumes, each containing around a hundred predictions. These Nadi prediction recordings, being the repository of wisdom of the Great Saint was one of the well preserved books for thousands of years by the many generations of rulers, until an auction during the British rule, when it finally became the proud possession of an influential family of Valluvar community at Vaitheeswarankoil in the Tanjore district of Tamilnadu.

The Rishis (sages), who dictated those Nadis, were gifted with such a remarkable foresight that they accurately foretold the entire future of all mankind. Many scholars in different parts of India have in their safekeeping several granthas. Initially, Nadi Astrology predictions was thought to be just writing on Astrology, but soon it became evident that the scriptures contained some unique predictions of specific natives, who will come seeking them, at a particular stage of their lifetime, as foretold by the Great Saint in these predictions.

This great work makes us realize the limitations of human sciences., eclipses the achievements of all other sciences put together. These predictive texts also contain a chapter recommending certain Pilgrimages or prayers, worship and charities at specific shrines, to neutralize ones past sins

The source point of Nadi Astrology leaves can be traced back to approximately more then 2000 years. It is said that the Seven Maharishis (sages) Agasthya, Kausika, Vyasa, BoharBrigu, Vasishtha and Valmiki had predicted and then written life of each individual on leaves of a palm tree by their spiritual powers. These Nadi leaves were initially stored in the premises of Tanjore Saraswati Mahal of Tamilnadu State in India. The British rulers later showed interest in the Nadi leaves concerned with herbs and medicine, future prediction etc; but ironically left most of the Nadi prediction leaves to their loyal people. Some leaves get destroyed and some very auctioned during the British rule. Some Nadi leaves were anyhow possessed by the families of astrologers in Vaitheeswarankoil from Tanjore Saraswati Mahal Library. At about 13th century these leaves were rediscovered by the forefathers which were lying unclaimed in Vaitheeswarankoil and realized their tremendous value and created the copies of the predictions on the palm leafs and created them their exact duplicates. Then these Nadi leaves were passed down from generation to generation make predictions, astrologers earn their lively hood from them. It has become profession which was provided by their ancestors to them, the son got trained by his father and the father by his father to make Nadi predictions. The prediction written on the leaf is in ancient Tamil in form of poems, same as language used in ancient temple of Tamilnadu.

The texts are mainly written in Vatteluttu, which is an ancient Tamil script. The script largely resembles to that of Grantha Script in its developing form. There are different schools of thought as to the author of these leaves. They were written by a great Tamil sage called Agathiyar who had divine revelations. This doctrine of astrology was made famous by astrologers around the Vaitheeswaran Temple in the state of Tamil Nadu and is still practiced around the temple by their descendants.

These Nadi leaves were initially stored in the premises of Tanjore Saraswati Mahal Library of Tamil Nadu.. These Nadi leaves were obtained and possessed by the families of astrologers in Vaitheeswaran Temple. This is an art passed down the years from one generation to the other. A carbon dating was performed in 1995 and yielded an age of some 350 years, placing the manuscript in the 17th century.

Procedure

Usually, the Nadi Reader asks for the thumb impression (right hand thumb impression for males and left hand thumb impression for females). The Nadi Reader then searches his repository of leaves for the seeker's classification of thumb print. Finally, the minimum possible set of matching leaves is brought. Every leaf corresponds to some individual and hence will bear the birth and kinship details of its seeker. Then the Nadi Reader goes on asking about the details mentioned on the palm leaf one by one, for sake of finding the exact leaf out of the set of the leaves. For example, he will ask you if your (i.e. the seeker's) name is XYZ. If it is correct or incorrect, the seeker would require to say yes or no. If the answer to the first question was in the affirmative, the reader then reads the next detail written on the same leaf, e.g. "Your mother's name is ABC." Again the seeker has to confirm the same or otherwise. If the seeker's mother's name was incorrect, the seeker would only have to say "no". That would mean the specific leaf did not belong to the seeker. Hence the reader starts reading another palm leaf. And so the procedure continues. The seeker is asked a series of questions, based on the verses, so as to find the exact match. These questions are to be answered yes or no. The exact leaf of the seeker is said to get only "yes" responses from the seeker. If all the details on the one and the same leaf are 100% correct, then that leaf belongs to the seeker. It is said that the details such as father/mother's name, seeker's name, name of the wife( if married), details of children, profession, present age of the seeker, date of birth of seeker etc, are found mentioned on the palm leaf. Also, to confirm the same, the seeker is provided with the astrological chart which is present in the leaves in poetic format. Once the exact leaf is found, by confirming the seeker's name, parents' name, spouse's name and many other details about his past, the future which is further mentioned in the leaf, is read out for the seeker. The future is generally written in such a way that a folder within a folder, e.g. If the seeker is not married at the time of reading, in the general chapter, it might have been written that his marriage will take place at e.g. 27 years of age. If the seeker desires more details regarding his married life then he has to refer to the seventh chapter which deals with only married life and may contain name of wife, her background etc etc. The first chapter (kandam) in the leaf has the general overview of its seeker's life. The kandams that follow this are specific ones like Marriage, Profession, etc. The list of chapters and details are as follows:

1. General Kandam: Contains general summary of the future predictions for the seeker. It is gist of all the 12 houses of the horoscope.

2. Regarding family, Education, Speech, Eyes, Money and Intuition etc.

3. Regarding brothers & Sisters, affection, help or ill feelings between self and them.

4. Regarding mother, House, Land, Properties, Vehicles and the pleasures of life.

5. Regarding children, their births, reason for not having children, adoption, remedial measures for getting children, their future.

6. Regarding diseases, debts, enemies, litigation & court cases, and remedial measures for the above.

7. Regarding marriage, marital life, detailed information of future spouse, and planetary position of the spouse etc.

8. Regarding longevity, accidents and danger to life, planetary position of the day of death and the place of death.

9. Regarding father, wealth, visits to holy places, fortune; Benefit from the preachings of Guru, charitable deeds and social life.

10. Regarding career, job, profession, change of place, good-bad times in career, growth, prosperity and losses in one's profession.

11. Regarding second or further marriages, profits in business, profits from side businesses etc.

12. Regarding expenditures, foreign visits, next birth and attainment of salvation.

Separate Kandams:

13. Shanti Pariharam: This Kandam is regarding the past birth details, sins committed in past birth, remedial measures that can dilute the effect of it.

14. Deeksha Kandam: Regarding the methods of preparing the Mantra Raksha, that has the power to shield the self from evil forces of jealous and envy.

15. Aushadha Kandam: Regarding medicines for chronic diseases, method of preparing them and taking them.

Initially, only the first chapter is read to the seeker. If the seeker needs further details on some particular chapter (like Business, Health, Marriage etc), then the corresponding chapter's verses are read to him/her. The seeker is also advised rituals which can correct the future mishappenings, there by leading to a choice.

The palm leaf inscription of an individual is spotted out on the basis of that individual's thumb impression. Modes found in the thumbs of the people on the earth are classified into more than 100 categories. The Nadi, palm leaf inscriptions are arranged according to these categories. The Nadi readers identify the particular category of the mode on the thumb and the corresponding set of palm leaves are taken out. The time duration to pick up one's leaf depends upon the identification of the thumb impression. Some impressions are identified easily and the corresponding leaves are found soon.

Leaves are there not only for Indian nationals but also for foreigners and other nationals belonging to other religions and creeds. Its all one's destiny to get the leaf identified and the predictions known to the person concerned.

Nadi Astrology is an ancient Indian method of Astrology to learn about one's past, present and the future. It is said that thousands of years ago, the great sages of Indian had the power to look into the past and future of the entire universe and recorded the life of each human being who either lived, were living or were to live. At some point of time , those findings were documented on palm leaves in an ancient Tamil script, which can now only be deciphered by expert Nadi astrologers.

NADI in Tamil means “ in search of“. Because an individual goes in search of his predictions to this system, it came to be called by this name, Nadi Astrology. The palm leaf inscriptions, otherwise known as Nadies, are scattered throughout India. Some of these palm leaf inscriptions, Nadies available in Tamilnadu were standardized, ordered and classified in Tamil Nadu nearly 2000 years ago during the reign of the Cholas in South India. There are Number of Nadies, palm leaf inscriptions available named after the Rishis who composed the same. There are only a few Nadi readers available who could interpret the inscriptions which are written in the poetic language. There are various Nadies, palm leaf insciptions available like Agathiya Naadi, Shukha Nadi, Brahma Nadi, Kaushika Nadi etc.

Each Nadi is a collection of the inscriptions of a particular Rishi concerned , written in Vatta Ezhuthu , a Tamil script, with a sharp, nail-like instrument called Ezhuthani. The palm leaves are preserved by the application of peacock oil on auspicious occasions. These palm leaves are still preserved in the Saraswathi Mahal library of Tanjore(Thanjavur), in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The primary centre for Nadi Shastra/Nadi Astrology is in Vaitheeswarankoil, near Chidambaram in Tamil Nadu.