Kancheepuram
76 kms from Chennai
The Small Temple Town of Kancheepuram, or Kanchi, as it is Popularly
known is one of the Seven sacred cities of the Hindus. From the
6th to the 8th Centuries, it was....
Mamallapuram
58 Kms from Chennai
The Unesco World Heritage Site of Mamallapuram (or Mahabalipuram)
was once a major port city, built in the 7th Century by the Pallava
King, Narasimha Varman I, also known as Mamalla,...
Tiruvannamalai
- Arunachaleshvara Temple 85 kms from Chennai
One of the most sacred cities of Tamilnadu, this pilgrim town
is the place where shiva is believed to have....
Tiruthani
Thiruthani is one of the six abodes of Lord Subramanya. Situated
on a hilltop, the temple is accesible by a flight of 365 steps
and also by a ghat road. The steps represents number of days of
a year. It is said to be the place where the lord Muruga married
Valli, one of his two consorts. The Karthigai Festival is celeberated
with great pomp and splendour.
Tirupathi
Lord Venkateshwara temple at Tirupati is an important pilgrim
centre for the Hindus. Generally, weekdays are less Crowded.
The
most popular destination for Hindu pilgrims in India, Tirupati
is the site of the Shri Venkateshvara Temple, situated in the
Tirumala Hills, 700 m (2.297 ft) above the town. The seven "sacred
hills" of Tirumala are believed to symbolize the seven -
headed serpent god Adisesha, on whose coils Vishnu sleeps. The
temple dates to the 9th century, although it has often been expanded
and renovated from the 15th century onwards.
The
aura that surrounds Lord Venkateshvara (a form of Lord Vishnu,
who is also known as Balaji) as the "Bestower of Boons"
has made his temple the most visited and the richest in India.
It eclipses Jerusalem and Rome in the number of pilgrims it attracts
- around 25,000 a day, and up to 100,000 on festival days. The
gold vimana and flagpole, and the gold - plated doorway into the
inner sanctum, proclaim the temple's wealth. The jet - black stone
image, 2 - m (7-ft) high, stands on a lotus and is adorned with
rubies, diamonds and gold. The deity also wears a diamond crown,
believed to be the singlemost precious ornament in the world.
He is flanked by his consorts, Sridevi and Bhudevi. The entrance
portico has superb life - size images of the Vijayanagara king
and queens, who worshipped Venkateshvara as their protective deity.
The
entire complex is built to accommodate the huge influx of pilgrims,,
who come to seek favours from Lord Venkateshvara. This is one
of the few temples in South India where non - Hindus are allowed
into the inner sanctum. Devotees wait patiently in long queues
for a special darshan, and make offerings of money, gold and jewellery
that net the temple an annual income of nearly 1.5 billion rupees.
The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD), which runs the temple,
employs a staff of 6,000 to see to the pilgrims' needs and maintain
the temple premises.
The
temple complex includes a ritual bathing tank, and a small Art
Museum with images of deities, musical instruments and Votive
objects. Surrounding it are green valleys and the Akash Ganga
waterfall, which is the source of the holy water used for bathing
the deity.
A
unique feature at Tirupati is that many devotees offer their hair
to the deity, and there are separate enclosures for this purpose.
It is believed that since hair enchances a person's appearance,
shaving it off shed vanity as well. This offering is usually made
after the fulfilment of a wish. The hair - offerings are later
exported to the United States and Japan where they are made into
wigs.
Most
pilgrims stop at the small Ganesha shrine in the foothills, and
at the Govindarajaswamy Temple in Tirupati town, before driving
up the hill to the Tirumala shrine. This temple, which dates to
the 16th - 17th century, is dedicated to both Krishna and Vishnu.
Built by the Nayakas, the successors to the Vijayanagar rulers,
it is approached through a massive, grey outer gopura that dominates
Tirupati's skyline, and is carved with scences from the Ramayana.
An exquisite pavilion in the inner courtyard has carved granite
pillars, an ornate wooden roof, and impressive sculptures of crouching
lions. The temple has a magnificent image of the reclining Vishnu,
called Ranganatha, coated with bronze armour. A short distance
north of the temple is the Venkateshvara Museum of Temple Arts,
with temple models, photographs and ritual objects.
Daily
Darshan: 6 - 11am. Extra charges to join the shorter queue for
special darshan of the deity
Vedanthangal (85 km)
One of the largest bird sanctuaries in India. Its marshy 30-hectare
park is visited by over 1,00,000 migratory birds every year. The
majority of these birds can be seen between November and February.
Herons, Darters, Spoonbills, Pelicans, Sandpipers, White ibis,
Cormorants, Blue winged teals and Sans can be seen here between
November and February.
Muttukadu
(36 km)
The backwaters of Muttukadu have been developed by TTDC as a scenic
picnic spot and a centre for water sports. The wind surfing regatta
organised in February every year attracts enthusiasts from all
over the world. Training programmes are held for beginners.
Vellore
Surrounded by a deep artificial moat, the 16th century
Vellore Fort dominates the heart of this town.
The british occupied the fort in 1760 following the fall of Srirangapatnam
and death of Tipu Sultan.An impressive example of military architechture,
the fort has a turbulent history. This formidable structure has
with stood many battles, including an ill - fated mutiny led by
the son of Tipu Sultan in 1806 against the British East India
Company. Today, part of the fort houses some government offices,
including the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), district courts
within has a small but good collection of historical objects found
in the area.
The
only major structure to survive in the fort is the magnificent
Jalakanteshvara Temple, constructed by the Nayakas,
governors of the region under the Vijayanagar kings, in the mid
- 16th century. This Shiva temple is located near the fort's nothern
wall. It is surrounded by a low - lying boundary wall and contains
a tank and subsidiary shrines. In the early 20th century, the
temple was used as a garrison and its linga was removed from the
sanctum. This was reinstated in 1981, after which worship recommenced.
In the outer courtyard is the ornate Kalyana Mandapa. Its pillars
are carved with magnificent horses and yali riders.
At
the west side of the fort complex, the small Government
Museum contains sculptures dating back to pallava and
chola times. Interesting exhibits include the 'hero stones' dating
from the 8th century and depicting the stories of war heroes in
battle.
Vellore
is renowned for its prestigious Christian Medical College, set
up in 1900 by the American Dr Ida Scudder. This instiution specializes
in research on tropical diseases.
