With the Punkunnam railway, station nearby this is very easily approachable by rail, road and air. Cochin is the nearest airport and Thrissur station is the nearest railhead for those coming from outside the city. One of the greatest Mahakshetras, the Thiruvambady Sree Krishna Temple is a must from the temple destinations in Asia.

The temple has Lord Sree Krishna in the infant form and there is also a temple of Goddess Bhagawathy here in a shrine lying to the left of the Sree Krishna temple. Temples for Lord Ganesha and Lord Ayappa are also found here. There are separate shrines for the founders of the temple in a separate shrine outside.

There are carvings of deities here so you would find the Kukshi Ayappa, the Ghandakarna, Manikanda, Bhairava and Raktheswari on the temple walls. It is said that the idol of Lord Sree Krishna was initially a Parthasarhi idol in Edakkalathur, which is around 15 km from Thrissur. There are legends connected to the Sree Krishna idol and the Bhagavathy statue here in the temple.

The Thiruvambady Sree Krishna temple stands tall as a major landmark in Thrissur in Kerala. It is a unique experience to visit this temple and experience the aura and divinity here.

Visit the Thiruvambady Sree Krishna temple in Thrissur in Kerala and enjoy the powers of the almighty.

]]> http://www.theearthtraveler.net/the-thiruvambady-sree-krishna-temple-in-kerala.html/feed 0 http://www.theearthtraveler.net/temple-tales-from-ettumanoor-temple-kerala.html http://www.theearthtraveler.net/temple-tales-from-ettumanoor-temple-kerala.html#comments Thu, 24 May 2012 07:00:57 +0000 admin http://www.theearthtraveler.net/?p=4393 Ettumanoor is a religious town situated in the district of Kottayam in God’s own Country Kerala. Situated around 11 km from the Kottayam town, Ettumanoor lies around 65 km from Cochin. The Cochin International Airport is around 73km away from Ettumanoor.

Getting there

Accessible by road, rail and air, this is a pilgrim spot in Kerala which is frequented by most of the devotees revering the presiding deity Lord Shiva here. Kottayam is the nearest railhead and Cochin is the nearest airport. Lying on the router between Poonjar and Wagamon, this is a lovely land tucked away in this part of India, and is a link between the Western Ghats and Palai. The temple is also reached by waterways. So the areas of Allepey, Ambalapuzha, Mankombu, Chempakulam and Mannar are all the destinations from where there are waterways facilities to Ettumanoor.

When to Visit

The best time to visit this temple is between the months of October to March.

Mythology and Legends

Ettumanoor temple has brought lot of glory to the place. Mythology has it that the Pandavas and the sage Vyasa have visited this temple and worshipped it too. the name “Ettumanoor” comes from the word ‘Man” which means deer in Malayalam.

It is believed that the great Indian philosopher and teacher Sankaracharya wrote the Soundarya Lahiri a religious scripture sitting here in this temple. The temple had to be reconstructed in the year 1542 AD.

The Temple

The presiding deity is Lord Shiva and there are also statues of Yakshi, Saastha, Ganapathy and Goddess Bhagavathi here. The temple is most popular for its astounding architectural style with the conical roof plated with copper being the mainstay. With a great variety of mural paintings and a plethora of sculptures, the Ettumanoor temple is a living symbol of past art and architectural elegance.

The temple also has the fresco of Pradosha Nritham or the Dance of Shiva and is among the finest Indian wall paintings. The temple is really a living example of the engineering skills of the Vishwakarma Sthapatis who constructed it.

There are scenes from the Indian epic Ramayana, the Bhagwatha and also a lot of tales from the Indian mythology that are depicted here. The golden flagstaff in the temple is a major feature and the image of the bull on top of the flagstaff gives an impression of how majestic this temple is and how the ancient constructions and present day traditions have kept the image of the temple going. The flagstaff has tiny bells around it at the top and also has metal leaves the banyan tree on it.

Festivals

Constructed sometime in the 16th century, this is a lovely example of great architecture of ancient times and is famous for the Ezharaponnaana Ezhunallathu festival that is celebrated here with great pomp and grandeur and has devotees coming in large numbers to attend it.

Thiruvathira day is a great day here in the temple as on this day the Arattu festival is celebrated with great grandeur. There is a display of seven and a half elephants in full gold and shown for public view. This is done on the eighth and the tenth day and the temple is crowded with devotees at that time. There is nearly 13 kilograms of gold put on display.

There is a thulabaram here in the temple which is a very important ritual of the temple. Devotees come here and make offerings to God for all favors received. The offerings could be either golf, fruits or anything that is permitted by the temple rules.

The Ettumanoor temple thus is a lovely land of religion, architecture and culture and is a must see spot here in Kerala.

Situated in the district of Alappuzha in the state of Kerala, Mannarasala is a place that gives one the best reasons to get religious and the power here is unbeatably fascinating.

Legend has it that Lord Parashurama wanted to relieve himself of the sin of killing some Kshatiriyas and so came to the Holy sages of the past. They said that he had to donate a land that he owned. With the blessings of Lord Varuna he got a land and gave it to the sages as a gift. He threw the axe with which he killed into the sea. This land came to be known as Kerala. But the soil was not good so everyone had to leave this place. Parashurama was very pained and penanced and pleased Lord Shiva. Lord Shiva appeared before him and said that the soil could be made pure if the poison of serpents is put on it. So Parashurama decided to please Lord Nagaraj for this who eventually got pleased and gave the boon of filling the present day Kerala with serpents and their poison. Kerala soil became fertile and Parashurama installed a temple for Nagaraja who is believed to be Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva in one figure. The temple was surrounded by Mandar trees and came to be known as Mannarasaala. The presiding deity here in the temple is Vishnuswaroopa and Vasuki which is Lord Shiva in spirit. Then the Naga deities were installed and the temple today is visited by countless pilgrims.

Vasudeva and Sridevi were a childless couple and relentlessly prayed to Lord Nagaraja who eventually got pleased and told that he would stay in the form of a serpent here till eternity.  All the serpents got shelter in present day Mannarsaala and after the miracle of the couple begetting a child, Mannarsaala is frequented by childless couples who believe God will bestow them with a child once they come here and have a glimpse of their favourite Lord Nagaraja. Lord Nagaraja once he realized that his duties were done retired to a cellar and laid down certain rules and regulations to be followed in the temple. In fact, it is believed that the Lord is still in the cellar and he is very respectfully referred to as “Muthassan” or “Appopan” even today by all the locals.

This temple has the Mannarasala Ayilyam festival which is very popular here. With the nearest railway station as Haripad and the nearest airport as Cochin, Mannarasala becomes an important temple destination in this part of the world.

Legend has it that Parasurama worshipped Sankaranaryana, Shiva and Rama and he wanted to install one image of Shiva. He meditated upon Lord Shiva but when he opened his eyes he got the image of Vishnu in front of him. Parasurama installed this image as Lord Rama and continued meditating at the end of which he saw a Lingam, with Shiva on one side and Rama on the other. When Parasurama meditated further he saw the combined image of Vishnu and Shiva which is Sankaranarayana. So the Vadakkunnathan Temple is a place where there are three shrines ¨C one for Shiva the other for Rama and the third for Sankaranaryana. There is a shrine for Parvati behind the Shiva temple.

The interesting part of the temple is that  vadakkunathar is worshipped in the form of a mound of butter. The Shivalingam is inside this huge mound of ghee which has never stopped growing. In spite of the hot climate and the innumerable lamps that are lit here, yet, the ghee or butter doesn’t melt. Again, the ghee that is accumulated here does not get any foul odour here. Strange? Yes, but this is true. This Ghee linga is around 12 feet tall and 25 feet in width. It is as solid as a rock and is not affected by any abhishek that is done on it. It is said that this ghee has got medicinal curing properties and cures prolonged diseases, infertility etc.

This Ghee Linga, 12 feet tall and 25 feet wide is as solid as a rock though made of ghee. If ghee so appears from the Linga, it does not melt and disappears immediately. The Linga is not affected though abhishek is performed with sandal, rosewater, etc. He is worshipped as Vadakkunathar. As the Lord of the 14 worlds, He grants the boons sought by the devotees. The ghee used in the abhishek of Vadakkunathar is consumed by those suffering from prolonged diseases, infertility etc. for cure.

There is a shrine dedicated to Vettakkorumakan which is a Kerala deity, there are shrines for Ganesha, Gopalakrishna and Ayappa,and there is a shrine for Adi Shankaracharya which has a roofless shrine and has a chakra and a shankh.

Spanning over an area of around 9 acres this is surrounded by a wall and has towered entrances. There is a conical vimanam on the circular shaped sanctum of this temple of intrigue. The temple is entered through the western entrance and there is a gigantic Kootambalam or the theater hall that lies to the left. This is a wonderful piece of architecture and has the best combination of structural elegance and intelligent brains. There are three kalasams here.

The Vadakkunnathan Temple is the venue of the Thrissur Pooram though the temple or the deity has no connection with the occassion. Shivarathri is celebrated in a grand manner here. The temple is located on the Thekkinkadu Ground or the Teak Forest zone of the Thrissur region. This is the first of the 108 Shiva temples and is revered as one of the Mahakshetras.

The Peepal tree in this temple is world wide famous. It is said that this is the tree under which Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati gave darshan to Parasurama and this place is thus called the Sreemoolasthanam. The darshan of the deities is done in a specific way here. Lord Shiva, Lord Rama and Lord Sankaranarayana face west, Goddess Parvati and Lord Ganesha face east.

The Vadakkunnathan Temple with its beautiful sculptures and painting on the walls really looks good with such decorative creations.

It is said that the fifth guru of the Sikhs, Guru Arjan Sahib had the idea of having a central pilgrim spot for the Sikhs and designed the entire structure of the Golden Temple. Guru Amardas Sahib designed it and the work got completed in the 15th century. A Muslim saint by the name of Hazrat Mian Mir Ji laid the foundation in the year 1588. Guru Arjan Sahib supervised the construction and he insisted that the temple be built on a lower level and having entries and exits from four places. This place can be visited by any person of any caste, creed or sex or religion.

With a 67sq ft. platform this temple is around 40.5 ft square. There is a door on all directions and the arch or the Darshani Deori is at the end of the causeway. There is a 10ft high arch and it is decorated intricately with beautiful artistic work. This leads into the causeway which takes us to the main Harmandir Sahib building.

The bridge is linked to the Pardakshna which surrounds the temple and then leads to the steps of God or the Har ki Paure. The first floor of this Har ki Paure is a place where the holy book of the Sikhs Adi Granth is continuously read out.

The entire structure of the main temple is with 3 storeys. The front overlooks the bridge and there are many arches here. The first floor has a roof which is around 26feet high. There is a high parapet on the first floor which surrounds all the sides and there are four Mamtees on the four corners too. This is also exactly above the main hall in the sanctuary and here is where lies the third floor. This is a small room and it has three gates. Here too the Adi Granth is recited.

On top of this room is the Gumbaz or the dome. It has beautiful designs of lotus motifs and is at the base. On top of these lotus motifs lies the Kalash or holy pot with a beautifully designed Chhatri in the end.

The entire architecture of the place is a blend of the Hindus and the Muslim construction designs. It is actually the best kind of architectural feat in the whole world. This is a unique form of independent Sikh architectural design not seen across India.

Situated in Amritsar, this is considered extremely holy by all the Sikhs as the Guru of Sikhism started it.

The entire temple has a large lake or Sarovar surrounding it and it is believed to have the holy water or immortal nectar or Amrit. Holy trees or bers surround the place and each tree is believed to signify a historical event of the past or a saint. The four entrances signify openness and warmth that spreads across the world.

Thiruvangad Sree Rama Temple in the northern part of Kerala is truly considered to be a very important locale with the unique architectural blend of elegance and charm. There are three main temples for Lord Rama in India. The Thiruvangad Sree Rama temple is one such religious locale in this part of India. The Tiruprayar temple near Guruvayoor in Kerala and the Tiruvilwamlala near Palghat is the other one.

Legend has it that it was Swetamuni who got the temple installed. It is believed that Sage Agastya was once walking along with his disciples and was going towards the River Kaveri for a holy dip. While he was coming back he was stopped by two hunters in the forest. Very angry he cursed them and they were very guilty for their actions and pleaded for mercy. Sage Agastya said that they had to perform some tapas in the Two Siva temples nearby. The two men did this and they were then redeemed. These two were later known as Swetarshi and Neelarshi.

The Thiruvangad Sree Rama temple is located on a maidan spanning over six acres. It is said that the deity in this temple has been installed by Parashurama. The main deity Sree Rama is seen here holding four different in his four arms. There is a conch shell or shanka in one arm, a discus in the other, a mace in the third and a Abhaya mudra or a gesture in the fourth. The mace is held upside down by this lord and this is a very peculiar style of Lord Rama.

The deity is shown as having a full form that is taken by Sree Rama for having killed Khara and his group of Rakshasha which is inclusive of Trisiras and Dooshana. They attacked the princes who were banished and were in the Dandaka forest after Ravana’s sister Soorpanakha, asked them to. The Thiruvangad deity is that of Lord Vishnu which is today worshipped as Lord Rama. The local people call this deity Thiruvangad Perumal and he grants the wishes very endearingly. The idol is very radiant and is very beautiful indeed.

Then there is the image of Lord Hanuman which is found outside the sanctum, and this idol is worshipped very fondly by the devotees. There are idols of Lord Ganesha and Lord Subramanya on the inside.

The temple has some very unique characteristics and is totally enchanting with its elegant structures. This is totally an experience to cherish for whoever visits this place. with the beautiful paintings and sculpture that so much form a part of this temple. There are two storeys of this structure are filled with the best kinds of architectural designs. The rectangular shaped srikoil has a front which is vertical in shape and the rear side is a little inclined. There are three stupas on the top ridge and these look resplendent plated with gold. The walls are filled with idols of PUranic gods and images. There are a row of statues there which are totally filled with dignified structures and have the best architectural splendour.

The mukha mandap is square shaped in front of the Srikoil and this looks beautiful with the wooden carvings which are found in the ceiling. These depict the tale of the Indian epic Ramayana. The work here really enchants the devotee and the ideal manner in which the whole temple is constructed is something to be seen to be believed.

There is an edifice which leads to the front of the mandapa towards the Balikalpura. Here is where the flagstaff lies. With lovely Mangalore tiles with chuttamabalam covering them, the walls with their murals are a sight to experience here in the temple.

With many festivals beginning from the day of Vishu or the Malayalam New Year on April 14, Thiruvangad is a great place to visit and an ideal pilgrim destination in this part of the world.

Thiruvangad

This temple at Udayanapuram is considered to be equal to the temple of Pazhani in the state of Tamil Nadu in India. People in Kerala call Lord Subramanya as karthikeya or Subramanya.

Legend

Legend says that the temple of Goddess Bhagawati in the Kumaranallur region was actually initially meant for Lord Subramanya and the Udayanapuram temple was meant for Bhagawati and was called as Udayanyakeepuram. Then it is believed that Goddess Bhagawati occupied the temple that was meant for Lord Subramanya or Kumaran, and so her temple got the name Kumaran-alla-ooru meaning not for Kumaran in Tamil. So the Bhagawati Seva or the ritual for Goddess Bhagawati conducted in the Subramanya temple at Udayanapuram even today.

There is another legend that says that once when the Pandiyan king here went to Madurai to the Meenakshi temple he found the nose ring of the Goddess missing. He proclaimed that the culprit be found, and if not found in the next 41 days then the head priest would be beheaded. On the fortieth day the head priest got a dream where a beautiful lady asked to be followed and led him to the Kumarnallur temple region and vanished. Thus a temple was built there for the goddess as it was believed that the beautiful lady was the goddess herself who wanted to save her devotee the head priest.

The temple

Architecturally the temple does not have any resemblance with the Vaikom Mahadevar temple. It has many carvings and paintings and celebrates the month of Thai Poosam very grandly. There are many Kaavadis that line up here as they make their way first to Vaikom and then to Udayanapuram.

The sanctum in the temple is a square structure with two storeys. It has a four feet high statue of Lord Subramanya facing eastwards. Elephant sculptures made out wood and yaalis surround the idol. The entire mandapa is made out stone, carvings and stone pillars of the life of Sri Krishna. Ramayana, the Indian Epic is also depicted by way of these carvings.

The main festival

Vaikkattu Ashtami is another important festival here at Udayanapuram. This is the 12th day of the yearly festival and falls in the months of Vrishchikam. This day there is a process of the Lord taken out from Udayanapuram to Vaikom thus signifying the victory that Lord Subramanya or karthikeya had over the demons. It is said that Lord Subramanya goes to meet his father Lord Shiva during this time. The sheer grandeur of the procession is something to be seen to be believed. The moment when the father and son meet is rendered with silence, and all the devotees remain inside the temple praying at this moment. Then there is a grand farewell given to Lord Subramanya and the way all this is done and depicted by way of the processions is spectacular. An imaginary farewell is then depicted and then the Lord brought back to Udayanapuram. It is believed that Lord Shiva oversees the farewell and goes back to his abode at Vaikom only after he is assured Lord Subramanya has reached Udayanapuram safely.

There are no offerings of food made here at the temple at Vaikom. This is because of the belief that Shiva himself fasts during the time his son Lord Subramanya fights the demons in the battle. But thousands are fed in the temple premises.

The Udayanapuram temple is very important due to the meeting that is depicted between Lord Subramanya and Lord Shiva and is thus popular among the devotees.

Ambalapuzha is a small coastal town, that lies near the city of Allepey in Kerala. Located around 13 kms from Allepey this is a pilgrim spot for many. The headquarters of the temple in the ancient times used to be at Ambalapuzha. The Chempakasseri kings ruled over this territory then. Then the ruler of Travancore defeated the Chempakasseri forces in the year 925 ME and the Chempakasseri family slowly declined in number.

Today on the Chempakasseri territory stands this Ambalapuzha temple. There are some who worships this as a “Parthasarhi” temple and some who consider it as a Gopikrishna temple.

Legend

It is said that the place where the temple is located once had a lot of water. The Vilwamangalathu Swamiyar and the Ambalapuzha ruler were once walking through this water, when they heard the sound of a flute from the nearby verdant patch. They asked the oarsman to take them to the shore and searched for the lovely lilting tune.

There they saw Lord Sri Krishna playing the flute and they prostrated before him. They began to believe that since Lord had entered their land, they would have all success and prosperity in the kingdom. They prostrated before the Lord and content with their glimpse of the lord, they decided to build a temple where they saw Lord Krishna. The place belonged to Ambanattu Panicker. The whole land was actually partially submerged and the king made all the arrangements for the land to be filled and a temple to be constructed. But when the time for installation came, the astrologer asked the installation ceremony to be postponed, as he said it wasn’t the right time. The king was in a hurry to finish the ceremony and asked for another image. It is said that he coaxed a Brahmin priest and got an idol from Thiruvanvandoor which is a place near Thiruvalla. Many also say that the idol was finally brought from the Koratti Thiruvampadi temple.

This installation day till today is celebrated as the Champakulam boat race day signifying the king bringing the idol in a boat.

The temple

The temple has its main gate on the western end. There is a golden tope dome and a mandapam made out a single stone. The stone images here evoke a magnificent architectural feel which is very typical of this temple. There is a golden staff that is seen in the front and all these show the kind of eminence and power the temple has.

There is neither tower at the gate nor any shrines for the deities in the main sanctum sanctorum.

The main image is around 3 feet height. The deity is adorned with gold during the rituals. The divine deity is seen holding a lash in the right hand and a conch in the left. So the deity is worshipped and revered as Parthasarhi.

At the temple there is a broth of rice, sugar and milk that is given as Prasad. This is known as the Ambalapuzha palpayasam. It is a well known specialty amongst pilgrims and it is amazing that no other paysam or sweet dish is as tasty as this.

Meenam is a ten day festival that is celebrated here, in the month of March and April. There is a great procession of deities on elephants and a grand feast is organized for the devotees. In fact it is believed that Lord Sri Krishna comes in disguise and has food here. So a lot of care is taken for the feast. Kalabham is another festival that is held in the months of January and February. Pallipapana is another festival that is celebrated once in 12 years in the temple.

With so much legend behind it and so much royalty, the Ambalapuzha temple is a hub of activity with its festivals and traditions.

The deity here Lord Krishna represents the Sri Krishna after killing King Kamsa. This lord who killed the demon is supposed to be very hungry after the killing so the feeding or the Prasad or Neivaidhyam as it is called here is done as soon as the door of the shrine is opened. In fact there is a saying that this temple has to open doors  with food in one hand.

Ancient tales have it that the food of the previous day was offered in this temple for the Lord. The Abhishekam is done only after the feeding unlike other temples where the Abhishekam is done first. Sree Krishna is seen sitting in a ferocious style called the Raudra style in Indian parlance. So it is said that he shouldn’t be worshipped at down. There is a Bali Bimbam which is believed to Baby Krishna and is said to be installed by Parashurama.

This temple was built sometime in the 11th century and is on the National Highway and is 5 kms from the Taliparambu town. It is very famous for its spice trade. Vaishnava cult thrives here and the temple has its own style of construction.

There is an elinji tree in front of the temple which has never borne fruit or flowers. There are three ponds in the temple complex and there is a temple for Goddess Durga here. This temple is surrounded by water.

The temple is said to have rituals and worship pattern as laid down by Parashurama. With great archaeological value the temple has a great collection of the best mural paintings from South India. With two storeys the temple looks magnificent with its copper roof. The exquisite wood carvings in the temple show scenes from the Indian Epic Mahabharata. The mural paintings here are as old as from the 15th and the 16th centuries. The walls have sculptures that are a great example of the craftsmanship of ancient times.

This Krishna temple is amongst the three best known temples for Lord Krishna in Kerala the other two being Guruvayur and Ambalapuzha. It is one of the trinity of temples that are respected and revered by the devotees. The Taliparamba Shiva temple and the Vaidyanatha temple are the other two in this region.

The temple belonging to the 11th century has been redone and restructured many times. It was invaded by the invaders who came to India in the 18th century and is like other Indian temples a victim of such unforeseen attacks.

The temple though small is very much revered and thronged by the devotees. Legend has it that that Kamsa, Lord Krishna’s uncle had sent his royal elephant Kuvalayapidam to kill Lord Krishna and Krishna had killed this elephant. So in this temple, elephants are not allowed and are a total taboo much against the custom in temples in Kerala where elephants are a must. So this is one of the places in Kerala where one wouldn’t see any elephant during the festivals too.

The festival here is held in the Malayalam month of Kumbham in the month of March. On the first day, the image of Lord Krishna’s brother Balarama is carried and brought into the temple from the nearby temple of Dharmakulangara. Then there are images of Lord Krishna and Lord Balarama that are carried by the temple priests who dance to the beat of drums. This festival goes on for ten nights at a stretch. On the final day, Lord Balarama bids goodbye to Lord Krishna and this scene is enacted. Very similar to the Vaikom festival this is a unique event in this part of Kerala.

The Trichambaram temple has a unique representation of Lord Krishna and is a must see in temple tours in Kerala.

So when I got an opportunity to go on a vacation this time, I went to Indonesia. Armed with all the enthusiasm and joy to go on a break, I was quite enthralled by Indonesian culture and the warmth that they exuded.

While on a tour of the country, I went to this one place where I just felt time stood still. Totally mesmerized and hypnotized, I instantly sat down and wrote this blog.

This was the area of the Prambanan temple where which is a great construction of the 10th century. Dating back to this time, the ancientness of the building is what made it look so beautiful. The kings RAkai Balitung and Rakai Pikatan were responsible for having got this constructed and this temple is famous as it is around 5m higher than the Borobudur temple. It represents a lot of Hindu victory in the area of Java.

Situated around 17 kilometres from the city, it was a good drive I had to go to the temple. With my Indonesian tourist guide along, the journey was quite good and I really was quite excited at the sight of this lovely 10th century masterpiece.

Legend has it that the Bandung Bondowoso was a man who was in love with Roro Jonggrang. She refused him and asked him to make a temple of around 1000 statues over a night.  Bondowoso in a bid actually did it too. But Jonggrang was cleverer and faked a morning light by burning a heap of rice. Bondowoso was very upset that he was cheated in spite of having completed 999 statues. He cursed that Jonggrang be the 1000th statue.

As I went into the temple, I saw that there were three temples here. There was a Vishnu temple, a Shiva temple and a Brahma temple. Symbolizing the Trimurti, these temples face eastwards. There was a smaller accompanying temple in each main temple. Nandini temple for the Shiva temple, the Angsa temple for the Brahma temple and the Garuda temple for the Vishnu temple. I was totally struck by the sheer beauty and magnificence of the place. Besides these temples there were 2 flank temples, 4 corner temples and 4 kelir temples.

In all I might have counted around 224 temples. Wasn’t that a great number I felt.  I went into the temple of Lord Shiva. This incidentally is the highest temple here and is situated in the centre. There were four rooms. There was a main room which had the stature of Lord Shiva, there were three other rooms . These rooms had different statues. There were idols of Shiva’s wife, of Sage Agastya who was Shiva’s teacher and also Lord Ganesha who is Lord Shiva’s son. The statue of Goddess Durga is the one which is believe to be the cursed stature of Roro Jonggrang.

Then I went into the Vishnu temple which was to the north of the Lord Shiva temple. Here there is only one room which had the idol of Vishnu inside it. Here too the architectural elegance was exquisite and elegant and was certainly something to be proud of.

Then I made my way towards the Lord Brahma temple, which lay to the south of the temple of Lord Shiva. Here too there was a single room where the idol of Lord Brahma lies.

Now I had to go around the accompanying temples. The temple of Garuda is near the Vishnu temple and there is as story about this temple. Garuda is the mythological bird in Hindu epics. The figure has a golden colored body. The face was white and the wings were red. The beak and the wings of the Garuda bird were very similar to that of the eagles’. The figure here is supposed to be an adapted Hindu version of Bennu. Bennu means shining or rising. This figure is connected to the Sun God or the Re in the Egypt mythology and even the Phoenix in Greek mythology. It is said that Garuda saved his mother from the curse of its  handicapped brother ARuna. It steals the sacred water of all gods the Tirtha Amerta and saves his mother.

Garuda’s ability to save its mother gave it a symbolic status here and people in Indonesia still regard the Garuda as the symbol of the country. Even Thailand uses this for the same reason but has adapted the form. It is known as Pha Krut and Krut in Thailand.

Then as I walked across the Prambanan temple I loved the relics that were depicted on the panels. I also saw the Kalpataru tree which is a proof to existence of wisdom here in this land. Kalpataru tree is the logo of the Environmental division in Indonesia.

I came out of the temple totally refreshed and rejuvenated and my soul was at peace.