Come to New Delhi and you will find an unlimited number of religious and ancient tourist destinations. One of the most important and famous religious temples that you can visit is Lakshmi Narayan temple, situated on Mandir Marg off Connaught Place. The Lakshmi Narayan Mandir is dedicated to Goddess Lakshmi and Lord Vishnu. For those not aware, Goddess Lakshmi symbolises prosperity and wealth and worshiping her with utmost devotion fulfills all your aspirations. Lord Vishnu is known as the preserver of the Hindu Trinity (creator-preserver-destroyer). This temple is also known as the Birla Mandir and was built by Raja Baldev Das in the year 1938.

Every work of architecture has a history attached to it. So does this temple. It took six years to construct the Lakshmi Narayan temple and was inaugurated by none other than Mahatma Gandhi, the father of our nation, India! An interesting fact to be noted is that Mahatma Gandhi agreed to grace the occasion on a condition that people from all walks, creed, caste and religion be allowed to enter the temple premises. This was particularly because in those days higher society folks did not allow lower caste people, and tribals or untouchables to even hover around worship areas. The Birla family takes care of the maintenance of the Lakshmi Narayan temple; just the perfect approach to providing service to the nation!

The Birla Mandir adapts the Orissan style of architecture, especially noticeable with circular patterns forming the top of the tall towers. Inscriptions from the various holy books of the Hindu religion such as the Gita and the Upanishads adorn the walls of the temple. One can also observe various Hindu symbols carved on the walls and various scenes from the Hindu mythology. Surprisingly, the temple architecture has a modern feel to it.

One cannot fail to appreciate the height of the 165 ft high tower as against the 116 ft tower which is a part of the temple. Two other set of structures present in the temple premises are the Buddha temple and Geeta Bhavan. The Buddha temple with the peaceful and serene atmosphere depicts the life and works of Lord Buddha through murals and paintings on the walls of the temple. A peek into the various aspects of Indian mythology awaits you at the Geeta Bhavan, which is dedicated to Lord Krishna. The entire temple complex richly displays paintings of various artists hailing from Jaipur. The backdrop of the temple is spectacular with an artificial creation of the hilly terrains in addition to the waterfalls and fountains.

The entire temple stands on a mounted platform facing towards the east, as all temples are normally positioned. The shrine also is an abode to Goddess Durga, Lord Shiva, Lord Hanuman and Lord Ganesha. The festival of Janmashtami which marks the birth anniversary of Lord Krishna is celebrated in splendour here. Birla Mandir or Lakshmi Narayan temple is a major tourist attraction and is visited by thousands of tourists and devotees all round the year.


temple

Incoming search terms for the article:

• hindu temle in shenzhen china
• lakshmi narayan temple singapore

Chak Chak Zoroastrian Temple in Iran

Within every corner of my homeland, wherever there is a trace of life, there is a temple of worship to remember God out of spirituality and thankfulness.

One of the oldest and greatest of all the temples dispersed around this ancient land is the Zoroastrian temple of Chak Chak, also known as Pire Sabze Chak Chakoo, dating back to pre-Islamic period.

Chak Chak temple is revered for its spiritual values in the hearts of the followers of the ancient Iranian religion. When we visit the site, it gives us the impression of being able to touch the sky, and for some precious moments we can put ourselves in the shoes of our ancestors and feel the same way they did long time ago.

The fact that caves and cracks within the rocky slopes of the mountains had long been a refuge for spiritual people to sit in, in absolute isolation and meditate should come as no surprise. The entrance of the temple is reached through a two-planked doorway over which stands an embossed image of two Achamenian soldiers.

When we walk through the doors, we come across a cozy and private cave paved with concrete Malachite (green marble) and a chandelier slanting from the ceiling. The temple has got an altar in which there are three oil-burning lights with a container of oil right beside them. In front of the altar, there is a set of trays combined in such a way as to look like a lotus flower from above and serves as a place to receive donations from pilgrims. Donations could also include other revered items such as cucumbers and oranges to be placed on this large tray in the center of the temple as offerings.

There are also some window-like open spaces or holes within the cave over which huge branches of the near-by tree, extends inside the temple and a small water fall that keeps the Malachite stage of the alter wet upon which no one is allowed to step. The word Chak Chak stands for “falling in drops” or “drop by drop”. The name refers to the water leak from within the roof of the temple. Zoroastrians view this as a sacred incident where Anahita, the angel of water, pregnancy and prosperity is venerated in the same way.

The story behind the construction of the temple is this. Hayat Banu the daughter of the last Sassanids king Yazdgerd III – whose other daughter, Bibi Shahr Banu became Imam Hussain’s (Shiites third imam) wife – was famous for her piety. She took refuge in this temple as she was chased by a group of medieval Arab soldiers until she arrived at this location. She kneeled down and prayed to Ahura Mazda to help her safeguard her dignity and as she uttered these prayers, the walls of the cave cracked open and let her in as a pious guardian of the temple. Since then nobody has seen her as she was vanished forever.

The temple of Chak Chak is so sacred to Zoroastrians that every year in the month Khordad flocks of pilgrims from all around the world come over to this place to hold the ancient ceremony of Khordad Salan. Large groups of pilgrims stay in residences built by the local Zoroastrians of the village of Sharif Abad.


Cheap Netbooks

Incoming search terms for the article:

• tample of imam hussain
• zoroastrian temple in China

Located on the banks of the Pushkar Lake, the Pushkar temple is the only temple of Lord Brahma in India. Being the only Brahma temple in India, the Pushkar temple has great significance. Millions of people in the country visit the shrine each year to worship Lord Brahma. Despite being one of the many temples in Pushkar, it is this Brahma temple that enjoys most popularity.

The temple traces its roots back to the 14th century. It is believed that Lord Brahma performed a yagya here along with other gods and goddesses. Incidentally a lotus fell off from the hands of Brahma and fell in the Pushkar valley. This is how the town derived its name, Pushp means flower and Kar means hand.

Soon after the flower fell off the hand of Brahma, the Pushkar Lake appeared miraculously. This is why the divine stature of the lake. The temple stands on a raised platform. This raised platform gives the temple a distinctive edge and adds to its prominence. Beautiful marble steps lead to this raised platform.

The main doorway of the temple features the image of a Hans. As per mythological epics, the Hans were the vehicle of Lord Brahma. This Hans was imbibed on the main doorway to segregate the temple from other temples that were nearby.

One of the most prominent features of the Pushkar temple is the lovely turtle carved in silver. This beautiful silver turtle is perhaps the most adorned feature of the temple. This silver turtle sits facing the sanctum sanctorum.

The flooring of the temple is in black and white cheques. This chequered floor is further adorned with silver coins. These coins were donated by devotes of this temple and are embossed with the name along with the date of birth or anniversary of their loved ones.

A four headed image of the Brahma graces this temple. Lord Brahma rests in a cross-legged position with Savitri on his right and Gayatri on the left side. Mythological legend has it that Savitri was the wife of Lord Brahma. Gayatri is believed to be the local maid whom Brahma married in order to be able to perform the puja. The temple also houses a statue of Lord Vishnu and life-sized dwarpals (door men) and Garuda pillars (a mythical bird, in gold).

Though the temple has its fair share of devotees flowing in all year long, people from all across the country flock the temple during the Kartika Purnima. As per the Indian calendar, the Kartik Purnima falls in the month of October-November. The Pushkar festival also takes place during this time.

This is the season when the whole town of Pushkar comes to life with joyous activities and festivities. During the Pushkar festival people also take a dip in the holy Pushkar Lake and worship Lord Brahma, who is believed to be the creator of this universe. Many people across the country consider this period of Kartik Purnima as highly auspicious. Make sure that you get the bookings one before festival season lest you will be deprived to feel the essence of spiritual beauty.


Cheap Heaters

While in New Delhi, make sure to visit the Lotus temple where a stunning work of modern architecture awaits you. The Bahai House of worship, popularly known as the Lotus Temple resembles a partially open lotus flower surrounded by its leaves and appears as though floating on water. The nine pools representing the floating leaves are surrounded by landscaped walkways, bridges and stairs. The monument is made out of marble and its elegance has attracted millions of visitors since the time it was dedicated to the nation on December 24th, 1986.

The creative mind behind the architecture of this engineering marvel is a young Canadian architect of Iranian decent by the name of Fariburz Sabha. The architect’s choice of the lotus deserves a special mention here. In addition to being the National flower of India, the lotus has a special association with several religions and faiths practiced in India. The lotus is also a symbol of divine birth and purity. Hence the Lotus Temple reflects the glorious culture of India and is in tune with the Bahai faith which believes in the unity of religions.

The Lotus Temple has three layers of nine petals each in its construction. The outermost layer of nine petals is constructed opening outwards and also forms the nine entrances to the outer circular hall. The next layer of nine petals rise above the outer layer and are partially closed. These petals house the central hall. A roof made of glass and steel forms the central portion of the lotus which is open to the sky. This allows natural light into the central hall while also protecting it from the rain.

Unlike several other temples in India, the Lotus Temple draws visitors from all faiths and people from all walks of society are welcome irrespective of their caste, creed or ethnicity. Though it is a temple, you will be surprised to know that there are no priests or idols within the temple and no rituals are performed. The belief of the Bahai teachings lies in embracing the oneness of mankind, religion and God. This is because the Bahai faith raises worship above ritualistic and communal forms.

The main worship centre with its basement belongs to the temple complex, whereas an additional block houses the reception, a library and an administrative section. Audio-visual presentations are played on an hourly basis for the benefit of the customers.

This wonderful work of creativity has found its way into the architectural section of the 1994 edition of Encyclopedia Britannica, with a special mention as an outstanding achievement. The architecture has also received various awards and recognitions regularly. The Lotus temple is also a centre for social service as it promotes unity and harmony among people hailing from different ethnic and economic backgrounds.


Buy Portable GPS