What are some mysterious scientific facts about Indian temples?

 When people speak about INDIAN TEMPLES, Temples of Tamil Nadu form an important part.

Tamil Nadu known as Land of Temples is a home to many ancient and beautiful temples.

If you enter by any way into TN, there will always be a temple to welcome you.

Each village/city/town is built around a TEMPLE in Tamil Nadu and TN has no less number of facts and mysteries.

Some of the mysterious cum scientific facts of such Temples are listed below.( the answer is little big)

1.Madurai Meenakshi Amman Temple

This famous temple of TN was nominated for the 7 wonders of the world with 33000 sculptures in this Temple,its built in the angle of 23 and a half degrees coinciding with the axis of earth that means all temples are built without an angle with respect to rising and setting but this temple is built very straight to north and south

Its still unknown how come the ancient kings built it so perfectly .

one more mysterious fact is that no fishes live in the golden lotus pond of this Temple though the Goddess here is known as MEENAKSHI OR GODDESS WHO HAS EYES THAT OF FISHES, still how much ever you leave a fish inside this pond, it dies off soon.

One more fact is this temple has the highest number of 14 Gopurams and no other temple in India as such number of very high and 14 Gopurams .

2.Thiruvannamalai Arunachaleshwarar Temple.

This beautiful ancient 25 acre Temple for Lord Shiva has a story that is as old as creation of universe.

Normally Tamil Nadu follows Agama Shastras ( a combination of the Vedic Hinduism and Dravidian Hinduism) and in Agama temples, there is a concept of Veedhi Ula( procession) wherein GOD made of Pancha Loham is taken outside once in a year or for a period of 10 days in a year and that time the god is taken out only by the main entrance way.

But in this temple, the GOD comes out by the adjacent way next to MAIN GOPURAM and its the only temple that follows this way and the reason is unknown.

3. Thirukovillur Vishnu Temple

Normally in all the temples of India, Lord Vishnu have his CONCH OR SHANGU in his left hand and Chakra in his right hand but this temple is special.

Here Vishnu have his conch in right hand and chakra in his left hand with his right feet raised above.

4.Chidambaram Natarajar Temple.

In India, every God has his own temple and even if two main gods have a temple, you should worship them in different sanctoms but in Chidambaram Temple, you can worship GOVINDARAJA PERUMAL and LORD NATARAJA by standing at one point which is very rare and you can’t witness such type of Darshan in any other temple of world.

In all the temples, only the Uthsava Murthy comes out for procession but in this temple Moolavar or the main God(the God inside the sanctorium) comes on Veedhi ula( procession).

This is the ONLY TEMPLE in India which celebrates both Thiruvadhirai festival for Lord Shiva( day on which universe was created) and Vaikunta ekadashi for Vishnu ( day on which the doors of Vaikuntam opens where according to beleif whoever dies on this day can get an oppurtunity of going to heaven irrespective of his karmas)

5.Thirunageshwaram Uppiliappan Temple

This temple in Kumbakonam,known as the temple town of Tamil Nadu, is very special temple for Hindus.

The reason is due to the Prasadam given in this temple.

Actually till now salt has never been added into any of the PRASADAMS done in this temple but still after pooja is done, the naivedhyam offered to GOD tastes very good as if salt is added in it but the makers don’t add even a pinch of salt into it.

6.Rameshwaram Ramanathaswamy Temple

In the Shiva Temples of Tamil Nadu , the poojari gives Vibhoothi and in Vishnu Temples the poojari gives Theertham but in Rameshwaram ,this way is opposite.

The shiva Temples of Ramehwaram give Theertham of Lord Vishnu and Vishnu Temples give Vibhoothi of Lord Shiva.

7.Alwarpalli Natarajar Temple

The murthy of ALWAR NATARAJAR TEMPLE is of a special one because Natarajar murthis are always made of PANCHALOHA ( a combination of 5 metals) but the murthy of this temple is made of stone and this stone is very special as it gives the sound of bronze metal when striked lightly.

8.Ratnagiri Murugan Temple,Vellore

A miraculous thing happens everyday in this Temple.

Milk turns into curd after Abhishekam.

Yes, you heard it right.

You yourself can witness this event of milk turning into curd after the Abhishekam in done.

9.Kulithirai Manaparai Temple ( Ratnagiri Malai)

This temple is present on an hillock .

The mysterious thing that happens on this hill is absence of birds flying over it.

Though you can find birds flying near this hill to the surface, its unknown why none of those birds neither fly nor sit on the branches of trees on this hill but you can climb and visit the Temple.

10.Keralapuram Temple, Kanyakumari

Though this temple is for Lord Shiva, the Ganapathi present under the Banyan tree of this Temple is very famous for his color changing phenomenon.

During the Uttarayana Kaala, the colour of the Vigraham remains WHITE while in Dakshayana Kaalam, the colour of Ganapathi Vigraham turns black.

The reason that they say is that the vigraham is made up of CHANDIRA GAANDA KAL (a type of stone that changes color according to seasons and suns rays).

12.Samayapuram Mariamman temple

One of the famous Devi or Amman temples of TN, the vigraham of this temple is very big and is not made up of stone.

The vigraham is made up of medicinal plants just like the PALANI MURUGAN TEMPLE that is made up of NAVAPAASHANAM( where the murthy is made up of mixing 9 poisonous plants) but still the you can drink the milk poured on these Vigrahams.

13. Surli malai, Theni

Surli is a place in TN that is famous for its caves and in one such caves you can find a Shivalingam and a Nandi.

The mud surrounding this cave is just like Vibhoothi or sacred ash of LORD SHIVA and it gets continously accumulated.

14.Senji malai Murugan Temple

Normally curds are always sour in taste but the curd that is poured on the vigraham of this Lord Murugan Temple doesn’t taste sour but it tastes sweet after Abhishekam.

Note:- I know that Some of the facts you can't understand while reading my answer but those who knows Agamas can clearly understand regarding Uthsava Murthy and all as this facts are regarding Agama Temples and worship.

There are more such unique facts about the Temples of Tamil Nadu.

The mysterious rock of Al Naslaa

The rock formation of Al Naslaa is located 50 km south of the Tayma Oasis in Saudi Arabia.

It has been split in half in two parts so perfectly that it looks like the work of a laser blade.

Both parts are balanced on their own tiny pedestal.

The cause of the split is unknown and leaving aside some fanciful hypotheses such as the intervention of aliens, it is assumed that it is due to natural causes, such as sand blown by the wind and periodic rain.

The rock is about 6 meters high and 9 meters wide, and is covered on the south-east side with numerous petroglyphs.

What are the most mysterious things about Indian temple?

 The Mystery of Sun Temples:

Why do we find so many Sun temples almost in a straight row and that too around 23 degrees North latitude?

Where are the Sun Temples in India?

Sun temples are famous in different parts of India. They have been built and venerated from time immemorial.

We have had Sun temples from Kashmir to Kanyakumari and from Afghanistan to Assam in the ancient Indian land of Bharatha, the most popular ones being Konark temple in Orissa, the Sun temple in Modhera and the Suryanarkovil in Kumbakonam among others which fall on the popular tourist circuits.

Sun Temple, Konark

Image Source: Wikipedia

Sun Temple, Modhera

Image Source: Wikipedia

The land of India today spans from 6.7 degrees North latitude to 37.1 degrees North latitude. In this wide span, we find a plethora of Sun temples, almost in a straight line around 23 degrees North latitude.

Save for a few such as Suryanarkovil near Kumbakonam in Tamil Nadu at 10.8 degrees North, the Konark Sun Temple in Orissa at 19.9 degrees North etc. most of the other renowned temples can be found around 23 degrees North. Some are in ruins, some are memories and some are still in use today.

• Suryanarayanaswamy temple at Arasavalli in Andhra Pradesh – 18.27 degrees
• Sun Temple at Somnath Patan near Veraval in Gujarat – 20.9 degrees
• Sun Temple at Madkheda near Tikamgadh, Madhya Pradesh – 22.9 degrees Sun Temple at Umri near Tikamgadh, Madhya Pradesh – 22.9 degrees
• Sun Temple at Kandaha, Bangaon, near Saharsa in Bihar – 23.0 degrees
• Harsiddhi temple at Ujjain – Harsiddhi – 23.09 degrees
• The famous Sun Temple at Modhera, near Ahmedabad, Gujarat – 23.5 degrees
• Kanthad Nath at Kanthkot near Rapar- 23.48 degrees
• Sun Temple at Dholavira – 23.89 degrees
• 8th Century Sun Temple in Chittorgarh Fort, destroyed in 14th century and rebuilt as Kali temple – 24.59 degrees
• Surya mandir, Deo, Aurangabad, Bihar, 85 kms from Gaya – 24.5 degrees
• Dakshinaarka Temple in Gaya – 24.7 degrees
• Uttaraka temple near the Uttara Maanas tank in Gaya – 24.7 degrees
• Gayaditya temple on the river Falgu in Gaya – 24.7 degrees
• Sun Temple at Jhaira Patan near Kota in Rajasthan: Ruins of an ancient temple – 25.1 degrees The Dwadasha Aditya temples and more in Kashi also called Varanasi – 25.2 degrees
• The Bhramanya Dev Temple at Unao in Madhya Pradesh, near Jhansi – 25.6 degrees
• Sri Surya Pahar, Sun Temple at Goalpara in Assam 26.0
• Sun Temple at Galta near Jaipur in Rajasthan – 26.5 degrees Sun temple in Morar at Gwalior – 26.2 degrees
• Sun Temple at Ranakpur near Udaipur in Rajasthan – 27.0 degrees Sun Temple near Almora in Uttarakhand – 29.37 degrees
• Sun Temple at Martand in Jammu and Kashmir 32.5 degrees

Not just these, the renowned sun temples of another Sun worshipping ancient civilization, namely Egypt, also has its sun temples at

• Abu Simbel – 22.6 degrees
• Karnak, Luxor – 25.43

Why do we find so many Sun temples almost in a straight row and that too around 23 degrees North latitude?

What did our ancestors know about the Sun that we do not, today?

What is the mystery behind this pattern?

23.5 degrees North latitude is the Tropic of Cancer.

As we have read in our school books, the Tropic of Cancer is the line up to which the sun moves North in its annual journey.

Sun at the Tropic Of Cancer on June 21

This movement of the sun between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn and its significance has already been discussed by us, in the Rishimukh magazine of January 2010 and April 2010.

The way of living of our ancestors was in harmony with the Cosmos. They conducted their life, the annual and daily activities in their lives, in sync with the flow and rhythm of seasons, Rthu. Their Dharma, way of living,was governed by the Dharma, way of operating,of the Cosmic Nature.

Hence they tracked the sun and other celestial bodies in the sky to read the skies and prepare themselves for the daily, annual and spiritual change that are bound to occur as our planet earth hurtles on its journey through space along with its parent, the Sun and its siblings , the other planets in the solar system.

Each of these temples was specially designed to receive the rays of the sun inside the sanctum sanctorum, garbha graha, and illuminate the idol with a natural glow, on special days, especially the period around Summer Solstice.

June, is thus the time to watch our Sun go to the northern most point in its path in the skies and marvel at the knowledge, the sagacity and the architectural skills of our ancestors, which has found expression in the form of these temples to the Sun all over India and has become one of the traditions of India. (Source)

What are the most mysterious photos in history?

 #1 Bell Labs Experimental Video Phone 1960s

#2 Scientists Studying Moon Phases On Models In Preparation For Us Manned Flight To Moon, 1962

#3 Participants In The Miss Beautiful Eyes Beauty Pageant, Paris, 1930

#4 Digging Graves As A Hobby (1916)

#5 George Lucas Before Cgi, 1984

#6 A Motor Home In 1922

#7 1914. Painters On The Brooklyn Bridge Suspender Cables, New York City. Photo By Eugene De Salignac

#8 Lifeboat Carrying Titanic Survivors, 1912

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Which is the most mysterious Shiva temple in India?

 The Thanjai Periya Kovil (Thanjai Big Temple).

Some facts about the temple :

• Built by Raja Raja Chola I in a span of 5 years [1010 AD]
• Classic example for the Dravidian Architechture.
• An impressive display of assemblages in history.

Read : Navin Niish (நவீன் நீஷ்)'s answer to What are the most impressive assemblages of labor forces in history?

• The Temple was built with the help of slaves from the conquests of Chola.
• The statue of Nandi at the entrance of the temple is carved out of a single stone.
• The inspiration to build the temple came to Raja Raja Cholan during his visit to Sri Lanka and is a result of a dream he had.

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What makes it mysterious? Because it is surrounded by various myths.

• People losing power : This is due to the curse of Cholas. The Cholas were great but they were ruthless warriors. Their conquests and bringing in slaves and making them work had got all the curses. It is also said that the temple administration had power to release the water to farmers but it seems it was selfish. So people cursed the temple. This had led to people going to the temple losing their power.

For example : The story of ruler losing power gained weight after what happened when Indira Gandhi, the Prime Minister of India and MGR, the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu visited the temple in 1984 to inaugurate a statue of Rajaraja in commemoration his millennium of ascendancy on throne. Indira Gandhi was assassinated and MGR had a stroke forcing him to be out of power for six months.

There is also another myth that Raja Raja was pushed to death by a sinhalese woman who was a slave. Still Raja Raja’s death is said to be a complex one.

• Secret passages : The secret passages were also built by Raja Raja Chola in his period of time. The secret passages were something different from the underground passages. The underground passages were built to connect several temples built by him together. Secret passage were built in such a way that it connects the secret places of the chola kings together like the one that connects the Palace of Raja Raja Chola and the Tanjore big temple
• The Growing Nandi : The Nandhi statue, sculptured during the Raja Raja Cholan period, kept growing in size. This could be because of the unique weather conditions and the growth of its growth, which was kept aside and nailed to the grounds.

Some facts related to the Temple but not entirely the temple. The people in Tamil film industry wanted to take movies regarding the Great King Raja Raja based upon the novel Ponniyin Selvan. But what happened to them is a big mystery. Some met with accidents and some issues happened. Something or other happens if they try to do something regarding the cholas.

So yes, according to me this temple is mysterious :)

Additional : Parvathamalai is also one mysterious temple !

• The height of Parvathamalai 
  [1]
   is over 4,000 feet and the distance from the base is 5.5 km. Parvatham means mountain and ‘Parvatha Malai’ as its called, signifies ‘Hill of Hills’ or ‘Queen of Hills’. Parvathamalai presents eight different shapes from eight directions around the hill.
• A Temple at this site is believed to have existed for the last 2000 years although it is not known exactly when the current Temple was constructed at the top of Parvathamalai. However a record (Malai Padu Kadaam) shows that King Maa Mannan who was ruling that area, during the year 300 A.D used to visit a Temple (at this site) frequently and worship Lord Shiva and the Goddess. It is said that 2000 years ago great yogis (Siddhas) constructed a Temple at the top of the hill for doing meditation.
• One of the legends associated with Parvathamalai states that when Lord Hanuman carried Sanjeevini hill to revive Laxman a piece of Sanjeevenimalai fell at this spot. For this reason this particular area is famous for various herbs and shrubs which can cure the deadliest diseases. It is not just herbs that can cure disease but it is thought that the breeze alone from the Hill wafting through the plants and shrubbery is enough to help cure illnesses.

• It is reputed that there are Siddhars who have made this Hill their home and who keep their presence a secret only choosing to reveal themselves to few devotees of the Divine. It is believed that these Siddhars visit the Temple on the top of Parvathamalai at midnight to worship the presiding deities there. Though no one can or have seen them in physical bodies, Villagers around ‘Parvathamalai’ down below say that they can clearly hear the sound of ringing bells, blowing conch and beating drums exactly at midnight when pujas are performed by siddhars. Devas and spiritual beings from other lokas are also believed to worship on the Hill every night.

Read more : Parvathamalai Hill and Temple

Do visit Parvathamalai as a trekking experience ! It’s situated near Thiruvannamalai !

Om Namah Shivaya !

Image source : Google