Why are idols in South Indian temples kept in dark with no lights?

The Statues-Idols are kept in Karpa-Graha of the Temple.

• The term "karpa graha" refers to the sanctum sanctorum of a Hindu temple, also known by the Sanskrit term garbhagriha . In Tamil, it is called karuvarai, which means "womb chamber," derived from the words "karu" (foetus) and "arai" (room).
• I’m not sure what is reality behind the closure of Karpa-Graha without any light nor celebrating the Statues-Idols in Karpa-Graha using Lamps-Lights-Sounds on specific days of the year.
• There should be wider meaning for the timely celebration and closure of temples on-time and every-time.
• Exception: Few temples are just opened for once in year or once in 14 years, many temples are opened daily.
• For Instance, Sabarimala Temple do manage a specific calendar for the opening and closure of Temple.

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.

What are the mysteries that you found in temples in India?

 Below are a few of many mysteries of Indian temples.

1. Musical staircase of Airavateswara temple

This temple is one of the greatest mysteries known to the mankind.

This lord Shiva temple was built by Raja Raja Chola 2 in 12th century CE. It is located near Kumbakonam in TamilNadu state, India. It is recognized as world heritage site by UNESCO. The entrance of temple which is made of stones produces 7 different sound notes when stepped at different points.

2. Lepakshi temple. Hanging pillar.

The Lepakshi temple is located in Andhra Pradesh. This temple has a total of 70 pillars and is known for its architectural beauty. But what catches hold of ones interest is that 1 pillar hangs in the air without any support. People often test it's reality by passing a cloth piece from below the pillar.

3. The Granite temple.

The Brihadeswara temple located in Tanjavur of TamilNadu state is well known for it's beautifully carved structure of Granite. But what catches hold is that there in no source of granite within 60km range of the temple.

The Gopuram of the temple weighs 80 tons. The mystery still exists of how such a heavy Gopuram was placed at top of the temple without any modern machinery.

4. Anantha Padmanabha swami temple

This temple is located in Tiruvananthapuram, India. It has 7 secret vaults. On the request of the Supreme court, the temple authorities opened the first 6 vaults unveiling a total wealth of 22 Billion dollars. The seventh vault is made of steel and doesn't has any latch. There are 2 cobras carved on the door. It is believed that this vault can only be opened by a secret chant. If any other means are used to open it then it may bring apocalypse. This temple remains the biggest mystery.

5. Flag waving in the opposite direction of the wind flow

The famous Jagannath temple located in Puri is a very important pilgrimage as it is one of the char dham. There is a flag on top of the temple. But the flag waves in the opposite direction of the wind flow. No one knows why.

Everyday a priest climbs the top of the temple which is as high as a 45storey building and changes the flag. If by any chance the flag isn't changed for even a day then the temple must remain closed for 18 yrs.

6. Nandi idol ejecting water with unknown source

The Kadu Malleshwara temple in Bangalore, karnataka is a temple dedicated to lord shiva. In 1997 some construction workers found a buried temple of nandi. The nandi idol does ejects water from it's mouth, the source of which is unknown till date. The water is very clean and flows to the Shiva Linga.

7. Rain predicting temple

The Jagannath temple in kanpur is also known as Rain Predicting temple. The top of the temple drips water droplets which are helpful in rain prediction. If the size of the droplet is small then it means draught and if it is bigger then it means a good rainfall. It predicts the monsoon well before the monsoon season(15 days before). Hence, the farmers in the nearby areas harvest their crops accordingly. The temple was constructed a few hundred yrs ago.

Edit 1:- Adding a few more as suggested by @Nandini Krishnan ma'am in comments.

8. The disappearing temple of Gujarat.

At the bay of Cambay on the beaches of Jambusar city there lies a 150yr old temple of Stambheshwar Mahadev. The speciality of the temple is that when high tide arrives, the temple completely submerges underwater and disappear from the sight. It re-emerges once the tide is passed.

9. Nidhi Van- where Lord Krishna visits himself

This temple is counted among the most mysterious temples of India. Nidhivan is a forest with the holy temple-Rang Mahal located in the temple city of India- Vrindavan. The temple is dedicated to Lord Krishna. Apart from holding several mythological beliefs, the activities that take place in and around the temple are beyond explanation. Nidhivan is a dense forest with the lush green trees. The interesting thing is that the barks of the trees are hollow and the land is absolutely dry, but the tree remains loaded with green leaves throughout the year. No tree stands straight and is bend towards the earth. Devotees believe that trees perform Rasleela at the night. Coming to Rang Mahal, there is a deity of Lord Krishna decorated beautifully. The temple is shut after the evening prayer and various things such as saree, sweets, betel nuts are kept inside the temple. Every morning the priests see that sweets are partially eaten and the clothes have been used. No one is allowed on the premises of the temple after the sun sets down. It is believed that Radha-Krishna comes to the temple every night to rest. Anyone who has tried to see what happens in the night either dies, go blind or become insane. The place remains mysterious till date.

10. The temple of eternal flames

Jwala ji temple is located in the Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh. Temple is dedicated to Sati, wife of Lord Shiva. What may leave you in dismay here is the eternal flame that is burning in the premises of the temple for 100 years without any source of fuel. If the mythological story is to be believed then Sati killed herself after her father mistreated Shiva. After her death, Lord Vishnu divided her body into 51 pieces which fell on different parts of Earth. The tongue is believed to be fallen at this place where Jwala Ji temple has been constructed. Many scientific organizations have come here to research about the source of this eternal flame but have failed.

11. The Linearity of Chidambaram Nataraja Temple, Kanchipuram Ekambareshwar temple, and Sri Kalahasthi temple.

Some mysterious temples have left people in awe. In the era where there were no scientific tools, three temples were built in the exact same longitudes at 79 degrees 42 minute east. The Chidambaram Nataraja temple in Tamil Nadu, Kanchipuram Ekambareshwar temple in Kanchipuram district of Tamil Nadu and Sri Kalahasthi temple in Andra Pradesh all lies on the straight line. These temples are considered to be Shiva lingam representing various elements of earth. Such as air, earth and space. The fact that it was built thousands of years ago where there were no scientific tools to measure the point on earth leaves many people in dismay. Some consider it to be a co- incidence. But, even if it is a co-incidence it is worth noticing.

12. Sugali Mata temple, the story of titled necks of deities

Located in the Auwa, Marwar district of Rajasthan. This temple has another mysterious story to unfold. The deities inside the temple have a tilted neck and remains tilted no matter if you try to change the idol or reconstruct it. People have tried several times to change the deity with a perfect one, but even the perfect idol tilts its neck after some time. And, those who try to change the deity falls sick. Many believe the reason behind the tilted neck is that, many freedom fighters used to visit this temple. Once, this deity was shot by a Britisher giving it a reason to have tilted neck.

Which dynasty in South India was famous for the construction of chariot temples?

 Many of them are aware of the SUN konark temple in ODISSA that is a famous Chariot temple as well as a temple for calculating the time.

But in South there is temple called AIRAVATESHWARA temple in DARASURAM near Kumbakonam, built by the great Cholas .This temple is known for its stunning architecture and is one of the UNESCO world heritage sites in INDIA.This famous temple stands as a architectural marvel among the great CHOLA living temples in TAMIL NADU.

Yes,this temple which was built by the chola dynasty is a Chariot temple and a temple for time.Built by Raja Raja Chola in 12th century.

A wheel which can be used for calculating time.

Legend of the temple:

Here ,Lord shiva is worshipped by Airavata , the white elephant of the King of the Devars, Deva Indra.The King of Death, Yama also worshipped Lord Shiva here.

The Airavatesvara Shiva temple has a water tank. This tank has a connected channel that brings in Cauveri River water where devotees gather annually to take a dip. The mythology narrates how Airavata, or Indra's white elephant wich was cursed by Sage Durvasa(a sage whose power increases as he bestows curses)was restored with clean, white skin after he took a dip in this tank. This legend is carved in stone in the inner shrine, and this Indra's elephant gives this temple its name.

This temple is built in the shape of a chariot having wheels(these wheels act as a clock) and there are 24 spokes on these wheels denoting 24 hours in a day and using the science behind this wheels one can find the time of the day.

Yaali -A mystic animal that is portrayed in many South Indian temples

Not only that this temples has many sculptures telling about the stories of ancient times .This temple is known for the 3D sculptures which gives a different perspective for viewers.

See in this above scuplture, you can see both bull and a elephant having same head but the prespective to all.

A women having one head but three differnt body postures.

Though this temple is small than the other Chola temples,this temple has more scuptures of intricate designs.The Vijayanagara empire and the Pandyas are known for the building up of musical pillars but the cholas have designed musical steps.

I think everyone who tours Tamil Nadu should surely visit this temple .

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)