Is the Karnataka Gokarna temple mentioned in Shiva Purana?

 Not sure. But the main story comes from Gokarna mahatya . Gokarna is mentioned as Shiva ksetra in Vana Parva (Ramopakhyana which is dated to 2nd BCE by scholars)

In Vana Parva(Ramopakhyana ) Gokarna is mentioned as Shiva ksetra where mahadev is worshipped.

• तमतीत्याथ गोकर्णमभ्यगच्छद्दशाननः ।
• दयितं स्थानमव्यग्रं शूलपाणेर्महात्मनः ॥
• “Having crossed beyond it, Daśānana (Rāvaṇa) approached Gokarṇa, the beloved, tranquil place of the great-souled Śūlapāṇi (Śiva).”

What are your views about a woman entering a temple when she is menstruating?

 For one thing, bleeding for any reason is a ghastly sight! Menstruation happens regularly, it is messy, it smells, spoils the surroundings unless the woman is careful, demands special care and it also makes the person weak & incapable of doing normal work for a fixed period. And all this recurs EVERY 28 days!

How humans over ages viewed menstruation

Humans knew long ago that menstruation in women and childbearing were related. They had a vague idea of "eggs" in women and fertilizing agent in men (semen). They drew this inference from observing Nature and then extended to humans. Also, they observed menstruation happening in many mammals all around them. What they could not understand was, why it happened so frequently among human females.

The anthropological angle

Anthropologically and philosophically, menstruation gave "birth" to many concepts, ideas and it also moulded social norms. But that is out of context here. The basic idea was, rain falling from the skies made the earth below give rise to plant life. It was not difficult to extend this observation to dividing Natural elements into "male" and "female". Say, earth was female, the gods that made rain possible were male.

That said, not all pre-religion pagan groups were put off by this natural phenomenon of menstruation. The observation that menstruation being related to women's ability to give birth to new humans, made these groups give a new respect to women.

Menstruating women and Hindu Religion

Menstruation is considered unclean & polluting, no doubt. So is the belief in cases of death and also births! And Hinduism is quite fond of categorizing everything into clean vs unclean!

It makes no sense nor is it necessary to search the scriptures for such sanctions. It is a waste of time. Such restrictions may or may not have been official i.e. religious sanction, probably instituted by Brahmin class of yore.

The social angle

Generally a woman in periods got a sort of holiday from her normal back-breaking house-hold chores and as such she would be tired. Possibly, this tradition started among high-caste Hindus just for the purpose of giving the woman some rest. What better way than forbidding her to mix with other members and take part in her usual work? In course of time, this tradition must have hardened into strict isolation where she was not allowed to participate in any religious function or visiting temples.

Thinking about hygiene

Any woman knows the problem of keeping a close watch on the situation. Any strenuous task tends to cause bouts of flow. And the flow is repulsive to see and offensive to smell too. In a large family with many children, there would be a real danger of small kids seeing above unseemly sights. It would make the best sense to keep her in isolation and thereby allow complete rest too.

In the Kamakhya temple of Guwahati, there is an idol of a goddess sitting with both legs drawn up and genitals exposed to full view. Vermilion smeared on the vaginal cleavage represents her menstrual blood. Devotees - male & female - take this kumkum with no hesitation or misgivings at all, knowing fully well that the vermillion symbolizes her menstrual blood. Unless I am mistaken, those days of the lunar month when the principal goddess - Kamakhya Devi - is supposed to be menstruating, are considered particularly auspicious for visiting the temple.

1. All this tell us, nobody with any authority can show Hindu scriptures forbidding menstruating women entry into any temple.
2. Secondly, this bar appears more a social custom than religion sanction.
3. Third, if such a woman enters any temple nowadays, nobody will be any the wiser.
4. Fourth, what keeps Hindu menstruating women from entering any temple is simply a feeling of guilt - of violating some norm. Beyond that, the issue is no issue at all.
5. There are plenty of female deities in the Hindu pantheon and we attribute all the human characteristics to our deities. This point alone should answer your question!

Where is the Hanuman Temple in Sri Lanka?

 

Srilanka has several well- known Lord Hanuman shrines.

Sri Bhakta Hanuman : Many Hindus visit Sri Bhakta Hanuman temple in Ramboda.

Ramboda or Ramapadai means Rama ‘s force or army.

Ramboda is a mountain village near Nuwara Eliya.

Legend : Many devotees believe that Lord Hanuman rested here when he visited Lanka.

Consecrated : In 1980, Swami Chinmayanand , a great mystic, had visited Ramboda.

At his behest , his devotees built Sri Bhakta Hanuman temple in 1999.

Prayer : Sri Ganeshaya Namah Sri Ram Jai Ram Jai Jai Ram Namo Parvatipataye Har Har Mahadev Shambhu Jai Jai Jai Hanuman Gosai Kripa Karo Gurudev Ki Nai !

Pic Credits : Google Images / Web

What is so special about the Rameshwaram Temple?

Sri Rameshwaram Temple has many salient features.

Ramanathswamy : Sri Rameshwaram temple is also known as Sri Ramanathswamy temple.

It means , Lord Sri Shiva , the beloved deity of Sri Rama

Twin : It is a rare Jyotirlinga known for its twin lingas.

Rama : Hindus believe that Lord Sri Rama consecrated Shiva linga at Sri Rameshwaram.

Sri Ramalinga : Shiva linga installed by Lord Sri Rama is known as Sri Rama linga.

Sri Hanuman linga : Hanuman ji also installed another lingam known as Sri Hanuman linga.

Jyotirlinga : It is adored as the 11th Jyotirlinga by devotees.

Dham : It is counted among four Dhams (sacred places) by Hindus.

Wells : It is renowned for 22 sacred wells that contain water from sacred rivers.

Surya : Astrologers believe that worshipping Sri Rameshwaram cures one of sun related ills.

Longest : It has the longest outer temple corridor (nearly 1200 meters) across the world.

Fact : This sacred shrine is geographically close near Sri Lanka.

Prayer : Sri Ganeshaya Namah Sri Ram Jai Ram Jai Jai Ram Jai Sri Ramanathswamy Namo Parvatipataye Har Har Mahadev Jai Jai Jai Hanuman Gosai Kripa Karo Gurudev Ki Nai

Pic Credits : Google Images / Web

Which is the most sacred temple in India?

According to my personal experience the most sacred temple in India is in Triplicane, Chennai city , South India!!

The Parthasarathy Temple, located in Triplicane(thiruvallikeni ) area of Chennai, is a structure more than 2000 years old, standing in the heart of the bustling city.

Dedicated to different avatars of Lord Vishnu within the many shrines of the temple, it attracts thousands of Sanatan Vaishanvite followers from all across the world.

The temple gets its name from the charioteer version of Lord Krishnan when he drove the vehicle of Arjunan in the Mahabharatham war.The main speciality of this perumal is his big mustache.

Parthasarathy Temple is classified as one of the 108 Divya Desams or holy shrines dedicated to lord Maha Vishnu, as mentioned in the canonical Tamil literature penned down by the Alvar saints of the 6th-9th century, known as Naalaira Divya Prabandham 4000 holy songs of Lord MahaVishnu in world's most ancient language Tamizh.

The temple houses five different forms of Vishnu - YogaNarasimha, Ramar, Gajendra Varadarajar, Ranganathar and VenkataKrishnan. In Tamil, they have different names for these. There are numerous additional shrines as well, enclosed within the 8th-century Dravidian architecture. Chennai is a popular city for the followers of Vishnu to carry out a pilgrimage to because of the many temples devoted to that faith.Sri VenkataKrishnan Temple is one of the oldest among them, and also one of the most popular temple in Chennai.

It is a must visit temple in Chennai city.

You will definitely receive the divine blessings of Sri Krishna Geethacharya perumal if you visit this temple even once in your life time 🙏!

Jai Shri Ram!!

Hare Krishna 🙏!

Do people really see the pigeons in Amarnath Yatra?

(Jai Baba Sri Amarnath Mahadev)

Many devotees have witnessed a couple of pigeons inside the cave.

Legend : Seers claim that these pigeons were witnesses to the secret of life and death narrated by Lord Shiva to Goddess Uma.

These mating pigeons were proverbially resting on the edge of the cave

Eternal : Devotees believe after listening to this divine secret, the pigeons became immortal.

These are considered auspicious and a mark of divine blessing.

Fact : Biologists don’t agree to this claim. But, many devotees ardently believe in this saga.

To each his / her own.

Prayer: Sri Ganeshaya Namah Sri Ram Jai Ram Jai Jai Ram Namo Parvatipataye Har Har Mahadev Jai Jai Jai Hanuman Gosai Kripa Karo Gurudev Ki Nai Sita Ram Pawan Kumar Anjaninandan Sri Kesari Nandan

Pic Credits : Google Images /Web

Is the Shiva Lingam at Somnath Temple the original Lingam?

Yes, the Shiva lingam at Somnath temple is the original one.

According to locals of Somath, when the invaders came to destroy the Shivlinga, the linga was believed to be safely hid within its hollowness, the famous Syamanthaka_mani. The stone associated with Lord Krishna. The stone created a magnetic field around itself, that kept the Somnath Shivlinga floating above ground. So no one was able to touch the Linga, as it was hanging in the air and was thus untouched by anyone.

• The Somnath Jyothirlinga is the first of the 12 Jyothirlinga Shrines of Shiva. It is located on the western coast of Gujarat.
• There is a mention of the Somanath temple in Sreemad Bhagavadgita, Skanda Purana, Shiva Purana and even in Rig Veda.
• The meaning of ‘Soma “ is Moon, and Nath means Lord, so Somanath is the protector of the Moon and is Shiva.
• Prajapathi Daksha, married his 27 daughters to Moon, but Moon loved only Rohini and neglected his other 26 wives (sisters of Rohini). The neglected sisters complain to their father Daksha about Moon. Daksha fumes and curses Moon to fade or wane away. To overcome the curse and its effects, Moon installed a Shivling at the Prabhas Teerth (holy place) and prays to Shiva for forgiveness, and Shiva partially removes the curse by giving him a permanent place on His forehead. Thus Shiva became Chandrashekhara / Chandramouli.

• Architecture of Somanath temple :: It was constructed in the Chalukya style of architecture. An arrow pillar mentions that, the temple is located at such a position, that it is the first point of land in the north to the South pole, at that particular longitude.
• The invasion on the Somanath temple :: The temple has withstood several destructions in the past and still has not lost its beauty. The temple was looted and destroyed as many as 17 times by Emperors like Mohammed Ghazni, Alauddin Khilji and Aurangazeb. But the linga remain undestroyed.
• They looted all the idols of gold and silver and countless vessels set with jewels, but couldn't touch the Linga

• Sardar Vallabhai Patel was the force behind the revival and reconstruction of the present day Somanath temple (Though it was inaugurated in 1951, after his death), which still serves as a notable edifice of the original Somanath Temple

OM Somanathaya Namaha, Om Soma_priyaya Namaha

.** Source : Wikipedia **

How can doors (except the mysterious door) of Anantha Padmanabha Swamy temple open automatically by the chanting of mantras?

 Big yes, the doors of the Anantha Padmanabha_swamy temple automatically open by the chanting of mantras. Since the mysterious doors are protected by mighty serpents.

I feel, these mantras can be compared to the present day audio_Passwords which we use to open Vaults or any folders.

• The temple is dedicated to Lord Vishnu and is located in Thiruvananthapuram, India.
• The principal diety, Padmanabha_swamy is enshrined in the “Anantha-sayanam” posture (in the eternal sleep of Yoga-nidra on the serpent Anantha).
• The serpent Anantha or Adi Seshu has five hoods facing inwards, and the Lord's right hand is placed over a Shiva lingam. The Deity is made from 12000 Saligrams.

Secret Chamber ::

• Among the six kalavaras or chambers in the Temple, Bharatakkon chamber is associated with Padmanabha_swamy, it is not a part of the temple treasury.
• In 2011, the Supreme Court of India sent a seven member committe to the temple. In the presence of the Head trustee of Travancore Trust of Sri Anantha Padmanabha_swamy, the temple's six secret Vaults were opened.
• The second chamber, referred as the secret chamber is fixed with the ‘naga bandham’ or ‘Naga paasam’.
• Naaga bandham means, the sacred mantras created by the great siddha Purushas (great sages) who lived during the reign of King Marthanda_varma in the 16th century.
• The door of such a secret vault can be opened by only a highly erudite and pious ‘Sadhu’ or ‘mantrikas’ who are familiar with the knowledge of extricating the ‘Naga bandham ‘ by chanting a ‘Garuda mantra’, since it is believed that Naagas or Snakes are enemies to Garuda (Eagles). So, a Eagle is needed to overcome the Snakes and thus gain entry into the door.
• If any human attempts are made to open the mysterious Chamber, then it will have a Catastrophic effect around the temple premises or through out in India.

• The door opens by chanting the Garuda mantra, by a powerful Sadhu.
• It is believed that if the mantra is not pronounced properly, then the mighty serpents guarding the doors will create havoc on those who try to open the door.

This all conveys only one thing, that the temple is guarded with divine intervention.

Which is the biggest Shiva temple in the world?

 The biggest Shiva temple in the World is Brihadeeswarar temple in Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu.

The temple was built by Raja Raja Chola I. The temple is more than 1000 years old.

• The temple structure is an example of Dravidian architecture and it portrays the ideology of Tamil Civilization and Chola Empire.
• The temple has the world's largest Vimanam ( temple tower ) and it's Kumbam (the structure on the top ) weighs approximately 80 tons.
• The temple has a huge statue of Nandi at the entrance. The statue is carved out of a single rock and weighs around 20 tons.

• The main Shiva Linga inside the temple is 8.7 meters tall.
• Brihadeeswarar temple is one of the few temples, that has Ashta-dikpaalakas ( Guardians of the Eight directions) idols.
• It's the first complete granite temple in the World, around 60000 tons of granite is said to be used to build the temple.
• It was constructed by interlocking technology without using binding materials.
• It has a tunnel from the temple to the pasupatheeswharar temple in the district of Karur. It is believed that the Saint karuvurar (his grave is in this Karur temple) came all the way through this tunnel to open the brihadheswarar temple.
• This temple's vimans shadow never fall on the ground.
• The temple's replica was built by Raja Raja Cholas son, Rajendra chola in a place called Gangai konda chollapuram, as a memory in defeating the ganges plains.

What are some lesser known facts about Amarnath Temple?

 The journey to the Amarnath cave temple is considered as the most difficult one.

The lesser known facts about Amarnath temple are ::

• The Amarnath shrine is located in the Himalayan region of South Kashmir which is about 141 km from Srinagar and is situated at an altitude of 3,888 meters (12,756 feet).

The story behind the Amarnath Jyothirlinga,

• One day on mount Kailash, Goddess Parvathi asked Shiva “ Hey Lord ! Why do you always wear the Munda_mala, Garland of skulls around your neck, Whose skulls are these Mahadev “?

Then the Mahadev says “ my dear, whenever you take avatar ( birth in the form of a human), then one kapala gets added to this Garland”.

Parvathi further says “ Swamy ( Lord), why is it that I'm being born again and again, but you are never born again “?

Shiva says “ That is the secret of the immorality, the secret of life and death dear. I can't tell you in this place, let's go to a spot where there are no living beings, and there I would reveal the secret to you. Saying this God Shiva, Parvathi and His family started their journey to the Amarnath cave.

On the way to the cave, God Shiva left all his family members in the middle and reached with only Parvathi to the cave.

• The Place where Shiva left His mount Nandi, came to be known as Pahalgam or Bailgam ( bail means bull in Hindi). This place is 100 kms away from Srinagar.
• From a distance of 16 kms from Bailgav, Shiva renounced Moon at a place called Chandravad.
• After few miles, Shiva left His ornament Vasuki, the cobra king at a place called Sheshnaag ( this place is a combination of seven Hills present there) .
• Later Shiva gave up Lord Ganesh at a place called Mahaguna and later gave up the Holy River Ganga from His hair, at a place called Panchatarini.
• Shiva kept His trishul outside, at the entrance of the cave.
• After leaving them all, Shiva and Parvathi entered into the Amarnath cave.
• After entering into the cave, Shiva made a huge sound with His damru, hearing to that sound, all the birds present in the cave flew away.

• Then Shiva told the secret of life and death and immortality to goddess Parvathi. Shiva did not observe that, in the corner of the cave, two pigeon eggs were present and they hatched and two baby pigeons were born, so this two pigeons heard the entire story.
• Shiva says “ Since these two pigeons have heard the secret, they will be immortal and whoever sees this birds gets the highest virtue, from today on wards, we two will be in this pigeon form “.

• Few people who went to the Amarnath cave, reported to have seen the pigeons.
• Shiva manifested himself into the Ice linga in the cave to bless His devotees.
• It's a popular belief that, Sage Kashyapa created many water streams ( rivers) in the mountains surrounding this cave.

• And it was sage Bhrigu, who visited this cave first and made it popular to others.
• This temple is open only in the summers, that too for a period of 45 days ( July and August month).
• When summer starts, the ice starts to melt and the iced water forms into a Linga.

• It is said that, during many foreign invasions, people stopped visiting this temple from 12 th to 15th century.
• In 15 th Century, one day a person named Bhuta malik went to graze his goats and yaks in the mountain. Then a Sadhu came and handed him a bag of coal pieces. But when Bhuta malik went home and opened the bag, he saw full gold coins in place of coal. He was very happy and he went in search of that Sadhu to thank him, in the process he finds this cave and again people started to worship the Iced Linga.

Source :: Amarnath story in Hindu dharmam channel, Shiva purana and devon ke dev mahadev hindi series.

Why Has the Eighth Door of the Padmanabhaswamy Temple Never Been Opened?

 

This door is said to be sealed by the mystical "Naga Bandhan." Here's how it is believed it can be opened.

The Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple is regarded as the resting place of Vishnu. Its name means "the One whose navel bears the lotus," referring to the sacred lotus from which, according to Hindu tradition, creation itself began.

The Mystery

The temple is administered by the former Travancore Royal Family through a trust. Following an order from the Supreme Court of India>, a seven-member committee opened several of the temple's sealed vaults, where an enormous treasure was discovered.

Illnesses and Deaths

According to the story, everything went smoothly until the sixth vault. However, when attention turned to the next sealed chamber, a series of unfortunate events allegedly began.

One committee member reportedly fell seriously ill and refused to continue. Another person who attempted to proceed is said to have lost his mother shortly afterward. It is also claimed that T. P. Sundararajan, the man who had filed the court petition related to the temple, later passed away.

Traditional Beliefs

One popular belief says that the King of Travancore invited accomplished saints, tantric practitioners, and ascetics from different traditions to perform a powerful ritual known as Naga Bandhan, spiritually sealing the mysterious door.

Another belief claims that the sealed chamber is directly connected to Patala. According to this legend, anyone who forces the door open would be swept through an underground passage beneath the sea and into the underworld itself.

Yet another tradition says that a hidden tunnel behind the door leads to Naga Loka, the mythical realm of the serpent beings. It is believed to contain immeasurable treasures—precious gems, pearls, diamonds, and countless priceless jewels—guarded by powerful divine serpents.

How Is the Door Supposed to Be Opened?

According to legend, only an enlightened sage or yogi who has mastered the sacred Garuda Mantra can safely open the mysterious door.

It is believed that when the mantra is chanted with perfect spiritual mastery and the exact vibrational frequency strikes the sealed entrance, the door will unlock on its own. Otherwise, the legend warns that anyone attempting to force it open may invite calamity, misfortune, and disaster upon themselves.