Ratnalayam.

Ratnalayam is a beautiful Temple Complex that has come up close to Secunderabad, in February 2003. The main Temple is of Lord Venkateshwaraswamy, Goddess Padmavati Devi and Goddess Aandalu. The other Shrines are of Lord Ganapathi, Anjaneyaswamy and Sri Vasavi Kanyaka Parameshwari. It is a very grand Temple constructed on a 5-acre land with charming and imposing deities in all the Shrines. The entire area surrounding the Temple is fully landscaped with beautiful lawns and gardens. Lord Venkateshwaraswamy’s Chakram, Namam and Shanku are a part of the garden with waterfalls originating from them and cascading into the garden below. And at another place amidst fountains are the colourful idols of Lord Vishnu and Goddess Lakshmi resting on Adhishesha.  You can see the details of this beautiful Temple in the above pictures.

This Temple complex is about 25 km. from Secunderabad on Rajiv Rahadhari. It is adjacent to Aliabad Cross Roads, close to Shamirpet. The Temple is constructed by Sri. T. R. Venkatesh of Secunderabad; in memory of his father, Late Sri. T.P. Rathnaiah. The Bhoomi pooja for the construction of the Temple was held on 26th April 2001 by Sri. Tripurananda Swamy. The magnificent architecture of the Temple was designed by Sri. M. Shankar. As the Temple was under construction the idols of all the Gods were sculpted by Sri Ganapathi Sthapathy, the famous sculptor from Kanchipuram. Twenty-two months after the Bhoomi Puja, Sri Sri Sri Jayendra Saraswathi Swamy, the pontiff of Kanchi Mutt commenced the prathishta of the Idols on 19th February 2003. After week-long rituals and prayers performed by Sri. Mudumbai Ramanujacharya Swamy and Sri Chandramouli Guruswamy the Temple was finally consecrated and opened for regular daily pooja and darshan by devotees. Since then the Temple is maintained in a very pious and clean manner carrying out regular pooja and Sevas more or less as in Tirumala. Every year Brahmotsavam is performed here very grandly. Being close to our place we visit this Temple often. 

Like us, many people from the city visit this Temple regularly for darshan and performing special pooja. Children love coming here as there are Swings, Slides, See-Saws and similar amusements for them amidst the colourful garden. There is plenty of lawn place to relax and a Cafeteria for Snacks, cold and hot beverages. And there is plenty of parking place outside the Temple.

One of the aims of the founders of this Temple was to provide a Temple of Lord Venkteshwaraswamy close to the city to benefit all those who cannot go to Tirumala often and it is serving this purpose very well.

Shri Godha (Aandal) Sametha Mannaru Ranganayaka Swamy Temple, Edulabad.

Last Sunday, that is on 10th January we went to Shri Godha Sametha Mannaru Ranganayaka Swamy Temple. It is an ancient Temple, over 350 years old and very close to Secunderabad, but we heard of it just a few days back. It was a very satisfying trip; we were in the temple in front of the deities for close to one hour and witnessed Archana and Vodibhiyyam rituals. Unlike many other Temples, there is no fee charged for any of these Sevas. The Temple is being maintained by the family members of the Archaka Swamis since generations with the Harathi and Hundi offerings. And this also contributes to their livelihood. We performed Archana with an offering of coconuts and bangles as per the practice here. Though we did not carry the items required for Vodibhiyyam, my wife and sister-in-law got to perform this ceremony. They were given the bangles placed at the deities along with flowers. We also received a variety of Prasadams. Adjacent to this Temple is Sri Gopala Swamy Temple.

As you can see in the above photographs, I interacted with an 89-year-old member of the Archaka Swamis family and got his version of this Temple’s history. According to him; his ancestors found a girl child all alone in this village and tried to find out to which family she belonged. On not getting any response they began to rear the child as their own. After some time they returned to their native town in Tamil Nadu. The Girl was not happy there and pleaded to return to this village. Back at this village, she insisted on the construction of this Temple of Ranganayaka Swamy. Being poor it seemed an impossible task for the foster parents. Then the girl talked to the villagers and brought forward many people who contributed to the construction of this Temple. When the girl was of marriageable age the parents started looking out for a suitable match. The girl was not interested and insisted on getting married to the God in this Temple - Lord Ranganayaka Swamy. The parents said it is ridiculous and not proper to talk in this manner. One day, in their presence the girl walked into the Temple and was not seen thereafter. When her father started calling out her name he heard her replying from the Temple that she is with Lord Ranganayaka Swamy.

This Temple is in a beautiful village with a large lake and greenery all around. The village is called Edulabad. It is exactly 32 Km. from our house in Secunderabad. The Ambedkar Statue of Ghatkeshar town on Warangal highway is 26 Km. from our house and at this junction, we took a right turn to reach Edulabad. We wish to go there again.

On our way back we had a sumptuous meal at a good restaurant. It was a well-spent holiday morning – Soul-satisfying and stomach satisfying.

HAPPY SANKRANTI / Pongal / Makar Sankranti / Uttarayan / Lohri!!!

Today is Sankranti festival. On this happy occasion wish you happiness, prosperity, good health, success and peace. Sankranti is celebrated all over India and even in other South Asian countries, with some regional variations. It is celebrated as Sankranti, Makara Sankranti or Makar Sankranti in Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Uttaranchal, West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, Orissa, Goa, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka and Maharashtra. The festival is celebrated as Lohri in Himachal Pradesh and Punjab, as Pongal in Tamil Nadu and as Uttarayan in Gujarat and Rajasthan. In Nepal it is celebrated as Maghi or Maghe Sankranti or Maghe Sakrati. And in Myanmar it is Thingyan, in Laos it is Pi Ma Lao and in Thailand it is Songkran.

Sankranti festival falls on the day when the Sun begins its northward journey and enters the sign of Makara (Capricorn) from the Tropic of Cancer. In local interpretation it means the Sun has commenced to move from Dakshinayana (South) to Uttarayana (North). Every year this event always falls on the 14^th of January, according to the Solar Calendar. Today onwards the harshness of winter would reduce and the days would get longer. Symbolically, the Sun gradually removes darkness and ushers in the light of knowledge and wisdom.

Though the reasons for the celebration of this festival are plenty, the most important is - it is celebrated as a harvest festival. It is celebrated with a lot of pomp and show with colorful dresses, colorful Muggulu (Rangoli), colorful Kites, well decorated houses, lots of entertainment and a variety of food over the three day festival. It is a festival to express gratitude to God for a good harvest and all the material possessions and it is also time for communal camaraderie, thanksgiving and exchange of greetings. So once again wish you all a very Happy Sankranti / Pongal / Makar Sankranti / Uttarayan / Lohri!!!

Links to my Sankranti Festival related other blog posts:

Sankranti - Bhogi Pandlu and Muggu!

Festival of Kite flying and Kite fighting!

Hearty Greetings! On the happy occasion of Makara Sankranti, Pongal, Lohiri and Bihu!

Happy Sankranti VIDEO!

Sankranti Greeings! - 2011.

Sankranti Musical Greetings!

Shri Venkateshwara Swamy (Balaji) Temple, of U.K.

These photographs are of my son, Srinath at Shri Venkateshwara Swamy Temple in Tividale, Birmingham, England.  My son is in Birmingham pursuing higher studies and he goes to this Temple often and keeps talking to us about it. I understand that it is the largest Hindu Temple in Europe and is very popular in United Kingdom and has several visitors. The Temple has a number of shrines and is located on a very large site of about 21 acres. A small shrine was opened here in 1999 followed by two more shrines and then the main Temple of  Shri Venkateshwara Swamy was opened for worship in August 2006. It is a beautiful temple constructed in line with the Shri Venakateshwara Swamy Temple in Tirumala. There are daily poojas for all deities in the morning, noon and evening.  It is a great achievement of the Hindu community in United Kingdom which is responsible for constructing this marvelous Temple and maintaining it as piously and religiously as the Temple at Tirupati. My son’s residence is not far from the Temple and he goes there often and returns back feeling very happy. And this makes us happy.

For more details of the Temple you may visit: http://www.venkateswara.org.uk/

Thousand Pillar Temple, Hanamkonda / Warangal.

The above photographs are of my family at the historic and marvelous 847 year old Veyyi Sthambhala Gudi that is 1000 Pillar Temple at Hanamkonda. Warangal and Hanamkonda are Twin Cities and the Thousand Pillar Temple is generally referred to be in Warangal. This magnificent temple was constructed by Rudra-I of the Kakatiya dynasty in 1163 AD. The Temple is one of the finest examples of Kakatiya architecture and an affirmation of the Vishwakarma Brahmins excellence in art and sculpture.

As the name suggests there are 1000 pillars at the Temple. These pillars are of many varieties and sizes and some of them are part of other pillars. The Mandapam in front of the Temple is of 400 pillars and this is presently undergoing reconstruction under the supervision of the Archeological Survey of India. There are 600 pillars in the main Temple and most of them are so closely sculpted that they form walls of the Temple. Between the Mandapam and the main Temple is the colossal structure of Nandi – the sacred Bull, Vahanam of Lord Shiva, beautifully carved out of a single piece of black basalt. The Temple is star shaped and on an elevated platform with beautiful sculpture within and all around it. The intricately carved pillars, perforated screens and rock cut elephants are a delight to see and experience. There are three Shrines inside the Temple.  The three shrines are of Lord Shiva, Lord Vishnu and Surya the Sun God.

Warangal is just 155 Kms. from Paradise in Secunderabad, with an excellent road all along the route. While at Hyderabad one should certainly visit Warangal and visit the ancient Bhadrakali Temple, 1000 Pillar Temple and the Ramappa Temple in Palampet, which is 74 Kms. from Warangal.

PS. You may zoom into the photographs to view some details of the sculpture.

Telugu TV News Channels warned against crossing the line.

I have expressed my displeasure with the Telugu TV Channels especially the news channels several times in this blog. The very first being my second post. As usual their reporting style and functioning has become more irritating to people like me.  Though I hate most of these channels, I am forced to watch them for news at times and the moment I can see their unauthenticated information, bluffs, exaggeration, cheap scoops, political bias, caste bias, sensation oriented cheap news, gory crime stories and scenes, agenda-filled views and gossip as popular opinions, meaningless idiotic debates, I get upset and simply move away from their nonsense. A great invention, the TV is really converted into an Idiot box by the Telugu TV Channels. The time has come for them to correct themselves after the recent arrests of journalists and criminal cases booked on some TV Channels for broadcasting speculation as sensational news which led to large scale violence in several places of Rayalaseema and Coastal Andhra. And in the last three days I see that these Channels have mellowed down and are behaving responsibly.

I was happy to read the following headline news in today’s “The Times of India, Hyderabad” news paper: “HC warns TV news channels against crossing the line”. I quote excerpts of this newsprint: “Observing that the Telugu news television channels are turning irresponsible in their dissemination of news, the AP High Court on Saturday directed the State Government to ensure that these channels follow the programme code as envisaged in Rule 6 of the Cable Television Network Rules 1994.”

“Justice Tamada Gopalakrishna made this order while hearing an urgent house motion moved against these channels by B.V.V.S. Kameswara Rao, an advocate of the High Court seeking a restraint order on the channels because they are telecasting provocative speeches repeatedly and are creating enmity among different groups in the State.”

“Rule 6 says that no programme should be carried by the cable service which offends the good taste or decency, contains criticism of friendly countries, contains attack on religions or communities or visuals or words contemptuous of religious groups or which promote communal attitudes, contains anything obscene, defamatory, deliberate, false and suggestive innuendoes and half truths, which may incite violence or contains anything against maintenance of law and order or which promotes anti-national attitude etc.”

“The Judge in his four-page order said that to improve their viewership, these channels were creating sensation and indulging in acts which are prejudicial to harmony among different groups. One channel shows provocative speeches while the other resorts to showing indecent obscene and vulgar things, he said. On account of some of these abusive visuals, people are becoming violent and are trying to create havoc in the State, the Judge said.”

“The media, both electronic and print, which is expected to behave in a responsible manner, is acting in a way which is not expected of it. In fact even prior to the promulgation of Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act, 1995, the Cable TV Networks Rules 1994 were in force and Rule 6 clearly specified decency and responsibility to be displayed by these channels, he said.”

“The recent visuals telecast   by these channels are clearly contrary to this Rule 6; the Judge said and warned that any violation of Rule 6 is punishable under Section 16 of the Act. This Court is firmly of the opinion that the TV news channels in Andhra Pradesh are exceeding their limitations only for the sake of sensation and this Court cannot be a silent spectator, Justice Gopalakrishna said in this Order. He directed these Channels not to transmit those programmes which create panic in the minds of the people of this State, programmes which are not verified properly or the speculative ones and also not to hold such debates which are of no use to the public.”

“Principle Secretaries of the State General Administration and Home Departments, DGP, Hyderabad Police Commissioner were directed to ensure that the following news Channels: TV9, NTV, TV5, I News, Sakshi, ABN Andhra Jyothi, ETV-2, TV1, RK News, HMTV, Maha TV, Studio N, adhere to the programme code properly. This interim direction of the court is for a period of 6 weeks. The Court asked the counsel for the Home Department to file an affidavit and posted the matter for hearing again after four weeks.”

Unquote. This judicial intervention is a blessing to control these TV Channels. I hope the News and programs on these channels will be of a very good standard from now on.

Sankranti – Bhogi Pandlu and Muggu.

In my previous post I wrote about the most significant and enjoyable tradition of Kite flying during Sankranti festival. The above photographs are of two other colorful and enjoyable rituals practiced during Sankranti – Muggu and Bhogi Pandlu.

Muggu is a symmetric design drawn on floor or on ground in front of the entrance to the house by the girls and women of the household. These patterns and designs were originally made using rice flour but nowadays it is mostly with course limestone (white) powder and color powders.  A handful of flour or limestone powder is held in the right hand and through the thumb and index finger a pattern of dots is first made on the ground. And then these dots are either joined through straight or curved lines or intricate lines drawn around these dots to make very attractive designs. Such designs are then filled with color powders to make them much more attractive. Muggu is considered auspicious, a decoration to the house, a pleasant welcome sign and one that creates happiness to all members with its beauty. And I remember being told in childhood that the rice flour would serve as food to ants and insects which would in return bless the family members. On Sankranti day another ritual is of placing decorated Boddemmas at the Gadapas of all doors in the house along with Navadhaanyalu and Garkha (grass). The next day after Sankranti is Kanumu panduga when the ladies would get dressed in Yellow and make a Ratham (Chariot) Muggu. The above pictures would give you an idea of the colorful Muggu, the plural being Muggulu.

The other photographs are of Bhogi Pandlu ritual in our house over the years. This ritual is to bless the children with happiness, prosperity and to protect them from evil forces. Wild berries (Regi Pandlu), pieces of Sugar cane, Jajar gadda, Jeedi pandlu, Hari boot, Vepakayalu (a namkeen), Coins and if possible tiny flowers made of Gold and Silver are all mixed together and this is showered on the head and body of children by all the ladies in the house to ward off evil and bless them abundantly.

Links to my Sankranti Festival related other blog posts:

HAPPY SANKRANTI / Pongal / Makar Sankranti / Uttarayan / Lohri!!!

Festival of Kite flying and Kite fighting!

 Hearty Greetings! On the happy occasion of Makara Sankranti, Pongal, Lohiri and Bihu!

Happy Sankranti VIDEO!

Sankranti Greeings! - 2011.

Sankranti Musical Greetings!