Study on the Ahobilam temple complex, Andhra Pradesh.

About the Book : Temples have always played an important role in the lives of Hindus in the country from times immemorial. Apart from providing spiritual solace, temples have also been repositories of art and architecture and been instrumental in community bonding. For the sake of identification and ease of worship, the formless God has been given many iconic forms, in fact thousands of them. A pilgrimage to these temples to worship these icons is a way of life for most Hindus. These iconic forms have been classified into various categories like Shiva, Vishnu, Shakti etc which are spread across the length and breadth of the country. While we have many shrines with history and antiquity behind them, there are many temples which are of recent origin. Temples have always been patronized by the kings and rulers of various regions and also by the general public. Among the more popular iconic forms of God is Lord Vishnu or Narayana who is worshipped at innumerable Srivaishnava temples all over the country. These Srivaishnava temples include the 108 Divya Desams which are shrines worshipped and glorified by the great saints like Azhwars whose hymns have been compiled into the Divyaprabandham. While some of these temples are well known and located in large towns, there are many which are located in remote places and not easily accessible. Interestingly, a vast majority of these shrines are located in South India with a few scattered across North and Western India. Many of these temples are small and do not have enough resources for their upkeep and maintenance. A few philanthropists and others have contributed for the renovation of many of these temples but much more is required to be done. The reason for initiating this series is to give a first-hand account of the author's visits to these shrines in a travelogue format with plenty of pictures so that our youngsters are drawn towards these temples. Once more pilgrims visit these places, the infrastructure there is bound to improve and with increased awareness, the contributions to these temples will also increase to take care of their maintenance. These 108 temples are located in several clusters and accordingly, it is proposed to cover all these temples in this series in 7 volumes. Volume One which was released earlier covered the Divya Desam shrine of Thiru Singavel Kundram at Ahobilam. Volume Two which is being released now covers 21 out of the 40 Divya Desam shrines in Chozha Naadu. It is hoped that this pictorial journey will create an interest amongst travellers to plan to visit the 108 Divya Desam. Chozha Naadu is a region in Tamil Nadu comprising several districts in the Kaveri river delta. It is bounded in the north by Thondai Naadu and in the south by Pandya Naadu. There are 40 Divyadesams in Chozha Naadu which can be accessed from the towns of Trichy, Kumbakonam, Thanjavur, Nagapattinam, Mayiladuthurai, Sirkazhi and Chidambaram. This volume covers 21 out of the 40 Divya Desams in Chozha Naadu while the remaining shrines will be covered in the next volume. We start with the Divya Desam shrines in Trichy and then move on to the temples in Thanjavur, Kumbakonam and Nagapattinam. All these shrines are easily approachable by road. As we travel from one temple to the next, the pictures taken at each temple along with the accompanying text will leave you with memories that can only be equalled by taking time out to go and visit each one of them. About the Author : The author, Jagadeesan Krishnan, an intrepid traveller and heritage enthusiast has visited many temples over the years. His desire to visit and worship the Lord at the Srivaishnava 108 Divya Desams took shape about three years back and since then, he has been fortunate to visit over 80 of these shrines and hopefully visit the remaining shrines very soon.

For my Blemishless Lord presents the text and translation of the exquisite poem Amalaṉ Āti Pirāṉ by Tiruppāṇ Āḻvār, which is part of the Śrīvaiṣṇava canon, the Nālāyira Divya Prabandham (6th – 9th centuries CE), together with the three Śrīvaiṣṇava commentaries in Tamil-Sanskrit Manipravalam (13th – 14th centuries) by key figures in the medieval religious history of South Asia, namely, Periyavāccāṉ Piḷḷai, Aḻakiya Maṇavāḷa Perumāḷ Nāyaṉār, and Vedānta Deśikaṉ. Offering the first fully annotated, complete translation of these exegetical writings, this volume analyses the language, commentary techniques, and theological positions of the commentators. Looking also at cultural, religious, and other allusions made by them, it places them in their literary, social, and religious backgrounds during a period of budding dissent within the Śrīvaiṣṇava community, to which they contributed at least in part. This rich resource is made available in English for the first time for students of Tamil and Manipravala, theology, religious history, and philology.

India will just be a mere geography without its religious and spiritual ethos combined with moral values and civilization. If Bharat is known for its spiritual accomplishments and philosophical roots, one has to gratefully acknowledge the role played by its hallowed places of worship, holy rivers and magnificent mountain ranges which have inspired people for thousands of years. In particular, temples contributed in no small measure to Bharat's spiritual enlightenment, serving as a beacon to the rest of humanity. Every temple in this holy land has a story to tell, a legend to elevate our spirits and is a sacred space for all of us to experience inner joy. One can find the contribution of so many saints and rishis who devoted their entire life to many places of worship. In olden days, temples served as a great center for enriching all facets of human life—be it spiritual training or yoga; be it education; be it poetry and literature; be it fine arts and sculpture. There are thousands of fascinating temples, with great historical and spiritual backgrounds, spread all over the country. These temples can be divided into many groups, finding mention in innumerable scriptures. Which are they? Where are they located? This book is an attempt to collect and curate and tabulate information in brief which will certainly answer some of the queries a prospective yatri may have. All the information in the book was collated after personal visits to these places by author.

A journey through the jungles of South India on the discovery of the mystical temples of the man-lion form of Vishnu known as Narasimhadeva

Can you sail through life despite its terms and conditions? Anuj had never imagined that his feelings for the vivacious Pakhi, who didn’t even believe in love, would bloom beyond his imagination one day. Just when things get going, as always, life’s plans go against theirs. This story, in its simplicity and reality, shows us the importance of love, life, friendship and dedication to change the definition of these. Journey of Two Hearts is a true story about a young couple who believes life does not have any “replay” or “rewind” button.