The government has announced a new policy under which lands and shops belonging to temples in the State will be leased out only through the public auction route thus divesting Executive Officers and Endowments Department officials of their discretionary powers.For better revenue
“This is to root out corruption and improve temple revenues,” Endowments Minister Gade Venkata Reddy said at a media conference here on Friday after a meeting with these officials.
He said the auctions would be completed by this month-end.
As part of the new policy, the rentals payable by lessees of the lands and shops have also been hiked to get additional revenue.
However, the lease of the lands would be extended by the specified period bypassing the auctioning in case of small/marginal farmers, if they paid two-thirds of the market value of the land.
Lease of shops
Similarly, the lease of shops of the temples with an annual revenue below Rs. 25 lakh, would be extended if the present lessees cleared the arrears and paid 33.3 per cent additional rent.The extra rent payable by lessees of shops of big temples like Srisailam and Simhachalam would be 50 per cent.
While the temples and charitable institutions covered by the Endowments Act have an extent of 4.29 lakh acres in the State, 1.35 lakh acres out of this is leased out.
Another 60,000 acres is being offered on lease under the new policy, K.V. Ramanachary, Principal Secretary, Revenue (Endowments) and J.S.V. Prasad, Commissioner, Endowments, said.
Inquiry
Answering questions, the Minister said he would have an inquiry announced by Chief Minister K. Rosaiah into the alleged irregularities committed in the Tirumala-Tirupati Devasthanams in the sale of ‘arjita seva' tickets.
He said plans were on cards to increase the term of the temple trust boards as the present two-year period was too short for them to do anything big for temples.
A judge would be appointed shortly to head the Endowments Tribunal to dispose of disputes relating to temple lands.
Minister for Law, Courts and Prisons Durai Murugan laid the foundation for the Rs.6.5-crore rope car for the Lakshmi Narasimhaswamy Temple, Sholinghur, at a function held under the presidentship of Minister for Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR & CE) K.R. Periyakaruppan at the foothills in Sholinghur on Sunday.The rope car will be of the mono cable fixed grip double reversible zig back ropeway system, unlike the detachable rope car laid for the Dhandayudapani Temple in Palani.
When completed, the journey by rope car would take four minutes as against the 45 to 60 minutes it takes to climb the 1,305 steps to reach the temple. It will have three compartments , with each compartment accommodating four people.
The rope car will be capable of transporting 300 persons per hour.
Mr. Periyakaruppan said the rope car would be completed within a year.
Singapore's Minister for Foreign Affairs G. George Yeo visited the Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple here on Sunday with a delegation of Singapore officials. They were accompanied by Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram. The visiting minister was received by Karumuttu T. Kannan, chairman, Board of Trustees for the temple, temple trustee M. Balasubramanian, and K. Rajanayagam, Executive Officer.
Mr. Kannan explained the uniqueness and the history of the ancient temple to the visiting delegation.
After the temple visit, Mr. Yeo also went to the King Tirumalai Naik Palace along with his entourage. The Singapore Foreign Minister had visited the Central Electrochemical Research Institute and Chettinad palace at Kanadukathan, near Karaikudi, and Canara Bank Artisan Training Centre at Managiri, Thiruvenkadamudayan Temple at Ariyakudi and the rock-cut Jain monument at Chithannavasal in Pudukottai on Saturday.
Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi has promised to take necessary steps to set up a sub-committee to study the demands of the occupants of temple lands in Chennai and suburban areas.
When a team of CPI(M) leaders, including State secretary G. Ramakrishnan and central committee member N. Varadarajan, met him at the Secretariat, the Chief Minister told them that he could consider the demand that the occupants should not be evicted till the committee submitted its report.
Besides bringing various issues concerning the occupants to the notice of the Chief Minister, the CPI(M) leaders requested Mr Karunanidhi to reduce the rent for the temple properties and cancel the decision to collect the rent in advance.
Kallidaikurichi Sankaranarayanan presented a refreshing alapana of Hamsadhwani at his performance for Raga Tarangini Trust. Saint-poet Vallalar's ‘Thaayagi Thandhayumai' (tuned by T.M. Thiagarajan in this raga) followed, bringing out the ennobling spirit of the song. The tunesmith here has intelligently assigned each phrase compactly to each avartanam of Khanda Chapu, and the singer gave due emphasis to this aspect.
The niraval at ‘Vaayaara Vazthugindrom' with its nuances created an atmosphere that was devotional.
Sankaranarayanan's raga designs for Shanmukhapriya (‘VaddaneVaru' - Tyagaraja), Hindolam (‘Maa Ramanan' - Sivan) and Sahana (‘Evasudha Nee Vanti' - Tyagaraja) showcased his imaginative skills that were structurally varied yet aesthetically uniform.
Each raga was essayed such that its individualistic style and unique charm were highlighted, without becoming stereotyped.
Niraval and swaras at ‘Dhari Theliyu Deivamu' were brief but adequate and had an element of spontaneity.
It came as a bit of a surprise when the Hindolam song, sans niraval or kalpanaswaras, was handed over to the mridangam vidwan for his thani.
Rare pieces
The concert itself began with three less-sung numbers -- a varnam in Behag (by T R Subramanian), ‘Sri Gananadham Bhajamyaham' (Kanakangi-Tyagaraja) and ‘Vanajaksha Ninne Nammithe' (Mysore Sadasiva Rao).
It is held by scholars that the Tyagaraja kriti in Kanakangi was in circulation only within a certain section of his disciples.
Other numbers included in the recital were ‘Karpaga Manohara' (Malayamarutham-Sivan), ‘O Rajeevaksha' (Arabhi-Tyagaraja) and ‘Kamala Charane' (Amritha Behag-GNB).
In its final phases, one also had the pleasure of listening to a ragamalika slokam, ‘Vandhe Matharam Ambikam Bhagavatheem' (Kalyani, Saveri and Hamsanandhi) and a Thirupugazh in Andholika.
T. Rukmini, who provided violin support, had her say in the alapana and swaraprastharas, allowing her experience to cast its magical influence on her approach, style and method of carving out raga phrases and swaras.
Delhi Sairam on the mridangam quietly adjusted his playing and volume levels and played with a comfortable degree of nonchalance without getting overawed by the senior musicians on stage. His thani had artful and well-conceived korvais that were guided by a well acquired laya sense. Prashanth provided vocal support to Sankaranarayanan.
The Sri Rama Navami Music Festival at Kalpathy, Palakkad, got off to a melodious start with a pleasing vocal recital by Mavelikara Subrahmanyam. His judicious selection, drawn from a rich repertoire, imparted wholesomeness to the concert.
The initial phase, consisting of ‘Unnaiyanri,' a Tamil varnam of Lalgudi Jayaraman in Kalyani, Muthiah Bhagavathar's ‘Ganapathe sugunanidhe' in Janaranjani and Patnam Subramanya Iyer's ‘Ninnujuchi' in Saurashtram set the pace for a lively concert.
The alapana of Varali, marked by subtle sancharas, revealed the swaroopa of the raga. ‘Aetijanmamithi,' a composition of Tyagaraja, showcased the vocalist's sense of sahitya while swara combinations at the phrase ‘Saatileni' were interesting. It was heartening to see Subrahmanyam taking up raga Devamanohari. This fine melody, popular with musicians of yesteryear, is rarely heard in concerts these days. The raga delineation, followed by Mysore Vasudevachar's ‘Palukavethemira' registered well with the audience.
Exploring Bhairavi
After a quick ‘Neevaatanegaana,' composed by Tyagaraja in Saranga, Subrahmanyam embarked on a voyage to Bhairavi. The in-depth elaboration, full of imaginative sangathis, was majestic. The rendition of Pallavi Sesha Iyer's kriti ‘Ikanannubrova,' adorned with an impressive neraval and swaraprastharas, was a testament to the artiste's good paataanthara. A moving ‘Pibare Raamarasam' in Yamunakalyani and Lalgudi's tillana in Behag were the concluding items.
Pakala Ramadas (violin) excelled in his role. His raga versions were precise and tidy. Trivandrum Balaji gave a spirited display on the mridangam.
On the second day, N.J. Nandini provided rich aural pleasure. She established an instant rapport with the listeners, right from the opening piece ‘Thulasidalamulache,' the Tyagaraja kriti in Mayamalavagoula.
After Vasudevachar's ‘Brocheva' in Kamas, Nandini took up Pantuvarali. She gave a lucid exposition of the raga, embellishing it with ‘akaaras' and ‘kaarvais.' The kriti was Tyagaraja's not-so-popular ‘Saaramegaani.'
She did full justice to Karaharapriya. Preceded by a brief thaanam, she rendered a pallavi ‘Raamaneesamaana mevaru nee samaanamevaru' in Triputa tala and capped it with well-designed swaraprastharas, revealing her good laya gnana. She too concluded with the Behag raga tillana of Lalgudi Jayaraman.
Manjoor Ranjith gave competent support on the violin. His raga essays were appealing. Guruvayur Sanoj (mridangam) and Manjoor Unnikrishnan (ghatam) acquitted themselves well.
The third and concluding day featured O.S. Thyagarajan in a scintillating concert. With stalwarts M.A. Sundareswaran (violin) and Thiruvaarur Bhakthavatsalam (mridangam) by his side, OST was at his best. He rendered mostly Tyagaraja kritis in praise of Lord Rama.
Emotion-laden
Starting with ‘Sri Raghukula' in Hamsadhwani, he moved on to ‘Sundarataradheham' in Pantuvarali, the swift kalpanaswaras providing a fine tempo. ‘Sujana Jeevana,' a gem of Tyagaraja in Kamas, acquired a rare glow in OST's presentation; the devotional flavour of the kriti was projected with great bhava.
The artiste paid his reverence to Tyagaraja by choosing ‘Dwaitamu Sukhama.' As proof of his wide repertoire, he rendered two rare kritis of Tyagaraja – ‘Adugaaradhani' in raga Manoranjani and ‘Srimaanini' in Poornashadjam.
OST's fertile manodharma was in full bloom in his expansive elaboration of Thodi. With innovative sangatis and gamakas, he presented the raga in its varied hues. His interpretation of Tyagaraja's ‘Aemijesithe' was truly classical. The phrases in the neraval and the permutations in the swaraprastharas were ingenious.
‘Vandhanamu,' a Tyagaraja kriti in Sahana, and the slokam ‘Sri Raghavam' in Anandabhairavi, followed by ‘Ramabhadra rarara' of Bhadrachala Ramadas were soaked in aesthetic nuances. The concert was rounded off with ‘Naathupai' in Madhyamavathi.
Sundareswaran's violin accompaniment was an amalgamation of tone and melody. His emphatic bowing and fingering techniques were noticeable in his solo flights.
Bhakthavatsalam's mridangam display was marked by impeccable precision and agility. His superb tani was an interesting demonstration of laya and rhythm.
The Khajuraho Temples sites is most famous and popular sites amongst the Indian tourist as well as foreign tourist. The khajuraho's temple's art, sculpture and architecture hold the attentions of the visitors. The Khajuraho temples are dedicated to the womanhood and represent the various myriad of womanhood and women moods. The temples are built by the Chandela rulers by the 950 - 1050 A.D. There were the 85 temples existed in the ancient time but remain standing only 20. All the temples are made up of fine grained sandstones, they are pink and pale yellow in colour, but the Brahma and Mahadeva temples are made up of granite.
The all 20 existing temples of Khajuraho can be divided into three main groups, Western, Eastern and Southern.
The famous temples of Khajuraho are the following :" Varaha Temple
" Kandariya - mahadev Temple
" Duladeo Temple at khajuraho Chausath Yogini Temple : the oldest temple of Khajuraho
" Matangesvara Temple at Khajuraho
" Ghantai Temple at khajuraho
" Lalguan Mahadeva Temple
" Vamana Temple in Khajuraho
" Lakshmana Temple
" Devi jagadambi Temple
" Chitragupta Temple at Khajuraho" Parsvanath Temple
" Chaturbhuja Temple
" Brahma Temple
" Adinath Temple at khajuraho
Duration : 03 nights / 04 Days
Destinations Covered : Delhi - Khajuraho
Day 01 : Delhi
Arrive Delhi transfer to Hotel a short tour to old and new Delhi. Overnight stay at Delhi
Day 02 : Khajuraho
Transfer to the airport to get your flight to khajuraho. The city of chandelas kings. Khajurahos temples covered 100 of sculptured of god and goddesses, serpents and beasts and erotic couples. Visit the eastern groups of temples. Enjoy with cultural dances and music in the evening. Overnight stay at hotel.
Day 03 : Khajuraho
Visit the western and southern group temples which are the main and unique examples of art and architecture. In the evening fly back to Delhi
Day 04 : Departure Day
Take a rest for the whole day and transfer to the international airport to take your return flights
PICS OF HINDUTEMPLES IN PAK
Rohtas Fort, near Islamabad ,Panjab
Hinglaj Mandir or Nani Mandir, Hingol National Park, Baluchistan
Hindu Temple, Umerkot, Sindh
Hindu Temples, Tilla Jogian, Punjab
Sri Varun Dev Temple, Manora Cantt, Karachi, Sindh
Sadhu Bela Temple, Sindh
Katas Raj Temples, Chakwal, near Lahore, Punjab
Hindu Temple, Nagar Parkar, Sindh
Hindu Temples, Malot, Punjab
Hindu Temple, Chiniot, Punjab
Hindu Temple, Saidpur village, Islamabad, Punjab
Hindu Temple, Taxila, Punjab
Hanuman Statue, Lahore Museum
Hindu Temple, TharHindu Temple, Thar
Hindu Temple, Lahore, Punjab
Hindu Temple, Thar
Hindu Temple, Sialkot, Punjab
Hindu Temple, Taxila, Punjab
Hindu Temple, Rawalpindi, Punjab
Hindu Temple, Mari-Indus, near Kalabagh, Punjab
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Sri Badoki Temple, Gujranwala, Punjab
The famous Ramanathaswamy Temple is regarded as one of the most sacred shrines of Hindus in India. It is an honoured pilgrimage destination, which represents the southernmost of the 12 Jyotirlingams of India. It is considered as holy as Banaras. This famous Hindu temple situated on the Rameshwaram island is located off the Sethu coast of Tamil Nadu. The temple is noted for its close association with Ramayana and the legendary victory of Rama over the demon king Ravana.
This temple is a pious temple, keeping in mind its association with Lord Rama, a great Hindu legend and its grand structure. This huge temple on the island of Rameswaram can be reached via the Pamban bridge across the sea, it is famous for its long ornate corridors, towers and remarkable 36 Theerthams.According to a legend, Rama worshiped Shiva in the form of a Shiva Lingam, while returning to Ayodhya. This lingam was made of earth by Rama's consort, Sita. It is also said that Hanuman was sent to bring an image of Viswanathar from Banares. Rama thought that Hanuman will be late in returning. Therefore, Rama is said to have offered worship at a pre-chosen auspicious moment to the Shivalingam. This lingam is referred to as Ramalingam.
The other Shivlingam brought here by Hanuman from Banaras is known as Viswanathar . This Shivalingam is also called Kasilingam and Hanumalingam. The Viswanathar Shivalingam is worshiped before offering prayers to Ramanathaswamy. It is also believed that Rama worshiped Tilakeswarar at Devipatnam on the route to Sri Lanka.
The History of The Temple
It is said that the ancient shrine was placed in a thatched hut until the 12th century. Parakrama Bahu of Sri Lanka built the first ever masonry structure here. The Setupathy rulers of Ramanathapuram completed the rest of the temple. Some of the temple vimaanams are similar to the Vimaanams of the Pallava period. Much more was added to the temple between the 12th and the 16th centuries. The long corridor (3rd prakaram) dates back only to the 18th century. The Gandhamadhana Parvatam (hill) offers a panoramic view of the temple. Travancore, Ramanathapuram, Mysore and Pudukkottai kingdoms provided royal patronage to this famous Hindu temple.
The Temple Architecture
The temple is sprawled over an area of 15 acres. It has huge gopurams, monolithic walls and a stupendous Nandi. There is a 4000 feet long pillar corridor with over 4000 pillars, considered the longest in the world. A unique feature about this corridor is that the rock used here is not found on the native island, it was brought in from elsewhere in Tamilnadu across the sea. The eastern Rajagopuram has a height of 126 feet and has nine levels whereas the western Rajagopuram is not as tall as the eastern one. The huge image of Nandi is about 18 feet tall and 22 feet in length.
The Gandamadana Parvatham
This hill on the Rameshwaram island, has a small shrine, consisting of imprints of Lord Rama's feet, which is worshiped here. A worth visiting site.
Theertham(Water Springs)
There almost 36 Theerthams here out of which 22 are in the temple. The water of these Theerthams are said to be therapeutic. A bath in these is regarded significant. The Agni Theertham refers to the ocean while the Koti theertham is located within the temple itself.
Hindus are upset over the depiction of their gods in “Hammer of the Gods” episode in the “Supernatural” TV series reportedly aired on April 22 and say that such trivialization of their sacred deities was disturbing.
Acclaimed Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada (USA) today, said that Lord Ganesh and Goddess Kali were highly revered in Hinduism and such absurd depiction of them with no scriptural backing was hurtful to the devotees. Ganesh and Kali were meant to be worshipped in temples or home shrines and not to be thrown around loosely in reimagined versions for dramatic effects in TV series.
Zed, who is president of Universal Society of Hinduism, asked the producer EW Network and director Rick Bota to issue a public apology and urged them not to reimagine Hinduism concepts and deities in the future to advance the commercial or other agenda.
Hindus welcomed Hollywood and other entertainment industries to immerse in Hinduism but taking it seriously and respectfully and not just for indecorous showing of Hindu symbols and concepts to advance their selfish agenda. Casual flirting sometimes resulted in pillaging serious spiritual doctrines and revered symbols and hurting the devotees, Rajan Zed pointed out.
Zed argued that Hinduism was the oldest and third largest religion of the world with about one billion adherents and a rich philosophical thought and it should not be taken lightly. No faith, larger or smaller, should be ridiculed at; Zed said and added that inappropriate use of Hinduism concepts and symbols was not okay.
Meanwhile Bhavna Shinde of Forum for Hindu Awakening has described it as inappropriate and denigration and a Hindu leader of Trinidad Devant Maharaj said that he was deeply offended.
According to reports, in this episode, Winchesters are shown kidnapped by a group of gods, including Ganesh and Kali and held hostage, who want to use Winchesters as bargaining chips. Kali is relegated to escaping with Winchesters in their car to get away. Kali sits on the lap of angel Gabriel who guards her with his angelic blade. Devil turns Ganesh into a stain on the wall. Its cast includes Jared Padalecki, Jensen Ackles, Rekha Sharma, Keith Dallas, etc.
Supernatural is a series of CW Network which was formed as a joint venture between Warner Bros. Entertainment and CBS Corporation. The CW is America’s fifth broadcast network and claims to be the only network targeting women 18-34.
In Hinduism, Lord Ganesh is worshipped as god of wisdom and remover of obstacles and is invoked before the beginning of any major venture. Goddess Kali, who personifies Sakti or divine energy, is considered the goddess of time and change.
Hindus, who vehemently protested against his 2008 release “The Love Guru”, have wished good luck to Mike Myers on his upcoming venture “Austin Powers 4″ as long as he assured not to denigrate Hinduism in his future movies.
Acclaimed Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, who led the protests against “The Love Guru” for lampooning Hinduism, in a statement in Nevada (USA) today, said that ksama (forgiveness) was one of the main virtues of Hindu ethics.
If Myers visited a nearby Hindu temple, paid his obeisance, expressed remorse, and assured not to denigrate Hinduism in his future movies, Hindus would not only absolve him but might also pray for his success in his future ventures if asked, Zed, who is president of Universal Society of Hinduism, added.
Zed further said that although Myer’s temple visit would not undo the damage done to the community, but it might help heal the wounds somewhat of apparently disturbed Hindu populace of the world, who numbered around one billion.
Zed also suggested Myers to seek some spiritual wisdom as ancient Hindu scripture Bhagavad-Gita (Song of the Lord) said: Nothing in this world purifies like spiritual wisdom.
Kathmandu's Pashupatinath Temple is Nepal's most important Hindu temple, and one of Kathmandu's main tourist sites.
One of the holiest Hindu temples on the Indian subcontinent, Pashupatinath is dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva as his manifestation Pashupati, the Lord of Animals. Pashupatinath stands by the sacred (but badly polluted) Bagmati river in the eastern part of Kathmandu. While Kathmandu’s Buddhist sites Swayambhunath and Boudhanath are world-famous, the majority of Nepal’s residents are Hindus, and Pashupatinath is an important Hindu pilgrim destination.Facts About the Pashupatinath Temple in Kathmandu
The exact origins of Pashupatinath are shrouded in legend and myths. There has apparently been an ancient Shaivite temple on the site (a temple devoted to Shiva) long before the present temple structure, which is said to date back to the era of King Bhupalendra Malla in the 17th century. Following a centuries-old tradition, priests in this temple come from South India, and used to be recruited with the consent of the King of Nepal. After the abolition of monarchy in Nepal there have been protests demanding appointment of Nepali priests.The centerpiece of the temple is a beautiful pagoda-style structure with golden roofs and silver-coated doors. The pagoda is decorated with woodcarvings representing Shiva’s wife Parvati, their son Ganesha and other Hindu gods. Inside the temple is a shivalingam, Shiva’s phallic symbol. The lingam in this temple is chaturmukha, or four-faced statue. On the entrance to the temple stands a statue of Shiva’s bull, Nandi.
Non-Hindus are not allowed into the main temple. In June 2009 new areas of the temple complex were opened to tourists, and the entrance free to foreign tourists was doubled to Rs500 (approximately US$6.50).
Tips for Visiting the Pashupatinath Temple in Kathmandu
The fascinating and colourful temple area provides the visitor a very different experience than Kathmandu’s Buddhist sites. The temple is always busy with orange-robed saddhus, who travel to Pashupatinath from around Nepal and the Indian subcontinent. During the Maha Shivaratri festival in February Pashupatinath stays open all night for its famous Shivaratri celebrations that attract large crowds of saddhus, pilgrims, devotees and tourists.
Bathing in the Bagmati river is considered auspicious, and there are ghats on the banks of the river for bathing as well as for cremation of bodies; Pashupatinath is also a popular cremation place. Visitors should be discrete and considerate when taking photographs here, especially during cremations. Morning and sunset are the busiest time in Pashupatinath and good for observing activities in the temple and the ghats.
Non-Hindus can try to get a view of the main temple from across the river, and there are several other interesting temples and shrines around the area on both sides of the river.
The easiest way to get to Pashupatinath is by taxi, but there is also a tempo stop nearby. Tempos connect Pashupati to central Kathmandu as well as to Boudhanath, which is just two kilometers away, and also easily reached from Pashupatinath by walking.
Sri Venkateswara Temple (S. V. Temple) is located in Penn Hills, an eastern suburb of Pittsburgh, PA, USA. It is one of the earliest traditional Hindu Temples built in the United States.Sri Venkateswara Temple organization was established on Aug 7, 1975. Assistance from Tirumal Tirupathi Devasthanam (TTD) for construction of the temple was requested on Sept 11, 1975 and granted on the same day. On June 30, 1976 ground breaking was performed and was followed by pratisthapana on Nov 17, 1976. Daily worship is being performed continuously ever since.S. V. Temple was constructed at a cost of several millions of dollars with donations raised from devotees in U.S.A and several countries. Most donors were first generation Indian immigrants seeking to maintain ties with their mother culture.
Structure
Plans for Sri Venkateswara Temple were designed and planned by Sthapathy Ganapathi working at engineering cell of endowments department, Andhra Pradesh, India, on Aug 2, 1973. Sri Venkateswara Temple, Sri Tayar (Lakshmi) Temple, Sri Andal temple are their design, which is different from Sri Venkateswara Temple in Tirupathi, Andhra Pradesh, India. Click here for floor plan
Agama
A Hindu Temple is constructed according to the Agama Sastras (Temple manuals) in the image of the human body. The two sides of the temple represent the hands, and the top of the Temple represents the head. The deity Venkateswara (Lord of Venkata, and a representation of Vishnu) rests in the innermost recess called the Garbhagraha (sanctum sanctorum). The S. V. Temple at Pittsburgh follows the temple texts known as Pancharatra Agama which consists of 108 samhitas (collection).
Archa Roopam
The Agama state that Narayana, the eternal Divine Being, should be worshipped in the Archa Roopam (iconic form) in temples and homes. Hindu devotee believes that divine power has manifested itself in the murti (icon/idol). Major religious events like Kumbhabhishekam are performed to re-energize the Murti with Divine Power, which can either be diluted or lost due to transgressions committed unknowingly by the priests or the worshippers. Worshipping the Archai Avatara as Hari gives the devotees access to God and His Power.
Priests
Rules of Agama require a temple priest to serve and act as an intermediary between the worshipper and God. The Vaishnava Temple priests are referred to as Bhaktacharya, Bhattacharya or simply Bhattar. They come from families with Temple priesthood as their traditional occupation, and learn their skills from a young age. All the daily and weekly rituals are performed by the priests. Special occasions such as Kumbhabhishekam require additional priests, who are then invited from other Temples in the United States and India.
Worship
Several types of religious services performed at the Temple: Archana, Abhishekam, Sathyanarayana Puja, Kalyana Utsavam, Homa and many others which are published under "Services", "Programs & News" menu items in this website.
What the Balinese do not understand or what is strange to them, e.g. a spring or big tree, is holy. As a holy place it has to have a temple or at least a shrine. A Banyan tree, because it is so large and awes the people, is holy and one sees always a shrine under it, where people can make offerings to the spirit of the tree.Near a spring there is always a shrine and more often than not such a spring becomes the place where the deities go for a cleansing bath.A whole temple is built around the holy spring of Tirtha Empul at Tampaksiring, a spring of fresh water bubbling up all the time that awes the people so much.
A Balinese compound has always the house temple inside and a guardian shrine outside. The Bale Banjar (community hall) has a temple, a bathing place has a temple or at least a shrine.
There are temples especially built to house the Barong, a mythical animal considered very holy by the people.
All lakes in Bali have temples. In such temples Dwi Danu, the lakes Goddess, is worshipped and since a lake is a water reservoir the members of the subak go there to ask for water in case of a drought.For Baruna, the sea God, the Balinese build the Pura Segara, the Sea Temple, a place for purification ceremonies, because the sea although full of demonic forces also has purifying forces. If there is no temple the people just sit on the sand and pray to God Baruna, and ask him for purification.Two days before the Nyepi, the Balinese New Year, there are purification ceremonies all over South Bali. The purpose of all this is that the New year is really begun with a new clean slate. Tools, men and deities all are purified.Every county has its own national (county) temple and Bali has three:
1. Pura Besakih on the slope of Mount Agung,
2. Pura Ulun Danu Batur at Batur Karanganyar in the county of Bangli and
3. Pura Gelgel at gelgel in the county of Semarapura.
All these three temples are called Pura Gumi, the People’s temples. People from all over Bali go to these temples to worship. Besakih temple is the biggest where every clan has its temple and every group of nobility has its own “pedarman” temple. In it there is the Tri Purusa, there shrines on a common pedestal, where everyone goes to pray before or after he goes to his own temple in the Besakih complex.The Tri Purusa is for Brahma, the Creator, Wisnu the Maintainer and Siwa the Destroyer and Mahadewa another name of Siwa. Siwa and Mahadewa sit in one Padmasana. One can distinguish the seats of the Trinity to the colors of each God; red is for Brahma, black for Wisnu, white if for Siwa and yellow is for Mahadewa.
So a piece of red cloth is hung around the shrine for Brahma, a black cloth is wrapped arount that of Wisnu and around the shrine of Siwa and Mahadewa are wrapped two pieces of cloth, a white and yellow one. Red means fire, black is prosperity, white is purity and yellow is for holiness.Beside ordinary shrines, structures with one roof of alang-alang, tall grass, there are merus, high structures with odd numbered roofs of “ijuk”, the fiber of the “jaka” palm.A Meru is a seat of the a mountain deity or an ancestor. The merus of the temple of Besakih are for ancestor and those of Taman Ayun are for mountain deities. Our deities have ranks. For the highest ranking is a meru of 11 roofs, the highest number and the lowest is three.
In the temple of Taman Ayun, Mengwi one see a structure of two roofs of ijuk. This is now a meru, but a plain shrine. According to their rank a deity sits in a meru of three, five, seven, nine or eleven roofs.
There are two cycles in Balinese can choose from dedicates of inaugurate temples of building, i.e. the time cycle of twelve lunar months and another one of 30 weeks of seven days. Of the lunar month year full moon or dark moon is chosen; full moon is chosen to inaugurate Pura Desa or and Pura Puseh; new moon is used to dedicated Pura Dalem.The days of the Wuku (week) year is also used to dedicate temples, but they are mostly used for public as well as family religious ceremonies. For everything the Balinese do there must be a good day. For that they consult a priest who is versed in deciding what day is good for what.
