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Sripuram Golden Mahalaxmi Temple
Golden Temple - when uttered this word, immediately people thinks of Amritsar and the Highest Body of the Sikh's pride Golden Temple.
Sunday, November 25, 2007
Sunrise at Mamalla beach
The Mahabalipuram beach is a marvelous destination to visit. It is probably one of the finest un-touched beaches in India. Situated on the coastline of Tamil Nadu, it is nearby the shores of the breathtakingly beautiful Bay of Bengal. Truly a mesmerizing beach ! The port town of Mahabalipuram along with its beaches is absolutely awesome. At the beach you can have a lot of fun which may include sun bathing, relaxing and unwindingMahabalipurm has magnificent...
Sunday, November 18, 2007
Queen of the Hill Stations in South India
Ooty (Ootacamund) the Queen of the Hill Stations, also known as Blue Mountains is one of the most beautiful hill stations in India. This hill station has splendid green downs and lofty hills of extraordinary scenic beauty and is endowed with a salubrious climate similar to the English summer. Located in the Western Ghats at a height of 7,500ft, Oooty / Udhagamandalam is the headquarters of the Nilgiri district. Ooty was the former summer retreat...
Marina Beach
Marina beach lies to the east of Chennai (Madras) at Kamarajar Road, 3 Km from the city centre. The fine sandy beach said to be the longest beach in India and one of the longest in Asia, extends to a length of 13 Km, from Fort St. George all the way to Mahabalipuram. There is a drive along the beach fringed with palms and casuarinas running the whole length of Chennai. In early 1880's, the natural beauty of the beach was enhanced by a facelift given...
Thursday, November 15, 2007
APSARA IN TANJORE
Our unique offering in the form of 'Apsara' in dancing position is indicative of love and pleasure. This stone carving is meticulously designed and created with great zest. The fabulous sculpture portrays sensuality infusing liveliness and preserving a piece of history and mytholo...
Ramanathaswamy Temple
The temple is fine example of late Dravidian temple architecture. Four magnificent long corridors lined with elaborately sculptured pillars are the most renowned features of the temple. Shiva is the presiding deity. It is believed that Sri Rama built this temple. Sri Ramanathaswamy temple is one of the most revered temples in South Indi...
NEW GOLDEN TEMPLE IN TAMIL NADU
One of the biggest Hindu shrines in southern India, the Sri Puram Golden Temple, was consecrated here Friday in the presence of over 30,000 devotees.Being dubbed as 'golden temple', it is located in the backdrop a small range of hillocks, about 180 km from Chennai. A spiritual leader who calls himself Narayani Amma has built it at the cost of Rs.3 millionThe Taj Mahal was built as an expression of love for a single person but the Sri Puram Golden...
SRI RANGAM TEMPLE-TRICHY
Sri Rangam, the largest Vaishnavite temple in Tamilnadu, is dedicated to Sri Ranganatha Perumal. This temple is as holy and venerable to Vaishnavites as Chidambaram temple is to SaivitesLocation : Sri Rangam town itself has a railway station on the Madras-Thiruchchi line. It is about 5 km from Trichi and about 300 km from Chennai. Thiruchi being a large city is well served by road, rail and air. Pilgrims throng to this temple throughout the year,...
MADRAS-CHENNAI
The founding day of Madras is considered to be August 22, 1639.It was on that day, in that year, that a sliver of land, where Fort. St. George stands today, was transacted by the East India Company.The deal was struck by Francis Day, his ‘dubash’ Beri Thimmappa, and their superior, Andrew Cogan, with the local Nayak rulers.It is believed that this deal was made on August 22, 1639.Madras now called Chennai is 368 Years old city in Indi...
Thiruannamalai
Thiruannamalai (Thanks to Geocities.com) Significance of its Name : In ancient times, the term "Annamalai" meant an inaccessible mountain. The word "Thiru" was prefixed to signify its greatness, and coupled with the two terms, it is called Thiruvannamalai. Maha-Visnu and Brahma puffed up with arrogance sought to perceive the end and beginning of Siva. Visnu took the form of a boar and started searching Siva's terminal, while Brahma assumed the form...
The big Waterfalls at Hogenakal
You get the feel of the river running nearby when you enter the sanctuary enclosing Hogenakal waterfall. Suddenly, there is plenty of vegetation and little habitation, the road keeps going down and down into the valley indicating the probability of finding a river. A 15 minute of quite drive into the forest leads you to a busy and noisy village(or call it a marketplace) or Hogenakkal.Hogenakal is around 150km from Bangalore. You need to take Hosur...
Beauty at its peak
Kodaikanal (also known as Kodai) is a city and a Taluk division of Dindigul district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, South India.Kodaikanal is sometimes referred to as the "Princess of Hill stations" and is a popular tourist destination. Much of the local economy is Hospitality industry based on national and international tourism. Kodaikanal was established by American missionaries around 1845, as a refuge from the high temperatures and tropical...
Bharata Natyam
Melody and Rhythm Tamditham tei ta thei… A hush falls over the audience as the silk-clad dancer, bedecked with fresh flowers and jewellery steps onto the stage. In perfect harmony with the recitation the danseuse unfolds the powerful yet gracefully feminine movements. As the audience is being transported into the world of rhythm and joy, few of them realize that years of rigorous training as well as enormous mental and emotional discipline has gone...
Sunday, November 11, 2007
Maestro Ilayaraja
Ilaiyaraaja was born into a poor rural family in Pannaipuram, Theni district, Tamil Nadu, India. He was the third son of Ramaswamy and Chinnathayammal. Growing up in a farming area, Ilaiyaraaja was exposed to Tamil folk music, such as the songs sung by farmers working in the fields. His formative contact with music-making and performance came at the age of 14, when he joined a travelling musical troupe headed by his elder step-brother, Pavalar Varadarajan,...
A.R.Rahman, (Allah Rakha Rahman) the musical maestro of Indian Cinema
A.R.Rahman, (Allah Rakha Rahman) the musical maestro of Indian Cinema was born on 6th January,1966 in Madras, to a musically affluent family. This genius with his exceptional talent, has reached heights of success that people his age can only dream of. Even then this small man remains humble and credits all his inspiration and success to Allah. Born as Dileep Kumar to parents R.K.Sekhar, a music composer and mother Kasturi (alias Kareema Begum),...
Wednesday, November 7, 2007
Chettinad Palace: Central courtyard-Kanadikathan
One of the most remarkable examples of Tamil house architecture you won't find in your travel-guide. Reading the newspapers daily there I stumbled on an article in 'The Hindu' about this palace never mentioning in wich place it could be found ... I found it in Kanadikathan a small place near to Karaikudi and I didn't regret to have taken the bus up there.(about 100km from Madurai) Here you see the private entrance of the house where still the authentic...
Thousand Pillar Hall-madurai
The Thousand Pillar Hall should count 999 pillars as the last is the leg of Shiva. In fact there are 985 beautifully decorated columns. Each pillar is sculptured in the Dravidan style (jumping Lion: Pallava III). Nowadays the hall is used as a museum where you can see icons, photographs, drawings, etc., exhibiting the 1200 years old history. In the corner you find the music-pillars: each has his own sound as you knock on it. At the end of the Hall...
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
Thiruparamkundram
As the first time you see all these colors on the temples, you get a feeling of kitch, but when you start to understand Tamil culture then you know this is the outmost expression of Tamil life. As you can eat spicy in the North, it would still taste sweet to a Tamil. Everything in his life is really an exponent compared with other states. The joy, the fights, the laughs, the respect the colors,the heat, the struggle everything is so intens here in...
Five Rathas
Five monolithic chariot temples dedicated to Hindu gods. Also known as Pancha Pandava Rathas. Although there are eight temples, people recognize only five. It is said that the five Rathas represent the five chariots used by the Pandavas. Four of these temples have been scooped out of one single rock. The imposing Gopurams and sculptured pillars & walls give us a glimpse of the style which was adopted in constructing temples all over Tamil Nadu....
Thirukalikundram
View from the Eagle Rock Temple over Thirukalikundram. At the foot of the hill there is also a larger Shiva Temple. At the South-East end of the town is a spacious tank whose waters are said to have curative powers. Once every 12 years, a conch is discovered in this tank and thousands of devotees flock to bathe in the tank at this auspicious time. A collection of the conches is displayed in the larger Shiva Temp...
Thirmalai naiker mahal-MADURAI
The palace is situated 2kms south east of Meenakshi Temple. The palace was built in 1636 by Thirumalai Nayakar. A classic example of the Indo-Saracenic style, the piece de resistance of this mahal is its carved dome outsoars without the support of girders or rafters. The stucco work on its domes and arches is remarkable. The gigantic pillars and structures represents the amazing architectural mastery of Nayak Kings. The courtyard and the dancing...
Saturday, November 3, 2007
Viswanathan Anand
Viswanathan Anand, the world's newly-crowned chess champion, combines a calm, modest manner with lightning brilliance on the chess board and relentless preparation.Anand learned the game at age six from his mother because his brothers did not have the patience to play chess with him. He proved to be a good pupil.By the time he was 13, Anand was India's junior champion and at the age of 16, he won the senior title. He was the world's junior champion...
