Pranam a good collection KR IRS On Wed, 16 Jun 2021 at 20:25, 'gopala krishnan' via Thatha_Patty < [email protected]> wrote:
> *DIVINE INFORMATION PART 35* > > *There are 1346 words in this posting counted by the computer. > Approximately 134 sentences counting 10 words/line* > > While going through one of my external memory device, I came across some > good information stored from websites. I thought of sharing interesting > ones from them as a series. > > In part 35, I am starting with 124TH item in this posting. > > Sincerely, > > Gopala Krishnan 16-6-21 > > *124 Sun Worship in India* > > The *Vedic* scriptures of the Hindu religion refer to the sun as the > store house of inexhaustible power and radiance. Ths sun god is referred > to as *Surya* or *Aditya*. > > *The Vedas are full of hymns describing the celestial body as the source > and sustainer of all life on earth. The origin of the worship of the Sun in > India is thus several centuries old.* > > References to sun worship are found in the puranas. The *Ramayana* speaks > of Sage *Agastya* initiating *Rama* into sun worship through the* Aditya > Hridaya Mantra*. > > The astronomer and astrologer *Varahamirhira* makes references to the > intricacies of ceremonies connected with the installation of the icon of > the Sun. > > Mayura, who lived in the court of *Harshavardhana* (1st millennium CE) > composed the *Surya Satakam* in praise of Surya and is believed to have > been cured of blindness. > > *It is also said that Iran was once a center of Solar worship and that > some of the Magha priests of Iran had been brought to India to officiate in > ceremonies.* > > Sun temples in ancient days were known as *Aditya Grihas*. The traveller > Ktesias mentions a site of sun worship in western India (400BC). > > Sun temples across the subcontinent absorb the flavor of the region that > they belong to. *Dakshinaarka* > <http://www.templenet.com/Ganga/gaya04.html> Temple in the Gangetic > Plains (considered to be a site for making offerings to ancestors), > > *Suryanaar Koyil* > <http://www.templenet.com/beliefs/Tamilnadu/suryanaar.html> in South > India , *Arasavilli* <http://www.templenet.com/Andhra/arasa.html> and > *Konark* <http://www.templenet.com/Orissa/konark.html> on the East Coast > of India, *Modhera* <http://www.templenet.com/Western/modhera.html> in > Gujarat (Western India), *Surya Pahar* > <http://www.templenet.com/Assam/suryapahar.html> in North Eastern India > and *Unao* <http://www.templenet.com/Madhya/unao.html> in Central India > are some of the well known sun temples of India. > > It should be mentioned here that remains of an ancient Sun temple are > found at *Martanda* near Srinagar in Kashmir. It is said to date back to > the *first century CE*. Ruins of a sun temple which attracted thousands > of visitors in the 7th century CE are found in *Multan* in Pakistan. > > *Several temples dedicated to Shiva, feature a small shrine for Surya the > Sun God*. In addition, it is believed that *Surya*, the Sun God has > offered worship at several of the shrines in Tamilnadu; many of these > shrines have been designed in such a way that the sun’s rays illuminate the > sanctum (of Shiva) on certain days of the year. *Several of the South > Indian Temple Tanks also bear the name Surya Theertham or Surya Pushkarini.* > > *124 a Beliefs related to Surya* > > Surya is portrayed with two lotuses held in both his hand, and is > occasionally shown with the hood of the mythical serpent* Adi Sesha* > spread over his head. At the base of his image are shown his gatekeepers > *Pingala* (Agni) and *Danda* (Skanda). Surya is portrayed riding a seven > horse chariot driven by *Aruna* or *Anoora*. *Aruna* (a charioteer devoid > of legs) is said to be the son of *Kasyapa* muni and *Vinata* and brother > of Garuda. > > *The Indian system of beliefs regards sunlight as the greatest of > disinfectants, hence the sun is associated with healing power.* > > Legend has it that Samba the son of Krishna was cured of leprosy by his > worship of the sun god > > *. It is still believed by many that sun worship offered at several of the > sun temples all over India <http://www.templenet.com/surya.html>, is a cure > for leprosy and other skin ailments, blindness and infertility.* > > The *Vedas* refer to sun worship. *Vishnu* is also described as being > seated in the midst of the disk of the sun; *over time Vishnu worship > merged with sun worship (in some instances), and Surya is also referred to > as Suryanarayana.* > > Interestingly, *Buddhism* refers to *Marichi* as an incarnation of > Dhyan-Buddha-Vairochana, and is depicted with three faces symbolic of > morning, noon and evening, on a chariot drawn by seven boars, driven by a > Goddess without legs. > > *125 Suryanaar Koyil* > > *Suryanaar Koyil* is located in the hamlet of *Tirumangalakkudi* > <http://www.templenet.com/Tamilnadu/s221.html> near *Kumbhakonam* > <http://www.templenet.com/Tamilnadu/s097.html> and *Mayiladuturai* > <http://www.templenet.com/Tamilnadu/s224.html> near *Thanjavur* > <http://www.templenet.com/Tamilnadu/brihtanj.html> in Tamilnadu. This is > a one of a kind temple dedicated to the Sun God and it also houses shrines > to each of the other eight celestial bodies - the *Nava Grahams*. Very > closeby, are the Shivastalams *Tirumangalakkudi* > <http://www.templenet.com/Tamilnadu/s221.html> and *Kanjanur* > <http://www.templenet.com/Tamilnadu/s060.html> (Sukrastalam) > > Shrines for *Surya* are seen in many temples in Tamilnadu such as > *Tirukkodikka* <http://www.templenet.com/Tamilnadu/s118.html>, > Alagadriputtur, Ennayiram, (Rajendra Chola), *Tirumanikkuzhi* > <http://www.templenet.com/Tamilnadu/s231.html> (Kulottunga), *Tirupparaitturai > <http://www.templenet.com/Tamilnadu/s184.html>*, *Tiruppattur*, *Kovilur* > <http://www.templenet.com/Tamilnadu/s044.html> etc. ; however a > standalone temple for Surya is more of an exception than a rule. > > Suryanaar Koyil was built by the *Chola* kings. Inscriptions from the > period of* Kulottunga Chola I* (1075-1120) refer to this temple as the > *Kulottunga** Chola Martanda Alayam*. > > Kulottunga Chola is said to have had a good relationship with the Gahadwal > dynasty of *Kanauj* (1090 - 1194), whose rulers were *Sun worshippers*, > and hence Suryanar Koyil, is considered to be an expression of their > influence in South India. Inscriptions from the period of *Krishna Deva > Raya*, speaking of endowments made to this temple are also seen here. > > The Suryanar temple faces west. The presiding deity here is > *Suryanarayana* in a chariot like vimaanam, representing the sun’s > chariot. > > There are also shrines to *Kasi Viswanathar*, *Visalakshi* and > *Brihaspati* (Guru) in the sanctum. Shrines to the other celestial bodies > are located outside of the sanctum. > > The sanctum and the ardhamandapam are built of stone, while the rest of > the shrines are brick structures. *The Kol Theertha Vinayakar shrine is > considered to be of importance here*. An elaborate worship protocol > involving circumambulating the entire temple nine times, is prescribed for > devotees visiting the temple. *Protocol requires that one visits the > Tirumangalakkudi <http://www.templenet.com/Tamilnadu/s221.html> Shivastalam > before visiting Suryanaar Koyil.* > > *Ratha Saptami* in the Tamil month of *Thai*, and the first Sundays in > the months of *Aavani* (Leo) and *Kartikai* (Scorpio) and *Vijaya Dasami *are > celebrated in this temple. > > *126 Abodes of Surya* > > The Indian system of beliefs venerates the sun as an in exhaustable > source of energy. *Sun worship in India dates back to ancient times. on > the east coast of India and the remains of the Modhera sun temple in the > western state of Gujarat. Perhaps the best known of the sun temples in > India are the remains of the Konark temple* > > *Sun worship <http://www.templenet.com/beliefs/sunworship.htm> *in India: > The Indian system of beliefs reveres the Sun as an inexhaustable source of > energy. The Sun God portrayed in ancient temples bears symbols and > ornaments resembling those from Asia Minor. > > *Legends related to Surya:* > <http://www.templenet.com/beliefs/surya_legend.htm> This article traces > the various legends associated with Surya*, his consorts Usha, Chhaaya > and Padma.* > > *Surya - Iconography - Beliefs:* > <http://www.templenet.com/beliefs/surya_belief.htm> The Sun is portrayed > seated on a chariot drawn by seven horses. A common thread of beliefs > surrounds sun worship all over the Indian subcontinent. > > *Suryanaar Koyil* <http://www.templenet.com/Tamilnadu/suryanaar.html> > near Kumbhakonam in Tamilnadu: was constructed by Kulottunga Chola in the > 1100s, to aid visiting dignitaries from Kanauj in sun worship. *Suryanaar > Koyil* <http://www.templenet.com/Tamilnadu/suryanaar.html> near > Kumbhakonam in Tamilnadu: was constructed by Kulottunga Chola in the 1100s, > to aid visiting dignitaries from Kanauj in sun worship. > > The* Konark Sun temple* <http://www.templenet.com/Orissa/konark.html> is > probably the best and most majestic specimen of temple art in Orissa, > despite its ruined state. > > The *Modhera* <http://www.templenet.com/Western/modhera.html> sun temple, > even in its ruined state is a majestic one, bearing testimony to the art of > the ancient Chalukyas of Gujarat > > The Suryanarayana temple at *Arasavalli* > <http://www.templenet.com/Andhra/arasavalli.html> in Andhra Pradesh is an > ancient one built by the Kalinga rulers in the 1st millennium CE. > > The *Dakshinaarka* <http://www.templenet.com/Ganga/gaya04.html> Sun > temple at Gaya is associated with the rites for making offerings to > ancestors. > > The Sun Temple at Ranakpur: is a *magnificient structure > <http://www.templenet.com/Western/ranakpur01.html>* in white soapstone. > It is located in the vicinity of the grand Jain temple complex in Ranakpur > in Rajasthan. > > The sun temple at *Unao* <http://www.templenet.com/Madhya/unao.html> in > Madhya Pradesh is an ancient one, believed to be associated with cures for > skin ailments. > > *I will continue in next posting.* > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "Thatha_Patty" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to [email protected]. > To view this discussion on the web visit > https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/thatha_patty/1591260130.639883.1623855311199%40mail.yahoo.com > <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/thatha_patty/1591260130.639883.1623855311199%40mail.yahoo.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer> > . > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Thatha_Patty" group. 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