Top 6 Holy South Indian Temples

The Southern states of India, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, are primarily known for two things, logic-defying movie stunts and breathtaking temples. For those of you who do not know, temples are the holy places where you can worship God and see him in all his beauty and feel his presence in the very air you breathe.

There are many temples all over South India, but some of them are very famous based on their history, architecture, power of God, and its existence. Although this article is about some of the best temples, there are yet many temples to be seen in South India when one goes on pilgrimage. Below is a list of such temples one should not miss visiting them, and the top 6 south Indian temples are.

Padmanabhaswamy Temple

Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple, situated in Thiruvananthapuram, the capital of Kerala, is dedicated to the protector of the Universe, Lord Vishnu. It is one of the 108 Divya Desams, which can be found all around India. Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple gave the city of Thiruvananthapuram its name, as the city’s name translates to “the Holy Abode of Anantha Padmanabha”.      

Meenakshi Temple

One of the ancient temples and an ancient place of south India Madurai is a place famous for its historical temples. Madurai is famous for its Goddess temple Meenakshi and Lord Sundareshwar. There are many big and small towers (gopurams) in this temple and it is a common practice of this temple where the Goddess is worshiped before worshiping the Lord, hence the devotees visit the Ashta Sakthi Mandapam.

Konark Sun temple

One of the most worthy example of immensely fine craftsmanship, the Konark Sun temple in Orissa, was putatively built by Narsimhadeva of Eastern Ganga Dynasty. The temple has been designed in the shape of a very huge chariot of the Sun God with intricately carved 12 pairs of wheels and 7 pairs of horses.

Tirumala Venkateswara Temple

Tirumala Venkateswara Temple is located on the Tirumala hills near Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh and is one of the most sacred temples for vaishnavites. According to legends, Lord Vishnu came down to Earth as Venkateswara to woo back his consort Goddess Lakshmi after a feud.

Jambukeswarar Temple

ambukeswarar Temple is one of the most revered temples in Tamil Nadu. The temple was built 1800 years ago by the Kocengannan, who was one of the Early Chola Kings. The temple is one of the five major Shiva Temples, Panchabhoota Sthalams which represents the element of water.

Thanjavur Temple

Thanjavur emerged as the stronghold of Tamil culture in the eleventh century, with Chola King Raja Raja I at the helm. The Cholas built more than 70 temples in Thanjavur, with the most outstanding one being the Brihadeswara Temple (known as the Big Temple).

Most Important Krishna Temple in india

The Sri Krishna Temple is one of the most important and the richest temple in the whole of South India. Dedicated to Lord Krishna , the temple is also known by the name of Guruvayurappan. It signifies the name of the deity meaning the lord of Guru and Vayu. The deity of Lord Krishna Temple is said to forgive the sins of his devotees who come to worship him in the temple. The Deity placed in the temple is over 5000 years old.

You can find a temple of Lord Krishna Temple with Radha or Rukmani. He is often known as the lord who plays the flute. Lets take a look at the most popular temples of Lord Krishna Temple that are well known worldwide for the history or association with His life.              

Dwarkadish temple

Dwarka is located on the west coast of Gujarat and is considered as a holy pilgrimage for devotees. Dwarka is the place where Lord Vishnu slew the demon Shankhasura. Also known as Jagat Mandir, Dwarkadish is around 2,500 years old temple. Do not forget to visit the temple of Rukmini (Krishna's wife who was believed to be an incarnation of Goddess Lakshmi).

Guruvayur Temple

Also known as the ‘Bhooloka Vaikunta’ or the abode of Lord Vishnu on Mother Earth, the Guruvayur temple, dedicated to Shri Krishna Temple is situated in Kerala. The temple is also known as Dwarka of Dakshin Bharat (South India) as it is one of the most famous temples in India. The idol of Sri Krishna Temple in the temple is believed to have been worshipped by Lord Brahma himself.

Jagannath Temple

This temple has lord Krishna idol with Subhadra and Balbhadra, his siblings which are made of wood. It is built in 11th century during Eastern Ganga Dynasty king, Raja Ananta Varman Chodaganga. It is situated in Puri and is one of the most sacred places of worship in India. This temple is quite famous for its Rath Yatra which takes place every year.

ISKCON Temple

ISKCON Temple is located at Hari Krishna Temple Hill, in the East of Kailash area of New Delhi. It was built as recently as 1998 and is one of the most lavish and grand temples of the city. Says Dina Nath Das, the brain behind the entire show "it is important temple to present the story of human evolution to the people, in the right manner.

Jugal Kishore Temple

Located in Mathura city (birthplace of Lord Krishna), you can visit this peaceful holy pilgrimage and find solace. Jugal Kishore Temple is one of the most popular and the oldest temples of Lord KrishnaTemple in Mathura. Jugal Kishore temple is also known as Kesi Ghata temple as Lord Krishna killed the demon Kesi and took bath on this ghat. An aarti to Yamuna Devi is offered every evening here.

Most Famous Classical Dance of Assam

Dances of Assam have been the most important and most long standing tradition in Assamese culture. Assam has people belonging to many tribes, and each tribe have their own unique dance. Some tribe have dances for different occasions as well. The best places to witness their dances are in the many festivals taking place throughout the year. People of Assam consider their dances more than just a medium of expression, more than a medium of entertainment, dances are a part of their religion and believes. Apart from famous folk dances like Bihu Dance, the classical dance of Assam named Sattriya Dance which is one of the eight distinguished Indian classical dance.

The best manifestation of the culture and tradition of a particular place. The best example to this statement can be seen in the various ethnic dance forms that are prevalent in the different corners of Assam. The state is home to a number of indigenous tribes and races, each of which has its own fairs and festivals. This has led to the propagation of innumerous dance forms throughout the region. The different dance forms in the state can be broadly categorized under two headings, classical dances and folk dances.                                                  

                       
Sattriya Dance

Bihu dance is the most important folk dance of Assam. It receives its name after the famous Bihu festival of Assam of which, it is the main attraction. The dance is performed by both young men and young women. The dance is performed accompanied by Bihu folk music based on love theme which are generally dominated by men, though there are songs that are sung by women as well, Bihu dance is characterized by quick dance movements, swift hand steps and rhythmic swaying of the hips. Different tribes have made slight variation in the dance and have named it after their tribe like Garo Bihu Dance, and Khasi Bihu Dance.

Bihu Dance

Dance forms in India know no boundaries of caste and creed as they depict oneness of the nation. They may have originated in different states of the country but all of them symbolize the joy and liveliness of a certain event. Bihu is a popular folk dance associated with the state of Assam in India and it is performed generally during the Bihu festival. There are primarily three Bihu festivals that are popular in Assam namely Rongali Bihu, Kongali Bihu and Bhogali Bihu and the Bihu dance is performed during the Rongali Bihu.

Bhaona Dance

This dance form is basically performed in the village Namghars and Satras, in order to promote the Vaishnavite culture tourism in Assam. It is actually a theatrical depiction of the one-act play Ankiya Nat, initiated by Sankardeva. An integral part of the dance is the Sutradhara, who recites the slokas, sings, dances and explains the various stages of Bhaona in detail. Another form of dance included in Bhaona is the Natuwa or Cali dance.

Bodo's Bagurumba Dance

Bodo community has many folk dances to boast. Among them the best and the most attractive is the Bagurumba dance. This is mainly a formation dance with slow steps and outstretched hands. About a score of girls dressed in most colourful attire perform this dance to the accompany- merit of Bodo traditional musical instruments. A tourist in Assam can see this dance in the Bodo inhabited areas of Kokrajhar, Bongaigaon, Nalbari, Darrang and Sonitpur districts.

Information About The Fasting Rules of Ramadan

The most basic tenant of the Ramadan fast is not eating or drinking (even water) between dawn and evening, according to local sunrise and sunset times. Ramadan 2015 will be 14 hours here in Nigeria and it will involve long fasts for American and other Muslims in the Northern Hemisphere. Near the Arctic Circle, for example, the fast will last around 22 hours. In Australia, in the Southern Hemisphere, the fast will last around 12 hours.

Ramadan fasting rules is one of the main pillars of Islam. It is obligatory upon every Muslim who is physically and mentally fit. Also, fast is obligatory for the people who have reached puberty and are not traveling during the time of fasting rules. Women must not fast during menstruation and during postpartum bleeding. It is also not obligatory for a pregnant lady to fast.    

Balanced diet

Those observing the fast should have at least two meals a day the pre-dawn meal (Suhoor) and a meal at dusk (Iftar).Dr Mahroof says your food intake should be simple and not differ too much from your normal diet. It should contain foods from all the major food groups. fruit and vegetables, bread, cereals and potatoes, meat, fish or alternatives, milk and dairy foods, foods containing fat and sugar,Complex carbohydrates are foods that help release energy slowly during the long hours of fasting rules.

Having Pre-Dawn Meal

This is very important to start the fast. If you fast without eating anything in sahur, your fast will not be valid. There are immense rewards and blessings in taking sahur. The best time for sahur is the last half hour before dawn or the time for Fajr prayer.

Wholesome foods

Suhoor, the pre-dawn meal, should be a wholesome, moderate meal plan that is filling and provides enough energy for many hours.“Suhoor should be light and include slow digesting food like pitta bread, salad, cereal (especially oats) or toast, so that you have a constant release of energy,” Dr Mahroof says.“It’s important to have some fluids with vitamins, such as fruit juice or fruit. Some people have isotonic drinks (such as Lucozade) to replace any lost salts.”

Iftar Or Break-Fast

Break your fast (iftar) immediately after sunset. You must not delay your iftar. You can have iftar, when the disk of the sun goes below the horizon and disappears completely.

Eating Or Drinking

If you eat or drink accidentally or due to forgetfulness, it will not nullify your fast and you can continue fasting rules. However, intentional eating or drinking for any reason makes your fast invalid.

Most Popular Classical Dance of Assam

Assam has an age-old strong tradition of music and dance. The heritage of Classical dance in Assam goes back a long time in history.   In Bharata's Natya Sastra (2nd century B.C.) the name of ‘Pragjyotishpura' (modern Assam) indicates that the dance ‘Odramagadhi' was practiced here. Supposedly when the Chinese traveler ‘Hiuen Tsang' visited the Kamrupa king Bhaskarvarmana in the 7th century, he was entertained with music and dances every day for one month.

Dance culture of Assam also represent another facet of Assam rich culture. There are two well known dance form in Assam, namely the Bihu Dance and the Sattriya Dance. Bihu dance is mostly performed during the Bihu festival and Sattriya Dance is a classical form of dance often termed together with the most popular classical dance of India like Kathak, Bharatnatyam etc.      

Bihu Dance

Bihu is the most popular folk dance of Assam. The people of Assam are very proud of it and rightly so. Except Bhangra no other folk dance in India can compete with the rythmic exuberance of Bihu. Bihu dances performed by young boys and girls characterised by brisk stepping, flinging and flipping of hands and swaying of hips represents youthful passion, reproductive urge and 'Joie-de-vivre'.

Sattriya Dance 

Sattriya Dance is the art form that epitomises the dance culture of Assam. It was recently recognised as a classical dance form and it is among the finest of the classical dances of India. An Assamese religious reformer, Sri Shankardev, preached a unique philosophy of a new Vaishnavism and from it grew the particular dance.

Oja-Pali Dance

Oja-Pali is a classical dance form of Assam, representing the rich tradition and cultural heritage of the state. Oja and Pali are actually the groups of chorus singers and dancers, with Oja as the leader and Palis as his assistants. A total of three or four Palis may be required for the dance and the principal one among them is called the Daina Pali. Apart from dancing, they also sing and play small cymbals, relating stories from the Epics and the Puranas.

Bodo's Bagurumba Dance

Bodo community has many folk dances to boast. Among them the best and the most attractive is the Bagurumba dance. This is mainly a formation dance with slow steps and outstretched hands. About a score of girls dressed in most colourful attire perform this dance to the accompany- merit of Bodo traditional musical instruments. A tourist in Assam can see this dance in the Bodo inhabited areas of Kokrajhar, Bongaigaon, Nalbari, Darrang and Sonitpur districts.

Bhaona- Bhoana Dance

Bhaona- Bhoana was first created by Srimanta Sankardev. He is considered as the great saint of Assam who tried to unite all the people irrespective of cast and creed. He was born in 1449 at Bardowa, Nagaon in Assam. Bhaona is a religious ritual in which roles of different God and Demons (Ashuras) are performed by the people wearing masks.