Sri Mahavishnu Temple at Nidvala in Aivatoklu village of Sullia Taluk, Dakshina Kannada, is an ancient and revered Vaishnava shrine dedicated to Lord Mahavishnu in his Chaturbhuja, or four-armed, form. The temple is closely associated with the history and traditions of Tulunadu and is believed to have been established around the 14th–15th century under the…
Gajan Mata Temple is a revered hill shrine situated at Gajangarh, near Dharamdhari in Pali district of Rajasthan. The temple is located on the Bhura Bhakhar/Gajangarh hill, with the goddess worshipped in a sacred cave. Gajan Mata is traditionally identified with Chamunda Mata and is especially revered as the Kuldevi of the Parihar or Pratihar…
Dodital Ganesh Temple is situated beside the beautiful Dodital Lake in the Assi Ganga valley of Uttarkashi district, Uttarakhand. Located at an altitude of around 3,000 metres above sea level and surrounded by dense forests of deodar, oak, pine and rhododendron, Dodital is one of the most serene sacred places in the Himalayas. The lake…
Nagarathi Durgaparameshwari Temple is a revered shrine in Hiliyana near Avarse in Udupi district. The ancient temple is associated with the ancient coastal Karnataka traditions of Shakti and Naga worship and, according to local tradition, with Nagarathi, one of the five Nagakanyas connected with the sacred traditions of the region. The presiding deity is Sri…
Shani Dev Temple is located near Vishwanathganj in Kushfara, on the banks of the Bakulahi River, the ancient Shani Dev Dham of Pratapgarh is one of the important Shani shrines of the Awadh region. The temple is dedicated entirely to Lord Shani, and thousands of devotees visit especially on Saturdays to seek his blessings and…
The Saptamatrika Temple is situated at Sanyasi Kuppam near Tirubuvanai in the Union Territory of Puducherry. This little-known shrine is remarkable for its rare group of large stone idols of the Saptamatrikas. Unlike the smaller panels commonly seen in temples, the idols here are almost human-sized, giving the shrine a distinctive appearance. The present temple…
Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy Temple is situated at Veyyinuthula Kona near Dasaripalle in Pendlimarri Mandal of Andhra Pradesh. Surrounded by rocky hills and a peaceful natural landscape, this is a lesser-known and spiritually significant Narasimha Kshetra. The name Veyyinuthula Kona is associated with the many natural water pits found among the surrounding rocks, which give…
Sri Kala Bhairava Temple at Sivapuri, near Chidambaram in Cuddalore district of Tamil Nadu, is a fascinating and lesser-known shrine associated with the ancient Tirukkazhippalai Sri Palvannanathar Temple. The temple is situated about 5 kilometres from Chidambaram and is traditionally known as Tirukkazhippalai. Though the principal deity of the temple is Lord Shiva as Palvannanathar,…
Nidrista Ganapati Temple is located at Avhane Budruk village in Shevgaon taluka of Ahilyanagar district, Maharashtra, on the banks of the Avani River. This is a rare and lesser-known Ganapati temple where Lord Ganesha is worshipped in a reclining or sleeping posture. Unlike the usual seated form of Ganesha, the idol here lies horizontally, making…
Sri Suddha Ratneswarar Temple at Ootathur is an ancient and spiritually significant Shiva temple, associated with the Thevara Vaippu Sthalams. Lord Shiva is worshipped here as Suddha Ratneswarar, also known as Thuyya Mamaniswarar and Masilamani, with Goddess Akhilandeswari as his consort. The temple is particularly renowned for its sacred Brahma Theertham, Swayambhu Shiva Lingam and…
