Malola on Tour

vastu puja and wellness fairs in and around germany

2011-10-29T17:01:00.003+02:00

recently i have been in charge of doing Vastu pujas for fairs and meetings in wellness and yoga, before the programs start. And they have good results with the outcome of people and exihibitors in general. Just now im in Kiel were the fair of "Lebensfreude Messe" is held, in a old hall, were in the 1940 Submarines for the second world war were built. SO the place is quite contaminated with bad karma, as you can guess. After the puja we could feel the difference here and it was much more relaxed and calm for all of us. So Vastu Puja (clearance of space with fire and other elements) are a great science and can help the living entity to come close the the real purpose of life.

7. october 1949 - 2011

2011-10-07T17:47:00.002+02:00

7. Oktober 2011

how ever thought about that the communist dictatorship would sink into history so fast? But nowadays people are bewildered and think that those days were better, people had no worries, enough of food and happy life. I hear that even more often in spiritual circles or from people who are spiritual connected to any sort of group, religion etc. and i wonder do they have been sleeping in that time, or to young to understand? But sorry please wake up, the evidence shows the real face of that time.

Communism had supressed and free will of different thought, what to speak to live your life in a different way as given by the autority. There was NO free lifestyle, you where not given any place to chant different names except the choosen ones (Stalin, breshnew, Honecker etc.). Dont ever think you could open a center for vedic studies in prenzlauer berg with a sign outside? If you would do so, they would come in a minute pack you up and you would end in Bautzen (one of the biggest and hardest jail in east germany). See the church bombed 1985 after a decision made as the church was to close inside the death zone of the berlin wall!

What to speak about offering any fruits, vegetables as there was NO easy shopping for those items. Life was much more hell as one can imagine today, but im always wonder if i hear people speak about those times in flowery words. History is twisted to fit into a ideal thinking which makes people go for hunting those ideals. But they all fail because it is based on a misconception and liar. Today we have the date of the GDR*s day of republic and im sure we will see some people run around in the streets protesting for their old communist time! What a lost of precious lifetime...

Navaratri Dasara Vijaya Dasami Puja

2011-10-07T17:40:00.003+02:00

yesterday we had a special puja in home with the figgs we offered to Lord Narasimha as a garland.

That day marks the time when Lord Rama defeated the Damon Ravana in Lanka and the Pandavas recieved their hidden weapons under a pippal tree for the coming war of Kurukshetra. It is said that on that day what ever is started as new project it will surely happen and with success, as Dharma is on your side.

I did starting with editing the Narasimha Tapani Upanishad which is our newest and biggest project for the upcoming winter, as well editing the new book on sound travel trough north india (in german language). So far both projects got stuck in our daily work, but now it will be focussed to bring it out soon.

please send your blessings and best wishes for those two projects so that we can share our knowledge and experience with all of you. jaya jaya sri Nrsimha!

brrrrrrrr is cold again...

2011-10-07T17:32:00.003+02:00

and i have not written anything for more then 6 month. It has been a tough time with all that things around us, and i excuse my self for that. But i hope now i can find some more time as our kid will go for kindergarden very soon!

Music Raghavendra today

2011-03-29T18:15:00.005+02:00

Now you see him in today life, performing concerts in and around Chennai and Bangalore even he is not able to travel alone (what to speak going by train etc.). Despite of all this here you see him on stage with famous people like Janaki Amma, Balasubramania and Maestro Illayaraja.
Bless Him with a wonderful success in music and career and write to him! please write under: raghavendra.music@gmail.com
thanx!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My friend from bangalore

2011-03-29T17:47:00.005+02:00

Through the mystery of life and the support of great people, especially trough the family of Sri Vidyabhushana i was able to meet many good friends in India, and one of them is Mr.Raghavendra. He is a very energetic and positive person dispite of his great illness. When he was a small boy one operation made his life change. Due to misinterpretation and mismanagement and several other operations by some wicked doctors, he didn't have any other health related problems. But after the surgery he was not able to recover from that misoperation. But dispite of all this he is working hard on his career to become a very good musician in vocal carnatic music and performed and recieved many awards in that field. His personal teacher Sri Vidyabhushana knows him from his childhood when he allready started to perform public music concerts and took always much care about him (above you see Raghavendra 1985 before the surgery and after the accident in surgery holded by his oncle next to Sri Vidyabhushana in that time still a Sannyasi of Kukke Subhramaniya Mutt 1991). Raghavendra is still recieving music lessions by Sri Vidyabhushana and gets good responses from the carnatic music world for that. Now it would be good that all of you write some good words to Raghavendra to support him with your good thoughts and wishes and that he may overcome this disease and can perform musical devotion all over the world. Please write to him with some personal words, because make others happy is the best way to become happy your self.

New Movie "Maybe Bangladesh" with Sri Vidyahushana

2011-03-29T17:21:00.002+02:00

A new movie has come out on the cinema market withe focus on south indian music - with the main focus on Sri Vidyabhushana. It is a story on how a group of german musicians searching for a unknown tape, which they recieved as a gift from india. They went to india it self, in search of the owner of the voice of that unknown cassette, and were directed towards Bangladesh first. Only in india it self they got redirected towards south india and finally met Sri Vidyabhushana personally. The documentary film is very interesting made and got some publicity in south indian TV chanels which you can watch here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U90sdPfDFt4&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PDacAIkYFuQ&feature=relmfu
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=noAk8bRHO-k&feature=fvwrel

But also the webpage of this movie is packed with 3 clips which are nice to see:

http://www.maybe-bangladesh.de/

The DVD maybe soon available on the market!

Mystic - Astro Mandapa Part 7

2011-03-29T17:16:00.003+02:00

As you see this mandapa is not very impressive from the outside and also the small shrine of Lord Ganapathy is so small that it doesnt really attract a big crown of pilgrims. But in the same time the Mandapa is so unique and special in all his details on astro events in the past and all those special carving (like this one of the Danish soldier or pirat, Lord Narasimha etc.) that also the small Ganesh is a very powerful Vigraha and i ask everyone who ever visit this side of the globe make a visit to this mystic place!

Mystic Astro Mandapa part 6

2011-03-15T18:51:00.003+01:00

Kashyapa Muni

Then we find some other very interesting carvings on this mandapa, Narasimha ridding on Garuda, a great Rishi (kashyapa?), Turumburu (the son of Kashyapa, and a great musician) and a very extra ordinary dance with a Veena holding (Male and female together). Lord Narasimha ridding on Garuda is not shown often in carving nor in iconography. Anyhow all of those carvings are unusal as all those Graha occasions (eclipses) show!

Mystic Astro Mandapa part 5

2011-03-15T18:50:00.005+01:00

Here we see clearly the Ganda Bherunda Symbol with the scorpion sign of vedic astrology (vrishchika). Above you see the 8 petal lotus which represents the Sun. In the sign of Scorpion and under the rule of The Hoyshala dynasty also a very powerful Sun eclipse took place, and as we can see from history just in the beginning of the 14. century more then 12 powerful eclipses accured, of those 4 were total darkness, that it forcast the soon future of grim occasions with a total change of lifestyle and feeling in everyones life. One of the most powerful eclipse that place in the year 1300 AD on the same day as Shivaratri (Amavasya) to show that soon the land will be swamped with calmities and horror. Only few years later a huge Muslim invation in south india took place, and changed the country in such a way that nothing was as before!
This mandapa can tell us so much of history and it can give much relevance to our daily life too. If we hear and start to read the signs of nature, we can live in harmony with God and his land (Bhumi) so much better. It can help us to understand and even forcast future events and give strength and shelter. Is it not what we all search for?

shows how important and influencial those eclipses were on the mind of the people, and was even future telling if we see those time back.

Mystic Astro Mandapa part 4 - Ganda Bherunda

2011-03-15T18:45:00.005+01:00

The mysticial Bird Ganda Bherunda is also shown next to the astrological sign of Vrishchika (scorpion) in which another eclipse 1234 AD. accured. The mystical Bird which by great Narasimha Upasakas is worshipped as a Form of Lord Narasimha, in the same time it is a symbol of the Hoyshalas and Wodayar dynasties of south India. Most likely the Mandapa was built by their support or have been in that time of reign.

Mystic Astro Mandapa part 3

2011-03-15T17:12:00.002+01:00

Let us see the other carvings from the roof of this Mystic Astrology Mandapa:
1) Kannapa, the great shiva saint (on of the 63 holy saint of shaivism, called Nayanars) who dedicated his eyes to Lord Shiva - next to it you see the Sun globe shown as a Lotusflower
That storydirects us toward Lord Shiva's Night - Shiva Ratri which faces a very strong Eclipse in the year 1300!

2) Mrgashringa, the female Lion with human head, famous mystic story from the Mahabharata sitting next to the Sun globe in form of a flower design with a bell in her hand - she is the indian sphinx which is mystified as a great Devotee of Lord Shiva

3) a big Beast like tiger is hunting a deer

4) Cobra attacking the moon and beneath two fishes meet face to face
according to our calcuation this total eclipse of moon as shown here attacked by a big mystical Snake (Rahu) had happen in pisces at 28th feb 1300 with 4 planets in conjuction (Moon, sun, Mercury and Venus). A very severe and heavy position.

5) two monkeys searching for food on the floor
which are the animal signs for two powerful stars (Nakshatras) - purvaashadha men monkey (saggitarius/capricon) and sravana female monkey (capricon/aquarius)

and below a big predator fish eats small one

Mystic - Astro Mandapa Part 2

2011-03-15T16:01:00.002+01:00

Next to this Mandapa is a very small but beautiful Ganapathi Shrine, which mostly stands here from the same time period. It became never famous as other temples did, so no much further buildings (like agraharams, kitchen etc.) were built.
Anyhow I did enter the Mandapa and also saw those carvings of those eclipses, nagas attacking the Sun and Moon, different beast eating each other and also the very strange carving of this supposed Danish soldier. Actually i did find 2 carvings of foreign sailors which is indeed from the 13th century (as they fit the other drawings), but how they come on those pillars no idea. The Danish colony landed only in the year 1620 AD on the indian coast, and the Mandapa maybe was rebuilt and those carvings placed on in that time. Sadras, a commerical port for the danish crown for business was not far from mahabalipuram, as well madras was occupied by danish power in that time.
Then i have found those funny drawing what is for sure a later replacement of carving on those pillars. A funny face not very artistically drawn...!
But all in all the Danish soldiers in this mandapa is unique, as i have never seen any foreigner carvings either in Mandapas or other religious places in south india.

The Mystic Astro - Mandapa

2011-03-15T15:20:00.003+01:00

To understand this story please read first the link given below, so to catch the idea here.

As i visited Mahabalipuram always on my trips to south india i come to this place for around 20 years now. The mood and the closeness to the ocean and the big city city made it easy for me to come here and relax and recharge. Only recently in the last 5 years Mahabalipuram had changed drastically as it is overrun the tourists NOT from uproad but by locals from chennai and near by states. With this phenomena landprice speculations had driven the cost unbelievable high, and just in no time strange buildings popping up in and around the "cavetemple city". It became hectic, dirty and loud. There is a wonderful Divya Desam Temple on the Busstand and a seperate Alwar shrine with his personal waterpond, from were he had been born.
It is here how Lord Vishnu watch's everyday the Sunrise from the ocean and very calm and beautiful temple atmosphere is found inside. In ancient times the Temple was suppose in the real centre of the city, what is now covered by the ocean. The worship is done in Vaikhanasa tradition and the temple priest families are very nice and great hosts.
When i visited them last time i told my friends from this temple about the very interesting Mandapa i heared from one Blog in Internet: http://rajadeekshithar.blogspot.com/2009/08/mandapa-commemorating-solar-eclipse-in.html and if they could guide me to this spot. First of all they did not know much about it, but then later one they discussed it with the elders and they gave me the tip to move with a bike outside of Mahabalipuram towards Pondicherry and search for the small Ganesh Temple just beside the mainroad. There it should be.
I did rent a bike made my way in the evening and missed the Mandapa for the first time. Only on my way back i did get the chance and found it around 6 km from Mahabalipuram.
There it was, those mysterious Mandapa which did tell about the past from the 13th century.
I started to enter it and did pictures as far i could do.... (see next text, please)

Lord Ranganathas 1000 pillar mandapa

2011-03-13T12:00:00.004+01:00

In the ancient area of Lord Ranganathas Temple one can find a 1000 pillar Mandapa, which is huge in size, and in the carnatic war between england and french in the year 1751 - 1759 AD a huge company of 10000 Men was camping under here. Nowadays this Mandapa is only open on Vaikuntha Ekadasi Festival were Lord Ranganatha is worshipped by all. Recently they have started a digging around the temple complex and recovered some of the beautiful carving of the base of this mandapa. Anyhow we could make our way inside and had a super natural view of this. We discovered that there is even a seprate empty shrine far inside with some wall painting in - as usual - bad condition! Anyhow it is a wonderful expierence to visit that mandapa, and i hope the temple authority keeps it clean and dont let it fall apart!

Gopurapatti update 2011

2011-03-13T11:28:00.003+01:00

We visited the newly renovated shrine of the ancient place of the immigrated sri Vaishnava community from the onslaught of the muslim army, were they have restarted the worship of Rangantha in the year 1325 AD. If they had built right away a huge visible temple for Him we doubt it, as the muslim invaders were still around, even it is only 12 km away from srirangam hidden in the fields of rice paddy and watercanals from the kaveri. Most likely the temple was built later after the danger was over. In Koil Olugu, the history book of Sri Rangam temple, Gopurapatti is mentioned were the rest of the surviours from Sri Rangam Ksetra had escaped and lived peacefully for about 35 years. Only in the year of 1371 AD. Lord Ranganathas Temple was reopened and Namperumal (the ustava deity) which had been taken by the sri vaishnava acarya Pillailokacharya him self and escaped to jyothishkudi inside the forest near Madurai and later moved Him to Tirupathi, had come back to his original abode. After all the descendants from the leftover priest community moved back to Sri Rangam, Gopurapatti became more lonely and lost after some decades his importance and dilapidated in do course of time.
Only recently the Bhattar family of Sri Rangam had made this place aware to us, and started to do rebuliding the temple. Now this temple is showing is super natural beauty again and the Murthy is wonderfully taken care, by one arcaka who is affiliated with iskcon. He likes that Devotees visit this temple and we only can say it is a wonderful expierence!
Please come to Gopurapatti and relax and enjoy the spiritual atmosphere of Lord Ranganathas secret place!

Demolish of Rama Sannidhis Dhyana Mandapa

2011-02-15T15:01:00.004+01:00

In the inner courtyard of Lord Ranganathas Temple there is the famous arcakatemple of Lord Rama, were normally the initiations would take place for the new bhattarcaryas. That Rama temple dhyana Mandapa was in use for giving the sacred mantras and the secret teachings on the parameshwara samhita. It was a very nice place and wonderful designed with pillars with a raised plattform to sit and do Japa/meditation.
But the ignorant temple autorities of the Srirangam Devasthanam had decided to remove it, as it was staying in a way of a new metal construction of a kind of roof top for tourist to walk under. Please see the destruction and the mandapa how it was so nice before!
what is wrong with those people who manage the temples ? why they demolish ancient buildings to please tourists? If they remove the antiquity and inner culture of those places, it will be just a shadow of the actual worship. A temple is not a museum, but a living entity which nourish the people and culture of the whole humanity!!! Do something now against such invasions of vandalism in our temple!

Sri Rangam rediscovered!

2011-02-15T14:45:00.005+01:00

Lord Ranganatha is very merciful and i was able to stay on his abode and do special pujas there. We performed Ayusya homa and one RgVeda Yagya with different suktas offered as ahutis along with herbs, spices etc... As well we did Annadhana (giving out food), and look how that taatooed guy looks like??? Brrrr... If you check the Homa pic you will see our pet Cat stting in the back and relaxing in the heat of the Homa!

white elefants get into upanayana ceremony!

2010-12-13T18:25:00.002+01:00

how mysterious is Lord Sri Krishna for his devotees? Breaking the boundage of cast and religious prejudice - that shows even the concept of cast in india can be transformed to a good and healthy system for better livin on this earth!
Here you see a complete vedic grhya sutra ceremony (preserved only for the socalled 3 upper casts with birth rights) done for a two gurukulis from england. Is it that the old english men of indiology did teach us that this system of Jata (Cast) cannot be given to people outside??? Does those early christian invaders with their bible in the hand, got everything wrong from the vedas just to overpower the eastern "harmony of consciousness" into the western "survial of the fittest" theory?
Brutal is the history of inquisition in Goa and other parts of india, resulting in blocking western born people out of vedic teachings.
Only in recent years of the last century things has changed, and by the grace of highly advanced saints like Srila Prabhupada and other yogis, people from the west were introduced to vedic wisdom. Hope we westerners will not mess up things again, and take those invitation back to the original tradition of humans with great respect and high spirit.

Happy Deepavali 2010

2010-11-05T10:25:00.002+01:00

Dear Friends and wellwishers, i do wish all of you the blessing and the light in your heart as this festival has to offer us. May Lord Narasimha glance with his lotuseyes on all our activity, thought and desire!
Jaya jaya sri Nrsimha!!!

Lord of Kanchipuram in Navaratri Festival 2010

2010-10-31T12:46:00.006+01:00

When i came first time to Kanchipuram in the year of 1991 i had a wonderful experience were the priests put a Urdhvapundram on my face and let me enter the sanctum very close to the Lord. Later in 1995 i had made here in this city my first Narasimha Vigraha by a very farout Stapathy who was a Shakta devotee of Kamakshi Amman (ParvathiDevi). When he completed the eyeopen ceremony he stood on his wooden padukas which had long ironnails on them. Then he screamed wild Narasimha mantras and finally trow the Lord (which weighted around 25kg) in my arms. I almost flew on my knees... Now that Yoga Narasimha is served in the Radha Krishna temple of Vrindamission in Berlincity. I hope i can post soon a picture of Him here.
Anyhow Kanchipuram is a very impressive and powerful city which is mentioned even by Panini (3th century BC) to be the city of 1000 temples. It is divided in two parts, one is Shiva kanchi were all the main important Shiva and Shakta temples reside (like Kamakshi, Ekambeshwara etc.) and Vishnu kanchi were Lord Varadaraja, the bestrower of all boons and the Lord of the Devas. When i visited Kanchipuram in my first years i never went anywhere else as i stayed only in Kanchi for long. I always thought why going to Srirangam or other divya deshams, as here you have Him so close. And the architecture, culture and history of Kanchi is fascinating and trilling. Everyone feels a very powerful force of blessing and curse (if one acts improper or demoniac) if one enters the sacred city. Great Acharyas have lived here, and Sri Ramanuja did serve Lord Varadaraja for many years. Here you see wonderful pics of Lord Varadaraja with his consort Sri devi on Navaratri festival 2010!

Ayodhya issue unending like the universe seems for the atheist

2010-10-13T18:18:00.003+02:00

(the remains of sri prahladpuri, the ancient city of Narasimha worship in the state of nowadays pakistan by the city name "Multan")

The babri mosque had be abadoned 65 years prior to the demolition in the year 1992 and under Islamic law the building ceased being a mosque in such circumstance.

But a few days later, after the demolition of the mosque, CNN reported that the highest ranking Imam in the Islamic world from Saudi Arabia said that the Babri Mosque was the second most important mosque in the Islamic world and all Muslims should be outraged!!!
The violence what broke out after the demolition killed many more hindus in the streets of india, and some of the last standing temples of history in Pakistan (some speak of more then 100 temples and shrines in P.) were erased from the ground. Commentators may express excuses and blind slogans over this, but fact is there will be no harmony as the Koran delcares it by its own words "Those who reject (Truth), among the People of the Book and among the Polytheists, will be in Hell-Fire, to dwell therein (for aye). They are the worst of creatures." (Surah 98 - Al Bayyinah THE CLEAR EVIDENCE)
welcome to the stupid world of education as "islam is a religon of peace" and part of western culture, as recently the prime minister Mr.Wulff of Germany proclaimed. Good night my sleeply europe, as the moon of islam has risen above our heads to proclaim to be part of our life. Even we dont want it!!!

Ayodhya trough the ages... issue 1

2010-10-01T13:11:00.002+02:00

this is a very interesting text one should read if you plan to understand the demolition of the Babri Masjid. Of course no excuse of bloodshet, only a word of showing the real dilemma of india history.

Through the centuries of brutal Islamic rule over India, tens of thousands of Hindu temples were destroyed and mosques built at their sites. In northern India, which was under Islamic rule for a longer period of time, hardly any temple has survived the Islamic period. Among the temples destroyed were the 3 greatest temples of Sanatana Dharma - those dedicated to Shri Ram, Shri Krishna, and Shankar (lord Shiva), at Ayodhya, Mathura, and Benaras (Varanasi), respectively.

Muslims kept fairly accurate accounts of their temple demolitions, since they considered them acts of great poius activity -which should give them the right to go to heaven (what absurd idea for killing innocent people). By destroying the temples of the "kafirs" (unbelievers of islam), they were doing Allah's bidding, and imitating Muhammad, who himself had destroyed all the idols in the Kaaba and made it into a mosque. Muslim rulers throughout history have repeated this act. The West knows of the conversion of the St. Sophia in Constantinople into a mosque. But indian history has thousands of such tragic instances.
Given below are some of the accounts left by muslim historians of the destruction of the Ram Janmabhumi temple in Ayodhya - one of the greatest temples of Sanatana Dharma. We will never know its splendour, but judging by the temples of South India that did survive Islamic rule, it must have been a stupendous feat of architecture.

The muslim writers unanimously describe the following:

1. The temple complex comprised of the Janmasthan of Shri Ram at Kot Ram Chander, the private apartments (mahal sarai) of King Dasaratha and Sri Rama, and a temple and a kitchen popularly known as Sita Ki Rasoi, where tradition held that Sita (wife of Shri Ram) lived.
2. All three were demolished and a mosque constructed thereupon in 1528 A.D. under orders of Babur's commander Mir Baqi, and the religious guidance of a Muslim cleric named Sayed Musa Ashikan.

The earliest of such authors is none other than the granddaughter of the Mughal (Mogul) emperor Aurangzeb. Many of these Muslim writers were residents of Ayodhya (Awadh) and some were eye-witness to or participants in the Hindu-Muslim clashes that resulted from the numerous (77 recorded) attempts by Hindus to regain control of their holy site. Muslim records state that over 100,000 Hindus, over the centuries, perished in attempts to regain the temple.

Let us now see what the Muslim writers have said:

1) Abul Fazl (late sixteeth century)

Abul Fazl, the author of Akbar Nama and Ain-i-Akbari is an eminent writer of the Moghul age who describes Ayodhya as the residential place (banga) of Sri Ram Chandra who during the Treta age was the embodiment of both the spiritual sovereign supremacy as well as the mundane kingly office. Abul Fazl also testifies that Awadh (Ayodhya) was esteemed as one of the holiest places of antiquity. He reports that Ram-Navami festival, marking the birthday of Rama continues to be celebrated in a big way.

2) Safiha-i Chahal Nasaih Bahadur Shahi, written by the daughter of Bahadur Shah Alamgir during the early 18th century.

Out of the above Chahal Nasaih ("Forty Advices"), twenty-five instructions were copied and incorporated in the manuscript entitled Nasihat-i Bist-o-Panjam Az Chahal Nisaih Bahadur Shahi in 1816 AD, which is the oldest known account of the destruction of Ram Janmabhoomi for construction of the Babri Mosque, and its author is none other than Aurangzeb's grand daughter.

Mirza Jan, the author of Hadiqa-i-Shahda, 1856, Lucknow, has reproduced the above text in Persian on pp.4-7 of his book. The text runs as follows:

"... the mosques built on the basis of the king's orders (ba farman-i Badshahi) have not been exempted from the offering of the namaz and the reading of the Khutba [therein]. The places of worship of the Hindus situated at Mathura, Banaras and Awadh, etc., in which the Hindus (kufar) have great faith - the place of the birthplace of Kanhaiya, the place of Rasoi Sita, the place of Hanuman, who, according to the Hindus, was seated by Ram Chandra over there after the conquest of Lanka - were all demolished for the strength of Islam, and at all these places mosques have been constructed. These mosques have not been exempted from juma and jamiat (Friday prayers). Rather it is obligatory that no idol worship should be performed over there and the sound of the conch shell should not reach the ear of the Muslims ..."

3) Hadiqa-i-Shahada by Mirza Jan (1856), pages 4-7.

The author was an eye-witness and an active participant in the jihad led by Amir Ali Amethawi during Wazid Ali Shah's rule in 1855 for recapture of Hanumangarhi from the Hindus. His book was ready just after the failure of the jihad due to stout Hindu resistance, and was published the following year (1856) in Lucknow. In Chapter IX of his book, entitled Wazid Ali Shah Aur Unka Ahd ("Wazid Ali Ahah and His Regime"), we find his account of construction of the Babri mosque.

Mirza Jan who claims to have gone through various old sources says in his own account as follows:

"The past Sultans encouraged the propagation and glorification of Islam and crushed the forces of the unbelievers (kufar), the Hindus. Similarly, Faizabad and Awadh(Ayodhya) were also purged of this mean practice [of kufr]. This [Awadh] was a great worshipping centre and the capital of [the kingdom of] Rama's father. Where there was a large temple, a big mosque was constructed and where there was a small mandaf, there a small kanati masjid was constructed. The temple of Janmasthan was the original birthplace (masqat) of Ram, adjacent to which is Sita Ki Rasoi, Sita being the name of his wife. Hence at that site, a lofty (sarbaland) mosque has been built by Babar Badshah under the guidance of Musa Ashikan... That mosque is till date popularly known as Sita Ki Rasoi..."

4) Fasana-i Ibrat by the Urdu novelist Mirza Rajab Ali Beg Surur.

Dr. Zaki Kakorawi has appended an excerpt from this book by Surur (1787-1867) in his work. The excerpt reads as follows :

"During the reign of Babar Badshah, a magnificent mosque was constructed in Awadh at a place which is associated with Sita ki Rasoi. This was the Babari mosque. As during this period the Hindus could not dare to offer any resistance, the mosque was constructed under the benign guidance of Saiyed Mir Ashikan. Its date of construction could be reckoned from [the words] Khair-Baqi. And in the Ram Darbar, a mosque was constructed by Fidai Khan, the subedar."

5) Zia-i Akhtar by Haji Muhammed Hasan (Lucknow 1878), p.38-39.

The author states :

"The mosque which had been built by Saiyid Musa Ashikan in 923 AH in compliance with the order of Zahiruddin Badshah, Delhi, after demolishing the private apartments (mahal sarai) of Raja Ram Chander and the kitchen of Sita, as well as the second mosque built by Muiuddin Aurangzeb, Alamgir Badshah, [in fact] both these mosques have developed cracks at various places because of the ageing character. Both these mosques have been gradually mitigated by the Bairagis and this very fact accounts for the riot. The Hindus have great hatred for the Muslims..."

6) Gumgashte Halat-i Ajudhya Awadh ("Forgotten Events of Ayodhya"), i.e. Tarikh-i Parnia Madina Alwaliya (in Persian) (Lucknow 1885), by Maulvi Abdul Karim.

The author, who was then the imam of the Babri Masjid, while giving a description of the dargah of Hazrat Shah Jamal Gojjri states :

"To the east of this dargah is mahalla Akbarpur, whose second name is also Kot Raja Ram Chander Ji. In this Kot, there were few burjs [towery big halls]. Towards the side of the western burj, there was the house of birthplace (makan-i paidaish) and the kitchen (bawarchi khana) of the above-mentioned Raja. And now, this premises is known as Janmasthan and Rasoi Sita Ji. After the demolition and mitigation of these houses [viz. Janmasthan and Rasoi Sita Ji], Babar Badshah got a magnificent mosque constructed thereon."

7) Tarikh-i Awadh("History of Ayodhya") by Alama Muhammad Najamulghani Khan Rampuri (1909).
Dr. Zaki Kakorawi has brought out an abridged edition of this book. An excerpt from vol.II (pp.570-575) of this edition runs as follows :

"Babar built a magnificent mosque at the spot where the temple of Janmasthan of Ramchandra was situated in Ayodhya, under the patronage of Saiyid Ashikan, and Sita ki Rasoi is situated adjacent to it. The date of construction of the mosque is Khair Baqi (923 AH). Till date, it is known as Sita ki Rasoi. By its side stands that temple. It is said that at the time of the conquest of Islam there were still three temples, viz. Janmasthan, which was the birthplace of Ram Chanderji, Swargadwar alias Ram Darbar, and the Treta ka Thakur. Babar built the mosque after having demolished Janmasthan."

8) Hindustan Islami Ahad Mein ("India is under Islamic rule") by Maulana Hakim Sayid Abdul Hai.
The book contained a chapter on "The Mosques of Hindusthan" (Hindustan ki Masjidein), giving at least six instances of the construction of the mosques on the very sites of the Hindu temples demolished by the Indian Muslim rulers during the 12th-17th centuries. As regards Babri Masjid, he writes :

"This mosque was constructed by Babar at Ajodhya which the Hindus call the birthplace of Ram Chanderji. There is a famous story about his wife Sita. It is said that Sita had a temple here in which she lived and cooked for her husband. On that very site Babar constructed this mosque..."

It is this Babri mosque, built as a symbol of the subjugation and humiliation of Hindus at a spot they venerated so highly, that was damaged by a crowd of Hindus in 1992 at the height of the nationalist movement to rebuild a temple for Shri Ram at the site which had been venerated as his birthplace by Hindus for millenia.

Islam deliberately destroyed and desecrated what was most sacred to Hindus, and replaced it with a symbol of Islamic victory. The same reason Sultan Mehmet converted the Hagia Sophia into a mosque. The Hindus and the West have been fighting the same foe for centuries.

I end with the lament of Will Durant, from his Story of Civilization

"We can never know from looking at India to-day, what grandeur and beauty she once possessed."

Ayodhya and the issue of trying to please two fighting parties

2010-09-30T20:32:00.002+02:00

I was waiting the verdict of the Ayodhya Case with great tension today, and would rather watch the news then do puja attentively. Why??? Because it is not just a political or socialreligious issue, but a emotional one too. I have been in india 1992 i have seen the riots in Varanasi and Chennai and i still see the volcano of hatred and war could just explore any moment india into a very heavy bloodshet.
The Ghandhi theory to join two opposite believes together, which separated India into two countries are still the same problem over hundred of years. It created Kashmir issue, bombing and killing in bombay, hijacking planes and will never end. It is in the name of politics and religious politics where political and religious leader never come with the truth and say openly right or wrong, fearing to loose power or influence.
The Rama Janmabhumi Sthana (Place of Lord Ramas birthsite in ayodhya) was always a place of worship in antiquity (at least from the time of the Kushans, 2000 years ago!!!) or better to say the holy Mekka of the believers in Sanathana Dharma! Stumping those places of worship to dust while bringing a so called better GOD* has been the policy of the fanatic muselman not ONLY in India but all over the world right from the beginning with mohammed, the founder of this strange belief, in the year 611 AD. His Jihad* has come to our german brother doors of vienna in the year 1683 AD, and if not polish soldiers were interferring we would follow ramadan and read in arabic our newspapers today (you see germany today you could get the impression the islamic invasion did win those years back!!!).

Anyhow in the modern western world we only recognized the islamic treat from the events of the civilwar in ex jugoslavia, were our supported "uncle" Osama binLaden tried to built a first europian "real"muslim state with stoning and other shariahorrorLaws but failed, before he went to Afganistan and did it there.
But if you start to read the history of India from the time of Gazni*Mahmud (10th century) you would shiffer of fear and disgust! It was always normal practise to kill all unbelievers (kafirs) and destroying their places of worship (temples, shrines etc.) as a holy act sanctioned by Mohammed it self! And using the materials for building a mosque on top of it, was just practical. One of the most horrific events was the invasions of GazniMahmud were he invaded 17 times indias soil, destroying holy cities like Multan, Thaneswar, whole area of Rajasthan and the famous and glorious town of Somanatha (one of the 12 jyothilingam). I will write later about this maniac, who is still considered to be a great men in arabic lands.
So what you can think could bring peace after such history?

Gopurapatti 2010 completed part 2

2010-08-29T22:46:00.003+02:00

Gopurapatti 2010 completed!!

2010-08-29T22:46:00.000+02:00

Here are some pictures of impression on the new restoration and re-installation of our beloved Lord Ranganatha next the Kaveri only 12 km away from his main island. It was a ancient place of worship of Lord Ranganatha after the onslaught and demolition of Lord Ranganathas temple in the year 1311 AD, were the surviving priests escaped the killing by the muslim army and settled here. After returning of normality in south india in the 17th century the village became extinct and the temple fell apart. Only in the year 2007 our friend and wellwisher Murali Bhattar re established the temple with his personal effort and we all thank him for his wonderful service. Please all of you go there and visit this very unique place of Lord Ranganathas worship!

restored Gopurapatti Ranganatha Temple 2010

2010-08-19T20:38:00.003+02:00

Gopurapatti, the holy refuge of sri Vaishnavas in the hard times of muslim invasion

2010-08-19T18:33:00.006+02:00

Gopurapatti is a small village around 12 km from srirangam temple away, and became a refuge village of the emigrating priests around srirangam in the years 1310- 1311 AD as a muslim invasion laid south india into fire by the great Hater of Hindu culture Malik Naib and his famous general Ulugh Khan. In that time a huge muslim army plundered the temple of Lord Ranganatha, and killed tousands of priests and devotees aroung the temple (that story will be told later in this blog). The utsava Murthy (Namperumal) fleed the island with one of his very close priests, and Pillai lokacarya was the head priest who carried Nammperumal to hide him, around his neck.

Who could flee from this onslaught were hiding in the hidden small villages around srirangam. Gopurapatti was one of those places, and it became soon after this devastating incident a refuge place for vaidika priests, as Kaveri is flowing in two parts as it would do around srirangam island. Those refuge priests started to worship they beloved Lord Ranganatha and very soon after they had built a small temple for Him here. After 46 years of hidding the original Utsava Murthi of Lord Ranganatha he returned from Tirupathi and recieved his original temple in Srirangam. So did the surviving priests and their family returned to srirangam, and the village Gopurapatti kept it secret and the temple declined. Only recently the ruins of Gopurapatti Ranganatha was restored and renovated by the community of Archakas from Srirangam, especially Murali Bhattar did his best to return Gopurapatti to his ancient glory and worship of Lord Ranganatha. The temple is rebuilt and i had the pleasure to visit this place, when it was still rebuilding. On 26th of august 2010 will be the Samprokshana Ceremony (reinstallation of the Main deity).
As the Mula Vigraha (the main deity from inside the sanctum sanctorum) was digged out the ground and many items were missed he was remodelled by the stapathies. The utsava Murthies were casted newly and blessed by the two Ahobilam Jeeyars recently (see picture).
Gopurapatti is a very smooth and relaxed village and has a very beautiful scenery around. It is perfect for spiritual practise and anyone who wants to support this temple (as it is in need of funds for the daily seva, like puja, food etc.) please contribute. If you want to visit Gopurapatti please do so and get the anugraham (blessings) of the Lord of Gopurapatti Ranganatha!!!

festivals and other occacions

2010-08-19T18:25:00.003+02:00

dear friend, we had recently few nice festivals in and around berlin city, with a flux of hundreds of interested people. Beginning of august we had the Rathayatra festival on the very famous location, Kurfuerstendamm (also known as "Kuhdamm") with around 300 hare krishnas and tousands of tourists who are willingly or not had to hear the sound of chanting and wild cymbal concerts... all in all a very successful as i met many old friends and devotees who showed up. Then we had a 4 day festival of spiritual healing festival, 150 km away from berlin city. A mixture of techno/Goasound with the idea of healing and spiritual search. There was a healing area with 5 tipis in the middle of a nice forest were inside that circle we had done a nice and elaborate Fire sacrifice. Around 120 people joined those vedic chanting and offered rice and lots of fruits to Agni... The festival may have seen around 2 - 3000 visitors with a huge Lord Nataraja Statue in the middle of the dancefloor... (pics will be given later)

Fair of Munich with HH Chinna Jeeyar Swamij

2010-06-19T17:18:00.003+02:00

Due to the higher arrangements of the Lord we were able to bring HH Chinna Jeeyar Swamij from south India to a Fair of esoteric and wellness in munich, as his devotees organized a lakshmi Narayana Puja at the same weekend. On that Fair he spoke about vedic traditions and the search of every human for peace and happiness. His servants Varada, Madhusudana, gopi and Bhagavadcarya did some very nice chants with the shanti mantras and the Narayanopanishad on small stage.
People from that fair liked the performance and were impressed with the purity and the powerful speech.
The next day we went to switzerland for one programm in the iskcon temple with around 25 members with the question and answer discourse.
On 12th of june the munich devotees of him organized a Lakshmi Narayana Puja performed by all guest guided over microphone by him. That took 4 hours all in total. Prasadam was also served there and around 70 familygroups (around 100 people?) from in and around munich came and did that puja with Swamiji. On Sunday the 13th of june he went to Frankfurt to do the same there with the indian telegu community there with what i heard with great success.
We stayed over night in ones friends house in munich who has a vegetarian (prasadam) distro for 600 kids in munichs kindergartens every day! Very beautyful to see this great seva is going on in munich. Please support them: www.vegetaria-catering.de

Next day we came to see him off back to India. That last evening we brought one friend of ours to him, a scholar from the tuebingen university, well versed in greek and sanskrit. They exchanged feelings, thoughts and new ideas and hopefully some very powerful project will emerge.
Leaving him and seeing him going back to India was a great pain for us, and even my small son were crying after him.
A pure soul were ever he steps will bring good fortune and the truth around, and that was a very deep expierence for all of us.
The munich devotees of him were very dedicated and impressed us with their devotion to him. So many things we westerners can learn from this great culture. let it be around the whole globe!

Caturdasi part 3

2010-06-06T23:32:00.004+02:00

Good darshan of Lord Narasimha by the service of our friend Gauranga who did all those nice pictures. Also with the help of so many devotees this festival would not be there in germany. Thanks to all of you!

Caturdasi part two

2010-06-06T23:16:00.003+02:00

We started with Garuda flag hoisting and parayana (mantra chanting). Then we did the pavitra puja like every year to nullify and purify the mistakes done by the priests in the service of the Lord. Special silk pavitras will be placed on his body with 12 times sodasopacara. in the night special homa for Lord Narasimha and next day is Jayanthi time with great abhishekam. Over the next coming days we had forest outfit (were Lord Narasimha is inside his beloved jungle) full in green and real branches from the famous birch, flieder and castanie! We had two big abhishekas over 5 days and one nice procession around the temple complex. the weather was mixed with rain and sun and around 400 people had come to celebrate Lord Narasimhas birthday.

Sri Narasimha Caturdasi 2010

2010-06-06T23:11:00.003+02:00

celebrated in germany again, for the 11 year for me to perform the pujas. Many guests from around the world and missed my friends who did not come or unable to participate. We did also a special fund raising for Padmanabhas family to help them t overcome the loss. Sankirtan devotees did a good part and also we sold many of his collections of ancient books to the audience.
On the 4th day we had sandesh outfit for the Lord, and he looks really sweet in it.

Pujas in Kumbakonam

2010-04-13T21:41:00.002+02:00

As i came from Pondicherry to my next destiny Kumbakonam* i did stop in Vaiteshwarankoil, a Shiva Temple, especially dedicated for the Graha of Mangala (Mars) were i had the luck at 9 pm to attend a special offering to Him. I met a very friendly nadi ready from the town here, who explained me every corner in this temple. As they follow the shiva agama scripture it has very close details to the Vaishnava Agamas as well. The town is famous for Nadi palmleaf horoscopes coming from the teaching of Suka, Shiva, Agastya and Brghu Muni's. Those astrology has a lot to do with psychology and mind reading if patients coming directly to them. And as with every business cheating is going on as well. So for Nadi reading pleas be careful with who you are connected. Im not saying everything is bogus, BUT a lot.
After this i went to Kumbakonam and arrived late night. Next morning i went for Darshan of Lord Sarangapani and recieved my blessing from my Agama Teacher Chakrapani Bhattar. At the evening we had a fantastic puja done and planed for the next days to come. Next day after Homa we went for Gangaicholapuram, the ancient capitol of the chola dynasty. The great Kulotunga the first has conquered even the ganges area, so he called his capitol according to this great tusk. The main temple what is left from the city is still intact for keeping tourist coming here. There are still some pujas inside to a very huge and fantastic shiva lingam, and are very impressive to take darshan. I will write later about the great empire of cholas, and some history about the connection with Vaishnavism in this country. One of the reason why i went here is this huge Narasimha with a cave inside to go in the mystic land of Lord Nrasimha!!! (see pic!) On the way back we crossed over a very huge Dam, built by the cholas - and it still function!! There i have seen the first time huge water crocodiles inside the kaveri... and huge signs dont bathe here otherwise you meet some nice crocosss... brrrrrrrr

Tour to Ayodhya for Padmanabha

2010-03-15T07:59:00.003+01:00

We will bring his ashes back to the holy land of Bharat, and do puja for this istha Devata Lord Ramachandra in Ayodhya. If you have any information for accomodation in and around ayodhya, especially in citrakut, we would be very thankful.

Jaya sriman Narayana!!!

Padmanabhas demise March 2010 part two

2010-03-15T07:54:00.002+01:00

But Padmanabhas departure not only has left a emotional and personal but also a material hole in the Family.
Apart from the inexpressible loss also a large embarrassment exists in material regard.
Without foresighted social security now continual new Commitments and financial problems are arising, since Padmanabhaji had no health insurance and the family depended entirely on his income now they have to pay many bills like funeral costs, search for employment, authority costs and infinitely much more.
On behalf of Madanalasa (the wife of him) we want to appeal directly to the helpfulness of all of you.
We ask you, as far as your conditions permit it, to help also financially or in any other way the family.
If you would like to send some Laxmi u could dispatch the Laxmi in a brown envelope and send it to Madanalasa directly:

Marlies Binder-Knott
Neuburger Strasse 50
94032 Passau

or you could transfer it on the accountof a friend of the family:
Heidi Griem
Berliner Bank Acct. - No. 4742915100
BLZ: 100,200 00

Please address the donation under “Madanalasa”

For Madanalasa this whole situation is very inconvenient but we could convince her that there is no other way since right now she has no more financial savings left.
Please be helpful and support this family.
Thank you very much!!!

Padmanabhas demise March 2010

2010-03-15T07:24:00.002+01:00

Dear Friends and well wishers,
Our beloved friend and learned scholar Padmanabha has left us and leave behind a big scar on our souls. We will miss his cheerful and wonderous assosiation we had with him. He served for over 15 years as a pujari of Lord Narasimha in the german Narasimha farm, and for around 30 years in different temples around the world. He had done hundreds of yagyas, vedic marriages and pujas of different purposes for all kind of people.
His whole life dedicated to the service of mankind as he functioned as guide in vedic astrology. Beside of this he knew ayurveda, palmistry and was a great master in subtle sattvic tantric practises. Many people from different background came to him to get answered some difficult questions for their own life, and he never rejected any request for help. Beside of all of this he was a great Devotee of Lord Rama and Sri Hanuman and knew the Ramayana of different versions very well. He liked the Valmiki Ramayana as well Tulsi Dasas Hanuman carisa, and could recide sanskrit with meaning of all the stories by remembering only.
In November 2009 he himself fell sick while giving a seminar on Astrology with broncitis which went on his lungs and finally on his heart. His kidneys failed to function properly and finally he left the world on 5.3.2010 at 11 pm night.

Kumbakonam - the ancient city of all mystic arts

2010-02-23T22:28:00.002+01:00

Kumbakonam, the city with one of the most striking temples in and around Tanjore district, has a very long and ancient tradition in mystic arts. Those mystic arts include abhichara (black magic), yogic and siddha traditions and finally Vaishnava tantra as well. One of the most famous praticioner was a saint by the name Sri Vijayendra Tirtha Swami, a pondiff of the Madhva Tradition. He was not just a ascetic and yogi, but also he possessed many secret arts in tantra procedure. His istha Devata was of course Lord Narasimha, who saved him in several incidents. One of those "lila" was a lethal attack by poison which was consumed by his puja vigraha Lakhsmi Narasimha, and he was surviving. As he was a strong preacher of Madhva Philosophy, he had many enemies, mostly from the nastikas. But due to his mantric power he all defeated those haters of Lord Vishnu, and even pacified both traditions of Shiva and Vishnu worship in this town. He worshipped Kumbeswara Swamy (Lord Shiva) as well Sarangapani Swamy, the main Deity of this town. Sarangapani (the bow holder..) is right after Lord Ranganatha the second most important Temple of all the 108 divya desams in bharatvarsa, as it was sung by 6 alwars, and Tirumangai Alwar (the thief* saint!) made a composition in a very special style, called Ratham... each verse holds one part of a cart, were Lord Vishnu is sitting inside and pulled by his devotees, like on Ratha Yatra.
Kumbakonam also has one very unique Maha Sudarshana Temple, Sri Chakrapani Perumal, worshipped by Ahirbudhnya Rishi, the kuluguru of our son Sri Prahlad, and the main teacher of Lord Narasimha Anustub maha Mantra. That Sudarshana Deity is a very impressive and powerful Lord, and here you can see him in his utsava Murthy in standing position with 8 hands, and in his Moola Vigraha you have him with 16 hands, almost in 2 meters size!
Kumbakonam has in and around some nice small Narasimha shrines, one is the old Ahobilam Matham, with a beautiful Malola Lakshmi Narasimha Vigraha, very similar to the Jeeyar Deity. There is another Narasimha in the flower market, with Kurattalwar next to it, who did special puja to Narasimha in Kumbakonam for the save of his Guru Sri Ramanuja from the onslaught of the chola king krimikantha!!! But this story we will tell in the next post...

Chidambaram Nataraja Akasha Lingam and Sri Govindaswamy Temple

2010-02-16T10:24:00.008+01:00

From Pondycherry i left in direction to one of the 5 Element (Pancabhuta) lingam, in the town of Chidambaram. This linga (symbol of Lord Shiva) is the first of the 5 element lingams found in tamil nadu, and stands for akasha (either). The temple once was only a temple of Lord Vishnu, by the name Govindaraja Swamy, sung by the alwars, especially Tirumangai Alwar had sung 32 songs about Him, in Chidambaram. But due to the rivaly between the shiva kings Kulotunga I. (Rajaraja) of chola dynasty and the sri vaishnava community, Sri Govindaraja Swamy was removed and only later restored in the temple. Now the temple housing two seperate shrines inside, one for Shiva and one for Vishnu. I was there when it got very crowed and many people came to Nataraj Shiva to get the blessings, so the Shiva shrine was overpopulated like a indian train. I had a peaceful darshan of Sri Govindaraja Swamy and next to him is a nice small Ugra Narasimha shrine too. The whole temple looks very confusing as the Shiva temple is built around the Vishnu deity, and there are two prakaras interwaving each other. The priests here look very unusal with those sikhas on top of their head instead in the back. Just recently the atheistic goverment of tamil nadu has taken the rights of those priests to be independent, and made it a goverment run institution, to make it more bankrupt and misuse the money for anti religious propaganda. anyhow a very unfortunate chapter of indian history with those temples ...

Tri Narasimha Ksetras in and around Pudducherry area

2010-02-10T20:32:00.004+01:00

One of the most impressive Narasimhas are found in and around of Pudducherry /Pondicherry area. Those are Singakovil, around 15 km from Pondicherry in a very unknown village. The place is only possible to find if you ask for Singakovil, then may some villagers can direct you there. The Temple is of impressive structure and built in typicial south indian style with Gopuram (entrance tower), prakaras (walls around) vimana (tower structure in aeroplane style) etc... The Deity is one of my favoured Vigraha in south india, a Big 16 handed Ugra Narasimha around 2 Meter in size. A very impressive Deity indeed!!! Even in the middle of ricefields and nothing else the temple is properly taken care by some priests around, and you can get darshan in early morning time nicely.
The next temple is around 30 km from Singakovil away by the name Puvasamkootam, also a total village area. The Deity is a Lakshmi Narasimha with very nice alankarams, and most of the time he flanks on either side two lions... (see pic) This temple also goes under renovation right now, and will get a better temple complex.
The next of the three Pudducherry Narasimhas is the Parikkal Lakshmi Narasimha, a very protective Narasimha in nature. Many people come here for relief from distress, black magic and other problems. It is around another 30 km from Puvasamkootam, so to have all 3 darshans at a day, you best hire a car from Pondicherry early morning and do the tour from here! Im promise it will make you wonder after having darshan of all those special Narasimha Murthies!

Puducherry or better known as Pondicherry

2010-02-09T19:31:00.003+01:00

Organized for trade with europe and controlled by the french for more then 250 years, this city is a very surprise to see, as it is not much of indian culture left. Even the police carries french helmets, street names are in big letter french and french bakerys all over the place (with french schools, education done in french etc.). Also the whole street settlement are done quite in europian style. And at last funny to see indians speak fluenty french!!!!
Beside it is very much influenced by the ashram culture of Sri Aurobindo who established 1926 his "integral Yoga" theory here in Pondy. Some of his followers started in the 1960`s a village idea outside of Pondycherry by name "auroville" planning of 50000 inhabitans living all around the utopia meditation hall looking like a Vimana/aeroplane. But until now only 2000 people have come and built some house around this area. Anyhow the park and the whole area around is nicely mantained, with many small teastalls, restaurants, french bakerys and kashmiri antique stores... The area of the meditation hall is pure clean and hardcore checked that you dont get stranded on some of the grassfields forbidden for outsiders. On of the most important incense production is here established by the name "Maroma products" who sell those incense all over the world. Those sticks are mainly pure oil dipped incense with freshy blends, beside of their soap, bathing powder production in aromatheraphy style.
All that is a very good point to relax and settle a bit from stress, and i guess one can get a fairly hotel room price the village area, if one doesnt want to stay inside the city.

Mahabalipuram Sayana Perumal and Bhu Varaha Temple

2010-02-08T13:18:00.002+01:00

Mahabalipuram is a very old port from the ancient trading time of india with outside countries like Thailand, Cambodia or vietnam. Some part of old city was flooded 400 years ago, and the village town was shifted more inside the landscape area. Testimony are the nowadays shore temple of Maheswari and the lioncave who are just on the beach.
Unfortunate some of the nowadays inhabitants of mahabalipuram are fishermen who dont have either education nor appreciation to their ancient traditions due to conversion to abrahams religions like christanity or islam. They do their daily morning toilet just right on the beach or in those cave temples who doesnt get daily pujas. The goverment of Tamil Nadu is doing less for a change, but instead charging big entrance fees for foreign tourists to visit cave temples of more important values like those of the Pandava rathams. But i have not seen a change from those days until now with this garbage and waste problem. No wonder that big diseases spread in rainy seasons like thyphoid, malaria and brain fever.
This year i did a nice Puja inside the Varaha Swamy Cave temple with my priest friends Gopal Krsna bhattar and Satana Bhattar. It is a very powerful Deity which is painted with natural colours and have a very fantastic artcraft inside the cave of pallava and chola style.
In antiquity the king Narasimha Pallava got blessed by Varaha Swamy here, and he granted big land, daily foodstuff trough the villagers around, gold and silver decorations and one Ekanta deepa (a eternal burning lamp for puja all day and night).
The worship from days has declined, but it is one of the last cave in Mahabalipuram who recieves still puja daily...
See the beauty... ah ah Om sri varahaaya namah

puja tour trough Tamil Nadu

2010-02-08T12:04:00.002+01:00

I came for the purpose of studying more on Agni pratistha and some special upasana on Lord Narasimha, and i was landing in chennai just to come in the right time of a legendary abhisheka of Lord Partha Sarathi Swamy. Here you can see some of the clicks... This Deity has special holes all over his holy body to memorize us that the Lord is always there for our protection if we surrender fully at his lotusfeet, as he did in the middle of the battlefield in Kurukshetra for his Devotee Arjuna.

back from holy land bharat varsha (india)

2010-02-08T08:07:00.003+01:00

Dear readers, so i will share some of my new expierence from the last trip to holy land of india with a lot of new pictures and unknown holy sites to be visited by all of us. please share and join and come along...

Snow Lingam in Berlin Nagare 2010

2010-01-02T21:21:00.005+01:00

IN the cold freezing time of the new year eve of the great year of Ganapathi 2010, we collected all our strength to built for all living entities this nice snow shiva lingam to bless this weird city of Berlin...
Of course it is not permanent staying here in berlin nagare, but there is a nice Murugan Temple in urbanstr.60 with also host a nice Shiva Lingam. But otherwise this city doesnt have much to show on Hinduism so far. maybe in the future it will have one of the biggest Kumara Temple as they start to built right now... lets see!

Profile Playlist by Malola Music

2009-11-21T14:15:00.000+01:00

Profile Playlist by Malola Music

dasavatharam Tamil Movie and the history of india

2009-11-08T20:27:00.005+01:00

recently i came across trough a friend in the indian grossary store from who i buy always puja samagri to hand me over a new Tamil movie by the name "dasavatharam" on VCD. At home i started to watch the movie, and i liked the movie - even with all this interchanging of facts, mythology and fiction. The story goes like this:"in the ancient time before the mleccha muslim invasion started in india, around the 12th century AD, great rivalry between shaivas and Vaishnavas reached his peak in replacing Govindaraj Swamy from Chidambaram Temple into the indian ocean near by. A great hero "Nambi Narayana" (played by the actor Kamal Hassan) trying to prevent this sacrilege, but is tied on the big Govindaraj Mula Vigraha and trown inside the ocean and killed ordered by the Kulotunga chola king. Later the movie turns to the modern day where CIA, Karunanidhi (the president of tamil nadu Goverment and a strong atheist, who gave his son the name "Stalin"!!!) and some mafia gang is trying to fight over lost biochemical weapon material... The actor slips into 10 different roles therefore the movie is called "Dasavatara".
He becomes:
a Spy- Matsya
Scientist- Kurma
An Outcast- Varaha
Karate Fighter- Narasimha
Dwarf- Vamana
Brahmin- Parasu Rama
Dark Man- Rama
Robber- Krishna
Philosopher- Buddha
Unknown- Kalki

and finally he plays even the ex president of USA, Bush in such a strange mask, that one is laughing his tits off.
But lets come to the point why im writing all this: Of course historians and in the Vaishnava literature we find traces of enmity and rivalry between those two sections of vedic dharma - shaivas and Vaishnavas - and it is also a fact that in the time of the cholas one very cruel King by the name Kulothunga chola harassed the vaishnava community, trying to kill the great acarya Sri Ramanujacarya, to establish that Lord Shiva is the only Deity what is Supreme. Nowadays scholars of different schools have not really traced which of the Kings of the Chola empire by the name "Kulothunga" could be the fanatic marauder. There are at least 3 kings with the same name, and Kulothunga the first and second fall into the time of Sri Ramanuja. But both contributed with large amount of wealth to built temples of Lord Vishnu or support their seva ongoing. So who was this Kulothunga Chola, which some historians decribe as "Krimikantha chola", who died from a curse with a troat full of worms ? May we will never know the full story. But one facts stands, in the controversy over the Govindaraj Swamy temple inside the Nataraja Chidambaram Temple, that both shrines are coexisting for more then 700 years under the same roof now. Coming back to the movie, showing this part of history of ancient india in such strange light of fiction, bollywood glamour and mixing it with mythology is a bold act. Also showing demons like Bush and Karunanidhi as the saviours of mankind and godlovers - is really stange. But the most thing what hit me when i saw the movie, was why they did not make the story around the looting the destroying of temples in the muslim invasion times? That of course could be proofed by historical facts, but it would ignite the wraths of the muslim community in india... and an actor of atheist political supporter of dravida kalakam would not play such act. But out of fear history has to be re written ? - just to please one community in the world? There are several books covering this subject but has been very much neglected over the mainstream of history tellers. I got few very interesting stories which i will share with you in the next few blogs and i hope you stay tuned...

what this has to do with spirituality?

2009-10-10T23:57:00.004+02:00

well that question might be raised here, but remember Vaishnavas and other faiths were persecuted and killed under the communist regime in Ussr, Hungary, GDR. From the year 1980 - 1987 more then 150 Hare Krishna members were put in labor camps, and few were even killed there. To stand up against cruelty is not just the duty of the fighting class of men. Every person has a brain to think and a mouth to speak. As i have lived under this regime in my child and teenager time, it is my duty to share my feelings with you. Every fanatism of the modern lifestyle can effect your mental constitution and bring fatal decisions to drag you away from the truth. Where ever there is injustice and you keep silence, will bring disaster in ones own life. I have seen this in my personal life, and not just in the old GDR people used to be lazy, scarred or indifferent. It can be in any place, any time and even in our heart.. to let in the dark side of life!

camp and GDR secret police

2009-10-10T23:37:00.005+02:00

The remains of the GDR secret police "Stasi" buildings, the only one left over watch tower from the terrain. I went inside this tower, but the steps were broken. So i lifted my self up with old energy cables hanging down from the platform. From there you have a good view over the area, but i guess this tower will not stay longer then few years. Then there will be even less memory on the history of communism in germany... and we all can vote again idiots for our rulership to kill, torture and suppress our personality.

the deep dark side of life

2009-10-10T23:16:00.006+02:00

Recently i have found a newly build cemetery to remember the innocent people killed by the NKWD (KGB) right after the world war 2, near berlin city. That was called cleansing the members of nazis, but in fact mostly youngsters where caught and forced inside this labor camp. Starved to death was the first thing, everyone who lived more then 2 month were killed by shooting. Later on the same spot the GDR secret police "Stasi" occupied the area with buildings for their spy and military activities. Only when the GDR came down in the year 1990 this area where researched and one discovered bones of more then 1500 people from that old concentration camp area. The buildings were destroyed and only few things remember one on the dark age of this place. I went around and made some shoots for your to drench on this...!

no song from the bright side of life..

2009-10-10T22:41:00.004+02:00

as i have mentioned in the last vote for the german government, the left party "die linke" recieved more the 30% of all votes from all germany voters...! People who were persecuted under the rulership of communism in old GDR are shocked, but common people dont ask for history. So not to forget that communism is general against religion, free mind people and other beliefs than their own i paint a picture for you to see to remember before you go voting communism again. It is a very vicious belief, which had rules like stalin, pol pot, causescu and other blood suckers. Those 3 only killed more then a billion people in their time of rule. In east germany we had 40 years of communist rule, but had more then 2000 dead on the wall, more then 200 death sentences, more then 250000 people in jails for political reasons and more then 3 million people escaped from this regime of terror. What more is to proof that this concept of communism failed, and is similar to the fascism a totalitarian concept of brutality and inhuman believe of mankind.

Germany go vote and some thought..

2009-10-10T21:53:00.005+02:00

This is a picture i have found just before the votes were given to our government. In germany right now we have few parties which one would consider to be antidemocratic or even fascistic. The party of old communistic dictatorship of GDR turned in to be a leading opposition in whole (!!!) germany, with more of 32% of all the votes!! Then we have the other side of the extremistic thoughts, the brownish parties of the right wing, which got only 3,2 % of the votes.
The funny thing you see here is that a indian born member of the social party is a candidate for mostly extreme left or right wing ruled area in eastern part of germany. The satire goes as so far, that on the same lamp pole hangs another poster of the right wing party saying "vote first German"... sarcasim pure!
But then you hear voices in india, that india is the only country in the world were a foreign is voted in... so dear brothers, that is not true. And by the way, if a foreign wants to become a indian by passport, that is what is impossible in your country!!! Here in germany we have around 6 millionen foreigners living here, and they all can apply to be citizens of germany. But they dont want...! Maybe the culture is to odd ?

Wall paintings in Sri Rangam

2009-09-20T23:16:00.003+02:00

As in ancient times the Temples of south india were painted with natural colours, telling the stories of Puranas or mahatmiyas of the local place. Especially in the area of Srirangam a lot of input of rural painting were given. But somehow this tradtion stopped out of sudden in the last century. Most probably the ingredients of the natural colours or the recipes of the mixture got lost. Or maybe the painters didnt get much payed for, so they looked for some other opportunity to get their household together. But anyhow it is very sad to see the conditions of those temples with the paintings fading away. Especially if you visit the temple of Ranganayaki in Sri Rangam sanctum sanctorum. In the outer prakara there was wallpaintings all over the place. One could find the story of all Vishnu Avatars, the Alwarstories and the appearance of Lord Ranganatha in this world - in very detail. From the floor up to the roof ceiling!!! Here you see only few pics from the roof i made with a high resolution camera. Imagine it is all in dark halls, lot of bats flying around, and poorly maintained... so anybody has a good idea to reestablish those paintings?

annaprasana samskara on Narasimha Farm Germany

2009-09-20T23:10:00.003+02:00

Our Prahlad has now turned the 6. month of birth and it was time for him to get his first grains as well. Our family priest Padmanabha did the ceremony and our Prahlad liked the sweet rice very much!

my new meditation in this world

2009-09-20T23:06:00.002+02:00

as time has passed i recieved a very nice gift from our Lord Narasimha, in last february under the nakshatra star Uttarabadrapada, we named him Prahlada. So now he is our Meditation and we hope by his blessings we get the anugraha of our Lord it self. Anyhow see his feet.. how wonderful nature is... so small and sooo cute!

Tapa Mudra

2009-08-11T00:07:00.002+02:00

One of the very important sign of a Vaishnava is the Tapa Mudra, or the signs of Lord Vishnu Conch and Firewheel burned on the skin. Most of the time it will be done in the initiation ceremony tobe part of the panca samskara. In some cases it is given with the start of every year of Caturmasya or other spiritual festivals. So dont hesitate just get it done!

Udupi Krishna in Venkateshwara Mood

2009-08-11T00:05:00.000+02:00

history of engeland part 2

2009-08-10T23:58:00.002+02:00

Some of the visitors are very special, like this women having a text of the latin lipi with some egypt script tattooed on her back.

history of engeland

2009-08-10T23:30:00.005+02:00

If you go back to the pre-christian tradition of engeland, you will meet with the same ancient sun worship as other lost cults have done in the past. One of the world famous one in engeland is stonehenge! We went there to meet with the local celt priests and get a more deeper understanding of the culture of Sun worshippers from that time. He told us about the woodhenge holy place just close by - and we went there too. Just about few kilometers away from stonehenge a similar place of worship but it was made from wood. There the dead was cremated and carried in procession to stonehenge to meet with the shafts of sunlight on the appropriate day, and travel to the next selected destination. Stonehenge was considered to be the door to the higher realm of livin as well consciousness. In 12 zodiacs 12 doors open up with the Sunlight falling trough those doors, were the spirit will trevel to his next destination. 32 tumulus are placed in a distance of 1 km around stonehenge, marking the number as important (as in indian tradition the 32 is a holy number; the anusthub mantra of Narasimha has 32 bjiaksharas, 32 are the knowlegde given in the Upanishad's etc.). The whole place was built in time of the last Yuga - Dwarapa - 3000 years before Christ! That means, stonehenge was built in the time of Lord Krishna been on this planet!
And if you are in front of it, you feel it is not a ordinary place, it has special power. In the early years 1979 Kripamoya Prabhu and some other Krishna Devotees did a Yagya (Fire ceremony) inside the circle! Nowadays you are banned to go close. Time changes... lets see what the next 30 years bring.

white elephant puja

2009-08-10T23:24:00.004+02:00

And as we getting closer to the kriyas of engeland* we see white elephants* doing all kind of puja. Especially Vivaha (Marriage) - and some Naimittika prayogas for the welfare of the country. So vedic dharma has spread all over engeland...

engeland is india land

2009-08-10T23:17:00.005+02:00

If you visit east London you think you are in chennai or Mumbai... and some good temple buildings as well! Just next to a butcher store or some huge mosque! And so many shopping stores for puja items, really great! If that we would have in berlin, whauh!

engeland tour july 2009

2009-08-10T23:08:00.003+02:00

i have been visiting the great enemy of germany in that century, by now the great friend of our country - england. Spiritually the country has some good things to show, so i will take you on a tour with my friend Kripamoya Prabhu, the greatest of all english men - a true spiritual teacher (deshika!). If interested you might see his blog (www.deshika.wordpress.com). Anyhow we start with.... i think you guess - London!
the madness of subway you have to go trough to see good stuff like... swamy narayana Mandir! It is such a beautyful carved temple, that one forgets about the philosophy and the puja the Swami followers offer...! Yes amazing!!!

Vara Lakshmi puja 2009

2009-08-06T15:07:00.002+02:00

Here are some new inprints on our puja on Vara lakshmi Vrata day 2009.

2009-04-19T22:25:00.001+02:00

a very old painting of Lakshmi Narasimha!

ancient pictures of Ahobilam

2009-04-19T22:14:00.003+02:00

As the installation of the new Sannyas Jeeyar of Ahobilam is approaching on the auspicious Day of Narasimha Jayanthi, let us look into the past of the history of Ahobilam Ksetra. The previous Jeeyars, especially the last ones had dedicated lot of funds and support to restore the ancient place of Ahobilam, by renovating the main temple in Lower Ahobilam and some of the 9 shrines in the forest and mountain area. I have found few interesting pictures from the year 1890, when one english officer visited Ahobilam, and did some pictures of Lower Ahobilam area. Everyone who has visited recently can just recall how easy the access of temples and caves are, and how difficult it may be in those days. What to speak of the days of Tirumangai Alwar or others. He speaks out that only Lions and other wild animals living in the area of the caves of Lord Narasimha, and no human can go there.
By the grace of those Acharyas of Ahobilam Matham it is now a easy visit with much less risk, to have darshan of all 9 Narasimhas in Ahobilam.

new Sannyasi of Ahobilam Matham

2009-04-19T22:06:00.002+02:00

Agnihotram Ganapadi Sri Rangarajachariyar, will be the next Acharya of the Ahobilam Matham, or the 46th Jeer of Ahobila Math Line.
Sri Rangarajachariyar has been an Rg Veda Agnihotri — one who nurtures ‘fire’ continuously by performing yagna every day before sunrise and after sunset. “I have been doing agnihotram for the past ten years. This calls for a strict regimen and places a lot of restrictions on my wife, Kausalya, also. She has been a pillar of support, not only in my performing agnihotram, but generally in my spiritual journey all these years,” says Sri Rangarajachariyar.
“Agnihotram is done for world peace and welfare. I wholeheartedly helped him in this. Now I wholeheartedly accept his sannyas,” responds the spouse!
Ashrama SwIgaram (installation of Sri Rangarajachariyar as the new Jeeyar) will take place on May 8 at Dasavathara Sannidhi, in the 7th prakaram of Sri Ranganatha temple, Srirangam.
Please see the picture of the Agnihotra altar he has in his home...

Narasimha Ksetra Ahobilam and Vijayanagara Dynasty

2008-12-01T13:32:00.005+01:00

This stone slap i have found also 10 years ago, showing the Vijayanagara Royal symbol on the Mandapa. This time i was not able to find that special stone, as many stone slaps were falling off.

... and this is the same royal symbol found in Hampi, the capitol of the ancient Vijayanagara Dynasty! That proofs the antiquity of those lost Mandapas inside the Jungle of Ahobilam!

Lost Deity of Chenchu Narasimha!

2008-12-01T13:14:00.004+01:00

Also i have not found again the ancient Deity of Chenchu Narasimha, who was situated in the area of Malola Narasimha Temple, Ahobilam, as well the Chenchu Devi stone on the way to Upper Ahobilam. It might be stolen or replaced somewhere else... It would be good to see those Deities again in Ahobilam.

Mandapas 10 years ago 1998

2008-12-01T13:01:00.004+01:00

This is the Mandapa inside the Jungle 1998, still intact...

This is the Mandapa 2008!

You can see clearly the difference between this two pictures. 2008 has lost all the stairs down the water tank, and the two pillars holding the upper portion of the Mandapa are very delicate not to colapse! That Mandapa should be priority in all the fixing work!!

Mandapas 10 years ago

2008-12-01T12:52:00.003+01:00

This is the Mandapa 10 years ago, 1998...

And this is the Mandapa spring 2008!

Ahobilam Ksetra 2008

2008-11-11T13:36:00.003+01:00

Lost Mandapas inside the jungle part 4

2008-11-08T21:28:00.002+01:00

Dear Friends and worshippers of Lord Narasimha,
please help to protect the environment of Ahobilam, keep the mystic and beautiful serenity of that holy ksetra on top all our endavour. It would be nice if some devotees could do some support for rebuilding this lost Mandapas inside the jungle,by keeping eye on the nature and dont harm the natural beauty with that work. Because vastu and silpa sastra are in accordance with Gods Nature, it would be only a juwel on the chest of the Lord! But if we dont do anything, thieves and thugs will steal our tradition for money sake only! So please let us do something for the cause of the futures generations!

Lost Mandapas inside the jungle part 3

2008-11-08T21:25:00.004+01:00

And we find on the old pathway pillars from some unknown temple/mandapa. All that you can find on the way to Upper Ahobilam, and it would be nice if that Mandapas come back to their beauty, and not land in some antique store in USA or Bombay.

Lost Mandapas inside the jungle part 3

2008-11-08T21:19:00.002+01:00

This is the Kunda/watertank like Mandapa, a very beautiful and fantastic building is falling apart. Please dear devotees help that this wonderful mandapas are rebuilt! It is not far away from the main temple in Lower ahobilam, but it is inside the jungle.

Lost Mandapas inside the jungle part 2

2008-11-08T21:14:00.003+01:00

In one of the mandapa they have dismantled some of the pillars from the structure, digged a very deep hole inside and dragged out something from the ground (a hidden wealth?). Then they have taken those pillars to some antique stores or foreign land!

Lost Mandapas inside the jungle

2008-11-08T21:02:00.002+01:00

In ancient times Ahobilam was trekked only by foot, and no road was there. Now daily trucks and Busses rush the way up to Upper Ahobilam.
But 15 years ago i have walked all trough Ahobilam by foot and i discovered a ancient walkpath from lower ahobilam up to Upper Ahobilam (around 5 - 6km). One can find even the walking steps from time to time. On the path you come across two ancient mandapas and one overgrown Kunda in Mandapa Style. In olden days when the Utsava deities where coming or going from up to down Ahobilam, the Lord with his servants (archakas and helpers) rested under those places. This time i wanted to find the railtrack again and we had success! But the condition of those 3 Mandapas were horrorfying! It needs only few more years and they totally fall apart.

Holy ponds in and around Ahobilam

2008-11-08T20:51:00.005+01:00

Ahobilam has more then 15 ponds in and around the holy ksetra, and most of them are natural spring or waterpools from rainy season. The environment and nature of Ahobilam is unique, but it is endangered by human misbehaviour. With the popularity of Ahobilam also the beauty of nature gets walked over by tousands of pilgrims, the natural water resources and rare species of life to be threatened with extinction. Communities and Devotees should work together to preserve those natural beauty, and in the same time direct and teach those masses of pilgrims about the importance of coexistence with nature and Holy caves in Ahobilam!

Chatravata Narasimha Swamy and Yoga Narasimha Swamy

2008-11-08T20:40:00.002+01:00

Between Lower and Upper Ahobilam around 3 km from Lower Ahobilam, you can find close to each other two Narasimha temples. One is Chatravata Narasimha and Yogananda Narasimha Swamy.
Chatravata Narasimha is a very unique Deity, and only seen in Ahobilam. He had blessed two Gandarvas for celestial voice, after they have lost the ability of singing. His beautiful smile is the very uniqueness of this Deity, and He is nicely taken care by some archaka daily. The temple is renovated and has even a wall around. The Tree who had given shadow once upon a time, is no more. But it is clean and nicely maintained.
Yogananda Narasimha Swamy is worshipped in a small Shrine, next to a newly built 64 Gods temple, were all 9 forms of Lord Narasimha are connected to the 9 Planets (Navagrahas), and many more deities you will see there.
But the Yogananda Narasimha Swamy is the oldest Temple in this area, and he has a special aura around him.
The picture you see are the landscape of lower Ahobilam, hot and dry as usual in Andhra Pradesh (chilipakora!).

Pavana Narasimha Swamy Ki Jaya!

2008-11-08T20:39:00.000+01:00

Pavana Narasimha Swamy

2008-11-08T19:50:00.006+01:00

Pavana Narasimha Swamy is the farthest temple from Upper Ahobilam, around 8 km trough jungle. I would suggest to get a guide if you have not been there before. We could travel alone, because we knew the way, and also from time to time some sign is coming and guiding you. After a very steep staircase of around 660 steps, you reach the plateau and from then on it is more easy. But before is quite tuff to walk. Best is also leave early morning.
Sri Pavana Narasimha Swamy has a lot of stories in connection with this ancient shrine, and it is said that it was here where Sri Adi Shankara was reciting (or creating) the Narasimha Karavalamba Stotra for his protection against the Kapalika tantric, who wanted to offer him for his Kali. It is said that it was here where one of the Shankaracarya tradition (most probably not the first one, Adi Shankara) later on did his commentary to the Narasimha Tapani Upanishad. We had the blessing to make some mystic picture of the Pavana Narasimha Deity.
On certain days it is here that the tribes of the forest come together and offer animals to the Lord outside of the temple compound. A very ancient and not very sattvic procedure indeed!
Above in the forest (maybe 5 minutes walk) you can find another cave, where Chenchu (bhu devi) is worshipped by the tribes.

ugra stambha part 2

2008-11-08T19:47:00.002+01:00

Also here i have placed my Lord lakshmi Narasimha and we did a small puja, just on the spot of Lord Narasimha's appearance. We did a very nice prayer/bhajan and completing with some offering of dates and nuts to the Lord. Just when i finnished a big group of monkeys came and tried a steal the offering. I was scared a bit and packed my Lord fast in my bag.

Ugra Stambha part 1

2008-11-08T19:26:00.004+01:00

From Jwala Narasimha one is walking around 30 minutes, or better to say one has to climb... It is said that this is the spot where Lord Narasimha appeared from the palace Pillar of Hiranyakashipu. It is now a huge rock, cut into two and the spot is marked from where the Lord appeared. It took a lot of energy to climb on the top of the mountain, but it was a very exciting and trilling expierence.

Jwala Narasimha Swamy Cave part 2

2008-11-08T19:03:00.002+01:00

As i new from my visits last 15 years ago, if you come very early before sunrise, you will have a very extraordinary Darshan of Lord Jwala Narasimha, as the Sun comes straight into the cave on sunrise. So we came early this time, but i was shocked first to see that the gate was locked. But it was just a broken lock, to be hang in, so we could enter inside the cave. But then i saw they have built the roof along the whole Mandapa, and when the early morning sun came, and suppose to touch the Lord Vigraha Body, it was prevented by the plastic roof... How disappointing that was. But still Lord Narasimha is standing on his spot as it where for many of hundred of years. There are 2 forms here inside the cave. Jwala Ugra Narasimha in his Samhara form with 16 hands in the middle. Right from his side is Stambha Narasimha (coming out from the pillar) and from his left side you see Vira Narasimha (fighting with the Demon). There were also two other deities, but there are not there anymore (one Varadaraja and one Rishi i guess...). May that was the cause why they have built everywhere fenses to protect this shrines. From the back of the cave and source of the Bhavanasini River. So all Deities get sprinkled by Mother Bavanasini and becomes only after touching Jwala Narasimha a river below the mountain.

I had my small Lakshmi Narasimha deity with me, and one Narasimha Saligrama, and we did some puja here, while nobody was there. We offered camphor, some fruits and incense, did some chanting of Narasimha Dvadasanama stotra and Mantrarajpadastotram along with Purusa Sukta and Manyu sukta (Narasimha sukta from from the Rg Veda!).

Jwala Narasimha Swamy Cave

2008-11-08T18:47:00.002+01:00

The best is for going Darshan to Jwala Narasimha and Ugra Stambha early morning while leaving around 5.30 am. If you stay in Upper Ahobilam you have to pass Ahobileshwara Narasimha Swamy Temple and Varaha Narasimha Cave. From Varaha Narasimha Cave they have built recently on big bridge over the ancient river bed, but the old pathway is going trough the half dry River bed from where you will reach and path up to Jwala Narasimha Cave. It takes around 1 hour from Upper Ahobilam to reach this cave, and another 30 min. for climbing the Ugra Stambha. Before you reach the Jwala narasimha Cave, you have to pass trough a light waterfall (after rainy season more water!), then you reach a spot called "Rakta Kunda" were Lord Narasimha washed his hands, after killing the demon Hiranyakashipu. Normally the Mud appears reddish, as also the stones in and around Jwala narasimha have that natural colour of red. Nowadays a small mandapa is built in front of Jwala Narasimha cave, with metal fences to protect the deities from thieves and merauders, as there is nobody staying out here in the jungle. The atmosphere is very impressive, thick forest and lot of animals. 15 years ago, my first trip to Ahobilam has almost met with one of the rare jungle tigers not far from this cave. But Lord Narasimha was kind, and we had luck and beautiful darshan of Him only.

Ramanuja Cave

2008-11-08T16:09:00.003+01:00

Just next to the Varaha Narasimha Cave in Upper Ahobilam, you can find another small cave. There you can have darshan of one very ancient Ramanujacarya Deity. (click on the pictures to see them bigger!)

chenchu tribes are Narasimha bhaktas

2008-11-08T15:57:00.002+01:00

The locals of Ahobilam Area are mostly poor but very strong bhaktas of Lord Narasimha. Recently from the Ahobilam Math for the locals was a new practice installed for the devotion and prosperity of all bhaktas. It is done for 40 days, Narasimha Mantra are the daily food* and other vratas are followed. They walk (mostly barefoot) for 30 days along with the Utsava of Prahlad Narasimha (lower Ahobilam procession deity), and on the beginning get Narasimha Diksha* (initation into the Narasimha Bhakti), wear only yellow cloth, and do a kind of vrata (vow). It is very similar to the ayyappa or devi utsava in december/january in India. But more of a sattvic style, as meateating, alcohol, gambling and other bad activities are forbitten. We have to do such thing here in germany too...!

Chenu Lakshmi - the tribal folk Devi marries Lord Narasimha

2008-11-08T14:07:00.006+01:00

One of the uniqueness of this place is the matter of fact that after the Lord appared here, he married one of the local tribe girls, who was no other then Bhumi devi. She is shown with Him, either without breastband (as normally bhudevi is shown in iconography), or with a bow and arrow to hunt. It is not just the local belief, but also very much accepted in the Vaishnava world tradition. Works on this marriage by a very respected sannyasi from the 16th century, references in some of the prayers to the Lord and the carvings in and around the different Ahobilam shrines and temples from those days, show the proof.

Yoga Narasimha Temple

2008-11-08T13:59:00.005+01:00

Prahlad School and Yoga Narasimha Cave is also not far from Malola Narasimha temple and needs only to walk for 10 - 15 minutes. It is a flat area (plateau) were a corner has a small pathway to a cave, were one can find a small Yoga Narasimha. On the plateau it self, one can find ancient script, and it is said that on this spot Prahlad got the alphabet teached here. Lord Narasimha is here in Yoga posture, as he teached Prahlad the science on how to reach the Divine, while meditation.

Malola Narasimha swamy

2008-11-08T13:52:00.005+01:00

Malola Narasimha Swamy is the main utsava Deity who is travelling along with the Ahobilam Jeeyar nowadays. The swamy ordered to renovate all the 9 temples of Narasimha here in Ahobilam. The Utsava Deity of Malola was handed down from Lord Narasimha himself to the first Jeeyar (sannyasi) of the Math, to go on travelling and visit all mankind. That tradition is even carried on today. The temple was totally reconstructed, and also a new Vigraha of Narasimha was installed along with the Old one. It lies around 3 km away from the maintemple in upper ahobilam, on the Vedadri mountain. Not far from here you can visit the school of Prahlada and the Yoga Narasimha Cave.

Varaha Narasimha Cave

2008-11-08T13:41:00.004+01:00

Sri Varaha Narasimha Swamy Cave (Krodha Narasimha Swamy) is just few minutes away from the main temple, Sri Ahobileshwara Narasimha swamy in Upper Ahobilam. It houses 3 deities, one from them is Lord Varaha keeping Mother Earth on his noose with a lion tail on his back, representing the Narasimha lila to be part of the whole story.
The Cave was once in a very broken condition, and open for all creatures. Many times bears and snakes had come to take shelter here. Nowadays it has metal fence sealings, and the Mandapa is renovated. Also Bears in those area are more rare now, due to lot of prilgrims, noise and tension in their homeland.
One of the pillar is very unique, it shows on offering of ones head inside a fire sacrifice. Anyone of you know what is the story behind this carving (see pics please)???

Ugra Ahobileswara Narasimha Swamy / Upper Ahobilam part 2

2008-11-08T13:33:00.002+01:00

The Ahobileshwara Narasimha Temple of Upper Ahobilam is placed between Garudadri- and Vedadri Mountain, and pilgrims who wanted to visit the other temples behind this temple had to go trough this temple once. Nowadays a walkpath was made around, as a bridge to cross the river who passes next to the temple. That river spring from the kamadalu of Lord Brahma, after trying to passify Lord Narasimhas Anger (to cool him, so to say). Inside Ahobileshwara Narasimha Swamy temple you can find also a very ancient kitchen and some nice mandapas. In festival time Chenchus (tribes) who are very devoted to Lord Narasimha, do their kind of worship to him (cracking coconuts on their own head, carrying burning camphor on the bare hands for a very long time and offer it to the Gopuram, the representive of the Lord etc...).

Ugra Ahobileswara Narasimha Swamy / Upper Ahobilam

2008-11-08T13:14:00.003+01:00

The very first temple of Ahobilam, and the most important one as well. Here Lord Narasimha has appeared in front of Garuda after long time of tapasya inside the Caves. From here the name "Ahobilam" came into our world, as Devas who visited this place described it as "powerful" "wonderful" etc... The deity is svayambhu (selfmanifested), a two handed Narasimha ripping apart the demon Hiranyakashipu. One of the first jeeyar of Ahobilam Matham has entered one of the cave below the nowaday temple alive, and ordered to seal it from outside. It is said he ist still doing the puja, and one can hear the bell ringing in very early morning time. The temple is typicial vijayanagar style (15th century) with very excellent carvings and detail works. On top of the temple one finds the yagashala and some very long gateways for pujas etc...The temple structure was recently renovated and all Gopurams got a good paint. Near that temple one finds two resthouses, who are packed on weekends or festivals. In 1998 i have been attended the brahmotsavam here, and i was lucky to get some space for sleep (NOT Room!) between hunderds of other pilgrims. But it was one of the best festival i ever expierenced!

Karanja Narasimha

2008-11-08T13:08:00.006+01:00

Sri Karanja Narasimha Swamy is a very unqiue Form of Lord Narasimha here in Ahobilam, and a very ancient shrine too! He has 4 hands holding shanka, chakra, resting hand and Bow/arrow. With this he revealed to Hanuman that his beloved Lord Rama is the same as He. Therefore one finds in front of the temple a big Hanuman shrine. When i came here 10 years ago last time, it was still in very bad condition. Now renovation has been done by the Ahobilam Matham, and not only this temple other shrines got reconstructed too. Here we have found even a friendly archaka (priest), who shared with us Prasadam of the Lord.

Bhargava Narasimha Temple Ahobilam

2008-11-08T12:58:00.002+01:00

After leaving the mainroad from lower ahobilam, one has to go left inside the forest area to find this Temple of Lord Narasimha, Sri Bhargava Narasimha Swamy. Its around 3km from the main temple Prahlad Varada Narasimha, and reachable per foot (walking distance around 1/2 hour)
The temple is on a small hillock, below the ancient tank where it said Bhargava Rishi (Parashurama!) has done some tapasya here to get the Darshan of Narasimha in his Samhara Rupa (killing the demon)! After some years Lord Narasimha appeared to Him and blessed him with this ancient deity. That deity is worshipped mainly by pilgrims, not by a regular worship from a priest. The utsava Deity (pancaloham movable deity made from 5 metals) of Bhargava Narasimha Swamy is housed inside the Main temple Prahlad Narasimha Swamy. A very calm and peaceful place, and perfect for Narasimha Japa !

9 shrines of Lord Narasimha in Ahobilam

2008-10-27T19:33:00.006+01:00

Ahobilam is divided into two places, lower and upper Ahobilam, were all the 9 temples of Lord Narasimha are situated. In Lower Ahobilam we can find 3 temples and in Upper Ahobilam you can find 6 Temples. We will cover each temple and give some background infos if possible. The Main temple of Lord Narasimha is in Upper Ahobilam, were Lord Narasimha revealed him self after a prayer request of Garuda to give Him Darshana in His samhara (destroying the evil) Rupa (Form). Here on this pictures you can see one of the two mountains, were Garuda did penance. He is even formed like a Garuda, therefor it is called Garudadri. On that mountain you find 3 temples (ahobileshwara, Karanja Narasimha and Pavana Narasimha). The other side you have the Vedadri mountain. There you find 3 temples as well (Varaha Narasimha, Malola Narasimha, Yoga Narasimha cave, Jwala Narasimha and Ugra stambha mountain).

ahobilam from the ages...

2008-10-26T22:10:00.005+01:00

Ahobilam Dhama is a very ancient spot of worship of Lord Narasimha (Lord Vishnu). Mentioned in Matsya Purana, Brahmanda Purana and Vishnu Purana. Beside of those proof of anquitity, great saints have visited and left their special flavour to this place. One of the great Alwars, Tirumangai Alwar (Nila), has sung one very special pasuram on this ksetra (the translation will be given later in the blog here). Also Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, the founder of Gaudiya Bhakti Tradition, had stayed and showed very much affection to the Lord here (see Madhya Lila 2, of Chaitanya Caritamrita). Beside of Him, Sri Madhvacarya and Sri Ramanuja, Manavali Mahamuni and other great saints had come and worshipped the Lord here. The total spot of Ahobilam Ksetra is more then 25 km in area, with thick forests and high mountains. It is said, that this very spot of Ahobilam, was once the place of the demon king Hiranyakashipu, and he had his very opulent palace built in this place. His son, sri prahlad, was a great bhakta of Lord Narahari, and for this he was hated by his father. When the father fed up with the devotion of his son, he decided to kill his own son, the Lord appeared from one of the palace pillar, to save his devotee. Nowadays one of the very remnains of the palace is the pillar only. You have to track for more then two hours to reach from upper ahobilam to this very mystical spot in the middle of the jungle. Beside of this, there are 9 famous Narasimha temples, each one unique, as the Lord shows different aspects of Him there. More then 20 water kundas in and around the forests and a very blissful track inside the jungle is awaiting the pilgrim.

Ahobilam and his greatness trough ancient seers!

2008-10-24T16:01:00.003+02:00

Now we will have a whole series on Ahobilam with pictures made recently from our last visit in march 2008. stay tuned, dear friends... this first picture is the temple of Lord Narasimha in lower Ahobilam, Sri Prahlada Varada Narasimha, who will welcome you when you enter into the Ahobilam ksetra of 9 Narasimha Temples!

Mantralaya

2008-10-13T22:49:00.006+02:00

The spot of the Brindavan (samadhi) of Sri Raghavendra in Mantralaya, is the very ancient place of Narasimha worship. It is said that Sri Prahlad did his personal puja/Homa to Lord Narasimha here. He performed a very long and beautiful Homa on this spot were now the Samadhi of Sri Raghavendra stands. Sri Ragahvendra Swamy was a great saint from the 17th century, who performed great miracles in the service of Mankind. Anyone interested in his fantastic devotional life, should read the 7 book releases (in english) on sri Raghavendra Swamy by Amman Sathiyanathan. The original book "Sri Raghavendra Vijaya" comes in sanskrit, and is written in a poetic way. A really beautiful book collection, and it gives many views on different angles of Dvaita Philosophy (Madhvas teachings), saints of this sampradaya, stories etc...
One of the striking info is that Sri Raghavendra Swamy took alive the samadhi, while filling the samadhi with over 1200 Salagramas. It is said that Radhavendra Swamy is still alive and doing the puja to Mula Rama Deities very early morning. The priests sometime can hear the bell, people have visions on him even today, and i had a very mystical experience while i came here first time.

Sri Pancamukhi Hanuman Cave in Mantralaya part 2

2008-10-08T20:38:00.007+02:00

The meditation cave of Sri Raghavendra Swamy in Mantralaya is very mystical and wonderful to visit. Sri Raghavendra Swamy had done his tapas/sadhana here for more then 12 years on Hanuman and Narasimha. Sri Panca Mukhi Hanuman appeared in one of his dreams and blessed Him with his darshan. Next morning he woke up, and saw next to his sitting asana a self manifested Pancamukhi Hanuman coming out from on one of the rocks! Later one this Cave was turned into a special temple, and some near by living disciples of Sri Raghavendra Swamy where employed to do the daily seva. That happen all in the 17th century AD, and from those days every morning Panca amrita Abhisheka (5 different liquids) with five different Salagramas representing each Face (Narasimha, Garuda, Hanuman, Varaha and Hayagriva), are worshipped here. please visit that place, as it is very calm, peaceful and not very over crowed still! It is in Andhra Pradesh, near to the border of Karnataka.

Sri Pancamukhi Hanuman Cave in Mantralaya

2008-10-08T13:49:00.003+02:00

this video was shot inside the sanctum sanctorum by a friend of mine, Keshava. It is not very easy to see but one can imagine the pancamukhi hanuman on the Rock. Sri Raghavendra Swamy did penance here, and Lord Hanuman appeared from this rock to be worshipped by him. The temple structure is just a huge bulk of rocks, where one finds a walkable way trough some holes to enter inside the middle as a Cave. A very interesting place indeed. For both sadhakas and visitors!!!