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Showing posts from June 29, 2007


The All Stone Iraivan Hindu Temple in Kauai, Hawaii

Slowly and steadily an all-stone Iraivan Hindu Temple dedicated to Lord Shiva is rising at Kauai in Hawaii . If you are wondering what is this all-stone temple? Then refresh your memory and remember the great Chola temples of South India . Yes, completely built on stone. India has stopped building all-stone Hindu temples way back due the cost and dearth of skilled laborers. Construction of the Iraivan Hindu Temple began in 1990 and it could take another 10 years to finish. Parts of the temple are hand-carved in granite and shipped in pieces to the island from India and the temple has already incorporated 80 shipping containers worth of stone. On completion the 700-pound crystal Shiva lingam housed in Kauai Monastery will be installed in the temple. The Washington Post reports The $8 million temple to the god Shiva is the first all-stone Hindu temple outside of India , according to the Kauai monks. The project is a rarity even in India . ‘Actually it's th

Global Warming to Have Severe Effect on Hinduism

Hinduism is deeply rooted in Nature. Hindu religion believes in the Brahman – the Supreme Being that pervades in all animate and inanimate. Sri Krishna says in the Bhagavad Gita My Prakriti can be divided into eight-fold categories – Bhumi (earth), Apas (water), Anala (fire), Vayu (air), Kha (ether), Mana (mind), Buddhi (intellect), Ahankara (ego). (Bhagavad Gita Chapter VII, 4) The great sages of the past who laid the foundations of Sanatana Dharma (Hinduism) knew the importance of Nature and that Human Beings are part of Nature not above Nature. Thus Mother Earth, the Sun, moon, mountains, rivers, animals and forests are all part of Hindu tradition. Hindus worship them as they are manifestations of the Supreme Being and their existence is necessary for the survival of the human race. But River Ganga, the Snowcapped Mountains that are the abode of Lord Shiva, the glaciers that serve the holy rivers are all under the threat of global warming. The very surviv

River Enters This Kerala Temple to Conduct the Holy Bath

In most of the temples in Kerala, there is a traditional holy bath of the deity on the closing day of the temple festival and this is locally known as ‘arattu.’ The priests carry the deity to a nearby river or other water body for the ‘arattu.’ But in the Thanikkudam Bhagavathy Temple in Thrissur, Kerala, the river enters the temple to conduct the holy bath or ‘arattu.’ The Thanikkudam Bhagavathy Temple is dedicated to Durga and the holy bath happens when the nearby Thanikkudam River overflows and enters the temple. During the monsoon rains (June – July) and during the (October – November) rains, the Thanikkudam River which surrounds the temple overflows and enters the sanctum sanctorum. The deity is never taken out for ‘arattu,’ so people in large numbers reach the temple when the river overflows. Another noteworthy aspect of this temple is that there is no roof for the sanctum sanctorum. The original idol is a swaymbhu (occurring naturally) Durga and is kept insi