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Showing posts from September 29, 2016


Shadanana Subrahmanya – Muruga with six faces and 12 hands

Shadanana Subrahmanya is the term used to refer to Muruga when he is depicted with six faces and 12 hands. This s a very common form of Subrahmanya and is found in temples in South India, especially in Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka. His twelve hands hold various symbols and weapons. His five right hands hold Sakti, arrow, sword, discus and noose. One hand is in abhaya posture. His five left hands hold kukktuta (cock) , bow, shield, conch, and plough. One hand is in varada posture. He rides on the peacock vehicle and may have on either side of him the attendants Jaya and Vijaya or Goddesses Valli and Devayani. Related Legend behind taking Kavadi to Murugan Temples

Aranmula Temple – Aranmula Parthasarathy Temple

Aranmula Parthasarathy Temple is located around 10 km east of Chengannur town in Kerala. The temple is associated with Pandavas of the Mahabharata. Aranmula Temple was constructed by Arjuna, the third of the Pandava brothers. The shrine is also one among the 108 Divya Deshams – Thiruvaranmula (108 temples dedicated to Lord Vishnu as per Vaishnava tradition). Story of Aranmula Temple Legend has it that the Pandavas ruled Hastinapura for a couple of decades after the Kurukshetra war in the Mahabharat. Later, after crowning Parikshit as king of Hastinapura left on a pilgrimage. When they reached the banks of Pampa River in Kerala, each of the Pandava brothers built a shrine dedicated to Bhagavan Sri Krishna. Legend has it that Arjuna originally worshipped the murti of Lord Krishna at Nilackal near Sabarimala. He performed intense austerities here to expiate for the sin of having killed Karna in the Mahabharata war. The murti was located inside dense forest in Nilakkal and