Story of Puri temple

In Satya Yuga there was a king named Indradyumna. He was a very powerful king as Indra himself. He was handsome, honest and truthful, learned in the shastras and the Vedas, and skilled in the use of weapons. His radiance put the sun to shame. Indradyumna was devoted to Lord Vishnu.

He once decided that he would worship Lord Vishnu. A tirtha is a sacred place of pilgrimage. Indradyumna scanned all the existing tirthas and cities. But none of them satisfied him. None of them, he felt, was appropriate as a place for worshipping Lord Vishnu.

Indradyumna's own capital was the city of Avanti, in the kingdom of Malva. Avanti was a beautiful and wealthy city, surrounded on all sides by moats and other fortifications. Traders from many countries came there with all sorts or commodities for trading. The roads of the city were lined with shopes. The houses were painted white. The king's stables were full of horses and elephants. All citizens of Avanti were pleasant of appearance and happy. Sacrifices were held fairly often. Many were the temples, groves and ponds in Avanti. Any tree that grew on earth could be found there.

There was a temple to Shiva in the city. This was known as the temple of Mahakala. The image there was so sacred that worshipping Shiva in the temple of Mahakala was equal to performing one thousand ashvamedha yajnas.

The river Shipra flowed past Avanti. On the banks of the river there was a temple of Vishnu known as Govindasvami. Another temple to Vishnu was named Vikramasvami. But Indradyumna was not satisfied with these temples. He wanted to build another temple to Vishnu. He left Avanti to look for a proper place. His soldiers and subjects accompanied their king, so that it looked as if the entire city of Avanti was on the march. After traveling for many days, they arrived on the shores of the southern ocean, the ocean that is known as lavana samudra.

There were so many waves in the ocean that the ocean itself seemed to be dancing. Marine animals lived in the ocean and the waters were also the source of all sorts of jewels. Indradyumna began to live on the shores of the ocean. He discovered a place near the ocean that was thick with flower and fruit trees. Many types of birds gathered there to eat the fruit. This was the place known as Purushaottama kshetra (place), the city of Puri of modern times.

Purshottama kshetra was a very important tirtha. But all knowledge of this tirtha had been hidden until Indradyumna arrived on the scene. There was a reason for this. Many years ago, there used to be an image of Vishnu there, where people used to pray. So sacred was the image that all the sins of the worshippers were immediately forgiven. The result was that Yama could not punish any of the sinners. They simply prayed to Vishnu's image and escaped. Yama therefore prayed to Vishnu for a solution. Vishnu hid the image under the sand so that no one knew that it existed.

Indradyumna liked Purushottama Kshetra. The river Mahanadi or Chitropala flowed not very far away. The people who lived around the place were religious. He decided that this was the right place for building a temple to Vishnu. On an auspicious day, the foundation stone was laid.

Indradyumna then got in touch with the kings of Kalkinga, Utakala and Koshala. He requested their help in fetching stones for the building of the temple. The kings sent their architects to the Vindhya mountains. The stones were gathered from these mountains and brought to Purushaottama Kshetra in boats and chariots. Messengers were also sent to several other kings for aid. They came with their armies and with a lot of wealth.

Indradyumna told the assembled kings, "I wish to accomplish two difficult tasks. The first is to perform an ashvamedha yajna here. And the second is to build a temple to Vishnu. Both of these are difficult jobs, particularly the second. But if you help me, I am confident that both jobs can be done."

The kings agreed to help. They offered jewels, wealth, gold, clothes, food grains and other objects. The place where the yajna was to be held was made entirely out of gold. In fact, all the objects used in the yajna were made out of gold. Brahmanas from all over Jambudvipa came to witness the sacrifice. They were donated elephants, horses and cows as alms. Never has there been any other sacrifice to rival the one that Indradyumna performed. After the sacrifice was over and the temple built, there remained the more important question of the image. How was this to be made? Indradyumna began to pray to Lord Vishnu for guidance.

Vishnu appeared before Indradyumna in a dream and said, "Why are you so miserable? When the sun rises, go to the shores of the ocean. There you will find a tree. Half of the tree is in the water and the remaining half in the sand. Chop down this tree. It s wood will give you the material for the image.

In the morning, Indradyumna went to the seashore and found the tree. It was just as Lord Vishnu had described it to be. With an axe, he chopped down the tree. As he was about to slice the trunk in two, two brahmanas appeared before him. Although Indradyumna did not know it, these two brahmanas were Vishnu and Vishvakarma in disguise.

"King. What have you done?" exclaimed the brahmanas. "You have cut down the only tree that was on the shores of the ocean."

"Forgive me," replied Indradyumna. "I wished to make an image of Lord Vishnu. Lord Vishnu has instructed me in a dream that this is the tree from which the image should be made."

"That is an excellent idea," said the brahmana who was Vishnu in disguise. "There is nothing as holy as praying to Vishnu. Meet my companion. He is as skilled as the great Vishvakarma himself. If you want, he will build the image for you."

King Indradyumna agreed. And instructed by Vishnu, Vishvakarma started to build the image. Or, to be more accurate, there were three different images. The first one was that of Baladeva or Balarama. This was completely white in colour, except for the eyes, which were red. The image was dressed in blue and a snake held its hood over Balarama's head. A club and a mace were in Balarama's hands. The second image was Krishna's. This was blue in colour, with eyes like lotus flowers. The image was dressed in yellow and had a chakra in its hand. The third image was that of Krishna's sister Subhadra. This image was golden in colour and was dressed in wonderful clothes.

When Indradyumna discovered that the images were made in a matter of minutes, he was thunderstruck. He realised that the two brahmanas cold not be mere mortals. He fell at their feet and said, "Please tell me who you are. You cannot be humans."

Vishnu and Vishvakarma then revealed their true selves and Indradyumna was thrilled. Vishnu blessed the king and told him that he would rule for ten thousand and nine hundred years. And even after Indradyumna died, a place would be reserved for him in heaven. On an auspicious day, the three images were instated in the temple.

How Vithoba came to Pandharpur

Pundalik lived with his father Janudeva and mother Satyavati in a thick forest called Dandirvan. Pundalik was a devoted son but soon after his marriage he began to mistreat his parents. To escape from their misery, the parents decided to go on a pilgrimage to Kashi.

When Pundalik’s wife learned about this, she also decided to go. She and her husband joined the same group of pilgrims on horseback. While the son and his wife rode on horseback, the old couple walked. Every evening when the party camped for the night, the son forced his parents to groom the horses and do other jobs. The poor parents cursed the day they decided to go on a pilgrimage.

Soon the party reached the hermitage of the great sage Kukkutswami. There they decided to spend a couple of days. They were all tired and soon fell asleep, except Pundalik who could not sleep. Just before daybreak he saw a group of beautiful, young women, dressed in dirty clothes, enter the ashrama, clean the floor, fetch water and wash the swami’s clothes. As they came out they were having beautifully clean clothes, they passed by Pundalik and vanished.

The next night he saw the same sight again. Pundalik threw himself at their feet and begged them to tell who they were. They said they were Ganga, Yamuna and other holy rivers of India in which the Pilgrims bathed and washed their sins. Their clothes were dirtied by the sins of the bathing pilgrims.

“And with the way you mistreat your parents,” they said, “you are the greatest sinner!”

This brought about a complete change in him and he became the most devoted of sons. Now the parents’ rode the horses while the son and his wife walked by their side. By their love and affection, the son and his wife urged the parents to give up the pilgrimage and return to Dandirvan.

Pleased with his devotion, Deity Vishnu decided to bless Pundalik. So Vishnu in the form of Shri Krishna accompanied with Rukmini came to Pundalik’s home. But at that time Pundalik was busy attending to his parents. Though he knew Shri Krishna had come to see him, he refused to pay his respect to the God before his duty towards his parents was done. He, however, threw a brick outside for Shri Krishna to stand upon.

Impressed by Pundalik’s devotion to his parents, Shri Krishna did not mind the delay. Standing on the brick he waited for Pundalik.

When Pundalik came out and begged God’s pardon, Shri Krishna replied that far from being displeased, he was pleased with his love for his parents. He blessed Pundalik and promised to stay there in the form of Vithoba, or ‘God who stood upon a brick’. An imposing temple was built at the place where Shri Krishna and Pundalik had met.

Story of Khandoba

Khandoba is believed to be a manifestation of the Rudra form of Hindu God Shiva. Origin and story of Khandoba is found in the ‘Malhari Mahatmya. The story suggests that Khandoba appeared to annihilate demons Mani and Malla and restore Dharma.

Legend has it that Mani and Malla became powerful by performing intense Tapas (austerities) dedicated to Brahma. After several years Brahma gave them boons. With unimaginable power on their disposal, Mani and Malla started harassing saints, Devas (demi gods) and humans. They created havoc and disturbed the peaceful life on earth and heaven.

Manichurna Mountain the abode of several holy persons was captured by Mani and Malla. Unable to tolerate their violence, saints, humans and demigods approached Shiva.

Shiva brought out several lieutenants from his matted lock to fight Mani and Malla and went to Manichurna Mountain. He himself took the form of Bhairav, the terrible form of Shiva, and Parvati took the form of Mhalsa. In some regions, Mhalsa is believed to be an incarnation of Parvati.

Malla and Mani were killed in the battle; while dying Mani asked for forgiveness by offering his white horse to Khandoba and gains a boon to be in every shrine of Martanda Bhairava. In fact, the name Malhari or Mallari comes from the words 'Malla' and 'ari' which means the destroyer of Malla or the enemy of Malla.

The battle began on the Amavasi day of Kartik month and ended on the sixth day Margashirsh. Mani and Malla fought hard for six days. Finally, they fell on the feet of Shiva and they were killed. This happened on the sixth day of Margashirsh and is observed as Chamba Shasti. It is believed Lord Shiva decided to stay here in the form of a Swayambhu lingam after defeating the demons.

Mhalsa and Banai are the two consorts of Khandoba. A horse or a bull is the Vahana or vehicle of Khandoba and dogs surround him. There is also a belief that the Bull is Nandi and he takes the form of a horse.

The most important festival dedicated to Khandoba is observed on the sixth day of the Shukla Paksha or waxing phase of moon in Margashirsh month as per traditional Marathi calendar and is known as Champa Sashti. The festivities begin six days early. It is believed that Khandoba annihilated demons Mani and Malla on the Champa Sashti day.

Story of Shani-Shingnapur temple

This is the story of a Shani Shingnapur village located in Nevasa taluka in Ahmednagar district, Maharashtra, a place where the villagers completely abstain themselves from any kind of security protocols. And the harbinger of such a strong faith in the villagers in none other than Lord Shani (Saturn) himself.

In Hindu mythology, Lord Shani is represented as the God of Death and is also known as the person who gives people result according to their karma.

If the stories and legends are to be believed then, the story of Shani Shingnapur folds back to about 300 years. According to these stories and legends, once upon a time, after a heavy downpour of rain, a heavy slab of rock was found washed up on the shores of the Panasnala River. And when the villagers found the rock and poked it with a stick, suddenly blood started oozing out of it. Due to this phenomenon, everyone was stunned and thought it to be some miraculous happening.

Then later that night, Lord Shani appeared in the dreams of the village head and told him that the slab which the villagers had found washed away on the shore earlier in the day was his own idol. He then ordered the head of the village to keep that slab of rock in the village and not dispose of it.

However, the Shani Dev had one condition for this: the rock shouldn’t be kept in any sheltered place; doing this will enable the rock to keep the whole village in its protective gaze. And before vanishing from the dream of the village head, Lord Shani blessed him and told him that from now on, he would be protecting the village from any kind of danger.

After all the villagers had installed that rock on the roofless platform in the heart of the town, they collectively decided to get rid of all the locks and doors from the village. And why not so? As now with the Lord himself watching over them, they didn’t have anything to fear.

From then on, this tradition of not putting any doors (if you would like to put it that way) has continued so on and so forth. Even any new construction doesn’t have any kind of doors built in the village.

Story of Tirupati Balaji

Maharshi Bhrigu & Trimurthi

Before the beginning of Kaliyuga, once a Maha Yagya (Divine sacrifice) was organised. Many great sages were present there to participate in this Yagya. This was organised at the bank of the river Saraswati. Maharshi Bhrigu who was one of the seven great sages (Saptarshis) in the Hindu mythology, was also present there. At that point, all the sages could not decide who amongst the Trimurthi (Lord Brahma, lord Vishnu and Lord Shiva) was to be made the Pradhanta (Master) of that Yagya. They could not decide who was more deserving. Sage Narada then suggested that Sage Bhrigu could be sent to test Trimurthi (Brahma, Vishnu & Shiva). With the consent of all the other great saints present there, it was decided that Maharshi Bhrigu will test and decide who was eminent.

Firstly, Sage Bhrigu decided to test Lord Brahma. After reaching Brahmaloka, he displays great disrespect towards Lord Brahma and continues to do so until Lord Brahma stops him. Angered at Sage Bhrigu’s behaviour, Lord Brahma wanted to teach him a lesson. Just then Saraswati (wife of Lord Brahma) stops him from doing so. At this, Sage Bhrigu cursed Lord Brahma that no one will worship him in Kaliyuga and leaves from there.

Next, Sage Bhrigu decided to test Lord Shiva. He then proceeds to Kailash Paravatha. As he reaches Kailash Parvatha, Nandi who was guarding that place, stops Sage Bhrigu from meeting Lord Shiva. Upon questioning him, Sage Bhrigu learned that Lord Shiva and Parvati were spending time together. He further adds that no one was allowed inside. Angered at this, Sage Bhrigu cursed Lord Shiva that he will only be worshipped in his Linga form. He then leaves to visit Lord Vishnu at Vaikuntha Dhama.

Lastly, Sage Brighu reached Vaikunta Dhama to test Lord Vishnu. He finds Lord Vishnu resting and insisted on waking him up. However, Lord Vishnu was in deep sleep and hence displayed no reaction. Angered by this, Sage Bhrigu kicked lord Vishnu on his chest. At this, lord Vishnu wakes up and realises everything that has happened. Lord Vishnu showed decent behaviour and apologised to Sage Bhrigu. It is believed that Lord Vishnu started massaging Bhrigu’s feet and served him great hospitality. At his behaviour, Sage Bhrigu was pleased and decided that it was Lord Vishnu who was superior amongst the Trimurthi.

Goddess Lakshmi as Padmavati

Upon viewing this incident of Sage Bhrigu kicking Lord Vishnu’s chest, Goddess Lakshmi was furious. She witnessed the whole incident and was angry. She questions how could Sage Bhrigu kick Lord Vishnu’s chest and that his chest was where she lived at. She then cursed him that henceforth she would never visit Brahmins and they will all live in absence of wealth. On hearing this curse from Lakshmi, Sage Bhrigu told her about the true nature of his visit. Goddess Lakshmi then told Maharishi Bhrigu, that her curse would still haunt Brahmins but whenever any Brahmin would worship Lord Vishnu, he would be liberated from the curse. However, Goddess Lakshmi was furious. She could not forgive Sage Bhrigu as easily as Lord Vishnu did. Then Goddess Lakshmi left Vaikunta Dhama and went to Earth.

In anger and anguish, Sri Mahalakshmi left Vaikuntha and resided in a place called Karavirapur which is now known as Kolhapur.

 Forlorn Vishnu was much grieved by the departure of Mahalakshmi and left Vaikuntha. He took refuge in an ant-hill under a tamarind tree on the Venkata Hill. He lived without food and sleep and meditated for the return of Mahalakshmi. It was the place where the Lord took the form of Varaha to protect Mother Earth from the deep ocean.

Both Brahma and Shiva were much grieved to see the plight of Lord Vishnu. They assumed the forms of a cow and its calf to serve him. Lakshmi took the form of a cow and sold the cow and calf to the king of Chola Empire. The Chola King sent them to graze on the Venkata Hill along with the cattle herd. The cow provided its milk to Vishnu and thus fed him. Meanwhile, the cow did not yield any milk at the palace.

The Chola Queen got immensely angry and chastised the royal cow herder severely. Now, the cow herder followed the cow secretly and found out that the cow emptied her udder over the ant-hill. The cow herder intended to harm the cow and flung his axe upon the cow. However, Vishnu saved the cow and received the blow upon him. Seeing the sight, the cow herder fell down and died of shock.

The cow returned to the palace with blood stains all over her body. The king wanted to know the cause of cow’s terror. So, he followed her and found the cow herder lying dead on the ground.

Vishnu came out of the ant-hill and cursed the king to become a demon (Rakshasa) due to the fault of his servant. The King pleaded and begged for pardon.

Vishnu blessed the king and said that he would be born as Akasa Raja and his curse would end when he presents a crown to him at the time of his marriage with Padmavati.

After that, Lord Vishnu as Srinivas decided to live in the Varaha Kshetra. He requested Varaha (the boar avatar of Vishnu) to provide him a site for his stay.

Srinivas ordained that a pilgrimage to his shrine should be preceded by a bath in the Pushkarini and the worship of Varaha before him. Vishnu constructed a hermitage and lived there. He was attended by Vakula Devi who took much care of him like a mother.

Later in the Chandra dynasty, King Akasa Rajan and his wife Dharani Devi in the hope for an offspring decided to perform a Yagya. It was a tradition in which the ground where the Yagya was performed, was to be ploughed. The King followed this and there he found a baby girl sleeping on a golden lotus. He saw the child was healthy and very beautiful. She was none other than Goddess Lakshmi herself. The couple then caressed the baby and named her ‘Padmavathi’. Padmavathi translates to the baby found in Lotus (Padma). This beautiful and accomplished girl, Padmavati had been granted a boon in her earlier birth that she would be married to Lord Vishnu.

Lord Vishnu as Srinivasa

Lord Vishnu followed Goddess Lakshmi to Earth. He took birth as Srinivasa. He was born as the son of Vakula Devi. Vakula Devi is the reincarnation of Yashoda. In Treata yuga, she was the foster mother of Lord Krishna and raised as her own son until he left to kill Kamsa. However, she was unhappy that she could not see the marriage of Lord Krishna in that birth. On learning about her disappointment, Lord Krishna then gives her a boon that in her next birth she would witness his marriage. Hence, Maatha Yashoda was reborn as Vakula Devi, mother of Srinivasa.

Srinivasa & Padmavati

In due course of time, Padmavati grew up into a beautiful maiden and was attended by a host of maids. One day while Princess Padmavathi was spending her time in a garden picking flowers with her maids, Sage Narada approached her. Assuring her that he was her well-wisher, he asked her to show him her palm to read her future. He foretold that she was destined to be the spouse of Lord Vishnu himself.

Around this time, Srinivasa went into the forests near the hills, chasing a wild elephant. He eventually ended up in the garden where princess Padmavathi and her maids were picking flowers. At the very sight of Padmavathi, Srinivasa was stunned and drawn to her. She too was drawn to him. However, the guards of the garden mistook him as a mere hunter. They then drove him away. Later, Srinivasa met the princess and her maids. He talked to them and told them about his birth and parentage. He also got to know about the princess and that she was Padmavathi, the foster daughter of Akasa Raja.

Eventually, both of them fell in love and wanted to marry each other. Srinivasa’s mother, Vakuladevi thought that Srinivasa would not be happy unless he married Padmavati. She then offered to go to Akasa Raja and his Queen with the marriage proposal. The royal couple then learned about the boon to Padmavathi and realised that it was lord Vishnu himself asking for marriage. After consulting with sage Brihaspati, the royal couple agreed to give the hand of their daughter in marriage to him. Akasa Raja also called the palace purohits to fix a suitable date for the marriage. Lord Srinivasa then called for a conference of the Gods to win their consent for his marriage with Princess Padmavati.

It is believed that Lord Srinivasa himself wanted to bear the expenses of the marriage. He wanted to do this to impress Akasa Raja before the marriage. However, there are other versions of this story. These versions narrate that King Akasa agreed to the marriage of Srinivasa and Padmavathi on one condition. He stated that Srinivasa should bear the expenses of the marriage and in turn pay a dowry to marry his daughter. King Akasa is said to have looked down upon Lord Srinivasa as he was relatively very poor. Akasa Raja considered Srinivasa to be penniless and he could only agree if he could prove himself and bear the dowry to marry his daughter. This left Lord Vishnu helpless.

Kubera’s credit to Srinivasa

Srinivasa hence took the help of Lord Kubera to get out this situation. He sought a loan from Kubera, the Hindu God of Wealth. Srinivasa was given mountains of gold as promised by Kubera. He agreed to the loan on one condition that Lord Vishnu cannot return to Vaikunta (heavenly abode) without paying off the debt. Lord Vishnu then took a loan of one crore and fourteen lakh coins of gold from Kubera. This was the only way he could prove himself. He took the loan on a promise to repay it back to Kubera by the end of Kaliyuga with interest. However, Lord Vishnu as Srinivasa could never pay back the debt he took from Kubera. Hence, it is known that the devotees of Lord Balaji often offer huge amounts to help their God return back to Vaikuntha. The Tirupathi temple is said to be the residence of Lord Balaji until then.

Marriage of Srinivasa & Padmavati

The wedding of Srinivasa and Princess Padmavathi was one of the magnificent weddings in the Hindu mythology. All the Gods blessed the couple from heaven and the wedding was beautifully described as a treat to the eyes of the viewers.

For the wedding, Viswakarma, the divine architect created heavenly surroundings in the Seshadri hills. As soon as day of the wedding arrived, Lord Srinivasa was bathed in holy waters in Pushkarini tank and dressed in jewelled ornaments like a royal bride groom. Then he set off in a procession for the court of Akasha Raja. In the palace of Akasha raja, Princess Padmavathi waited for the groom all set for the marriage. Lord Srinivasa was hailed with an arthi and led to the marriage hall. There the King and Queen washed his feet while sage Vasishta chanted the Vedic mantras. Vakula Devi could finally witness the wedding of her beloved son, as per her boon.

Soon the wedding was over with all rituals and it was time for Padmavathi to take leave of her parents. After that Padmavati and Srinivasa went to Venkatachala hill and live there happily.

However, this marriage was bound to happen. It was the maya (illusion) of Lord Vishnu himself. In order to please his consort, he reincarnated as Lord Srinivasa and married Padmavathi. She was in turn considered the incarnation of Goddess Lakshmi herself. With the help of Kubera, God of Wealth, Lord Vishnu borrowed a huge sum of money for his wedding with Padmavathi.

It is believed that the amount of dowry that Lord Srinivasa paid to Akasa Raja was so huge. In order to help Lord Srinivasa repay his debt to Kubera, devotees offer donations. They believe that with their offerings, Lord Srinivasa would finally be able to return back to Vaikuntha Dhama. In exchange for the generosity of the devotees, he gives his blessings which can be used to generate more wealth, or break free from the attachment to wealth. So, the devotees offer Lord Vishnu wealth and he makes them rich and the cycle continues. This in turn made Tirupati, the richest Hindu temple in India.

Shiv Khori

The legend associated with Shiv Khori is very fascinating. It goes that thousands of years ago, a demon called Bhashmasur spent a lot of time meditating deeply on Lord Shiv. In time Bhashmasur is believed to have extracted a blessing from Lord Shiva that he be given the power to end the life of any one by keeping his had on his head.

And after obtaining such blessing, the demon Bhashmasur intended to end Lord Shiva. Realizing the evil design of the demon, the Lord Shiva decided to escape alongwith Mata Parwati and Nandi cow to safety.

In the process Lord Shiva stopped at a place near Shivkhori for rest. But the demon that was following closely reached there as well; and started fighting with Lord Shiva. Even after a dreadful battle the Lord Shiva decided not to kill Bhashmasur so as to keep dignity of his own blessings.

While leaving the battle Lord Shiva threw his trident (Trishul) to create the famous Cave of Shiv Khori. The design of the entrance allowed only Lord Shiva alongwith Mata Parwati and Nandi cow to enter this cave leaving the demon out side.

Realizing this, Lord Vishnu in the guise of a lady, came and lured the demon to dance to her steps. Bhashmasur was so intoxicated with the dance that the demon started following each move of the dance as dictated by Lord Vishnu in the disguise of a lady. Lord Vishnu then made an ultimate move by keeping one hand on the head and as the demon followed the step by keeping his hand on his own head, Bhashmasur was killed by his own power. Lord Vishnu alongwith other deities then entered the Holy cave.

As per the legend 33 crores deities have manifested in this Holy cave in shape of pindies. The views of natural impression & images of Hindu Deities is a fascinating sight inside the cave.

Story of Padmanabhaswamy Temple

This is the temple of Lord Shri Vishnu which is an ancient structure that was even visited by Balarama, according to Srimad Bhagavatam. This temple also has references in Epics and Puranas like Skanda Purana and Padma Purana. According to the ancient scriptures, it was believed to be built over 5000 years ago.

There used to be a great Vishnu devotee called as Divakar Muni at Aanarthadesa who performed his daily rituals and pujas in a perfect manner without fail. One day, the Muni saw a little boy near his ashram and got so fascinated that he requested the boy to stay with him. The boy agreed on a condition that he should never be insulted. The Muni used to tolerate the childish acts of this boy with patience. But one day when Muni was performing puja, the boy took the Salagrama to which the muni offers his prayers and kept it in his mouth and defiled it, at which the Muni got enraged that he chastised and asked the boy to leave the place immediately. The boy while leaving said to Muni to come to Ananthankaadu if he wants to meet him.

After a while, the Muni realized the boy to be Lord Vishnu himself who responded to his prayers of blessing him with 'Divya Darshanam'. Then the Muni who left in search of that boy, came finally to Ananthankaadu only to witness the boy merging into an Iluppa tree (Indian Butter tree) and the tree falling down and emerging into a huge Vishnu idol. The idol was too huge that the head of it was at Thiruvallam, which is three miles from the east fort and the feet were at Trippapur, which is five miles towards north from the place.

Then the Muni prayed Lord Vishnu to shrink to the size that he can behold him for which the idol was shrunk to 18ft size. The Muni then offered some raw mango which he got from some nearby place, keeping in a coconut shell. This offering still continues in this temple as a custom.

The main Idol of Shri Anantha Padmanabhaswamy is located in the sanctum sanctorum of the temple where the presiding deity is Lord Vishnu reclining on Anantha (also called as Seshnag or the hooded serpent) with his right hand on Sivalinga and having a lotus in his left hand. The lord Brahma is seen in the lotus flower which is originated from the navel of the Lord Vishnu.

The idol is 18ft long and can be seen through three doors, which means head and chest through the first door, hands through the second door and feet through the third door. This posture is called as Anantha Sayanam meaning Yogic sleep. The idols of Sridevi, Bhudevi along with Narasimhaswamy, Ganapathi and Gajalakshmi are seen beside this idol.

Triyuginarayan Temple Story

According to Hindu dharma, goddess Parvati was daughter of Himavat or Himavan – the personification of the Himalayas. She was the rebirth of Sati, the first wife of Shiva – who sacrificed her life when her father insulted Shiva. Parvati initially tried to allure Shiva by her beauty, but failed. Finally, she won Shiva by practising rigorous penance at Gauri Kund, which is 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) away from Triyuginarayan. Pilgrims visiting Triyuginaryan temple also visit the Gauri Kund temple, dedicated to Parvati, which is the base camp for trek to Kedarnath Temple. Mythology states that Shiva proposed to Parvati at Guptakashi, before they got married in the small Triyuginarayan village at the confluence of Mandakini and Sone-Ganga rivers.

Triyuginarayan is believed to be the capital of Himavat. It was the venue of the celestial marriage of Shiva and Parvati, during the Satya Yuga, witnessed in the presence of the holy fire that still burns eternally in front of the temple in a Havana-kund or Agni-kund, a four-cornered fireplace on the ground. Vishnu formalised the wedding and acted as Parvati's brother in the ceremonies, while the creator-god Brahma acted as the priest of the wedding, that was witnessed by all the sages of the times. The exact location of the wedding is marked by a stone called Brahma Shila, in front of the temple. The greatness of this place is also recorded in a sthala-purana (a scripture specific to a pilgrimage centre). According to the scripture, pilgrims who visit this temple consider the ashes from the burning fire as holy and carry it with them. It is also believed that ashes from this fire are supposed to promote conjugal bliss. Before the marriage ceremony, there were no people who witnessed the incident, the gods are believed to have taken bath in four kunds or small ponds namely, Rudra-kund, Vishnu-kund and Brahma-kund. The inflow into the three kunds is from the Saraswati-kund, which – according to legend – originated from Vishnu's navel. Hence, the water of these kunds is considered to cure infertility. The ashes from Havana-kund are supposed to promote conjugal bliss.

Tunganath Temple Story 

According to Hindu mythology, Shiva and his consort, Parvati both reside in the Himalayas: Shiva resides at Mount Kailash. Parvati is also called Shailaputri, which means 'Daughter of the Mountain'.[3] Many folk legends related to the Garhwal region, Shiva and the creation of the Panch Kedar temples are narrated.

A folk legend about Panch Kedar relates to the Pandavas, the heroes of the Hindu epic Mahabharata. The Pandavas defeated and slayed their cousins — the Kauravas in the epic Kurukshetra war. They wished to atone for the sins of committing fratricide (gotra hatya) and Brāhmanahatya (killing of Brahmins — the priest class) during the war. Thus, they handed over the reins of their kingdom to their kin and left in search of Shiva and to seek his blessings. First, they went to the holy city of Varanasi (Kashi), believed to be Shiva's favourite city and known for its Kashi Vishwanath Temple. But, Shiva wanted to avoid them as he was deeply incensed by the death and dishonesty at the Kurukshetra war and was, therefore, insensitive to Pandavas' prayers. Therefore, he assumed the form of a bull (Nandi) and hid in the Garhwal region.

Not finding Shiva in Varanasi, the Pandavas went to Garhwal Himalayas. Bhima, the second of the five Pandava brothers, then standing astride two mountains started to look for Shiva. He saw a bull grazing near Guptakashi (“hidden Kashi” — the name derived from the hiding act of Shiva). Bhima immediately recognized the bull to be Shiva. Bhima caught hold of the bull by its tail and hind legs. But the bull-formed Shiva disappeared into the ground to later reappear in parts, with the hump raising in Kedarnath, the arms appearing in Tungnath, the face showing up at Rudranath, the nabhi (navel) and stomach surfacing in Madhyamaheshwar and the hair appearing in Kalpeshwar. The Pandavas pleased with this reappearance in five different forms, built temples at the five places for venerating and worshipping Shiva. The Pandavas were thus freed from their sins.

A variant of the tale credits Bhima of not only catching the bull, but also stopping it from disappearing. Consequently, the bull was torn asunder into five parts and appeared at five locations in the Kedar Khand of Garhwal region of the Himalayas. After building the Panch Kedar Temples, the Pandavas meditated at Kedarnath for salvation, performed yagna (fire sacrifice) and then through the heavenly path called the Mahapanth (also called Swargarohini), attained heaven or salvation.[citation needed]. The Panch Kedar Temples are constructed in the North-Indian Himalayan Temple "Katyuri" architecture with the Kedarnath, Tungnath and Madhyamaheshwar temples looking similar.

After completing the pilgrimage of Shiva's darshan at the Panch Kedar Temples, it is an unwritten religious rite to visit Vishnu at the Badrinath Temple, as a final affirmatory proof by the devotee that he has sought blessings of Shiva.

Legend also states that Rama, the central character of Ramayana, meditated at the Chandrashila peak, which is close to Tungnath, in India. It is also said that Ravana performed penance to Shiva, the lord of the peaks, when he resided here.

Story of Pashupatinath Temple in Nepal

Once Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati visited the lovely, serene banks of the Bagmati river. They were so enchanted with the place and found it so suitable for divine spiritual practices that they decided to stay on in the place and so they took on the guise of two deer. Other gods, however, were displeased and arrived on Earth to convince Lord Shiva to return to his responsibilities. Lord Shiva refused to return to Kailash, sparking a war between him and the other gods. However, while fighting in his deer form, one of his antlers fell off and shattered into four pieces. That antler was considered to be the first Chaturmukha linga (Four Faced Linga) of Pashupatinath, which was worshiped by Lord Shiva followers. Tatpurusha (east face), Aghora (south face), Sadyojata (west face), and Vamadeva (north face) are the four faces of Chaturmukha linga.

This broken antler is said to have been disappeared in mother earth and no one could trace it, till one day a cow was later witnessed pouring its milk to fertilize the ground around a specified area. It is also said that the cow did not produce milk at any other location or time of day. When the cowherd dug there, he found the divine linga of Pashupatinath, which led to the establishment of the pilgrimage.