Category: Sthala Purana
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The time God came to visit
Sthala Puranas of Bharat It is said that there are 330 million1 gods shining throughout the temples and epics of Bharat. They take the form of men, women, animals and man-animals. They regularly come down from their heavenly kingdoms to interact with man, fulfill his prayers and uplift him spiritually. India’s Puranas tell tales of…
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Legend of Alappad Panchayat
Sthala Puranas of Bharat Shiva, Parvati & Subrahmanya: A Legend of Alappad Panchayat In the Alappad Panchayat1, district of Kollam, Kerala state, South India, there is a small village named Parayakadavu. This village lies amidst an endless expanse of coconut palms stretching along a narrow peninsula separated from the mainland to the east by an…
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Legends of Tiruchirapalli, Tamil Nadu
Sthala Puranas of Bharat Tiruchirapalli (“Trichy”) is home to some of the most legendary and ancient temples in India, as well as to some beautiful stories and history. Here are but a few: Sri Rangam Temple & Uchi Pillayar Temple Perhaps its most famous temple in the city is the Sri Ranganath Swami Temple. The…
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Legends of Kovai, Tamil Nadu
Around an ancient temple dedicated to Koni Amman, the name of this goddess alone the city name “Kovai” evolve.
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Legends of Chennai
The city of the Peacock Sthala Puranas of Bharat One of the most famous temples in Chennai is the Kapaleswarar Temple1, located in an area that is today referred to as Mylapore. In fact, Mylapore is an Anglicized form of “Mayilapur,” which literally means “City of the Peacock.”2 In the Puranas, Lord Shiva is the…
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Meenakshi & Kannagi of Madurai
Meenakshi & Kannagi: Madurai’s Women of Power & Grace Sthala Puranas of Bharat According to the legend, on the day the Madurai was to be named, Lord Shiva blessed the land and its people while divine nectar showered from his dreadlocked hair. The city hence came to be known as “Madhurapuri”—the City of Divine Nectar.…
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Legends of Ramanathapuram
Sthala Puranas of Bharat Ramanathapuram—or Ramnad—is located approximately 50 kilometres from the island immortalized as “Rameswaram” after Sri Rama’s army built a bridge from it to Sri Lanka in order to rescue Sita from the demon king Ravana1 . But Ramnad is not only significant for its proximity to Rameswaram. It has a rich spiritual…
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Legends of Nagapattinam
The golden fish & other legends of Nagapattinam Sthala Puranas of Bharat Nagapattinam has a very ancient history. In fact, in Brahmananda Purana [circa 3000 B.C.E.], it is said that the area’s Soundarvaraja Perumal Temple has existed in all four yugas 1. According to the Purana, Nagapattinam was originally called “Soundaranyam.” It’s current name, which…
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Pune’s Lord of Knowledge
Sthala Puranas of Bharat Alandi, a town 25 kilometres from Pune, in the Pune District of Maharashtra, is a revered pilgrimage site for a number of reasons, but foremost is the fact of it being the home of the 13th-century Maharashtran saint, Sant Jnaneshwar (Jnanadev). In fact, Jnanadev spent most of his short life (1275-1296…
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Mumba Devi reclaims Bombay
Sthala Puranas of Bharat In the mid-1990s, many state governments officially re-Indianized their citie’s names. In 1995, the capital of Maharashtra officially switched from Bombay to Mumbai, thereby re-invoking a goddess considered by the Koli1 to be the area’s protectress. (The name “Mumbai” comes from a mix of mumba and ai, both of which mean…