Bajrayogini Temple

Bajrayogini

The three-storied temple at the shore of Sali River in Sankhu, in the Kathmandu Valley, is one of the top ten temples in Nepal. The statue of the Goddess is adorned in heavy ornaments and it also a proof of existence of Buddhism in Nepal from around the first century. Thus, it has religious significance to both, the Hindu and the Buddhists.

Krishna Mandir Temple

Krishna Mandir Temple (built 1637)

The Krishna temple on the west side of Patan's Darbar square was built in 1637. Legend says that it was built because of a dream. One night, King Siddhi Narasigh Malla dreamt that the gods Krishna and Radha were standing in front of the palace. The King ordered a temple built on the same spot. During a war with a neighboring kingdom a decade lator, the King emerged victorious after calling on Krishna to vanquish his enemies. In gratitude, the King built a replica of the temple inside the Sundari Chauk courtyard.

The Krishna temple is built in the Shikhara style, imported from India. Beneath its 21 golden pinnacles are three floors. The first floor enshrines Krishna, the second Shiva, and the third Lokeshwor. Scenes from the Ramayana narrated in Newari script decorate the interior of the temple.

The temple is managed by local Brahmins and is still used.

Akash Bhairav

Akash Bhairav

Akash Bhairav is a Hindu deity; one of the different forms of Bhairava.

The head of the Aakash Bhairav was dug up several hundred years ago in Kathmandu. The head sits in a Hindu temple in Indra Chowk Kathmandu not far from Durbar Square. It is taken out once a year on the occasion of Indra Jatra Festival and is blessed by the Kumari — the living goddess who lives in the nearby Kumari Chowk. This ceremony is held in the month of August/September In the period of ceremony large number of prayers come to visit the Aakash bhairav. During the ceremony prayers offers peda(sweets made from milk), flowers, money and several others things. .

Contents  

1 Mythology
2 Iconography
3 Worship

Mythology

The Akash Bhairab is said to be the kirati king yalamber himself. He is believed to have gained the powers through tantric worshipping. During the famous battle of the Mahabharat, the first king of Kirat dynasty, Yalambar in disguise of Bhairab, went to the battlefield to help the losing party. When Lord Krishna heard of it, he promptly chopped Yalambar’s head, which reached Kathmandu through the sky, hence the name given as the sky god or the Akash Bhairab.

Iconography

Aakash Bhairav is often depicted in Buddhist iconography by a large blue head with fierce face, huge silver eyes and a crown of skulls and serpents. The deity head resides on a silver throne that is carried by lions, accompanied by Bhimsen (Bhima) and Bhadrakali on either side. The idol face is understood to represent the mask that King Yalamber wore on his way to the Kuruktsetra. The Indrachowk idol is somewhat milder in demeanor than many of the Buddhist idols. Lord Aakash Bhairav, the 'god of the sky', is also regarded by Nepalis as a progenitor of the Maharjan caste, especially the peasant groups. Pictured on Aakash Bhairav's head is an image that the Buddhists identify as Buddha, and the Hindus identify as Brahma, thus making the idol of Yalamber/Barbarika/Aakash Bhairav worshipable by all.

Worship

The traditional Akash Bhairav Puja is accompanied by Upasana and Anusthan. Sacred water, sandalwood, flowers, fruits, incense and naibedya are some of the offerings for this puja. Legend has it that worship of the Bhairav is usually a mark of safety and strength. In the Nepali imagination, the Akash Bhairav symbolizes protection and goodwill for the nation and its people.

Religion, nation, people, belief, faith and traditional thanksgiving are all interwoven in this manifestation of Bhairav worship. The Akash Bhairav is also believed to be the jeevan tatwa. Culturalism and culturality are integrally bound in Bhairav worship and the temple itself. It stands as a grand testament to a cultural personification of Upasamhar. For eight days during the Indra Jatra, celebrations in the temple comprise of adorning the temple and the deity. This is followed by the Tantrik Puja, the Sagun Puja and the Kal Puja. The worshipper and the deity are held together in a uniquely 'reciprocal' dynamic.

Guhyeshwari Temple

Guhyeshwari Temple`

Guhyeshwari Temple (Nepali: गुह्येश्वरी मन्दिर), also spelled Guheswari or Guhjeshwari, is one of the revered holy temples in Kathmandu, Nepal. This temple is dedicated to Adi Shakti. The temple is a Shakti Peetha near to the Pashupatinath Temple. It is said that this temple is the Shakti chair of Pasupanath Temple. King Pratap Malla built this temple in the 17th century.

The temple name originates from the Sanskrit words Guhya (Secret) and Ishwari (Goddess). In 'Lalitha Sahasranama' the 707th name of Goddess is mentioned as 'Guhyarupini' (The form of Goddess is beyond human perception and it is secret. Another argument is that it is the secret 16th syllable of the Shodashi Mantra)(LS 137th verse: Sarasvati shastramayi| Guhaamba guhyaruupini||).[1] It is believed that Sati Devi's corpse's parts fell in different region when Shiva took it and roamed around the world in sorrow. The Temple of Guhyeshwari lies about 1 km east of Pasupanath and is located near the banks of the Bagmati River.[2]

The Temple as a Shakti Peeth

Main articles: Daksha Yaga and Shakti Peethas


Shiva carrying the corpse of Sati Devi
The mythology of Daksha yaga and Sati's self immolation had immense significance in shaping the ancient Sanskrit literature and even had impact on the culture of India. It led to the development of the concept of Shakti Peethas and there by strengthening Shaktism. Enormous mythological stories in puranas took the Daksha yaga as the reason for its origin.[3][4][5]

Shakti Peethas are shrines or divine places of the Mother Goddess. These are places that are believes to have enshrined with the presence of Shakti due to the falling of body parts of the corpse of Sati Devi, when Lord Shiva carried it and wandered throughout Aryavartha in sorrow. There are 51 Shakti Peeth linking to the 51 alphabets in Sanskrit. Each temple have shrines for Shakti and Kalabhairava. The Shakti is Mahashira and the Bhairava is Kapali. This temple is revered by Tantric practitioners and Tantric rites are performed in this temple.

Worship

During the Navrathri festival the King of Nepal accompanied by his families worships here after talking a holy bath in the river Bagmati. There are many believes related to the temple

It is believed that if a marriage take place in the Guhyeshwari temple, the couples will be soul mates for another 6 birth. Sati (goddess) married Shiva, and was reborn as Parvati on her next birth.
Women worship in Guhyeshwari Temple to improve health of their husband.
Worship done here leads to victory over enemies.

Bhairav

Bhairav

(Sanskrit: भैरव, ("Terrible" or "Frightful",[1]), sometimes known as Kaala Bhairava, Kal Bhairab, Annadhaani Bhairava (In Karnataka)( ಭೈರವ) Bhairo or Bhairon or Bhairadya or Bheruji (In Rajasthan), Kaal Bhairava, Kaala Bhairavar (கால பைரவர்) or Vairavar (In Tamil), is the fierce manifestation of Lord Shiva associated with annihilation.[2] He is one of the most important deities in Nepal, Rajasthan, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Uttarakhand, who originated in Hindu mythology and is sacred to Hindus, Buddhists and Jains alike.

Legends

Bhairava with his consort, Bhairavi
The origin of Bhairava can be traced to the conversation between Brahma and Vishnu recounted in the Shiv Mahapuran where Vishnu asks Brahma who is the supreme creator of the Universe. Arrogantly, Brahma tells Vishnu to worship him because he (Brahma) is the supreme creator. One day Brahma thought, "I also have five head, Shiva also has five head. I can do everything whatever Shiva does and I am Shiva" Brahma has become little egoistic. Not only he had became egoistic, he started doing forgery work of Shiva. Whatever Shiva is supposed to do and Brahma started interfering; just Mahadeva threw a small nail from His finger and that nail assumed the form of Kala Bhairava, went and cut the head of Brahma, just like that casually. And that skull only is in the hands of Kala Bhairava; Brahma Kapala in the hands of Kala Bhairava and Brahma’s ego was destroyed and he became enlightened. Then onwards he became useful to himself and to the world and deeply grateful to Shiva. In the form of the Kaala Bhairava, Shiva is said to be guarding each of these Shaktipeeths. Each Shaktipeeth temple is accompanied by a temple dedicated to Bhairava.

Bhadrakali Temple

 Bhadrakali Temple

Bhadrakali Temple in Warangal, Andhra Pradesh is known to be one of the oldest temples for Goddess Bhadrakali in India. This temple is located on the banks of the Bhadrakali lake, a picturesque location between Hanamkonda and Warangal about 1.5 km from Government Polytechnic.

About Temple

The temple's main deity Goddess Bhadrakali's image is made in a 2.7x2.7 meters square stone facing west with pleasant looking eyes holding weapons in her eight hands with Shiva under her feet. 'Sree Chakram' and 'Utsava Vigrahas' of Bhadrakali are placed in front of the main deity.

A statue of Lion, Bhadrakali's vahana on which she rides, is placed opposite the sanctum sanctorum. The temple also has a Dhwaja Sthambam and Balipeetham.

Some of the oldest deities in the Maha Mantapam along with Bhadrakali are Uma Maheshwara images on stone in front of Shiva Linga, Subramanya Swamy statue, Hanuman statue and Navagrahas all carved in stone.

A new road was constructed in 1966 from the temple to the Warangal-Kazipet main road next to Government Polytechnic. The temple has been expanded in the 2000s with the addition of Alaya Shikaram, Maha Mantapam. Recently Sri Vallabha Ganapathi temple and temple parikrama have been added to the main temple.

The temple management is also running a Veda Pathasala (School for learning Vedas) near the temple.

There are 8 major and 12 minor temples in the mountains surrounding the Bhadrakali Temple including Padmakshi temple, Sri Shirdi Sai Baba, Sri Narasimha swamy temple and Sri Pothuluri Veerabrahmendra Swamy temple.

Bhadrakali Temple has become a major tourist place and people from many parts of India visit this temple.

Swayambhunath

Swayambhunath 

(Devanagari: स्वयम्भूनाथ स्तुप; sometimes romanized Swoyambhunath) is an ancient religious complex atop a hill in the Kathmandu Valley, west of Kathmandu city. It is also known as the Monkey Temple as there are holy monkeys living in the north-west parts of the temple. The Tibetan name for the site means 'Sublime Trees' (Wylie:Phags.pa Shing.kun), for the many varieties of trees found on the hill. However, Shing.kun may be a corruption of the local Nepal Bhasa name for the complex, Singgu, meaning 'self-sprung'.[1] For the Buddhist Newars in whose mythological history and origin myth as well as day-to-day religious practice, Swayambhunath occupies a central position, it is probably the most sacred among Buddhist pilgrimage sites. For Tibetans and followers of Tibetan Buddhism, it is second only to Boudhanath.

The Swayambhunath complex consists of a stupa, a variety of shrines and temples, some dating back to the Licchavi period. A Tibetan monastery, museum and library are more recent additions. The stupa has Buddha's eyes and eyebrows painted on. Between them, there is something painted which looks like the nose. There are also shops, restaurants and hostels. The site has two access points: a long stairway, claimed to have 365 steps, leading directly to the main platform of the temple, which is from the top of the hill to the east; and a car road around the hill from the south leading to the southwest entrance. The first sight on reaching the top of the stairway is the Vajra. Tsultrim Allione describes the experience: