FIVE PANCHA BHUTAS

Panchamaha Bhuta Lingams

Located in five south Indian temples, the Bhuta Lingams

are said to be places where Shiva manifested himself as
the natural elements.
The temples and their respective elements are
Chidambaram or Chidambareshwar or Thilai: ether
(akasa),
Sri Kalahasti or Kalahastishwar or Thirukkalasthi:
wind (vayu),
Tiruvanaikka/Jambunath / Jambukeshwar near
Sriramgam: water / jala/appu,
Kanchipuram / Shivkanchi/Thiruvarur: (prithvi) earth,
and Tiruvanamalai (Arunachalam): THEJO STHALAM
(Agni) fire.

Chidambaram is also associated with the heart,

Tiruvanaikka with the stomach, and Tiruvanamalai with
the chest
Tiruvanamala temple @ hill base
One of the Five Pancha Bhutas

Every year during the Hindu month of Kartikai (November-

December), the great Deepam festival is held to celebrate Shiva's
manifestation as the light of Arunachala. Arunachala hill is considered
a miraculous healing place, especially for ailments of the lungs and
barrenness in women. The hill of Arunachala is also a symbol of
spiritual knowledge One of the most auspicious things to do in
Tiruvanamalai is to circumambulate Arunachala mountain, most
auspiciously three times or more
http://www.agasthiar.org/AUMzine/0009-ashta1.htm
 There are 8 lingams, 360 holy tanks, mandapas and ashrams.
There are eight lingams around the Arunachala hill one in
Indra Lingam:(East) each direction.

This is the first lingam while the hill circumambulation, worshipping this lingam yields healthy and wealthy life.

Agni Lingam:(South East)

This is the second lingam, It placed near The Lotus tank, This is the only lingam placed on right side of the
circumambulation path, all other lingams are placed on left side, It occupies the South East direction, worshipping
here retrieves us from all diseases and to face challenges of life.

Yema Lingam : (South)

This is the third lingam, and next to Agni lingam and 3 kilometer away from the Rajagopuram, and it occupies
the South direction, it also has a holy tank called "Simma Theertha", it is believed that, worship of this solves
economical problems.

Niruthi Lingam : (South West) This is the fourth lingam, while we see the peak of the holy hill Arunachala, it views
accompanying of two parts of mountain and shows 'Sivan' and 'Sakthi' together. It placed in south west of
 Varuna Lingam : (West)

This temple placed West of the hill Arunachala, this is the fifth lingam. It is 8 kilometers away from the
Rajagopuram. One of the holy tank called "Varuna theertha" is here. Workship of this temple retrieves from
crucial diseases and promotes ones social status.

Vayu Lingam : (North West)

The whole world is made up of Earth, Water, Fire, Air and Sky. no living creature can survive without Air. While
reaching this temple we feel the pleasantness of spring and get peace of mind. it is placed in Northwest direction.
Worshipping here is of confers boon on ladies and children.

Kubera Lingam : (North)

This is the seventh lingam. Almost all of the devotees , who comes for circumambulation, worship here by
soaring coins and currencies on this lingam. Worship of this lingam grants economical growth, and
promotes peace of mind. It is placed in North direction.

Esanya Lingam : (North East)

This is the eighth and last lingam. Here gets peace of mind ability to concentrate mind on god works out his way to
heaven
Mt. Shasta and Mt. Arunachala by Wendell E. Wilkinson
Mt. Shasta is a special place. The mountain is a mystic power source. It is the focus for angels, spirits, spaceships, and the
Lemurians. Strange lights, clouds, shadows and sunsets add to the mystical aura of the mountain.A long tunnel stretches
away, far into the interior of majestic Mt. Shasta. The Lemurians lie at the tunnel's far end. Using their mastery over sound
and vibrations they hollowed out an underground city. Lemuria was once a great continent connected to parts of California,
Oregon, and Washington. Lemuria disappeared into the Pacific Ocean many thousands of years ago in a vast cataclysm.
Some Lemurian people migrated to Mt. Shasta when their continent began to sink.In 1985 Tai Situpa Rinpoche, one of
Tibet's most revered lamas, flew over Mt. Shasta while on his way to San Francisco from Europe. He said that he was
amazed about the majestic appearance of the mountain. "It looked perfect! It stayed in my mind and I felt that one day I must
go and do a traditional Tibetan ceremony there to offer prayers for the environment." Rinpoche later on did perform such a
ceremony in October 1989. At that time he said, "We should thank the spirits of this place, they have given us a perfect day;
they recognize our intentions."
American Indians believed that Mt. Shasta was of such immense grandeur that its existence could only be attributed to the
Great Spirit. They also believed that an invisible race of little people lived on its slopes as guardians. If you tried to climb the
mountain and were found to be an unworthy person, they would throw you off to your death! They also have legends of
Bigfoot and other mysterious beings and forces connected with Mt. Shasta.
Another sacred mountain is to be found in Tiruvannamalai, South India. The Hindu sage Bhagavan Ramana Maharshi said
that Mt. Arunachala was a remnant of the lost continent of Atlantis. That and the fact the mountain was formed by a volcanic
eruption make its story similar to that of Mt. Shasta. Actually, you will soon see that there are other similarities as well!
According to the occultist Kenneth Grant, Mt. Arunachala constitutes the most powerful concentration of spiritual energy on
this planet. And from the ancient Hindu scripture known as The Skanda Purana we have these verses: "Arunachala is the
most sacred holy place of all. It is the heart of the world. Know it to be the secret and sacred heart-center of the God Shiva.
Brilliant lights are seen to sail about Arunachala that seem to be under intelligent control. There is supposed to be a city
inside of the mountain. It is inhabited by yogic adepts. Upon death if you are not quite high enough to merge with the
Supreme Spirit then you might at least go to live inside Arunachala. The adepts from inside Arunachala can change their
shape to any human or animal form and travel incognito in the outside world. This is similar to the stories about the
Lemurians from Mt. Shasta. The Hindu sage Ramana Maharshi said that Arunachala was the top of the spiritual axis of the
earth and that there must be another mountain corresponding to it at the opposite side of the globe. I am suggesting in this
article that that other mountain is Mt. Shasta. But whether that is true or not, there is no doubt in my mind that Mt. Shasta and
Mt. Arunachala are two of the major spiritual power spots of planet Earth
Mount Shasta, known for its flying saucers, lenticular clouds, elemental lights on the mountain, bigfoot, spiritual
beings and spiritual teachings. Also home for the power centers of Sand Flat, Squaw Creek and North Gate. But,
unlike Sodona, the entire mountain is a power center. It is the only holy, sacred, spiritual place in the world that
magnifies the very energy that each individual vibrates in! To many, best described as a loving, caring, magical,
mystical, sacred and healing energy. At the same time it promotes peace, relaxation, meditation and concentration.
For hundreds of years Mt. Shasta was considered a Holy Mountain by Native American's and people with like
consciousness who would be caught up by its splendor and awesome snow mantle. Many stories of the Brotherhood
and or Lamurians that lived in The Temple inside The Mountain and its Spiritual Truth have been recorded.
Many have experienced seeing or otherwise communicating with these entities. Many have brought back pictures of
what they saw as the entrance doorways. Various descriptions, spiritual teachings, and thoughts have been channeled
by Tibetan Buddhist Priests, I AM foundation leaders, Hindu Masters, and Nola Van Valler. Almost without
exception, each person is taken into the temple by the Brothers. No one finds them; They find you, and thus you
are taken into the Mountains Sacred Temple.

It seems as if determination is one of the prime factors for being located by the Brotherhood. So what is important?
Simple; be the best YOU that is possible, and set off with courage and patience to find the Entrance.
One of the many mysteries are the Lights that can flash on and off all over the Mountain during the night and
sometimes during the day. This has been witnessed by myself, my friends, and spiritual students. We present here
the adventures of just a few of the students and The Friends of Mt. Shasta.
One evening while camping at Sand Flat, a small group of us were talking of our hopes of seeing the Brothers.
Among this group was David Asprey and Mike Ambrisco. As we watched the sun disappear behind the Mountain,
four figures formed at the other side of the flat area. They seemed to be wearing monks robes, and one was
somewhat shorter than the other three. Each of the group witnessed The Brothers appearance. But, the convincing
part happened the next mourning.
We were up early for a visit to Yreka, CA, just 27 miles north of Mount Shasta. As we neared the Weed Airport on
Interstate Five, one of our group had a Polaroid Camera, and wanted to take a picture of that side of the mountain.
We stopped long enough for him to take the picture. While the picture developed we started up again toward Yreka.
It turned out that as the picture developed, the image of the Four Brothers was on the picture, with the same shorter
monk standing in the same place as the night before.
 CHIDAMBARAM - Siva (Natarajar) Temple
One of the Five Pancha Bhutas

Chidambaram is the seat of the cosmic dancer Nataraja (Ananda Tandava pose ; the Cosmic Dance
of bliss).
The idol of Nataraja is enshrined in the Chit sabha. Behind this idol, is a black screen, which is
considered to cover the Akasa Lingam. There is no Lingam, but we are made to believe that there
is an invisible Lingam, with golden vilva garlands, i.e stressing the belief that there is everything in
nothing. There are five silver plated steps to reach the Chit Sabha, representing the Panchakshara
mantram - Na ma si va ya. The embossed images of the saints Vyagrapada and Patanjali, are to
be seen on the doors. Both these saints had been blessed witht the sight of the cosmic dance of
Shiva. Lord Vishnu also is said to have witnesses this scene.
The sanctum of Sivakama Sundari lies to the left of Natarajar Sannidhi. The images of
Ratnasabhapati (Nataraja of Ruby), the Spatika Lingam of Chandramauleeswara, Swarnakarshana
Bhairavar, Mukhalingam are also to be found in the Chitsabha
 TIRUVAANAIKAAVAL / APPU STHALAM - WATER - Siva Temple
One of the five Pancha Bhutas

This temple, 2kms from Srirangam is dedicated to Lord Siva. It is also known as Jambukeswaram.
This is the Appu Sthalam among the Pancha Bootha Sthalams.

The Siva Lingam (Appu Lingam) under a holy Jambu tree is submerged in water from a subterranean spring. There
is another Lingam in the shrine. Daily prayers & worship are offered to both Lingams. There is a separate shrine for
the Goddess, Akhilandeswari facing east, while the Lord faces west.
The temple is situated amidst a mango grove. There are 7 gopurams and the temple is surrounded by 5 walls. The
sculptures & carvings are of the Chola period. In a pillar in the Mahamandapa of Akhilandeswari temple, there is a
magnifi ient figure of Ekapadeswarar, with Brahma & Vishnu on either side with their vahanas.
During the mid-day puja, the priest is dressed as a female while offering worship, signifying that Godddess Parvati
herself is offering prayers to the Lord

Legend
An elephant and a spider were offering worship to the Lingam simultaneously. The spider would spin a web giving
cover to the Lord. The elephant would bring water in its trunk to do Abhishekam to the Lord. He found the web in
the way & destroyed it. The spider spun the web again & the elephant destroyed. This continued & one day the
angered spider got into the elephants trunk to disturb him. The elephant struck his trunk against a rock. The Lord
was pleased with their relentless devotion & both the spider and the elephant attained moksham. Since an
elephnat worshipped the Lord here, the place is known as Tiruvaanaikaaval (Aanai in Tamil-Elephant)
This place is also known as Jambukeswaram. There was once a rishi who performed tapas in this region. The Lord
was pleased with his prayers & agreed to give darshan to devotees here as Jambukeswarar.
 TIRUVAANAIKAAVAL / APPU STHALAM -
WATER - Siva Temple
One of the five Pancha Bhutas

Akhilaandeshwari - maathah Shivavaamaange, Shrichakraroopathaatanke

 Kalahasthiswara Temple
The Saivaite temple of Sri Kalahasthisvara and Gnana Prasannambika in Kalahasti, is dedicated to Lord Shiva.
Kalahasti, 38 kms to the South of Tirupati is revered as one of the Pancha Bhutha Sthalas. Here the Linga is
"Swayambhu" and considered to be in the form of Vayu(wind). The remaining four Pancha Bhutha Sthalas are
Tiruvannamalai(fire), Tiruvannaikaval(water), Kanchipuram(Earth) and Chidambaram(Sky). In this temple, the lamp
inside the sanctum keeps flickering inspite of lack of any air inside. It is also considered as a Nava Graha Sthala
dedicaed to Rahu and Kethu. This is the place where Rahu and Kethu grahas were blessed by Lord Shiva. The other
Nava Graha Sthalas dedicated to Rahu and Kethu are Tirunageswaram and Kizhaperampallam respectively. The
Puranic version of the origin of the temple is that a spider(Sri), a snake(kala) and an elephant(Hasti) worshipped the
Lord here and attained mukti. Hence the name of the Lingam was called as Sri Kalahasthiswara. His consort is Gnana
Prasannambika. The deities of Balaganapathy, Annapoorni and Viswanatha are enshrined here. Patalaganapathy is an
underground cell. A river,the Swarnamukhi, flows by the temples. Sri Kalahasti town has been famous for its
manufacturers of "Kalamkari",or temple clothes and hangings.
 Kalahasthiswara Temple

Kalahasti Temple
Kumbakonam,Tamil Nadu

One of the Five Pancha Bhutas

The temple is situated in Kumbakonam, the famous temple town in Tamil Nadu. This temple also lodges apart from the Lingam,
the statue of Nataraja. With His musical instruments, Lord Shiva stands with Parvathi in the Anandha Tandavam (Dance of Bliss)
pose. The temple has within its premise statues of the great Saivaite saints – Appar, Sundarar, Sambandar and Manickavasagar.
There are also statues of the three consorts – Durga, Lakshmi and Saraswati. It is believed that if Sahasranamam Puja is done for
Lakshmi, all financial problems will wind up. The Durga statue is a mighty one with eighteen arms. If Rahu Kala lamps are lit for
Durga on 9 consecutive Sundays, all mundane turmoil will cease. Spinsters who light lamps using lemon as the base, every Friday
for 9 consecutive weeks, will soon end up in wedlock. Rahu Dosha, vagaries in the horoscope because of Rahu (One among the
nine planets) can be made fine by performing puja at this temple.
 ShivaKanchi / Kanchipuram
Kailasanatha Temple, Kanchipuram
One of the 5 Pancha Bhutas
Shiva the Enchanting Mendicant, with sandals, unbound hair, and carrying his few possessions on a staff, is shown as a youthful ascetic,
being worshiped by the wives he seduced. A disenchanted husband raises his fist in the upper left corner. The poise and gestural
language of these figures (the flexion of Shiva's left leg and sandaled foot, his upward-pointing left hand, the outraged husband's martial
stance, and the kneeling adoration of the seduced wives) lend vitality to the composition. Shiva's upward-pointing left hand is echoed, a

couple of centuries later, by the upward-pointing right hand of his disciple Sambandar (Sambandha).
The Five Panch Kedars
 11 Kedarnath
First Panch Kedar
Kedarnath, at the head of the Mandakini River, is amongst the holiest pilgrimages for the devout Hindu.
The temple, believed to be very ancient, has been continually renovated over
the centuries. According to legend, Lord Shiva wished to elude the Pandavas, and took refuge in Kedar-
nath in the form of a bull. On being followed, He dived into the ground, leaving behind His hump of the
surface. The hump is worshipped in the temple of Kedarnath in the conical Shiva pinda form.

The remaining parts of the body are worshipped at four other places —
the arms (Bahu) at Tungnath,
face (mukh) at Rudranath,
navel (nabhi) at Madmaheshwar
and hair (jata) at Kalpeshwar.
Together with Kedarnath, these places are known as the Panch Kedar.

The lingam at Kedarnath, unlike its usual form, is pyramidal and is regarded as one of the 12 Jyotirlings.
 Tungnath
2nd Panch Kedar
Set on the crest of a hill at an altitude of 3,886
meters, Tungnath is the highest temple in India.
Legend has it that the arm of Shiva appeared
here. Ravana, of the Ramayana, is said to have
performed penance at this temple to propitiate
Shiva. Built of stone, this temple is a fine model of
ancient architecture. Facing the gate of the temple
is Nandi, the Divine Bull and Shiva's vehicle.
There are two smaller temples dedicated to
Parvati and Vyas in a small courtyard.
The temple of Tungnath, at a little over 12,
000 feet, is the highest shrine on the inner
Himalayan range. It lies just below the
Chandrashila peak. Some way off the main
pilgrim routes, it is less frequented than
Kedarnath or Badrinath, although it forms a
part of the Kedar temple establishment.
The priest here is a local man, Brahmin
from the village of Maku; the other Kedar
temples have South Indian priests, a
tradition begun by Sankaracharya, the 8th
century Hindu reformer and revivalist.
Tungnath’s lonely eminence gives it a
magic of its own. To get there (or beyond
it), one passes through some of the most
delightful temperate forest in the Garhwal
Himalayas. Pilgrim or trekker, or just plain
rambler like myself, one comes away really
like before mankind began to strip it bare.
 Rudranath Temple
3rd Panch Kedar
It is one of the panch Kedars. The face
of Lord Shiva is worshipped at
Rudranath temple in a natural rock
temple as Neelkantha Mahadeva. Lord
Shiva is worshipped here as
Neelkantha. The temple is situated
amid thick forest at a height 2286 mtrs.
From Gopeshwar 4 kms motorable road
is available upto village Sagar from
where 20 kms. trek leads to Rudranath
and can be approached from Joshimath
as well, by trekking about 45 kms. The
temple provides magnificent view of
Hathi Parvat , Nandadevi,
NandaGhunti, Trishuli and many other.
There are numbers of holy Kunds
(Tanks) near Rudranath temple namely
Suryakund, Chandrakund, Tarakund
etc. The Baitarini, the divine river
flows pass behind the temple.
Anusuya Devi temple is located
on the trek to Rudranath
involving an additional trek of
3km.
Madhyamahesh
war
Panch
4th

Kedar
The stomach of Shiva is believed to have emerged at
Madmaheshwar. The temple of Madmaheshwar is
located at an altitude of 3,289 m. above sea level, on
the slope of a ridge, 25 km north-east of Guptakashi.
There is a motorable road from Guptakashi to
Kalimath. The best statue of Har Gauri in India
measuring over a metre high is found in the Kali
temple. The trek from Kalimath to Madmaheshwar is
distinguished by wild unparalleled scenic beauty and
engulfed by Chaukhamba, Kedarnath and Neelkanth
peaks. Gaundar at the confluence of Madmaheshwar
Ganga and Markanga Ganga, is the last settlement
before one reaches Madmaheshwar
 Kalpeshwar5th Panch Kedar
The hardier tourist may like to trek about 35 km to Kapleshwar,
where the locks (hair) and head, of Lord Shiva are worshipped.
Located in Urgam Valley at an altitude of 2,134 m. above sea
level, the temple is a further 10 km trek from Rudranath to
Helong, the motor head on Rishikesh-Badrinath route. The Panch
Kedar trek can be completed in 12 days starting from Kedarnath.
The temple of Kedarnath is widely known for its sanctity. Lord Shiva
fled to Kedarnath from Varanasi to escape tha Pandavas and on being
detected there, assumed the form of a bull. Bhim tried to pull him, but
Shiva sank into the earth and only the hump came in his hands which is
worshipped at Kedarnath. Tunghnath is where the arm of the Lord
appeared. Set on a crest of a hill, from the temple at Tungnath one can
view the surrounding peaks soaring high into the sky. The route is
through Chopta where there are ideal places to set up camp on the roof
of the world. Situated amidst thick woods, at Rudranath the 'mukh' of the
lord's face appeared and Shiva is worshipped as Neelkanth Mahadev. The
small rock temple of Kalpeshwar is where the Hair appeared. Short of
Kalpeshwar is the picturesque valley of Urgam. Finally at
Madhyamaheshwar is the magnificient Shiva temple where the naval
reappeared. Bordered by emerald banks, the Madhyamaheshwar River
flows through incredible landscapes and snowy peaks.
Pancha Tirtha
Pilgrimage at Varanasi
 PanchaTirtha Pilgrimage @ Varanasi

O Prince, among the Pancha Tirthi (set of five Tirthas) is exceedingly excellent. By the holy ablution
therein a man can well forget further stay in the womb.
The first one is the confluence of Asi (with the Ganga), the greatest and most excellent one
among the T$rthas is called Dashashvamedha which is resorted to by all the Tirthas. There is the
Padodaka T$rtha in the vicinity of adikeshava; then is the meritorious Panchanada (Panchaga%ga)
which removes mass of sins by the ablution. O highly excellent one, apart from these four Tirthas
the fifth one named Manikarnika accords the purity of the mind and the limbs....
By taking the holy bath in Panchatirthi a man ceases to take up the body of the five elements. Or
he becomes Panchasya (the five-faced Lord himself)." Linga Purana IV.ii107-10,114.

•Pilgrims follow a the pilgrimage route similar that Shiva himself is said to have performed
when he came to Kashi seeking expiation from the horrible sin of cutting off Brahm@'s
head. He is said to have gone to Lolarka (Asi Ghat), Keshava, and then to Manikarnika where
the head which was stuck to his hand finally fell off.
•This entire city is the JyotirLinga (the linga of Light).

http://www.colorado.edu/ReligiousStudies/TheStrip/features/kasi/panca.htm
OTHER SHIV LINGS
 Shankar Mandir, Mahabaleshwar

Shri Shankar Mandir: The Mahalinga of the lord Shiva is of Rudraksha shape & believed to be 'self-bodied' (swayambhoo) It is
called Trigunatmaka meaning Brahma-Vishnu-Mahesh are on it for ever. On the head of the mahalinga you see the marks of the
five holy rivers (Panchaganga) & their waters never loose their level. Mother Jeejabai was weighed by gold by Raje Shivaji in this
temple & then the gold was distributed in charity. This Mahalinga is considered to be superior to the twelve jyotirlingas
 Panchaganga Mandir in Mahabaleshare:

As per the hindu mythology five holy rivers krishna, venna, koyna, Savitri & gayatri show their token appearance here in five
springs flowing closely. They are seen flowing in five stone conduits & joining in one horizontal half channel leading to the
Goumukhi cowface spout. Though the Gaomukh it falls in the cistern below. On the northen side there is a similar conduit through
which the holy 'ganga' appears every twelve years. From the conduit on the southern side flows the holy saraswati when the
following astrological times come together, namely, Bhadrapad month, shasthi (6th day) ,Tuesday sun in hasta nakshatra, Rohini
nakshatra in predominance & Vyatipat. This miraculous yoga (coincidence) is known as the "Kapila Shasthi Yoga", which is believed
to be very auspicious occassion as per the Hindu faith.
 GOPINATH TEMPLE
Gopinath temple is situated at gopeshwar which is 10 kms from Chamoli . The temple is
topped by a dome and 24 doors leads to the sanctum sanctorum , which is 30 sq. feet in
area. There are several broken idols around the temple which support the theory that in
ancient times there were several more temples in Gopeshwar. In the courtyard of the
temple there is a trident about five metre high made of eight different metal dating back to
the 12th century, bears inscriptions attributed to Anekmalla, king of Nepal who reigned in
the 13th century. another inscriptions records the erection of a royal edifice by him in Saka
1113 (A.D. 1191) .
Four shot inscriptions of later times, in Devanagri, are cut into the metal of the shaft but
only one of them is decipherable.
The legend goes that the trident belonged to Shiva who threw it at Kamdeva ( The God
Of Love) to kill him and it got fixed in this spot. It is believed that while brute force can
not move this Trident , the slightest touch by a true devotee can cause a tremor in it. The
metal of the trident does not appear to have become weathered by the elements over the
century.
 Acheleshwar Mahadeva temple

Mt. Abu This picture is of the inner sanctum of the Acheleswar Mahadeva Shiva temple.
ITcontains the 'toe' of Shiva - Shiva deposited body parts all over India, and
wherever one landed, it was worshipped. In this temple, where there is supposed to be a
Shivalingum is just a yoni, a hole, on whose side contains a shiny blue rock that does sort of resemble a toe!
This hole is supposed to be so deep that it reaches to the underworld, which is a suburb of New York City
 Ranbireshwar Temple , Jammu

Approximately 10 miles out of Rishikesh, along windy roads in the Himalayan foothills, is
a hallowed spot called Vasishta Gufta, two caves where the Hindu sage and yogi Vasishta
did his sadhana ages ago. The main cave is about 30 feet deep or more, and can hold
about a dozen people. The cave shown here was Vasishta's "summer" cave, close to a
small beach along the Ganges river. The saffron robed fellow is one of the monk care
takers of the caves and nearby temple.

Peer Kho , Jammu

Ganapati

Kurneshwar Mandir, Satara

Rishikesh, Neelkanth
Shiv Mandir

My first day trip was to the Neelkanth

temple high in the hills above
Rishikesh. a bumpy 4 hour car ride
reminiscent of Jeep commercial landed
me in a mountainside town based
around this temple. 'Neelkanth' means
'blue throat' a place wher Lord Shiva
swallowed some poison to save the
world, which caused his throat to turn
blue.
As stated in my travelogue, the force of
spiritual presence that emenated within
the walls of this ancient temple was
overwhleming and beyond any
expectation. The intensity of energy is
difficult to describe, but suffice to say
that this temple is a jewel of India, and
one of the two major surprising
highlights of my trip, a place that I had
hoped to find during my journey. The
particular energy of a Shiva temple can
best described as 'an itensity of pure
presence' or 'amplified reality'.The glass
cases by the entrance house life size
statues of Shiva and Parvati. I hope to
go back here someday.
 Shiv Khodi

Shiv Khodi has the biggest natural Shivling on Earth. The cave is very narrow at some points. One can not
walk straight throughout the cave. At the end of the cave, there is a big hall which has the natural Shivling
upon which pure water drips from the ceiling, continuously. On the day of Shiv Ratri, the milk drips on the
Shivling. This mysterious flow of water and milk never stops and no one knows where it originates from.
On top of the Shivling, a fine cover of hills join together to make a Trishul, which is a marvellous sight in
itself. There is a "Sheshnag" on top of Shivling. The Khodi has a "Parvati" pindi at the rear of the Shivling.
Beside the Shivling, there is a pindi of Maa Kali. There are pindis of Pandavas when they were hiding from
Kaurvas. They hid themselves in this cave and performed pujas of Lord Shiva.
The sight is witnessed by thousands of devotees every year. The experience inside the cave is out of this
world, right from the moment one enters.
http://www.liveindia.com/maa/visit6.html
 Mamleshwar, Pahalgam

This spot is also about a mile from Pahalgam. It stands across the Kolahoi stream up
towards the mountain side. There is an old temple here the pinnacle of which was
adorned with gold during the reign of one of the early kings. There is also a spring
beautifully banked with long dressed stones of about 8th century. This was dedicated to
Shiva and was called Mamalishwara. It is said that Ganesh was placed as doorkeeper
not to allow any one to enter the temple without his permission. So it was called Mam
Mal - Don't go. There is a priest to look after the temple. In summer the place is

regularly visited by the populace of Pahalgam.

PHANOM RUNG
Flint
Flint
Balrajeshwar Mahadev mandir, Mulund
SiddhiVinayak
 Irving, TX Cleveland
Wappinger Falls, NY

Columbia,SC

Bangalore
Poonch Town in
Jammu
 Shiva Temple @ Trichy

Bholenath,
Bangalore

Babulnath,
Bombay

The Shree Devdeveshwar temple The main deity,

the Shiva Linga faces the East. The Linga is six
inches in diameter, red-black in color with thin
wire like lining and with a reddish spot on it. This
sign is considered to be extremely rare and
divine. This Linga, is believed, to have been
brought from the river Gandaki in Nepal. In the
niche of the wall, behind the Linga, the idol of
Shiva with Parvati & Ganesha on his lap,

SarasBaug, Pune
Someshwar (Maharashtra)
Kapaleeshwarar, Madras
The small town of Jageshwar lies in a beautiful, tranquil narrow valley hedged
by lush, green, monarch sized ancient deodars. In the Kumaon hills of Uttar
Pradesh, it has a complex of about 200 ancient and medieval temples, which
belong to and reflect the early period of the north Indian style of temple
architecture. Most of these temples are dedicated to the various manifestations
of Lord Shiva. The idol at Jageshwar is considered to be one of the 12
Jyotirlingas (the most sacred shrines of Lord Shiva) in India, where thousands
of Shiva devotees come to offer prayers during various Hindu festivals held in
honor of Lord Shiva. According to legend, Shiva came here to perform penance
after the sacrifice of Sati, and earned the wrath of the Seven Rishis.
 Halasyanathan, Lord
Sunderaswara of Madurai

Indra getting moksham from the lingam -

that lingam is Halasyanathan, Lord Sunderaswara of Madurai.

This story is detailed in the Halasyamahathmyam,

which is the sthala purana of the Meenakshi temple at Madurai.
 Meenakshi
Temple
Meenakshi's Goddess-centric roots are apparent in the
fact that -- although the Meenakshi Temple is formally considered a
Shaivite temple (His form as consort of Meenakshi is
Sundareswarar) --
NANDI
Nandi, next to Nepali temple in Varanasi
Chamundi Hill, Mysore

Statue of Nandi, the "golden calf" mount of Shiva,

outside the Bhai Dega Shiva temple in Patan,
Kathmandu
Veerabhadra Temple, LepakshiThis is India’s largest Monolithic Nandi
The Nandi within an elaborately worked
stands 4.5mtrs high and measures 8.5mtrs
Nayak
Mandapam is massive and striking. The
Nandhi
is 12 feet high, 19.5 feet long and 18.25
feet wide. The Nandhi is a monolith
weighing about 25 tons and the stone is
said to have come from a bed of Gneiss
at the foot of Pachaimalai near
Perambalur. Another version is that the
stone was brought over from the bed of
the River Narmada in the north. There is
a tradition that the Nandhi is growing in
size with the progress of time. It was
feared it might become too large for the
Mandapam erected over it and a nail was
driven into the back of it, and since, its
size has remained stationery. Two
Bragatheeswarar Temple portrait statuesques on the front pillars of
the Nandhi Mandapam are pointed out as
those of Sevappanayakan (the first Nayak
Thanjavur ruler) and of his son Achyutappa Nayak.