I was in Chennai for a very short visit some time back . Despite the time constraint we managed to sneak in a temple visit to the city of Vellore. While we looked forward to a day long visit to a few temples in and around Vellore City, the only temples we covered were The Golden Temple and the Fort Jalakandeshwarar Temple. We scurried back home owing to my daughter's stomach upset. However, the 2 temples we visited were worth the travel woes.
The Golden Temple is situated in Sripuram and is the major attraction of Vellore.
(Source: Priya Sreeram)
The entrance gates were ornate and imposing and we looked forward to stepping inside as quickly as possible. After getting inside we entered the ticket counter and opted for a special entrance paying a good INR 250/- per person. On second thoughts, we could have gone for a free entrance since it was not that crowded. Anyways, we were immediately whisked in to the spiritual park.
(Source: From the booklet in the Prasadam bag )
The only words that I breathed on seeing the opulent structure was - architectural marvel . The golden temple is surrounded by lush and scenic landscapes with a variety of flora catching our attention. It is amidst a natural ecosystem and is the Pride of Tamilnadu. The 100 acres of land on which this Lakshmi Narayani or the Mahalakshmi Temple stands is a sight to behold. The park is shaped in to a star shaped path in which the visitors have to walk to reach the temple. The pathway is dotted with resting spaces & recreational facilities. The temple itself is situated in the middle of the star surrounded by a holy pond (Sarvatheertham) which contains the Holy waters of all major rivers. The star shaped path is said to represent Sri Chakra. The temple has a gold covering all over and uses more than 1.5 tonnes of the precious metal.
(Source : Picture from the Prasadam bag )
Another important feature of the temple is that the visitors who walk the 1.8 Km length of the star shaped path can read messages of truth and righteousness posted on both sides of the pathway. They are meant to inspire the human beings so they they can imbibe and inculcate the fundamentals of right living.
About the Goddess :-
(Source : Picture from the Prasadam bag )
Goddess Narayani, the presiding deity is said to be an embodiment of Goddess Lakshmi, Goddess Saraswathi & Goddess Durga. Looking at her idol all restless thoughts vanishes as she oozes divine poise and radiance.
The temple is headed by Sri Sakthi Amma also known as Narayani Amma. This Golden temple is said to be born out of a divine vision of Sri Sakthi Amma. Besides conducting pujas for the benefit of the mankind, numerous social services and charitable projects spanning various areas like woman empowerment, health & hygiene, promotion of arts and helping the needy & the poor are undertaken by the charitable trust of Sri Sakthi Amma.
How to reach here :-
Sripuram is located at Thirumalaikodi in Vellore. It is at a distance of 130 kms from Chennai & about 180 kms from Bengalore.
Sripuram Golden Temple :-
The Golden Temple is situated in Sripuram and is the major attraction of Vellore.
The entrance gates were ornate and imposing and we looked forward to stepping inside as quickly as possible. After getting inside we entered the ticket counter and opted for a special entrance paying a good INR 250/- per person. On second thoughts, we could have gone for a free entrance since it was not that crowded. Anyways, we were immediately whisked in to the spiritual park.
The only words that I breathed on seeing the opulent structure was - architectural marvel . The golden temple is surrounded by lush and scenic landscapes with a variety of flora catching our attention. It is amidst a natural ecosystem and is the Pride of Tamilnadu. The 100 acres of land on which this Lakshmi Narayani or the Mahalakshmi Temple stands is a sight to behold. The park is shaped in to a star shaped path in which the visitors have to walk to reach the temple. The pathway is dotted with resting spaces & recreational facilities. The temple itself is situated in the middle of the star surrounded by a holy pond (Sarvatheertham) which contains the Holy waters of all major rivers. The star shaped path is said to represent Sri Chakra. The temple has a gold covering all over and uses more than 1.5 tonnes of the precious metal.
Another important feature of the temple is that the visitors who walk the 1.8 Km length of the star shaped path can read messages of truth and righteousness posted on both sides of the pathway. They are meant to inspire the human beings so they they can imbibe and inculcate the fundamentals of right living.
About the Goddess :-
Goddess Narayani, the presiding deity is said to be an embodiment of Goddess Lakshmi, Goddess Saraswathi & Goddess Durga. Looking at her idol all restless thoughts vanishes as she oozes divine poise and radiance.
The temple is headed by Sri Sakthi Amma also known as Narayani Amma. This Golden temple is said to be born out of a divine vision of Sri Sakthi Amma. Besides conducting pujas for the benefit of the mankind, numerous social services and charitable projects spanning various areas like woman empowerment, health & hygiene, promotion of arts and helping the needy & the poor are undertaken by the charitable trust of Sri Sakthi Amma.
How to reach here :-
Sripuram is located at Thirumalaikodi in Vellore. It is at a distance of 130 kms from Chennai & about 180 kms from Bengalore.
Man seeks God only when he realises the limits of human endeavours
- Sri Narayani Amma
Nice post on temple. The delicate art work in the temple owes it's beauty to manual labour which also involved converting gold chunks into gold foils and mounting the foils on copper. It is believed everything in the temple has vedic significance including the star shaped path known as Sri Chakra. The temple is certainly a must visit for its stunning beauty and grandeur. Explore more about Golden temple vellore.
ReplyDeletemust visit temple..i have a special attachment to this amma..i luv u ma..
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