The greatest human effort is seeking God with one's heart, mind, body and soul. The greatest reward for your effort is ultimately knowing that God resides in you, in as much as your enemy, neighbor or those unknown to you. God is present in all living beings big and small.
Why then do we leave the comfort of our homes and travel long distances to SEEK what we knew all along? Maybe I will inch closer to understanding this better during the course of my pilgrimages.
KANCHIPURAM: our spiritual base camp
After spending a couple of days working on my laptop, resting, sampling delicious South Indian food and watching movies on TV amongst other mundane stuff, we felt it was now time to set out on another pilgrimage journey.
< Day 1>
Our first stop for the day is VELLORE not so far away, but still part of an important pilgrimage circuit.
How to reach VELLORE
Vellore is a comfortable 70km/ 1.30 hrs drive from Kanchipuram & 140km/ 3.30hrs from Chennai. If you are traveling by public transport, there is good bus connectivity. By train the nearest railway station is Katpadi Jn.
SRI LAKSHMI NARAYANI GOLDEN TEMPLE, VELLORE
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| Golden temple, VELLORE-gold plated |
Similar to Balaji darshan at TIRUPATI, the sight of winding metal queue railings can be an eyesore. It is hard to imagine that a Golden temple is in fact what lays beyond these barricades. Then, besides footwear, one also needs to deposit every single piece of electronic item (camera, mobile, laptops). All this can be tiresome and annoying, but when you have done all that...
The tranquility of the spaces within the temple precincts takes over and one can feel the peace of the surroundings.
History of Golden temple, Vellore
The temple is from this day and time (year- 2007), even so it is carved to unflinching perfection and beauty. Sri Lakshmi Narayani (Goddess of wealth) is the presiding deity. As the temple emerged in view, I was immediately struck by and my eyes dazzled at the sight of the gopuram in a plate of beaten gold.
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| well-kept gardens at Vellore Golden temple |
So Is the Vellore SRIPURAM Golden temple really made of gold?
Sources state it is indeed! 1,500kgs of pure gold foil hammered on copper and intricately carved like a piece of priceless jewelry on the gopuram and certain portions of the interior. The temple is equally crafted on the lines of Vedic Indian temple architecture.
The best part is that the temple is open to devotees from all religions and backgrounds.
JALAGANDEESWARAR TEMPLE
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| the lace-like sculptural beauty of Jalagandeeswarar temple, Vellore |
Also in Vellore, located within the VELLORE fort is the JALAGANDEESWARAR TEMPLE. The presiding deity being Lord Shiva, the temple is ancient and sacred. It was built in the 15th century by a chieftain from the Vijayanagara kingdom and one can't but simply marvel at the remarkable carvings.
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| beautifully carved yallis at Jalagandeeswarar temple, Vellore |
Experts believe the intricate and lace-like sculptural beauty of this temple surpasses even that of Meenakshi temple, Madurai. The temple is never too crowded and one can have a quick darshan and photo ops here before heading to our next destination.
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| beautifully carved yallis at Jalagandeeswarar temple, Vellore |
Tip~ If you started the day late and wish to sign off, Vellore has several hotels in different categories for a comfortable stay here.
ARUNACHALESWARAR temple, TiRUVANNAMALAI
Tiruvannamalai located at the foothills of the Arunachala hills, is about 83km/ 2 hr from Vellore. The drive is scenic as it passes through some refreshing rural TamilNadu landscape. We arrived during the afternoon hours which was ideal for a hotel check-in and getting some rest before the evening darshan. Read more~ TIRUVANNAMALAI~ the abode of Shiva as Agni(Fire) : Temples of TamilNadu
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