Some Most Revered and Rich Temples of India
India, a land of diverse culture and potpourri of religious beliefs has witnessed the rise of temples which are not only the destinations to seek solace at the feet of God but retreat to the eyes of the believers. Since time immemorial Hindu dynasties have commissioned the temples which could be termed as the flagship of their inclination towards art and culture as well as elements to make statement about their possessions of wealth. There are several temples that have been reckoned to be places of immense faith and miracle and thus draw a large number of devotees from all corners of the world. Their sacred entities and their affluent architecture have earned them unparalleled fame. However, many temples had to undergo renovation with the help of the donations made by devotees (donations were made to show gratitude to the God). Not as a bribe but to see their spiritual entities getting decked in best of everything, the devotees have donated sacks of gold, silver and diamonds, which have later become the possessions of temple trusts.
Padmanabhaswamy Temple is located in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India. The temple is built in an intricate fusion of the indigenous Kerala style and the Dravidian style (kovil) of architecture associated with the temples located in the neighboring state of Tamil Nadu, featuring high walls, and a 16th-century Gopuram. While the Moolasthanam of the temple is the Ananthapuram Temple in Kasargod, architecturally to some extent, the temple is a replica of the Adikesava Perumal temple located in Kanyakumari District.The richest temple in the country, the shrine of Lord Padmanabhaswamy possesses wealth of around $20 billion in six vaults of Gold. The Golden idol of Mahavishnu, found in this temple worth Rs. 500 Crore. The treasure that was reported to be found in Padmanabhaswamy Temple includes antique gold ornaments, Golden Crowns, Golden Bow, Sack full of Diamonds and thousands of antique jewellery studded with diamonds and emeralds. The Gold necklace adding charm to the divinity of the deity is 18 ft long and weighs around 2.5kg. The principal deity Vishnu is enshrined in the "Anantha Shayanam" posture, the eternal yogic sleep on the serpent Adisheshan.[9] Sree Padmanabhaswamy is the tutelary deity of the royal family of Travancore. The titular Maharaja of Travancore Moolam Thirunal Rama Varma is the trustee of the temple as Sree Padmanabhadasa, the slave of Lord Padmanabha. In line with the Temple Entry Proclamation, only those who profess the Hindu faith are permitted entry to the temple and devotees have to strictly follow the dress code, The name of the city of Thiruvananthapuram in Malayalam translates to "The City of Lord Ananta",] referring to the deity of Padmanabhaswamy Temple. Several extant Hindu Texts like the Brahma Purana, Matsya Purana, Varaha Purana, Skanda Purana, Padma Purana, Vayu Purana, Bhagavata Purana and the Mahabharata mention this shrine.
Sri Venkateswara Swamy Temple is a landmark Vaishnavite temple situated in the hill town of Tirumala at Tirupati in Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh, India. The Temple is dedicated to Lord Sri Venkateswara, an incarnation of Vishnu, who is believed to have appeared here to save mankind from trials and troubles of Kali Yuga. Hence the place has also got the name Kaliyuga Vaikuntham and Lord here is referred to as Kaliyuga Prathyaksha Daivam. The temple is also known by other names like Tirumala Temple, Tirupati Temple, Tirupati Balaji Temple. Lord Venkateswara is known by many other names: Balaji, Govinda, and Srinivasa. The Tirumala Hills are part of Seshachalam Hills range. The hills are 853 metres (2,799 ft) above sea level. The Hills comprises seven peaks, representing the seven heads of Adisesha. The seven peaks are called Seshadri, Neeladri, Garudadri, Anjanadri, Vrushabhadri, Narayanadri and Venkatadri. The temple lies on the seventh peak -Venkatadri, on the southern banks of Sri Swami Pushkarini, a holy water tank. Hence the temple is also referred to as "Temple of Seven Hills". Tirumala town covers about 10.33 sq mi (26.75 km2) in area. The Temple is constructed in Dravidian architecture and is believed to be constructed over a period of time starting from 300 AD. The Garbagriha (Sanctum Sanctorum) is called AnandaNilayam. The presiding deity, Venkateswara, is in standing posture and faces east in Garbha griha. The temple follows Vaikhanasa Agama tradition of worship. The temple is one of the eight Vishnu Swayambhu Kshetras and is listed as 106th and the last earthly Divya Desam. The Temple premises had two modern Queue complex buildings to organize the pilgrim rush, Tarigonda Venkamamba Annaprasadam complex for free meals to Pilgrims, hair tonsure buildings and a number of pilgrim lodging sites.
Sai Baba of Shirdi, also known as Shirdi Sai Baba was an Indian spiritual leader who is regarded by his devotees as a saint, a fakir, a satguru and an incarnation (avatar) of God. He was revered by both his Hindu and Muslim devotees during, as well as after his life. According to accounts from his life, he preached the importance of realization of the self, and criticized love towards perishable things. His teachings concentrate on a moral code of love, forgiveness, helping others, charity, contentment, inner peace, and devotion to the God and guru. He stressed the importance of surrender to the true Satguru, who, having trod the path to divine consciousness, will lead the disciple through the jungle of spiritual training. Sai Baba also condemned distinction based on religion or caste. It remains unclear if he was a Muslim or a Hindu. This, however, was of no consequence to Sai Baba. His teaching combined elements of Hinduism and Islam: he gave the Hindu name Dwarakamayi to the mosque in which he lived,[6] practised both Hindu and Muslim rituals, taught using words and figures that drew from both traditions, and took samadhi in Shirdi. One of his well-known epigrams, 'Allah Malik' ('God is King') and 'Sabka Malik Ek' ('One God governs all'), is associated with both Hinduism and Islam. He is also known to have said 'Listen to me and your prayer shall be answered'. Sai Baba was born in Pathri, district Parbhani, Maharashtra. Shri Sai Janmasthan Temple is a temple built in his birthplace.
Vaishno Devi, also known as Mata Rani, Trikuta and Vaishnavi, is a manifestation of the Hindu Mother Goddess Mahalakshmi. The words "maa" and "mata" are commonly used in India for "mother", and thus are often used in connection with Vaishno Devi. This temple is dedicated to the Hindu Goddess, located in Katra at the Trikuta Mountains within the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir. The Temple or Bhawan is 13.5 km from Katra and various modes of transportation are available from katra to Bhawan, including Ponies, Electric vehicles and paalkhis operated by 2 or 4 persons. Helicopter services are also available up to Sanjichhat, which is 9.5 km from Katra. The annual income generation is Rs. 3.16 crore.