Temples In Maharashtra

In the first part of the book, I have given brief descriptions of 108 famous Hindu temples in Maharashtra. Like Tamil Nadu, we have a lot of temples for Shiva, Vishnu and Goddesses there. Four of the 12 Jyotirlinga Shrines attract millions of people every year. Like Sabarimalai in Kerala, lakhs of devotees walk to Pandharpur every year. In addition to the temples, Samadhis of holy saints like Shirdi Baba, Tukram, Jnandev, Samartha Ramdas and others are worshipped by millions. Like the divine Tamil hymns Tevaram, Tiruvasagam and Divya Prabandham, Marathi Abhangs are in thousands. They are household songs in Maharashtra.

The beautiful State of Maharashtra is blessed with thousands of temples which include those dedicated to Jyotir Lingams, Shakti Peetams and Ashta Vinayak. With Temples of Maharashtra – A Travel Guide, we embark on a spiritually fulfilling journey to some of the most sacred places of worship that dot the map of the State with tremendous diversity, traversing along rugged mountain ranges and banks of holy rivers to rural interiors and the urban expanse of metropolitan cities. Pilgrimages are a way of life for the spiritually inclined Hindus, who believe that Bhakthi is the pathway that will lead them to Moksha or salvation With an aim to assist the religious tourist in planning and executing visits to these pilgrimage sites with comparative ease, the contents of this book are entirely information-driven with useful details about location, temple timings, myths, legends, specific description of the deity, history, architecture and festivals of the prominent temple sites in Maharashtra.

This book studies Nātha sampradāya through archaeological evidence for the first time. Drawing on a pioneering approach to the study of ascetic traditions, it investigates not only the nature of the Nātha sampradāya’s religious architecture but also examines the extent to which they shared space with other religious groups such as the devotees of Siva and Sakti, Buddhism, and Islam, especially with the Sufi tradition. Focusing on western India, the book sifts through a variety of archaeological evidence and documentation of their temples, caves, and maṭhas. It critically analyses iconographic representations of ascetics on temple walls and sculptural representations of yogic postures or āsanas. Further, these representations are discussed within a pan-South Asian framework to highlight both the commonalities of the tradition across the subcontinent and the regional specificities, along with their chronological spread. Breaking new ground, this volume will be of great interest to scholars and researchers of religion, especially Hinduism, history, archaeology, and South Asian studies.

Study of some medieval temples of Maharashtra.

This handbook is a comprehensive study of the archaeology, social history and the cultural landscape of the Hindu temple. Perhaps the most recognizable of the material forms of Hinduism, temples are lived, dynamic spaces. They are significant sites for the creation of cultural heritage, both in the past and in the present. Drawing on historiographical surveys and in-depth case studies, the volume centres the material form of the Hindu temple as an entry point to study its many adaptations and transformations from the early centuries CE to the 20th century. It highlights the vibrancy and dynamism of the shrine in different locales and studies the active participation of the community for its establishment, maintenance and survival. The illustrated handbook takes a unique approach by focusing on the social base of the temple rather than its aesthetics or chronological linear development. It fills a significant gap in the study of Hinduism and will be an indispensable resource for scholars of archaeology, Hinduism, Indian history, religious studies, museum studies, South Asian history and Southeast Asian history. Chapters 1, 4 and 5 of this book are available for free in PDF format as Open Access from the individual product page at www.routledge.com. They have been made available under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives 4.0 license.

The verdant and beautiful Kerala, well known for its flora and fauna and for its rich tradition of temples, has today become one of the must see destinations in the world. Temples have always been an integral part of the culture and tradition of Kerala. This small state has become famous for its efforts to preserve the ancient culture of the big temples as well as the small family shrines, keeping their rich variety and tradition intact. These temples play an important role in spreading the greatness of Kerala in countries all over the world. Temples of Kerala have never been mere places of worship; they have played a pivotal role in the social, financial, cultural and educational fields of the state. For the rehabilitation of the poor and the deprived many schemes have been implemented by the temples like providing food and shelter to the needy. Today, if there is a great progress in the field of tourism, the temples have certainly contributed much to it. A large number of foreigners come to the state to study and understand Kerala’s traditional temple arts like Kathakali, Chakiarkoothu, Ottamthullal etc. On the happy occasion of bringing out this book, we have endeavored to include details of the prominent Ayyappan temples outside Kerala, along with those of the great temples within the state. The intention is to make this a comprehensive reference book for all well-known temples in India. May all our readers be blessed by the Almighty with peace, prosperity and good health.