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Mystical temples

By
Tamarapu Sampath Kumaran
About the author

Mr T Sampath Kumaran is a freelance writer. He regularly contributes

articles on Management, Business, Ancient Temples and Temple
Architecture to many leading Dailies and Magazines. His articles for the
young is very popular in “The Young World section” of THE HINDU.
His books on Hindu Saints, and Temples of Pilgrimage centers have
been well received in the religious circle.

He was associated in the production of two Documentary films on Nava

Tirupathi Temples, and Tirukkurungudi Temple in Tamilnadu.

Acknowledgement:
Google for the pictures and several authors for the information of the
temples.
Mistysticism is the practice of religious ecstasies, together with
whatever ideologies, ethics, rites, myths, legends, and magic may be
related to them. It may also refer to the attainment of insight in ultimate
or hidden truths, and to human transformation supported by various
practices and experiences.

India’s culture and tradition are full of amazing rituals and exciting
practices. Being a Hindu dominated country, temples are center of
worship in Hinduism. Thousands of temples can be found in every part
of India. According to Hindu mythology, there are 33 million gods and
goddess and there are temples that are dedicated to these gods . Besides
many temples are also dedicated to animals, non-living creatures and
even to demons. .
There are many temples where there are so-called miracles happening
that defies science. People attribute it to the power of the Lord.
1. Mahendipur Balaji Temple, Rajasthan:
 In the sleepy little Dausa district of Rajasthan,
thousands of devotees turn up every day at Mahendipur Balaji Temple
to rid themselves of ghosts, demons and other evil spirits. Offering
penance in extreme ways, pouring boiling water on oneself, hanging
from the ceiling, chaining themselves to the walls, and banging their
heads against the walls is said to rid a person of all evil things. Balaji
temple is also famed for being probably the only place in India where
exorcisms by priests are still carried out.
No Prasad is offered at this temple, and it is said that once you leave the
temple, you must not turn back to look at it, since it is beleived that the
evil spirits might take this as an invitation to inhabit your body
2. Maa Kamakhya Devi Temple.

Perched atop the Nilachal Hill in Guwahati, Assam resides the , Maa
Kamakhya Devi Temple one of the most famous temples in India. It is
one of the oldest of the 51 Shakti Peethas in the Indian subcontinent. The
temple does not have a sculpture to worship, however, what it does have
is the yoni or vagina of Devi Sati, the wife of Lord Shiva, covered with a
red silk sari.
Every year during monsoon, the goddess menstruates, and the temple is
closed down for three days. It is also when the Tantric fertility festival or
Ambubachi Mela is celebrated here, till the fourth day when the temple
reopens. It is also said that the underground spring that flows in the
sanctum of the temple turns red on these three days. Devotees are
offered a piece of the red cloth used to cover the stone yoni during the
days of menstruation as ‘prasad’.
3. Devji Maharaj Mandir,

During the full moon every month, the Devji Maharaj Mandir in
Madhya Pradesh, is the place where devotees come to rid themselves of
ghosts, demons, and evil spirits. As penance, a common practice is
lighting camphor tablets on bare palms to scare whatever evil spirit
resides within, to leave the body. Running around or being smacked by a
broom are other options.
But the weirdest tradition is the annual “ bhoot mela” or ghost fair that is
held in the temple grounds, to appease evil spirits.
4. Kodungallur Bhagavathy Temple, Kerala
The earthly abode of Goddess Bhadrakali, a gentler reincarnation of
Goddess Kali, the Kodungallur Bhagavathy Temple witnesses a bizarre
seven-day festival celebrated annually, the Bharani Festival. Men and
women wearing red apparel and carrying swords swarm this temple,
running around in a trance-like state. They hit their heads with the
sword, blood pours freely, and they enter the temple hurling choice
abuses and singing lewd songs about the Devi.
Offerings are not made in the general fashion, instead, they are thrown at
the statue of the goddess, and the temple rafters are hit repeatedly with
sticks. The temple is shut down for 7 days after the festival, admittedly
to clean the blood stains. Due to this festival, it is now one of the famous
temples in Kerala.
5. Venkateshwara Temple, Andhra Pradesh

Most temples rely on offerings and donations from devotees for their
welfare, however, there are a few that have cornered a lucrative, albeit
unusual, market. Selling human hair to the Western countries. The
Venkateshwara temple is the abode of Lord Vishnu, a god that accepts
human hair as a symbol of sacrifice.
The temple, actually one of the most historical temples in India, has two
huge halls lined by barbers, who are responsible for shaving the hair off
more than 12,000 pilgrims every day, reaching nearly 75 tons of hair
annually and earning more than 6.5 million USD. These are sold to
Italian wig manufacturers and the Chinese who use extracts from the
hair for food preservation
6. Stambheshwar Mahadev, Gujarat:

It is a famous temple in India that appears and disappears throughout

the day. Located close to Vadodara in Gujarat, the Stambheshwar
Mahadev temple is one of the most mysterious temples in India that
shares shores with the Arabian Sea. Lord Shiva resides here, and blesses
those who dare to venture into it.
The only weird thing about this temple is that it can be visited only
during hours of low tides. In hours of high tides, the temple is swallowed
up completely by the sea, and it reappears hours later when the water
descends.
7. Brahma Temple, Pushkar:
When Aurangzeb ruled India, we had many Hindu temples destroyed,
among which were most of the temples in Pushkar. One which survived
his evil eye still stands, and pays homage to Lord Brahma. The only
weird thing about it is that it is the only temple of Lord Brahma in the
world, despite him being part of the Holy Trinity of Gods in Hindu
Mythology. Made of marbles, the inner walls of the temple are
embedded with silver coins that bore the name of the donors and
devotees.
8. Kal Bhairav Nath Temple, Varanasi:

In the holy city of Varanasi, is the abode of Lord Kal Bhairav Nath, a
reincarnation of Lord Shiva. Believe it or not, the only offerings that are
made to God here is alcohol, be it whiskey or wine. Alcohol is poured
directly into the deity’s open mouth, and the same is offered to devotees
as Prasad. Unlike other shops outside temples in Varanasi that sell
flowers and sweets as an offering, the stalls outside this temple offer
only alcohol for sale.
9. Devaragattu Temple, Andhra Pradesh:
Another ancient temple of India, Devaragattu Temple at the Kurnool
district of Andhra Pradesh is famous for the Bani Festival. Located on
the border of Karnataka, every year on Dussehra, devotees from both the
states gather in huge number with lathis, to hit each other on the heads
till midnight.
Commemorating the slaying of a demon by Mala-Malleswara (Shiva),
these men drenched in blood goes on with the celebration throughout the
night. This 100-year-old festival was earlier celebrated with axes and
spears instead of lathis. In the year 2014, police reported a total causality
of 56 people during Bani festival. Government promolgated an order to
use only sticks.
10. Nidhivan Temple, Vrindavan:

Nidhivan Temple is dedicated to Lord Krishna. It is located in Nidhi Van

which is a dense forest. But the interesting fact here is that the trees here
are intertwined with each other and they flourish with green leaves
throughout the year despite the dry region. Moreover, the trunks, roots,
and well are hollow from inside which has grabbed the attention of
several curious people.
It is believed that these trees represent ‘gopis’ and depict the symbol of
love. Several locals believe that after sunset, Lord Krishna arrives at the
temple to do raasleela with the gopis. Many have claimed to hear the
sound of ghungroo at night too. These stories have indeed heightened the
curiosity level in people which has ultimately led to a heavy footfall at
this temple in Vrindavan.
11. Veerabhadra Temple, Andhra Pradesh:

Veerabhadra Temple which can be traced back to the 16th century. is

popularly known as Lepakshi Temple. It is home to 70 huge pillars that
depict the Vijayanagar style. And the mind-boggling part of this temple
is one of these pillars. In opposition to any other pillar, one pillar
dangles from the roof, which means it does not touch the ground. It
leaves a recognizable space for visitors to test it with a cloth. This has
intrigued people to visit this temple in Andhra Pradesh and test it
themselves, positively justifying the mith.
12. Yama Temple in Pretshila Hill
Pretshila Hill, meaning the Hill of Ghosts is situated at a distance of
eight kilometres of Gaya. It is one of the most sacred sites in Gaya for
the Hindus where they come down to offer pind-daan, the ritual
performed for the peace of a deceased’s soul. Situated at the top of the
hill is the temple dedicated to the prayer of Lord Yama, the God of
Death as per the mythology of the Hindus.
This temple dates back years ago, but nobody is able to provide an exact
time frame as to when this religious site was constructed. It is believed
to have been constructed by the Queen of Indore, Rani Ahilyabai Holkar.
However, the temple has since then undergone multiple renovations.
Another attraction of this temple is the Ramkund Tank that stands very
close to the temple. The locals believe that Lord Rama had bathed at that
tank once, and ever since then, it has become a beacon of holiness.
Hindus believe a bath in the tank has the power to dissolve the sins done
by a person.
13.. Dungeshwari Cave Temples
The ancient Dungeshwari Cave Temples are situated in the northeast of
Gaya at a distance of 12 kilometers. These cave temples are also
popularly known as the Mahakala Cave Temples.
It is a religious site held with high reverence by people as they believe
that Lord Gautama Buddha had meditated in these caves, long before he
went to Bodh Gaya. The caves are home to intricate and spectacular
Buddhist shrines, referred to as the Sujata Sthan by the locals. A famous
story behind these revered caves is that – when Lord Buddha pursued
the path of self-demolition and did not take food or water, he was worn
out completely, and later a lady from a village, called Sujata, had offered
Him water and food. After which, it dawned upon Lord Buddha that
enlightenment cannot be attained by self-abasement and he proceeded
ahead on his journey to reach Bodh Gaya, the final destination in his
quest.
A major attraction of the cave temples is a marvellous six feet high
statue of Lord Buddha made of gold.
14. Mangla Gauri Temple
Mangla Gauri Temple is a temple of high importance for the Hindus, as
it has been mentioned in the most sacred religious scriptures such as the
Vayu Purana, Padma Purana, and Agni Purana as well as in many other
tantric scriptures as well. Mangla Gauri Temple forms one of the 18
Maha Shakti-peeth’s in the country and stands proudly since the 15-
century.
The temple shrine is dedicated to the worship of Sati, the wife of Shiva..
One of the greatest attractions of this temple is believed to be housing a
part of the goddess that fell from the heavens. The goddess is here
worshipped in the breast-form, which symbolizes the nourishment and
love of a mother.
The temple is situated atop the Mangalagauri Hill and is believed to be a
sacred spot granting the wishes of her devotees. One has to climb some
stairs to reach the temple. Inside the temple, you will be able to see some
beautiful ancient sculptures, and two shrines of Shiva with the images of
Goddess Durga, and her incarnations Mahisasura Mardini and Dakshina
Kali. The temple complex also houses the temples of Goddess Kali,
Lord Hanuman, and Lord Ganesha.
15. Chinese Temple
The Chinese Temple in Gaya stands nearby the Mahabodhi Temple and
is a spectacular Buddhist temple built by Chinese-Buddhist monks. The
architecture, therefore, is an amalgamation of the beautiful Indian and
Chinese designs, especially the temple exterior, which resembles a
Chinese monastery.
The Buddha statue inside the Chinese Temple is more than 200 years old
and is believed to have been made and imported from China. The temple
has three marvellous golden statues of Lord Buddha. Another attraction
to the temple is the rich and detailed travelogues drawn by Chinese
religious scholars who travelled to India for the pursuit of spirituality
and wisdom.
16. Vishnupad Temple

Vishnupad Temple is one of the most significant sacred temples in Gaya

dedicated to the worship of Lord Vishnu. The temple’s architecture is
influenced by the Shikara style although it underwent reconstruction and
renovation by the Rani Ahilya Bai in the year of 1787.
Several travellers and locals flock to the temple to worship the footprints
present inside this temple. Lord Vishnu’s footprint is about 40
centimeters in length and encircled by silver plates, as many of the
Hindu religious scriptures have described it.
The temple stands on the banks of River Falgu and is a large complex
dedicated to several gods and goddesses. The temple houses shrines of
deities like Lord Narasimha and Lord Shiva.
Visiting the lanes of the city and exploring its ancient temples and rich
culture, Gaya is a spiritual journey in itself.
17. Mystical temple of speaking idols in Bihar

The famous Raj Rajeshwari Tripura Sundari temple in Bastar, Bihar,

attracts hundreds of thousands of devotees from across the nation. This
temple is dedicated to Goddess Durga.
Historians say that, the temple was built 400 years ago to perform
Tantric worship and obtain tantric powers.
In this temple, there are several deities of Goddess Durga in various
avatars like Tripura, Dhumavati, Bagulamukhi, Tara, Kali, Chinn Masta,
Shodasi, Maantangdi, Kamla, Ugrah Tara, Bhuwaneshwari etc.
Though looks beautiful in the mornings, this temple raises various
mystical happenings during ever night. From the day one of this temple
built, the royal family and the local people who built the temple were
able to hear various sounds at night.
No one could understand those words even though the sound is very
clear. Also, they were unable to find the source from where the sounds
are coming from.
A team of scientists visited the place and confirmed that past dusk, one
can hear voices coming from the temple even when there is no human in
sight. Locals believe that at midnight, one can hear the deities talk to
each other and scientists say that it in unknown why words keep echoing
in the main temple.
Believe it or not, this mystical phenomenon remains unsolved and no
one knows why one can hear sounds coming out of the temple.
18. Kal Garudan at Nachiyar Koil Temple.

Kal Garuda, an image of Vishnu's mount - Garuda, is the most

prominent feature of the temple. As per local legend, the sculptor who
sculpted the idol of Garuda got frustrated as the bird flew away each
time, a new image was prepared. In frustration, he threw a stone at
Garuda, who got injured and decided to stay at the temple as Kal
Garuda. The image of Kal Garuda is made of saligrama and is housed in
the shrine outside the main sanctum. During festive procession during
the Tamil months of Margazhi (December–January) and Panguni (March
- April), the festive images are carried out in procession in Kal Garudar.
While only four people are needed to carry the idol of Garuda out of the
shrine, it multiples to 8, 16, 32, 64 and 128 people when the image is
taken outside the temple. The weight of the idol remains the same when
carried by 4 people and stays the same when carried outside by 128.
Only supernatural force is acting on that idol. On the way back only 4
people are required to carry the float in the decreasing order 128, 64, 32,
16, 8, 4. The aspect is treated magical as drops of sweat are also
observed on the image of Kal Garuda during the six-hour-long
procession.
19, Mangala Giri - Panakala Narasimhar

A regular practice in this temple is to offer beverage made of jaggery

and water as Naivedya. To fulfil the vows devotees offer this beverage
and Lord glady accepts the Panaka Puja. The pecularlity of the above
offering is that He receives it whole-heartedly and drinks to his
satisfaction by a strange gurgling sound while pouring the beverage in
his mouth. Half of the quantity of the beverage again comes out of his
mouth which is distributed as prasad. One could notice that there is no
passage for this huge quantity of beverage to let it out. Nobody knows
where and how the Panakam goes leaving the entire area always dry and
hot.
20. Rat Temple or Karni Mata Temple

30Km from Bikaner in Rajasthan at Deshnoke there is Temple of Karni

Mata which is often regarded as Rat Temple. Karni Mata temple is
famous for its 20000 rats that live here along with humans and not a
single case of an outbreak of any disease or plague has been heard here.
Though Rat is often regarded as the vehicle of Lord Ganesha here at
Karni Mata temple they are called Kabbas and believed as the
reincarnation of Karni Mata. Local people also believe that after their
death they would be reborn as one of the rats in this temple. Kilos of
Prasad is cooked for rats and human and rat share food together..
21. Monkey Temple or Galtaji Temple:
Hindu culture believes deeply in reincarnation and a there is a close
bond between animals and humans. Monkeys are sacred in Hinduism
due to Lord Hanuman who helped Lord Rama in his fight against
Ravana. The Galtaji Temple is 10km away from Jaipur and its
inhabitants are special Rhesus Macaques Monkey species which are
world’s most adaptable primates. They have been living here for
hundreds of year and prayed by visitors and pilgrims.
22. Snake Temple-Mannarasala Temple:

India is home to one of the poisons snakes in the world “The King
Cobra”. and in many parts of India snakes are worshipped. There are
festivals when snakes are worshipped like Nag Panchami and Maha
Shivratri.
One temple where snakes are worshipped is Mannarasala Temple and it
is situated in Alappuzha District of the Indian state of Kerala. This
temple has nearly 30,000 images of snakes idols along the path.
Mannarsala Aayilyam is the main festival celebrated here and on this
day all the idols are washed with milk and worshipped. Women came
here seeking fertility and once their wish is fulfilled they install idols of
snakes. Thousands of snakes are found to be roaming around the temple,
during pooja times.
In Mannarasala Temple thousands of Idols of snakes can be found along
the boundary wall.
23. Dog Temple of India

Temple for Dog: In Chennapatna Taluk of Ramanagar district of

Karnataka there is a temple dedicated to a dog. According to villager’s,
the dog was one of the first animals that have been living with humans
and they believe if they worship dog then nothing wrong can happen in
their village. Temple has been built near to the village deity and it has
idols of two dogs..
24. Aeroplane temple in Punjab:
A temple dedicated to rat, monkey, politician, and sports icon, all you
can find in India and we have a specific reason for all but it is amazing
to know that there is a gurudwara in Talhan village in Jalandhar district
of Punjab known by Shaheed Baba Nihal Singh Gurudwara but locals
prefer to refer it by “Hawai jahaz gurdwara” or the “airplane gurdwara".
It is believed that praying here increases the chances of going abroad.
People visiting here purchase aeroplane toys from nearby shops and
offer in the temple. It is believed that the size of aeroplane offered in
temple decides the type of city a devotee might get. A small plane can
increase chances of traveling to smaller European cities and offering big
planes like Boeing 747 can provide you a ticket to New York.
25. Chilkur Balaji temple.

Famous for clearing US Visa, the Lord Balaji temple is situated on the
banks of Osman Sagar lake near Hyderabad.
Chilkur Balaji temple first gained its reputation in the 1980s when a
group of software engineering students claimed to have received visas to
US after visiting the shrine.Poularly known as 'Visa Balaji Temple', it is
one of the oldest temples in the region.It has over 75,000 to a lakh
devotees paying a visit every week, mainly with prayers to obtain visa,
with a major rush on Fridays and Sundays
26. Dhanwantari temple, Walajabad

Dhanvantri is depicted as Vishnu with four hands , holding medicinal

herbs in one hand and a pot containing rejuvenating nectar called
Amrutha in another . The Puranas state that Dhanvantri emerged from
the ' Ocean of Milk ' and appeared with the pot of nectar during the
sagara manthan whilst the ocean was being churned by the devas and
asuras .
Devotees carry out the homam, a sacrificial fire ceremony, with a variety
of medicinal plants, herbs, fruits, and flowers in a huge fire pit ( homa
kundam ). This wafts the offering's medicinal properties into the air to be
breathed in to help alleviate ailments
It is surprising to find the main idol adorning a stethoscope, to prove that
he is reliever of ailments.
27. Hayagrivar temple, Tiruvahindrapuram
Hyagrivar is worshipped as god of vedas and learning in Hindu-Tamil
literature.The devout seek blessings prior to exams and higher learning.
Hayagriva temple on top of a little hill. Its extremely popular among
students as Hayagriva is the lord of Knowledge. Hayagrivar is guru to
goddess Sarawathi. It is believed that praying to him would yield good
results in exams. Many youngsters come there with pencils/pens, books
and notebooks and do the archana to the deity.