SHIVA - THE COSMIC DANCER

MARGABANDHEESHWARAR TEMPLE – VIRINJIPURAM – VELLORE DISTRICT – TAMILNADU Seven tiered Rajagopuram Brahma the creator and Mahavishnu the Preserver were bragging about their own greatness, when a large fiery Lingam grew in between them. In order to prove their might over the other Brahma in the form of a swan flew skywards to touch the head of the Lingam and Vishnu in his Varaha Avatar – Boar went digging into the earth to find the feet of the Lingam. After many years, Vishnu came back and accepted that he could not see the bottom of the Lingam. While returning back Brahma saw the Ketaki flower’s falling from the heavens, he went and lied to Vishnu that he had seen the head of the Lingam and the Kethaki flower is his Proof. Bhagavan Shiva cursed Brahma (no festivities or Temple dedicated to him) to be born on earth and pray to him to attain moksha. Kethaki flower (Thayampoo in tamil) is not used in Shiva pooja. Lingaodbhavar Brahma was born as Shivasharma in th

PANCHAVARNEESHWARAR TEMPLE – WORAIYUR – TRICHIRAPALLI DISTRICT - TAMILNADU Uraiyur or Tirumukkeeswaram, was one of the oldest capitals of the early Chola kings (3020 BC to 245 CE) as noted by the Greek traveler Ptolomy in the 2 nd  CE. The 7th century Shaiva canonical work  Tevaram  by Tirugnanasambandar mentions the place as "Tirumukeechwaram”.  Uraiyur   is an area of  Tiruchirapalli  in  Tamilnadu , sometimes spelt as   Urayur , this location is also known as   Thirukkozhi ,   Nikalaapuri ,   Uranthai , and   Kozhiyur .  It has a history dating back to before 200 BCE There is definite mention of the Cholas, and their capital in Ashokan inscriptions in   Orissa  pushing back the antiquity of the Cholas as well as Uraiyur to 272–232 BCE, which was the period of   Ashoka  (ca. 304–232 BCE) who was ruler of the  Maurya Dynasty  of   Patliputra   (modern   Patna ). Inscriptions and rock edicts of Ashoka and the   Satavahana   describe Urayur as "the citadel and

NARTHAMALAI – THE EGYPTIAN CONNECTION Narthamalai – a small village now, was a major trading center under the Muttaraiyar Kings, Vassals of the early Pallava’s and Pandya’s (7 th  to 9 th  century CE) and later came under the influence of the medieval Chola’s under Vijayala Chola during the last decade of 9 th  century CE. Narthamalai perhaps is named after the trading community Nagaratthar (Nagaratthar – Malai) also known as Nattukottai Chettiyar’s even now. Did the Nattukottai Chettiyar’s have an Egyptian connection? Did they have trade links with Egypt in the 7 th  century CE or before. Did the merchants & artisans of Narthamalai visit Egypt? The artisans from the reign of Muthuraiyars, seem to have been to Egypt, in order to have come out with a small frame in the walls of the Big Shiva Vishnu cave, with a sculpture similar to the “SPHINX”. The Human face with a Lions body. The same is well en