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Special Temples-2

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Special Temples-2

There are some special Temples in India which have some kind of specialties in them. Some of them are given here ---

Baijnaath Mahaadev Temple Built by an Englishman
How a faith beyond the religion leads to happy reunion of mentally tormented family. It is an Englishman who built this Hindu temple. Baijnaath Mahaadev is the only Indian Temple rebuilt by an Englishman. The British ruled India for hundreds of years, and built many churches and cathedrals. But in the 1880s, a Shiv Temple in Agar Maalavaa, Madhya Pradesh, was rebuilt by Lt Col Martin - the only temple ever made by an Englishman in India.

Col Martin was in the Afghan wars. He used to regularly write to his wife, informing her of conditions there. It was a long war, and gradually the colonel’s letters stopped. Mrs Martin, who then lived in the cantonment of Agar Maalavaa, was besides herself with grief, fearing the worst. She would spend time riding for hours to calm herself. One day she rode her horse, past the temple of Baijnaath Mahaadev. It was in a decrepit state. It was the time of Aaratee, and the sound of conches and the chanting of Mantra compelled her to stop. She went inside to see the worship of Lord Shiv. The priests saw the grief on her face and asked her what was wrong. Mrs Martin narrated her sad story. The Braahman told her that Shiv listens to sincere prayers of all devotees and saves them from difficult situations. She was advised by one of the priests to start chanting the Mantra: “Om Namah Shivaaya” for 11 days.

The Englishwoman prayed to Lord Shiv for the colonel’s safe return, promising she would rebuild the temple if he came home safe from the war. On the 10th day, a messenger arrived from Afgaanistaan with a letter from her husband. It read, “I was regularly sending you letters from the battlefield but then suddenly the Pathaan surrounded us. I thought there was no way of escape. Suddenly I saw an Indian Yogee with long hair, wearing a tiger skin carrying a trident. He had an awe-inspiring personality and he started wielding his weapon against the Afgaan who ran away from the field in fright. With his grace what was certain death our bad times turned into victory. Then the great Yogee told me that I should not worry and that he had come to rescue me because he was very pleased with my wife’s prayers.”

Tears of joy and gratitude welled up in Mrs Martin’s eyes as she read the letter. Her heart was overwhelmed. She fell at the feet of Lord Shiv’s idol and sobbed. After a few weeks Lt Col Martin returned and his wife told him her story. The couple became devotees of Shiv. In 1883, they donated Rs 15,000 to renovate the temple. This information is engraved on a slab kept in the Baijnaath Mahaadev Temple. The Martins sailed for England with the firm resolution that they would make a Shiv temple at their home also and pray to him till the end of life. And they did.

Shree Vallabh Temple, Tiruvalla, Kerala
Shree Vallabh Temple Tiruvalla, Kerala is one of the important pilgrim centers of Vaishnavites all over India. Lord Vishnu is the main deity of this Temple. Its main attraction is a 60 feet high granite pillar carved out of a single piece with an image of Garud on its top standing in front of the Temple. The pillar serves as a flagstaff of the Temple. It is believed that its bottom touches the water table.

 

 

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Created by Sushma Gupta on 3/15/05
Contact:  sushmajee@yahoo.com
Updated on 09/30/13