maithanam @ night ,sreenarayana mission hospital

Underpassage @ maithanam

Janardhana Swami Temple

The Diety of this temple is Sri Janardhana Swami.the diety is found in standing position facing his face towards east.His right hand in position as if he is performing Aachamanam.His right hand is raised towards his mouth and legends says that when his hand touches his mouth world will come to an end.

Legends

Saga Nerada after paying his respect to Sri Narayana(Vishnu) left Vaikuntam to see Brahma.Enraptured by the sweet music of Narada,Vishnu followed him unobserved .When Narada reached Brahmaloka Brahma saw Vishnu following his son Narada and offered salutations to him ,at which Vishnu,realizing the awkward situation,suddenly disappeared.Brahma found that the person whon he had revered was his son Narada.

The Prajapathis who were laughing at this incident were curses by Brahma that they would be born on earth ans suffer the miseries of human beings.Narada advised them to perform penance at the place he himself would select for them.Narada threw his “Valkalam”(bark upper garmet) into the air and at the place where it fell down,they consecrated a temple for Sri Krishna an incarnation of Vishnu.Hence name Varkala is a corruption of Valkala.

It is the only shrine dedicated to Vishnu in the name of Janardhana in this part of country.Normally all such temples are known as Krishna temples.In the south west corner and north eastern side of outer enclosure are the shrines of sastha ,Shiva ,naga and nandi

Holding the idol the head elephant with other caparisoned elephants step down to join the colourful procession.This sight of stepping down adds to the charm

Sivagiri

Varkala used to be known as the southern Benares. Narayana Guru built a hermitage on top of the Sivagiri hill and stayed there. He grew some plants around the place. That solitary hill began to attract public attention ever since Gurudev appeared there.

Sivagiri Sarada mutt

Gurudev's prathishta in April 1912 of the goddess Sree Sarada at Sivagiri, ranks as the most remarkable among his consecration of temple deities, and occupies a distinguished place in history.

According to the Indian concept, the goddess Saraswathy is the prime goddess of knowledge. But there are very few temples in Kerala with Saraswathy prathishta. Sivagiri Sarada Mutt was planned and designed by Gurudev who took a particular interest in it. Ordinary temples do not have windows. Gurudev called this temple, which is octagonal in shape, Sarada Mutt.

Here unlike in other temples, there is no nivedyam (offering of food to the deity) or abhishekam (pouring oil, ghee and such on the idol). Devotees can worship the goddess by reciting hymns. The idol of Saraswathy seated on white lotus is the symbol of "knowledge blossoming on whiteness or purity".Gurudev performed the pratishta of the deity at Sarada Mutt on the full moon day in April 1912.

Samadhi

Even decades after the Guru breathed his last

here in 1928 AD, his 'Samadhi'(restling place) continues to be thronged by thousands every year. The 'Sivagiri Pilgrimage' is conducted between December 30 and January 1.

The Mutt is also the headquarter of the 'Sree Narayana Dharma Sangham', a religious organisation established by the Guru to propagate his concept of 'One Caste, One Religion, One God'. The Sarada Temple and Sivagiri Mutt set in picturesque hill of Sivagiri near Varkala have now become a place of pilgrimage with great fanfare