MEENAKSHI THIRUKALYANAM

MEENAKSHI THIRUKALYANAM

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MADURAI

Meenakshi Thirukalyanam is a part of the renowned ‘Chithirai Thiruvizha’ celebrations. This festival is observed during the month of ‘Chitirai’ in the Tamil calendar.

 Chithirai Thiruvizha is an annual event celebrated with great pomp and show in Madurai in the month of April, as per the Gregorian calendar.

 It is known to be the world’s longest celebrations that last for a period of one month (30 days).

Of this, the first 15 days are dedicated to Goddess Meenakshi (an incarnation of Goddess Parvati) and the remaining 15 days is celebrated for Alagar, who is known to be a form of Mahavishnu.

 Alagar is the elder brother of Meenakshi and he visited Madurai to attend the marriage ceremony of Lord Shiva and Meenakshi.

On the day of Meenakshi Thirukalyanam, devotees get up at sunrise and reach the Meenakshi Madurai temple. After taking a holy dip in the Golden Lotus pond, they wear clean clothes.

Goddess Meenakshi is first worshipped by the traditional methods, following which prayers are offered to ‘Viboothi Vinayakar’. On this day devotees sing devotional songs and bhajans. It is also considered auspicious to wear the holy ash, known as ‘Uthiraksham’ while entering the temple premises.

 Devotees also carry fruits, coconuts and incense sticks to offer to their lords. Inside the temple the idols of the Gods and Goddesses are decorated with beautiful silk clothes and floral garlands. Not only is this, on the day of Meenakshi Thirukalyanam the entire temple decorated as a bride.

 There are nearly 50 priests in the Meenakshi Madurai temple who perform the puja rituals and special prayers. The main priests in the temple perform the ritualistic wedding ceremonies. At the completion of the event, magnificent idols of Lord Sundareswarar and Goddess Meenakshi Amman are taken out in huge processions on the streets in the ‘Pushpa Pallakku’ and ‘Yaanai Vahanam’.

BY Air

Madurai is well connected to other major cities of the country via regular flights.

Airport(s): Madurai Airport (IXM)

BY TRAIN

You can easily get regular trains to Madurai from other major cities of the country.

Railway Station(s): Madurai Junction (MDU)

BY BUS

There are regular buses from other major cities of the country to Madurai.

Bus Station(s): Madurai , Madurai By Pass

THRISSUR POORAM FESTIVAL

THRISSUR POORAM

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KERALA

Thrissur pooram commonly called the pooram of all poorams. It is one of the mammoth pooram festival in kerala. It is a 36 hours continous pooram attracting a huge mass of people from different places including international tourists.

The pooram starts at the time of Kanimangalam sasthavu ezhunnellippu in the early morning and followed by the ezhunnellippu of other six temples. One of the major event in Thrissur pooram is “Madathil varavu”- is a panchavadhyam melam, participating more than 200 artists, consists of Thimila, Madhalam, Trumpet, Cymbal and Edakka (Different types of instruments). At 2’ O clock, inside the vadakkumnathan temple starts the famous Ilanjithara melam – a type of melam consists of drum, trumpets, pipe and cymbal

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Thrissur pooram commonly called the pooram of all poorams. It is one of the mammoth pooram festival in kerala.it is a 36 hours continous pooram attaracting a huge mass of people from different places including international tourists.

Thrissur Pooram Festival is one of the most splendid and colorful temple festivals of Kerala. Introduced by Sakthan Thampuran, the Maharaja of erstwhile Kochi state, Thrissur Pooram is celebrated in the Malyalam month of Medom, which usually falls in April or May.

The Thrissur Pooram features cultural potpourri and artistic performances of Paramekkavu and Thiruvambadi groups who vie with each other for the best performance. The extraordinary, astounding processions from Krishna Temple and Devi Temple are some other highlights of the festival.

 On the day before the last day of the festival, the groups enter the Vadakumnatha Temple through the western gate and come out through the southern gate to parade face to face with each other. Caparisoned elephants and the exchange of umbrellas look dazzlingly beautiful and mesmerizing.

Air

The nearest international airport is at Nedumbassery, Ernakulam located 60km north from Thrissur.

Rail

Thrissur is an important railhead of the southern railway and linked to most major towns inside and outside Kerala. The railway station is about 1km south-west of the town centre and just 350 meters from the temple premises. Trains to Ernakulam, 74km south, take about 1¹/₂ -2 hours; trains to Kozhikode, 118km north, take about 3hours. 

Road

There are frequent buses from Thrissur along NH47 to different destinations. The KSRTC bus stand is at the south west of the town center. There are buses to Kochi (2 hrs), Thiruvananthapuram (8 hrs), Kozhikode (3 ¹/₂ hrs), Kottayam, Palakkad (1 ¹/₂ hrs), Chennai (12hrs)etc. The large, private bus stand Sakthan Tampuran is south of the city center, the smaller, private Priyadarshini bus stand is north of the city. Private buses have frequent services to places close by like Guruvayur and small towns like Mallapuram and Shornur near by.

AUROBINDO ASHRAM

AUROBINDO ASHRAM

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PUDUCHERRY

The Sri Aurobindo Ashram is a spiritual community (ashram) established at Pondicherry, in the Indian territory of Puducherry, by Sri Aurobindo on the 24 November 1926. At the time there were few disciples staying with Sri Aurobindo. Sri Aurobindo subsequently decided to withdraw from public view for continuing His spiritual work and handed over the responsibility of the Sadhaks (spiritual aspirants) and the Ashram to His spiritual collaborator The Mother

Sri Aurobindo Ghose is celebrated philosopher-poet. Born in Kolkata in 1872 to a rich Bengali family, Aurobindo began the practice of Yoga in 1905 and 5 years later he moved to Pudcherry from Bengal.

During his 40 years tenure at Puducherry, Aurobindo worked out a new system of mind development which he called Integral Yoga. His philosophical writings and poetry-lofty and impenetrable to the casual reader attract worldwide attention.

Later Mirra Alfassa, a French painter-sculptor who had followed the same path like Aurobindo, joined him later. Together, in1926, they founded an ashram where his belief -'All life is Yoga'- could be put into practice. Later Mirra Alfassa, came to be known as the Mother of the Sri Aurobindo Ashram.

 It was the Mother who launched the community of Auroville, which flourishes ten kilometers outside of Puducherry. After Aurobindo’s death in 1950, the running of the Ashram was entrusted by Mirra Alfassa. She died in 1973 at the age of 93.

Administered by the Sri Aurobindo Ashram Trust, a public charitable trust formed by the Mother in 1955. the Ashram is located in the eastern part of Puducherry. It is an enchanting ashram where devotees from India and abroad come from all over the world

By Air

The airport at Pondicherry can accommodate landing of a small aircraft only and has flights coming in from Bangalore and Hyderabad. However, you can get a connecting flight if you are coming from Delhi, Kochi, Kolkata and Mumbai. Chennai is the second nearest domestic as well as international airport which is approximately 135 kilometres away from Pondicherry. The Chennai airport is well connected to all major cities across the globe. Once you reach at the airport, you can hire a private taxi to reach Pondicherry.

By Train

The nearest rail station from Pondicherry is Villupuram, which is about 35 kilometres away from the town. The railhead is well-connected to cities like New Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai, Chennai, and Trivandrum. Two of the most popular trains are New Delhi Pondicherry Express and Nagarcoli Express. Once you reach at the station, you can hire a taxi that will drive you to the city.

By Bus

There are several buses that ply frequently from Chennai, Thanjaur, Trichy, Coimbatore, Bangalore and Madurai to Pondicherry. Both private and state-owned buses are available. The bus fare will depend upon the distance covered.

TAJ MAHAL

TAJ MAHAL

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AGRA

Taj mahal is considered one of the world’s most iconic landmarks, and elected as one of the New Seven Wonders of the World, the Taj Mahal is a living testament to grandeur, romance, and historical significance. As India’s most recognizable structure, the Taj Mahal was built by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in memory to his favorite wife. Its interior is complete with blossoming and vibrant exotic gardens, reflecting pools, and an impressive mosque.

Mumtaz Mahal, an inseparable companion of Shah Jahan, died in 1631, while giving birth to their 14th child. It was in the memory of his beloved wife that Shah Jahan built a magnificent monument as a tribute to her, which we today know as the "Taj Mahal".

The construction of Taj Mahal started in the year 1631. Masons, stonecutters, inlayers, carvers, painters, calligraphers, dome-builders and other artisans were requisitioned from the whole of the empire and also from Central Asia and Iran, and it took approximately 22 years to build what we see today.

 An epitome of love, it made use of the services of 22,000 laborers and 1,000 elephants. The monument was built entirely out of white marble, which was brought in from all over India and central Asia. After an expenditure of approximately 32 million rupees, Taj Mahal was finally completed in the year 1653.

The best time to arrive would be just before the sunrise or sunset. Night viewing is allowed on the full moon night, two days before it and two days after it.

Tickets for the same need to be booked one day in advance.

Visiting Hours: Taj Mahal Sunrise to Sunset (Friday Closed) other monuments sunrise to sunset.

By Air
The fastest way of reaching Taj Mahal, Agra is by air. The city of Taj, Agra, has its own airport that is around 7 km from the city center. Indian Airlines operates flights to Agra on a daily basis.

By Rail
There is a good network of trains connecting Agra with the rest of the country. Apart from the main railway station of Agra Cantonment, there are other two stations also, that of Raja-ki-Mandi and Agra Fort. The main trains connecting Agra with Delhi are Palace on Wheels, Shatabdi, Rajdhani, and Taj Express.

By Road
There are regular bus services from Agra to a number of important cities. The main bus stand of Idgah has a number of buses running for Delhi, Jaipur, Mathura, Fatehpur-Sikri, etc.

RAMA NAVAMI

RAMA NAVAMI

LORD RAMA BIRTH PLACE AYODHYA

Sri Rama Navami is celebrated for 10 days and people from different regions of the country follow different celebrations of showing their devotion towards lord Rama. In Andhra Pradesh, the festival is celebrated for 10 days starting from the Chaitra Saptami to the Bahula Padyami.

All across India, this day is celebrated as Lord Rama’s birthday as well as the day he got married to Sita. Importantly, some important celebrations happen on this day at Ayodhya (UP), Bhadrachalam (Telangana), Rameshwaram (TamilNadu), and Sitamarhi (Bihar).

Ram Navami is a major festival for Lord Ram’s worshippers. Lord Ram's dynasty considered themselves to have descended from the Sun. Therefore the celebrations on Ram Navami festival begin early morning by praying to the Sun. In the afternoon, which is supposed to be Lord Ram’s birth time, a special prayer is performed in temples.

Ayodhya is the place where Lord Ram was born and during the festival resplendently decorated rath yatras or chariot processions are carried through the town. The main attraction of these processions are lavishly decorated chariots carrying four people dressed up as Lord Ram, his wife Sita, brother Laxman, and his disciple Hanuman.

Other sacred places like Ujjain and Rameshwaram also draw thousands of devotees from all over the country during this festival. People visit Rameshwaram to take a ritual bath in the sea before paying homage at the Ramanathaswamy temple.

May this day brings happiness to you and
fill your May this day brings happiness to you and
fill your life with joy and prosperity.
Warm wishes on Happy Ram Navami.

life with joy and prosperity.
Warm wishes on Happy Ram Navami.