Madurai Meenakshi Amman Temple - Stunning Virtual Tour‏

Madurai Meenakshi Amman Temple

(Please click the above link)

This is a Fantastic work from 'view360' team. A 360 degree vision of one of the most famous temples in India.

You can click on the mentioned link to have a virtual tour. It takes a while depending on system. There is a layout on top left corner with pointers. You can click on any of that pointer to visit that particular part of the temple. Once the page appears, just click and drag up, down, right, left wherever. Don't miss the roof where you can see century old amazing wall paintings, the sculptures on the pillars and 1000 pillar hall.

The date of original diety is still unknown and the temple is mentioned in many Tamil literary works as early as 7th century A.D. This temple is believed to be ransacked by Muslim Invaders in early 1300's and almost destroyed. The structure was re-built and got the present form after many Hindu Kings, Patrons and Rulers took initiative in the 1500's and thereafter....

A brilliant testimony of ancient architecture!!

Thanks to Mr.Partha Partha's Blog, a blogger friend who has shared this info.

The designers View360

Our Own Culture..

This was posted on 2nd of Feb in my old blog when 'a few Indian women were attacked in Mangalore, Karnataka just because they entered a pub' (which the attackers claim is 'against Indian culture).

India always showed an openness to embrace and extract the good from anything and everything. How can we recognize an act, which is against 'Our' culture? And how we define 'Our' culture, which is a culmination of many, put together. We have a track record of combining civilizations, voluntarily or forcibly, right from the days of Aryan invasion, centuries ago. Then we came across various unfamiliar kingdoms, both good and evil, which attacked and ruled us for centuries. A ‘Holy Fusion’ of various thoughts and practices altogether. This doesn't mean it is the weakness of India as a nation, but it is the broadness and our nature of warmness to our 'Uninvited Guests' which ultimately ended up in this present unique form.

A nation, where Mahatma Gandhi lived and showed the world the importance of high thinking and simple living ; a nation that gave birth to Swami Vivekananda, who with his adept oration and discourses, changed the way the world look at Indian Monks ; a nation with thousands of other leads like Subash Chandra Bose, Shaheed Bhagat Singh, B.R. Ambedkar, C.V Raman, Mother Teresa, Amartya Sen, E.M.S Namboodiripad, K Kamaraj, Baba Amte, Homi Bhabha and A.P.J Abdul Kalam to name a very few from the never ending list.

How can we forget the epitome of righteousness, Sri Adi Shankara, who truly was a ‘Revolutionary’ in terms of his vision on caste and creed? The one who revived and purified Hinduism with his philosophies and condemned the wrong practices existed in those days (Though there are still many, who fail to understand him and stick to 'Unnecessary Practices’).

The Essence and Strength of our nation or cultural heritage is our Vibrant and Receptive nature and let’s be proud of that. No nation has a culture/history/tradition as Unique or Diversified as ours. Jai Hind!!!

Note: The world has seen last year an ‘Indian’ woman Space Walk. Sad that a few of us bother when women Pub Walk...


(pic taken from net)*