ASIA
This temple, built by Rakai Pikatan of Mataram Kingdom
in the 9th century, is not only one of the largest temples in SE Asia but is
also the largest Hindu temple in Indonesia.
The name 'Prambanan' comes from the word 'Para
Brahman' which in Javanese stands for the 'supreme brahmin'.
The temple is dedicated to Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva.
It has a 47metre high building in the centre of a
large complex and houses many individual temples.
Originally, there were 240 such temples but many are
in ruins now.
The temple dedicated to Lord Shiva is located in the
innermost section of the compound and is the largest structure.
This temple is one of the 275 Paadal Petra Sthalams
and is one of the oldest temples in Kathmandu.
Chronicles reveal that it was constructed in by
Jayadeva 11 way back in 753 AD.
Reconstruction of the temple happened around the17th
century due to enormous damages caused by termites.
Inside the temple is a meter high lingam that has four
faces.
Despite being a Hindu temple, its uniqueness lies in
the fact that it a Nepalese pagoda style architecture wherein sloping roofs
made of cooper with gold covering rest on wooden rafters.
It has four entrance doors all of which are covered in
silver sheets.
This temple located in the Chakwal district of Punjab near
Lahore in Pakistan is to have been in existence since the days of the
Mahabharata.
The Pandava brothers is said to have taken refuge here during
their days of exile.
Legend has it that when Lord Shiva's wife, Sati, dies He cried
so much that two pools were created.
One is located in Pushkar and the other was formed here.
It houses seven temples of which the temple dedicated to
Lord Shiva has been built on a square platform and the entrance has a recessed
round arch.
The temple complex also has a sacred pool for bathing. However
since 2012 this has been drying up due to excessive use of the ground water for
industrial purposes.
This temple is said to have been in existence since
the days to the Ramayana.
It is said that Lord Ram prayed to Lord Shiva here
after he won against Ravana.
It is a temple complex comprising of five temples.
Of these the one dedicated to Lord Shiva is the
central and the biggest one.
This temple has been destroyed twice in the past by
the Portuguese before it was finally handed over to the Jesuits who rebuilt it.
This temple celebrates Shivratri and Navratri with a
lot of grandeur.
Constructed in 1922, this is one of the oldest temples located
in Johor Baru.
The land on which the temple stands was bequeathed to the
Indians by the Sultan of Johore.
Initially it resembled only a hut but over the years it has
grown to become a grand one.
The most unique aspect of this temple is its creative, intricate
and neat glass work.
As for the sanctum that houses the deity of Lord Shiva, over 3,
00,000 Rudraksha beads have been pasted onto the wall.
Some of the other Shiva temples in Asia are:
·
The Kendrit Shiri Sanatan Dharam
Shiv Temple in Fiji.
However this was destroyed in 2008 by what the police had then
confirmed as a 'fire set on purpose'. It was one of the oldest Hindu temples to
have been built in Nadi (Fiji) way back in 1905. Since its destruction the Sri
Siva Subrmaniya Temple built in 1926 and again redesigned in 1986 has become an
important place for Hindu worshippers.
·
The Sagar Shiv Temple in Mauritius
·
The Shiva Temple in Muscat, Oman
·
The Shiva Shakti temple in
Moscow, Russia
·
And there are over 50 temples
dedicated to Lord Shiva in Sri Lanka
The 13th and the last Jyothirlinga was gifted to
Australia in 1999 by the then King of Nepal -- the late Birendra Bir
Bikram Shah Dev.
Together with this was gifted 7996 hymns arranged
in eight volumes especially to be sung in praise of this deity.
According to the scriptures, construction of this
lingam had to be in the southern hemisphere which symbolised the 'mouth of the
snake', the snake being like an ornament around Lord Shiva's neck. Hence
Australia was chosen.
This temple's foundation was laid on Shivratri in 1999
in Minto -- Sydney's suburb.
Its uniqueness lies in the fact that it is the only
cave temple to have been constructed by man.
Together with the 13th Jyotirlinga, the temple also
houses the replicas of the other 12 Jyotirlingas.
In all, the temple complex has 1128 smaller temples
all of which are related to Lord Shiva.
Inside the main sanctum is a 10metre deep vault where
there are two million notes written by hand saying 'Om Namah Shivaya' from
devotees.
In 1984, 14 acres of land at Carrum Downs was
purchased for $72,300.
This land was chosen as per the shastras which say
that in order to build a Shiva temple it must be a virgin land.
The first puja was performed in early 1986 following
which the construction of the two primary shrines dedicated to Lord Shiva and
Vishnu began in 1987.
Since then, after years of planning by the Hindu
Society of Victoria and the hard work of a team of skilled craftsmen from
India, the Shiva Vishnu Temple at Carrum Downs was opened to devotees in 1994.
For the opening ten priests from Kanchipuram and Sri
Lanka were called to perform pujas.
This temple's architecture is the combination of Hindu
and Australian traditions.
Very recently in 2012 its Cultural Centre was also
completed.
Within the temple around 32 deities are worshipped
based on elaborate rituals and Indian festivals like Holi and Diwali is also
celebrated with a lot of grandeur.
The temple also helps in the development of the youth
through its well maintained library and spiritual classes.
The establishment of this temple in New Zealand not
only promotes the appreciation of the Sanatan Dharma amongst the devotees but
also acts as a centre for advancement for the youth by providing free Hindi
classes every Sunday.
This temple was born in 1998 after a plot of land was
purchased by the Sanatan Shivarchan Trust.
The temple was opened to all in May 2004.
This temple was constructed according to the Hindu
scriptures under the guidance of Acharya Maha Mandleshwar Swami Shivendra
Puriji Maharaj or Yagya Baba as he is called in India.
The deity of Lord Shiva in this temple is in the form
of Navdeshwar shivling.
The temple remains open from 8 am till noon and again
in the evenings from 5 pm to 7.30pm.
It is one of the biggest Hindu temples in the Bay Area.
With respect to architecture, this temple incorporates the best
of both North and South Indian Hindu temples.
Once you enter the temple you will notice deities of innumerable
Gods and Goddesses -- Shiva, Ganesha, Durga, Aiyappa, Lakshmi etc.
Most of the idols were donated by the Tamil Nadu government in
1985.
The main gopuram of the temple was completed in 1992.
The courtyard within the temple complex is neat and clean and
the atmosphere here is tranquil. The temple also serves Prasad to all its
devotees.
Some of the other Shiva temples in the USA are:
·
The Shiva Temple in Denver,
Colorado. This temple is over fifteen years old.
·
The Shiva Vishnu Temple in Washington
DC
·
The Shiva Vishnu Temple in South
Florida
This is a small temple that is located on the first
floor of a building. However it is clean and quite well maintained.
Deities in 'garba griha' behind the Shiva Lingam are
Nataraja and Shakthi. Statues of two Nandhis also stand beside that of Lord
Shiva.
The temple is open for prayers from 7 pm to 9 pm on
Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays.
Shivratri is celebrated here with a lot of geity.
This temple is on the third stop once you get bus
number 74 from Bucheggplatz.
This is a very recent creation that opened its doors for the
devotees on June 4, 2011.
It occupies a space of around 4,000 sq metres.
This temple has the deities of Lord Shiva together with Lord
Ganesha, Goddess Durga, Haumanji and the likes.
The deity of Lord Shiva is in the form of a Panch Mukhi Shivling
and is kept at the core of the temple.
It also has a langar hall that can hold 150 people and serves
langar to the people every Sunday.
Some of the other Shiva temples in Europe are:
·
The Sivan Kovil in Lewisham,
London. It was reconstructed and reopened in 2011
·
Le Shiva O Samsara Dunnia aur
Karma Temple in France
SOUTH AFRICA
Some of the Shiva temples in South Africa are:
·
Durban Hindu Temple built in
1901. Its architecture is according to Indian temples although Islamic and
Victorian influences can also be seen.
·
Madhya Kailash Temple in Midrand.
It is a recent construction for the devotees from the province of Gauteng
·
The Shivan Koil (Shiva Temple) in
Lenasia, Johannesburg
·
Melrose Shree Siva Subramaniar
Temple in Johannesburg
For all those reading this feature, if you have visited any or
know of any Shiva temples situated outside India then do share with us. We
would love to hear from you.
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