An Aesthete's Diary

Kasimedu  is a hamlet in the neighbourhood of  Royapuram, in  Chennai district of Tamil Nadu state in the peninsular India. It stretches for about 2 km, near Ennore fishing harbour along the shore, north of Chennai Port. This hamlet is known for its bustling fishing harbour and market. It's a hub for the fishing community, with over 1,000 mechanized fishing boats operating daily. The Kasimedu Fish Market is famous for its fresh seafood and attracts wholesalers, retailers, and locals from across the region Kasimedu holds a unique cultural significance in Chennai, deeply rooted in its fishing heritage and community life. It is not just a bustling fishing harbour but also a symbol of the city's connection to the sea and its maritime traditions. The area is home to a vibrant fishing community whose livelihoods revolve around the harbour and the fish market, making it an integral part of Chennai's cultural fabric . The Kasimedu Fish Market is a cul...

  Simha Ganapati is regarded as the 29th among the 32 different forms of Ganapati . Simha Ganapati is a rather peaceful and refined form of Ganesh. In this remarkable form Ganesha’s face has merged with that of a lion. His huge bulging eyes, ears and sharp fangs are all depicted in the Indian tradition of the mood of that ferocious beast. He is fair-complexioned and unique, having eight hands, and holding the stringed instrument Veenai, a sprig of the wish-fulfilling divine tree Kalpa Vriksha, a blossoming lotus, a bouquet of flowers, a pot of jewels known as Rathna Kumbha and a discus in six of them. While he is holding the boon-granting Varada mudra in his main right hand, his principal left hand sports Abhaya mudra, offering protection to the devotees. Simha Ganapati is a potent aspect of the Lord, and is believed to provide the devotees with good strength to fight negative forces and evil, offer protection to them against all hazards and inimical elements, bestow them with ...

Adhyantha Prabhu, a composite deity of Lord Ganesha and Lord Hanuman is depicted as a single form with one half representing Ganesha and the other half representing Hanuman, symbolizing the beginning and end of life's journey .  Adhi means beginning, and Antha means end. Ganesh, the son of Shiva and Parvathi is worshipped as the God of beginnings, and Sri Hanuman, an avatar of Rudra is said to be chiranjeevi (immortal). The deity's form, signifies the complete cycle of life, from its inception to its conclusion.   The amalgamation of these two powerful deities is believed to be particularly potent, as they are said to be unaffected by the adverse effects of the Navagrahas.   Devotees seek the blessings of Adhyantha Prabhu to mitigate the negative influences of the planets and to ensure a successful beginning and a strong ending to their endeavours.   The shrine of Adhyantha Prabhu is located in the Madhya Kailash Temple in Chennai.

  Kailasanathar temple is a Pallava era historic Hindu temple , Kanchipuram , Tamil Nadu. Dedicated to Shiva, it is one of the oldest surviving monuments in Kanchipuram. It reflects a Dravidian architecture and was built along the banks of the Vegavathi river between 700 and 728 CE by Narasimhavarman II.  

Appakudathan temple which dates back 1000-2000 years is the 8th Divya Desam temple located in Koviladi village which is around 10 miles from Trichy. This temple is located along the banks of river Cauvery and is dedicated to Appakudathan/Appala Ranganathan (Vishnu) and his consort Indira Devi/Kamala valli (Lakshmi). Vishnu is seen in saiyana kolam (lying down posture) holding the appakudam (pot with appam) in his right hand and blessing the devotees with the left hand in apana hasta mudra. As per Hindu folklore, the king Ubhamanyu earned the rage of sage Durvasar and lost all his physical strength. To get rid of the curse, he was asked to feed one lakh people every day. One day, Lord Vishnu disguised himself as an old man, appeared before the king and asked for a meal. The king went on providing food to the old man who consumed all the food prepared for the people yet not fulfilled. The king was shocked and bewildered at this strange act. The old man then asked for...

Srirangam the first Divya Desam out of the 108 Divya Desam temples dates back to 100 BCE to 100 CE (around 1000 years old) , its located in an islet bounded by the twin rivers- Cauvery and Kollidam in Tiruchirapalli. This temple is dedicated to Ranganathar (Vishnu) and his consort Ranganayaki (Lakshmi). This temple is built in Dravidian architectural style. The temple is spread over 156 acres and has 21 magnificent gopurams of which the Rajagopuram is the second tallest Temple tower in the world rising to a height of 72 mts and has 13 tiers. This is the only temple to have 7 prakarams (Saptha Prakarams). The temple also has 50 sub shrines and 9 sacred pools. The 1000 pillar mandapam (Aayiram Kaal mandapam) is an example of huge planned theatre, currently it has only 953 pillars. The Sesharayar mandapam consists of monolithic pillars with sculptures of wild horses bearing riders on their backs, trampling their hoofs upon the heads of rampant tigers and seem only natural ...