Sri Aane Gudde Vinayaka temple (more than 2000 years old)

Lord Aane Gudde vinayaka is 12 feet tall in the very elephant form itself against the traditional Vinayaka form in Tamilnadu. People call Him Swayambu Vinayaka. The tilak is in upward Vaishanava Nama style – not with sacred ash.

The temple celebrates special pujas in Karthikai month-December-January to wake up the birds and to protect them and the cattle from attack of diseases. This is called Pakshi Sankara Puja. He (Sankara) appears with four hands including two Abhaya Hastha to protect those surrendering at His feet and granting boons. He appears with silver covering alankara. It is believed that the Vinayaka idol is growing big. The Kailash darshan of Lord Shiva with Mother Parvathi is beautifully depicted at the entrance.

Students pray for good education, job opportunities. Devotees also seek wedding, child and profit boons in business.

Realizing their wishes, on any day convenient to them, devotees do alankara to Lord Ganapathi with 400 kgs of rice, 1008 or a minimum of 125 coconuts. They call it Moodu Ganapathi puja and Arisi (rice) Ganapathi puja.

Greatness Of Temple: The deity of 12 feet tall Aane Gudde Vinayaka in the very elephant form itself is made of a single stone. He is praised as Swayambu vinayaka with a Vaishnava style tilak on the forehead. Devotees praise Him as Vishnu Roopa Ganapathi and Vishnu Roppa Paramatma. Ranga Puja is conducted on Fridays for the welfare of all in the world – Loka Kshema. Devotees joining the puja light lamps. Lighting lamps in the temple is followed by devotees during the months Aipasi, Karthikai, Margazhi and Thai covering October-November to January-February. During the Sankatahara Chaturthi, devotees offer Tulabaram to Lord – offering things equal to one’s weight. This is a very important commitment by the devotees. Lord Vinayaka also graces as Deepa Ganapati reforming those addicted to liquor and other bad habits.

Temple History: Mangalore – now Mangaluru on the shores of the Arabian Sea was a desert earlier. Drought enveloped the region. Sages performed penance and people who were helpful to them suffered from starvation. They sought the help of sage Agasthya. He began penance on Varuna the God of rain. A demon, Kumbasura by name caused troubles to the penance of the sage. Bheema one of the Pandava brother only had the power to destroy the demon. Lord Vinayaka took the elephant form carrying a weapon. Seeing Bheema coming to have the weapon, the elephant dropped the weapon and fled away. Bheema killed the demon with the weapon.

As the demon was destroyed with the weapon of Lord Vinayaka, while dying, he realized wisdom and died a pure soul. The place became fertile with good rains. Sages begged Lord Vinayaka that He should stay at the place where their grievances came to an end. Lord obliged. As Kumbasura was reformed in this place, it came to be known as Kumbasi. The temple is in the Aane Gudde part of the place. Aane Gudde means a hill, the home of Lord Vinayaka. — 

Vedic influences are all over Indonesia

Culturally speaking Java is characterized by deep traces of Indianization that occurred long ago. From this, Indianization was born a series of kingdom - Cambodia, Champa, Malay Pensisnsula, the kingdoms of Sumatara, Java and Bali and finally the Burmese and Thai kingdoms.

How Hinduism was introduced in Indonesia:

Records of foreign trade with Indonesia exist from the early AD centuries. Consequently, it was earlier thought that Hinduism was introduced to Indonesia through traders arriving from India. However, recent discoveries of Sanskrit transcriptions in places like eastern Kalimantan, a considerable distance from the international trade route, and also in western Java have given rise to a new theory that it was introduced to the Indonesian islands through rishis and their Indian and Indonesian disciples. References in Balinese literature about Pura Pucak Raung (in the Eastern Javanese district of Glenmore), where Maharishi Markandeya is said to have visited and gathered followers, further bolster this claim.

Even today at a Muslim festival - immense conical mounds of rice are carried to Mosques in Yogyakarata - a direct reference to the sacred mountain - Mount Mahameru - the abode of Hindu Gods. Beneath the unornamented throne of the Susuhunan of Surakarta - a titular Muslim prince - a tiger skin symbolizing his role as the embodiment of Lord Shiva.

Under the Gupta Dynasty - India enjoyed one of its "Golden Ages". When Chinese pilgrim Fa-hsien visited Java in 414 AD Hinduism was practiced in both islands of Java and Sumatara. The oldest Sanskrit inscription in Java dates from 414 AD is found near modern Bogor. King Purnavarman of Taruna founded the Sanjaya Dynasty. Javanese pilgrims are known to have visited India in the 9th century and who brought back India's intellectual and cultural sophistication to a land as ready to embrace and expand on philosophical ideas as the Javanese earth receives and nurtures rice seedlings. The earliest Hindu temples in Java are located on the high plateau of Dieng and Gedong Songo built in 732 - 760 CE.

Indonesia has Sanskrit names like Jayakarta (Jakarta), Yogyakarta, Surakarta, Denpasar, Surbaya. Krishna/Arjuna chariot sculptures can be spotted in Jakarata and Bali. The Bahasa language of Indonesia is filled with Sanskrit words. Mount Bromo means Brahma is a sacred mountain - an active volcano in East Java. Here the Tengger Hindus of this region hold a ceremony called Yadnya Kasada Ceremony once a year. Mahameru is the hightest mountain in Java. Arjuno-Welirang Is a twin volcano in East Java. Arjuno is Javanese rendition of Arjuna, a hero in Mahabharata epic, while Welirang is Javanese word for sulfur. Mt. Penanggungan - An ancient Javanese text, the tantu panggelaran records how in times long past the holy Mt Mahameru was transported from India to Java, in order to hold the island in place. During the journey, however, the mountain began to break apart, pieces falling to earth to form a chain of volcanic peaks. The base became Mt Semeru, Java's highest mountain, while the summit, Mt Pawitra, came to rest on the plains south of Surabaya. Mount Tambora and the city of Bhima on the island of Sumbawa. While in In a sacred pool on the slopes of Java’s Mount Penanggungan, men often bathe beside statues of Sri and Lakshmi, the consorts of Lord Vishnu. Pustakasala - also known as Kimpulan temple, is a 9th to 10th century Hindu temple located in the area of Indonesia Islamic University. —

A dry park in the winter, and a 10mdeep lake in the summer

There is a place in Austria that is a dry park in the winter, and a 10mdeep lake in the summer. Located at the foot of the Hochschwab Mountains, in Tragoess, Styria, Green Lake is one of the most bizarre natural
phenomena in the world. During the cold winter months, this place
is almost completely dry, and used as a country park where hikers love to come and spend some time away from urban chaos. But as soon as temperatures rise, the snow and ice covering the mountain tops begin to melt, and
the water pours down, filling the basin below with crystal-clear water. Water levels go from one-two meters at most, to over 10 meters, in the early summer. The waters of Green Lake are highest in June, when this extraordinary place is invaded by divers, curious to see what a mountain park looks like underwater. Fish swimming over wooden benches, a grass-covered bottom, trees, roads, roads and even bridges create a surreal setting that feels like it belongs on dry ground.