Off-beat destinations that house incredible temples

Rahul M
·3 min read
Temples and other buildings on the bank of Sarayu river are seen illuminated ahead of the foundation-laying ceremony for a Hindu temple in Ayodhya, India, August 4, 2020. REUTERS/Pawan Kumar TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY REFILE - CORRECTING YEAR
Temples and other buildings on the bank of Sarayu river are seen illuminated ahead of the foundation-laying ceremony for a Hindu temple in Ayodhya, India, August 4, 2020. REUTERS/Pawan Kumar TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY REFILE - CORRECTING YEAR

Tales of a few temples remembered for odd offerings to the presiding deities are among India's most fascinating stories. Some of these Indian temples' bizarre offerings are ancient rituals. Let us walk through some of these temples:

  • Lord Murugan Temple in Kerala

Murugan Temple is a part of Ernakulam Shiva Temple, one of the major temples of Kerala located in Cochin city, India
Murugan Temple is a part of Ernakulam Shiva Temple, one of the major temples of Kerala located in Cochin city, India

Devotees offer chocolates to Lord Murugan as a form of worship. Some even make sculptures of the sweets and offer them to the temples. They believe that by eating chocolate, they are pleasing God and gaining divine benefits. Some of them even keep chocolate as a symbol of their faith and devotion. They look forward to their chocolate indulgences when they feel hungry or sad.

  • Lord Shiva Temple in Kerala

image is taken at Thirussur Kerala India on Oct 13, 2018. Sri Vadakkumnatha temple front view with green grass leading line to the main entrance of the temple.
image is taken at Thirussur Kerala India on Oct 13, 2018. Sri Vadakkumnatha temple front view with green grass leading line to the main entrance of the temple.

In Kerala's vicinity, in the Lord Shiva temple – the Khodiyuwa temple where the devotees get books and DVDs as gifts. Devotees offer prayer and homage to God for all their welfare and happiness.

  • Lord Vishnu Temple in Chennai and Madurai

Lord Vishnu is Lord Balabhadra, the most popular deity among the Tamil Christians. His temple is located at Alagar, a small town about 25 kilometres from Chennai. The traditional Dosa offered by the Lord is gram (little grained rice), rice, vermilion, coconut, and sesame.

  • Lord Murugan Temple in Tamil Nadu

Hindu devotees carry milk pots as offerings during "Aadi Kiruthigai" celebrations (dedicated to the Lord Muruga) at Vadapazhni Murugan temple in Chennai on July 26, 2019. - Aadi is considered a holy month by Tamils and is celebrated with rituals to worship Hindu gods. (Photo by ARUN SANKAR / AFP) (Photo credit should read ARUN SANKAR/AFP via Getty Images)

Devotees at Lord Vishnu's temple in Chennai get a taste of fruit juice by availing the 'amon' The sugar-filled 'namaskar' is procured from the nearby Pottramara-Vinayali vegetable market. The aroma of the dried namaskar is divine, and its flavour enchants the devotees' taste buds.

The temple staff prepares the fruit jam on the banana leaf using natural raw sugar collected from the coconut husk. It is then decorated with gram flour and a sweet aroma of the cashew nuts. There are other deities like Amman (for fertility), Koodiyamed (Lord Murugan) and Veeraballa (prayer) present at the temple.

  • Karni Mata Temple in Rajasthan

Bikaner, Rajasthan/India - Jan 2019 : Karni mata temple at Bikaner
Bikaner, Rajasthan/India - Jan 2019 : Karni mata temple at Bikaner

Karni Mata Temple, also popularly called the Nari Mata Temple, is flocked by tourists and Karni Mata's worshippers. More than 600 years old and situated in Deshnok (30 km towards south of Bikaner) The holy shrine is also known as the 'Temple of Rats', as people pay respect to them. The deity is said to be an avatar of Maa Durga. People come from all over the world, to pay respects to the black rats. The food which is eaten by the rats is assumed to be holy and later on served as 'Prasad.'

  • Kal Bhairav Temple in Madhya Pradesh

Kal Bhairav temple ,Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh, India
Kal Bhairav temple ,Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh, India

Bottles of Wine are offered to Kal Bhairava Nath Temple at Madhya Pradesh. This temple is dedicated to Lord Kalam, the original Lord of all temples. It is located on the river Ganges bank, and it is visited by hundreds of thousands of devotees every day. The temple was built by the ruler Narayan Singh II, who had full faith in meditation and believed that he could bring peace and prosperity to his nation by meditating.

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