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Temple Astronomy 5

  Temple Astronomy 5 This part is a continuation of the Temple Astronomy series. Parts  1 ,  2 ,  3 , 4 Natural topography, various rituals, cultural traditions and Hindu calendars have always influenced the design and construction of temples. We have seen temples aligned to cardinal directions, equinox, and a particular time of the day to capture the Sun's rays to illuminate the temple deity. In this part, we see temples aligned to the Sun's rays, lunar phases and to specific festival  rituals  Amba bai Temple, Kolhapur Ambabai Temple in Kolhapur is now addressed as Mahalaxmi Temple. A 7 th century temple built during the Chalukya era. The temple survived invasions and remained a spiritual hub despite political instability. Maharani Ahilyabai Holkar made significant contributions to the temple's renovation. This temple is one of the 18 Maha Shakti Peeths in India. The temple is known for Kirnottsav. The sun’s rays illuminate the deity from foot to to...
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Analemma

Analemma To be read in conjunction with Temple Astronomy 5 An analemma is the figure-eight curve that traces the Sun's position in the sky at the same time of day throughout the year. It accounts for the Equation of Time (the difference between solar time and clock time) and the Sun's declination A lunar analemma is a composite figure-8 or teardrop curve traced by the Moon in the sky when photographed from the same exact location at the same time every day for a lunar month (approximately 29.5 days Distinction from Solar Analemma : Unlike the solar analemma, which plots the Sun's position over a year, the lunar analemma tracks the Moon over approximately one month. The photograph has to be taken 50 minutes and 29 seconds later each day to see the Moon in the same place.   The figure 8 shape of the analemma is due to   North-South Motion (Latitude Shift): The Moon's orbital path is tilted by about 5 degrees relative to Earth's ecliptic plane. As the ...
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Temple Astronomy 4

Temple Astronomy 4 This part is a continuation of the Temple Astronomy series.  Temple Astronomy 1   Temple Astronomy 2   Temple Astronomy 3 Beneath the bustling streets of Bengaluru, a monolithic secret waits in the dark. For centuries, pilgrims have gathered on January 14th to watch the sun’s rays pierce the shadows—but what if they’ve been looking at the incomplete miracle? Gavi Gaṅgādhareśvara Temple This temple is located in Bengaluru city. In fact, its location is in Gavipura village, which has now merged with the city. It is a cave temple. Gavi means cave, hence the village name Gavipura. The temple is built out of Monolithic rock and is an architectural wonder. The temple is a Shiva temple and is presumed to have been built during the Vedic period and later renovated by Kempe Gowda I in the 14 th century. The temple is known for a yearly event called ‘Surya Majjana’ on 14 Jan, Makar Sankranti. It is a Shiva temple; the deity is called Gandhareshwar.   P...
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Temple Astronomy-3

Temple Astronomy 3 This part is a continuation of the Temple Astronomy series.  Temple Astronomy 1   Temple Astronomy 2   Legends get associated with the subject in the form of folk tales, folk songs and folk plays when the phenomena or the acts go beyond the intellect of the common people. Though legends do not receive any importance from the historians, scholars and researchers, however, “Every story has a core of truth”, which needs investigation Introduction In earlier parts, we examined how temple architecture in India sometimes reflects astronomical knowledge—either through symbolic cosmology or measurable solar alignment. In this section, we analyse two iconic structures: Konark Sun Temple Vidyāśha ṅ kara temple in Ś ṛṅ gerī, Karnatak  A lot of research has been done, and much more is still required to confirm the perceived peculiarities, astronomical or otherwise. The goal is to distinguish verifiable astronomical alignment...
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