Spiritual Tourism XXVIII - Heavens on Earth -
The Thirumala Devaswom Temple, Kochi
This Temple is dedicated to Lord Vishnu, the Preservative Aspect of Time Eternal. This temple is a socio-religious institution of the Gowda Saraswaha Brahmin community.
Fearing mass conversions by the Portugese, the GSBs ran away from Goa and found their refuge here. This is the biggest temple in Kochi.
The Temple has a gigantic bronze bell. It is the second largest in Asia, It is 4 feet in diameter and and eight feet in height.


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jnana Yoga and Bhakti Yoga have always fought with each other ! Our aim is not to support any, but give an integral solution to the perpetual fight betwixt Head and Heart !
A well known quote is that the Heart has its own reasons which the Head need not know of. All Religions averr that Love is greater than Intelligence.
If the HIghest Wisdom is Love, we have to move from an intellect based living to a heart centred living, thus modifying the Equation Prajnanasya Nama dheyani Bhavantu Sarvam to Premasya Nama dheyani Bhavantu Sarvam. Prajnane Pratishtitam to Preme Pratishtitam and PrAjnanam Brahma to Premam Brahma !
Not only is there a fight for supremacy between VIrtue and VIce but other fights also. Beween Conscience and Expedience. Between Head and the Heart.
The King of Vijayanagaram was a devotee of the Lord of the Seven Hills, Balaji. He had a dream that a sculptor would visit him, when he was unable to visit the Lord. The sculptor appeared and started working on the project. When the sculptor did not come out, the King opened the door and lo and behold ! the idol was there in its divine glory ! Festivals are conducted twice a year, one in April and the other in November. Garudotsavam and Arattu ( when the Deity takes a divine bath ) are famous here.
The Exoteric system has been designed by sages, the same ones who declared " I am the Universal ", Aham Brahmasmi. As Divine Wisdom was unfit and dangerous to the ordinary mundane mind, they devised an outer system for the profane. A system efficient and imperfect. It is obvious that Omnipresent Deity cannot be confined within the four walls of a Temple ! But the Exoteric System lays the foundations for Society, highlighting the Unknown Principle, which is beyond mind, words and intellect ! ( Yatho Vacho Nivarthanthe Aprapya Manasa Sah ).


By Govind Kumar