06/02/2017
प्रणम्य शिरसा देवं गौरीपुत्रं विनायकम् ।
भक्तावासं स्मरेन्नित्यं आयुःकामार्थसिद्धये ॥ १॥
नागेन्द्रहाराय त्रिलोचनाय भस्माङ्गरागाय महेश्वराय ।
नित्याय शुद्धाय दिगम्बराय तस्मै नकाराय नम:शिवाय ॥
शान्ताकारं भुजगशयनं पद्मनाभं सुरेशं
विश्वाधारं गगनसदृशं मेघवर्ण शुभाङ्गम् ।
लक्ष्मीकान्तं कमलनयनं योगिभिर्ध्यानगम्यम्
वन्दे विष्णुं भवभयहरं सर्वलोकैकनाथम् ॥
DESAM is a term which refers to a country or any place in general. In a religious connotation, any place where the Supreme Lord resides is given the term DESAM.
A DESAM gets a status of a DIVYA DESAM if the mystic saints namely the 12 Azhwars have sung sacred hymns in praise of the presiding Lord residing there. The 12 Azhwars immersed in the divine characteristics of the Lord and composed nearly 4000 hymns collectively known as “Nalayira Divya Prabhandham” . The essence of the 4 Vedas – Rig , Yajur, Sama, Atharvana has been consolidated and given to us by Azhwars in the form of these hymns or Divya Prabhandhams.
There are 108 Divya Desams in all. Of the 108 ,105 are in India, 1 in Nepal and 2 outside the Earthy realms.
The “Paadal Petra Sthalams” are 275 temples that are revered in the verses of Saiva Nayanars in the 6th-9th century CE and are amongst the greatest Shiva temples of the continent. The Divya Desams by comparison are the 108 Vishnu temples glorified in the poems of the contemporary Vaishnava Azhwars.
A “Jyotirlinga” or “Jyotirling” or “Jyotirlingam”, is a devotional object representing the Supreme God Shiva. Jyoti means 'radiance' and lingam the 'Image or Sign' of Shiva; Jyotir Lingam thus means the The Radiant Sign of The Almighty Shiva. There are twelve traditional Jyotirlinga shrines in India, 5 of them in Maharashtra alone.
One must consider oneself immensely fortunate if he or she is able to visit all the 106 Divya Desams in a life time and as many as “Paadal Petra Sthalams” and “Jyotirlingam” possible.
Any spiritual form or a journey is more fruitful if undertaken as a group tour. Nama sankeerthanams or group chanting has always in practice over centuries in our Hindu tradition. A person in a group tour avails the opportunity of being in ‘Satsang’ and can there by engage in spiritual discussions and debates, meet and interact with likeminded devotees and eventually become unmindful of the tediousness of the trip and other worldly worries.
We, at SHREE SBL tours specialise in such trips to give you an opportunity to be part of ‘once in a life time’ devotional trips with rich narration, presentation and rendering of ‘kshetra krithis’ apart from organising and tailor packaging your tour needs.
