Salem – a city down south in the state of Tamil Nadu, India was the destination for a short trip visiting family and friends ! Though it was a visit that lasted 48 hours with onward journey to Yercaud, it was good enough to hit on a trail of exploration, primarily the beautiful and famous temples in the city.

Ramar Temple – Ayodhyapattinam

First up was the stunning centuries old Ramar Temple at Ayodhyapattinam in Salem. Step inside for a majestic experience with huge Temple Complex.

Awestruck at the architecture, the pillars, the carvings, the divinity is so blissful. Legend has it that Lord Ram after defeating Ravana had made a stop here to rest on a return journey back to his Kingdom along with his brother Lakshman, Sita and Hanuman and hence the significance of this place. The temple has undergone renovations but its historical roots remain untouched. The gopuram ( temple tower at the entrance) cannot be more inviting.

The pillars are grandeur. It is said that the pillars here are musical and tapping on it resonates a melodious rhythmic sound which we did experience ! The sculptures carved out of stones are symbols of precision.

The prayers are done with utmost divinity and instills a sense of inner piece and spirituality that is soothing. So beautiful !

Sri Skandashramam Murugan Temple

Hitting the trail again, up on a small hillock to this mighty pleasing Skandashramam Temple. What catches your eye instantly is the majestic almost 16 feet statues of various deities dotting the temple complex. I had not seen anything like this before and was on cloud 9 !

The deities installed here include Lord Thattatreya, Lord Bhairava, Lord Danwantri, Panchamukha ( 5 faces) Anjaneya and Ganapathi facing each other is a sight to behold. Being here is inspiring !

The main presiding deity here is Lord Murugan and this temple is apparently the only temple where Mother of Lord Murugan, Goddess Parasakthi are installed face to face with each other. There is a presence of a lot of monkeys in the temple complex which actually adds to the charm of the place. Another blissful experience !

Sri Ramanujar Temple

At dusk, driving through roads with open fields and voila this temple pops up right at the middle of vast open area surrounded by small hillocks, the sun just setting and the lights coming on was mesmerizing.

I honestly did not know that there was a temple for Ramanujar too and was pleasantly surprised after reaching here. The temple complex is dotted with shrines of various deities. There is also a play area for kids with a slide in the form of an elephant. There is a fountain too ! With lights turned on and a flight of stairs leading to the main temple – it was beautiful

Sri Ramanujar stands tall with a huge idol and we were right at the time of Aarti which was an experience to cherish ! For the elderly and specially challenged , there is also a battery car that one can opt without any charge to navigate around the temple and also have a separate lift so they could avoid steps.

And I had only that much time to explore, I am sure there are many other gems in the city but each of these three temples had a specialty and charm of their own !

Until next time – Happy Exploring !