Astrology and Sacred Sites: The Navagraha Temples for the planets in Hindu Astrology and other places related to Nadi Astrology
Navagraha temples are temples devoted to Navagraha – the nine (nava) major celestial bodies (Grahas) of Hindu astronomy. These celestial bodies are namedSurya (Sun), Chandra (Moon), Mangala (Mars), Budha (Mercury), Brihaspati (Jupiter), Shukra (Venus), Shani (Saturn), Rahu (North Lunar Node) and Ketu (South Lunar Node). Many temples in South India contain a shrine dedicated to the Navagrahas. Apart from that the term Navagraha temples can also refer to groups of nine single temples, each an abode of one of the Navagrahas.
The 18th century Navagraha Temple in Guwahati, Assam combines nine Shivalingams, representing the nine celestial bodies, each covered with a colored garment symbolic of each of the celestial bodies, with a Shivaligam in the centre symbolising the Sun. It was built by Ahom King Rajeswar Singha. The temple is located in the astrological constellation of the golden section which combines fire sign Sagittarius the sign of time measurement, style, design and ornamentation with earth sign Capricorn sign of hierarchies, conservaing traditions and government institutions.the concept of The ornamentation of the nine shiva lingams around one central Shiva lingam (alltogether 10) in the temple shrine directly relates to roles of Sagittarius as the 9th and Capricorn as the 10th astrological signs,
The Navagraha Temples in Tamil Nadu
The list of the nine Navagraha temples shows their astrogeographic positions for morphogenetic field level 4 which describe the atmospheres of the temples themselves. As can be seen the shrines of the planets are not located in the astrological signs of their rulership neither classical nor modern and not even in their signs of exaltation, fall nor in what would be their theoretical ayanamsa correspondence. This could even mean that the positions are sort of “anti cyclical”. This means that an astrological understanding of their location needs to be sought in a deeper understanding of the circumstances. legends and other aspects of their position. It can also not be excluded that for some reason the temples are simply not meant to be in places of resonance with the element represented by the planet shrine.
In the case of the temple of the Mars (Vaitheeswarankovil Temple) shrine the legends provide a plausible explanation for the astrogeographic constellation: when the planet god Angaraka (Mars) suffered from leprosy he was cured at the Vaitheeswarankovil Temple by Vaidhyanathaswamy. The astrogeographic coordinates of the temple fall the 2 earth signs Virgo sign of health, healing, medical treatment andskin diseases and in Taurus sign of grounding which can also for the purpose of grounding the soul in the body be seen as a remarkable indicator for healing.
The position of the Sun (Suryanar) Temple points at a highly important site which is located on cardinal divides both for astrogeographical latitude and longitude. The position between Pisces and Aries is an indication of the suraregional importance of the temple whereas the coordinate between Gemini and Cancer indicates the site of an underground spring. This does not relate the place to the Sun God in the sense of the energies and topics of Leo or the topics related to the Sun in astrology. But at least it has a some resonance with the Sun as the central and most important of the planets because of the importance of the temple site.
Brahmapureeswarar Temple
Brahmapureeswarar Temple in Thirupattur, Tamil Nadu is another highly powerful and interesting temple. The main deity of the temple is Brahmapureeswarar which acccording to the wikipedia article is a form of Brahma. This makes the temple highly exceptional because according to traditional opinions and legends there should only be one Brahma temple in the India which is the famous Jagatpita Brahma Mandir in Pushkar, Rajasthan, The astrogeographical coordinates of Jagatpita Brahma Mandir are located in a constellation of alertness and a fooortress character which may describe how much effort was needed to save it from destruction. The astrogeographic coordinates are located in highly alert male fire sign Aries sign of warfare and in between alert, defensive water sign Scorpio which particularly when in combination with Aries indicates the site of a stronghold and dynamic fire sign Sagittarius sign of the priest castes (brahmins.
The legend of Brahmapureeswarar Temple in Thirupattur as delivered in the wikipedia article is this:
“Mythological references recount Lord Brahma’s overwhelming pride as the Creator of the Universe. Lord Brahma felt that He was more prevailing than Lord Shiva – since He had the supremacy of creation. This sense of pride provoked Lord Shiva, who destroyed Lord Brahma’s Fifth Head, and also cursed Him that He would lose His power of creation. To relieve himself of this curse, Lord Brahma started out on a pilgrimage of Lord Shiva Temples. During the course of His pilgrimage, Lord Brahma also visited this temple and installed 12 Shiva Lingams around Brahmapureeswarar and worshipped Lord Shiva here for a considerable time. Being moved by Lord Brahma’s prayers, Lord Shiva, on Devi Parvathi’s appeal, gave him Darshan under the Magizha tree and liberated Him from His curse. Lord Shiva also restored the power and responsibility of creation to Lord Brahma. Lord Shiva also blessed Lord Brahma that He would have a separate shrine at this temple. He also advised Lord Brahma that since Brahma himself had His destiny rewritten here; He should rewrite the destiny of His devotees visiting this temple. Since the fate of Lord Brahma, the Creator, Himself was changed by Lord Shiva at Tirupattur, one can expect a turning point in life by praying at this temple.”
As can be seen the presence of the Brahma Shrine has been intensely disputed even at this place.
Astrogeographic position: Brahmapureeswarar Temple is located in the highly fertile combination of emotional water sign Cancer the sign of the Moon, springs, emotional authenticity and feeling at home and a frequent indicator for Shiva with the highly magnetic, energetic fire sign Leo the sign of the Sun, light and self-expression.
Saraswati Mahal Library
Tanjore Maharaja Serfoji’s Sarasvati Mahal Library in the Palace of Thanjavur (Tanjore), Tamil Nadu, India was the ancient palm leaf writings and predicitons of Nadi Astrology a south indian school of astrology were kept until the british attempts to destroy indian cultural and religious inheritance in the 19th and 20th centuries. Parts of the Nadi Astrology writings were simply destroyed others sold. The Saraswati Mahal Library in the Palace of Thanjavur is located in the constellation of conservative, strict, exclusive earth sign Capricorn sign of government insitutions with emotional water sign Cancer a highly symptomatic constellation for libraries, monkhood and monasteries as places of celibacy and preservation of ancient cultural inheritance and knowledge. Both constellation are valid for field level 4.
Agastya
The Nadi Astrology writings are supposed to have been written by a saint named Agastya one of the seven great south indians saints called Saptarshis.
Agasthyarkoodam or Agastyamala is a sacred mountain where Agastyamuni is worshipped. For field level 3 the peak area is located in the same astrogeographic constellation as the Saraswati Mahal Library where the palm leaf library with Agastya`s writings on Nadi astrology were conserved.
The peak ariea is located in conservative, strict, exclusive earth sign Capricorn sign of government insitutions with emotional water sign Cancer a highly symptomatic constellation for libraries, monkhood and monasteries as places of celibacy and preservation of ancient cultural inheritance and knowledge.
Lists of Navagraha temples:
India & Hindu temples in my astrogeography blog: The source of the river Ganges in Cancer-Scorpio, Sri Amarnath Shiva Lingam in Aries with Cancer, Shiva in two water signs, North Sentinel Island the most isolated tribal population on the planet, Gemini and Aries – A Statue of Hanuman, The Rock Fortress of Sigiriya, Sri Gomateshvara – A Bath of Milk and Honey, Astrology & Sacred Sites: The Golden Temple, Krishna`s Birthplace, The Temple of Buddha`s Illumination, Taurus and Scorpio – The Taj Mahal in Agra, Temples of the Sun and the Planets in India, Aquarius the sign of India`s only Radha Rani Temple, Kandariya Mahadeva Temple in Khajuraho, The Mystical Buddhist Monastery of Nalanda in Astrogeography, The Navagraha Temples for the planets in Hindu Astrology and other places related to Nadi Astrology, A Kali Temple in Libra the Sign of the Angels, Meenakshi Aman Temple in astrogeography, The Rock Fortress of Sigiriya, Jokhang Temple in the Tibetan capital Lhasa, Gemini & Virgo Samye Gompa the oldest monastery in Tibet, The White Horse Temple – The first Buddhist Temple in China, The 2015 Ratchaprasong bombing in astrogeography, Murugan – A god of War in Aries the sign of Warfare
