Kandha Shashti Kavacham
Sunday, August 31, 2008
Sri Raghavendra
Radhe Krishna 31-08-08
Kurai Ondrum Illai Govindha
Sri Raghavendra
Sri Raghavendra - 2
Sri Raghavendra - 4
Sri Raghavendra - 5
Sri Raghavendra - 6
Sri Raghavendra - 7
Sri Raghavendra - 8
Sri Raghavendra - 9
Sri Raghavendra - 10
Sri Raghavendra - 11
Sri Raghavendra - 12
Sri Raghavendra - 14
Sri Raghavendra - 15
Sri Raghavendra - 16
Sri Raghavendra - 17
Sri Raghavendra - 18
Kurai Ondrum Illai Govindha
Sri Raghavendra
Sri Raghavendra - 2
Sri Raghavendra - 4
Sri Raghavendra - 5
Sri Raghavendra - 6
Sri Raghavendra - 7
Sri Raghavendra - 8
Sri Raghavendra - 9
Sri Raghavendra - 10
Sri Raghavendra - 11
Sri Raghavendra - 12
Sri Raghavendra - 14
Sri Raghavendra - 15
Sri Raghavendra - 16
Sri Raghavendra - 17
Sri Raghavendra - 18
Friday, August 29, 2008
Hindu Samskaras
Radhe krishna 29-08-08
Hindu Samskaras
Hindu Samskaras
A samskara is a rite of passage, and virtually every world culture has such ceremonies. Rites of passage are ceremonies that mark important events in the life of an individual. A Baptism, a wedding, a Bar Mitzvah, a Confirmation, and a funeral are all examples of rites of passage. Such important events generally include pre birth ceremonies, birth ceremonies, life ceremonies, death ceremonies and even after life ceremonies. In Sanskrit the word samskara literally means, “making perfect” or “refining,” and so a samskara is a ceremony of refinement, which is to say, refining or raising an individual beyond his or her mere physical existence and marking a higher the spiritual existence. Samskaras bind an individual into his or her social group.
In Hinduism, as with most religious cultures, samskaras are sacred ceremonies performed with the help of a priest and in the presence of family and friends. Traditionally there are twelve samskara, but some later traditions raise this number to sixteen. In practice, however, there are only about eight samskaras that are regularly performed. This number varies from family to family and from region to region. The most common ceremonies are a pre-birth ceremony (Simantoyannayanam), the name giving ceremony (Nama Karana), a first grains ceremony (Anna Prashanna), the first hair cutting (Mundan), starting school (Vidyarambhana), the thread giving ceremony (Upanayana), marriage (Vivaha) and the funeral (Antyesthi).
Baby Shower
Simantoyannayanam is a ceremony performed either in the fourth, sixth or eighth month of a woman’s pregnancy. It is done for the protection and health of the mother and the unborn child. Today we might compare this ceremony to a baby shower. Literary, it means “parting of the hair.” A priest is invited, mantras are chanted, and a fire ceremony (havan) is performed as the husband parts the hair of his wife and places vermilion in the parting of her hair. Family members and friends come bearing gifts for the mother and the coming new born. After the ceremony a meal is served.
The Name Giving
Nama Karana is the name giving ceremony performed after the birth of a child. Traditionally the name is not supposed to be given until the 11th day after the birth, but because Western hospitals demand a name on a birth certificate within hours of a birth, a name has to be given without the actual ceremony. In many cases immediately after a birth a family member will contact an astrologer or priest so that a horoscope can be prepared and a name determined according to the deals of the astrological chart. In this way a name is determined and legally given, but the religious samskara is not performed until much later.
First Solid Food
The next ceremony is the anna prashanam or the ceremony of “feeding the grains.” This is the child’s first solid food generally performed in sixth month. A child is brought to a temple, or a a priest is invited to the family’s home, and along with mantras and a sacred fire, food (usually a sweet rice preparation) is offered to God through the fire and “made” into prasada. The prasada is then fed to the child. In other words, the child’s first solid food is prasada, spiritual food.
First Hair Cutting
After the first grain’s ceremony, the Mundan or first hair cutting is the next samskara that may be performed. Different families perform this ceremony at different ages, but the ideal time is when the soft spot in the skull of the child vanishes, usually around 14 months. As in all samskaras, family, friends and a priest get together in the home or in a temple. Mantras are recited, a sacred fire is evoked and the priest with the help of the father or maternal uncle cut small locks of hair from four sides of the child’s head. After this ritual cutting, the child is taken to a barber that comes just for this occasion and the child’s hair is completely shaved. There is a belief that the first hair from the time of birth is impure and so shaving it off is a purification, but more importantly, the real point of the samskara is that it is a sacrifice. The parents of the child sacrifice the beauty of their child by shaving their child’s head, and in exchange they ask God for long life and prosperity for their child.
Starting School
The next samskara is called Vidyarambhana or beginning education. Vidya is knowledge and arambhana is commencing. This is usually performed around the ages of four or five years. The ceremony generally involves some mantras of sanctification and the worship of Sarasvati Devi, the Goddess of learning. Then, either on a chalk board or “scratched out” in a bed of plain rice, the child’s hand is guided in writing his first letters A, B, C... or whatever the local script maybe. Sometimes the name of an important family Deity, such as Rama is the first word written by the child.
Thread Ceremony
The next samskara is called Upanayana. This is the equivalent of a Christian Confirmation or Jewish Bar Mitzvah. It is a coming of age ceremony and in Hinduism it is usually performed for adolescence boys. Today the ceremony is generally performed only within the traditional brahmin families. This is unfortunate because it is an important ceremony and virtually all boys could benefit from such a ritual. Traditionally the ceremony was performed by the three upper varnas and not just brahmins. The ceremony is sometimes called a “thread ceremony” because one of its important features is the investiture of a “sacred thread” that is placed over the shoulder of the boy. The thread is used in certain prayer rituals (called sandhya vandana) that are performed on a daily basis after the ceremony. The word upanayana comes from the sanskrit root “ni” which means “to lead” and so the upanayana is the “leading or coming closer,” which means the boy is becoming a man and taking on adult responsibilities and is also coming closer to the spiritual side of life to guru and ultimately to God. After the ceremony the boy is considered a dvija or twice born. He has completed his second birth. One’s physical birth from mother is the first birth. The upanayana is the spiritual or second birth that comes from father or guru. During the Upanayana ceremony the boy has his head shaved, is given a sacred bath, takes vows of study and celibacy and is given the ancient gayatri mantra which includes the investiture of the sacred thread. The mantra is whispered into the hear of the boy while ladies hold a cloth over the father, guru and boy for privacy. For more information see The Sacred Thread Ceremony.
Marriage
Moving along in a chronological way the next import samskara is marriage. This is called Vivaha. As in virtually all cultures the marriage ceremony involves a bride and groom coming together in the presence of family and friends and then taking an oath of dedication to each other. In Sanskrit the word vivaha comes from the root vah which means to carry. The oath of dedication that the bride and groom take to each other is a contract that “carries” them along for the remainder of their lives. Most Hindu weddings involve an exchange of garlands between the bride and groom (jaya mala), a bestowal of the bride by her father to the groom (kanya dhanam), the lighting of a sacred fire (havan), circumambulation of the fire (parikramanam), and the taking of seven vows (sapta padi). In general southern marriages have the addition of a sacred necklace given to the bride by the groom (mangala sutra), and northern weddings have the addition of a sacred mark of vermilion applied by the groom to the bride in the parting of her hair (sindhura). There are, of course, huge variations between weddings, and many other aspects that we have not mentioned, especially in India where a ceremony can last many hours. In the West the average wedding lasts about an hour. For more detailed information see The Hindu Wedding.
Funeral
The final samskara is the antyesthi or the last rites. In the West, Hindu funerals are performed very differently than in India where there is a whole caste of specialized priests that only deal with death. Out of necessity, in the West temple priests perform funeral services in conjunction with the local system for handling the dead. In orthodox culture it is considered impure for temple priests to deal with death.
Upon the death of an individual the family will call a funeral home to prepare the body as well as a priest to perform the last rites. In India a funeral is generally performed before the sun goes down on the day of passing, but in the West the funeral may not be performed for many days while permits are obtained and family members are given time to assemble. During the funeral family members and friends come to a funeral home or chapel. Last rites are never performed in a temple. A priest recites mantras, some final rituals are performed that may include a havan, eulogies are said and family and friends are given the opportunity to offer their last respects with flower petals. Afterwards the body is taken to a crematorium where the body is committed to the fire. From the time of death and for about two weeks the family is in an official state of morning. They are not supposed to come to a temple or perform puja during this period. Every evening at this time prayers may be recited in the home and at the end of this period of morning a special havan is performed by a priest for the release of the soul. Finally a meal is served to family members and friends and gifts are given to the priest(s). Weeks or months later the ashes may be taken to India to be disposed into a sacred river or, locally if it is possible, ashes may be put into the ocean. The funeral process can be an elaborate affair and one that varies greatly from community to community. For detailed information see Hindu Funeral Rites and Ancestor Worship.
These are the major samskaras that are still practiced today. The ones that have have not been mentioned include the conception ritual (Garbhadhana), a ceremony to create a son (Pum-savana), the birth ceremony (Jata Karman), the first trip out after birth (Nishkramana), returning home after graduation, and even a first saris tying ceremony for girls entering puberty.
The Sixteen Hindu Samskaras
.
……… Man Making is a science. Like a gardener, parents & teachers work on a person so that the best can flower out from him or her. The whole thrust is to help bring about greater awareness & love in the mind, and channelize the interest & energies into positive fields. The whole ‘work’ is on the mind alone, and is comparable to the work of a genetic engineer. The only difference is that while a genetic engineer plays & transforms with the basic structure, a teacher works to manifest the basic inherent beauty, freedom & potential which facilitates to carve out a dynamic, creative, intelligent & magnanimous personality.
……… Interest is a very subjective thing, and has to come out from within. It can never be imposed. Interests are created by impressions & knowledge. That is what ad agencies too do. They create impressions, and this ‘works’ on the mind of the person to bring about the interest in him in the desired field. Once the interest has been manifested we can just sit back and see the person work for his or her field of interest in a dynamic way. While the experts of the advertisement world are generally seen to use this ‘knowledge of impressing minds’ for their selfish & commercial ends, the Vedic Masters used this knowledge to help bring out a positive & dynamic personality. While the former conditions the mind to the extent that the very thinking process of their target crowd is conditioned in their favor, but the Rishis saw to it that the very power to think & question daringly, independently & creatively grew. Thus we have all our scriptures in the form of question & answers.
……… These deliberate & positive impressions which help create a deep & lasting impressions on the mind of a person - so as to generate interest in him about the Truth & Dharma, help bring out a positive personality and free the mind of its negativities are called ‘Samskaras’. No one while living in the world remains free of the conditionings of his or her environs & teachings, so the question is not whether we can stop all conditionings but to see to it that a person is looked after like a plant and help his or her potentials bloom. To a question whether Samskaras are deliberate positive conditionings, well the answer is that, the objective of the entire exercise is to help a person awake to a state which is free from all conditionings, so while impressions are certainly put effectively & deliberately yet they are the very anti-thesis of what is implied by the word conditionings. This is one of the finest & blessed science, and has been perfected here as an art form too.
……… Samskaras are the turning points of life and need to be celebrated. Celebrations are very important ingredients of Samskaras. They directly or indirectly involve our respected elders, scholars, near & dear ones. Everyone gets together to convey their best wishes & blessings to the person concerned and thus there is social & religious sanction for the act & ceremony. Samskaras are great, time-tested tools in our traditional systems which help carve out a great personality. Apart from scriptural validation, history also proves to us the great effectiveness of these methods. When Vedic Masters had their way, India was on top of the world. The people of the far off land prayed that they will one day see this great land of plenty, prosperity & righteousness.
……… In this section we shall present an introduction to these famous sixteen Samskaras of Hindus which cover the entire life span of a person and take him to the door steps to Truth.
The Sixteen Samskaras
.
1. Garbhadan The first coming together of the husband & wife for bringing about onception.
2. Pumsvan Ceremony performed when the first signs of conception are seen, and is to be performed when someone desires a male child.
3. Seemantonayan A ceremony of parting of the hairs of the expectant mother to keep her spirits high & positive. Special music is arranged for her.
4. Jatakarma After the birth of the child, the child is given a secret name, he is given taste of honey & ghee, mother starts the first breast-feeding after chanting of a mantra.
5. Nama-karana In this ceremony the child is given a formal name. Performed on the 11th day.
6. Nishkramana In this the formal darshan of sun & moon is done for the child.
7. Annaprashana This ceremony is performed, when the child is given solid food (anna) for the first time.
8. Chudakarana Cuda means the 'lock or tuft of hair' kept after the remaining part is shaved off.
9. Karna-vedha Done in 7th or 8th month. Piercing of the ears.
10. Upanayan & Vedarambha The thread ceremony. The child is thereafter authorized to perform all rituals. Studies of Vedas begins with the Guru.
11. Keshanta Hairs are cut, guru dakshina is given
12. Samavartan Returning to the house
13. Vivaha Marriage ceremony
14. Vanprastha As old age approaches, the person retires for a life of tapas & studies.
15. Sanyas Before leaving the body a Hinddu sheds all sense of responsibility & relationships to awake & revel in the timeless truth.
16. Antyeshthi The last rites done after the death.
.
.
Hindu Samskaras
Hindu Samskaras
A samskara is a rite of passage, and virtually every world culture has such ceremonies. Rites of passage are ceremonies that mark important events in the life of an individual. A Baptism, a wedding, a Bar Mitzvah, a Confirmation, and a funeral are all examples of rites of passage. Such important events generally include pre birth ceremonies, birth ceremonies, life ceremonies, death ceremonies and even after life ceremonies. In Sanskrit the word samskara literally means, “making perfect” or “refining,” and so a samskara is a ceremony of refinement, which is to say, refining or raising an individual beyond his or her mere physical existence and marking a higher the spiritual existence. Samskaras bind an individual into his or her social group.
In Hinduism, as with most religious cultures, samskaras are sacred ceremonies performed with the help of a priest and in the presence of family and friends. Traditionally there are twelve samskara, but some later traditions raise this number to sixteen. In practice, however, there are only about eight samskaras that are regularly performed. This number varies from family to family and from region to region. The most common ceremonies are a pre-birth ceremony (Simantoyannayanam), the name giving ceremony (Nama Karana), a first grains ceremony (Anna Prashanna), the first hair cutting (Mundan), starting school (Vidyarambhana), the thread giving ceremony (Upanayana), marriage (Vivaha) and the funeral (Antyesthi).
Baby Shower
Simantoyannayanam is a ceremony performed either in the fourth, sixth or eighth month of a woman’s pregnancy. It is done for the protection and health of the mother and the unborn child. Today we might compare this ceremony to a baby shower. Literary, it means “parting of the hair.” A priest is invited, mantras are chanted, and a fire ceremony (havan) is performed as the husband parts the hair of his wife and places vermilion in the parting of her hair. Family members and friends come bearing gifts for the mother and the coming new born. After the ceremony a meal is served.
The Name Giving
Nama Karana is the name giving ceremony performed after the birth of a child. Traditionally the name is not supposed to be given until the 11th day after the birth, but because Western hospitals demand a name on a birth certificate within hours of a birth, a name has to be given without the actual ceremony. In many cases immediately after a birth a family member will contact an astrologer or priest so that a horoscope can be prepared and a name determined according to the deals of the astrological chart. In this way a name is determined and legally given, but the religious samskara is not performed until much later.
First Solid Food
The next ceremony is the anna prashanam or the ceremony of “feeding the grains.” This is the child’s first solid food generally performed in sixth month. A child is brought to a temple, or a a priest is invited to the family’s home, and along with mantras and a sacred fire, food (usually a sweet rice preparation) is offered to God through the fire and “made” into prasada. The prasada is then fed to the child. In other words, the child’s first solid food is prasada, spiritual food.
First Hair Cutting
After the first grain’s ceremony, the Mundan or first hair cutting is the next samskara that may be performed. Different families perform this ceremony at different ages, but the ideal time is when the soft spot in the skull of the child vanishes, usually around 14 months. As in all samskaras, family, friends and a priest get together in the home or in a temple. Mantras are recited, a sacred fire is evoked and the priest with the help of the father or maternal uncle cut small locks of hair from four sides of the child’s head. After this ritual cutting, the child is taken to a barber that comes just for this occasion and the child’s hair is completely shaved. There is a belief that the first hair from the time of birth is impure and so shaving it off is a purification, but more importantly, the real point of the samskara is that it is a sacrifice. The parents of the child sacrifice the beauty of their child by shaving their child’s head, and in exchange they ask God for long life and prosperity for their child.
Starting School
The next samskara is called Vidyarambhana or beginning education. Vidya is knowledge and arambhana is commencing. This is usually performed around the ages of four or five years. The ceremony generally involves some mantras of sanctification and the worship of Sarasvati Devi, the Goddess of learning. Then, either on a chalk board or “scratched out” in a bed of plain rice, the child’s hand is guided in writing his first letters A, B, C... or whatever the local script maybe. Sometimes the name of an important family Deity, such as Rama is the first word written by the child.
Thread Ceremony
The next samskara is called Upanayana. This is the equivalent of a Christian Confirmation or Jewish Bar Mitzvah. It is a coming of age ceremony and in Hinduism it is usually performed for adolescence boys. Today the ceremony is generally performed only within the traditional brahmin families. This is unfortunate because it is an important ceremony and virtually all boys could benefit from such a ritual. Traditionally the ceremony was performed by the three upper varnas and not just brahmins. The ceremony is sometimes called a “thread ceremony” because one of its important features is the investiture of a “sacred thread” that is placed over the shoulder of the boy. The thread is used in certain prayer rituals (called sandhya vandana) that are performed on a daily basis after the ceremony. The word upanayana comes from the sanskrit root “ni” which means “to lead” and so the upanayana is the “leading or coming closer,” which means the boy is becoming a man and taking on adult responsibilities and is also coming closer to the spiritual side of life to guru and ultimately to God. After the ceremony the boy is considered a dvija or twice born. He has completed his second birth. One’s physical birth from mother is the first birth. The upanayana is the spiritual or second birth that comes from father or guru. During the Upanayana ceremony the boy has his head shaved, is given a sacred bath, takes vows of study and celibacy and is given the ancient gayatri mantra which includes the investiture of the sacred thread. The mantra is whispered into the hear of the boy while ladies hold a cloth over the father, guru and boy for privacy. For more information see The Sacred Thread Ceremony.
Marriage
Moving along in a chronological way the next import samskara is marriage. This is called Vivaha. As in virtually all cultures the marriage ceremony involves a bride and groom coming together in the presence of family and friends and then taking an oath of dedication to each other. In Sanskrit the word vivaha comes from the root vah which means to carry. The oath of dedication that the bride and groom take to each other is a contract that “carries” them along for the remainder of their lives. Most Hindu weddings involve an exchange of garlands between the bride and groom (jaya mala), a bestowal of the bride by her father to the groom (kanya dhanam), the lighting of a sacred fire (havan), circumambulation of the fire (parikramanam), and the taking of seven vows (sapta padi). In general southern marriages have the addition of a sacred necklace given to the bride by the groom (mangala sutra), and northern weddings have the addition of a sacred mark of vermilion applied by the groom to the bride in the parting of her hair (sindhura). There are, of course, huge variations between weddings, and many other aspects that we have not mentioned, especially in India where a ceremony can last many hours. In the West the average wedding lasts about an hour. For more detailed information see The Hindu Wedding.
Funeral
The final samskara is the antyesthi or the last rites. In the West, Hindu funerals are performed very differently than in India where there is a whole caste of specialized priests that only deal with death. Out of necessity, in the West temple priests perform funeral services in conjunction with the local system for handling the dead. In orthodox culture it is considered impure for temple priests to deal with death.
Upon the death of an individual the family will call a funeral home to prepare the body as well as a priest to perform the last rites. In India a funeral is generally performed before the sun goes down on the day of passing, but in the West the funeral may not be performed for many days while permits are obtained and family members are given time to assemble. During the funeral family members and friends come to a funeral home or chapel. Last rites are never performed in a temple. A priest recites mantras, some final rituals are performed that may include a havan, eulogies are said and family and friends are given the opportunity to offer their last respects with flower petals. Afterwards the body is taken to a crematorium where the body is committed to the fire. From the time of death and for about two weeks the family is in an official state of morning. They are not supposed to come to a temple or perform puja during this period. Every evening at this time prayers may be recited in the home and at the end of this period of morning a special havan is performed by a priest for the release of the soul. Finally a meal is served to family members and friends and gifts are given to the priest(s). Weeks or months later the ashes may be taken to India to be disposed into a sacred river or, locally if it is possible, ashes may be put into the ocean. The funeral process can be an elaborate affair and one that varies greatly from community to community. For detailed information see Hindu Funeral Rites and Ancestor Worship.
These are the major samskaras that are still practiced today. The ones that have have not been mentioned include the conception ritual (Garbhadhana), a ceremony to create a son (Pum-savana), the birth ceremony (Jata Karman), the first trip out after birth (Nishkramana), returning home after graduation, and even a first saris tying ceremony for girls entering puberty.
The Sixteen Hindu Samskaras
.
……… Man Making is a science. Like a gardener, parents & teachers work on a person so that the best can flower out from him or her. The whole thrust is to help bring about greater awareness & love in the mind, and channelize the interest & energies into positive fields. The whole ‘work’ is on the mind alone, and is comparable to the work of a genetic engineer. The only difference is that while a genetic engineer plays & transforms with the basic structure, a teacher works to manifest the basic inherent beauty, freedom & potential which facilitates to carve out a dynamic, creative, intelligent & magnanimous personality.
……… Interest is a very subjective thing, and has to come out from within. It can never be imposed. Interests are created by impressions & knowledge. That is what ad agencies too do. They create impressions, and this ‘works’ on the mind of the person to bring about the interest in him in the desired field. Once the interest has been manifested we can just sit back and see the person work for his or her field of interest in a dynamic way. While the experts of the advertisement world are generally seen to use this ‘knowledge of impressing minds’ for their selfish & commercial ends, the Vedic Masters used this knowledge to help bring out a positive & dynamic personality. While the former conditions the mind to the extent that the very thinking process of their target crowd is conditioned in their favor, but the Rishis saw to it that the very power to think & question daringly, independently & creatively grew. Thus we have all our scriptures in the form of question & answers.
……… These deliberate & positive impressions which help create a deep & lasting impressions on the mind of a person - so as to generate interest in him about the Truth & Dharma, help bring out a positive personality and free the mind of its negativities are called ‘Samskaras’. No one while living in the world remains free of the conditionings of his or her environs & teachings, so the question is not whether we can stop all conditionings but to see to it that a person is looked after like a plant and help his or her potentials bloom. To a question whether Samskaras are deliberate positive conditionings, well the answer is that, the objective of the entire exercise is to help a person awake to a state which is free from all conditionings, so while impressions are certainly put effectively & deliberately yet they are the very anti-thesis of what is implied by the word conditionings. This is one of the finest & blessed science, and has been perfected here as an art form too.
……… Samskaras are the turning points of life and need to be celebrated. Celebrations are very important ingredients of Samskaras. They directly or indirectly involve our respected elders, scholars, near & dear ones. Everyone gets together to convey their best wishes & blessings to the person concerned and thus there is social & religious sanction for the act & ceremony. Samskaras are great, time-tested tools in our traditional systems which help carve out a great personality. Apart from scriptural validation, history also proves to us the great effectiveness of these methods. When Vedic Masters had their way, India was on top of the world. The people of the far off land prayed that they will one day see this great land of plenty, prosperity & righteousness.
……… In this section we shall present an introduction to these famous sixteen Samskaras of Hindus which cover the entire life span of a person and take him to the door steps to Truth.
The Sixteen Samskaras
.
1. Garbhadan The first coming together of the husband & wife for bringing about onception.
2. Pumsvan Ceremony performed when the first signs of conception are seen, and is to be performed when someone desires a male child.
3. Seemantonayan A ceremony of parting of the hairs of the expectant mother to keep her spirits high & positive. Special music is arranged for her.
4. Jatakarma After the birth of the child, the child is given a secret name, he is given taste of honey & ghee, mother starts the first breast-feeding after chanting of a mantra.
5. Nama-karana In this ceremony the child is given a formal name. Performed on the 11th day.
6. Nishkramana In this the formal darshan of sun & moon is done for the child.
7. Annaprashana This ceremony is performed, when the child is given solid food (anna) for the first time.
8. Chudakarana Cuda means the 'lock or tuft of hair' kept after the remaining part is shaved off.
9. Karna-vedha Done in 7th or 8th month. Piercing of the ears.
10. Upanayan & Vedarambha The thread ceremony. The child is thereafter authorized to perform all rituals. Studies of Vedas begins with the Guru.
11. Keshanta Hairs are cut, guru dakshina is given
12. Samavartan Returning to the house
13. Vivaha Marriage ceremony
14. Vanprastha As old age approaches, the person retires for a life of tapas & studies.
15. Sanyas Before leaving the body a Hinddu sheds all sense of responsibility & relationships to awake & revel in the timeless truth.
16. Antyeshthi The last rites done after the death.
.
.
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Vishnu Sahasranamam and Hanuman chalisa
Radhe Krishna 28-08-08
Vishnu Sahasranamam by M.S.Subhbhalakshmi Amma
Hanuman Chalisa
OM Jai Jagadeesa Hare (Aarathi)
Vishnu Sahasranamam by M.S.Subhbhalakshmi Amma
Hanuman Chalisa
OM Jai Jagadeesa Hare (Aarathi)
Sri Mdhwacharya / Sri Moola Rama Pooja / Sri Narasimha Pooja
Radhe Krishna 28-08-08
Sri Satyatma tirtha Swamiji
Sri Satyatma tirtha Swamiji Pooja Part - 1
Sri Satyatma thirtha Swamiji Pooja Part - 2
Madhwacharya
Sri Narasimha Pooja
Biggest Saligrama Shila Abhisheka
Saligrama Abhisheka Sri Rama Navami Festival 2008
Sri Satyatma tirtha Swamiji
Sri Satyatma tirtha Swamiji Pooja Part - 1
Sri Satyatma thirtha Swamiji Pooja Part - 2
Madhwacharya
Sri Narasimha Pooja
Biggest Saligrama Shila Abhisheka
Saligrama Abhisheka Sri Rama Navami Festival 2008
Dasavatharas (10 Avathars)
Radhe krishna 28-08-08
DASAVATHARAS (10 AVATHARS)
DASAVATHARAS
LORD VISHNU AND 10 AVATHARS
DASAVATHARAS (10 AVATHARS)
DASAVATHARAS
LORD VISHNU AND 10 AVATHARS
Seetha Kalyanam by Kovai Jayarama Bhagavathar
Radhe krishna 28-08-08
Seetha Kalyanam By Kovai Jayarama Bhagavathar
Vinayaka chadhurthi
Vinayaka chadhurthi celebrations - Part 4
Muralikrishna bhajan songs
Seetha Kalyanam By Kovai Jayarama Bhagavathar
Vinayaka chadhurthi
Vinayaka chadhurthi celebrations - Part 4
Muralikrishna bhajan songs
Dance Arangetram
Radhe Krishna 28-08-08 Anagha Arangetram 1 [TRANSLATED] Anagha Arangetram 1 Sampradaya Dance of India,Chandler-AZ,USA Sept 16 2007 - Nine year old Anagha Guru: Smt. Nita Mallya ... Bharathanatyam ...
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
CHAR DHAM VIDEOS
Radhe Krishna 27-08-08
CHAR VIDEOS DHAM
Badrinath Temple
Kedarnath Temple
Gangothri Temple
Gangothri
Char Dham Tathra
Yamunothri Temple
Yaminothri Temple 2
Char Dham Part 1 of 7
Char Dham Part 2 of 7
Char Dham Part 3 of 7
Char Dham Part 4 of 7
Char Dham Part 5 of 7
Char Dham Part 6 of 7
Char Dham Part 7 of 7
Char Dham Part 8
Char Dham Part 8 of second
Char Dham Part 9
Char Dham Part 10
Char Dham Part 11
CHAR DHAM
Radhe Krishna 27-08-08
YAMUNOTHRI
GANGOTHRI
KEDARNATH
BADRINATH
KEDARNATH
BADRINATH
YAMUNOTHRI
GANGOTHRI
Char Dham is referred to the four Hindu religious sites in Uttarakhand state of India. These are Yamunotri, Gangotri, Badrinath and Kedarnath. Nestled in the lap of majestic Himalayas, these four sites are the epicenter of religious activity in north India. Traditionally, the Chardham yatra is undertaken from the west to the east. Thus, the yatra starts from Yamunotri, then proceeding to Gangotri and finally to Kedarnath and Badrinath.
Amongst the four Char Dhams, Yamunotri and Gangotri are dedicated to goddesses Yamuna and Ganga respectively. On the other hand, Kedarnath is dedicated to Lord Shiva while Badrinath is dedicated to Lord Vishnu. Moreover, people also visit Hemkund Sahib in the vicinity, which is one of the highest located religious sites in the country. Thus, pilgrims visit all these places in aspiration of washing away their sins and to attain salvation, by the blessings of the Lord.
Owing to the significance of this religious circuit, devotees from all over the world, come here to experience the eternal bliss. Char Dhams are hustling and bustling with activity during the summer months, as hundreds of devotees embark upon the holy journey. The picturesque surroundings of the mountainous region are simply enthralling, giving the visitors a perfect opportunity to unwind themselves by filling their lungs with fresh air. Moreover, these otherwise silent and tranquil locales resound with the names of the Lord as the pilgrims advance towards their destination.
Char Dham
The Char Dham ('the four abodes/seats') is the most important Hindu pilgrimage circuit in the Indian Himalayas. Located in the Garhwal section of the state of Uttarakhand (formerly the northwestern section of Uttar Pradesh), the circuit consists of four sites—Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath , and Badrinath. While each site is unique in its own fashion, inclusion in the Char Dham has, over time, caused them be viewed together in popular imagination and actual pilgrimage practice.
Origins
The origins of the Char Dham are obscure. The appellation Char Dham used to be reserved for India's most famous pilgrimage circuit, four important temples—Puri, Rameshwaram, Dwarka, and Badrinath—grouped together by the great 8th century reformer and philosopher Shankaracharya (Adi Sankara), into the archetypal All-India pilgrimage circuit to the four cardinal points of the subcontinent. At some point, Badrinath, the last visited and the most important of the four sites in the original Char Dham, also became the cornerstone site of a Himalayan pilgrimage circuit dubbed the Chota (little) Char Dham. Unlike the original Char Dham, the sites of the Chota Char Dham do not share a single sectarian affiliation. Instead, the three major sectarian movements in modern devotional Hinduism all have representation, with the Vaishnava site Badrinath joined by one Shaiva site (Kedarnath) and two Devi sites (Yamunotri and Gangotri).
As late as the mid-twentieth century, the "Chota" designation was still used consistently to delineate the Himalayan version of the Char Dham. This usage probably reflects the relative importance of the circuit for most of its history. Accessible until recent times only after a two-month trek that repeatedly exceeds 4000 meters, the Chota Char Dham was long dominated by wandering ascetics and religious professionals, along with a handful of devoted retirees and wealthy patrons (who could afford an entourage). While the individual sites and the circuit as a whole were important to Hindus on the plains below, they were not a particularly visible aspect of yearly religious culture. After the 1962 war between India and China, however, accessibility to the Chota Char Dham improved drastically, as India's short-lived efforts at Himalayan expansionism required massive infrastructure investments. As pilgrim buses began to arrive, the Chota appendix seems to have dropped away, though the prefix "Himalayan" (Hindi: Himalaya ki Char Dham) is sometimes still added to avoid confusion.
With infrastructure improvements, the importance of the Char Dham as both an actual destination and an object of the national Hindu religious imagination has increased significantly. Buoyed by the development of new forms of bourgeois "religious tourism" and by the rise of a conservative Hindu population compelled by sites that speak to the existence of an all-India Hindu culture, the Char Dham has become an important destination for pilgrims from throughout South Asia and the diaspora, particularly Bengalis, Marwaris, Gujaratis, Delhites- and people from U.P, and of course citizens of Uttarakhand. Today, the Char Dham sees upwards of 250,000 unique visitors in an average pilgrimage season, which lasts from approximately April 15 until Diwali (sometime in November). The season is heaviest in the two-month period before the monsoon. Once the rains come (sometime in late July), travel is extremely dangerous: extensive road building has critically destabilized the rocks, and fatal landslides and bus/jeep accidents are a regular yearly occurrence, with mortality rates for a season often surpassing 200. Despite the danger, pilgrims do continue to visit the Char Dham in the monsoon period, as well as after the rains end. Although temperatures at the shrines in the early winter months (October and November) are inhospitable, it is said that the incredible mountain scenery that surrounds the sites is most vivid after the rains have had a chance to moisten the dust of the plains below.
Pilgrimage centers
Most pilgrims to the Char Dham embark from the famous temple town of Haridwar. Others leave from Haridwar's sister city, Rishikesh, or from Dehra Duhn, the capital of Uttarakhand. From there, the tradition is to visit the sites in the following order:
Yamunothri
Yamunotri, the source of the Yamuna River and the seat of the goddess Yamuna, is a full day's journey from Rishikesh, Haridwar or Dehradun. The actual temple is only accessible by a six km walk from the town of Hanuman Chatti (horses or palanquins are available for rent). The current temple is of recent origin, as past iterations have been destroyed by the weather and elements. Lodging at the temple itself is limited to a few small ashrams and guesthouses. Ritual duties such as the making and distribution of prasad (sanctified offerings) and the supervision of pujas (ritual venerations) are performed by the Uniyal family of pujaris (priests). Unique aspects of ritual practice at the site include hot springs where raw rice is cooked and made into prasad.
Perched amidst sprawling Garhwal Hills, Yamunotri is another revered pilgrim spots in the state of Uttarakhand. It is one of the Char Dham in India and holds great religious importance. Yamunotri is the source of sacred river Yamuna and also the abode of goddess Yamuna. It is famous for its thermal springs, glaciers and scenic locales. In effect, it is one of the must visit places from travel and tourism point of view.
According to Hindu mythology, this hilly spot was once the abode of an ancient sage by the name, Asit Muni. Owing to its legendary significance, thousands of devotees visit this silent yet hustling-bustling pilgrimage place. There are a many worth visiting places here, one of the most important being the Yamunotri temple. This temple was built by Maharani Gularia of Jaipur in the 19th century. The shrine is dedicated to goddess Yamuna.
She resides here in the form of a silver idol adorned with garlands. It is believed that a holy dip in the sacred water of river Yamunotri here relieves everyone from a painful death. This is because she is the sister of Yama, the God of Death. As a result, pilgrims visit the place in order to seek the blessings of Yamuna and save themselves from the agony of death. Apart from this there is Surya Kund which is known for its thermal springs.
The temperature of the water here is approximately 190 degree Fahrenheit. Also, there are a number of hot water pools here, which are used to cook rice and potato as Prasad (holy offerings to God). Divya Shilla is a rock pillar here, which is worshipped by the devotees before entering the Yamunotri temple. Other tourist places near Yamunatri are Janaki Chatti, Hanuman Chatti and Saptrishi Kund.
Gangothri
Gangotri, the source of the Ganga (Ganges) River and seat of the goddess Ganga, can be reached in one day's travel from Rishikesh, Haridwar or Dehra Duhn, or in two days from Yamunotri. More popular and important than its sister site to the east, Gangotri is also accessible directly by car and bus, meaning that it sees many more pilgrims. A small village of guesthouses and restaurants serves the pilgrim community. Ritual duties are supervised by the Semwal family of pujaris. The aarti ceremony at the Gangotri is especially impressive, as is the temple, a stately affair that sits on the banks of the rushing Ganga (Ganges River). Adventurous pilgrims can make an overnight 17 km trek to Gaumukh, the actual current source of the Ganga.
Gangotri also has a strong historical past and bears the eternal feel of antiquity. According to mythological records, King Bhagirath did penance here, after which, as per Lord Shiva's wishes, River Ganges came down on earth. However, to save the earth from the fierce force of the river, Lord Shiva held her in his locks. Thus, river Ganges is also known as Bhagirathi here. Moreover, it is also believed that Pandavas came down to this place to perform Deva Yajna.
As a result, Gangotri is a significant place from religion point of view. Hundreds of devotees throng the place every year in order to unleash the secrets of spirituality. Some of the main attractions of Gangotri include Gangotri Temple, which was built by Gurkha monarch Amar Singh Thapa, around 3000 years back. Another pilgrim site here is Jalamagna Shivalinga, which is a natural rock Shivalinga submerged in the river.
It is deemed to be the place where Lord Shiva held Ganga in his locks. This Shivalinga is only visible in winter months. Other worth visiting places in the vicinity are Gaumukh (source of Ganges), Gaumukh Glacier and Nandanvan. Drifting towards the adventurous aspect of Gangotri, it offers a number of sports for fun lovers such as river rafting, trekking etc. Thus, to enjoy the natural beauty and religious fervor at its best, Gangotri is a must visit place for all.
Kedarnath
Kedarnath, where a form of the Hindu god Shiva is venerated as one of the twelve jyotirling (linga of light), is a two-day's journey from either Gangotri or one of the main disembarkation points on the plains. Besides its affiliation with Siva, Kedarnath is also believed to be the site of Shankaracharya's samadhi (place of enternment). The actual temple, an impressive stone edifice of unknown date, is accessible only after a steep 13 km walk (horses or palanquins are available for rent). The most remote of the four Char Dham sites, Kedarnath is flanked by breathtaking snow-capped peaks. No specific family of pujaris supervises rituals at Kedarnath, which focus around veneration of the stone lingam that rests in the inner sanctum of the temple.
Kedarnath is a sacred town situated in the state of Uttarakhand of India. It can even be called as one of the remotest Char Dham sites as it is located amidst the snow-capped mountains of Himalayas, near the river Mandakini. Nestled in the Rudraprayag district, the main attractions here is the Kedarnath Temple, which is a popular Hindu shrine and pilgrimage, attracting devotees from all over the world. The travel and tourism scope here is strengthened by factors like natural beauty and religious zest.
The Kedarnath Temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva and is deemed to have been built by Adi Sankaracharya. The glory of the temple can be attributed to the fact that it is one of the twelve jyotirlingas (Lord Shiva shrines), present in the country. The temple remains open only for a period of six months, due to heavy snowfall in the winter months. Testing the fervor and dedication of the pilgrims, the temple is not directly reachable by road.
The only way being, a 14 km trek path from Gaurikund. The present temple stands adjacent to the initial temple built by the Pandavas. According to historical data, Pandavas after winning the battle of Mahabharata, felt guilty of killing their own brothers. They came here in search of Lord Shiva, who kept hiding himself. Finally Bhima, the strongest Pandava brother recognized him. Lord Shiva, who was disguised as a bull, escaped leaving behind his hind part.
This led to the construction of the temple here. The present Kedarnath Temple has been built by huge slabs of gray stones, standing undeterred with all its glory and majesty. The divine peace and tranquility of the place leaves the devotees completely mesmerized. The haunting environment and secluded surroundings compel all the visitors to feel the inner connection with the Almighty. Thus, Kedarnath is considered a must visit place amongst pilgrims, before leaving this world.
Badrinath
Badrinath, the seat of the Hindu god Vishnu in his aspect of Badrinarayan, is generally a two-day's journey from either Kedarnath or one of the main disembarkation points on the plains. By far the most important of the four Char Dham sites, Badrinath receives many more visitors than the other three sites. As the route to Badrinath is for much of the way also the route to Hemkund Sahib, an important Sikh pilgrimage site, the road to Badrinath is especially crowded. The temple and its substantial surrounding village are accessible by road. The actual temple is a striking building whose bright colors evoke the painted Buddhist ghompas of the region; rumor has it that the temple was originally controlled by Buddhists.
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Char_Dham"
Badrinath Temple is one of the holiest Hindu shrines in India. It is situated in the hill town of Badrinath in the Chamoli district of Uttarakhand state. Along the river Alaknanda, the temple is essentially a Lord Vishnu shrine. Also known by the names Badri Vishal and Badrinarayan, it is one of the Char Dham sites and the one amongst 108 Divya Desams. This has contributed to the fact that Badrinath is vital with reference to travel and tourism.
The gates of the temple are open only for a period of six months, due to extreme weather conditions in Himalayas. There are a number of hot water pools here namely Tapt Kund, Narad Kund etc. These pools are filled with hot steaming water in the wint
er months also and are considered to posses medicinal properties. Many people even perform the last rites of the departed souls at Brahm Kapal.
It is a flat platform on the banks of river Alaknanda. Sheshnetra and Chandrapaduka are other rock boulders present along the river, which are believed to have footprints of Shesh Nag and Lord Vishnu. Another important temple here is the Mata Murti Temple. These temples are also considered as evidences of the rich historical past of Badrinath. Referring the mythological facts, it is believed that Lord Vishnu was practicing penance at this place.
In order to save him from the harmful rays of the sun, his divine consort Lakshmi took the form of a Badri plant and provided shade to him. Pleased by her fervor and devotion, the Lord told her that this place would be famous by her name. Hence, it came to be known as Badrinath. Splashed by Alaknanda, the divine site serves as an ideal location to experience the eternal bliss associated with spirituality.
YAMUNOTHRI
GANGOTHRI
KEDARNATH
BADRINATH
KEDARNATH
BADRINATH
YAMUNOTHRI
GANGOTHRI
Char Dham is referred to the four Hindu religious sites in Uttarakhand state of India. These are Yamunotri, Gangotri, Badrinath and Kedarnath. Nestled in the lap of majestic Himalayas, these four sites are the epicenter of religious activity in north India. Traditionally, the Chardham yatra is undertaken from the west to the east. Thus, the yatra starts from Yamunotri, then proceeding to Gangotri and finally to Kedarnath and Badrinath.
Amongst the four Char Dhams, Yamunotri and Gangotri are dedicated to goddesses Yamuna and Ganga respectively. On the other hand, Kedarnath is dedicated to Lord Shiva while Badrinath is dedicated to Lord Vishnu. Moreover, people also visit Hemkund Sahib in the vicinity, which is one of the highest located religious sites in the country. Thus, pilgrims visit all these places in aspiration of washing away their sins and to attain salvation, by the blessings of the Lord.
Owing to the significance of this religious circuit, devotees from all over the world, come here to experience the eternal bliss. Char Dhams are hustling and bustling with activity during the summer months, as hundreds of devotees embark upon the holy journey. The picturesque surroundings of the mountainous region are simply enthralling, giving the visitors a perfect opportunity to unwind themselves by filling their lungs with fresh air. Moreover, these otherwise silent and tranquil locales resound with the names of the Lord as the pilgrims advance towards their destination.
Char Dham
The Char Dham ('the four abodes/seats') is the most important Hindu pilgrimage circuit in the Indian Himalayas. Located in the Garhwal section of the state of Uttarakhand (formerly the northwestern section of Uttar Pradesh), the circuit consists of four sites—Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath , and Badrinath. While each site is unique in its own fashion, inclusion in the Char Dham has, over time, caused them be viewed together in popular imagination and actual pilgrimage practice.
Origins
The origins of the Char Dham are obscure. The appellation Char Dham used to be reserved for India's most famous pilgrimage circuit, four important temples—Puri, Rameshwaram, Dwarka, and Badrinath—grouped together by the great 8th century reformer and philosopher Shankaracharya (Adi Sankara), into the archetypal All-India pilgrimage circuit to the four cardinal points of the subcontinent. At some point, Badrinath, the last visited and the most important of the four sites in the original Char Dham, also became the cornerstone site of a Himalayan pilgrimage circuit dubbed the Chota (little) Char Dham. Unlike the original Char Dham, the sites of the Chota Char Dham do not share a single sectarian affiliation. Instead, the three major sectarian movements in modern devotional Hinduism all have representation, with the Vaishnava site Badrinath joined by one Shaiva site (Kedarnath) and two Devi sites (Yamunotri and Gangotri).
As late as the mid-twentieth century, the "Chota" designation was still used consistently to delineate the Himalayan version of the Char Dham. This usage probably reflects the relative importance of the circuit for most of its history. Accessible until recent times only after a two-month trek that repeatedly exceeds 4000 meters, the Chota Char Dham was long dominated by wandering ascetics and religious professionals, along with a handful of devoted retirees and wealthy patrons (who could afford an entourage). While the individual sites and the circuit as a whole were important to Hindus on the plains below, they were not a particularly visible aspect of yearly religious culture. After the 1962 war between India and China, however, accessibility to the Chota Char Dham improved drastically, as India's short-lived efforts at Himalayan expansionism required massive infrastructure investments. As pilgrim buses began to arrive, the Chota appendix seems to have dropped away, though the prefix "Himalayan" (Hindi: Himalaya ki Char Dham) is sometimes still added to avoid confusion.
With infrastructure improvements, the importance of the Char Dham as both an actual destination and an object of the national Hindu religious imagination has increased significantly. Buoyed by the development of new forms of bourgeois "religious tourism" and by the rise of a conservative Hindu population compelled by sites that speak to the existence of an all-India Hindu culture, the Char Dham has become an important destination for pilgrims from throughout South Asia and the diaspora, particularly Bengalis, Marwaris, Gujaratis, Delhites- and people from U.P, and of course citizens of Uttarakhand. Today, the Char Dham sees upwards of 250,000 unique visitors in an average pilgrimage season, which lasts from approximately April 15 until Diwali (sometime in November). The season is heaviest in the two-month period before the monsoon. Once the rains come (sometime in late July), travel is extremely dangerous: extensive road building has critically destabilized the rocks, and fatal landslides and bus/jeep accidents are a regular yearly occurrence, with mortality rates for a season often surpassing 200. Despite the danger, pilgrims do continue to visit the Char Dham in the monsoon period, as well as after the rains end. Although temperatures at the shrines in the early winter months (October and November) are inhospitable, it is said that the incredible mountain scenery that surrounds the sites is most vivid after the rains have had a chance to moisten the dust of the plains below.
Pilgrimage centers
Most pilgrims to the Char Dham embark from the famous temple town of Haridwar. Others leave from Haridwar's sister city, Rishikesh, or from Dehra Duhn, the capital of Uttarakhand. From there, the tradition is to visit the sites in the following order:
Yamunothri
Yamunotri, the source of the Yamuna River and the seat of the goddess Yamuna, is a full day's journey from Rishikesh, Haridwar or Dehradun. The actual temple is only accessible by a six km walk from the town of Hanuman Chatti (horses or palanquins are available for rent). The current temple is of recent origin, as past iterations have been destroyed by the weather and elements. Lodging at the temple itself is limited to a few small ashrams and guesthouses. Ritual duties such as the making and distribution of prasad (sanctified offerings) and the supervision of pujas (ritual venerations) are performed by the Uniyal family of pujaris (priests). Unique aspects of ritual practice at the site include hot springs where raw rice is cooked and made into prasad.
Perched amidst sprawling Garhwal Hills, Yamunotri is another revered pilgrim spots in the state of Uttarakhand. It is one of the Char Dham in India and holds great religious importance. Yamunotri is the source of sacred river Yamuna and also the abode of goddess Yamuna. It is famous for its thermal springs, glaciers and scenic locales. In effect, it is one of the must visit places from travel and tourism point of view.
According to Hindu mythology, this hilly spot was once the abode of an ancient sage by the name, Asit Muni. Owing to its legendary significance, thousands of devotees visit this silent yet hustling-bustling pilgrimage place. There are a many worth visiting places here, one of the most important being the Yamunotri temple. This temple was built by Maharani Gularia of Jaipur in the 19th century. The shrine is dedicated to goddess Yamuna.
She resides here in the form of a silver idol adorned with garlands. It is believed that a holy dip in the sacred water of river Yamunotri here relieves everyone from a painful death. This is because she is the sister of Yama, the God of Death. As a result, pilgrims visit the place in order to seek the blessings of Yamuna and save themselves from the agony of death. Apart from this there is Surya Kund which is known for its thermal springs.
The temperature of the water here is approximately 190 degree Fahrenheit. Also, there are a number of hot water pools here, which are used to cook rice and potato as Prasad (holy offerings to God). Divya Shilla is a rock pillar here, which is worshipped by the devotees before entering the Yamunotri temple. Other tourist places near Yamunatri are Janaki Chatti, Hanuman Chatti and Saptrishi Kund.
Gangothri
Gangotri, the source of the Ganga (Ganges) River and seat of the goddess Ganga, can be reached in one day's travel from Rishikesh, Haridwar or Dehra Duhn, or in two days from Yamunotri. More popular and important than its sister site to the east, Gangotri is also accessible directly by car and bus, meaning that it sees many more pilgrims. A small village of guesthouses and restaurants serves the pilgrim community. Ritual duties are supervised by the Semwal family of pujaris. The aarti ceremony at the Gangotri is especially impressive, as is the temple, a stately affair that sits on the banks of the rushing Ganga (Ganges River). Adventurous pilgrims can make an overnight 17 km trek to Gaumukh, the actual current source of the Ganga.
Gangotri also has a strong historical past and bears the eternal feel of antiquity. According to mythological records, King Bhagirath did penance here, after which, as per Lord Shiva's wishes, River Ganges came down on earth. However, to save the earth from the fierce force of the river, Lord Shiva held her in his locks. Thus, river Ganges is also known as Bhagirathi here. Moreover, it is also believed that Pandavas came down to this place to perform Deva Yajna.
As a result, Gangotri is a significant place from religion point of view. Hundreds of devotees throng the place every year in order to unleash the secrets of spirituality. Some of the main attractions of Gangotri include Gangotri Temple, which was built by Gurkha monarch Amar Singh Thapa, around 3000 years back. Another pilgrim site here is Jalamagna Shivalinga, which is a natural rock Shivalinga submerged in the river.
It is deemed to be the place where Lord Shiva held Ganga in his locks. This Shivalinga is only visible in winter months. Other worth visiting places in the vicinity are Gaumukh (source of Ganges), Gaumukh Glacier and Nandanvan. Drifting towards the adventurous aspect of Gangotri, it offers a number of sports for fun lovers such as river rafting, trekking etc. Thus, to enjoy the natural beauty and religious fervor at its best, Gangotri is a must visit place for all.
Kedarnath
Kedarnath, where a form of the Hindu god Shiva is venerated as one of the twelve jyotirling (linga of light), is a two-day's journey from either Gangotri or one of the main disembarkation points on the plains. Besides its affiliation with Siva, Kedarnath is also believed to be the site of Shankaracharya's samadhi (place of enternment). The actual temple, an impressive stone edifice of unknown date, is accessible only after a steep 13 km walk (horses or palanquins are available for rent). The most remote of the four Char Dham sites, Kedarnath is flanked by breathtaking snow-capped peaks. No specific family of pujaris supervises rituals at Kedarnath, which focus around veneration of the stone lingam that rests in the inner sanctum of the temple.
Kedarnath is a sacred town situated in the state of Uttarakhand of India. It can even be called as one of the remotest Char Dham sites as it is located amidst the snow-capped mountains of Himalayas, near the river Mandakini. Nestled in the Rudraprayag district, the main attractions here is the Kedarnath Temple, which is a popular Hindu shrine and pilgrimage, attracting devotees from all over the world. The travel and tourism scope here is strengthened by factors like natural beauty and religious zest.
The Kedarnath Temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva and is deemed to have been built by Adi Sankaracharya. The glory of the temple can be attributed to the fact that it is one of the twelve jyotirlingas (Lord Shiva shrines), present in the country. The temple remains open only for a period of six months, due to heavy snowfall in the winter months. Testing the fervor and dedication of the pilgrims, the temple is not directly reachable by road.
The only way being, a 14 km trek path from Gaurikund. The present temple stands adjacent to the initial temple built by the Pandavas. According to historical data, Pandavas after winning the battle of Mahabharata, felt guilty of killing their own brothers. They came here in search of Lord Shiva, who kept hiding himself. Finally Bhima, the strongest Pandava brother recognized him. Lord Shiva, who was disguised as a bull, escaped leaving behind his hind part.
This led to the construction of the temple here. The present Kedarnath Temple has been built by huge slabs of gray stones, standing undeterred with all its glory and majesty. The divine peace and tranquility of the place leaves the devotees completely mesmerized. The haunting environment and secluded surroundings compel all the visitors to feel the inner connection with the Almighty. Thus, Kedarnath is considered a must visit place amongst pilgrims, before leaving this world.
Badrinath
Badrinath, the seat of the Hindu god Vishnu in his aspect of Badrinarayan, is generally a two-day's journey from either Kedarnath or one of the main disembarkation points on the plains. By far the most important of the four Char Dham sites, Badrinath receives many more visitors than the other three sites. As the route to Badrinath is for much of the way also the route to Hemkund Sahib, an important Sikh pilgrimage site, the road to Badrinath is especially crowded. The temple and its substantial surrounding village are accessible by road. The actual temple is a striking building whose bright colors evoke the painted Buddhist ghompas of the region; rumor has it that the temple was originally controlled by Buddhists.
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Char_Dham"
Badrinath Temple is one of the holiest Hindu shrines in India. It is situated in the hill town of Badrinath in the Chamoli district of Uttarakhand state. Along the river Alaknanda, the temple is essentially a Lord Vishnu shrine. Also known by the names Badri Vishal and Badrinarayan, it is one of the Char Dham sites and the one amongst 108 Divya Desams. This has contributed to the fact that Badrinath is vital with reference to travel and tourism.
The gates of the temple are open only for a period of six months, due to extreme weather conditions in Himalayas. There are a number of hot water pools here namely Tapt Kund, Narad Kund etc. These pools are filled with hot steaming water in the wint
er months also and are considered to posses medicinal properties. Many people even perform the last rites of the departed souls at Brahm Kapal.
It is a flat platform on the banks of river Alaknanda. Sheshnetra and Chandrapaduka are other rock boulders present along the river, which are believed to have footprints of Shesh Nag and Lord Vishnu. Another important temple here is the Mata Murti Temple. These temples are also considered as evidences of the rich historical past of Badrinath. Referring the mythological facts, it is believed that Lord Vishnu was practicing penance at this place.
In order to save him from the harmful rays of the sun, his divine consort Lakshmi took the form of a Badri plant and provided shade to him. Pleased by her fervor and devotion, the Lord told her that this place would be famous by her name. Hence, it came to be known as Badrinath. Splashed by Alaknanda, the divine site serves as an ideal location to experience the eternal bliss associated with spirituality.
108 DIVYA DESANGAL
RADHE KRISHNA 27-08-08
" Parithranaya Sathunam Vinachaya Sathushkritham Dharmasamsthapanarthaya Sambavami yuge yuge"
Divya Desam
In Hinduism, Venkateshwara (also spelled as Venkateswara, Venkateshwer or Venkatachalapathi) is a much-worshipped form of Vishnu. He is also known as Balaji or Lord Venkateswara. He is also worshiped with the name Tirupati Thimmappa all over Karnataka by traditionally Shiva worshipping communities.
Vishnu, in the form of Venkateshwara, is much worshipped at Tirupati temple. Venkateshwara is the presiding deity at the Tirumala temple complex, believed to be the richest of all the Hindu shrines in the world. The temple is situated in southern Andhra Pradesh in Chittoor district. It is around 120 km away from Chennai. The presence of seven hills influenced alternate names for the diety: Edu kondala vadu in Telugu and as Elumalaiyan in Tamil both of which mean Lord of the Seven Hills.
In between the Pallava and the Chola country lay an undefined small region called the Nadu nadu or mid country. The Pallava country was also known as Todaimandalam or Tondai nadu which was bounded on the north by the Svarnamukhi river and on the south by the South Pennar. The Chola country known as Sola nadu lay between the South Pennar and the Cauvery rivers. The pandyan kingdom lay South of the Cauvery right down to the sea. The western half of the extreme south (ruled by the Cheran king) extending to the Arabian sea was called the Malai nadu or Hill country. The remaining part of India to the north of the Tondai mandalam was known as the Vada nadu or Vadugar nadu (the country of the northerners). The chart shows the sacred places arranged on the above regional basis adopted by the Sri Vaishnavas.
108 Divya Desangal
Chozha Tirupathigal - 1 to 40
Malayaala Tirupathigal - 41 to 53
Nadu Tirupathigal - 54 to 55
Pandiya Tirupathigal - 56 to 73
Thondal Tirupathigal - 74 to 95
Vada Tirupathigal - 96 to 106
Vinnulaga Tirupathigal - 107 to 108
Divya desams in Chozha naadu(Present Tanjavour,Trichy districts)
001.Srirangam (Aranga Maanagar, Thiruvarangam)
002.Thirukkozhi
003.Thirukkarambanur
004.Thiru veLLaRai
005.Anbil
006.ThiruppEr nagar
007.ThirukkaNdiyur
008.Thirukkodalur (Thirukkoodalur)
009.kabisthalam
010.PuLLambUthangkudi
011.Adhanur
012.Kumbakonam (Thirukkudanthai)
013.Oppili Appan koil
014.Naachchiyaar koil
015.ThiruchchErai
016.ThirukkaNNamangai
017.ThirukkaNNapuram
018.ThirukkaNNangkudi
019.Nagaippattinam
020.Thanjai MaamaNik koil
021.Thiru Nandhipura viNNagaram
022.VeLLiyangkudi
023.TherazhunthUr
024.SiRu puliyur
025.Thalaichchangkadu
026.IndhaLur
027.KaavaLam paadi
028.Seerkaazhi
029.Arimeya viNNagaram
030.VaN purushoththamam
031.Thiru semponsey koil
032.Thiru maNi maadak koil
033.Vaikundha viNNagaram
034.Thiru vaali Thiru nagari
035.Thiru Thevanaar thogai
036.Thiru theRRiyambalam
037.Thiru maNik koodam
038.Annan koil
039.Parththan paLLi
040.Chidambaram
Divya desams in Nadu naadu (Near Cuddalore)
041.Thiruvahendrapuram (Thiruvaheendipuram)
042.Thirukkovalur
Divya desams in Thondai naadu (Madras,Kanchi areas)
043.Kachchi,Aththigiri(Kanchipuram, Kancheevaram, Kanjeevaram)
044.Ashtapuyakaram (Kanchi)
045.ThiruththaNkaa
046.ThiruvELukkai
047.Thiru neerakam
048.Thiruppadakam
049.Thiru nilaath thungaL thuNdam
050.Thiru Urakam
051.Thiru Veqkaa
052.Thirukkarakam
053.Thirukkaarvaanam
054.ThirukkaLvanUr
055.ThiruppavaLa vaNNam
056.Thirup ParamEsvara viNNagaram
057.Thirup putkuzhi
058.Thiru ninRavUr
059.ThiruvaLLur (Thiru EvvuLLUr)
060.ThiruvallikkENi (Thiru AllikkeNi)
061.Thiruneermalai
062.Thiru Idavendhai
063.Thirukkadal Mallai
064.Sholinghur (Thiruk Kadigai, Sozhasimhapuram)
Divya desams in North India (Vada naadu)
065.AyOdhdhi
066.NaimicharaNyam
067.Thiruppiruthi
068.ThirukkaNdam kadinagar
069.Badrinath
070.SaaLaggraamam
071.Madhura
072.Ayppadi
073.Dwaraka
074.Ahobilam
075.Thiru vEngadam (Sapthagiri, Thirumala, Tirumalai, Thirupathi)
Divya desams in Malai Naadu (Kerala)
076.Thiru naavaay
077.Thiru viththuvakkOdu
078.Thiruk kaatkarai
079.Thiru mUzhikkaLam
080.Thiru vallavaazh
081.Thiruk kadiththaanam
082.Thiruch chengkunRanUr
083.Thiruppuliyur
084.ThiruvaaRan viLai
085.Thiru vaN vaNdUr
086.Thiru anantha puram
087.ThiruvattaRu
088.Thiru vaN paricharam
Divya desams in Paandiya Naadu (Madurai,Srivillipuththur,Thirunelveli areas)
089.Thiruk Karungkudi
090.Vanamaamalai
091.SriVaikundam
092.VaraguNa mangai
093.Thirup PuLingkudi
094.Thiruth Tholaivilli Mangalam
095.ThiurkkuLandhai
096.ThirukkOLUr
097.Then ThiruppErai
098.Azhvar Thirunagari
099.Srivillipuththur
100.ThiruththaNkaal
101.ThirukkUdal
102.Thirumaalirum sOlai (Thirumaaliruncholai)
103.ThirumOkUr
104.ThirukkOshtiyur
105.ThiruppullaaNi
106.Thiru meyyam
Divya desams in out of this world.
107.Thirup paaRkadal
108.Paramapadham.
Among the 108 Temples known as Divyadesam for Srivaishnavites, only 106 visibly located on the mother Earth. Rest two known are (the most Srivaishnavites would like to visit on attaining the Moksha, to liberate themselves from rebirth) known as Thiruparkadal and Sri Vaikuntham - The Abodes of Sri Maha Vishnu. These are the places worshipped and sung by great Tamil Saints known as Alwars, the saintly poets who immersed themselves in the divine ocean of Lord Vishnu. Divyadesams are also Divya Kshetrams. Those who have seen these two places are not with us to elaborate and those who elaborate about these places are never seen it! (Kandavar Vindadillai, Vindavar Kandadillai!). Yet, the great Maharishis and Munis and Sages, who could visualize these places with their sheer power of Njana Drushti had given us some light on the two Eternal Divya Desa kshetraams. Thus we could get some know on these two most important Abode of Sri Maha Vishnu.
Emperumaan, Lord Sriman Narayanan is found in various Thirukkolam. The Thirukkolam (Appearance of His revered Idols) in 108 Divyakshetrams are listed below:
Kidantha Thirukkolam (Sleeping Posture) - 27 Divyadesams
Veetrirundha Thirukkolam (Sitting Position) - 21 Divyadesams
Nindra Thirukkolam (Standing Position) - 60 Divyadesams
Out of these 108 Divyadesams, as we have seen that The Lord ( Perumal) is appearing in various Thirukkolam (Postures), he is also facing his Thirumugham (Face) on various directions and giving his seva darshan, as below:
The Lord appears facing Towards East direction at 79 temples, facing towards West direction - 19, facing towards North direction - 3 and facing towards South direction in 7 temples.
Additional information with Divyakshetra route, history, and other details posted in the following pages.. Please do not forget to sign in my guest-book and to make your comments please click HERE.
My sincere and heart felt thanks to Sri Ingimedu Ranganathan (known as Murali of Hyderabad) and his father - my maternal uncle Pt. Ingimedu Narasimhan (Chellappa) for making and presenting these pages a grand one. All the credits goes to Mr. Ingimedu Ranganathan for his full efforts in taking time to type, decorate and make it a presentable article with beautiful photograph of the Lord Sriman NArAyaNa. May Sri Lakshmi Nrusimha shower His blessings to the family of Sri Ingimedu Chellappa without whose help these pages would have been a distant dream for me. May every visitor to these pages, too get the Blessings of Lord Sriman NArAyaNA.
Sree Suktham - 108 Divya desangal
108 DIVYA DESANGAL
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
108 Vaishnava Divya Desangal - Choola Nadu
108 Vaishnava Divya Desangal - Choola Nadu
Srirangam
Srirangam is considered the most important among the Vaishnavite temples, known as the "Koil". The temple is situated between the rivers Cauvery & Kollidam, near Trichy.
The Moolavar is Sri Ranganathar, (also known as Peria Perumal, Namperumal, Azhagia Manavaalan) who reclines on the Adisesha, facing South. The Uthsavar is Namperumal who gives darshan in the standing posture. Thaayaar is known by the thirunaamam Sri Ranga Naayaki (Ranga Naachiyaar)
The Sthala Vriksham is Punnai
This Sthalam is known as Boologa Vaikuntam
It is the birth place of great Saints like Pattar, Pillai Logacharyar, Peria Nambi.
There are sannadhis for Danvantri Bhagavan, Chakrathaazhvaar, Garudaazhvaar, Sugreevan, Angadhan, Sri Desikan.
The 10 Alwars (Perialwar, Kulasekaralwar, Thirumazhisaialwar, Thondaradipodialwar, Thirupaanalwar, Thirumangaialwar, Poigaialwar, Boodhathalwar, Paeyalwar, Nammalwar & Aanddal) have sung 247 paasurams in praise of Lord Ranganathar.
Mangalasasanam:
Perialwar - 183, 189, 212, 245, 402-432
Aandaal - 607-616
Kulasekaralwar - 647-676, 728
Thirumazhisaialwar - 772, 800-806, 844, 870, 2384, 2411, 2417, 2441
Thondaradipodialwar - 872-926
Thirupaanalwar - 927-936
Thirumangaialwar - 1019, 1213, 1378-1427, 1506, 1571, 1664, 1829, 1978, 2029, 2038,2043, 2044, 2050, 2062, 2063, 2065, 2069, 2070, 2073-2076, 2673, 2674
Poigaialwar - 2087
Boodathalwar - 2209, 2227, 2251, 2269
Peyalwar - 2342, 2343
Nammalwar - 2505, 3348-3358
Total of 247 Paasurams
Thiru Arimeya Vinnagaram
The temple is located at Thirunaangur, which is 5 mils from Sirgazhi.
The Moolavar is Kudamaadukoothan (with Thaila Kaappu) seen in seated posture facing east. The Utsavar is Gopaalan with four hands. The Garuda Sevai on the day following Thai Ammavaasai is important.
Thaayaar - Amruthakadavalli
Theertham - Kodi Theertham, Amrutha Theertham
Mangalasasanam:
Thirumangaialwar - 1238-1247
Total of 10 Paasurams.
Thiru Anbil
Thiru Anbil is situated near Trichy. The Moolavar is Vadivazhagia Nambi seen in Bujanga Sayanam (reclining posture, resting the head on the hand) facing East.
Thaayaar - Azhagiavalli Naachiyaar.
Theertham - Mandugapushkarini, Kollidam.
Mangalasasanam:
Thirumazhisaialwar has sung in praise of this sthalam - 2417.
1 Paasuram
Thiru Aadanur
The temple is located near Swaamimalai, maintained by the Ahobila Mutt. The Moolavar is Aandalakumaiyan seen in bujanga sayanam posture facing East. There are the idols of Thirumangaialwar & Kaamadenu at the feet of the Lord.
Thaayaar - Ranganayaki.
Theertham - Soorya Pushkarini.
Mangalasasanam:
Thirumangaialwar - 2674
Total of 1 Paasuram.
Thiru Indalur
The temple is located in Maayavaram. The Moolavar is Parimala Ranganaathan, Maruviniya Maindhan, Sugandavana Naathan in Veerasayanam posture facing east. The Lord has four hands. Cauvery devi is seated at the head end & Ganga devi at the foot end. The festival in the month of Aippasi is very important. People come here to bathe at the spot where the Cauvery joins the sea.
Thaayaar - Parimala Ranganaayaki, Chandrasaaba Vimosanavalli, Pundareekavalli.
Theertham - Indu Puskarini.
Mangalasasanam:
Thirumangaialwar - 1328-1337, 2674
Total of 11 Paasurams.
Thiru Kandiyur
The temple is located on the Tanjavur - Tiruvaiyaru route. The Moolavar is Harasaabavimosana Perumal seen in standing posture facing East. This lord is said to have rid Lord Siva of the sin of plucking one of Brahma's heads (the same reason is believed in Thiru Karambanur also). There is an idol with Chakarathalwar sculpted in the front & Narasimhar at the back. But the idol is placed against a wall & so it is not possible to get the darshan of Lord Narasimhar. There are separate temples with gopurams for the trinities Brahma, Vishnu & Siva. The Brahma temple has been shut down & the idols of Brahma & Saraswati are placed in the Siva temple. Lord Siva is worshipped as Brahma Sirasa Kandeeswarar.
Thaayaar - Kamalavalli.
Utsavar - Kamalanathan
Theertham - Kabaala Moksha Pushkarini, Padma Theertham, Kabaala Theertham, Kudamurutti river.
Mangalasasanam:
Thirumangaialwar - 2050
1 Paasuram.
Thiru Kannangudi
The temple is located near Sikkal, Keevalur . The Moolavar is Loganathan seen in standing posture facing east (Shyaamalameni Perumal). The Utsava murtis are Damodara Narayanan, Aravindavalli.
Thaayaar - Loganaayagi
Theertham - Raavana Pushkarini
Sthala Vriksham - Magizham
Mangalasasanam:
Thirumangaialwar - 1748 - 1757
Total of 10 Paasurams.
Thiru Kannapuram
The temple is located near Nannilam. The Moolavar is Neelamega Perumal, Souri Raajan seen in standing posture facing east with Varada Hastam, Prayoga Chakram. Next to Ubaya Naachiyaar is Andal on the left & Padmavathi on the right. This is the sthalam at which Thirumangaialwar got Thirumandira Upadesam. The Lord's hair started growing to protect the words of Rangapattar (a devotee) to the Chola king & hence the name Souri Rajan to the Lord. The asuran Veekadakshan was slayed by the Lord with his Chakraayudham & on the request of maharishis is seen in Prayoga Chakram pose. Munayadarar was a devotee of the Lord. One day he came to the temple with pongal prasadam that his wife had made. But he was too late & the temple was closed. He prayed sincerely to the Lord. Pleased with his sincerity, the Lord accepted his prasadam & the temple was filled with the smell of Venn Pongal & the temple bells started ringing. Ever since, it has been the habit to do Ardhajaama naivediyam & this is called Muniyodharaya Pongal.
Thaayaar - Kannapuranayagi (Sridevi, Boodevi, Aandaal, Padmini).
Theertham - Nithyapushkarini
Mangalasasanam:
Perialwar - 71
Andaal - 535
Kulasekaralwar - 719-729
Thirumangaialwar - 1648-1747, 2067, 2078, 2673, 2674
Nammalwar - 3656 - 3666
Total of 128 Paasurams.
Thiru Kannamangai
The temple is located 25 miles from Kumbakonam & 15 miles from Thiruchaerai. The Moolavar is Bakthavatsala Perumal, Batharaavi Perumal seen in standing posture facing east. The speciality in the temple is the daily pooja to a bees nest like structure in the Thaayaar's sannadhi. It is also known as Lakshmivanam for Goddess Lakshmi is said to have done tapas here. Lord Siva in four forms guards the Kshetram from four sides.
Thaayaar - Abhishekavalli
Theertham - Darshana Pushkarini
Mangalasasanam:
Thirumangaialwar - 1638-1647, 1848, 2008, 2673, 2674
Total of 14 Paasurams.
Thirukkarambanur
Thirukkarambanur is situated in Uttamar Koil (Bhikshaandaar Koil), a village located on the railroad between Tiruchirappalli and Vizhupuram. The Moolavar is Purushothaman in Bujanga Sayanam facing East.
Thaayaar - Poorvadevi, Poornavalli.
The sthala vriksham is Vaazhai (Plantain)
Siva Peruman, had plucked off one of Lord Brahma's heads because he had lied. But it was still a sin & the skull got stuck to his hand. He got Mahalakshmi to give him alms in the skull & was rid of his sins & doshams.
There are separate sannadhis for Siva, Parvathi, Brahma, Saraswathi...
Since Lord Siva appears as Bikshaadanar in this temple, the sthalam is also called Bikshaandar Koil.
Mangalasasanam:
Thirumangaialwar - 1399
1 paasuram.
Thiru Kavithalam
The temple can be reached from Papanasam or Kumbakonam, Thiruvaiyaru. The Moolavar is Gajendra Varadan seen in bujanga sayanam posture facing East. This is the sthalam where the Lord gave abhayam to the Gajendran who called to the Aadimoolam for help.
Thaayaar - Ramaamanivalli ( Porraamaraiyaal).
Theertham - Gajendra Pushkarini, Kabila Theertham.
Mangalasasanam:
Thirumazhisaialwar - 2431
Total of 1 Paasuram.
Thiru Kaavalampadi
The temple is located near Vaideeswaran Koil. The Moolavar is Gopaalakrishnan (Raaja Gopaalan) seen in standing posture with Rukmini & Sathyabaamaa facing east. The avadhaara sthalam of Thirumangaialwar is near this place. The Lord from this temple on Garuda Vahanam will also be a part of the Garuda Sevai festival in Thirunangoor (the day after Thai Amavasai).
Thaayaar - Madavaral Mangai, Sengamala Naachiyaar (no separate sannadhi).
Theertham - Thadamalar Poigai
Mangalasasanam:
Thirumangaialwar - 1298-1307
Total of 10 Paasurams.
Thiru Kazhicheerama Vinnagaram
The temple is located 1/2 mile distance from the Sirgazhi railaway station. The Moolavar is Trivikraman, Thaadaalan, Ulagalanda Perumal seen in standing posture facing east, with his left leg raised to the sky. The Utsavar is Trivikrama Narayanan.
Thaayaar - Loganaayaki; Utsavar is Mattavizh Kuzhali.
Theertham - Sanga Pushkarini, Chakra Theertham
Mangalasasanam: Thirumangaialwar - 1178-1187
Total of 10 Paasurams.
Thiru Kudandhai
The temple is located in Kumbakonam 1 1/2 miles from the railway station. The Moolavar is Saarangabaani (other naamaas - Aaravamudan, Abaryaapthaamrudhan) seen in sayanam posture on Aadiseshan, facing East. Nadhi devathais (river deities) can be seen worshipping the Lord. Sri Maannaadhamuni started his work on the divyaprabandam here. The Lord is said to have married Komalavalli Thaayar who was born to Hemarishi & performed tapas to wed the Lord. The Lord's sannadhi is constructed in the form of a chariot with wheels.
Thaayaar - Komalavalli (Padithaandapathini).
Theertham - Hema Pushkarini (Porraamarai), Cauvery river, Arasalaaru(river).
Mangalasasanam:
Perialwar - 173, 177, 188
Aandaal - 628
Thirumazhisaialwar - 807 - 812, 2417
Thirumangaialwar - 949, 954, 991, 1078, 1202, 1205, 1394, 1526, 1538, 1570, 1606, 1732, 1759, 1853, 1949, 1975, 2010, 2037, 2045, 2068, 2070, 2080, 2672, 2673, 2674
Boodathalwar - 2251, 2278
Peyalwar - 2311, 2343
Nammalwar - 3194 - 3204
Total of 51 Paasurams
Thiru Koodalur
The temple is located on the Tanjavur - Tiruvaiyaru - Kumbakonam route. The Moolavar is Vaiyankaatha Perumal or Jagathrakshagan, Uyyavandhar seen in standing posture facing East. The Devas worshipped the Lord along with (koodi) Nandaka Munivar and hence the name Koodalur. The river Cauvery is said to have regained her glory by visiting this sthalam. It is believed that once this temple was submerged in the Cauvery floods & the current structure was rebuilt by rani Mangammal.
Thaayaar - Padmaasani, Pushpavalli.
Utsavar - Vaiyankaatha Perumal or Jagathrakshagan with a sengol in his hand.
Theertham - Chakra Theertham, Cauvery river.
Mangalasasanam:
Thirumangaialwar - 1358 - 1367
Total of 10 Paasurams
Thirukkozhi
Thirukkozhi is situated about 2 miles from Trichy junction. Kamalavalli Naachiyaar, a Chola princess, sought to marry the Lord. The Lord pleased with her devotion and sincere pooja, married her at this sthalam. This is the birth place of Thiruppanalwar. The Moolavar is Azhaghia Manavaalaperumal seen in the standing posture facing North.
There is no separate Sannadhi for Thaayaar. Kamalavalli Naachiaar is seen in the seating posture facing North.
Thirumangaialwar and Kulasekaralwar have sung in praise of this sthalam.
Mangalasasanam:
Thirumangaialwar - 1762
Kulasekaralwar - 667
Total of 2 Paasurams
Thiru Chitra Koodam
The temple is located 1 mile from Chidambaram railway station. The Moolavar is Govindarajan seen in boga sayanam posture facing east. The Utsavar is Devaadidevan, Paarthasaarathy seen in seated posture. There is another utsava murthi - Chitrakoodatthullaan with his ubaya Naachiyaar. The Lord is said to have enjoyed the dance of Natarajar. The fishes in the temple pushkarini come up to the banks to accept the offerings of the devotees.
Thaayaar - Pundareegavalli
Theertham - Pundareega Pushkarini
Mangalasasanam:
Kulasekaralwar - 741-751
Thirumangaialwar - 1158-1177,2674
Total of 32 Paasurams.
Thiru Sirupuliyur
The temple is located near Kollumaangudi which is near Maayavaram. The Moolavar is Arulmaakadal, Salasayana Perumal (a small vigraham) seen in bujanga sayanam posture facing south. The Utsavar murtis are Krubaa Samudra Perumal, Dayaanayagi. Vyaagrapaadar had prayed to Lord Siva & had got the legs, hands & eyes of a tiger. He had prayed to Lord Vishnu at this sthalam & attained moksham. Hence the name Sirupuliyur. (in Tamil Puli-Tiger; Siru-small)
Thaayaar - Thirumaamagal Naachiyaar,
Theertham - Maanasa Pushkarini, Anandasaras
Mangalasasanam:
Thirumangaialwar - 1628 - 1637
Total of 10 Paasurams.
Thiru Semponsei Koil
The temple is located at Thirunaangur, which is 5 miles from Sirgazhi. The Moolavar is Perarulaalan seen in standing posture facing east. The Utsavar is Hemarangar, Semponrangar. Lord Rama to atone the sin of slaying Ravana, stayed for four days in a golden cow on the advice of Thrdanethra rishi. He then gave it as dhaanam to a brahmin, who used the gold to construct this temple and hence the name semponseikoil (sempon-pure gold).
Thaayaar - Allimaamalar Naachiyaar.
Theertham - Hema Pushkarini, Kanaga Theertham
Mangalasasanam:
Thirumangaialwar - 1268-1277
Total of 10 Paasurams.
Thiru Chaerai
The temple is located 7miles south east of Kumbakonam & 3 miles from Naachiaar Koil. The Moolavar is Saaranathan seen in standing posture facing east. The Lord gave darshan to the deity, Cauvery. There is also a sannadhi for Cauvery Amman in the temple and a sannadhi for Rajagopalaswamy. The Thai Poosam festival is important and the Lord gives darshan along with five devis - Sridevi, Boodevi, Neeladevi, Mahaalakshmi and Saaranayagi. According to the puranas, it is believed that is the spot from which a gatam was made out of mud & the vedas preserved in it during the pralayam (floods).
Thaayaar - Saaranayagi ( Saara Naachiyaar).
Theertham - Saara Pushkarini.
Mangalasasanam:
Thirumangaialwar - 1578-1587, 1853, 2673, 2674
Total of 13 Paasurams.
Thiru Thanjai Maamani Koil
The temple is located near Thanjavur on the banks of Vennaaru. Three temples together are considered a divya desam. All three temples are located close to each other. The temples are Thanjai Maamani Koil, Manikundram, Thanjaiali Nagar. The Utsavar's naamam in all three temples is Sriman Narayanan.
Thanjai Maamani Koil
The Moolavar is Neelamega Perumal seen in seated posture facing east.
Thaayaar - Sengamalavalli
Theertham - Amrutha Theertham
Manikundram
The Moolavar is Manikundra Perumal seen in seated posture facing east.
Thaayaar - Ambujavalli
Theertham - Srirama Theertham
Thanjaiali Nagar
The Moolavar is Narasimhan seen in seated posture facing east.
Thaayaar - Thanjai Nayagi
Theertham - Surya Pushkarini, Srirama Theertham
Mangalasasanam:
Thirumangaialwar - 953, 1090, 1576
Boodathalwar - 2251
Nammalwar - 3139
Total of 5 Paasurams.
Thiruthalaisanga Naanmadhiyam
The temple is located near Sirgazhi. The place is known popularly as Thalaisangaadu. The Moolavar is Naanmadhiya Perumal, Vennsudar Perumal seen in standing posture facing east. The Utsava murti - Viyomajothipiraan, Venjudarpiraan, Loganathan
Thaayaar - Thalaisanga Naachiyaar. Utsavar - Sengamalavalli Thaayaar.
Theertham - Chandra Pushkarini.
Mangalasasanam:
Thirumangaialwar - 1736, 2674
Total of 2 Paasurams.
Thiru Thetriyambalam
The temple is located in Thirunaangur, 5 miles from Sirgazhi. The Moolavar is Senganmaal, Ranganaathan, Sri Lakshmirangar (known popularly as Palli Konda Perumaal) seen with four arms in bujanga sayanam posture facing east.
Thaayaar - Sengamalavalli.
Theertham - Soorya Pushkarini
Mangalasasanam:
Thirumangaialwar - 1278-1287
Total of 10 Paasurams.
Thiru Thevanaar Thogai
The temple is located 4 miles south east of Sirgazhi, 2 1/2 miles from Thirunaangur. The Moolavar is Deivanaayagan seen in standing posture facing east. The Utsavar is Maadava Perumaal. This is part of the 11 Thirunaangur sthalams.
Thaayaar - Kadalmagal Naachiyaar. The Utsavar is Maadava Naayagi.
Theertham - Sobana Pushkarini, Devasabha Pushkarini
Mangalasasanam:
Thirumangaialwar - 1248-1257
Total of 10 Paasurams.
Thiru Nandhipura Vinnagaram
The temple is located near Korukkai which is near Kumbakonam. The Moolavar is Jagannaathan, Naadhanaadhan, Vinnagara Perumal seen in seated posture facing west. There is an idol of Adhikaara Nandhi on the left side of the temple. Nandhi Bhagavan is said to have done penance here to absolve of his sins & hence the name Nandhipuram to the place. It is believed that Perumal was initially facing east, but he turned west to see the generous sight of Sibi Chakravarty giving his flesh for the sake of justice.
Thaayaar - Shenbagavalli
Theertham - Nandhitheertha Pushkarini
Mangalasasanam:
Thirumangaialwar - 1438 - 1447
Total of 10 Paasurams.
Thiru Naraiyur (Naachiyaar Koil)
The temple is located 6 miles from Kumbakonam. The Moolavar is Thirunaraiyur Nambi, (Srinivaasan, Vaasudevan) seen in standing posture (Thirumanakolam). The Lord married Vanjulavalli, daughter of Medaavi rishi (in the five forms of Sangarshanan, Pradyumnan, Aniruddhan, Purushothaman, Vaasudevan). Naachiyaar is the main Goddess. There is a separate sannidhi for Garuda. The Gurada vahanam in this temple can be carried by four people in the first sannidhi. But by the time they reach the temple entrance, the weight keeps increasing & 64 people carry it. During Garudasevai, the Lord is seated on the stone Garudan & Naachiyaar on Anna Vahanam. The Brahmotsavam in Margazhi is an important festival.
Thaayaar - Vanjulavalli (Nambikkai Naachiyaar) in standing posture near the Lord in thirumanakolam (wedding).
Theertham - Mani Muktha Pushkarini, Sangarshana Theertham, Prathyumna Theertham, Aniruddha Theertham, Saamba Theertham.
Mangalasasanam:
Thirumangaialwar - 1078, 1329, 1470, 1478-1577, 1611, 1659, 1852, 2067, 2068, 2673, 2674
Total of 110 Paasurams.
Thiru Naagai
The temple is located near Maayavaram, 1 mile from the Naagapattinam bus stand. The Moolavar is Neelamega Perumal seen in standing posture with Gadhai (mace) facing east. The Utsava murtis are Soundarya Raajan, Gajalakshmi. There are sannadhis for Govindaraajan in standing posture and Ranganaathan in sayana posture. There is a bronze idol of Narasimhar with 8 hands in the Ranganaathar sannadhi. One hand is blessing Prahalaadhan, one as Abhaya hastam, and the rest of the hands used to kill Hiranyan.
Thaayaar - Soundaryavalli
Theertham - Saara Pushkarini
Mangalasasanam:
Thirumangaialwar - 1758 - 1767
Total of 10 Paasurams.
Thiru Paarthan Palli
The temple is located 7 miles from Sirgazhi. The Moolavar is Thaamaraiyaal Kaelvan seen in standing posture facing west. The Utsavar is Paarthasaarathy. The Moolavar & Utsavar have three devis - Sridevi, Boodevi, Neeladevi. There is another Utsava Murthi - kolavalli Raaman with Changu, Chakram, Gadhai & bow, arrow. His Moolavar is seen in a nearby temple.
Thaayaar - Thaamarai Naayagi.
Theertham - Sanga Sara (Ganga Theertham)
Mangalasasanam:
Thirumangaialwar - 1318-1327
Total of 10 Paasurams.
Thiru Pullamboodangudi
The temple is located near Swaamimalai, maintained by the Ahobila Mutt. The Moolavar is Valvil Raaman seen in bujanga sayanam posture facing east. It is believed that Lord Raamaa rested here after giving moksham to Jadaayu. Since Sita Devi was imprisoned in Lanka at that time, there is no idol for Sita Devi. Only Boomi Devi is seen in seated posture.
Thaayaar - Porraamaraiyaal (Hemambujavalli) in a separate temple.
Theertham - Jadaayu Theertham, Krudra Theertham.
Mangalasasanam:
Thirumangaialwar - 1348 - 1357 (10 Paasurams)
Thiruppaer Nagar
Known more popularly as Koviladi. The temple is situated on the banks of the Cauvery on a mound. The Moolavar is Appakkudathaan seen in bujanga sayanam (reclining posture, resting the head on the hand) facing west. He is seen holding an Appa Kudam in his right hand, blessing Ubamanyu rishi.
Thaayaar - Indiradevi, Kamalavalli.
Theertham - Indra Theertham, Kollidam.
Mangalasasanam:
Perialwar - 173, 205
Thirumangaialwar - 1428-37, 1851, 1857, 2048, 2050, 2059, 2060, 2070, 2673, 2674
Thirumazhisaialwar - 2417
Nammalwar - 3744 - 3754
Total of 33 Paasurams.
Thiru Manikoodam
The temple is located half a mile from Thirunaangur which is located 5 miles from Sirgazhi. The Moolavar is Varadaraaja Perumaal (Manikooda Naayagan) seen in standing posture facing east.
Thaayaar - Thirumaamagal Naachiyaar (Sridevi), Boodevi.
Theertham - Chandra Pushkarini
Mangalasasanam:
Thirumangaialwar - 1288-1297
Total of 10 Paasurams.
Thiru Manimaada Koil
The temple is located at Thirunaangur, which is 5 miles from Sirgazhi. The Moolavar is Naaraayanan seen in seated posture facing east. There are two utsava murthis Naaraayanan & Alattharkariyaan.
Thaayaar - Pundareekavalli Thaayaaar.
Theertham - Indhra Pushkarini, Rudra Pushkarini
Mangalasasanam: Thirumangaialwar - 1218-1227, 1850, 2674
Total of 12 Paasurams.
Thiru Vannpurushothamam
The temple is located at Thirunaangur, which is 5 miles from Sirgazhi. The Moolavar is Purushothaman seen in standing posture facing east.
Thaayaar - Purushothama Naayagi
Theertham - Thirupaarkadal Theertham
Mangalasasanam:
Thirumangaialwar - 1258-1267
Total of 10 Paasurams.
ThiruVazhundhur
The temple is located near Maayavaram. The Moolavar is Devaadirajan seen in standing posture with a gadhai (mace) in his left hand facing east. There are idols of Garudalwar, Mother Cauvery on the left & Prahalaadhan on the right. This is the birth place of the great Tamil poet Kamban. There are the idols of Kambar & his wife in the temple. Kamban Vizha is celebrated here every year
Thaayaar - Sengamalavalli
Theertham - Darshana Pushkarini, Cauvery
Mangalasasanam:
Thirumangaialwar - 1588-1627, 1854, 2066, 2077, 2673, 2674
Total of 45 Paasurams.
Thiru Vaaliyum Thiru Nagariyum
Thiru Vaali
The temple is located along the Sirgazhi - Thiruvenkaadu bus route. The Moolavar is Lakshmi Narasimhar, Vayalaalimanavaalan, seen in seated posture facing west. The Utsavar is Thiruvaaloi Nagaraalan. Thirumangaialwar's Devi Kumudavalli Naachiyaar was brought up at this sthalam.
The Lord Vayalaali Manavaalan mentioned in the Divya Prabandam is seen in Thiru Nagari & not in Thiru Vaali. Hence the two sthalams are counted together as one divya desam.
Thaayaar - Amrudhakadavalli.
Theertham - Ilakshani Pushkarini
Thiru Nagari
The temple is located 3 miles from Thiru Vaali. The Moolavar is Vedarajan (Vayalaalimanavaalan) seen in seated posture facing west. The Utsavar is Kalyaana Ranganaathan. This is the birth place of Thirumangaialwar & there is a separate sannadhi for him, where he is een in the form of a hunter. Two of the 5 Narasimhars worshipped by him are in this temple. An idol-Sindanaikiniyaan worshipped by the alwar can be seen beside him. The spot where Thirumangaialwar robbed the Lord - Vedarajapuram is situated about half a mile from this sthalam. Since the Lord gave darshan in wedded pose, he came to called Kalyaana Ranganaathan.
Thaayaar - Amrudhavalli.
Mangalasasanam:
Kulasekaralwar - 725
Thirumangaialwar - 1078, 1188-1217, 1329, 1519, 1733, 1735, 1850, 2014, 2027, 2063, 2673, 2674
Total of 42 Paasurams.
Thiru Vinnagar (Uppiliyappan)
The temple is located 1 mile from Thirunaageswaram & 4 miles from Kumbakonam. The Moolavar is Uppiliyappan (Srinivaasan) seen in standing posture, similar to Venkataachalapathi, facing east. Those who cannot visit Thirupati worship the Lord at this sthalam. On the request of the wife of Marukandu Maharishi, the naivediyam to the Lord is without salt. No food item with salt should be taken into the temple. The Brahmotsavam in Panguni & the Kalyaana Utsavam in Aippasi are some of the important festivals.
Thaayaar - Boomi Devi seen in seated posture at the Lord's feet. No separate temple.
Theertham - Ahoraathra Pushkarini, Aarthi Pushkarini.
Mangalasasanam:
Thirumangaialwar - 1444-1477, 1855, 2080, 2673, 2674 Peyalwar - 2342, 2343
Nammalwar - 3249-3259
Total of 47 Paasurams.
Thiru Vellakulam
The temple is located 7 miles from Sirgazhi. The Moolavar is Srinivaasan, Kannan, Naaraayanan, Annan Perumaal seen in standing posture facing east. This sthalam is amongst the 11 Thirunaangur thirupadis. It is also known popularly as Then Tiruppadi (southern). The prince Suvedan, son of Dundumaaran is said to have been blessed with long life at this sthalam.
Thaayaar - Alarmel Mangai. Utsavar - Padmaavati, Poovaar Thirumagal.
Theertham - Thiruvellakulam
Mangalasasanam: Thirumangaialwar - 1308-1317
Total of 10 Paasurams.
Thiru Vellarai
Thiru Vellarai is situated near Trichy. There is a huge temple, but not too many facilities in the temple area. The Moolavar is Pundarikaakshan seen in standing posture facing east.
Thaayaar - Shenbagavalli, Pangayaselvi. The Utsava Thaayaar is known by the naamam Pangajavalli.
There are 7 theerthams within the temple.
Mangalasasanam:
Perialwar - 71, 192 - 201
Thirumangaialwar - 1368-77, 1851, 2673, 2674
Total of 24 Paasurams.
Thiru Velliangudi
The temple is located near Saengaanur which is near Kumbakonam. The Moolavar is Kolavalvilli Raman seen in bujanga sayanam posture facing east. The Utsavar is Sringaara Sundaran. The Garudalwar in this temple is seen with Changu, Chakram.
Thaayaar - Maragadhavalli
Theertham - Chukra Theertham, Brahma Theertham, Indra Theertham, Paraasura Theertham
Sthala Vruksham - Kadali (Banana)
Mangalasasanam:
Thirumangaialwar - 1338 - 1347
Total of 10 Paasurams.
Thiru Vaigundha Vinnagaram
The temple is located at Thirunaangur, which is 5 miles from Sirgazhi. The Moolavar is Vaigundha Naadhan, Thaamarai Kannudaiya Piraan, seen in seated posture with Ubaya Naachiyaars facing east.
Thaayaar - Vaigundhavalli.
Theertham - Lakshmi Pushkarini, Udanga Pushkarini, Virajaa Theertham
Mangalasasanam:
Thirumangaialwar - 1228-1237
Total of 10 Paasurams.
Keep for my posts for rest of the temples...
Posted by MSR at 4:59 PM
Labels: 108 Vaishnava Divya Desangal - Choola Nadu
" Parithranaya Sathunam Vinachaya Sathushkritham Dharmasamsthapanarthaya Sambavami yuge yuge"
Divya Desam
In Hinduism, Venkateshwara (also spelled as Venkateswara, Venkateshwer or Venkatachalapathi) is a much-worshipped form of Vishnu. He is also known as Balaji or Lord Venkateswara. He is also worshiped with the name Tirupati Thimmappa all over Karnataka by traditionally Shiva worshipping communities.
Vishnu, in the form of Venkateshwara, is much worshipped at Tirupati temple. Venkateshwara is the presiding deity at the Tirumala temple complex, believed to be the richest of all the Hindu shrines in the world. The temple is situated in southern Andhra Pradesh in Chittoor district. It is around 120 km away from Chennai. The presence of seven hills influenced alternate names for the diety: Edu kondala vadu in Telugu and as Elumalaiyan in Tamil both of which mean Lord of the Seven Hills.
In between the Pallava and the Chola country lay an undefined small region called the Nadu nadu or mid country. The Pallava country was also known as Todaimandalam or Tondai nadu which was bounded on the north by the Svarnamukhi river and on the south by the South Pennar. The Chola country known as Sola nadu lay between the South Pennar and the Cauvery rivers. The pandyan kingdom lay South of the Cauvery right down to the sea. The western half of the extreme south (ruled by the Cheran king) extending to the Arabian sea was called the Malai nadu or Hill country. The remaining part of India to the north of the Tondai mandalam was known as the Vada nadu or Vadugar nadu (the country of the northerners). The chart shows the sacred places arranged on the above regional basis adopted by the Sri Vaishnavas.
108 Divya Desangal
Chozha Tirupathigal - 1 to 40
Malayaala Tirupathigal - 41 to 53
Nadu Tirupathigal - 54 to 55
Pandiya Tirupathigal - 56 to 73
Thondal Tirupathigal - 74 to 95
Vada Tirupathigal - 96 to 106
Vinnulaga Tirupathigal - 107 to 108
Divya desams in Chozha naadu(Present Tanjavour,Trichy districts)
001.Srirangam (Aranga Maanagar, Thiruvarangam)
002.Thirukkozhi
003.Thirukkarambanur
004.Thiru veLLaRai
005.Anbil
006.ThiruppEr nagar
007.ThirukkaNdiyur
008.Thirukkodalur (Thirukkoodalur)
009.kabisthalam
010.PuLLambUthangkudi
011.Adhanur
012.Kumbakonam (Thirukkudanthai)
013.Oppili Appan koil
014.Naachchiyaar koil
015.ThiruchchErai
016.ThirukkaNNamangai
017.ThirukkaNNapuram
018.ThirukkaNNangkudi
019.Nagaippattinam
020.Thanjai MaamaNik koil
021.Thiru Nandhipura viNNagaram
022.VeLLiyangkudi
023.TherazhunthUr
024.SiRu puliyur
025.Thalaichchangkadu
026.IndhaLur
027.KaavaLam paadi
028.Seerkaazhi
029.Arimeya viNNagaram
030.VaN purushoththamam
031.Thiru semponsey koil
032.Thiru maNi maadak koil
033.Vaikundha viNNagaram
034.Thiru vaali Thiru nagari
035.Thiru Thevanaar thogai
036.Thiru theRRiyambalam
037.Thiru maNik koodam
038.Annan koil
039.Parththan paLLi
040.Chidambaram
Divya desams in Nadu naadu (Near Cuddalore)
041.Thiruvahendrapuram (Thiruvaheendipuram)
042.Thirukkovalur
Divya desams in Thondai naadu (Madras,Kanchi areas)
043.Kachchi,Aththigiri(Kanchipuram, Kancheevaram, Kanjeevaram)
044.Ashtapuyakaram (Kanchi)
045.ThiruththaNkaa
046.ThiruvELukkai
047.Thiru neerakam
048.Thiruppadakam
049.Thiru nilaath thungaL thuNdam
050.Thiru Urakam
051.Thiru Veqkaa
052.Thirukkarakam
053.Thirukkaarvaanam
054.ThirukkaLvanUr
055.ThiruppavaLa vaNNam
056.Thirup ParamEsvara viNNagaram
057.Thirup putkuzhi
058.Thiru ninRavUr
059.ThiruvaLLur (Thiru EvvuLLUr)
060.ThiruvallikkENi (Thiru AllikkeNi)
061.Thiruneermalai
062.Thiru Idavendhai
063.Thirukkadal Mallai
064.Sholinghur (Thiruk Kadigai, Sozhasimhapuram)
Divya desams in North India (Vada naadu)
065.AyOdhdhi
066.NaimicharaNyam
067.Thiruppiruthi
068.ThirukkaNdam kadinagar
069.Badrinath
070.SaaLaggraamam
071.Madhura
072.Ayppadi
073.Dwaraka
074.Ahobilam
075.Thiru vEngadam (Sapthagiri, Thirumala, Tirumalai, Thirupathi)
Divya desams in Malai Naadu (Kerala)
076.Thiru naavaay
077.Thiru viththuvakkOdu
078.Thiruk kaatkarai
079.Thiru mUzhikkaLam
080.Thiru vallavaazh
081.Thiruk kadiththaanam
082.Thiruch chengkunRanUr
083.Thiruppuliyur
084.ThiruvaaRan viLai
085.Thiru vaN vaNdUr
086.Thiru anantha puram
087.ThiruvattaRu
088.Thiru vaN paricharam
Divya desams in Paandiya Naadu (Madurai,Srivillipuththur,Thirunelveli areas)
089.Thiruk Karungkudi
090.Vanamaamalai
091.SriVaikundam
092.VaraguNa mangai
093.Thirup PuLingkudi
094.Thiruth Tholaivilli Mangalam
095.ThiurkkuLandhai
096.ThirukkOLUr
097.Then ThiruppErai
098.Azhvar Thirunagari
099.Srivillipuththur
100.ThiruththaNkaal
101.ThirukkUdal
102.Thirumaalirum sOlai (Thirumaaliruncholai)
103.ThirumOkUr
104.ThirukkOshtiyur
105.ThiruppullaaNi
106.Thiru meyyam
Divya desams in out of this world.
107.Thirup paaRkadal
108.Paramapadham.
Among the 108 Temples known as Divyadesam for Srivaishnavites, only 106 visibly located on the mother Earth. Rest two known are (the most Srivaishnavites would like to visit on attaining the Moksha, to liberate themselves from rebirth) known as Thiruparkadal and Sri Vaikuntham - The Abodes of Sri Maha Vishnu. These are the places worshipped and sung by great Tamil Saints known as Alwars, the saintly poets who immersed themselves in the divine ocean of Lord Vishnu. Divyadesams are also Divya Kshetrams. Those who have seen these two places are not with us to elaborate and those who elaborate about these places are never seen it! (Kandavar Vindadillai, Vindavar Kandadillai!). Yet, the great Maharishis and Munis and Sages, who could visualize these places with their sheer power of Njana Drushti had given us some light on the two Eternal Divya Desa kshetraams. Thus we could get some know on these two most important Abode of Sri Maha Vishnu.
Emperumaan, Lord Sriman Narayanan is found in various Thirukkolam. The Thirukkolam (Appearance of His revered Idols) in 108 Divyakshetrams are listed below:
Kidantha Thirukkolam (Sleeping Posture) - 27 Divyadesams
Veetrirundha Thirukkolam (Sitting Position) - 21 Divyadesams
Nindra Thirukkolam (Standing Position) - 60 Divyadesams
Out of these 108 Divyadesams, as we have seen that The Lord ( Perumal) is appearing in various Thirukkolam (Postures), he is also facing his Thirumugham (Face) on various directions and giving his seva darshan, as below:
The Lord appears facing Towards East direction at 79 temples, facing towards West direction - 19, facing towards North direction - 3 and facing towards South direction in 7 temples.
Additional information with Divyakshetra route, history, and other details posted in the following pages.. Please do not forget to sign in my guest-book and to make your comments please click HERE.
My sincere and heart felt thanks to Sri Ingimedu Ranganathan (known as Murali of Hyderabad) and his father - my maternal uncle Pt. Ingimedu Narasimhan (Chellappa) for making and presenting these pages a grand one. All the credits goes to Mr. Ingimedu Ranganathan for his full efforts in taking time to type, decorate and make it a presentable article with beautiful photograph of the Lord Sriman NArAyaNa. May Sri Lakshmi Nrusimha shower His blessings to the family of Sri Ingimedu Chellappa without whose help these pages would have been a distant dream for me. May every visitor to these pages, too get the Blessings of Lord Sriman NArAyaNA.
Sree Suktham - 108 Divya desangal
108 DIVYA DESANGAL
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
108 Vaishnava Divya Desangal - Choola Nadu
108 Vaishnava Divya Desangal - Choola Nadu
Srirangam
Srirangam is considered the most important among the Vaishnavite temples, known as the "Koil". The temple is situated between the rivers Cauvery & Kollidam, near Trichy.
The Moolavar is Sri Ranganathar, (also known as Peria Perumal, Namperumal, Azhagia Manavaalan) who reclines on the Adisesha, facing South. The Uthsavar is Namperumal who gives darshan in the standing posture. Thaayaar is known by the thirunaamam Sri Ranga Naayaki (Ranga Naachiyaar)
The Sthala Vriksham is Punnai
This Sthalam is known as Boologa Vaikuntam
It is the birth place of great Saints like Pattar, Pillai Logacharyar, Peria Nambi.
There are sannadhis for Danvantri Bhagavan, Chakrathaazhvaar, Garudaazhvaar, Sugreevan, Angadhan, Sri Desikan.
The 10 Alwars (Perialwar, Kulasekaralwar, Thirumazhisaialwar, Thondaradipodialwar, Thirupaanalwar, Thirumangaialwar, Poigaialwar, Boodhathalwar, Paeyalwar, Nammalwar & Aanddal) have sung 247 paasurams in praise of Lord Ranganathar.
Mangalasasanam:
Perialwar - 183, 189, 212, 245, 402-432
Aandaal - 607-616
Kulasekaralwar - 647-676, 728
Thirumazhisaialwar - 772, 800-806, 844, 870, 2384, 2411, 2417, 2441
Thondaradipodialwar - 872-926
Thirupaanalwar - 927-936
Thirumangaialwar - 1019, 1213, 1378-1427, 1506, 1571, 1664, 1829, 1978, 2029, 2038,2043, 2044, 2050, 2062, 2063, 2065, 2069, 2070, 2073-2076, 2673, 2674
Poigaialwar - 2087
Boodathalwar - 2209, 2227, 2251, 2269
Peyalwar - 2342, 2343
Nammalwar - 2505, 3348-3358
Total of 247 Paasurams
Thiru Arimeya Vinnagaram
The temple is located at Thirunaangur, which is 5 mils from Sirgazhi.
The Moolavar is Kudamaadukoothan (with Thaila Kaappu) seen in seated posture facing east. The Utsavar is Gopaalan with four hands. The Garuda Sevai on the day following Thai Ammavaasai is important.
Thaayaar - Amruthakadavalli
Theertham - Kodi Theertham, Amrutha Theertham
Mangalasasanam:
Thirumangaialwar - 1238-1247
Total of 10 Paasurams.
Thiru Anbil
Thiru Anbil is situated near Trichy. The Moolavar is Vadivazhagia Nambi seen in Bujanga Sayanam (reclining posture, resting the head on the hand) facing East.
Thaayaar - Azhagiavalli Naachiyaar.
Theertham - Mandugapushkarini, Kollidam.
Mangalasasanam:
Thirumazhisaialwar has sung in praise of this sthalam - 2417.
1 Paasuram
Thiru Aadanur
The temple is located near Swaamimalai, maintained by the Ahobila Mutt. The Moolavar is Aandalakumaiyan seen in bujanga sayanam posture facing East. There are the idols of Thirumangaialwar & Kaamadenu at the feet of the Lord.
Thaayaar - Ranganayaki.
Theertham - Soorya Pushkarini.
Mangalasasanam:
Thirumangaialwar - 2674
Total of 1 Paasuram.
Thiru Indalur
The temple is located in Maayavaram. The Moolavar is Parimala Ranganaathan, Maruviniya Maindhan, Sugandavana Naathan in Veerasayanam posture facing east. The Lord has four hands. Cauvery devi is seated at the head end & Ganga devi at the foot end. The festival in the month of Aippasi is very important. People come here to bathe at the spot where the Cauvery joins the sea.
Thaayaar - Parimala Ranganaayaki, Chandrasaaba Vimosanavalli, Pundareekavalli.
Theertham - Indu Puskarini.
Mangalasasanam:
Thirumangaialwar - 1328-1337, 2674
Total of 11 Paasurams.
Thiru Kandiyur
The temple is located on the Tanjavur - Tiruvaiyaru route. The Moolavar is Harasaabavimosana Perumal seen in standing posture facing East. This lord is said to have rid Lord Siva of the sin of plucking one of Brahma's heads (the same reason is believed in Thiru Karambanur also). There is an idol with Chakarathalwar sculpted in the front & Narasimhar at the back. But the idol is placed against a wall & so it is not possible to get the darshan of Lord Narasimhar. There are separate temples with gopurams for the trinities Brahma, Vishnu & Siva. The Brahma temple has been shut down & the idols of Brahma & Saraswati are placed in the Siva temple. Lord Siva is worshipped as Brahma Sirasa Kandeeswarar.
Thaayaar - Kamalavalli.
Utsavar - Kamalanathan
Theertham - Kabaala Moksha Pushkarini, Padma Theertham, Kabaala Theertham, Kudamurutti river.
Mangalasasanam:
Thirumangaialwar - 2050
1 Paasuram.
Thiru Kannangudi
The temple is located near Sikkal, Keevalur . The Moolavar is Loganathan seen in standing posture facing east (Shyaamalameni Perumal). The Utsava murtis are Damodara Narayanan, Aravindavalli.
Thaayaar - Loganaayagi
Theertham - Raavana Pushkarini
Sthala Vriksham - Magizham
Mangalasasanam:
Thirumangaialwar - 1748 - 1757
Total of 10 Paasurams.
Thiru Kannapuram
The temple is located near Nannilam. The Moolavar is Neelamega Perumal, Souri Raajan seen in standing posture facing east with Varada Hastam, Prayoga Chakram. Next to Ubaya Naachiyaar is Andal on the left & Padmavathi on the right. This is the sthalam at which Thirumangaialwar got Thirumandira Upadesam. The Lord's hair started growing to protect the words of Rangapattar (a devotee) to the Chola king & hence the name Souri Rajan to the Lord. The asuran Veekadakshan was slayed by the Lord with his Chakraayudham & on the request of maharishis is seen in Prayoga Chakram pose. Munayadarar was a devotee of the Lord. One day he came to the temple with pongal prasadam that his wife had made. But he was too late & the temple was closed. He prayed sincerely to the Lord. Pleased with his sincerity, the Lord accepted his prasadam & the temple was filled with the smell of Venn Pongal & the temple bells started ringing. Ever since, it has been the habit to do Ardhajaama naivediyam & this is called Muniyodharaya Pongal.
Thaayaar - Kannapuranayagi (Sridevi, Boodevi, Aandaal, Padmini).
Theertham - Nithyapushkarini
Mangalasasanam:
Perialwar - 71
Andaal - 535
Kulasekaralwar - 719-729
Thirumangaialwar - 1648-1747, 2067, 2078, 2673, 2674
Nammalwar - 3656 - 3666
Total of 128 Paasurams.
Thiru Kannamangai
The temple is located 25 miles from Kumbakonam & 15 miles from Thiruchaerai. The Moolavar is Bakthavatsala Perumal, Batharaavi Perumal seen in standing posture facing east. The speciality in the temple is the daily pooja to a bees nest like structure in the Thaayaar's sannadhi. It is also known as Lakshmivanam for Goddess Lakshmi is said to have done tapas here. Lord Siva in four forms guards the Kshetram from four sides.
Thaayaar - Abhishekavalli
Theertham - Darshana Pushkarini
Mangalasasanam:
Thirumangaialwar - 1638-1647, 1848, 2008, 2673, 2674
Total of 14 Paasurams.
Thirukkarambanur
Thirukkarambanur is situated in Uttamar Koil (Bhikshaandaar Koil), a village located on the railroad between Tiruchirappalli and Vizhupuram. The Moolavar is Purushothaman in Bujanga Sayanam facing East.
Thaayaar - Poorvadevi, Poornavalli.
The sthala vriksham is Vaazhai (Plantain)
Siva Peruman, had plucked off one of Lord Brahma's heads because he had lied. But it was still a sin & the skull got stuck to his hand. He got Mahalakshmi to give him alms in the skull & was rid of his sins & doshams.
There are separate sannadhis for Siva, Parvathi, Brahma, Saraswathi...
Since Lord Siva appears as Bikshaadanar in this temple, the sthalam is also called Bikshaandar Koil.
Mangalasasanam:
Thirumangaialwar - 1399
1 paasuram.
Thiru Kavithalam
The temple can be reached from Papanasam or Kumbakonam, Thiruvaiyaru. The Moolavar is Gajendra Varadan seen in bujanga sayanam posture facing East. This is the sthalam where the Lord gave abhayam to the Gajendran who called to the Aadimoolam for help.
Thaayaar - Ramaamanivalli ( Porraamaraiyaal).
Theertham - Gajendra Pushkarini, Kabila Theertham.
Mangalasasanam:
Thirumazhisaialwar - 2431
Total of 1 Paasuram.
Thiru Kaavalampadi
The temple is located near Vaideeswaran Koil. The Moolavar is Gopaalakrishnan (Raaja Gopaalan) seen in standing posture with Rukmini & Sathyabaamaa facing east. The avadhaara sthalam of Thirumangaialwar is near this place. The Lord from this temple on Garuda Vahanam will also be a part of the Garuda Sevai festival in Thirunangoor (the day after Thai Amavasai).
Thaayaar - Madavaral Mangai, Sengamala Naachiyaar (no separate sannadhi).
Theertham - Thadamalar Poigai
Mangalasasanam:
Thirumangaialwar - 1298-1307
Total of 10 Paasurams.
Thiru Kazhicheerama Vinnagaram
The temple is located 1/2 mile distance from the Sirgazhi railaway station. The Moolavar is Trivikraman, Thaadaalan, Ulagalanda Perumal seen in standing posture facing east, with his left leg raised to the sky. The Utsavar is Trivikrama Narayanan.
Thaayaar - Loganaayaki; Utsavar is Mattavizh Kuzhali.
Theertham - Sanga Pushkarini, Chakra Theertham
Mangalasasanam: Thirumangaialwar - 1178-1187
Total of 10 Paasurams.
Thiru Kudandhai
The temple is located in Kumbakonam 1 1/2 miles from the railway station. The Moolavar is Saarangabaani (other naamaas - Aaravamudan, Abaryaapthaamrudhan) seen in sayanam posture on Aadiseshan, facing East. Nadhi devathais (river deities) can be seen worshipping the Lord. Sri Maannaadhamuni started his work on the divyaprabandam here. The Lord is said to have married Komalavalli Thaayar who was born to Hemarishi & performed tapas to wed the Lord. The Lord's sannadhi is constructed in the form of a chariot with wheels.
Thaayaar - Komalavalli (Padithaandapathini).
Theertham - Hema Pushkarini (Porraamarai), Cauvery river, Arasalaaru(river).
Mangalasasanam:
Perialwar - 173, 177, 188
Aandaal - 628
Thirumazhisaialwar - 807 - 812, 2417
Thirumangaialwar - 949, 954, 991, 1078, 1202, 1205, 1394, 1526, 1538, 1570, 1606, 1732, 1759, 1853, 1949, 1975, 2010, 2037, 2045, 2068, 2070, 2080, 2672, 2673, 2674
Boodathalwar - 2251, 2278
Peyalwar - 2311, 2343
Nammalwar - 3194 - 3204
Total of 51 Paasurams
Thiru Koodalur
The temple is located on the Tanjavur - Tiruvaiyaru - Kumbakonam route. The Moolavar is Vaiyankaatha Perumal or Jagathrakshagan, Uyyavandhar seen in standing posture facing East. The Devas worshipped the Lord along with (koodi) Nandaka Munivar and hence the name Koodalur. The river Cauvery is said to have regained her glory by visiting this sthalam. It is believed that once this temple was submerged in the Cauvery floods & the current structure was rebuilt by rani Mangammal.
Thaayaar - Padmaasani, Pushpavalli.
Utsavar - Vaiyankaatha Perumal or Jagathrakshagan with a sengol in his hand.
Theertham - Chakra Theertham, Cauvery river.
Mangalasasanam:
Thirumangaialwar - 1358 - 1367
Total of 10 Paasurams
Thirukkozhi
Thirukkozhi is situated about 2 miles from Trichy junction. Kamalavalli Naachiyaar, a Chola princess, sought to marry the Lord. The Lord pleased with her devotion and sincere pooja, married her at this sthalam. This is the birth place of Thiruppanalwar. The Moolavar is Azhaghia Manavaalaperumal seen in the standing posture facing North.
There is no separate Sannadhi for Thaayaar. Kamalavalli Naachiaar is seen in the seating posture facing North.
Thirumangaialwar and Kulasekaralwar have sung in praise of this sthalam.
Mangalasasanam:
Thirumangaialwar - 1762
Kulasekaralwar - 667
Total of 2 Paasurams
Thiru Chitra Koodam
The temple is located 1 mile from Chidambaram railway station. The Moolavar is Govindarajan seen in boga sayanam posture facing east. The Utsavar is Devaadidevan, Paarthasaarathy seen in seated posture. There is another utsava murthi - Chitrakoodatthullaan with his ubaya Naachiyaar. The Lord is said to have enjoyed the dance of Natarajar. The fishes in the temple pushkarini come up to the banks to accept the offerings of the devotees.
Thaayaar - Pundareegavalli
Theertham - Pundareega Pushkarini
Mangalasasanam:
Kulasekaralwar - 741-751
Thirumangaialwar - 1158-1177,2674
Total of 32 Paasurams.
Thiru Sirupuliyur
The temple is located near Kollumaangudi which is near Maayavaram. The Moolavar is Arulmaakadal, Salasayana Perumal (a small vigraham) seen in bujanga sayanam posture facing south. The Utsavar murtis are Krubaa Samudra Perumal, Dayaanayagi. Vyaagrapaadar had prayed to Lord Siva & had got the legs, hands & eyes of a tiger. He had prayed to Lord Vishnu at this sthalam & attained moksham. Hence the name Sirupuliyur. (in Tamil Puli-Tiger; Siru-small)
Thaayaar - Thirumaamagal Naachiyaar,
Theertham - Maanasa Pushkarini, Anandasaras
Mangalasasanam:
Thirumangaialwar - 1628 - 1637
Total of 10 Paasurams.
Thiru Semponsei Koil
The temple is located at Thirunaangur, which is 5 miles from Sirgazhi. The Moolavar is Perarulaalan seen in standing posture facing east. The Utsavar is Hemarangar, Semponrangar. Lord Rama to atone the sin of slaying Ravana, stayed for four days in a golden cow on the advice of Thrdanethra rishi. He then gave it as dhaanam to a brahmin, who used the gold to construct this temple and hence the name semponseikoil (sempon-pure gold).
Thaayaar - Allimaamalar Naachiyaar.
Theertham - Hema Pushkarini, Kanaga Theertham
Mangalasasanam:
Thirumangaialwar - 1268-1277
Total of 10 Paasurams.
Thiru Chaerai
The temple is located 7miles south east of Kumbakonam & 3 miles from Naachiaar Koil. The Moolavar is Saaranathan seen in standing posture facing east. The Lord gave darshan to the deity, Cauvery. There is also a sannadhi for Cauvery Amman in the temple and a sannadhi for Rajagopalaswamy. The Thai Poosam festival is important and the Lord gives darshan along with five devis - Sridevi, Boodevi, Neeladevi, Mahaalakshmi and Saaranayagi. According to the puranas, it is believed that is the spot from which a gatam was made out of mud & the vedas preserved in it during the pralayam (floods).
Thaayaar - Saaranayagi ( Saara Naachiyaar).
Theertham - Saara Pushkarini.
Mangalasasanam:
Thirumangaialwar - 1578-1587, 1853, 2673, 2674
Total of 13 Paasurams.
Thiru Thanjai Maamani Koil
The temple is located near Thanjavur on the banks of Vennaaru. Three temples together are considered a divya desam. All three temples are located close to each other. The temples are Thanjai Maamani Koil, Manikundram, Thanjaiali Nagar. The Utsavar's naamam in all three temples is Sriman Narayanan.
Thanjai Maamani Koil
The Moolavar is Neelamega Perumal seen in seated posture facing east.
Thaayaar - Sengamalavalli
Theertham - Amrutha Theertham
Manikundram
The Moolavar is Manikundra Perumal seen in seated posture facing east.
Thaayaar - Ambujavalli
Theertham - Srirama Theertham
Thanjaiali Nagar
The Moolavar is Narasimhan seen in seated posture facing east.
Thaayaar - Thanjai Nayagi
Theertham - Surya Pushkarini, Srirama Theertham
Mangalasasanam:
Thirumangaialwar - 953, 1090, 1576
Boodathalwar - 2251
Nammalwar - 3139
Total of 5 Paasurams.
Thiruthalaisanga Naanmadhiyam
The temple is located near Sirgazhi. The place is known popularly as Thalaisangaadu. The Moolavar is Naanmadhiya Perumal, Vennsudar Perumal seen in standing posture facing east. The Utsava murti - Viyomajothipiraan, Venjudarpiraan, Loganathan
Thaayaar - Thalaisanga Naachiyaar. Utsavar - Sengamalavalli Thaayaar.
Theertham - Chandra Pushkarini.
Mangalasasanam:
Thirumangaialwar - 1736, 2674
Total of 2 Paasurams.
Thiru Thetriyambalam
The temple is located in Thirunaangur, 5 miles from Sirgazhi. The Moolavar is Senganmaal, Ranganaathan, Sri Lakshmirangar (known popularly as Palli Konda Perumaal) seen with four arms in bujanga sayanam posture facing east.
Thaayaar - Sengamalavalli.
Theertham - Soorya Pushkarini
Mangalasasanam:
Thirumangaialwar - 1278-1287
Total of 10 Paasurams.
Thiru Thevanaar Thogai
The temple is located 4 miles south east of Sirgazhi, 2 1/2 miles from Thirunaangur. The Moolavar is Deivanaayagan seen in standing posture facing east. The Utsavar is Maadava Perumaal. This is part of the 11 Thirunaangur sthalams.
Thaayaar - Kadalmagal Naachiyaar. The Utsavar is Maadava Naayagi.
Theertham - Sobana Pushkarini, Devasabha Pushkarini
Mangalasasanam:
Thirumangaialwar - 1248-1257
Total of 10 Paasurams.
Thiru Nandhipura Vinnagaram
The temple is located near Korukkai which is near Kumbakonam. The Moolavar is Jagannaathan, Naadhanaadhan, Vinnagara Perumal seen in seated posture facing west. There is an idol of Adhikaara Nandhi on the left side of the temple. Nandhi Bhagavan is said to have done penance here to absolve of his sins & hence the name Nandhipuram to the place. It is believed that Perumal was initially facing east, but he turned west to see the generous sight of Sibi Chakravarty giving his flesh for the sake of justice.
Thaayaar - Shenbagavalli
Theertham - Nandhitheertha Pushkarini
Mangalasasanam:
Thirumangaialwar - 1438 - 1447
Total of 10 Paasurams.
Thiru Naraiyur (Naachiyaar Koil)
The temple is located 6 miles from Kumbakonam. The Moolavar is Thirunaraiyur Nambi, (Srinivaasan, Vaasudevan) seen in standing posture (Thirumanakolam). The Lord married Vanjulavalli, daughter of Medaavi rishi (in the five forms of Sangarshanan, Pradyumnan, Aniruddhan, Purushothaman, Vaasudevan). Naachiyaar is the main Goddess. There is a separate sannidhi for Garuda. The Gurada vahanam in this temple can be carried by four people in the first sannidhi. But by the time they reach the temple entrance, the weight keeps increasing & 64 people carry it. During Garudasevai, the Lord is seated on the stone Garudan & Naachiyaar on Anna Vahanam. The Brahmotsavam in Margazhi is an important festival.
Thaayaar - Vanjulavalli (Nambikkai Naachiyaar) in standing posture near the Lord in thirumanakolam (wedding).
Theertham - Mani Muktha Pushkarini, Sangarshana Theertham, Prathyumna Theertham, Aniruddha Theertham, Saamba Theertham.
Mangalasasanam:
Thirumangaialwar - 1078, 1329, 1470, 1478-1577, 1611, 1659, 1852, 2067, 2068, 2673, 2674
Total of 110 Paasurams.
Thiru Naagai
The temple is located near Maayavaram, 1 mile from the Naagapattinam bus stand. The Moolavar is Neelamega Perumal seen in standing posture with Gadhai (mace) facing east. The Utsava murtis are Soundarya Raajan, Gajalakshmi. There are sannadhis for Govindaraajan in standing posture and Ranganaathan in sayana posture. There is a bronze idol of Narasimhar with 8 hands in the Ranganaathar sannadhi. One hand is blessing Prahalaadhan, one as Abhaya hastam, and the rest of the hands used to kill Hiranyan.
Thaayaar - Soundaryavalli
Theertham - Saara Pushkarini
Mangalasasanam:
Thirumangaialwar - 1758 - 1767
Total of 10 Paasurams.
Thiru Paarthan Palli
The temple is located 7 miles from Sirgazhi. The Moolavar is Thaamaraiyaal Kaelvan seen in standing posture facing west. The Utsavar is Paarthasaarathy. The Moolavar & Utsavar have three devis - Sridevi, Boodevi, Neeladevi. There is another Utsava Murthi - kolavalli Raaman with Changu, Chakram, Gadhai & bow, arrow. His Moolavar is seen in a nearby temple.
Thaayaar - Thaamarai Naayagi.
Theertham - Sanga Sara (Ganga Theertham)
Mangalasasanam:
Thirumangaialwar - 1318-1327
Total of 10 Paasurams.
Thiru Pullamboodangudi
The temple is located near Swaamimalai, maintained by the Ahobila Mutt. The Moolavar is Valvil Raaman seen in bujanga sayanam posture facing east. It is believed that Lord Raamaa rested here after giving moksham to Jadaayu. Since Sita Devi was imprisoned in Lanka at that time, there is no idol for Sita Devi. Only Boomi Devi is seen in seated posture.
Thaayaar - Porraamaraiyaal (Hemambujavalli) in a separate temple.
Theertham - Jadaayu Theertham, Krudra Theertham.
Mangalasasanam:
Thirumangaialwar - 1348 - 1357 (10 Paasurams)
Thiruppaer Nagar
Known more popularly as Koviladi. The temple is situated on the banks of the Cauvery on a mound. The Moolavar is Appakkudathaan seen in bujanga sayanam (reclining posture, resting the head on the hand) facing west. He is seen holding an Appa Kudam in his right hand, blessing Ubamanyu rishi.
Thaayaar - Indiradevi, Kamalavalli.
Theertham - Indra Theertham, Kollidam.
Mangalasasanam:
Perialwar - 173, 205
Thirumangaialwar - 1428-37, 1851, 1857, 2048, 2050, 2059, 2060, 2070, 2673, 2674
Thirumazhisaialwar - 2417
Nammalwar - 3744 - 3754
Total of 33 Paasurams.
Thiru Manikoodam
The temple is located half a mile from Thirunaangur which is located 5 miles from Sirgazhi. The Moolavar is Varadaraaja Perumaal (Manikooda Naayagan) seen in standing posture facing east.
Thaayaar - Thirumaamagal Naachiyaar (Sridevi), Boodevi.
Theertham - Chandra Pushkarini
Mangalasasanam:
Thirumangaialwar - 1288-1297
Total of 10 Paasurams.
Thiru Manimaada Koil
The temple is located at Thirunaangur, which is 5 miles from Sirgazhi. The Moolavar is Naaraayanan seen in seated posture facing east. There are two utsava murthis Naaraayanan & Alattharkariyaan.
Thaayaar - Pundareekavalli Thaayaaar.
Theertham - Indhra Pushkarini, Rudra Pushkarini
Mangalasasanam: Thirumangaialwar - 1218-1227, 1850, 2674
Total of 12 Paasurams.
Thiru Vannpurushothamam
The temple is located at Thirunaangur, which is 5 miles from Sirgazhi. The Moolavar is Purushothaman seen in standing posture facing east.
Thaayaar - Purushothama Naayagi
Theertham - Thirupaarkadal Theertham
Mangalasasanam:
Thirumangaialwar - 1258-1267
Total of 10 Paasurams.
ThiruVazhundhur
The temple is located near Maayavaram. The Moolavar is Devaadirajan seen in standing posture with a gadhai (mace) in his left hand facing east. There are idols of Garudalwar, Mother Cauvery on the left & Prahalaadhan on the right. This is the birth place of the great Tamil poet Kamban. There are the idols of Kambar & his wife in the temple. Kamban Vizha is celebrated here every year
Thaayaar - Sengamalavalli
Theertham - Darshana Pushkarini, Cauvery
Mangalasasanam:
Thirumangaialwar - 1588-1627, 1854, 2066, 2077, 2673, 2674
Total of 45 Paasurams.
Thiru Vaaliyum Thiru Nagariyum
Thiru Vaali
The temple is located along the Sirgazhi - Thiruvenkaadu bus route. The Moolavar is Lakshmi Narasimhar, Vayalaalimanavaalan, seen in seated posture facing west. The Utsavar is Thiruvaaloi Nagaraalan. Thirumangaialwar's Devi Kumudavalli Naachiyaar was brought up at this sthalam.
The Lord Vayalaali Manavaalan mentioned in the Divya Prabandam is seen in Thiru Nagari & not in Thiru Vaali. Hence the two sthalams are counted together as one divya desam.
Thaayaar - Amrudhakadavalli.
Theertham - Ilakshani Pushkarini
Thiru Nagari
The temple is located 3 miles from Thiru Vaali. The Moolavar is Vedarajan (Vayalaalimanavaalan) seen in seated posture facing west. The Utsavar is Kalyaana Ranganaathan. This is the birth place of Thirumangaialwar & there is a separate sannadhi for him, where he is een in the form of a hunter. Two of the 5 Narasimhars worshipped by him are in this temple. An idol-Sindanaikiniyaan worshipped by the alwar can be seen beside him. The spot where Thirumangaialwar robbed the Lord - Vedarajapuram is situated about half a mile from this sthalam. Since the Lord gave darshan in wedded pose, he came to called Kalyaana Ranganaathan.
Thaayaar - Amrudhavalli.
Mangalasasanam:
Kulasekaralwar - 725
Thirumangaialwar - 1078, 1188-1217, 1329, 1519, 1733, 1735, 1850, 2014, 2027, 2063, 2673, 2674
Total of 42 Paasurams.
Thiru Vinnagar (Uppiliyappan)
The temple is located 1 mile from Thirunaageswaram & 4 miles from Kumbakonam. The Moolavar is Uppiliyappan (Srinivaasan) seen in standing posture, similar to Venkataachalapathi, facing east. Those who cannot visit Thirupati worship the Lord at this sthalam. On the request of the wife of Marukandu Maharishi, the naivediyam to the Lord is without salt. No food item with salt should be taken into the temple. The Brahmotsavam in Panguni & the Kalyaana Utsavam in Aippasi are some of the important festivals.
Thaayaar - Boomi Devi seen in seated posture at the Lord's feet. No separate temple.
Theertham - Ahoraathra Pushkarini, Aarthi Pushkarini.
Mangalasasanam:
Thirumangaialwar - 1444-1477, 1855, 2080, 2673, 2674 Peyalwar - 2342, 2343
Nammalwar - 3249-3259
Total of 47 Paasurams.
Thiru Vellakulam
The temple is located 7 miles from Sirgazhi. The Moolavar is Srinivaasan, Kannan, Naaraayanan, Annan Perumaal seen in standing posture facing east. This sthalam is amongst the 11 Thirunaangur thirupadis. It is also known popularly as Then Tiruppadi (southern). The prince Suvedan, son of Dundumaaran is said to have been blessed with long life at this sthalam.
Thaayaar - Alarmel Mangai. Utsavar - Padmaavati, Poovaar Thirumagal.
Theertham - Thiruvellakulam
Mangalasasanam: Thirumangaialwar - 1308-1317
Total of 10 Paasurams.
Thiru Vellarai
Thiru Vellarai is situated near Trichy. There is a huge temple, but not too many facilities in the temple area. The Moolavar is Pundarikaakshan seen in standing posture facing east.
Thaayaar - Shenbagavalli, Pangayaselvi. The Utsava Thaayaar is known by the naamam Pangajavalli.
There are 7 theerthams within the temple.
Mangalasasanam:
Perialwar - 71, 192 - 201
Thirumangaialwar - 1368-77, 1851, 2673, 2674
Total of 24 Paasurams.
Thiru Velliangudi
The temple is located near Saengaanur which is near Kumbakonam. The Moolavar is Kolavalvilli Raman seen in bujanga sayanam posture facing east. The Utsavar is Sringaara Sundaran. The Garudalwar in this temple is seen with Changu, Chakram.
Thaayaar - Maragadhavalli
Theertham - Chukra Theertham, Brahma Theertham, Indra Theertham, Paraasura Theertham
Sthala Vruksham - Kadali (Banana)
Mangalasasanam:
Thirumangaialwar - 1338 - 1347
Total of 10 Paasurams.
Thiru Vaigundha Vinnagaram
The temple is located at Thirunaangur, which is 5 miles from Sirgazhi. The Moolavar is Vaigundha Naadhan, Thaamarai Kannudaiya Piraan, seen in seated posture with Ubaya Naachiyaars facing east.
Thaayaar - Vaigundhavalli.
Theertham - Lakshmi Pushkarini, Udanga Pushkarini, Virajaa Theertham
Mangalasasanam:
Thirumangaialwar - 1228-1237
Total of 10 Paasurams.
Keep for my posts for rest of the temples...
Posted by MSR at 4:59 PM
Labels: 108 Vaishnava Divya Desangal - Choola Nadu
Monday, August 25, 2008
Purusha Suktham, Narayana Sukthanm and Shree Suktham
Radhe Krishna 25-08-08 Purusha Suktham
Narayana Suktham
Sri Suktham
Sree Suktham - 108 Divya desangal
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare ! Hare rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare!!
Narayana Suktham
Sri Suktham
Sree Suktham - 108 Divya desangal
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare ! Hare rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare!!
Narasimha - Saligram
Radhe Krishna 25-08-08 Narasimha - Saligram
Sri Narsimha Pooja
Prayers to Lord Narasimha
Narasimha Mayapur
Narasimha Arathi Mayapur
Narasimha Arathi
Baktha Prahalada - Climax scene Narasimha killing Hiranyakashibhu
Baktha Prahalada - History behind Hiranyakashibs Birth
Sri Narsimha Pooja
Prayers to Lord Narasimha
Narasimha Mayapur
Narasimha Arathi Mayapur
Narasimha Arathi
Baktha Prahalada - Climax scene Narasimha killing Hiranyakashibhu
Baktha Prahalada - History behind Hiranyakashibs Birth
Rudram Chamakam
Radhe Krishna 25-08-08
Rudram Part - I
Rudram Part - II
Rudram Part - III
Rudram Part - IV
Rudram Part - VI
Rudram Part - VII
Rudram Part - IX
Chamakam
Rudram Part - I
Rudram Part - II
Rudram Part - III
Rudram Part - IV
Rudram Part - VI
Rudram Part - VII
Rudram Part - IX
Chamakam
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Medal List olympics games 2008 Beijing China
Radhe krishna 24-08-08
Summer Games MedalsTotal Medals (Sorted by Gold)
Rank Country Gold Silver Bronze Total
1 China 51 21 28 100
2 United States 36 38 36 110
3 Russia 23 21 28 72
4 Britain 19 13 15 47
5 Germany 16 10 15 41
6 Australia 14 15 17 46
7 South Korea 13 10 8 31
8 Japan 9 6 10 25
9 Italy 8 10 10 28
10t France 7 16 17 40
10t Ukraine 7 5 15 27
10t Netherlands 7 5 4 16
13 Jamaica 6 3 2 11
14t Spain 5 10 3 18
14t Kenya 5 5 4 14
16t Belarus 4 5 10 19
16t Romania 4 1 3 8
16t Ethiopia 4 1 2 7
19t Canada 3 9 6 18
19t Brazil 3 4 8 15
19t Poland 3 6 1 10
19t Hungary 3 5 2 10
19t Norway 3 5 2 10
19t New Zealand 3 1 5 9
19t Czech Republic 3 3 0 6
19t Slovakia 3 2 1 6
19t Georgia 3 0 3 6
28t Cuba 2 11 11 24
28t Kazakhstan 2 4 7 13
28t Denmark 2 2 3 7
28t North Korea 2 1 3 6
28t Argentina 2 0 4 6
28t Switzerland 2 0 4 6
28t Mongolia 2 2 0 4
28t Thailand 2 2 0 4
28t Mexico 2 0 1 3
37t Turkey 1 4 3 8
37t Azerbaijan 1 2 4 7
37t Uzbekistan 1 2 3 6
37t Slovenia 1 2 2 5
37t Bulgaria 1 1 3 5
37t Indonesia 1 1 3 5
37t Zimbabwe 1 3 0 4
37t Finland 1 1 2 4
37t Latvia 1 1 1 3
37t India 1 0 2 3
37t Belgium 1 1 0 2
37t Dominican Republic 1 1 0 2
37t Estonia 1 1 0 2
37t Portugal 1 1 0 2
37t Iran 1 0 1 2
37t Bahrain 1 0 0 1
37t Cameroon 1 0 0 1
37t Panama 1 0 0 1
37t Tunisia 1 0 0 1
56t Armenia 0 0 6 6
56t Sweden 0 4 1 5
56t Croatia 0 2 3 5
56t Lithuania 0 2 3 5
56t Greece 0 2 2 4
56t Nigeria 0 1 3 4
56t Chinese Taipei 0 0 4 4
56t Austria 0 1 2 3
56t Ireland 0 1 2 3
56t Serbia 0 1 2 3
56t Trinidad and Tobago 0 2 0 2
56t Algeria 0 1 1 2
56t Bahamas 0 1 1 2
56t Colombia 0 1 1 2
56t Kyrgyzstan 0 1 1 2
56t Morocco 0 1 1 2
56t Tajikistan 0 1 1 2
56t Chile 0 1 0 1
56t Ecuador 0 1 0 1
56t Iceland 0 1 0 1
56t Malaysia 0 1 0 1
56t Singapore 0 1 0 1
56t South Africa 0 1 0 1
56t Sudan 0 1 0 1
56t Vietnam 0 1 0 1
56t Afghanistan 0 0 1 1
56t Egypt 0 0 1 1
56t Israel 0 0 1 1
56t Mauritius 0 0 1 1
56t Moldova 0 0 1 1
56t Togo 0 0 1 1
56t Venezuela 0 0 1 1
© 2008 by STATS LLC.
Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of STATS LLC is strictly prohibited.
Overall Medal Count
Presented by Chevrolet
Overall Medal Count Country Gold Silver Bronze Total
Flag of United States 36 38 36 110
Flag of China 51 21 28 100
Flag of Russia 23 21 28 72
Flag of Britain 19 13 15 47
Flag of Australia 14 15 17 46
Flag of Germany 16 10 15 41
Flag of France 7 16 17 40
Flag of South Korea 13 10 8 31
Flag of Italy 8 10 10 28
Flag of Ukraine 7 5 15 27
Flag of Japan 9 6 10 25
Flag of Cuba 2 11 11 24
Flag of Belarus 4 5 10 19
Flag of Spain 5 10 3 18
Flag of Canada 3 9 6 18
Flag of Netherlands 7 5 4 16
Flag of Brazil 3 4 8 15
Flag of Kenya 5 5 4 14
Flag of Kazakhstan 2 4 7 13
Flag of Jamaica 6 3 2 11
Flag of Poland 3 6 1 10
Flag of Hungary 3 5 2 10
Flag of Norway 3 5 2 10
Flag of New Zealand 3 1 5 9
Flag of Romania 4 1 3 8
Flag of Turkey 1 4 3 8
Flag of Ethiopia 4 1 2 7
Flag of Denmark 2 2 3 7
Flag of Azerbaijan 1 2 4 7
Flag of Czech Republic 3 3 0 6
Flag of Slovakia 3 2 1 6
Flag of Georgia 3 0 3 6
Flag of North Korea 2 1 3 6
Flag of Argentina 2 0 4 6
Flag of Switzerland 2 0 4 6
Flag of Uzbekistan 1 2 3 6
Flag of Armenia 0 0 6 6
Flag of Slovenia 1 2 2 5
Flag of Bulgaria 1 1 3 5
Flag of Indonesia 1 1 3 5
Flag of Sweden 0 4 1 5
Flag of Croatia 0 2 3 5
Flag of Lithuania 0 2 3 5
Flag of Mongolia 2 2 0 4
Flag of Thailand 2 2 0 4
Flag of Zimbabwe 1 3 0 4
Flag of Finland 1 1 2 4
Flag of Greece 0 2 2 4
Flag of Nigeria 0 1 3 4
Flag of Taiwan 0 0 4 4
Flag of Mexico 2 0 1 3
Flag of Latvia 1 1 1 3
Flag of India 1 0 2 3
Flag of Austria 0 1 2 3
Flag of Ireland 0 1 2 3
Flag of Serbia 0 1 2 3
Flag of Belgium 1 1 0 2
Flag of Dominican Republic 1 1 0 2
Flag of Estonia 1 1 0 2
Flag of Portugal 1 1 0 2
Flag of I.R.Iran 1 0 1 2
Flag of Trinidad & Tobago 0 2 0 2
Flag of Algeria 0 1 1 2
Flag of Bahamas 0 1 1 2
Flag of Colombia 0 1 1 2
Flag of Kyrgyzstan 0 1 1 2
Flag of Morocco 0 1 1 2
Flag of Tajikistan 0 1 1 2
Flag of Bahrain 1 0 0 1
Flag of Cameroon 1 0 0 1
Flag of Panama 1 0 0 1
Flag of Tunisia 1 0 0 1
Flag of Chile 0 1 0 1
Flag of Ecuador 0 1 0 1
Flag of Iceland 0 1 0 1
Flag of Malaysia 0 1 0 1
Flag of Netherlands Antilles 0 1 0 1
Flag of Singapore 0 1 0 1
Flag of South Africa 0 1 0 1
Flag of Sudan 0 1 0 1
Flag of Vietnam 0 1 0 1
Flag of Afghanistan 0 0 1 1
Flag of Egypt 0 0 1 1
Flag of Israel 0 0 1 1
Flag of Mauritius 0 0 1 1
Flag of Moldova 0 0 1 1
Flag of Togo 0 0 1 1
Flag of Venezuela 0 0 1 1
Summer Games MedalsTotal Medals (Sorted by Gold)
Rank Country Gold Silver Bronze Total
1 China 51 21 28 100
2 United States 36 38 36 110
3 Russia 23 21 28 72
4 Britain 19 13 15 47
5 Germany 16 10 15 41
6 Australia 14 15 17 46
7 South Korea 13 10 8 31
8 Japan 9 6 10 25
9 Italy 8 10 10 28
10t France 7 16 17 40
10t Ukraine 7 5 15 27
10t Netherlands 7 5 4 16
13 Jamaica 6 3 2 11
14t Spain 5 10 3 18
14t Kenya 5 5 4 14
16t Belarus 4 5 10 19
16t Romania 4 1 3 8
16t Ethiopia 4 1 2 7
19t Canada 3 9 6 18
19t Brazil 3 4 8 15
19t Poland 3 6 1 10
19t Hungary 3 5 2 10
19t Norway 3 5 2 10
19t New Zealand 3 1 5 9
19t Czech Republic 3 3 0 6
19t Slovakia 3 2 1 6
19t Georgia 3 0 3 6
28t Cuba 2 11 11 24
28t Kazakhstan 2 4 7 13
28t Denmark 2 2 3 7
28t North Korea 2 1 3 6
28t Argentina 2 0 4 6
28t Switzerland 2 0 4 6
28t Mongolia 2 2 0 4
28t Thailand 2 2 0 4
28t Mexico 2 0 1 3
37t Turkey 1 4 3 8
37t Azerbaijan 1 2 4 7
37t Uzbekistan 1 2 3 6
37t Slovenia 1 2 2 5
37t Bulgaria 1 1 3 5
37t Indonesia 1 1 3 5
37t Zimbabwe 1 3 0 4
37t Finland 1 1 2 4
37t Latvia 1 1 1 3
37t India 1 0 2 3
37t Belgium 1 1 0 2
37t Dominican Republic 1 1 0 2
37t Estonia 1 1 0 2
37t Portugal 1 1 0 2
37t Iran 1 0 1 2
37t Bahrain 1 0 0 1
37t Cameroon 1 0 0 1
37t Panama 1 0 0 1
37t Tunisia 1 0 0 1
56t Armenia 0 0 6 6
56t Sweden 0 4 1 5
56t Croatia 0 2 3 5
56t Lithuania 0 2 3 5
56t Greece 0 2 2 4
56t Nigeria 0 1 3 4
56t Chinese Taipei 0 0 4 4
56t Austria 0 1 2 3
56t Ireland 0 1 2 3
56t Serbia 0 1 2 3
56t Trinidad and Tobago 0 2 0 2
56t Algeria 0 1 1 2
56t Bahamas 0 1 1 2
56t Colombia 0 1 1 2
56t Kyrgyzstan 0 1 1 2
56t Morocco 0 1 1 2
56t Tajikistan 0 1 1 2
56t Chile 0 1 0 1
56t Ecuador 0 1 0 1
56t Iceland 0 1 0 1
56t Malaysia 0 1 0 1
56t Singapore 0 1 0 1
56t South Africa 0 1 0 1
56t Sudan 0 1 0 1
56t Vietnam 0 1 0 1
56t Afghanistan 0 0 1 1
56t Egypt 0 0 1 1
56t Israel 0 0 1 1
56t Mauritius 0 0 1 1
56t Moldova 0 0 1 1
56t Togo 0 0 1 1
56t Venezuela 0 0 1 1
© 2008 by STATS LLC.
Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of STATS LLC is strictly prohibited.
Overall Medal Count
Presented by Chevrolet
Overall Medal Count Country Gold Silver Bronze Total
Flag of United States 36 38 36 110
Flag of China 51 21 28 100
Flag of Russia 23 21 28 72
Flag of Britain 19 13 15 47
Flag of Australia 14 15 17 46
Flag of Germany 16 10 15 41
Flag of France 7 16 17 40
Flag of South Korea 13 10 8 31
Flag of Italy 8 10 10 28
Flag of Ukraine 7 5 15 27
Flag of Japan 9 6 10 25
Flag of Cuba 2 11 11 24
Flag of Belarus 4 5 10 19
Flag of Spain 5 10 3 18
Flag of Canada 3 9 6 18
Flag of Netherlands 7 5 4 16
Flag of Brazil 3 4 8 15
Flag of Kenya 5 5 4 14
Flag of Kazakhstan 2 4 7 13
Flag of Jamaica 6 3 2 11
Flag of Poland 3 6 1 10
Flag of Hungary 3 5 2 10
Flag of Norway 3 5 2 10
Flag of New Zealand 3 1 5 9
Flag of Romania 4 1 3 8
Flag of Turkey 1 4 3 8
Flag of Ethiopia 4 1 2 7
Flag of Denmark 2 2 3 7
Flag of Azerbaijan 1 2 4 7
Flag of Czech Republic 3 3 0 6
Flag of Slovakia 3 2 1 6
Flag of Georgia 3 0 3 6
Flag of North Korea 2 1 3 6
Flag of Argentina 2 0 4 6
Flag of Switzerland 2 0 4 6
Flag of Uzbekistan 1 2 3 6
Flag of Armenia 0 0 6 6
Flag of Slovenia 1 2 2 5
Flag of Bulgaria 1 1 3 5
Flag of Indonesia 1 1 3 5
Flag of Sweden 0 4 1 5
Flag of Croatia 0 2 3 5
Flag of Lithuania 0 2 3 5
Flag of Mongolia 2 2 0 4
Flag of Thailand 2 2 0 4
Flag of Zimbabwe 1 3 0 4
Flag of Finland 1 1 2 4
Flag of Greece 0 2 2 4
Flag of Nigeria 0 1 3 4
Flag of Taiwan 0 0 4 4
Flag of Mexico 2 0 1 3
Flag of Latvia 1 1 1 3
Flag of India 1 0 2 3
Flag of Austria 0 1 2 3
Flag of Ireland 0 1 2 3
Flag of Serbia 0 1 2 3
Flag of Belgium 1 1 0 2
Flag of Dominican Republic 1 1 0 2
Flag of Estonia 1 1 0 2
Flag of Portugal 1 1 0 2
Flag of I.R.Iran 1 0 1 2
Flag of Trinidad & Tobago 0 2 0 2
Flag of Algeria 0 1 1 2
Flag of Bahamas 0 1 1 2
Flag of Colombia 0 1 1 2
Flag of Kyrgyzstan 0 1 1 2
Flag of Morocco 0 1 1 2
Flag of Tajikistan 0 1 1 2
Flag of Bahrain 1 0 0 1
Flag of Cameroon 1 0 0 1
Flag of Panama 1 0 0 1
Flag of Tunisia 1 0 0 1
Flag of Chile 0 1 0 1
Flag of Ecuador 0 1 0 1
Flag of Iceland 0 1 0 1
Flag of Malaysia 0 1 0 1
Flag of Netherlands Antilles 0 1 0 1
Flag of Singapore 0 1 0 1
Flag of South Africa 0 1 0 1
Flag of Sudan 0 1 0 1
Flag of Vietnam 0 1 0 1
Flag of Afghanistan 0 0 1 1
Flag of Egypt 0 0 1 1
Flag of Israel 0 0 1 1
Flag of Mauritius 0 0 1 1
Flag of Moldova 0 0 1 1
Flag of Togo 0 0 1 1
Flag of Venezuela 0 0 1 1
Closing cermony Olympics Games Beijing 2008
Radhe Krishna 24-08-08 Closing cermony Olympics Games Beijing 2008
Closing cermony Olympics Games Beijing 2008
Closing cermony Olympics Games Beijing 2008
2008 beijing closing cermony of Olympics
2008 beijing closing cermony of Olympics
2008 beijing closing cermony of Olympics
2008 beijing closing cermony of Olympics
Closing cermony Olympics Games Beijing 2008
Saturday, August 23, 2008
Heptathlon
Radhe Krishna 23-08-08
"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heptathlon"
Heptathlon
A heptathlon is a track and field athletics combined events contest made up of seven events. The name derives from the Greek hepta (seven) and athlon (contest). A competitor in a heptathlon is referred to as a heptathlete.
Contents [hide]
1 Structure
2 World Record
2.1 Record Progression
3 Best Year Performance
3.1 Women's Seasons Best (Outdoor)
4 Top Ten Performers
5 National records
6 See also
6.1 Other multiple event contests
7 External links
[edit] Structure
There are two versions of the heptathlon. The first is an outdoor competition for women, and is the combined event for women contested in the Athletics program of the Olympics and in the IAAF World Championships in Athletics. The IAAF World Combined Events Challenge determines a yearly women's heptathlon champion. The women's outdoor heptathlon consists of the following events, with the first four contested on the first day, and the remaining three on day two:
100 metres hurdles
high jump
shot put
200 m
long jump
javelin throw
800 m
The other version is an indoor competition, normally contested only by men. It is the men's combined event in the IAAF World Indoor Championships in Athletics. The men's indoor heptathlon consists of the following events, with the first four contested on the first day, and remaining three on day two:
60 m
long jump
shot put
high jump
60 m hurdles
pole vault
1000 m
The scoring is similar for both versions. In each event, the athlete scores points for his/her performance in each event according to scoring tables issued by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF).[1] The athlete accumulating the highest number of points wins the competition.
The heptathlon has been contested by female athletes since the early 1980s, when it replaced the pentathlon as the primary women's combined event contest (the javelin throw and 800 m were added). It was first contested at the Olympic level in the 1984 Summer Olympics. In recent years some women's decathlon competitions have been conducted, consisting of the same events as the men's competition, and the IAAF has begun keeping records for it. But the heptathlon remains the championship-level combined event for women.
[edit] World Record
The current heptathlon world record is 7291 points. It was set by Jackie Joyner-Kersee at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, Korea, on September 24, 1988.
Her scores in each event were:
Event Performance Wind (m/s) Points
100 m hurdles 12.69 secs +0.5 1172
High jump 1.86 m 1054
Shot put 15.80 m 915
200 m 22.56 secs +1.6 1123
Long jump 7.27 m +0.7 1264
Javelin 45.66 776
800 m 2 mins 08.51 secs 987
Joyner-Kersee has gone over 7,000 points six times and holds the top six places on the all-time performances list. She is also the only person ever to have done so when over the age of 30.[2] Carolina Klüft and Larisa Turchinskaya are the only other women to have topped 7000 points, with Kluft having done so twice.
[edit] Record Progression
POINTS ATHLETE VENUE DATE
6104 Jane Frederick (USA) Walnut 1981-04-24
6181 Nadezhda Vinogradova (URS) Kislovodsk 1981-05-05
6670 Ramona Neubert (GDR) Halle 1981-05-24
6788 Ramona Neubert (GDR) Kiev 1981-06-28
6845 Ramona Neubert (GDR) Halle 1982-06-20
6935 Ramona Neubert (GDR) Moscow 1983-06-19
6946 Sabine John (GDR) Potsdam 1984-05-06
7148 Jackie Joyner-Kersee (USA) Moscow 1986-07-07
7158 Jackie Joyner-Kersee (USA) Houston 1986-08-02
7215 Jackie Joyner-Kersee (USA) Indianapolis 1988-07-16
7291 Jackie Joyner-Kersee (USA) Seoul 1988-09-24
[edit] Best Year Performance
[edit] Women's Seasons Best (Outdoor)
YEAR POINTS ATHLETE VENUE
1980 6049 Zoya Spasovkhodskaya (URS) Pyatigorsk
1981 6788 Ramona Neubert (GDR) Kiev
1982 6845 Ramona Neubert (GDR) Halle
1983 6935 Ramona Neubert (GDR) Moscow
1984 6946 Sabine John (GDR) Potsdam
1985 6718 Jackie Joyner-Kersee (USA) Baton Rouge
1986 7158 Jackie Joyner-Kersee (USA) Houston
1987 7128 Jackie Joyner-Kersee (USA) Rome
1988 7291 Jackie Joyner-Kersee (USA) Seoul
1989 7007 Larisa Nikitina (URS) Bryansk
1990 6783 Jackie Joyner-Kersee (USA) Seattle
1991 6878 Jackie Joyner-Kersee (USA) New York City
1992 7044 Jackie Joyner-Kersee (USA) Barcelona
1993 6837 Jackie Joyner-Kersee (USA) Stuttgart
1994 6741 Heike Drechsler (GER) Talence
1995 6715 Ghada Shouaa (SYR) Götzis
1996 6942 Ghada Shouaa (SYR) Götzis
1997 6787 Sabine Braun (GER) Ratingen
1998 6559 Denise Lewis (GBR) Budapest
1999 6861 Eunice Barber (FRA) Seville
2000 6842 Eunice Barber (FRA) Götzis
2001 6736 Eunice Barber (FRA) Götzis
2002 6542 Carolina Klüft (SWE) Munich
2003 7001 Carolina Klüft (SWE) Saint-Denis
2004 6952 Carolina Klüft (SWE) Athens
2005 6889 Eunice Barber (FRA) Arles
2006 6740 Carolina Klüft (SWE) Gothenburg
2007 7032 Carolina Klüft (SWE) Osaka
[edit] Top Ten Performers
Accurate as of August 27, 2007
POINTS ATHLETE VENUE DATE
7291 Jackie Joyner-Kersee (USA) Seoul 1988-09-24
7032 Carolina Klüft (SWE) Osaka 2007-08-26
7007 Larisa Turchinskaya (URS) Bryansk 1989-06-11
6985 Sabine Braun (GER) Götzis 1992-05-31
6946 Sabine John (GDR) Potsdam 1984-05-06
6942 Ghada Shouaa (SYR) Götzis 1996-05-26
6935 Ramona Neubert (GDR) Moscow 1983-06-19
6889 Eunice Barber (FRA) Arles 2005-06-05
6859 Natalya Shubenkova (URS) Kiev 1984-06-21
6858 Anke Vater-Behmer (GDR) Seoul 1988-09-24
[edit] National records
As of 2007-12-31
POINTS NATION ATHLETE DATE PLACE
7291 USA Jackie Joyner-Kersee 1988-09-24 Seoul
7032 SWE Carolina Klüft 2007-08-26 Osaka
7007 RUS Larisa Nikitina 1989-06-11 Bryansk
6985 GER Sabine Braun 1992-05-31 Götzis
6946 GDR Sabine John 1984-05-06 Potsdam
6942 SYR Ghada Shouaa 1996-05-26 Götzis
6889 FRA Eunice Barber 2005-06-05 Arles
6832 UKR Lyudmyla Blonska 2007-08-26 Osaka
6831 GBR Denise Lewis 2000-07-30 Talence
6750 CHN Ma Miaolan 1993-09-12 Beijing
6695 AUS Jane Flemming 1990-01-28 Auckland
6658 BUL Svetla Dimitrova 1992-05-31 Götzis
6635 BLR Svetlana Buraga 1993-08-18 Stuttgart
6619 ROM Liliana Nastase 1992-08-02 Barcelona
6616 POL Malgorzata Nowak 1985-08-31 Kobe
6604 LTU Remigija Nazaroviene 1989-06-11 Bryansk
6573 HUN Rita Inancsi 1994-05-29 Götzis
6527 JAM Diane Guthrie-Gresham 1995-06-03 Knoxville
6423 GHA Margaret Simpson 2005-05-29 Götzis
6423 NED Karin Ruckstuhl 2006-08-08 Gothenburg
6416 SLE Eunice Barber 1996-09-15 Talence
6404 FIN Satu Ruotsalainen 1991-08-27 Tokyo
6392 ALG Yasmina Azzizi 1991-08-27 Tokyo
6371 URS Vera Yurchenko 1987-09-20 Lvov
6352 CUB Magalys García 1996-06-23 Havana
6343 CAN Jessica Zelinka 2007-05-27 Götzis
6279 LAT Liga Klavina 2001-07-15 Amsterdam
6278 NZL Joanne Henry 1992-03-01 Auckland
6265 SUI Corinne Schneider 1985-06-16 Zug
6235 GRE Aryiro Strataki 2006-05-28 Götzis
6230 POR Naide Gomes 2005-07-17 Logroño
6201 BEL Tia Hellebaut 2006-06-03 Götzis
6017 BRA Conceição Geremias 1983-08-25 Caracas
5860 ESP María Peinado 2002-07-14 Castellón
[edit] See also
List of Olympic medalists in athletics (women)
[edit] Other multiple event contests
Biathlon
Duathlon
Triathlon
Quadrathlon
Pentathlon
Modern pentathlon
Octathlon (primarily a youth or junior event although logistical problems have seen senior octathlons contested, for example at the 2007 South Pacific Games)
Decathlon
Chess-boxing
[edit] External links
National Records
IAAF combined events scoring tables and explanation
Heptathlon points formula
Heptathlon all-time list
[show]v • d • eOlympic Champions in the Women's Pentathlon and Heptathlon
Pentathlon 1964: Irina Press • 1968: Ingrid Becker • 1972: Mary Peters • 1976: Siegrun Siegl • 1980: Nadezhda Tkachenko
Heptathlon 1984: Glynis Nunn • 1988: Jackie Joyner-Kersee • 1992: Jackie Joyner-Kersee • 1996: Ghada Shouaa • 2000: Denise Lewis • 2004: Carolina Klüft • 2008: Nataliya Dobrynska
[show]v • d • eAthletics events
Sprints 50m · 55m · 60 m · 100 m · 150m · 200 m · 300m · 400 m · 500m
Hurdles 60 m · 100 m · 110 m · 400 m
Middle distance 800 m · 1500 m · 3000 m steeplechase
Long distance 5000 m · 10000 m · Half marathon · Marathon
Relays 4 × 100 m · 4 × 400 m
Throws Discus · Hammer · Javelin · Shot put
Jumps High jump · Long jump · Pole vault · Triple jump
Combination Pentathlon · Heptathlon · Decathlon
Uncommon field events weight throw · Standing high jump · Standing long jump · Standing triple jump
Cross country running · Multiday race · Racewalking · Ultramarathon · Wheelchair racing
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heptathlon"
"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heptathlon"
Heptathlon
A heptathlon is a track and field athletics combined events contest made up of seven events. The name derives from the Greek hepta (seven) and athlon (contest). A competitor in a heptathlon is referred to as a heptathlete.
Contents [hide]
1 Structure
2 World Record
2.1 Record Progression
3 Best Year Performance
3.1 Women's Seasons Best (Outdoor)
4 Top Ten Performers
5 National records
6 See also
6.1 Other multiple event contests
7 External links
[edit] Structure
There are two versions of the heptathlon. The first is an outdoor competition for women, and is the combined event for women contested in the Athletics program of the Olympics and in the IAAF World Championships in Athletics. The IAAF World Combined Events Challenge determines a yearly women's heptathlon champion. The women's outdoor heptathlon consists of the following events, with the first four contested on the first day, and the remaining three on day two:
100 metres hurdles
high jump
shot put
200 m
long jump
javelin throw
800 m
The other version is an indoor competition, normally contested only by men. It is the men's combined event in the IAAF World Indoor Championships in Athletics. The men's indoor heptathlon consists of the following events, with the first four contested on the first day, and remaining three on day two:
60 m
long jump
shot put
high jump
60 m hurdles
pole vault
1000 m
The scoring is similar for both versions. In each event, the athlete scores points for his/her performance in each event according to scoring tables issued by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF).[1] The athlete accumulating the highest number of points wins the competition.
The heptathlon has been contested by female athletes since the early 1980s, when it replaced the pentathlon as the primary women's combined event contest (the javelin throw and 800 m were added). It was first contested at the Olympic level in the 1984 Summer Olympics. In recent years some women's decathlon competitions have been conducted, consisting of the same events as the men's competition, and the IAAF has begun keeping records for it. But the heptathlon remains the championship-level combined event for women.
[edit] World Record
The current heptathlon world record is 7291 points. It was set by Jackie Joyner-Kersee at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, Korea, on September 24, 1988.
Her scores in each event were:
Event Performance Wind (m/s) Points
100 m hurdles 12.69 secs +0.5 1172
High jump 1.86 m 1054
Shot put 15.80 m 915
200 m 22.56 secs +1.6 1123
Long jump 7.27 m +0.7 1264
Javelin 45.66 776
800 m 2 mins 08.51 secs 987
Joyner-Kersee has gone over 7,000 points six times and holds the top six places on the all-time performances list. She is also the only person ever to have done so when over the age of 30.[2] Carolina Klüft and Larisa Turchinskaya are the only other women to have topped 7000 points, with Kluft having done so twice.
[edit] Record Progression
POINTS ATHLETE VENUE DATE
6104 Jane Frederick (USA) Walnut 1981-04-24
6181 Nadezhda Vinogradova (URS) Kislovodsk 1981-05-05
6670 Ramona Neubert (GDR) Halle 1981-05-24
6788 Ramona Neubert (GDR) Kiev 1981-06-28
6845 Ramona Neubert (GDR) Halle 1982-06-20
6935 Ramona Neubert (GDR) Moscow 1983-06-19
6946 Sabine John (GDR) Potsdam 1984-05-06
7148 Jackie Joyner-Kersee (USA) Moscow 1986-07-07
7158 Jackie Joyner-Kersee (USA) Houston 1986-08-02
7215 Jackie Joyner-Kersee (USA) Indianapolis 1988-07-16
7291 Jackie Joyner-Kersee (USA) Seoul 1988-09-24
[edit] Best Year Performance
[edit] Women's Seasons Best (Outdoor)
YEAR POINTS ATHLETE VENUE
1980 6049 Zoya Spasovkhodskaya (URS) Pyatigorsk
1981 6788 Ramona Neubert (GDR) Kiev
1982 6845 Ramona Neubert (GDR) Halle
1983 6935 Ramona Neubert (GDR) Moscow
1984 6946 Sabine John (GDR) Potsdam
1985 6718 Jackie Joyner-Kersee (USA) Baton Rouge
1986 7158 Jackie Joyner-Kersee (USA) Houston
1987 7128 Jackie Joyner-Kersee (USA) Rome
1988 7291 Jackie Joyner-Kersee (USA) Seoul
1989 7007 Larisa Nikitina (URS) Bryansk
1990 6783 Jackie Joyner-Kersee (USA) Seattle
1991 6878 Jackie Joyner-Kersee (USA) New York City
1992 7044 Jackie Joyner-Kersee (USA) Barcelona
1993 6837 Jackie Joyner-Kersee (USA) Stuttgart
1994 6741 Heike Drechsler (GER) Talence
1995 6715 Ghada Shouaa (SYR) Götzis
1996 6942 Ghada Shouaa (SYR) Götzis
1997 6787 Sabine Braun (GER) Ratingen
1998 6559 Denise Lewis (GBR) Budapest
1999 6861 Eunice Barber (FRA) Seville
2000 6842 Eunice Barber (FRA) Götzis
2001 6736 Eunice Barber (FRA) Götzis
2002 6542 Carolina Klüft (SWE) Munich
2003 7001 Carolina Klüft (SWE) Saint-Denis
2004 6952 Carolina Klüft (SWE) Athens
2005 6889 Eunice Barber (FRA) Arles
2006 6740 Carolina Klüft (SWE) Gothenburg
2007 7032 Carolina Klüft (SWE) Osaka
[edit] Top Ten Performers
Accurate as of August 27, 2007
POINTS ATHLETE VENUE DATE
7291 Jackie Joyner-Kersee (USA) Seoul 1988-09-24
7032 Carolina Klüft (SWE) Osaka 2007-08-26
7007 Larisa Turchinskaya (URS) Bryansk 1989-06-11
6985 Sabine Braun (GER) Götzis 1992-05-31
6946 Sabine John (GDR) Potsdam 1984-05-06
6942 Ghada Shouaa (SYR) Götzis 1996-05-26
6935 Ramona Neubert (GDR) Moscow 1983-06-19
6889 Eunice Barber (FRA) Arles 2005-06-05
6859 Natalya Shubenkova (URS) Kiev 1984-06-21
6858 Anke Vater-Behmer (GDR) Seoul 1988-09-24
[edit] National records
As of 2007-12-31
POINTS NATION ATHLETE DATE PLACE
7291 USA Jackie Joyner-Kersee 1988-09-24 Seoul
7032 SWE Carolina Klüft 2007-08-26 Osaka
7007 RUS Larisa Nikitina 1989-06-11 Bryansk
6985 GER Sabine Braun 1992-05-31 Götzis
6946 GDR Sabine John 1984-05-06 Potsdam
6942 SYR Ghada Shouaa 1996-05-26 Götzis
6889 FRA Eunice Barber 2005-06-05 Arles
6832 UKR Lyudmyla Blonska 2007-08-26 Osaka
6831 GBR Denise Lewis 2000-07-30 Talence
6750 CHN Ma Miaolan 1993-09-12 Beijing
6695 AUS Jane Flemming 1990-01-28 Auckland
6658 BUL Svetla Dimitrova 1992-05-31 Götzis
6635 BLR Svetlana Buraga 1993-08-18 Stuttgart
6619 ROM Liliana Nastase 1992-08-02 Barcelona
6616 POL Malgorzata Nowak 1985-08-31 Kobe
6604 LTU Remigija Nazaroviene 1989-06-11 Bryansk
6573 HUN Rita Inancsi 1994-05-29 Götzis
6527 JAM Diane Guthrie-Gresham 1995-06-03 Knoxville
6423 GHA Margaret Simpson 2005-05-29 Götzis
6423 NED Karin Ruckstuhl 2006-08-08 Gothenburg
6416 SLE Eunice Barber 1996-09-15 Talence
6404 FIN Satu Ruotsalainen 1991-08-27 Tokyo
6392 ALG Yasmina Azzizi 1991-08-27 Tokyo
6371 URS Vera Yurchenko 1987-09-20 Lvov
6352 CUB Magalys García 1996-06-23 Havana
6343 CAN Jessica Zelinka 2007-05-27 Götzis
6279 LAT Liga Klavina 2001-07-15 Amsterdam
6278 NZL Joanne Henry 1992-03-01 Auckland
6265 SUI Corinne Schneider 1985-06-16 Zug
6235 GRE Aryiro Strataki 2006-05-28 Götzis
6230 POR Naide Gomes 2005-07-17 Logroño
6201 BEL Tia Hellebaut 2006-06-03 Götzis
6017 BRA Conceição Geremias 1983-08-25 Caracas
5860 ESP María Peinado 2002-07-14 Castellón
[edit] See also
List of Olympic medalists in athletics (women)
[edit] Other multiple event contests
Biathlon
Duathlon
Triathlon
Quadrathlon
Pentathlon
Modern pentathlon
Octathlon (primarily a youth or junior event although logistical problems have seen senior octathlons contested, for example at the 2007 South Pacific Games)
Decathlon
Chess-boxing
[edit] External links
National Records
IAAF combined events scoring tables and explanation
Heptathlon points formula
Heptathlon all-time list
[show]v • d • eOlympic Champions in the Women's Pentathlon and Heptathlon
Pentathlon 1964: Irina Press • 1968: Ingrid Becker • 1972: Mary Peters • 1976: Siegrun Siegl • 1980: Nadezhda Tkachenko
Heptathlon 1984: Glynis Nunn • 1988: Jackie Joyner-Kersee • 1992: Jackie Joyner-Kersee • 1996: Ghada Shouaa • 2000: Denise Lewis • 2004: Carolina Klüft • 2008: Nataliya Dobrynska
[show]v • d • eAthletics events
Sprints 50m · 55m · 60 m · 100 m · 150m · 200 m · 300m · 400 m · 500m
Hurdles 60 m · 100 m · 110 m · 400 m
Middle distance 800 m · 1500 m · 3000 m steeplechase
Long distance 5000 m · 10000 m · Half marathon · Marathon
Relays 4 × 100 m · 4 × 400 m
Throws Discus · Hammer · Javelin · Shot put
Jumps High jump · Long jump · Pole vault · Triple jump
Combination Pentathlon · Heptathlon · Decathlon
Uncommon field events weight throw · Standing high jump · Standing long jump · Standing triple jump
Cross country running · Multiday race · Racewalking · Ultramarathon · Wheelchair racing
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heptathlon"
Decathlon
Radhe Krishna 23-08-08
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decathlon
Decathlon
The decathlon is an athletic event consisting of ten track and field events. Events are held over two consecutive days and the winners are determined by the combined performance in all. Performance is judged on a points system in each event, not by the position achieved.[1] The decathlon is contested by male athletes, while female athletes contest the heptathlon.
Traditionally, the title of "World's Greatest Athlete" has been given to the man who wins the decathlon. This began when King Gustav V of Sweden told Jim Thorpe, "You, sir, are the World's Greatest Athlete" after Thorpe won the decathlon at the Stockholm Olympics in 1912.[2] The current holder of the title is American Bryan Clay, the gold medal winner of the event at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
The word decathlon is of Greek origin (from δέκα deka [ten] and αθλος athlos [contest]).
Contents [hide]
1 Events
2 Origins
3 Modern standardization
3.1 Points system
4 One hour decathlon
5 World records
6 National records
7 Season's best
8 See also
8.1 Other multiple event contests
9 References
10 External links
Events
The modern event is a set combination of athletic disciplines, testing an individual’s speed, strength, skill, stamina, endurance, and perseverance; it includes five events on each of two successive days. The emphasis of the first day is on speed, explosive power, and jumping ability; the second emphasizes technique and endurance.
Day 1
100 meters
long jump
shot put
high jump
400 meters
Day 2
110 meter hurdles
discus
pole vault
javelin
1500 meters
[edit] Origins
The event developed from the ancient pentathlon. Pentathlon competitions were held at the ancient Greek Olympics. Pentathlons involved five disciplines – long jump, discus throw, javelin, sprint and a wrestling match. Introduced in Olympia during 708 BC, the game was extremely popular for many centuries. By the sixth century BC, pentathlons had became part of religious games.
Gorgos, from Elis, a town near Olympia, was a four-time pentathlon winner during the period. Another key player was Lampis, a young Spartan who was the first Olympic winner. Automedes was also a known player of the time. The last recorded game winner was Publius Asklepiades of Corinth in AD 241. Roman Emperor Theodosius I officially put an end to the game in AD 393 by closing down all the sanctuaries including Olympia.
From the mid 1700s various versions of the competition emerged. The 1948 Olympics endorsed a new implication to the game. Seventeen-year-old Bob Mathias emerged as the then decathlon winner, banishing the myth that decathlon was a game for the old and the experienced. Mathias still remains the youngest decathlon sports champion in Olympic history.
[edit] Modern standardization
In 1964 the International Amateur Athletic Federation (IAAF; now the International Association of Athletics Federations) laid out new scoring tables and brought about some standardization in the sport. The 1970s saw the game spreading to the Eastern European nations, mainly the Soviet Union, Poland and East Germany.
The first decathlon competition was held on a single day, October 15, 1911, in Gothenburg, Sweden. This was technically not the first decathlon, but one of the first two, as Germany also held a decathlon on the very same day. The Germans contested their events in the same order but with a different scoring table. So, the first decathlon world-record holder was the winner of the first completed meet. Karl Hugo Wieslander, a Swede, and Karl Ritter von Halt, a German, were announced world-record holders.
The decathlon was added to the 1912 Olympic Games in Stockholm[3]. After experience, the following order was chosen: 100 m run, long jump, shot put, high jump, and 400 m run on the first day; 110 m hurdles, discus, pole vault, javelin, and 1500 m run on the 2nd day. The Swedes also developed a set of scoring tables, based on the 1908 Olympic records. After the 1912 Stockholm Games, the tables were updated to include many new Olympic records.
The 1912 Olympic decathlon has become legend because of the presence of Jim Thorpe. Thorpe had a terrific 1912 spring track season, winning as many as six events per meet. Thorpe made the U.S. Olympic team in four events: decathlon, pentathlon, high jump, and long jump. The Russian czar donated a Viking ship as a prize for the decathlon champion. Thorpe won the decathlon by almost 700 points over his closest opponent, Hugo Wieslander of Sweden. Because of the unexpected large number of entries, the decathlon was held over 3 days. The first day they held the 100 m run, long jump, and shot put. The second day consisted of the high jump, 400 m run, discus, and 110 m hurdles. The third and final day consisted of the pole vault, javelin, and 1500 m run. Thorpe’s 8412 points converts to 6564 points on the current tables, still a very respectable score three quarters of a century later. Swedes Wieslander, Charles Lomberg, and Gösta Holmér captured the next three spots.
Thorpe’s score was not beaten for another 15 years. In his absence, there was little decathlon activity for the remainder of the decade. Only in Sweden was the decathlon often contested. The Swedes managed to stay neutral during World War I, which forced the cancellation of the games of Berlin in 1916. Fascinatingly, decathlons were held as part of the Far Eastern Games in 1913, 1915, 1917, and 1919.
The average good decathlete competes at most three or four times a year, the less talented even fewer. Bill Toomey’s nine great efforts back in 1969 were very unusual. The decathlon is the Olympic event least commonly seen in non-Olympic meets.
The decathlete does not have to be amazing in all events to be a champion in the sport itself. But he must range from adequate in his weak events to good or better in the other skills. Because he must do well in the four runs and six field events, he has little opportunity to perfect any one event. A decathlete trying to improve performance in one specific event is likely to deteriorate in another, because the physical demands of the various events are conflicting. His training is necessarily different as he strives to improve all techniques, gain strength without losing speed, and acquire the stamina to perform through a competition that lasts anywhere from 4 to 12 hours per day during the Olympics. As a reference point, a performance in the (non-decathlon) world record class would give somewhere between 1100 and 1400 points per event, totaling over 12500 points for a full record-breaking decathlon. When compared to the 6-7000 points that a good decathlete would usually get, or the world record of slightly over 9000 points, this illustrates how much specialization must be sacrificed to become a good all-round athlete.
The decathlon is one of the few events with an arbitrary scoring system and thus the only one in which personal performance and records can be broken as new scoring tables are adopted. Under the original scoring tables adopted in 1912, Akilles Järvinen of Finland finished second in both the 1928 and 1932 Olympics, but the new scoring system introduced in 1934 gave Jarvinen higher converted totals than both the men he lost to. World-record holder C.K. Yang lost 1032 points when his 1963 performance was converted late in 1964 to the new tables first used in the 1964 Olympics. His top rivals lost only 287 and 172 points when their bests were converted, and Yang dropped from the favorite to third on the pre-Games ranking, finishing a disappointing fifth.
The arbitrary nature of the scoring tables can work in the opposite direction as well. In 1984, at the Los Angeles Olympic Games, Great Britain’s Daley Thompson missed the world record by one point on then-used 1962/77 tables. The tables were changed a year later and Thompson’s score in Los Angeles converted to a best-ever mark.
[edit] Points system
Points are given to the following formulae:
Points = INT(A*(B-P)C) for track events
Points = INT(A*(P-B)C) for field events
A, B and C are parameters that vary by discipline, as shown in the table below, while P is the performance by the athlete in units given in the final column of the table.
Event A B C Units
100 m 25.4347 18 1.81 seconds
Long Jump 0.14354 220 1.4 centimeters
Shot Put 51.39 1.5 1.05 meters
High Jump 0.8465 75 1.42 centimeters
400 m 1.53775 82 1.81 seconds
110 m Hurdles 5.74352 28.5 1.92 seconds
Discus Throw 12.91 4 1.1 meters
Pole Vault 0.2797 100 1.35 centimeters
Javelin Throw 10.14 7 1.08 meters
1500 m 0.03768 480 1.85 seconds
One hour decathlon
One hour decathlon is a special type of decathlon, in which the athletes have to start the last of ten events (1500 metres) within sixty minutes after the start of the first event. The world record holder is a Czech decathlete Robert Změlík, who achieved 7897 points at a meeting in Ostrava, Czechoslovakia in 1992.[4]
[edit] World records
Points Athlete Nation Date Place
Since 1920
7485 Aleksander Klumberg-Kolmpere EST 1920-07-05 Tallinn
7710 Harold Osborn USA 1924-07-12 Paris
7820 Paavo Yrjölä FIN 1926-07-18 Viipuri
7995 Paavo Yrjölä FIN 1927-07-17 Helsinki
8053 Paavo Yrjölä FIN 1928-08-04 Amsterdam
8255 Akilles Järvinen FIN 1930-07-20 Viipuri
8462 James Bausch US 1932-08-06 Los Angeles
8790 Hans-Heinrich Sievert GER 1934-07-08 Hamburg
Since 1936
7900 Glenn Morris USA 1936-08-08 Berlin
8042 Bob Mathias USA 1950-06-30 Tulare
Since 1952
7887 Bob Mathias USA 1952-07-26 Helsinki
7985 Rafer Johnson USA 1955-06-11 Kingsburg
8014 Vassily Kuznetsov URS 1958-05-18 Krasnodar
8302 Rafer Johnson USA 1958-07-28 Moscow
8357 Vassily Kuznetsov URS 1959-05-17 Moscow
8683 Rafer Johnson USA 1960-07-09 Eugene
Since 1962
8206 Yang Chuan-Kwang TPE 1963-04-28 Walnut
8230 Russ Hodge USA 1966-07-24 Los Angeles
8319 Kurt Bendlin FRG 1967-05-14 Heidelberg
8417 Bill Toomey USA 1969-12-11 Los Angeles
8454 Nikolay Avilov URS 1972-09-08 Munich
8524 Bruce Jenner USA 1975-08-10 Eugene
8538 Bruce Jenner USA 1976-06-26 Eugene
8618 Bruce Jenner USA 1976-07-30 Montreal
8622 Daley Thompson GBR 1980-05-15 Götzis
8649 Guido Kratschmer FRG 1980-06-14 Filderstadt-Bernhausen
8704 Daley Thompson GBR 1982-05-23 Götzis
8723 Jürgen Hingsen FRG 1982-08-15 Ulm
8743 Daley Thompson GBR 1982-09-08 Athens
8779 Jürgen Hingsen FRG 1983-06-06 Filderstadt-Bernhausen
8798 Jürgen Hingsen FRG 1984-05-15 Mannheim
8847 Daley Thompson GBR 1984-08-09 Los Angeles
Since 1985
8891 Dan O'Brien USA 1992-09-05 Talence
8994 Tomáš Dvořák CZE 1999-07-04 Prague
9026 Roman Šebrle CZE 2001-05-27 Götzis
Women's world record
8366 Austra Skujytė LTU 2005-04-15 Columbia, Missouri
NOTE: Skujyte's marks total 6333 using the men's scoring tables
[edit] National records
As of 2007-09-06
POINTS NATION ATHLETE DATE PLACE
9026 CZE Roman Šebrle 2001-05-27 Götzis
8891 USA Dan O'Brien 1992-09-05 Talence
8847 GBR Daley Thompson 1984-08-09 Los Angeles
8832 GER Jürgen Hingsen 1984-06-09 Mannheim
8815 EST Erki Nool 2001-08-07 Edmonton
8735 BLR Eduard Hämäläinen 1994-05-29 Götzis
8730 FIN Eduard Hämäläinen 1997-08-06 Athens
8725 KAZ Dmitriy Karpov 2004-08-24 Athens
8709 UKR Aleksander Apaichev 1984-06-03 Neubrandenburg
8698 RUS Grigori Degtyaryov 1984-06-22 Kiev
8644 JAM Maurice Smith 2007-09-01 Osaka
8626 CAN Mike Smith 1996-05-26 Götzis
8574 FRA Christian Plaziat 1990-08-29 Split
8573 ISL Jón Arnar Magnússon 1998-05-31 Götzis
8566 POL Sebastian Chmara 1998-05-17 Murcia
8554 HUN Attila Zsivóczky 2000-06-04 Götzis
8526 ESP Francisco Javier Benet 1998-05-17 Murcia
8490 AUS Jagan Hames 1998-09-18 Kuala Lumpur
8447 NED Robert de Wit 1988-05-22 Eindhoven
8445 UZB Ramil Ganiyev 1997-08-06 Athens
8437 LTU Ryszard Malachowskis 1988-07-02 Staiki
8403 SWE Henrik Dagård 1994-09-11 Talence
8359 NZL Simon Poelman 1987-03-22 Christchurch
8334 SUI Stephan Niklaus 1983-07-03 Lausanne
8320 AUT Gernot Kellermayr 1993-05-30 Götzis
8291 ARG Tito Steiner 1983-06-23 Provo
8290 CHN Qi Haifeng 2005-05-29 Götzis
8288 MDA Valeri Kachanov 1980-06-21 Moscow
8271 LAT Janis Karlivans 2007-05-27 Götzis
8266 BRA Pedro da Silva Filho 1987-04-23 Walnut, California
8257 CUB Yordanis García 2007-09-01 Osaka
8213 POR Mario Anibal Ramos 2001-07-01 Kaunas
8199 BUL Atanas Andonov 1981-06-21 Sofia
8169 ITA Beniamino Poserina 1996-10-06 Formia
8160 NOR Benjamin Jensen 1999-08-01 Greve
8069 GRE Prodromos Korkizoglou 2000-07-02 Ibach
8057 YUG Saša Karan 1990-07-01 Ljubljana
8047 BEL Hans van Alphen 2007-08-13 Bangkok
8023 TUN Hamdi Dhouibi 2005-08-10 Helsinki
8009 TPE Yang Chuan-Kwang 1963-04-28 Walnut, California
7995 JPN Munehiro Kaneko 1993-05-14 Shanghai
7994 DEN Lars Warming 1988-06-19 Götzis
7934 ALG Ahmed Mahour Bacha 1985-07-09 Algiers
7882 IRL Carlos O'Connell 1988-06-05 Emmitsburg, Maryland
7846 TJK Igor Sobolevski 1982-07-16 Leningrad
7834 ROM Vasile Bogdan 1975-06-08 Paris
7824 KOR Kim Kun-Woo 2006-05-26 Gongju
7802 CYP Yeorgios Andreou 2000-08-12 Volos
7799 SVK Peter Soldos 2001-06-10 Arles
7777 BAR Victor Houston 1997-08-06 Athens
7757 TUR Alper Kasapoğlu 1996-04-19 Azusa, California
7756 GEO Juri Dyachkov 1968-06-16 Tbilisi
7734 VEN Douglas Fernández 1983-08-27 Caracas
7730 QAT Ahmad Hassan Moussa 2004-06-27 Ratingen
7704 PUR Luiggy Llanos 2003-08-06 Santo Domingo
7698 SLO Damjan Sitar 2006-05-28 Maribor
7674 RSA Joepie Loots 1983-04-16 Bloemfontein
7667 IRI Hadi Sepehrzad 2007-07-28 Amman
7659 CRO Joško Vlašić 1983-06-25 Izmir
7632 LCA Dominic Johnson 1998-03-27 Tucson
7614 MEX Alejandro Cárdenas 1996-05-11 Medellín
[edit] Season's best
As of 2007-09-06
YEAR POINTS ATHLETE PLACE
2007 8676 Roman Šebrle (CZE) Talence
2006 8677 Bryan Clay (USA) Götzis
2005 8732 Bryan Clay (USA) Helsinki
2004 8893 Roman Šebrle (CZE) Athens
2003 8807 Roman Šebrle (CZE) Götzis
2002 8800 Roman Šebrle (CZE) Götzis
2001 9026 Roman Šebrle (CZE) Götzis
2000 8900 Tomáš Dvořák (CZE) Götzis
1999 8994 Tomáš Dvořák (CZE) Prague
1998 8755 Dan O'Brien (USA) Uniondale
1997 8837 Tomáš Dvořák (CZE) Athens
1996 8824 Dan O'Brien (USA) Atlanta
1995 8695 Dan O'Brien (USA) Göteborg
1994 8735 Eduard Hämäläinen (BLR) Götzis
1993 8817 Dan O'Brien (USA) Stuttgart
1992 8891 Dan O'Brien (USA) Talence
1991 8812 Dan O'Brien (USA) Tokyo
1990 8574 Christian Plaziat (FRA) Split
1989 8549 Dave Johnson (USA) Houston
1988 8512 Christian Plaziat (FRA) Talence
1987 8680 Torsten Voss (GDR) Rome
1986 8811 Daley Thompson (GBR) Stuttgart
1985 8559 Torsten Voss (GDR) Dresden
1984 8847 Daley Thompson (GBR) Los Angeles
1983 8825 Jürgen Hingsen (FRG) Bernhausen
1982 8774 Daley Thompson (GBR) Athens
1981 8334 Rainer Pottel (GDR) Birmingham
1980 8667 Guido Kratschmer (FRG) Bernhausen
1979 8476 Guido Kratschmer (FRG) Krefeld
1978 8493 Guido Kratschmer (FRG) Bernhausen
1977 8400 Aleksandr Grebenyuk (URS) Riga
1976 8634 Bruce Jenner (USA) Montreal
1975 8429 Bruce Jenner (USA) Eugene
1974 8229 Ryszard Skowronek (POL) Montreal
1973 8163 Lennart Hedmark (SWE) Bonn
1972 8466 Nikolay Avilov (URS) Munich
[edit] See also
List of Olympic decathlon medalists
[edit] Other multiple event contests
Biathlon
Duathlon
Triathlon
Quadrathlon
Pentathlon
Modern pentathlon
Heptathlon
Octathlon (primarily a youth or junior event although logistical problems have seen senior octathlons contested, for example at the 2007 South Pacific Games)
Chess-boxing
[edit] References
^ "Decathlon". Encarta. (2008). Retrieved on 2008-08-06.
^ World's Greatest Athlete
^ "Decathlon". Encyclopædia Britannica. (2008). Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.. Retrieved on 2008-08-06.
^ "Decathlon Records". DECA - The Decathlon Association. Retrieved on 2007-10-21.
[edit] External links
Decathlon points calculator
Decathlon points formula
Hexham International Decathlon Meeting (since 1997)
Team Decathlon website
[hide]v • d • eAthletics events
Sprints 50m · 55m · 60 m · 100 m · 150m · 200 m · 300m · 400 m · 500m
Hurdles 60 m · 100 m · 110 m · 400 m
Middle distance 800 m · 1500 m · 3000 m steeplechase
Long distance 5000 m · 10000 m · Half marathon · Marathon
Relays 4 × 100 m · 4 × 400 m
Throws Discus · Hammer · Javelin · Shot put
Jumps High jump · Long jump · Pole vault · Triple jump
Combination Pentathlon · Heptathlon · Decathlon
Uncommon field events weight throw · Standing high jump · Standing long jump · Standing triple jump
Cross country running · Multiday race · Racewalking · Ultramarathon · Wheelchair racing
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decathlon
Decathlon
The decathlon is an athletic event consisting of ten track and field events. Events are held over two consecutive days and the winners are determined by the combined performance in all. Performance is judged on a points system in each event, not by the position achieved.[1] The decathlon is contested by male athletes, while female athletes contest the heptathlon.
Traditionally, the title of "World's Greatest Athlete" has been given to the man who wins the decathlon. This began when King Gustav V of Sweden told Jim Thorpe, "You, sir, are the World's Greatest Athlete" after Thorpe won the decathlon at the Stockholm Olympics in 1912.[2] The current holder of the title is American Bryan Clay, the gold medal winner of the event at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
The word decathlon is of Greek origin (from δέκα deka [ten] and αθλος athlos [contest]).
Contents [hide]
1 Events
2 Origins
3 Modern standardization
3.1 Points system
4 One hour decathlon
5 World records
6 National records
7 Season's best
8 See also
8.1 Other multiple event contests
9 References
10 External links
Events
The modern event is a set combination of athletic disciplines, testing an individual’s speed, strength, skill, stamina, endurance, and perseverance; it includes five events on each of two successive days. The emphasis of the first day is on speed, explosive power, and jumping ability; the second emphasizes technique and endurance.
Day 1
100 meters
long jump
shot put
high jump
400 meters
Day 2
110 meter hurdles
discus
pole vault
javelin
1500 meters
[edit] Origins
The event developed from the ancient pentathlon. Pentathlon competitions were held at the ancient Greek Olympics. Pentathlons involved five disciplines – long jump, discus throw, javelin, sprint and a wrestling match. Introduced in Olympia during 708 BC, the game was extremely popular for many centuries. By the sixth century BC, pentathlons had became part of religious games.
Gorgos, from Elis, a town near Olympia, was a four-time pentathlon winner during the period. Another key player was Lampis, a young Spartan who was the first Olympic winner. Automedes was also a known player of the time. The last recorded game winner was Publius Asklepiades of Corinth in AD 241. Roman Emperor Theodosius I officially put an end to the game in AD 393 by closing down all the sanctuaries including Olympia.
From the mid 1700s various versions of the competition emerged. The 1948 Olympics endorsed a new implication to the game. Seventeen-year-old Bob Mathias emerged as the then decathlon winner, banishing the myth that decathlon was a game for the old and the experienced. Mathias still remains the youngest decathlon sports champion in Olympic history.
[edit] Modern standardization
In 1964 the International Amateur Athletic Federation (IAAF; now the International Association of Athletics Federations) laid out new scoring tables and brought about some standardization in the sport. The 1970s saw the game spreading to the Eastern European nations, mainly the Soviet Union, Poland and East Germany.
The first decathlon competition was held on a single day, October 15, 1911, in Gothenburg, Sweden. This was technically not the first decathlon, but one of the first two, as Germany also held a decathlon on the very same day. The Germans contested their events in the same order but with a different scoring table. So, the first decathlon world-record holder was the winner of the first completed meet. Karl Hugo Wieslander, a Swede, and Karl Ritter von Halt, a German, were announced world-record holders.
The decathlon was added to the 1912 Olympic Games in Stockholm[3]. After experience, the following order was chosen: 100 m run, long jump, shot put, high jump, and 400 m run on the first day; 110 m hurdles, discus, pole vault, javelin, and 1500 m run on the 2nd day. The Swedes also developed a set of scoring tables, based on the 1908 Olympic records. After the 1912 Stockholm Games, the tables were updated to include many new Olympic records.
The 1912 Olympic decathlon has become legend because of the presence of Jim Thorpe. Thorpe had a terrific 1912 spring track season, winning as many as six events per meet. Thorpe made the U.S. Olympic team in four events: decathlon, pentathlon, high jump, and long jump. The Russian czar donated a Viking ship as a prize for the decathlon champion. Thorpe won the decathlon by almost 700 points over his closest opponent, Hugo Wieslander of Sweden. Because of the unexpected large number of entries, the decathlon was held over 3 days. The first day they held the 100 m run, long jump, and shot put. The second day consisted of the high jump, 400 m run, discus, and 110 m hurdles. The third and final day consisted of the pole vault, javelin, and 1500 m run. Thorpe’s 8412 points converts to 6564 points on the current tables, still a very respectable score three quarters of a century later. Swedes Wieslander, Charles Lomberg, and Gösta Holmér captured the next three spots.
Thorpe’s score was not beaten for another 15 years. In his absence, there was little decathlon activity for the remainder of the decade. Only in Sweden was the decathlon often contested. The Swedes managed to stay neutral during World War I, which forced the cancellation of the games of Berlin in 1916. Fascinatingly, decathlons were held as part of the Far Eastern Games in 1913, 1915, 1917, and 1919.
The average good decathlete competes at most three or four times a year, the less talented even fewer. Bill Toomey’s nine great efforts back in 1969 were very unusual. The decathlon is the Olympic event least commonly seen in non-Olympic meets.
The decathlete does not have to be amazing in all events to be a champion in the sport itself. But he must range from adequate in his weak events to good or better in the other skills. Because he must do well in the four runs and six field events, he has little opportunity to perfect any one event. A decathlete trying to improve performance in one specific event is likely to deteriorate in another, because the physical demands of the various events are conflicting. His training is necessarily different as he strives to improve all techniques, gain strength without losing speed, and acquire the stamina to perform through a competition that lasts anywhere from 4 to 12 hours per day during the Olympics. As a reference point, a performance in the (non-decathlon) world record class would give somewhere between 1100 and 1400 points per event, totaling over 12500 points for a full record-breaking decathlon. When compared to the 6-7000 points that a good decathlete would usually get, or the world record of slightly over 9000 points, this illustrates how much specialization must be sacrificed to become a good all-round athlete.
The decathlon is one of the few events with an arbitrary scoring system and thus the only one in which personal performance and records can be broken as new scoring tables are adopted. Under the original scoring tables adopted in 1912, Akilles Järvinen of Finland finished second in both the 1928 and 1932 Olympics, but the new scoring system introduced in 1934 gave Jarvinen higher converted totals than both the men he lost to. World-record holder C.K. Yang lost 1032 points when his 1963 performance was converted late in 1964 to the new tables first used in the 1964 Olympics. His top rivals lost only 287 and 172 points when their bests were converted, and Yang dropped from the favorite to third on the pre-Games ranking, finishing a disappointing fifth.
The arbitrary nature of the scoring tables can work in the opposite direction as well. In 1984, at the Los Angeles Olympic Games, Great Britain’s Daley Thompson missed the world record by one point on then-used 1962/77 tables. The tables were changed a year later and Thompson’s score in Los Angeles converted to a best-ever mark.
[edit] Points system
Points are given to the following formulae:
Points = INT(A*(B-P)C) for track events
Points = INT(A*(P-B)C) for field events
A, B and C are parameters that vary by discipline, as shown in the table below, while P is the performance by the athlete in units given in the final column of the table.
Event A B C Units
100 m 25.4347 18 1.81 seconds
Long Jump 0.14354 220 1.4 centimeters
Shot Put 51.39 1.5 1.05 meters
High Jump 0.8465 75 1.42 centimeters
400 m 1.53775 82 1.81 seconds
110 m Hurdles 5.74352 28.5 1.92 seconds
Discus Throw 12.91 4 1.1 meters
Pole Vault 0.2797 100 1.35 centimeters
Javelin Throw 10.14 7 1.08 meters
1500 m 0.03768 480 1.85 seconds
One hour decathlon
One hour decathlon is a special type of decathlon, in which the athletes have to start the last of ten events (1500 metres) within sixty minutes after the start of the first event. The world record holder is a Czech decathlete Robert Změlík, who achieved 7897 points at a meeting in Ostrava, Czechoslovakia in 1992.[4]
[edit] World records
Points Athlete Nation Date Place
Since 1920
7485 Aleksander Klumberg-Kolmpere EST 1920-07-05 Tallinn
7710 Harold Osborn USA 1924-07-12 Paris
7820 Paavo Yrjölä FIN 1926-07-18 Viipuri
7995 Paavo Yrjölä FIN 1927-07-17 Helsinki
8053 Paavo Yrjölä FIN 1928-08-04 Amsterdam
8255 Akilles Järvinen FIN 1930-07-20 Viipuri
8462 James Bausch US 1932-08-06 Los Angeles
8790 Hans-Heinrich Sievert GER 1934-07-08 Hamburg
Since 1936
7900 Glenn Morris USA 1936-08-08 Berlin
8042 Bob Mathias USA 1950-06-30 Tulare
Since 1952
7887 Bob Mathias USA 1952-07-26 Helsinki
7985 Rafer Johnson USA 1955-06-11 Kingsburg
8014 Vassily Kuznetsov URS 1958-05-18 Krasnodar
8302 Rafer Johnson USA 1958-07-28 Moscow
8357 Vassily Kuznetsov URS 1959-05-17 Moscow
8683 Rafer Johnson USA 1960-07-09 Eugene
Since 1962
8206 Yang Chuan-Kwang TPE 1963-04-28 Walnut
8230 Russ Hodge USA 1966-07-24 Los Angeles
8319 Kurt Bendlin FRG 1967-05-14 Heidelberg
8417 Bill Toomey USA 1969-12-11 Los Angeles
8454 Nikolay Avilov URS 1972-09-08 Munich
8524 Bruce Jenner USA 1975-08-10 Eugene
8538 Bruce Jenner USA 1976-06-26 Eugene
8618 Bruce Jenner USA 1976-07-30 Montreal
8622 Daley Thompson GBR 1980-05-15 Götzis
8649 Guido Kratschmer FRG 1980-06-14 Filderstadt-Bernhausen
8704 Daley Thompson GBR 1982-05-23 Götzis
8723 Jürgen Hingsen FRG 1982-08-15 Ulm
8743 Daley Thompson GBR 1982-09-08 Athens
8779 Jürgen Hingsen FRG 1983-06-06 Filderstadt-Bernhausen
8798 Jürgen Hingsen FRG 1984-05-15 Mannheim
8847 Daley Thompson GBR 1984-08-09 Los Angeles
Since 1985
8891 Dan O'Brien USA 1992-09-05 Talence
8994 Tomáš Dvořák CZE 1999-07-04 Prague
9026 Roman Šebrle CZE 2001-05-27 Götzis
Women's world record
8366 Austra Skujytė LTU 2005-04-15 Columbia, Missouri
NOTE: Skujyte's marks total 6333 using the men's scoring tables
[edit] National records
As of 2007-09-06
POINTS NATION ATHLETE DATE PLACE
9026 CZE Roman Šebrle 2001-05-27 Götzis
8891 USA Dan O'Brien 1992-09-05 Talence
8847 GBR Daley Thompson 1984-08-09 Los Angeles
8832 GER Jürgen Hingsen 1984-06-09 Mannheim
8815 EST Erki Nool 2001-08-07 Edmonton
8735 BLR Eduard Hämäläinen 1994-05-29 Götzis
8730 FIN Eduard Hämäläinen 1997-08-06 Athens
8725 KAZ Dmitriy Karpov 2004-08-24 Athens
8709 UKR Aleksander Apaichev 1984-06-03 Neubrandenburg
8698 RUS Grigori Degtyaryov 1984-06-22 Kiev
8644 JAM Maurice Smith 2007-09-01 Osaka
8626 CAN Mike Smith 1996-05-26 Götzis
8574 FRA Christian Plaziat 1990-08-29 Split
8573 ISL Jón Arnar Magnússon 1998-05-31 Götzis
8566 POL Sebastian Chmara 1998-05-17 Murcia
8554 HUN Attila Zsivóczky 2000-06-04 Götzis
8526 ESP Francisco Javier Benet 1998-05-17 Murcia
8490 AUS Jagan Hames 1998-09-18 Kuala Lumpur
8447 NED Robert de Wit 1988-05-22 Eindhoven
8445 UZB Ramil Ganiyev 1997-08-06 Athens
8437 LTU Ryszard Malachowskis 1988-07-02 Staiki
8403 SWE Henrik Dagård 1994-09-11 Talence
8359 NZL Simon Poelman 1987-03-22 Christchurch
8334 SUI Stephan Niklaus 1983-07-03 Lausanne
8320 AUT Gernot Kellermayr 1993-05-30 Götzis
8291 ARG Tito Steiner 1983-06-23 Provo
8290 CHN Qi Haifeng 2005-05-29 Götzis
8288 MDA Valeri Kachanov 1980-06-21 Moscow
8271 LAT Janis Karlivans 2007-05-27 Götzis
8266 BRA Pedro da Silva Filho 1987-04-23 Walnut, California
8257 CUB Yordanis García 2007-09-01 Osaka
8213 POR Mario Anibal Ramos 2001-07-01 Kaunas
8199 BUL Atanas Andonov 1981-06-21 Sofia
8169 ITA Beniamino Poserina 1996-10-06 Formia
8160 NOR Benjamin Jensen 1999-08-01 Greve
8069 GRE Prodromos Korkizoglou 2000-07-02 Ibach
8057 YUG Saša Karan 1990-07-01 Ljubljana
8047 BEL Hans van Alphen 2007-08-13 Bangkok
8023 TUN Hamdi Dhouibi 2005-08-10 Helsinki
8009 TPE Yang Chuan-Kwang 1963-04-28 Walnut, California
7995 JPN Munehiro Kaneko 1993-05-14 Shanghai
7994 DEN Lars Warming 1988-06-19 Götzis
7934 ALG Ahmed Mahour Bacha 1985-07-09 Algiers
7882 IRL Carlos O'Connell 1988-06-05 Emmitsburg, Maryland
7846 TJK Igor Sobolevski 1982-07-16 Leningrad
7834 ROM Vasile Bogdan 1975-06-08 Paris
7824 KOR Kim Kun-Woo 2006-05-26 Gongju
7802 CYP Yeorgios Andreou 2000-08-12 Volos
7799 SVK Peter Soldos 2001-06-10 Arles
7777 BAR Victor Houston 1997-08-06 Athens
7757 TUR Alper Kasapoğlu 1996-04-19 Azusa, California
7756 GEO Juri Dyachkov 1968-06-16 Tbilisi
7734 VEN Douglas Fernández 1983-08-27 Caracas
7730 QAT Ahmad Hassan Moussa 2004-06-27 Ratingen
7704 PUR Luiggy Llanos 2003-08-06 Santo Domingo
7698 SLO Damjan Sitar 2006-05-28 Maribor
7674 RSA Joepie Loots 1983-04-16 Bloemfontein
7667 IRI Hadi Sepehrzad 2007-07-28 Amman
7659 CRO Joško Vlašić 1983-06-25 Izmir
7632 LCA Dominic Johnson 1998-03-27 Tucson
7614 MEX Alejandro Cárdenas 1996-05-11 Medellín
[edit] Season's best
As of 2007-09-06
YEAR POINTS ATHLETE PLACE
2007 8676 Roman Šebrle (CZE) Talence
2006 8677 Bryan Clay (USA) Götzis
2005 8732 Bryan Clay (USA) Helsinki
2004 8893 Roman Šebrle (CZE) Athens
2003 8807 Roman Šebrle (CZE) Götzis
2002 8800 Roman Šebrle (CZE) Götzis
2001 9026 Roman Šebrle (CZE) Götzis
2000 8900 Tomáš Dvořák (CZE) Götzis
1999 8994 Tomáš Dvořák (CZE) Prague
1998 8755 Dan O'Brien (USA) Uniondale
1997 8837 Tomáš Dvořák (CZE) Athens
1996 8824 Dan O'Brien (USA) Atlanta
1995 8695 Dan O'Brien (USA) Göteborg
1994 8735 Eduard Hämäläinen (BLR) Götzis
1993 8817 Dan O'Brien (USA) Stuttgart
1992 8891 Dan O'Brien (USA) Talence
1991 8812 Dan O'Brien (USA) Tokyo
1990 8574 Christian Plaziat (FRA) Split
1989 8549 Dave Johnson (USA) Houston
1988 8512 Christian Plaziat (FRA) Talence
1987 8680 Torsten Voss (GDR) Rome
1986 8811 Daley Thompson (GBR) Stuttgart
1985 8559 Torsten Voss (GDR) Dresden
1984 8847 Daley Thompson (GBR) Los Angeles
1983 8825 Jürgen Hingsen (FRG) Bernhausen
1982 8774 Daley Thompson (GBR) Athens
1981 8334 Rainer Pottel (GDR) Birmingham
1980 8667 Guido Kratschmer (FRG) Bernhausen
1979 8476 Guido Kratschmer (FRG) Krefeld
1978 8493 Guido Kratschmer (FRG) Bernhausen
1977 8400 Aleksandr Grebenyuk (URS) Riga
1976 8634 Bruce Jenner (USA) Montreal
1975 8429 Bruce Jenner (USA) Eugene
1974 8229 Ryszard Skowronek (POL) Montreal
1973 8163 Lennart Hedmark (SWE) Bonn
1972 8466 Nikolay Avilov (URS) Munich
[edit] See also
List of Olympic decathlon medalists
[edit] Other multiple event contests
Biathlon
Duathlon
Triathlon
Quadrathlon
Pentathlon
Modern pentathlon
Heptathlon
Octathlon (primarily a youth or junior event although logistical problems have seen senior octathlons contested, for example at the 2007 South Pacific Games)
Chess-boxing
[edit] References
^ "Decathlon". Encarta. (2008). Retrieved on 2008-08-06.
^ World's Greatest Athlete
^ "Decathlon". Encyclopædia Britannica. (2008). Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.. Retrieved on 2008-08-06.
^ "Decathlon Records". DECA - The Decathlon Association. Retrieved on 2007-10-21.
[edit] External links
Decathlon points calculator
Decathlon points formula
Hexham International Decathlon Meeting (since 1997)
Team Decathlon website
[hide]v • d • eAthletics events
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Hurdles 60 m · 100 m · 110 m · 400 m
Middle distance 800 m · 1500 m · 3000 m steeplechase
Long distance 5000 m · 10000 m · Half marathon · Marathon
Relays 4 × 100 m · 4 × 400 m
Throws Discus · Hammer · Javelin · Shot put
Jumps High jump · Long jump · Pole vault · Triple jump
Combination Pentathlon · Heptathlon · Decathlon
Uncommon field events weight throw · Standing high jump · Standing long jump · Standing triple jump
Cross country running · Multiday race · Racewalking · Ultramarathon · Wheelchair racing
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Pandarpur Vittala
Radhe krishna 21-08-08
Badarpur Vithala
Pandarpur Vittala
Viththala Viththala Viththala
Vittal Bhajans
Vittala Bhajans
Badarpur Vithala
Pandarpur Vittala
Viththala Viththala Viththala
Vittal Bhajans
Vittala Bhajans
Swami Haridas Giri Bhajans
Radhe Krishna 21-08-08
Swami Haridas - 13.1 - rAgamAlika - krishna leela1
Swami Haridas - 4 - hamIr kalyANi - vAnamaLAvum
Swami Haridas - 9 - kalyANi - kAmakOTi peeThavAsini2
Swami Haridas - 7 - malayamArutam - nellaiappA nEsam
Swami Haridas - 5 - reetigowLA - gnAnaskandam bhAvaye
Bhajans
Krishna : Pullanguzhal koduththa moongilgale
Swami Haridas - 13.1 - rAgamAlika - krishna leela1
Swami Haridas - 4 - hamIr kalyANi - vAnamaLAvum
Swami Haridas - 9 - kalyANi - kAmakOTi peeThavAsini2
Swami Haridas - 7 - malayamArutam - nellaiappA nEsam
Swami Haridas - 5 - reetigowLA - gnAnaskandam bhAvaye
Bhajans
Krishna : Pullanguzhal koduththa moongilgale
Usain Bolt 100m & 200m World Record 9.69 & 19.30 Bejin 2008 HQ
Radhe Krishna 21-08-08 Usain Bolt 200m World Record 19.30 Bejin 2008 HQ
Usain Bolt 200m World Record 19.30 Bejin 2008 HQ
Usain Bolt sets world Record in Mens 100m Final 9.69 sec
THE AWARDS! JAMAICAN WOMEN IN 100M BEIJING OLYMPICS 2008 :: 1 GOLD Shelly-Ann Fraser and 2 SILVER Kerron Stewart and Sherone Simpson :: CONGRATULATIONS!!!
USAIN BOLT SHELLY-ANN FRASER VIDEO JAMAICA BEIJING 2008 OLYMPICS 100m 200m RECORD DEDICATION!! ONE LOVE!!
Women 100 m final
Monday, August 18, 2008
President Pervez Musharraf
Radhe Krishna 18-08-08
Musharraf quits as Pakistan president
Rezaul H Laskar in Islamabad | August 18, 2008 11:21 IST
Last Updated: August 18, 2008 15:27 IST
Facing an imminent impeachment, Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf [Images] on Monday announced his resignation maintaining that he wanted to avoid the country being put into instability and confrontation.
"No impeachment or no chargesheet can stand against me... But I think this is not the time for individual bravado. This is the time for serious thought. In the interest of the country, I have decided to resign. The resignation will reach the National Assembly speaker shortly," the 65-year-old former army chief said in an emotional internationally televised address.
Pakistan's Senate Chairman Mohammed Mian Soomro will take over as acting president, Law Minister Farooq Naek said.
Musharraf's decision brings to an end a bitter confrontation between the presidency and the five-month-old Pakistan People's Party-led coalition government that has been gunning for him since its victory in the February 18 elections.
With his announcement, all speculation about his putting up a fight in Parliament has ended, but still it was not clear whether he would be given any immunity while he stays in Pakistan or a safe passage.
The ruling coalition, especially PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif who was dethroned by Musharraf in an October 1999 bloodless coup and PPP chief chief Asif Ali Zardari, had asked him to quit to avoid being impeached.
His spokesmen had always maintained that he would not quit under pressure and would face the impeachment, a motion regarding which was to be tabled in National Assembly on Tuesday.
Musharraf was to be charged with various wrongdoings, including violation of Constitution, murder of democracy and economic misconduct.
In his address, Musharraf asserted that all his decisions during his nine-year rule were in 'national interest' as he recounted the 'achievements' in all areas.
"Now, they want to impeach me. Are they afraid of my Constitutional powers? Impeachment and chargesheet is Parliament's right. To give a reply is my right. Whatever I have done, I have done for Pakistan, its people. Whatever the chargesheet I have no fear," Musharraf said.
"But questions arise as to what impact the impeachment will have on the country; whether the country will descend into further instability and confrontation; whether the office of presidency should come under pressure. Should it come under impeachment procedure?" he asked.
He said whether he won or lost, the country will stand to lose if the impeachment was undertaken.
"The dignity of the office of the president will be affected. The country's dignity will be maintained," he added.
Contending that he had dedicated 44 years of his life in the service of the nation as an army man, Musharraf said he was taking the decision to quit to avoid the prolonging of the "atmosphere of uncertainty" and to save Parliament from horse-trading.
"I don't want to put my friends (supporters) in problem. Even if the impeachment is defeated, the relationship between the presidency and the government will be bitter," Musharraf said.
He said he could have adopted a different course if he had done anything in self-interest. But he avoided that as impeachment could lead to acrimony between Parliament and judiciary and the army could be dragged into it "which I never want".
"Keeping all this in view and taking into account all the factors and in consultation with legal experts, supporters and close aides and on their advise and in the interest of the country I have decided to resign," a grim Musharraf said.
"I don't need anything for me. I put my future in the hands of the people," he said, adding, "I too am human and could have made some mistakes. I hope these will be pardoned because by intentions were clear."
Musharraf said his supporters wanted him to continue, but the decision to resign was the need of the hour.
Describing the allegations made by the ruling coalition against him as "false and baseless", which will harm the country, he said all his decisions were taken in consultation with all stakeholders including politicians, army and bureaucrats on board.
Musharraf said that the people were being misled by the allegations against him. "They may damage me, but they are damaging the country's interests."
He also claimed that he had always strove for reconciliation, but the ruling coalition has chosen the path of confrontation. "At the personal and Constitutional level no vendetta was practiced by me. Unfortunately all my efforts to promote reconciliation, my pleas to forget the past and look to the future have failed," Musharraf said in his hour-long speech.
He recounted the situation faced by Pakistan when he took over power when there was a threat of the country being "declared a terrorist state and people with Kalashnikov rifles and hood were moving about freely."
He also said that he had revived the Pakistani economy, worked for women's emancipation and improved the situation in various sectors.
Musharraf claimed he had brought the "essence of democracy" in Pakistan. "Being an army man, I am perceived as anti-democratic. But earlier democracy was just a label on a bottle. I brought the essence to it by successfully holding elections... The February 18 polls were free, fair and transparent," he said.
Sunday, August 17, 2008
Keeth Smart
Radhe Krishna 17-08-08
Keeth Smart
United States Fencing
Birthdate: July 29, 1978
Weight: 165 lbs (75 kg)
Height: 6’0” (1.83 m)
Age: 30 years
Gender: Male
Smart cheats death, leads U.S. to saber silver
7 hours, 24 minutes ago
By Gelu Sulugiuc
BEIJING (Reuters) - Keeth Smart beat back a rare blood disease that nearly killed him four months ago then inspired the U.S. men’s saber team to an unexpected silver medal at the Olympics on Sunday.
“This year has been one of the hardest years of my life as well as one of the greatest years of my life,” he said after leading the United States to two thrilling comeback victories on their way to the final, which they lost 45-37 to France.
It was the first American men’s fencing medal at the Olympics since 1984.
“I’ve been on a rollercoaster,” Smart said. “I’ll probably take a deep breath and it will all hit me. I’m still on an emotional high.”
In April, doctors told Smart he had a low platelet count and could die of severe internal bleeding within two days. Just as he started to get better after two weeks in intensive care, his mother died of cancer.
Having missed months of competition and training, the lanky left-hander from Brooklyn showed up in Beijing still thinking about the Athens Olympics, where he lost bronze medal matches by one point in both the individual and team saber events.
Faced with that situation two more times on Sunday, he came out on the winning end.
Smart took the U.S. back from a four-point deficit to a 45-44 victory over world champions Hungary in the quarterfinals. Then did one better by dominating world champion Stanislav Pozdnyakov and erasing a five-point deficit in the semi-finals against Russia to eke out another 45-44 win.
“Pozdnyakov is one of the greatest fencers of all time,” Smart said. “I was really fortunate today to stick with the game plan that we developed. Nobody expected us to, but we showed that we can work and do really well.”
Smart outclassed the French fencers in the final as well, but received less support from his team mates and had to settle for silver before retiring to begin business school at Columbia University.
(Editing by Jeremy Laurence)
Keeth Smart
United States Fencing
Birthdate: July 29, 1978
Weight: 165 lbs (75 kg)
Height: 6’0” (1.83 m)
Age: 30 years
Gender: Male
Smart cheats death, leads U.S. to saber silver
7 hours, 24 minutes ago
By Gelu Sulugiuc
BEIJING (Reuters) - Keeth Smart beat back a rare blood disease that nearly killed him four months ago then inspired the U.S. men’s saber team to an unexpected silver medal at the Olympics on Sunday.
“This year has been one of the hardest years of my life as well as one of the greatest years of my life,” he said after leading the United States to two thrilling comeback victories on their way to the final, which they lost 45-37 to France.
It was the first American men’s fencing medal at the Olympics since 1984.
“I’ve been on a rollercoaster,” Smart said. “I’ll probably take a deep breath and it will all hit me. I’m still on an emotional high.”
In April, doctors told Smart he had a low platelet count and could die of severe internal bleeding within two days. Just as he started to get better after two weeks in intensive care, his mother died of cancer.
Having missed months of competition and training, the lanky left-hander from Brooklyn showed up in Beijing still thinking about the Athens Olympics, where he lost bronze medal matches by one point in both the individual and team saber events.
Faced with that situation two more times on Sunday, he came out on the winning end.
Smart took the U.S. back from a four-point deficit to a 45-44 victory over world champions Hungary in the quarterfinals. Then did one better by dominating world champion Stanislav Pozdnyakov and erasing a five-point deficit in the semi-finals against Russia to eke out another 45-44 win.
“Pozdnyakov is one of the greatest fencers of all time,” Smart said. “I was really fortunate today to stick with the game plan that we developed. Nobody expected us to, but we showed that we can work and do really well.”
Smart outclassed the French fencers in the final as well, but received less support from his team mates and had to settle for silver before retiring to begin business school at Columbia University.
(Editing by Jeremy Laurence)
Phelps' audacious dream completed in Beijing
Radhe Krishna 17-08-08
Phelps' audacious dream completed in Beijing
Greatest Olympian of all time sets single-Games mark with eight golds
BEIJING - Michael Phelps set out before the Beijing Games with the most audacious goal in the history of the modern Olympics, to win eight gold medals at a single Games.
He did it.
And more. He elevated himself, his family, his team and his country. He made people around the United States - indeed, around the world - pay attention to his sport and to the way an American not only invites challenge but deals with pressure and expectation.
Eight medals, one more than Mark Spitz won in Munich in 1972. This was, of course, the plan that he and his coach, Bob Bowman, had in mind all along. Every year, Phelps lays out his goals on a piece of paper and gives it to Bowman. Traditionally, Phelps has never said a word about what's on that paper. But now the 2008 version can be revealed:
Michael Phelps completes his quest for Olympic history as Team USA wins the men's 4x100m medley relay. "It all happened here this week," Phelps said Sunday.
Eight medals. At a Games that started on the 8th of August, at 8 p.m., eight being an auspicious number in Chinese culture.
"It's a lucky number for me now, too," Phelps said Sunday "Seeing 8-8-08 and the opening ceremonies starting at 8 - I guess it was maybe meant to be."
Eight medals.
"It's one of the greatest things sport in general has ever seen," said Brendan Hansen, who swam with Phelps Sunday on the gold medal-winning, world record-setting 4x100m medley relay, the Americans finishing in 3:29.34 - the eighth medal for Phelps, who swam the third leg, the butterfly.
Aaron Peirsol swam leadoff, the backstroke; Jason Lezak took the freestyle anchor leg. Phelps, in that third leg, swam the fastest butterfly split in the history of the medley relay at the Olympics, 50.15 seconds. In the last race on the last day at the Water Cube, Phelps still had that much left.
"The shame of it," Hansen said a moment later, "is that other athletes are not going to realize how hard what he did is.
"The world is fast at swimming now. The world was not fast when Mark Spitz did his seven.
"It's every part of sport," Hansen said of the range that Phelps displayed here. "It's endurance. It's strength. It's pressure ... he made the pressure putt in the U.S. Open, he won the Tour de France and he knocked out the best fighter in the world in the 16th round with an uppercut.
"He did absolutely everything sport is supposed to be and he did it with a smile on his face, and he's a good kid."
Eight medals.
Phelps competed with passion.
He paid repeated tribute to his teammates and to his family.
He exhibited sportsmanship and humility.
In all, he swam 17 times. He won eight gold medals. He set seven world records.
He won in the relays - three times.
He won individually - five events.
He won by dominating - the 200m freestyle, for instance, by 1.89 seconds.
He won by the closest of margins - .01 of a second in the 100m butterfly on Saturday, over Milorad Cavic of Serbia.
He won when faced with adversity - when, during the 200m butterfly, his goggles filled with water and he essentially swam blind, relying on stroke count and experience. He not only won that race, he set a world record.
"The only thing that I would have wanted to change," Phelps said Sunday, "was the 200 fly. I think I can go faster in that event. It was a wardrobe malfunction. But it was something we took care of and we were able to fix.
"Other than that, I think this was a perfect week."
"I'm almost speechless," Peter Ueberroth, the chairman of the U.S. Olympic Committee said Saturday after watching Phelps beat Cavic.
"He's beginning to set a whole new standard for his sport and for America," Ueberroth said. "The United States Olympic Committee is very proud of him, as is USA Swimming and basically every citizen in our country and in many other countries.
"He's a true athlete and represents what's best about the Olympic movement."
Eight medals.
And, overall, now 16 in his Olympic career, just two shy of the 18 won by Soviet gymnast Larisa Latynina - a milestone sure to animate Phelps as he turns and sets his sights on four years from now, in London in 2012.
Phelps has said many times that these Beijing Games were almost surely the last time he tries this particular program of eight races, in particular the 400m individual medley.
He suggested Sunday he's likely now to take increasing interest in the sprints. Since he is so good at turns, that would suggest the likes of the 100m free and the 100m back - new frontiers for Phelps to try to conquer.
Because he did here what he set out to do.
And we have all been enriched by it, by the greatness of Michael Phelps and by the privilege of being witness to history.
Eight medals.
Speaking at a jam-packed news conference Sunday afternoon, Phelps said, "I've said all along: I want to be the first Michael Phelps. Not the second Mark Spitz."
Phelps's great haul of China
Phelps's great haul of China
August 17, 2008
It was billed as a team relay race, but it was only about one man, Michael Phelps.
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From the moment he walked into the Water Cube swimming pool at the head of the US team, all eyes were fixed on him and his quest to win a record eighth gold medal at a single Olympics.
For years, no one believed that Mark Spitz's seven gold haul from 1972 could be overtaken. On Sunday, no one believed that Phelps would not make history by going one better.
Saturday, August 16, 2008
History written: Phelps wins No. 8
(L-R) Hansen, Phelps, Peirsol and Lezak hold the American flag
Peirsol gave them a great start with a 53.16sec split. Hansen increased the lead on the world record split taking it 0.39 seconds under at the race's halfway mark. Brenton Rickard swam his breaststroke leg in 58.56, faster than Hansen, to bring the Australians into second place.
Phelps fought off the Australian challenge in the Butterfly leg before Lezak kept Eamon Sullivan on his shoulder until the wall.
The Australian team of Hayden Stoeckel, Andrew Lauterstein, Rickard and Sullivan finished 0.70 seconds behind the US to win silver in an Oceania record 3:30.04, also under the old world record.
Australia went into the race as world champions but only as beneficiaries of a US disqualification at the 2007 world championships.
Japan's team of Miyashita Junichi, Kitajima Kosuke, Fujii Takuro and Sato Hisayoshi took bronze in an Asian record 3:31.18.
Russia finished fourth in a European record 3:31.92.
Michael Phelps competes in the butterfly leg of the Men's 4x100 Medley Relay (Photo credit:
Radhe Krishna 16-08-08
History written: Phelps wins No. 8
BEIJING -- A journey that started four years ago after his six-gold performance in Athens and included 17 swims over nine days here ended triumphantly for Michael Phelps on Sunday.
Phelps earned his unprecedented eighth Olympic gold medal of the 2008 Olympics as he swam the butterfly leg of the Americans' world-record win in the 4x100m medley relay to close out the swimming competition at the Water Cube.
Aaron Peirsol led off in the backstroke leg, Brendan Hansen swam the breast and Jason Lezak anchored in the free, the same three who won gold in Athens. Phelps swam the prelims of that race in Athens, giving up his finals spot to Ian Crocker.
Phelps tied Mark Spitz with his seventh gold medal a day earlier in the 100m butterfly, winning by the slimmest of margins, .01 of a second over Milorad Cavic.
His quest was almost derailed in Day 2 of the meet in the 4x100m free relay, but Lezak's unbelievable anchor leg kept the quest alive.
Historic eighth gold for Michael Phelps
Flash: Historic eighth gold for Michael Phelps
Updated: 2008-08-17 11:18:37
(BEIJING, August 17) -- With another world-record setting time of 3:29.34, Michael Phelps won his historic eighth gold medal in the Men's 4 x 100m Medley Relay with teammates Aaron Peirsol, Brendan Hansen and Jason Lezak. With 14 in total, Phelps now stands alone in sports history with the most Olympic gold medals.
The defending Olympic champion US team updated their world record time by 1.34 seconds. Australia won the silver in 3:30.04 and Japan took bronze at 3:31.
Swimming
Born: June 30, 1985
Baltimore, MD
Hometown: Baltimore, MD
Residence: Ann Arbor, MI
Ht: / Wt: 6'4" / 195 lbs
Olympics: 2004, 2000
Event(s): 200m free, 100m fly, 200m fly, 200m IM, 400m IM, 4x100m free relay, 4x200m free relay, 4x100m medley relay
Attack on the record books
Michael Phelps is seven-for-seven in Beijing, tying Mark Spitz's single-Games record with still one more event to go. In his first, on Aug. 10, Phelps won the 400m IM in 4:03.86, more than a second faster than the record he set a month earlier at Olympic Trials. The next day, Phelps and the U.S. team squeaked out a win in the 4x100m freestyle relay. Phelps' leadoff leg of 47.51 was an American record, but anchor Jason Lezak dove in with more than a half-second deficit. Lezak posted the fastest relay split in history, 46.06, to catch Frenchman Alain Bernard for the win, by just .08 of a second.
Phelps easily won the 200m free, for his third gold in Beijing and his record-tying ninth career gold. But he wasn't tied for long, as the next morning, Phelps won two more gold medals: first, in the 200m butterfly, where the race was tighter than expected. But the only race in the 4x200m freestyle relay was for second, as the U.S. men, with Phelps leading off, broke the record by more than four seconds and beat the field by more than five. Phelps won his sixth gold with a dominating performance in the 200m IM, lowering his world record to 1:54.23, but his seventh gold was by the absolute slimmest of margins, .01 in the 100m butterfly. Phelps appeared to trail Milorad Cavic but his half stroke beat out Cavic's glide to the wall by a nail.
Quest for eight, Part II
In Beijing, Michael Phelps will have the chance to at least match the record eight medals (six gold, two bronze) that he won in Athens. Phelps fell one gold short of matching Mark Spitz's record seven, won in 1972, but still matched the single-games total record with eight. That missing gold could come in the 200m freestyle, in which Phelps took bronze in Athens. This time, he enters the 200m as the favorite, having broken Ian Thorpe's world record at the 2007 World Championships in Melbourne. Phelps also holds the world record in three other individual events: 200m fly, 200m IM and 400m IM.
Golden guy
Phelps won seven gold medals (200m free, 100m fly, 200m fly, 200m IM, 400m IM, 4x100m free and 4x200m free) and set five world records (200m free, 200m fly, 200m IM, 400m IM and 4x200m free) in one of the most dominant swimming performances ever at the 2007 Worlds. All of the individual event world records that Phelps broke were his own, except for the 200m freestyle, where he shattered Ian Thorpe's mark from 2001. Phelps shaved .2 of a second off Thorpe's time and won the race by almost 2.5 seconds.
Stuck at seven
Phelps did not get the chance to race for an eighth gold at Worlds in the final event, the 4x100m medley relay, because the U.S. team was disqualified in the preliminaries, in which he did not swim. Teammate Ian Crocker left the blocks .01 of a second too soon for his leg, and the false start cost the U.S. a spot in the final. It was the first time the U.S. did not swim in a relay final in the history of world championships.
Physical advantage
At first glance, Phelps might look like a typical swimmer. But several of his physical characteristics seem genetically tailored for swimming. His 6-foot-7-inch wingspan is three inches longer than his height, providing him with unusual reach. His torso is long compared to his legs, enabling him to ride high on the water. And his flexible ankles, combined with size-14 feet, allow for a powerful kick. Add to that more than a decade of high-intensity training, and you get one of the fastest swimmers in history.
On his own
After Athens, Phelps enrolled as a student at Michigan, moving away from home for the first time. During his first year living alone, he had to make some adjustments and learn a few quick lessons. Phelps once filled up his dishwasher with hand soap and came home to find his floor covered in suds. He also had trouble eating his first bowl of cereal after he realized he hadn't purchased any bowls, so he ate the cereal with milk out of a Gatorade bottle. Phelps is unable to compete for Michigan because of his professional status, but he works as a volunteer assistant with University of Michigan swim team.
To the Wolverines
At Michigan's Club Wolverine, Phelps trains with numerous other elite swimmers: Olympians Erik Vendt, Peter Vanderkaay and Kaitlin Sandeno, as well as hopefuls Davis Tarwater and Chris Dejong. Under Bob Bowman, who has been Phelps' coach since he was 12 years old, the atmosphere is intense and the training tough. Bowman had a countdown clock installed in the pool to mark the days until Beijing, as a daily reminder of the swimmers' ultimate goal.
'Bullet' heading home
Bowman announced in April 2008 that he was leaving Michigan and returning to Baltimore after Beijing to serve as CEO of North Baltimore Aquatic Club. Phelps, who is nicknamed the "Baltimore Bullet," will return home as well after four years in Ann Arbor. Phelps and Bowman met at NBAC, which is also where Katie Hoff trains.
Early bloomer
Phelps made his Olympic debut in Sydney at age 15 when he qualified for the 200m fly by finishing second at U.S. Trials -- a result he wasn't exactly expecting. "At first I couldn't really believe it. I thought I saw it and had to take my goggles off to really see," Phelps said of the race. He was the youngest man on the U.S. swim team, but despite his age and lack of international experience, he made the final in Sydney and finished fifth. Five months after that race, Phelps became the sport's youngest male world-record holder when he claimed the 200m fly mark.
Sibling stimulus
Phelps appeared at the 1996 Olympic Trials as a 10-year-old, not to swim but to support his sister, Whitney. When she finished sixth in the 200m butterfly final and missed making the team, the family cried in the stands. "It left a scar on our family," Michael says. Whitney's career was cut short by four herniated discs, but Michael says he lives by her example. From the time he was little, he remembers how he would hear her door shut and the car start before dawn as she made her way to practice. Phelps has another sister, Hillary, who swam for the University of Richmond.
'Limitless potential'
Following his sisters to the pool, Phelps began swimming at age 7 when he joined North Baltimore Aquatic Club. He met Bowman four years later, and Bowman immediately recognized his ability. "There was nothing holding him back, at that time or now," Bowman said. "I felt that when I saw him as a younger swimmer, that he had limitless potential." Bowman even met with Phelps' parents when he was 12, explaining that he could potentially make the Olympics in 2000 and even set 2004 and 2008 as targets.
Michael Phelps competes in the butterfly leg of the Men's 4x100 Medley Relay (Photo credit: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)
Phelps wins 8th gold medal; breaks tie with Spitz
BEIJING - Michael Phelps locked arms with his three teammates, as though they were in a football huddle calling a play, then hugged each one of them. It took a team to make him the grandest of Olympic champions. And one last big push from Phelps himself.
Going hard right to the end of a mesmerizing nine days in Beijing, Phelps helped the Americans come from behind Sunday in a race they've never lost at the Olympics, cheering from the deck as Jason Lezak brought it home for a world record in the 400-meter medley relay. It was Phelps' history-making eighth gold medal of these games.
"Everything was accomplished," he said. "I will have the medals forever."
Phelps sure did his part to win No. 8, eclipsing Mark Spitz's seven-gold performance at the 1972 Munich Games.
Aaron Peirsol got the Americans off to the lead in the backstroke, but Brendan Hansen — a major disappointment in this Olympic year — slowed them down with only the third-fastest breaststroke leg.
By the time Phelps dived in for the butterfly, the U.S. was trailing Australia and Japan.
That's when he really went to work.
With his long arms whirling across the water like propellers, Phelps caught the two guys ahead of him on the return lap and passed off to Lezak a lead of less than a second for the freestyle. The Australians countered with former world record-holder Eamon Sullivan as their anchor.
"I was thinking not to blow the lead," Lezak said. "I was really nervous."
Sullivan tried to chase down Lezak and appeared to be gaining as they came to the wall, but Lezak finished in 3 minutes, 29.34 seconds — Phelps' seventh world record in his personal Great Haul of China.
The Aussies took silver in 3:30.04, also under the old world record of 3:30.68 set by the U.S. in Athens four years ago, while Japan held on for the bronze.
Phelps leaned over the blocks, looking to make sure Lezak touched first. Assured the Americans had won, he thrust both index fingers in the air, pumped his right arm and let out a scream. Peirsol also yelled and slapped Phelps in the chest.
Spitz's iconic performance was surpassed by a swimmer fitting of this generation: a 23-year-old from Baltimore who loves hip-hop music, texting with his buddies and wearing his cap backward.
"I don't even know what to feel right now," Phelps said. "There's so much emotion going through my head and so much excitement. I kind of just want to see my mom."
Debbie Phelps was sitting in the stands at the Water Cube, tears streaming down her cheeks, her two daughters by her side. After getting his gold, Phelps quickly found his family, climbing through a horde of photographers to give all three a kiss.
Mom put her arm around his neck and gave him a little extra hug.
Her son sure earned it.
"The Beijing Olympics has witnessed the greatest Olympian of all time — Michael Phelps of the USA," the announcer said as Phelps posed with his teammates.
The Americans still had to wait a couple of tantalizing minutes for the official results to be posted. Finally, it flashed on the board.
World record.
Gold medal No. 8.
"Nothing is impossible," Phelps said. "With so many people saying it couldn't be done, all it takes is an imagination, and that's something I learned and something that helped me."
Phelps, who won three relays in Beijing along with five individual races, gave a shout-out to all his teammates for helping him take down Spitz.
"Without the help of my teammates this isn't possible," he said. "I was able to be a part of three relays and we were able to put up a solid team effort and we came together as one unit.
"For the three Olympics I've been a part of, this is by far the closest men's team that we've ever had. I didn't know everybody coming into this Olympics, but I feel going out I know every single person very well. The team that we had is the difference."
Phelps set seven world records and one Olympic record, doing a personal best time in every event.
"It can't be described. We'll never, ever see it again," said Australian distance king Grant Hackett, who came up short in his bid to win a third straight 1,500 freestyle title.
Beforehand, Hackett figured Phelps was likely to win six golds, just as he did in Athens four years ago when the first attempt to beat Spitz's record came up just short.
"Everything lined up for him incredibly," Hackett said. "He's a nice guy, a good bloke, and the last few years I've never seen him change."
Back in Baltimore, some 10,000 fans hung around after an NFL preseason game to watch the relay on the stadium's big screen.
"I think he's going to be a legend forever," Ravens fan Ann Williams said.
Phelps won some races by ridiculously large margins, others with the closest of finishes — most memorably, his seventh gold by one-hundredth of a second over Serbia's Milorad Cavic in the 100 fly. Along the way, he became the winningest Olympian ever and left China with 14 career golds — five more than anyone else with at least one more Olympics to go.
"It's been nothing but an upwards roller-coaster and it's been nothing but fun," Phelps said.
Ditto for Dara Torres, who capped her improbable comeback with two more silver medals, missing gold by one hundredth of a second in the 50 freestyle.
The 41-year-old Torres, a five-time Olympian and the oldest American swimmer ever, also anchored the American women to a runner-up finish in the 400 medley relay. She got silver in all three of her races in Beijing, giving her 12 medals in a remarkable career that began at the 1984 Los Angeles Games — a year before Phelps was even born.
Surely this is the end.
Then again, never count Torres out — she'll only be 45 for the London Games.
"I go home extremely thrilled," said Torres, who also made sure to mention her ailing coach.
Michael Lohberg is battling a rare, potentially fatal blood disease and couldn't travel to Beijing.
"I wouldn't be here without Michael," Torres said.
Germany's Britta Steffen nipped Torres at the wall to complete a sweep of the women's sprint events in Beijing. The middle-aged American smiled, her head dropping back, when she saw a time of 24.07 — just behind Steffen's winning effort of 24.06. The German added to her gold in the 100 free.
Torres received her silver, then hustled back to the locker room to grab her cap and a pair of old-fashioned goggles that were probably older than some of her teammates. She was trailing as she took the anchor leg and couldn't catch Libby Trickett on a frantic sprint to the wall, with China claiming the bronze.
Still, not bad considering she had retired a second time after the 2000 Sydney Games, then got the urge to compete again after having her first child two years ago. Not content swimming in the old-timers' division, she set out to prove that age is only a number.
Consider that point made.
Torres got off to a good start in the 50 and appeared to be leading midway through the race, a frenetic sprint from one end of the pool to the other.
As they came to the wall, Torres and Steffen were stroke for stroke. The German reached out with her left hand and Torres stretched with her right. Steffen's fingertip got there first.
Completing a race for all ages, 16-year-old Australian Cate Campbell earned the bronze in 24.17.
Australia's relay women — Emily Seebohm, Leisel Jones, Jess Schipper and Libby Trickett — took the gold with a world record of 3:52.69. The Americans claimed silver with the second-fastest time in history, 3:53.30, while China took the bronze.
Torres was joined on the U.S. team by Natalie Coughlin, Rebecca Soni and Christine Magnuson. Coughlin received her sixth medal of the games, giving her 11 in her career.
Hackett failed to become the first man to win the same event at three straight Olympics.
The Aussie was upset in swimming's version of the mile by Ous Mellouli, who won Tunisia's first Olympic gold at the pool in 14:40.84.
"It's like 90 yards of a touchdown. It was so close, but I didn't have much of a response," Hackett said. "It's disappointing I didn't win. I have no regrets, it certainly was a close race."
Mellouli held off Hackett in the closing meters of the grueling race, swimming's version of the mile. Hackett earned the silver in 14:41.53, well off his 7-year-old world record of 14:34.56.
"He's never hung on like that in the past," Hackett said of the winner. "He was the better competitor."
Mellouli, who trains in Southern California, was coming off a suspension after testing positive for amphetamines.
Ryan Cochrane of Canada took the bronze in 14:42.69.
After receiving his eighth gold, Phelps received another award from FINA, the sport's governing body, as the best swimmer of the meet.
Make it the best ever.
Friday, August 15, 2008
The mystery of Michael Phelps' iPod playlist
Radhe Krishna 15-08-08
The mystery of Michael Phelps' iPod playlist
In the long, storied history of Fourth-Place Medal's Investigative Unit (founded: Monday), one question has been asked by our readers more than any other. Today, on our five-day anniversary, we will attempt to tackle the biggest Olympic mystery of the Beijing Games: what is Michael Phelps listening to on his iPod?
In nearly every camera shot of Michael Phelps on dry land, he can be seen with iPod headphones dangling from his ears. The earbuds are a ubiquitous presence in the ready room and on the starting block; they're just as much a part of Phelps' 'uniform' as goggles and a swim cap. About two minutes prior to the start of a race, Phelps sheds the iPod along with his warm-ups. So, what is he listening to?
Podcasts of NPR's This American Life and Dylan live at The Supper Club. No wait, that's my iPod. Phelps listens to hip-hop music on his. He says it helps motivate him before a race.
While his pre-race tracklist varies, Phelps has said that "I'm Me" by Lil' Wayne has been on his playlist in Beijing. The track, off Weezy's mega-hit "Tha Carter III" features the line:
Yes I am the best/and no I ain't positive I'm definite/I know the game like I'm reffing it
That's about the only lyiric that's printable on a family blog.
Other artists that populate Phelps' iPod include: Jay-Z, Young Jeezy, Eminem and Outkast. (What, no 'Pac?) Occasionally, he'll throw some techno into the mix, but usually keeps things rap-centric. Phelps doesn't speak much about the specific songs he's listening to, but he did tell NBC in 2004 that Eminem's "'Til I Collapse" was on his most-played list at Athens. In 2005, he created a playlist for the website Rhapsody that included the songs "Roses" by Outkast, "Burn" by Usher, "Overnight Celebrity" by Twista and "Smile" by G-Unit.
Mystery: solved.
The Investigative Unit takes weekends off to watch that 'Saved by the Bell' where they go to the murder mystery theater and Lisa is on it. But we'll be back Monday, so if you see a mystery that needs solving, leave a note in the comments section and we'll get to it soon.
Koffee with Anu 15-08-08
Radhe Krishna 15-08-08
Koffee with Anu special interviewed by Prakash Raj on this Independance Day 2008.
Koffee with Anu special interviewed by Prakash Raj on this Independance Day 2008.
No. 6: Phelps grabs yet another gold medal, WR
Radhe Krishna 15-08-08
Phelps ties Spitz's with seventh gold
Michael Phelps won his seventh gold medal of the Beijing Olympics on Saturday, edging Milorad Cavic by .01 of second in the 100m butterfly.
Spitz won his seven gold medals at the 1972 Munich Games. Phelps will try to beat the record in the 4x100m medley relay Sunday.
"I've always marveled at the fact that in the last four years (since Phelps won six golds in Athens), he has had to live with a lot more expectations and anxiety that I had to deal with," Spitz said.
"I was under the radar circle. Only in swimdom circles did people understand what I was trying to do. And only after four days of an eight-day competition did people from other venues start to understand what was happening at the swim venue in Germany."
While the pre-meet, potential upset talk in the 100m fly centered around world-record holder Ian Crocker, Cailfornia-trained Cavic, who competes for Serbia, surpassed Phelps in the heats as the second-fastest man to swim the event. He nearly spoiled Phelps' chase at history.
Almost.
BEIJING (AP)—Michael Phelps collected the sixth gold medal and stuffed it in his warmup jacket. No time to even savor that one as he rushed off to swim again.
It was just No. 6, after all, equaling his haul from Athens in 2004.
The most important ones are still to come.
Phelps made it 6-for-6 at the Beijing Games with another world-record triumph Friday, his bid to take down Mark Spitz and the grandest of Olympic records looking less suspenseful by the day.
The American hung on the lane rope in a familiar pose after winning the 200-meter individual medley but showed little emotion other than raising his left arm when his time of 1 minute, 54.23 seconds flashed on the board—more than two seconds ahead of the next guy.
With that, he quickly moved on.
“The next two races are pretty important,” said Phelps, whose sixth world record in China erased his own mark of 1:54.80 at last month’s U.S. trials. “I have to conserve as much physical and emotional energy as I can.”
He’s already the winningest athlete in Olympic history with 12 golds—he also won two bronze medals in Athens—but his sights are on eight in Beijing.
Spitz won seven golds at the 1972 Munich Games. Phelps has two more events to remove any doubt he’s the greatest Olympian ever.
Ryan Lochte tried to pull off a daunting double, going against Phelps just 29 minutes after winning the 200 backstroke. He couldn’t keep up, though he did hold on for bronze. Laszlo Cseh of Hungary picked up his third silver of the games—all of them trailing Phelps.
“It’s not a shame,” Cseh said, “to be beaten by a better one.”
When the official times were posted, Phelps extended his right hand to Lochte in the next lane. The friends shook hands and patted each other on the head.
Later, they yukked it up on the medal stand before Phelps hustled off to grab his racing gear; he had to come right back for the semifinals of the 100 butterfly.
“I switched from my dress sweats to my parka, shoes, threw my cap and goggles on and then they pushed us on out. No time,” he said. “The medal was in my warmup jacket.”
History can’t wait.
A half-hour after winning another gold, Phelps was second-fastest behind Milorad Cavic of Serbia in the 100 fly, setting himself up to tie Spitz’s record in Saturday’s final. World record-holder Ian Crocker of the U.S. bounced back from a disappointing swim in the prelims to post the third-fastest time.
“There wasn’t much time,” Phelps said, “but I think there’s going to be a lot of time for me to rest over the next 18 hours or so, and I’ll be able to be ready for tomorrow morning’s 100.”
If all goes according to plan, Phelps will get No. 7 in the fly—his signature stroke—and have the coronation Sunday in the 400 medley relay. The Americans are always heavily favored for gold in that one.
Nevertheless, he’s taking nothing for granted, especially in the fly. Crocker has the best time ever (though it was three years ago) and Cavic looked strong in both the preliminaries and semifinals.
“It’s never a relief,” he said. “Tomorrow is going to be a tough race. For me to be a player in that race, I have to be closer at the 50. If I’m not, then it will be tough. I was over a body length behind at the 50 in the prelims and came up a bit short, so I have to be there.”
BEIJING - AUGUST 11: (L-R) Ma…
Getty Images - Aug 11, 1:25 am EDT
Still, he showed little signs of tiring from the grueling schedule. He’s already raced 15 times and has two more left—both going for gold.
“I actually don’t feel too bad now,” Phelps said.
That can’t be encouraging for those swimmers who’ve come up with all sorts of amusing theories for Phelps’ dominance. He’s from outer space. He’s come back from the future in a time machine. He’s some sort of human rocket.
The official Xinhua News Agency dubbed Phelps “the American superfish.”
For those who believe Phelps might be using more illicit methods to produce these times, he shot down any speculation about doping.
“Anybody can say whatever they want, but I know I’m clean,” said Phelps, who took part in a special U.S. anti-doping program that subjected him to additional, more sophisticated testing. “People can question it all they want, but the facts are the facts. I have the results to prove it.”
Lochte got quite a consolation prize for his loss to Phelps: a world record and the first individual gold medal of his career in the backstroke. The laid-back Floridian edged teammate Aaron Peirsol in 1:53.94 to break the mark he shared with Peirsol.
BEIJING - AUGUST 11: Jason Lez…
Getty Images - Aug 11, 1:27 am EDT
“I touched the wall and was like, ‘Thank you, finally,’” Lochte said. “It felt good the whole way.”
Lochte was known as “Mr. Runner-up” for his frequent second-place finishes to Phelps and Peirsol. Then he stunned Peirsol at last year’s world championships in 1:54.32, before Peirsol matched the time in beating Lochte at the U.S. Olympic trials last month.
Lochte got Peirsol back despite a problem with his LZR Racer.
“My suit came undone after the first 50,” Lochte said. “I was just trying to control my legs.”
Lochte couldn’t tame Phelps, however, which would appear to leave Crocker as the last man standing between Phelps and his destiny.
A thoughtful, 25-year-old from Maine, who loves to cruise in vintage cars and jam on his guitar, Crocker is now trying to go down in history as the man who stopped Phelps.
“You can start by not worrying about what everybody else thinks,” he said. “Nobody knows what I’ve really gone through in the last eight years and what has gotten me to this point, besides myself and a few people that I know well. So it’s my own personal deal at this point.”
Peirsol won the 100 back in Beijing, but failed to match his backstroke double from Athens four years ago. He earned the silver in 1:54.33, while Russia’s Arkady Vyatchanin claimed the bronze.
“That’s the theme of the meet. You have to break a world record to win. I gave it my all and I had nothing left,” Peirsol said. “I’m very proud of what I’ve done. Ryan swam well. He earned it.”
Rebecca Soni gave the U.S. women’s swim team a much-needed boost, setting a world record in the 200 breaststroke with an upset of Australia’s Leisel Jones.
Soni had already claimed a surprising silver behind Jones in the 100 breast, a race she wasn’t even supposed to be in. She took over when Jessica Hardy failed a doping test at the U.S. trials and was dropped from the team.
Jones was out front over the first 100, but Soni came on strong at the end, finishing a full body length ahead of the Aussie in 2:20.22. She beat Jones’ mark of 2:20.54, set two 21/2 years ago in Melbourne.
Soni’s victory came about 14 hours after American distance hopes Katie Hoff and Kate Ziegler failed to make the final of the 800 freestyle, and two summers after Soni underwent a minor heart operation.
“It’s been a long road to get here, and I really can’t believe that just happened,” she said.
Jones claimed silver and Norway’s Sara Nordenstam took bronze.
“I really couldn’t breathe that last 50. I was just digging deep and couldn’t breathe,” Jones said. “A silver medal is still a silver medal in the Olympics. I gave it everything, I couldn’t have given more.”
The only non-American gold of the morning went to Germany’s Britta Steffen in the 100 freestyle, ahead of Australia’s Libby Trickett by four-hundredths of a second. Steffen set an Olympic record, 53.12.
American Natalie Coughlin claimed the bronze for her fifth medal of these games, matching her total from Athens with the medley relay still to go.
“I’m very proud of how I’ve handled the heavier workload,” she said.
In other semifinals, Brazil’s Cesar Cielo was top qualifier in the 50 free (21.34) and 100 gold medalist Alain Bernard of France won his heat in 21.54. American Ben Wildman-Tobriner slipped into the final, tying for the seventh-fastest time at 21.76, but teammate Garrett Weber-Gale was eliminated.
In the 200 backstroke, Zimbabwe’s Kirsty Coventry led the way at 2:07.76, just ahead of 15-year-old Elizabeth Beisel (2:07.90), the youngest member of the American team. World record-holder Margaret Hoelzer of the U.S. advanced to the final with the fifth-best time, 2:08.25.
Phelps’ win was the 21st world record set in swimming during the Olympics, with two days left.
Two days that could make history.
Phelps ties Spitz's with seventh gold
Michael Phelps won his seventh gold medal of the Beijing Olympics on Saturday, edging Milorad Cavic by .01 of second in the 100m butterfly.
Spitz won his seven gold medals at the 1972 Munich Games. Phelps will try to beat the record in the 4x100m medley relay Sunday.
"I've always marveled at the fact that in the last four years (since Phelps won six golds in Athens), he has had to live with a lot more expectations and anxiety that I had to deal with," Spitz said.
"I was under the radar circle. Only in swimdom circles did people understand what I was trying to do. And only after four days of an eight-day competition did people from other venues start to understand what was happening at the swim venue in Germany."
While the pre-meet, potential upset talk in the 100m fly centered around world-record holder Ian Crocker, Cailfornia-trained Cavic, who competes for Serbia, surpassed Phelps in the heats as the second-fastest man to swim the event. He nearly spoiled Phelps' chase at history.
Almost.
BEIJING (AP)—Michael Phelps collected the sixth gold medal and stuffed it in his warmup jacket. No time to even savor that one as he rushed off to swim again.
It was just No. 6, after all, equaling his haul from Athens in 2004.
The most important ones are still to come.
Phelps made it 6-for-6 at the Beijing Games with another world-record triumph Friday, his bid to take down Mark Spitz and the grandest of Olympic records looking less suspenseful by the day.
The American hung on the lane rope in a familiar pose after winning the 200-meter individual medley but showed little emotion other than raising his left arm when his time of 1 minute, 54.23 seconds flashed on the board—more than two seconds ahead of the next guy.
With that, he quickly moved on.
“The next two races are pretty important,” said Phelps, whose sixth world record in China erased his own mark of 1:54.80 at last month’s U.S. trials. “I have to conserve as much physical and emotional energy as I can.”
He’s already the winningest athlete in Olympic history with 12 golds—he also won two bronze medals in Athens—but his sights are on eight in Beijing.
Spitz won seven golds at the 1972 Munich Games. Phelps has two more events to remove any doubt he’s the greatest Olympian ever.
Ryan Lochte tried to pull off a daunting double, going against Phelps just 29 minutes after winning the 200 backstroke. He couldn’t keep up, though he did hold on for bronze. Laszlo Cseh of Hungary picked up his third silver of the games—all of them trailing Phelps.
“It’s not a shame,” Cseh said, “to be beaten by a better one.”
When the official times were posted, Phelps extended his right hand to Lochte in the next lane. The friends shook hands and patted each other on the head.
Later, they yukked it up on the medal stand before Phelps hustled off to grab his racing gear; he had to come right back for the semifinals of the 100 butterfly.
“I switched from my dress sweats to my parka, shoes, threw my cap and goggles on and then they pushed us on out. No time,” he said. “The medal was in my warmup jacket.”
History can’t wait.
A half-hour after winning another gold, Phelps was second-fastest behind Milorad Cavic of Serbia in the 100 fly, setting himself up to tie Spitz’s record in Saturday’s final. World record-holder Ian Crocker of the U.S. bounced back from a disappointing swim in the prelims to post the third-fastest time.
“There wasn’t much time,” Phelps said, “but I think there’s going to be a lot of time for me to rest over the next 18 hours or so, and I’ll be able to be ready for tomorrow morning’s 100.”
If all goes according to plan, Phelps will get No. 7 in the fly—his signature stroke—and have the coronation Sunday in the 400 medley relay. The Americans are always heavily favored for gold in that one.
Nevertheless, he’s taking nothing for granted, especially in the fly. Crocker has the best time ever (though it was three years ago) and Cavic looked strong in both the preliminaries and semifinals.
“It’s never a relief,” he said. “Tomorrow is going to be a tough race. For me to be a player in that race, I have to be closer at the 50. If I’m not, then it will be tough. I was over a body length behind at the 50 in the prelims and came up a bit short, so I have to be there.”
BEIJING - AUGUST 11: (L-R) Ma…
Getty Images - Aug 11, 1:25 am EDT
Still, he showed little signs of tiring from the grueling schedule. He’s already raced 15 times and has two more left—both going for gold.
“I actually don’t feel too bad now,” Phelps said.
That can’t be encouraging for those swimmers who’ve come up with all sorts of amusing theories for Phelps’ dominance. He’s from outer space. He’s come back from the future in a time machine. He’s some sort of human rocket.
The official Xinhua News Agency dubbed Phelps “the American superfish.”
For those who believe Phelps might be using more illicit methods to produce these times, he shot down any speculation about doping.
“Anybody can say whatever they want, but I know I’m clean,” said Phelps, who took part in a special U.S. anti-doping program that subjected him to additional, more sophisticated testing. “People can question it all they want, but the facts are the facts. I have the results to prove it.”
Lochte got quite a consolation prize for his loss to Phelps: a world record and the first individual gold medal of his career in the backstroke. The laid-back Floridian edged teammate Aaron Peirsol in 1:53.94 to break the mark he shared with Peirsol.
BEIJING - AUGUST 11: Jason Lez…
Getty Images - Aug 11, 1:27 am EDT
“I touched the wall and was like, ‘Thank you, finally,’” Lochte said. “It felt good the whole way.”
Lochte was known as “Mr. Runner-up” for his frequent second-place finishes to Phelps and Peirsol. Then he stunned Peirsol at last year’s world championships in 1:54.32, before Peirsol matched the time in beating Lochte at the U.S. Olympic trials last month.
Lochte got Peirsol back despite a problem with his LZR Racer.
“My suit came undone after the first 50,” Lochte said. “I was just trying to control my legs.”
Lochte couldn’t tame Phelps, however, which would appear to leave Crocker as the last man standing between Phelps and his destiny.
A thoughtful, 25-year-old from Maine, who loves to cruise in vintage cars and jam on his guitar, Crocker is now trying to go down in history as the man who stopped Phelps.
“You can start by not worrying about what everybody else thinks,” he said. “Nobody knows what I’ve really gone through in the last eight years and what has gotten me to this point, besides myself and a few people that I know well. So it’s my own personal deal at this point.”
Peirsol won the 100 back in Beijing, but failed to match his backstroke double from Athens four years ago. He earned the silver in 1:54.33, while Russia’s Arkady Vyatchanin claimed the bronze.
“That’s the theme of the meet. You have to break a world record to win. I gave it my all and I had nothing left,” Peirsol said. “I’m very proud of what I’ve done. Ryan swam well. He earned it.”
Rebecca Soni gave the U.S. women’s swim team a much-needed boost, setting a world record in the 200 breaststroke with an upset of Australia’s Leisel Jones.
Soni had already claimed a surprising silver behind Jones in the 100 breast, a race she wasn’t even supposed to be in. She took over when Jessica Hardy failed a doping test at the U.S. trials and was dropped from the team.
Jones was out front over the first 100, but Soni came on strong at the end, finishing a full body length ahead of the Aussie in 2:20.22. She beat Jones’ mark of 2:20.54, set two 21/2 years ago in Melbourne.
Soni’s victory came about 14 hours after American distance hopes Katie Hoff and Kate Ziegler failed to make the final of the 800 freestyle, and two summers after Soni underwent a minor heart operation.
“It’s been a long road to get here, and I really can’t believe that just happened,” she said.
Jones claimed silver and Norway’s Sara Nordenstam took bronze.
“I really couldn’t breathe that last 50. I was just digging deep and couldn’t breathe,” Jones said. “A silver medal is still a silver medal in the Olympics. I gave it everything, I couldn’t have given more.”
The only non-American gold of the morning went to Germany’s Britta Steffen in the 100 freestyle, ahead of Australia’s Libby Trickett by four-hundredths of a second. Steffen set an Olympic record, 53.12.
American Natalie Coughlin claimed the bronze for her fifth medal of these games, matching her total from Athens with the medley relay still to go.
“I’m very proud of how I’ve handled the heavier workload,” she said.
In other semifinals, Brazil’s Cesar Cielo was top qualifier in the 50 free (21.34) and 100 gold medalist Alain Bernard of France won his heat in 21.54. American Ben Wildman-Tobriner slipped into the final, tying for the seventh-fastest time at 21.76, but teammate Garrett Weber-Gale was eliminated.
In the 200 backstroke, Zimbabwe’s Kirsty Coventry led the way at 2:07.76, just ahead of 15-year-old Elizabeth Beisel (2:07.90), the youngest member of the American team. World record-holder Margaret Hoelzer of the U.S. advanced to the final with the fifth-best time, 2:08.25.
Phelps’ win was the 21st world record set in swimming during the Olympics, with two days left.
Two days that could make history.
Michael Phelps diet per day
Radhe Krishna 15-08-08
After he retires from swimming, Michael Phelps might want to try his hand at competitive eating. The Olympic star recently said he consumes 12,000 calories per day, or 9,500 more than the FDA recommends for an active, young male.
Phelps has to keep his intake up in order to compensate for all the calories he burns during the 30-hours per week he spends in training. He told NBC that an average day might have the following menu:
Breakfast: 3 fried egg sandwiches, 2 cups coffee, 5-egg omlette, bowl of grits, 3 pieces of french toast, 3 chocolate chip pancakes
Lunch: 1 pound pasta, 2 ham and cheese sandwiches, energy drink (1,000 calorie)
Dinner: 1 pound pasta, 1 large pizza, energy drink (1,000 calorie)
Three years ago, Phelps told an interviewer:
I eat pretty much whatever I want. I don't have a strict diet. It's all about cramming in as many calories into my system as I possibly can. To be honest with you, I have a tough time keeping weight on.
Michael better be careful there. There's no surer way to turn new female fans into former female fans than by complaining about how hard it is to keep on weight.
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Swimming 2008 Olympic Games Bejing China
Radhe Krishna 13-08-08
Swimming
Michael Phelps
Born: June 30, 1985
Baltimore, MD
Hometown: Baltimore, MD
Residence: Ann Arbor, MI
Ht: / Wt: 6'4" / 195 lbs
Olympics: 2004, 2000
Event(s): 200m free, 100m fly, 200m fly, 200m IM, 400m IM, 4x100m free relay,
4x200m free relay, 4x100m medley relay
Attack on the record books
Michael Phelps is five-for-five in Beijing, winning gold and setting the world record in each of his events. In his first, on Aug. 10, Phelps won the 400m IM in 4:03.86, more than a second faster than the record he set a month earlier at Olympic Trials. The next day, Phelps and the U.S. team squeaked out a win in the 4x100m freestyle relay. Phelps' leadoff leg of 47.51 was an American record, but anchor Jason Lezak dove in with more than a half-second deficit. Lezak posted the fastest relay split in history, 46.06, to catch Frenchman Alain Bernard for the win, by just .08 of a second. Phelps easily won the 200m free, for his third gold in Beijing and his record-tying ninth career gold. But he wasn't tied for long, as the next morning, Phelps won two more gold medals: first, in the 200m butterfly, where the race was tighter than expected. But the only race in the 4x200m freestyle relay was for second, as the U.S. men, with Phelps leading off, broke the record by more than four seconds and beat the field by more than five.
Quest for eight, Part II
In Beijing, Michael Phelps will have the chance to at least match the record eight medals (six gold, two bronze) that he won in Athens. Phelps fell one gold short of matching Mark Spitz's record seven, won in 1972, but still matched the single-games total record with eight. That missing gold could come in the 200m freestyle, in which Phelps took bronze in Athens. This time, he enters the 200m as the favorite, having broken Ian Thorpe's world record at the 2007 World Championships in Melbourne. Phelps also holds the world record in three other individual events: 200m fly, 200m IM and 400m IM.
Golden guy
Phelps won seven gold medals (200m free, 100m fly, 200m fly, 200m IM, 400m IM, 4x100m free and 4x200m free) and set five world records (200m free, 200m fly, 200m IM, 400m IM and 4x200m free) in one of the most dominant swimming performances ever at the 2007 Worlds. All of the individual event world records that Phelps broke were his own, except for the 200m freestyle, where he shattered Ian Thorpe's mark from 2001. Phelps shaved .2 of a second off Thorpe's time and won the race by almost 2.5 seconds.
Stuck at seven
Phelps did not get the chance to race for an eighth gold at Worlds in the final event, the 4x100m medley relay, because the U.S. team was disqualified in the preliminaries, in which he did not swim. Teammate Ian Crocker left the blocks .01 of a second too soon for his leg, and the false start cost the U.S. a spot in the final. It was the first time the U.S. did not swim in a relay final in the history of world championships.
Physical advantage
At first glance, Phelps might look like a typical swimmer. But several of his physical characteristics seem genetically tailored for swimming. His 6-foot-7-inch wingspan is three inches longer than his height, providing him with unusual reach. His torso is long compared to his legs, enabling him to ride high on the water. And his flexible ankles, combined with size-14 feet, allow for a powerful kick. Add to that more than a decade of high-intensity training, and you get one of the fastest swimmers in history.
On his own
After Athens, Phelps enrolled as a student at Michigan, moving away from home for the first time. During his first year living alone, he had to make some adjustments and learn a few quick lessons. Phelps once filled up his dishwasher with hand soap and came home to find his floor covered in suds. He also had trouble eating his first bowl of cereal after he realized he hadn't purchased any bowls, so he ate the cereal with milk out of a Gatorade bottle. Phelps is unable to compete for Michigan because of his professional status, but he works as a volunteer assistant with University of Michigan swim team.
To the Wolverines
At Michigan's Club Wolverine, Phelps trains with numerous other elite swimmers: Olympians Erik Vendt, Peter Vanderkaay and Kaitlin Sandeno, as well as hopefuls Davis Tarwater and Chris Dejong. Under Bob Bowman, who has been Phelps' coach since he was 12 years old, the atmosphere is intense and the training tough. Bowman had a countdown clock installed in the pool to mark the days until Beijing, as a daily reminder of the swimmers' ultimate goal.
'Bullet' heading home
Bowman announced in April 2008 that he was leaving Michigan and returning to Baltimore after Beijing to serve as CEO of North Baltimore Aquatic Club. Phelps, who is nicknamed the "Baltimore Bullet," will return home as well after four years in Ann Arbor. Phelps and Bowman met at NBAC, which is also where Katie Hoff trains.
Early bloomer
Phelps made his Olympic debut in Sydney at age 15 when he qualified for the 200m fly by finishing second at U.S. Trials -- a result he wasn't exactly expecting. "At first I couldn't really believe it. I thought I saw it and had to take my goggles off to really see," Phelps said of the race. He was the youngest man on the U.S. swim team, but despite his age and lack of international experience, he made the final in Sydney and finished fifth. Five months after that race, Phelps became the sport's youngest male world-record holder when he claimed the 200m fly mark.
Sibling stimulus
Phelps appeared at the 1996 Olympic Trials as a 10-year-old, not to swim but to support his sister, Whitney. When she finished sixth in the 200m butterfly final and missed making the team, the family cried in the stands. "It left a scar on our family," Michael says. Whitney's career was cut short by four herniated discs, but Michael says he lives by her example. From the time he was little, he remembers how he would hear her door shut and the car start before dawn as she made her way to practice. Phelps has another sister, Hillary, who swam for the University of Richmond.
'Limitless potential'
Following his sisters to the pool, Phelps began swimming at age 7 when he joined North Baltimore Aquatic Club. He met Bowman four years later, and Bowman immediately recognized his ability. "There was nothing holding him back, at that time or now," Bowman said. "I felt that when I saw him as a younger swimmer, that he had limitless potential." Bowman even met with Phelps' parents when he was 12, explaining that he could potentially make the Olympics in 2000 and even set 2004 and 2008 as targets.
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Phelps flies to Olympic gold medal mark
Phelps shows off his 10th gold medal after his triumph in the 200 meters butterfly.
Radhe Krishna 13-08-08
Phelps sets career mark with 10 gold medals BEIJING -- Michael Phelps won the men's 200m butterfly Wednesday, becoming the winningest athlete in Olympic history with 10 gold medals -- and counting. Phelps touched in 1:52.03 his fourth gold medal and fourth world record in Beijing. The mark had been 1:52.09, set by Phelps at the 2007 World Championships in Melbourne, Australia. But the race was closer than Phelps expected. Two others went under 1:53. Laslo Cseh of Norway was second in 1:52.70 and Japan's Takeshi Matsuda won the bronze in 1:52.97 As he came off the pool deck, Phelps disclosed that his goggles had filled with water, adding, "I could not believe how close to me those guys were." "I can't see anything," Phelps said to his coach, Bob Bowman. Along with the four golds he has now won in Beijing, Phelps won six at the 2004 Athens Games. Phelps also won two bronze medals in 2004. Coming into Wednesday's action at the Water Cube, Phelps stood at nine career Olympic golds, tied with four others for most career golds, among them Mark Spitz and track star Carl Lewis. Spitz still holds the mark for most golds won by one athlete in a single Olympics, seven in Munich in 1972. That's the next goal in Phelps' sights. He is due later Wednesday to swim in the 4x200m relay. A victory there would mark his fifth gold of the 2008 Games, 11th overall. Yet to come: the 200m individual medley Friday; the 100m butterfly Saturday; and the 4x100m medley relay, with prelims on Friday, the final Sunday.
BEIJING -- Michael Phelps won the men's 200-meter butterfly Wednesday and not even an hour later helped lift the U.S. 4x200m freestyle relay team to victory, becoming the winningest athlete in Olympic history, now with 11 gold medals -- and counting.
Michael Phelps wins the 200m butterfly on Day 5 of the Beijing Games for his record-setting 10th career Olympic gold medal. The U.S. men didn't just set the world record, they destroyed it. Their 6:58.56 was 4.68 seconds faster than the previous record, also set by the U.S. men at the 2007 World Championships.
Phelps swam a 1:43 31 leading off the relay, just short of his personal best, and the world record, set the day before in winning the 200m freestyle. Ryan Lochte, Ricky Berens and Peter Vanderkaay did the rest, as the silver medalists from Russia finished more than five seconds behind.
"For four years we knew we could probably get under 7 minutes," Lochte said in a poolside interview with NBC. "It's great to finally do it."
Phelps is now five-for-five in Beijing, with a world record in every final.
In the first of his two races, Phelps touched in 1:52.03 for his fourth gold medal and fourth world record in Beijing. The mark had been 1:52.09, set by Phelps at the 2007 Worlds.
But the race was closer than Phelps expected. Two others went under 1:53. Laszlo Cseh of Hungary was second in 1:52.70 and Japan's Takeshi Matsuda won the bronze in 1:52.97.
As he came off the pool deck, Phelps disclosed that his goggles had filled with water, adding, "I could not believe how close to me those guys were."
"I can't see anything," Phelps said to his coach, Bob Bowman.
Later, after the relay, Phelps admitted he was bothered with the goggle problem even though he broke his own world mark.
"As soon as I dove in, they filled up," he said. "I was more or less trying to count my strokes, hoping I'd be dead on at the turns," he said. "I'm disappointed because I know I can go faster, but there was nothing I could do. I handled it the best way I could."
Along with the five golds he has now won in Beijing, Phelps won six at the 2004 Athens Games. Phelps also won two bronze medals in 2004.
Coming into Wednesday's action at the Water Cube, Phelps stood at nine career Olympic golds, tied with four others for most career golds, among them Mark Spitz and track star Carl Lewis.
"I'm almost at a loss for words," Phelps said of breaking the career record. "To be in the same group with the greatest Olympians who ever lived, to have the most golds in history is unbelievable.
"After the fly, I was trying to focus, but I just kept thinking, 'Wow, the greatest Olympian of all time.' That's a pretty cool title."
Spitz still holds the mark for most golds won by one athlete in a single Olympics, seven in Munich in 1972.
That's the next goal in Phelps' sights.
"It's not over yet," Phelps said. "Anything can happen in the next three events."
Yet to come: the 200m individual medley Friday; the 100m butterfly Saturday; and the 4x100m medley relay, with prelims on Friday, the final Sunday.
Monday, August 11, 2008
Olympic games 2008 Bejing China
Radhe Krishna 11-08-08
The 2008 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, is a major international multi-sport event which is being celebrated in Beijing, People's Republic of China, from August 8 (with football starting on August 6) to August 24, 2008 and followed by the 2008 Summer Paralympics from September 6 to September 17. 10,500 athletes are expected to compete in 302 events in 28 sports, one event more than was on the schedule of the 2004 games.[2] The 2008 Beijing Olympics will also mark the third time that Olympic events will have been held in the territories of two different National Olympic Committees (NOC), with the equestrian events to be held in Hong Kong.
The Olympic games were awarded to Beijing after an exhaustive ballot of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) on July 13, 2001. The official logo of the games, titled "Dancing Beijing," features a stylised calligraphic character jīng (京, meaning capital), referencing the host city. The mascots of Beijing 2008 are the five Fuwa, each representing both a colour of the Olympic rings and a symbol of Chinese culture. The Olympic slogan, One World, One Dream, calls upon the world to unite in the Olympic spirit. Several new NOCs have also been recognised by the IOC.
The Chinese government has promoted the games to highlight China's emergence on the world stage and has invested heavily in new facilities and transportation systems.[3][4] A total of 37 venues will be used to host the events including 12 newly constructed venues. Earlier in 2007, former IOC president Juan Antonio Samaranch had said that he believes that the Beijing games will be "the best in Olympic history,"[5] and current president Jacques Rogge asserts that the IOC has "absolutely no regrets" in choosing Beijing to host the 2008 games.[6]
Host city
Beijing, China
Nations participating
204 NOCs (See below)
Athletes participating
11,028 [1]
Events
302 in 28 sports
The 2008 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, is a major international multi-sport event which is being celebrated in Beijing, People's Republic of China, from August 8 (with football starting on August 6) to August 24, 2008 and followed by the 2008 Summer Paralympics from September 6 to September 17. 10,500 athletes are expected to compete in 302 events in 28 sports, one event more than was on the schedule of the 2004 games.[2] The 2008 Beijing Olympics will also mark the third time that Olympic events will have been held in the territories of two different National Olympic Committees (NOC), with the equestrian events to be held in Hong Kong.
The Olympic games were awarded to Beijing after an exhaustive ballot of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) on July 13, 2001. The official logo of the games, titled "Dancing Beijing," features a stylised calligraphic character jīng (京, meaning capital), referencing the host city. The mascots of Beijing 2008 are the five Fuwa, each representing both a colour of the Olympic rings and a symbol of Chinese culture. The Olympic slogan, One World, One Dream, calls upon the world to unite in the Olympic spirit. Several new NOCs have also been recognised by the IOC.
The Chinese government has promoted the games to highlight China's emergence on the world stage and has invested heavily in new facilities and transportation systems.[3][4] A total of 37 venues will be used to host the events including 12 newly constructed venues. Earlier in 2007, former IOC president Juan Antonio Samaranch had said that he believes that the Beijing games will be "the best in Olympic history,"[5] and current president Jacques Rogge asserts that the IOC has "absolutely no regrets" in choosing Beijing to host the 2008 games.[6]
Host city
Beijing, China
Nations participating
204 NOCs (See below)
Athletes participating
11,028 [1]
Events
302 in 28 sports
Nations participating 204 NOCs (See below)
Athletes participating 11,028 [1]
Events 302 in 28 sports
Opening ceremony August 8
Officially opened by President Hu Jintao
Stadium Beijing National Stadium
List of participating NOCs
Afghanistan (4)
Albania (11)
Algeria (8)
