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Panchala was closely connected with the Kurus and formed one of the principal centres of later Vedic civilisation. Its royal courts, settlements and centres of learning appear in the Vedas, Brahmanas, Upanishads, Puranas and the Mahabharata. In the epic tradition, it was the kingdom of King Drupada, Draupadi, Dhrishtadyumna and Shikhandi.
Kuru was more than the territory of a royal dynasty. It was a fertile riverine region in which clans were consolidated into an organised state, Vedic rituals were systematised, political authority became more structured and traditions that shaped later Indian civilisation acquired a durable form.
The Puranas later transform this Vedic riverine memory into a detailed sacred landscape. Kashmir appears as a northern region of Bharat, the dwelling place of sages and deities, the land of Sharada, the visible form of Goddess Uma and a country associated with Kashyapa, Vishnu, Shiva and Ananta.
The inclusion makes Glaw Lake the first Ramsar Site in Arunachal Pradesh and raises India’s total number of designated wetlands of international importance to 101.
The temple stands in Ananthapura village, around five to six kilometres south-east of Kumbla, within the culturally diverse northern region where Kerala and Tulu traditions meet. Unlike many Kerala temples surrounded by dense groves or settlement streets, Ananthapura occupies a rocky laterite landscape, with the still water around its sanctum creating the impression of a shrine separated from the ordinary world.
The shrine lies about seven to eight kilometres east of Kasaragod town. Although it is widely known as Madhur Ganapathi Temple, the principal deity is Lord Shiva, worshipped as Madanantheshwara or Anantheshwara. Lord Siddhivinayaka, however, has become the temple’s most famous and widely revered presence.
Officially known as Sree Thricherumanna alias Kottiyoor Devaswom, the pilgrimage centre is celebrated for a ritual tradition in which river, forest, monsoon and temporary architecture become inseparable from worship. Akkare Kottiyoor has no conventional stone sanctum, monumental gateway or permanent roof over the principal deity. Instead, devotees worship a swayambhu Shiva linga at the Manithara, a raised platform surrounded by the waters of the sacred Thiruvanchira.
Located only a few kilometres from Mananthavady, Valliyoorkavu is both a neighbourhood temple and a major regional pilgrimage destination. Its annual festival is regarded by the temple administration as the largest temple celebration in Wayanad and brings together devotees from different communities across the district.
The shrine is traditionally counted among the 108 Shiva temples of Kerala believed to have been consecrated by Parasurama. The Taliparamba temple is also regarded in local tradition as one of the region’s most powerful centres of Shaiva worship.
The presiding deity, Sri Muthappan, is commonly understood as embodying the qualities of both Shiva and Vishnu. The two principal ritual forms associated with the deity are Vellattam and Thiruvappana. Vellattam is linked with Shiva, while Thiruvappana is associated with Vishnu in the temple tradition.
