Hinduism has thousands, if not millions, of sacred spaces where a devotee can go to worship his or her ishtadevata, or personal god. For example, there are places like Chidambaram, one of the most famous temples in South India dedicated to Siva, but there is also the Ganges River, which flows through hundreds of towns across India and is known by most on the Indian subcontinent as a holy river, ideal as a location for worship and purification. Sacred spaces in Hinduism are not relegated just to the enclosures of a temple or prayer space, but exist just as frequently, if not more so, in nature.
All sacred spaces are connected with a story, usually one involving a particular localized god or goddess. In many instances, a deity was once manifested to someone in that location, or else a miracle was performed there. For example, the story that explains the origins of the Ganga describes the river as a goddess who once lived in the heavens and was called down to earth because of a drought. In order to avoid crushing the people she was meant to save with the force of her waters, she landed into the dreadlocked hair of Lord Siva, dividing her waters into seven holy rivers, known respectively as the Ganges, Yamuna, Saraswati, Godavari, Narmada, Cau- very and Sindhu. All of these rivers are thought to be sacred and are sites for religious worship.
Another example of a sacred space in Hinduism is the Srivilliputtur Temple located outside of Madurai in Tamil Nadu. The temple is dedicated to Antal, a medieval poetess and a passionate lifelong devotee of Vishnu. Her love for Krishna (an avatar of Vishnu) was so strong that she refused to be married to a human man and dreamed of being the bride of Krishna. Finally, according to a particular hagi- ography, Antal was wed to Krishna in an elaborate ceremony before she was able to fully merge with him. Worshippers continue to flock to the Srivilliputtur Temple in order to pay homage to and receive blessings from Antal and Vishnu.
These are only two of many multitudes of stories that make locations sacred throughout various Hindu traditions. There exists an interesting interplay between both the story and the location being sacred; and it begs the question, 鈥淲hich came first?鈥�
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Radix听article, originally published in October 2005 by听Monica Farrell
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