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Jaffna Nallur Kandaswamy Kovil

Nallur Kandaswamy Kovil or Nallur Murugan Kovil (kovil meaning temple in Tamil) is one of the of the most significant Hindu temples in the Jaffna District of Sri Lanka. It stands in the town of Nallur.The Nallur Festival in Jaffna in August is the island's longest festival. Spanning 25 days of vibrant chariot processions, drumming, dancing and acts of self-mortification, held in honour of the war god Skanda.

Due to political reasons the Temple was shifted from place to place in Nallur. area. Although it is believed that the first Temple was originally built in 948 A.D at the land called 'Kurukkal Valavu', due to foreign invasion the Temple had to be re-constructed number of times in different places.

The fourth and the present Temple was constructed in 1749 A.D. during the benign Dutch colonial era by one Krishna Suba Iyer and Ragunatha Maapaana Mudaliyar in the 'Kurukkal Valavu', which is the original temple premise.

Initially the Temple was built using bricks and stones, and had a cadjaned roof. The original shrine had only two main halls and didn't have any clock tower, or any surrounding courtyard and an enclosing wall, or any ornately carved towers or gopuram.

The first clock tower was erected in 1899, and the main hall where the vel or lance of the deity resides was re-furbished using rocks in 1902. The first enclosing wall was erected in 1909. Likewise, the temple has been gradually renovated from time to time with contributions from the general public. In 1964, the 'Vasantha Mandapam' or grand hall was renovated to have the present grand look and feel.

The temple has the main entrance facing the east. It has an ornately carved five-storied tower or gopuram in the Dravidian architecture style at the main entrance.

In the surrounding inner-yard, It has shrines for Lords Ganesh, Vairavar, Sun and Sandana Gopala. In the southern part of this Temple, the holy pond and Thandayudhapaani shrine dedicated to another aspect of Lord Muruga can be seen. In the northern side big holy garden is located.

Thiruketheeswaram Temple

Thiruketheeswaram Kovil, one of the five main Hindu temples of the country dedicated to God Siva, is an ancient Hindu Kovil situated in Manthei. It is about seven miles to the North from Mannar Town. ( Srilanka )

As the legend unfolds Kethu Bhagavan worshipped Lord Siva at this temple, and that is how the temple got its name Thiruketheeswaram.

This Kovil is one of the main places of worship sights in Mannar. Many Hindus and non-Hindus from all over the country visit this place nearly every day. “We never had to do the evening pooja without devotees. All around the year people visit this Kovil,” said Swami Nithyanandan. “The place is blessed with people,” he added.


The history of the temple goes back to the era of Chola. It is believed to be built in 600 B.C. Another story related to the Kovil says that the father-in-law of Ravana, the king of Lanka, built Thiruketheeswaram. Ravana himself had been a devotee of Koneswaram Temple, Trincomalee. Rama, who built the Sivan Temple at Rameshwaram, on his way back to Ayodhya from Lanka, is reputed to have worshipped Lord Siva at the Thiruketheeswaram as well.

Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple Thiruvananthapuram

Legend And History

The origin of the Temple of Sree Padmanabhaswamy is lost in antiquity. It is not possible to determine with any exactitude, from any reliable historical documents or other sources as to when and by whom the original idol of Sree
Padmanabhaswamy was consecrated. The Temple  has references in Epics and Puranas. Srimad Bhagavatha says that Balarama visited this Temple, bathed in Padmatheertham and made several offerings. Nammalwar, 9th century poet and one among the 12 Vaishnavite saints of the Alvar tradition, has composed ten hymns in praise of Lord Padmanabha. Some well known scholars, writers and historians, like the late Dr. L.A.Ravi Varma of Travancore, have expressed the view that this Temple was established on the first day of Kali Yuga (which is over 5000 years ago). The legends of the Temple are handed down through the centuries. One such legend which finds a place in the old palm leaf records of the Temple, as also in the famous grantha entitled “Ananthasayana Mahatmya”, mentions that it was consecrated by a Tulu Brahmin hermit named Divakara Muni. 

On the 950th year of Kali Yuga a reinstallation of the idol was done. In the 960th Kali year King Kotha Marthandan built the Abhisravana Mandapam.

Darshan Timing

Morning

03.30 am to 04.45 am (Nirmalya Darshanam)
06.30 am to 07.00 am
08.30 am to 10.00 am
10.30 am to 11.10 am
11.45 am to 12.00 Noon

Evening

05.00 pm to 06.15 pm
06.45 pm to 07.20 pm

The above-indicated time schedule is subject to changes during festivals and other special occasions. During the festival occasions the darshan time is reduced in order to performing the special poojas

Murukan Temple Kataragama

Kataragama, the domain of God Skanda (Lord Murugan Katirkaman, Kadirkamam, Subrahmanya, Kandasamy, Kadiradeva, Katiradeva, Katiravel, Kartikeya, and Tarakajith) located in the Deep South of Sri Lanka, adjoining the popular Ruhuna Yala National Park and ancient Sithulpawwa Buddhist Monastery, is a multi-religious sacred city that contains a Buddhist temple, Hindu shrine and Islamic Mosque. Kataragama, one of the Solosmasthana

(Sinhala: 16 principal sites of 

Buddhist pilgrimage), features in the history since the era of King Dutugamunu (161-137 BC), the Hero of the Nation. Mahawamsa, the great historical chronicle of Sri Lanka reveals the participation of warriors of Kshatriyas clan from Kataragama on the occasion of the arrival of the Bo sapling of Bodhi Tree, under which Gautama Buddha attained enlightenment in Bodh Gaya (Gaya district of the modern Bihar state of India) was brought to the city of Anuradhapura 2,300 years ago. Sri Lankans are convinced of the existence of God Skanda, the deity of Kataragama and his benevolent nature. Many Sinhala Buddhists of Sri Lanka believe that Kataragama deviyo is one of the four guardian deities of the island nation and Buddhism. Among the virtuous personages who had witnessed the god Skanda, is Buddhist monk Balanagoda Ananda Maitreya. (August 23, 1896 – July 18, 1998) who is believed to have achieved a certain lower plain in enlightenment in line with Buddhism by means of two forms of Buddhist meditation called Samatha meditation and Vipassana meditation.

Distance from Colombo: Kataragama is located 283km from Colombo.

Location

19km inland from Tissamaharama lies the small & remote town of Kataragama. Kataragama is one of most popular & most sacred pilgrimages sites of Sri Lanka. Like Adam's Peak, it attracts Sinhalese Buddhists as well as Hindu Tamils. The adored site is visited by Muslims & Christians too.

Town

Kataragama is a small town with clean, tree lined roads with rows of stalls selling garlands & platters of fruit-coconut, mango watermelon. The city, town & the wide shady roads are developed by the late president-ever industrious workhorse-indomitable R. A. Premadasa.

The best Time to visit

The town is at is best bold, bright & busiest during the Kataragama festival, held around the Kandy Esala Perahera pageant in Kandy - two weeks in July & August.

The Journey

Kataragama is easily visited as a day-trip from Tissamaharama. A night's stay at Kataragama provide the opportunity of enjoying the sight of the puja (ritual offerings) in a leisurely manner, you may also imbibe some of the town's backwater charm & laid-back rural pace.

The Setting

Kataragama town spreads out over a small grid of tranquil, leafy streets. The town is separated by the River Menik Ganga ("Gem River") with Sacred Precinct to the north, an area of beautiful parkland overrun by a grey langurs.

The popular river at Kataragama, Menik Ganga (River of Gems)

A short walk from the car park takes us to popular river Menik Ganga ("River of Gems"). We cross the bridge & then steps lead us down to the river which is quite shallow in places. It's a nice & easy river for a leisurely bath(village style) anytime during the day. The area around the river is very attractive with large trees on the banks providing plenty of shade. Pilgrims enjoy their ritual bath in the middle of the river. We cross the bridge to enter the main temple complex. The 300m wide avenue lined with trees leads us to the Hindu temple.

The legend & The history

According to the legend, victorious King Dutugamunu (161-137 BC) built the original shrine following his series of long battles against the mighty forces of Dravidian invader, Elara, at Anuradhapura. The legend is God Kataragama helped King Dutugamunu's formidable Sinhalese army to cross the River Menik, which would have been an unassailable mighty river a couple of millennium ago. The history is (Mahawamsa) King Dutugamunu's army was commanded by ten mighty warriors, Nandhimitta, Suranimala, Mahasona, Gothaimbara, Theraputtabhaya (formerly a Buddhist monk, he gave up the Buddhist order for the sole purpose of saving the Sinhalese & Buddhism from the marauding Dravidian invaders), Bharana, Velusumana, Khanjadeva, Phussadeva & Labhiyavasaba, all of them of superhuman strength & courage sans Achilles heel. Those ten mighty ambidextrous warriors of great strength & courage were ably assisted by great battle elephants. Foremost in strength, beauty, shape & the qualities of courage & swiftness & of mighty size of body was the royal elephant Kandula, who broke open the mighty door of impregnable Dravidian fortress at Vijithapura (city of victory), Anuradhapura.

The Sacred Pilgrimage Site of The Benevolent God

To Buddhists, this forest sanctuary is where the Buddha planted a sapling of the Sacred Sri Maha Bodhi tree of Anuradhapura, sanctifying the spot. To Hindus, Kataragama is the domain of the Hindu war god Skanda. Both Hindu & Buddhist communities believe that Hindu war god Kataragama (Skanda) has the power to intervene benevolently in their affairs & thousands, convinced of the deity's benign influence, journey, to Kataragama for a puja (offering) at the time of embarking on a new venture. But then again it is said "the god help those who help themselves" you better have the moral courage & will to realize your dreams. Those who have the will would find a way. May god also go with those who toil in the High Noon for a Few Dollars More without the lady-luck of McCanna's Gold. And may the adored, benevolent god have mercy on all those Good, Bad and Ugly too. And may the god bless the good guy who wrote this. Amen!

The Ritual

The ritual traditionally involves a bath in the Menik Ganga (The River of Gems), the wearing of clean white clothes & then a walk of several hundred meters along the wide avenue to the temple, bearing offerings of flowers & fruit. Each supplicant light a coconut, then holding it aloft while saying a prayer, before smashing it on the stony ground, hoping for it to split into two nice halves-auspiciously open-a good omen. It's considered inauspicious if the coconut fails to split on the stone. Offerings are made to the god inside the shrine.

Temple Complex

The first building we'll encounter is the Ul-Khizr that houses the tombs of Muslim saints from Kyrgyzstan & India. It is a beautiful small mosque with coloured tile work & wooden lintels. Next to the Muslim Ul- Khizar is Hindu temple of God Shiva. We continue up the main avenue, passing a string of minor shrines, to reach the main shrine, the Maha Devale. The main courtyard is surrounded by an impressive wall decorated with elephant heads, & is entered through an ornate metal gate. The wall as well as the gate is decorated with peacocks, a symbol of the God Katargama.

Meenakshi Amman Temple

According to legend, the sacred Suyambulingam discovered by the king of Gods indira at Kadambavanam, was later enshrined by him in Madurai. The fact that the Lord is seen on the vehicle of Indira in this temple is said to be proof for this. Many historical evidences of the temple have been found dating back from early A.D  The temple was almost completely
destroyed in the year 1310 following the invasion of the Islamic conqueror Malikkapur. As kings who were followers of Islam were noted for their intolerance towards other religions, the invaders destroyed most of the ancient sculptures of the temple. Thirugnanasambandar the Hindu Saint has mentioned the temple in his songs which go back to early 7th century.

The Lord has been described as Alavai Iraivan in his songs. The temple was restored to its pristine glory in the late 14th century when the Hindu Kings came back to power in Madurai. This can also be termed as a new beginning of a new era in the history of the temple, when it was almost rebuilt. The King Thirumalai Naicker played an important role in the construction of the new form of the temple according to records. 

Shri Kashi Vishwanath

Standing on the western bank of India's holiest river Ganges, Varanasi is the oldest surviving city of the world and the cultural capital of India. It is in the heart of this city that there stands in its fullest majesty the Kashi Vishwanath Temple in which is enshrined the Jyotirlinga of Shiva, Vishweshwara or Vishwanatha. Here gravitate the teeming millions of India to
seek benediction and spiritual peace by the darshan of this Jyotirlinga which confers

liberation from the bondages of maya and the inexorable entanglements of the world. A simple glimpse of the Jyotirlinga is a soul-cleansing experience that transforms life and puts it on the path of knowledge and bhakti. Vishweshwara Jyotirlinga has a very special and unique significance in the spiritual history of India. 

Tradition has it that the merits earned by the darshan of other jyotirlinga scattered in various parts of India accrue to devotee by a single visit to Kashi Vishwanath Temple. Deeply and intimately implanted in the Hindu mind, the Kashi Vishwanath Temple has been a living embodiment of our timeless cultural traditions and highest spiritual values. The Temple has been visited by all great saints- Adi Shankaracharya, Ramkrishna Paramhansa, Swami Vivekanand, Goswami Tulsidas, Maharshi Dayanand Saraswati, Gurunanak and several other spiritual personalities. The Kashi Vishwanath Temple attracts visitors not only from India but abroad as well and thereby symbolises man's desire to live in peace send harmony with one another. 

Vishwanath being a supreme repository of this spiritual truth thus strengthens the bonds of universal brotherhood and fellow feeling at the national as well as global levels. On January 28, 1983 the temple was taken over by the Govt. of Uttar Pradesh and it's management ever since stands entrusted to a Trust with Dr. Vibhuti Narayan Singh. Former Kashi Naresh, as president and an Executive Committee with Divisional Commissioner as Chairman. The Temple in the present shape was built way back in 1780 by Late Maharani Ahilya Bai Holkar of Indore. In the year 1785 a Naubatkhana was built up in front of the Temple by the then Collector Mohd. Ibrahim Khan at the instance of Governor General Warren Hastings. In 1839, Two domes of the Temple were covered by gold donated by Punjab Kesari Maharaja Ranjeet Singh. Third dome still remains uncovered, Ministry of culture & Religious affairs of U.P. Govt. is taking keen interest for gold plating of third dome of Temple.

Important Festivals

1. Mahashivratri

Shivaratri is celebrated on the 6th night of the dark Phalgun (Feb or March) every year. On the auspicious day, devotees observe fast and keep vigil all night. Mahashivaratri marks the night when Lord Shiva performed the 'Tandava'. It is also believed that on this day Lord Shiva was married to Parvati Ma. On this day Shiva devotees observe fast and offer fruits, flowers and bel leaves on Shiva Linga. At our temple this festival celebrated with great spritualism.

2. Rangbhari ( Aamlaki) Ekadashi

Once, in the month of Phalguna (February - March), the holy fast of Amalakii Ekadasii arrived, conjoined with Dvadasi. This particular fast would bestow especially great benefit. Amalakii is offspring of Lord BrahmA, who can destroy all kinds of sinful reactions. Amalakii, is actually the form of Brahman, and was once worshiped by Lord Ramachandra Himself. Whoever circumambulates her is therefore immediately freed of all his sins.

3. Annakoot

Annakoot is celebrated in observance of the episode in Sri Krishna's childhood, in which He gave protection to the cowherd clan of Vrindavan from the wrath of Indra and humbled Indra in that process. The cowherds, their wives, children and cattle jubilantly surrounded Sri Krishna. They were awed by His superhuman accomplishment and celebrated Sri Krishna's feat with a sumptuous feast. Thus began the tradition of Annakoot. After the prayers, traditional worship & Aarti, innumerable varieties of delicious sweets/ all cookings / 56 bhogs were ceremoniously raised in the form of a mountain before the deity as "Bhog" and after Lord had it full , now it was citizens turn to approach the Mountain of Food and take Prasad from it. It was a Great Feast for residents of Goverdhan & they all enjoyed it thoroughly

4. Makar Shakranti

Makar Sankranti is one of the most auspicious day for the Hindus, and is celebrated in almost all parts of the country in myriad cultural forms, with great devotion, fervor & gaiety. Lakhs of people take a dip in places like Ganga Sagar & Prayag and pray to Lord Sun. It is celebrated with pomp in southern parts of the country as Pongal, and in Punjab is celebrated as Lohri & Maghi. Gujarati's not only look reverentially up to the sun, but also offer thousands of their colorful oblations in the form of beautiful kites all over the skyline. They may be trying to reach upto their glorious God or bring about greater proximity with the one who represents the best. It is a day for which Bhishma Pitamah kept waiting to leave his mortal coil.
Makar Sankranti is the day when the glorious Sun-God of Hindus begins its ascendancy and entry into the Northern Hemisphere. Sun for the Hindus stands for Pratyaksha-Brahman - the manifest God, who symbolizes, the one, non-dual, self-effulgent, glorious divinity blessing one & all tirelessly. Sun is the one who transcends time and also the one who rotates the proverbial Wheel of Time. The famous Gayatri Mantra, which is chanted everyday by every faithful Hindu, is directed to Sun God to bless them with intelligence & wisdom. Sun not only represents God but also stands for an embodiment of knowledge & wisdom. Lord Krishna reveals in Gita that this manifested divinity was his first disciple, and we all know it to be indeed a worthy one too. No Sundays for the Sun, may be because one who revels in its very 'being', the very essence of his own Self, is always in the Sunday mood.
The co-relation of cosmic events with individual life and values is one of the most astounding traits of Hindu Masters. Once this co-relation is brought about thereafter these cosmic events become instrumental to remind us the best which we cherish & value. Of all the cosmic bodies Sun is the most glorious & important, thus every sun-centric cosmic event became very important spiritual, religious & cultural events. On Makar Sankranti day the Sun begins its ascendancy and journey into the Northern Hemisphere, and thus it signifies an event wherein the Gods seem to remind their children that 'Tamaso Ma Jyotir Gamaya'. May you go higher & higher - to more & more Light and never to darkness.

5. Shrawan Maah

Shrawan Maah is highly auspicious month for the lord Shiva devotees. Special decoration is been done on every Monday of the month. On first Monday of the month lord Shiva’s decoration is being performed, on second Monday lord Bhagwa Shankar and mother Parvati’s moveable statues are being decorated. On third and fourth Monday , shri Ardhyanarishwar and Shri Rudrakshay , decoration is being performed respectively.
The whole month of Shrawan Maah is celebrated with great enthusiasm, it is highly auspicious as every member of Lord Shiva’s family are decorated and special 'Jhoola Sringar' is being performed.

6. Akshya Tritiiya

Akshya Tritiiya is considered one of the four most auspicious days of the Vedic Calendar. It is the third day of the new moon of Vaishakh month (April-May).

After having bath offered Amalakii tree a pot filled with water, as well as garland and aromatic incense. Then worship Lord Parashurama with these prayers: 'Oh Lord ParashurAma, Oh son of Renuka, Oh all-pleasing one, Oh liberator of the worlds, kindly come beneath this holy Amalakii tree and accept our humble obeisances.'

If the Amarlaki tree isn't available then worship the sacred Tulasi tree. Also plant the sacred Tulasi seeds, and offer lamps to her.

Thiruvanamalai

Lord Arunachalar History

Traditional stories tell us that there was an unsettled dispute between Lord Vishnu and Lord Brahma as to who was superior. They sought the help of Lord Siva to judge .who was really superior; Lord Siva grew into a long flaming light stretching between earth and heaven, and asked them to find root and crown.
Brahma agreeing to reach the crown took the form
a swan and flew, and flew to an extending height and could not reach the crown. In his upward flight he caught hold of a flower of Pandavas falling from Siva's crown and requested the flower to bear a false witness that he collected it from Siva's crown . Knowing this Lord Siva cursed Brahma that he would never be worshipped in the temple, and banished Pandavas flower from his adornment.

Lord Vishnu took the form of pig and kept digging down to reach Siva's foot; Siva was really pleased with the humility of Vishnu and took him his heart.

Girivalam

Full Moon pulls people and swells the crowd

Earthlings enjoy every full moon night. On every full moon day, the temple wears a festive look and draws devotees from all parts of the land as the nectar of the floral disc attracts bees with an osmotic pull of an astounding force. The full moon not only swells oceans and seas but also the crowd of devotees who throng about the temple. The moon shows its whole disc illuminated and this illumination exerts an influence upon earnest adherents by imperceptible means. While the waning phases of moon bring in depression its waning phases waken up soul of men to winsome elation; and the lovely luminous (full) moon brings in the devotees a magical sense of spiritual awakening. A glow with aspirations the adherents find a promise of new life, new spring in the severe summer of the earthly life.

Malaivalam (Girivalam)

A monthly ritual, a token of devotion working a stage in spiritual developments. The illumination of the entire disc of moon, is a monthly feature devotees drawn from different parts of the land visit the temple and phallic symbol placed in the sanctum sanctorum, and the mother Goddess 'UMA' and dextrally move in a circle in large numbers keeping the hill as the centre covering in a complete round a distance of nearly fifteen kilometers.

Viewing the vicissitudes of the vesture by which the nature covers the vertical monument.
Observing on all sides from the ground floor to the heavenly peak the changing moods of the hill.
Worshipping all along the way the hundred and odd lingams the masculine means of majesty, the phallic symbols used extensively in the cult of worship of 'Siva' and erected at regular intervals the procreative force (lingam).
Having a sense of detachment
Felling their oneness with the nature as they are
On joyous journey as
Go round the world, the universe, the constellations, all of which are his myth and manifestations.
Seeking spiritual union with the savior of all and for sometime the aspirants of higher aims are away from the harassing material world.

Devotees Glow in Health and return home refreshed

This monthly malaivalam, circuiting the sublime hill gives devotees spiritual power and relief from tension allays their suffering and alleviate their pain, calms their agitations and composes their feelings comforts them to a state to rest and joy offers an additional brightness of cheerfulness. This circumbulation issues a vital glow to the devotees who gain marvelous strength. All these one has to personally acquire and enjoy. The devotees return home refreshed and rejuvenated and refined regaining their lost hope and vigor with their psychic energy of primitive impulses converted into socially acceptable channels of endeavor.
One who thinks Arunachalam and desire to go around by water covering 15km the Arunachala hill and forwarding one foot will get equal benefit of Yagam and for second foot he will achieve the benefit of Raja suya Yagam and with clear mind of third foot will achieve Aswameda Yagam and who continues further will get beneficial of all Yagams.
Siddhas and devotees from various part of the World walk around on all days. In the full moon day of every month, lakhs of devotees go around the hill regularly.
Every angular sight of this holy hill - also known as Annamalai in the divine parameters of the upper worlds-offers various types of Godly visions of the mountain on your every footsteps and each such angular vision carries behind it thousand fold munificence and divine beneficence of the almighty all the 72000 cores of human physiology - are divinely activated and blissfully stream lined when you perform Girivalam here. the spiritual splendor of this holy mountain is enjoyed by physical circumambulation, under the divine guidelines of Sathguru who reveals its divine splendor .
The Siddhas tell going around the hill once destroys the karma of ten million births. That means nothing is as effective as MALAI VALAM. And siddhas like Sathguru Maharishi Venkatramana preaches devotees to walk around hill at least once in their life.

How to Make MalaiValam

Everyone should walk around the hill barefoot.
Mutter the name "Om Arunachala".
view the peak of the Arunachala hill during the circumambulation.
It should be undertaken during night.
There are 8 lingams, 360 holy tanks, mandapas and ashrams. There are eight lingams around the Arunachala hill one in each direction.

Sri Ranganathaswami Temple

Srirangam is the foremost of the eight self-manifested shrines (Swayam Vyakta Kshetras) of Lord Vishnu . It is also considered the first, foremost and the most important of the
108 main Vishnu temples (Divyadesams). This temple is also known as Thiruvaranga Tirupati, Periyakoil, Bhoologa Vaikundam, Bhogamandabam. In the Vaishnava parlance the term "KOIL" signifies this temple only. The temple is enormous in size. The temple complex is 156 acres in extent. It has seven
prakaras or enclosures. These enclosures are formed by thick and huge rampart walls which run round the sanctum.

There are 21 magnificent towers in all prakaras providing a unique sight to any visitor. this temple lies on an islet formed by the twin rivers Cauvery and Coleroon. The temple of Sri Ranganathaswami at Srirangam boasts an historic past of great kingdom and a civilization thousands of years old. The reign of the Pallavas was marked by the creation of a solid religious foundation, for example the encouragement given by the dynasty appears to have contributed to the growth of Aryan institutions in Southern India more particularly in the Carnatic. 

Cholas reigned for about three hundred years over the Coromandel Coast and the greater part of Eastern Deccan, where they helped an advanced Hindu Culture to flourish. The cholas were defeated in the thirteen century by the Pandyas of Madurai and Hoysalas of Mysore. Hoysalas had taken particular interest in the building of the Temple of Srirangam, leaving behind both the inscriptions and buildings. The Hoysalas were then driven away by the Pandyas in the early part of fourteenth Century. Later, the Mohammedans began frequently raiding the Deccan facing strong resistance from the Hindu Kingdom, which was established in Vijayanagar in 1336. The Kingdom maintained its independence until 1565. During this time, the Europeans had appeared in the south of India. In the sixteenth century a number of foreign travelers and traders passed through but taking least interest in the hinterland except for the routes it provided for their trade with the Kingdom of Vijayanagar. In 1600, the English East India Company was formed, and 1664 the French company. 

 In 1680, King Aurangazeb (1658-1707), launched a campaign in western Deccan. After long sieges and a great loss of life, the fortress cities of Bijapur and Golconda fell to him, and the campaign lasted until his death. In Europe, however, the war of Austrian succession set the English and the French at each other’s throats. Duplex captured Madras (1746), which was given back to the English two years later. The French were forced to surrender in 1752 and Duplex was disavowed and recalled in 1754. In 1760, a further French attempt, led by Lally-Tollendal, was unsuccessful and the French trading post was dismantled in 1763. From then on, the English Company gradually annexed the whole of the territory of India. 

Though the French came near to victory, later on they were defeated in 1798 by the English led by Wellessley and who invaded Mysore and in 1799 captured the fortress of Srirangapatnam. There after all of the Southern India came under the supremacy of England. The Carnatic was included in the direct administration of the Madras Presidency where it remained.