http://shanthiraju.wordpress.com/about/

Well, I am an IT professional with about 25 years of experience and headed the Indian unit of a MNC at Tidel Park, Chennai. Currently I am at Kalakshetra Colony, Besant Nagar, Chennai.

The following are the primary reasons that made me start this Blog:

1. Later after visiting a temple, I come to know about some importance of that temple, legends, legendary sculptures, places etc., within the temple which I had missed out. This makes me feel that my visit to the temple was a half-baked one. So I started the habit of researching about a temple before visiting it. During that process I found out that there is no single site for a particular temple that can give me all the information I needed. All different sites were giving me information in bits and pieces and I felt I can contribute something in this line. Mainly I wanted to give all the “not-to-be-missed” details of the temple beforehand so that one can feel his/her temple visit a complete and fulfilled one.
2. I am heavy hearted to see some ancient temples with great legendary values and importance deserted now. There are priests looking after these temples without absolutely any incomel. If my Blog can make at least a few people to visit these temples, I would be very happy.
3. After visiting a temple, I find out later that there are more such interesting temples/ places in the same route I just traveled and realised that my energy, time and money were not optimally spent. So I have given the temple details route wise.
4. I normally like traveling to new places and have a good spiritual interest as well. Combining, I found a new pleasure in visiting new temples and also writing about my visit.
5. I am pained by the attempts of the so called secular parties to disgrace our country’s ancient spiritual values and culture for the sake of vote banks. People have not learnt from what happened before, how our country was invaded, how many temples had been destroyed etc.,. Look at what Lord Macaulay addressed to the British Parliament on 2^nd Feb 1835:
   “I have travelled across the length and breadth of India and I have not seen one person who is a begger, who is a thief, such wealth I have seen in this country, such high moral values, people of such caliber, that I do not think we would ever conquer this country, unless we break the very backbone of this nation, which is her spiritual and cultural heritage, and, therefore, I propose that we replace her old and ancient education system, her culture, for if the Indians think that all that is foreign and English is good and greater than their own, they will lose their self-esteem, their native culture and they will become what we want them, a truly dominated nation.”
   Without taking pride in our own culture and belief system, people/press consider it a fashion to ridicule them. The political forces are trying their best - Rama had been described a ‘drunkard’ and insulted but of course got back enough of what was deserved. In a bit of anger, I wanted to do something and as a person from Tamilnadu, I wanted to start it immediately since there is a rule against spirituality currently (2007).
6. I understand that only about 5% of the temple collections is being ploughed back for the upkeep of the temples. Only when the temples get out of the hands of our political system, many dilapidated and ancient temples will come to limelight. This can be done only when the group of Spiritual seekers become bigger and stronger enough.

So I wish to contribute whatever little I can, in these lines. Your feedback will keep me going…..