Aalayam Kanden (Temples I saw)

Standing outside the Poondi Madha Basilica

I had the grace of visiting the Poondi Madha Basilica near Thanjavur recently. It was a totally unplanned visit. We were passing by the highway when we saw the Board reading "Way to Poondi Madha Basilica". Having heard so much about the grace of The Poondi Madha, and how she has created many miracles in the lives of her devotees, we quickly decided to detour and reach the Basilica. It was one pm in the afternoon and the church was relatively empty. The white tower of the Basilica stood out from a distance, inviting those eager to visit the Basilica and bask in the compassion of the Divine Mother.

Rows of Statues of Saints line the path to the Basilica

We walked slowly through the lane lined with statues of Saints, into the gates guarded by angels. There is a huge notice board giving bus and train routes from various parts of India to the Basilica along with timings. Rooms are available for those coming from other places to stay and pray at the church.

History of the Poondi Madha Basilica:

The original dome where the miraculous statue of Our Lady of Poondi is placed was built during 1714 - 1718 by Rev.Fr. Constantine Joseph Beschi. Tamilnadu knows him by the name of "Veeramamunivar" (வீரமாமுனிவர்) . An Italian Missionary, he mastered the Tamil language and has created several literary works that earned him the title of "Father of Tamil Prose". His "Thembaavani" and "Paramartha Guru Kadhai" are famous even today. The Tamilnadu Government has honoured him by placing his statue on the Marina Beach.
In 1956, the then Parish Priest, Rev. Fr. Lourdes Xavier, whose tomb is seen at the entrance of the chapel, where people stop by and pray, wanted to rebuild the dome which was in a state of damage, requiring immediate attention. Not having sufficient funds to carry out the repairs, he fasted and prayed to the Holy Mother for 15 days. On the 15th day morning, he heard an inner voice and told the people that the front portion of the church would come down on its own by that afternoon. Exactly as he said, the building collapsed. This happened on 22nd November, 1956 and the reconstruction was completed by 2nd May 1964.
The Holy Mother appeared to Bernadette in 1858 in Lourdes in France. Statues of Our Lady of Lourdes was sent to different parts of the World. Out of the three statues that came to India, one was brought to and remains in the Poondi Shrine. This statue is so unique, that while looking at it, one gets a feeling of looking at a live person.

Since the time the statue was installed in the church, a mysterious brightness has been filling up the entire church during night time. People started special devotion to Our Lady and several miracles started happening here, which continue till day!
A small piece of the original cross of Jesus was brought to the church by Rev.Fr.Rayappa in 1976. One can see this below the Statue of the Holy Mother.

Relic of the Original Cross (Photo Courtesy: Poondi Matha Basilica)

Several thousands of devotees throng the Poondi Madha Basilica on September 8th every year, the Birthday of Our Holy Mother. A procession is taken out in an ornamental chariot which is witnessed by people irrespective of caste and religion, who gather and pray here on this auspicious day.
The church has a membership scheme whereby one can pay as less as Rs.100 as a monthly subscription. When the amount reaches Rs.5000/- the person becomes a life member and the person is remembered and prayed during every mass offered in the shrine.

We knelt down and prayed at the altar. Looking at the Holy Mother who looked skywards in prayer, seemed to take away our burdens and lighten our hearts. After praying we went across the church, to the Museum, which houses all the articles and artifacts given by devotees whose prayers have been answered. From parts of the body in silver for diseases and ailments cured, to stethoscopes, pens, gold and silver jewellery, house models, several articles have been donated with devotion and gratitude. Letters thanking the Holy Mother for Her grace in their lives are attached to the artifacts and bear testimony to the various miracles that happen here every day.

There is also a Depot in the Church complex which sells various items like pictures, idols, books, CDs, Calendars, Bibles, Rosaries etc. Several people are seen here purchasing articles of their choice. Holy oil and water are also available in this depot. Since it was past 2 pm, we moved out towards the restaurant opposite to the church. On our way out, several geese cackled and played in the lawns outside. We stood for a while, taking in the beautiful surroundings.

Where is Poondi Madha Basilica:

The Poondi Madha Basilica is in Alamelupuram Poondi near Thirukattupalli in Thanjavur District of Tamilnadu.

Nearest Airport: Trichy - 45 kms

Nearest Railway Stations: - Budalur - 18 kms, Thanjavur - 35 kms, Trichy - 35 kms

Bus: Several State and Private Buses are available from Chennai, Vailankanni, Kumbakonam, Thanjavur, Pudukottai, Trichy, Kallanai, Lalgudi, Pullambadi and Perambalur.

Contact Details: 91-4362-280422

Address:

The Rector,

Poondi Madha Basilica,

Poondi, Thirukattupalli Via,

Thanjavur Pin: 613105

Mass Timings:

Weekdays - 6 am, 11.15 am and 5.15 pm

First and Third Saturday of Every Month - 6 am, 9.30 am, 11.15 am, 5.15 pm

First Saturday - Prayer Service followed by Mass - 9 pm and 12 pm

Sundays - 6 am, 8.30 am, 11.15 am, 12.30 pm (English) and 5.15 pm

For further information on the Basilica check out the official website of the shrine here

Main Altar (Photo Courtesy: Poondi Madha Basilica)

If you happen to be at this part of the world, do stop by to pray here. Peace of mind and relief guaranteed!

Aalayam Kanden wishes its readers a Merry Christmas and a Very Happy and Prosperous 2012!

Acknowledgements:

Sincere thanks to Mr. Ajoy Leo whose video of the Holy Mother has been used in this post, and to the Poondi Madha Basilica for pictures of the Main Altar and the Relic of the Original Cross.

OK, with everybody on the Kolaveri bandwagon, can I be far behind? The flop song, the soup song, is so apt for the situation I venture to describe.

Some time ago, I was taking a few friends to the Brihadeeswara Temple, Thanjavur - A UNESCO World Heritage Site where the millennium celebrations were conducted with such pomp and splendour in September 2010 by the then Chief Minister of Tamilnadu. It was close to 1 pm and the main shrines were closed. But there was still so much to see, in the huge, probably largest temple in India. So we slowly moved around ,shielding our eyes against the midday sun. My friends were well informed about the temple and were able to identify the goshta devathas very easily.

My attention, however, was captured by these, which resulted in the title for this post. Take a look!

What do you see here?

A beautiful Dhakshinamoorthy with a couple of sages worshipping at his feet. Let us just turn the angle of this picture. Now look- what you can see?

The walls on either side of the shrine are vandalised mercilessly. A Compass or key ha been used to make deep impressions of names of visitors who for some crazy reason wanted to leave behind their names here. Take a close up look of how bad it is!

Whoever N.Raji was, he or she has not done himself/ herself or the temple a favour :( See how deep the cuts into the stone are!

Can you see the PMC carved into stone? Imagine how much of time and effort would have gone into this brutal vandalism! Well this is not all! Several other gods and goddesses are sitting amidst graffiti. It almost looked to me as if there were in a middle of a garbage bin. I am sorry if this hurts any one's sentiments, but honestly, when the sanctum sanctorum or the surrounding areas of where God resides, is damaged like this,
I do not know what else to say!

Here is one Shivalingam with graffiti as his backdrop! But he is not alone!

Here is another - equally if not more affected!

Well, here are Saptha Lingas with an entire wallpaper and arch of graffiti around them!

No one is spared - complete equality when it comes to graffiti! Do you want to take a closer look?

"The writing's up on the wall" - right up to the ceiling and all along the " Thiruchutru Maaligai" so thoughtfully built by Rajaraja's Senathipathi Krishnan Raman and decorated by King Sarfoji by installing 108 lingams and covering the walls with exquisite paintings. So are you wondering what happened to the paintings?

Philip and Mumtaj are part of this unique painting which possibly shows the Crane that prayed at the Potraamarai Kulam at Madurai ( I am guessing it is that part of Thiruvilaiyaadal Puranam).

Can Kennedy and Daisy be far behind? They too have made sure their names are part of another unique painting.

Even a water drum has not been spared! What is the sanctity or everlasting value of having your name on a water drum? Beats me!

Okay, by now, I can hear some of you murmuring, what is point in talking about this or documenting this? Why cant some action be taken? Good question. Tried to do that too. Hear me out fully.

Some days ago, a friend of mine had shared a picture of a painting taken at a temple.

I had shared it on my face book wall and it attracted a lot of feedback. In fact, one of my friends from a conservation NGO, offered to clean up and restore the painting if necessary approvals were obtained. So totally enthused by this, I set off to the temple. Reached there at 8.30 in the morning and was told that the priest only came at 6.30 to perform pooja and after that he came only when called or if there was a group of tourists through a known travel agency visiting! The temple however was open, and there were a couple of senior citizens resting there. I could not find the painting anywhere.

Feeling bored after waiting for close to an hour, with no sign of the priest, I picked up a conversation with the people there. They said that the painting was inside a mandapam which was opened only on request, when the priest was available. One lady said that the original painting had been totally damaged, and the new painting had been done about sixty years ago. But that was also peeling off (probably due to use of acrylic colours?) She mentioned that the mandapam was permanently closed now to prevent school children from scribbling on the wall. She said the temple was thinking of whitewashing the mandapam which she too thought was the best solution since the temple did not have the funds to either restore or subsequently maintain the painting. She did not seem to have the contact details of any officer and I could not stay longer due to other commitments.

So what is the issue and what is the solution? One solution suggested by Makemytrip's www.responsibletraveler.in is Amar Prem - a Virtual site where you can inscribe your names on virtual monuments and take printouts. But do we really have to promote vandalism in any form?

To me it seems like a collective behavioural change is urgently required at both ends - responsible users of the temple, responsible office bearers ably supported by a responsible civil society and government. I have just documented what I saw, and felt! Thoughts, suggestions and solutions welcome!

God's Own Footwear? Sounds puzzling, does it? To understand better, you must travel back with me to late 7th Century. Puthur Village, in Tamilnadu, wore a festive look. People were seen dressed in their best, walking towards an exquisitely decorated marriage hall ,where the wedding rites of Nambi Arooran with the daughter of Shadongavi Shivachariyaar were being performed.

The groom looked majestic in his regal attire, wearing a crown of gold, and garlands of sweet smelling flowers. His body was anointed with sandalwood paste. Chains of gold, and sacred thread decorated his torso. With a smile on his face, he was performing the rituals, looking from the corner of his eye, at the beautiful maiden who sat by his side, her head bowed with shyness. The mangalsutra was being carried around to elders for their blessings. The drums and nadaswaram blared, announcing the auspicious time for the holy thread to be tied.

At this point, an old brahmin walked into the marriage hall. His body was smeared with sacred ash. His long locks of hair and dangling Rudrakshas in his ears swung on either side of his face. He carried a staff in one hand and a palm manuscript in the other. Wooden "Padharakshaas" (footwear) clattered as he walked. " Stop the marriage" he cried out. "You are my bondsman", he said pointing to Nambi Arooran.

The young man laughed. " How can a brahmin be a bondsman of another brahmin? Are you joking, Piththa (Mad Man)? Show me the record that I am your bondsman" he smirked. " Don't laugh, young man. Here I have- the document written by your grandfather as proof of your bondage" said the old man, waving the palm manuscript at Arooran. The young man lunged at the old brahmin, trying to grab the manuscript from him. The old man tried to dodge, but Arooran was too quick for him.

He grabbed the palm leaf from the old man, and tore it up. " Is this fair?" cried the old man to the village elders gathered at the wedding. " I will now take him to my place - Thiruvennainallur, before the village elders to settle this dispute" he said. They had no choice but to permit it.

The old man walked to the Tiruvennainallur Temple, called Thiruvarutturai in those days, where the village elders were gathered at the hundred pillared hall. Arooran and his relatives followed him. " This man, Arooran tore up the record written by his grandfather, declaring him as my bondsman" he complained. The village elders questioned Arooran " Can you ensure success to your plea by tearing up the old man's record forcibly? What do you have to say on your behalf?

The hundred pillared hall where the case was discussed

Arooran replied angrily " This man is a piththan (mad man). How can a brahmin be a bondsman of another brahmin?" At this, the old man responded " The record torn by Arooran was a copy. I have the original record written by his grandfather here". He pulled out the document from his upper garment and gave it to the Karnam to read. The document mentioned that Aarooran, Aadhi Saivaite Brahmin of Naavalur, had executed the deed in favour of Piththan of Vennai Nalloor, in full possession of his senses and willingly, that he and his descendants would be his bondsmen. To confirm the signature, another document written by Nambi Aarooran's grandfather was brought out and compared and found to be a match.

The village elders ruled that Aarooran was indeed the bondsman of Piththan. They asked the old man, " You say you belong to this place. Show us your house". " Follow me to my abode" said the old brahmin, and started walking. Nambi Aarooran followed him. He walked into the temple and disappeared.

The young man was amazed. He ran into the temple, weeping, realising the Lord had indeed appeared before him, and argued for so long, to make him his bondsman. The Lord appeared again before Aarooran, with his consort, on Rishaba Vahana.

The window seen above is where the Lord had appeared
before Sundarar

"Oh Sweet Lord! What grace have I gained to be restrained by you this way?" he wept. The Lord narrated how he - Aalaala Sundarar had been his "Anukka Thondar" (personal assistant) in Kailash.He had desired two of the Lord's attendants - Kamalini and Anindhithai. The Lord granted him the boon to be born on earth to attain these earthly pleasures. Sundarar had requested him to rescue him if he was found to falter which was why he had appeared in the guise of an old brahmin. The Lord asked Sundarar to sign hymns in praise of him. He also gave him the title of "Van Thondaar" as he had bitterly argued with the Lord. Awe-inspired, Sundarar could not think of how to sing on the Lord. The Lord prompted, " You had called me Piththan (Mad Man) during our argument. Start with that word". And so Sundarar sang " Piththa, Pirai Soodi, Pemmaane Arulaala" - The first hymn to have been sung by Sundarar, who came to be known as Sundaramoorthy Nayanar, which is now featured in the Seventh Thirumurai of the Devaram.

The footwear worn by the Lord when he appeared as an old man

The Padharakshaas worn by the Lord Himself and left behind when he disappeared into the temple, have been preserved safely during and after Sundarar's time in the Thiruvennainallur Kirubapureeswarar Temple. Today it is covered in silver and placed in a glass chamber in the Sanctum Sanctorum. The priest, after offering harathi to the Lord, also shows harathi to his footwear and worships it with utmost reverence. Even today people take back a pinch of sand from the temple and preserve it in their pooja room, as the Lord Himself had walked here.

The Goddess Kali worshipped by Tamil Poet Kambar

A small tin sheet board with fading letters, used to catch my attention while travelling from Thiruvennainallur , to Sirumadurai where my in-laws live. With the words Vaidhehi Electricals occupying the best part of the board, the letters half visible would read " Kamban Vazhipatta Kali Kovilukku Sellum Vazhi" (Way to the Kali temple worshipped by the Tamil Poet Kambar). Every time I read the board, I would make a mental note to visit the temple. However, the time, somehow, did not come true.

About a year ago, I noticed the tin sheet board had been replaced with a concrete board with the details painted in bright colours. When I asked my father-in-law about it, he said that the temple had been renovated, and there were a number of children who came there to study every day. This gave me immense satisfaction, because I strongly believe that places of worship in villages should become part of social infrastructure and take a place in community development.

This Pongal we decided to visit the temple on our way back from Thiruvennainallur.We were soon at the board reading "Chinna Sevalai". The path that lead from the main road was clearly not meant for vehicle transport beyond a few metres. When we asked for directions, we were asked to park our car there and start walking.

At the point from where one has to walk to reach the temple

There were a couple of houses with thatched roofs at the beginning of the lane, after which one had to directly walk through the fields. The recently harvested sugarcane stubs and the high tension electricity wires hanging low were a potential threat as we slowly made our way towards the temple.

Way to the temple

In the middle of the greenery, one could see two brightly coloured shrines on either side of the lone statue that stood in the open field. As we went closer , we could see that the two shrines on either side were of recent times, and contained idols of Ganesha and Subramanya. Probably these were installed during the recent renovation.

The temple is visible amongst the trees and the greenery

My mind raced in excitement as I thought Here I am ....at the very place where Kambar - the Illustrious Tamil Poet who wrote Kamba Ramayana, must have lived and played in his childhood. Born in a village called Therezhundhur in Tamilnadu, Kambar and his mother moved to Tiruvennainallur in search of livelihood.

Here, they were offered shelter and support by Sadaiyappar, a rich farmer, popularly called Sadaiyappa Vallal, because of his generosity and philanthropy.

Every morning, Sadaiyappa Vallal used to go to his fields on the outskirts of Thiruvennainallur. After inspecting the fields, he took bath in the nearby stream, and prayed to Goddess Kali who stood in the middle of his fields. Once Kambar came into Sadaiyappar's household, the farmer took the young boy along with him everyday when he went to worship Kali. From the very first day, Goddess Kali's divine and compassionate look had fallen on the young boy.

Seeing the boy's keen interest in studies, Sadaiyappar made arrangements to teach him Sanskrit and Tamil. Soon he was well versed in both languages. Whenever he desired, Sadaiyappar used to ask Kambar to read Sanskrit verses and poems and explain the contents to him in Tamil. Kambar's grasp of languages, and his excellent translation skills, made Sadaiyappar think how good it would be if Kambar could translate an epic into Tamil thereby making it easy for anyone to read and understand the whole story, even if they did not have an understanding of Sanskrit.

It was here, in the presence of this Kali, that Sadaiyappar expressed his desire for Kambar to translate the Valmiki Ramayana into Tamil, to which Kambar readily agreed. The auspicious inauguration of "Ramakaadhai" happened at this very place.

The goddess stands in open air on a raised platform. No one knows the exact time from which she has been there, although people claim that she could be over 2000 years old. The idol is so old and blackened with oil and camphor that the features are not clearly identifiable. The best part of her body was covered by a Saree. I was tempted to take a picture of the entire idol, but was worried about incurring the villagers' wrath if I attempted that.

As she is reckoned as the Goddess who made Kambar a scholar, several children come to this temple to study. People who visit here brings fruits and biscuits for the children. Several others bring their children to pray to her before exams or important events. The Goddess stands here, granting Gnana to all those who seek her. Better transport facilities and better awareness about the existence of this temple could bring many many more people here who could benefit from her benevolence.

Bells above the Kali temple

How to reach here:

By road: Turn at Arasur if you are travelling on NH 45 - right if you are travelling from Chennai and Left if you are travelling from Trichy or elsewhere down south. About Seven kms down the road, you will reach Thiruvennainallur. At Thiruvennainallur, turn right on the road that goes to Thirukoilur. A couple of kilometres down the road, you will come across the cement board on the right side that shows the direction towards "Chinna Sevalai

By bus: Buses plying between Villupuram and Thirukovilur via Thiruvennainallur stop at Chinna Sevalai Village. One has to walk about 200 metres from the bus stand to reach the temple.

By train: Nearest railway station - Villupuram. I think Villupuram - Trichy passenger stops at Thiruvennainallur road although the exact timings are to be verified

By air: Nearest airports - Trichy and Chennai

Temple Timings: The temple is open all through the day.

Sanjeevi Raya Hanuman Temple, Ayyangarkulam

It is quite common to find Hanuman in Vishnu/Ramar temples facing the Sanctum Sanctorum or in a seperate shrine. There are even Shiva temples where we can see seperate shrines for Hanuman.

But here is a temple where the Siriya Thiruvadi is in the Sanctum Sanctorum and the Periya Thiruvadi (Garudalwar) is found outside. For a medium sized temple, there is no other shrine.

Surprised! Come to Sanjeevi Raya Hanuman Temple, Ayyangarkulam.

Situated on the Kanchipuram - Vandavasi route, on the banks of Palar, this temple has been built by Sri Koti Kannikadhanam Lakshmi Kumara Thathachariar in the 16th Century. The history behind this temple is extremely interesting.

Lakshmi Kumara Thathachariar was the Raja Guru of the Vijayanagara Kings - Venkata Raya I and II and the Chief Minister of the Vijayanagar empire during his time. He hailed from the glorious Acharya lineage of Vaishnavite philosophers and had heriditary relations with Nathamunigal, Sri Alavandhar, Sri Ramanuja etc. Considering his knowledge and acts of philanthropy which gave him the title of Koti Kannikadhanam, the Vijayanagar kings nominated him as the Sri-Karya Durandharar of all the Divya Desams in their empire.

One night, Sri Thathachariar was travelling to Kanchipuram with the royal gifts he received from the king, to offer them to Varadaraja Perumal. As it became dark, he decided to stay where the temple now stands and spend the night under a tree there.

During Treta Yuga, when Hanuman was carrying the Sanjeevi Parvata to revive Lakshmana who was hurt and unconscious, it is believed that a piece of the parvata had fallen at this point.

After Thathachariar and his men settled down and fell asleep, having safeguarded the riches under the tree, a group of robbers came there and started looting. Immediately, a group of monkeys appeared out of nowhere, and started attacking the robbers.

The robbers in an effort to save themselves, started running. Some of them could not bear the attack and fell down unconscious. Thathachariar could see all the happenings as if in a dream. He saw the monkeys safeguarding the treasures after driving away the robbers. He could also see that Sri Hanuman himself was spearheading the attack. Overwhelmed with devotion, he sang a sloka in praise of Lord Hanuman called "Srimad Hanumath Vimsati". He vowed to build a temple there for Hanuman and that was how the Sanjeevi Raya Hanuman Temple came to be built. Sri Thathachariar also built a massive pond of almost 150 acres that has come to be known as "Thatha Samudram" after the Thathachariar. The place has also got its name of Ayyangarkulam from the pond and thathachariar

The temple was closed when we reached. There is a lady living nearby, who is the caretaker of the temple and opens it for visitors on request.The main entrance to the temple is probably opened only on festival days. Entry is usually from the pond side. There is a 24 pillared mandapam on the banks of the pond that lead to the temple. This mandapam has about 85 different types of hanumans of various forms on the pillars.

On entering the temple, we found the "Hanumad Vimsathi" written in Grantha script clear and bold, on an entire wall. It was indeed sad to say, that the wall had been painted in stripes of saffron, oblivious to the inscriptions on it. Despite this, the letters are so bold and clear that it was a delight to watch.

My camera for some reason was giving me a lot of trouble. I could do nothing about it then, and for best part of my visit to this temple, I had to resort to shooting in video mode. Apologies for the poor quality of the pictures, which I hope to replace during my next visit.

There is a huge mutram in the temple, which has a strikingly handsome Garudalwar with outspread wings.

This remarkable Garudalwar, over six feet tall, stands in open air, with hands folded in prayer is sure to catch anyone's attention.

We moved towards the Sanctum Sanctorum, where Sanjeevi Raya Hanuman, stands alone. He stands with Anjali Hastha and without a crown, slightly bowing forward. It is believed that in Ayyangarkulam, people bit by insects do not have any discomfort or physical problems, due to the presence and grace of Sanjeeviraya Hanuman. Praying at this temple is also powerful for yielding child birth, especially male progeny.

Here I must share my personal experience. When I heard that the Hanuman here grants wishes for childbirth, I prayed earnestly for my niece and my friend's daughter, who have both been looking to start a family for some time now. At the time of writing this post, I have received confirmations, that they are in the family way. This has come as a pleasant surprise for me, because my sincere prayer has been answered in only two weeks' time.

The Hanuman was a delight and I was really eager to capture him on camera after praying, but photography was not allowed in the Sanctum Sanctorum ,. On our way out, we saw the idols of Rama, Seetha and Lakshmana piled up in an alcove! These were probably made later, but never installed.

There is a huge kitchen (Madappalli) with blackened walls and an awesome "Kal Uruli" and a huge stone bench that is used for making puliyodharai during festivals.

The gopurams with typical Vijayanagar architecture have vegetation grown on them. There are two mandapams where the utsavars would be brought during festivals. The walls have "Dasavathara panels" in a poor state of maintenance.

We walked out and around the temple to witness an architectural wonder - the "Nata Bhavi". It has an arch, quite similar to the one at Hampi Thulabharam, but of smaller size, with a gajalakshmi on top. It contains a well like structure, with a 16 pillared underground hall, with cloistered verandahs. This structure is usually full of water. There is a mechanism (Yetram) to take out the water when required.

The Ayyangarkulam Nata Bhavi

On Chitra Pournami Day every year, Lord Varadaraja Perumal of Kanchipuram comes here, to this Nata Bhavi goes down the steps and into the hall, and then is taken around it,as part of the Vasanthosavam. Thirumanjanam is performed here for the Lord. We also observed that when we dropped a stone in the well on the opposite side of the Natabhavi we were able to see ripples in the water collected inside the Bhavi.

A fence has been created around the Nata Bhavi after it was featured in the tamil film "Naan Kadavul" where the villian keeps all the children and beggars hidden. It was sad to see two wheelers parked and men drinking behind this structure.

How to get here:

On the Kanchipuram - Vandavasi route, turn at the Vembakkam Koot Road. After you cross the Palar bridge, continue on SH116 you will reach the temple.

The address is Sanjeevirayar Hanuman Temple, No.35, Ayyangarkulam Village, Kanchipuram Taluk - 631502.(12.78'E, 79.67'N)

Contact Details:

I will update this portion soon, as I was not able to get the telephone numbers of any archaka at the time of the visit.

Thanks Blogadda for selecting this post as Spicy Saturday Pick on 25th February 2012 !

Avva!

It was the summer of 2008 when I first saw Avva. We were on a trip to Anegundi and Navabrindavan. On the way back, our boatman told us about Chintamani and the cave where Rama met Sugreeva for the first time. We were excited and wanted to visit immediately.

When we reached , we found a temple had been raised ahead of the cave in later times, housing a beautiful Shivalingam, and Annapoorani. Both these shrines, were clean and decorated with fresh flowers. There were no other visitors at that time. I looked around to see Avva, sitting under a tree.

It was close to noon and extremely hot. Avva chided us for coming in the hot sun and showed us around. She told us about the Swamiji who had built the temple and about how he had gone into one of the caves below the temple and never returned.

My son, wanted to go into the cave and see what was inside. Avva told him gently that it would not be appropriate for him to do so. For a lady of her age (she told us she was over 80 years), Avva was extremely agile and cheerful. She climbed the steep steps quickly, while we panted our way behind her.

Avva then took us, into the cave where Rama and Sugreeva had met for the first time, when Rama and Lakshmana came to Kishkinda looking for Sita. It was here that Sugreeva showed Rama, Sita's head jewel (Chintamani) that she had dropped while being carried away, and so the place came to be known as Chintamani. The cave is also significant because it was here that Sugreeva introduced Hanuman to Lord Rama and Rama agreed to help Sugreeva by killing his brother Vali.

Avva, made us sit in a semi - circle around the stone where Rama sat and we listened to her in rapt attention as she narrated the various incidents in Ramayana that were related to Chintamani. She showed us Rama's foot impression at the spot where he stood and shot an arrow to kill Vali.

We never asked Avva her name. She was happy to be called Avva, and delighted when my husband wanted to take a picture with her. She had been living alone in the temple for over sixty years.

My husband with Avva

Avva said, as a young girl, she had seen people come to drink and sleep through the day at the Chintamani cave and having heard of its significance, she used to clean the cave, place lamps and flowers on the Rama stone, and drive those people away.

I was amused when she said she had got help to move a statue of a hunter and huntress to the entrance of the cave to stay guard during nights.

The hunter and huntress who were Avva's Security guards!

Avva's life revolved around the cave and the temple. She had moved in permanently when the Swamiji came there - helping him with food, flowers and cleaning of the temple. She did not know where he came from, by merely said that he was a great man - her Guru.

I was so impressed by Avva's simplicity, grace and a sense of responsibility - when all other people in the village had treated the cave merely as a place to drink, sleep and make merry, she had possessed the interest, self-will and determination to protect the sanctity of a holy place and maintain it with minimal support.

Avva said her family members stayed in the village and she did not want to leave the temple alone (!) and so stayed and took care of it. She did not know a word of English or Tamil and spoke a mixture of Telugu and Kannada. But we were able to perfectly understand what she was saying - her eyes and hands spoke volumes and the medium of speech was barely necessary!

After that visit, I made it a point to tell my friends who visited Navabrindavan to go to Chintamani and meet Avva - a saint in her own way. My friends came back with exciting tales to share - how wonderful she was and how delighted they were to meet her!

Last summer, I got an opportunity to travel to Hampi. An author friend of mine, had suggested taking a person from Anegundi as a guide. When we reached Anegundi I was eager to meet Avva again. So as soon as the man got into the van, I told him we first wanted to see Chintamani.

When we reached the temple, I ran inside. The spot where Avva usually sat was empty. There were dried leaves, and old flowers lying around and it looked like the place had not been cleaned for a few days. I was puzzled. Something was wrong.

I turned around, and asked the guide " Where is Avva...the old lady who used to take care of the temple? "

" Oh, she died", he said.

I froze in silence. The noble and selfless soul, had mingled with the divine consciousness at such a holy place. All her life, she had wanted to clean and maintain Chintamani and it was only deserving that she got moksha at the shrine she loved the most! I stood for a couple of minutes under the tree, to pay homage to Avva.

As we got into the car, I saw two men walking into the cave, with bottles in hand. ..........

Avva, a simple woman, a selfless soul!

To read all about Chintamani , Visit Aalayam Kanden: Chintamani Temple, Anegundi

This is an entry for Around the World with Expedia Contest conducted by Indiblogger and Expedia!

The entrance of Sri Brahmapureeswarar Temple, Kilakurukkai

The first time I heard about Kilakurukkai was through an article in Sakthi Vikatan under the "Aalayam Theduvom" section. Little did I anticipate that I would actually have an opportunity to visit the temple within a couple of weeks of reading about it, along with the REACH Foundation team.

Sri Pushpambigai Samedha Sri Brahmapureeswarar Temple at Kilakurukkai is about 4 kms away from the Mahamaham Tank. Driving thorough the narrow lanes, and asking our way around, we arrived at the once majestic, now dilapidated temple with a thatch in front of the entrance, providing welcome relief against the scorching sun.

There was no gopuram at the main entrance - It probably existed till a few hundred years ago, when this temple had seven praharas and a large, majestic tank. The temple is empty, but for a few children playing hide and seek inside. The Archakar, Ravi Gurukkal, with whom we had already conversed over telephone, welcomes us warmly and takes us into the main shrine.

The Nandi Mandapam in this temple is unique. It has two Nandis side by side facing the shrines of Lord Brahmapureeswara and Goddess Pushpambikai respectively.

The two Nandis in the same mandapam

There is an open mandapam which has exquisite icons. This temple is said to have been built during the times of Kulothunga Chola III according to the Gurukkal. There is an interesting story behind how this place came to be known as Kurukkai or Korukkai (as it was called earlier).

Korakka Siddar or Kulothunga Chola ?

Korakka Siddhar, was once on his way to the Brahmapureeswarar temple to worship the Lord. Overwhelmed with fatigue, he rested in a choultry on the outskirts of the town. When he woke up, he found the loose end of the saree of a woman sleeping near him draped across his arm. The shocked Siddhar who had sworn to never touch or be touched by a woman, took the machete that he carried along to clear plants and weeds in temples, and chopped off his hand. Holding the machete under his leg, he chopped off his other hand too.

He then reached the Brahmapureeswara temple, and stayed here for many days, bathing daily at the Chandra Pushkarani and singing hymns in praise of the Lord and Goddess Pushpambigai, clapping his short hands. The Lord pleased with Korakkar's devotion, made his short hands grow back and that was how the place came to be known as KORAKKAI - KORAKKAR + KAI (HAND IN TAMIL) or KURUKKAI - KURUGU (SHORT IN TAMIL) + KAI (HAND).

There is an idol of Korakkar with folded hands in the open mandapa. The Gurukkal mentioned that it could also be an idol of Kulothunga Chola III and the identity is to be confirmed.

Near this idol one can also see idols of Adhikara Nandi and Saptha Swara Ganesha.

Adhikara Nandhi

On the other side, there is an idol of Lord Muruga with his consorts. This idol has been moved here from a shrine in the outer prahara that had collapsed earlier. This muruga idol is said to be a musical one as also the Ganesha present here. Tapping the idol from head to toe with a coin could produce saptha swaras! On an alcove behind this idol, one can see an exquisite Kradha Moorthy.

Close up of the Krada Moorthy partially hidden by the idols before him!

Beautiful Krada Moorthy

Once we cross this mandapa we enter the passage that leads to the Sanctum Sanctorum. Lord Brahmapureeswara who helped Lord Brahma regain his knowledge and wisdom, sits in simplicity, ready to bestow his grace and blessings to anyone who took the effort to visit him. There is only one dwarapalaka - the other one was stolen ! says the Gurukkal.

Lord Brahmapureeswara

We close our eyes in prayer. The Gurukkal performs Harathi and describes how the Lord came to be known as Brahmapureeswara or Brahma Gnanapureeswara.

Brahma had once become vain that he was the creator of the universe. To make him realise his state, Lord Vishnu created two asuras - Madhu and Kaidaba from two drops of his sweat, who stole the vedas from Brahma and hid them under the ocean.

Realising his great folly, Lord Brahma sought the forgiveness of Lord Vishnu. Vishnu taking the form of Hayagriva killed the asuras and gave the Vedas back to Brahma. Despite regaining the Vedas, Lord Brahma still did not regain his memory about creation and the knowledge of the Vedas. To help him overcome this problem, Lord Vishnu asked him to come to Keelakurukkai, bathe in the Chandra Pushkarni, perform "Adi Pradhakshinam" and worship Lord Shiva here.

Lord Brahma along with Goddess Saraswathi, worshipped Lord Shiva as suggested. It is believed that on an Avittam (star)day in the tamil month of Avani, Lord Shiva restored the lost memory and knowledge to Lord Brahma, because of which he is called Brahma pureeswara or Brahmagnana Pureeshwara.

This shrine is a recommended place of worship for those born under the Avittam star. Also since it was here that Brahma and Saraswathi regained knowledge and wisdom, children who need improvement in memory and studies, worship at this shrine, on an Avittam star day to see a marked improvement in their academic performance.

The shrine of Goddess Pushpambigai amidst vegetation

The Goddess here is called Pushpambikai. It is believed that when Goddess Saraswathi and Lord Brahma worshipped Lord Shiva here, they also worshipped the Goddess with fresh fragrant flowers and pleased with their devotion, she appeared before them and granted their boon along with her Lord and hence she came to be known as Pushpambigai.

The shrine totally is quite dilapidated and the Goddess inside, decorated in simple attire, is devoid of any flowers or ornaments. A single lamp glows in the darkness barely providing light to witness the Goddess' face. I had to use the flash on my camera and look at her. It was indeed painful to witness a temple, so rich in mythology, and originally large enough to hold seven praharas, reduced to this state of neglect.

Goddess Pushpambigai

The Goshta devathas around the main shrine are equally adorable. The Nardana Vinayaka (Dancing Ganesha) with the hanging belly is absolutely endearing.

Nardhana Ganapathi

The Dhakshinamoorthy who helped Lord Brahma to regain his knowledge and wisdom by preaching the Pranava Mantra to him at this temple, is also found in a majestic posture. The Peepal tree above his head seems significantly reduced.

Lord Dakshinamoorthy

Behind the sanctum sanctorum, one can see Ardhanareeswara - so distinguished and elegant at the same time.

Ardhanareeswara

Yet another unique feature of this temple is the presence of Vishnu Durga. Unmarried girls present garlands of turmeric sticks for attaining good marriage proposals. She looks magnificient holding Chakra (Discus) and Sanku (Conch) in either hand.


Vishnu Durga

Chandra is said to have worshipped Lord Brahmagnanapureeshwara here to protect himself from Rahu and Kethu. He is believed to have created the Chandra Pushkarani to perform abhishekam for the Lord. An idol of Chandra along with Bhairava and Chandikeshwara is seen near the outer wall of the temple.The Chandra Pushkarani that once cleansed Brahma, Saraswathi, Chandra and Korakkar is today seen as a common dump yard.

Chandra Pushkarani Today

Significance of the temple:

It was on the day of Avittam Star in the tamil month of Aavani that Lord Shiva gave back to Brahma the knowledge of the Vedas and the ability to continue with creation. Since it was the day of Brahmopadesham, it is also the day when new sacred threads are changed every year (Yagnopaveetham). Since the Brahmopadesham is said to have occured here, it is beneficial to conduct Upanayanam (Sacred thread ceremony for young Brahmin boys) at this temple.

Among the temples belonging to the 27 stars, this temple is for those born under Avittam Star.

This temple has two nandis in the same mandapam facing the shrines of Lord Brahmapureeswara and Goddess Pushpambigai respectively. Girls seeking good marriage proposals and couples who want better harmony in the family, offer a single garland of 4 handlengths made of groundnuts to both the Nandis during Pradhosha time. Groundnuts always grow in bunches and offering groundnuts symbolises prayers to keep couples and families together.

Students seeking good memory and knowledge offer garlands made of cashewnuts to the Lord and see tremendous improvement in their academic performance.Cashewnut is the only fruit that has its seeds outside of it. This signifies Gnana or knowledge and hence offering Cashewnuts is significant here.

For those born under Avittam Star there are special periods in their lives when they must worship at this temple to overcome challenges.

Those under the Age of 7 undergong Chevvai Thasai in their horoscope are blessed with good health

Those from 5 to 23 years undergoing Rahu Thasai in their horoscope pursue higher education

Those between 18 and 40 for good marriage proposal, childbirth and improvement in career/business

Those between 38 to 60 years for family harmony and spiritual knowledge.

Performing Adi Pradhakshina (Step Circumambulation) around the Sanctum Sanctorum is said to stimulate those nerves connected with memory and knowledge in the brain and therefore, Adi Pradhakshina is a common form of worship here for those seeking higher or spiritual knowledge.

Ravi Gurukkal with the children from the village

How to reach Kizhakkurukai:

The Sri Pushpambikai Samedha Sri Brahmagnanapureeshwar Temple at Kizhakurukkai is about 4 km from the Western bank of the Mahamaham Tank at Kumbakonam. One can also reach this temple by bus plying via Tharasuram, and Muzhaiyur to Marudhanallur.

Temple Timings:

Morning 11 am to 1 pm Evening 5 pm to 6 pm

Contact Details:

Shri Ravi Gurukkal - 98658 04862

The outer wall of the praharam has collapsed on one side

This wonderful temple is today in a dismal state and definitely needs patronage to restore it to its original glory. Do visit and lend a helping hand!

The entrance of Sri Raghavendra Swamy Temple, Thirumullaivoyal

The month of March was extremely hectic, and much that I wanted to, it was difficult to travel out to the various temples I had on my plan. This made me feel quite low, and I was really happy when one of my friends invited me to join her for a trip to Thirumullaivoyal, on the outskirts of Chennai. The destination was Sri Raghavendra Swamy Temple, built by Actor -Director, Raghavendra Larrence, two years ago.

There are several places around the world, where Sri Raghavendra Swamy's Mrithika Brindavana can be worshipped but very few places where Guru Rayaru is worshipped in human form. The unique feature about this temple is the huge life-like Guru Raghavendra Swamy in a tastefully built temple cum meditation complex.

We reached Saraswathy Nagar around 3.45 pm. The temple was closed and the board outside announced that it would open at 4 pm. The temple is located in a developing area, and from the outside it looked like a modern farm house,with manicured lawns and swaying coconut palms.

Slowly, people tricked down the lane, and gathered near the wrought iron gates which opened a little after four. The people who had till then waited patiently despite the sun beating down on them, moved in quietly.

The curved driveway led to the spotlessly clean temple. "தலை வணங்கி உள்ளே வா கேட்டது கிடைக்கும்" (Come in with humility and your prayers will be answered), announced the golden letters at the entrance .

The temple complex

One noteworthy feature about this temple is the silence and order. There was pin-drop silence as people waited, queued up to go in, performed Harathi, circumambuled or meditated.

The chant "Om Sri Raghavendraya Namaha" emanating from the speakers and the waft of incense added to the tranquility of the temple.

Krishna

An idol of Krishna stood in the middle of the meditation hall. There were also idols of Desa Muthumariamman, Shivalingam, Ganesha and Muruga behind the Sanctum Sanctorum.

What I loved most was the magnificient idol of Sri Raghavendra Swamy. The idol is almost life like, with eyes looking skyward. The added advantage here, is that the devotees are allowed to go up and close and perform Harathi to the Swamy. Apart from a backdrop of the Moola Brindavana, there are also idols of Hanuman, Kamadhenu, and a granite statue of the Swamy.

Annadhanam is provided on special days in a separate hall constructed next to the temple. Devotees are encouraged to contribute towards this activity.

Address of the temple:
7th Street, Saraswathi Nagar, (Opp to Vivekananda School)
Thirumullaivoyal, Chennai - 601209

Contact Details:
Mobile number : 9791500866

Timings of the Temple:
6.30 am to 12.30 pm
4.00 pm to 8.30 pm

Ashtamsa Varada Anjaneya Swamy, in Raja Alankaram

There are several hundreds of temples for Hanuman all over India where the Ramadhootha is seen in different forms and sizes. Whatever be the location, size of the temple or the idol, Lord Hanuman remains a source of strength and a much sought after God for devotees around the world.

Here is a temple where you can see Anjaneya like never before - with eight unique and distinctive features that set him apart from any other Hanuman, rightly called Sri Ashtamsa Varada Anjaneya Swamy!

As I stood before him, he seemed to me like a young child in the family, that parents love to dress up,and dote upon, relatives and friends love to visit and adore, a child so special, that brings joy and happiness to everyone who comes to his doorstep!

Another form of Raja Alankara!

The temple is located off the busy Avinashi Road in Coimbatore. The infrastructure is very simple. There is a main shrine for the Ashtamsa Varada Anjaneya Swamy with a Pravachana Mandapam to the left of the temple. So how did this Anjaneya Swamy, the darling of thousands of devotees come to Coimbatore and what do his features signify?

Swaya Roopa Alankaram

His Holiness Swamy Haridoss Giri had given the Moola Sri Rama, Sita, Lakshmana, Anjaneya Icons and Seetha Rama Shalagrama that were personally worshipped by him to Shri Rajamani Bhattar,of Tirunelveli, from the generation of Sri Vaikanasa, with instructions to worship them with care and devotion every day and when the time came true, to create a unique temple for Sri Hanuman and instal the idols and Shalagrama in the temple.

Butter alankaram

After searching for an ideal location for 22 years, the temple was finally built in Coimbatore and consecrated on 9th February 2004 and Lord Hanuman with these eight unique features came to bless the world.

1. Right hand that gives boons (Varada Hastham):

In most Hanuman temples, he can be seen with folded hands (Anjali Hastham). However, in this temple, the right hand is seen raised as if to tell his devotees not to fear when He is there to protect them.

2. Left hand that holds a mace (Gathayudha):

The mace in his left hand symbolises that there is no defeat for those who surrender to the Lord. Moreover, the Gatha (mace) destroys the six evils of the mind, namely, Kama (lust), Krotha (anger), Lobha (Greed), Moha (attachment), Mada (pride) and Matsarya (Jealousy) collectively known as the Arishadvargas.

3. Countenance facing West :

The Western ghats are a part of the Sanjeevi Parvatha that Hanuman brought to revive Rama-Lakshmana during the Ramayana war. This mountain range is full of medicinal herbs that can cure any disease. The face of Sri Ashtamsa Varada Anjaneya Swamy is turned towards the West to symbolize worshiping him would cure all physical and mental ailments.

4. Feet facing South:

South is the direction of Yama, the lord of Death. The feet facing South protects devotees from untimely death, and grants them the boon of long, healthy and peaceful life.

Muthangi (coat of pearls) Alankaram

5. Tail facing North:

In the Ashtamsa Varada Anjaneya Swamy Temple Coimbatore, the tail of the Lord is fully visible to the devotees. The nine planets that are responsible for a person's happiness, misery, disease and prosperity are found in the tail and worshiping the tail rids one of all the problems connected with horoscope or planetary motion. Moreover, North is the direction of Kubera, the Lord of Wealth. Worshiping the tail, brings prosperity and material success to the devotees.

6.Rudramsam :

Lord Shiva's powers known as Rudramsam are embodied within Sri Hanuman.In this temple, Lord Hanuman is found within the shape of a Shivalinga and so worshiping him is equivalent to worshiping Lord Shiva.

7. Lakshmi Kadaksham:

Goddess Lakshmi is found within the raised right hand of Sri Hanuman and is willingly waiting to grant all Aishwaryams (wealth) to the devotees.

8. Netra Deekshanyam (Speciality of the Eyes):

The eyes of Sri Hanuman in this temple are special. These beautiful life like compassionate eyes reflect the brightness of the Sun during day and the gentleness of the moon in the evenings. From whichever direction one were to view the Lord, the eyes seem to be looking and providing comfort.

10,008 Vada Alankaram

Decorations of the Lord:

The special feature in this temple is the meticulous way in which the Lord is decorated every day and every occasion. As you would have witnessed through the pictures, the bhattachars, Sri Narayana Bhattachar and his brother Sri Muralidhara Bhattachar, sons of Sri Rajamani Bhattachar, take utmost care and decorate the Lord with love and devotion. Pictures of the various alankarams are uploaded every week in the temple's blog.

Thirumanjanam (Abhishekam) of Lord Hanuman is performed on the day of Moola Star every month. On all other days, thirumanjanam is restricted to the Seetha Rama Shalagrama, worshipped by Swamy Haridoss Giri, that has been placed in a silver cup over Sri Hanuman's head.

The Moola Rama icons are placed in an alcove close to the Lord, and it is believed that Lord Hanuman himself performs Aradhanam (Poojas) to his Master every day.

Surya Kirana Alankaram

Devotees:

Severaldevotees throng this temple every day. " Over One lakh people visit during special events like Hanumath Jayanthi", says Sri Narayana Bhattachar. " "We started uploading the photos on the blog to satisfy the thousands of devotees around the world who long to have a look of their favorite Lord in a special alankaram", he continues. Devotees have to wait for as long as six months to perform Raja Alankaram, the most popular alankaram to the Lord that is performed on saturdays. The temple accepts plain sarees with borders on both sides to be used for the dhoti, angavastram and turban during Raja Alankaram and several people lovingly offer the same.

There are no words to describe the commitment and love with which the Bhattachars beautify and worship this Lord who answers all prayers. One such example is the Sugarcane Forest Decoration on Pongal Day.

Hanuman in a sugarcane forest

The Whole temple covered with Sugarcane

As you can see from the picture, not just the shrine is decorated, but the entire temple is decorated to provide the appropriate effect.

10,008 fruits on Vishu Day:

Tomorrow, Tamil New Year and Vishu Day (13.4.2012) is a special day at the Ashtamsa Varada Anjaneya Swamy Temple, Coimbatore. The Lord is decorated with 10,008 fruits on this day every year. If you happen to be in the vicinity, do make it a point to witness this glorious sight and obtain the blessings of the benevolent Lord.

10,008 fruits alankaram last year for Vishu

Address of the temple:
Sri Ashtamsa Sri Varada Anjaneya Swamy Temple,
Avanashi road, Opposite to Esso Petrol Pump,
Near Suguna Kalyana Mandapam, Peelamedu,
Coimbatore 641 004

Temple Timings:

Morning: 7.30 am to 12 pm
Evening: 5.30 pm to 9 pm

Contact Details:

Shri Narayana Bhattachar - 94874 84624
Shri Muralidhara Bhattachar - 94433 34624

Acknowledgements:

My special thanks to Shri Narayana Bhattachar for sharing all the wonderful details about the temple despite his extremely busy schedule and for graciously allowing me to use the pictures of the temple from the temple's blog.

Entrance of the Netra Utharaneshwarar Temple at Panayapuram

King Sibi's sacrifice:

Many of us would know the story of King Sibi - a kind hearted and generous king. One day, Indra and Agni wanted to test him and appeared before him in the form of a vulture and dove. When the vulture chased down its prey to eat it, the dove sought refuge in the lap of King Sibi.

Sibi requested the vulture to let go of the dove. The vulture refused as he was hungry and asked the King to let go of his rightful meal. The King asked the vulture if he would be satisfied with flesh equal to the weight of the dove to let go of it. The vulture accepted. The King asked for a pair of scales, and without hesitation,sliced a portion of his thigh and placed it on the scales to equal the weight of the dove.

It is believed that Goddess Parvati (Satyambigai ) was pleased with King Sibi's sacrifice and righteousness and gave him moksha at this palm grove ( panangadu in tamil ) which is why it was called " Puravar Panangatur" in ancient times.

The later Cholas are said to be descendants of King Sibi which was why they assumed the title of "Sembian" and rightfully they have built a beautiful temple at the spot associated with King Sibi. That is not all.

Lord Surya who regained his eyesight at this temple

Lord Surya's penance:

When Daksha, one of the Prajapatis, conducted a Yagna, he did not invite his son-in-law Lord Shiva. He also insulted his daughter Sati ( who was Parvati in a later birth) who attended the Yagna to seek justice. Angered at this, Lord Shiva sent Veerabadra to ruin the yagna. Veerabadra attacked all the Gods who had attended the Yagna and consumed the havirbagam (sacrificial offering).

When he hit out hard at Lord Surya, (Sun God), his blow blinded him. The blinded Sun God sought the forgiveness of Lord Shiva. He came down to earth, and worshipped him at Panayapuram. The Lord restored his eyesight and is since called Netra Uttaraneshwara. Surya shows his gratitude till date by worshipping him with his light seven days in a year - starting from the first day of the tamil month of Chithirai (April 13th this year).

I was lucky to visit the temple on that day. Banners inviting people to visit the temple to witness the "world wonder" were placed right from the NH 45. When we reached the temple, there was a moderate crowd. The temple is indeed a treasure trove. It has pleasing architecture, wonderful icons and powerful vibration. It clearly and easily found its way into my list of favorite temples.

Interesting sculptures at the entrance

Gajendra Moksham

As we cross the gopuram, devoid of idols and enter the temple there is a beautiful "Polla Pillaiyar" (supposedly unsculpted Ganesha) that welcomes us, as if to say this is only a sample of what is in store.

The shrine of Lord Netra Utharaneshwara, also called Kannamarndha Nayanar, in the middle, is unique in its construction. We enter a raised hall, with a corridor around the main shrine and then enter the temple. The Lord sits there in all his magnificence. Goosebumps ran up my arm as Ganesh Gurukkal, the priest at the temple, performed Harathi. The vibration as I mentioned earlier, is extremely powerful and the atmosphere absolutely divine. After worshipping him to our heart's content, we moved around.

This temple is a Parihara Sthalam for people suffering from problems relating to eyesight. Sincere prayers have seen many a devotee have his/her eyesight improved or restored, even in recent times.

The circular corridor has idols of the 63 nayanmars, apart from the Saptamatrikas, Lord Vishnu, Ganesha and Iyyappa. Out of the idols, there was one particular idol of Thiruneelakandar and his wife that caught my attention.

Thiruneelakandar and his wife holding a stick

The story of Thiruneelakandar which I will not elaborate here, as I intend to write a seperate post on this later, is a classic example of discipline arising out of true devotion and the idols here are absolutely lovely as you can see.

The Goshta Devathas - Bhikshadana, Dhakshinamoorthy, Brahma, Vishnu and Vishnu Durga speak volumes of the ancient architectural abilities. I particularly loved the Chandikeshwara.

Chandikeshwara

and the Kala Bhairava. Apologies for the watermarks right in the middle of the pictures - after a recent bitter experience of plagiarism, I am forced to do this.

Kala Bhairava

The Goddess Satyambigai or Puravambigai as she is also known, dwells in a separate shrine. The Goddess is said to be the witness of truth and in case of civil disputes, people come and testify before her. The rightful person in each case has his prayers answered.

Satyambigai Shrine

The shrine has a beautiful courtyard in front of it where maybe cultural performances had been held during the times of Rajendra Chola I who is said to have constructed the temple and his son Rajendra Chola II who further developed it. This place is also known as Paravaipuram in memory of Rajendra Chola I's beloved, Paravai Nachiyar. There are inscriptions in the temple which speak about idols of Rajendra Chola I and Paravai Nachiyar that existed in the temple and about the school, community canteen etc. that had been run by the temple in his times.

The Goddess looks benevelont ready to grant the wishes of those who seek her. Outside the shrine, we can see a beautiful Vallabha Ganapathi on one side and Bala Dhandayudhapani on the other- the two sons standing guard outside their mother's shrine.

Beautiful Vallabha Ganapathi

There is also a separate Nandi outside the Goddess' shrine as she is seen here as Parashakthi. The Gurukkal invited us to join him at the Sthala Vriksham - the Palm Tree, where the Lord has given darshan to Kanva Maharishi.

Sthala Vriksham

The sight that awaited us was absolutely unexpected. Three huge palm trees with a large Shivalingam with Nandis on all four sides, and a small statue of Kanva Maharishi (?) stands out in the open - something that has to be seen to be experienced. We could not capture the complete picture from any angle as the available space in front of it is very limited, but this was something that stayed in my eyes and mind a lot time after we left the temple. It is an absolutely awesome place where I spent several minutes praying.

Ganesh Gurukkal at the Sthalavriksham

The Gurukkal had by then attended to the people who had gathered at the Lord Muruga shrine near the Sthalavriksham. He narrated the Sthalapuranam (History) of the temple beautifully. This temple had been in the news recently, about the Highways Department issuing order to demolish part of the temple for road widening work. In fact, the arrow marks made by the Highways Department is still vividly visible on the walls. However, the Gurukkal shared with relief, that this attempt has been stalled and a stay obtained by the temple in a court of law with the support of the villagers and devotees. They have also made a representation to NHAI authorities who have promised that this temple, sung by Thirugnanasambandar would be protected.

Kodimaram and Balipeetam

It was time to take leave.We walked back to the main shrine where the sunlight was dancing on the Lord through wooden slots that had been specially created in the front mandapa for this purpose. I prayed that this temple should stay safe and protected and should not be demolished even in part, for any purpose.

On our way out, I saw a Ganapathi in one of the alcoves of the Gopuram with an attendant next to him.

Who is this?

On the whole, it was a wonderful experience and a morning well spent.

Location of the temple:

After the Vikravandi Tollgate(before Villupuram) on NH 45, while traveling from Chennai, take the first left. This is the road that goes towards Thanjavur and Kumbakonam. The temple is about 2 kms from the checkpost on the left.

Nearest Railway Station : Villupuram

Nearest Airport : Chennai

Temple Timings:

Morning - 6.30 am to 12 noon

Evening - 4 pm to 8 pm

Contact Details:

Ganesh Gurukkal - 94448 97861

The Rajagopuram at the entrance of Nageshwara Temple

Nageshwaraswamy temple (not to be confused with Thirunageshwaram) in Kumbakonam, referred to as Kudanthai Keezhkottam by Thirunavukkarasar in his hymn is found to the east of the Kumbeshwara Temple.

This temple constructed over 1500 years ago is a treasure trove of architecture. The Lord Nageshwara Swamy is a Swayambu Moorthy, is said to have been worshipped by Lord Surya and Nagaraja. I had the opportunity of visiting this magnificient and unique temple recently along with members of REACH foundation. After coming back with loads of great pictures, I was in a dilemma about how to present this temple in Aalayam Kanden.

On one side, there was the huge temple with fascinating mythology and awesome murthis. On the other, the Ramayana Miniature panels needed an entire post about themselves! So after great deliberation, I have decided to write two posts - One focused on the miniatures and the other focused on the temple mythology.

A whole wall of inscriptions and great statues

The temple is a visual delight. We were lucky to visit at a time when it was not too crowded. Apart from a few other foreign tourists crouched near the panels, the temple was practically empty. What you see above is a whole wall of inscriptions with idols of women in the alcoves. If one lowered their eyes to the feet of these idols, what would they see?

Can you see the three panels below the feet of the statue in the picture above? I have deliberately increased the size of the picture so that you are able to appreciate the number of figures in each one of those miniatures and the level of detail that has gone into this magnificient work of art.

Let us now look at a close up shot of one such panel.

This is the first scene in the panels. What do you see? Sage Rishyashringa performing the Ashwamedha Yagna. King Dasaratha and his queens look on anxiously. See the person emerging from the fire carrying the pot of "Payasam" for the King. Almost ten people with complete features and symmetry in a panel so small. Look at the actual size of the panel in the picture above. Isn't it amazing?

We were lucky to be in the presence of Prof. Sivaramakrishnan of the College of Arts, Kumbakonam. He is an authority on the Ramayana Miniatures and watching him explain the various panels made them come to life. The glow in his eyes, the ethereal expression on his face and the passion with which he took us around the temple, jumping into the narrow ditches to get better access, and climbing out with agility, transported us to another world. We could actually visualise how these panels would have been created, what actually ran in the minds of the great artisans who had produced these beautiful pieces of art.

My sincere thanks to Shri. Ashok Krishnaswamy for allowing me to use his videos in this post.

The four part video clearly explains each panel. Just look at the size of the panel. You can get an understanding by comparing it with the size of the pen that the professor is holding.

Watch the Soorpanaka episode. It is absolutely mindblowing!

I would strongly advice watching these videos on full screen so that the complete panel can be better appreciated along with Prof. Sivaramakrishnan's narration.

Although this is one of the Devara Paadal Petra Sthalams, there is limited awareness about this temple, especially about the unique Ramayana Panels. You can see even in the first screen above, lamps lit very close to the panel causing soot to be deposited on the miniature. The miniatures are placed like a band around the temple. In some places, these have been damaged during plastering for civil works undertaken during recent times. But most of the panels are intact.

As I wrote earlier, this temple has many other interesting features that one post would not be sufficient to talk about it. Therefore, I conclude the post on Ramayana Miniatures at Nageshwara here. The sequel will be about the other unique features and mythology of this wonderful temple.

This temple is very close to the Kumbeshwara Temple and Mahamaham Tank. It would be definitely worth visiting during the next trip to Kumbakonam.

Temple Timings:

6 am to 12 30 pm

4 30 pm to 9 30 pm

The Second Gopuram inside the Nageswaraswamy Temple

This is the second of the two part series on Nageswaraswamy Temple, Kumbakonam. In the first part, we focused upon the Ramayana Miniatures, placed like a border around the main shrine. In the second, we will dwell upon the other unique features of the Nageswara Temple.

The main deity Nageswara Swamy is a Swayambu Lingam - a small Baanam over a large base. This deity is said to have been worshipped by Lord Surya and Lord Nagaraja. So why did they worship Shiva here?

After Daksha's Yagna, and the subsequent attack on the attendees by Veerabadra, Lord Surya lost his eyesight. He then worshipped Lord Shiva in seven places popularly known as the Saptha Bhaskara Kshetrams. (Read about Panayapuram, the Seventh of the Bhaskara Kshetrams where his eyesight was restored completely here). In the Nageswaraswamy shrine, one of the Bhaskara Kshetrams, Lord Surya has created the Bhaskara Pushkarani, which can be found opposite the South Gopuram entrance. Till date, Lord Surya continues his worship of Lord Shiva. Every year, on the 11th, 12th and 13th day of the tamil month of Chithirai, from 7 am to 9 am, the sun's rays fall directly on the Moolavar.

The story about Nagaraja goes like this:
In earlier days, Nagaraja is believed to have been holding up the world on his heads. As time went by, it became difficult for him to do this, as the weight of the world increased with the sins that people committed. So he went to Lord Shiva, and asked him to give him the strength to support the world. Lord Shiva asked him to go down to the Earth and worship at the place where the Bael Leaf (Vilvam) on top of the Kumbam fell during Pralaya. Nagaraja came to the temple and worshipped the Swayambu Shiva who came to be known as Nageswara since he had granted the wish sought by the snake God.

The temple tank created by Nageswara is called Singa Theertham. It is well maintained,with iron gates and steps leading down to the tank. Bathing in the Singa Theertham and worshipping Nageswaraswamy on Mondays and Thursdays rids one of Naga Dosha and it is common to find several people performing poojas on these days for matrimony and child birth.

This wonderful 1500 temple lost its grandeur, was neglected and became dilapidated in early 20th century. Thick vegetation grew all over the temple, the bushes and snakes drove away even the few worshippers who sought the temple. Seeing this pitiable state , Sri Padagachery Ramalingam Swamy, took a vow to restore the temple to its lost glory. With a brass vessel tied around his neck, he went around collecting funds for the renovation. Little by little, the temple was renovated and the Kumbabhishekam was performed in the year 1923. As a mark of respect, the idol of Sri Padagachery Swamigal is placed on the gopuram.

On entering the temple, our attention is drawn to the architectural wonder - the Anandha Thandava Nataraja Sabhai. Structured like a Ratha, this mandapa is drawn by horses and elephants. The wheels have the 12 rashis as spokes. The horses are like a cantilever.

This whole mandapam is a visual delight. Apart from the beautiful elephants this mandapam has Nataraja dancing, along with Sivakami Ambal appearing to provide thaalam and Lord Vishnu playing the flute.The colour scheme used in the mandapam is very pleasing to the eye .

To the left of this mandapam, is the shrine of the Urthuva Thandava Moorthy. The beautiful moorthy holds everyone in rapt attention.

As we enter the main shrine, after crossing the Shiva Shiva mandapam and a board announcing 63 nayanmars while showing 70 pictures, we come to the shrine of "Thandoonriya Vinayakar" - Ganesha stylishly leaning on to a stick !

After worshipping Lord Nageshwara swamy and Goddess Perianayaki we move to the shrine of Pralaya Kala Rudra. This again is a very unique moorthy, not commonly found in temples.

Photo Courtesy: Dinamalar

Worshipping this Rudra on Sunday during Rahu Kaalam (4.30 to 6 pm) helps people overcome diseases and fear of death.

After worshipping him, we now go into the outer praharam to view and worship the wonderful moorthis there. The most remarkable among them is that of Ardhanareeswara, appropriately called Umaioru Baahan.

A stunning beauty indeed. The two halves depict each gender so perfectly that one could just stand there and keep watching this moorthy for hours together. Several people are found worshipping here on Sundays, Tuesdays and Fridays to enhance matrimonial harmony. Those couples who are either separated or in the verge of separation have found worshipping this moorthy bring them back together.

Not just the Ardhanareeshwara, the Brahma and the Vishnu Durga are equally charming.

The Goddess Durga especially is worshipped for good marriage alliance and success in career. There is also a shrine for Jurahara Ganesha who is worshipped to safeguard people against fever and other ailments.
One noteworthy shrine is that of Bagavar swamy. This is a small, dark shrine which enjoys lesser attention than the others. This gives an impression that this temple at some point could have been a jain temple, and then subsequently became a saivaite shrine, although there is no such mention in the sthala puranam.

As this is a temple worshipped by Nagaraja, there are also separate shrines for Nagakannis. I somehow got separated from the rest of the group and wandered alone to this isolated shrine close to dusk. While I circumambulated around the shrine, I was positive I could hear low hissing noises. Initially I thought I was imagining things. But when I stopped to listen, I did hear the hissing noises again. I hurried back to join the group after I had goosebumps all over. It was one incident that would clearly stay in my mind for many years to come.

Of course, the Ramayana Miniatures here need special mention. Overall, the Nageswara Shrine is indeed a treasure trove of Indian art and architecture, a must-see on every culture lover's diary. It is sad to see foreigners outnumbering Indian visitors at this temple. If enough awareness is created about this temple, there is no doubt that the beautiful treasures here can be protected.

Otherwise, this would soon be the plight of other moorthys as well.

How to reach the temple:
The Nageswara temple is very close to the Kumbeswara temple.

Temple Timings:
6 am to 12.30 pm
4.30 pm to 9 pm

Contact Details:

I could not get a mobile number of the priest at this temple as we spent many hours taking pictures of the miniatures that it was quite dark by the time we were ready to leave. The priests were nowhere to be seen then. As my usual practice, I went into the temple office to ask for a copy of the Sthalapuranam. I received the standard reply that it had gone for printing.

Seeing my visible disappointment, one of the staff members offered to help. He told me that there was a box of sthalapuranams in the office wherein an abridged version could be found if I could take the effort to do so myself.

When he opened the box, I almost jumped. In a huge wooden box, there were hundreds of sthalapurams of several temples that came into the jurisdiction of the Nageswara temple, that had never seen the light of day. Some of them had already started yellowing, and the corners were being eaten away. I picked out one copy each of all that I could manage and the man was happy to give them away for free. He said that every year they printed the copies expecting the people would ask for them, but only very few do so.

I am indeed grateful that he went out of the way to facilitate because of which I got a lot of information about the temple.

I will definitely update the post once I obtain a contact number of a priest at the temple.

If you happen to be in Kumbakonam, Nageswara temple should be on your to do list!

Ever since I started the Aalayam Kanden blog, there have been several occasions to remind me that I do not get to decide what to write about - it happens ! The last couple of months have been extremely busy for me on the personal front, with a change in job and my son's school final exams and the subsequent series of entrance tests that he had to give for his engineering admission. My husband and I have been taking turns to accompany our son to his exam centers.One such exam centre was at Padappai and since it was a Saturday we both decided to go. It was indeed a golden opportunity to visit some temple nearby. When I proposed this to my husband, he agreed and our plan was made.

The next morning, we set out early and reached the exam venue. After settling my son in, we moved out. As we passed the Saravana Icecream factory, and the Salamangalam Bus Stop we saw a board reading Jaya Durga Peetam on the other side. For some reason, my husband said, " Let us go there". I had heard a lot about Upasana Kulapathi Sri Sri Durgai Siddhar who had established the Jaya Durga Peetam. He was the saint who pioneered the Rahu Kala Durga Pooja which is now practiced by several devotees for gaining maximum benefit. It was indeed divine will beckoning us there. Without any further hesitation, we took a U-turn and drove down the road. After about half a km, we saw the temple.

On getting down, and entering the temple, we were a little taken aback to see the board reading " Private temple, Entry on permission". However, there was no one to stop us when we entered the temple.

There were no devotees around when we went in. After a few seconds our eyes adjusted to the light inside, and we were able to see a number of shrines, and a priest performing pooja . I looked around and was pleasantly surprised to see a board reading, "Anjana Devi, Vayu Bagavan sahitha Sanjeevi Anjaneya". How very cute!

There sat Lord Hanuman between his parents, the serene Anjana Devi on one side, and Vayu, on the other, symbolised by a lamp whose wick shook wildly to symbolise the presence of Vayu inside the Sanctum Sanctorum. Hanuman with folded hands, looked like an obedient child accompanying his parents on his day out. The shrine is built in such a way that only Hanuman is visible when seen directly. Another unique feature of this shrine was that the Dwarapalakas on either side of the shrine were also Hanumans. It is believed that worshipping this unique Hanuman rids one of Moola Nakshatra Dosha. I stood there enthralled for several minutes.

My husband gently nudged me to draw my attention to the other shrines. We met Mr Nair the manager at the temple. He was happy to provide pamphlets and information about the temple, when we explained our mission and led us to meet Durgai Siddhar's wife, a compassionate lady who welcomed us warmly. She gave the contact information of her sons, Dr. Sri Sridhar and Mr. Srivatsan who take care of the affairs of the temple and lead the various spiritual events. Mr. Nair explained the significance of the various shrines briefly.

There are a total of ten shrines in this temple.

Prathyaksha Varahi:

Prathyaksha Varahi is the Goddess who grants the power of words, the one who destroys enemies. Her special day for worship is Shukla Panchami day.

Sri Dhanvantri:

Dhanvantri as popularly known, is an incarnation of Lord Vishnu who cures chronic ailments and diseases.

Sri Panchakshara Ganapathy:

This shrine is the first of the two Ganesha shrines at the temple.

Lord Muruga:

Lord Muruga in this temple is seen as the consummation of the Kundalini Sakthi. He is the confluence of the Trimurthis and the Trisakthis. Worshipping him is said to bring prosperity and happiness.

Goddess Jayadurga:

Goddess Jayadurga sits in all magnificence in the main Sanctum Sanctorum. The Ishta devatha worshipped by Sri Durgai Siddhar, bestows health, wealth and prosperity to her devotees. The four arms shower the four Purusharthas - Dharma, Artha, Kama and Moksha.

Bhuvaneshwari - Mahamayi:

To the right as we enter the temple, is the Shrine housing the two Shakthis - Bhuvaneshwari and Mahamayi, the Goddesses who rule the world and protect and save all beings on it.

Swarna Akarshana Bhairavar:

The Swarna Akarshana Bhairavar at this temple is the Upasana Moorthy of Sri Durgai Siddhar's Guru, Sri Trikoota Sarbha Siddhar. Worship of the Swarna Akarshana Bhairava is said to remove poverty and bestow bliss and happiness. Upasana of this Bhairava can grant one the Ashta Maha Siddhis.

Raja Karuppar:

The "Padhinettam Padi" Raja Karuppanaswamy will protect his worshippers from evil spirits. The 18 steps he sits on can be worshipped by devotees.

Uchishta Ganapathy:

Uchishta Ganapathy is said to be the Supreme form of Lord Ganesha. Worshipping him in this form would help the devotees overcome all obstacles in life.

The four Gods in the center of the temple represent the four Vedas - Goddess Jaya Durga represents the Rig Veda, Lord Muruga the Yajur Veda, Swarna Akarshana Bhairava the Sama Veda and Uchista Ganapathy - Atharvana Veda. The Homakunta in the centre is also designed as a Chathur Veda Homakunta.

Apart from these shrines, the Adhistanam (Samadhi) of Sri Sri Durgai Siddhar is also present inside the temple. It was here that I spent a long time meditating.

The temple houses the several books and slokas written by Sri Durgai Siddhar. Verses composed by him on different Gods and Goddesses are also featured near the shrines and on the walls making it easy for devotees to read and pray.

How to reach the temple:
The temple is situated in Padappai on the Tambaram - Kanchipuram State Highway. While going from Tambaram, take a left turn opposite to the Saravana Ice cream Factory. You will enter the Ashramam Salai. The temple is about half a kilometre down the road.

Address:

Jaya Durga Peetam
1 and 2, Ashramam Salai,
Padappai - 601 301

Contact Details:
Ph: 044-2717 4150, 98407 83066
99400 58809

"Yeri Kaadu" - forest around the lake, today popularly known as Yercaud, is one of the popular hill stations of Tamilnadu. Located in the Shervarayan range of the Eastern Ghats, this popular tourist spot is about 36 kms away from Salem. Apart from the various tourist attractions, Yercaud is also home to the World's largest Sri Chakra Maha Meru.

Located in Nagalore 7 kms from the Yercaud lake, this Lalitha Tripurasundari Temple houses the world's largest Sri Chakra Maha Meru.

The creation of Sri Chakra Mahameru:

It is believed that God who was One, wanted to create many forms of himself. So he first created Devi, the cosmic female force. He then created Shiva, Brahma and Vishnu from his left, middle and right portions respectively. The Devi is hence believed to be more powerful than the Trinity and is called Parashakthi. The central point or Bindu of the Sri Chakra represents the cosmic union of Siva and Shakthi. The various triangles in the Sri Chakra represent innumerable other Gods and goddesses. The Mount Meru, also called Maha Meru when viewed from the top is seen as the Sri Chakra and hence it is called Sri Chakra Maha Meru.

Photo Courtesy: Sri Chakra Maha Meru Temple, Nagalore

Lord Shiva created 64 tantras to protect and safeguard all living things. These tantras when expanded form the Agamas. Goddess Parashakthi requested Shiva to create a simple form of worship and based on her request, the Lord compressed the essence of all the 64 tantras into one simple form and preached it to the Goddess. This is known as Sri Vidhya.

Sri Vidhya is the integrated form of worship of Ganapathyam (the worship of Ganesha), Kaumaram (the worship of Karthikeya), Vaishnavam (the worship of Vishnu), Saivam (the worship of Shiva) and Shaktham (the worship of Shakthi) and Srichakram is that unique form where all these worships are integrated and exist in one form. Sri Chakra Maha Meru is the darbar of Goddess Lalitha Tripurasundari, where all Gods and Goddesses are bestowing their hands towards her.

True to the description of the Sri Chakra Maha meru, this temple has Goddess Lalitha Tripurasundari, bestowing grace and compassion to all those who seek her, under the shade of the world's largest Sri Chakra Mahameru.

The ambience of the temple is so serene and vibrant. Built in white marble, with paved pathways, the main sanctum sanctorum has a semicircular pit filled with water in which the reflection of the Sri Chakra Maha Meru which forms the vimanam of the sanctum sanctorum can be seen. Devotees throw coins into this pit, praying for their wishes to be granted.

The Goddess Lalitha Tripurasundari is true to her name. Lalitha means the one who plays the roles of creation, protection and destruction and Tripura means the three worlds and Sundari means beautiful. The most beautiful form in the three worlds sits there waiting to grant all the wishes of those who seek her.

Photo courtesy: Sri Chakra Maha Meru Temple, Nagalore

As the worship of Sri Chakra includes all forms of Gods and Goddesses, there are beautiful wood carvings of Urthuva Thandava Moorthy, Saraswathi and Vishwaroopa Moorthy. Each one of them is exquisitely carved and over ten feet high.

Photo Courtesy: Sri Chakra Maha Meru Temple, Nagalore

The Urthuva Thandava Moorthy showing the form of Shiva with his right leg lifted high in the air is indeed beautifully carved and so is the idol of Vishwaroopa Moorthy which shows the Vishwaroopa form of Lord Vishnu as he appeared before Arjuna during the Gita Upadesha.

The multi-faced multi-handed Lord Vishnu with the Gitopadhesha scene below and the verse from Gita "Yatha Yatha Hi Dharmasya, Glanir Bhavathi Bharatha,

Abyuthana madharmasya Thathathmaanam Srijamyaham,

Parithranaya Sadhunam, Vinaashaya Chatushkrutham,

Dharma Samsthapanaarthaya Sambavaami Yuge Yuge" ll

is really awe-inspring. The Goddess Saraswathi with an ornate veena in hand, left leg raised in a dance posture, a peacock at her feet, looking up to her, standing on a beautifully carved lotus is another masterpiece.

The vibration in the temple is extremely strong and the ambiance ideal for meditation. One can easily concentrate in this vibrant yet serene environment. The long pathway to the temple has small fountains, with idols of Buddha and other gods in the middle.

A small pathway leads to the shrine of Guru Dhakshinamoorthy. Surrounded by glass panes, and flowering plants arranged to form a scenic background, this shrine again is a perfect setting for meditation.

This temple though only about a couple of years old, attracts a lot of people due to its serenity and tranquility. If you happen to be in Yercaud for a vacation, do take the effort to stop by at the Sri Chakra Maha Meru Temple, Nagalore to witness and pray at the World's largest Sri Chakra Maha Meru.

How to get here:

Take a left turn at the rountana after the lake. There is enough signage in English and Tamil to guide tourists. On the way up to Shevaroy Hills the road splits in two. The one on the right takes you to the Shervarayan Temple and the highest point on the Yercaud hills. The one on the left takes you to Nagalore. The total distance of 7 km from the lake, is narrow, where road laying work is going on. One has to drive carefully being aware of the traffic coming down hill. Buses ply from Salem and Yercaud to Nagalore as well.

Nearest Railway Station: Salem

Nearest Airport: Coimbatore/Trichy

Temple Timings:

The temple opens at 6 am in the morning.

Everyday at 6.30 am Ganapathy Homam is performed.

At 7 am, one can witness Go pooja and

at 7.10 am Vishwaroopa Dharishanam.

Abhishekam is performed at 7.30 am.

Uchikala Pooja at 12.30 pm.

The temple closes at 1 pm and reopens at 4 pm and stays open till 7.30 pm

Do visit here to bathe in the grace of Goddess Lalitha Tripurasundari and be blessed!

Tiruparkadal has been closely linked with Aalayam Kanden for a long time now. When I visited the Prasanna Venkatesaperumal Temple at Tiruparkadal recently, the Bhattar Mr.Vengatrangan wanted me to visit the Karapuranathar temple nearby. I was aware that the temple was a Devara Vaippu Thalam and jumped at the opportunity to visit.

Vengat further explained that the temple had very little patronage and had not been opened regularly ever since the Gurukkal who had been performing prayers there had passed on. However, he said, a family had been brought to the village recently for this purpose and that we could actually visit and worship at the temple.

The temple as expected was deserted. The three tiered gopuram lead into what used to be a temple tank many years ago, now just an expanse of sand. This temple is one of the five Shivalayas of Tiruparkadal. Appar (Saint Thirunavukkarasar) has mentioned this temple as Karapuram in his Kaapu Thiruthandagam. (Tamil verse here)

The main deity of the temple "Karapuram Udaya Nayanar" sits inside a very humble sanctum sanctorum, only a piece of white cloth adorning him.

The archagar Mr. Sairam showed us a tunnel right in front of the main shrine. This is said to lead upto the Margabandheeswarar Temple at Virinjipuram near Vellore. During the muslim invasion, this tunnel is said to have been an escape route between temples to move idols and valuables. The priest also said that snakes still come out of the tunnel and when he opens the temple in the morning, they are often found on the shivalingam, but slither away without disturbing anyone.

The entrance to the tunnel

The Goddess Abhithagujambal is seen in a seperate shrine. And she, just like her lord, is clad in simple clothing and jewellery, with not even a lamp lit in front of her, waiting for devotees to bestow her grace.

Goddess Abhithagujambal

The archagar Mr. Sairam, showed us a yellowing piece of paper, the remains of an invitation printed in the year 1926 for the Laksha Deepam Festival. This document is probably the only piece of information available in readable form about the temple. The complete information from the invitation can be found here.

The invitation speaks about the temple existing in what was then called "Avani Narayana Chaturvedi Mangalam" or "Karapuram". The temple is said to have been patronized by the Chola King Madurai Konda Koparakesari Varman,(985 CE), Parthivendra pallava (967 CE), Velaar Bhuti Vikramakesari (10th Century CE) and Karimangalamudaiyaar - this refers to a king of the present day Dharmapuri in Salem District. I am not sure who it is.

Is this the only evidence available? Definitely not.Practically every wall in the temple is filled with inscriptions, sadly covered with wall putty. Rows and rows of inscriptions waiting to be transcribed.

I just shot pictures of a few walls as a sample. Some of them are faint, while others are quite prominent and could be read well if the wall putty is removed.

Yet another wall....yet another tale!

And more!

Even the external walls of the temple have a tale to tell!

The temple is a typical example of the construction style of over 1000 years ago where a covered platform goes around the sanctum sanctorium. This raised platform is called "Thiru Nadai Maaligai".

Interesting idols can be seen as Goshta Devathas.

Sanhata Vinayaka

Dhakshinamoorthy

Vishnu

Lord Muruga with his consorts

The Lord Muruga here has been sung by Saint Arunagirinathar. The hymn that he sang at Karapuram can be accessed here.

Brahma

We are now near the Durga idol and stop by to witness something peculiar. Here is an idol of Jyestha Devi alias Mhoodevi.

She is seen here with her son,the Bull headed Manthi and daughter. The story of Manthi is interesting.Ravana wanted to have an immortal son. In order to facilitate that, he captured seven planets, and asked them all to stay in the 11th place, so that his son would be born immortal. However, Saniswara, taking the advice of Guru Sukracharya created Mandhi from his sweat and body secretions outside the 11th plce, and it is Mandhi who is said to have been the cause for Indrajit's death.

Mandhi is normally found with Jyestha Devi. Worship of Jyestha Devi was popular upto the 10th Century. It is believed that women worshipped her every day and offered food to her before eating themselves, in order to make sure that poverty and famine did not affect their lives at any time.

The priest mentioned that still a few women from the village came everyday to worship Jyestha Devi. They light lamps in front of her and perform archana to Karapureeshwarar to ensure prosperity and harmony in their households. Visitors from other places also come back to worship Jyestha Devi once they know of her presence in this temple.

The Bhairava found in this temple is also unique. He is seen without his Vahana - The Dog. Clearly this temple needs attention. With proper transcription of the various inscriptions as well as maintenance and upkeep of the temple with enough flow of devotees, this is indeed a treasure trove that needs exhibition and patronage!

At the time this article comes to you, I heard that the archaka family has left the village due to lack of patronage and the trustees are on the lookout for another priest!

Contact Information:
R.Shanmuga Mudaliar - Trustee - 99763 60865
R.Vengatrangan - Bhattar, Sri Prasanna Venkatesa Perumal Temple - 94868 77896/ 84284 80210

Temple Timings:
10 am to 12 pm, 5 pm to 7 pm. The temple could be opened on request if intimated via phone.

Directions to the temple:

Kaveripakkam is on the Chennai Bangalore Highway. Turn left at Kaveripakkam junction if travelling from Chennai and drive down about 3-4 kms. There are enough signposts at the junction and along the lane to Tiruparkadal. At Tiruparkadal, the temple is walking distance from the twin temples of Prasanna Venkatesa Perumal and Ranganathar.

I first met Dipa in the lobby of my hotel in Port Blair. She was in the Andamans volunteering with an NGO, teaching young children English. She was bubbly, cheerful and full of life. In fact, it took me a while to realise she was visually challenged. She was very confident and moved around, using her other senses to guide her. I was so impressed by her positive attitude that we soon became good friends.

Photo Courtesy: Royal Blind Society

Mornings were busy at work and in the evenings we strolled along the beach, talking about every topic under the sun. I told her that I planned to visit the Cellular Jail over the weekend before moving back to Chennai. She told me that she too had wanted to visit many a time, but had not had the opportunity to do so.

I was excited. My visit to Port Blair was never complete without a visit to the Cellular Jail. For hours I strolled around the grounds, often with tears in my eyes, going over the various symbols that reminded us of the great struggle for Independence. To me, Kalapani as the Cellular Jail was often called, is a great temple of sacrifice of innumerable freedom fighters who got us the precious gift of Independence.

I asked Dipa if she would go along with me - she gladly agreed. Most of the evenings during my stay in Port Blair, had been spent narrating stories about my travel to different temples. Dipa was always a keen listener, asking a lot of questions to understand better. I felt my skills in story-telling improving, as I made the description very detailed and user-friendly for Dipa to understand.

Our plan to visit Kalapani was made. We decided to leave after lunch so that we could look around the jail and then stay back for the Sound and Light Show at 5.30 pm.

The day arrived for our trip, and we were very excited as we got into the car. Once we alighted, I tried to explain the entrance to Dipa. I drew a semi-circle in her palm to describe the arched entrance and told her there were towers on either side."A tower?" she enquired. I held up my hand and ran her fingers over it. I told her a tower was similar in shape but as high as ten people standing on top of one another. Dipa's response made me realise how easy it is for us to talk about various things and how difficult it was for someone like Dipa to visualise. Dipa held on to my elbow, as she bent touched the ground with her right hand. " We stand today where our brave freedom fighters had put up with all forms of inhuman treatment, just for us" I said.

We walked into the sunny courtyard. From where we stood, the jail looked like a regal British building. There was a central watch tower with seven arms. Each arm of three storeys, was of varying length with a number of cells. I described the construction to Dipa. She now understood the watch tower and its arms and I was glad she did. Dipa stopped, listening to the excited blabber of children and tourists as they passed us by.

The construction of the jail had begun in 1896 and was completed in 1906. The complex had a total of 696 cells each one of them measuring 13 feet 6 inches in length and 7 feet 6 inches in width with grilled doors. Each one of these small cells contained a prisoner in solitary confinement. No communication was possible at all between prisoners. When I told her these details, Dipa wanted to go into the cells and take a look. We moved up the narrow stone staircase, and went into the first storey. The cells occupied by famous personalities had their names mentioned against them. I stopped at the cell of Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, popularly known as Veer Savarkar. Sentenced to fifty years of imprisonment, he had not even known his brother Baburao Savarkar was also in the same jail for almost a period of two years.

Inside the Cell occupied by Veer Savarkar

I took a picture of Dipa inside the cell, measuring its length and breadth with her outstretched arms, asking me to describe the corridor outside, the bare walls with a couple of alcoves and the eerie air around the place. She wanted to take a picture of me and so I helped her do so. When I told her she had shot a perfect picture, her face broke into a broad grin.

We went out into the exhibition wing, containing statues of the prisoners(primarily freedom fighters) and the treatment meted out to them.

The chains that had once adorned the bodies of the prisoners were now placed on the statues. An iron ring around the neck connected to chains around the back, and across the torso ended in cuffs around the ankles. These chains weighing 3-5 kgs had to be worn by the prisoners while performing tasks like extracting oil (replacing cattle)and cutting trees. Dipa's face grew red with anger. I sought permission from the official nearby to let Dipa touch and feel the chains. " This is so inhuman" she said. " After all, all that the prisoners were doing was fighting for freedom, that is rightfully ours", she said.

The next set of statues was even more painful to witness. A semi-naked man was strapped by the hands and waist to an iron stand and a guard was seen whipping him. Tears ran down my cheeks as I described this to Dipa. She wanted to know what a whip was and when I told her it was a thin piece of leather, that was used to punish people, she shuddered. Both of us stood still , thinking of the inhuman tortures our freedom fighters had undergone. After describing several other similar scenes to Dipa, we walked out to the area used to hang prisoners.

It is here that several prisoners who had either protested against their arrest or tried to escape, had been hanged to death. Dipa ran her fingers on the ropes, and even asked me to put the noose around her neck, to show her how people were hanged.

There were wooden trenches outside these compartments through which the bodies of the hanged prisoners were dragged out and disposed. When I described this to Dipa, she was absolutely horrified. "Oh no! I don't want to hear any more...did not the prisoners deserve to be treated with dignity?" she exclaimed.

We sat down for a few minutes, sipping cold water. The afternoon sun was beating down on us, and we were exhausted not just by the heat, but also by the emotions. After some time, we walked up to the watch tower. I walked behind Dipa, guiding her up the narrow stairs. "Raise your leg, one more step to go!" Dipa followed my instructions and we were soon in the watch tower, a strong breeze embracing us.

The seven sprawling arms lay spread out from the central tower. The arms were designed in such a way that the guards could easily shoot any prisoner trying to escape. Dipa and I walked down the arm, the breeze on our faces, as I described the view - the swaying coconut palms, and the ocean beyond.

Our last stop was at the flame of freedom - Swathantrya Jyothi - a tribute to all those selfless souls who lost their lives in the struggle for freedom. We stood for a couple of minutes, paying homage to the great men.

We then moved to the lawns were people were slowly trickling in, for the sound and light show. Chairs were arranged in a semi-circle in the center of the corridor, giving the audience a complete view of the prison complex. We moved to the first row, and took seats in the centre.Dipa listened to the sound of children squealing, and chiding parents asking them to sit down.

Soon, the show began.

Video Courtesy: You Tube

As the sounds (and lights) moved around the jail complex, we were transported to another world. This show was ideal for Dipa to visualize how things had been at the Cellular Jail during the freedom struggle. The audience who were laughing and talking had grown silent, as they heard the sounding of guns and the slogans raised by the freedom fighters when they were beaten ruthlessly. We remained seated in our chairs even as the crowd trickled out...the song sung by our freedom fighters "Naa Sahenge Atyachaar" still echoing in our ears!

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Sri Santhana Venugopalaswamy Temple, Poondi

Our car turns left just before the Wallajah Toll Gate at Chennasamudram on the Chennai-Bangalore Highway. " This place is also called Malaimedu", says Vengatrangan, Bhattar from Thiruparkadal Temple who is accompanying us. We see the rocky terrain on either side, and patches of cultivation amidst them, providing the contrast. Surprised, I ask him, " How is paddy growing in such rocky terrain?". "There is a saying, கலலிலே நெல் விளையும் கல்யாண பூண்டி ", he says. This means paddy grows amidst stone in this village called Kalyana Poondi. Three kilometres down the road, we stop in front of the Santhana Venugopalaswamy Temple.

The agraharam is deserted. Our car stops in front of the locked temple, and Vengatrangan goes to get the priest, Sri Seshadri Bhattar. We are extremely curious, waiting for the temple to be opened, having heard such wonderful things about it.

The Bhattar soon arrives and we step into the temple premises, a mixture of the old and the new.

The main Grabagraham is flanked on either side by the mandapam hosting the Urchavars on the right and the Kannadi Arai (room with mirrors) on the left. We walk into the Artha Mandapam, our eyes trying to focus in the darkness, as the Bhattar switches on the lights for our benefit.

The Santhana Venugopalaswamy temple is over 500 years old. The Sanctum Sanctorum has the idol of Santhana Venugopalan with his consorts Rukmini and Sathyabama. So what's special about this temple?

Our eyes go down to the idol wrapped in maroon and purple cloth in front of the Utsavars.

This idol has Yashoda with a baby Krishna on her lap. This most endearing idol is a special feature of this temple which draws devotees with prayers of childbirth from different parts of the country. We ask Seshadri Bhattar about this idol.

He says there is no record about when this idol came to the temple exactly. But, there are several people over the years, who have worshipped Yashoda Krishna, and have been blessed with children. They come here praying for a child, and come back again to perform thirumanjanam once their prayers have been granted, says the Bhattar. "Was there a Moolavar of this idol?" we probe. "Not that I know of," he replies. He says the combination of Santhana Venugopalaswamy as Moolavar and Yashoda Krishna as Utsavar is unique here and this enables sincere prayers for childbirth to be answered.

The Bhattar after performing Harathi, takes us to the Mandapam that houses the other Utsavars. This mandapam also has the Pracheena Santhana Venugopalaswamy and the Utsavars of the other shrines at the temple.

Seshadri Bhattar draws our attention to the idols of Rama, Sita and Lakshmana amongst the Utsavars.

The unique feature in this temple is that Hanuman is found at the feet of Lord Rama and not as a separate idol, both in the Utsavar and in the Moolavar.

The beautiful "Kannadi Arai" draws our attention to it. Rosewood frames holding mirrors all around, this room is where the Utsavars are placed to rest at night.

We now move around into the Praharam, to the Thayar Sannathi. After worshipping there, we move to the set of new shrines that have been built behind the main shrine.

Seshadri Bhattar draws our attention to the Pinna Maram (Alexandrian Laurel Dilo Oil Tree) which is the Sthala Vriksham here.

A row of shrines have been consecrated in the year 2006 and they are shrines of Lord Lakshmi Narasimha, Sri Sudharshana, Sri Lakshmi Varahar, Sri Lakshmi Hayagreevar and Sri Rama.

The temple also has a beautiful Anjaneyar Shrine with an exquisite ancient Anjaneyar and another new Anjaneyar (Why?) who has been installed in 1997.

Other notable features of this temple are that Swamy Desikan's Sathumurai has been celebrated from 1880, and the Theerthaparigraham used to be received by Sri Deebaprakasar Sanathi at Kancheepuram in the olden days.

This temple has a separate shrine for the Vaishnavite Acharyas Sri Nammazhvar, Sri Ramanujar and Sri Swami Desikan. From 1958, Pavithrothsavam is being performed every year. Although external patronage is limited due to the lack of awareness, the Poondi Bandhu Jana Sabha that runs the temple has made sure that structural improvements and festivals are conducted ritualistically. Work is now on to replace the Dwajasthambam of the temple.

Procedure for those seeking Child birth:

Those couples seeking childbirth visit the temple and special sankalpam is made to Sri Santhana Venugopalaswamy and Yashoda Krishna, after which they tie cradles in the sthala vriksham.

Once their prayers are answered, they come back with the child to perform Thirumanjanam and offer new Vastras to Sri Santhana Venugopalaswamy and Yashoda Krishna.

Location of the temple:

This temple is located about 3 kms away from the Toll Plaza at Wallajah on the Chennai - Bangalore Highway. While going from Chennai take left before the Toll plaza at Chennasamudram.

Temple Timings:

Since visitors to the temple from outside the village are few, there are no extended timings for the temple. The Bhattar performs Thivaradhanam every morning. He stays on the same road of the temple and happily opens it for visitors. It is better to give him a call before going to the temple to make sure of his availability.

There is also a Shiva temple nearby called the Jagannatha Easwaran Temple.

Contact Details:

P Seshadri Bhattar 99769 98816

The Gopuram and the Gurukkal of Elamai Aakinar Temple, Chidambaram

Thiruneelakanda Kuyavanaar was a resident of the temple town of Chidambaram. No one really knew what his real name was. This potter was well known for his deed of giving away a bowl of alms (Thiruvodu) free to a Sivanadiyaar ( devotee of Lord Shiva) before selling his other wares. His lips chanted "Thiruneelakandam" all the time that he came to be called "Thiruneelakandar".

His wife, Ratnachalai, was an equally pious woman and she supported her husband ably in all his activities. Thiruneelakandar's youthful feelings happened to lead him to solicit another woman. When his wife came to know of this, she was shattered. When Thiruneelakandar tried to touch her, she forbade him, swearing in the name of Thiruneelakandam that the hand that touched another woman should never touch her.

Thiruneelakandar was shocked, but repentant. Since that day, he never made an attempt to touch his wife or any other woman. They stayed together, and performed all other tasks as a married couple. Time went on, and both Thiruneelakandar and his wife grew old. But their noble task of making and giving away bowls of alms to devotees of Lord Shiva continued. They spent every moment of their lives in prayer and thoughts of the golden feet of the Lord.

Painting depicting the various events that took place in the life of Thiruneelakanda Nayanar

No one knew about this vow and the issues with them. As days passed, Lord Shiva had a desire to test the strength of devotion of Thiruneelakandar. He appeared before him in the guise of a Sivayogi. Thiruneelakandar welcomed him with happiness. The Sivayogi gave him a "Thiruvodu" and asked him to keep it safely till he returned from pilgrimage. The potter took it and placed it safely in his house.

The Yogi returned after a few days and sought the bowl he had left behind. Despite searching high and low, Thiruneelakandar was unable to find it. He told the Sivayogi that he was not able to find the bowl, but would give him a bigger and better bowl instead.

The Yogi was angry. He refused the offer of a new bowl and insisted that his own special bowl be returned, failing which he would make a complaint to the 3000 Dikshidhars of Thillai (Chidambaram) that Thiruneelakandar had stolen his bowl.

The potter was aghast. He told the Yogi that even in his thoughts he had not dreamt of stealing the vessel and he sincerely did not understand how it had gone missing. If that was the case, the Yogi asked him to hold his son's hand and swear that he had not stolen the bowl.

Thiruneelakandar and his wife Ratnachalai

Thiruneelakandar told him that he did not have a son. So the Yogi asked him to hold his wife's hand instead. Thiruneelakandar said he could not do that either. So the Yogi took the case to the Thillai Dikshidhars who ruled that Thiruneelakandar had to hold his wife's hand and dip in the tank of the Thirupuleeswarar temple in order to prove his innocence.

Without knowing what to do, Thiruneelakandar and his wife dipped into the tank, both holding either side of a bamboo stick. When they came out of the water, they found that their youth had been restored and the Lord appeared before them with Devi Parvathy and praised their sincere devotion, due to which they had spent their entire youth in celibacy just to upkeep the vow that had been taken in the name of Thiruneelakandam.

The Thirupuleeswaram temple was called so because Sage Vyagrapathar had installed the Thirupuleeswarar and Goddess Tripurasundari at the temple and worshipped them. From the time, Thiruneelakandar and his wife regained their youth, the temple has come to be known as Elamai Aakinaar Koil and the Lord and Goddess are called Yavaneshwarar and Yavanambigai. The temple tank is called the Elamai theertham.

The Elamai Theertham where Lord Shiva turned Thiruneelakandar and his wife young again

It is indeed heartening to see the tank clean and well maintained, with the gates displaying notice from the Police Department that using the tank to bathe or wash clothes is punishable. The temple is large and empty.

We went around the empty praharam, while I was busy visualing how the temple would have looked during Thiruneelakandar's times. The praharam had idols of Thiruneelakandar and his wife, standing apart, as well as the "Naalvar".

A large Nandi that was probably placed in the Sanctum Sanctorum once upon a time, lay discarded, now being used as a stand for the water hose.

Abandoned Nandi

Another noteworthy feature of this temple is that it is not just associated with the life and times of Thiruneelakanda Nayanar but is also associated with Kanampulla Nayanar.

The story of Kanampulla Nayanar is heartwarming. He was from the village of Irukkuvelur, near Salem. He was a rich man, whose passion was to light lamps in temples of Shiva and worship him. Desirous of worshipping the Lord in Chidambaram, he came to the Thirupuleeswarar Temple, and continued his service of lighting lamps.

Lord Shiva wanted to test his devotion as well. His wealth started depleting and he was compelled to sell his household articles one by one, in order to buy oil for the lamps. This did no deter him from continuing his service. Very soon, he did not have any article to sell. He then started cutting straw from the riverside (Kanampul) and selling it. With the money he got, he purchased oil for the lamps.

One day he could not sell any straw. Disappointed and not knowing how he could light the lamps at the temple, he came to Thirupuleeswaram and tried to light the lamps with the straws that were unsold. But the straws burnt out immediately. Determined to continue his service at any cost, he burnt his hair in order for the lamp to continue burning.

Pleased with his devotion, the Lord appeared before him, and took him into his abode.

Kanampulla Nayanar who burnt his hair in order to keep the temple lamp burning

There is an idol of Kanampulla Nayanar in the outer praharam in memory of the events that took place in this very temple. After worshiping Lord Yavaneswarar and Yavanambigai, we moved out of the temple. Worshipping them, is said to keep one, young and healthy and couples who have misunderstandings or lack of harmony among them, are believed to become united again after worshiping the Lord and Goddess.

Another notable feature of this temple was the huge granary that it had. The temple is clean and well maintained by the Nagarathar community. It would be wonderful if the tourists who visit the Nataraja temple, also make an effort to visit this very significant temple not very far away from it.

The Ancient Granary

During your next visit to Chidambaram, please do make an effort to visit this wonderful shrine!

Contact information:

Elamai Aakinaar Temple,
Kasu Kadai Street,
Near Bazaar,
Chidambaram.

Gurukkal Mobile: 94426 12650. The Gurukkal is available from 8 am to 9 am for daily pujas and then again in the evening. You may also contact Sri Rathnathandava Deekshidhar of the Sabanayagar temple on 94438 94098 for guidance.

Temple Timings: 8 am to 12 pm - 5 pm to 8 pm

This morning, I started reading the newspaper as usual. When I started glancing into the Aanmeegam Supplement, I was shocked to find that the article on Dhatriswarar Temple,Sithukadu had content and photographs copied verbatim from the post on the temple on Aalayam Kanden.

So much so, that even the watermark in the photograph had not been removed by this great Author, Mr. P.Thirugnanasambandar, from Thiruvallur and the newspaper, that calls itself No.1 as far as subscription is concerned, has not done any due diligence,or quality checks before accepting the article for publication.

Enraged, I tried to find a contact number or email address where I could send my webpage as well as the copied photographs from it.

After great difficulty, I was able to get a phone number. When I called on it, a gentleman called Senthil came on line saying he was working on the Aanmeegam supplement. When I shared my concern with him, I was told that everyone was on leave and that I should call back again tomorrow.

Aalayam Kanden totally condemns the unprofessional act of Thirugnanasambandar (why does a man who resorts to such cheap acts have such a saint's name) and Dinathanthi which has allowed the publishing of the article which has clear watermarked pictures from Aalayamkanden.

Bloggers like us, spend a great deal of time,money and effort to create original content in order to promote awareness about lesser known temples, and it is cheapsters like these who really dampen our spirits and intent.

I once had a medical doctor, lifting content and pictures verbatim from my blog site, and on confronting him, he removed the unauthorized content and gave a link to my page. I shudder to think, if this is his idea of ethics, what would happen to his patients?

My humble request to all plaguirists, current and future, if you cannot create original content, fine, no sweat, please do not copy content verbatim without acknowledging the creator. Atleast, have the courtesy to acknowledge the creator.

My Article on Sithukadu Dhatriswara Temple on Aalayam Kanden:

http://aalayamkanden.blogspot.in/2011/11/sithukadu-holy-land-of-siddhars.html

The article that was carried in Dhinathanthi today:

You can see that the picture of Garudakodi Sitthar clearly shows the aalayamkanden watermark right in the middle. Similarly, the photograph to the right is also copied from the blog and the watermark removed.

I truly hope the media in India and the so called No.1 newspapers will pay more attention to quality checks so that cheapsters like Thirugnanasambandar from Thiruvallur do not get an opportunity to gain cheap publicity from other people's content.

The steps up to the Durga Temple start here

Anegundi - The Land of the Vijayanagara Kings, the Kishkinda of yore, the land that becons me again and again to it. Navabrindavanam, Chintamani and Pampa Sarovar are places that I visit every time I get an opportunity to do so. Another noteworthy temple that one must visit while touring Anegundi is the famous Durga Temple up a small hillock, popularly known as Durga Betta. There is another Durga Betta near Udupi.

The Goddess Durga here has been the favourite deity of the Vijayanagara Kings, who did not fail to worship her before proceeding on an important activity or war. The festival of Dussehra was celebrated with great pomp and show, with an elephant coming up the hill to carry the Goddess, down to the town of Anegondi, where the Dussehra procession to celebrate the victory of the Goddess over the Asura was carried out through the city. Even today, this ritual continues.

Panting up to the entrance under the midday sun

Shallow steps lead up to the temple. From the picture, you can see that the temple is within a fortress, the remains of which can still be seen.

On entering the temple, there is a small shrine for Hanuman. The priest here, performs elaborate harathi and offers tender coconut water as prasad. The Hanuman is beautifully decorated and it is indeed unique to see a Hanuman shrine inside a Devi temple.

Dwara Hanuman

We then walk into the main temple complex. The ancient Durga shrine stands right in the middle as a single small structure. Extensions have been built on either side in modern times, to create an Artha Mandapa, Dining Hall and other living quarters for the Sadhus who stay and perform poojas to the Goddess.

One noteworthy feature at this temple, is the sincerity and devotion with which the Swamis perform Pujas. There are at any point of time, a number of tourists who wait outside to get darshan of the Goddess, some of them noisy too. But, the priests are just not distracted. They continue to perform the Kumkumarchana or poojas with complete concentration, not even turning once to look at the crowd outside. Once the Pooja is complete, the people are allowed to go in one by one to collect the Kumkuma Prasad and flowers.

There is a huge tree in front of the Durga shrine which has a number of coconuts tied up in colourful clothes to it. These coconuts have been tied by devotees wanting to have their wishes granted by the Mother.

Coconuts tied to a tree in front of the Sanctum Sanctorum

The vibration in this temple is simply awesome. When you stand in front of Her, you feel goosebumps rising. The idol is about four feet high, and one has to stoop to have a close and complete look of the Goddess. But the energy emanating from her, has to be experienced to be believed.

Goddess Durga in her regal splendor - Watch the Asura at her foot

Just look at her - as she sits so majestically, holding Chakra (Discus) and Sanku (Conch) in her upper arms, and Trishula in her lower right hand. In her lower left hand, she hots the arm of the Asura, held in a convenient posture for Samhara. Look at him, twisted in a failing attempt to escape. Her eyes seem to look upwards towards the sky, but when you stand before her, you have a feeling she is looking directly at you!

I cannot describe the emotions that went through me when I stood before her. It was as if she knew how I instantly fell in love with her, that the Swami turned and beckoned me to crouch down and receive the coconut, flowers and Kumkum as he tied a string (Raksha) around my right wrist. I was overwhelmed, and had tears in my eyes as I stepped out making way for those behind me to have darshan and prashad.

Murali, the young man at the shop who sells pooja items, books and CDs at the temple, is always smiling and willing to help. He speaks Hindi, Kannada and surprisingly, Tamil as well. He mentioned that the temple opened at 4.00 am in the morning and closed at 10.00 pm at night with no break in between. So one can have darshan of the Goddess at any time of the day. Abhishekam is performed every day at 4.00 am and Pujas at 7 am, 12 pm and 7 pm. Every day, Kumkumarchana is performed thrice and Lalitha Parayana thrice.

Murali also told us that this temple was built around 1336 AD by Harihara Raya I under the guidance of their Guru Saint Vidyaranya. During the time of Harihara, the Vijayanagara capital was Anegondi and it was only during his brother and successor Bukkaraya's regime, that the capital was moved to the other side of the river to Vijayanagara.

A decorated trolley at the temple

Our previous visits to the Durga Temple have been restricted only to the temple, but this time we decided to go up the fort. We asked Murali about the Krishnadevaraya Samadhi. Murali told us that there were a couple of Samadhis on the way to Vali Gufa (Vali Cave) but he did not know if any of them belonged to Krishnadevaraya.

Vali Gufa? I needed to know more.

One of the Sanyasis at the temple knew Tamil. (Phew!) He explained that Vali had ruled over Kishkinda with Pampa as his capital city. At that time, he and his brother Sugreeva were united. One day, an Asura named Mayavi, challenged Vali to a fight. Vali accepted the challenge and they started attacking each other with maces.

At one point, Mayavi lost his mace and unable to bear the blows of Vali, started running away. Vali followed him and they both landed up in a cave. They wrestled for several days, as an anxious Sugreeva kept watch outside. One day, blood started flowing out of the cave. Fearing that Mayavi had killed Vali, Sugreeva blocked the entrance of the cave with a huge stone and ran away. The truth was that Vali had killed Mayavi. When he tried to get out of the cave, he found that the entrance had been sealed by Sugreeva. Vali thought that Sugreeva had deliberately done so in order to usurp his kingdom from him and to leave him to die inside the cave. This misunderstanding created enmity in the mind of Vali, and Sugreeva had to run to Rishyamukha Parvatha to save himself from Vali losing his wife and kingdom in the process.

It was this cave that the Sanyasi was speaking about. He also told us that there were a couple of samadhis of the Vijayanagara empire - he did not think any of those were Krishnadevaraya's and a well dug during Vali's time which had been reconstructed by the Vijayanagara kings.

We were really excited. Although there were a few people in the group, who had difficulty in climbing, they too decided to climb up slowly, not wanting to miss visiting these places.

Entrance of the Fort

When we reached the fort, there was another Sadhu (this one mercifully spoke Hindi) who took us inside and showed us the various places. In the picture, to the left lies a piece of musical stone, damaged recently by some miscreants.

The two samadhis belonging to the times of Krishnadevaraya stand in solitude. The Sadhu said that one of them was that of Ramaraya, son-in-law of Krishnadevaraya and the other he was not sure. People had piled stones all around the Samadhi. The Sadhu said that they prayed to their rulers and did this. When they came back the next time, if they found the stones had fallen or changed pattern, they believed their wishes would be granted!

Samadhi of Ramaraya?

The Sadhu then pointed out the well which is supposed to have been constructed during Vali's times. He pointed out that it is not common to find wells on hills and Vali had dug the well to ensure there was adequate water inside the fort even if someone laid siege for several months. This well is said to have been improved and reconstructed by the Vijayanagara rulers.

The well on the way to Vali Gufa

By now, we were close to the huge boulder and the cave beneath it and a small board read "Vali Gufa" in Kannada and Hindi. There was already a group of tourists at the entrance of the cave. We waited for them to pass on, before approaching the cave. The Sadhu explained that what had once been a cave where a gory battle had taken place, was the abode to some Sadhus today.They spend several hours meditating inside this cave.

The Blue door signifies the entrance to the Vali Cave

The cave as you can see is below the huge rock boulder and there is a small blue gate that allows one to enter and peep in.

A peep into the cave

The cave is in such a manner that one has to literally crouch to enter the cave but after entering there is adequate space to stand and move about. The other end of the cave, tapers down again. It is amazing how Vali and Mayavi would have entered this cave and then engaged in a gory duel.

A protective steel mesh has been installed to prevent unauthorised entry or misuse of the cave. As you can see from the picture, there is an idol of Vali inside the shrine and a couple of mats which show that the Sadhus have been staying inside and meditating.

The Sadhu from Assam who showed us around

The Sadhu who stays here took us around and explained everything. He refused to accept money offered by some members of the group, saying he did not need it. We gave him some fruits which he took, after some persuasion. We are indeed grateful to him for having explained all the details expecting nothing in return.

It was noon when we returned to the Durga temple. The Sanyasis there asked us to have our lunch, as the temple provides free meals daily to all those who visit. As we had made alternate arrangements at Anegundi, we had to refuse. Had we known about the arrangements, we would have planned to take prasad at the temple.

We thanked Murali, who had motivated us to go up the fort to see these exciting places.

Anegundi is across is the river and just 5 kms away from Hampi. One could also travel by road from Mantralayam, which is what we did. Anegundi is located at the Gangavathi Taluk in Koppal District of Karnataka and it takes three hours to drive down from Mantralayam.

If you happen to be in this part of town, especially during Navaratri, do not miss visiting Durga Betta (not to be confused with the one near Udupi) and Vali Gufa.

Contact Details:

For accomodation and food at Anegundi : Shri B Mallappa, Vaibhav Guest House - 09449432520/ 09480794104

For tourist guide assistance at Anegundi and Hampi - Shri H Manjunath - 09449284490/ 09449653598

Poondi Madha Basilica

Why this Kolaveri?

God's Own Footwear!

Kamban's Kali!

Where Hanuman Stands Alone

Avva!

Where the short hands grew!

Guruvae Saranam!

A Hanuman like never before!

King Sibi and the pound of flesh!

Ramayana Miniatures of Nageshwara!

The legend of Nageshwara!

Hanuman with his parents!

World's largest Sri Chakra Mahameru!

A treasure trove waiting to be explored!

Kalapani!

Yashoda Ka Nandlala!

Young Again!

Tamil Newspaper Dinathanthi allows article with copied content from Aalayam Kanden to be published!

Durga Betta and Vali Gufa!