Aalayam Kanden (Temples I saw)

A part of the Chennai Super Bloggers Team - Winners of the First Indian Bloggers League!

A blogger meet organised by Indiblogger is something every blogger looks out to- as a perfect opportunity to meet, greet and rub shoulders with the wonderful people who are known through their writing, with awesome venues, great food and lots of fun thrown in as a bonus.

This time round, the Indiblogger meet provided a sneak preview into Asia's largest hotel, the ITC Grand Chola at Guindy and it was little wonder that 95% of the registrants reached despite the really short notice.

When I reached the venue, the car was guided along to circumambulate the hotel to reach the Chola entrance, and believe me, it was like circumambulating the Big Temple at Thanjavur! All along the walls, were motifs of elephants (machine cut, and not handmade as I had visualised)welcoming the visitors.

One good thing about the Grand Chola is the pre-reception lobby containing escalators on either side, which enable users of the banquet halls and restaurants to move upstairs without having to enter the main reception!
How efficient!

The indiblogger meet was organised at the Rajendra Banquet Hall, a pillarless wonder that can house upto 3000 people if the panels were all opened up or could be divided into eight smaller conference halls.

Rajendra outside the Banquet Hall

The hospitality of ITC was amazing. With unlimited welcome drinks doing the rounds, the participants settled down comfortably in the round tables, which had i-pads configured for bloggers to participate in the #TweetsForTreats competition organised as part of the launch, whereby winners get awesome treats for innovative tweets about the hotel.

The Marketing head of ITC Grand Chola made a brief presentation about the hotel and its special features and it was indeed amazing to note that the entire hotel was operated on wind energy and this was achieved by the numerous windmills installed in Salem.

After a warm up round of HUR...HUR....HURRAY, and some fun questions by Anoop about the capabilities of the I-pads in the ITC Grand Chola hotel rooms, that earned participants experience vouchers of Rs.500 each (self included :)) and a musical chair to the tune of Gangnam Style, we were all set to enjoy the awesome hi-tea which was almost a meal, and the royal guided tour of the hotel with our charming hostess Meghna.

The Suites have been named after Karikala and Rajaraja, the Board rooms after Kaveri and Thanjavur and the Banquet Hall after Rajendra. The Sangam Lobby has a lotus motifed ceiling with acoustics planned in such a way that the voice of a person who spoke below it was magnified. This, we were told was an inspiration from the durbar halls of the Chola Kings (!) where such an arrangement existed, so that everyone heard when the King spoke.

Our tour started at the Sangam Lobby, resplendent with marble, the curving staircases fit enough for a king. We were told that different types of marble from many parts of the world were used liberally in the construction of the hotel as the Cholas had used marble to build palaces and temples. (Is that true? I thought the Mughals had specialised in using marble for construction).

The Sangam Lobby with the splendid chadeliers and the lovely staircase

We went through the different entrances - the Kili entrance for the Serviced apartments and the Sembian entrance for the Conference facilites.

We peeped into the restaurants and coffee shops - Madras Pavilion, Cafe Mercara, and Ottimo,
had a lovely mocktail at the Tranque"bar"- a bar named after Tharangambadi of the Chola Kingdom,
breezed through Cheroot - the Malt and Cigar Bar and Nutmeg, the wonderful chocolate and cake place,
and the Kayakalp Spa, before checking out the Tower Room, where every move was "I-Pad" controlled, the spacious Gym and the lovely swimming pool.

Sipping a Mocktail at the Tranque"bar"

Our final stop was at the Kavery and Thanjavur Board Rooms - the State of Art Board rooms with elegance and efficiency where everything happened at a touch of a button.

The die-hard Chola fan in me was a little disappointed that other than the antique artifacts from different parts of India, there was no other symbol or reference from the Cholas in the restaurants or rooms - but then, I guess they have done the best they could, considering business priorities. It would also help immensely if the staff were given a lesson in Chola history so that they are able to relate and narrate facts better.

Meghna told us that the Sembian entrance was named after Sembianmadevi, a queen who was well known for her hospitality! I could not resist telling her that the Cholas took the name of Sembian, to show that they were descendants of King Sibi and Sembianmadevi was well known for her philanthropy and devotion to Lord Shiva and that she had spent many an year in her life and a huge part of her wealth in renovating Shiva temples and in popularising the thevaram! (Phew!)

Bottomline: I decided not to apply too much of history and to enjoy the ambience that had been so meticulously put together by several thousands of people!

I do not want to go into repeating every single detail that Meghna told us, to spoil the fun for those who want to check out the regal splendor and responsible luxury of this hotel that spans over 6,00,000 sq. ft, but here are some glimpses of images that stayed in my mind long after I went home!

That Wonderful Grand Chola Experience! - Through my eyes! Do read the description of each picture, to understand more about the unique features of this magnificient hotel.

A sincere thanks to Indiblogger and ITC Grand Chola for a wonderful fun-filled evening, great food, and lovely treats to take away as parting gifts! We will be back soon to enjoy the regal ambience yet again! May the glory of the Cholas live on!

At the entrance of Sri Sathya Vijaya Theertha Moola Brindavana

The town of Mannargudi in Tamilnadu. Sri Sathyapoorna Theertha, the Uttaradhi Mutt Pontiff was travelling through the town when he heard about a young brahmin called Balachar. People praised his knowledge on the Vedas and Agamas. Sathyapoorna Theertha expressed his desire to meet Balachar.

When Balachar came to meet him, Sri Sathyapoorna Theertha asked him give up his sadhana of several months, and come back to him. Without speaking another word, Balachar got ready to do as instructed. Moved by his devotion, Sathyapoorna Theertha accepted him as his successor and named him "Sri Sathya Vijaya Theertha".

Prior to meeting Balachar, Sri Sathyapoorna Theertha had already named Sri Sathyapriya Theertha as his successor. Sathyapriya Theertha had proceeded to North India on pilgrimage.

Understanding that his end was drawing near, and the return of Sathyapriya Theertha not known, Sri Sathya Poorna Theertha had made the move of appointing Sri Sathya Vijaya Theertha as his successor.

Soon after this event, Sri Sathyapoorna Theertha entered Brindavana. But there was no sight of Sri Sathyapriya Theertha. Hence, Sri Sathya Vijaya Theertha took over all the responsibilities of the Uttaradhi Mutt and executed them with care and diligence.

During his tenure, Sri Sathya Vijaya Theertha visited several places and finally reached Arani, a town in Tamilnadu.

Hanuman at the Sathya Vijaya Theertha Brindavana

The then Jagirdar of Arani was Sri Srinivasa Rao Sahib. The Jagir had been received by his ancestors for the services rendered to Chattrapati Shivaji's father, Shavaji. The Jagirdar received the Swami with affection, and made all arrangements for his comfortable stay.

One day, the Swami and the Jagirdar were walking along the banks of the Kamandala Naga Nadhi, when they saw a five headed snake dancing with his hood up. The Swami asked the Jagirdar to move his palace close to that spot. Immediately, the Jagirdar built a new palace near the place and made it his headquarters. He also named the place Sathya Vijaya Nagaram in honor of Sri Sathya Vijaya Theertha. This place stands ruined till date.

In 1737, Sathyavijaya Theertha called the Jagirdar and told him that his end was drawing near. After his demise, he asked the Jagirdar to have his body carried eastwards till a point were the body became so heavy that it could not be carried any further. He requested that his Brindavana be built at that place. The Jagirdar accepted with tears in his eyes.

That was not all. He mentioned to the Jagirdar, that Sri Sathyapriya Theertha who had obtained sanyasa before him, did not seem to return yet and when he did the Jagirdar must hand over the list of items belonging to the Mutt so meticulously prepared by him. He asked for his idols of worship to be buried at a place close to his Brindavana along with his Danda. These must be handed over to Satya Priya Theertha with the instruction that he must exchange his Danda for this one.

Very soon, Sri Sathya Vijaya Theertha left his physical body. As instructed, the Jagirdar's men carried him eastwards till such time that they could no longer carry the body. It was the exact location where the Jagirdar had seen the five headed snake. The Jagirdar built his Brindavana there.

The Brindavana of Sri Sathya Vijaya Theertha

Soon, Sathya Priya Theertha returned from pilgrimage. He heard everything that happened, and was a little perplexed about the Danda as he was senior to Sathya Vijaya theertha and did not think it was be appropriate to exchange Dandas with him. However, it is believed that he had a vision of Hanuman from the idol that was installed by Sri Vyasaraja (previous incarnation of Sri Raghavendra) at Sathya Vijaya Nagara and He instructed him that it would be perfectly right for him to do so, as Sri Sathya Vijaya Theertha had performed poojas and rituals at the Uttaradhi Mutt for a long time which he had not and hence, that made him worthy to have his Danda exchanged.

The Brindavana of Sri Sathya Veera Theetha

That is not all. The Brindavana of Sri Sathya Vijaya Theertha also contains the Mrithika Brindavana of Sri Sathya Veera Theertha, his successor twice removed. The Jagirdar is said to have been issueless for a long time, and it was through the grace and blessings of Sri Sathya Veera Theertha that he was blessed with a son who he named after him. As a token of gratitude, he installed the brindavana of Sri Sathya Veera Theertha after his demise, next to Sri Sathya Vijaya Theertha. For a picture of the Jagirdar placing Sri Sathya Veera Theertha on his throne, and other interesting details about Sathya Vijaya Nagaran, please visit www.arnijagir.com

The Brindavana Complex also has a Mrithika Brindavana of Sri Raghavendra which has been installed in 1997. Every year, the Aradhana celebrations are held here with a great deal of festivity.

Mrithika Brindavana of Sri Raghavendra Swamy

How to reach here:

Sathya Vijaya Nagaram is about 7 kms before Arani when one takes the Chennai - Bangalore Highway.

Temple Timings:

The Achar's family lives close to the temple complex. Therefore, on a normal day one could call up the Achar before visiting.

Contact Details:

Sri Sathya Vijayachar - 99444 63550 . If you do happen to visit Sathya Vijaya Nagara, do make it a point to visit the Hanuman installed by Sri Vyasaraja, which is quite close to the Brindavana.

A view of the Vimanas and Gopuram of Sri Amirthambigai Samedha Sri Aavundeeswarar Temple, Nemam

On the second saturday of every month, through the Aalayam Kanden Trust, we visit an ancient, lesser known temple, and donate ghee and oil for lamps. We also light lamps in all the shrines and in front of all the Goshta Devathas on that day. The details of the temple, and the time of the activity are informed well in advance through the Aalayam Kanden Facebook Page for the benefit of those who wish to participate and/or contribute. This month, for some reason, we were not able to decide on the temple. Several options were analysed, but no decision was arrived at. With just one week left , I started receiving phone calls from anxious friends. It was then that the Nemam Avundeeswarar temple came into my mind.

Eagerly, I started reading about it. Two articles, one written by renowned astrologer Shri AMR, and the other that appeared in Agasthya Vijayam, made me decide on the temple. We called the trustee Mr. Kumar to agree upon the time. What he said was music to our ears. He suggested, that we visit on Sunday instead of Saturday as Sunday was Pradhosham . So the date and time were quickly set, and we waited eagerly for Sunday afternoon.

We reached the temple around 3.45 pm. The Gurukkal was just opening the door as we arrived. He welcomed us warmly and introduced us to Mr. Kumar, trustee, and the man instrumental in making this temple rise from dust. As we waited for him to freshen up and meet with us, we walked around the temple admirng the various idols and their beauty. The Gurukkal took us into the temple. There was no electricity and with the help of an emergency lamp, he opened the door of the sanctum sanctorum.

My heart stopped at the sight of the magnificient Avundeeswara. Almost 4.5 feet tall, the long Baana on a square Avudaiyaar in the dimly lit Grabagraha, reminded me of Thirugnanasambandar's verse - " காதலாகி, கசிந்து, கண்ணீர் மல்கி" as my hands automatically rose above my head, and I felt goosebumps all over. He looked every bit the title of this post.

The Gurukkal pointed out to the dampness on the walls around, to the height of the Lord. He said that the source from where the water was seeping through the walls was unknown, but it was through the year and did not raise beyond the height of the lingam.

He also mentioned about the Amudha Yogeeswara Bhairavar at the temple. He said that it has been witnessed that he guards the temple at night - such a living, strong presence! Worshipping this Bhairava on Saturdays rids one of problems faced due to Shani Dasa and also due to Seivinai (Mantrikam/Sorcery)

Sri Amudha Yogeeswara Bhairava - The Guardian of the Temple!

We went around the temple which was spotlessly clean and well maintained. Soon, Mr Kumar joined us and took as to the Meditation Hall that has been built recently. The hall had pictures of the 18 Siddhars placed on the wall, and ambience conducive for meditation. Mr. Kumar started talking about the history of the temple and how it was raised from shambles.

He recalled how until 1999 the whole temple had been covered by thick vegetation and there was no passage available even to get close to the temple. No one ventured close, fearing the giant sized bats and reptiles crawling around! Right from childhood, Kumar had the desire to get close and see how the temple looked like and when he along with some friends, finally managed to do so, this is how the temple looked like!

From what it was, it took eleven years of struggle, patience and support from people from different parts of the world, and the consecration was performed in the year 2010. He said that over these years of struggle to raise over a crore of rupees, it was the Siddhars who guided him at every step. This temple is also said to be the Aikiya Sthalam of Gantha Siddhar (காந்த சித்தர் ).

History of the temple:

After Pralaya, when Lord Brahma started creation of human beings again, it is believed that he sprinkled the holy nectar (amirtham) on Nemam and that the Devas had offered the Amirtham first to Goddess Amirthambigai. Hence this Kshetram is known as the Amirtha Janma Bhoomi. Being a Janma Bhoomi from where creation started, the Goddess grants prayers of childbirth with generosity and compassion.

Couples seeking childbirth, perform Ko Puja (puja to the Cow and Calf) here, circumambulate them 12 times, and offer Abhishekam to the Lord and Goddess with the fresh milk and take the milk as prasadam. After childbirth, they perform the abhishekam again as a gesture of gratitude.

The Goddess Amirthambigai with her head tilted to the right and left knee bent as if to place a foot forward, waits to listen to the Abhilashas of each one of her devotees, and grant them instantly.

It is desirable for every woman born in this world to worship Goddess Amirthambigai at least once in their life time.

Those girls seeking suitable marriage alliances, offer garlands of glass bangles to the Goddess Amirthambigai on fridays and during Navarathri.

This temple is also believed to be a Parihara Sthalam for those born under Makam and Pooram Stars.

This temple is south facing, with the Lord facing the East at the Eesanya Corner of Nemam. Eesanya Lingam is said to be one that gives mukthi and hence this temple is also known as Pitru Mukthi Kshetram, and performing rites to ancestors here, is said to be even more beneficial than Kasi.

The Oushadha Theertham behind the temple, is said to contain medicinal properties. The once huge tank has now been reduced, to gain more land for the temple and also for effective maintenance. It is believed that the Ashtadhikpalakas bathe in this tank to rid themselves of their fatigue.

The Oushadha Theertham also known as Agni Theertham

Over time, the temple had been covered by sand and Lord Shiva waited patiently for the time to come to show himself to the world again. During this time, the cows that were being grazed through this area, used to shower their milk over the hidden lingam. Mr. Kumar, put his hand on the top of the Baana to show the soft portion on the head of the lingam where a dimple had been formed (just like the head of a new born baby)due to the constant showering of milk on the lingam.

The cowherd did not understand why the cows were showering their milk on a sandhill and in a fit of anger, raised his whip and started beating the cows. It is believed that Lord Shiva rose from the sandhill and hugged the cows close whereby the whiplashes fell on him. Till today, the marks of a whip striking against him can be seen on the Murthi. As he protected the cows, he came to be known as Aavundeeswara. This temple is a preferred place of worship for those people whose name starts with the sylabble "Go" like Gopalakrishnan, Gomathy, Govindarajan, Govardhan etc.

Built in the 11th Century by Jayamkonda Chola (Rajadhiraja Chola I) this temple lost its glory over the years, only to be reconstructed again at the turn of the 21st Century. (1999 - 2010).

The Sthala Puranam depicted through this sculpture on one of the pillars

Apart from the ancient shrines of Ganesha, Muruga, Veerabadra, Bhairava, Brahma, Vishnu, Vishnu Durga and Chandikeshwara, new shrines for Navagraha and a separate shrine for Shani Bhagavan as well as Saptha Matrikas has been constructed. A notable feature of this temple is the existence of Jyeshta Devi.

The ancient Murthis at the temple

By now, it was time for the Pradhosha Abhishekam to start. After worshipping the Nandi and witnessing the Abhishekam being performed, we moved into the Artha Mandapam. The temple is built in such a way that we enter from the South. go around the temple, worship the Nandi, then enter the main temple, after worshipping Goddess Amirthambigai, and then turn left to face the Lord, who is being worshipped by Nandi through a stone lattice.

The magnificient Avundeeswara!

Through the grace of the Almighty, I have been blessed to visit several temples over my life time. But the peace and tranquility and the vibration we experienced as we sat before the Lord was something special. Tears of joy automatically welled up in my eyes. There were a few local people who had come to witness the Pradhosha Abhishekam and as the priests started the abhishekam, to the rendering of Thevaram songs, in the dim light of the emergency lamp, it was as if we had been transported to another world.

After the abhishekam was performed, we were able to light lamps at all the shrines in the temple and also give away ghee and oil for the rest of the month to Mr. Kumar.

For pictures on the lighting of lamps at this temple, and to like our Aalayam Kanden page and participate in our future events click here.

After witnessing the procession of Lord Shiva and Parvathi on the Nandi Vahanam around the temple we started from the temple, with the satisfaction of an evening well spent!

How to get here:

When driving from Chennai, on the Chennai-Bangalore Highway, turn right at Thirumazhisai. Drive down the road towards Nemam. After crossing the Lotte Chocolate Factory, take the next left at the Ambedkar Statue. You can see the temple from there through the greenery along the way. After about a kilometre, turn left at the end of the stone wall, and it leads directly to the temple.

Temple Timings:

8 am to 12 pm, 4 pm to 8 pm

Contact Details:

Mr. Kumar,
Trustee, Sri Amirthambigai Trust,
No 73 Vellalar Street, Nemam Post,
Chennai 602 107
Phone: 98407 70248

The Gopuram of Vanneeswarar Temple, Alwarkurichi

There are planned travels you undertake, when you read up about the places you intend to visit, their significance, uniqueness and everything else that would make your visit complete and wholesome. Sometimes, unplanned travel has a number of hidden surprises for you which become much-cherished and treasured memories.

My recent visit to Tirunelveli District was one such trip. When Mr. Chandrasekhar, PRO of REACH Foundation, told me that he was going to Tirunelveli District for survey of a couple of dilapidated temples, and invited me to go along, I agreed enthusiastically. Our guide, Chandra mentioned, would be one Mr. Podhigai Kudumban who has done extensive research by foot all over the district on sixteen different themes pertaining to history, heritage and mythology. The name was itself very unique and intriguing so I was all excited.

When our train chugged into the junction, it started pouring heavily and by the time we decided on a route map, went up to another temple about which I would be writing shortly, and boarded the bus to Cheranmadevi, it was noon. We were tired and hungry. It was at the Cheranmadevi bus stand, that Podhigai hired his friend's share auto for the rest of the day for us.

Sometimes, it is these small time transport operators in these towns and villages, who turn out to be a godsend. Mr. Ramar, who belongs to Mukkudal and drives the auto drove us from Cheranmadevi to Kallidaikurichi where we were kindly hosted by a common friend's Chandru's family, and then from there to Ambasamudram, Azhwarkurichi and back.

Another view of the gopuram and the walls ready to fall

The auto was spacious and comfortable and he only charged us Rs.1000/- for the whole day. He was extremely patient as we went from one temple to another, never got annoyed when we stopped at every single " Nadukal" or mural painting in an abandoned mandapa, or spent hours taking pictures.

I would strongly recommend Mr. Ramar for anyone who is planning to travel around these places. He charges Rs.1000 - 1200 per day, depending on the time and distance which is much cheaper than the ambassadors who charge Rs.2000 per day. The most important thing is that he knows temples that exist in hidden corners of towns and villages around here. Contact Details of Mr. Ramar : 99449 20014

When we started out in the morning, Chandra had explained our interests to Podhigai, who in turn insisted that I visit and write about Vanneeswarar Temple at Azhwarkurichi wherein resides Garbarakshambigai.

I was surprised. I had visited other temples connected with marriage and childbirth in other parts of Tamilnadu like Putlur Poongavanathamman Temple, Thirukarugavur Garbarakshambigai Temple, Pidaari Karukathamman Temple, Mamallapuram, Karuvalarcheri etc. but somehow not come across or heard about this temple, despite belonging to the district.

Podhigai showed me pictures on his digital camera, of idols on the main gopuram of women helping another woman to deliver, various yoga postures for pregnant women etc. that I was super excited by the time we reached there.

It was almost 5.30 pm when we reached the temple. The temple was stooped in darkness like all other parts of Tirunelveli which experiences ten hours of power cut in a day. The battery on my camera was dying down because of all the action since morning and not being able to recharge the battery. As soon as we reached, I asked the junior bhattar at the temple, Mr. Meenakshinathan, if I could see the idols on the gopuram. He agreed and took me up. This was the first time in my life that I got an opportunity to climb up a temple and that too, one where the stones were shaky and ready to crumble.

I was surprised to hear that Meenakshinathan is also a snake catcher. He showed us pictures of how he had caught sixteen feet King cobras and other snakes around Azhwarkurichi. It was indeed amazing to take a look at those pictures.

View from the top

When we went around trying to locate the idols, Meenakshinathan remarked that every other day the idols were disintegrating and falling from the gopuram and the ones that had been captured by Podhigai some months ago, did not exist any longer! It was highly disappointing and quite saddening to see the state of affairs.

The temple is quite well maintained inside, and they are looking for patrons and donors to renovate the gopurams and the wall around the temple, which again is leaning and ready to crumble at any moment.

Inside, the temple is a treasure trove. Every single pillar has sculptures depicting an image connected to childbirth. There are quite a few erotic sculptures as well.

The Bhattar at the temple, Shri Narayanan welcomed us and started narrating the history of the temple, in the dim light provided by the inverter.

The story goes like this:

During Dwapara Yuga, the Saptharishis performed a Yagna to prevent human beings from perishing in the fire. Fearing his power would be lost, Agni did not help the burning of the sacrificial fire. Angered by his act, the Saptharishis cursed him to lose his skills and competencies.

Agni hid himself in the banks of the river near the temple in the form of a fish to escape from the curse. But the Sapahathi came looking for him, found him and overcame him. Agni then prayed to Rishi Sudama to help him to get back his skills. The Rishi adviced him to install a Shivalinga with his own hands and worship him and be relieved from the curse. Agni did so on the banks of the river and was soon relieved of his curse.
The place where this lingam was installed came to be known as Agni Theertham. There is a perennial spring of water that keeps coming into the pit where the Agniswara Lingam existed and several Siddhars have meditated and attained samadhi around it. I will be writing a separate post on Agni Theertham where we will describe that at length.

Lord Agniswara

Over time, since the river got flooded frequently, a wealthy trader, Shri.Vijayendra Bhupathy Mudaliar had moved the Lingam from the Agni Theertham into a grove of Vanni Trees (Prosopis Cineraria or Shami Tree ) and built a small shrine around it. Because he rested in the midst of Vanni Trees he came to be known as Vanniappar.

Subsequently, the Cholas had built the temple and extended it. When the Pandyas came into power, they moved the original Agniswara to the East of the temple as a Easanya Lingam, and built a larger Shivalingam in the Sanctum Sanctorum. They also added the shrine of Goddess Sivakami Ambal. The Nandi in front of the new Pandya Lingam, is however, the old Chola Nandi.

The original Nandi

This original Vanneeswara now called Agniswara again, sits quietly, in the eastern side of the temple, waiting for devotees to visit him. Try meditating in front of him. The vibration is awesome! The new Nandi made by the Pandyas has been installed near the Dwajasthamba and Bali Peetam, by far one of the most beautiful Nandis I have seen so far.

The New Nandi

Unique methods of worship at the temple:

As I had mentioned earlier, this temple is a reputed worship site for marriage and childbirth. There is a pillar in the temple which has the images of a goddess in bridal attire named Kalyanambal and another goddess fully pregnant named Garbarakshambigai.

Goddess Kalyanambal

Devotees worship Goddess Kalyanambal to have prayers of good marriage proposal answered. The procedure is very simple but effective.

The person seeking to be married or a blood relative (preferably mother) has to perform abhishekam with their own hands to Goddess Kalyanambal in the first week. Archanai is performed in the following three weeks by the Bhattar on behalf of the prospective groom or bride. Once the wedding takes place, the couple come back and offer garlands and new clothes to Kalyanambal as you can see in the picture above. He said that several people come to do this pooja. Abhishekam can be performed at any time of the day other than Rahu Kaalam.

For those who seek childbirth, the same procedure is done but with Garbarakshambigai. The opportunity to perform abhishekam with their own hands is something unique at this temple. After childbirth, the couple come back with the infant to offer prayers and thanks to Goddess Garbarakshambigai.

Goddess Garbarakshambigai

This temple is also a place of worship for Kalasarpa Dosham. On the ceiling outside the Artha Mandapam, there is a Yantra of entwined snakes, and snake charmers which is unique in this temple.

Those who suffer from Rahu Dosham, perform abhishekam (again with their own hands) to the Krishna standing on a five headed snake and those suffering from Kethu Dosham can perform abhishekam to the Shiva lingam under a one-headed snake and those suffering from Kalasarpa Dosham or Kalasarpa Yogam perform abhishekam to Rahu and Kethu in a single icon to be rid of these dosham. Point to note: Other than the Yantra and these icons, there is no Navagraham in this temple.

Kalasarpa Yantram

By now, the battery on my camera had run out and I was reduced to shooting from my mobile phone, aiming into the darkness. Kindly bear with the poor and grainy quality of pictures here forward.

The other interesting features here are as I mentioned several sculptures of yogic postures depicted for pregnant women.

Another absolutely adorable feature of this temple is the unique depiction of the 63 nayanmars. Instead of the standard format where all of them have similar faces, and stand with folded hands, here each one of them is depicted to show incidents that happened in their lives that made them Nayanmars.

Siruthonda Nayanar with his son Seeralan at his foot

Pugazhchola Nayanar with the head of the
Sivanadiyar in his hand

The entire history of each Nayanmar's life is written in the wall behind them for easy reference and understanding which again is something interesting and useful. Also the nayanmars are not arranged based on the order they appear in Thiruthonda Thogai. They are organised based on common threads in them. For example, Ninraseer Nedumaran, Mangayarkarasiyaar and Kulasiraiyaar are together, Sundarar, his parents and Narasinga Munaiyaraiyar are together and so on.

Both Narayana Bhattar and Meenakshinathan spoke about the exquisite large Nataraja made of a single stone, by far one of the earliest stone Natarajas which belonged to this temple, but has now been moved to another temple nearby for safe-keeping since the walls of this temple can collapse at any time. We could not see the exquisite Nataraja because the other temple was closed.

Vanniyappar and Sivakami Ambal wait with compassion and grace to answer prayers of those who come to their doorsteps.

How to get here:

Nearest Railway Station: Tirunelveli
By Road: Alwarkurichi is very close to Ambasamudram and about 35 kms from Tirunelveli and 25 kms from Tenkasi. Buses going from Tirunelveli to Tenkasi via Ambasamudram stop at Alwarkurichi.

Temple Timings:

To facilitate those devotees coming from different parts of Tamilnadu and Kerala by various means of transport, the temple is open from 7 am in the morning till 7 pm at night. It is better to visit the temple during the day because electricity is not available in the evenings and it is a little difficult to enjoy the beautiful treasures of the temple in the dark.

Contact Details:

Narayana Bhattar: 97904 01895
Meenakshinathan 96599 66003
For general guidance regarding travel and heritage research (especially early types of nature worship, Nadukals, Kaval Deivams, Astromical signs in Temple Architecture etc) you could contact Podhigai Kudumban Mobile No 96981 76089. A word of Caution - he is a very intense and passionate researcher and often loses track of time, hunger and other logistical needs that normal travellers would experience :)

The humble entrance to the Kari Varadaraja Perumal Temple at Nerkundram

Awesome! Wow! How Divine!

These were the words predominant in our minds as we walked out of the Nerkundram Kari Varadaraja Perumal Temple this afternoon. Every month, through the Aalayam Kanden Trust, we have been going to a lesser known, ancient temple and lighting lamps and distributing ghee and oil, This month, we chose the Kari Varadaraja Perumal Temple and feel extremely pleased about having done so.

For pictures of the Lighting of Lamps event at this temple and to join our future events or contribute towards distribution of ghee and oil , please check out our Facebook page by clicking here.

So what is so special about this temple to have evinced such a response from us? Well, this is probably the only temple where the Lord actually opens his eyes and looks at his devotees! Surprised? Read on.

This temple has a very interesting mythology connected to it.

King Indrajyudhman was a very staunch devotee of Vishnu. Despite being a King, he spent many hours of the day worshipping Lord Vishnu. One day, Sage Agasthya came to visit him. The King, was lost in his thoughts of the Lord and did not notice the sage. Angered, the sage cursed him to become an elephant.

Indrajyudhman was shocked. He told the sage that he was a devotee of Vishnu and had not ignored him deliberately. The sage said that once a curse was given, he could not take it back and that the King could pray to Vishnu to give him Shapa Vimochana.

When the King prayed to the Lord, he heard a voice (Asariri) telling him " I am in a place where Nel (paddy) is heaped like a Kundram (hill). Come there and worship me every day and you will get moksha" said the voice.

So the King who had then turned into an elephant, came down to Nerkundram, and found the Varadaraja Perumal Temple next to a Pushkarni. Every morning, he would pluck a lotus from the Pushkarni and worship the Lord by placing the lotus at his feet.

A humble Garudalwar with the lamp lit by us before him

One day, a Gandharva called Hoo Hoo and his wife came down to Bhooloka and were playing near the Pushkarni. When Hoo Hoo noticed the elephant plucking a lotus, and worshipping Lord Vishnu, he was very impressed. He wanted to stay back and watch what happened. So he and his wife took the form of crocodiles and swam around in the Pushkarni.

At that moment, Sage Bharadwaja came to the Pushkarni to perform his Sandhya Vandhanam. Hoo hoo, now in the form of a crocodile did not see the sage and trying to chase his wife, banged against the Sage standing in water. Sage Bharadwaja became angry at this impertinent act. Realising that the crocodile was a Gandharva, he cursed him to turn into a crocodile permanently. Hoo Hoo was sorry for his inadvertent act and begged the Sage's forgiveness. The Sage told him that when he held the foot of a Vaishnava he would be forgiven and would attain his original form.

The Crocodile immediately thought of the elephant who was a loyal devotee of Vishnu and decided to hold his foot. The next day, when the Elephant got into the water to pluck a lotus, the crocodile swam quickly towards him and caught his foot. The Elephant tried to pull his leg from the Crocodile's grasp,but could not do so because the crocodile is more powerful in water. In pain and distress, the Elephant sought the help of his Lord " Adhimoolame" he bellowed.

Does this story sound familiar to Gajendra Moksham? Well, not completely. When the Lord heard the cry of the elephant, he wanted to come out and save both his devotees - the Elephant and the Crocodile. So he sent out his Sudharshana Chakra and asked him to bring both Elephant and Crocodile to the shore. The Chakra went swishing and sliced through the water, to carry both the creatures out of the water.

Once on land, the elephant gained strength and was able to pull his leg out of the crocodile's mouth, with some effort. When that happened, both the elephant and the crocodile gained their original forms of King Indrajyudhman and HooHoo and the Lord gave both of them the boon of Paramapadha.

As this Lord granted the boon of Paramapatha to an elephant (Kari) he came to be known as Kari Varadaraja Perumal.

Moolavar Sri Kari Varadaraja Perumal with consorts
Photo Courtesy: Sri Sugendra Bhattachar

Now from that magnificient history to reality. Today, this temple only has the main Moolavar shrine intact. Small semi permanent structures house Anjaneya Swamy and Garudalwar. A large hall covered by thatch is where the devotees gather and wait to go into the Artha Mandapa in batches. A statue of Nammalwar stands in a corner behind the book stall only to be noticed when Thaligai is submitted to him.

Sri Varada Anjaneya Swamy

Why this pitiable state? Shri. Sugendra Bhattar, the hereditary trustee of the temple, speaks with a lot of sadness and frustration. He says over time the lands belonging to the temple have been occupied by private parties and despite going to court and taking their best efforts with the available limited means, the temple which once had enough means to conduct various festivals over the year, today is unable to support even the painting of the permanent shrine that they have managed to construct for Shri Anjaneya.

Nammazhwar in an alcove behind the book stall. Ms. Sivakami, the lady in blue
works at the temple and answered phone enquiries. She was very helpful for this visit.

He invites us into the Ardha Mandapam to witness what we had come to see. Once inside, he tells us about the significance of worship at this temple. The Lord Kari Varadaraja Perumal, is the Lord of 27 stars. He is also the Adhibadhi of the Number 9. So for every wish or prayer that a devotee makes they offer a contribution of Rs.9 to the Lord which is then placed at his feet. The devotees come back (most often within nine days) to offer thanks for the wish having been granted. He also said that if a devotee came for 27 months on his birth star without a break he could definitely achieve whatever he wished.

The Lord has Sridevi and Bhoodevi on either side and Neela Devi and Mahalakshmi in his heart, which is a unique feature here. His right hand shows Varada Hastham and the left hand holds a Gadhayudham. The two rear hands have Sanku and Chakra. He also has a Simhamukham below his navel.

The Lord's Avatara Nakshatram is Hastham and Thirumanjanam is performed on those days at the temple. Those who wish to perform Thirumanjanam or offer Vastram (nine yard sarees are used to adorn the Lord) can contact the temple atleast fifteen days in advance.

After having told us the significance of praying at this temple, he asks us if we were ready with our prayers. We wait with bated breath, as he closes the door to the Sanctum Sanctorum, and switches off the electric lights.

The doors are closed for Nethra Darisanam

Now the Bhattar takes the ghee lamp near the face of the Lord. Lo and Behold, the eyes that you see closed in the idol while the lights were on have suddenly opened. The almost human like eyes are rolling left to right as the Bhattar moves the ghee lamp beneath the Lord's face. He asks us to seek our wishes while the Lord's eyes are open, and we do with sincerity and devotion.

The Utsavar here is Sathyanarayana Perumal. Sathyanarayana Pooja is performed here on every full moon day. Another special utsavar is Sri Santhanagopala Krishnan. For those seeking Childbirth, the Bhattar gives the Utsavar in their hands and the woman or her mother (using the woman's vastram) receive the Krishnan with devotion in the pallav of the saree and swing him gently from side to side as the Bhattar sings pasurams. This Krishna with butter in his hand grants the boon of childbirth without fail. We saw some people distributing sweets at the temple as their wishes had been granted.

The doors have opened and the next batch goes in

Another unique feature of this temple is the community prayers that happen on tuesdays and saturdays in the morning at 11 am. On Tuesdays, since the crowd is relatively less, the community prayers are accompanied by the recital of Vishnu Sahasranamam and on Saturdays, since the crowd is larger, the community prayers are led in Tamil by Shri. Sugendra Bhattachar.

He invited us to join the prayers and we joined the group of people who had lined up on either side of the main shrine in the meditation hall. The Bhattar handed over Tulsi leaves to each and every one of us and asked us to hold it in our hands as we prayed for each person and then finally hand it over to him to be taken to the feet of the Lord with all the prayers embedded.

It was indeed an amazing activity. The power of community prayer need is well known and does not need detailed description. To know that this is a regular activity twice a week at this temple, where the prayers are conducted in Tamil instead of Sanskrit, so that people understand and participate sincerely was something appreciable indeed.

Once the offering of prasadam to the Lord was completed, the Bhattar started by asking those whose wishes had been fulfilled to share their experiences. Ms. Ramya, an engineering student, distributed sweets and chocolates to those gathered, as her prayers for her sister to have a child had been granted and she had delivered a boy baby through normal delivery.

One by one, the devotees share their concerns and everyone else prays for them

When Shri. Sugendra Bhattachar asked me what my prayer was, all I could think of is that Kari Varadaraja Perumal should get back all his property so that the temple is restored to its lost magnificence. It was indeed heart warming when everyone prayed for it to happen. The Bhattar also prayed that Aalayam Kanden should be able to do good service to the society by identifying and supporting several deserving temple. What more do we want?

After each one's concern was heard and prayers made, delicious Pongal was distributed as prasadam and we left the temple, with our hearts and stomach full.

Aalayam Kanden Team in conversation with Shri. Sugendra Bhattar

An Appeal:

As mentioned in the post, the temple is seeking funds to complete the Anjaneyar Shrine and also for the running expenses of the temple and sanctification which has not happened over the last 24 years. Please contribute generously through cash or materials to support this wonderful temple.

Aalayam Kanden has committed to support this initiative. Please send in your contributions through cheque, Demand draft favoring Aalayam Kanden Trust, Flat A, Nutech Saradambal Apartments, No. 36, Kripasankari Street, West Mambalam, Chennai 600 033. You may also use the bank transfer option to transfer funds into our Punjab National Bank account, West Mambalam, Chennai 600 033

Account No: 6028000100005596, IFSC Code: PUNB0602800.

How to get here:

This temple has easy access from all parts of Chennai. From Koyambedu Bus Terminus, take a left at the Roundtana towards Poonamallee High Road. Once you cross the HP Petrol Pump on your right, you will find a First Choice Car showroom, with a green car suspended high up in the air on your right and the Vengaya Mandi Bus Stop on your left (it would be the first bus stop after Koyambedu if you take buses plying from Koyambedu towards Maduravoyal).

Turn left opposite the First Choice Showroom. Turn left again after you enter the road. The temple is the second building on your right. Do not look out for Gopuram or Vimanam as you would be sadly disappointed. There is a garments company called Shamili Garments next to the temple.

Contact Details:

Shri. Sugendra Bhattachar, Heriditary Trustee

Ph: 99625 59123, 99628 11792

Temple Timings:

Mornings: 8.30 am to 12.30 pm
Evenings: 5.30 pm to 8. 30 pm

Thank you Blog Adda for choosing this post as a Amazing posts

Agni Theertham

When I wrote about Vanniyappar Temple in Aalayam Kanden a couple of weeks ago, I had mentioned I would be writing a separate post on Agni Theertham, the original place where Agneeswara who is today called Vanniyappar had existed.

Agni Theertham, is on the banks of the Patha river. During Dwapara Yuga, the Saptharishis were performing a Yagna to protect people from being killed by the Pralaya. Fearing his power would be lost, Agni did not help the burning of the sacrificial fire. Angered by this, the Rishis cursed Agni to lose his heat, light and energy. Agni was shocked and wanted to escape from the Sapa Hathi. So he took the form of a fish and hid in the Herambayar Theertham near the Patha River.

Since Agni went missing, the Saptharishis asked his three elder brothers to take the Havi (offering) of the Yagna to Lord Shiva. The three brothers, not having the strength to carry the Havi, perished. In the meantime, the Sapa Hathi came looking for Agni, found him hiding in the Herambayar Theertham, and caught him.

Agni lost his heat, light and energy. When Sage Sudama came to the Theertham for a holy bath, Agni knelt at his feet and asked for a way out of his misery. The Sage asked him to install a Shiva Linga there and worship him to be rid of his curse. Agni did as advised and soon regained his strength and vigor through the grace of the Lord. He also helped the Saptharishis complete the Yagna by carrying the Havi all by himself. Since Agni installed the Shiva Linga here, the place came to be known as Agni Theertham.

The idol of Sri Agneeswara was worshipped by several saints and Siddhars over time. The water of the Patha river flowed around Agneeswara bathing and worshipping him. Over time, Agneeswara was removed from there by Sri Vijayendra Bhupathy Mudaliar who placed it in a grove of Vanni Trees (Shami) and built a small temple around it. Once he was placed in a Vanni grove, he came to be known as Vanneeswara.

When we reached the Agni Theertham it was around 5.30 pm. The entrance to the pond was neatly painted and the birthdays of the eighteen Siddhars was inscribed in one of the walls. Mr Sivakumar who is the caretaker of the place welcomed us warmly and took us down the steps into the Theertham.

The Multi-pillared Mandapa around the pond was clean and well maintained. Mr. Sivakumar, pointed out the panel on one wall depicting a Shiva Lingam and Sage Agasthya performing Abhishekam beneath which the spring of water came in and filled the pond.

On one side of the Mantapa was the Athistanam of a Siddhar who had attained Samadhi there. While his details are not known, the Lingam over the Athistanam is called Theerthapaleeswara. The Dhandam of the Siddhar is also worshipped here to date.

The vibration when you get down into the Agni Theertham is electric. The setting sun, the gentle sound of the water pouring into the pond from an unknown source, the vibrance of Sri Theerthapaleeswara all added to the divine experience. I could feel goosebumps raising in my arms as I sank down on the floor to take in the complete experience of the environment. It was indeed an extremely special place. After meditating there for some time, we went across to the Sri Balasubramania Temple. The pillars in this temple have images of several Siddhars as well as Arjuna doing penance. The main deity Balasubramania Swamy stands alone, looking majestic in his simple Alankara.

When I told Mr Sivakumar that this place was so soothing and divine, he shared the experience of the Uzhavara Kuzhu in restoring this temple from its previous dilapidated state.

With the main diety being moved to the Vanniappar Temple, the Agni theertham lost its glory. Several Siddhars had spent years in meditation at the Agni Theertham thereby enhancing the vibration. The Balasubramania Temple next to the Theertham was a shelter for the Sages and Yogis who stayed in the Mandapa and worshipped at the Agni Theertham. But this too lost its glory and very soon it became dilapidated and deserted.

Mr. Sivakumar, promised to send me pictures of how the place was when the Uzhavara Pani Kuzhu had started the restoration work and how they had worked relentlessly with the help of the villagers of Azhwarkurichi to raise the temple to what it was now. As promised the pictures reached me in two weeks time in a CD. I had tears in my eyes when I started looking at the pictures.

From this dilapidated condition, the temple has been raised to what it is now.The Uzhavara Pani Kuzhu of Alwarkurichi and the villagers have worked relentlessly with a commitment to bring thetemple back to its lost glory.

The Kumbabhishekham of the temple was completed in the year 2010. Every year on the Makam Star in the tamil month of Maasi (Maasi Makam) 10,008 lamps are lit around the Agni Theertham. On every full moon day lamps are lit and the Siddhars are worshipped.

This temple is one among the Dakshina Pancha Krosa Kshetrams. Since this theertham flows from the North, it helps to remove one's sins and help him attain Mukthi. The Theerthapaleeswarar in Agni Theertham has been worshipped by Vidhyadharas, Gandharvas, Siddhars, especially Agasthya and Athiri Maharishi as well as Naga Kanyas. Residing one day in Agni Theertham is said to relieve one of the worst of sins as well as Pithru Sapam and fear of death.

According to the Tamiraparani Mahatmiyam, worshipping here on Solar and Lunar Eclipse days as well as Tamil New Year, New Moon and Full moon days and Ashtami will help one see the vision of the Lord in the form of Light. It will also help them gain all kinds of wealth.

How to get here:

Alwarkurichi is very close to Ambasamudram. It is about 35 kms from Tirunelveli and 25 kms from Tenkasi. Buses plying from Tirunelveli to Tenkasi stop at Alwarkurichi. Nearest Railway station is Tirunelveli. The Agni Theertham is a stone's throw away from the Vanniyappar Temple.

Temple Timings:

The priest at Balasubramania Swamy Temple is available from 6.30 to 9.00 am in the morning and 4.00 to 7.30 pm in the evening. His contact number is 97501 52566.

The Agni Theertham however is open throughout the day. Contact person Mr. Sivakumar 93606 69929.

The Agni Theertham is definitely a must visit place if you happen to be passing by this area. Visit the Theerthapaleeswara worshipped by the Siddhars and the Siddhanathan - Sri Balasubramania Swamy here.

The Palike Devaru Temple at Budumuladoddi

Every New Year starts for us at Mantralayam in the holy presence of Sri Raghavendra Swamy and while we are there, we try and visit other temples close by. This year, we decided, instead of visiting the same places again (which we normally do if there are a number of newcomers) we would go somewhere we have not seen before.

Thanks to Thamby Raghavendra, at the Mantralaya Temple, we got to see two beautiful Hanuman temples, both of them on the way to Adoni, and quite close to Mantralaya. The similarity does not stop there.

Sri Vyasaraja, the previous Avatara of Sri Raghavendra Swamy was the Raja Guru of Sri Krishnadevaraya.
During his time on earth, he has created 729 Hanumans (some say 732) and installed them at various places. Aalayam Kanden has, in the past covered some of these temples. Both the temples that we went to had Hanuman idols created by Sri Vyasaraja.

The first temple was Budumuladoddi Sri Palike Devaru Temple at Surikeri Village. This temple is about 40 km to the South of Mantralayam. We drove on the road towards Adoni and turned right at the road that leads to Kosigi and further to Urukunda Narasimha Swamy temple. This very old temple belonging to 16th Century has been renovated in the year 1995.

Dasavathara Entrance at the Budumuladoddi Temple

The temple has been renovated without disturbing the main shrine which really merits appreciation. The temple complex is small with a front vahana mandapa, a dwajasthamba, a small shrine for Lord Shiva and the main sanctum sanctorum for Palike Devaru, apart from a long dining hall to the right of the temple complete with stone tables and benches where Annadhana (distribution of food) is done every day.

Madhva, Bheema, Hanuman panel on Dwajasthamba

We talk about the previous avataras of Sri Raghavendra Swamy as being Sanku Karna - Prahalada - Pahlika Raja - Vyasaraja. Similarly, the avataras of Hanuman are said to be Hanuman - Bheema - Madhvacharya. This has been depicted in the Dwajasthamba with a Koorma Peeta in front of it.

But what is really unique about this temple, is the Hanuman himself. Why is he called Palike Devaru? The photograph below is one given by the temple. I apologise for the poor quality. The temple does not allow the main deity to be photographed.

To go back to our question of why is he called Palike Devaru, do you see the leaves on either side of the Hanuman? Near the shoulder and over the raised hand on the left and similarly, near the left shoulder and below the tail? These leaves are placed on the idol by the Poojari every morning. Those devotees who wish to seek Agnya (Direction) from the Lord about their prayers, come to the temple and inform the Pujari who then sits down and starts talking to the Lord.

He asks Hanuman to let the devotee know if his appeal will be granted or not. Within a couple of minutes, the leaves on the idol start falling. The ones on the right fall if the prayer would be granted and the ones of the left fall if there is no likelihood of it happening. If the issue is to be delayed for long, then the leaves do not fall despite the Pujari talking to the Lord many times over. We followed the ritual and found that it does indeed work that way.

The Pujari told us that on Saturdays several people come from far and near to pray to the Lord and find out if their prayers would be answered. If they got a positive signal, the prayer would be fulfilled in about 48 days after which they come back to offer thanks. This has given the Hanuman the title of Palike Devaru (The God who talks).

The other temple we went to next is the Pairaiah temple at Basaladoddi. This temple is even closer to Mantralaya and is only about 25 kms south of the temple town.

Sri Pairaiah Swamy Temple, Basaladoddi

The Hanuman at Pairaiah Swamy temple is also installed by Sri Vyasaraja. This temple has a very interesting story attached to it. The priest Shri Chandrasekhar was also a very enterprising person. He made us all sit around and started narrating the story which goes like this:

Basaladoddi was primarily a place where cows were grazed. The Villagers wanted to install a Hanuman in their area and so started making an idol on a rock in a nearby hillock. While they were doing so, one day, the cows grazed by one Govindaiah tripped on an anthill. As they stumbled, their horns broke the anthill and the idol of Hanuman which had been installed by Sri Vyasaraja was discovered. Now, the villagers were in a fix. They were not sure as to whether they must start worshipping this Hanuman, whose existence they had not been aware of, or the other Hanuman who was in the making.

Sri Pairaiah Swamy installed by Sri Vyasaraja

One of the villagers who was a staunch devotee of Hanuman, had a dream that night, wherein Hanuman told him that the villagers must worship the idol installed by Vyasaraja and build a temple around it and the other Hanuman could be installed on the hillock where it was being made. The villagers followed the instructions, and did as suggested. Govindaiah, who had been instrumental in identifying the idol and his family took the lead in building the temple and till date his descendants worship at the temple.

Some years after the temple was built, Hanuman again appeared in the dream of the devotee, and said that he did not like the people eating and sleeping in the temple or consuming meat close by and that he would show the villagers a place where they could build their settlements and he would stay outside the village, where people could visit and worship and then go back.

He is said to have then taken the devotees several hundred metres away from the temple and then appeared there is a miniature form as Mukya Prana Devaru, where by people knew that that was where they had to build their settlements. Even today, the miniature form of the Lord can be worshipped at the Basaladoddi Village while the Pairaiah Temple (meaning the Lord outside) is close to the hillocks and away from the Village.

The Priest comes to the temple early in the morning and stays there till dusk so this temple could be visited at any time of the day.

Contact Information of the priest : 96529 79836/ 96038 62211

If you happen to visit Mantralaya, you can very easily visit these two temples as well. For transport facilitation, you may contact Mr Srinivas at 98850 27919/98859 72488. He has a good fleet of jeeps and cars and charges nominally. He is a very reliable transport operator in and around Mantralayam. He also helps with accommodation and food.

Sri Kandaswamy Temple, Cheyyur

Sometimes you just stumble upon awesome temples, without really preparing to visit them. One such jewel is the Sri Kandaswamiyar Temple at Cheyyur which I had visited a couple of weeks ago as part of a REACH Foundation heritage trip.

We set out at 5.00 am in the morning and after a lot of climbing,walking, photographing etc. by the time we reached the Kandaswamy temple, we were quite exhausted. But all our fatigue vanished once we were inside this temple which is unique in more than one way.

The ancient temple has no gopuram at the entrance. Road construction over the years has resulted in swallowing parts of the idols in the multiple pillars that stand in front of the temple.

Partially buried pillars in front of the temple

The temple faces South while the main sanctum sanctorum faces East. Inside the main shrine, one can see Sri Kandaswamy with his consorts Valli and Deivaanai. Sri Kandaswamy is flanked by the Dwarapalakas, Suveeran and Sujanan on either side.

On entering the temple, one can find the Sri Somanathar, Meenakshiammai Shrine to the left of the front Mandapa. Here Brahma and Vishnu flank either side of the shrine and Nandi is found in front of the shrine.

The Somanathar - Meenakshiammai Shrine at the temple

There are two entrances to the temple. One is through the South facing main entrance . To the East of the outer Prakaram, one can see the ancient stone Dwajasthamba and Kodimaram facing the Main shrine. There is an entrance through the East through which also one can reach the inner prakaram and the Artha Mandapa.

An unique feature of this temple is that all Goshta Devathas are different forms of Sri Subramanya. Usually in Saivaite temples one can see Vinayaka, Dakshinamoorthy, Lingothbhavar or Vishnu, Brahma, Chandikeshwara, Durga, Bhairava, and Surya are seen as Goshta Devathas. But in this temple, one can see that there is Nrittaskanda instead of Vinayaka, Brahmasastha instead of Dakshinamoorthy, Balaskanda instead of Vishnu, Sivagurunatha instead of Brahma and Pulindhar (Lord Muruga in the form of a hunter) instead of Durga.

The beautiful Nrittaskanda

Moreover, Chandikeshwara and Bhairava who are normally found in Shiva temples are found here in their usual places. The Surya in this temple is called Guha Surya. Apart from these forms of Muruga, there is also an Arumughaswamy facing the Southern entrance.

Brahmasastha in place of Dakshinamoorthy

On the outer prahara, as we circumambulate, we can find Ganesha shrine and a Nandavanam to the North of the Sanctum Sanctorum. The Sthala Vrikshams of this temple are Vanni and Karungali.

Balaskanda

To the North of the Dwajasthamba, is the Amman shrine and there is a Sarva Vadya Mandapam in front of it. Till the year 1947, all kinds of musical instruments were played and dance recitals conducted during festivals in this mandapam. Behind the Dwajasthamba, there is a separate Shrine for Navagrahas.

Pulindhar - Murugan with bow and arrow

The most unique feature of this temple is something that cannot be found in any other temple in the world. There are 27 Star Vethalams (Bethals) one for each star. We may recall reading about Vethalams in King Vikramaditya’s story. The Vethalas found here are those Sivaganas that had served on Lord Muruga’s army and helped to fight demons like Soorapadman and others.

The 27 Star Vethalams

These Vethalas obey the instructions of Bhairava. Which is why we find Bhairava here alongside the Vethalas. On the Ashtami that falls after Full moon day (Theipirai Ashtami) devotees worship the Vethala that belongs to their star and pray before it to find their wishes being fulfilled. Every month several devotees are benefitted through this worship.

On the Ashtami after full moon day, the Vethala Puja starts with Vinayaka Sankalpa. Then at 5 pm, the Vethalas are worshipped with Red Arali flowers, and then at 7 pm, abhishekham is performed to Lord Muruga. This is followed by Archana to Lord Bhairava with eight different types of flowers.

List of the 27 star Vethalams:

S.No	Name of the Vethalam	Star
1	Nagayudhapani Bootha Vethalam	Aswini
2	Vajradhaari Bootha Vethalam	Bharani
3	Vairagya Bootha Vethalam	Krithigai
4	Katkadhari Bootha Vethalam	Rohini
5	Gnana Bootha Vethalam	Mrigaseerisham
6	Thomara Bootha Vethalam	Thiruvaadhirai
7	Vakradantha Bootha Vethalam	Punarpoosam
8	Visaala Nethra Bootha Vethalam	Poosam
9	Anandha Bhairava Bhaktha Bootha Vethalam	Aayilyam
10	Gnanaskandha Baktha Bootha Vethalam	Magam
11	Tharpagara Bootha Vethalam	Pooram
12	Veerabahu Sevaka Bootha Vethalam	Uthiram
13	Soorapadma Dwamsa Bootha Vethalam	Hastham
14	Thaarakaasura Imsa Bootha Vethalam	Chithirai
15	Anadha Guha Bhaktha Bootha Vethalam	Swathi
16	Sooranipuna Bootha Vethalam	Visakam
17	Chandakoba Bootha Vethalam	Anusham
18	Singamukhasura Imsa Bootha Vethalam	Kettai
19	Paraakrama Bootha Vethalam	Moolam
20	Mahodhara Bootha Vethalam	Pooradam
21	Oorthuva Shikhabandha Bootha Vethalam	Uthiraadam
22	Gadhapani Bootha Vethalam	Thiruvonam
23	Chakrapani Bootha Vethalam	Avittam
24	Perunda Bootha Vethalam	Sadhayam
25	Goraroopa Bootha Vethalam	Poorattaadhi
26	Ruru Bhairava Sevaka Bootha Vethalam	Uthirattaadhi
27	Kurodhana Bhairava Bhaktha Bootha Vethalam	Revathy

Periyandavar Puja is also performed here

Periyandavar Puja is also observed at this temple. Outside the temple, on the Navasandhis, there are nine Vinayakas said to have been worshipped by the Navagrahas. These also add to the uniqueness of the temple. To the West of the temple, is a tank called Chettikulam. Chetty is one of the names by which Lord Muruga is known. This tank belongs to the temple.

Festivals celebrated at the Kandaswamy Temple

Sri Kandaswamy with his consorts inside the Santum Sanctorum

Aadi Krithigai, Kandha Sashti, Soorasamhaaram, Karthigai Deepam, Thai Poosam, Panguni Uthiram and Vaikasi Visakam days are celebrated at the temple amidst a huge crowd of devotees. During Kadha Sashthi, the Vel Vaangum Vizha is celebrated behind the Mahodhara Bootha Vethalam belonging to Pooradam star.

Literary works on the Cheyyur Kandaswamy Temple

There are several works on Sri Kandaswamy at Cheyyur. Andhaka kavi Veeraraghava Mudaliyar has composed the Cheyyur Murugan Pillaithamizh and Cheyyur Kalambakam. Cherai Kaviraja Pillai has composed Cheyyur Murugan Ula , Sri Murugadas Swamigal, Cheyyur Murugan Pathigam and Sivaprakasa Swamigal, Nenju Vidu Thoodhu.

By far the most important aspect of this temple, is that it has verses sung on Sri Kandaswamy by Arunagirinathar and features in the Thiruppugazh. The verses of the Thirupugazh are found inscribed in the wall of the Artha mandapa and there is also a statue of Saint Arunagirinathar in the temple.

Arunagirinathar's verses inscribed in the temple

Whichever temple I happen to visit, I always ask for the Sthalapuranam which describes the history of the temple and all its unique features. When I did the same at this temple, I was given the photocopy of a sthalapuranam written in the year 1944 by Sri Muthiah Mudaliyar of Cheyyur. This gave me a perfect opportunity to ask if Aalayam Kanden could be involved in writing and printing the Sthalapuranam of the temple in Tamil and English. The villagers happily agreed.

Those of you who have been following the Aalayam Kanden blog and Facebook page for some time, will know that Aalayam Kanden Trust has been involved in writing, printing and distributing Sthalapuranams for ancient lesser known temples. This was one such opportunity. Using the extensive 70 year old book as reference , we have been able to write and produce a crisp booklet, suited with the times, that gives the history of the temple in Tamil and English.

The wrapper of the Sthalapuranam of Cheyyur Sri Kandaswamy Temple
To be released on 27th of January 2013

The launch of this booklet is scheduled for Thai Poosam Day this year, which falls on the coming Sunday, 27th of January 2013 at 4 pm. All are welcome.

How to Reach:

Cheyyur is a taluk in Kanchipuram District of Tamilnadu. One can reach Cheyyur through two routes, one through Madurantakam and the other through the East Coast Road, that goes towards Puducherry. This town is about 29 kms from Madurantakam and 5 kms from the Ellaiamman Koil Bus Stop on East Coast Road (ECR).

The nearest airport is Chennai and railway station is Chengalpattu.

Temple Timings

Morning 7 am to 11 am – Pooja at 9 am

Evening 6.30 pm to 8.30 pm (on Astami days after full moon from 5 pm to 9 pm)

Contacts:

Heriditary Trustee – Dr. S. Sridhar

Shri. Chandrasekara Gurukkal – 94447 29512

Temple Address:

Arulmigu Sri Kandaswamiyar Thirukovil,

Cheyyur, Kanchipuram District, Pin – 603 302

The Bhakthajaneswara Temple at Thirunavalur

The stories of Nayanars has always fascinated me - Their devotion, the ultimate and unimaginable sacrifices they made for the love of the Lord, their steadfastness and determination demonstrated during the most trying circumstances really move me.

Among the Nayanmars, my personal favourite has always been Sundaramurthy Nayanar. Merely for the relationship he shared with Lord Shiva." I give myself to you as a friend" said the Lord to Sundaramurthy Swamy. What better privilege could he have sought !

And the things Lord Shiva did for his friend, often make you smile, become awe-struck or even wonder, and even make you feel jealous about this special bonding that Sundaramurthy Nayanar had with the Lord!

My in-laws stay very close to Tiruvennainalllur and hence the life and times of Sundaramurthy Nayanar, the incident during his marriage ceremony where the Lord appeared as an old man, and stopped the wedding to proclaim Sundarar as his slave, are very close to my heart. Whenever I visited the Kripapureeswarar temple at TV Nallur, where the Lord gave Sundarar the first syllable of his first song - " Piththa", the 100 pillared mandapa where the hearing of the case took place, the footwear that Lord Shiva wore when he appeared as an old man, preserved over all these years, made me experience the magic in Sundara's life. Yes, you read correctly indeed! God's own footwear! You can read all about it here on Aalayam Kanden.

There was this burning desire to visit Thirunavalur, the birth place of Sundara to see more of his life and times. The occasion just did not present itself. This Pongal, all of a sudden, my husband asked me if I would like to go to Thirunavalur. I dropped what I was doing and within a few minutes, we were on the road from Thiruvennainallur towards Thirunavalur.

When we got close to the Bhakthajaneswara temple, we could see a number of saffron clad devotees involved in reconstruction of a broken portion of the outer wall, some of them whitewashing portions of the wall already repaired, while others were busy in placing signages in the shrines. The women were making garlards of flowers, some of them brewing porridge for those who were working, and the others busy cleaning the temple. I was amazed at the number of people who were working. There were close to 300 people all working in silence, in the hot sun, not minding their discomfort one bit.

We walked into the temple and my eyes fell on one of the few remains of the Kalinari Eswara temple that once stood in the place of the Bhakthajaneswara Temple. As Shri K.A.Nilakanda Sastri mentions in his book The Cholas, several important heritage monuments have been razed down, in the name of modernization or improvement. Inscriptions have been broken down and used again as stones in the new constructions. One such temple was the Kalinareswara which was brought down and the Bhakthajaneswara temple, which exists in the form today, constructed by the Chola King, Rajaditya, son of King Paranthaka I and the hero of the Thakkolam War. The village was originally called Thirunamanallur. The temple was called Rajadityeswaram, after the king who built it and then Thiruthondeeswaram, after Sundaramurthy Nayanar who sang the Thiruthondarthogai.

On entering the Rajagopuram, we find a seperate shrine for Sri Sundarar along with his wives Paravaiyar and Sangiliyar. The Elephant Vahanam which symbolises the white elephant that took him to Kailasa is seen in front of the shrine.

Although this temple is said to have existed for a very long time before Sundara's time, the connection with him is seen in every aspect of the temple. This temple is said to have existed before the four Yugas. When Lord Shiva drank the poison that was generated during the churning of the Ocean, some of it spilled down and grew as Jamun (Jambu) trees. Shiva appeared in their midst as a Swayambu Linga, and was called Jambunatheswara. Jambu in Tamil is called Naval and hence, the village was called Thirunavalur and Sundarar called himself Navaluraan. (a person belonging to Navalur).

A glimpse of the Sanctum Sanctorum and Sri Bhakthajaneswara

This was the place where Lord Shiva was worshipped by Lord Vishnu in Kritha Yuga before taking the Narasimha Avatara

Linga worshipped by Vishnu during Kritha Yuga

Chandikeswara who was originally a potter called Sivapriyar, worshipped Shiva here during Thretha Yuga to achieve the position of Chandikeswara.

Linga worshipped by Chandikeswara during Thretha Yuga

During Dwapara Yuga, Lord Brahma worshipped Shiva here and during Kali Yuga, he was worshipped by Sundara. The Lingas worshipped by all these four people are found in the temple.

Linga worshipped by Lord Brahma during Dwapara Yuga

Linga worshipped by Sundarar in Kali Yuga

That's not all. Sukracharya, was worshipping Lord Shiva in Kasi (Varanasi) for a very long time. Pleased with his devotion, Lord Shiva taught the Sanjeevini Mantra to Sukracharya. The Mantra when chanted, had the power of bringing back the dead to life. Knowing about this, the Asuras accepted Sukracharya as their Guru. During the war between Devas and Asuras, every time the Asuras were killed, Sukracharya brought them back to life. Frustrated, the Devas complained to Lord Shiva, who swallowed Sukracharya.

Sukracharya spent many years in Shiva's stomach, meditating. Pleased, Shiva brought him out, and gave him a position among the Navagrahas, and granted him the boon of offering wealth to those who worshipped him. Sukracharya installed a Shivalinga to thank the Lord for his generosity, and worshipped him. The Bhargaveswara Linga installed by Sukracharya is also found at this temple and it serves as a Sukra Dosha Parihara Sthalam.

The Bhargaveswara Linga installed by Sukracharya

Those who seek Sukra Dosha Pariharam, worship this lingam on fridays, offering White silk vastram, White Chickpeas and White Lotuses to the Lord. They light lamps with white ghee as well to get relief from Sukra Dosha.

The Sun facing the West among the Navagrahas

The Navagrahas near the Sukralingam are also unique here. Usually, Surya among the Navagrahas is seen facing East. Here he is seen facing the Lord in the Sanctum Sanctorum, towards west. By this, he is said to be worshipping the Lord himself. The Sun's rays fall directly on the Lord from the 23rd to the 27th day of the tamil month of Panguni. My husband's brother-in-law and ex-Chairman of Thirunavalur, Mr. Sundaramurthy, explained how the sun rays bend from the main entrance and then fall upon the Lord, even though the architecture does not facilitate it to fall directly. Several hundreds of people throng the temple to witness this spectacular occurrence every year.

The Awesome Dhakshinamurthy at the temple

The extremely handsome Dhakshinamurthy at the temple needs special mention. Leaning on the Rishaba Vahana, in a standing posture, with no Kallala Tree behind him, he looks absolutely stunning. Worshipping this Dhakshinamurthy is said to be special for those born under Pooradam star.

Shrine of Goddess Manonmani

In a temple so unique can the Goddess be an exception? Goddess Manonmani, is said to have done penance here in order to marry Lord Shiva. With her hair open and falling behind her, she is seen her in a meditative posture. Girls seeking good marriage alliances worship her to get a groom of their choice.

Since this is the shrine where Sivapriyar has worshipped Lord Shiva to acquire the position of Chandikeswara, there is a beautiful panel that describes the whole incident on the outer prakara.

Chandeswara Panel

The temple has several beautiful moorthis of both the Pallavas and the Chola Era period. There is no word to describe the beautiful Urchava Moorthis too in this temple, which have also featured in Shri Nilakanta Sastri's book on The Cholas.

Outside the temple one can see a beautiful stone staircase through which the deities were placed on the Ratha while being taken out on procession. This beautiful structure, though dilapidated now, shows the craftsmanship of yore.

Stone Structure to place deities on the Ratha during procession

Right next to the temple is the birthplace of Sri Sundaramurthy Nayanar. After his times, there was a small shrine there and over time, this became dilapidated. It was indeed painful and shocking to hear, that this temple for last many years, was a cowshed where cows were tethered and dung collected and dried.

The birthplace of Sundaramurthy Nayanar

After struggling for almost four years with property rights and building approval from the concerned authorities, the Thirunavalur Thambiran Thozhar Trust has finally been able to clear the premises and perform Bhoomi Puja on the 23rd of January 2013. Words fail me when I try to describe the tireless efforts that Mr. Muthukumaraswamy and Mr.Kalyanakumar as well as the other members of the trust have put in in order make this possible. Today, all efforts are on to build a small but beautiful temple, to the saint who showed the other Nayanmars to the World.

Idol of Sri Sundarar in Balalayam within the temple complex

It is indeed a rare opportunity and our duty to lend a helping hand to make sure that this temple of Sri Sundaramurthy Nayanar is raised in his birthplace . The total cost of construction is estimated at around Rs. 43 lakhs and every single rupee towards this objective will be greatly appreciated.

Please send in your generous contributions through Cheque/Demand Draft or Money Order to the Thirunavalur Thambiran Thozhar Trust, No.8/44, VOC Street, Ulundurpet, Villupuram - 606 107

Contact Numbers: 94424 24456/94427 78711. You may also send funds through bank transfer through Account No.31714920381, State Bank of India, Ulundurpet Branch. IFSC Code: SBIN0011071.

How to get here:

On NH 45, towards Ulundurpet, after crossing Parikkal Narasimha Swamy temple on your right, take the service lane to the left at the Gedilam Bridge. The temple is about 2 kms from the bridge.

Temple Timings: 6 am to 12 pm, 4 pm to 8 pm

Contact Details:

Mr. Sundaramurthy - Former Chairman - 94435 38279

Mr. Sambandam Gurukkal - 98461 50804

Yaganti Sri Uma Maheswara Swamy Temple

There are some temples that have a wonderful mythology attached. Some are rich in architectural splendour, others in the divinity and vibration that they generate. Very few have all these things intact even after several hundreds of years. One such temple is the Yaganti Sri Uma Maheswara Swamy Sivalayam.

The story associated with the temple:

Sage Agasthya after completing his Uttara Desha Yatra was coming towards the South when he reached this site. Seeing the beauty and serenity of the location, he wanted to install an idol of Lord Venkateswara here. Once the idol got ready and when preparations were being made to install it, he found that the big toe of the idol was broken. Disheartened, he prayed to Lord Shiva seeking the reason. Lord Shiva appeared before him, and told him that this place was Dakshina Kailash and hence more suited to be an abode of Lord Shiva.

Swayambu Shiva Parvathi:

Happy on hearing that, Agasthya sought a boon from the Lord that he should ever remain there, along with his consort Parvathi, granting blessings to all those who prayed to him. Pleased with his devotion, Lord Shiva appeared along with Parvathi Devi in a single stone as a Swayambu.

Yaganti Sri Uma Maheswara Swamy
(Photo Courtesy: Yaganti Sri Uma Maheswara Swamy Temple)

It is indeed amazing to see the distinct roopas of both Lord Shiva and Parvathi Devi on the Swayambu moorthy in the Sanctum Sanctorum. The two distinct images are also smeared with Vibhooti (Sacred Ash) and Turmeric to distinguish Lord Shiva and Parvathi. When we reached the temple, it was around 6 pm in the evening. There were very few people in the temple at that time. It was absolutely an electrifying experience to stand before this magnificient Lord and pray.

Three caves in the hill adjacent to the temple:

One is the Agasthya Cave. This is the cave where Sage Agasthya did penance and Lord Shiva appeared before him. One has to climb 120 steep steps to reach the cave. As it was close to 6 pm when we reached the temple, we were not allowed to climb up to the caves. With a disappointed sigh, we had to return after taking pictures from below.

The way up to the caves.

The second of the caves is the Lord Venkateswara Swamy Cave. The cave houses the Venkateswara Swamy that was created by Sage Agasthya but could not be installed because of a broken big toe. This idol is supposed to be older than the one at Tirumala. On Saturdays, several hundreds of devotees climb up the steps to this cave to have a darshan of the Lord.

The damaged toe nail of Venkateswara Swamy
Photo Courtesy: Sri Uma Maheswara Swamy Temple

The third cave is the one where a renowned saint, Potuluri Sri Veera Brahmam had stayed for many years, and written portions of his renowned work, Kala Gnanam. The saint had predicted several instances in time, similar to Nostradamus, through this work. (www.kalagnani.com). The height of the cave is really low and one has to stoop down in order to enter it.

The priest at the temple mentioned that there was a tunnel leading from this cave to Kandimallayapalle in Cuddapah District where he attained Jeeva Samadhi.

Another story of how this place came to be known as Yaganti :

There was a great devotee of Shiva named Chitteppa, who was praying in this lovely location. His love and devotion for his Lord was so great, that he saw Lord Shiva in everything. Once a tiger walked before him. Chitteppa saw it as Lord Shiva appearing before him in the form of a tiger. He jumped up in joy, shouting, Ne Kanti, Shiva Nu Ne Kanti! (In Telugu, meaning I saw Shiva, I saw!) Ne Kanti has over time, changed to Yaganti, says the priest at the temple.

Unique features of the temple:

When one walks into the temple complex, it is amazing to see a number of people from the village gathering in front of the temple and singing hymns in praise of Sri Uma Maheswara Swamy. It was indeed heartening to see the villagers not spending time in front of the television set as is the case in many villages now, but on a sunday evening, congregating at the temple and spending time in community bhajans.

Pushkarni:

The temple in its current form is said to have been built by King Harihara of the Sangama Dynasty in the 14th Century. One of the significant features of this temple is the Pushkarni (temple tank). Not only does the temple tank look so beautiful, and the water feel so refreshing cool, it is also really amazing how so much water gushes into the temple tank from the bottom of the hill through the small mouth of a Nandi.

The beautiful pushkarni at the temple. The water gushes from the mouth
of a nandi in the small dark enclave that you can see right across

A Close up view of the Nandi inside the alcove

Amazing growing Nandi:

The Nandi in this temple is perhaps the most amazing Nandi in the whole world. I, for one, could not take my eyes off it till the priest actually asked me to move because I was obstructing the way for people behind me.

Some say it was sculpted but keep growing, while others call it a Swayambu that appeared along with the Uma Maheswara Swamy. Whatever be the case, this is one awesome Nandi.

The awesome Nandi at the Temple
(Photo Courtesy: Sri Uma Maheswara Swamy Temple)

This Nandi does not sit on a pedastal of any kind, but is sprawled on the ground. The ASI has observed it growing at the rate of one inch in every 20 years and so he has moved from being directly in front of the sanctum sanctorum to its right. They have already removed one of the pillars of the mandapa since it was obstructing the Nandi's growth. The priest mentioned that very soon another pillar will have to be removed.

According to Sri Potuluri Veera Brahmam, the Nandi will come to life at the end of Kaliyuga and shout!

Just look at him, what an adorable creature he is!

Veerabadra swamy:

Veerabadraswamy at the temple

The Kshetrapalaka at this temple, as in many other temples in this part of India, is Veerabadraswamy. The gigantic Veerabadraswamy with his glittering sword protects the temple and safeguards its sanctity.

Akasha Deepam:

Just behind the Veerabadraswamy temple, on top of the hill, on a ledge which looks so steep and narrow, an Akasha Deepam is lit every evening. This lamp glows from 6 pm to 6 am every day. The priest mentioned that four litres of oil and two metres of wick is used every day to keep this lamp glowing for twelve hours.

It is indeed amazing how the lamp burns in the open air on top of a hill, amid the strong winds blowing. It is equally amazing how the priest is able to climb up every day, with barely any foothold, carrying all these materials to light the lamp, with practically just enough space only to put one of his feet. We all contributed towards the cost of oil and felt extremely satisfied about it.

No crows in Yaganti:

The priest also mentioned that while Sage Agasthya was performing penance here, Kakasura, an asura in the form of a crow, had been disturbing the sage's penance. Angered, the sage cursed him, saying that no crows should exist within Yaganti. Even today, they say that they have never seen a crow within the village. Moreover, since crow is the vahana (vehicle) of Shani Bagavan, they say that Shani does not bother anyone who is within the vicinity of the Uma Maheswara Swamy temple. People come and worship here to be rid of the dosha of Shani.

Mouth-watering Laddoos:

Last but not the least, I must mention that this temple has by far the most delicious laddus I have ever tasted. Although I lost one to a monkey, that jumped from above me and plucked it from my hand before I could bat an eyelid, I made sure I went into the counter, and tucked two more away in my handbag to eat them within the safe confines of the car. Hmmm....absolutely heavenly!

How to get here:

By Road:

Yaganti is in the Kurnool District of Andhra Pradesh. It is
14 kms from Banganapalli
53 kms from Nandyal
70 kms from Ahobilam
85 km from Kurnool
100 kms from Mantralayam

The landmark is an old Nizam's palace after a few kms from Banganapalli. There were several tourists who were looking around the Nizam's palace. But to me, it looked like a set from a recent special effects Telugu movie. So I did not step out to visit it.

Nearest Airport: Hyderabad
Nearest Railway Station : Nandyal

Contact Details: Main Priest Mr. K.U.S.D Sharma - 094403 34003

Temple Timings: 7 am to 11 am after which lunch is available free till 2.30 pm at the Annadana Hall
5 pm to 8 pm again dinner available free till 9.30 pm

This is not the first time that after visiting a temple I have wanted to write about it, but due to some reason or the other, the article is delayed, and suddenly out of the blue, the time comes true for it to be written.

I had visited the Thachanallur Siva Temple a few months ago, along with REACH PRO Mr.J Chandrasekaran. Thanks to Podhigai Kudumban, who took us directly from the railway station in the pouring rain, to this temple. On the way, he briefed us that a portion of the temple was going to be demolished for road widening work undertaken by the Public Works Department.

The Thachanallur Siva Temple is one of the ancient temples in Tirunelveli town. This was the area where the sculptors involved in the construction of the Nellaiyappar temple stayed. They had made a replica of the Swayambu Nellaiyappar for their worship.

Saint Thavamaninathar:

Thavamaninathar, or Thavamani Siddhar as he was popularly known, was an ardent devotee of Lord Shiva who spent many a year in Shenbaga Devi falls in Courtallam, in worship and meditation. He set out towards Thirunelveli, to get a darshan of Nellaiyappar. On his way to the main temple, he rested for a while at the Shalivadiswarar Temple at Thachanallur. It was here that he got a divine vision of Nellaiyappar. Before he could go to meet the Lord, the Lord was eager to meet his devotee and gave him his divine darshan at Thachanallur itself.

Bronze Idol of Thavamani nathar at the Temple

From then on, Thavamani Nathar stayed at the Shalivadiswarar Temple at Thachanallur and worshipped the Lord here. He had two disciplines, Vedamoorthy and Mandhiramoorthy, who assisted him in his worship. They also spent several years here in the worship of Lord Shiva.

Thavamaninathar on a pillar outside the Gandhimathi Ambal Shrine

The Lord is called Shalivadiswarar (This is the Sanskrit equivalent of Nellaiyappar). The Goddess Gandhimathi is in a seperate shrine with a divine smile on her face, waiting all alone, for any devotee who might find time to visit her.

Vedamoorthy Swamigal and Mandhiramoorthy Swamigal Temple:

There is a seperate temple for the two devotees of Thavamani nathar, namely, Vedamoorthy and Mandiramoorthy within the temple complex. It is this structure that is now under threat of demolition for road widening work of the Public Works Department.

The Sanctum Sanctorum has two Vinayakas side by side and is said to be the Athistanam of Sri Vedamoorthy Swamigal. There is a Kettle (Gendi) to one side of the Sanctum Sanctorum which is said to be the Aikiyam of Sri Mandiramoorthy Swamigal.

Sri Mandhiramoorthy Swamigal Aikiyam

The heriditary trustee of the Vedamoorthy, Mandhiramoorthy temple is Sri Namaschivayam. He showed us the works of these two saints as well as the copper plate that has been part of the temple for many years.

Shri Chandrasekaran holding up the copper plate

A portion of the front mandapa of this temple containing beautifully sculptured pillars of the Pandya times is what is expected to be lost during the road widening work.

Hereditary Trustee of the temple Shri Namaschivayam

Mr. Namaschivayam, despite being physically challenged, has been actively meeting different people and appealing for finding an alternate route or a compromise through which the road would be widened without touching portions of this heritage structure. Through the efforts of REACH foundation, Times of India also carried an article on this subject.

A beautiful Vahana made of wood but coated with Copper at the temple

I hope many of you would remember a similar issue with the Panayapuram Puravarpanangateesar temple, which has recently got resolved, with the Highways Department finding an alternative route. We sincerely hope, this temple, which has housed many divine saints who have seen the vision of God here, will also be saved.

How to get here:

Thachanallur is two kms away from the Tirunelveli Junction. Several buses and autos are available at the Junction.

Temple Timings:

Morning - 7 am to 10 am
Evening - 5.30 pm to 8 pm

Contact Details:
Priest - Shri Harihara Sarma - 94420 61598
Hereditary Trustee - Shri Namaschivayam - 94435 01215

Rajagopuram of the Sri Venugopalaswamy Temple, Vengadampet

About a year ago, a friend of mine asked me if I knew about a temple with an 19 feet sleeping Rama near Cuddalore. He mentioned the name of the place as Vengadampatti. I searched high and low, through reams of notes I have made on must-visit temples, reference books in my library, and checked with friends and relatives in that area. None of them knew about Vengadampatti or a sleeping Rama.

The information stayed at the back of my mind and every opportunity I got I continued the search. Out of the blue, as it always happens with Aalayam Kanden, I stumbled upon a newspaper article about the Venugopalaswamy temple at Vengadampet (it was not Patti) and the 19 ft Rama.Thankfully, that article also had the contact information of the temple.

The next step was to contact the Bhattar and the Executive Officer. They mentioned the painstaking efforts taken in renovating the temple and the support they had received from Sri Baskara Gurukkal of Germany in doing so. The EO also mentioned that efforts were now on to repair the compound wall around the temple, and renovate the Vijayanagara period Rajagopuram that is seen in the picture above.

Armed with directions to the temple, we set out. My major worry was to be able to reach the temple in day light as many parts of Tamilnadu do not have electricity for best part of the evening and night. But despite our best efforts, we were able to reach only around 5.45 pm. Construction work was going on to raise the compound wall and the temple was devoid of any visitors but us.

Garuda in Padmasana posture with folded hands

We were absolutely stunned by the beauty of the temple and the idols therein. A huge Garuda seated in Padmasana,wearing beautiful Nagabaranas, and meditating with folded hands welcomed us. The temple has been renovated very well, similar to what the original construction would have been. It was an eyesore to see that children have scribbled their enrolment numbers all over the walls already.

Two gigantic Dwarapalakas flank either side of the Sanctum Sanctorum where the main deity Sri Venugopalaswamy resides with his consorts Radha and Rukmani. After worshiping him and lighting lamps at the temple, which was already getting dark, we moved to what we had come looking for.

In a separate enclosure, lies the 19 feet Sri Rama on a seven hooded Adisesha, with Sita Devi and Hanuman at his feet. The sight of the absolutely handsome Rama, resting so gracefully, literally takes your breath away.

Sri Raghava Bhattar narrated the story of how Rama came to rest here, in this position. While returning to Ayodhya,Rama was passing through this Kshetra, where the Vaikanasa Rishis were doing penance. On seeing Lord Rama, they asked him to give them darshan as they would see Lord Vishnu in Vaikuntam. Pleased with their devotion, Lord Rama gave them darshan like this, with Lakshmana taking the form of Adisesha, and Sita Devi and Hanuman sitting at his feet.

I asked the Bhattar how he could say the idol was Rama and not Mahavishnu. The Bhattar explained that the idol had only two hands as Rama was human and there was no lotus emerging from the Navel as would be in the case of Lord Vishnu. He also mentioned that instead of Sridevi and Bhoodevi who are normally found with Lord Vishnu this idol had only Sita Devi at the feet of Rama.

Lord Hanuman is seen here in action, his expression willing the Lord to wake up and move on.The urgency in Hanuman's expression is because Bharatha to whom Lord Rama had handed over the kingdom of Ayodhya was waiting for his brother's return within a particular time, failing which he was ready to enter the fire. Hence Hanuman is found in an anxious posture, which is rather cute to see.

A closer look at the Hanuman at Rama's feet

The size of the Garuda, Dwarapalakas and Vishwaksenar seem to match the size of the gigantic reclining Rama. Originally the temple seems to have had this Rama as the main deity. Over time, the idol of Rama got buried and the temple became dilapidated.

Venkatamma, the sister of Venkatapathy, the ruler of Gingee, is said to have been given this village as part of her dowry, which is why it came to be known as Vengadampet. Since she was a devotee of Lord Krishna, she seems to have installed Venugopalaswamy as the main deity at the temple. The size of both the old Venugopalaswamy and the current one is much smaller than the Rama and the other ancient deities. The idol of Rama has only been rediscovered about 200 years ago in a pond nearby and then brought back to the temple and installed in a separate shrine.

There have been several inscriptions found at the temple earlier. I am sure historians will be able to share much more information on the origin, and structure of the temple based on records from this temple if any.

Pracheena Venugopalaswamy

Raghava Bhattar also told us that another unique feature of this temple is that it has the Avataras of all three Yugas within in. It has Rama from the Thretha Yuga, Krishna from the Dwapara Yuga and Mohini from the Kali Yuga.

A statue of Mohini at the temple

Bhasmasura Vatha is said to have happened at a place called Vegakollai near Vengadampet. Since the Mohini Avatara happened there, a statue of Mohini had been placed at the Kalapeswarar Temple at Vegakollai. Bhasmasura had prayed to Lord Shiva for a boon that when he placed his hand on anyone's head, that person would be reduced to ashes. As soon as the boon was granted, Bhasmasura wanted to test it. He started chasing Shiva to test it on him. Shiva started running. After running for a long time, he became tired and could not run any more. At this point, he prayed to Lord Vishnu to help him. Vishnu took the form of Mohini, and appeared before Bhasmasura to divert his attention. She started dancing in front of him. Bhasmasura forgot all about Shiva. Enticed by Mohini's beauty, he started dancing with her. While dancing, Mohini placed a hand upon her head, and Bhasmasura did the same forgetting his boon and was instantly reduced to ashes.

The place where Lord Shiva rested due to fatigue, came to be known as Kalapeswarar temple. (Kalaipu is tiredness is tamil) and an idol of Mohini from that temple had been moved to the nearby Venugopalaswamy temple as that temple had got dilapidated. With this idol, representation of Vishnu avatara over the three Yugas is found in this temple. The idol of Mohini is damaged and hence is placed under a tree outside the temple. In spite of it, abhishekam is performed regularly and lamps are lit near it.

Beautiful Vishwaksenar at the temple

This temple also has seperate shrines for Goddess Senkamala Thaayar and Andal. Next to the temple is a gigantic Unjal Mandapam. Other than the Rajagopuram and the Unjal Mandapam, all other portions of the temple have been renovated. Efforts are on to complete and protect these two heritage structures as well.

Goddess Senkamala Thaayar Shrine

Daily Aradhanam is performed from 9 am to 10 am in the morning and 5 pm to 6 pm in the evening following Vaikanasa Agama. There is an old lady and an old man at the temple who volunteer in lighting lamps and guarding the shrine. As the temple has few visitors and the Bhattar is also performing poojas in another temple at Kurinjipadi, it is better to inform him about your visit in advance, so that the temple is open and you are able to witness these awesome deities.

The old lady who lights lamps at the temple

Every month, through the Aalayam Kanden Trust we light lamps and distribute ghee and oil to ancient lesser known temples. This month we lit lamps and distributed ghee and oil here. I cannot explain the delight in the old lady's face when she witnessed the event. The temple has everything you can ask for - All that is required now is patronage through visitors and donations to sustain and bring back the temple to its lost glory! The Rama in this temple is like none other and all efforts must be taken by heritage enthusiasts to create awareness about the existence of this temple so that everyone can enjoy these jewels from the past! This awesome Rama is waiting to grant the prayers of all those who reach out to him!

How to reach here:

While travelling by road via Panruti, after crossing Kadampuliyur, look out for a Samarasa Sanmarga Sabai temple to your left. About 100 metres from there is a large water tank (on the left itself). Turn left here towards Chattharam. At the Chattharam junction, turn right. Vengadampet is about two kilometres from there. The temple is quite easy to find.

Contact Details:

Executive Officer - 94434 34024
Raghava Bhattar - 97880 80280

Temple Timings:

The temple is definitely open between 9 and 10 am in the morning and 5 and 6 pm in the evening. If you need to visit, it is better to inform the Bhattar ahead so that he will be available at that time. As mentioned in the post, it is better to visit before it gets dark, as power is resumed at the temple only at 7 pm.

Vedal Vadavamukhagneeswara Temple

There are temples and temples that one may visit in their life time, but it is only a few whose images come up to your mind immediately when you close your eyes. A lake by its side, a huge temple tank right in front, beautiful ancient Gaja Brishta brick temple, probably the only one around this area, with unique moorthis, an absolutely magnificent Vadavamukhagneeswara and in contrast, the gentle and graceful Goddess Vasanthanayaki, an absolutely idyllic location, that springs up to your mind every time you think of it......but!

The sun was about to set when we reached Vedal. As our vehicle went down the road from Cheyyur we were seldom prepared to witness the magnificence of this temple. We got down and rushed towards it, like children let loose on a beach. As we got closer, we could see the huge rock with inscriptions to the right of the temple.

Located in a place that was called Jayamkonda Chola Mandalathu Eendhur Kottathu Vedaal Naatu Vedaal and Chola Kerala Chaturvedi Mangalam, this temple dates back before the time of Raja Raja Chola and there are inscriptions from both his and Rajendra I 's time in the temple. The practice of Cholas had been to convert brick temples into stone temples. Surprisingly, this is one of the temples that has been left untouched.

To the left of the temple, one can see a huge Jyesta Devi, half buried in the sand. The presence of Jyesta Devi again shows the ancient nature of this temple.

One can also see a cracked up stone panel depicting the Saptha Kannis again lying in the sand in front of the temple, covered in dust.

After looking longingly at these lovely beauties, we move into the main temple. The temple now has only two shrines, one that belongs to the magnificent Vadavamukhagneeswara and the other small separate shrine, for his consort, Vasanthanayaki.

The shrine of Vadavamukhagneeswara, also called Vadavayilnayagar, which means the guardian of the northern entrance, is simple and still bears the resemblance to its once glorious past. The fallen plaster, and the broken bricks here and there, looks like wrinkles in the face of a queen. The pillars in the mandapa ahead of the sanctum sanctorum also contain inscriptions. The main shrine is flanked by Ganesha and Shanmuga on either side.

It is extremely interesting to note that the trunk of this Ganesha does not rest on any of his arms as it is usually depicted, but is found curled up on his tummy. Instead of the Mooshika, he has an elephant Vahana here!

The Balamurugan on the other side is found with a Japamala in one hand and a Paasa in the other, which is unlike in other temples.

After looking around the front mandapa, we now turn our attention to the Lord.

The magnificent Lord sits facing the East dressed humbly with just a Rudraksha Mala adorning him. What would have been a sanctum sanctorum that saw several festivals and a Lord who would have been adorned in the best of robes and jewellery, he now sits humbly, yet regally, waiting for devotees.

Manikanda Gurukkal, calls us forward, to perform the Harathi and my heart skipped a beat, when I saw the deep crack from the roof going down the back of the temple. If no intervention is done very soon, the temple could, by the elements of weather, easily break down and crumble.

I could not even pray, when I saw this. With a heavy heart, I walked out and around the temple. The Goshta Devathas are equally exquisite.

Cracked plaster exposing bricks, and vegetation underneath is seen all around the temple.

This Dakshinamoorthy, said to date back to the 9th Century, is seen with his right leg placed on his left leg.

As I went around, consciously not taking a picture of the huge crack at the back of the temple, slashing through the Gajabrista, I could see Chandikeswara standing alone in the open air, in his usual position, with no roof over his head.

Based on several requests over phone and email after this post was published, asking about the crack that has developed from the vimana right down the Gajabrishta behind the temple, I share the link of a fellow blogger's site that contains this picture.

Please click here to see that heart-breaking picture.

By now, it was almost dusk. The water on either side of the temple shone like silver and gold, in the setting sun. It was indeed a shame, that such a lovely temple, was in this painful state.

The stones used as tank bund also seem to have been removed from the temple and contain remains of inscriptions.

Manikanda Gurukkal now takes us into the shrine of Vasantanayaki. What a contrast to Vadavamukhagneeswara! As we entered the shrine, my eyebrows rose when I saw two goddesses, instead of one.

Reading my thoughts, the priest explained, that during the times of Raja Raja I, the Goddess Vasantanayaki's statue had got damaged. Cracks developed on the nose and fingers of the Goddess and scholars recommended that the damaged idol be immediately removed and replaced with a new idol. Arrangements were made to make an identical new idol.

Just before the day the new idol was to be placed in the sanctum sanctorum in place of the old one, the King had a dream. The Goddess came to him in the form of a middle aged woman, and asked him " Will you send your mother away if she became disabled?". The startled king woke up, and at dawn, ordered that the new idol must be placed without removing the old idol. So till date, we have two Vasantanayakis in the same sanctum sanctorum, waiting to calm the nerves of their devotees and offer whatever they come seeking for.

By now it is almost dark and time to leave. With a heavy heart, we bid goodbye to the priest and villagers who had gathered around the temple. With a prayer in our lips, that the temple must soon be restored to its lost glory, we get into our vehicles to head home.

How to reach here:
There are two routes to reach this temple. For those proceeding through Madurantakam, the temple is about 37 kms from Madurantakam and about 10 kms from Choonambedu. For those proceeding through the ECR route, the temple is about 5 kms from Kadappakkam and about 45 kms from Puduchchery.

Temple Timings:
The temple is opened in the morning for a single Kala pooja. The priest, Manikanda Gurukkal is happy to be contacted over phone prior to visit, so that he is available to open the temple for anyone who wishes to visit this must-see temple.

Contact Details:
Manikanda Gurukkal: 94430 74074/ 99443 26789

This temple seeks patronage from all large-hearted people so that the efforts initiated by the villagers to restore this temple to its lost glory may be fulfilled. As true heritage lovers, it is our duty to do whatever we can to support this initiative.

Aalayam Kanden Trust takes pride in being associated with this cause. You may send in your contributions towards the repair of this wonderful temple through cheque/demand draft favoring Aalayam Kanden Trust payable at Chennai Or Via Bank Transfer to Account No.6028000100005596 , Punjab National Bank, West Mambalam Branch, Chennai 600033 IFSC Code: PUNB0602800 Email: aalayamkanden@gmail.com.

The driver of our vehicle had a perplexed expression on his face when I told him the name of the place I intended to visit - " Madam, I have been driving in this area for several years. Have never heard about this place" he said. I smiled, as this is the common response I receive from transport operators when I describe the places I want to visit. And this is what makes it all the more exciting.

So off we set, me, armed with Google maps on my phone, and the driver not believing in gadgetry, checking at every turn, and getting more and more nervous with the shrugs, and frowns he was getting in response to the location. I love the navigation tool on Google maps and we were soon on the right path, but were losing time, as the driver insisted on checking frequently. The yellowing newspaper clipping from my treasured scrap book mentioned that the temple closed at 9 am and then opened only at 5 pm. It was already 8.45 am and we had reached as far as the map took us. My family was tch...tching and saying we were going to reach exactly when the temple closed.

I did not panic. I knew that Krishna who had brought me this far, was waiting for me. As we turned into Market Road at Karungal, the driver stopped for one last time in front of a gentleman, who thought for a while, and then gave us perfect directions. Soon, we were entering an arch and going down a deep slope and there, right in front of us, stood the temple with a dome like an inverted cone.

The clanging of bells told me that Harathi was going on and I literally jumped out of the vehicle and ran. The moment I opened the door, it started pouring heavily. I was oblivious to the rain and just dashed into the temple and stood before the sanctum sanctorum.

And there he stood, the one whom I had been wanting to meet for many years now. Little Balakrishna in Vishwaroopam!- The form he had shown Yashoda when she had asked him to open his mouth to see if he had eaten mud! In the light of the Harathi, I could see the corners of his mouth turned up in a smile. Over 13 feet tall, with four arms, the upper ones holding the discus and conch, and the right lower arm, holding on to a ball of butter dearly, while the other arm holding a mace, he was an absolute delight to watch.

The largest statue of Krishna in South India- this statue, according to the priests at the temple, continues to grow. And that's not all. In the same sanctum sanctorum, to the right of her son, stands mother Yashoda, dwarfed by the son towering over her, with a ball of butter in her right hand and a churner in the left, looking up with awe.

I peeped from the corner of the steps to get a glimpse of Mother Yashoda, who is not directly visible. The priest came out with sandal paste and flowers, waiting for me to complete my prayers,so that he can shut the door. I kept peeping till the door was shut.

My heart was full. Had we been late by another five minutes, I would never have got an opportunity to see this magnificient Lord, may be for a life time. As I walked around the shrine, thanking the Almighty for his kind mercy, a kind old lady appeared before us as if by magic, thrusting a few leaves into my hand. I took them in a daze, and she doled out hot Chakara Pongal into them. It was still drizzling. I had to take a few pictures and I happily obliged when the old lady asked for hers to be taken.

She also pointed out to the inscriptions in this temple, which according to her, is over 800 years old. The inscriptions, found in Vattezhuthu, have been transcribed,and I really liked the idea of a board placed within the temple with the transcribed inscriptions. If this is followed in several other temples, many more people would understand the value of inscriptions and their content and make sure they are treated with due respect. The inscriptions call the deity Karumanickaththazhwar and the place Thirupiraimalai.

If you happen to be in this area, do take time out to visit this lovely temple, where you can see naughty little Krishna with his mother Yashoda in the same sanctum sanctorum. Krishna Jayanthi is celebrated with great festivity here and people seeking the boon of childbirth, pray here and offer Cheedai and Murukku to have their wishes granted.

How to get here:

This temple is about 31 kms from Nagercoil and about 43 kms from Kanyakumari. After proceeding on NH 47 turn left at Federal Bank onto Thingal Nagar - Kolachel Road. At Apollo Pharmacy, turn right into SH 91. After proceeding about 9 km, turn slight right into Market Road (Landmark:Bismi Jewellery). You will cross the Govt School, Karungal on your left and Bethlehem Institute of Education on your right. You will then cross a Petrol pump. Just after the petrol pump,to your left there will be an arch reading Way to Shiva, Vishnu, Krishna Temple, Thippiramalai. Enter the arch and go down the steep slope for about 100 metres. At the end of the slope, about few metres away is the temple.

Contact Details:
You can contact members of the Temple Development Committee for any information on the temple: Mr.S.Shivaprasad: 94865 48823, Mr.C.Arulraj 99526 87643, Mr.K.Dayanidhi 94421 94021

Temple Timings;
Morning 6 am to 9 am
Evening 5 pm to 7.30 pm

In May 2013, I got a call from Mr. Karthikeyan inviting me to visit the Suddha Ratneswara Temple at Oottathur, about 35 kms from Trichy. He had sent me data and pictures from the temple which kindled my interest to visit immediately.However, It almost took me one full month to find an appropriate date to visit the temple.

King Raja Raja Chola I: This temple, said to have been originally built in the 7th Century, has been rebuilt by Raja Raja during his rule. It has received further patronage from his son Rajendra Chola I and grandson, Rajadhiraja Chola. There are over fifty inscriptions in this temple from the times of Raja Raja, Rajendra and Rajadhiraja.

Raja Raja Chola Valanaatu Oottathur Naatu Oottathur

King Raja Raja had constructed a temple to the North of Oottathur called Chozheswaram. He often visited the temple. The original Suddha Ratneswara Temple had been buried under the sand during that time and was covered by thick Bilwa trees and bushes. The King's men set out to clear the path for the King to pass through comfortably.

As they cut the bushes, one of the men found that his spade encountered an object below the ground. As it made contact, blood started gushing out from it. Startled, the men cleared the ground around. To their utmost surprise, they found a Shivalingam made of the purest form of ruby (Suddha manickam or Suddha Ratnam)with a deep cut on top from where blood was gushing out. The King rushed to the spot, found the priceless treasure, and decided to build a temple for this unique God. Further excavations revealed the intact remains of the old temple, which was renovated and extended to the form that exists today by Raja Raja.

Truly, this temple is unique in every single aspect.

27 Stars, 12 Sun Signs and 9 Planets: We entered the temple through the Rajagopuram and found that a marriage was in progress near the Dwajasthambam. The youngsters from the village who have formed a "Vazhipadu Committee" took us around the temple and explained the various unique features. On the ceiling, near the Dwajasthambam, can be seen the 27 stars along with the 12 sun signs facing the ground below and in a seperate panel nearby are the 9 planets. Any yagas or homams performed beneath these panels is said to yield complete results immediately. People born under any star can perform homams here.Because of this,the Oottathur Suddha Ratneswara Temple is popularly sought after for conducting marriages.

The 27 stars and 12 sun signs on the panel

The panel containing nine planets

Brahma Theertham: Once there was an argument between Lord Vishnu and Lord Brahma as to who was the greater among them. For determining this, they chose a challenge. They decided to find the base (foot) and top of the head of Lord Shiva. Brahma took the form of a swan and went up to find the top of Lord Shiva's head while Vishnu took the form of a boar and dug into the ground below to find his feet. They went on and on for a long, long time but were not successful in their mission.

On his way up, Brahma encountered a Thazampoo (Ketaki Flower) that fell from Shiva's head. He asked the flower if it would stand witness if he were to declare that he had reached Shiva's head. The flower agreed. So Brahma proclaimed himself to be the greater of the two as he had been able to bring evidence from the top of Shiva's head. Vishnu humbly accepted defeat. Angered that Brahma had lied and used a false witness, Shiva cursed Brahma that he would not have a separate temple anywhere and that Ketaki flowers would not be used for Shiva's worship.

Brahma begged forgiveness and asked to be relieved of his curse. Lord Shiva told Brahma to worship him with water from all the holy rivers in the world. Brahma came to Oottathur and created a spring of water which came to be known as Brahma Theertham right in front of the Sanctum Sanctorum. To this spring, he added water from all the holy rivers in the world. The village came to be known after this spring (Ootru - Spring, Ootraththur which has now transformed to Oottathur).He performed poojas and abhishekam with the water of Brahma Theertham and was relieved of his curse.

A view of the Brahma Theertham

Even today, only the water from Brahma Theertham is used for abhishekam for Lord Suddha Ratneswara. This water is said to have medicinal properties and is capable of curing several diseases and ailments. It is believed that when Raja Raja was unwell, he came here and sprinked the water of Brahma Theertham on himself and that gave him good health for the rest of his life. Till date, several hundreds of devotees carry back the water of Brahma Theertham and are relieved of ailments.

Ashok, one of the members of the youth group, mentioned that in Perambalur district it was difficult to find ground water anywhere above 25 feet. However, the water in the Brahma Theertham is perennial in source and remains at the same level (around 10-12 feet) throughout the year. It is indeed unique that a spring is found right in front of the Sanctum Sanctorum. There is an underground tunnel connecting the Suddha Ratneswara Temple and the Perumal Temple opposite to it through which water from the Brahma Theertham used to be carried for the Abhishekam of the Perumal as well. This tunnel is now closed.

Nandhiyaaru Nandhikeshwara:

It is usual to see Nandi facing the Lord in the sanctum sanctorum. But as far as the Suddha Ratneswara temple is considered, the usual is unusual. Apart from the usual Nandi, there is another Nandi facing the East, on one side of the Artha Mandapa. The story behind this is really interesting.

Once there was an argument among the rivers Ganga, Yamuna, Saraswathi, Narmada, Sindu, Kaveri and Thungabadra as to who was the holiest among them. They brought this issue to Lord Suddha Ratneswara. He ordered Nandikeswara to drink up the waters of all seven rivers. The Nandi did as ordered and lay down facing the East. Only the Water from the Ganga flowed out of his mouth. This formed a river near the temple which is called Nandiaaru (Nandi River). This river flows into the Kollidam and from there joins the sea.

A local legend says that Raja Raja wanted to immerse the ashes of his father Sundara Chola in Varanasi. On his way, he stopped overnight near the Nandi River. To his surprise, he found that the bones and ashes had turned into sweet smelling flowers. When he went to Varanasi and opened the urn, they had turned back to ashes and bones. Not wanting to immerse the ashes there, he came back and immersed them at the Nandi River. There is a saying " Kaasikku Veesam Kooda" which means performing the last rites on the banks of the Nandi river is better than performing the same in Varanasi. Raja Raja is said to have built a Kasi Viswanatha Temple on the banks of the river which does not exist now. (historic facts of this story to be verified)

Suddha Ratneswara - The Lord Himself

Suddha Ratneswara

If the temple itself has so many special features, can the Lord be less in magnificence?

Suddha Ratneswara as the name depicts - the purest of gems, the real ruby, stands magnificently in the Sanctum Sanctorum. It is indeed a scintillating experience, to watch the light of the Harathi reflect on and within the Baana of the Lingam. This is an experience I have never before encountered in any other temple. As the priest, Shri Ramanatha Gurukkal, moved the Harathi slowly and steadily near the Lingam, the light reflected on the surface. To me, it looked as if the Lord was manifesting in the form of light for those who sought him.

Panchanadhana Nataraja:

To the left of the Sanctum Santorum, is a seperate shrine for Nataraja and his consort Sivakama Sundari.

Panchanadhana Nataraja

There are five types of stones which are used to make statues of Gods and Goddesses, namely, Aalinga Nadhanam, Panchanadhanam, Singanadhanam, Yaanainadhanam and Yaazhinadhanam. Out of these, Panchanadhanam stones have the ability to absorb sun rays. The root of a plant called Andhaka Narimanam will pierce through and break one in a million stones. Such stones are called Panchanadhana Stones. When struck with a coin, they emit a sound equivalent to "Aum".

The Nataraja at Oothathur is made out of Panchanadhana Stone. This unique and beautiful idol stands majestically and is being worshipped ardently by those who suffer from kidney ailments. They garland this Nataraja with Vetiver and perform abhishekam with the water of Brahma Theertham. This water is then collected and given to the concerned person. On consuming the water for 45 days, the patients are relieved completely of their ailments. There are a number of testimonials available in the temple of those who have tried this remedy and found relief.

It is believed that Indra regained his lost power and position by worshipping this Nataraja and like him anyone who worships the Nataraja with sincere devotion will regain lost power. Several politicians and those with political aspirations frequent this shrine.

Goddess Sivakamasundari

If Lord Nataraja is so special, can his consort be any less? If you stand in front of her, she looks right at you. If you look at her from any other angle, you can see that she has her head titled to one side, admiring her Lord as he dances merrily!

Sun worship:

Sun' s rays fall on the idol of Suddha Ratneswara for three days in the tamil month of Maasi (12, 13, 14) and for three minutes on Vaikasi Visakham day.

Goshta Devathas:

Going around the temple, one feels as if every single idol here was meant to be different, was made with extra care and dedication.

Dakshinamurthy:

Dakshinamurthy

The Dakshinamurthy here is a delight to watch.With the Kallala tree behind him, designed to look like a fan, a small straw bag and a piece of cloth hanging from it, reminding one of the Dakshinamurthy mural in the Big temple of Thanjavur, his unique hair style, in short everything about him, is simply superb. I loved the way my son exclaimed with joy when he saw the Dakshinamurthy. A true expression of delight! Worshipping him for eleven weeks in Guru Horai between 4.30 and 7 am by adorning him with garlands of chick peas (kotthu kondalai) is said to grant sincere prayers.

Goddess Durga with Fangs

Durga:

The Goddess Durga at the temple can be seen with fangs on either side of her mouth. Worshipping her with lemon garlands for 11 weeks grants the boon of marriage for those girls who seek good alliances.

Kala Bhairava:

In this temple, Lord Bhairava faces Gajalakshmi, which I have not seen in any other temple. Performing Sahasrama Archana for 11 weeks here, is said to cure children of irrational fears. This Bhairava is also worshipped to ensure livestock are not affected by the outbreak of an epidemic. Those suffering from chronic ailments, worship this Bhairava on Ashtami day and recite the Kalashta Mantram.This rids them of the fear of death and helps to improve their health condition.

Veerabadra:

The Veerabadra Swamy at the temple carries a Shiva Lingam over his forehead.

Appar:

When Appar, one of the Nayanmars tried to visit Oottathur from the place now known as Paadalur, he was amazed to see the whole path to the temple covered with Shivalingams. Fearing he cannot put his feet at a place covered with lingams, Appar stood at Paadalur and sang about the Suddha Ratneswara temple. Since he sang from there, the place came to be known as Padalur (the place where the song originated) which has now been transformed to Paadaalur.

The shrine of Goddess Akilandeswari is found in the second praharam behind the temple.

So, what are you waiting for? This temple should be on every heritage lover's wishlist.

The young volunteers and Shri Ramanatha Gurukkal with the trustees of Aalayam Kanden

How to get here:

Oottathur is about 35 kms from Trichy and about 5 kms from Padalur. On the NH 45 when you are travelling towards Trichy after you cross Thanthai Hans Roever College and Sanjeeviraya Hanuman Temple on your left, you would find a board reading Padalur. Turn left and proceed for about five kms on the Oottathur Scenic Driveway. At one point, you will find that the road forks into two, and there is a huge stone crushing unit there. Take the right and you will reach the temple in a couple of hundred metres.

Temple Timings:

Morning - 5 am to 12.30 pm
Evening - 4 pm to 8.30 pm

Contact Details:
Ramanatha Gurukkal and Nataraja Gurukkal
04328 - 267126 and 97880 62416
Karthikeyan - 8883852198/8015402683

The stories of Nayanmars and the incredible acts they performed for the love of God never fail to amaze me. Aalayam Kanden aims to share information on the temples that are closely associated with the lives and times of these Nayanmars.So far I have been lucky to cover the following temples - Click on the link to visit the Aalayam Kanden article pertaining to each Nayanmar.

Sundaramurthy Nayanar - Thirunavalur
Thiruneelakantar and Kanampul Nayanar - Elamai Aakinaar Koil, Chidambaram
Poosalar Nayanar - Hridayaleeswarar Temple, Thiruninravur

I had been planning to visit the Muktheeswara Temple at Kanchipuram for a very long time and was able to do so only recently. This temple is associated with the life and times of Thirukurippu Thondar.

Thirukurippu Thondar was a Dhobi (Washerman) who lived in the city of Kanchipuram. He was an ardent devotee of Shiva and every day made it a point to wash the clothes of a Sivanandiyar (a devotee of Shiva) for free before washing others clothes. Come rain or shine, normal day or festival day, he made sure he adhered to this practice.

One day, it so happened that no Sivanadiyar turned up near the river. Thirukurippu Thondar waited and waited. Lord Shiva, who wanted to test his devotion, appeared before him in the form of a Sivanadiyar. Noticing a Sivanadiyar with very dirty clothes, Thirukurippu Thondar approached him and requested him to hand over his clothes and promised to wash them well. The Sivanadiyar was hesitant. He said he did not mind his clothes being dirty, it at least kept him warm. Thirukurippu Thondar promised to wash his clothes and return them before the end of day. On that condition, the Sivanadiyar agreed to part with his clothes.

With utmost devotion, Thirukurippu Thondar started washing the clothes. After washing, he set out to dry the clothes, when suddenly dark clouds gathered, and it started to rain heavily. The washerman ran here and there, trying to find a secluded spot to dry the clothes, but the rain would not let up. He thought of taking the clothes home, and drying them by the fire.

As he set out towards his house, a sudden gush of wind snatched the clothes from his hands and carried them away. Thirukurippu Thondar ran behind the clothes, trying to catch them, but they were thrashed and torn by then. Startled and not knowing what to do, he stood rooted to the spot.

At that exact moment, the Sivanadiyar came by, asking for his clothes. When Thirukurippu Thondar explained what had happened, the Sivanadiyar was very angry. He accused Thirukurippu Thondar of deliberately cheating him, by forcibly asking for his clothes when he was not ready to part with them. The washerman offered him new clothes in place of the ones that were damaged. " Give me my clothes back" demanded the Sivanadiyar. " I will not take anything else".

Thirukurippu thondar was aghast with what he had done. After having failed in his duty towards a Sivanadiyar, he did not have the will to live. So he hit his head against the washing stone, in an attempt to kill himself. At that exact moment, a hand came out of the washing stone, to support Thirukurippu Thondar's head.

The rain stopped and there was a shower of flowers from heaven. Lord Shiva appeared before Thirukurippu Thondar and gave him mukthi. The place where Lord Shiva appeared is where the Muktheeswara Temple stands today. The Lord is called Muktheeswara as he gave mukthi to Thirukurippu Thondar.

Another unique feature of this temple is that it is built and governed to this day by people belonging to the Ekali (Dhobi) community. This is a clear example of social inclusion in those days. It is indeed heartening to see the temple maintained in an excellent manner.

An idol of Thirukurippu Thondar at the temple

Every year, Chithirai Swathi, the birthday of Thirukurippu Thondar is celebrated with a lot of festivity at the temple.

This temple has yet another unique feature. It is probably one of the very few temples where twin pradhoshams are celebrated.

Apart from Muktheeswara, the temple also has another Shivalingam installed by Garuda. The tale connected with Garudeswara is equally interesting.

Garudeswara

Kadru and Vinatha were Sage Kashyapa's wives. They were both jealous of each other. Once they got into an argument as to who was more beautiful. They decided to take this issue to Sage Kashyapa and whomsoever he chose would have the other person as their slave. Sage Kashyapa declared that Kadru was more beautiful than Vinatha.

As per their agreement,Vinatha became Kadru's slave and Kadru imprisoned her. Vinatha begged to be released. Kadru agreed to release her if she brought Amrit from heaven which would make her ever young and beautiful. Vinatha prayed to Lord Shiva to help her. Lord Shiva told her that her son Garuda will help to release her from prison. So Vinatha called for Garuda and asked him to bring Amrit from heaven and have her released.

Garuda went to heaven, and fought with Indra's guards. After defeating them, and driving Indra away with the wind from his wings, he picked up the pot of nectar (Amrit) and started on his way back. Midway, he was stopped by Lord Vishnu and a fierce battle ensued between them for 21 days. Pleased with Garuda's valour, Lord Vishnu asked him to seek a boon. Garuda asked to be the vehicle of Lord Vishnu and his boon was granted.

After worshipping him, Garuda came back to Kadru, gave her the pot of nectar and released his mother from prison. He wanted to take revenge on Kadru and kill her sons who were snakes. For this purpose, he installed a shivalingam that came to be known as Garudeswara and worshipped him. Worshipping Garudeswara is supposed to help one overcome challenges posed by enemies.

The twin Pradhosham that happens at this temple is unique, says Dhandapani Gurukkal. Abhishekam is first performed to the Nandi in front of Garudeswara, then to Garudeswara himself, after which it is performed for the Nandi in front of Muktheeswara and finally for Lord Muktheeswara. Several people from different places come to witness this unique event.

This temple stands humbly among the several hundreds of temples in Kanchipuram. However, the significance of this temple and the sincere devotion of Thirukurippu thondar that led him to attain mukthi cannot be ignored. If you happen to be in the vicinity, do take time out to visit this small yet significant temple.

Shri Dhandapani Gurukkal, Archaka at the temple

How to get here:

On the busy Gandhi Road of Kanchipuram, after crossing the Addisonpet Bus Stop, this temple is flanked by D.R.Ganesh Sah Silk Store on one side, and Hotel Gowri Dharma on the other. Right opposite to the temple, is the MGR Silk Society.

Temple Timings:

Morning : 6.30 am - 12.00pm
Evening: 5 pm - 9 pm
On Saturdays, the temple is open upto 10 pm in the evening.

Contact Details:

Shri Dhandapani Gurukkal - 96009 99761

Visit Mukhteeswara! Be Blessed!

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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Budumuladoddi and Basaladoddi

27 Star Vedhalams!

List of the 27 star Vethalams:

Festivals celebrated at the Kandaswamy Temple

Literary works on the Cheyyur Kandaswamy Temple

Temple Timings

Contacts:

Temple Address:

In Thambiran Thozhar's Land!

Yaganti Ne Kanti!

Save the Temple!

A wonderful Rama waiting for devotees!

Will you send your mother away ?

"Little" Krishna with his mother - A hidden treasure!

Suddha Ratneswara - The Purest Gem!

Give my clothes back!

Hanuman with his parents!

World's largest Sri Chakra Mahameru!

A treasure trove waiting to be explored!

Kalapani!