Mahalingeswarar Temple, Thiruvidaimarudur

Thiruvidaimarudur-Mahalingeswaraswamy Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to the deity Shiva, located in Tiruvidaimaruthur, a village in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is significant to the Hindu sect of Saivism as one of the seven major Shiva temples. Shiva is worshiped as Mahalingeswaraswamy, and is represented by the lingam, with his idol referred to as Jothimayalingam. His consort Parvati is depicted as Pirguchuntaragujambigai. The lingam of the temple is believed to be the focal point for the seven consorts of Shiva. The presiding deity is revered in the 7th century Tamil Saiva canonical work, the Tevaram, written by Tamil saint poets known as the nayanars and classified as Paadal Petra Sthalam.

 The 9th century Saiva saint poet Manikkavasagar has sung praise about the temple in his works.

There are 149 inscriptions associated with the temple indicating contributions from Pandyas, Cholas, Thanjavur Nayaks and Thanjavur Maratha kingdom. The present masonry structure was built during the Chola dynasty in the 9th century, while later expansions are attributed to Thanjavur Nayaks during the 16th century.

The temple complex is one of the largest in state and it houses four gateway towers known as gopurams. The temple has numerous shrines, with those of Mahalingeswaraswamy, Pirguchuntaragujambigai and Mookambigai being the most prominent. The temple complex houses many halls and three precincts; the most notable is the second precinct built during the Vijayanagar period that has many sculptures. The temple has six daily rituals at various times from 5:30 a.m. to 10 p.m., and twelve yearly festivals on its calendar. The temple is maintained and administered by Thiruvaduthurai Adheenam, a South Indian monastic institution.

The name "Kumbakonam", roughly translated in English as the "Jug's Corner", is believed to be an allusion to the mythical pot (kumbha) of the Hindu god Brahma that contained the seed of all living beings on earth. The kumbha is believed to have been displaced by a pralaya (dissolution of the universe) and ultimately came to rest at the spot where the town of Kumbakonam now stands.The drops of nectar are believed to have fallen onto five shrines around Kumbakonam, namely Mahalingeswarar temple at Tiruvidaimarudur, Tirudharasuram, Naganathar Temple at Tirunageswaram, Tiruvorgam and Tirupadalavanam.

The legend of a Chola prince who killed a Brahmin and was in turn, pursued by his spirit (brahmahatthi), is associated with the temple. The Chola prince, it is believed, entered the Mahalingeswarar Temple and prayed to his favourite God, Shiva for relief from the clutches of the spirit of the dead Brahmin or brahmahatthi. The Chola prince made his way out through another entrance thereby saving himself. Some sources associate the legend with Pandya king Varagunapandian. It continues till day where people take the second entrance to exit the premises after worship. There is a sculpture of Chola brahmahatthi on the eastern premises in one of the inner gopurams (tower gateway).

Shiva is believed to have appeared as a flame to please Agastya and other sages who were performing penance. Shiva is said to have emanated from the heart of Parvathi. It is also believed that several other deities like Rudra, Vinayaga, Murugan, Parvathi, Kali, Lakshmi, Saraswathi, Brahma, Airavata (the elephant of celestial king Indra) and Vishnu worshipped Mahalingaswamy.

he temple has a five-tiered Rajagopuram and three precincts, each enclosed inside huge walls and having gateway towers for each of them.The temple is rectangular in plan with East-West orientation and has four entrances in each of the four directions. Mahalingam, literally meaning big lingam, is the presiding deity and is considered the centre of all consort deities of Tamil Nadu. There are five temple tanks inside the temple, namely Karunyamirdha Theertham, Soma Theertham, Kanaga Theertham, Kalyana Theertham and Iravatha Theertham. There are 27 other water bodies that are associated with the temple. There is a separate shrine for Mookambiga and it is built in north Indian style. The shrine of Mookambiga is where Parvathi is believed to have performed her penance.There are stone images of Pattinathar and Bhadragiriyar in the eastern and western gateways of the temple respectively. The central shrine of the temple is that of Mahalingaswamy facing East. The shrine of Ambal faces the east and is situated close to the Mookambigai Amman shrine. The temple was widely expanded during the Nayak period in the 16th century with the development of twin Mahalinga and Devi shrines. The shrines of Muruga and Nataraja are enshrined in the spaces between the pier. There are other shrines for Padithurai Vianayagar and Agora Veerabadrar.

The three precincts are called Aswametha Pradakshina, Kodumudi and Pranava. The Vinayagar in the Southern side is called Anda Vinayagar and as per Hindu legend, the Vinayagar ruled the world and hence obtained the name. Pranava precinct has lot of sculptures dating back to the Nayak period of the 16th century. One of the notable among them is the sculpture of a chariot having twelve pillars, each denoting the twelve lagnas. In the northern portion of Kodumudi precinct, there is an image of Chokkanathar.

 The second precinct of the temple portraying sculptures

The piers standing has attached colonettes, lotus beams and suspended beams are atypical of Nayak style though the attached hall and innermost compound are recent additions. Govinda Dikshitar, the minister of Nayak is believed to have built the Pushyamantapas (halls) in this temple. Achyutappa also added gift of a village to the temple, the income of which was to be utilized for the temple car festival for the goddess in Adipuram day.

Thanjavur Marathas ruled the region during the 18th century. Pratap Singh (1736–63) was a patron of the temple after his paryer to Mahalingaswamy to marry love was fulfilled. He is believed to have donated one lakh metal lamps to the temple. His concubine Theepanachiar is believed to have personified as one of the lamps. An ornamental metal image of a lady called Pavai Nonbu holding a lamp is still present in temple. The base of the lamp has an inscription indicating the gift of Marathas to the temple.

In modern times, the temple is maintained and administered by Thiruvaduthurai Adheenam, a South Indian monastic institution. A Saiva Siddantha library inside the temple maintains palm leaf manuscripts and Saiva literature. The temple is one of the most visited temples in the district.

Worship and festivals

Historic image of temple car of the temple

Modern image of temple car of the temple

The temple priests perform the pooja (rituals) during festivals and on a daily basis. Like other Shiva temples of Tamil Nadu, the priests belong to the Shaivaite community, a Brahmin sub-caste. The temple rituals are performed six times a day; Ushathkalam at 6:00 a.m., Kalasanthi at 8:00 a.m., Uchikalam at 10:00 a.m., Sayarakshai at 6:00 p.m., Irandamkalam at 8:00 p.m. and Ardha Jamam at 9:00 p.m. Each ritual comprises four steps: abhisheka (sacred bath), alangaram (decoration), neivethanam (food offering) and deepa aradanai (waving of lamps) for both Mahalingeswarar and Pirguchuntaragujambigai. The worship is held amidst music with nagaswaram (pipe instrument) and tavil (percussion instrument), religious instructions in the Vedas read by priests and prostration by worshippers in front of the temple mast. There are weekly rituals like somavaram and sukravaram, fortnightly rituals like pradosham and monthly festivals like amavasai (new moon day), kiruthigai, pournami (full moon day) and sathurthi.The most prominent festival of the temple, Thaipoosam, is celebrated for ten days during the Tamil month of Thai.The festival deity of Mahalingeswarar and his consort circumambulate the temple and the streets in the village in different vehicles. The festival ends with Theerthavari on the last day. During the Tamil month of Vaikasi, Tirukalyanam (sacred marriage), Ambal Tapasu (penance of Ambal), Ambal Thannai thaane festivals are celebrated.

Religious significance

According to legend, Mahalingaswamy is the centre of all Shiva temples in the region and the Saptha Vigraha moorthis (seven prime consorts in all Siva Temples) are located at seven cardinal points around the temple, located in various parts of the state.The seven deities are Nataraja in Chidambaram Nataraja Temple at Chidambaram, Chandikeswarar in Tirucheingalur Temple at Tirucheingalur, Vinayagar in Vellai Vinayagar Temple at Tiruvalajuli, Muruga in Swamimalai Murugan Temple at Swamimalai, Bhairava in Sattainathar Temple at Sirkali, Navagraha in Sooriyanar Temple at Suryanar Kovil and Dakshinamoorthy in Apatsahayesvarar Temple, Alangudi at Alangudi, Papanasam taluk.The other deities of a Shiva temple associated with Mahalingeswaraswamy are Durga in Thenupuriswarar Temple at Patteswaram, Somaskanda in Thyagaraja Temple, Tiruvarur at Tiruvarur and Nandi at Tiruvavaduthurai Temple at Thiruvaduthurai. The temple is also referred as Pancha Linga stala due to the presence of five lingams, four of which in the cardinal directions and the fifth one at the centre. The temple of Viswanatha lies in the east street, Rishipuriswara in the west, Atmanatha in South street and Chokkanatha in North street.

Read More

Thirunageswaram-Rahu Stalam -Hindu temple

Rahu Stalam is a Hindu temple dedicated to the deity Shiva, located in Tirunageswaram, a village in the outskirts of Kumbakonam, a town in Tamil Nadu, India. It is significant to the Hindu sect of Saivism as one of the temples associated with the nine planet elements, the Navagraha Stalas, and specifically Rahu. Shiva is worshiped as Naganathar, and is represented by the lingam. His consort Parvati is depicted as Piraisoodi Amman. The presiding deity is revered in the 7th century Tamil Saiva canonical work, the Tevaram, written by Tamil saint poets known as the nayanars and classified as Paadal Petra Sthalam.

It houses four gateway towers known as gopurams. The temple has numerous shrines, with those of Naganathar, Rahu and Piraisoodi Amman being the most prominent. The temple complex houses many halls; the most notable is the ornamental entrance hall built during the Nayak period.

The temple has six daily rituals at various times from 5:30 a.m. to 10 p.m., and twelve yearly festivals on its calendar. Many serpents, including Adishesha, Takshaka and Karkotaka, worshipped Shiva at this place, leading to the name "Tirunageswaram". As per Hindu legend, the king of snakes, Adisesha did penace at this place, called Senbaranya Kshetram on account of the presence of large number of Senbaga trees. Shiva was pleased by the penance and appeared to him. Since Shiva gave a boon to the king of Serpents, he is called Naganathar.[1] A Goddess Girigujambal is believed to be worshipping Shiva here with goddesses Lakshmi, Saraswathi, Ganesha, Muruga, and Shasta. Maha Bhairava is still believed to be guarding and assisting the divine mother during her prayers. The Goddess is said to be Swayambu as she is present in the form of Meru. Hence, no abhishekam (ablution) is performed for the image. As per a Hindu legend, Indra was cursed by sage Gautama as he misbehaved with the latter's wife Ahalya. To obtain deliverance from the sage's curse, it is said that Indra worshipped Giri-Gujambigai with a scented material termed Punugu for 45 days. Sages like Gautama and Parashara and kings like Bhagiratha and Nala are said to have worshipped Naganathar at this place.

The name "Kumbakonam", roughly translated in English as the "Jug's Corner",is believed to be an allusion to the mythical pot (kumbha) of the Hindu god Brahma that contained the seed of all living beings on earth. The kumbha is believed to have been displaced by a pralaya (dissolution of the universe) and ultimately came to rest at the spot where the town of Kumbakonam now stands.The drops of nectar are believed to have fallen onto five shrines around Kumbakonam, namely Mahlingeswarar temple at Tiruvidaimarudur, Tirudharasuram, Naganathar Temple at Tirunageswaram, Tiruvorgam and Tirupadalavanam.The temple is another masterpiece which exhibits the Chola style of architecture. It is believed to have been built by Aditya Chola I in the 10th century A.D. Later rulers have modified the temple with their own additions. The temple has a separate shrine for Rahu.

The temple priests perform the pooja (rituals) during festivals and on a daily basis. Like other Shiva temples of Tamil Nadu, the priests belong to the Shaivaite community, a Brahmin sub-caste. The temple rituals are performed six times a day; Ushathkalam at 6:00 a.m., Kalasanthi at 9:00 a.m., Uchikalam at 1:00 p.m., Sayarakshai at 5:00 p.m., Irandamkalam at 7:00 p.m. and Ardha Jamam at 9:00 p.m. There is a separate calendar for the Rahu Abhishekam (sacred ablution): it is performed twice in a day at 11:30 a.m and 5:30 p.m. and additionally twice at various times in the day. Each ritual comprises four steps: abhisheka (sacred bath), alangaram (decoration), neivethanam (food offering) and deepa aradanai (waving of lamps) for both Annamalaiyar and Unnamulai Amman. The worship is held amidst music with nagaswaram (pipe instrument) and tavil (percussion instrument), religious instructions in the Vedas (sacred text) read by priests and prostration by worshippers in front of the temple mast. There are weekly rituals like somavaram and sukravaram, fortnightly rituals like pradosham and monthly festivals like amavasai (new moon day), kiruthigai, pournami (full moon day) and sathurthi.

The Brahmotsvam or prime festival is celebrated for ten days in the Tamil month of Karthigai (November–December). There is a procession in silver vehicle, marriage festival of the presiding deity, another procession around the streets of Tirunageswarm in temple chariot, sanctification in temple tank and concludes with Vidayathri (farewell function) when a flower palanquin takes the images of the temple deities around the temple. The festival is celebrated amidst music with nagaswaram (pipe instrument) and tavil (percussion instrument) and religious instructions in the Vedas (sacred text) and Tevaram read by priests. Kandasashti festival is celebrated for six during October or November every year when Murugan, the son of Shiva, symbolically kills the demon Surapadma. The scene is enacted in the South street of the temple during the festival. As per local legend, Rahu got relieved of his pains praying to Naganathar during a Shivaratri day and the day is celebrated in the temple. Navarathri festival is celebrated for nine days for Girigujambigai and the images of Naganathar and Girigujambigai is taken in horse chariot on Vijayadasami, the concluding day of the festival. Sekkizhar Vaikasi Pooja is celebrated from 1969 on the birth date of Sekkizhar, the author of Periya Puranam, the epic describing the life history of the 63 nayanars. Rahu Peyarchi is a festival celebrated once every 1.5 years on the star when Rahu switches its planetary position from one raasi (galaxy) to the other.

Read More

Swamimalai Murugan

தந்தைக்குப் பாடம் சொன்ன இடம் சுவாமி மலை. பிரணவ மந்திரத்திற்குப் பொருள் தெரியாத பிரம்மனை முருகன் சிறையில் அடைக்கிறார். இதைக் கேள்வியுற்ற சிவபெருமான், எனக்கும், பிரம்மாவுக்கும் கூடத் தெரியாத பிரணவமந்திரத்தின் பொருள் உனக்குத் தெரியுமா? என்று கேட்கிறார். அதன்படி உபதேசிப்பவன் குரு, கேட்பவன் சீடன் என்ற முறையில் முருகன் ஆசனத்தில் அமர, அவர் கீழ் சிவன் அமர்ந்து தன் கரத்தால் வாய் பொத்தி உபதேசம் கேட்ட இடமே சுவாமிமலை.
சுவாமிமலை இந்தியாவின் தமிழ்நாடு மாநிலத்தில் அமைந்துள்ள தஞ்சாவூர் மாவட்டத்தில் இருக்கும் ஒரு பேரூராட்சி ஆகும். இங்கே உள்ள முருகன் கோயில் ஆறுபடை வீடுகளில் ஒன்றானது. தாளமும் சந்தமும் நிறைந்த மெய்ப்பொருட் துறைப் பாடல்கள் இயற்றிப் பல நூலகளைப் படைத்த அருணகிரிநாதர் இவ்வூரில் உள்ள முருகனைப் பாடிய பாடல்கள் திருப்புகழிலே 4ம் திருமுறையில் உள்ளன. இவ்வூரின் பிற பெயர்களில், திருவேரகம் என்பதும் ஒன்று. இவ்சுவாமிமலை வெண்கல சிலை வடித்தல் கலையில் பெயர் பெற்ற ஊர்களில் ஒன்று. திருப்புகழில், திருவேரகத்தில் உள்ள முருகனை அருணகிரிநாதர் இவ்வாறு பாடுகிறார் (பாடல் 226):, இடைவிடாது எடுத்த பிறவி வேரறுத்து ......அமுத வேணி நிற்க விழை சுவாமி வெற்பில் துறைவோனே... (வெற்பு = மலை)
தல வரலாறு:
படைப்புத் தொழிலில் ஆணவம் முற்றியிருந்த பிரம்மன் முருகப்பெருமானை சந்திக்க நேர்ந்தது.அப்போது பிரம்மனிடம் படைப்புத் தொழில் செய்யும் உனக்கு ஓம் என்ற பிரணவ மந்திரத்தின் பொருள் தெரியுமா என்று முருகப்பெருமான் கேட்கிறார். இக்கேள்விக்கு பிரம்மனால் பதில் சொல்லமுடியவில்லை என்பதால் அவனுடைய நான்கு தலைகளிலும் முருகப்பெருமான் குட்டினார். கீழே விழுமாறு தம் திருவடி கொண்டு உதைத்து பிரம்மனை சிறையில் அடைத்தார். பின்பு படைப்பு தொழிலை முருகனே செய்தார். பிரம்மன் சிறையில் இருப்பதை நினைத்து வருந்திய திருமால் சிவபெருமானிடம் சொல்லி விடுதலை கிடைக்க வேண்டுகிறார். சிவபெருமானும் முருகனிடம் பிரம்மனை விடுதலை செய்யும்படி கூற தந்தை சொல்மிக்க மந்திரம் இல்லை என்று முருகன் விடுதலை செய்தார். இதை பார்த்து உளம் மகிழ்ந்த சிவபெருமான் முருகனை தன் மடியில் தூக்கி வைத்துக் கொண்டு பிரம்மனுக்கே தெரியாத பிரணவ மந்திரத்தை நீ எனக்கு சொல்ல வேண்டும் என்று கேட்க முருகனும் எல்லோரும் அறியக் கூறக் கூடாதே என்று சொல்லி சிவபெருமான் காதருகே சென்று பிரணவ மந்திரத்தின் பொருளை உரைத்தார். இந்நிகழ்ச்சி நடந்த தலமே இந்த சுவாமிமலைத் திருத்தலம் என்று தல வரலாறு கூறுகிறது.
தல சிறப்பு:
இந்த முருகப்பெருமான் அலங்காரச் சிறப்புடையவர் என்பது குறிப்பிடத்தக்கது.விபூதி அபிசேகம் செய்யும் போது அருள் பழுத்த ஞானியாக காட்சி தருவார்.சந்தன அபிசேகம் செய்யப்பட்ட நிலையில் பாலசுப்ரமணியனாக கம்பீரமாக காட்சி தருவார். கருவறையை கூர்ந்து பார்த்தால் சுவாமிநாத சுவாமி நின்றிருக்கும் பீடம் சிவலிங்க ஆவுடையாகவும், அதன்மேல் எழுந்தருளியிருக்கும் சுவாமிநாத மூர்த்தி பாண லிங்கமாகவும் காட்சி தருவது தெரியும். இதிலிருந்து சிவனும் முருகனும்" வேறு வேறு அல்லர் என்பது புலனாகும். மூலவருக்கு எதிரில் இங்கு மயிலுக்கு பதிலாக யானை இருக்கிறது.இது ஹரிகேசன் என்ற அரக்கனை சுவாமிநாதபெருமானை வணங்கி வென்றதால் இந்திரன் தன் காணிக்கையாக இந்த (ஐராவதம்) யானையை தந்ததாக புராணம் கூறுகிறது.
தல பெருமை:
முருகப்பெருமானின் அறுபடைவீடுகளில் 4வது படைவீடு.

அப்பனுக்கே பாடம் சொல்லித் தந்த சுப்பையா அருள்பாலிக்கும் அற்புத தலம் இது.

மூலவர் 6 அடி உயரமாக கையில் தண்டத்துடன் தலையில் உச்சிகுடுமியுடனும்,மார்பில் பூணுலுடனும் காணப்படுகிறார்.

முருகப்பெருமான் சுவாமிநாதனாக வலக்கரத்தில் தண்டாயுதத்துடனும், இடக்கையை தொடையில் வைத்தபடியும் யோகநிலையிலுள்ள குருவாக நின்ற கோலத்தில் ஆறடி உயரமாக இருக்கிறார்.

பீடம் சிவ பீடம்

இச்சா சக்தி, கிரியா சக்தி, ஞான சக்தி என்ற மூன்ற சக்திகளும் ஒருங்கே அமையப்பெற்ற வஜ்ர வேலுடன் காணப்படுகிறார்.

கையில் தாங்கிய வேல்தான் ஆலயத்தின் கீழ் வீதியில் உள்ள நேத்திர தீர்த்தத்தை உண்டாக்கியது.

பூமாதேவி பார்வதியின் சாபத்திற்கு ஆட்பட்டு இத்தலத்திற்கு வந்து தங்கிச் சுவாமிநாதப் பெருமாளை வழிபட்டுச் சாபம் தீர்ந்தாள்.அதன்பின்னும் இத்தலம் விட்டுப்போக விருப்பமின்றி நெல்லி(தலமரம்)மரமாக இத்தலத்தில் இருக்கிறாள்.

இத்தலம் குறித்து அருணகிரி நாதர் திருப்புகழிலும், நக்கீரர் திருமுருகாற்றுப்படையிலும் நிறைய பாடியுள்ளனர்

நான்முகன், பூமகள், இந்திரன் ஆகியோர் வழிபட்ட தலம்.
குருவாக இருந்து அருள் தந்தமையால் குருமலை , குருகிரி என்றும் சுவாமி மலைக்கு வேறுபெயர்கள் உள்ளன
பிரார்த்தனை: திருமண வரம் குழந்தை வரம், குடும்ப ஐஸ்வர்யம், தீர்க்க ஆயுள், கல்வி, கேள்விகளில் சிறந்த ஞானம், உயர் படிப்பு, வேலை வாய்ப்பு,உத்தியோக உயர்வு ஆகியவற்றுக்காக பக்தர்கள் பெருமளவில் வருகை தருகின்றனர்.
சுவாமி நாதனை வழிபட்டால் நமக்கு வரும் இடையூறுகள், நோய்கள், பிராணிகள், பூதம், தீ, நீர், வெள்ளம், செய்த பாவம் ஆகியவற்றால் விளையும் தீமைகள் விலகுகிறது.

சிறப்பம்சம்:
அதிசயத்தின் அடிப்படையில்: இந்த முருகப்பெருமான் அலங்காரச் சிறப்புடையவர் என்பது குறிப்பிடத்தக்கது.விபூதி அபிசேகம் செய்யும் போது அருள் பழுத்த ஞானியாக காட்சி தருவார்.சந்தன அபிசேகம் செய்யப்பட்ட நிலையில் பாலசுப்ரமணியனாக கம்பீரமாக காட்சி தருவார். கருவறையை கூர்ந்து பார்த்தால் சுவாமிநாத சுவாமி நின்றிருக்கும் பீடம் சிவலிங்க ஆவுடையாகவும், அதன்மேல் எழுந்தருளியிருக்கும் சுவாமிநாத மூர்த்தி பாண லிங்கமாகவும் காட்சி தருவது தெரியும்.

மூலவர் : சுவாமிநாதர், சுப்பையா
உற்சவர் : -
அம்மன்/தாயார் : வள்ளி, தெய்வானை
தல விருட்சம் : நெல்லிமரம்
தீர்த்தம் : வஜ்ர தீர்த்தம்,குமாரதாரை,சரவண தீர்த்தம், நேத்திர குளம்,பிரம்ம தீர்த்தம்
ஆகமம்/பூஜை : -
பழமை : 1000-2000 வருடங்களுக்கு முன்
புராண பெயர் : திருவேரகம்
ஊர் : சுவாமிமலை
மாவட்டம் : தஞ்சாவூர்

முகவரி: அருள்மிகு சுவாமிநாத சுவாமி திருக்கோயில் சுவாமிமலை - 612302 தஞ்சாவூர் மாவட்டம்
 Swamimalai Murugan Temple is a Hindu temple located in the township of Swamimalai, 250 km from Chennai and is very close to Thanjavur and Kumbakonam in India.

It is one of the Arupadaiveedu, believed to be the six main abodes of Muruga. According to Hindu belief, Swamimalai is where Muruga preached to his own father, Shiva, at a tender age

Read More

Thiruviyalur-Yoganandeswarar Temple at Thiruvisanallur

Yoganandeswarar Temple at Thiruvisanallur is a very ancient temple.  The presiding deity of this temple, Yoganandeswarar is also known as Sivayoginathar. Eight Shiva yogis after severe penance on Lord Shiva, merged with the Lingam and hence the name Sivayoginathar.   This place was a vilva forest at one time and hence He is also called Vilvaranyeswarar. He is also known as Puradhaneswarar.  His consort here is known as Soundaryanayaki or Shantha Nayaki.  The sthala vriksham is Arasa maram and the Theertham Jatayu Theertham.

Arulmighu Yoganandheeswarar Temple
Tiruvisanallur Post
Via Veppattur
Kumbakonam Taluk
Thanjavur District
PIN 612105
Phone: 0435-200 0679, 

Read More

Someswarar Temple-Kumbakonam

Somessar temple is situated in the southern portion of Sri Sarangapani temple. This temple is facing the northern side with a small Gopuram at the eastern portion near the entrance. The architectural style and element of this temple resembles the Dravidian Architecture of 13th century of Chola period. Arumugam and Thenar Mozhi Ammal are the other deities located in this temple complex.

The main deities here are Someswarar and Soma Sundari Amman. This is believed to be the place where the thread tying the pot fell. However, the most interesting thing about this temple is not the main deity, but the idol of Muruga, which is in the outer Pragaram of the temple. This idol of Subrahmanya is unique, for he is depicted wearing Sandals (padukas), something not seen anywhere else.

This temple is known as Kudanthai Karonam and located near Potramarai Kulam. The Sikkam (threads) around the Amirthakalasam (the nectar pot) fallen here and took a shape of Linga and hence known as Sikkeshwarar.

Once Chandran (Moon god) due to Guru's (Brahaspathi) curse arrived Kumbakonam and worshipped the Lord Shiva Sikkeshwarar, he created a holy water source for the worship, this tank was known as Chandrapushkarani (does not exist now).

Thirumalanavar worshipped Somanathar and received the boon to get victory over Asuras. He also built a shrine for Maleeswarar (a Linga) andMangala Nayagiamman.

Paranthaka Chola king constructed a shrine for Choleeswara and Tripurasundari amman for wanted of a child.

One among the Navagraha - Guru (God of planet Jupiter)worshipped the main deity Someshwarar and hence the Lingam is also known as Vyazha Someshwarar (Guru's Sikkeshwarar).

Shivagami and Nataraja can be seen.

Kodipanchagraha temple is also present.

Sambandar's beautiful idol is seen. Thirupathigam (hymn's of Nalvar)in the form of epigraph is found in this temple.

The main deity is in Linga form and the Banam ( prominent cylindrical structure of Linga) is of special type known as Narmadhai banam.

The Murugan is in the form of Arumugan (6 faces and 12 hands) in a sitting pose over his vaghana (ambassador) a Mayil (peacock), his legs were decorated withPatharatchai (shoe). Saint Arunagirinatharhas sung a hymn about this Arumuganof this templein his work Thirupugal.

Thirugnana sambandar has sung a hymn about this temple deity.

When the nectar pot broke, the water flowed in this place and a tank came into being called Chandra Pushkarini.  In course of time, it dried.

Lord Muruga grants darshan sitting on a peacock with sandal in one leg.  The temple has only one prakara.  As Moon and Jupiter worshipped in this temple, Mondays and Thursdays have huge devotee crowd in the temple.  There are three entrances to the temple.  Devotees can have the darshan of Lord Maleesar and Mangala Nayaki if they go through the Rajagopuram entrance.  As Vishnu (Mal) worshipped here, Lord is known as Maleesar.  Somanathar and Thenarmozhi darshan is open to those coming through Kattai Gopuram entrance.  The north entrance leads devotees to the darshan of Someswarar and Somasundari.  Lord’s blessing is open to devotees coming from any entrance.

Lord Somaskandar blesses the devotees in the inner mandap.  There are 8 sculptures on the sanctum wall in worshipping posture. Lord Nataraja has His shrine with Mother Sivakami.  He is named Kana Nattam Udayar meaning that the Lord would have no loss if devotees overlook praying to Him but it would be a loss only to such indifferent ones.  Praying in this shrine, according beliefs, brings the devotee progress in his trade and promotions in job.

Read More

Nageswaran temple-Kumbakonam

Nageswaran Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Shiva located in Kumbakonam, Tamil Nadu, India. The temple is incarnated by the hymns of Thevaram and is classified as Paadal Petra Sthalam. Shiva in the guise of Nagaraja, the serpent king and is located in the centre of Kumbakonam

Aditya Chola constructed this temple during the 9th century. It is great marvel of Chola architecture, building technology and astronomy. The orientation is structured in such a way that it allows sunlight inside the temple, right on the sanctum only during the Tamil month of Chithirai (April/May).

 It bears another name called Surya Kottam or Keezha Kottam. The Karuvarai(Sanctum Sanctorum) of Nageswaran temple is similar to Sarangapani Temple, as it is made in the form of a Chariot. The temple consists of three gopurams in the eastern, western and southern directions. There is a local belief that the worship during morning, afternoon and evening needs to be performed at the three Nageswaran temples namely Nageswaran Temple, Tirunageswaram and Thirupampuram respectively. The temple is designed in such a way that during the first three days of Tamil month Chittirai (April - May), the rays of the Sun falls directly in the base of the presiding deity in sanctum sanctorum.

This vast temple known is for its shrine of Rahu, one of the nine celestial bodies in the Navagrahas. 

A legend has it that the mythological serpents Adiseshan, Dakshan and Kaarkotakan worshipped Lord Shiva here. Legend also has it that King Nala worshipped Shiva here as in Thirunallar. There is a Naganathar temple at Tirunageswaram having similar features like temple. This place has been referred in Tevaram written by Saint Tamil poet of 7th Century AD, Thirugnana Sambanthar.

The temple shows early Chola art in its best form particularly in the form of human figures. The sanctum is of padabandha-padmaka type stands on padmopana. The lotus leaves of the padmopano are carved with vitality. In its iconographic scheme the Ardhanari, Brahma and Dakshinamoorthy in the niches of the outer wall are featured. The other sculptures on the walls almost life-size reflect either the donors to the temples or contemporary princesses and princes. The epic scenes are in low relief on the plinth below the pilasters of the walls of the sanctum, recalling the wood work.

The Devi shrine is an independent structure situated in the outer prakaram(outer precincts of a temple), detached from the axial unit, though it faces south, a feature common to Saiva Devin shrines. The complex of Nataraja shrine is in the form of a chariot on wheel drawn by horses as in the case of Airavatesvara Temple at Darasuram and Sarangapani Temple in Kumbakonam.

Gangai Vinayagar

Image of Nataraja shrine depicted as chariot

During Rajendra Chola's Ganges expedition, the victorious chola army brought a beautiful Vinayagar statue as a war trophy to the chola empire. The Vinayagar statue was kept at this temple and was aptly named as Gangai Vinayagar. Currently, the Vinayagar is present in the ardha mandapam, in front of the sanctum of Nageswarar. The Vinayagar seems to be in the Pala style.

     Moolavar                        :               Nageswarar, Naganathar

                Amman / Thayar              :               Periya Nayaki

                Thala Virutcham               :               Vilwa

                Theertham                         :               Maha Magam Tank

                

                Old year                             :               1000-2000 years old

                Historical Name                 :               Thirukudanthai

                City                                     :               Tirunageswaram

                District                                :               Thanjavur

                State                                    :               Tamil Nadu

Read More

Adi Kumbheswarar Temple-Kumbakonam

Adi Kumbeswarar Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to the deity Shiva, located in the town of Kumbakonam in Tamil Nadu, India. Shiva is worshiped as Adi Kumbeswarar, and is represented by the lingam. His consort Parvati is depicted as Mangalambigai Amman. The presiding deity is revered in the 7th century Tamil Saiva canonical work, the Tevaram, written by Tamil saint poets known as the Nayanmars and classified as Paadal Petra Sthalam.

The temple complex covers an area of 30,181 sq ft (2,803.9 m2) and houses four gateway towers known as gopurams. The tallest is the eastern tower, with 11 stories and a height of 128 feet (39 m) The temple has numerous shrines, with those of Kumbeswarar and Mangalambigai Amman being the most prominent. The temple complex houses many halls; the most notable is the sixteen-pillared hall built during the Vijayanagar period that has all the 27 stars and 12 zodiacs sculpted in a single stone.

The temple has six daily rituals at various times from 5:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., and twelve yearly festivals on its calendar, with the Masi Magam festival celebrated during the Tamil month of Maasi (February - March) being the most prominent.

The present masonry structure was built during the Chola dynasty in the 9th century, while later expansions are attributed to Vijayanagar rulers of the Thanjavur Nayaks of the 16th century. The temple is maintained and administered by the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department of the Government of Tamil Nadu

The temple is in existence from Chola times of 7th century and has been widely expanded by Nayaks during the 15-17th century.

Kumbeswarar temple complex covers an area of 30,181 sq ft (2,803.9 m2) and houses four gateway towers known as gopurams.The tallest is the eastern tower, with 11 stories and a height of 128 feet (39 m) The temple is approached by a corridor 330 ft (100 m) long and 15 ft (4.6 m) wide. There are five silver plated chariots in the temple used to carry the temple deities during festive occasions.The temple is the largest Shiva temple of Kumbakonam and has a 9-storeyed rajagopuram (gateway tower) 125 ft tall  It is spread over 4 acres in the centre of the town. The temple has 3 concentric compounds, elongated along an east-west axis has triple set of gopurams.

Adi Kumbeswarar is the presiding deity of the temple and the shrine is located in the centre. Kumbeswarar is in the form a lingam believed to have been made by Shiva himself when he mixed nectar of immortality and sand. Manthrapeeteswari Mangalambika is his consort and her shrine is present parallel to the left of Kumbeswarar shrine. The temple has a colonnaded hall and a good collection of silver vahanas (sacred vehicles used to carry deities during festival processions)Beyond the flagstaff, a hallway whose columns feature painted brackets representing yali (a mythological creature) leads to the gopuram. The Navarathiri Mandapam (Hall of Navrathri celebration) has 27 stars and 12 rasis (constellations) carved in a single block. The idol of Subramanya having six hands

instead of 12, stone nagaswarams (pipe instrument) and Kiratamurti are main attractions of the temple.

The central shrine of the temple houses the image of Adi Kumbheswarar in the form of lingam The shrine of Mangala Nayaki is located parallel to the of left of Kumbeswarar and Somaskanda is located to the right. The images of Nalvars (Appar, Sambanthar, Sundarar and Manickavasagar), images of the sixty three Nayanmars, Virabhadra, Saptakannikas, Visalakshi, Visvanatha, Valam Chuzhi Vinayaka, Bhikshatana, Karthikeya, Annapurani, Gajalakshmi, Mahalakshmi, Saraswathi, Jasta Devi, Durga, Chandikesa, Kuratirtha, Arukala Vinayakar, Nandi, Bali peetham, Sabha Vinayaka, Kasi Visvanatha, Nataraja are located in the first precinct around the sanctum. The temple also has images of Navaneetha Vinayaka, Kiratamurti, Bhairava, Jvarahareswara, Chaota Sri Govinda Dikshits-Nagammal, Chandra, Surya, Adikara Nandhi (the sacred bull of Shiva), Vallabha Ganapathi, Shanmukha, Navagraha (nine planetary deities), Nandhi, Lakshmi Narayana Perumal, Mutra Veli Vinayaka, Bala Dandayutapani, Nandhi, Vanni Vinayakar, Kumbha Munisiddhar, Kumarappar, Adilinga and Sattananthar. Chamber of repose, decoration hall, Sacrificial hall, grand kitchen, marriage hall, elephant shed, Vasantamandapam, cattle shed, garden and four-pillared hall are other notable parts in the temple. The flag mast is located in the second precinct, directly on the axis of the presiding deity.

The Mahamaham tank, Potramarai Tirtha, Varuna Tirtha, Kasyapa Tirtha, Chakkara Tirtha, Matanga Tirtha and Bhagavad Tirtha (bathing ghats along the river Cauvery) are the seven outlying water bodies associated with the temple. Mangala Kupam Asva, Naga tirtha, Kura tirtha are the three wells, while Chandra tirtha, Surya tirtha, Gautama tirtha and Varaha tirtha are the four tanks located inside the temple.

Festivals

Festival procession of Kumbeswarar

The Mahamaham festival takes place once every twelve years during the Tamil Month of Masi (February - March), when lakhs of pilgrims from various parts of India visit Kumbakonam to take a holy bath in the sacred Mahamaham tank which is located in the heart of the town. The festival has archaeological and epigrahical evidence. Tulapurushadaram, the practise of weighing oneself against gold and donating to the temple was effected by Govinda Dikshitar and the funds were utilised for funding the construction of the 16 mandapas around the tank. Krishnadeva Raya (1509–1529 CE) is believed to have witnessed the Mahamaham festival during this time. He made donations to the temple on this occasion is found in another inscription.

Worship practises

View of the temple from the Potramarai tank

The temple priests perform the puja (rituals) during festivals and on a daily basis. Like other Shiva temples of Tamil Nadu, the priests belong to the Shaiva community, a Brahmin sub-caste. The temple rituals are performed six times a day; Ushathkalam at 5:30 a.m., Kalasanthi at 8:00 a.m., Uchikalam at 10:00 a.m., Sayarakshai at 5:00 p.m., Irandamkalam at 7:00 p.m. and Ardha Jamam at 8:00 p.m. Each ritual comprises four steps: abhisheka (sacred bath), alangaram (decoration), naivethanam (food offering) and deepa aradanai (waving of lamps) for both Kumbeswarar and Mangalambikai. The worship is held amidst music with nagaswaram (pipe instrument) and tavil (percussion instrument), religious instructions in the Vedas (sacred texts) read by priests and prostration by worshippers in front of the temple mast. There are weekly rituals like somavaram (Monday) and sukravaram (Friday), fortnightly rituals like pradosham and monthly festivals like amavasai (new moon day), kiruthigai, pournami (full moon day) and sathurthi.

Literary Mention and religious importance

Appar, the 7th century Tamil saivite saint poet and nayanar has revered Erumbeeswarar and the temple in his verses in Tevaram, compiled as the Fifth Tirumurai. As the temple is revered in Tevaram, it is classified as Paadal Petra Sthalam, one of the 276 temples that find mention in the Saiva canon. The temple is counted as the seventh in the list of temples in the southern banks of Cauvery. Appar has glorified the temple in nine poems referring the place as Kudamuku and the deity as "Kumbesar".The mention is found in the 59th poem in the Third Tirumurai by Sambandar and 22nd poem in the Fifth Tirumurai by Appar. The temple is one of the Shakti Peethas where Parvathi, the consort of Shiva is consecrated as a major deity. Mangalambigai is known as Mantira Piteswari

Read More