Aalayam Kanden (Temples I saw)

Sri Rajarajeshwara Temple, Maheshwar - A temple for Kartaviryarjuna

2025-12-24T23:28:00.095+05:30

The Rajarajeshwar Temple, Maheshwar

A few weeks ago, I had an opportunity to visit the Rajwada of Queen Ahilya Bai Holkar in Maheswar. After a sunset boat ride along the majestic River Narmada, we visited the Ahilyeshwar temple built by and named after Queen Ahilyabai and the ancient Rajarajeshwar temple, renovated by her along the waterfront. Initially I thought this was yet another temple of Lord Shiva. However, only after going there, did I find that it was a temple associated with King Kartaviryarjuna, locally known as Sahasrabahu Arjuna. This visit helped me piece together various legends I had heard about him, growing up.

The shrine of Rajarajeshwara

My grandmother would always ask us to pray to Kartaviryarjuna if we lost something at home by chanting "Om Kartaviryarjuno Namah Raja Baahu Sahasravan Thasya Smarana Mathrena Gatham Nashtam Cha Labyathe"

I would ask her why we prayed to him in particular and she would say because he had a thousand arms, he would easily be able to retrieve the lost item and we would always eventually find it. Who was Kartaviryarjuna and why is he associated with retrieving lost things......

The Lineage of Kartaviryarjuna

Yadu, the son of Yayati, (after whom the Yadavas came to be called) had four sons, Sahastrajit, the grandfather of Haihaya after whom the Haihaya dynasty is named; Krosta, the forefather of Lord Krishna, Nala and Nakusha. According to Vishnu Purana, the fifth generation descendent of Haihaya was Mahishman, who founded the city of Mahismathi (the Maheshwar of Today) on the banks of Narmada.

According to the Narada Purana, the Sudharshana Chakra of Lord Vishnu had developed hubris over his power as Sriman Narayana's weapon. Angered by his arrogance, Lord Vishnu cursed him to be born as a mortal on earth. When the repentent Sudharshana begged for relief, Lord Vishnu promised him that at the right time, he would come to retrieve him. Sudharshana was then born as the great-great-grandson of Mahishman called Kartaviryarjuna.

As a young prince, Kartaviryarjuna was an ardent devotee of Dattatreya. He spent several years meditating on him. Pleased with his devotion, Dattatreya blessed him with a thousand arms (depicting the thousand blades on the Sudharshana Chakra), victory in warfare and over the worlds and finally death in the hands of a Mahapurusha. This led him to be called Sahasrabahu or Sahasrabahu Arjuna.

The shrine of Kartaviryarjuna in the Rajarajeswara Temple

The creation of Sahasradhara and the defeat of Ravana

Kartaviryarjuna started winning over the worlds and ruled them justly. He is said to have performed 16,000 yagnas. Initially, everything went well. He built temples and choultries. He installed Lord Shiva on the banks of the Narmada and worshipped him each day. He also built a shrine for his guru Dattatreya. Over time, when he found there was no one who dared to oppose him, he turned arrogant.

One day, Kartaviryarjuna was bathing in the river Narmada, with his wives. To demonstrate his power, he blocked the flow of the river with his thousand arms. This caused the river to backflow with force and created thousands of little streams, that are even today called Sahasradhara. Just at that time, a young Ravana was in the river, doing his morning pujas Startled by the unusual swelling and reversing of the river, and the thousands of craters it was causing in the river bed, he ran to see what was happening. When he found a drunk Kartaviryarjuna blocking the river with his thousand arms, he fell upon him with an attempt to fight him.

Sahasradhara believed to have been created by Kartaviryarjuna
Photo: Google

But Ravana was no match to the mighty Kartaviryarjuna. Tying him up like a monkey with his multiple hands, he brought him back to the palace. He was locked up in a cage like an animal or tied to the cradle of the little prince, with the task of rocking him to sleep. Local legends say Kartaviryarjuna lit lamps on all ten heads and the cupped hands of Ravana (11 in all) and made him a human lamp stand behind Lord Shiva in the Rajarajeswara temple. Finally, Sage Pulastya, the grandfather of Ravana, had to approach Kartaviryarjuna to request him to let go of his grandson.

Incurring the wrath of Parashurama

On one occasion, Kartaviryarjuna and his soldiers went hunting in the forest. When it became dark, they realised they had gone deep into its depths. Unable to find their way out, and desperate to find some food and shelter for the night, they somehow managed to find Sage Jamadagni's ashram. The sage welcomed them warmly and fed them a large dinner. Surprised he was able to do so deep inside the forest surprised the king. He asked the sage how he had managed.

The sage mentioned he was in possession of a divine cow called Kamadhenu, which could grant any of his wishes. The King immediately requested the sage to give him the divine cow. But the sage politely refused. The king even offered ten million cows or half of his kingdom, whichever the sage preferred. The latter smiled and gently refused. The King tried to explain patiently that if had the cow, he could fulfill all the desires of his countrymen that would make Mahismathi the happiest kingdom on earth. Still, Jamadagni did not budge.

Now the king was furious. He ordered his minister and men, to take the cow by force. They chopped off the head of Jamadagni and carried the cow and calf to the palace. Not able to find her husband, Renuka, the wife of Jamadagni came looking. When she found his headless body she wailed, beating her breast twenty-one times, calling out to their son Parashurama, who was an incarnation of Lord Vishnu.

Parashurama rushed to the spot and swore to travel around the world twenty-one times, killing all Kshatriyas he could find. (Some puranas say Renuka prayed to Sukra, who revived Sage Jamadagni by chanting the Mrtasanjivini mantra and then Shurasena, the son of Karthaviryarjuna, chopped off his head again and carried it away so that he could not be revived)

The enraged Parashurama went to the palace to retrieve the cow. He carried the axe given to him by Lord Shiva and confronted Kartaviryarjuna. In the conflict that ensued, Parashurama chopped off the thousand arms of Kartaviryarjuna and finally dealt a heavy blow on his neck.

Knowing he would not be able to survive, Kartaviryarjuna surrendered the Kamadhenu and its calf to Parashurama. He then asked to be moved to the temple of Rajarajeshwara, where he sought forgiveness for his acts to Lord Shiva. He realised that when he was fair and just, his Guru had given him everything but he had lost it all away due to his arrogance. He also realised that Lord Vishnu had come in the form of Parashurama to reclaim him.

Before he returned to his maker, he sought a boon that he should always be remembered by his subjects. Lord Shiva gave him a boon that whenever anyone was in need of finding their lost property they would remember Kartaviryarjuna to do so and this is being followed till date. His soul then merged with the Lord.

Parashurama killing Kartaviryarjuna to avenge the death of his father
(Photo: Wikipedia - Unknown author )

The temple

The centuries-old temple has been revived and rebuilt by Queen Ahilya Bai Holkar. There are seperate shrines for Ganesha, Lord Shiva, Lord Rama, King Kartaviryarjuna, Guru Dattatreya, Suryanarayana and other small shrines. The ceiling has numerous little mirrors in it that the lights shine and reflect like jewels in the evening. There are twin Deepasthambas which are also lit in the evenings. Local say the shrine of King Sahasrabahu is also his samadhi and they worship there by offering flowers and fruits on the platform.

Suryanarayana shrine at the Rajarajeshwara temple

The eleven monolithic Akhanda Deepas

The most notable feature of the temple are the eleven ghee lamps (Akhanda Nanda Deepas) burning perpetually behind Lord Rajarajeshwara in the sanctum. They are believed to be burning from the time Kartaviryarjuna after he had started the practice over the heads and hands of Ravana. Donations of ghee from the devotees keep these lamps burning night and day. While seven lamps can be seen from outside, four more are seen with the help of a strategically placed mirror.

The shrine of Rajarajeswara with the Akhanda Deepas burning behind
Photo : Google

Festivals

Shukla Sapthami in the month of Karthigai is considered the birthday of Sahasrabahu Arjuna. The entire city of Maheshwar erupts into festivities during this time. Processions are taken out with his image and a great deal of pomp and show for three days, ending with a huge community feast.

Temple Timings

5 am to 12 pm and 4 pm to 9 pm

Thanks to Mantra Yatra for organising this lovely visit to the Rajarajeshwara temple as part of their Magnificient Madhya Pradesh tour package. This is not a paid post.

Temples of Assam - Maa Kamakhya - Part II

2025-05-11T21:34:00.001+05:30

This is the second part of the article on Maa Kamakhya temple in Assam. You can find the first part here.

The temple of Maa Kamakhya PC: Mr Suresh N S

Kamakhya, the Shakti Peeta where the Supreme Mother's Yoni fell, celebrates menstruation, a key prerequisite for motherhood through the Ambubachi Mela, which symbolises the annual period of menstruation of Maa Kamakhya.

Interestingly, while menstruation is still considered a taboo and stigma in some places, states where temples follow tantric worship, celebrate menstruation as a symbol of motherhood. The Goddesses themselves in these areas are shown as menstruating regularly so that any stigma attached to it is removed. The Ambubachi Mela in Assam, The Rajo Parba or Rajo Sankaranti in Orissa and the Thiruputharattu in Kerala all celebrate menstruation.

Ambubachi Mela

Among these, the Ambubachi Mela draws thousands of pilgrims across the world to Kamakhya to participate in this annual ritual which happens on the seventh day of the Ashada month (21st or 22nd of June). This time is also considered to be the time when Mother Earth is menstruating, getting her womb ready to receive the seeds and seedlings for a fertile and rich agricultural season. Therefore, in order to give her rest, all agricultural activity is prohibited during this time. Devotees of Maa Kamakhya do not eat cooked food during the three days that Ambubachi is celebrated. They do not comb their hair, walk heavily or place heavy things on the ground.

The Yoni Peeta at Maa Kamakhya P.C. Internet

Ambu means Water and Bachi means flowing. In preparation of Ambubachi, the Yoni Peeta is covered with around 300 metres of cloth, which is provided by the Pandas (priests) with their names marked on the cloth. This cloth remains on the Yoni Peeta for four days. It is called Angavastra and this white cloth turns completely red with the Mother's menses. On the fourth day, called the Shuddhi day, the priests collect the Angavastra with their eyes covered with cloth. They line up on the steps to the main sanctum to support the passing on of the Angavastra safely and securely back up. The priests then collect the now red coloured cloth amongst themselves and then offer small pieces as Prasad to the devotees they facilitate in the temple.

The Yoni Peeta is then given a ceremonial bath and this day is considered to be the most auspicious day to visit Kamakhya. Couples longing for child birth, young women with delayed start of menstruation or those suffering from menstrual disorders, make it a point to visit Kamakhya on this day to be relieved of their problems for ever. Lakhs and Lakhs of devotees and tantric practitioners arrive at Kamakhya during Ambubachi Mela. They meditate outside the temple, focussing on singing devotional songs or listening to the glory of Maa Kamakhya. The Peeta is said to turn most powerful during this time, as the Mother herself is resting and in meditation. Therefore, people throng here to receive that divine vibration around the temple.

Deodhani or Devadhwani Festival

A Deodhani dancer at Kamakhya PC. Maa Kamakhya Devalaya

Equally important is the Deodhani festival. Deodhani or Devadhwani means the voice of the Gods. During this three day festival to celebrate the serpant goddess, Manasa Devi, the daughter of Sage Kashyapa is worshipped to be saved from snake bites. She is also seen as the goddess of Kundalini and Yogic power. Chila Roy had been bestowed upon the power to relieve the mother of the Nawab of Bengal from snake bite and from then on, Manasa Puja started being celebrated in Kamakhya as the Deodhani festival. During this time, a pitcher is installed to represent Manasa Devi. This pitcher has water, decorated with mango leaves and a wood apple placed on top. Clay figures of snakes are also placed behind and around the pitcher.

Deodhani dance is performed by selected dancers shouting slogans and dancing to the tune of Dhole and drums. During the festival that is celebrated in the month of August, these dancers get supernatural powers and if they predict anything, the prediction comes true. Devotees suffering from physical ailments visit the temple during this time, and when they follow the medication prescribed by the Deodhani dancers, they are cured of their ailments.

Those selected as Deodhani dancers have to see Goddess Kamakhya or Kali in their dreams a month before the festival. From then on, they undergo several religious exercises and rituals under the strict supervision of their priests. They spend the best part of the day in meditation when the supernatural powers are bestowed upon them. On the first day of the festival, they are anointed with oil, ghee and kumkum and wear hibiscus garlands. The dhoti they wear symbolises the goddess they represent. These deodhas dance on sharp edge of swords or jump over sharp swords in moments of heightened awareness. After three days and nights of dancing, the fourth day is called the Visarjan day when the garlands are thrown into the Sowbhagakunda. They take a ceremonial bath in the kunda and perform pujas. The sacrificial pitcher in which Manasa Devi has been installed is then immersed in the Kunda after which the divine power of the Deodhas is also lost and they regain their human nature.

Durga Puja

In Kamakhya, Durga Puja is celebrated differently from other places. Here, Durga Puja starts a fortnight earlier than the rest of India. Instead of an idol of Durga being made, an image of Durga is drawn on a coarse bamboo mat which is plastered with mud from Brahmaputra. Kalasa Prathista is done in front of the idol of Maa Kamakhya in the chamber above the sanctum. On the eighth day, bigs and animals are sacrificed. The swords that were used to sacrifice the animals and trident are worshipped on the ninth day and a human form made of flour is offered as Bali to the Goddess and on the tenth day, the meat of the burnt birds and rice is offered to the Devi. The painted mat image is then taken in procession and immersed in Brahmaputra.

Devi in Kamakhya temple

Kumari Puja

Kumari Puja is performed by a lot of devotees at Kamakhya, because it is believed that it is the easiest way to get the blessings of Maa Kamakhya. It is particularly performed by those who are seeking marriage, childbirth, defeat of their enemies or prosperity. The origin of Kumari Puja dates back to the time when Lord Vishnu was performing Kali Puja by chanting the powerful Kali Beeja Mantra 10,008 times. Suddenly an Asura named Kolasura appeared from Vishnu's heart. He started torturing all the Devas and Rishis. Unable to tolerate his torture, the Devas approached Goddess Kali. She assumed the form of a young adolescent girl (Kumari) and approached Kolasura and asked for food. The asura gave her some food to eat. The Kumari finished the food in a jiffy and asked for more. Kolasura kept giving her food but it was just not enough. Finally, Kolasura asked the Kumari to take what she pleased. She immediately ate up everything around including the Asura, thereby putting an end to him.

Usually, Kumari Puja is performed on the children of the Pandas. They are offered alta, flowers, fruits, sweets and other cosmetic items, their feet are cleansed by those performing the puja, and the priest chants mantras to please the Kumari. At the end of the Puja, the Kumari blesses those who are performing the Puja and Prasad comprising of flowers, fruits and sweets offered to the Kumari are returned to the devotees who take them home and consume them.

Dasa Mahavidya Shrines

Dasa Mahavidyas

Apart from Maa Kamakhya, there are shrines for the Dasa Mahavidyas in and around the temple. Kamakhya is the only temple in the world where the Dasa Mahavidya shrines are found.

1. Kali - The Kali Peeta is located next to the stairway in the Kamakhya temple. There is no idol here but Kali is worshipped as the tantra that is recited. The special day to worship Maa Kali is Saturday.

2. Tara Devi - She is also called Vak Devi or Nila Saraswathi. Her idol had been installed by Sage Vashista in the crematorium of Kamakhya and was brought to the temple complex by Acharya Brahmananda Giri. She is shown standing on a pyre and is depicted with three eyes and four hands, holding swords, a human head and water lily. She is worshipped on Thursdays.

3. Sodasi - The main deity of the temple when worshipped on Wednesdays as a deity of the planet Budha is called Sodasi.

4. Bhairavi - The Bhairavi in Kamakhya is worshipped as Tripura Bhairavi. She is worshipped on Sundays. Since Lord Shiva is also found here, Shiva Puja is also performed here. She is dressed in a red garment, with a machete, japamala, book and abhaya hasta in her four hands.

5. Bhuvaneswari - The Bhuvaneswari temple is found on top of the Nilachala Hill. She is the deity of planet Sukra nad hence worshipped on Fridays. She is also called Rajarajeswari. Childless couples go up the hill to worship her on Fridays to be bestowed with children.

6. Chinnamasta - Chinnamasta is headless and found in a fearsome form of holding her cut head in her left hand and drinking the blood springing from her body. She is shown wearing a garland of human heads and standing on Manmatha and Rati held in an embrace. Her temple is found in a Kunda about fifteen feet below the ground and can be reached through a steep and narrow flight of stairs. She is worshipped on Wednesdays.

7. Dhumavati - This temple is to the South of the Kamakhya temple. She is worshipped on Thursdays. She is found in the form of a widow, with dirty clothes and droopy eyes. She has three eyes and four hands holding weapons and a large, ugly nose.

8. Bagala Devi - Bagala Devi is the presiding deity of Mars and hence is worshipped on Tuesdays. Goats, buffalo, duck, pigeons and pumpkins are sacrificed to her.

9. Matangi - Matangi is also known as Saraswathi - She is worshipped on Sundays and during Durga Puja. She is found next to Maa Kamakhya in the form of a stone within the main Garbagriha.

10. Kamala - Kamala is worshipped on Mondays as she is the deity for Chandra (Moon). She does not have a seperate Pitha and is worshipped in the form of a stone next to Maa Kamakhya.

Visiting Kamakhya:

Despite Kamakhya being such a powerful, must visit temple, visiting it is not simple and easy. There are three types of Darshan queues - Free, Rs.501 and VIP. The queue for free darshan starts at around 3 am while the temple opens at 8 for darshan. Between 6 and 8 only the priests are allowed inside the temple. As soon as the temple opens, the first 200 people in the free queue are allowed darshan after which the other queues move. The 501 rupee ticket should ideally be available online. There are two slots 7.30 - 11.30 and then from 2 - 3.30 pm. The tickets can be booked for a block of a week in advance but one would find that the tickets are never available for booking. Therefore, most of the time, one has to approach a Panda (priest) for these tickets. Obviously, they charge a premium - double, triple or even four times, depending on the day of the week and crowd in the temple. The VIP queue is ideally for VIPs but one can get into that too, depending on the premium one is willing to pay.

Offerings awaiting devotees

Darshan can take anything between four to twelve hours, depending on the line and the queue on that day. This is because only a few people can enter the sanctum at a time and only when they come up the next set of people can be admitted below. Initially the queue for the 500 rupees ticket begins behind the temple. From there the queue snakes up to a waiting hall with chairs. People wearing headbands with Maa Kamakhya's name, carrying garlands of hibiscus and other offerings, wait patiently in the queue and then enter the waiting hall.

Waiting Hall (PC: Mantra Yatris)

From the waiting hall, one moves into a closed enclosure which forms the main queue that leads to the sanctum. There are three parallel queues here: The extreme left is the Rs.501 rupee queue, the middle one is the VIP queue and the extreme right one, the free queue. There are seats here to one side, so those unable to stand can sit and move in the queue. Two lines get formed here, depending on the crowd and therefore, it can be quite stuffy and a long wait here.

Queue to main sanctum

Once the queue moves we reach the end of a corridor from where we move towards the mandap that is above the main sanctum. Here there are several idols, including the metal statue of Maa Kamakhya that is covered in flowers. People who pay for special poojas are seated here and poojas performed by the Pandas. Offerings like flowers and cloth that are taken are offered to the idol here.

Then you brace yourselves for the final descend to witness Maa Kamakhya. It is a dark cave where one or more priests are also sitting. Therefore, one has to be quick to scoop the water from the spring and drink it and then pray to Maa Kamakhya and two of the Dasamahavidyas - namely Matangi and Kamala or Saraswati and Lakshmi in simple terms. Since the pathway to come out of the sanctum is the same as the entry, be quick, careful and safe as you make your way up. You can get flowers and a little bit of the Angavastra adorned on Maa Kamakhya during Ambubachi as prasad.

Some tips for visiting:

Panels at the temple

Once you reach Kamakhya, do some research on the crowd for the next day and plan your visit accordingly.
Try to identify a Panda prior to your visit so that the tickets can be arranged on your behalf. The Panda can also help to perform any pujas and give you flowers and the anga vastra prasad.
Brace yourself for a long wait. Carry adequate water, snacks etc.
They do not allow big bags into the temple. So keep your belongings in a small bag.
There are shops outside to leave your slippers. These shops do not expect you to buy stuff.
Once you get down to the main sanctum, understand it would be dark and your eyes will take a couple of minutes to adjust. By then, you will automatically be moved forward by the crowd.
So be alert and quick. The spring is right before the Yoni Pitha. One can easily miss if not looking for it.
Bend down quickly and scoop the water to drink. Some people carry small koojas (sold outside) to collect the water.
The Yoni Pitha is covered with cloth and flowers so nothing much is visible.
If you have missed drinking from the spring, then you cannot come closer to it on your return.
Once you head back up, do not forget to collect flowers and the Angavastra cloth of the Goddess.
Some of the Dasa Mahavidya shrines are within the temple complex and the others outside.
There are special days for worship, as I have mentioned above.
Some of the shrines are a test to physical fitness, so think before undertaking the visits.

Despite all the delay and difficulties, a darshan of Maa Kamakhya is a life time experience, that should not be missed.

Acknowledgements: The Mysterious History of Kamakhya by Parimal Kumar Datta, The Maa Kamakhya Devalaya, and Mr Suresh N S for use of some photographs.

Temples of Assam - Part 1 - Maa Kamakhya

2025-05-10T22:48:00.046+05:30

Maa Kamakhya Temple, Assam

Kamakhya had been an elusive, dream destination for many years now. It finally became possible to visit Her, thanks to a trip organised by Balaji Davey & Mantra Yatra. For long, I had been enamoured by the divinity and mystery that shrouded Kamakhya. From stories my father has narrated about his multiple visits and to what I had read and watched over the years, there was a constant desire fuelling me to visit Kamakhya, something that had not happened with the other Shakti Peeths.

The Shakti Peetas

Sati, also called Dakshayani, the daughter of Daksha Prajapati, was the first wife of Shiva. When Sati married Shiva against Daksha's wishes, he was upset and did not invite Shiva to a yagna performed by him. Angered by this act of her father, Sati went to the Yagna to seek justice where she is humiliated. She returned to Shiva, who was angry that his wife did not heed his words when he asked her not to go. Sati immolated herself (from where performing Sati got its name). Shiva roamed around with her body. In order to stop him, Vishnu cut down Sati's body into 52 parts with his Sudharshana Chakra. The places where the body parts fell, are known as the Shakti Peetas.

Out of these, there are four which are known as the Adi Shakthi Peetas, the holiest of them all. They are the Vimala Devi temple within the Puri Jagannath Complex, where the feet of Sati fell, Tara Tarini Temple in Ganjam District of Orissa where the breasts fell, Kamakhya where the Yoni fell and Dakshineswar Kalighat Mandir in Kolkata where the toes of the right leg fell.

The remaining 48 Shakti Peetas are spread across Nepal, Tibet, Bhutan, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

A map of the Shakti Peetas (Courtesy: Wikipedia)

Assam was originally known as Pragjyothishapura which essentially means "Eastern Light". The name Pragjyotisa finds mention in the Mahabharata and Ramayana. The name was changed to Kamarupa during the times of Naraka, the king of Mithila. The name Assam came about through Shan invaders who became the rulers of the entire North-Eastern region including China, and came to be known as Asam, or later as Ahom, which name holds to date.

The name Kamarup and the legend of Kamadeva or Manmatha

After Sati's death, Lord Shiva lost interest in the charm of life. At that time, Tarakasura attacked Indraloka. Powered by a boon from Brahma, he was able to dethrone Indhra, The defeated Devas approached Brahma for a solution. Brahma knew that only a son of Shiva would be able to kill Taraka. He suggested that if Shiva made Parvathi, the daughter of Himavan, and a reincarnation of Sati, his consort, then a son born of them would be the solution to the misery the Devas were going through.

However, the challenge was to get Shiva interested in Parvati. The Devas sought the help of Kamadeva, also known as Manmatha. Kamadeva, accompanied by his wife Rati, and Vasanta Ritu (Spring Season) approached Shiva who was in deep meditation. He strung his sugarcane bow with the Mohana arrow - the floral arrow of desire, and hit directly at Shiva's heart. Immediately, Shiva opened his eyes and demonstrated desire for Parvati who emerged from a cave nearby. But soon enough, he was able to regain composure. His anger turned towards Kamadev for disturbing his penance, and he burnt him down, by opening his third eye. Rati, distraught by the loss of her husband, smeared his ashes on her body, and cried bitterly to Shiva to bring him back to life, for he had only acted in common good. Shiva agreed to revive Kama, but not with a physical body, but as Ananga, formless, and only visible to Rati.

The place where the revival of Kama took place, is known as Madan Kamdev, commonly known as the Khajuraho of Assam. It is about 40 kms from Guwahati, and is home to the ruins of around twenty temples dedicated to Lord Shiva.There is also the cave from where Parvati emerged near the ruins. Since Kamadev came back to life here, the place came to be known as Kamarupa or Kamrup as it is known now.

Erotic miniature sculptures in the ruins of Madan Kamdev

Maa Kamakhya

The temple of Maa Kamakhya (Photo Courtesy: Suresh N S)

The temple of Maa Kamakhya is located on the Nilachal Hills, at a height of 180 metres and about 20 kms from the Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport in Guwahati. The temple built around a sanctum where the Yoni of Sati is believed to have fallen, is said to have been originally built by Viswakarma on the instructions of Lord Shiva and supervised by Kamadeva. This was rebuilt by Narakasura. When this was destroyed it was rebuilt by Visva Singha. And when the temple was destroyed by Kalapahar, some say damaged due to earthquake in the 13th century, it was rebuilt and expanded into the version we see today by King Naranarayana as explained by inscriptions.

The temple has a unique Nilachal style beehive like Vimana, with multiple panels showing gods and goddesses on the outside. The main Garbagriha of the temple housing Maa Kamakhya in the form of a rock fissure shaped like a Yoni is within a cave which is two and half metres below the ground level. It is a small and dark cave where only few people can stand at a time. The fissure slopes on both sides to form a Vagina like depression which is about ten inches deep. There is a natural underground spring from which water perennially flows from the Yoni and the devotees scoop up the water and drink it as Prasad. Every year, during Ambubachi mela, the Goddess is believed to menstruate when the water in this spring as well as in the Brahmaputra river at the foot of the Nilachal turns red. The Goddess is seen here as Tripura Sundari - right next to Maa Kamakhya are depictions of Lakshmi and Saraswathi.

The beautiful Nilachal style architecture of the temple

In the chamber above the Garbagriha, there is a small idol of Goddess Kamakhya, hardly visible within the mound of flowers that cover it. There are also sculptures of King Naranarayana, and other deities. Mother Kamakhya is shown as a young girl of sixteen years, with twelve hands and six heads. She is seen with three eyes, wearing red clothes and garlands of hibiscus. In her ten arms, she holds several weapons and a bowl in her main left hand and Abhaya mudra in her main right hand. She is seen sitting on a lotus that is emerging from the navel of Shiva who is seen as a corpse lying on a lion. The Goddess's right leg is placed on the chest of Shiva. Brahma and Vishnu are seen on either side of her, both seated in lotuses.

Iconography of Maa Kamakhya

The Legend of Narakasura and Kamakhya

Narakasura was born to Bhoomadevi (Mother Earth) and Vishnu in his Varaha Avatara. During his childhood, his mother assumed the name of Katyayani and took him to Mithila, and King Janaka took care of him like his own son. When he turned sixteen, his mother took him to the banks of the Ganges and narrated the story of his birth to him. She then invoked upon Lord Vishnu, who appeared before them and brought them to Pragjyothisapura. At that time, it was ruled by the Kiratas. Naraka fought with Ghataka, the king of the Kiratas and defeated him. He then took over as the King of Pragjyothisapura.

Pleased, Vishnu offered him his powerful weapon named Shakthi with the condition that Naraka should not use it on any human being, failing which his life would be in danger. He further instructed him to always worship Mother Kamakhya, who would safeguard and protect him. However, as fate would have it, Naraka developed friendship with Banasura, who dissuaded him from worshipping Maa Kamakhya. Slowly, Naraka started getting influenced by him and became irregular in his worship.

Banasura was the son of Mahabali and the grandson of Prahlada. He was a great devotee of Lord Shiva. His daughter Usha, dreamt of Aniruddha, the grandson of Krishna and fell in love with him. Her friend Chitralekha helped her identify her lover by painting various princes and then abducted Aniruddha for her friend. When Banasura came to know of this, he built a fort surrounded by fire known as Agnigarh to this day, and asked Lord Shiva to guard it. Soon enough, a battle ensued between Krishna and Shiva to rescue Aniruddha. In the battle, Krishna chopped off all the extra hands of Banasura to destroy his pride and all was well, when Aniruddha and Usha were married in the end. The Agnigarh fort stands to date in Tezpur, Assam with the Mahabhairav temple where Shiva stood guard as the Kshetrapalaka and Rudrapada temple, which has the foot mark of Shiva when he revealed himself to Banasura.

Aniruddha, Usha and Chitralekha depicted in Agnigarh

Now coming back to Naraka, he was so emboldened by the advice of Banasura, that he stopped believing she was the Supreme Mother and sought the hand of Maa Kamakhya in marriage. The goddess agreed to marry him provided he constructed a pathway from the foot of the Nilachala hill to the temple of Maa Kamakhya over night. Naraka deployed his best men to get this done. As the road started getting laid across the hill, the goddess sent a cock to crow early to give an impression that it had dawned. Angered, Naraka chased the cock and killed it. The place where this happened is to this day called Kukurakata meaning "the place where the cock was killed".

One day, Sage Vashista came to Kamakhya to worship Maa Kamakhya. However, Naraka did not let him in, saying that the pooja of Maa Kamakhya was going on. Angered, Vashista cursed Naraka that he would die at the hands of his father Lord Vishnu who would assume a human form in Dwapara Yuga. He also cursed Maa Kamakhya that she would be hidden in the Yonichakra and no one would get her blessings despite worshipping her. Maa Kamakhya went to Kailash and sought help from Lord Shiva who reinstalled her in Kamakhya, thereby breaking the curse of Vashista.

Lord Shiva and Maa Kamakhya

In the meantime, Naraka became powerful and fearless. He attacked the earth and the heaven alike and defeated Indra, and took away the earrings of his mother Athiti. Unable to bear his torture, the Devas, Rishis and saints approached Krishna who came to Pragjyothisapura which had by then been renamed as Kamarupa by Naraka along with Sathyabhama and after a fierce battle, Naraka was killed. At the time of his death, he sought a boon from Lord Vishnu that he wanted his death in the hands of his father, to be celebrated by all the people with new clothes, bursting of crackers, feast and festivities and this was the genesis of the Diwali festival. Krishna granted Naraka the boon he sought and placed Bhagadutta, his son on the throne of Kamarupa.

The legend of Biswa Singha and Nara Narayana

Biswa Singha was the founder of the Koch Bihar Dynasty in the 16th century. He was able to unite all the Bodo tribes and establish a dynasty. Once, when he was fighting the Ahoms, he and his brother lost their way in the heavy rains and darkness which destroyed their camp and found themselves go up the Nilachala Hill where they saw a light under a tree and an old lady who was worshipping a mound. When the tired and thirsty men asked for water, the old lady gave them water from a spring. The men enquired who she was worshipping for which she replied that the mound was the greatest among the Pithas and the temple around it had been destroyed over time. Biswa Singha promised to construct a temple of gold to the Pitha. He dropped three reeds and a ring in the spring and said he would believe in the goddess if he found them in the Ganga in Varanasi.

Years rolled by and Biswa Singha with the grace of Maa Kamakhya established a strong empire. He had forgotten all about the Mother and his promise. During a visit to Varanasi, when he took a dip in the Ganges he came up with the reeds and the ring he had dropped at Nilachala. That was when he remembered his promise. When he discussed with his courtiers, they told him several legends and miracles about Maa Kamakhya. Soon enough, the construction of the temple began, but since it was being done with brick, it kept breaking down. Biswa Singha did not have enough gold to build a temple, so he sought guidance from the Mother herself who appeared in his dream and said if he were to include one grain of gold in every brick, the temple will come up soon and so it did.

After his time, his son Nara Narayana took over the throne by overpowering his younger brother who had usurped it as soon as his father died. Another brother Sukladhvaja, popularly known as Chila Roy became his commander-in-chief. Once when they were away fighting the Ahoms, Kalapahar, the commander of the Nawab of Bengal attacked and destroyed the Kamakhya temple. When the brothers returned and saw the demolished temple, they decided to build it back after defeating the Nawab. However, they lost in war and Chila Roy was captured. While in prison, he repented for not having prioritized the reconstruction of the temple and wept. Maa Kamakhya appeared in his dream, and told him that the Nawab's mother would be bitten by a snake that the palace physicians would not be able to cure, and if he chanted the Maa's Mahamantra, he could save her life. Chila Roy did as suggested and in gratitude, the Nawab set him free.

The temple as we see now built by Naranarayana

He came back and narrated the tale to his brother and the two then decided to rebuild the temple which they did in six months. They had a grand inauguration, worshipped the mother daily and ensured day to day poojas and maintenance took place. The temple had a priest called Kendukalai who was an ardent devotee of Maa Kamakhya. Every evening during aarti, he would sign and dance and invite the Mother to dance with him and she would. She however, forbade him from sharing this with anyone. However, soon enough, Naranarayana came to know of this, and wanted to witness the Mother. So he asked Kendukalai to let him in when the dance happened. Kendukalai refused, fearing the wrath of the Mother. However, the king was insistent and he could not refuse. So, one day the king hid himself behind a pillar. When the priest invited Maa Kamakhya to dance with him, she started dancing but soon realised Naranarayana was watching.

She was furious and beheaded Kendukalai for his betrayal. She forbade Naranarayana to never set foot into her temple and ordered that he and all his descendants should not even look up towards the temple, let along visit. This curse is still in force and no one in the king's lineage has since visited the temple or even looked up in that direction.

Acknowledgements: The Mysterious History of Kamakhya by Parimal Kumar Datta & Mr Suresh NS for kindly allowing me to use some of his photographs.

Part 2 - Here is the link to Part 2 of the article which contains the following

Ambubachi Mela - the celebration of Maa Kamakhya's menstruation

Deodhani and Durga Puja

Kumari Puja at Kamakhya

The Dasa Mahavidhyas and days to worship them

What a visit to Kamakhya entails

Some Tips for a Kamakhya visit

Stay Tuned!

Kolavamana Perumal, Sikkal

2025-04-05T21:25:00.317+05:30

The Kolavamana Perumal Temple at Sikkal prior to Kumbabhishekam

Every year, through Aalayam Kanden Trust, we write and publish the Sthalapuram of a lesser known temple to enable it to gain visitors and patrons. Recently, multiple temples in Nagapattinam had their consecration, so when Subash, a heritage enthusiast in Nagapattinam who has been doing very committed work in documenting the temples there, requested if we could help print the collective Sthalapuranam book he had authored on Nagai Temples, we willingly agreed.

The books were released on Maasi Maham day at the Kayarohaneswarar Temple and the Sikkal Singaravelar shrine. While visiting the Sikkal temple, Subash took us to the Kolavamana Perumal temple within the same complex. Even though I had visited the Sikkal temple a few times before, had not had an opportunity to visit this temple.

Release of the book Nagai Aalayangal at Sikkal Singaravelar shrine

That's probably because the temple is more popularly known for Lord Muruga, who is called Singaravelar here. Sikkalil Vel Vaangi Chenduril Samharam, they say. This phrase used during Kandha Sashti, describes the granting of Shakti Vel by Goddess Velnedumkanni (Parvathi) to her son Singaravelar to enable him to perform the samharam of Surapadma. Even to this day, the beading of sweat on the idol of Singaravelar for a few hours after receiving the Shakthi Vel (Spear), is a divine ethereal experience that attracts thousands of devotees annually.

Apart from Lord Navaneetheswarar and Singara Velar, there is a seperate temple for Lord Kolavamana Perumal. This co-existence of Vaishnavaite and Saivaite shrines with Navaneetheswarar, Velnedumkanni, Singaravelar, Kolavamana Perumal and Varada Anjaneyar makes it a unique power centre, capable of answering all fair prayers of devotees.

The temple complex after consecration

Sthalapuranam through inscriptions

Usually, temple inscriptions would speak about grants given by kings and their subjects towards various activities of the temple. They might include government orders too. However, it is rare to find inscriptions that describe the Sthalapuranam of the temple. Here, we find an inscription with a Shloka that describes how Lord Vishnu came here and its reference in the Skanda Puranam. This inscription has been featured in Annual Report on Indian Epigraphy - 102/1911 and has been further elaborated in Nagai Maavatta Kalvettugal published by the State Archaeology Department of Tamil Nadu.

The Shloka is as follows:

स्वस्ति श्री स्कन्दपुराणे कालिकाखण्डे तीर्थसंहितायां

वसिष्ठाश्रम माहात्म्ये मल्लिकारण्य क्षेत्रप्रभावम् आरभ्यते।

श्लोकः:

दया या दक्षिणगया यां यो वा श्राद्धं प्रकर्तव्यति।

षष्टिवर्षसहस्राणि गया श्राद्धे न यत्फलम्॥

तत्फलं समवाप्नोति नात्र कार्यविचारणम्।

गया पश्चिमदिक्भागे देवदेवाति वन्दिता।

माधवो वासमाक्रान्तो गया माधव इत्यभिः॥

The shloka translates as follows:

This is an excerpt from the Theertha Samhita in Kalika Kanda of Skanda Puranam which describes the Vashistashrama Mahatmya in the Mallikaranya Kshetra. This description is said to have been given by Lord Shiva to Kamadhenu, the celestial cow. Affected by a severe drought that lasted twelve years, Kamadhenu fed upon the carcass of a dog, as it could not find any grass to feed upon. This angered Lord Shiva, and he cursed it to acquire the face of a tiger. Repentant and ashamed, Kamadhenu sought a remedy. Lord Shiva asked her to go to Bhooloka and perform penance in a Jasmine forest.

List of temples where Shiva and Vishnu co-exist mentioned in the temple

He further described the Mallikaranyam (Jasmine Forest) as below:

This place is known as Dakshina Gaya and anyone performing Sraadham (annual rites of ancestors) here with compassion will attain the merit of having performed Sraadham in Gaya for sixty thousand years. There is no doubt about it. In the Western part of this Gaya, resides Lord Madhava and hence it is also known as Gaya Madhava. Kamadhenu reached the Mallikaranyam, worshipped Lord Gaya Madhava also known as Kolavamana Perumal, bathed in the pond near Sage Vashista's hermitage and started performing penance. And soon, her tiger face disappeared. Overjoyed, Kamadhenu bathed in the pond and offered her thanks to the Lord. Her milk filled the pond, turning it into a Ksheera Pushkarni. Sage Vashista churned the butter to make a Shivalinga. He placed it on the banks of the Pushkarni and started worshipping it. After his prayers were over, when he tried to remove the lingam he found that it had turned to stone (கல்) and stuck firmly (சிக்) to the ground. Therefore, the place came to be known as Sikkal and the Lord Navaneetheswarar or Vennai Piraan. Sage Vashista also made a Krishna idol out of the butter and worshipped it. Lord Krishna wanting to reside in this holy place came to the Mallikaranyam and ate the butter Krishna. Shocked, Sage Vashista started chasing him. Krishna ran towards what is known today as Thirukkannankudi, one of the five Krishnaranya Kshetrams and got bound by the love and affection of the sages worshipping him there. He continues to shower his grace upon devotees from there.

Kola Vamana Perumal Utsavar

How did Lord Kolavamana Perumal come here originally?

Thirumangai Alwar who has done the Mangalasasanam of the Thirukannangudi temple has also described the Vamana Avatara that originated at Sikkal in one of his pasurams. Therefore, this temple serves as an Abhimana Sthalam of Thirukkannankudi divya desam.

Mahabali, the Asura king and grandson of Prahalada, was a just king loved by his subjects. At one point, he acquired Amrut, the eternal nectar that could bring Asuras back to life when they were defeated and killed by the Devas. Using the Amrut, King Mahabali slowly spread his kingdom all over the earth and skies. This made the Devas run from pillar to post, attempting to save themselves and their territories. They appealed to Lord Vishnu to save them from Mahabali. They pleaded that without his intervention, the Devas would soon become extinct.

Lord Vishnu was now in a difficult situation. On one hand, King Mahabali was a good king and more importantly his devotee. On the other hand, the Devas had approached him as the lender of last resort and he could not refuse them. So he came down to the Mallikaranyam, created a theertham called Gaya Theertham and started meditating to find the right solution to put an end to Mahabali. Soon, Lord Shiva appeared before him and with his advice, Vishnu took the form of Vamana, the dwarf. He approached King Mahabali, who was performing the Ashwamedha Yagna to declare himself as the Emperor of the World and the Skies, and in the process was giving away grants to those who visited him.

Kolavamana Perumal in Raja Alankaram

Vamana sought three steps of land to which Mahabali immediately agreed, even though his guru Sukracharya tried to prevent him. Vamana assumed Vishwaroopa, and measured the earth with one step and the skies with the second. When he asked Mahabali where to place the third step, the King graciously offered his head. Vamana's foot sent him crushing to Patala Loka. Pleased with his devotion, and for honouring his promise despite knowing it would bring about his end, Lord Vishnu agreed to grant Mahabali a boon. He sought to return to his kingdom once a year, and the day is celebrated as Onam festival with great pomp and glory, even to this day.

Another version of the story says that Mahabali wanted Lord Vishnu to stay with him in Paathala Loka, for which Vishnu agreed to do so for four months in a year, which denotes the Chaturmasya period.

Lord Kolavamana Perumal (Photo Courtesy: The temple)

Since Lord Vishnu manifested in the Vamana form here, he came to be known as Kolavamana Perumal. After Kolavamana Perumal came to Sikkal, Goddess Lakshmi, unable to stay alone in Vaikuntha without her Lord, came here too, and created the Lakshmi Theertham and prayed to Lord Kolavamana Perumal to be united with him. Answering her prayers, the Lord requested her to stay here and grant the wishes of their devotees as Komalavalli Thayar. Till this day, young men who are desirous of getting a good bride, or those boys whose wedding prayers are getting delayed, come here and worship Kolavamana Perumal and Komalavalli Thayar, and soon enough, just like how Goddess Lakshmi came looking for her partner, good matrimonial alliances come looking for these boys.

Komalavalli Thayar in Gajalakshmi Alankaram (Photo Courtesy: The Temple)

Varada Anjaneyar found in a seperate shrine opposite to Kolavamana Perumal is extremely popular among devotees who offer Kattamudhu after their prayers have been answered. The temple has recently been consecrated. The rustic look and the multiple wall paintings are all gone, replaced with gary oil paints.

Sri Varada Anjaneyar

I have a habit of taking vastrams for the deities of any temple I have the opportunity to visit. Normally, the priests would either place the vastrams at the feet of the deity or around the shoulders and one really has to be satisfied with that. However, here, the priests so patiently adorned the vastrams to the Utsavar vigrahams while we were there which was a truly goosebumps moment for me.

Inscriptions:

There are a total of eight inscriptions that have been recorded here, out of which two are from the Kolavamana Perumal temple. Two others from the Navaneetheswara temple, describe the Sthalapuranam as mentioned above and also about all those who worshipped here to get the grace of the deities. Inscription No.103/1911, mentions this Kshetram as Gaya Saras and Deva Sannithyam. It further mentions that Arasa Maram (Peepal Tree), Paal Kulam (Milk Pond), Aala Maram (Banyan Tree), Surabhi, King Muchukunda, Sages Vishwamitra, Vashista, Narada, Gauthama, Katyayana and Agasthya worshipped here.

Inscription 100/1911 mentions that in 1447, Lakkana Dandanayaka, the Senapathi of the Vijayanagara King Mallikarjuna Raya (Deva Raya III) who called himself Dakshina Samudradhipati, found that Sitrrayanallur village, that had been given as Thiruvidaiyattam (land given to a temple from which the tax revenue could be used directly by the temple for its operations) was far away from the temple and hence he replaced it with fertile lands that were irrigated by the Nallan Pillai Petral Eri in Sikkal of Gayamanicka Valanadu which was an Usavadi (sub-division) of Cholamandalam. Inscription 101/1911 states that a person named Ayar Pillai, a native of Mangalam converted this temple into a granite structure.

Festivals:

All Vaishnavaite festivals are celebrated here with pomp and glory. Specially Mohini Avatharam on the sixth day of Margazhi, Gajendra Moksham, Vaikunda Ekadesi, Vijaya Dasami, Hanumad Jayanthi, Puratasi Saturday and Gokulashtami. The temple has a lovely Instagram page where all the utsavams are comprehensively covered.

New Pasuram for Kolavamana Perumal:

Diwakara Tanujaha, is blessed to create pasurams in the same meter as the alwars and has been creating pasurams for lesser known Perumal temples. A collection of his pasurams along with description of the Sthalapuranams of some such temples was brought out by us in 2019 as a publication titled "Paadal Perum Paranthaman Aalayangal" . When I shared this article with him, he immediately came up with this very beautiful yet succinct pasuram on Kolavamana Perumal, set in the same meter as Thirumangai Alwar's Thirukannangudi pasuram describing the Vamana Avataram.

எழுசீர்க் கழி நெடிலடி ஆசிரிய விருத்தம்

உம்பரான் உண்ட உறுபுரை ஒளிய

.. உற்பவி பாற்குளத் திழுதின்

தம்பிரா னோடும் இளங்கிளை மருகன்

.. தக்கசொல் தூதுவன் சூழ

நம்பினா ருக்கு நன்மணம் வீச

.. நறுவிணர் மல்லிகை வனத்தில்

எம்பிரான் கோல வாமனன் என்றே

.. இலங்கினான் கோமளத் தானே

Meaning - உம்பரான் (celestial cow - Kamadhenu), உறுபுரை - wrong deed, இழுதின் தம்பிரான் - Lord Shiva made of butter, Navaneetheswara, இளங்கிளை - younger sister of Lord Vishnu - Velnedumkanni, மருகன் - Nephew - Singaravelar

Our sincere thanks to Shri Diwakara Tanujaha for this effort and for beautifying Sri Kolavamana Perumal with his choicest words.

How to reach here:

Sikkal is around 4 kms from Nagapattinam town, enroute to Tiruvarur. The GPS coordinates are 10.7566969,79.7964928.

Temple Timings:

6.30 am to 12 pm, 5 - 8.30 pm

Contact Details:

Shri Balaji Bhattar - 96556 97885

Acknowledgements:

I thank Mr Subash Chandran, Nagapattinam and the Kolavamana Perumal temple for allowing me to use their images for this article.

Shrines of Ladakh - Part IV - Thiksey Monastery

2024-09-22T00:47:00.005+05:30

Over the last few weeks, I have been writing about the shrines of Ladakh I had an opportunity of visiting during my trip with Mantra Yatra in August. This is the fourth and last part of the series. You can read the previous parts here: Part I Part II Part III

This post is about the magnificent Thiksey Monastery in the Indus Valley at an altitude of about 11,800 feet. It is a twelve storied building, comprising of shrines, statues, thangkas, library and nunnery spread across a majestic courtyard.

The walkway leading to the Thiksey Monastery

The Thiksey Monastery is the largest in Central Ladakh, situated about 19 kms from the city of Leh. The building supposedly resembles the Potala Palace in Lhasa, Tibet. The origin of this monastery has a very interesting legend associated with it. In the early 15th century, Je Tsongkhapa (roughly translating to The man from the Onion Valley), the founder of the Gelug school of Tibeten Buddhism, who also came to be seen as the second Buddha after his passing, sent six of his disciples across Tibet and Ladakh to spread the teachings of the Gelug school. He picked one of them, Jangsem Sherap Zangpo, and gave him a statue of Amitayus made from bone powder and his own blood as a gift to the King of Ladakh, directed him to seek support from the King to propogate his teachings in Ladakh.

The majestic monastery complex

The king was overjoyed with the gift and immediately asked his ministers to help Zangpo set up a monastery in Ladakh. Soon, in 1433, a small monastery was set up by the name of Lhakang Serpo or Yellow Temple. The Gelugs were called Yellow Hats to denote the golden robes they adorned and one would find the colour yellow being the most prominent across the entire monastery.

One day, when Sherap Zangpo and his disciple, Palden Zangpo were performing sacred rituals near the temple, a crow swooped down and picked up the offerings and carried it away. Startled, the two men ran behind the crow to see where it was taking the offering. The crow flew over the other side of the hill. Considering it to be some form of a divine signal, the men followed the path the crow had taken and found the offerings intact, on a stone in Thicksey. Palden Zangpo decided to build a larger monastery here, considering it to be a holy sign from his master. The monastery has four main shrines - The Maitreya Buddha or Future Buddha, Tara Devi, the main prayer hall and the shrine of the Guardian Deity or Yamantaka.

Maitreya Buddha: The gigantic 40 feet Maitreya Buddha statue extends to two floors. The Thiksey Rimpoche, Kushok Nawang Chamba Stanzin was instrumental behind the creation of this beautiful Maitreya Buddha who is seen seated on a lotus. It took thirty people over three years to create this statue with clay and terracotta, decorated in gold and copper colours. The words of the Dalai Lama while consecrating on 26th July 1980, describes the experience of every visitor who stands in awe before this beautiful Maitreya Buddha.

"Even if you see this Maitreya again and again, you will never see it enough; you will always want to see more - you would never be satisfied"

Indeed, the image of the Maitreya Buddha and the surreal interiors of the shrine stay with you long after you leave the monastery.

The 40 feet Maitreya Buddha

Main Prayer Hall:

The main prayer hall has big drums, rows of low seats for monks and visitors to sit and pray, and beautiful murals on the walls. There is a central shrine of Buddha, flanked by the Boddhisatvas and has several scriptures and sacred texts wrapped in silk.

Main Prayer Hall

Buddha flanked by Boddhisatvas in the sanctum

Tara Devi Shrine:

Tara Devi, is considered to be the mother of Sakyamuni Buddha and is said to have been born from the tear of Avalokiteswara when he wept at the sufferings of human beings. She is said to manifest in 21 different forms. In another legend, Tara is truly shown as a symbol of feminism. Born as a princess by name Yashe Dawa, she made offerings to Buddha for so many eons that she reached a state of a Boddhisatva. At this stage, some monks approached her and asked her to pray that she be born a man in her next birth, in order to progress further spriritually.

At this point, Tara firmly told them that only weak-minded people would think that gender was a barrier for enlightenment and resolved to be always born as a female Boddhisatva. She said, "I have developed bodhicitta as a woman. For all my lifetimes along the path I vow to be born as a woman, and in my final lifetime when I attain Buddhahood, then, too, I will be a woman"

Tara Devi in all 21 forms

At the Tara Devi shrine, she is seen with images of all her twenty-one forms placed in a wooden cupboard. The top floor of the temple known as the Lamokhang temple, houses all the sacred sculptures to which access is permitted only to the men.

The Guardian Shrine:

This is by far the most powerful shrine in the entire monastery complex. It comprises of the Vajra Bhairava Ekavira, the Boddhisatva Manjushri appearing in a wrathful form. Manjushri is always depicted as a terrifying and intimidating form, inspiring fear in those who look at his face. Because of this, visitors are not encouraged to face the deity and his face remains covered throughout the year but for the three days during Gustor Festival during October-November. This deity is flanked by the Shaturbuja Mahakala and Yamaraj on either side.

Guardian Deity with Mahakala

The Vajra Bhariva has nine faces, thirty-four hands and sixteen legs. The main face resembles a buffalo, with a red face above, and the top face that of Manjushri. flames swirling about the horns. Three faces are stacked up on either side with three eyes, bared fangs and a wrathful expression. The hair is curled upwards, and the first pair of hands holds a knife and a skullcup with the remaining hands holding a variety of objects, including the hyde of an elephant. Each face is adorned with a skull crown, snake necklace and a garland of fifty heads. The right leg is pressing down eight creatures and the left leg is pressing down eight birds.

There is also a nunnery in the monastery for the female monks to stay. Apart from these shrines, there is a room on top that is used to teach local children who want to become monks as well as a library with a huge number of sacred texts. The roof top has a beautiful view of the Himalayas and the Indus valley and there is a lovely store and a cafe too here.

View from the rooftop

How to get here: Thiksey Monastery is 19 kms from the city of Leh. Do not forget to include it in your itinerary. The monastery involves a lot of climbing both up to the monastery as well as to each of the shrines.

Shrines of Ladakh - Part III - Diskit Monastery, Nubra Valley

2024-09-15T23:06:00.000+05:30

The beauty of Nubra Valley as seen in Diksit

In the series of posts I have been writing in Aalayam Kanden on the shrines of Ladakh, which I had an opportunity to visit with Mantra Yatra in August 2024, the third post is on the Diskit Monastery, the oldest and largest monastery in Diksit in Nubra Valley. You can access the earliest posts here: Part 1 & Part II.

Nubra, in the North eastern part of Ladakh bordering Baltistan, is among the latest districts announced by the Central Government in August 2024. Its Tibetan name is Dumra which means the valley of flowers. The inhabited areas of the Nubra Valley are cut by the Shyok and Nubra (also known as Siachen)rivers.

At the mighty Khardung La

One can reach the Nubra Valley through Khardung La Pass, the second highest motorable road in the world at an altitude of 17,982 feet. The majority of people in the Nubra valley are Buddhist. In the Western end of the Nubra Valley lies the Line of Control between India and Pakistan. Nubra is a high altitude Himalayan desert, home to the Bactrian double-humped camels, with tourist attractions being the sand dunes, the Diskit Monastery, Turtuk village in Baltistan and Thang, the last village in India next to the line of control.

Riding Bactrian Camels in Nubra Valley

Diskit is the headquarters of Nubra. The oldest and largest monastery here is the Chamba Gompa, shrine of the Maitreya Buddha. The monastery has a 108 feet Buddha facing the Shyok river, towards Pakistan. This statue of the future Buddha is said to have bee installed with three aims - Protection of Diskit, Promotion of world peace, and Prevention of future wars between India and its border nations.

The approach up to the Maitreya Buddha is surreal with numerous prayer wheels found to the right. The monastery itself is said to have been founded in the 14th century by Changzem Tserab Zangpo, a disciple of Tsong Khapa, the founder of the Gelugpa sect of Tibetan Buddhism. His huge idol is found in the Lachung temple at a slightly higher altitude that the Diksit Monastery.

A view of the Diskit Monastery Photo Courtesy: Wikipedia

The monastery has several shrines and several ancient Mongolian and Tibetan texts have been preserved here. An interesting legend with the Diksit Monastery is that of a Mongolian demon that lived where the monastery now exists. The demon was a sworn enemy of Buddhism and used to trouble the monks who came here to meditate. Even after he was annihilated nearby, and the monastery was built, his body kept appearing again and again in and around the monastery. Therefore, in order to prevent him from resurrecting again, his mortal remains were given in the custody of Goddess Kali, the annihilator of all evil. In one of the shrines, to this day, is found a huge idol of Kali, holding a shrunken head and an arm, which is said to belong to the Mongol Demon.

Boddhisatva in the main prayer hall

The main prayer hall has a huge drum and several frescos, murals and guardian deities. The highlight of the monastery however, is the majestic Maitreya Buddha, that looms large at 32 metres. The construction of the huge Maitreya Buddha (future Buddha) commenced in April 2006 and was consecrated in July 2010 by the Dalai Lama.

Maitreya Buddha, is the anticipated successor of Gautama Buddha. The word Maitreya means " Loving Kindness" and Buddhist sculptures expect this Maitreya Buddha to emerge when the existing Buddhist teachings are fading from memory. Maitreya Buddha is said to exist in Tushita Heaven, a celestial realm where Boddhisatvas await their final human incarnation before attaining Buddhahood. He is expected to be the fifth and final Buddha of this Yuga, and the central figure of Mahayana Buddhism.

The magnificent Maitreya Buddha

Maitreya Buddha is a gorgeous noble figure, decorated in rich royal robes and adorned with a crown and jewels. He is shown either sitting or standing and in many depictions, holding a Kamandalu, in a position of readiness to descend to the Earth. In Chinese culture, the Maitreya Buddha is equated with the Laughing Buddha, a genial figure with a large belly and a filled sack over his shoulder, depicting contentment, joy and prosperity.

One of the major attractions of the Diksit Monastery is the Festival of the Scapegoat, known as the Dosmoche Festival celebrated in the month of February every year. At this time, the clothes that cover the faces of the idols for the rest of the year are removed and a mask dance titled Cham Dance is performed by the monks during which images made of dough are thrown out to symbolise all evil going out and all goodness and peace prevailing.

Mask Dance during Dosmoche Festival Photo Courtesy: Ministry of Tourism

How to get here: One can reach Nubra Valley from Leh by road through Khardung La and the Shyok river. The best times of the year to visit is between July to September.

Timings of the Diksit Monastery: The Maitreya Buddha is massive and can be viewed from far. The monastery and its shrines are open between 7 am and 1 pm and then again from 2 pm to 7 pm.

Shrines of Ladakh - Part II - Shanti Stupa, Leh

2024-08-31T23:40:00.003+05:30

Entrance of the Shanti Stupa, Leh

In the series I am writing on the Shrines of Ladakh, which I visited with Mantra Yatra, this post features Shanti Stupa, the World's highest monument of peace. The earlier post on the Gurudwara Pathar Sahib can be accessed here.

The beautiful circular platform surrounding the Shanti Stupa

Shanti Stupa, a beautiful white dome of peace is found atop a hill in Chanspa, about five kilometres from the city of Leh. It was built by the Nipponzan Myohoji Buddhist Order of Japan, founded by Nichidatsu Fujii, popularly known as Fujii Guruji, a close associate of Mahatma Gandhi. Fujii Guruji is best known for establishing Peace Pagodas across the world. He arrived in Calcutta in 1931 and spent the next two years, walking across the city, chanting the daimoku while beating a drum. He met Mahatma Gandhi in 1933 in Wardha when he gifted him a statue of the three monkeys, representing see no evil, hear no evil and speak no evil, which have since been associated with Mahatma Gandhi and his doctrine of peace and tolerance. He built the first peace pagoda in Hiroshima and Nagasaki and since then 80 such pagodas have been built through the Nipponzan Myohoji Buddhist Order.

Steps leading up to the main shrine

Considering the sensitivity of Ladakh region spread across the China, Pakistan and Tibet borders and the need for peace, the 19th Kushok Bakula Rimpoche, the Head Lama, who served as the Ambassador to Mongolia, after whom the Leh Airport is named, approached Fujii Guruji, requesting him to build a Pagoda of Peace in Leh.

The Foundation of the Shanti Stupa was laid on 25th August 1985. While bulk of the construction cost was supported by the Nipponzan Myohoji Buddhist Order, several Ladakhis, including school children came forward to contribute in cash, kind and labour towards its construction. A vehicular road upto the Stupa was sanctioned by the then Prime Minister, Mrs Indira Gandhi, to enable visitors to reach the Stupa comfortably. The Indian Army and the Government of Jammu and Kashmir supported throughout the construction and the Stupa was formally inaugurated in 1991 by the 14th Dalai Lama Tenzin Gyatso to symbolise 2500 years of Buddhism. The majestic Stupa houses Buddhist relics enshrined by him.

Buddha reliefs around the Stupa

The Stupa, at 11,841 feet above mean sea level, stands as the highest Peace Pagoda in the world. It is built as a two-storied structure, with the first level having a central golden image of Buddha with the Dharma Chakra and deer on either side.

The main image of Buddha with the Dharma Chakra and Deer

The second level has reliefs depicting the birth, and enlightenment of Buddha. The view from the Shanti Stupa is really breathtaking. The stupa is surrounded by a circular platform with lotus symbols and prayer wheels on which is inscribed "Om Ma Ni Pad Me Hum"

Birth of Buddha depicted at the second level

Getting here: Shanti Stupa is about 5 kms from Leh city. There is a road that goes right up to the Stupa after which one has to climb a few steps to reach the shrine. Alternatively one can choose to climb up 555 steps all the way to reach here.

Fighting the demons to salvation

It is believed that the best time to view the Shanti Stupa is early in the morning around sunrise, when the white dome glistens in the early morning sun, creates a serene and ethereal experience.

Timings: 5 am to 9 pm

The amazing view of he Himalayas from Shanti Stupa

Shrines of Ladakh - Part 1 - Gurudwara Pathar Sahib

2024-08-18T22:08:00.000+05:30

Recently I had an opportunity to visit Ladakh along with the lovely group of travellers brought together by Balaji Davey of Mantra Yatra. The trip ranged between 12000 and 18000 feet, across peaks and valleys, rivers and palaces, monasteries and tents, providing the group with a kaleidoscope of visuals. Ladakh is definitely a must-visit for all Indians. The sombre Himalayan desert, the difficult terrain and altitudes and the trying conditions of the Siachen Glacier in which our brave soldiers guard our borders is a live lesson in patriotism and our respect for their sacrifice and selflessness is bought to go up many notches after a visit here.

The week had its highs and lows, sometimes testing our physical endurance and patience, while exhilarating us with never-before experiences. The shrines that we visited and their spiritual vibrations particularly played a calming effect in an otherwise tough geography.

As usual, I am attempting to document some of the shrines we visited during our trip. I do hope I am able to complete this series on time.

1. Gurudwara Pathar Sahib:

Extenal view of the Gurudwara Pathar Sahib

Gurudwara Pathar Sahib, that stands testimony to a miracle performed by Guru Nanak Dev, the founder and the first Guru of the Sikhs, is found about 25 kms away from Leh on the Leh - Srinagar Highway (NH1).

Legend:

It is believed the Guru Nanak arrived in Leh in 1517 after touring Tibet, Nepal and Sikkim. He stayed where the Gurudwara now stands, close to the river bank where people would gather for his sermons. The Tibetans called him Gompka Maharaj and in Sikkim he was referred to as Rimpoche Nanak Guru.

When the people gathered to hear Guru Nanak ji speak, they complained to him about the troubles they were facing with a demon. They prayed to their Nanak Lama to prevent the demon from terrorizing them so that they can resume their regular work without fear. Guru Nanak ji consoled the local people and said that he would pray so that their troubles with the demon would be solved permanently.

On hearing this, the demon decided to kill Guru Nanak ji. So that evening when we sat in meditation, the demon rolled a huge boulder down the hill towards Guru Nanak ji. The Guru sat in meditation, oblivious to the danger approaching. When the boulder touched the body of Guru Nanak ji, it turned pliable like wax, taking in the impression of his head, shoulders and back. Wanting to know what had happened to the Guru, the demon came downhill, hoping to find him trapped underneath the boulder.

Boulder bearing impression of Guru Nanak ji's body
Photo: Sikhiwiki.org

However, when he found that nothing had happened to the Guru and that he was meditating peacefully, he kicked the boulder with his right foot, and found that his foot impression was also registered on the boulder as if it had been made of wax. Hearing the thud, Guru Nanak ji opened his eyes. He found the demon before him. When the demon was engulfed in the compassionate glance of the Guru, he realised his powerlessness before the spiritual powers of the Guru, and regretted having atempted to kill him. He fell at the Guru's feet, seeking forgiveness. Guru Nanak ji asked him to stop harassing the local people and urged him to spend his time in serving others.

Impression of the Demon's foot on the boulder at Gurudwara Pathar Sahib
Photo: Sikhiwiki.org

Construction of Gurudwara in the late 1970s:

A couple of centuries later, in the late 1970s the Leh - Nimmu Road was being laid. While the work was being carried out, they found a huge boulder in the course of the road to be laid, covered with Buddhist prayer flags. The bulldozer driver tried his might to remove the boulder from the course of the road, but it would not budge. When he put the entire might of the machine into the effort, the blade broke and the work had to be stopped. Not understanding why the boulder was unyielding, the driver went home. That night, he had a dream where he heard a voice telling him not to move the stone.

In the morning, he narrated his dream to the army officer who was supervising the road laying work. The officer, thought the driver was overreacting and asked him to move the boulder without worrying too much. But as the day before, the boulder refused to budge. At the end of day, the army officer told the weary team, that they would blow up the boulder with dynamite the next day. That night, he too had the same dream as the driver, with a voice telling him not to move the boulder.

Puzzled, he got up the next day and went to the site, where a group of Lamas were waiting for him. They had been tasked with narrating to the army officer and his team, the story of Guru Nanak Dev and the boulder that had been rolled down by the demon. On hearing the tale, the team decided to leave the boulder where it was, and build the road around it. A Gurudwara was built instead and till date, the Indian Army is maintaining it.

The Gurudwara:

At the entrance of the Gurudwara

The Gurudwara has a spacious parking facility and has a waiting hall with a seperate enclosure for storing footwear. Cloth to cover one's head is also available in a box outside. The complex comprises of a long pathway and meditation hall at the ground level and a meditation hall uphill.

The main shrine comprises of the boulder which still bears the impression of the body of Guru Nanak Dev. The vibration within the meditation hall is really strong and several military men and civilians can be seen meditating here. The place is truly divine, bearing testimony to the divine presence of Guru Nanak ji.

The Gurudwara also has a Langar where Prasad is available - amazing rotis, langar dal and subji is served by military men who volunteer their services here. The path leading from the langar dining hall to the entrance is lined with inscription stones that speak about various offerings made to the Gurudwara by the different battalions to celebrate their military successes.

Inscription stones mentioning the offerings made by different battalions

Just like any other Gurudwara, no one returns hungry from here. Tea, and Boondi Laddus are available close to the entrance for anyone passing by to partake. All vehicles passing by the Gurudwara stop for a few seconds here as a token of respect to Guru Nanak Dev ji. The Pathar Sahib Gurudwara is close to the Magnetic Hill, Sangam, the confluence of Indus and Zanskar Rivers and the Hall of Fame in Leh and hence well within the tourist circuit. So if you are in Leh, do not miss visiting here!

Opening Hours: 4.15 am to 8.30 pm

Langar timings: 8 am, 12 pm

Nepal Yathra - Part III - Temples of Pokhara

2023-07-23T18:40:00.002+05:30

Our next stop was Pokhara . It was our base station before we set out to Jomsom and from there to Muktinath. Pokhara is the capital of the Gandaki Province and the second busiest city after Kathmandu. It is also known as the Trekker's Paradise as it serves as the base and recharge unit for all those who visit Nepal for mountain tourism and trekking. The word Pokhara comes from the Nepali word Pokhari which means lake and true to its name, the city is located next to the Phewa Lake. Pokhara has a rich history and heritage and has featured as an important part of the Indo - China and subsequently Indo - Tibet trade routes.

Close up of the fish tail (Pic: Google)

Machchapuchre:

Pokhara has several temples and we had an opportunity to visit a few of them, but before speaking about them, one has to mention Machchapuchre, part of the Annapurna range of mountains whose highest peak has never been climbed by mountaineers. Although much lower in height when compared to Mt. Everest, the Nepal Government has not given approval to anyone to set foot on the Machchapuchre (literally meaning Fish Tail, the name coming from the triangular shaped mountain with a twisted twin summit which gives the impression of a fish's tail)as it is considered holy by the Gurungs of Nepal.

A view of Machchapuchre from the rooftop of our hotel
PC: Balaji Davey

Jimmy Roberts, considered as the Father of Mountain Tourism in Nepal, seems to have come very close to have summitting it in 1957, but when weather and situations forced his group to return without reaching the summit, he understood and respected the wish of the Gurungs and requested the Nepal Government to keep it off-limits for the trekkers. Till date, Machchapuchre is considered among the holy peaks prohibited for those attempting to summit it, like Mt. Kailash.

Phewa Lake and the Tal Barahi Temple:

Phewa Lake is a freshwater lake on the shores of which stands Pokhara city and it is the second largest lake in Nepal. Since the lake is only 28 kilometres from the Annapurna range, it is common to see the reflection of Machchapuchre and the other peaks of the Annapurna range in the waters of Phewa. Therefore, thousands throng the lake set in pristine surroundings.

Phewa Lake in Pokhara, Nepal

The Phewa Lake not just serves as a tourist spot, and a popular shopping area (the lakeside is surrounded by shops that sell various items required by trekkers for the climb. It also sells clothing and other items for tourists, but the prices are steeper when compared to other areas) but also as a popular pilgrim location. At the centre of the lake, in an island is the Tal Barahi Temple, which is the most important temple in Pokhara. This temple can only be visited by boat, and there are several boats that ply through the day to the temple.

Boats getting ready to ply to the Tal Barahi Temple (Pic: Suresh Joshi)

Tal Barahi is considered to be a manifestation of Ajima, the Female Goddess of Protection in the form of a boar. Ajimas are worshipped by the Newars, both Hindu and Buddhist as a representation of their matriachal ancestors (Aji refers to grandmother and Ma to mother). They are said to protect the people, particularly the children from ill-health, disease and death. Cities had eight Ajima temples protecting all directions, known as the Ashtamatrikas.

A view of the Annapurna range mid-way to the Tal Barahi Temple

The Legend of Tal Barahi

According to an inscription in the temple that describes the legend of Tal Barahi, a Jogi (ascetic) came to Phewa City (which existed where the lake now stands) and asked for food and shelter for the night. No one bothered but for an old lady who gave him rice and vegetables. The next morning as the Jogi left the house and moved towards the mountains, water came in to cover the entire area and everything and everyone drowned except for the old lady. Grateful that Goddess Bhagavati had saved her, the old lady started worshipping her in her house now surrounded by water as Goddess with a boar face - Barahi. After her death in 1467, the deity continued to be worshipped until King Kulamandan Shah, the first Shah ruler of Kaski built a two storeyed temple in Pagoda style in 1868. He initially installed the Goddess as a reed bush from the mountains.

The original Structure of the Tal Barahi Temple Source: Google

The temple was damaged badly in the 2015 earthquake, after which King Mahendra renovated the temple in 2017. The original deity has been replaced and there is a small single storey construction with a silver deity and a few other idols near it.

The current Tal Barahi Temple

Every evening, on the banks of the Phewa lake, the Tal Barahi Aarti is performed between 6 and 6.30 pm depending on the weather. Although it lacks the grandeur of the Ganga Aarti, it was heartening to see large crowds of pilgrims join to sing and dance as the aarti was being performed.

Bindhyabasini Temple

The Bindhyabasini temple is the oldest temple in Pokhara. Goddess Bindhyabasini is said to be the replacement for Lord Krishna, when he was born as the eighth child of Vasudeva and Devaki. The child disappeared in the air when King Kamsa tried to kill it and said to have reappeared in the Bindhyachal Mountain.

King Siddhi Narayan Shah had a dream of installing a temple for Durga for the unification of Nepal. So he ordered his men to bring a deity from Bindhyachal mountains. When his troop of men returned with the deity, they placed it in the current location at night to rest and in the morning the idol could not be moved. So the king agreed to build a temple where the Goddess had decided to stay.

The Bindhyabasini temple is very picturesque and is located atop a hill approximately 3000 feet above sea level. There are steps to climb up to the temple (a lift of recent origin is also available) from the old bazaar side.

Devotees queuing up to worship Goddess Bindhyabasini

Goddess Bindhyabasini (seen as a form of Durga ) is seen in a seperate sanctum as a Shalagrama idol. The entrance to the shrine is covered with gold plating and guarded by two lions on either side. The shrine is built in Shikara style which is said to be older than the Pagoda style in which most of the temples in Nepal can be found. There are multiple shrines at the temple for Shiva, Ganesha, Saraswathi, Hanuman, Lakshmi Narayana, Radha Krishna and Sita Rama which are of a much later origin.

Lord Shiva shrine at the Bindhyabasini Temple

The view from the Bindhyabasini temple of the Annapurna and Dhaulagiri ranges of the Himalayas as well as the Pokhara city is breathtaking.

Gupteswar Mahadev Cave Temple

The elaborate entrance that has been constructed to the Gupteswar Mahadev Cave

The Gupteswar Mahadev Cave is the longest cave in the Himalayas that was discovered in the year 1950. The entrance to this cave with an elaborate staircase, water fountain and other pilgrim requirements has however been built in the early 1990s. Known locally as Patalae Chhango or the Harpan River Cave, the cave extends to about 2950 feet. According to Herbert Daniel Gebauer, who has documented the results of the first German speleological expedition to this cave, it is located in the terrace sediments between the Central Himalayas and the Mahabharat Lekh, popularly known as the Lesser Himalayas. The terrace is made up of two different sediments of calcite deposits of Pleistocene age, commonly referred to as the Ice Age.

Calcite Deposits as seen inside the cave

The cave itself is in two levels, the first level branches again into two - an "ancient Goshala" as claimed by those supervising it, and another narrow path which leads to a massive stone "Shiva Lingam". Photography is strictly prohibited around this area.

Going down to the first level of the cave .

Base of level one - can see the Shiva Shrine

When the pilgrims further go down to a lower level through an iron ladder, it leads to an opening through which the Davis Falls nearby is visible.

Base of the second level from where Davis Falls is visible

The breathtaking beauty of the waterfall and the sunlight penetrating through the opening make it worthwhile to take the effort of climbing down. There is adequate lighting within the cave but as an extra step of caution, it is requested that people carry their own torchlights in case there is a sudden power failure.

Yet another worthwhile visit in Pokhara was to the International Mountain Museum about which I will write in my other blog - Thresholds of History From Pokhara our journey moved up the mountains. The mountain airline network is very comprehensive in Nepal. However, weather controls everthing. So all travel companies make backup arrangements to ferry their passengers by road if the flights are cancelled due to inclement weather. This would mean driving along the Gandaki river for over eight hours or more to reach Jomsom. Gone are the days when people would get down into the river to pick up Shalagramas. Today, most of the Shalagramas have been harvested by vendors, who sell them (or their closely made replicas) at a whole range of prices, starting from 200 Nepali rupees to about 20000 Nepali depending on their size.

Boarding our flight to Jomsom

Shalagrama cannot be carried on hand baggage in the mountain aircrafts so if you happen to be around here, and have shopped for Shalagramas make sure that you check in your luggage! Luckily for us, the flights were plying, so we got to the Pokhara airport, and took the 14 seater Summit Air flight to Jomsom. It was a goosebumps moment to see the Himalayas from the aircraft for the first time.

First view of the snow clad Himalayas

The outside temperate when we got down at Jomsom was 11 degrees forcing us to pull out our warm clothing. Little did I realize that was nothing when compared to what awaited us in Muktinath. About Muktinath Yatra, await Part IV! The first two parts of the series can be found here - Part 1 - Pashupathinath Temple, Kathmandu & Part 2 - Manakamana Devi Temple

Note: This is a series of articles on the temples of Nepal which I had the opportunity to visit with Balaji Davey and Mantra Yatra. This is not a paid partnership.

Nepal Yathra Part 2 - Manakamana Devi

2023-06-29T23:45:00.001+05:30

In the first part of the Nepal Yathra series, we had covered the visit to Pashupatinath Temple in Kathmandu. On Day 2, we started to Pokhara from Kathmandu. Although there are flights available from Kathmandu and Pokhara, we took the road with a view to visit Manakamana Devi temple on the way.

The bumpy ride from Kathmandu to Manakamana Devi Temple

The distance between Kathmandu and Pokhara is less than a hundred kilometres, it takes over five hours by road as there are road improvement works currently going on. However, our driver Manish steered the vehicle as smoothly as he could over the bumpy terrain, and our fellow travellers kept us in splits through their creative icebreaker session that we hardly noticed the longer than usual time it took us to reach the Manakamana Devi temple.

The temple is located at an altitude of 4300 ft (1300 metres) above sea level atop the Kafakdada hill in the Gorkha district of Nepal and can be reached via cable car from the Kurintar base station. The cable cars cross three hills to reach Kafakdada. Each cable car can house a maximum of 6 adults comfortably. Offering of animals is very common in Manakamana and therefore, there are open cages too that intersperse passenger cars, where these animals can be tied to and then received once the passengers reach the hill. Two rivers, Trishuli and Marsyangdi flow on either side of the Kafakdada Hill, and it is a pleasant sight to watch river Trishuli in flow as one goes up the cable car. None of the rivers in Nepal are clean and crystal clear. They are all muddy and murky, evidence to the massive construction work as well going on around and the dumping of different kinds of waste in the Himalayas by the trekkers about which we will see in a later article in this series.

Going downhill in the cable car over the Trishuli river

The name Manakamana is self-explanatory. Mana refers to the heart and Kamana to desire. The Goddess is believed to fulfill genuine desires of her devotees, and hence they throng her temple in large numbers - particularly, newly wed couples and those seeking the boon of child birth, apart from tourists. There are several interesting studies that connect Nepal with Kerala. These studies speak about the Newaris of the Nepal becoming the Nairs of Kerala. Interestingly, the Goddess Parvati's incarnations are referred to in Nepal as Bhagawati, similar to the same name in Kerala. How Manakamana Bhagawati took her abode atop the Kafakdada hill is an interesting legend.

According to The History of Ancient and Medieval Nepal by D.B. Shreshtha & C.B. Singh, Purnendra Shah was the second Gorkha King who ruled for over 35 years. After his demise, his elder son Chatrapati Shah succeeded him. But not for long. Chatrapati Shah passed away without a heir within seven months of becoming the monarch and hence his younger brother Ram Shah became the ruler in 1606 CE. Ram Shah was a fair and conscientious monarch, who brought about many reforms in his State, such as uniform weights and measures, penal code, grazing lands in each village for cows, and standard rates of interest for borrowing. The Gorkha Palace was constructed by him in 1610 CE where his statue has been installed at the Chautari in the Gorkha Darbar where he would provide justice.

Statue of King Ram Shah at the Gorkha Durbar (Photo: Google)

According to an article by Dr Shapalya Amatya in the Ancient Nepal Journal, King Ram Shah's wife Champawati, possessed divine powers. These were recognised by a saint Siddha Lakhan Thapa (not to be confused with the first Martyr of Nepal of the same name, who is a descendant of the original Lakhan Thapa). One day, King Ram Shah had a vision of his wife as a Goddess and Siddha Lakhan Thapa as a lion, her vahana. When he spoke about this to Queen Champawati the next day, he was immediately overcome with a mysterious ailment to which he succumbed shortly.

Shops selling Pooja Articles on the way to Manakamana Devi temple

The queen, as per the custom those days, got ready to perform Sati along with her husband. Unable to bear this, Lakhan Thapa was struck with grief and lamented loudly. The queen promised to him that she would return soon. During the reign of King Prithvipati Shah, a farmer named Dhan Deo Gurung was ploughing his field, when he hit upon a stone. When he unearthed it, he saw blood and milk flowing from it. The news reached Lakhan Thapa. When he arrived at the spot, the flowing of blood and milk stopped and he started worshipping the goddess at the spot where she had reappeared. Even today, it is the descendants of Lakhan Thapa who perform tantric worship to Goddess Manakamana Devi.

Closer look of the structure of Manakamana Devi Temple

The sanctum sanctorum contains five non-iconic rocks that symbolise Manakamana Devi, Bhairava, Ganesha, Kumari and Chamunda. The deities are placed under a triangular pediment supported by silver covered pillars. The priest performs worship under closed doors with offerings of eggs, oranges, rice, Kumkum and strips of cloth. Animal sacrifices happen every day except for Ekadashi and Amavasya.

Outside the Manakamana Devi Temple

The building has a two tiered roof with golden mirrors and a central pinnacle with the sanctum facing the South. There are huge crowds that throng the temple each day, particularly after the cable car was introduced. A large courtyard is seen outside the temple, where hundreds of pigeons are seen. When we visited Manakamana Devi temple, the serpentine queue was very long and it was impossible for us to have waited in it to worship the Devi, given that we had to get to Pokhara before it became dark. So after reluctantly attempting to get a glimpse of the deity, which we could, we satisfied ourselves with worshipping the Bali Peeta outside and obtained Kumkum from those coming out of the temple. '

The picturesque cable car ride over the Trishuli river and the beautiful and divine ambience of the temple are indeed visit worthy. An official photographer is around to click pictures as people board the cable cars which do not actually stop! One has to get in and alight while the cars are in motion. After coming back to the base station, the prints are available for sale.

Cable car memories

Nepal Yathra - Part 1 - Pashupatinath Temple, Kathmandu

2023-06-11T22:34:00.001+05:30

Visiting Nepal temples had been on the cards for me for a long time now, even before the massive earthquake of 2015 that damaged many temples across the Kathmandu valley. Similarly, I have known Balaji Davey of Mantra Yatra, ever since he was recommended by a mutual friend for a proposed Bhutan trip, but I never got around to actually going on a trip with them.

So when I saw an announcement for Nepal Muktinath Yatra from Mantra, I had to get on it. It was my first ever time on a group tour and we were very happy with the manner and pace in which the entire trip was rolled out. I look forward to sharing the details of the temples visited through this series, which is not a paid promotion, but genuine feedback after a happy tour.

Kathmandu:

Our first stop was in the capital city of Kathmandu, that roughly translates to wooden house. True to its name, the ancient temples of the Kathmandu Valley are mostly made up of wood. The city serves as the gateway to the Himalayas and the first point of entry for ambitious trekkers with dreams of conquering the Everest. The city of Kathmandu is home to several UNESCO World Heritage sites, such as the Pashupatinath Temple Complex, Boudhnath stupa and the Durbar Square.

1. Pashupatinath Temple

Pashupatinath Temple Complex

Our first stop for the trip was an the Pashupatinath Temple. With one main pagoda and over 518 shrines, this is one of the largest temple complexes in the world, spread out over 246 hectares. The main shrine, built in the typical pagoda style is for Lord Pashupatinath. It has a two storied roof that is covered with copper and plated with gold. It has four entrances with silver-covered doors. The roof has a golden spire that extends from the top.

Golden Spire on top of the Pashupatinath Temple

The legend of Pashupatinath finds several versions, the most common being Lord Shiva and Parvati coming down to earth in the form of deer and grazing on the banks of the Bagmati river. Enchanted by the serene beauty around them, they lost sight of time and lingered there. The Gods, worried by the Lord's absence, came down to Earth and went looking for them. When they eventually found them and requested them to return to Mt Kailash, Lord Shiva was reluctant. Not knowing what to do, a Gana caught him by his antler, in a attempt to take him back forcibly. The antler broke in the tussle and came to be worshipped as the first ever version of Pashupatinath. The antler stayed in the forest for centuries, until the divine cow Kamadhenu found it and started showering its milk upon it. The locals then discovered the divine site and the first temple structure came up in the 5th century CE. Since the word Pashu also refers to animals, the Lord came to be known as Pashupatinath.

While this is the most widely believed version, my thoughts when I visited the temple were that it could possibly also refer to Shiva worshipped as Pashupati by the Pashupatha cult of Shaivism. Here, Pasu refers to the world and Pathi, the creator. Nath refers to the Lord and also a mediaval form of shaivism in India and Nepal which combines Buddhism, Shaivism and Yogic culture of which Lord Shiva is considered as the principal guru. In Pasupatha shaivam, Lord Shiva is worshipped as the destroyer of birth, and the devotees smear ash from cremated bodies on themselves to denote this. Even today, the Bagmati river is the biggest site for cremations in Kathmandu. It is believed that people who are cremated here are not born again in any form other than human, and when bodies burn, there is no malodor but one can only sense the aroma of spices. Locals even say that people come here in the last days of their lives with the expectation of being in the presence of the Lord and being cremated here. They stay at the Panch Deval complex for old people by the river, waiting for their time to come.

Aerial view of the temple complex (Photo Courtesy: Balaji Davey)

The main deity Lord Pashupatinath is a four-faced Mukhalingam installed in 1360 CE. Gopalraj Vamshavali mentions that the first form of the temple was built by King Supushpadeva of the Lichchavi dynasty. Kings Manadeva and Amshuvarma (605-621) are mentioned in numerous inscriptions of the temple that show the significant contributions made by them to the temple. King Amshuvarma even took the title "blessed by the feet of Lord Pashupatinath" before his name which shows that by the 7th century, Lord Pashupatinath had come to be worshipped as the Lord of the nation. In 1349 CE, during the invasion of the Kathmandu valley by Shamshudin Iliyas Shah, the founder of the Sultanate of Bengal, the temple was heavily damaged and the main Shivalingam was mutilated. Gold and silver that belonged to the temple were plundered. A few years after this attack, the temple was reconstructed by Jaisingh Ramvardhan, the Mahamatya of the then King Arjun Malla. Subsequently, the version of the temple that exists now was developed in the year 1754 by King Bhupalendra Malla.

Front View of the temple complex (Photo Courtesy: Balaji Davey)

The priests in this temple are from South India. While it is commonly believed that Adi Shankaracharya had contributed to converting this temple from Vamacharya worship to Sathvik worship and because of this the priests continue to be from South India, there seems to be no conclusive evidence to this claim, although it is believed he visited the temple in the 9th century and there is still a shrine in the temple for him and his followers. According to Historian M. Chidanandamurthy, who has done extensive research of the linkages between Karnataka and the Pashupatinath temple, it was King Yaksha Malla, who decided to invite Bhatta Brahmanas of the Sringeri Mutt to the temple in the 15th century. There are four priests from Sringeri Mutt who perform the daily rituals at the main shrine, with a Chief priest who oversees their work.

Entrance to the temple (Photo Courtesy: Balaji Davey)

Photography is strictly prohibited within the temple. One can witness policemen in blue uniform swoop down upon anyone who attempts to take a picture of the shrine or its deities and confiscate the phone. There is a huge gold-plated Nandi on a pedastal in front of the main sanctum. He is flanked by images of erstwhile kings of Nepal, seated on high platforms, so that they are able to view the main deity at all times.

A glimpse of the sanctum and the huge Nandi from outside.
Watch out for Balaji with the Mantra Orange cap leading the way

The temple is open from 4 am to 9 pm, with a couple of hours break in the afternoon. Mondays and Saturdays are extremely crowded and the wait time to have a glimpse of the Lord can be long and winding. There are special darshan tickets too which cost approximately Rs.2000 for four people. This allows a shorter queue and some more time in front of the deity. Along with sandal prasad, rudraksha malas are also given to those entering through the special queue. In other shrines giving 100 Indian rupees would entitle one to receive a Rudraksha mala as prasad. The temple also has a huge corridor with hundreds of Shiva lingams of various sizes that the devotees can visit.

The most important festival at the temple is Shivaratri, where thousands of devotees from across the world gather here, considering in the Skanda Purana, the Lord himself mentions this temple among the 64 Mahakshetras to be worshipped at least once in a lifetime. Every evening, the Pashupatinath Aarti happens at 6 pm on the banks of the Bagmati river.

While in the temple, beware of monkeys that jump all around you, trying to grab eatables or dangling bags. Also if you are visiting on a Monday or Saturday, do take care of your precious belongings or better still avoid carrying them with you. Jai Pashupatinath!

Murugeeswarar Temple, Thaiyur

2022-04-23T23:49:00.019+05:30

The entrance to the Murugeeswarar Temple, Thaiyur

I had been invited to visit the Murugeeswarar temple at Thaiyur by Kaushik, a long-time volunteer of the Aalayam Kanden Trust, about three years ago. However, due to personal and COVID-19 situations, the visit did not happen. During this time, some of my blogger colleagues had the opportunity to visit and write about this temple.

Generally, Aalayam Kanden focuses on temples that are not popularly featured. So when Mr Uma Magesh, who takes excellent care of the temple, invited me again last week, I decided to visit, and make it a part of the monthly Aalayam Kanden Trust activity of distributing oil, ghee and vastrams at ancient and lesser known temples.While there, several things struck me about the temple, that I wanted to share my thoughts through this blog post.

Legend:

Lord Muruga mounted on a peacock with bow and arrow in hand

The sthalapuranam states that Lord Muruga had worshipped Lord Shiva here before proceeding to Thiruporur to fight Tharakasura. There is an old idol of Muruga placed in the Mahamandapa of the temple, believed to be made of sandstone. The legend says sandstone in Tamil was referred to as Thaijagam which gave the village its name. A pillar at the entrance of the temple has the icon of Lord Muruga on a peacock, bow in hand, setting out to fight.

Literary and inscriptional references:

The 15th century literary work "Uththandan Kovai" gives a great deal of background about Thaiyur. This work comprising of around 450 songs on Uthandan, a local chieftain, belonging to the Kalappalan clan (Mudaliars from Aamur Kottam to which Thaiyur belonged) describes the village as it existed then. This work whose author is yet to be confirmed, has been collected in portions, in manuscript form, by various sources such as the Oriental Manuscript library, the U.V. Swaminatha Iyer library, the Institute of Asian Studies and the descendants of Uththandan. These have been compiled to the extent possible by the Institute of Asian Studies and a bilingual publication titled "Poetic Verses in the Interior Landscape" has been brought out . The book brings forth various facets of Thaiyur which are worth mentioning, before we look in detail at the Murugeeswarar temple.

The word Thai (தை ) could be used to denote beautiful, joining or full of saplings. The Jatavarman Sundarapandiyan inscription at the Maragathavalli Ambal Shrine of the Murugeeswarar temple, describes the deity as Azhagiya Chokkanaar which probably indicates that Thaiyur meant beautiful village. Prior to the period of Rajaraja I, Thaiyur had been called "Thalasayanapuramaana Thaiyur". Thalasayana refers to the reclining Vishnu of Senganmal. Senganmal was a part of Thaiyur until the 15th century before it was seperated out as Irandaayiramvelipatru, and Thaiyur was labelled Ayiramvelipatru. We come to know this from the Senganmal temple mandapa inscriptions.

Inscriptions at the base of the Murugeeswarar temple Thaiyur

Six inscriptions found in the Nithyakalyana Perumal temple of Thiruvidanthai mention grants given by people of Thaiyur. While three of them that belong to a period prior to Rajaraja I, refer to the word Thalasayanapuram, from the time of Rajaraja I it came to be called Jayamkonda Chola Mandalathu Aamoor Kottathu Aamoor Nattu Rajakesarinallur. During the Vijayanagara Period, Aamoor Nadu came to be referred as Kumuzhi Nadu. Kumuzhi referring to a place surrounded by water bodies extending from ponds and lakes to the ocean. It is during the time of Veerapratapa Achutharaya (1536 CE) do we find the mention of the word Thirumurugeeswara Nayanar which is the current name that the deity is referred to. This inscription spreaks about grants given by a person from Thiruvidanthai to the temple to repair it and carry out worship.

Period of the temple:

The Chandikeswara at the Murugeeswarar temple, Thaiyur

From some of the deities such as Ganesha and Chandikeswara present in the temple, we can derive the original period to be between the 9th and the 10th century CE. Majority of the current construction dates between 13th and 15th Century CE with the external superstructure a classic representation of the Nayaka period.

Antiquity:

Ganesha with the inscription "Sri Urumetru" at the Murugeeswara Temple, Thaiyur

The oldest deities at the temple are the Ganesha found in the Mukha Mandapa and the Chandikeswara in his destined position. The Ganesha is found without the usual pot belly with a single line inscription at the base which reads "Sri Urumetru". Dr Ramachandran, Senior Epigraphist, has interpreted this word as denoting heavy thunder. He states that this could probably refer to the Pallava title "Pagapidugu" and might belong to the later Pallava (Aparajitha or Kampavarma) period. However, he urges further research into this.

Lord Muruga believed to have been made of sandstone

There is no mention about the Muruga found in the Mukha Mandapa in any inscription so far read. His consorts are of a later period, and there are other deities like Chandikeswara, Mahavishnu, Kasi Viswanatha and a goddess, probably moved here from another temple, that was lost to time, placed in a tableau around him. Research says that there was a Vishnu temple in the village that had become dilapidated, and fearing invaders, the deities had been buried. Chances are that some of them were subsequently excavated and placed here. It also explains why there are three Murugas around the same place.

The pavilion around Lord Muruga at the Murugeeswarar temple, Thaiyur

Deities:

Lord Shiva is found in a beautiful sanctum with typical Nayaka period miniatures on either side of the door jamb, including a donor (mentioned in the inscription) who is lighting a Nanda Vilakku. The Artha Mandapa has the Ganga and Yamuna depiction, which would usually be found while entering the temple. The bronze Bhoga Shakthi of this temple has been moved out for safe keeping, and a stone replica has been placed at a later date within the sanctum. Apart from the two inscriptions already mentioned, a stand-alone stone inscription from 1565 CE of Thirumalai Deva Maharaya period refers to the deity as Thirumurugeeswaramudaiya Thambiraanaar. So it is evident that from the Vijayanagara period, the current name has been in vogue.

Lord Murugeeswarar of Thaiyur

Goddess Maragathavalli Ambal is found in a seperate shrine, holding Pasa and Ankusha. The shrine seems to have been constructed/renovated during the Pandya period.

Maragathavalli Ambal of Thaiyur

The Koshta deities are all beautiful and the depiction of various mythological stories, such as Kirata-Arjuna, Kannappa Nayanar and Vyagrapatha and Bheema have been shown in the exterior walls in sequences.

Vyagrapadha and Bheema episode at the Murugeeswara temple Thaiyur

Whatever is shown on the walls in the Southern side, goes up into the Naasikoodu (Alcoves) in the Northern side, showing that by worshipping God, a devotee can get spiritual elevation. The vimana of the temple is a three tiered structure, more like a Gopura.

The vimana with the beautiful Naasi Koodus

The Kumbapancharas have playful monkeys jostling about with each other. There is another Ganesha shrine and a Subramania shrine in the circumambulatory path.

Kumbapancharas showing playful monkeys at the Murugeeswara Temple Thaiyur

Social initiatives:

The temple has a beautiful Nandavanam and Mr Uma Magesh has been taking special efforts to grow several herbal plants and trees within its campus. Mango tree is the sthalavriksham of the temple. He is nobly supported by a good team of volunteers from the nearby apartments who come every week, to clean the temple, clear the nandavanam and water the plants, wash vessels and clothes. The temple even has a washing machine for this purpose. It was a pleasant sight to see these highly placed men and women contribute their weekend towards the upkeep of their neighbourhood temple. If only many more people come forward to spend a couple of hours at the temples in their neighbourhood, every temple would look as clean and green as this one.

The Nandavanam at the Murugeeswara Temple Thaiyur

While all this is appreciable, the whitewashing of the exterior walls is an eyesore. The nuances of the sculptures as well as the inscriptions are hidden within. If the temple gets help from volunteers to clear this without damage, it would restore the original look and identity.

Other temples in the vicinity:

Two other Shiva temples - the Mareeswarar temple and the Jalagandeeswar temple are found close to the Murugeeswarar temple. Two Ganesha temples, one built by Uthandan, next to where his palace was, and another of a later period are also found.

How to reach here:

Thaiyur is situated about 12 kilometres from Mamallapuram and 3 kilometres from Kelambakkam on the Old Mahabalipuram Road in Chennai. Once a very fertile agricultural village, surrounded by Thaigai hill (today's Pudhupakkam), tanks, ponds, lake and the sea, today is part of the IT corridor. The GPS coordinates of the temple are: 12.7780677,80.1913894

Temple Timings:

The temple is open between 7.30 am and 9.30 am in the morning and 6 pm to 8 pm in the evening

Contact details:

Mr Uma Magesh - 9940126814

Aavarani Pudhuchery Nateswarar

2021-12-16T21:36:00.000+05:30

Shri Nateswara Swamy Temple, Aavarani Pudhuchery

Some temples are unique and the joy one gets while visiting them is immense. The purpose of Aalayam Kanden is to identify these lesser known gems and to highlight them so that those in search of such temples can visit and experience them easily.

A couple of years ago, I had written an article on the Aavarani Ananthanarayana Perumal temple in Nagapattinam district, where the gigantic 21 feet Perumal is bedecked with beautiful jewels rendered through the hymns of Thirumangai Azhwar. The link to the article is here. Just on the outskirts of Aavarani is a hamlet called Pudhuchery (not to be confused with Pondicherry). It is here that the unique Swayambu Nateswara Swamy temple is found.

So what is so unique about this temple? To know it, we need to go into its legend.

Sage Vashista and Devathachan

Lord Ganesha at the Aavarani Pudhuchery Temple

On the banks of River Pasumpuli, lived a young boy called Devathachan. Right from childhood, he was very fond of Lord Shiva and would bathe in the river, and collect water while singing hymns in praise of the Lord. He also made a Shivalingam out of sand and started performing abhishekam with milk every day. Over time,this sand lingam tightened up and formed like an anthill.

One night, the river was in spate. As the water levels rose, Sage Vashista who was on a pilgrimage and had set up his temporary shelter near the river, was worried that the rising water would soon dissolve the lingam so passionately worshipped by young Devathachan and therefore somehow wanted to save it. So he embraced it, attempting to shield it with his body. In the meantime, Devathachan was restless in his house. He was worried about his lingam and if he would be able to save the Lord from being dissolved in the rain. He begged his widowed mother, to allow him to go and check. However, the mother was worried about sending her young son out alone in the dark, particularly when it was raining heavily and the river was in spate. She pleaded with him to hold on till dawn. The boy wept bitterly, unable to disobey his mother and at the same time worried about the status of his loving Lord.

At the crack of dawn, the rains stopped and the river started flowing as if nothing had happened. The boy ran towards the river and found Sage Vashista in an embrace with the linga. The little boy ran towards the rishi and fell at his feet in gratitude for having saved his Lord. The Rishi opened his eyes to look at what he was holding.

To both their surprise and astonishment, the baanam (top portion of the lingam) now looked like the Shiva Kayilai and Sakthi Kayilai as it appears to those who perform the inner parikrama of Mount Kailash. It was as if Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati had appeared as the divine couple from the waters of the river to answer the prayers of their young devotee. The Sage was over joyed with the grace of the Lord and so were the villagers who had then all gathered by the river. They built a small shrine at where the Lord had chosen to stay and it came to be called "Puthira chery", the place where God had appeared for the young boy (Puthiran).

The Shivakayilai Shakthikayilai Swayambu lingam at Aavarani Pudhuchery

Over time, the name has morphed into Pudhuchery and since found on the outskirts of Aavarani, it has come to be known as Aavarani Pudhuchery. The Pasumpuli river that surrounded the lingam built by Devathachan to change it into the Shivakayilai and Shakthikayilai has shrunk into a tank known as the "Puthrakaameshti Theertham". Those seeking noble children bathe in this tank (which currently needs renovation and repairs) and worship Nateswara Swamy on Thiruvathirai day. Worshipping the deity continuously for 64 days is recommended for those having problems with conceiving naturally. The temple is commonly known as Shivakayilai Shakthikayilai. No one really knows why and how the deity came to be called Nateswarar.

Goddess Akilandeswari at Aavarani Pudhuchery

Goddess Akilandeswari is a later addition to the temple. A seperate shrine seems to have been built for her in the 14th century. Unique Chola bronzes belonging to this temple are in safe custody. The sthala puranam says the deities were worshipped by Kali and A Kali bronze has been unearthed a few years ago, while making some civil alterations in the temple. Several people throng here to worship her for Rahu Dasa Pariharam on New Moon days (Amavasai) when she is taken out on procession around the temple in a small chapparam. There is a seperate shrine for Shanaichara, facing East.

Goddess Kali at the Aavarani Pudhuchery Temple

How to reach here: The temple is close to Sikkal on the Nagapattinam - Thiruvarur Route. GPS coordinates (10.73420144,79.77142729)

Temple Timings: 8 - 11.30, 5 - 8 pm

Contact: S Kalidasa Gurukkal - 97865 82492

Adi Annamalai - where Tiruvempavai was born!

2021-12-11T22:43:00.002+05:30

The Adi Annamalai Temple in Tiruvannamalai

Come Margazhi - Tamil Households, temples and sabhas come alive to the hymns of Thirupaavai and Thiruvempavai, songs that sing the glory of Lord Vishnu and Lord Shiva respectively. While the former was rendered by Andal, the latter is to the credit of Saint Manickavasagar, one among the quartet of Shaiva saints who sang hymns in praise of Lord Shiva.

Thirupaavai and Thiruvempaavai have a couple of similarities - the singer along with female friends is observing the "Paavai Nonbu", a ritual followed by unmarried girls during the month of Margazhi in order to obtain virtuous husbands. Manickavasagar is believed to have taken the "Nayaki Bhavam" to render the Thiruvempaavai.

Saint Manickavasagar

Born in Thiruvadhavur in the 9th Century, as Vadhavooraar, Manickavasagar was minister to King Arimarthana Pandian (Varagunavarman II). The king entrusted him with a large amount of money to buy horses for the army. When the Minister set out on his task, he was met with by Lord Shiva in Thiruperunthurai (Avudaryarkoil) and upon receiving enlightenment, spent all the money on renovating the temple. When the king asked Vadhavoraar to present the horses, he did not know what to do and sought the help of Lord Shiva who played a divine drama (Thiruvilaiyaadal) and converted all the foxes around Madurai into horses and sent them to the King's stables. At dawn, the foxes turned into their original selves and ran away.

(Photo Courtesy: Adbh266 - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0)

On hearing this, the king imprisoned Vaadhavooraar. In jail, he rendered several hymns that would melt even the heartless, in praise of the Lord. Finally, the Lord made the King realise the truth. Freed from prison, Vadhavoorar who had received the title Manickavasagar from the Lord himself, for each of his verses was like a precious gem,set out on a pilgrimage, visiting several shrines, before coming to Adi Annamalai in Tiruvannamalai.

Adi Annamalai is known by other names such as Aadhi Annamalai (as sung by Arunagirinathar in his Thirupugazh - Aadhi Arunachalam Amarndha Perumaane and Ani Annamalai, a jewel decorating the foothills of Annamalai. The deity here is believed to have been installed by Lord Brahma.

Lord Brahma and Adi Annamalai

Brahma and Thilothama

When Brahma created Thilothama, a celestial being, with the finest particles of heaven, earth and the underworld (another version says Brahma asked Vishwakarma to create her) he was smitten by her beauty. Faces evolved in all directions of his head just to see her, as she circumambulated him after being created. Overcome by lust, Brahma asked Thilothama to be his. However, she was shocked, as by virtue of creating her, he was her father. She started running away in fear. With Maya shrouding his intellect, Brahma took the form of a male deer and started following her.

When she could run no longer, Tilothama took the form a female pigeon and started flying towards Thiruvannamalai, where the Lord had risen in the form of a pillar of light when Brahma and Vishnu were unable to find his feet and tresses. Brahma also took the form of a male pigeon and tried to catch up with her. On Tilothama entering the holy land of Thiruvannamalai, that provides mukthi to those who merely think of it, Lord Shiva took the form of a hunter, and shot down the male pigeon . Brahma was brought out of Maya as soon as his body touched the holy ground. He realised with shame, the foolishness and impropriety of his behaviour and was very repentent. He sought the forgiveness of Thilothama. In order to atone his sins, he installed a Shivalingam on the foothills of Annamalai, to the West of the main shrine, at the spot where he had been relieved of Maya. He created a Brahma theertham next to it and a tank known even today as Ayyankulam (Ayan is another name of Brahma).

Brahma Theertham, now known as Manickavasagar Theertham

It was on the banks of the Ayyankulam that Ramana Maharishi reached on arriving at Thiruvannamalai. He bathed in its holy waters and when he stepped out, he knew his calling. It was the time to renounce all that he had. He threw away the food he had carried from home, and discarded his clothes, but for a piece of dhoti to be worn as a loin-cloth. On seeing this, a barber asked if he wanted his head to e tonsured . He gave up his hair and was ready for his sadhana. A shrine for Arunagirinathar is also found on the banks of this tank.

Ayyankulam Tank

On arriving at Adi Annamalai, Manickavasagar set himself up a few metres from the temple, bathed in the Brahma Theertham which came to be known as the Manickavasagar Theertham and worshipped the Kuzhumani Vinayakar and the Lord every day. The 8th Century Thirupaavai has thirty hymns of Andal calling out her friends to wake up, bathe, observe the paavai nombu and serve/worship the Lord.

Kuzhumani Vinayakar worshipped by Saint Manickavasagar

Manickavasagar, sang twenty songs grouped together as the Thiruvempaavai, in the month of Margazhi urging the young girls to bathe in the Brahma Theertham and serve the Lord of Adi Annamalai. This along with the ten songs of Thirupalliezhuchi make up the Thiruvempaavai. All verses end with the word "Empaavaai", giving it its name. Pleased with his devotion, Lord Shiva appeared before Manickavasagar. The Manickavasagar Matam (Mutt) stands at the place where this happened.

Manickavasagar Mutt (Photo Courtesy: arunachala-live.com)

This Margazhi, let us attempt to read and enjoy the essence of Thirupaavai and Thiruvempaavai.

Aditya Mahadevar Temple, Anaikattaputhur

2021-04-04T19:44:00.005+05:30

Aditya Mahadevar Temple, Anaikattaputhur

Anaikattaputhur is a non-descript village in Vellore district of Tamil Nadu. Referred to as Anai Akkarai Puthur in inscriptions, the village is found along the banks of the Cooum river.

Sthalapuranam: Today the temple has very little antiquarian remains. However, the Sthalapuranam states that the Lingam was installed by Sage Bhrigu, and worshipped by Sage Sukracharya and Goddess Lakshmi.

Historical Evidences : The Shiva temple now known as Ekambareswarar temple is significant from the epigraphical evidences around it. The sole inscription that has been documented in this temple is from the ninth regnal year of Parthivendrathi Varman, (ARE 288/1895)

Who was Parthivendra Varman as mentioned in inscriptions?

There is still lack of consensus among historians about Parthivendra Varman's identity. He has been mentioned as Parthivendrathi Varman and Parthivendra Panmar too in inscriptions. Scholars like Shri. Neelakanta Sastry are of the opinion that it was the title taken by Aditya Karikala, the son of Parantaka II (Sundara Chola) and older brother of Rajaraja I on his being appointed as Crown prince and Co-regent because of the words "Virapandyan Thalai Konda" that appear in the inscriptions of Parthivendra Varman, as Aditya Karikala had been the one who took the head of Virapandya in the battle at Sevur (estimated to have been in 963 CE).

However, there are others who disagree with this view point and are of the opinion that Parthivendra Varman could have been a feudatory of the Cholas, managing affairs at Jayamkondacholamandalam (Thondaimandalam during Chola rule) and might have added the title to his name, after having assisting Aditya Karikala while he took the head of Vira Pandya. The historians further refer to the Thiruvalangadu Copper plates and the Udayarkudi inscription which mention Aditya Karikala as Karikala Chola and not Parthivendra Varman. While Aditya Karikala was indeed the co-regent with his father, it was only for a period of six years before he was killed and therefore they conclude that inscriptions which state "Virapandyan Thalai Konda Ko Parakesari" which could be inscriptions during Aditya Karikala's period and if the inscription mentions "Virapandyan Thalai Konda Parthivendra Panmarku" it could mean Parthivendra the feudatory, whose inscriptions are available even after the death of Aditya Karikala (estimated as 969 CE) .A third hypothesis is that Parthivendra Varman could have been Rajaraja. This at the moment is an evolving theory put forth by a historian.

In the Cooum circuit, there are three temples which are believed to have been constructed by Aditya Karikala - Mappedu, Pichivakkam and Anaikattaputhur. Out of them, historians seem to agree that the Anaikattaputhur temple is among the temples directly built by Aditya Karikala - the others being the Adityeswara Temple at Keeraikalur in Tiruvarur District and Ponsei Natrunaiyappar Temple. (Source: Varalaatril Anaikattaputhur Thirukovilgal, Dr.Ma. Chandramoorthy, Prof.Dr. T. Kalyani, Prof. Dr.K.A.Kavitha)

Aditya Mahadevar at Anaikattaputhur

The deity here is referred to Aditya Mahadevar in an inscription from the 9th regnal year of Parthivendra Varman refers to lands given to the priest, Kalineeki Bhattan as Archana Bhogam for conducting prayers at the temple by Serubosan Ezhuvan and his brothers. Since this inscription mentions 9th ruling year, historians conclude that the temple must have been built by Aditya Karikala and grants to the same may have been provided during the time of his friend and feudatory Parthivendra Varman.

Nayaka Period Doorway - Doors and compound wall missing

The temple built originally during the Chola period, has been rebuilt with brick during the Nayaka period and we see that this too has become dilapidated and is being renovated at this point in time. The deity has been renamed as Ekambareshwara and a Goddess Kamakshi shrine added during the Nayaka period renovation. The sole inscription that has been documented in 1895 has been lost to time.

As you enter the very impressive massively high brick archway, you see the Chola period Nandi in a mandapa outside the temple. There are a couple of stones with images of snakes inscribed below which is said to be the samadhi of a saint named Nandi Siddhar. Nothing further is known about him.

Nandi Siddhar Samadhi

On entering the temple, the shrine of Goddess Kamakshi comes first. This is a later period addition to the temple,during the Nayaka renovation. The wall next to the Goddess shrine had fallen earlier and has now been repaired. During the Tamil months of Purattasi and Panguni, the sun's rays are seen falling on the Goddess as if to worship her.

Goddess Kamakshi at Anaikattaputhur

Lord Aditya Mahadevar is found in the sanctum sanctorum. Not a very large deity, but one with his own charm. The niches have the remains of the old Koshta devathas including a Narthana Ganapathy (unable to make out ), Dhakshinamurthy, Lingothbavar, Brahma and Durga soon to be replaced. I have made a request to store the old deities (new machine-cut miniatures are ready for installation) in the temple itself and not to throw them away.

Nardhana Ganapathi ??

The sanctum also houses the beautiful bronze icons of Nataraja with Shivakamasundari, Ganesha and other deities. Other stone idols of Chandra, Surya, Bhairavar and an idol is titled Veerabahu are found in the circumambulatory path within the temple. Subrahmanya, with Valli and Devasena is found in a seperate shrine.

Who is this? - Photo: Nisha Kesavan

The ceiling has a snake with the Sun and Moon on either side (Eclipse Iconography?), and a Fish swallowing an Elephant. (Not sure what this depicts)

In the circumambulatory path around the main shrine, an old Ganesha and a shrine for Lord Vishnu with his consorts Sridevi and Bhoodevi are found. They probably had individual temples in the village and have moved here over time, when their original habitats were lost.

Kalyana Perumal with consorts at Anaikattaputhur

About 200 metres from the temple is the samadhi of Saint Kumbakonam Gurupadha Swamigal who lived over 300 years ago. The samadhi attracts several serious seekers who visit here to meditate and have felt the divine presence of the saint.

Samadhi of Kumbakonam Gurupadha Swamigal

Ongoing renovation work at the temple:

I have used pictures from my earlier trip in 2014 during the cultural mapping of Cooum temples, as the shrines are currently under Balalayam for renovation. The civil work inside the temple has been completed, However, the hereditary trustee is desirous of building a compound wall to safeguard the temple as well as construct a gopuram at the entrance, the cost of both along with Kumbabhishekam is estimated at around Rs. 20 lakhs. The renovation work has been on for over ten years now, and has stopped currently due to paucity of funds.

Renovation work underway at Anaikattaputhur

Those interested in supporting the work may contact the hereditary trustee, Mr Annamalai Mudaliar or contribute directly to the

Adhithya Mahadevar Charitable Trust,

Account Number: 356402010031698

Bank and Branch: Union Bank, 13, Bazaar Street, Thakkolam - 631151

IFSC code: UBIN0535648

How to reach here:

While going from Chennai, take a right after Saveetha Engineering College and continue on Arakonam Road upto Perambakkam. Take a right again on the Cooum bridge towards Perambakkam. Anaikattaputhur is about 4 kms from Perambakkam.

GPS Coordinates : 13.04741, 79.78562

Contact Details:

Mr Annamalai Mudaliar - 94447 29626, 97502 60484

Temple Timings:

Since the temple is currently under Balalayam, the priest comes only once a day for conducting poojas. The main temple is otherwise closed until the work is completed. Please contact the trustee before visiting.

Renovation under way at Anaikattaputhur

Sammohana Gopalan, Mohanur

2021-03-30T23:28:00.003+05:30

Sri Sammohana Gopalan Shrine at Mohanur

It was an article by Shri A M Rajagopalan, in Kumudam Jothidam that I read way back in 2007-08 that introduced me to Sammohana Gopalan. The article carried a picture of Krishna as Ardhanari with Radha occupying the left half of his body.

The article further mentioned that worshipping Sammohana Gopalan and reciting the Sloka dedicated to him would bring about harmony in discordant couples. I pulled out the page and saved it more out of fancy for the form of Sammohana Gopala. Soon, a colleague spoke to me about a problem her niece was facing with her husband. The girl was newly married and had moved abroad. The husband however seemed disinterested in her. In a new land, with no friends or relatives to confide in or seek advice, the girl went into deep depression and finally my colleague could make her share what was bothering her. The girl had lost her father and was the older of two daughters. Realising her mother had gone through a lot of difficulty to get her married, and fearing the future of her younger sister, the girl somehow wanted to make her marriage work, but did not know how.

When my colleague asked me for advice, I was immediately reminded of Sammohana Gopala and so gave her a copy of the picture and sloka asking her to send it to her niece. The girl started chanting as many times as she could in a day and was worshipping the photograph of Sammohana Gopalan with sincerity. Very soon, her faith brought about changes in the boy and in a little over a year's time, they were travelling to India with their new born to offer thanks at the temple in Mohanur.

This was the first of four occasions over the years that followed. In each of the cases, praying to Sammohana Gopala with devotion gave the desired results. With every instance, my desire to visit Sammohana Gopala grew. Last month, I had an opportunity to go to Dharapuram and so planned to go to Mohanur as well.

Krishna with Bama and Rukmini at the Sammohana Gopalan Temple

The Sammohana Gopalan shrine is found within the Kalyana Prasanna Venkatramana Perumal temple in Mohanur. This temple is very famous for its Sathyanarayana Puja on Thiruvonam Star when people from all over India congregate at the temple and collect "Mattai Thengais" (Unskinned Coconuts) for prayers of education, marriage, going abroad etc. These coconuts are placed in the pooja room and worshipped until the prayers are answered. They are then brought back to the temple, skinned and offered to the Lord.

The Lord though now known as Kalyana Prasanna Venkatramana Swamy was originally known as Mohana Srinivasan. Similarly, Lord Shiva in this Kshetram is known as Achaladeepeswarar. According to the old sthalapuranam, he is referred to as Kumareeswarar. Kumari refers to Mohini. The Lord is called Mohana Srinivasan because of his nature to attract devotees with his divine beauty. He is seen to be one with Lakshmi as he only carries the Srivatsam on his chest instead of the form of Lakshmi. Because of him, the town came to be called Mohanur. Sammohana Gopala, a Rahasya manifestation of Lord Krishna on Rasapoornima day was installed here in a seperate shrine in the form of a portrait.

With more and more people benefitting out of the worship of this very unique form, an idol was consecrated in the year 2013.

The form of Sammohana Gopalan:

The form of Sammohana Gopalan

The deity has a peacock feather on his crown on the right side, and a Kondai (hair bun) with a long plait on the left. The ears sport different earrings. There are four arms on each side. The rear arms hold Shanku (Conch) and Chakra (Discus). The Chakra destroys pain, suffering, negativity and evil. The Shanku denotes victory over evil, not losing your cool during troubled times and joy.

The two arms in the middle hold an Ankusham (an elephant goad) and a lotus flower respectively. The Ankusham is used by the Mahout to control an elephant when he loses his senses. Similarly, the Lord controls the ego and failure of intelligence between the couple to restore harmony in their lives. The Lotus is made up of the flower which denotes the wife and the stem which denotes the husband. The core of the flower represents Dhampadya Dharma which attaches the flower to the stem . The petals are dependents or family members who surround the couple.

The Lower arms hold a sugarcane bow and a Pushpabana (an arrow made of flowers) these are the tools of Kama (the God of Love) and Sammohana Gopala holds them to rekindle romance in the life of the couple. The fourth set of hands hold the flute from which he is said to play the Mohana Ragam, to unite the couple and make them focus on true love instead of materialistic needs.

Praying to Sri Sammohana Gopalan:

Couples seeking to overcome marital problems must follow the below mentioned protocol:

Place the Sammohana Gopalan image facing East. Light a lamp with ghee and offer a glass of milk, Kalkandu (Rock Candy) and white scented flowers. Chant the Sammohana Gopalan Dhayana Slokam given below 12 times and circumambulate the image and the lamp 12 times. Consume the milk and rock candy as prasadam. Do this for 16 weeks.

Those seeking childbirth, come to the temple after performing Kula Deivam worship on Thursdays for sixteen weeks and offer Mullaipoo to Sammohana Gopalan. They are given butter offered to Samohana Gopala as prasadam to be consumed.

For those who are unable to visit every week, the priest takes care of the offerings on their behalf after the first week, while they continue their prayers from their residences. They come back to the temple on the 16th week and then again after their prayers are answered.

Apart from Sammohana Gopalan, the temple has several other shrines such as Kalyana Prasanna Venkatramana Swamy, Goddess Padmavathi, Dhanvatri with a wooden Navagraha Panel under which the devotees receive a Churnam to relieve them of ailments, Lakshmi Hayagriva with Medha Saraswathi facing him, Lakshmi Varahar, Lakshmi Narasimhar and Hanuman.

Dhanvatri at Sammohana Gopalan Temple

Sri Sammohana Gopala Dhyana Slokam:

Sri Krishnam Kamalapatraksham Divya Abharana Bhooshitam

Thribhangi Lalithaakaram Athi Sundara Mohanam

Bhagam Dakshinam Purusham Anyam Stree Roopinyam Thatha

Shankam Chakram Chaankusham cha Pushpa Baanam cha Pankajam

Ikshu Chapam Venu Vadhyam Cha Dhaarayantham Bhujaashtake

Swetha Gandhaanu Lipthaangam Pushpa Vastra Sragujvalam

Sarva Kaamartha Sidhyartham Mohanam Sri Krishnam Aasraye

For those who wish to recite this poem in Tamil, poet Diwakara Tanujaha has penned a simple Tamil pasuram which has the essence of the Dhyana Slokam.

கன்னலின் சிலையும் கவின்மலர்க் கணையும்

கஞ்சமுங் களிறு கட்டுமங் குசமும்

மின்னுசக் கரமும் மிளிறுவெண் சங்கும்

மெருகுசெவ் வதரம் மருவுமங் குழலின்

இன்னிசைக் கூட்டி எண்கரத் தானாய்

இடப்புறம் மங்கை வலப்புறமா ணாய்

சென்னியில் கொண்டை பீலியுங் காண

சிரித்தவ தனசம் மோகனக் காரன்

மென்வெளிர் சாந்தம் மேனிபூ வாடை'

முத்திறம் வளைந்த மூர்த்தியாய் வந்து

மன்னுவார் காதல் மணத்திறம் காக்க

மோகனூர் நின்றான் மோகியார் உண்டோ?

Our sincere thanks to him. For more such pasurams on lesser known Vishnu shrines, do check out our book " Paadal Perum Paranthaman Aalayangal" in Tamil on https://knightshopper.com/product/paadal-perum-paranthaaman-aalayangal/

How to reach: Mohanur is a village on the banks of the river Cauvery in Namakkal district of Tamil Nadu. The temple is located in the Mohanur Agraharam. Mohanur is about 19 kms from Namakkal

Temple Timings: 7 am to 12 pm, 5 pm to 8 pm

Contact details: Sridhar Bhattacharyar - 94429 57143

Dharapuram Dasa Anjaneya Darisanam Part 4 - Miracles Happen!

2021-03-27T23:16:00.001+05:30

Amaravathi river near Veeraraghavapuram Agraharam

I had mentioned in Part 3 about how we were unable to see the Vyasaraja Hanumans in Veeraraghavapuram and Bheemaraya Agraharams as the temples were closed. Two other Hanumans are in the middle of cultivated fields and hence could not be witnessed, as there was no access. After I returned to Chennai, the Hanumans were still in my mind.

When there is a very strong and genuine desire, the Universe finds a way to grant it to you. Every year, through Aalayam Kanden Trust, the Sthalapuranam of a temple is written in Tamil and English and multiple copies (500-1000) are printed for free distribution at that temple. This year, it had to be Kadu Hanumantharaya Swamy temple. The Dasa Hanumans had become very close to my heart and I wanted to go back - to see if there was a chance to see the other Hanumans.

Soon the books were ready, and I got in touch with the Chairman of the temple to see if he could help me to visit the closed temple in Veeraraghavapuram Agraharam. He was kind enough to give me the number of the trustee. Mohan, the young man who had helped me during the first visit, got all excited, for he too had not visited these temples, despite staying locally. So he got on the job of following up to see if the temple can be opened. But the answer was negative - reasons given were fair enough - the stability of the shrine and the snakes crawling about in and around the temple.

Well, the day dawned and I set off to Dharapuram to deliver the books. Mohan had asked me to come first to Bheemaraya Agraharam as the small shrine behind the Arasamarathadi Hanuman which had another Vyasaraja Hanuman closed early. He even went over to hold the priest while we arrived.

The Hanuman here is much smaller than those we have seen before, but with the same characteristics as identified with Vyasaraja Hanumans. As I stood praying before him, thanking him for the darshan, and asking the most significant question on my mind - will we get to see the Veeraraghavapuram Agraharam Hanuman, Mohan was already on the job. He had gone to meet the Chief priest of the temple in the room next door. The other priest seemed to read my mind - " I have been here for over ten years now. I have not seen the Veeraraghavapuram temple open", he said. My husband had already started convincing me to move on - "It is the same Hanuman everywhere, whether you worship him here or there" he said, stopping short when I glared at him.

The wait seemed endless, not knowing where Mohan was. I decided to go into the Chief Priest's room to find out what was going on, as the husband was getting impatient now. The moment I stepped in, what I saw made me catch my breath. Mohan was not there. But, there was a Brindavana inside the room, and a picture of my Guru Sri Raghavendra Swamy right next to it. It was as though the delay had been deliberate to invite me into the room. Why havent you asked me to help, he seemed to be asking me. As I stood frozen in my tracks, the man in the room welcomed me in a soft voice.

Guru Bhakti Nidhi Theertha Brindavana

Coming to my senses, I introduced myself. When I mentioned that I had come back specifically to visit the two Hanumans and while I was glad to have seen the Bheemaraya Agrahara Hanuman, I would be delighted if I could also visit the Veeraraghavapuram Agrahara, he smiled understandingly. "I used to be the priest at that temple. That agraharam is the oldest in Dharapuram but was completely destroyed by floods in the Amaravathi river. People who lived there moved to safer locations. Since there were no houses nearby, the temple became uncared for and has lost its stability. Over the last forty-five years, several efforts have been taken to repair it, but nothing has been possible" he said.

I was looking at the picture of Guru Raghavendra Swamy as he spoke, beseeching him to somehow help. " I have asked Mohan to go to the trustee's house in the same road, and ask if the temple can be opened for you. He should be back soon", he said. " I am a Government employee, and perform the poojas to the Hanumans, and this Brindavana in my free time as a volunteer, which is why the temple closes early" he said. Is this Raghavendra Swamy's Mrithika Brindavana? I asked. " No, this is the Brindavana of Shri Guru Bhakthi Nidhi Theertha. He was a Sanyasi who had great respect and devotion for Guru Raghavendra Swamy. When the Kadu Hanumantharaya Swamy temple was closed due to Cholera in the city, he was the one who opened it and started prayers not fearing a threat to his own life" he said. I prayed silently to the Mahaan and just at that moment, my phone rang. It was Mohan. "Akka, the trustee has agreed. I am coming with the keys" he said in an excited voice.

I could not believe my ears. As I got up to thank the priest for having arranged for the temple to be opened, I asked him his name. " I am Raghavendra", he said with a smile - everyone knows me as "Guru". Tears started flowing involuntarily, as I prostrated before the Brindavana. He had come, my Guru had come to guide me - through the priest and through the untiring efforts of Mohan.

Soon, we were getting into our vehicles to go over to the Veeraraghavapuram Agraharam. A senior gentleman who has been the most recent priest at the temple was accompanying us with the keys. The other priest at Bheemaraya Agraharam too wanted to join, as he had never been there. While getting into the car, I asked the senior gentleman his name "Vijayendra" he said. It was a true goosebumps moment, for not only was Guru Raghavendra facilitating things, he was sending a representative in the name of his Parama Guru to accompany us. Can there be any boundaries to a Guru's grace when surrender happens?

Discarded Snake Skin on the way to the temple

We got down at the dead end of the lane next to the Corporation park and started walking along the field bunds to the temple. Snake skin, as long as eight to ten feet, lay here and there, making us place our steps with caution. I was not even looking in the direction of the husband, as I was pretty sure he would glare at me for putting myself and others at risk. Nothing mattered at that point more than opening the temple and worshipping the Hanuman.

The Veeraraghavapuram Agraharam Temple completely swallowed by vegetation

As we drew close, we could see the beauty of the Check dam built over the Amaravathi river on one side, and a small temple, completely swallowed by vegetation on the other. The wall on one side had fallen and the roots of the tree had penetrated the ceiling making it unstable and unsafe for people to enter. The priest stood shaking the iron door multiple times, just to make sure the creepy crawlies moved away. He then opened the door.

The entrance to the temple at Veeraraghavapuram Agraharam

Inside the dark sanctum, was a frail looking Hanuman. His limbs had been eroded so much that they looked like bones and yet there was no mistaking the energy reverberating within. Several people still come and worship or cook offering outside the closed doors, says the lady whose fields are adjacent to the temple. They have been appealing to the local administration to create access to the temple, so that there is some movement of people which could result in its renovation.

Veeraraghavapuram Agraharam Hanuman

The idol looks bone dry, and there are no signs of any materials of worship. There used to be four Hanumans in this temple, says the priest. We go around the small temple, admiring the fish motifs on the walls and looking for inscriptions if any.

I stand for a long time before the Hanuman, thanking him for his grace, for allowing us to see him, and praying that we soon meet in a better environment. If He so decides, a way will surely be found!

There are still two Vyasaraja Hanumans hidden away in the middle of cultivated fields. " The fields are being harvested Akka, we should soon be able to see them. I will send pictures" smiles Mohan as he heads back to drop the priests and we get into our car to proceed on our journey home.

Roots penetrating everywhere

If he so wills, so be it! Miracles do happen! All we need is to hold on firmly to our Guru!

To read the other parts of this four part series, click here:

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Dharapuram Dasa Anjaneya Darisanam - Part 3

2021-02-12T22:08:00.000+05:30

This is the third in the series of articles on the ten Vyasaraja Hanumans of Dharapuram. Please click here to access Part 1 and here for Part 2.

After visting the Kadu Hanumantharaya Swamy temple, which is the central temple for all the ten Hanumans, and then proceeding towards the Uttara Veeraraghava Swamy temple, where we worshipped Veera Hanuman and Kottai Vaasal Hanuman, we were in a dilemma as to which direction to proceed next. To the North was Virajimangalam, now known as Veerachimangalam and to the South was Dalavoypattinam. The remaining five Hanumans were around the Kadu Hanumantharaya Swamy temple.

We decided to proceed to Dalavoypattinam which is about ten kilometres from Dharapuram.

4. Dalavoypattinam Hanuman

Sri Varadaraja Perumal, Dalavoypattinam

The Varadaraja Perumal temple here houses a Vyasaraja Hanuman. Inscription found in this temple from the third year of Pandya King Sri Vallabha describe the deity as Jayamkonda Chola Vinnagar Emberumanaar. Another fragmentary inscription which only names the king asThribhuvanachakravarti Ko... calls him Naraiyanur Nattu Devanayakaperumal.

Dalavoypattinam Hanuman

Currently this temple has only two shrines - that of Varadaraja Perumal with Sridevi and Bhoodevi and of the Hanuman installed by Vyasaraja. The Hanuman is smaller than the ones we have seen so far. He is seen with the typical raised right arm in Abhaya Hasta and the left arm holding the Sowgandhika flower.

How to reach here: The Varadaraja Perumal Temple is found near the Government Hospital in Dalavoypattinam. The GPS coordinates of all ten Hanuman shrines can be found at the bottom of this article.

Temple Timings: The temple is only open between 8 - 9.30 am in the mornings and 5-7 pm in the evenings. On Saturdays, the Bhattars are available until 10.30 - 11 am depending on the crowd.

Contact: Rangaraja Bhattar - 99764 62736

5. Veeraraghavapura Agrahara Hanuman

Veeraghavapura Agrahara Hanuman

As it was our first visit and with no one to guide us about the right order to visit, we went about randomly which we realised was a mistake. Some shrines closed early, while others could not be approached because of their location.

It would have helped us better if we had started with the sites that closed early and then gone to the larger temples which remained open longer. Therefore, another visit is warranted to complete the ones that could not be visited this time.

Now coming back to where we left off, we came back to the Kadu Hanumantharaya Swamy temple area, to visit the remaining Hanumans before proceeding towards Viranjimangalam (now called Veerachimangalam) which is to the North.

All the ten Hanumans have originally been installed in the open. Some have been subsequently covered with a shrine, while most still remain in the open.

Our next stop was across the road from the Kadu Hanumantharaya Swamy temple. There is a park some distance away and the lane right next to the park leads to a Hanuman temple after a drive of about a kilometre and a half. Although this Hanuman has a shrine, apparently the shrine had closed the priests had left for the day. The approach is also through the fields for about half a kilometre by foot. While we stopped at the beginning of the bund on which one has to walk to reach the temple, we found Mr Mohan and his family coming back after checking out the temple. They not only told us about the current situation, but also offered to help us visit the other shrines that were left out. Thanks to Mr Mohan's kindness we were able to quickly visit the remaining sites and worship at the ones that were open.

6 & 7. Arasamarathadi Hanuman and Bheemaraya Agrahara Hanuman

Arasamarathadi Hanuman with the Bheemaraya Hanuman shrine behind it

From the Veeraraghavapura Agrahara Hanuman temple, we moved towards the old Bheemaraya Agraharam. This road has not been mentioned on Google Maps and therefore but for Mr Mohan's help we would not have been able to find it. There are two Hanumans here - One under a peepal tree close to the Amaravathi river, giving it the name Arasamarathadi Hanuman and the other in a shrine behind it. Unfortunately when we reached, the shrine had already closed and therefore we were only able to worship the beautiful Arasamara Hanuman.

8 & 9. Theppakula Hanuman and Amaravathi Hanuman

The Amaravathi River

Two Hanumans are found in the open about a kilometre away from here, right in the middle of the fields. One can reach them only by walking along the Amaravathi river and currently since the crops are fully grown, there was no path available to walk through. Only after harvesting can these temples be approached.

10. Veerachimangalam Hanuman

Our last stop was at Veerachimangalam. Again we would not have been able to identify this location, but for Mr Mohan who drove back all the way with us, just to show us the temple, eventhough he had already covered it.

The Veerachimangalam Hanuman

The Veerachimangalam Hanuman shrine is found next to the Shiva temple. This temple is currently closed for renovation and a new shrine is being built outside. The Hanuman shrine has been left untouched but is not in anyway controlled, maintained or patronised by the Siva temple. The Octogenarian priest is helpless. Since he does not receive any devotees at the temple nor any funds for its daily upkeep and maintenance, he keeps the temple closed unless someone specifically asks for it to be opened for worship. Even after opening the shrine, he had to search a bit to find a piece of camphor to perform the harathi. Since this was our last stop, we too had given away all the oil and ghee we had carried for distribution.

A humble request to the devotees who plan to visit this temple. Please carry pooja materials and contribute whatever you can to the priest. Even at this advanced age, he is taking care of the temple and doing whatever he can to keep it going.

How to reach here: Veerachimangalam is about 6 kms from Dharapuram. The locations of all ten sites have been marked here

Temple Timings: There are no specific timings. The priest and his wife stay close by and the temple can be opened on request.

Contact: Shri Namperumal Bhattar - 90474 89370

Dharapuram Dasa Anjaneya Darisanam - Part 2

2021-02-11T22:31:00.002+05:30

Uttara Veeraraghava Perumal Temple, Dharapuram

This is the second in the series of articles on the ten Hanumans installed by Saint Vyasaraja Theertha, (the Rajaguru of the Vijayanagara Empire during the time of King Krishnadevaraya, believed to be the reincarnation of Prahalada and the previous avatara of Guru Sri Raghavendraswamy) in and around Dharapuram in Tiruppur District of Tamil Nadu.

Saint Vyasaraja installed 732 such Hanumans during his travels across India. He would draw the image of Hanuman on a piece of stone using his Angarakatti which would then become a sculpture. Angaram is used by Madhwas to mark their forehead before eating food. It is prepared by burning dry banana peel and adding turmeric and ash from the pooja into it. This is then kept on the forehead prior to consuming prasada.

Out of the ten Hanumans, the first, Kadu Hanumantharaya Swamy was covered in an earlier article which can be found here.

The ten Hanumans in Dharapuram are spread in clusters. One key suggestion while visiting them is to make sure you cover the ones that are open for shorter durations first, before visiting the larger temples that stay open for longer.

From the Kadu Hanumantharaya Swamy temple, we proceeded to the Uttara Veeraraghava Perumal temple in the fort area. There are two Vyasaraja Hanumans here - Veera Anjaneyar and Kottaivasal Anjaneyar.

On the way to the Veera Anjaneya Swamy Shrine

In India, there are multiple locations that associate themselves with legends such as Ramayana and Mahabharatha. In the Mahabharatha, the Pandava princes were required to stay incognito for a year and they chose to do so in the Virata Kingdom. Places that are referred to as Viratapuri or Viratapuram are found in Rajasthan, Jammu & Kashmir, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.

Lion pillared mandapa at the Uttara Veeraraghava Swamy Temple, Dharapuram

Dharapuram in the ancient times was also known as Viratapuram. It is commonly believed that this was the place where the Pandavas stayed incognito for a year under the protection of the Virata King whose children Uttara Kumara and Uttara were named after the Uttara Veeraraghava Perumal. The Uttara Veeraraghava Perumal temple is found within the Dharapuram fort and it was here that the Kings who ruled over this region coronated themselves. The Lord is also known as Uttaravu Raghava Perumal, for it is with his permission that the Kings would ascend the throne. Moreover, Dharapuram is found on a straight line to Mantralayam, where the Brindavana of Guru Sri Raghavendraswamy is found, making it even more significant.

Inscription mentioning Rajarajapuram in the Uttara Veeraraghava Perumal Temple

There are several inscriptions in this temple, that speak about Dharapuram and the kings who ruled over it. Dharapuram was earlier called Naraiyanur Nattu Brahmadeyam Rajadhiraja Chaturvedimangalam, Naraiyanur Nattu Rajarajapuram and Kongu Vanchiyaana Viladapuram. The Lord was called Uttaraghava Perumal and inscriptions also speak about Goddess Perumkarunai Selvi. These inscriptions have been documented by the ASI in the Annual reports on Indian Epigraphy - 1910, 1920 and 1961-62 as well as Tiruppur Mavatta Kalvettugal published by the TN State Archaeology department. They speak about the grants provided by the Kongu Cholas and Vijayanagara rulers as well as generals to the Uttara Veeraraghava Perumal Temple.

The Lord Veeraraghava Perumal is seen alone in the sanctum without his consorts. Instead of holding the Conch and Discus in his hands,they are found on his chest which is a unique feature about this deity.

Sri Uttara Veeraraghava Perumal, Dharapuram

Several wars that happened around this place have damaged the temple and one can see stones with inscriptions from a Siva temple been used while rebuilding the temple. Chadran, who works in the Revenue Department, shares that for best part of his childhood, the temple remained dilapidated and uncared for. He recalls a secret passage close to the sanctum sanctorum which used to be dark and as children they would attempt to explore if it lead out of the fort area. This secret passage has been documented by the archaeology experts as well and subsequently closed.

2. Veera Anjaneya Swamy

Veera Anjaneya Swamy, Dharapuram

The Veera Anjaneya Swamy installed by Vyasaraja is found in a seperate shrine outside the main temple complex. The Lord is found with a child-like face, facing the South. Instead of a bloomed Sowgandhika flower as normally depicted in Vyasaraja Hanumans, he is seen holding an entire bunch of them. The tail above has a single bell tied to it and the Vaishnavaite symbols - Conch, Discus and Naamam are also found on the idol.The Veera Anjaneya Swamy was found in the open until 2004 when a shrine was constructed for him.

3. Kottai Vaasal Anjaneyar

The third among the ten Anjaneyars is found about 100 metres from the Uttara Veeraraghava Perumal Temple right next to a sixteen pillar Vasantha Mandapa from the Vijayanagara Period. It is indeed painful to see this beautiful mandapa being eaten away by vegetation due to lack of upkeep and maintenance.

The dilapidated Vasantha Mandapa from the Vijayanagara Period

The Kottai Vaasal Anjaneyar is perhaps the most beautiful among the ones I had witnessed in Dharapuram. With a baby face, he faces the North while his feet are pointed in the direction of the Uttara Veeraraghava Perumal. He is seen bare headed, with one arm raised above in Abhaya Hastha and the other holding the Sowgandhika flower. His long earlobes are found wearing Kundalams and the jewellery on his chest has the Yaali which is the Mudrika of SriVyasaraja.

The beautiful Kottai Vaasal Anjaneyar

He is supposed to have been the guardian deity of the fort while it existed. Today, he is seen in a small shrine encroached by houses on all directions. The same priest who performs pooja to the Veera Anjaneya Swamy also takes care of this shrine. He is available in this temple after the Veera Anjaneya Swamy temple closes.

How to reach here: The GPS coordinates for all ten Hanumans is provided in this map here.

Temple Timings: The Veera Anjaneya Swamy temple is open between 8 am and 11 am in the mornings and the Kottai Vaasal Anjaneyar opens after that from 11 am to 12 pm. However, the deity can be worshipped through the gate at any time of the day.

Contact: Suresh Bhattar - 80988 71563

The third part of this series on the other Vyasaraja Hanumans in Dharapuram can be accessed here

Dharapuram Dasa Anjaneya Darisanam - Part 1

2021-02-11T00:09:00.043+05:30

Vyasaraja Theertha Source: Annie Gracy, CC BY-SA 4.0

Vyasaraja Theertha was the Rajaguru of the Vijayanagara Kingdom. He was called Vyasaraya initially and after he took over the kingdom from King Krishnadevaraya during the time when he was affected by Kuha Yoga, he came to be called Vyasaraja Theertha. He is believed to be the reincarnation of Prahalada and the previous avatara of Guru Sri Raghavendra Swamy.

As the Rajaguru and as a Dvaita philosopher, he travelled across the country extensively. During these travels, he is said to have created and installed 732 Hanumans in different places. Most of these hanumans are concentrated in South India, where the Vijayanagara rule was in place. With Penukonda having the highest number of Hanumans, the others are spread around in clusters.

It has been my long time desire to visit the Vyasaraja Hanumans and document them. The Hanumans vary in size and form, but most have the common features of a raised right arm, with the left hand holding the rare Sowgandhika flower, the feet are turned sideways, the tail is raised above the head with one or more bells swinging from it.

The Kongu region was under the Vijayanagara rule in the early 16th century when Dharapuram which had earlier been called Paranthakapuram and Rajarajapuram during the rule of the Cholas, was the capital. Vyasaraja Theertha had travelled to and stayed in this region during which time he has installed multiple Hanuman around here.

Out of these ten have come to be identified by scholars and the first time I saw the map was in Shri. Amman Sathiyanathan's Raghavendra Mahimai.After planning for years, finally got to visit Dharapuram last week. Prior to my trip, I tried to get help to identify the actual locations of the Hanumans depicted roughly on the map. However, I was not very successful. So I decided to leave to Guru Raghavendra Swamy to guide us and what a trip it was!

1. Sri Kadu Hanumantharaya Swamy Temple

If you are planning to do this trip, then the Kadu Hanumantharaya Swamy temple would be the central point from where the other Hanumans connect. It is also the largest and most popular among the ten Hanuman temples.

Sri Kadu Hanumantharaya Swamy Temple, Dharapuram

Earlier, most part of today's Dharapuram was enclosed within a fort. There was dense vegetation around the fort and this idol was found in the open here and therefore came to be known as Kadu Hanumantharaya Swamy. It is only in 1810 that the British Collector of Coimbatore District, Deelan, who had been suffering from a disorder called "Rajapilavai" (a huge Carbuncle) worshipped Sri Kadu Hanumanatharaya Swamy and was cured of the same. As a token of gratitude, he built a shrine for the deity. When an attempt was made to cover the ceiling, the Lord appeared in the dream of his devotee, asking for the ceiling to be kept open. To this day, the ceiling has an opening above the deity who is 7.25 feet tall and 3 feet wide, making the sun rays and rain fall on the deity.

Sri Kadu Hanumantharaya Swamy with the opening in the ceiling

The idol falls into the standard description of a Vyasaraja Hanuman, with minor differences. The raised right hand has the thumb folded into it in the form of a Abhaya Hastha. The tail has three bells instead of one. The Sowgandhika flower is held in the left hand and the feet turned sideways.The face of the Hanuman is shaped to resemble Hayagriva. He carries a sword as well as a dagger. His waist band holds the Yali face which is the mudrika of Sri Vyasaraja Theertha.

Utsava Idols made by Sri Vijayendra Theertha

The Utsava Idols of Rama, Sita and Hanuman (no Lakshmana) are those made by hand by Sri Vijayendra Theertha, the successor of Vyasaraja Theertha and the Paramaguru of Sri Raghavendra Swamy. Sri Vijayendra was a exponent of all 64 crafts and was skilled in making panchaloka idols. He is the only person to have been the witness to two avatars of Prahalada - namely Sri Vyasaraja and Sri Raghavendra.

Wooden pillars in the Artha Mandapa

The Artha Mandapa has eight exquisite wooden pillars depicting the Dasavathara. There are cradles hanging in this mandapa bearing testimony to answered prayers of childbirth. To the right of the main sanctum, are two shrines, one that of Sri Lakshmi Narasimha and the other, the Mrithika Brindhavana of Sri Jaya Theertha, also called as Teekacharya for writing commentaries of the works of Sri Madhva. Jaya Theertha was a disciple of Sri Akshobya Theertha, who was a direct disciple and successor of Sri Madhvacharya.

Interestingly, this temple has the Ishta Devathas of the three avataras of Prahalada - Sri Lakshmi Narasimha, the ishta devata of Prahalada who was found in the confluence of Bhavani and Kaveri rivers, Venugopala Krishna, the Ishta Devata of Sri Vyasaraja Theertha and Sri Rama, the Ishta Devata of Guru Raghavendra Swamy. In addition, there are idols of Sri Prahalada in the Mrithika Brindavana of Sri Raghavendra and Sri Madhva in the Mrithika Brindavana of Jaya Theertha.

Sri Jaya Theertharu Brindavana

There are four Brindavanas of Jaya Theertha with the original one at Malkheda and three Mrithika Brindavanas in this region in Salem, Palladam, Dharapuram and Kovaipudur in Coimbatore. A box in front of the Jaya Theertha Brindavana contains 136 Shalagramas.

The Mrithika Brindavana of Guru Raghavendra Swamy installed by Dwadasi Kattalai Subbarayar has 113 Shalagramas and faces the Rama Shrine which only has Rama with Seetha, and Lakshmana and Hanuman missing.

Sri Raghavendra Mrithika Brindavana

Shalagramas are an important aspect of worship for the Madhwas. Shri Guruprasad, the Chairman of the Kadu Hanumantharaya Swamy Temple has joined us by now and explains the heirarchy of worship in the temple which are based on the guidelines offered by Madhvacharya's Tantra Sara Sankraha subsequently simplified by Sri Jaya Theertha for worship of Salagramas. The first prayers are offered to the Shalagramas, followed by worship for Sri Narasimha, Sri Rama, Sri Krishna, Sri Hanuman, Sri Jaya Theertha and Sri Raghavendra Theertha in that order. He says the rules of worship are strictly followed with poojas happening only once a day.

Sri Venugopalaswamy with Hanuman

The Venugopala Swamy idol found in this temple is unique and has Hanuman at its feet. Now when did Hanuman who was part of Rama Avatara come together with Krishna? Sri Guruprasad narrates an interesting tale from the Mahabharata. Hanuman was invited to support Krishna and Arjuna. However, since he only reported to one Master - Sri Rama, he agreed to be on the flag of Arjuna's chariot. After the war was over, Krishna asked Arjuna to alight from his chariot. Once he did, Krishna too got off from the chariot. Hanuman who had been on the flag flew away and the entire chariot went up in flames. It was Hanuman who had actually held the power of all the weapons and arrows that had been directed at Arjuna's chariot.

Important point to note regarding offerings to Sri Kadu Hanumantharaya Swamy

Shri Guruprasad mentioned a key point with regard to offerings at this temple. The Madhwa philosophies and guidelines are strictly followed here with regard to poojas, worship and offerings. Therefore, Thulasi garlands which are a normal offering in Hanuman temples are not accepted here. Thulasi is seen as a form of Goddess Mahalakshmi and hence considered to be adorned only to Lord Vishnu. The Hanuman can only have it placed on his head as a symbol of respect for Goddess Lakshmi and cannot adorn himself of it. Similarly, other offerings like Vadaimaalai, Betel leaf or Lemon garlands are also not accepted here.

The Brahmotsavam of the temple is celebrated on Vyasa Poornima day and on Narasimha Jayanthi, the Utsavar idols of Lord Rama are taken out in procession. Strict restrictions are currently in place to keep the devotees and archakas safe after the pandemic.

Acknowledgements:

1. Sri Amman Sathiyanathan, Author, Sri Raghavendra Mahimai, Part 6 for the map to visit the ten Vyasaraja Hanumans in Dharapuram

2. Shri Guruprasad, Chairman, Sri Kadu Hanumantharaya Swamy Temple, for his time and patience in sharing valuable information and also accompanying us the Uttara Veeraraghava Swamy Temple.

3. Sri Mohan of Dharapuram, who came forward to help us with locating the Hanumans along Amaravathi river and in the fields.

From here, we will move to the other locations in search of the remaining nine Hanumans in the upcoming posts.

How to reach here:

The Kadu Hanumantharaya Swamy is centrally located and can be easily identified. The GPS coordinates for all ten Hanumans is provided in this map here.

Temple Timings post Corona:

Morning: 8.30 am to 12 pm

Evening: 5.00 pm to 7.30 pm

Contact: 04258 220749

The second part of this series of articles featuring the two Vyasaraja Hanumans in and around the Uttara Veeraraghava Perumal temple in Dharapuram can be accessed here and the third part comprising of the rest of the Hanumans in Dharapuram can be accessed here

Sri Manicka Swamigal aka Satti Samiyar Gnana Peetam, Enathimangalam

2021-02-03T21:14:00.001+05:30

Sri Manicka Swamigal aka Satti Samiyar Gnana Peetam, Enathimangalam

My father-in-law had three framed photographs in his otherwise clutter-free pristine room. A picture of his father and two saints whom he had had an opportunity to meet and interact with in his younger days - Gnanananda Swami, whose tapovanam is found near Tirukoilur and Manicka Swamigal, commonly known as Satti Samiyar, whose samadhi is found in Enathimangalam, in Villupuram district.

During the early years of my marriage, my father-in-law would narrate numerous incidents about Satti Samiyar from his childhood. Manicka Swamigal had been in Sitthilingamadam at that time, where my father-in-law was undergoing education in his maternal uncle's house. No one really knew where he came from. Some say he walked all the way from Vellore. As young boys, my father-in-law and his cousins would bathe and play on the banks of the Then Pennai river flowing close by. Often, they would find Manicka Swamigal, either throwing sand upon himself in a state of ecstasy on simply sitting by the river, gazing into the horizon.

Shrine with lingam and photograph close to the entrance

As the boys approached, he would call them near and speak to them. Despite their age, he would call them Anna (Big Brother). Sometimes, they would find him floating on water. One day, my father-in-law found his body floating on the water while his head was watching it from a distance. Frightened, he ran home crying, only to be consoled by his grandmother, that the swami was demonstrating his siddhis.

Manicka Swamigal would not take any money if offered. He would take food in an earthen pot he always carried, which gave him the name of Satti (Pot) Samiyar. Sometimes he would eat, else he would just scatter the food around for birds and animals. He would only accept food from those he wanted to and not touch food offered by the others.

My mother-in-law for her part would proudly say that as a young mother, when she saw him visit our village, Sirumadurai, to which my father-in-law had moved to after he began working, she offered him some Omapodi,(Bhujiya) which was all she had at home, which he relished, making her very happy. In return he gave her a handful of sand from the street which she accepted as prasadam. She firmly believes that it was instrumental for them to build our house within the next couple of years.

Sri Manicka Swamigal aka Satti Samiyar, Enathimangalam

After hearing these incidents, I was very eager to visit his samadhi but it took me 29 years to do so. His Gnana Peetam is situated off the main Villupuram - Madapattu Road, in Enathimangalam where the Samiyar moved to from Siddhilingamadam. The villagers credit all their growth and prosperity to the saint who spent his days around the Murugan and Draupathi amman temples, lying in the open, eating when he felt like and accepting clothes only if he needed.

They say he would break the pot in which he would accept food often, and that the potter in the village would give him a new one immediately. Similarly, if he was given clothes, sometimes he would wear them, and in other occasions, he would either tear the garment into shreds or give it to someone else nearby. Those who assisted him saw remarkable changes happen in their lives, but then, he would not take help from any random person unless he wanted to.

Samadhi of Sri Manicka Swamigal aka Satti Samiyar, Enathimangalam

He attained samadhi on the 5th of September 1970. His Guru Pooja is celebrated on the Swathi Star in the Tamil month of Aavani each year when thousands throng his Gnana Peetam and annadhanam is provided to everyone.

The Gnana Peetam has a Murugan temple behind which stands the samadhi of Sri Manicka Swamigal. A lingam has been installed over his samadhi. There is another shrine where another lingam and his photograph are placed, which is close to the entrance. The Murugan shrine is larger and has a new idol of Muruga, while the torso of the older one has been installed outside. Not sure if it was vandalised at some point.

Abandoned torso of Murugan

It is interesting to note that the Kumbabhishekam of the Samadhi shrine was performed by Appa Paithiyam Swamigal, another renowned Siddhar. Do read about his life and times on Aalayam Kanden blog here.

The energy and vibration that one experiences in the samadhi shrine is immense, showing the divine presence of the saint there. The temple is opened in the morning for worship by the priest. But one can see the samadhi through the grills at any time of the day. You would be in the company of a couple of serious seekers who sit in meditation in different parts of the campus.

Inauguration of Samadhi Shrine of Shri Manicka Swamigal aka Satti Samiyar by Appa Paithiyam Swamigal

How to get here:

Enathimangalam is 15 kms from Villupuram, and 33 kms from Tirukoilur. The nearest town is Tiruvennainallur, the place where Lord Shiva claimed Sundaramurthy Nayanar as his slave and was instrumental in the latter singing hymns is his favour, starting with Piththa Pirai Soodi. To read more about this temple and the divine incident on Aalayam Kanden, click here.

Temple Timings:

The temple is opened in the morning around 8 am for worship. However, the samadhi can be viewed through the day behind closed grills.

Contact details:

95007 18233, 97515 52867

If you are passing by this part of the world, do stop by for a couple of minutes, to experience serenity and tranquility.

The rustic ambience that welcomes you

Acknowledgement: Many thanks to Shri. Kaushik Ramachandran, for helping me reconfirm many of the incidents I had heard, with documented evidence about the life and times of Sri. Manicka Swamigal aka Satti Samiyar of Enathimangalam.

A Temple with a Dargah within - Sri Angala Parameswari Temple, Chintadripet

2020-02-08T23:39:00.000+05:30

Angala Parameswari Temple, Chintadripet

Chinna Thari Pettah, known commonly as Chintadripettah was a planned township, created by President George Morton Pitt, out of Sunku Venkatachalam (Sunku Rama)'s garden in 1734. Weavers, spinners, painters, washers and dyers along with priests, attenders, cleaners and scavengers were moved from Madurai and Udayarpalayam to produce indigo, long cloth and gingham for the British market.

Sunku Rama had been the Chief Merchant of the East India Company, growing in favour with the British officials, so much so that he even had a house allotted within Fort St George, which he used as a cloth godown. He was in good rapport with Governor Collett, who established the first weavers' colony in Madras with Telugu weavers at Kaladipet (Collettpet). Because of this relationship, Collett allotted to Sunku Rama about 87 acres of land in the basin formed by the last loop of the Cooum river before it entered the sea.

The garden was enriched by the clean waters of the Cooum, and had several fifteen years old trees which President Pitt felt would be ideal for producing good quality cloth. Although Sunku Rama had received the garden as a grant from Governor Collett, the latter had not got it vetted by the Council and since Sunku Rama had not paid anything for it, President Pitt called the title bad, and took over the garden despite severe protests from Sunku Rama.

Some historical accounts suggest the existence of the Adikesava shrine and Angalamma, the village deity within the Sunku Rama gardens, at the time of acquisition by the British, probably existing since the Vijayanagara period. Dubash Vennala Audiyappa Narayana Chetty who had been made responsible along with Chinnathambi Mudaliar to recruit the weavers and get them settled, expanded this shrine into a temple, and built the Adipureeswara Temple next to it. Both temples share a tank.

Beautiful Mural in the Adikesava Perumal Temple. Check out the Namam!

The Angala Parameswari Temple is found in Venkata Gramani Street. The priest says that his family have been priests to the Goddess for the last six generations. The goddess Angala Parameswari, is seen seated on a lion. With her upper hands holding paasam and ankusam (lasso and spear), and the lower hands show Abhaya and Varada hasthas. She sits with one leg folded and the other leg hanging down from the pedastal placed upon the lion.

Angala Parameswari on a lion - the main deity (Photo Courtesy: Dr R K Rudhran)

The most interesting feature in this temple is the Dargah of a Muslim saint who lived here. There seems to be no documented evidence on who he was and where he came from.The priest narrated what had been told to him over the years. In the middle of the 18th century, the saint came to Angalamman temple and chose to stay there. He began to cure people of their diseases. Both Hindus and Muslims came to him for getting treated and gave him food and fruits in return. When he knew his end was drawing near, he expressed his desire to be buried within the temple complex.

Angala Parameswari Amman Utsavar - (Photo Courtesy Dr R K Rudhran)

Since then, the Dargah has been worshipped and maintained by the Poojaris of the temple. Every Thursday, Sweet Bhoondhi (broken down laddu) and incense are offered to him by the temple priest. Several Muslims and Hindus come to the temple to worship on Thursdays.The anniversary of the saint is celebrated in a grand manner during the last Thursday in the Tamil month of Aadi, when his Dargah is covered with flower shawls and several people come to pray and be cured of their ailments.

The Dargah within the Angala Parameswari Temple, Chintadripet

Mayana Kollai is the main festival in any Angalamman temple. Conducted on the Shivaratri (New Moon Day in the Tamil month of Maasi), the image of Goddess Angalamman is created on the crematorium floor, with ash from burnt bodies and Putru mannu (soil from an anthill), and stuffed with live chicken, intestines of goats, grains and vegetables. The deity is taken out in a procession from the temple to the crematorium, followed by devotees dressed like Angalamman to show gratitude for prayers being answered. At the end of the procession, the poojari, in a stupor, falls upon the Angalamman image made on the ground, thereby exposing the stuffing. He comes up biting either a live chicken or the intestine of a goat. This signals the beginning of Mayana Kollai. People who have had their prayers answered, start throwing up grains, fruits, biscuits etc towards the other people in the crowd who collect these in towels or upper garments. People gather the Putru Mannu in a cloth and tie it up above their front door or sprinkle it in their fields for a better harvest.

A priest during Mayana Kollai (Photo Courtesy: The New Indian Express)

In this temple, Mayana Kollai used to be conducted at the Krishnampet Burial Ground. However, due to traffic and other political challenges, they are now performing the Mayanakollai within the temple itself. This year's Mayanakollai will be performed on February 20th, 2020.

"This temple symbolises the harmony with which people of all religions have been living in Chintadripet", says the priest. Just what is needed in our country today!

Updated on 9.2.2020 - Sharing an article from Vikatan titled "Enga Kula Saami" where famous psychiatriast of Chennai, Dr R K Rudhran, speaks about the temple and its glory. He says, "In my young days, I have seen the temple being spread over four streets whereas now all that remains is the small shrine. Other than a small house for the Poosari, no other buildings were found on this road. My father was a Tamil Scholar from Narasingapuram (where Ritchie Street stands now) and this is our family deity. Even people who have migrated to other countries from Chintadripet come here to pray during Sivarathri and Mayana Kollai. The priests and the devotees worship both the deity and the Dargah with the same amount of devotion. Taking the blessings of your family deity before starting anything new, is like taking the blessings of all your ancestors. When I was in medical school, I had to also earn to support my studies and the family. So I drew advertisement banners in the evenings and during day, I attended college. When I first purchased a stethoscope, I placed it before her, praying that she should guide me and my patients in getting relief. Today I am a successful doctor because of her grace".

The Vikatan article in Tamil:

How to get here:

The Angala Parameswari Temple is found on Venkata Gramani Street. off Arunachalam Road, in Chintadripet.

Temple Timings:

The temple is open from 7 am to 10 pm in the morning and from 5 pm to 8 pm in the evening.

Muthuservamadam Varadaraja Perumal

2020-01-27T23:28:00.001+05:30

Varadaraja Perumal Temple, Muthuservamadam

I first heard about Muthuservamadam about 18 months ago, when Kaushik Ramachandran, a long term patron and volunteer of Aalayam Kanden Trust mentioned it to me. He sent me pictures of a dilapidated brick temple, with the Varadaraja Swamy and his consorts covered in lime plaster and asked me if I could visit and help create awareness and support for the temple.

Dilapidated state of the Varadaraja Perumal Temple, Muthuservamadam 18 months ago

He further mentioned that the youth from the village were very eager in getting the temple up and running and this really warmed my heart. However, my tight schedule did not allow me to visit the temple immediately. This year round, when I went home for Pongal, I was determined to visit.

The Varadaraja Perumal, Muthuservamadam covered in lime plaster earlier

Muthuservamadam is about a kilometre away from NH 36, flanked by Gangaikondacholapuram and Meensurutti. Despite being so close to the tourist map, it is a pity that this temple has had poor patronage and has fallen into ruins. One look at the arch that welcomes us gives an idea of how magnificent this temple would have looked during its "achche din".

The huge arch at the entrace of the Varadaraja Perumal Temple, Muthuservamadam

The temple had been closed for worship for as long as forty years. The mahamandapa and the temple campus had turned into a convenient den for the men in and around the village to drink and make merry. A team of committed youth from the village, with the guidance of a few village elders decided three years ago that they were going to turn the temple around, and bring it back to worship. A lot has been achieved during this time. Whatever repairs and renovations have been carried out, have been done, without further damaging the stucco or icons wherever they are. While this might not look visibly pretty, the intention of the villagers to retain as much of the antiquity as they can, must be appreciated.

Repairs in progress currently at the Varadaraja Perumal Temple, Muthuservamadam

The temple has over 80 acres of land, all being cultivated by individuals who do not give anything in return to the temple. However, the youth had been able to garner the support of the villagers in collecting funds to first clear the temple and its shrines of garbage and spruce up the pillars and the main vimana (now looks like a gopuram in Brahadeswara temple style). The deities - Garuda and Hanuman have been removed from their broken down shrines and placed in the sanctum along with Varadaraja Swamy and his consorts.

The vimanam being redone without removing the stucco idols therein

The main deity Varadaraja Swamy, belonging to the 12th century CE had originally been covered with lime plaster and painted. So were his consorts and dwarapalakas. However, now the lime plaster which was already peeling off, has been scrapped out completely. The idols are dry and pale, due to lack of attention.

Varadaraja Perumal, Muthuservamadam

There is a very beautiful Hanuman of probably the 14th or 15th CE with one leg folded behind him, and the other leg bent forward. A small Garudalwar probably of the same period as the main deity is also found.

Hanuman at the Varadaraja Perumal Temple, Muthuservamadam

The Mahamandapa is in the unique Vavval Nethi mandapa style (shaped like a bat's forehead) - a unique form popularized by the chola architects. Very few temples have this form of architecture, which was specialised only by a few. During the renovation, the pillared portions of either sides of the Vavval Nethi Mandapam have been straightened out as there are no artisans currently available to recreate it.

Vavval Nethi Mandapam in Varadaraja Perumal Temple, Muthuservamadam

A gate has also been installed to ensure the safety of the deities. Going around the campus, one cannot but admire the magnificence of the laterite brick wall around it. Each laterite brick measures and weighs atleast twice as that of a regular brick.

The beautiful Matapalli at the temple

The villagers are determined to complete the kumbabhishegam of the temple this summer. All they need is to complete the flooring and repair the walls around, the cost of which has been estimated at around Rs.7,50,000. The villagers are sure if there were inscriptions in the temple, as many of them had only visited the temple for the first time, about three years ago. If they had been there, they are probably lost to time.

The sprawling campus of the Varadaraja Perumal Temple, Muthuservamadam

They appeal to the benevolent public to support them with any historical or epigraphic evidence about the temple, that will help them in creating awareness and raising funds for the temple. Any uzhavarapani kuzhus that are willing and open to do uzhavaram in Perumal temples may please help in clearing the vegetation at the temple. I find it extremely disappointing that uzhavarapani, the noble act of clearing vegetation and sprucing up the temples is most often restricted to Shiva temples. With all due respect, I would urge these noble people to kindly go beyond these self-imposed restrictions and extend their services to deserving Perumal temples as well - after all, "Hariyum Sivanum Onru", isn't it?

The village volunteer team at Muthuservamadam

The youth of the village are eager and enthusiastic and with a little bit of support - in material, money, manpower and mentorship, they will be able to keep the temple up and running!! If you are one of those people who are desirous of empowering them to do this, please do get in touch with Mr Manikandan whose coordinates are given below.

Any help you can offer to this beautiful temple, is worth its weight in gold!

The doorway at the Varadaraja Perumal Temple, Muthuservamadam

How to reach here:

Muthuservamadam is 3 kms from Gangaikondacholapuram and 5 kms from Meensurutty and Jayamkondam respectively.

GPS Coordinates of the temple: 11.222853, 79.462087

Temple timings: At the moment since the temple is under Balalayam, it can be visited at any time during the day, after giving prior intimation.

Contact details: Manikandan - +91 78710 02298

Chinna Mandali - The place where Nataraja Pathu was born

2019-11-21T22:56:00.000+05:30

With the team of volunteers at Chinna Mandali

Usually, articles in the Aalayam Kanden blogs describe an ancient/unique temple. But for the first time, here is an article on an entire village - Chinna Mandali! In fact, not just one, but two! So, you can well imagine the significance of this village.

Chinna Mandali is situated on the banks of the river Koovam. This predominantly agricultural village has been known as Sezhumanavai, Sirumanavai, Sirumanavur and Sirimavur during different times. The village has six temples in close vicinity to each another - Niranjeeswarar, Adhi Kesava Perumal, Ishta Siddhi Vinayakar, Aruramman, Selliamman, and Periyapalayathamman. The Nallathur Amman temple is found on the border between Chinna Mandali and the next village. Although the village and its temples enjoy very little external patronage, it is indeed a delight to find these temples extremely clean, well maintained and efficiently managed, the credit for which goes to the enthusiastic villagers.

Niranjeeswarar Temple:

Niranjeeswarar Temple, Chinna Mandali

This seems to be the oldest based on the antiquities still found in the temple. This temple had been in a dilapidated condition for a very long time and was renovated in the year 2000 CE. The main deity, Niranjeeswara is huge and is found with two mild impressions on the top portion. They say the moorthy is Swayambu. Goddess Maragathavalli is found in a seperate shrine.

Lord Niranjeeswara (originally Kachaleeswara) of Chinna Mandali

There are shrines for Ganesha, Dakshinamoorthy, Durgai, Chandikeswarar and Murugan, apart from Hanuman and the Naalvar found in alcoves. Mr Selvaraj Mudaliar, who had been instrumental in the renovation of this temple, was an ardent devotee of Ramalinga Adigalar, and hence, he too, features in an alcove. A Nataraja of recent times is found in a shrine covered by a rolling shutter, only to be opened on Arudhra Darishanam day. The temple has a huge temple tank, extending close to 3 acres, in need to repair and maintenance.

The huge temple tank that is in need for restoration and maintenance

On first look, the temple looks non-descript. However, some stones have been preserved from the older version of the temple and these have a story to tell. A Kotravai with a deer vahana, referred to as "Paai Kalai Paavai" in Sangam literature, is found on one of the stones. This Kotravai belonging to the 6th Century CE as estimated by the experts, is seen wearing a crown of flames and has weapons such as dagger, trident, spear and bow in crudely carved six arms, She is also seen holding a parrot in one of her arms. Her right forearm is placed on the hip and she is found in Samabhanga form. At her feet, is a soldier on the verse of performing Navakandam - a practice of cutting one's body in nine places, and offering the flesh to the Goddess and then finally cutting his head himself, so that his King is able to win in the war.

6th Century Kotravai in the Niranjeeswarar temple Chinna Mandali

There is another stone plastered to the ground. This stone has sun and moon symbols on the outer side, depicting a grant made to the temple. The other side is too close to the wall and hence cannot be read. A Hero stone depicting a man with folded arms and his wife is seen next to this stone. An "Aazhikkal" with the Chanku - Chakra - Namam symbols depicting a grant made to a Vishnu temple is also seen. There are three stones that have been fused to form a stone bench. These stones have inscriptions in them as well. It is difficult to inteprete whether these stones originally belonged to the temple or were brought from other locations in the village. The villagers say that since this was a Telugu speaking area in the past, a number of Telugu inscriptions were found at the base of the temple, which have all been plastered in while raising the pathway at the time of renovation!!

Hero stone in Chinna Mandali Niranjeeswarar temple

Inscriptions in the Niranjeeswarar Temple:

Three inscriptions have been published in the Annual Report on Epigraphy 1944.

1. 170/1944 - This inscription found on the North and West walls of the erstwhile central shrine of the temple mentions the 5th Day of the Tamil month of Adi, in Virodhi year, refers to the diety as Sirumanavur Kachalaai Eswara and records a gift of land by Panchi Tiruvanada Nayaka, the amaram officer of Tupakula Krishnappa Nayaka. From this, we come to know that the deity had been earlier referred to as Kachaleeswara and is now called Niranjeeswara.

2. 171/1944 - This inscription from Saka year 1690 (1768 CE), Tamil Year Sarvadhari, 21st Day of the month of Chithirai, Friday, Throyadasi Thithi, Hastham star had been found on the east wall of the Vinayakar Mandapa in the old temple. Now there is no such mandapa and hence this inscription has become part of the slabs forming the stone bench. It states that the image of Ishta Siddhi Vinayaka was set up by Kandappan, son of Nagappa Mudali, who was the Muddirai Karta of Raghavanayan Muttu Veera Bhadra Nayaka of Tondaimandalam.

Ishta Siddhi Vinayaka of Chinna Mandali

This Ishta Siddhi Vinayaka is now found in a seperate temple. The Ishta Siddhi Vinayakar Temple also has a number of Telugu inscriptions in fragments, covered by a heavy coat of oil paint, making it impossible to decipher.

3. 172/1944 - A seperate slab inscription that had been set up on the east side of the temple, this refers again to the same Kandappa Mudali, son of Nagappa Mudali, who had set up a well for this temple. The villagers recall this large well quite vividly and they say it had been closed a few decades ago, as it had dried up. This inscription is also part of the stone bench now.

The Kachaleeswara temple, came to be known as the Niranjeeswara temple over the years, also had a beautiful bronze Nataraja. However, this seems to be have been stolen/removed from the temple, while it had remained dilapidated and unpatronised for several years. No one has any records or information when this actually happened, but when the temple was being renovated, they have made another Nataraja in its place.It is this Nataraja that motivated Sirumanavur Munisawmy Mudaliar to sing the Nataraja Paththu in praise of him. The Nataraja Paththu is a very popular hymn, set to a catchy tune that is recited by a large number of devotees of Lord Shiva, especially during Arudhra Darisanam.

Sirumanavur Munisawmy Mudaliar, the author of Nataraja Paththu
(Photo Courtesy: Mr D Moorthi, Chinna Mandali)

The phrase Eesane, Sivakami Nesane, Enaiyalum Thillai Natarajane is repeated at the end of each hymn making it easy to memorize. While some say the hymn had been inspired by the Nataraja of Thiruvalangadu, not far from here, others think it was the Nataraja at Nallur that had inspired Munisamy Mudaliar. The villagers are categoric in their opinion that Munisawmy Mudaliar had spent several years in his native village, especially in the shrines of Niranjeeswara and Aruramma, and therefore, the Nataraja Paththu had indeed been born here. During Arudhra Darisanam, hundreds of devotees throng the Niranjeeswara Temple to sing the Nataraja Paththu and worship Lord Nataraja. Munisawmy Mudaliar had also sung the Aruramman Thothiram in praise of the powerful Aruramma in this village.

Listen to the Nataraja Patthu by clicking on the play button
(Courtesy: You Tube)

To know in detail about the super talented polymath Sirumanavur Munisawmy Mudaliar, please clink the link to access the article I wrote in my other blog, Thresholds of History.

Aruramma Temple

Among the three female deities of Chinna Mandali, Aruramma is the most patronized. The bust of Aruramma is found in stone in the sanctum with a larger idol of the goddess made of lime mortar (sudhai) for the devotees to worship from a distance, . The Aruramma Jathra is a very famous and popular festival in Chinna Mandali. Celebrated during the months of May - June (during the fourteen hottest days of the year known as Kaththiri) the festival aims to please the Goddess so that the heat comes down, there is no outbreak of epidemic and the rains begin for the next agricultural season.

Watch the Aruramma Jathra by clicking the play button above

Courtesy: You Tube and Captain TV

The first eight days (starting and ending with Sundays) of the Jathra are dedicated to Goddess Aruramma. On the first day, the whole village comes together to offer Pongal to the deity and the tying of "Kaapu" - a sacred thread denotes the commencement of the festival period. During these days, a Karagam decorated as Aruramma is carried out through the village. This deity is placed under a neem tree and is worshipped for the entire duration of the festival. On the eighth day, a unique ritual is carried out at 6 pm in the evening. Men and women roll coconuts on the ground around the temple. Every time they roll the coconut, they fall on the ground to prostrate. They then get up, collect their coconut, roll it again and continue the process until they have gone round the temple.

Aruramman Chinna Mandali

Women complete their offerings in neem sarees while men smear turmeric paste on their torsos, wear garlands across their chest, and sport big bindis on their foreheads and cheeks. They line up for yet another unique ritual called " Pakka Vaar Kuthuthal" (piercing their sides with a needle). A priest pierces the skin under the ribs on the sides, with a needle and thread and this is said to relieve people from physical and mental ailments. There are cultural programmes, and singing through the night and the next morning, the makeshift amman is carried in a procession through the village and left at the end of the village.

Selliamman Temple
Selliamman temples are often Sapthamathrika shrines found near water bodies. However, in Chinna Mandali, Selliamman is found as a single deity and the Nallathuramman temple at the end of the village, is where we find sapthamatrikas.

Goddess Selliamman

A day after the Aruramma Jathra ends, the Selliamman Jathra commences. The deity from Nallathuramman temple is brought to the Selliamman temple and is placed within the sanctum. The Selliamman is then brought outside under the Neem tree and the Kalyana Utsavam is performed. The whole of that night, puffed rice is sprinkled on the deity. On the Wednesday, in the afternoon, Selliamman is taken on a procession to the "Padayal Seer" ritual. During this ritual, the villagers offer various produce from their fields to the Goddess. Plates of fruits, vegetables, different types of variety rice are all offered by the devotees as Seer. That night, Selliamman is placed in the Aruramma temple, where cultural programmes are conducted. The next morning, Selliamman returns to her temples and Nallathuramman goes back.

The village also has a Adhikesava Perumal Temple next to the Ishta Siddhi Vinayakar Temple as well as a Periyapalayathamman temple, to cater to the needs of those families for whom Bhavaniamman of Periyapalayam is the family deity. Despite being away from the tourist map, with very little patronage from outside, the villagers take utmost care in ensuring the temples are clean, well-maintained and all festivals are carried out in a proper manner.

Adhikesava Perumal in Chinna Mandali with Thayar and Andal as Dwarapalikas

The temples are in need of both financial and non-financial support. The financial support would go a long way in maintaining the temples in the village, while the villagers are also looking for volunteers who can help them in gathering more information about the village.

To send your donations, please use the bank information below:

Account Name: A/M Maragathavalli Sametha Shri Niranjeeswarar Trust
Bank: Indian Overseas Bank
Branch: Perambakkam
IFSC Code: IOBA0003438
Account Number 343801000006728
Pan No AAGTA4842C
Email niranjeeswarartrust@gmail.com

If you wish to contribute in kind, please get in touch with Mr Moorthi in the number mentioned below. Om Namah Shivaya!

How to get here: While proceeding from Chennai, turn right after Saveetha University at Empee Distilleries. On the Arakkonam - Perambakkam - Thakkolam highway , proceed through Irulanjeri and Sahayathottam - Don Bosco college of Agriculture to reach Chinna Mandali.

Timing: The priest at the Niranjeeswarar temple is available only between 4.30 to 6 pm. At other times, the deities may still be worshipped through support from the villagers.

Contact Person: Mr D Moorthi 99659 36221, 70947 91520, 93610 52748

The Twin Devis of Srirangapatna

2019-10-03T22:57:00.000+05:30

The River Cauvery

The island of Srirangapatna lies about 18 kilometres from Mahisuru (Mysore), the land of Mahishasura, the demon who had been killed by Goddess Chamundeswari after a battle that lasted nine nights that are celebrated as Navarathri around the world. The tenth day is commemorated as Vijaya Dasami, symbolising the victory of good over evil.

According to mythology, Lord Vishnu manifested at Srirangapatna as Sri Ranganatha to fulfill the prayers of River Cauvery and revealed himself to Sage Gauthama who consecrated him with Cauvery sitting by his feet. This shrine came to be known as Adiranga. Further down the course of the river, Ranganathaswamy has been consecrated at Shivanasamudra popularly known as Madhya Ranga and Srirangam known as Antyaranga. While the Ranganathaswamy temple (Seringapatam as known during the British times) is the largest and most popular in Srirangapatna, the temples of Nimishamba and Kshanambika draw a huge number of devotees.

Nimishamba Devi:

Sri Nimishamba Temple, Srirangapatna

Srirangapatna had been divided into Pette (the industrial area) and Kotte (fort area). Pette area is now known as Ganjam and the Nimishamba Devi temple is found on the banks of the river Cauvery.

King Muktharaja of the Soma Vamsha Aryakshatriya ruler was well respected and loved by his subjects as he was fair, pious and people-centric. He was an ardent devotee of Devi Parvathi. An asura named Janusumandala was envious of Muktharaja and took upon himself to disturb him and his people in every possible way. The harassed citizens appealed to King Muktharaja to save them from Janusumandala.

The King tried all possible ways to get rid of Janusumandala, but was not successful. This made the asura increase the frequency of his attacks which caused havoc to people and property. The frustrated king appealed to Goddess Parvathi to help him put an end to the demon. He performed a yagna to seek the intervention of the Devi. Goddess Parvathy appeared before Janusumandala in a minute. She closed her eyes and opened them and the Asura was reduced to ashes. King Muktharaja was relieved and the people rejoiced. Because the Goddess appeared to the rescue of her ardent devotee in a minute, she came to be known as Nimishamba Devi.

The temple of Nimishamba Devi

The Goddess installed a linga on the banks of the river Kaveri and worshipped him to overcome the dosha of killing Janusumandala. This deity came to be known as Mouthikeswara.

The temple of Nimishamba Devi has been fully modernised. It is usually very crowded and on weekends it can take over an hour to worship her. She is found in a seated posture, with a powerful Sri Chakra Yantra installed before her. Temples following the Sri Vidhya school of tantric worship have the Sri Chakra Yantram which is a mystic representation of the Devi through nine interlocked triangles with a central Bindu. Chanting the relevant mantras before the Srichakra is said to help devotees achieve their rightful prayers in a minute.

Goddess Nimishamba is found underneath a Dharma Chakra which serves as her umbrella. Her upper hands hold the Trishul and Damaru and the lower hands are seen in Abhaya and Varada Hasta. Mouthikeswara and Lord Lakshmi Narayana are found in adjacent shrines. Devotees firmly believe their prayers get answered quite immediately on worshipping Goddess Nimishamba and throng the temple in large numbers especially during Nimishamba Jayanthi which is celebrated on Vaikashi Shuddha Dasami each year and during Navaratri and Full moon days. The version of the temple as it exists now is said to have been renovated by Mummadi Krishnaraja Wodeyar in the early 18th Century and then subsequently modernised.

The rustic beauty of Nimishamba Temple

Devotees offer lemons to the deity which are placed on the Sri Chakra and then returned to the devotee. Consuming the lemon or letting it into running water as advised by the priest based on the type of prayer, is said to be very beneficial. The temple is open continuously from 6.30 am to 8.30 pm at night and on special days it opens as early as 4.30 am.

Kshanambika Devi

The temple of Kshanambika Devi

The Kshanambika Shrine, found within the Jothi Maheswara temple is relatively smaller and lesser known when compared to the Nimishamba temple. It is found inside the fort area quite close to the main entrance.

The Goddess is known as Kshanambika as she grants the desires of the devotees instantly (within seconds). Kshanambika Devi is found in a sanctum sanctorum, with a Sri Chakra Yantra installed in front of her and is also called Srichakra Vedanayaki Ammanavaru. Apart from the mystic design of the Sri Yantram the stone also has mantras inscribed on it.

Sri Chakra Vedanayaki Kshanambika Devi

According to the priest at the temple, devotees who are desirous of having their wishes fulfilled, circumambulate around the temple while focussing on their prayers and wishes and if the desires are genuine, then they are granted quite instantly. He says in case of delayed marriage proposals, several devotees have found a positive response or connection even before leaving the temple.

The Srichakram with inscription

The temple also has a seperate shrine for Lord Jothi Maheswara as well as for Sangameswara swamy and Jagajyoti Basaveswara, the founder of the Veera Shaiva Lingayat tradition. His vachanas have been inscribed on the walls of the temple, that has been originally built in Hoysala style.

The Basaveswara Shrine

A lot of people having realised the significance of the Kshanambika temple have started visiting here and the patronage is slowly picking up. The temple is still in need of resources and contributions are welcome. It is open between 8.30 to 11.30 am and 5.30 to 8 pm.

Panchamukhi Gayatri

So, how quickly do you want your prayers answered?