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Swamimalai Sri Swaminathar

2011-07-07T02:33:26Z

Shivangi Khanna:

{{Author|Saravanan Iyer}}

[[image:2SSS1.jpg|thumb]]
[[image:2SSS2.jpg|thumb]]

Swamimalai is located 7 kilometers from Kumbakonam. Swamimalai is one of the Aru Padai Veedu Temples for Lord Muruga (Sri Swaminathaswamy), who is the main deity here. Nakkeerar in his Thirumurugaatruppadai and Arunagirinathar in his Thiruppugazh have written hymns in praise of Lord Muruga here. This temple is associated with the legend of Lord Muruga re-initiating his father Shiva by teaching him the Pranava Manthra - Omkara and its meaning.

==Temple Creation==
This temple is built on an artificially-made small hill, reached through a plight of 60 steps denoting 60 Tamil years. Facing the sanctum is an elephant instead of a peacock, which is unusual in Lord Muruga temples.
Sri Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple at the foot hill is said to have been built by the Pandya ruler Varaguna Pandyan from Madurai. The golden chariot is taken in procession on special occasions here. The stala vriksham is the Nellimaram and this tree is said to be a manifestation of Bhudevi.

==Lord Shiva & Naming==
According to mythology, Saint Bhrugu, before commencing a penance, received the boon that whoever disturbs his meditation will lose all his knowledge and wisdom. Due to the power of his penance, a sacred fire emanated from his head and reached up to the heavens, which frightened the Devas. They surrendered to Lord Shiva praying to save them. The Lord extinguished the sacred fire by covering the saint's head by hand.

As Lord Shiva disturbed the penance, he lost all his knowledge or Gnana and is said to have regained them by learning the Pranava mantra from Lord Muruga at this shrine. Once when Brahma, the creator, was proceeding to Kailasa, the playful child Lord Muruga asked him for the meaning of the Pranava Manthra "OM". When Brahma admitted that he did not know it, Muruga imprisoned him. As a result, all creations came to a standstill and the Devas prayed to Lord Shiva to get Brahma released. Lord Muruga insisted that the imprisonment was a right punishment for the ignorance of Brahma. Lord Shiva asked Muruga whether he himself knew the meaning of Pranava Manthra.

Lord Muruga said that he knew the meaning of OM and could teach the same to Lord Shiva, provided if the latter can accept him as his Guru and listen to him with full devotion and Bhakthi. Lord Shiva agreed and listened to him obediently as a disciple whilst Lord Muruga taught him the meaning of the Pranava Manthra. As Lord Muruga became a Guru to the Swami (Lord Shiva) himself, the place came to be known as Swamimalai and the presiding deity as Swaminathan.

'''Temple Address :'''

Arulmigu Swaminatha Swami Temple, Swamimalai - 612 302. Thanjavur district. Tamil Nadu.

[[Category:Temple]]

Thiruvalanchuzhi Sri Swetha Vinayakar

2011-07-07T02:32:34Z

Shivangi Khanna:

{{Author|Saravanan Iyer}}

[[image:TSSV1.jpg|thumb]]
[[image:TSSV2.jpg|thumb]]
[[image:TSSV3.jpg|thumb]]

Sri Vellai Pillaiyar (Swetha Vinayakar or Nuraippillaiyaar) Temple is located in Thiruvalanchuzhi, a village located just 6 kilometers near Kumbakonam, Tamilnadu in India. Swetha Vinayakar, a white colored statue of Ganesha, is the deity of worship in this temple.

Located on route to Swamimalai from Kumbakonam, Lord Ganesha is a feast to watch at Thiruvalanchuzhi.

==Lord Ganesha==
Although this is a temple for Lord Shiva, Swetha Vinayakar is the important deity of Thiruvalanchuzhi. Legend has it that the Devas, forgot to worship Lord Ganesha before starting to churn the "Paarkadal" (Ksheera Saagaram). Hence, they were only able to get the Alakala Poison out of it. Indra, king of Devas, later realized that they were only able to get the poison because they had not worshipped Ganesha prior to starting their mission.

Lord Indra created this idol out of the foam (Kadal Nurai) generated from the milky ocean (Ksheera Saagaram) they had churned in their quest for the celestial nectar Amrudham. After they worshipped this idol made of foam (Nurai in Tamil), they were able to obtain the Amrudham from the Ocean. As the deity is made of the foam, there is no Abhishegam etc., performed here.

==Naming==
Durvasa Muni is said to have carried out a yagnam here, and the Devas who attended it are said to have established several Siva Lingams in this temple. As the trunk of Lord Ganesha is twisted towards his right hand side, the place is said to have got the name "Thiru Valam Suzhi".

It is also believed that the Kaveri River had once gone back into the earth, and people were worried of the consequences without the existence of this holy river. Heranda Muni, a Rishi, went inside the small passage where River Kaveri disappeared inside Bhumi, goddess of the Earth, and sacrificed himself. After this incident River Kaveri came back to the surface near this shrine and made a complete circle towards the right. Hence, the village got the name Thiruvalanchuzhi.

==Art & Sculpture==
There are several interesting sculptural features in this vast temple. Inscriptions reveal that Raja Raja Cholan had made several endowments here. There are also inscriptions from the period of Parantaka Chola I.

There are various quotes in history about the sculptures of this temple. There is a huge window-like structure carved out of a single stone which is facing Lord Ganesha. It is said that we must get Dharshan of Lord Ganesha through this window. Additionally, the ancient sculptors, when they approach the Kings to demonstrate their skills and to get an opportunity to work for the kings, used to tell the king that with the exception of the window of Thiruvalanchuzhi temple, they can do any kind of sculpture, thus proving the magnificence of this structure.

[[Category:Temple]]

Swamimalai Sri Swaminathar

2011-07-06T04:28:18Z

Shivangi Khanna:

{{Author|Saravanan Iyer}}

[[image:2SSS1.jpg|thumb]]
[[image:2SSS2.jpg|thumb]]

Swamimalai is located 7 kilometers from Kumbakonam. Swamimalai is one of the Aru Padai Veedu Temples for Lord Muruga (Sri Swaminathaswamy), who is the main deity here. Nakkeerar in his Thirumurugaatruppadai and Arunagirinathar in his Thiruppugazh have written hymns in praise of Lord Muruga here. This temple is associated with the legend of Lord Muruga re-initiating his father Shiva by teaching him the Pranava Manthra - Omkara and its meaning.

==Temple History & Legends==
===Temple Creation===
This temple is built on an artificially-made small hill, reached through a plight of 60 steps denoting 60 Tamil years. Facing the sanctum is an elephant instead of a peacock, which is unusual in Lord Muruga temples.
Sri Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple at the foot hill is said to have been built by the Pandya ruler Varaguna Pandyan from Madurai. The golden chariot is taken in procession on special occasions here. The stala vriksham is the Nellimaram and this tree is said to be a manifestation of Bhudevi.

===Lord Shiva & Naming===
According to mythology, Saint Bhrugu, before commencing a penance, received the boon that whoever disturbs his meditation will lose all his knowledge and wisdom. Due to the power of his penance, a sacred fire emanated from his head and reached up to the heavens, which frightened the Devas. They surrendered to Lord Shiva praying to save them. The Lord extinguished the sacred fire by covering the saint's head by hand.

As Lord Shiva disturbed the penance, he lost all his knowledge or Gnana and is said to have regained them by learning the Pranava mantra from Lord Muruga at this shrine. Once when Brahma, the creator, was proceeding to Kailasa, the playful child Lord Muruga asked him for the meaning of the Pranava Manthra "OM". When Brahma admitted that he did not know it, Muruga imprisoned him. As a result, all creations came to a standstill and the Devas prayed to Lord Shiva to get Brahma released. Lord Muruga insisted that the imprisonment was a right punishment for the ignorance of Brahma. Lord Shiva asked Muruga whether he himself knew the meaning of Pranava Manthra.

Lord Muruga said that he knew the meaning of OM and could teach the same to Lord Shiva, provided if the latter can accept him as his Guru and listen to him with full devotion and Bhakthi. Lord Shiva agreed and listened to him obediently as a disciple whilst Lord Muruga taught him the meaning of the Pranava Manthra. As Lord Muruga became a Guru to the Swami (Lord Shiva) himself, the place came to be known as Swamimalai and the presiding deity as Swaminathan.

'''Temple Address :'''

Arulmigu Swaminatha Swami Temple, Swamimalai - 612 302. Thanjavur district. Tamil Nadu.

[[Category:Temple]]

Thiruvalanchuzhi Sri Swetha Vinayakar

2011-07-06T04:00:03Z

Shivangi Khanna:

{{Author|Saravanan Iyer}}

[[image:TSSV1.jpg|thumb]]
[[image:TSSV2.jpg|thumb]]
[[image:TSSV3.jpg|thumb]]

Sri Vellai Pillaiyar (Swetha Vinayakar or Nuraippillaiyaar) Temple is located in Thiruvalanchuzhi, a village located just 6 kilometers near Kumbakonam, Tamilnadu, India. Swetha Vinayakar, a white colored statue of Ganesha, is the deity of worship in this temple.

==Temple History & Legends==
===Lord Ganesha===
Although this is a temple for Lord Shiva, Swetha Vinayakar is the important deity of Thiruvalanchuzhi. Legend has it that the Devas, forgot to worship Lord Ganesha before starting to churn the "Paarkadal" (Ksheera Saagaram). Hence, they were only able to get the Alakala Poison out of it. Indra, king of Devas, later realized that they were only able to get the poison because they had not worshipped Ganesha prior to starting their mission.

Lord Indra created this idol out of the foam (Kadal Nurai) generated from the milky ocean (Ksheera Saagaram) they had churned in their quest for the celestial nectar Amrudham. After they worshipped this idol made of foam (Nurai in Tamil), they were able to obtain the Amrudham from the Ocean. As the deity is made of the foam, there is no Abhishegam etc., performed here.

Located on route to Swamimalai from Kumbakonam, Lord Ganesha is a feast to watch at Thiruvalanchuzhi.

===Naming===
Durvasa Muni is said to have carried out a yagnam here, and the Devas who attended it are said to have established several Siva Lingams in this temple. As the trunk of Lord Ganesha is twisted towards his right hand side, the place is said to have got the name "Thiru Valam Suzhi".

It is also believed that the Kaveri River had once gone back into the earth, and people were worried of the consequences without the existence of this holy river. Heranda Muni, a Rishi, went inside the small passage where River Kaveri disappeared inside Bhumi, goddess of the Earth, and sacrificed himself. After this incident River Kaveri came back to the surface near this shrine and made a complete circle towards the right. Hence, the village got the name Thiruvalanchuzhi.

===Art & Sculpture===
There are several interesting sculptural features in this vast temple. Inscriptions reveal that Raja Raja Cholan had made several endowments here. There are also inscriptions from the period of Parantaka Chola I.

There are various quotes in history about the sculptures of this temple. There is a huge window-like structure carved out of a single stone which is facing Lord Ganesha. It is said that we must get Dharshan of Lord Ganesha through this window. Additionally, the ancient sculptors, when they approach the Kings to demonstrate their skills and to get an opportunity to work for the kings, used to tell the king that with the exception of the window of Thiruvalanchuzhi temple, they can do any kind of sculpture, thus proving the magnificence of this structure.

[[Category:Temple]]

Ayyavadi Sri Maha Prathyangira Devi

2011-05-22T22:47:30Z

Shivangi Khanna:

{{Author|Saravanan Iyer}}

[[image:ASMPD1.jpg|thumb]]

This temple, dedicated to Sri Maha Prathyangira Devi, is situated in a small village called Ayyavadi around 6 kilometers from Kumbakonam.
Ayyavadi is located just 500 meters from the Uppiliappan temple. According to legends, the 5 Pandavas visited this place, kept their weapons under a tree, worshipped Sri Maha Prathyangira Devi and roamed the forests. It is believed that this village was called as Aivar Padi during the time the five Pandavas worshipped here, which later changed to Ayyavadi.

Lord Vishnu took the Narasimha Avatar to kill the demon king Hiranyakasipu, the father of Prahalada. The fierce Narasimha's anger did not subside even after killing Hiranyakasipu. Lord Narasimha began to disturb everyone, so the people prayed to Lord Shiva to save them.

Lord Shiva took a new and more powerful form (or Avatar) as Sarabeswara, with a lion's face and eagle's wings. Shakthi accompanied Lord Shiva in the form of Sri Mahaprathyangira Devi seated on one of the wings of Sri Sarabeswara. Sarabeswarara went and subsided Narasimha's anger to bring back peace. Hence both Sri Mahaprathyangira Devi and Sri Sarabeswara are believed to be more powerful.

In the Ramayana, Indrajit, the son of Ravana, performed a Yaga called "Nigumbalai Yagam" in which he worshipped Sri Maha Prathyangira Devi. It is believed he performed the Yagna from this Ayyavadi temple. If he had completed the Yaga successfully, he would have gotten the powers to kill Rama.

But somehow it was spoiled by Lakshmana and Anjaneya before completion. Here the Devi is seated on the chariot with 4 lions, 8 arms with weapons possessing Lion's face. Sri Maha Prathyangira Devi's worship will take away all evil forces and unsolvable problems from one's life. In this temple Homams are conducted every Full moon day and No moon day, after which huge volumes of Red Chillies are offered to the Goddess.

Sri Maha Prathyangira Devi is an important Goddess in Shakthi worship. There is a Gayatri Mantra as well for worshipping Sri Maha Prathyangira Devi. Ayyavadi temple is a rare and wonderful temple for Shakthi Devotees.

[[Category:Temple]]

Aadhanippakkam Sri Nandheeswarar

2011-05-09T23:01:04Z

Shivangi Khanna:

{{Author|Saravanan Iyer}}

[[image:ASN1.jpg|thumb]]
[[image:ASN2.jpg|thumb]]

This ancient temple is located in Chennai near the St. Thomas Mount. The main deity is Sri Nandheeswarar and the Goddess is Sri Aavudai Nayagi (Gomathi in Sanskrit). Legend says there lived a Rishi named 'Bringi Munivar' in the nearby hill who was performing penance worshipping Lord Shiva. While 'Bringi' Rishi was residing there, the hill was referred to as 'Bringi Malai' which is today's 'Parangi Malai' or 'St. Thomas Mount'. Pleased by Bringi Rishi's worship, Lord Shiva gave him dharshan in the form of Nandhi in this holy place. Hence, the God here is known as Nandheeswarar.

During later days, the ruler of this land, a Chola king named "Aadhani Cholan", constructed this temple. As this territory was part of his kingdom, it was known as "Aadhanippakkam" which has become today's "Aadhambakkam". Located very close to the St. Thomas Mount Railway Station, this ancient, yet small and beautiful temple has a very holy ambience with ancient architecture and sculptures. There was a wall between Nandhi and the Sanctum Sanctorum which according to the Sastras is not good for the temple. Sri Chandrasekara Saraswathy, who is also called "Paramacharya", once visited this place and arranged to remove the obstructing wall between Nandhi and the main Diety.

Other deities located here are Pillaiyar, Sri Dhakshinamurthy, Maha Vishnu, Sri Durgai, Bairavar and Navagrahas. This temple attracts a huge crowd of devotees on Pradhosham days, as there are special poojas performed here promptly. The Bairavar here is also believed to be more powerful and a blessing for which many men and women pray to for marriage or child birth. This temple, although located amidst the crowded city, gives a feeling of bliss and provides peace of mind to de-stress ourselves from our demanding lives. This temple will be well worth the visit for devotees.

[[Category:Temple]]