This Shiva temple is located at Thiru Makkalam near Poonthotham (flower garden) in Thiruvarur district. It is on the Kumbhakonam-Karaikkal route. It is at a distance of 6 kms from Peralam on Mayiladuthurai-Thiruvarur route. The temple is at a distance of 1 km from Ambar Perum Thiru kovil. This is a Padal Pethra Sthalam on the southern bank of Kaveri revered by Shaiva Saint Sambandhar. It is a Mada Kovil built by King Kochengat Chola. The original temple must have existed even before the sixth century. As per the stone inscriptions the temple was built as a stone structure by Kulothanga Chola I in the tenth century. Later extensions were done by King Vikram Chola.
Moolavar: Shri Mahakalanathswamy, Shri Kalakandeshwarar
Devi: Shri Rajamatangi, Shri Iyanma, Shri BayaakshyaAmbika
Sacred Teerth: Amrut Vavi (well), Mahakal Theertha
Kshetra Vruksha: Marud Tree (Khair in Marathi), Karungkali, Marur (Kinjal in Marathi)
Historical Name: Indrapuri
Puranik Name: Kovilthirumakalan, Thiru-ambar-makalam
Kshetra Puran:
1. According to Puran, Sage Durvasa had two sons named Ambasuran and Amban. They were staunch worshipers of Lord Shiva and were blessed with various boons by Lord Shiva. They started misusing their powers and were terrorising common people. Under Lord Shiva’s instructions Goddess Kali took the form of a beautiful girl along with Lord Vishnu who took the form of an old man. On seeing the beautiful girl, the two brothers started fighting amongst themselves to marry her. In this fight Ambasuran was killed and the younger one was later killed by Goddess Kali at a place known as Ambakarathur near Ambal. She incurred Brahmahatya dosha and in order to get relieved of the dosha due to the killing of Amban she made a Shiva Linga and worshiped Lord Shiva at this place. Hence this place got the name Ambar Maakkalam.
2. According to Sthala puran, Matanga Maharshi worshiped Lord Shiva for child boon. He was blessed with a female child and he named her Rajamatangi. It is believed that at the proper time, Lord Shiva appeared before her and married her. She expressed her wish to Lord Shiva that she wanted to stay with him in wedding form at this place. She also expressed the wish that those who came here for removal of obstacles should be relieved of their obstacles.
3. Another puran is associated with Mahakal Maharishi. It is stated that Sage Mahakal Maharishi worshiped Lord Shiva at this place, hence the place got the name Makkalam and Lord Shiva is praised as Mahakalnathar.
4. According to the Sthala puran, there lived a brahmin named Vimalan at Kashi and he was childless. He visited various Shiva temples and prayed to Lord Shiva for a child boon. He started his pilgrimage to South India. Visited many Shiva temples and prayed to Lord Shiva. One day Lord appeared before him in the guise of an old man and suggested that he visit this temple and worship Lord Mahakalnathar. He also informed him that he will find Lord Vinayaka with a human head and Lord Muruga as a young child. He asked him to worship them also. He further stated that he will be blessed with a male child whom he has to name as Mahadevan. Vimalan did as directed by the Lord and was blessed with a male child.
5. According to the Sthala puran, this is the birth place of Saint Somayaji Mara Nayanar (Somasi Mara Nayanar). He lived at this place along with his wife Sushila and was fond of offering food to devotees of Lord Shiva. Once he wished to conduct Soma Yagnya on a large scale and wanted to invite Lord Thyagaraja of Thiruvarur. He knew that only Shaiva Saint Sundarar could bring Lord Thyagaraja to this place. As Sundarar was staying at this place he went to meet him. He found Sundarar suffering from a cold and a cough. He started sending a herbal medicine named Thoodhuvalai to Sundarar daily. After getting cured, Sundarar came to thank him. At that time Somasi Nayanar sought his help for the Yagnya. Sundarar agreed to bring Lord Thyagaraja to the Yagnya. When the news spread that Lord Thyagaraja will be attending the Yagnya, a large number of people including Sages and Vedic scholars gathered at the place where Yagnya was to be performed. Lord Shiva is believed to have appeared as a Chandala with four Vedas in the form of dogs and a dead calf on his shoulder. He was accompanied by Goddess Parvati with a pot on her head along with her sons Lord Vinayaka and Lord Muruga in the form of young children holding mother’s hand. The brahmin started feeling that something was wrong in conducting the Yagnya as an untouchable person had come to the place. Immediately most of them ran away. Somasi Nayanar welcomed the guest and explained to the gathering the real identity of the guest who had come in the disguise of a Chandala family. Somasi Nayanar and Sundarar worshiped Lord Shiva and continued the Yagnya. They offered havish (Avirbaham) to the guests. Later, Goddess Parvati and Lord Shiva along with Lord Vinayaka and Lord Muruga gave darshan to Somasi Mara Nayanar and Sundarar. Lord Shiva blessed Somasi Marar as a Naayanar. There is a small shrine of Lord Vinayaka where he is praised as Achhu Theertha Vinayaka. There is another small shrine where the Yagnya was believed to have been conducted. The two shrines are in between Ambar Maakkalam and Ambar Perum Thiru Kovil. Every year a Yagnya is conducted at that place. During this Yagnya the noon puja is not conducted at Lord Thyagaraja temple in Thiruvarur as it is believed that the Lord has come to this place.
6. It is believed that the serpent Vasuki worshiped Lord Shiva and was relieved of brahmahatya dosha at this place.
7. Nagakannika (kumari) worshiped Lord Shiva at this place. As a serpent (kalam in Tamil) worshiped at this place this place is praised as Maakkalam.
8. According to the Puran, Lord Indra was defeated by Samharsheelan. He prayed to Lord Shiva at this place and sought his help. Lord Shiva in the guise of Lord Bhairav (Sattainathar) defeated Samharsheelan and restored Lord Indra to his original position.
9. According to the puran, when Sage Vishwamitra was doing penance the devas tried to disturb his penance by asking Manmada to shoot an arrow at the sage. Angered by this act of devas, Sage Vishwamitra cursed Manmada. Lord Indra worshiped Lord Shiva at this place and got rid of the curse.
Those who worshiped at this place:
As this place was considered to be one of the Naimisharanyas, it is believed that Sage Vyasa, Sage Durvasa and Sapta Rishis worshiped Lord Shiva at this place. Lord Indra, Somasi Nayanar, Sundarar, Manmada, Goddess Kali, Matanga Maharishi, Sage Mahakala Maharshi, Vimalan, Vasuki, Nagakumarika and Sage Vishwamitra.
Special features:
1. It is a Mada kovil built by King Kochengat Chola.
2. Goddess Mohini is not touched by the hand of the priest as she is considered as an untouched body (Theendathirumeniin Tamil). A stick is used for alankar and garlanding her.
3. The idols of Adi Vinayaka and Lord Bala Muruga are with human faces.
4. The idol of Goddess Kali has a Shiva Linga on her hand.
5. Lord Subramanya is depicted with a bow and arrow.
6. There are three Mahakalnathar temples where Sage Mahakal has installed Shiva Linga. They are (a) This place, (b) Irumbai in Villupuram, (c ) At Ujjain
About temple:
The temple covers an area of 6 acres. There are several Gopurams with attractive stucco images. The temple is east facing with a five tiered Rajagopuram and has two prakarams. The Shiva Linga is a Swayambhu Linga facing the east. In between Ambar and Ambar Makkalam there is a Yaagshala built by Somasi Mara Nayanar. There is an idol of Chandala in the form of Lord Shiva in this temple. On the right side there is an Alankar Mandap in which there is the shrine of Lord Marudappar. Goddess Parvati graces from an east facing shrine. She is praised as Goddess BayaakshyaAmbika
Other shrines and idols in the prakaram:
Lord Vinayakar, Lord Subramanya with his consorts, Lord with his wife Neelottapalam Ambal, Lord Nataraja, Goddess Kali, Matanga Maharshi, Lord Dakshinamurti, Goddess Mahalakshmi, Lord Chandikeshwarar with Chandikeshwari, Lord Valmikanathar, Lord Shanishwarar, Lord Vishwanatha, Lord Dandapani, Moksha Linga, Lord Naganathar, Ishanya Linga, Jwaranivrutti Linga, Agastya Linga, Bana Linga, Lord Brahma, Lord Yoga Subramanya, Naga (serpents), 63 Naayanmars, Shaiva Saint Naalvar, Saint Somayaji Mara Nayanar with his wife Sushila, Navagraha. There is a shrine for serpent Vasuki and a shrine for Lord Sattainathar. Lord Subramanya has a bow and an arrow in his hands. The procession idols are very beautiful namely Katchikudautha Nayanar, Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati in the form of hunter and his wife, Goddess Kali with Shiva Linga in her hand, Lord Somaskanda and Lord Nataraja. These are kept in a mandap. There is a shrine for Lord Vishnu as Vetrirundha Perumal nearby the main shrine. In this temple Lord Vinayaka graces as Adi Vinayaka and Lord Bala Muruga graces as Adi Skanda. There is a separate shrine for Lord Vinayaka praised as Padikkasu Pillaiyar. On the north side there is a shrine of Lord Patalishwarar. Under the Punnaga tree there is a shrine for Lord Punnagavananathar. There are shrines for Goddess Mohini and Goddess Vasuki. Idol of Lord Shiva as Chandala (Vettiiyan in Tamil) and Goddess Parvati as his wife (with a stone pot on her head) along with Vinayaka and Karthikeya as her sons are in the temple.
Prayers:
1. Devotees having obstacles in marriage offer two garlands of Laal Kanher flowers to Goddess Parvati. One of the garlands is given back to devotees to wear. By wearing this garland it is believed that obstacles in marriage will be removed.
2. Those who are in the death bed believe that by performing abhishek to Moksha linga they will attain Moksha.
Poojas:
Daily rituals, pradosha puja, other weekly and fortnightly pujas
Festivals:
Somayaji Mara Nayanar Yagnya festival (Soma Yagnya) is celebrated in a grand manner in the tamil month of Vaikasi on Ashlesha nakshatra. On this day Lord Shiva wears sandals with four dogs with a calf on his shoulder and a drum in his hands. He is accompanied by Goddess Parvati with a pot on her head. The idols are taken in procession to the place of Yagnya. There they are offered the havish. Later Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati give darshan to the devotees on Rishabh vahan.
Aavani (Aug-Sept): Ganesh Chaturthi
Purattasi (Sept-Oct): Navaratri
Aippasi (Oct-Nov): Skanda shasthi, Annabhishek
Margazhi (Dec-Jan): Thiruvathirai
Thai (Jan-Feb): Makar Sankranti
Maasi (Feb-March): Shivaratri
Timing: 7 am to 12 noon, 5 pm to 8 pm
Address:
Sri Mahakalanathaswamy Temple
At-post: Kovil Thirumalam (via Poonthotam),
Taluka Nannilam,
District Thiruvarur,
TN 609503
Phone: +91-4366291457, 9442766818
Courtesy: Various blogs and websites
No comments:
Post a Comment