December 2019 – Meandering Duo

Thiru Thinai Nagar

Thiru Thinai Nagar (216/276)

Name	Thiru Thinai Nagar
Other Name	OmKaara Puri Desapiratham Gnanapiratham Theertha Nagari
Vernacular Name	Theerthanagiri
District	Cuddalore
State	Tamilnadu
Devaram	Sundarar
Position	Nadu Nadu
Presiding deity	Shiva
God	Shiva Kozhundeeshwarar Shivangareshwarar Thiruntheeswarar Pranavapureeswarar
Goddess	Karunthadan Kanni Oppila Nayaki Neelayadaskhi Ilankompanaal Neelathalambigai Pranavapuresswari
Speciality	Yoga Dakshina Moorthy Lord Nataraja dancing to the music of Lord Vishnu’s conch and the beats of Lord Brahma’s drums.
Sthala Vriksham	Sara Kondrai (Cassia fistula)
Theertham	Jambuva Thadaagam Gowri Theertham Garuda Theertham (Perumal Lake) Deva Theertham (Bay of Bengal)
Worshipped by	Lord Vishnu, Garuda, Sage Bringi, Sage Jambavan, King Visuba Niruban and King Veerasenan
Temple timings	7AM to 12PM 5PM to 8PM
Contact details	9443434024

LORE:

What is the Lore of the temple?

The presiding deity of the temple is Lord Shiva Kozhundeeshwarar and His Devi is Karunthadan Kanni.

Why does the Sthalam go by the name of “Thiru Thinai Nagar”?

There once lived an agriculturist called Periyan, in these lands, who along with his wife was an ardent Shiv Bhakt. The couple always used to offer food to a Shiva devotee before consuming their meal. One day, The Lord decided to play with them. He stopped all His devotees from going to the Periyan’s home for food. A frantic Periyan then went to his fields in search of field workers to offer food. Surprisingly, he found the fields were deserted too. He was in a fix. He prayed to The Lord that no hindrance should happen to his deed of feeding Shiv Bhakts.

Then, The Lord assumed the form of an old man and came to the fields asking for food. Periyan was overjoyed. He was ready to offer food to the mendicant. But the old man refused alms saying that he wanted to work for his keep. Reluctantly, Periyan agreed and asked him to plough the fields. The bodach agreed and started ploughing the fields. Meanwhile, Periyan rushed home to meet his wife and share with her the good news of finding a devotee to offer food. They returned to the field with food from their home to offer for the old man.

They were in for a surprise. The freshly sown millet seeds had fully grown into crops full of grain, ready for harvest. They were convinced that this was by divine intervention. Not wanting to keep the old man waiting, they served him the food from their home, under the Cassia tree. The old man ate to His heart’s content. After the old man finished His meal, Periyan asked Him “How did all the crops grow to this extent”. The Lord, who had come in the form of the old man simply laughed and vanished. He then gave the couple, who were His sincere devotees, His “Rishabarooda Darisanam” from the sky and granted them salvation.

The crops that were harvested due to the Lord’s grace were millets. Everything, right from the sowing of the seeds to harvesting the grains, happened in the same day. Hence, the shrine got the name as “Thiru Thinai Nagar” (Thinai = Millets)

What is the alternate rendering of the tale?

In an alternate version, Periyan was said to have been a big landlord, who had lost a majority of his wealth by feeding hungry Shiv Bhakts. He had then become an impoverished farmer, sowing millets in the field. The Lord came in the form of an old man and asked for food to Periyan, who immediately gave the millet seeds in his hand, for the old man to eat. He rushed home and told his wife that there is a hungry devotee in their fields who had asked for food.

The wife then did the unthinkable. The grains intended for sowing (Vidhai Dhaaniyam) are considered of utmost importance and are not touched even in times of desperate need. But, in order to appease the hunger of the Shiv Bhakt, the wife instantly cooked the “Vidhai Dhaaniyam” and took it to the fields to feed the old man.

To their surprise, Periyan and his wife found that the seeds which were just sown were all full grown and ready for harvest. The rest of the story is the same as the previously rendered one.

What are the specialities of the shrine?

Lord Vishnu is said to have defeated the demon Murasuran, after praying to the Lord Shiva Kozhundeeshwarar, at this shrine. (Lord Vishnu is called as “Murari” as he defeated the demon Mura)

Garuda, the mount of Lord Vishnu, had prayed to The Lord here and had brought the “Amudham”, the nectar of The Gods, to his mother Vinatha.

Sage Bringi was once cursed by Sage Durvasa. He had come here and did penance for 30 days and had got reprieved of the curse at this shrine.

Sage Jambavan (in the form of a Bear) is said to have absolved himself of his karma, by bathing in the Jambuva Thadaagam.

Visuba Niruban, the king of Bengal, had heard about the sanctity of this shrine and had come here and offered his prayers. He was relieved of his Brahma Hathi Dosham at this shrine.

Veerasenan, the son of Visuba Niruban, the king of Bengal, was afflicted with Leucoderma (Venn Kushtam). He had come to this shrine and was resting under the canopy of the trees. His dog, who also had leukoderma took a dip in the Jambuva Thadaagam and got relieved of the ailment. The king also did the same and was relieved of the skin condition. He is said to have renovated the temple with his resources. There is as statue of the king, besides the Four Saiva Samaya Kuravargal, in the temple complex.

Thiru Thinai Nagar has been specially mentioned in one of the literary works by the Saint Agathiyar called as “Shiva Rahasyam”.

The lingam in the sanctum sanctorum is said to be a “Swayambhu”. The lingam had originated from the earth and its base was not reached even after 100 feet of digging in the depths. The Lingam is considered to be the summit of a hillock that is buried underground.

Our Experience:

We had planned a short trip of two temples on our way to Chennai from Chidambaram and decided on two temples enroute to Chennai along the east coast. Thiru Thinai Nagar (216/276) is midway between Chidambaram and Cuddalore.

We reached the temple around 10AM and as usual the priest was not available, and the sanctum sanctorum was locked. Luckily, the temple gate keeper opened the shrines for us.

The temple is located in a serenely green locale and the three-tiered Raja Gopuram welcomes us. The flag post is fully covered with a copper plate, engraved on all sides with beautiful sculptures.

In front of the Pradosha Nandi, is a window with 35 holes, through which sunlight falls on the main deity once a year, during the second week of April. Lord Shiva Kozhundeeshwarar is housed in a 12 pillared Mandapam, with each of the pillars symbolising a sign from the zodiac.

The Idol of Lord Nataraja is very unique in this shrine as one can see Lord Vishnu playing the conch and Lord Brahma playing the drums, on the peedams of The dancing Lord.

Lord Dakshina Moorthy is seated with both His legs folded like a yogi. This is said to symbolise the event of The Lord eating the food cooked by Periyan and his wife, under the Cassia tree, with folded legs. The demon Muyalagan, who is usually seen beneath the feet of the Lord is also strikingly absent.

In the outer Prahaaram, we see the Cassia tree under which The Lord is said to have had food offered by Periyan and his wife. There is a Shiv Ling there too. The casket and the plough used by The Lord to till the farm are still held in the temple premises. The Sthala Puranam is seen engraved in the panels, in the outer Prahaaram.

The temple is a testimony to the architectural prowess of the ancient era. This can be understood from the intricate carvings on the walls and the pillars, the provision of holes in the window pelmets to hang curtains, the engraving of the Brahma Mudichu in the Nandi, the single stone granite window with 35 holes through which sunlight enters and falls on the deity and a cheekily crafted statue of a man, wearing a slaked shirt and a shorts, in the tower of the sanctum sanctorum (symbolising the entry of firangs).

We had a hearty darisanam and went about onward to the next temple for the day Thiru Chopuram (217/276)

Loads of love,

Karthick and Rahul.

Thiru Indhalur

Thiru Indalur(26/108)

Name	Thiru Indalur
Other Names	Sugandha Aaranyam Sugandha Vanam
Vernacular Name	Thiruvilandhur
District	Nagapattinam
State	Tamilnadu
Mangalasasanam	Thirumangai Azhwar
Presiding deity	Lord Vishnu
God	Parimala Ranganathan Sugandha Vana Nathar Maruviniya Maindhan
Goddess	Parimala Ranganayaki Pundareeka Valli Chandra Saaba Vimochana Valli
Speciality	One of the Pancha Ranga Kshetrangal. Redemption of a third of Chandra Dev’s Curse. Kaveri attained higher stature among rivers. King Ambarish and The Ekadashi Viratham got glorified here. Veera Sayana Kolam of The Lord. The interesting camaraderie between The Lord and Thirumangai Azhwar is revealed in his paasurams.
Theertham	Chandra Pushkarani
Worshipped by	Chandra Dev, Kaveri, King Ambarish
Temple timings	6.30AM to 11P.30AM 5PM to 8.30PM
Contact details

LORE:

What is the Lore of the temple?

The presiding deity of the temple is Lord Parimala Ranganathar and His Devi is Parimala Ranganayaki.

Why does the Sthalam go by the name of ‘Indalur’?

‘Indu’ means ‘The Moon’.

The Lord here relieved Chandra Dev of a third of his curse incurred due to the wrath of Deva Guru Brihaspathi and Prajapati Dakshan.

Why is the Sthalam called as ‘Sugandha Vanam’?

Both the words ‘Sugandham’ and ‘Parimalam’ mean “Fragrance. The Lord Vishnu, in Satyuga, vanquished the demons Madhu and Khaitabh, who had stolen, befouled and concealed the four Vedhas. He took the form of a humungous fish (Matsya Avatharam) and rescued the hidden Vedas from the clutches of the despicable duo. The Vedhas had been tainted by the two demons. Hence, they came here and did penance to get rid of the demonic blight. The Lord appeared and restored their fragrance and reclined in this shrine as ‘Parimala Rangan’. Hence this shrine is also called as ‘Sugandha Vanam’ or ‘Sugandha Aaranyam’.

What is the speciality of this Shrine?

The shrine is where Chandra Dev was absolved of a third of his curse. The redemption for the curse was done by Chandra Dev in three shrines. The first temple he prayed for atonement was Thiruvarangam (01/108), followed by Thiru Indalur (26/108) and finally he went to Thalaichanga Naan Madhiyam (25/108) and was freed from the curse.

What are the Pancha Ranga Kshetrangal?

‘Rangam’ is the strip of land between two rivers. (‘Arangam’ in Tamizh)

The set of five temples along the banks of the river Kaveri which house Lord Vishnu in His Ranganatha form are collectively called as “Pancha Ranga Kshetrangal”

Name	Shrine	Presiding Deity	Arangan	Mangalasasanam
Aadhi Arangam	Srirangapatna – Mysore	Ranganathar	Aadhi Arangan	–
Appaala Rangam	Thirupper Nagar	Appa Kudathaan	Appaala Arangan	06/108
Madhya Rangam	Sri Rangam	Ranganathar	Kasthuri Arangan	01/108
Chathurtha Rangam	Thiru Kudandhai	Sarangapani	Hema Arangan	12/108
Pancha Rangam	Thiru Indalur	Parimala Ranganathar	Parimala Arangan	26/108

What was Chandra Dev’s curse and how did he get absolved of it?

Chandra Dev incurred the wrath of both his guru and his father-in-law. The two-fold curse was almost irredeemable. Yet, he prayed to Lord Vishnu for mercy and he was asked to go and pray at three shrines in sequence as atonement.

Chandra Dev’s guru was Brihaspathi, the Deva guru. Brihaspati’s wife was a fair woman called as Tara. Chandra Dev was smitten by Tara and inspite of knowing her marital status, he did the unthinkable. He seduced Tara with is mesmerising beauty and eloped with her. He had a clandestine affair with her which ended up in Tara becoming pregnant. Tara birthed the illegitimate child. It was a son and he was named as Budhan. Ashamed of the circumstances of his birth, Budhan prayed to Lord Shiva and attained Graha Padhavi (Planetary Status) as Gnana Kaaragan (The Deity of Knowledge) and became one of the Navagrahas.

Brihaspathi was furious on knowing Chandra Dev’s debauchery and he cursed Chandra Dev that he will become a Kuroopi (Hideous one) and lose all his charismatic charm with which he had seduced Tara.

Chandra Dev is also said to have incurred a second curse. Daksha Prajapati had 62 daughters including Devi Sati (Dakshayani), the mortal incarnation of Aadhi Shakthi, who married Lord Shiva. Daksha Prajapati married 27 of his daughters to Chandra Dev and had asked him to take care of his daughters well and to treat all of them equally well.

Chandra Dev was enamoured with Rohini (one of his 27 wives) and started to spend time exclusively with her and ignored the other 26 wives. They got upset about their husband’s indifference with them and complained to Daksha Prajapati.

The infuriated father-in-law then cursed Chandra Dev to be afflicted with Leprosy and that he would lose his Chandrakala (Moon Beam) and the ability to shine, as a punishment for his misconduct. The wives were grief stricken. They pleaded with Daksha Prajapati to take back the curse. Chandra Dev was remorseful as well. He too begged for forgiveness.

Daksha Prajapati told that the curse cannot be undone and that the only way for him to seek atonement is to pray to Lord Mahavishnu. Chandra Dev prayed to Lord Mahavishnu and sought his mercy.

Lord Mahavishnu then instructed Chandra Dev to pray at three shrines viz Thiruvarangam (01/108), Thiru Indalur (26/108) and finally at Thiru Thalaichanga Naan Madhiyam (25/108). Chandra Dev got his curse lessened in each of the shrines as he prayed and bathed in the temple tank Chandra Pushkarani.

Lord Naan Madhiya Perumal appeared in front of Chandra Dev at Thiru Thalaichanga Naan Madhiyam (25/108) and blessed him with a boon. He restored Chandra Dev’s beauty, curing him of Leprosy and also accepted him as an ornament on His head. Though the curse of Daksha Prajapati cannot be completely undone and Chandra Dev waxes during the Krishna Paksham, by the grace of Lord Naan Madhiya Perumal, he wanes into completeness, gaining back one Chandrakala every day, during the Shukla Paksham and becomes a full moon once again. This pattern of waxing and waning is repeated every month and is called as the lunar cycle.

What are the alternate renderings of the tale?

In Shaivism, the tale is exactly the same. But the curse is lifted by Lord Shiva at Somnath temple, Gujarat. Somnath is one of the 12 Jyotirlinga Sthalangal. And according to Shaivite traditions, it is here that Chandra Dev gets relieved of the dual curse of Daksha Prajapati and Deva guru Brihaspathi.

According to the Brahma Vivartha Purana, Chandra Dev gets cursed by Lord Ganesha for making fun of Him. Once upon a time, Lord Ganesha was carrying sweets offered to Him by his devotee. He accidentally tripped on a stone and fell, scattering the sweets inadvertently. Chandra Dev laughed at Him for being so clumsy. Lord Ganesh cursed Chandra Dev that he will lose his Moon beams and will never be whole again.

Chandra Dev repented his folly and realised his vanity. He asked forgiveness from Lord Ganesha. The Lord blessed him that he will wane in the second half of the month and thus established the lunar cycle.

These events happened on a Chaturthi thidhi, and thus whenever someone looks at the moon on Ganesha Chaturthi, they will be falsely accused and will have to recite/listen to the lore of the Syamantaka Jewel to be acquitted.

How did the Lord bless river Kaveri in this shrine?

In response to the plea made by River Kaveri, Parimala Rangan lifts her to a higher status among rivers, even above the mighty Ganga.

He glorified Kaveri by giving her a place beneath His Head whereas Ganga is seated near His feet. This is akin to the fact that Ganga sits in all her regal splendour on top of Lord Shiv’s head in His matted locks. It is believed that Ganga herself comes to cleanse her sins by bathing in the holy waters of the river Kaveri, because of the special boon given by The Lord Parimala Ranganathar to Kaveri. This happens once every twelve years, during the festival of the Kaveri Pushkaram at the Thula Kattam in Mayiladuthurai.

What was the King Ambarish’s connection to this Shrine?

King Ambarish lived in the Thretha Yugam. He was a ruler of the Ikshvaku (Solar) dynasty. His valour is glorified in the Bagavatha Purana. He conquered the entire world in just seven days. Yet, for all his martial prowess he was a just and benevolent king. Deeply pious and a staunch devotee of Lord Vishnu, he ritually practised the “Ekadashi Fasting” twice every month.

This went on for years and the kingdom flourished under his watchful rule. The day of the 100^th Ekadashi fasting too came. The people were overjoyed for they wanted their king to reap the benefits of completing the 100^th fasting.

But in Devalok not everyone was happy. The Devas were insecure of King Ambarish because legend has it that anyone who completes 100 Ekadashi fasting rituals will receive a place among Devas. They did not want a mortal man amidst them as an equal. So, they hatched a devious plan to disturb his fast.

They beseeched the Sage Durvasa to go and meet the King who was doing his 100^th fast. The sage, who was well know for his short temper and labile temperament to curse at the drop of a hat, went to the kingdom of Ambarish. The King was overjoyed on having such a holy saint in his kingdom and welcomed him whole-heartedly and honoured him.

The sage had told the king that they will eat together and asked Ambarish to wait for him till he finishes his bathing and other rituals. The king agreed and was patiently wating for the sage to return. The grains of the sands of time were sifting. The time to break the fast was approaching. The sage was nowhere in sight. The pandits of the royal court warned Ambarish that unless he breaks the fast by consuming something, the viratham will not be complete and all these years of fortitude will be unfruitful.

The king was in a fix. He knew that Sage Durvasa will not take it lightly if he finds out that he broke the fast without waiting for him. He consulted with the pandits once again and was advised to consume a leaf of Tulsi with an ounce of water and that will be sufficient enough to signify the completion of the fast.

Not really keen on attaining the status of a Deva, the King still agreed to break the fast in time because he felt that it would be a great irreverence to The Lord if he did not do so.

Just as the drop of water wet Ambarish’s parched throat, the Sage Durvasa returned from his morning bath, all set to dine with the king. Predictably, he lost his temper and wanted to punish King Ambarish for his insolence. The sage created a gruesomely fierce demon out of a strand of his hair using his divine powers and ordered the demon to decimate the kingdom of Ambarish and to kill him.

The demon started to chase the king with the motive of murdering him. Ambarish ran to the feet of the Lord Parimala Rangan and prayed for the welfare of his people and his kingdom, not afraid to sacrifice his life for the cause.

The Lord Parimala Rangan, who is zealously protective of His ardent devotee, assumed the stance of “Veera Sayanam” (The valorous reclining posture) and stared angrily at the demon and directed His mighty Sudarshan Chakra at the demon. The flaming chakra incinerated the demon and was now chasing its maker, the Sage Durvasa to punish him for having the impudent audacity to attack the devotee of Lord Parimala Rangan.

The panicky Sage ran to Lord Brahma and Lord Shiva and pleaded Them to offer sanctuary and defend him from the onslaught of the blazing Chakra. Both the deities refused saying that nobody can stand up against the infernal conflagration of the discus of Lord Parimala Rangan and asked the repenting Sage to seek the mercy of The Lord of Sugandha Vanam, Parimala Rangan.

A distraught Sage Durvasa fled back to the Sugandha Vanam and prostrated himself at the feet of The Lord and implored Him to call back His fiery Chakra. The Lord smiled and told the humbled Sage that even He cannot call back the Chakra as it had made up its mind to destroy the person who harassed the devotee of its master. He then asked the Sage to seek Ambarish and ask for his forgiveness and said that only then will the raging discus relent.

Dutifully, the Sage Durvasa apologised to the King Ambarish for his misdemeanour and hasty judgement. The unstinting kind-hearted King instantly forgave the remorseful sage and requested The Lord to take back His discus, to which The Lord readily obliged.

King Ambarish then relinquished the status of becoming a Dev and asked for the boon that anyone who seeks the grace of The Lord and observes the ritual of the Ekadashi Fasting should be sanctified and blessed.

The Lord agreed and gave a place for Ambarish beneath His feet so that the munificent king will be remembered and cherished for all eternity. Even today, one can see the pious Ambarish praying in bliss at the feet of The Lord Parimala Rangan.

What is the origin of the Ekadashi Viratham?

The lore of the Ekadashi viratham is described in Padma Puranam. Once upon a time, when the world was young, during the Satyuga, there lived a Rakshasa called as “Mrudanav”. And typical of a Dhanav, he was terrorising all life forms and was wreaking havoc. He conquered all the Devas and took control of Devalok too. The terror-struck Devas went to The Lord Vishnu and prayed for protection. The Lord decided to put an end to the reign of malice of the demon and set out to wage a war with him.

The demon was incredibly powerful, and the brutal war lasted for a thousand years. Inspite of that, the demon showed no signs of fatigue and continued to fight with the same vitality and vigour.

The Lord then planned to adopt an alternate tactic. He feigned fatigue and fled the battlefield and hid Himself in a cave in the Himalayas. He then slept with His 11 ‘Indriyas’ (senses) taking rest. The demon who chased The Lord eventually found Him in the cave. The demon gloated in glee and swung the sword on The sleeping Lord Vishnu. But, before the blade could strike, a bright and blazing woman, with luxuriantly ravishing beauty, armed with all weapons and adorned in glittering gems erupted from the core of The sleeping Lord Vishnu.

The demon Mrudanav was instantly smitten by the stunningly attractive damsel who had a bewitching smile. He forgot his cause and proposed his love for her and asked for her hand in marriage. The woman replied that she has made a vow to only marry the one who can defeat her in battle. The demon reluctantly agreed fearing that he might kill her in battle. But as the woman arose out of Lord Vishnu and was the embodiment of the 11 Indriyas of The Lord of Preservation, she easily vanquished the demon n battle.

This happened on the 11^th day of the lunar cycle. Lord Vishnu arose from His slumber and saw that the strikingly pretty woman, who had arisen from Himself, had defeated the demon Mrudanav. He called her as “Ekadashi” as she was born out of the 11 Indriyas of Him (Eka – one: Dasha – ten; Ekadasha – eleven). He was delightfully gruntled with her victory and wanted to bestow her with the boon of her desire. Ekadashi asked that those who fast on this 11^th day of the lunar cycle and control their eleven Indriyas should be blessed with The Lord’s grace and that they should be purified in mind, body and soul.

The Lord conceded to her request and declared that Ekadashi Viratham would be His most auspicious fast and that it would be the grandest of all fasts – The Maha Viratham. The fast was crafted to control the senses and enable one to attain salvation.

There are three ways in which the fast can be observed.

Nirjala Ekadashi – Not consuming food/water for the whole day
Sajala Ekadashi – Consuming only water
Fharali Ekadashi – Consuming only fruits and milk

Usually there are 24 Ekadashis every year and each one has a name and the form of Lord Vishnu who presides over the Viratham.

The mantra to be chanted during the fast is “Om Namo Bhagavathey Vasudevaaya”. Those who observe this fast will be absolved of the baleful impact of the adverse Graha-dosham and will eventually attain deliverance from the cycle of birth and death.

What are the eleven Indriyas?

The eleven Indriyas are grouped as five spiritual senses and six material senses.

Five spiritual senses:

Saddha	Faithful conviction
Veeriya	Energetic perseverance
Sati	Attentive focus
Samadhi	Stillness of the mind
Panna	Wisdom of discernment

Six Material senses:

Chakkh Indriya	Vision
Soth Indriya	Hearing
Ghan Indriya	Smell
Jivh Indriya	Taste
Khaya Indriya	Touch
Mann Indriya	Mind

What are the events that happened when Thirumangai Azhwar came to offer his obeisance to Lord Parimala Ranganathar?

Thirumangai Azhwar and his wife, Kumudhavalli Natchiyaar desire to see The Lord Parimala Rangan at Thiru Indalur. They rush to the temple on their horse mount called “Aadal Ma Puravi”. Thirumangai Azhwar tells Kumudhavalli Natchiyaar that Parimala Rangan will be expecting them and He must not be kept waiting. It is, however, close to noon and the priests are getting things ready for the pooja and to close the shrine for the afternoon respite.

The Lord wishes to play with Thirumangai Azhwar and announces as a divine voice to the priests to close the shrine one Naazhigai (24 minutes) before the scheduled time. The priests unquestioningly obey His orders.

Just as Thirumangai Azhwar and Kumudhavalli Natchiyaar hasten into the shrine, the door of the sanctum sanctorum gets shut in their face. Thirumangai Azhwar is dismayed that he could not see The Lord. He prays to Parimala Rangan and asks Him that why the shrine is closed earlier than usual and beseeches Him to open the sanctum sanctorum so that Thirumangai Azhwar can have an ecstatic darisanam.

The Lord simple refuses and tells Thirumangai Azhwar that rules are rules. Thirumangai Azhwar argues back citing that if rules were rules, why was the sanctum sanctorum closed earlier than usual. The Lord cheekily replies that “Those were not according to THE rules, but on the authority of MY rules”.

Thirumangai Azhwar gets angry and is about to leave the shrine in woe as The Lord stubbornly refuses to acknowledge him and give him the darisanam that he so desperately craves.

The Lord ponders on the fact that Thirumangai Azhwar might actually leave without singing a few paasurams on Him, in delightful Tamizh and decides to stop him. He mocks Thirumangai Azhwar for his lack of effort. He also adds that instead of rationalising rules with Him, Thirumangai Azhwar could sing some Paasurams and prove his devotion.

Not an easy one to relent, Thirumangai Azhwar retorts back saying that “How can I sing about You when You have not even shown your face to me?”

The Lord replies saying that many of His devotees like Nammazhwar and even Thirumangai Azhwar himself at times has sung about Him seated at their own place without trying to come to the shrine and sing in front of The Lord. So, He coaxes Thirumangai Azhwar to sing in the temple premises.

Thirumangai Azhwar, instead of assuming the “Naayika Bhaavam” (The poetic liberty to transform into a love-struck damsel and sing about The Lord as one’s Lover), as he usually does in many other shrines composes Paasurams in a different style.

He Sings about the glory of the Lord, using ‘Nindha Stuti’ (Irony) and laces his Paasurams with caustic satire and trenchant sarcasm, eyeing at the closed doors of the sanctum sanctorum. Throughout the ten Paasurams, he pines at the infamy that The Lord would incur if He does not open His doors and give darisanam.

நும்மைத் தொழுதோம் நும் தம் பணி செய்திருக்கும் நும் அடியோம்
இம்மைக்கு இன்பம் பெற்றோம் எந்தாய் இந்தளூரீரே
எம்மைக் கடிதாக் கருமம் அருளி ஆவா என்று இரங்கி
நம்மை ஒரு கால் காட்டி நடந்தால் நாங்கள் உய்யோமே!

We (Thirumangai Azhwar & Kumudhavalli Natchiyaar) are Your devotees. We pray to You. We believed that we have attained all the pleasures in the world by being in Your service. Can You not show some regard to us and show us Your tantalising visage? Wouldn’t we be eternally grateful if we could even see a glimpse of Your face?

Thirumangai Azhwar constantly calls The Lord Parimala Rangan as “Indalureerey” instead of addressing Him by His name. That is because he is upset with the playful Leela of the Lord and wants to show his contempt. Even today people who want to admonish someone chidingly call them with their native town’s name. A well know example is how folks from Chennai are often mocked as “Madarasis”.

சிந்தை தன்னுள் நீங்காது இருந்த திருவே! மருவினிய
மைந்தா! அம் தண் ஆலி மாலே! சோலை மழகளிறே!
நந்தா விளக்கின் சுடரே! நறையூர் நின்ற நம்பீ! என்
எந்தாய்! இந்தளூராய்! அடியேற்கு இறையும் இரங்காயே!

Had You created me with a mind that did not recognise You, then I would not have this distress now? But You have fully occupied my conscious mind. I cannot think about anything other than Your serene smile. Oh! Maruviniya Maindhaa! Lord of the beautiful crisp Thiruvaali shrine! Lord of the Azhagar Solai who is as majestic as an elephant calf! The blazing light of an everlasting Lamp! The Lord who stands tall in Thiru Naarayur! Why do You not show some mercy on us and grant us our heart’s desire?

பேசுகின்றது இதுவே வையம் மூவடியால் அளந்த
மூசி வண்டு முரலும் கண்ணி முடியீர் உம்மைக் காணும்
ஆசையென்னும் கடலில் வீழ்ந்து இங்கு அயர்த்தோம் அயலாரும்
ஏசுகின்றது இதுவே காணும் இந்தளூரீரே!

The whole world will speak ill about You if You neglect Your devotees like this. The townsfolk would gossip about You saying that “Thirumangai Azhwar and Kumudhavalli are besotted with the desire to see The Lord Parimala Rangan and have become weary and tired of begging Him to open His doors. Is this Lord, The One who scaled the three worlds in three Feet and granted salvation to all life forms His feet touched irrespective of their status?” Oh! Lord who wears the fragrant garland which bees buzz about around Your head! Is this the name and fame (or rather shame) that You wish to have?

ஆசை வழுவாது ஏத்தும் எமக்கு இங்கு இழுக்காய்த்து; அடியோர்க்குத்
தேசமறிய உமக்கே ஆளாய்த் திரிகின்றோமுக்கு
காசின் ஒளியின் திகழும் வண்ணம் காட்டீர் எம்பெருமான்!
வாசி வல்லீர்! இந்தளூரீர்! வாழ்ந்தே போம் நீரே!

Though You have forsaken us, we still have not strayed away from our devotion. We are still full of eagerness and penchant desire to see Your face. The whole world is not only mocking that You are mistreating Your zealous worshipper but is also tauntingly ridiculing us that we have chosen such a cold-hearted Lord as our master and saviour? Even after pleading so much, You still refuse to shower us with Your blessings and show us the luminous hue of your glorious form. Fine. Let it be. Keep all Your beauty to Yourself. Live long be happy with Yourself.

தீ எம்பெருமான் நீர் எம்பெருமான் திசையும் இருநிலனும்
ஆய் எம்பெருமானாகி நின்றால் அடியோம் காணோம் ஆல்
தாய் எம்பெருமான் தந்தை தந்தையாவீர் அடியோமுக்
கே எம்பெருமான் அல்லீரோ நீர் இந்தளூரீரே!

Milord, You are fire. You are water. You are in all directions. You are omnipresent. You may ask us to see You in everything and worship You in Your “Antharyami” form. But we are not like your dear devotee Prahalad, who saw You in pillars and plinths and in grains of sand. Although our mind knows that You pervade through the very fabric of the cosmos, in its entirety, our heart aches to gaze upon and worship Your “Archa” form that resides behind these closed doors. Inspite of knowing this, why have You hidden Yourself away from us.

The Pancharatra Agamas conceive The Lord in a pentad concatenation of illustrative expositions.

*Form of The Lord*	*Meaning*	*Manifestation*
Para	Supreme	The invisible eternal Supreme symbolised as The One seated in Parama Padham (108/108) as Shriman Narayanan
Vyuha	Expansion	The reclining form of The Lord at Thiru Paarkadal (107/108) who expands into four forms to go about the cycle of creation (Vasudeva, Samkarshana, Pradyumna & Aniruddha)
Vibhaava	Descending	The Avatharam taken by The Lord
Antharyami	Inner soul	The indwelling presence within us
Archa	Idol	The consecrated image form used to worship (Statue)

சொல்லாது ஒழியகில்லேன் அறிந்த சொல்லில் நும் அடியார்
எல்லாரோடும் ஒக்க எண்ணியிருந்தீர் அடியேனை
நல்லார் அறிவீர் தீயார் அறிவீர் நமக்கு இவ்வுலகத்தில்
எல்லாம் அறிவீர் ஈதே அறியீர் இந்தளூரீரே!

You are omniscient. You know everything. You know who are good. You know who are bad. You claim that You have the right to choose to which devotee You will give Your darisanam. You assume that I am badgering You incessantly unlike your other devotes who do not make demands and are happy with what You give them. Did You actually have the audacity to keep me on par with the other devotees? You know all, but there is something even You do not know. I will not leave before I tell that to you. You do not know that if you desolate me like this, I will not be able to survive even for a second. Had you understood that, You would not have shut our doors on my face like this.

மாட்டீர் ஆனீர் பணி நீர் கொள்ள எம்மைப் பணி அறியா
வீட்டீர் இதனை வேறே சொன்னோம் இந்தளூரீரே!
காட்டீர் ஆனீர் நும் தம் அடிக்கள் காட்டில் உமக்கு இந்த
நாட்டே வந்து தொண்டரான நாங்கள் உய்யோமே!

Are You not omnipotent? Can You not make me fit enough to be worthy of Your service? Would the world not speak infamy about You that You are unfit to be called ‘All-Powerful’ because You did not change a desperate devotee conducive enough to be of Your ministrations. Even if You do not wish to show us Your face, please grant us the blessing of being able to see Your Lotus feet.

முன்னை வண்ணம் பாலின் வண்ணம் முழுதும் நிலை நின்ற
பின்னை வண்ணம் கொண்டல் வண்ணம் வண்ணம் எண்ணும் கால்
பொன்னின் வண்ணம் மணியின் வண்ணம் புரையும் திருமேனி
இன்ன வண்ணம் என்று காட்டீர் இந்தளூரீரே!

Legends say that the tint of Your complexion was as white as milk in the primordial days of the universe. Then You had assumed the hue of the dark rain clouds, in the later days. Everybody says that You glitter as gold and shine like diamonds. I wonder what shade of colour You are now. Will You not show yourself to me so that I can clear my dubious uncertainty?

எந்தை தந்தை தம்மான் என்று என்று எமர் ஏழ் அளவும்
வந்து நின்ற தொண்டரோர்க்கே வாசி வல்லீரேல்
சிந்தை தன்னுள் முந்தி நிற்றிர் சிறிதும் திருமேனி
இந்த வண்ணம் என்று காட்டீர் இந்தளூரீரே!

You show so much discrimination to Your devotees. If the devotees who prostrate at Your feet claiming that their fathers and forefathers for the past seven generations have been in Your servitude feel such biased inequity, then how will a common man without such a lineage of ancestry even attempt to seek the path of salvation by worshipping You? Inspite of all this, You pervade through all my thoughts. Can you not show me Your vibrant hue just this once?

Singing all these Paasruams and praying to The Lord Parimala Rangan rendered Thirumangai Azhwar and Kumudhavalli Natchiyaar jaded and enervated. It was well past noon. The Lord decided not to play with His ardent devotees any longer. He ordered the gates to open and by divine intervention, His priests opened the gates out-of-schedule and asked Thirumangai Azhwar and Kumudhavalli Natchiyaar to have the darisanam of The Lord to their hearts’ content. This exceptionally peculiar is called as “Adhigaaraa Sevai”

They saw The Lord Parimala Rangan in His glorious regalia and were enraptured in jubilance. Thirumangai Azhwar finished the last of the Indalur Paasurams on a happy note as he had finally gotten to see his Lord.

ஏரார் பொழில் சூழ் இந்தளூரில் எந்தை பெருமானை
காரார் புறவின் மங்கை வேந்தன் கலியன் ஒலி செய்த
சீரார் இன்சொல்மாலை கற்றுத் திரிவார் உலகத்தில்
ஆர் ஆர் அவரே அமரர்க்கு என்றும் அமரர் ஆவாரே!

Those who sing the ten Paasurams composed by the cloud-surrounded Thirumangai’s ruler, Kaliyan (Thirumangai Azhwar) on The Lord of Indalur, which is surrounded by luscious groves will attain Divinity and be praised by all the Devas and be glorified to a stature higher than the celestial beings.

Our Experience:

We were almost done with our trip after having a peaceful darisanam at Thiru Kadaimudi (18/276) and then realised that the time was 07.45PM. Like Thirumangai Azhwar, we too had the greedy desire to see The Lord Parimala Rangan at Thiru Indalur (26/108).

We knew that the shrine was close to the town of Mayiladuthurai and rushed there hoping He would keep His doors open. We reached the temple at 8PM, after messing up the route (thanks to google maps). We had asked for directions from a passer-by who mistook Indalur for Thingalur and told us we had come the wrong way. Ironically both are shrines worshipped by the moon. Thingalur is a temple for Lord Shiva and is also the Navagraha Parihara Sthalam for the moon and is located near Thiruvaiyaru (51/276). On further enquiry he understood we wanted to see The Lord Parimala Rangan and directed us to the temple. As usual we had shot right past the shrine, so we had to retrace back a few hundred metres.

The Chandra Pushkarani was awesome to see, even in the dark. The five-tiered Raja Gopuram welcomed us. We ran inside directly to the sanctum sanctorum after buying a string of woven Tulsi.

The priest was preparing for the last pooja of the night. We were awestruck on seeing The Lord. The deity is made of green stone (Maragadha Thirumeni) and is 12 feet long. The Lord had deigned that we see Him that day. Perhaps He knew that if He closed His doors, we would not be able to open it by composing and singing songs, given the banal quality of our poetic skills.

He is reclined on Aadhiseshan, in His Veera Sayana Kolam, armed with His conch and discus. Chandra Dev is at His head, in prayers. Brahma is seated in the Lotus at the navel of The Lord. Surya Dev is in prayers, at The Feet of The Lord. Kaveri is seated near The Head and Ganga is seated near The Feet. King Ambarish and Yama Dharmaraj also are seen praying at The Feet of The Lord. Even the minute details like the nailbeds and the creases of His Vastram are sculpted with remarkable refinement.

The priest was so patient to show us all the details and explained patiently about the lore of the land. Given our generally bad experiences with snobbish priests, we were overjoyed and happy. We then made a circle of the Prahaaram and once again went in to soak up the grandeur of The Lord. After praying to Parimala Ranganayaki and admiring all the beautiful sculptures on the pillars of the shrine, we finally decided to call it a day.

And what a day it was. By the divine grace, we were able to see Ten Devara Paadal Petra Sthalangal and two Mangalasasanam Divya Desangal. With millions of pictures and loads of memories and heaps of blessings we started our way back already planning for our next trip.

See you all at the next temple trip, with many more tales to tell and tips to share.

Loads of love,

Karthick and Rahul.

Thiru Kadaimudi

Thiru Kadaimudi (18/276)

Name	Thiru Kadaimudi
Other Name	Kiluvaiyoor
Vernacular Name	Keezhaiyoor
District	Nagapattinam
State	Tamilnadu
Devaram	Thiru Gnana Sambandhar
Position	North of Kaveri – 18/276
Presiding deity	Shiva
God	Kadaimudi Naadhar Kadaimudi Eshwarar Kiluvai Naadhar Aadhi Naadhar Antha Samrakshaneshwarar
Goddess	Abirami Abiramavalli
Speciality	Brahma’s Repentance
Sthala Vriksham	Kiluvai (Hill Mango)
Theertham	Karuna Theertham Brahma Theertham Kaveri
Worshipped by	Lord Brahma, Kanva Rishi
Temple timings	7AM to 12PM 4PM to 7PM
Contact details	9442779580

LORE:

What is the Lore of the temple?

The presiding deity of the temple is Lord Kadaimudi Naadhar and His Devi is Abirami.

Why does the Sthalam go by the name of “Thiru Kadaimudi”?

The Lord of the shrine is said to protect us till the end of time, even during the dissolution of the world by the Maha Pralayam. Hence, He is called Kadai Mudi Naadhar (Kadai = Final, Mudi = End, Naadhar = Lord) and the shrine is called as Thiru Kadaimudi.

The village has an abundance of Kiluvai trees (Hill mango) and hence is called as Kiluvaiyoor.

What is the lore of the temple?

Lord Brahma had incurred the curse of Lord Shiva, because of His arrogance and egotistic attitude. He worshipped in several shrines praying for repentance. He then came to Kiluvaiyoor and worshipped The Lord here, dug the Brahma Theertham, took a dip in it and prayed for atonement. The Lord appeared in all His grace and consoled Brahma Dev that everything will be set right in due time.

What are the specialities of the shrine?

The Lord is in the form of a 16 plated Lingam called as Shodasa Lingam and worshipping him is said to yield all the 16 types of wealth.

The Dakshinamoorthy and Lord Bhairavar in the outer Prahaaram have an earring in the left ear but not in the right and is said to be a unique feature.

The Lord is also in the form of a Lingam, with His own Nandi, beneath the Sthala Vriksham and is called as Aadhi Naadhar.

Kanva Rishi also had prayed to The Lord at this shrine and the steps leading to the Theertham is called as “Kanva Mahaan Thurai”

What are the 16 types of wealth?

Education
Fame
Strength
Victory
Good progeny
Gold
Grain
Good fate
Good attitude
Intellect
Beauty
Patience
Youth
Courage
Good health
Longevity

Our Experience:

Google maps were malfunctioning again and the boys sitting in a teashop, while we were searching for the correct road that leads to the temple, were of little help in giving directions.

It was dark and we were tired, yet we chugged along and a gentleman on a bike guided us properly across the river Kaveri, and we finally came to Thiru Kadaimudi (18/276) around 7PM. (Well, we almost missed the temple, as it was pretty dark and Karthick mistook the welcoming idol of Devi Mahalakshmi as Bhadrakali and declared the Paadal Petra Sthalam as a Kali Kovil and was about to move on further down the road. Luckily, a strong sense of instinct persuaded us to check out the so-called Kali temple and we ended up right in the pervading gaze of Devi Abirami.

We entered through the gate of Devi Abirami (She has a separate Gate) and wet inside the temple. The temple is a small edifice and was well-lit. the priest saw us coming and did the aarthi of The Lord Kadaimudi Naadhar and Devi Abirami.

We prayed to our hearts content, went around the Prahaaram, tired to decipher the ring paradox on Lord Dakshina Moorthy, failing at it and came back a full circle.

We briefly squabbled about whether there was a Pradosha Nandi in the outer Prahaaram or not, (There isn’t one) and then set towards the last temple of the trip, The Divya Desam in Mayiladuthurai town, Thiru Indalur (26/108).

Loads of love,

Karthick and Rahul.

Thiru Nani Palli

Thiru Nani Palli (106/276)

Name	Thiru Nani Palli
Other Name	Ponsei
Vernacular Name	Punjai
District	Nagapattinam
State	Tamilnadu
Devaram	Thiru Gnana Sambandhar Appar Sundarar
Position	South of Kaveri – 105/276
Presiding deity	Shiva
God	Nattrunai Eshwarar Nattrunai Appar Swarnapureeswarar
Goddess	Malayaan Madandhai Parvatha Raja Puthri (2 Deviyar)
Speciality	Vinayagar got absolved of his dosham here. The temple in its entirety is an architectural marvel
Sthala Vriksham	Pinnai (Mast wood) Shenbagam (Yellow Jade Orchid)
Theertham	Swarna Theertham
Worshipped by	Vinayagar, Agathiyar
Temple timings	7AM to 11PM 5PM to 7PM
Contact details	Vaidyanatha Gurukkal – 9443906587

LORE:

What is the Lore of the temple?

The presiding deity of the temple is Lord Nattrunai Appar and His Deviyar are Malayaan Madandhai and Parvatha Raja Puthri.

Why does the Sthalam go by the name of “Thiru Nani Palli”?

Historians opine that the temple was built by a King called Nanni. Hence, the temple goes by the name “Thiru Nani Palli” (Nani = The Chozha King, Palli = Temple)

How did it get the name “Pon sei”?

The temple is the shrine where Lord Vinayagar got relieved of His dosham. It is quite an interesting tale.

During the wedding of Devi Parvati to Lord Shiva, all the life forms including the Devas assembled on Mount Kailash. Hence, the earth tilted such that the North went below because of the excess weight, whereas the lighter south rose up.

To even the land and set things in order, Lord Shiva asked Sage Agathiyar alone to go to south. Sage Agathiyar was the Manasa Puthirar of Varuna Dev and Lady Urvashi. Albeit short in stature, Sage Agathiyar was so mighty in terms of hermetic prowess that Lord Shiva deemed that sending him alone to the south, would be enough to even the land.

Agathiyar was saddened because though this was a great honour, he would not be able to witness the wedding of Devi Parvati and Lord Shiva. To compensate for this, Lord Shiva gave him the boon that he would show his wedded form whenever Agathiyar sought to see it.

An overjoyed Agathiyar started south and once he crossed the Vindhya mountain range, the earth levelled to its usual self. Agathiyar prayed at many Shiva Shrines in the south.

Another version of the story of how Sage Agathiyar came to the south also exists. Once the Vindhya mountain got jealous of the Himalayas and decided that he will outgrow in size and become taller than the Himalayas. The Vindhya mountain started to grow taller and taller. Fearing calamity, Narada Muni asked the Sage Agathiyar to help.

Sage Agathiyar decided that it was The Lord’s wish and went to the Vindhya mountain. The mountain bowed down in respect and offered its obeisance. Sage Agathiyar asked the mountain to shrink down to its original size so that he could cross it go and go south for his pilgrimage. The mountain also agreed. The sage crossed to the south and asked the mountain to stay the same size till he came back so that he might go back to the north once his pilgrimage was over. The Vindhya mountain gracefully obliged. The sage however decided to stay back so that the mountain would always remain the same size.

Either way, the Sage finally reached the southern provinces and was praying at many Shiva temples.

Lord Shiva had given Sage Agathiyar a part of the river Ganga flowing from his matted locks and told him that a river will flow form these waters wherever it was used. The sage dutifully received the waters in his kamandalam.

The source of the kamandala waters has two more versions. The second version of the story is that the sacred waters were that of Sage Agasthiyar’s wife, Princess Lopamudra – a ravishing beauty, who bore the sage a son called Dridhasyu. Lopamudra performed her duties as a wife and once the wheels of time had caught up to her and she was no longer the youthful beauty that she was. To reward her piety, Sage Agasthyar transformed her into water and confined her to his kamandalam.

The third version of the source of the holy water is that Ponni, one of the seven great rivers of India, became so inflated with her own ego that she insulted Agathiyar, thus provoking his anger. As a result, Sage Agathiyar used his prowess and imprisoned Ponni in his kamandalam.

The south had gone barren due to the dearth of rains because of the atrocities of the demon Tarakasuran. Hence, Lord Ganesh decided to let the water ensconced in the kamandalam of Sage Agathiyar free, so that it might flow as a river, nurturing the then desolate lands of the south.

Lord Ganesh assumed the form of a crow and while Agathiyar was unaware, He knocked off the kamandalam. Seeing this as a sign of liberation to flow, the waters sprung forth into a river. Since the river flowed due to the crow, she got the name “Kaveri” (Kaa- crow, Viri – expanded). Kaveri flows till date to nourish the lands of the south, making everything she touches to be fertile and bountiful.

The Sage was shocked on realising that the waters had been let out from his kamandalam without his knowledge. He searched for the culprit. He saw Lord Vinayagar who had come as a crow, now assume the form of a boy, who was running away from him. He chased the boy and caught Him. He raised his arm to hit the boy, but at that very moment Lord Vinayagar revealed His true form. He also explained that what He did was for the welfare of the south, as the lands were suffering without a steady source of water. The sage realised his mistake and hit his own temples with the knuckles of his raised fist. This later became a form of worshipping Lord Vinayagar.

The sin of causing such grief to the Sage Agathiyar caught Lord Vinayagar. He resumed the crow-form that he had taken to set Kaveri free and flew in search of repentance. He then came to Thiru Nani Palli and prayed to Nattrunai Appar and asked for forgiveness. The Lord forgave His son as what He had done was for the greater good.

The Lord asked the crow to bathe in the Swarna theertham and the black crow became golden when it arose from the temple tank after having a dip. Hence the shrine is also called as “Pon Sei” – The shrine that turned things to gold (Pon – Gold, Sei – Make).

Sage Agathiyar also prayed at this shrine and saw the wedding of Devi Parvati to Lord Shiva (Kalyana Sundareshwarar) who have a separate sannadhi here.

What is the connection of Thiru Gnana Sambandhar and this shrine?

This village is the birthplace of Bagavathi Ammai, who was the mother of Thiru Gnana Sambandhar.

Thiru Gnana Sambandhar was a young child and couldn’t walk to all the shrines and hence he sat on top of his father, Sivapaadha Hridhayar and had sung hymns, praising the deity of this shrine.

This place was arid and barren, inspite of being proximal to the perennially flowing Kaveri. And indulging the request of the village folk, Thiru Gnana Sambandhar had sung about this land as the serene Neidhal (coastal greenery) rather than the arid Paalai (Lacklustre desert).

Miraculously, the land truly became burgeoning and flourished so well that it was a golden period for the village. This was also one the reasons why it is called as the prosperous “Pon Sei”

What are the other specialities of the shrine?

The Devi Durga Statue is unique. She is flanked by a lion and a deer and is shown to be standing in the stance of warring with Shumban and Nishumban. Also, She holds the Chakram in the ready-to-swing posture called as “Prayoga Chakram”.

Chandigeshwarar in the outer Prahaaram is seen with His wife.

The shrine is an architectural wonder with so many beautiful sculptures, large and small. There are many carvings in the pillars and the walls, done with so much elan and finesse. On the outer Prahaaram, there is a pillar which has the engraved forms of a mythical chimeric creature called “Yaazhi” and the detailing is so fine that the nostrils are patent enough to allow a thread through them and the twine comes through the other end.

The sanctum sanctorum is huge enough to allow an elephant to come inside and pay homages to The Lord Nattrunai Appar. The dome of the sanctum sanctorum is one of the biggest in the entire state of Tamilnadu.

The main hall of the temple is called as “Nani Palli Kodi Vattam” and it is designed in such a way that sunlight entering through the main entrance, falls on The Lord from the 7^th to 13^th of the month of Chithirai. The inner right pillar of the hall is slightly slanting, and this is said to be the reason as to how the rays of the sun come all the way inside, defying elementary physics.

Our Experience:

We drove from Thalaichangaadu (108/276), made a pitstop in between to get flowers and reached Thiru Nani Palli (106/276).

As usual, the temple was locked. We were starting to see the pattern here and asked around about the temple opening time. The villagers directed us to the priest’s home. We went there and asked about the temple. The priest told that he will be there shortly.

In retrospect, we realised that the priest might not have come at all, if we weren’t at his doorstep. And ironically, we would have been the only visitors for that evening.

The priest couldn’t come as he had gone to attend a condolence in a nearby village and his son, a young chap had come and opened the temple doors. He gave a lengthy explanation about the temple, did a nice aarthi of The Lord. We offered the flowers and fruits we had brought earlier.

It became dark by the time we went around the outer Prahaaram. We had a really good darisanam of all the deities of the temple.

We thanked the priest for opening the temple and showing us around and following his suggestion we decided to go to the penultimate temple of the trip, ‘Thiru Kadaimudi’ (18/276). He was optimistic and assured us that his relative was the priest of that temple and that he would keep it open till we go.

Renewed with the blessings of Lord Nattrunai Appar and The two Deviyar, Malayaan Madandhai and Parvatha Raja Puthri, we were on our way to the next temple. See you all there.

Loads of love,

Karthick and Rahul.

Thiru Thalaichangaadu

Thiru Thalaichangaadu (108/276)

Name	Thiru Thalaichangaadu
Vernacular Name	Sangaaranyam
District	Nagapattinam
State	Tamilnadu
Devaram	Thiru Gnana Sambandhar
Position	South of Kaveri – 108/276
Presiding deity	Shiva
God	Sangaaranyeshwarar Sangu Vana Naadhar
Goddess	Brihath Sundarambigai Soundara Nayagi
Speciality	Hair follicles can be seen on The Moola Moorthy The temple is one of the Pancha Aaranya Kshetrangal
Sthala Vriksham	Purasu (Flame of the forest)
Theertham	Sangu Theertham
Worshipped by	Mahavishnu
Offering	Fasting and offering a Sandal Paste Alangaram to The Goddess and consuming it is said to give Santhana Praapthi (The blessing of having a child)
Temple timings	7AM to 11PM 5PM to 7PM
Contact details

LORE:

What is the Lore of the temple?

The presiding deity of the temple is Lord Sangaaranyeshwarar and His Devi is Brihath Sundarambigai.

Why does the Sthalam go by the name of Thalaichangaadu?

The village is called as Thalaichangaadu (Thalai + Sangu + Kaadu). There was an abundance of Sangu flowers (Bluebell vine) in this area and hence it got the name as Thalaichangaadu – the forest of the Bluebell vine.

Another reasoning was that, in the olden days of the Tamizh Sangam, this was one of the prominent villages where travellers stayed and hence it got the name as Thalai-Sangam.

Legend says that Lord Vishnu prayed at this shrine and received one of his weapons, the Great Sacred conch called “Panjajanyam”. As the “Thalai Sangu” (Foremost of Conches) was given to Lord Vishnu by Mahadev Shiva in this shrine, it got the name as Thalaichangaadu @ Sangaaranyam. (Vainavam has a different version of the story where Lord Krishna kills the demon Shankasur, to get the divine conch)

The most cited reason however is that this village used to be the commercial nexus of conches from the adjacent port town of Poompuhaar (Conch = Sangu) and thus got the name as Thalaichangaadu.

What is the speciality of the temple?

The temple is in the shape of a conch. The Aavudayaar of the Moola Lingam is also in the shape of a conch. On applying oil to the deity, hair follicles can be seen on the Lingam.

This is the shrine where Mahavishnu prayed to Sangaaranyeshwarar and got the divine conch – Panchajanyam.

The temple is also one of the 70 Maada koils built by the Chozha king, Kochengannan. A “Maada koil” is the form of architecture where the sanctum-sanctorum is at a higher level, accessible only by a flight of stairs and a narrow gateway, both of which precludes elephants from entering the temple and worshipping the deities. It is said that Kochengannan was a spider in his previous birth and had bitter enmity towards elephants. Hence, in this jenmam as the Chozha king, he built all temples as Maada Koils in remembrance of that enmity. Kochengannan’s previous birth as an arachnid and his conflict with pachyderms is associated with the legend of the Jambukeshwarar temple of Thiruvaanaikovil (60/276)

The temple welcomes its devotees with Sanga Nidhi and Padma Nidhi, the accountants of Kuberan’s wealth, at the entrance.

Sanga Nidhi is said to be a measure of 10 to the power of 14 wealth, and is a plump opulent man, holding a conch whereas Padma Nidhi is said to be a measure of 10 to the power of 35 wealth and is equally rotund, holding a lotus.

Lord Vishnu is seen the outer Prahaaram with his consorts. And the divine trinity of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva can be worshipped in the same temple.

Being a Maada Koil, the Nandi is at a higher level. The Pradosha Nayagar is engraved separately in the Maadam, in front of the Pradosha Nandi.

This is one of the Pancha Aaranya Kshetrangal.

What are the Pancha Aaranya Kshetrangal?

Sangu Aaranyam – Thalaichangaadu (108/276)
Vada Aaranyam – Thiru Chaai Kaadu (09/276)
Vilva Aaranyam – Thalaiyaalangaadu (156/276)
Swetha Aaranyam – Thiru Ven Kaadu (11/276)
Veda Aaranyam – Thiru Marai Kaadu (189/276)

Our Experience:

After having a hearty darisanam at Thiru Thalaichanga Naan Madhiyam (25/108), we drove to Thiru Thalaichangaadu. The priest was not there. Luckily the temple was open, and we were able to see The Lord and His Devi.

It was getting dark and we quickly went through the outer Prahaaram. We again reiterate the fact that this temple, like many of the Paadal Petra Sthalangal do not have any amenities or shops that sell flowers and fruits. Get them from the nearby town if you plan to visit. Also, do try to contact the priest and make sure he is available before you visit the shrine.

We finished our darisanam and were off to the next temple on our list, Thiru Nani Palli (105/276)

Loads of love,

Karthick and Rahul.

Thiru ThalaiChanga Naan Madhiyam

Thiru ThalaiChanga Naan Madhiyam(25/108)

Name	Thiru Thalaichanga Naan Madhiyam
Vernacular Name	Thalaichangaadu
District	Nagapattinam
State	Tamilnadu
Mangalasasanam	Thirumangai Azhwar
Presiding deity	Lord Vishnu
God	Naan Madhiya Perumal Chandra Saaba Harar Vyoma Jothi Piraan Venn Sudar Perumal
Goddess	Thalaichanga Natchiyaar Sengamala Valli
Speciality	Redemption of Chandra Dev’s Curse
Theertham	Chandra Pushkarani
Worshipped by	Chandra Dev
Temple timings	8AM to 11PM 5PM to 7PM
Contact details	Vardarajan – 9965273712

LORE:

What is the Lore of the temple?

The presiding deity of the temple is Lord Naan Madhiya Perumal and His Devi is Thalaichanga Natchiyaar.

Why does the Sthalam go by the name of Thalaichanga Naan Madhiyam?

The Lord here relieved Chandra Dev of his curse, incurred due to the wrath of Deva Guru Brihaspathi and Prajapati Dakshan. He wears Chandra Dev as an ornament in his head, like Lord Shiva. Thus, He got the name Naan Madhiya Perumal (Madhi = Moon) and the shrine got the latter half of its name as Naan Madhiyam.

As for the first half of the name, there are many different explanations.

Another reasoning was that, in the olden days of the Tamizh Sangam, this was one of the prominent villages where travellers stayed and hence it got the name as Thalai-Sangam.

The most cited reason however is that this village used to be the commercial nexus of conches from the adjacent port town of Poompuhaar (Conch = Sangu) and thus got the name as Thalaichangaadu.

What is the speciality of this Shrine?

The shrine is said to be the final place where Chandra Dev ultimately was absolved of his curse. The redemption for the curse was done by Chandra Dev in three shrines. The first temple he prayed for atonement was Thiruvarangam (01/108), followed by Thiru Indalur (26/108) and finally he came here to Thalaichanga Naan Madhiyam (25/108) and was finally freed from the curse.

What was Chandra Dev’s curse and how did he get absolved of it?

Brihaspathi was furious on knowing Chandra Dev’s debauchery and he cursed Chandra Dev that he will become a Kuroopi (Hideous one) and lose all his charismatic charm with which he had seduced Tara.

Daksha Prajapati told that the curse cannot be undone and that the only way for him to seek atonement is to pray to Lord Mahavishnu. Chandra Dev prayed to Lord Mahavishnu and sought his mercy.

Lord Naan Madhiya Perumal finally appeared in front of Chandra Dev and blessed him with a boon. He restored Chandra Dev’s beauty, curing him of Leprosy and also accepted him as an ornament on His head. Though the curse of Daksha Prajapati cannot be completely undone and Chandra Dev waxes during the Krishna Paksham, by the grace of Lord Naan Madhiya Perumal, he wanes into completeness, gaining back one Chandrakala every day, during the Shukla Paksham and becomes a full moon once again. This pattern of waxing and waning is repeated every month and is called as the lunar cycle.

What are the alternate renderings of the tale?

In Shaivism, the tale is exactly the same. But the curse is lifted by Lord Shiva at Somnath temple, Gujarat. Somnath is on of the 12 Jyotirlinga Sthalangal. And according to Shaivite traditions, it is here that Chandra Dev gets relieved of the dual curse of Daksha Prajapati and Deva guru Brihaspathi.

Our Experience:

We wound up our darisanam at Thiru Chaaikaadu (09/276) and drove to Thiru Thalaichanga Naan Madhiyam (25/108). The temple tank was amazing, just like how Thirumangai Azhwar has described it in his paasruams.

We reached around 4.30 PM and were just in time for the last darisanam. The priest had kept the temple open the whole day for a festival and was doing the last pooja when we reached.

He was very polite and explained the story of the shrine and showed us an awesome aarthi of The Lord wearing Chandra Dev as His ornament. We heartily prayed to The Naan Madhiya Perumal and Thalaichanga Natchiyaar (who resides in a separate shrine).

Highlighting the relationship of the Lord to the name of this shrine, there is a unique conch-shaped statue of Lord Vishnu, just outside the sanctum sanctorum.

There are no shops in the village and the priest comes from 25km to do daily pooja. So, if you want to visit the shrine, it would be conducive to enquire the availability of the priest and plan accordingly.

We then went onward with our journey to the next temple. A Devara Paadal petra Sthalam in the same village – Thiru Thalaichangaadu Sangaaranyeshwarar temple (108/276).

Loads of love,

Karthick and Rahul.

Thiru Chaaikaadu

Thiru Chaaikaadu (09/276)

Name	Thiru Chaaikaadu
Vernacular Name	Saaya Vanam
District	Nagapattinam
State	Tamilnadu
Devaram	Thiru Gnana Sambandhar Appar
Position	North of Kaveri – 09/276
Presiding deity	Shiva
God	Chaaya Vaneshwarar Indreshwarar Rathina Chaaya Vaneshwarar Chaaya Vana Naadhar Chaaikaadu Udayaar
Goddess	Kuyilinum Ini Mozhi Ammai Kokilavani Goshambaal
Speciality	Vil Endhiya Velavan Eyarpagai Naayanar Charitram Sambaadhi Amman Kovil
Sthala Vriksham	Korai (Nut Grass)
Theertham	Airavatha Theertham Sangumuga Theertham Kaveri
Worshipped by	Indira Dev, Adhithi Devi, Eyarpagai Nayanmaar
Temple timings	7AM to 12PM 5PM to 8PM
Contact details

LORE:

What is the Lore of the temple?

The presiding deity of the temple is Lord Chaaya Vaneshwarar and His Devi is Kuyilinum Inn Mozhi Ammai.

Why does the Sthalam go by the name of Chaaya Vanam?

The land was once abundant with ‘Chaai’ grasses (also known as ‘Korai Pul’). Hence it got the name as Chaaya Vanam – The forest of the Nut Grass.

What is the speciality of this Shrine?

The shrine is said to be one of the six temples on par with The Kasi Viswanathar temple of Banaras. The other five being Thiruvaiyaru (51/276), Mayiladuthurai (102/274), Thiruvenkaadu (11/276), Thiruvidaimarudhur (93/276) and Thiru Vanjiyam (133/276).

This is the birthplace of Eyarpagai Naayanar and the shrine where he and his wife attained salvation.

What is the story of Eyarpagai Naayanar?

Eyarpagaiyaar was born in Poompuhar and was a wealthy merchant. He and his wife Karpinukkarasiyaar were ardent Shiva devotees. He had gained the name of Eyarpagaiyaar, which means “the one who goes against the natural order of things” because he never refused to give anything to saints who came seeking for food and shelter from him. His munificent patronage of Lord Shiva’s devotees was rather unconventionally capricious.

The Lord of Chaaya Vanam wanted to show the world about the devotion of Eyarpagaiyaar and elevate him to the status of Nayanmaar. He came in the guise of an old saint to Poompuhaar. He knocked the doors of Eyarpagaiyaar asking for alms.

Eyarapagaiyaar was more than happy to welcome the old saint into the house and asked him what was that he sought. The old saint told that he had heard of the great deeds of generosity of Eyarpagaiyaar and had travelled from quite afar to get what he wanted. Eyarpagaiyaar was exalted and promised to give the senile monk whatever he desired.

The saint then made a very peculiar demand. He told that he was from afar and had taken a vow of celibacy to serve the temple of Lord Shiva and that he had no wife and children to take care of him in his old age. Saying that he asked Eyarpagaiyaar to send his wife as a caretaker with the saint to his town.

Eyarpagaiyaar instantly obliged and went inside to talk to his wife. His wife, though initially shocked, quickly regained her composure and gracefully conceded to be the caretaker of the aging mendicant.

They were all set to leave Poompuhaar when the saint asked for one more favour from Eyarpagaiyaar. He told that as he was taking away Karpinukkarasiyaar as his personal caretaker, her relatives and the townsfolk might object and cause harm to him. So, he requested Eyarpagaiyaar to accost them till the edge of the town.

Eyarpagaiyaar dutifully obliged to the request. He took his sword and followed the saint who was leaving with Karpinukkarasiyaar. All her relatives and many of the irked townsfolk took to arms and chased after the apparently lecherous monk. But Eyarpagaiyaar was a skilled swordsman too and they were all slain by him with elan.

They reached the edge of the town, near Chaaya Vanam. The monk then thanked Eyarpagaiyaar for his kindness and asked him to go back because his job of protecting him was over. Eyarpagaiyaar turned back and started walking towards Poompuhaar.

Suddenly, he heard the monk scream. He rushed to the spot, assuming that someone from Poompuhaar had struck the monk down. To his surprise he and his wife saw the monk disappear and had the amazing darisanam of Lord Chaaya Vaneshwarar and Devi Goshaambal seated on the bull, in the sky.

The Lord blessed the couple and gave them salvation and elevated Eyarpagaiyaar as one of the 63 Nayanmaars. The relatives and townsfolk of Eyarpagai Nayanmaar who were slain by him were also given salvation. There is a statue for Eyarpagaiyaar and Karpinukkarasiyaar in the outer corridor of the Chaaya Vanam Temple.

Why is Devi called as Kuyilinum Ini Mozhi Ammai?

Once upon a time, Indra Dev’s mother, Devi Adhithi came to Chaaya Vanam to worship The Lord here. She was so enchanted with the shrine that she stayed back in admiration of the Lord and His regalia. Meanwhile, Indra Dev was searching for his mother and eventually found out that she was n Chaaya Vanam. He came down to the shrine and fell in love with The Lord and His temple.

He wanted to take away the temple to Swargam and summoned his mount, the elephant Airavatham to pull the temple skyward. He tied the thread to the temple and to The Lord and asked the elephant to pull. This sent tremors through the land.

Devi was shocked and cooed in a voice sweeter than that of a cuckoo. Chaaya Vaneshwarar heeded to Her pleas and asked Indra Dev to stop trying to move the temple and to stay here and worship Him. Indra realised his folly and stayed in the temple. Even to this date, he is seen in the outer Prahaaram with hands joined in obeisance to The Lord Chaaya Vaneshwarar. The scar of the rope used by Airavatham to pull The Lord is still seen on the Moolavar.

Thus, She is called as Kuyilinum Ini Mozhi Ammai – The Goddess whose voice is sweeter than that of the cuckoo.

How did Vil Endhiya Velavan come to Chaaya Vanam?

The most unique feature of the temple is the statue of Vil Endhiya Velavan. Lord Murugan, wielding the bow and arrow, in the stance ready for war is such an astounding sight to behold.

The base of the statue has the engraving “Sendhil Andavar”. Legend has it that the Dutch soldiers who came to invade India, stole this statue from the Thiruchendur Sendhil Andavar Temple and were homebound via the sea in 1648. The Bay of Bengal threw up a big storm to condemn this act of sacrilege.

The Dutch soldiers then thought that the rough tide might be due to the statue and deemed it to be cursed and they threw it into the sea. Several years later, the statue was found by the local fishermen and was then installed in Chaaya Vanam.

Vil Endhiya Velavan stands poised to strike down foes and is a feast for eyes. He wields the bow and arrow in two of His four arms. He also has the Veera-Kandara-Mani, the precious jewel of Valour, tied to his leg.

Devi Parvathy blessed Lord Murugan with Her Shakthi Vel and Lord Shiva is said to have blessed Him with the Veera-Kandara-Mani to be victorious against His battle with Tarakasuran.

The Jewel is sculpted on to the leg of Vil Endhiya Velavan and can be seen only during the Abhishegam and is otherwise hidden by His attire.

Who is Sambaadhi Amman?

Sambaadhi Amman is said to be the Kaaval Deivam (Protector of the Boundaries) of Poompuhaar.

She is described in the Manimekalai and was worshipped by Kannagi, Madhavi and Manimekalai. She is also called as Sambaagi Amman and Sambaabathi Amman by the locals. She is mentioned in the Silappadhigaaram and the Manimekalai as the Protector Goddess of the Town of Poompuhaar.

Her temple is in Chaaya Vanam, a few hundred metres away from the main temple, surrounded by lush greenery. The original temple is in ruins now and all that remains are the vine-laden dilapidated walls and a few statues. The family that lives there keeps the Moola Moorthy of Sambaagi Amman in a separate, brick-walled, small shrine and does Nithya Poojai to Her.

Our Experience:

We had planned to cover Thiruchaaikaadu (09/276) in the evening session. But, after Pallavaneswaram (10/276) we just wanted to make sure that the route was clear and decided to head to the temple as it was a mere 800 metres away.

To our surprise the outer corridor was open. The priest had left and hence the main shrines were closed, but still we had a beautiful darisanam of The Lord Chaaya Vaneshwarar and His Devi, Kuyilinum Ini Mozhi Ammai.

Vil Endhiya Velavan is seen standing in a separate shrine in front of The Sanctum sanctorum and we had drunk up every drop of His handsome visage to our heart’s content.

Chaaya Vanam is a fortified temple-complex and is a very serene locale. The Raja Gopuram has three tiers. And there are two beautiful archways with Vil-Endhiya-Velavan welcoming us into the temple-complex

After being overwhelmed by the amount of divine grace we were showered in half-a-day (7 Paadal Petra Sthalangal) we decided to take a break and explore the coast of the forgotten port city of Poompuhaar.

We waltzed on the coast and went to the site where the river Kaveri entered the Bay of Bengal. Because of the recent rains, there was enough water in the river and we happily waded in the Sangama Theertham (the confluence of the river and the sea)

After a quick but filling meal, we decided to check into Chaaya Vanam once again, hoping that the priest would have come. He did not turn up till 4.30PM, hence we again went into the temple, saw The Lord and His Lady, sought their blessings and were on our way to the next temple for the evening session, Thalaichanga Naan Madhiyam (one of the 108 Vainava Divya Desangal)

Loads of love,

Karthick and Rahul.

Pallavaneswaram

Thiru Pallavaneecharam (10/276)

Name	Thiru Pallavaneecharam
Vernacular Name	Kaveri Poompattinam Poompuhar
District	Nagapattinam
State	Tamilnadu
Devaram	Thiru Gnana Sambandhar Appar
Position	North of Kaveri – 10/276
Presiding deity	Shiva
God	Pallavaneshwarar Pallavanathar
Goddess	Soundarya Nayagi
Speciality	Pattinathar Avadhaara Sthalam
Sthala Vriksham	Jasmine (Malligai)
Theertham	Janavi Theertham Kaveri Sangamam
Worshipped by	Kuberan, Kaalava Munivar, Agasthyar
Temple timings	7AM to 12PM 5PM to 8PM
Contact details	9443719193
Location	The temple is situated on the Mayiladuthurai – Sembanar Koil route. Mayiladuthurai is 10 Kms away and Sembanar Koil is 4 Kms away
Exact Google Map Location	11°08’49.0"N 79°49’47.6"E
How to reach	Take a cab or auto from Sembanar Koil or Mayiladuthurai
Accommodation	If you’re planning to visit temples nearby, stay at Mayiladuthurai

LORE:

This presiding deity of this shrine is Lord Pallavaneshwarar and his Devi is Soundarya Nayagi

What is the Lore of the temple?

The temple is situated at the confluence of the river Kaveri into the Bay of Bengal. The town is called as Kaveri-poom-pattinam (Kaveri puhum Pattinam).

The Lord of this shrine is said to have been worshipped by Kaalava Rishi, the rishi who married off all his 365 daughters to Lord Varaha Moorthy of Thiruvidandhai (one of the 108 Vaishnava Divya Desangal).

The temple is said to have been built by the Pallava kings, hence the name Pallavaneecharam.

What is the speciality of this Shrine?

This shrine is the place where Pattinathar became a Sanyasi.

There is a separate shrine for Pattinathar in the temple and it is he who is celebrated in the Temple Brahmostsavam. Lord Pallavaneshwarar takes second place in the festival. Hence the festival is called as ‘Adiyaar Utsavam’.

There is a beautiful idol of Goddess Parvathi with Lord Murugan seated on Her lap. This is Her “Guhambigai” roobam, which is an exquisite sight to behold.

The Nataraja Sabha at this temple bears a striking semblance to the Sabha at Chidambaram (1/276).

The Lord faces the East, towards the Bay of Bengal all the Nava Grahams face The Lord towards the West.

What is the story of Pattinathar?

Long ago, there lived a pious couple called Sivanesan and Gnana Kamalambigai. They were of the Nagarathaar community and Sivanesan was a seafarer and a wealthy merchant. They were deeply devoted to The Lord Swetharanyeshwarar of Thiruvenkaadu (11/276). To their delight, their first-born was a girl who was named as Thillaiammai. They were then blessed with a boy. Legend says that the boy was none other than Kuberan, The Lord of wealth. They named him “Thiruvenkaadar” after the Lord of Thiruvenkaadu (11/276).

He grew up to be an able merchant, much like his father. He was married to a girl called Sivakalai at the age of 16 years. They were living a content life. Alas, they did not have a child of their own. Thiruvenkaadar and Sivakalai prayed to the Lord for a child.

The Lord of Thiruvidaimarudhur (93/276), Mahalinga Swamy decided to put an end to their woes. He appeared in the dream of a poor couple called Sivasarman and Suseelai. He told them to go to the temple where they would find a baby boy and asked them to take the baby to Kaveripoompattinam. He also instructed them to give the baby to the childless Thiruvenkaadar-Sivakalai and to ask for gold equal to the weight of the baby to absolve them of their poverty.

The couple duly obliged and took the baby to Thiruvenkaadar. He was more than delighted to adopt the child. Little did he know that the child was Lord Shiva, Himself. Since the baby was given to them as a result of the grace of Lord Mahalinga Swamy of Thiruvidaimarudhur (93/276), they named the baby as “Marudha Vaanan”

Much like his dad, Marudha Vaanan also grew up to be an able seafarer, learning all the tips and tricks of the trade. He decided to go out to the sea in search of riches. His parents were proud of their ambitious child and they sent him (rather reluctantly as he was still young, in his mid-teens).

News of raging storms ravaging the waves of the Bay of Bengal reached Thiruvenkaadar who feared the safety of his boy. But, Marudha Vaanan returned safely claiming that he had found treasures beyond measure. Thiruvenkaadar was pleased. When he went to the port to see the riches brought by his son, he was dismayed. All the ships had gunny bags filled with dried husk and dung-cakes. He also found that Marudha Vaanan had kept proper records of the trading these dried husk and dung cakes with other merchants.

He scolded his son for bringing disrepute to his merchant lineage and reprimanded him for being so fool-hardy and claimed that he was unfit to continue the legacy of the merchant trade. Marudha Vaanan smiled knowingly and said that he wanted to go meet his mother and left the port.

Thiruvenkaadar was so irked by the sight of the dried husk and dung cakes that he threw them on the floor. The husk turned into gold dust and strings of precious gems, pearls, rubies, sapphires and topazes rolled out of the dung cakes. He was so surprised at the miracle and rushed home to meet Madhavaram.

Meanwhile, Marudha Vaanan went to his mother and gave her an ornate casket and asked her to give it to his father. By the time she could keep the casket in the safe and return, the boy was nowhere to be found. Marudha Vaanan had disappeared. Thiruvenkaadar asked the whereabouts of his boy to which Sivakalai told that he had vanished into thin air, but he had given a special casket to her and had told her to give it to Thiruvenkaadar, once he returned from the port.

Upon opening the casket, there was an eyeless needle and a note inscribed on a palm leaf. The note read “Kaadhu attra oosiyum vaaraadhu Kaanum Kadai Vazhikkey”. (Even an eyeless needle will not come with you in the end of the journey). Thiruvenkaadar then realised the truth. However much a man accumulates material wealth in his life, he cannot even take with him something as useless as an eyeless needle with him in the end.

He then renounced his material wealth and his worldly possessions and his family. He came to Pallavaneecharam and prayed to The Lord to give him salvation. The Lord blessed him saying that in due course of time that which he seeks will be given.

He gave up everything including his refined attire and jewels and lived like a pauper, begging for food along the way and undertook an ascetic life. He promised his aging mother Gnana Kamalambigai that he will not leave the town till she lived and that he would do his duty as a son and light her funeral pyre once her time in this world is over.

Thiruvenkaadar composed many songs in simple mellifluent sweetened Tamizh about the Lord and got the name as Pattinathar, after the town’s name Kaveripoompattinam. Eventually, his mother attained Shivaloga Praapthi. The relatives did not want the aloof mendicant to light the pyre. Hence, they had kept wooden logs around her body and were about to begin the rites of cremation. But Pattinathar came to the crematorium and removed all the wooden logs and replaced them with plantain piths and leaves. He sang hymns on motherhood and the how he had to light the funeral pyre of his beloved mother. The pyre made of green piths and leaves started to burn and people finally acknowledged his sainthood.

The jealous elder sister, who wanted to swindle all Pattinathar’s wealth decided to poison him and kill him. She was influenced by evil thoughts and appeased her conscience by saying that her younger brother had gone astray and brought dishonour to the family name and deserves to be punished.

She invited him to her home and offered him Appam, his favourite delicacy. She had prepared the Appam and added poison to it. She offered it to Pattinathar. On touching the appam, Pattinathar realised that it was poisoned. He admonished his sister for such an act of guile and threw the appam on the roof and uttered “Than vinai thannai sudum, ottu appam veetai sudum” (Your vile acts will incinerate you, the appam on the roof will burn the house).

The house instantly caught fire and started to burn. His sister understood her folly and realised the truth in the age-old saying of “as you sow, so shall you reap”.

Pattinathar then went on a pilgrimage and his travels took him to Ujjain of Bengal, where he chanced to meet the king of the land, Bharthari. The two had a discussion on sanyasa and Samsaara and Pattinathar told the king that all women have dual mind and that even Goddess Parvathi might not be an exemption to the rule. The king was taken aback and refused to accept Pattinathar’s view.

Pattinathar, by means of his Siddhi, brought and gave the king a celestial fruit from Devalok. The king out of his affection to his youngest wife, Ananga Sena, gave the fruit to her. Ananga Sena was smitten by the chief of military, Mahipaala. So, she gave the fruit to him out of her lust. Mahipaala too had a secret crush on another woman called Lakha, who was one of the queen’s maids of honour. He gave the fruit to her, as a token of his love. Lakha, finally, presented the celestial fruit to the king, himself as she was in love with him.

The fruit had made a full circle and came back to the king, himself. When the king confronted Ananga Sena, she seduced the king and blamed Pattinathar for sowing discord in the royal household. She ordered her handmaids to feed the king with intoxicating wine continuously and kept the king ensconced in a state of eternal drunken stupor.

She then ordered the arrest of Pattinathar who did not flinch and conceded with the arrest and said that this was all the leela of Lord Shiva. She ordered the execution of the saint in a very cruel and torturous way. The guards were ordered to hoist the saint atop the sharpened, pointed and oiled trunk of a tree, which would eventually tear the saint into two halves. The gruesome punishment was called as “Kazhu Maram Etrudhal” and was reserved only for the most heinous crimes.

By divine intervention, the trunk of the tree started to burn the moment Pattinathar was taken near it. When Ananga Sena heard of this, she ordered that the saint to be jailed and visited him in incarceration. She warned him that there shall be no more miracles and that his death was imminent. Pattinathar said in resolute calmness that he was ready to die even in that moment if it was The Lord’s will.

King Bharthari eventually woke up from his drunken stupor and found his beloved Ananga Sena enthralled in the throes of his own horseman. He then realised what had happened and ordered the release of Pattinathar. He then renounced the throne and deigned his younger brother Vikramaditya as the new king.

He then pleaded to Pattinathar to accept him as his disciple. The saint refused saying that a king of royal blood will not be truly ready for the ascetic life of a hermit. The king threw away all his status symbols and wore only a loin cloth and eventually succeeded in convincing Pattinathar to accept him as a disciple.

(There are a few other versions of the tale. According to a different lore, Pattinathar was seated in a temple in Ujjain, deep in meditation, when a thief who stole the royal pearls came there. He was on the run from the guards who were chasing him. To escape from them he had placed the pearl necklace on the meditating saint and ran away. The guards who were chasing the dacoit see the pearl necklace on the neck of Pattinathar and arrested him. Pattinathar was produced in the court and there he was sentenced to death by the Kazhu Maram by the king Bharthari. The rest of the events that follow are the same)

On the way from Ujjain, the once-king Bharthari, saw a begging-bowl. He took it and told Pattinathar that it would be useful while asking alms. The saint asked him to dispose it as it was still considered as a material possession and will only distance him from attaining true salvation. Bharthari, now called as Bharathagiriyaar by the people of the south, refused to part with the bowl.(He is also known as ‘Bhadragiri’ in some texts)

Then Bharathagiriyaar came across a dog, who started to follow the duo. He got attached to the dog and started feeding it and taking care of it, much to the chagrin of Pattinathar. They finally reached Thiruvidaimarudhur (93/276) and lived in the temple premises.

Mahalinga Swamy decided to play with his devotees. He came as an aged and ailing man and asked for alms from Pattinathar. Pattinathar told that he is a mendicant and doesn’t have anything to give and directed the old man to the west entrance of the temple and told that there would be a man who is a Samsaari and is richer than himself and that he might be able to help.

The Lord went to the other entrance and saw Bharathagiriyaar with his begging bowl and his pet dog. He told the ex-king what Pattinathar had told and immediately Bharathagiriyaar felt remorseful. He understood that even trivial things like a begging bowl and a pet dog will delay him from salvation. He threw the bowl on the dog, which killed the dog, breaking the bowl into pieces in the process. Lord Mahalinga Swamy, who had come as the old man, then disappeared.

The two saints spent a few decades in the temple. Then the king of Kasi came to Thiruvidaimarudhur (93/276) with his daughter. He went to meet Bharathagiriyaar. And told him that his daughter wanted to live with him and spend her life in his service. The saint was taken aback and asked her what the connection between a fine princess of Kasi like herself and an ascetic like him was. The princess replied that in the previous birth she was the dog who was fed by Bharathagiriyaar and was now reborn as the princess of Kasi after being hit by the begging bowl, in the previous birth as a dog. Bharathagiriyaar was frantic and hastened to Pattinathar and asked him to solve this crisis. Pattinathar explained that this was the result of his karma and his attachment to material things and even something as trivial as a begging bowl and something as unassuming as petting a dog will have its accumulated karma. He then asked Bharathagiriyaar to pray to Lord Mahalinga Swamy.

Bharathagiriyaar cantered into the temple, deftly followed by the princess of Kasi. Both darted into the sanctum sanctorum and disappeared into Lord Mahalinga Swamy. The Lord gave salvation to both. For Pattinathar it was a bittersweet moment. Though he was elated at the thought that his disciple was given salvation, his heart ached to attain the same. He prayed fervently to the Lord and asked him to absolve his karma. The Lord then gave him a salty sugarcane (Pei Karumbu) and asked him to undertake the final pilgrimage of his mortal existence. The Lord had decreed that Pattinathar would be given salvation once the salt sugarcane tastes sweet.

Pattinathar then carried the salty sugarcane and went to many temples. He finally arrived at Thiruvottriyur (253/276) and was exalted to find that the sugarcane tasted sweet. He was overjoyed. He demonstrated many miracles to the children around that area and sat in the state of Samadhi, nearby the temple.

Our Experience:

We drove to Pallavaneswaram (10/276) from Thiru Sempon Palli (105/276) and were again lost because of the faulty GPS. We could have asked for directions in the town, but we were so used to following google maps, that lead us to the middle of nowhere.

Ironically, the temple was right on the highway, with a small arch pointing the way. We retraced our steps, back to the temple and reached there exactly by 12 noon. The priest was not there, but the temple was open.

The Raja-gopuram has so many beautiful sculptures. We had a peaceful darisanam of the Lord and His Devi. We also worshipped at the Pattinathar shrine. The Vimanam of Pattinathar shrine has his entire family and his disciple, Bharathagiriyaar.

We then spent a little time at the temple pond, doing silly antics and then decided to call it a day for the morning session. The marathon of visiting six temples was complete and we were more than content. We were supposed to break for lunch and take a quick tour of the heritage town of Kaveripoompattinam, rest for an hour or two and then resume our pilgrimage.

Apparently, The Lord had decided otherwise. We suddenly had the brainwave to check out the next Paadal Petra Sthalam on our list, Thiru Chaaikaadu (09/276) just to make sure, we are familiar with the route, so that we can have a hassle free darisanam, unlike the previous two temples. And guess what happened?

Well, read up our trip to the next temple to find out. The 10^th Paadal Petra Sthalam beckons us. Onward to Thiru Chaaikaadu (10/276).

Loads of love,

Karthick and Rahul.

Thiru Sempon Palli

Thiru Sempon Palli (105/276)

Name	Thiru Sempon Palli
Other Names	Sembian Palli Swarnapuri Indrapuri Skandapuri Lakshmipuri Semponnaar Koil
Vernacular Name	Sembanaar Koil
District	Nagapattinam
State	Tamilnadu
Devaram	Thiru Gnana Sambandhar Appar
Position	South of Kaveri – 105/276
Presiding deity	Shiva
God	Sempon Palliyaar Swarnapureeswarar
Goddess	Maruvaar Kuzhali Sugandha Vana Nayagi Sugandha Kundhalambigai Suganthalaagi Pushpalaagi Dakshayani
Speciality	Creation of Veerabhadrar to destroy Daksha Maha Yaagam was at this shrine. Murugan took the Skanda Guru Avatar here.
Sthala Vriksham	Rusty Acacia (Vanni)
Theertham	Surya Theertham Kaveri
Worshipped by	Lakshmi, Murugan, Indran, Dakshayani
Temple timings	7AM to 12PM 5PM to 8PM
Contact details	9943797974

LORE:

This presiding deity of this shrine is Lord Sempon Palliyaar and his Devi is Maruvaar Kuzhali.

Why is the village called as Thiru Sempon Palli?

The village has many names and the name sung by the Samaya Kuravargal in the Devaram is ‘Sempon Palli’. The temple is said to have had the tower of the sanctum sanctorum built in Gold, in the ancient days. That is why it is said to have been named ‘Sempon Palli’.

The presiding deity of the temple, Sempon Palliyaar is said to glow like Gold – another reason to the etymology behind the name of the village.

The village also has many other names. Mahalakshmi is said to have attained Mahavishnu after worshipping here. Hence it is called as Lakshmipuri. Murugan is said to have worshipped here to seek the blessings of Lord Sempon Palliyaar before waging the famous war against Tarakasuran and his cronies. Hence this village also acquired the name as Skandapuri. Indra Dev prayed to Lord Sempon Palliyaar and got the Vajrayudham to defeat Vritthrasuran, thereby giving the name of Indrapuri to Sempon Palli.

Another historical reason cited is that this was originally Sembian Palli. “Sembian” is a popular synonym to denote the Chozha dynasty and this is said to have morphed into Sempon Palli, with the passage of time.

What is the Lore of the temple?

The temple lore is closely related to the previous Devara Paadal Petra Sthalam, Thirupariyalur (104/276).

This is the shrine where Shiva creates Veera Bhadrar to destroy the Nireeshwara Yaagam conducted by Daksha and to punish him for being responsible for Sati’s self- immolation.

To summarise the story in brief, Aadhi-Shakti takes a corporeal form and is born as Dakshayani/Sati, to Daksha Prajapati to marry Shiva for the welfare of the cosmos. Daksha is against it because he feels Shiva is unfit to be called as Mahadeva, let alone son-in-law due to Shiva’s bizarre ascetic practices. Dakshayani eventually marries Shiva against Daksha’s wishes further infuriating him. To exact his revenge, Daksha conducts a Maha Yaagam at Thirupariyalur (104/276) with the sole intention of insulting Shiva.

Dakshayani insists on going to the Maha Yaagam, but Shiva warns her not to. She doesn’t listen and goes to the Maha Yaagam, despite Shiva’s refusal to come. Things go awry when Daksha not only insults Dakshayani but also hurls abuses on Shiva too. Unable to bear with the Shiva Nindhanai, Dakshayani self-immolates Herself, in the premise of the Maha Yaagam itself.

Shiva gets enraged on knowing this and creates Veera Bhadrar at this shrine and sends Him to Thirupariyalur (104/276) to wreak havoc on the ill-fated Maha Yaagam and to kill Daksha which Veera Bhadrar dutifully does.

The tale takes a different route with regards to Sempon Palli. The story is the same till Dakshayani reaches the sacrificial altar. After that, according to Sempon Palli temple’s version of events, Dakshayani curses Daksha that he will die for insulting Shiva, who is not merely his son-in-law, but also The Mahadeva who reigns supreme above all others in the cosmos. She then comes to Sempon Palli and meditates in Panchagni as repentance for disobeying Shiva’s words.

Shiva is said to have appeared as Sempon Palliyaar, pardoned Dakshayani and transformed Her into His consort, Maruvaar Kuzhali.

What is the speciality of this Shrine?

Maruvaar Kuzhali graces the shrine with two hands instead of the super-numerary hands Devi usually has at other shrines.

Veerabhadrar and Daksha are seen in a separate statue in the Goshtam.

Behind the Lord Sempon Palliyaar Shrine, in the Prahaaram, Murugan is in the form of Skanda Guru. He is said to have taken the form of Shiva’s aspect as the teacher and tries to advice a stubborn Dakshayani about the hazards of going uninvited and alone to a place and the woes that would befall. He is depicted as carrying an agate-rosewood-beaded wreath (Atchaya Maalai) in His upper left arm to symbolise His Skanda Guru form.

The twists in the tale:

There are a few unanswered questions about the lore of the shrine that left the both of us pondering and seeking potential clarifications and we would like to share them with you.

How can Dakshayani be Maruvaar Kuzhali if She self-immolated Herself at the Maha Yaagam, as it is described in Thirupariyalur (104/105) and in all the other Puranaas?
How does Murugan become Skanda Guru and advice Dakshayani, as He wasn’t born until eons later? (Murugan is born only after Shiva re-marries Aadhi-Shakthi’s next Avatar, Parvati)
If Dakshayani is Maruvaar Kuzhali then the whole existence of the Shakthi peedams and the story of Kaama Dahana Moorthy incinerating Kaaman at Thirukorukkai (26/276) couldn’t have happened.

Our Experience:

We were so happy and at peace with ourselves as we saw Thirupariyalur (104/276) which was the main temple that we had planned to cover. We reached Sempon Palli at around 11AM. It is a reasonably big town and as we had little more time, we decided to have breakfast. We gobbled a sumptuous plate of Poori and Pongal, upped our adrenaline with two simmering hot cups of tea, got a packet of Jaangiri to appease our sweet-tooth and were all set to go to Sempon Palli.

A major technical glitch caused due to a network error and Rahul’s impatience, resulted us in driving to the middle of nowhere because instead of driving towards the temple, we drove to the middle of the village, as google told. (The temple and the village have the same name, duh)

This cost us a solid 20 minutes lag, and we had a bickering banter about Murphy’s law and how everything that can go wrong eventually does. After calming down and extricating ourselves out of a potential war, we asked for directions from the locals (google maps still failed because of lack of a proper network) and finally reached the temple at 11.45AM.

The temple doesn’t have a Raja Gopuram. We went inside the Maada Koil and were dismayed to see the shrine of Sempon Palliyaar locked. We saw Him through the grill gate from quite afar. We then went and had a Darshan of Maruvaar Kuzhali (Locked again) and went around the Prahaaram to see Skanda Guru.

We then enquired to the temple priest as to when we can see The Lord to which we had a cheeky and rather snobbish reply from him. He actually told us “Only if I come, you can see The Lord. Don’t you lads know that it isn’t enough just to go to an ATM to withdraw money. Only if you insert the card, cash will flow”. The joke was in bad taste and left us aghast and saddened. We assumed that the priest was hot-headed because of the time we went (it was almost noon and nearing closing time). None of the locals (there were quite a few) seemed to be bothered by the fact that they had to see the Lord through the grill gate, from what seemed like leagues apart. So, we decided to come back in the evening to visit The Lord, for the second time, hoping the priest keeps the gates open at least in the evening.

After covering two more temples, we spent the rest of the noon at Poompuhaar. We covered a few more temples for the evening session and came back to Sempon Palli in the evening and were again surprised to see that the gates to the sanctum sanctorum were still closed. It was too dark to have a good darisanam with a lone desolate lamp shedding a very few rays of light on his visage and we barely managed to see Sempon Palliyaar.

But as they say, it is enough if The Lord Sempon Palliyaar sees you and Devi Maruvaar Kuzhali blesses you. With that in mind, we drove ahead, crossing the river Kaveri and chugged along to the next Devara Paadal Petra Sthalam on our list, Pallavaneswaram (10/276).

Loads of Love,

Karthick and Rahul.

Thirupariyalur

THIRUPARIYALUR (104/276)

Name	Thiru Pariyalur
Other Names	Dakshapuri Daksheshwaram
Vernacular name	Keezha Parasalur
District	Nagapattinam
State	Tamilnadu
Devaram	Thiru Gnana Sambandhar
Position	South of Kaveri – 104/276
Sivan	Veerateswarar Dakshehwaram Udayaar
Utsava Moorthy	Yaaga Samhara Moorthy Veera Bhadrar
Shakthi	Ilankombanyaal Balambika
Devaram	Thiru Gnana Sambandhar
Speciality	One of the Atta Veerataanangal (8 acts of Valour)
Sthala Vriksham	Jackfruit (Palaa)
Theertham	Utthira Vedhi Theertham (Yaaga Gundam)
Must See	Yaaga Samhara Moorthy
Temple timings	Don’t go by the board. (7AM to 12PM, 4PM to 7PM) Call the priest a day prior and find out when the shrine will be open for darisanam
Contact details

LORE:

The presiding deity of this shrine is Veerateswarar. The Utsava Moorthy is Yaaga Samhara Moorthy – Veerabhadrar. This is the fourth of the Atta Veerataanangal (The eight acts of valour performed by Shiva.

Why is the village called Thiru Pariyalur?

Eons ago, the Devas were being tormented by a demon called as Dharukan. He was apparently invincible because of his wife’s austerities and Devi bhakti. The devas suffered a lot under his terror. They came to this village under the advice of Lord Brahma and prayed to Shiva. He appeared to them and told them that their suffering was a result of their ego and that He snatched (Parithal) it away from the now deeming them worthy to be saved. He then asks Kali to relieve the world of Dharukan’s reign of malice. Kali succeeds in killing him, after She makes his wife realise the folly of protecting such an evil man who disrespects women and is a tyrant.

As the Devas ego was snatched from them here and they were rendered humble by Shiva, this village came to be called as Pariyalur. (Parithadhaal Pariyal)

An alternative version of the tale gives the etymology of the village in a different account. Shiv ‘snatched’ the blessings of Daksha Prajapati as he was responsible for the death of Shiva’s then wife, Devi Sati.

The village is also called as Dakshapuri/Daksheshwaram because this was the site chosen by Daksha Prajapati for his Maha yaagam.

What is the speciality of the Atta Veerataanangal?

Shiva is the Destroyer. In his Sadashiva form, He performs all the five acts of Karma. Creation, Sustenance, Destruction, Annihilation and salvation. His acts of strength, gallantry and fortitude are innumerable. Yet, there are eight special occasions where Shiva’s valour was so astoundingly heroic that they were glorified and praised as a unique collective octet.

These eight acts of bravery are called as Atta Veerataanangal (Atta – eight, Veera – Valour, Sthanam – place)

Pooman Sirakandi Andhagan Kovil Puram Adhigai

Maman Pariyal Chalandharan Virkudi Maa Vazhuvoor

Kaaman Kurukkai Yaman Kadavoor Ikkasiniyil

Themandru kondrayum thingalum Soodithan Sevagamey

This verse beautifully describes the eight acts of valour of Shiva. Seven out of the eight are Devara Paadal petra Sthalangal

Brahman Siram Koidhadhu – Thirukandiyur (75/276)
Andhangan azhithadhu – Thirukovilur (64/76)
Muppuram erithadhu – Thiruvadhigai (218/276)
Dakshan yaagam nalindhadhu – Thirupariyalur (104/276)
Jalandharan vadaithadhu – Thiruvirkudi (137/276)
Yaanaiai urithadhu – Vazhuvoor
Kaamanai Kaaindhadhu – Thirukorukkai (26/276)
Yamanai etriyadhu – Thirukadavoor (110/276)

What does the name of Ilankombanayaal mean?

Ilam+Kombu+Anayaal = Ilankombanayaal. Devi is as svelte and willowy as gracile sprig with verdant and bountiful plumules. The name might be misleading, coz Devi is the only one who has the audacity and the guts to defy Shiva, The Supreme one, time and again.

During the Samudra mandhan, the great milky ocean was being churned with the mandara mountain, to obtain amudham. Vasuki, the king of serpents, was used as the rope for churning. As the belly of the snake rubbed along the mountain, the friction caused Vasuki to spill the most dangerous venom in the cosmos called a Halahalam.

Because of the ill-effects of the poison, the whole of creation suffered. There was widespread devastation of the world. This reflected in the visage of Devi Shakthi as She is Prakriti, the embodiment of Nature Herself. Her countenance became fatigued and wary and her sprightly demeanour became doddering. She came to this shrine and prayed to Shiva and He is said to have removed the dastardly ill effects of the poison from the world and restored the appearance of Devi to become Balambika (The jaunty and nimble young one)

What is the heroic deed done by Shiva at this shrine?

The story takes us back to the time of creation. Shiva is Mahadeva. The Aadhi Purusha. His Shakthi, His half, His Devi is Prakriti. The personification of creation itself. Being the essence of energy itself, She had to get detached from Shiva for the benefit of the cosmos to pervade in each and every atom. Thus, Shiva became a hermit, an ascetic. A Vairagi, who had renounced all worldly pleasure and abhorred companionship.

But the union of Shiva/Shakthi was inevitable. The essence of Aadhishakti was drawn to Her Shiva. So, she decided to attain Him. She was born as the eldest daughter to Daksha Prajapati who named Her as Sati. She was always daddy’s-little-princess and hence also revered as Dakshayani (She who follows Daksh)

Daksha was the son of Brahma Dev. He was the Prajapati who laid down the rules and norms of living a dutiful and productive life for all human beings. He had two wives, Prasuthi and Veerini. Together they had 62 daughters, of which Sati was the eldest.

As the days passed, Sati was drawn to the pull of Shiva and fell in love with Him. Daksha who was a staunch devotee of Mahavishnu, strongly disapproved of the love Sati had for Shiva. He was under the impression that a nomad, a crematorium inhabitant, a serpentine lover, an ash smeared aloof abomination like Shiva didn’t deserve his respect.

His hatred also stemmed from the fact that Shiva in his first act of valour, had beheaded one of the five heads of Brahma, Daksha’s father, in Thirukandiyur.

He arranged a swayamvara for Sati. He had invited all eligible suitors except Shiva. When the learned elders questioned this, Daksha made a statue of Shiva and kept it in the palace courtyard. Sati instinctively garlanded the statue and to her delight, Shiva materialised out of the statue and whisked her away to Kailash.

Daksha was so enraged that he renounced his daughter and ordered her funeral rites to be done. He was in no mood to accept Her. But Shiva and Sati were in their own blissful bubble. But the wheels of fate turned slowly, and trouble brewed.

Brahma Dev had arranged for a Maha yaagam and had called everyone to attend it. Shiva and Sati were specially honoured as they were the Divine Couple of the hour. Daksha came late to the altar and everyone rose to greet him obeisance. Shiva dint rise as He was present there as Mahadeva, The presiding God of the Yaagam and not as Daksha’s son-in-law. This infuriated Daksha a lot and he vowed to take revenge.

Daksha too organised a Maha yaagam, for the welfare of the world, just like Brahma did. He invited everyone, high and low. But he deliberately didn’t send an invite to Shiva ad Sati. When Sati came to know of this, she felt heart broken. She was upset two-fold because Her dearest father still hated Her, and Her husband was being insulted by being deliberately uninvited.

She decided to go to the Maha yaagam and convince her father to invite Shiva and to make amends to their broken relationship. Shiva refused to let Her go. He cited that it is never polite to go anywhere without being invited. Sati is in no mood to listen. She is adamant that She will go.

Shiva tried to reason with Her. He tells Her that she was no ordinary human princess and that She is Prakriti, Aadhi Shakthi Herself. And that she had to realise that and waken Her aura. He promised to accompany Her to the Maha yaagam if She did that. Shiva also told that if Sati doesn’t go to the Maha yaagam as Aadhi Shakthi, then a great calamity will befall on Her.

Sati could not bear this any longer. In a fit of rage, She shrieked at Him and said that if any harm would befall on a daughter who went to her father’s home, then let it happen. She also bound Shiva with Her words and said that He could come only after the impeding Catastrophe He predicted had happened.

Shiva sent Nandi and his entourage of Shiva-ganas as protection and went into meditation fearing the consequences of Sati’s action for Her own sake.

Sati reached the venue of the Maha Yaagam and called out to Her Father who insults Her for coming without an invitation. She tried to reason with Him and pacify Him, but to no avail. Her efforts as Dakshayani failed to rationalise with Daksha. Sati, as the wife of Shiva, tried to demand respect for her husband.

Daksha seized the opportunity and continuously flung a flurry of poisoned words at hapless Sati and hurled abuses on Her about Shiva. Sati begged him to stop. But Daksha, in his arrogance continued to speak humiliatingly about Shiva in derogatory terms.

Out of despair, Sati reached out to the elders at the altar and questions them on their silence to the injustice meted out by Daksha and his vile words against Shiva. All she received was a meek silence in reply.

An enraged Sati erupted as Aadhi Shakthi and in Her Viswaroopa, She told Daksha that She is Prakriti Herself and was born as Her daughter with the sole intention of Marrying Shiva. But in his arrogance, Daksha had insulted Her and Her husband. She felt saddened because She came blindly ignoring all the warnings of Shiva only to hear the derogatory words by Daksha.

She then decided that She is unfit to be Shiva’s wife as Dakshayani. She summoned Her own Yoga Agni and self-immolates Herself. Before incinerating Her mortal body, She warned Daksha about the consequences of his dastardly deeds. As Shiva has lost His wife, Daksha and the whole world will have to suffer. With that, the essence of Aadhi Shakthi again returns to Prakriti (Nature) and the cindered charred body of Sati falls into the altar in a conflagrated heap.

Nandi and the Shiv-ganas rushed to Shiva to tell Him of the diabolical vindictiveness of Daksha and the untimely demise of Sati. Shiva wakes up from his meditative trance and performs the pralaya Thandava. He is so enraged that the entire cosmos feel the ripples of His anger. He then unwinds his matted locks and tears a tuft of hair and creates a fierce eight-armed Avatar of Himself, Veera Bhadra. From another tuft of hair, He creates the fierce and gruesome to behold Bhadrakali. Shiva then tells them to go and decimate the Maha yaagam of fool-hardy Daksha and to kill him.

Veerabhadrar and Bhadrakali arrive at the altar and weave a storm of destruction raining blows to everyone who stood still during Daksha’s Shiva nindhanai and Sati’s self-immolation. A covering Daksha tried to escape but is caught by Veer Bhadra who trampled him beneath his feet, snatched all the beneficial boons bestowed on Daksha. In a single slice, He then proceeds to behead Daksha and flings the head into the same sacrificial altar that Sati chose to burn Herself. The Shiva-ganas and their leaders Veera Bhadrar and Bhadrakali returned victoriously to Mount Kailash after avenging the death of Devi Sati.

A heart-broken Shiva came to the altar and weeps for the loss of His wife, Sati. The whole world wept with Him. He carried the charred body of Sati and roams around the world in a gloomy misery. He forgot that He is Adhi Purusha, Mahadeva. He aimlessly wandered the cosmos with the ashen burnt body of Sati.

Mahavishnu decided that the only way to make Shiva come to His senses was by releasing the remains of Sati from Him. So, Mahavishnu flings his discus at the body of Sati which gets cut into 51 pieces. The pieces (pindam) fall on 51 places all over the land. Being the essence of Sakthi, they get consecrated at places of Devi worship and are venerated as Shakthi Peedangal today.

Shiva realised that He is Mahadeva, yet even He succumbed to the pain of losing His Lady Love. So, He retired to the Himalayas and vowed never to fall in love again and went into a meditative trance that would only be disturbed in the next Veeratanam – Thirukurukkai, where He incinerated Kaaman for trying to disturb His meditation.

Thiru Pariyalur is said to be the site of the Maha Yaagam which gets destroyed by Yaaga Samhara Moorthy and the beheading of Daksha by Veera Bhadrar.

What is the speciality of the Theertham of this shrine?

The present-day lily-filled temple tank is said to be the original Sacrificial altar, the Yaaga Gundam of Daksha’s Maha yaagam. It is the pit where Sati immolated Herself. Even now, the altar can be seen when the water recedes in times of drought.

What happened to Daksha after being beheaded?

In an act of benevolence on hearing the cries of Prasuthi and Veerini, Shiva agrees to revive Daksha. The head has been burnt to ashes in the sacrificial altar. So, He decides to replace the head of Daksha with that of a goat’s head.

Then Daksha goes to many Shiva shrines and finally reaches another Paadal Petra sthalam called Thiruvooral (245/276). He languishes and laments and shouts (olam) there to get his human head restored. Thiruvooral is also called as Thakkolam – “Thakkan Olam ittadhaal Thakkolam”

Chalanaadeeshwarar of Thiruvooral (245/276) blesses Daksha by restoring his human head.

What is the other fascinating lore about this shrine?

The Daksha Maha Yaagam and its destruction is a very key event in all puranas that speak of Shiva. The site of Yaaga Samharam has been adapted by people across many states into their own local lore. The following are a few of the places where the Maha Yaagam is said to have happened.

Thiru Pariyalur – Tamilnadu

Draksharamam – Andhra Pradesh

Kootiyor – Kerala

Kankhal – Uttarakhand

Chapra – Bihar

What is the speciality of the Yaaga Samhara Moorthy in this shrine?

The Utsava Moorthy is Veera Bhadrar who is also revered to as Yaaga Samhara Moorthy. He is truly a sight-to-behold.

He has eight arms, carrying weapons of all sorts in each of them. He wears a calm expression on his face as He has killed the man who caused the death of Sati. Beneath the feet of Veera Bhadrar lies a covering Daksha begging for mercy.

On either side of Him are the resurrected goat-faced Daksha and Prasuthi.

Beneath the Moorthy is a mural depicting the Daksha Yaagam with Brahma pouring ghee into the Yaagam and Daksha overseeing it.

The detailing is amazing, and the craftsmanship is beyond comparison.

One will get frozen-in-time upon gazing the divinely exquisite Veera Bhadrar.

Our Experience:

From Thiru Vizhal Nagar (103/276), we drove to Thiru Pariyalur. We crossed Sempon Palli (105/276) and went to Thiru Pariyalur as the former was in a bigger town and would be open till the stipulated time whereas the latter is a very small hamlet.

We got flowers for the deities and fruits which we had bought from home and drove to the shrine. It was drizzling and we reached at around 10.20AM. The temple is newly renovated and is spotless. The Raja gopuram has 5 tiers. There are two corridors and the gopuram of the second corridor is 3 tiered. We went inside wit so much excitement and were totally dismayed when we saw that the sanctum sanctorum was closed with a solid gate that we couldn’t even see through the grills.

We were in a fix. We thought of going to Sempon Palli (Sembanaar Koi) and returning to Thiru Pariyalur, but we were reassured by the temple keepers that the priest will come and open the sanctum sanctorum in another half hour. We waited in hope and we were rewarded.

The priest came fully decked in rain-proof gear on his scooty. he opened the shrine and was tidying up for the morning Pooja. Our monkey-brains had the brilliant idea to photograph the murals on the wall in the sanctum sanctorum. The priest who saw this gently pointed us to a board and asked us to read it. “no pictures allowed” (sic!).

But he dutifully showed us an amazing aarthi of The main deity, Ambal and The Man—of-the-hour, Veerabhadrar. The google pictures don’t do justice to his resplendence at all. We saw Him in the light of 8 lamps lit by the priest and we were exalted beyond words. Do go to the temple with flowers and ghee (too small a hamlet to have vendors thrive in it) and immerse yourself in the grace of Veera Bhadrar like we did.

From there we decided to go to Sempon Palli (Sembanaar Koil – 105/276) for the next temple in our list. Our trails meandered along the way and took a few interesting twists and turns. Stay tuned for our trip to the next Paadal Petra Sthalam – Sempon Palli

Loads of love,

Rahul and Karthick