KONGU NADU BASED SIVASTHALANGAL,PART 1

The word Kongu nadu reminds us about Erode and Coimbatore.Earlier it was called Konga Nadu which subsequently transformed to Kongu nadu. Konga means land of Gangas and it was ruled by Cheras. Some people equate Kongu to the nectar of the flowers.

There are totally seven padal petra sivasthalangal here and it is spread across 4 districts.Best is to stay at Erode and  all the places can be covered in a single hectic day.It is better to schedule the visit to these temples over a period of two days.

BHAVANI:

INSIDE SANGAMESWARAR TEMPLE-VERY CALM

 SANGAMAM -FULLY LITTERED

"Presumed innocent until proved guilty".This important sentence was phrased by Mr., William Garrow a distinguished barrister and judge of UK. Garrow's law is a book well written and well read where in the author talks about the ingenious ways in which Garrow tried to make changes in the draconian laws where guilty were invariably punished.

What is Garrow doing in Bhavani?. He had a son another William Garrow who had taken up an assignment with East India Company.He served as a district Collector of Salem and Coimbatore with great distinction.

He is a  disciple of Vedhanayagi at Bhavani and used to see the goddess only through the key hole as non Hindus were not allowed inside the sanctum.

One day when he was asleep in the bungalow he had a dream in which Vedanayagi asked him  to get out of the place at once.He ran out of the house at once and behind him the bungalow collapsed. He lived a wonderful life in India and had seven children.The details of this is mentioned in his father's book. Garrow gifted a cradle for the goddess as a mark of gratitude. This had happened in 1803.

Bhavani temple is frequented by thousands of visitors. Untimely death and for ablution of sins one  can take bath at the Mukkodal.What is this Mukkodal ? Mukkudal is confluence of 3 rivers.Bhavani,Cauvery and a unknown or unseen river Amirtham. It is srikingly similar to the Triveni sagamam in North India. North Indians might call this as poorman's Triveni sangamam and we might call Allahabad  similarly.However the important aspect is to take bath. I went with sufficient paraphernalia to take bath but after seeing the crowd and the cleanliness, I decided to wash my body with my mind and started walking inside the temple.I heard somebody shouting that if a dead body is immersed here the skull will not burst.No skull explodes!

Outside the temple people were sitting in front of priests who were literally fleecing them.My next stop is Amirthakadeswara lingam which was also crowded and significantly women outnumbered men. The lingam here can be taken from its pedestal (avudayar).If a woman walks around the shrine three times with the lingam she is granted child birth. A woman's god!

 I was amused and  entered the temple and started getting the feel of Siva.The temple was clean and the place inside was serene when compared  to the gross disquiet and shambles outside. There is also a beautiful Vishnu temple inside and the place has both Siva and Vishnu together.

Two peculiar features noticed in the temple were one Juraheswara idol who is supposed to cure ailments. He looks artistic and the other one was the 64th Nayanmar. Kirupananda Variyar's bronze idol makes up the 64th. I was just thinking, Why?. I read about him in my net enabled gadget and felt ashamed of myself.I prayed in front of him and decided to visit his birth place Kangayanallur.I started having a crampy pain in my leg and sat for some time.

Finally the temple legend.Kubera was gifted Agaya vimanam(aircraft) by Shiva so that he can visit all holy places.When he came to this place he saw all animals which included deer and tiger drinking together in the river without a shred of animosity.He landed here,felt Shiva and started worshiping Shiva here. Shiva appeared infront of him and blessed him. Kubera has a separate shrine here.

Thirugnanasambandar had come to this place and  praised  Siva as well as Juraheswarar who had cured the juram(fever)of  the devotees who had accompanied him.

As I was walking out of the temple I heard somebody telling his friend "Dei antha Juraheswarara pathiada munu kai kalluda".I pinched myself.I saw the idol but  did not see this aspect.Went back and saw him.Actually he has 3 hands,3 heads and 3 hands. Happily I strolled out of the temple and my sore leg felt fit and strong.

Juraheswara?

AVINASHI and THIRUMURUGANPOONDI:

INSIDE AVINASHIAPPAR TEMPLE - THE DAWN

GOPURA DARISNAM

Sundaramurthy nayanmar apart from being a staunch devotee of Siva is also his great friend. Sundarar had gone across this place previously called as Pukolliyur, twice.To know why Sundarar had come here we need to go through this enchanting story of  friendship.

Cheraman as the name says was a Chera king. His utmost devotion to Shiva made him relinquish his throne to his brother and left to Vanchikulam a Siva abode.After few years his brother came back and forced his elder brother to accept the throne again.While reading this story a wry smile of our Tamilnadu dynastic politics of brother's fighting for the throne came to my mind. Cheraman came back and started ruling the country in a just manner.

Nataraja was his favourite Siva incarnate.Whenever he used to pray in front of Nataraja Cheraman will hear the musical sound of Siva's anklet.One day he did not hear the sound and felt very bad.Siva explained him that he was spell and probably feet bound because of the songs of Sundarar at Thillai(Chidambaram) he could not do the cosmic dance at the time of Cheraman's prayer.Cheraman immediately rushed to Thillai to meet Sundarar.But Sundarar had already left to Thiruvarur.Cheraman went to Thiruvarur after getting the blessings of Nataraja at Thillai.At Thiruvarur Cheraman befriended Sundarar and their friendship is a fairy tale.Both of them visited several places together and Cheraman invited Sundarar to visit  Vanchikulam.

CROCODILE GIVING THE CHILD BACK

STHALA VIRUTCHAM

Sundarar decided to meet his friend at Kerala and started with his entourage.

Avinashi was called Pukoliyur at that time and gained importance because of Sundarar. Sundarar was walking across this village and on either side of the road he found two houses where, in one house there was jubilation and in the other house was sorrow personified. He inquired and found that two children of same age (5 years)each one belonging to these two houses were playing in a pond near by.A crocodile had preyed upon a child and the other child ran back home to narrate the story.5 years had gone by and the living child is 10 years old now.Their parents were conducting Poonol podum vizha - ceremony conducted in Brahmin families were the holy thread is put across the chest of male gender.

He called the parents of the bereaved son to come with him to the river.He started singing in praise of the lord and when he started singing the fourth song he gently ordered the lord to give back the child.To everyone's surprise and happiness the crocodile reappeared and gave a child which was ten years old. Sundarar gave the child to the happy family and proceeded to Kerala. This pond is one km away from the temple. After staying with Cheraman, Sundarar started coming back to Tamilnadu. Cheraman had gifted him with gold and ornaments.

While coming back God wanted to play with Sundarar. He sent his body  guards as thieves and robbed Sundarar. A peeved Sundarar started to cry in front of Siva. Siva showed the place where the treasure was buried(Vedupari).This happened at Tirumuruganpoondi our next temple which is just 4 kms away from Avinashi.
Bus stops infront of the temple and after a walk of two hundred meters one can see the small temple devoid of Gopuram. To the right of Siva lord Muruga is present.He has 6 faces and he draws lot of devotees. As lord Muruga prayed here this place is called Thirumuruganpoondi.Why did lord Muruga pray here?After Sura samharam Muruga had to clean his sins and he prayed at this place to come clean.

ENTRANCE OF MURUGANPOONDI TEMPLE - NO GOPURAM

SUNDARAR'S TREASURE BURIED PLACE

THE CHARIOT OF THE LORD

After Thirumurugan poondi I took a bus to Erode from Avinashi.  Get down at Perundurai and take  another bus to Bhavani. Just outside Bhavani bus stops at a place called Mukkudal. get down and half a Km walk will take us to this holy temple. After seeing Sangmeswarar reach Erode again and take a bus to Thiruchengode.

THIRUCHENGODE:

THE STEPS OF THE STEEP MOUNTAIN

BEAUTIFUL CARVINGS INSIDE THE TEMPLE

A BEAUTIFUL VIEW OF THE TEMPLE

Sun was at full throttle.Another half an hour travel. Get down at the outskirts of the town. One km walk will bring us to the foot hill of Thiruchenkundru.

Oops Thiruchengodu or Thiruchenkundru.As the mountain looks red in colour it is also called Chengundru(red hilled town).As the mountain looks like a straight line it is also called Chengodu(Straight line) One has to climb 1200 steps to see Arthanareswarar.Make sure you have a bottle of water   and also eat something before you start climbing.

I did neither and felt the mistake when I started climbing.

The whole mountain is sparsely crowded and there are no shops enroute.As the sun was scorching I was stretched to my reserve energy.

After few steps I saw a huge Nandhi also called Vennai Nandhi(butter).The Nandhi is  covered fully with butter.After getting his blessings I looked in  front to see a magnificent snake engraved in the mountain. It is 60 feet long and has 5 heads. Abhisegam is done for the Snake.Another architectural engravings on either side of the mountain awaits us after few more steps.They are sixty in number and are identical.These engravings are called Sathya vakku padigal.(steps of truth)After walking these 60 steps there is a shrine for Sathyanathan. Promises made at these steps are made in front of god and false promises will incur the wrath of Sathyanathan.

I saw few young lovers on either side of the mountain.I hope they never promised here. I just worshiped Sathyanathan and made no promise.Promises are to be kept. I usually break. Escaping the wrath of Sathyanathan I started climbing up.

After another 400 steps I reached the hilltop exasperated.There was a shop there selling cool drinks.After chilling down I entered the temple. Temple was closed and was supposed to open by 3.30 pm. I had full one hour and  during this time I tried to find the real meaning of Arthanareswarar. What it means ?

Shiva Lingam is a symbol of union of the duality of Shiva (the Pure One) and Shakthi (sacred force or the cosmic energy). According to Hinduism Lord Shiva appears as Arthanareeswara which indicates the union of substance and energy – the Being and his Shakthi known as Energy. This union is the source of all the creation. Shiva and Skathi can be considered as a metaphor for union of the duality to represent the ultimate non-duality (creation) of the Universe. The true meaning is the eventual union of the duality (of you and me) into the non-duality (where God is seen in the form of Nirguna Brahman or absence of you and me and the Eternal Blissful presence of the Divine Awareness (Sat-Chit-Ananda). The representation as Sada Shiva demonstrates that the division between material and energy is superfluous and in reality all is one. He shows himself as being all that is male and all that is female through the form of Arthanareeswarar as being the inseparable unity. God is an unfolding creative process that may expand without limit.

I read another article written by Sathya chander and found that concept of Arthanreeswar also interesting.He equates Shiva to "Static state" like a ocean which is very calm."Dynamic state" is what is seen and this is Shakthi. This is equated to wave which comes from the ocean.The waves go back to the ocean which is again a Static state.This dynamic and static state are always together and cannot be separated.This symbolises Arthanareswarar.He is a  treat to watch. I was just seeing the god for few minutes and tried to be Static.At the foot of the deity there is a spring water.This water sprout is called as Devatheertham.

When I read again about the two concepts of Arthanareswarar I felt both are same.  I wanted to correct it but the static energy in me stopped it. To the left of Shiva there is Murugan shrine and he is quite famous here.It is due to the songs of Arunagirinathar.

The legend of the mountain finally. We talked about friendship at Avinashi and Thirumuruganpoondi. Here its a straight fight between Vayu(air) and Adisesha(snake).Adisesha should hold Meru(mountain) and Vayu should dislodge the Adishesha from the mountain.The fight starts. Vayu could not break the shackles.He stopped blowing air.Mankind was deprived of air and no one could breathe. Sages pleaded with Adiseshan to release the grip.When he relented Vayu made a foul play by blowing air. A part of the hood and the mountain broke into three pieces and fell on the ground.One such piece is Thiruchengodu hill and it looks red because of the blood of Adiseshan.

It was 4.30 pm when I had come down.There is ghat road to take the pilgrims to the top.Walking is an option. Need not go to bus stand as buses come near the place where we start climbing. Reached Erode by 5.30 pm and started packing to Pondicherry.