Everything is dictated and done by Siva. In two years I had visited lots of temples somehow unable to write about them. This bunch of temples I had visited last year and luckily my notes of them were preserved so that I was able to recollect and chronicle them.All these four temples are soaked with history and most importantly were visited by Appar,Sundarar,Thirunavukarasar and Thirugnanasambandar.
THIRUPURAMBIYAM:
Thirupurambiyam is a small village around 5 kms away from Swamimalai.If we are travelling from Chennai or Pondicherry we need not go to Swamimalai.Three kms before Swamimalai there is a road exiting on the right.Another three kms travel takes us to Thirupurambiyam.
Before we go into the temple we should know more about this historical place.Thirupurambiyam,is a place where the rise of chola empire was marked.Vijayalayan and his son Adityan would not have dreamt that this place will turn to their advantage.In fact it did.
Pallava king Nandivarman had two sons Nriputangan and Aparijithan.In 869AD,Pallava king Nandivarman died and the two sons started fighting for the crown. Ganga king Prithivipathi had given his daughter to Aparijithan and hence he had to support Aparijithan.Nriputanga took the support of Pandya king Vargunapandiyan.When Varguna pandiyan supported Nirputanga he would not have thought this war will turn him to a hermit.
At that point of time Vijalaya chozan was a small player and infact he was a king under the control of Pallava dynasty.He decided to support Aparijithan along with Prithivipathi the Ganga king.Vijayalaya chozhan was apparently ninety years of age and had made his son Adityan as the King of the fledgling chozha kingdom.
The war apparently happened in 885 AD and the fight was between two sons of pallava with pandiyan supporting Nirputanga elder pallava son and Ganga and Choza kings aligning with Aparijithan.
The war was the turning point in tamil history.Pandyas and Nirputanga apparently tasted initial success at the battlefield.When Adityan,Prithivipathi and Aparijithan planned a retreat Vijayalayan at 90 years joined the fight.A paralysed Vijayalayan unable to walk was carried by two men.The old fox along with 100 warriors entered the battlefield and started fighting.The valour inspired and spurred the other three kings and soldiers.They joined Vijayalayan and started to shift the war dynamics back in favour of Apaijithan.Pandiyan Vargunapandiyan lost the war along with Nirputangan.
Aparijithan won the war but lost his father in law ganga king in the war.A pallipadai temple was built for Ganga king here.Aparijithan granted independence to Aditya chozhan and granted Tanjore to him as well.
Aditya chozhan turned the tables and killed his mentor Aparijithan and engulfed Pallava kingdom.
This war at Thirupuranbiyam decimated Pandyas established chozhas and later marked the end of pallava. Vijayalayan's role in the war is not sure however and could be fictional.
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| TEMPLE GOPURAM |
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| GURU TEMPLE |
A chillness and a sudden sprightly feel enetered me when I alighted from my duster at the entrance of the temple. The temple has been renovated just now and looks majestic.As the temple was closed I rested for some time and took the opportunity to see the guru temple outside and the dry pond adjoining the temple.The guru or dakshinamurthy has a separate temple outside and supposedly very significant.
As one enters the temple and comes inside we notice on the left the all important Vinayagar.He looks different a sort of shrivelled and the other important feature if one can decipher is the idol is not made of stone.The curiousity ended when I turned left and found the paintings on the wall depicting the history of this peculiar and powerful Vinayagar also called as Pralayam Katha Vinayagar.Pralayam means deluge or great calamity.Katha vinayagar means - Vinayagar saves the world from the deluge.The Vinyagar supposedly saved the world from the massive water flooding caused by seven seas by driving the entire water to the well present in this place. The well got the name Ezhu(7)Kondra(got)Kinaru(well).
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| PRALAYAM KATHA VINAYAGAR |
To worship and give the due to Vinayaga, Varuna bhagavan(nature god)made a vinayagar idol out of sea water,sea shells and sea water bubbles.On vinayagar chathurthi Honey abisegam (honey pooja)is done for Vinayaga. Believe it or not the Vinyagar does not leave the honey to drop and spil. He just abosrbs.This pooja is done once a year.The secret behind this abosrption has a "Sidha secret".It says Vinayaga absorbs the falsehood of all human beings.Next we walk inside to see the main diety called as Sakshi nathar.Sakshi means witness and Nathar means god.I prayed to the main diety and recited Sivapuranam.I took the guide(A book on siva temples) which explained the meaning of this name Sakshi nathar.
Once a couple entered the temple with the intention of getting married.Unfortunately the male(he is already married) is bitten by a poisonous snake and he dies.The bride started crying and seeks gods help.Siva gave life to the groom and instructed them to get married at the temple.After marriage when the newly wedded couple went to their native place the first wife of the groom did not accept the marriage and wanted proof for the marriage.The bride prayed to siva and siva came in front of the first wife and provided proof for the marriage.
Hence siva here is called "Sakshinathar".
THIRUVIJAYAMANGAI:
After burdening Vinayagar with some of my sinsvisiting I drove on the same path for half a kilometer and took a right cut and a further drive of around 5 kms brings "Thiruvijayamangai".Vijayamangai is a small quaint village and the legend of this temple is shared with another temple Thiruvettakudi.
Lord Krishna instructed Arjuna to get Pasupatha endhram(A divine armoury which can kill any enemy) from Lord siva to win the war against Duryodhana.Arjuna started his penance at this place seeking Siva's blessings as instructed by Krishna.Duryodana came to know this and sent a demon in the guise of a pig to attack Arjuna.Siva also came to this place as a hunter as we all know the thiruvilayadals(siva's playful acts to teach lessons for evil persons and to stress the importance of moral living) of siva.When the pig started attacking Arjuna,Siva fought against the pig.Arjuna also joined the fight against the pig.The pig was killed and Arjuna claimed the credit for killing the pig and said he would have killed the animal even if the hunter was not there.Siva,the hunter knocked down Arjuna but Arjuna threw his last arrow which hit Siva's forehead and left a mark which is visible on the Linga even now.Siva showed his true self to Arjuna and gave him the Pasupathaendhiram.Siva advised Arjuna to respect others and be patient in a war.
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| VIJAYAMANGAI |
The legends have their own meanings.All this sounds unrealistic and unscientific.But we have to travel beneath the surfaces.The moral of this story is to control the ego.Arjuna did not give due credit to the other person and this ego was crushed by Siva.These Thiruvilayadlas of Siva are meant to make sure people are humble, respect each other and live a moral living.
THIRUVAIKAVUR:
I drove half a km back and took a left turn and found Thiruvaikavur.
Thirvaikavur has lots of specialities.Nandhikeshwarar does not look at Siva. He looks to the entrance of the temple which will be explained now.Dwarabalakars are replaced by Brahma and Vishnu and at the entrance of main diety Dakshinamurthy stands with a stick.
The importance and origin of Mahasivarathiri also is connected with this temple.
A hunter chased a deer in a thick forest of Thiruvaikavur.The deer ran for its life and found a Sage.The deer pleaded for its protection from the hunter and the sage obliged by keeping the deer by his side.The hunter saw the deer and asked for it.The sage refused but the hunter warned the sage that he will also be hunted by him.The sage closed his eyes and asked for Siva's help.Siva started his Thiruvilaydal again.He became a tiger and came in front of the hunter.The surprised hunter was hunted now.He ran away from the place and took refuge by climbing a Vilwamaram.
The tiger was unable to climb the tree but it majestically positioned itself under the tree.After all Siva likes Vilavam and its smell.The hunter was scared whether he will fall of from the trunk if he slept of.To avoid sleeping he plucked the leaves from the tree and threw it down.All the leaves fell on the tiger.
According to destiny of the hunter his death day was in the morning.Emadarman(Lord of death) came to kill the hunter.When he saw the tiger under the tree he tried to kick the tiger away.He was unable to swing his leg and when he tried again the tiger transformed itself to Dhaksinamurthy with a stick and drove the Yamadarman.Yamadarman fell on Siva's feet and asked sorry.Siva chided Nandhi for allowing Yamadarman to come in and then interrupt the Vilva poojai of hunter.He asked Nandhi to look towards the entrance at this holy place. The hunter fell on Siva's feet and he was granted Mukthi.
The fear of death goes if we do Vilva poojai on Maha Sivarathiri.
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| NANDIKESHWARAR LOOKING TOWARDS THE ENTRANCE |
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| A STONE ENGRAVEMENT SHOWING SIVA APPEARING IN FRONT OF HUNTER |
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| BRAHMA AND VISHNU AS DWARAPALAKARS |
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| DAKSHNAMURTHY DRIVING YAMADARMA WITH A STICK |
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| WALL ENGRAVEMENT OF THE STORY BEHIND MAHASIVARATHIRI |
Another important aspect I found in this temple is there is a underground tunnel, which however is closed. I asked a guy who was guarding the temple about the tunnel and he said it connects to Tanjore.I quizzed him whether any one entered the tunnel.He said some years before he and one more person tried but could not negotiate after few meters as they were attacked by bats.
Other temples were Nandhi looks to the entrance are Patteswaram,Thirupoondhuruthi and Pennadam
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| WAY TO TANJORE - SHORT CUT |
INNAMBUR:
Fearing bats but not fearing death I started to Innambur.We have to come to the main road which connects to Swamimalai and on the right side we will find this huge temple.The temple is very clean and well maintained and the crowd was also healthy.
The gopuram of the main diety has five kalasam(Inverted pots kept at temple towers) depicting five works of Siva.(creation,protection,destruction,illusion and emancipation)
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| FIVE KALASAMS DEPICTING THE FIVE ACTS OF SIVA |
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| A PARENT AND SON SEEKING BLESSINGS OF EZHUTHARINATHAR |
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| TEMPLE GOPURAM OF INNAMBUR |
The place and temple is called Innambur because "Innan" means "Sun god" in tamil who had worshipped Siva here.When I was in this temple I saw a mother bringing her son and asking the priest to place the semparuthi flower next to god and then write with the flower
on the child's tongue. I asked the priest what is this custom.He said after praying to Siva with Sembaruthi and then when written using Sembaruthi on the tongue of the child, the boy or girl gets good reading skills.He also said this cures stammering and hence the god is called "Ezutharinathar".I was tempted to ask him whether it will cure other language disorders but before I could do that I was awe struck by the sheer size of the massive Sivalingam inside the sanctum.It occupied the entire sanctum and the question which came to my mind was ridiculed by Siva's omnipotence.
Siva taught Agathiyar tamil grammar and its importance and hence siva is also called as "Atcharapureeswarar."
There are two goddesses here and one is always in penance thinking of Siva and the other one here is Siva's wife.
All these 4 temples can be covered in two hours.
The route map is given here.
I started this trip alone but when I was travelling back the fragrance of Vilvam and Sembaruthi surrounded me.The omnipotent Siva and Pralayam Katha Vinayagar were with me and I hope they stay with me when people you think are lives desert you at the opportune moment.
Vilvam:Aegle marmelos.
Sembaruthi:Hibiscus rosasinesis.
The Google map:
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THE MAP SHOWING FOUR TEMPLES.
BETWEEN INNAMBUR AND THIRUVAIKAVUR ARE THE OTHER TWO.
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