SARANATHAN TEMPLE

Singers: The shrine is praised by the three celebrated Saivite Saints, Sambandar, Tirunavukkarasar and Sundarar.  This is the 91st Lord Shiva temple on the southern bank of Cauvery praised in Thevaram hymns.  Festival: Every new moon day is a festival day in the temple. Also, Margazhi Tiruvadhirai in December-January; Maha Shivrathri in February-March and Panguni Uthiram in March-April are grandly celebrated in the temple.

Prayers On new moon days, women water the Sthala Vruksha – sacred tree near the Samadhi of Sage Gautama and worship Lord Brahmmapureeswarar then in the hope that their marriae would be materialized before next new moon day.  Devotees stay in the temple for a night and worship the Lord next day to overcome various hardships they face in life. Greatness Of Temple: Lord Shiva appointed Sage Gautama to take care of the Linga which He installed Himself.  The sage stayed in this sacred land, performed penance and sought the grace of Lord Shiva.  Granting Darshan to the sage, Lord asked him his wish.  The sage said that after his life time, nobody should see his mortal body.  As the devotees would worship him also in the temple, he wanted to become the sacred tree of the temple and sought that boon.  Lord obliged the sage.  It is on the basis of this story, women use to water the sacred tree on every new moon day and worship Lord Brahmmapureeswarar then. Karaveeram means Ponnalari a flower. The place is named after this plant-sacred tree.  Saint Tirugnana Sambandar had to stay here as night fell then.  In his hymn on the Lord of Karaveeram, in each verse he had emphasized that the devotee would be relieved of his problems-Vinai in Tamil.  Devotees therefore stay here for a night, worship the Lord next day for solutions to their problems. A donkey performed penance in this place on Lord Shiva for His darshan.  As its wish was not in sight, frustrated, it decided to fall in the sea at Nagore.  The animal heard a sound and turned back and its joy knew no bounds as Lord granted His darshan and also salvation, according to puranas.  Because of this event, there is no flag post before Lord’s shrine and houses or buildings up to Nagore from this place.  The philosophy is that Lord does not discriminate among beings to shower His grace.

Temple History: Women of the celestial world once met Lord and Mother at Mount Kailash and sought wedding boon.  Mother Parvathi looked at Lord for the reply.  Lord Shiva made a Shivalinga Himself, installed it on the southern bank of Cauvery and advised the women to worship the Linga.  They followed the advice and were rewarded with suitable matches.  Even today, women use to water the sacred tree here on new moon days and worship Lord Brahmmapureeswara then to gain wedding boon.  It is believed that their wish is materialized before the next new moon day.

NACHIYAR KOVIL TEMPLE

NACHIYAR KOIL

Nachiar Kovil or Thirunarayur Nambi Temple in Thirunarayur, a village in the outskirts of Kumbakonam in the South Indian state ofTamil Nadu, is dedicated to the Hindu god Vishnu and his wife Lakshmi. Constructed in the Dravidian style of architecture, the temple is glorified in the Divya Prabandha, the early medieval Tamil canon of the Azhwar saints from the 6th to 9th centuries AD.  

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   The temple is believed to have been built by Kochengat Cholan of the late 3rd century AD, with later contributions from Medieval Cholas and Vijayanagar kings. The temple is maintained and administered by the Hindu Religious and Endowment Board of the Government of Tamil Nadu.

Vishnu is believed to have appeared to the sage Medhavi and married his daughter at this temple, witnessed by Brahma and other gods. Six daily rituals and four yearly festivals are held at the temple, of which the Brahmotsavam, celebrated during the Tamil month of Margazhi (December–January), is the most prominent. The Kal Garuda image in the temple used during the festive occasions is believed to increase in weight seeking 4, 8, 16, 32, 64 and 128 people in succession when the procession comes out of various gates from the sanctum to the main entrance of the temple.

The Temple

The temple is believed to have been built by King Kochengat Cholan. He is believed to have built 70 temples dedicated to Shiva and Thirunaraiyur is the only Vishnu temple constructed. The centre of the hall is occupied by Dwajasthamba (the flag pole) and Balipeeda (the place of sacrifice), one behind the other. The front portion of the flag pole has a small shrine for Garuda. The flag pole, place of sacrifice and Garuda's shrine are in axial position from the entrance to the main sanctum. The shrine of Thirumangai Azhwar is located on the northern side.

The temple has an elevated structure approached through a flight of 21 steps. The presiding deity of the temple is Vishnu in the form of Narayur Nambi and his consort Lakshmi as Vanchulavalli Thaayaar (also called Neela Devi Nachiyar), both of whom are housed in the main sanctum. Unlike other Vishnu temples where Vishnu is given importance, in this temple Nachiyar (Thayar) is prominent.  The temple is maintained and administered by the Hindu Religious and Endowment Board of the Government of Tamil Nadu.rustration, he threw a stone at Garuda, who got injured and decided to stay emple as Kal Garuda. The image of Kal Garuda is made of saligrama and is housed in the shrine outside the main sanctum. During festive procession during the Tamil months of Margazhi (December–January) and Panguni (March - April), the festive images are carried out in procession in Kal Garudar.  

Festivals and religious practices.

The temple priests perform the pooja (rituals) during festivals and on a daily basis. As at other Vishnu temples of Tamil Nadu, the priests belong to the Vaishnavaite community, a Brahmin sub-caste. The temple rituals are performed six times aday. During the last step of worship, nagaswaram (pipe instrument) and tavil (percussion instrument) are played, religious instructions in the sacred texts Vedas are recited by priests, and worshippers prostrate themselves in front of the temple mast. There are weekly, monthly and fortnightly rituals performed in the temple.

The prime festival or Brahmmotsavam is a 10-day festival celebrated during the Tamil month of Margazhi (December–January). Garuda Sevai is celebrated during the Tamil month of Panguni (March–April). During both these festivals, the festive images of Kal Garuda are taken out around the streets of the temple. Vasanthothsavam or spring festival is celebrated during the Tamil month of Vaikasi (May–June). The Thirukalyana Utsavam or the wedding festival is celebrated in the 100-pillared hall during the Tamil month of Aavani(September–October).

Religious significance

The temple is revered in Nalayira Divya Prabandham, the 7th–9th century Vaishnava canon, by Thirumangai Azhwar in hundred hymns. It is the second temple revered by Thirumangai having more than hundred verses, the first one being the Neelamegha Perumal Temple at Thirukannapuram. Thirumangai compares Srinivasa Perumal of the temple with Venkateshwara (form of Vishnu) at Tirupathi and believes that he found the same beauty in both of them. It is also believed that when Thirumangai was asked to present a madal (ballad) by Ranganatha of Srirangam Ranganathaswamy temple, Thirumangai replied that he built the walls in Srirangam, while he built the verses for Thirunaraiyur. Nachiyar Koil is one of the few Divyadesams where the goddess has prominence over Vishnu. Some of the other temples where the such female dominance are observed areAndal Temple at Srivilliputhur, Azhagiya Manavala Perumal Temple at Woraiyur and Pundarikakshan Perumal Temple in Thiruvellarai. While Srivilliputhur is called Nachiyar Thiru Maaligai, Thirunaraiyur is called Nachiyar Koil.

Vishnu was of the view that during Kali Yuga, men would have to listen to women. Hence he decided that he would first set an example and listen to goddess here.

VANCHINATHAR TEMPLE

  

VAANCHINATHAR TEMPLE,

Tiruvaanchiyam

Lord Shiva Known as Vaanchinathar, Vanchi Lingeswarar

Female deity known as Mangalanayagi

Pathigam: Thriunavukarasar, Sambandar and sundarar

LOCATION

This temple is located 35 Kms from Kumbakonam. This sthalam is located near Achutamangalam which is located on the Kumbakonam - Natchiarkovil - Nannilam bus route. Srivanjiyam is about 2 kms. from Achutamangalam. Nearest town is Nannilam. It can also be reached from Tiruvarur.

There is no Navagraha shrine in this temple and Saneeswaran (Saturn) is housed in a separate niche.

The inner prakarams houses the images of 63 saivite saints (Nayanmars), a separate shrine for Goddess Mahalakshmi and another shrine for Goddess Mahishasuramardhini, standing beside her simha vahana. Worshipping Her with 108 lotus flowers during Rahu kalam is considered special.

The 3 sacred tanks at Tiruvanchiam temple - Lakshmi Theeratham, Naga Theertham and Chakra Theertham - were created by Lakshmi, Adiseshan and Chakrathazhwar. A holy dip in Lakshmi Theertham is said to reunite a person with his estranged family. A holy dip in Naga Theertham is said to liberate one of all Naga Doshas. It is said that by taking a holy dip in Chakra Theertham, one is absolved of Brahmahatti dosham.

Devotees are cured of illnesses after a bath in the Gupta Ganga, on the northern side of the outer prakaram. According to Puranas, a holy dip in Gupta Ganga is equivalent to one in Varanasi, Rameswaram and the Maha Maham tank in Kumbakonam. Lord Vinayakar on the banks of Gupta Ganga is to be worshipped first before taking the holy dip.

God of Death, Yama (who decides Heaven or Hell for the human beings according to their good and bad deeds) was pretty worried about Himself. He was wary and heavy with all the sins (or so, He thought) of taking away lives and wondered what he could do to atone for this. Well, Brahma allayed Yama's fears and sorrow and asked Him to scan the earth, saying, "Go ahead and see if you can spot a place by the banks of the Cauvery, where you find Sandal Trees growing in abundance; that is the holy place where you should sit for penance. Meditate on Lord Shiva and He will give you the answer."

So, Yama went and found this place called Gandhaaranyam (the fragrant forest) and sat there to do His penance. True, Lord Shiva appeared to Yama and asked Him to build a Temple. Yama built the Temple (Purana has it that Mayan built this.) and also stayed on as the vehicle for the Lord here. Lord Vanchinatha or Vancheeswarar is a Swayambu Lingam, the most ancient of the 64 Swayambhu Siva Lingams in the country. The Lord also told Yama that there will be a Temple for Him also here and that the people who visit the Lord should first offer prayers to Yama. So, we have the Temple or a Sannidhi to the Lord Yama in the first Prakaram. As you enter through the Raja Gopuram, there is the Gupta Ganga Temple Tank on your right and the Temple for the God of Death to your left. A dip in the tank is supposed to be a blessing and clears you of all the sins and a rebirth. The Sthala Vriksham is the Sandalwood tree. And the deities are worshipped with Sandal leaves and not Vilva.

The shrine for Yama is a small one where He is seated facing the South. There is a Moorthy of Kubera, in a standing posture near Him. We worship Him and enter the second prakaram. This has Vinayaka and Bala Muruga. As we enter the inner court we can see among other structures, the Sannidhi for Goddess Sugandha Kundalaambikai. There is the Kodi Maram, Bali Peetha and Nandhikeswara. In the third gopuram entrance, there are the Twin Ganeshas and Adhikara Nandhi. Inside, in the Garbha Graha the Lord Vanchinaatha gives us His darshan. There is a relief sculpture in a pillar in the first prakara; He is called the Vennai (butter) Pillayar and people with stomach ailments smear butter on His bulging stomach. One has to visit the Temple here to experience the spirituality and enjoy the beauty of the Sculptures and architecture. The style of architecture ranges from the Chola to the Nayakkar era. The Sundays of the month of Karthikai are supposed to be very blessed.

This Temple is supposed to be a very important one and the main Moorthy-Lingam is supposed to be a thousand times greater than the Holy Kasi. Here, even a Death in this small place does not have any impact on the routine Poojas conducted in the Temple. (In most other places, if there is a death in the village, the Temple remains closed until the Last Rites are conducted).

BHAKTAVASTALA TEMPLE

BHAKTAVATSALA PERUMAL TEMPLE

Tirukannamangai

Bhaktavatsala Perumal Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to Vishnu located in Tirukannamangai, 6 km away from Tiruvarur,Tamil Nadu, India on the Tiruvarur - Kumbakonam highway. It is one of the "Divya Desams", the 108 temples of Vishnu revered by the 12 poet saints, or Alwars.

Legend

As per Hindu legend, Varuna, the guardian deity of the west and sage Romasa are believed to have worshipped Vishnu at this place. The beehive in the temple is believed to be devas worshipping Vishnu and in modern times, has special rituals performed for it.

The Temple

The temple has a 5-tier rajagopuram and a vast temple complex. The prime deity, Bhaktavatsalar has an imposing image. The temple tank is situated right opposite to the temple. This shrine is also referred to as Saptamrita Kshetram(seven celebrated elements of nature), referring to seven of its elements such as Vimanam, Mandapam, aaranyam, theertham, kshetram, river and town.

Religious significance

The temple is revered in Nalayira Divya Prabandham, the 7th– to 9th-century Vaishnava canon, by Tirumazhisai Alwar in one hymn. The temple is classified as a Divyadesam, one of the 108 Vishnu temples that are mentioned in the book.

This temple is one of the Panchakanna (Krishnaranya) Kshetrams. Kannan refers to Krishna, the avatar of Vishnu, while panchameans five and Kshetrams refers to holy places. Four of the five temples are situated in Chola Nadu, in modern times, in the region surrounding Kumbakonam and Nagapattinam and one of them in Nadu Nadu. Krishna is not the presiding deity in any of the temples. The processional deity, Krishna, led to the derivation of the names of these places. There are five similar temples located in North India, called Pancha-dvarakas.

THIYAGARAJAR TEMPLE

Thiruvarur is the place where you can find more temples especially shivan temples this is the reason may be because of thiruvarur is under chola dynasty. Chola kings were given more importance to the lord shiva and architect. Thiruvarur  were also one of the five tradition capitals of the chola empire. Thiruvarur is mentioned as a capital town of manu neethi cholan who has killed his own son to provide justice to cow.

Special quote:

“ If the stone chariot moves

   If bull gives us milk

   Kamalayalayam tank goes dry

  And then only kamalambigai will get married”

In tamil they says

“kall theer odinal

 Kallai maadu pall karandhal

Kamalayalayam  vatrinal

Kamalambigai ku kalyanam”

Thiruvarur big temple or thiyagaraja temple which occupies 30 acres also the tank of the temple as same. At the centre of the tank temple is construted for lord shiva name. one of the aspect water will never go dry in this tank even if their is a continuous failure if rain and the water is not there in the cavery delta region. In this temple only the navagraga idols are placed towards south in the straight line where no other in the world. And the chariot  festival is important function in this temple. The chariot of the kind is big in asia an weighing more then 250 tonnes and 120 feet height this chariot come around the four main streets in city. The event is attended by lakhs of people all over tamilnadu and it will happen during a summer season (April-may). If thiayagara moves to chariot for a festival they use to take a god with a ajjabba  nadanam (kind of dance) which is specially for this god.

 And the temple has 18 own instruments e.g. panjamugavatthiyam, parinayanaam, tharisinnam, vangga, ekkalam, sitthamathallam, nattuvathanam, jallarri, sanggu, semangalam, veenai, pullangullal, perrigai, takka, thuttti, kombbu, tharrai, thapatai. These all are the instrument that will play during the pooja time.

As a folks we are not suppose to see the feet of the god. Only you can see the left feet on December (one day) and right on march (one day) they use to call this function as padha dharisanam. This function and showing the feet for god pathanjalli munivar.

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