Located an hour away by Road from Tiruchirapalli. Siruvachur MadhuraKaliamman, is a powerful Deity, specially for alleviating the sufferings related mind and Black Magic induced ailments.
Legend has it that Adi Sankara, felt thirsty when he visited this place and Madura Kali provided a Spring to quench his thirst.
The Temple is open only on Mondays and Fridays between 8am to 8pm.
‘Madura Kaliamman Temple is an important temple for mother Goddess in Trichy and Perambalur regions in South India. The temple is open only on every Mondays and Thursdays. It is said to be the Kula Devta (family deity) of Chankarendra Saraswati Swamigal – famously called as Kanchi Periyavar or Kanchi Shankaracharya….
Madurakaliamman, Siruvachur.
As per one legend, Kannagi of Silappadikaram calmed herself in this site after burning Madurai city. As per another legend, Chelli Amman was the original deity of the place. However, she was controlled by a tantric. Madura Kaliamman destroyed the tantric and rescued Chelli Amman. Chelli Amman offered this site to Kali and moved to a nearby hill.
It is believed that the saint Sadasiva Brahmendra constructed the temple. As per another belief, Adi Shankaracharya felt thirsty when he visited the place; the Goddess offered him water in the form of a spring; later she gave darshan to him and appeared in the form of Madra Kaliamman idol…
It is believed that the temple is very old (though not the current structure) and it was even renovated by Kulothunga Chola….
On the Chennai-Trichy highway (NH45), the temple is located around 270 kms from Chennai (7 kilometers after Peramabalur) and around 50 kms from Trichy. While travelling from Chennai to Trichy, the temple’s entrance Arch is located on the right side, on the main road, after the Dhanalakshmi Srinivasan Medical College. From the arch, the temple is at a distance of around 2 kms.
On Mondays and Fridays, devotees can hire auto rickshaws available near Arch to reach the temple. There are few mini buses from the Arch to the temple, but the frequency is less.
By road, all the buses between Trichy and Perambalur will stop at the Siruvachur arch. The Permabalur-bound buses start from Chathiram bus stand in Trichy, which is located near the Rockfort temple (Mainguard Gate).(Chathiram Bus Stand)
Recently I was told to visit an Ayappa temple run By Ayyappa Sangam in Tiruchi.
I have seen some of the Ayyappa temples in places other than Sabarimala.
Most of them start with good intentions and discipline and time takes a toll on both.
“3 km from the Bus Stand, Located near the district court of Trichy, is a peaceful temple and attracts many people in all week days. This temple is famous for its discipline and neatness. Special pooja’s for unmarried, child expecting peoples. Open : 5 a.m. to 10.50 a.m. & 5 p.m. to 8.50 p.m.”
The temple is located near the Court.
Ayyappa Temple, Tiruchi
Absolute Silence is what one notices and of course cleanliness.
There no shouting calling out the Names of God nor is the habit of Dakshina in the ‘plate’
If your mobile phone rings inside the temple premises, it is confiscated and returned you after 48 hours and a Notice is put out to this effect.
Wise and insightful sayings are put up on the Wall.
All instructions to the Devotees are in a polite , yet firm language.
If you want to feel Divinity please visit this temple.
The practice of Yoga bestows on one some special powers as an offshoot of the spiritual Discipline..
Those who want to advance in the Spiritual quest ignores them for they are an impediment to Spiritual Progress.
Swami Ramakrishna Paramahamsa admonished a a man who boasted to Ramakrishna that he had spent 12 years of sadhana,Spiritual Practice and acquired the ability to walk on Water by demonstrating it,
-You have wasted 12 years of your Life for a thing which can be achieved by paying Half anna (roughly 3paise)-in Dollar Terms, it is near Zero”
Those who discard them become great.
Arunagirinathar was a saint of recent Prigin and he was a Devotee of Lord Muruga.
He excelled in Bhakti Yoga(I shall write on him later).
We find the statue of Kashyapa Muni and Narada Muni in the hill temple along with sculptures of Arundhati and Vashishta. We also find the sculpture of Arumugan and Arunagirinathar on the pillars found on the way to the temple. The temple is located on top of the hill and can be seen from a great distance. A beautiful flight of steps along with mandapams for devotees to rest, take us to the top of the hill. At the foot of the hills the water tank called Saravana Poigai is located on southern side. On the eastern side there is a Srine for the goddess Maikannudaiyal. It is customary to worship this goddess before climbing up the hill.
On the way to the hill top we find the Idumban Sannidhi a small cave Srine for Meenakshi Sundareshwar and a mandapam called Sandana Kottam at the end of the flight of steps. Adjacent to the Sandana Kottam Mandapam we find the Navaratri and Shanmuga Moorty Mandapam.
Next to the Navaratri Mandapam we find the south-facing Raja Gopuram. In the Shanmuga Moorthy Mandapam of this temple with a single prahara the utsavamoorthy gives darshan together with devas. In the western part of the prahara we find the Srines of Vinayagar, Dakshina Moorthy, Agasthiyar and Arunagirinathar and in the northern side we find the Srine of Chandikeshwarar and Bhairavar.
The Srine for Navagraha is located on the way to the Maha Mandapam in front of the sanctum sanctorum. In the Maha Mandapam Natarajar, Sivakami, Manika Vinayagar and Srinivasa Perumal with consort await to bless the devotees. On the outer walls of the garbhagraha we find inscriptions. Inside the sanctum sanctorum Lord Muruga showers blessings upon the devotees.
Theertham
On the southern part of the foothill Saravana Poigai, the Sthala Theertham is located. It is also called Naga Theertham. The Sthala Vriksham in this temple is Kasi Vilvam.
Moolavar
The vision of the Lord inside the Garbhagraha is soul-stirring. The Lord is in the form of Arumugan, six-faced and with twelve hands seated elegantly on the peacock facing east. The divine consorts Valli and Deivannai stand on either side. As the Sivachariyar offers camphor the devotees can see the three faces at the back in the mirror which the other three can be viewed directly.’
Temple address:
Sri Shanmuganathan Devasthanam
Viralimalai
Tiruchirapalli – 621 316 India
There is a practice of Giving away one’s Son or Daughter to the Lord as a vow when one faces acute problems and the child is being taken back by Foster parents, normally Grandparents or Uncles.
The child is required to worship the Lord. apart from the Family Deity.
I will be posting on Family Deities.
(Daththu Koduthal)
It is a Belief problems are resolved..
Peacocks Abound around Viralimalai the Temple.
Related:
There is the concept of the Ashta Siddhi (eight siddhis) in Hinduism. These are:
Aṇimā: reducing one’s body even to the size of an atom
Mahima: expanding one’s body to an infinitely large size
The eight siddhis hinted at by Kapila in his Sutra – अष्टधा सिद्धिः ||१५|| –[6] are as explained in Verse 51 of Samkhyakarika:[7]–
Uuha: based on the samskaras of previous births the attainment of knowledge about the twenty-four Tatwas gained by examining the determinable and the indeterminable conscious and the non-conscious constituents of creation,
Shabad: knowledge gained by associating with an enlightened person (Guru – upadesh),
Addhyyan: knowledge gained through study of the Vedas and other standard ancillary texts,
Suhritprapti: knowledge gained from a kind-hearted person, while engaged in the spread of knowledge
Daan: knowledge gained regardless of one’s own needs while attending to the requirements of those engaged in the search of the highest truth,
Aadhyaatmik dukkh-haan: freedom from pain, disappointment, etc; arising due to lack of spiritual, metaphysical, mystic knowledge and experience,
Aadhibhautik dukkh-haan: freedom from pain etc; arising by possessing and being attached to various materialistic gains,
Aadhidaivik dukkh-haan: freedom from pain etc; caused by fate or due to reliance on fate,
the attainment of which eight siddhis makes one become rid of pain-causing ignorance through gain of knowledge, and experience bliss. The aim of Samkhya is to eliminate all kinds of physical and mental pains and to receive liberation.
I had been on a trip to Temples of South India for the past five days and that’s the reason I Have not been able post as much as I would have liked.
Once in about three or four months I get the itch to travel and I prefer temples of India.
While embarking on visit to temples,I wold not call them Pilgrimage for Pilgrimage is a conscious decision to visit places and com plete the vows.
I do not ask for or pray for anything, for I am convinced long back God knows what I deserve and what ever I get is for my Good,
I visit the Temples for the sheer joy it gives me.
I have learnt couple of lessons in visiting temples.
The first is never set a time frame for Darshan.
Temple Of India
About 23 years back, i went to Tirupati with my nephew with my seven-year Daughter.
My nephew, who is three years younger to me, declared that we would be back in 10 hours at Chennai,six hours for Car travel, two hours for Darshan of Lord Balaji and two hours Margin!
I told him not to set time frame for God for He sets the Time for us.
We went ahead and had a special pass at Rs 150 which entitled on to have Darshan in a Special queue.
Once we entered the inner queue with iron railings from where you can not come out,, we had to wait for 17 hours to have the Darshan!
During this period I had to feed my daughter who refused to come down from my Hip and organise for natural ablutions!
Well, that was that.
From that day I never fix a tome frame to have a Darshan.
I have been visiting temples since then.
When I visit this way, I never had to wait for Darshan and there would be practically be no crowd at all.
Then I refined this approach, by not even listing the temples i want to visit, excepting a couple of Temples.
For the rest I go as my mind tells me.
I got better results.
Later I decided not to use private transport of any special entrance facilities offered at the temple for a quick darshan.
The experience was still better.
This time I had thought of visiting Tirukkadayur(Thirukkakkdavur is the correct pronunciation) and a vow I had to complete for the natural delivery for my Daughter in law(she delivered a baby girl seven months back) at Thayumanavar temple at Tiruchi.
Excepting these two I had absolutely no plans.
I ended up with visiting 20 temples in five days with no Private transport, traveling by only by Public transport.
And the Temples were chosen for me by the others!
At Mayiladuthurai, This job was handled by my friend’s(friend since college days since 1967) wife and at Tiruchirapalli by my friend’s daughter who is Computer Professional aged 25!
Believe me not only the visits were better, smoother and the Darshan, the best in my life.
For these people who had done this without any anticipation, six letters of the word Thanks is not enough.
This trip also reinforced my belief, which I have expressed often , that the present generation of youngsters, obsessed with worldly things and Gadgets are more informed , more helpful and more Religious without pretenses.
To conclude I can only say that Faith is what Faith does.
Note. I will be posting some articles on the Temples I visited with some unique information and Photos.
It , legend has it, is here Lord Yama, God of Death/Time, Rahu and Kethu(shadow planets) were absolved of their Sins after having had a dip in the Ganga Theertham( Temple Tank).
There is a separate idol and Sannidhi for Yama.
It is believed that people are rid of the Fear of Death and the ill effects of the malfeasance of Rahu and Ketu.
Sri Vanchiyam.Temple Tower.
Name of the presiding Deity Vanchinathar,
Goddess.Mangalambikai.
Sri Vanchiyam
One has to see Lord Vinayaka first, then Yama, Lord Vanchinathar, Mangalambika.
Preferable to have a dip in the Theertham (Temple Tank).
The Temple is closed between 12 and 40 pm.
Legend of The Temple.
People’s whose star sign is Leo ( Simha Rashi ) have to visit Vaanchinathar Temple – Tiruvaanchiyam (Srivanchiyam) in Tamil Nadu twice in an year or atleast once in an year. Should stay in the temple or premises for two and half hours.
“Tiruvanchiyam (Srivanchiyam), one of the Abodes of Lord Shiva is situated in the Cauvery basin near Tiruvarur (about 14 kms from Tiruvarur) and Nanilam in the state of Tamilnadu, India. Considered as a “Mukthisthalam” (land of attainment of salvation), Goddess Ganges is said to have bathed in “Gupta Ganga Theertham”, the holy pond in the temple, to wash away all the sins of those taking bath in Ganges. Srivanchiyam is considered holier than Varanasi (Kasi).
Sivaboga saram
Goddess Mahalakshmi is said to have prayed Lord Shiva to be united with Lord Vishnu and hence this place is called as “Sri Vanchiyam”. There is also a story that Lord Vishnu prayed to get united with Goddess Mahalakshmi. Taking bath in Gupta Ganga Theertham on Sundays in the Tamil month of Karthigai is considered sacred and is said to wash away all sins. Suriyan (Sun) had prayed Lord Shiva here to get rid of his sins and get back is shining best during Karthigai (Nov-Dec)
The temple is said to have withstood the period of great deluge and hence considered very sacred. The presiding deity is Lord Shiva known as Vanchinathan. The Shivalinga here is “swayambhu” and it faces on both the directions East and West. Hence pujas are conducted on both the sides of Shivalingam. Pujas are performed to Vanchinathan using sandalwood leaves. The sthala vruksham here is Sandalwood tree. Lord Shivas consort is known here as Mangalambika.
One of the rare deities in Tiruvanchiyam is “Yoga Bhairavar”. Pujas are performed to Yoga Bhairavar using “Vanni” leaves. It is believed that one gets cured of nervous disorders and diseases if he consumes daily, the powder made from vanni leaves that are used for puja. Yoga Bhairavar is worshipped here to get rid of all evils directed towards a person. Pujas using “red arali” flowers for 6 Krishnapaksha ashtami days (eighth day of waning moon) are performed to beget children. Special prayers on Amavasya days (new moon days) offering Curd Rice, Coconut Rice and Honey helps one to be victorious in all his deeds and to gain profits in business. To get married soon, pujas are performed during Rahu Kaalam on Sundays offering vada made of lentils and ghee.
One is said to have “Kalasarpa dosham” if all the planets are positioned in between Rahu and Kethu in ones horoscope. Srivanchiyam is a lesser-known parihara sthalam for Kethu and Kalasarpa dosham. Pariharam for Rahu is also done here. Rahu-Kethu is here in a single form and known as “Chanda Rahu”.
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