As an evidence of this Lord Shiva’s Marriage with Parvati was conducted specially for Lord Vishnu.
The Marriage Ceremonial fire still burns.
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The marriage is between Shiva and Parvati, the Homa kunda is for their marriage.
Yet the Temple is dedicated to Lord Vishnu!
Triyuginarayan Temple (Sanskrit: त्रियुगी-नारायण) is a Hindu temple located in the Triyuginarayan village in Rudraprayag district,Uttarakhand. The ancient temple is dedicated to god Vishnu. Its fame is credited to the legend of god Shiva’s marriage to goddessParvati witnessed by Vishnu at this venue and is thus a popular pilgrimage centre.[1][2] A special feature of this temple is a perpetual fire, that burns in front of the temple. The flame is believed to burn from the times of the divine marriage.[3] Thus, the temple is also known as Akhand Dhuni temple.
The temple courtyard is also the source of a water stream, which fills four sacred bathing ponds (kunds) nearby.
The word “Triyugi Narayan” is formed of three words “tri” means three, “yugi” denotes the period of time – Yuga and “Narayan” is another name of Vishnu. Pilgrims have been offering wood to the fire in the havana-kund (fireplace) since the three Yugas – hence the place is given the name “Triyugi Narayan”.[1] Yuga in Hindu philosophy is the name of an epoch or era within a cycle of four ages. The four Yugas are Satya Yuga (1,728,000 human years), Treta Yuga (1,296,000 years), the Dvapara Yuga (864,000 years) and finally Kali Yuga (432,000 years), which is the present Yuga.
The name “Akhand Dhuni temple” also originates from the eternal flame legend, “Akhand” means perpetual and “Dhuni” means flame…
According to Hindu mythology, goddess Parvati was daughter of Himavat or Himavan – the personification of the Himalayas. She was the rebirth of Sati, the first wife of Shiva – who sacrificed her life when her father insulted Shiva. Parvati initially tried to allure Shiva by her beauty, but fails. Finally, she won Shiva by practising rigorous penance at Gauri Kund, which is 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) away from Triyuginarayan. Pilgrims visiting Triyuginaryan temple also visit the Gauri Kund temple, dedicated to Parvati. Mythology states that Shiva proposed to Parvati at Guptakashi (on the road to Kedarnath) before they got married in the small Triyuginarayan village at the confluence of Mandakini and Sone-Ganga rivers.
Triyuginarayan is believed to be the capital of Himavat. It was the venue of the celestial marriage of Shiva and Parvati, during the Satya Yuga, witnessed in the presence of the holy fire that still burns eternally in front of the temple in a Havana-kund or Agni-kund, a four-cornered fireplace on the ground. Vishnu formalized the wedding and acted as Parvati’s brother in the ceremonies, while the creator-godBrahma acted as the priest of the wedding, that was witnessed by all the sages of the times. The exact location of the wedding is marked by a stone called Brahma Shila, in front of the temple.The greatness of this place is also recorded in a sthala-purana (a scripture specific to a pilgrimage centre). According to the scripture, pilgrims who visit this temple consider the ashes from the burning fire as holy and carry it with them. It is also believed that ashes from this fire are supposed to promote conjugal bliss.
Before the marriage ceremony, the gods are believed to have taken bath in three kunds or small ponds namely, Rudra-kund, Vishnu-kund and Brahma-kund. The inflow into the three kunds is from the Saraswati-kund, which – according to legend – originated from Vishnu’s navel. Hence, the water of these kunds is considered to cure infertility. The ashes from Havana-kund are supposed to promote conjugal bliss.
The Panchabhutha Sthala Kanchipuram has Ekambareswarar Temple
This Temple represents Prithvi ,The Earth Element of Nature.
Mango Tree where Shiva and Parvathi were Married,Ekambareswarar Templ, Kanchipuram. Click to Enlarge
This town Kanchipuram,housing Kanchi Kamakshi Amman Temple, is in a straight line with Chdiambaram ,Aakasa Sthala (Ether) and Sri Kala Hasti,Vayu Sthala, Air Element.
Ekambareswarar Temple.Kanchipuram.
(I am providing the Legend of the temple in this post)
In addition to being geographically linked to two Shiva Kshetras of Elements, it is curious to find that there is a Mango Tree, where Lord Shiva and Parvathi got married.
And this Tree is about 3500 years old.
Sage Agastya shows he way to date this tree
The marriage of Shiva and Parvathi, to my knowledge, happened once in Himalayas and the same event was witnessed by Sage Agastya, who could not attend the marriage because Lord Shiva ordered him to proceed to South to counter balance the earth.
This has happened about 40 million years ago, based on earths’ plate movement.
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‘Life in the universe is created and destroyed once every 4.1 to 8.2 billion years, which is one full day (day and night) for Brahma. The lifetime of a Brahma is believed to be 311 trillion and 40 billion years-Hindu Cosmology.
‘Eighty million years ago, India was approximately 6400 km (3968 miles) south of the Eurasian plate. Separating the two was the Tethys Sea. The Indo-Australian tectonic plate – containing the continent of Australia, the Indian subcontinent, and surrounding ocean – was pushed northward by the convection currents generated in the inner mantle. For millions of years, India made its way across the sea toward the Eurasian plate. As India approached Asia, around 40 million years ago, the Tethys Sea began to shrink and its seabed slowly pushed upwards.’
As Time is Cyclic in Hinduism, these events keep on occurring in every Yuga.
The Kali Yuga is about 5000 years old.
The marriage of Shiva and Parvathi coud have played out again towards the end of Dwapara Yuga as well around 5000 years ago!
Now to the Mango Tree at Ekambareswarar temple being 3500 years may be validated by this calculation.
The unique features of Ekambareswarar temple:
The image of Lord Ekambaranathar is believed to have been created by the deity Parvathi devi herself, who is said to have performed a penance to attain him.
The processional image of Ambal Parvathi is Elavar Kuzali Amman.
A mango tree, the Sthala Virusham is at the back of the Sanctum of the inner precincts of the temple, which is over 3500 years old. It is the belief of the religious people that the Devi Parvathi had worshipped Lord Siva under this tree.
The branches of this Mango tree is said to bear four different types of mangoes, representing the four Vedas in Hinduism.
The main temple tower is 192 feet and is the 5th tallest tower in Tamil Nadu, visible even from a distance and was built by the famous Vijanagaram King, Krishnadeva Royar in the year 1509.
There is another smaller tower inside the temple which is called as the Pallava Tower.
There is a Sahasra Lingam with one thousand small lingams etched on the body of a big Lingam icon in the praharam.
One hundred and eight Lingam icons are installed in the first corridor platform of the temple (Praharam)
The images of Navagrahas are seen with their mounts or vahanas, a posture so rare to see in other temples.
On the day of the Ratha Sabthami, the rays of Sun fall directly on Lord Siva in Sanctum Sanctorum, which is a marvel in the architecture and speaks loudly on the knowledge of astronomy of the artisans who had constructed this temple.
All the three Carnatic Music Maestros, Thyagaraja, Shyama Sastri, and Muthuswami Dikshadar had visited this temple and sangkirthanas here.
The temple has five corridors (praharams) including the outer surrounding streets of the temple.
The Tirtham of this temple is named, Sivaganga Tirtham
There is a famous Vaishnavite temple, Tiru nila thingal Thundam, the 49th Divadesam, consecrated by Saint-poet,Tirumangai Alwar situated in the inner precincts of this temple. The arulmigu Perumal’s name is Nila Thingal Thundaththan and that of Thayrar, Ner oruvarilla Valli. This is the most important aspect of this temple and one of the two such Vishnu temples in the same precincts of the Siva’s temple in South India. The other being that of Govindaraja Perumal at Chidambaram. (There is another Divya desam the 54th one, consecrated by the saint poetTirumangai Alwar, called Tiruk kalva nur within Kamatchi Ammantemple in Kanchipuram itself but, this is in Ambal’s temple and not in Siva’s. The presiding deities here are Adivaraha Perumaland Thayar Anjeelai Valli Nachiyar)
Legend.
The sthalapurana says that when Lord Siva was deeply immersed in the task of creating, protecting and destroying the Universe, Parvati, his consort, in a jocular mood, closed his eyes.This resulted in staying the process of creation and destruction as well as obstruction to the natural law of things. It was a serious matter and Siva became angry and cursed Parvati to go to the Earth and expiate her misdeed.accordingly Parvati came to the banks of the river Kampa under a single mango tree at Kanchi and made a Shivalinga out of sand and worshipped it.
To test her sincerity Siva placed various obstacles and hindrances in the way of Parvati’s penance. But with the help of Vishnu she could tide over all the difficulties. At last Siva hurled a deluge by taking out the Ganges from his matted hair,
to wash away the Linga worshipped by Parvati. She clasped it with all veneration to her breasts and this pleased Siva who took her again as his consort. The temple is said to have been built at the spot where the lord forgave her.
In the month of Phalguni on the 10th day of Uttiram the marriage of Siva and Parvati is celebrated with great pomp and splendor.
Another version of the story is that Siva and Parvati fell out in a game of dice. Siva cursed Gowri to become ugly.With the help of Vishnu Parvati propitiated Siva by performing penance under a single Mango tree at Kancheepurarn on the banks of the Kampa River, and regained her beauty with dazzling eyes, from which the name of Kamakshi has been derived for the tutelary goddess of the temple. As Parvati regained Siva under the
mango tree the name of Ekamranatha (Ekaone, amra – mango, and natha-Lord) was given to Lord Siva. It later became Ekambareswara. Another legend connected with the marriage celebration is that connected with Agastya being vouchsafed its darsan when he had come South from Kailas.
The ancient mango tree in the courtyard is worshipped by all even today with great veneration. It has got four branches representing the four Vedas. Each branch bears fruit with a different taste and the leaves are also different in appearance. It is a popular belief that if a childless woman takes the fruit of the tree she is blessed with children. In the prakaram round the mango tree is a lingam. Which is a composite of 108 small lingams and another one of 1008 small lingams. There are idols of the 63 Nayanmars also. There are two tanks in the temple, Kampa Nadi and Sivaganga. There is a Vishnu shrine in the Siva temple and the name of the Vishnu is Nilatingal Tundattan. The temple has silver and gold-plated vahanams of considerable value. Originally built by the Pallavas, this large Siva temple was later reconstructed by the Chola and Vijaynagara kings. Here, Lord Siva is worshipped as Earth or Prithivi, which is one of the five elements. The dimensions of this temple are reflected in its 20 – acre spread and its tall south gopuram which soars to a height of 58.5m.
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