Tag: Shiva burning ghat

I wrote an article on Sri Vanchiyam Siva Temple where a burning ghat is located near the temple.

And this temple is not closed when death occurs in the street where the temple is nor is the temple closed during Eclipses, which is a standard practice in Hindu temples.

I shall be writing a clarification on this in a separate article.

Shiva is His form as Rudra is associated with Death and described as living in Smasanam, Burning ghat.

The ashes of the corpse is smeared by Him all over His body.

The association of Burning ghat with Shiva is more prevalent in South India than North India.

Th

ough there are Bhairava Temples in the North indicating Shiva’s association with Burning Ghats and there is the association of Varanasi, Benares with Burning Ghat, there seems to be no clear classification of such temples in Sanskrit texts as much as in Tamil texts.

Tamil literature abounds in such references.

 

And specific temples are grouped as Smasanam Temples.

There are four such temples in Tamil Nadu.

1.Thiruvattanam,Thirukkadavur,near Mayuram Tamil Nadu.

This town is famous for the temple of Abhirami and அமிர்தகடேஸ்வரர். Amirthakadeswarar.

The smasanam is located slighly away from the temple and many miss it.

And one prays for longevity and has Sashtiapthapoorthy performed at Thirukarukavur.

2.Kachi Mayanam. Mayanam in Tamil is burning ghat.

One finds Siva associated with Burning ghat here too.

3.Srivanchiyam..

4.Navalur Mayanam.

5.Sirkazhi.

Shall be writing in detail on each of these.

In some of these places streets have sprung between burning ghat and the temples