Sri Sankaralingaswami (Sankara Narayanar ) temple

Moolavar : Sankaralingam   Urchavar : -   Amman / Thayar : Gomathi   Thala Virutcham : Punnai   Theertham : Naga Sunai theertham   Agamam / Pooja : Kameekam   Old year : 1000-2000 years old   Historical Name : -   City : Sankarankoil   District : Tirunelveli   State : Tamil Nadu
Temple History: Serpent King Naga was a staunch Shiva devotee.  Paduman, also a serpent, was a staunch Vishnu devotee.  Both were frequently debating about the supremacy of their respective Lords.  They went to Mother Parvathi for a verdict.  Ambica took to penance praying to both Lords to grant a joint darshan to establish the truth that both were only equal.  Responding to Mother’s penance, both granted darshan jointly as Sankara Narayana.  Shiva also granted a darshan to Mothr Parvathi as Sankaralingam.  In the days that followed, this Linga was covered by an anthill.  The two serpents also were in.  A devotee while demolishing the anthill, cut the tail of one serpent which began to bleed.  The incident was immediately communicated to the Pandya king.  He immediately built this temple. Lord Sankaranarayana shrine is in between the shrines of Lord Shiva and Mother Gomathi.  The right side of the deity belonging to Lord Shiva has Agni the fire, Ganga, crescent moon and the turf, ear ring, Rudraksha on the chest, Mazhu the weapon of Lord Shiva and tiger skin clothing in waist.  Sangan is holding the umbrella in the Tiruvasi – the frame around the Lord.  On the left, belonging to Lord Vishnu, appears with His gem studded crown, a hanging ear ring-Kundalam-tulsi bead and Lakshmi mala in chest, a conch and the silk-peethambara around the waist.  Paduma is holding the umbrella in this side.  Tulsi theertha is offered as Prasad during morning pujas.  Vibuti the sacred ash is offered during other pujas.  Garlands of Tulsi and flowers are offered during the pujas.  Vilwa for Shiva and Tulsi for Vishnu are used in pujas. Lord Shiva is fond of Abishek-bathing while Lord Vishnu is fond of attractive dressing.  Lord Sankaranaraya always appears in His best Alankara-dressing.  Abishek in the shrine is offered to Lord Chandramouleeswara the Spatika Linga-crystal Linga.  Pujas are offered to Him on Shivrathri and new moon days.  He comes of the shrine to grant darshan to Ambica on Aadi Thapasu festival day. Gomathi:  Go means cow and Mathi Moon in Sanskrit.  Maidens from the celestial world came along with Ambica in the form of cows to help Her penance.  With a face as radiant as the Moon and being owner of cows, Ambica is called Gomathi.  She is also praised as Aavudayambikai being the Tamil version of Gomathi.  Mother is dressed with flowers on Mondays and golden skirt on Fridays.  Those facing problems in wedding efforts and concern about children’s welfare pray to Mother Gomathi lighting lamps made of rice flour mixed with ghee. Sri Chakra, personifying the glory and power of Shakti is installed either under the peeta bearing Ambica or in front of the peeta.  Here, Sri Chakra is installed in the Mandap before Ambica.  This is called Agna Chakra.  Those with depression and confusion sit on this Chakra and pray to Ambica.  They believe they would be freed from confusions. Greatness Of Temple Aadi Thapasu festival: Thapas means penance.  Mother Parvathi took to penance to have the darshan of Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu combined as Sankara Narayana.  This is the festival called Aadi Thapasu running for 12 days.  As this is a festival exclusively for Ambica, She alone comes in the car procession.  On the last day, Ambica goes to the Thapas Mandapa with a bag of sacred ashes – Vibhuti.  Lord Sankaranarayana grants darshan to Ambica in the evening and enters the temple on the elephant vahan together. While Annabishekam is performed in Shiva temples in Aipasi-October-November, this takes place here on the first day of Aipasi and also in Chithirai-April-May with a prayer that the year should begin without shortage of food grains in the beginning of the year (Chithirai is the fist month of Tamil year) and Aipasi happens to be the beginning of auspicious days.  It is also noteworthy that Vaikunda Ekadasi in December-January is celebrated with equal festivity as in Vishnu temples for which a Sorga Vasal is constructed in the temple.  Lord Vishnu grants darshan in a palanquin in reclining form. There is a shrine for Lord Vanmeeka Nathar in the Shiva prakara.  Lord Shiva in this shrine appears in an ant-hill form, his true form.  It is designed as if He is sitting on a serpent with its head above Him as an umbrella.  Vanmeekam means ant-hill.  As Lord Shiva is in the Vanmeekam, He is praised as Vanmeekanathar.  Those afflicted with adverse snake planet aspects, pray in the shrine spraying  turmeric powder.  There are five Naga idols before this shrine.  Devotees perform abishek to these idols with milk. Tooth pain prayer: As a tradition, Lord Lingodhbava or Lord Vishnu grace on the goshta wall around the sanctum.  In this temple, this slot is occupied by Lord Yoga Narasimha.  Those suffering from tooth ache pray here with abishek for relief from pain.  Special pujas are offered here on Purattasi Saturdays in September-October.  There is a shrine for Lord Sarpa Vinayaka – Vinayaka with a Serpent in hand.  Those facing adverse effects serpent planet Ragu, worship here at Rahu Kalam time (4.30 p.m. to 6.00 p.m.) on Sundays.  To protect children from poisonous bite, devotees offer Arugampul (a variety of grass) garlands with Milk porridge (Payasam) as nivedhana to Lord Sarpa Vinayaka.      As a custom, on the Skanda Sashti festival of destroying demon Surapanma, Lord Muruga appears with a single face only in the Subramanya form.  He graces with six faces that day in this temple.  The wedding festival of Deivanai is celebrated the next day. Thanks giving Devotees offer abishek, vastras and nivedhanas to Lord Sankaranarayana and Mother Gomathi. Prayers Devotees pray here to develop the quality of love for all promoting unity and to be simple and austere in nature Festival Aadi Thapasu in July-August; 41 day Brahmmotsavam in Panguni-Chithirai covering March to May; Aipasi wedding festival in October-November and Thai float festival in January-February are the festivals celebrated in the temple. Temple's Speciality Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu grace the devotees together from the sanctum sanctorum. During March and September months, the rays of Sun fall on Sankaralingam for three days from 21st of the respective months. Opening Time The temple is open from 5.00 a.m. to 12.30 p.m. and from 4.00 p.m. to 9.00 p.m. Address The Executive Officer, Sri Sanakara Narayana Temple, Sankarankoil-627 756 Phone +91- 4636 - 222 265, 94862 40200. General Information Lord Sri Sankaranarayana is the main deity in the temple.  Vinayaka is  Anugnai Vinayaka.  The temple has a 9 tier Rajagopuram.  The ant-hill sand is offered as Prasad which the sick consume along with water for cure.  Devotees facing problems due to the presence of poisonous creatures in their houses as lizards, scorpions and snakes offer silver pieces embossed with the images of such creatures for solution. The festival of Lord Shiva seated on His bull vehicle Nandhi granting Darshan to 63 Nayanmars takes place during Chithirai (April-May) and Margazhi (December-January) months.  Adhikara Nandhi is at the entrance with His consort Suyajadevi and the Nandhi before the sanctum is under a Rudraksha Pandal-tent Location : Sankarankoil is 120 km from Madurai, 30 km from Rajapalayam and 56 km from Tirunelveli. Bus and rail facilities are available from Madurai. Near By Railway Station : Sankarankoil Near By Airport :   Madurai

Sri Dandayuthapani (Kuzhandai Valayuthar) temple - Palani

	Moolavar	:	Tiru Aavinankudi Kuzhandai Velayuthar
	Urchavar	:	-
	Amman / Thayar	:	-
	Thala Virutcham	:	Gooseberry
	Theertham	:	Shanmugha River
	Agamam / Pooja	:	Sivagamam
	Old year	:	1000-2000 years old
	Historical Name	:	Tiru Aavinan Kudi
	City	:	Palani
	District	:	Dindigul
	State	:	Tamil Nadu

Temple History

The history of the temple begins from Mount Kailash with a mango fruit brought by Maharshi Narada.  Child Muruga left His parents and came to this place as He could not get the mango for not fulfilling the condition to get the fruit.  Lord Shiva followed Him.  Lord Muruga halted at this place.  Mother Parvathi did Her best for a compromise.  But the Son was unrelenting and expressed His desire to stay here itself.  A temple came into being for Kuzhandai Velayuthar as He was a child (kuzhandhai) then.

Great woman Tamil poet Avvaiyar, known not only for her poetic excellence but also for wisdom, called Muruga Pazham Nee and the place came to be known as Pazhani.  Pazham in Tamil means fruit and also ripe knowledge.

Idumban was carrying two hills, Shivagiri and Shakti Giri to Pothigai as commanded by Sage Agasthya.  Shivagiri has Lord Shiva attributes and Shaktigiri has that of Mother Parvathi.  Idumban placed these mounts down here as he could not bear the weight.  Lord Muruga stood on Shaktigiri and refused to come down despite Idumban’s repated demands.  When Idumban decided to fight against the Lord, He showered His grace on him and kept with Him.  As Muruga was holding a Danda-staff, the Lord came to be known as Dandayuthapani.  Siddha Bogar who was here, made an idol of Navapashana (nine herbals) and installed in the temple.  He became the presiding deity of the hill temple and became popular among the devotees.

Dandam also means a cane a tool for punishment.  Lord Muruga graces here as a teacher explaining the uncertainties of life.  As a teacher, He holds the Danda to correct erring pupils.  In His ascetic form, Lord Muruga also teach people to shed the natural evils of greed, lust etc. in their mind and be free from passions leading to misery.

Siddha Bogar, living here than was treating people with herbals.  He was assisted by his disciple Pulipani.  All devotees are indebted to Bogar for gifting us Lord Himself.  His monument is within the temple.

The parrot on the Danda of Lord Muruga has a fascinating religious story.  All of us know there is parrot in the hands of Mother Meenakshi.  There was a wicket poet Sambandandan jealous of saint poet Arunagiriar and thought of a revenge plan to eliminate him.  He used his influence on King Prapuda Deva Raya requesting him to ask the saint poet to get the Parijatha flower from heaven to prove his supremacy.  Arunagiriar flew into the sky in a parrot form leaving his human form in the Tiruvannamalai tower.  This is an exercise called Koodu Vittu Koodu Paithal – leaving the original body form in a safe place and enter into the body of another – for noble purposes.  After completing the mission, the performer leaves the adopted body and re-enter into his own.

When Arunagiriar left with his parrot body in search of the Parijatha flower, wicked Sambandandan found the human body of the saint and cremated it so that Arunagiriar cannot re-enter into his original body and appear in his human form and be his competitor.  When Arunagiriar was shocked to see his body burnt, Lord Muruga blessed him by having his parrot form in His staff.

Reverting to the Idumban story:

When Idumban challenged Muruga when He refused to come down from the Shaktigiri hill, Lord Vinayaka, elder brother of Lord Muruga came to the rescue of his younger brother.  Yet, He had a doubt.  Vinayaka won the Mango race which hurt Muruga and may still harbour that anger against him.  So Lord Vinayaka took the form of a serpent and began to fight with Idumban.  This Vinayaka is on the hill path near Idumban shrine with His leg on a serpent.   He is praised as Pada Vinayaka.  Padam means foot.  Before proceeding on the hill, the devotee should worship Vinayaka here.  The footprints of Lord Muruga also are behind Vinayaka.

Tiru Aavinan Kudi is the third army camp (Padaiveedu) of Lord Muruga where He reached after His misunderstanding with parents.  As He was a child then, Valli and Deivanai are not with Him here.  As Muruga has all Shiva attributes, there are shrines for Lord Dakshinamurthy, Chandikeswara and Bhairava on the prakara walls of the sanctum sanctorum.

According to tradition, worship of Lord Dandayuthapani in the hill temple should begin from the Peria Avudayar 4 km from this place, Mother Perianayaki and Kuzhandhai Velayuthar shrines are also here.

The name Tiru Aavinankudi is linked with Mahalakshmi (Tiru), Gomatha the cow (Aa), Inan (Sun), Ku (earth) di (fire the Agni) who worshipped Kuzhandhai Velayuthar here.  Their idols are in the inner corridor – prakara of the temple.

Lord Muruga also granted a Japa Mala to saint Arunagiriar when he sang the Lord’s praise.  The saint has mentioned this in his songs. 

Brahmma Theertha is on the north of Palani.  On its bank, Lord Shiva with Mother Parvathi, Lord Vishnu on His Garuda vehicle and Lord Brahmma on His Swan vehicle appear and grace the devotees.  All three Lords are facing west which has its special significance religiously.  Worshipping them together ensures total relief from sins, it is believed.

There is a spring on the hill path called Valli Chunai where Muruga graces devotees with Valli in wedding form.  Women devotees pray here with the yellow thread (mangal Sutra).  Mother Valli also graces sitting alone under the Vilwa tree nearby.  Abishek is performed to Nagar (serpent deity) in the Valli Chunai.

Lord Muruga graces His devotees in three forms.  1) The Lord grants darshan in a wedding form with Valli and Deivanai without the peacock vehicle in Periyanayaki temple, 2) as a child on the peacock in Tiru Aavinan Kudi temple and 3) with His Danda-staff in the hill temple.  It is indeed a very rare fortune for the devotees to worship the Lord in three forms in a single place.

While Aipasi Annabishekam is performed to Lord Shiva only in temples, it is performed to Lord Muruga in Palani.  This is done on the Jeshta star day in the month of Aani at the midday pujas in the hill temple and on the Moola star day in the same month at the Tiru Aavinankudi Kuzhanthai Velayuthar temple during the evening pujas.  The Annabishekam is performed to Lord Shiva on the Uthrada star day in the Periyavudayar temple.

Idumba, belonging to the earlier story of carrying two hills to Pothigai, has his shrine on the hill route.  Abishek to Idumban is performed at 3.00 a.m. followed by Puja at 5.00 p.m.  Pujas to Muruga follows in the hill temple only afterwards.  There is a shrine to Idumba on the hill path, appearing with the two hills on his shoulders.  There is also a Nandhi before the shrine with his foot prints and of Kadamban.

As Guru, sage Agasthya is in the shrine with Idumba and Kadamba on his side.  As the sage also is in the shrine, water Prasad is offered to the devotees from his kamandala, a bowl with a handle used by the Rishis.  It is believed that Agasthya himself is offering the Prasad himself that contains rich medicinal properties.

Greatness Of Temple

Lord Muruga is not simply a deity in the common understanding of religious culture of the land, but He is also the presiding deity of the Tamil language.  Of the three parts of Sangam literature edited as 1) Pathu Pattu, 2) Ettu Thogai and 3) Pathinen Keezh Kanakku, the first part begins with Tirumurugu Attrupadai authored by gifted poet Nakkeerar singing the glory of Lord Muruga.  Muruga is the Lord of the Tamil language.

Great woman Tamil poet Avvaiyar calls Lord Muruga a Siddha meaning one doing miracles.  This is a place where ancient Chera and Pandya kings had the Lord in their very hearts.  Those who think of the Lord are blessed with eternal bliss.  Every literature in Tamil has a place of reverence to Lord Muruga.

The Panchamirtham, a preparation for Lord Muruga’s abishek made of five ingredients is globally famous.  The preparation cell is completely modernized with advanced machines.  The temple has a golden peacock, the vehicle of Lord Muruga and also a golden car-rath.

The golden car pulling is followed by devotees almost each day fetching huge revenues to the temple.  The land has the reputation of having great and divine Siddhas as its inhabitants whose heirs are believed to be still living in the places around the temple region.  It is also noteworthy, that this is the first temple in Tamilnadu, bringing heaps of revenue to the Government.  Now a winch facility is also made available for the convenience of the aged. 

The temple was built 1,300 years ago by King Cheraman Peruman.  Renovations were carried out during the period of Tirumalai Naicker.  The temple is lavishly praised in ancient scriptures and Tamil epics.

Thai Poosam: This is a great festival of the temple.  Lord Nataraja performed His Ananda Thandava on the Margazhi (December-January) Tiruvadhirai day which Mother Uma enjoyed sitting close to the stage.  She desired that She too perform one similar to Lord’s.  Sages Vyakrapada, Patanjali and others came to see Mother’s dance which took place on the Poosa star day in Thai month –January-February.  This is Thai Poosam festival.  The day thus belongs to Mother Uma.  But it is celebrated in Palani greatly, the place of Lord Muruga importance.

Mother Perianayaki graces in a separate shrine with Lord Kailasanathar.  Lord Muruga temple is in between the shrines.  The main tower and the flag post Kodimaram are before the Muruga shrine.  Those who enter the temple began worshipping Muruga first.  The flag hoisting ceremony begins from here only and thus came to be associated with Muruga tradition.  Thai Poosam festival is even now celebrated at the Ambica shrine only.  Procession deity Muthukumaraswami is taken through the streets each day.  The car festival takes place on the seventh day.

It is interesting that many industrialists and businessmen have Lord Muruga as their partner and pay a share of their profits to him

Thanks giving

Devotees carry Kavadi to the Lord, tonsure and perform abishek with milk, rose water etc.

Prayers

Devotees come to Lord Muruga for relief from all adversities and for prosperity in family.

Singers

Sung by Poet Laureate Nakkeerar and Saint Arunagirinathar

Festival

Vaikasi Visakam in May-June, Aipasi Skanda Sashti in October-November, Tirukarthikai in November-December, Thaipoosam in January-February and Panguni Uthiram in March-April are the festivals celebrated in the temple.

Temple's Speciality

The presiding deity Lord Muruga’s idol is made of nine precious herbals known as Navapashana and installed by a Holy Siddha named Bogar. The procession deity is Muthukumaraswami. This is the third of the six Army Camps (Padai Veedu) of Lord Muruga. The Kavadi prayer practice began from this temple only.

Opening Time

Tiru Aavinan Kudi, hill temple and Perianayaki Temple – all the three temples are open from 6.00 a.m. to 9.00 p.m. without any break.

Address

Sri Dandayuthapani(Kuzhandai Valayuthar) Temple, Palani- 624 601, Dindigul Dist.

Phone

+91-4545 - 242 293, 242 236, 242 493.

General Information

All the importance attributed to Tiruvannamalai Girivalam applies to this temple too.  Girivalam, circumambulating the hill is specially followed during the Agni Nakshatra time in peak summer.  Thousands of devotees visiting the temple each day begin the worship from Girivalam.  There are 690 steps for the hill temple.  There is also an elephant track without steps.  The hill as a whole has all medicinal properties in itself.  Palani has also scriptural names as Tiru Aavinan Kudi and Pothigai.

Location :
Palani is 56 km far from Dindigul, 120 km from Madurai and 115 km from Coimbatore. Bus facilities are available from all parts of Tamilnadu.

Near By Railway Station :
Palani

Near By Airport :  
Madurai