Post No. 11,090
Date uploaded in London – – 8 JULY 2022
Contact – swami_48@yahoo.com
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I went to Thirukkadavur, also known as Thiruk kadaiyur on 28th May, 2022 and stayed there overnight to attend Shasti Aptha Poorthy of my brother in law,who came all the way from USA. We had darshan of Goddess Abhirami and Amirthakateswar with great difficulty the same day.
Lessons learnt:-
Don’t go to a temple during summer vacation
Don’t go to a temple during week end.
Don’t go to Hindu temples on Muhurtha (auspicious) days
Don’t go to temples during the month of Kartika, because the temples will be ‘infested’ with Ayyappa devotees; many of them are pukka rowdies in Ayyppa garments.
xxx
Hundreds of families, may be thousands of families, were celebrating their birth anniversaries or wedding anniversaries in Thirukkadaiyur. It is enjoyable to see hundreds of couples walking into the temple with big garlands, accompanied by Tamil orchestra (Mela, Taala, Nayana= Drums and Pipes); friends and relatives came with them in traditional pattu veshti and pattu pudavai ( silk dhoti and silk sari). The temple was beautifully illuminated, and the town wore a festive look in the night.
xxx
60th Birth Days
It has become a ‘fashion’ to celebrate 60th Birth Days in that temple. Some people even hire halls outside the temple and celebrate it. They have darshan (viewing) before or after the celebration. Since we were warned well in advance about the next day being Sunday and Muhurtha Day, we squeezed ourselves into the temple crowd and had the darshan of Goddess Abirami( Parvati) and God Amirtha kateswarar (Shiva). (I have written already about the next day ordeal; shrine opening at 7-30 am!!!!)
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Significance of the Temple
*Sung and Sanctified by the three Great Saivite Saints (Appar, Sambandhar and Sundarar); That means the temple is at least 1400 years old.
*Became more famous because of Abhiraami Bhattar Miracle ( I have written about Goddess changing New moon Day into Full moon day by throwing her nose ring into the sky). Abhirami Andhaati and Pathikam hymns are very popular among Saivite Hindus (Shiva worshippers).
*The Story of Markandeya is known to all Hindus. It is believed that it had happened in this place. Lord Shiva made the 16 year old boy , who was destined to die at that age, to live for ever. Always Sweet Sixteen Years!
*Since Lord Shiva kicked out Yama (Kala= Time=Yama) to protect his boy devotee Maarkandeyaa , he is known as Kaala Samhaara Murthy; Lord Shiva is Anti Einstein; he does not obey E= MC2 or his other theories of relativity; he is beyond Time= Kaala Thrayaadeetah).
*The temple is situated 20 kilometres from (Mayilaaduthurai alias Maayuuram) and 18 kilometres from Siirkaazi.
*Another famous temple just 2 kilometres away inside Thirukkadavur is Thiru Mey Gnanam (corrupted as Mayanam=crematorium!). Sung and sanctified by the Saivite Saints (We did not go there this time). Water from a well in the temple is taken to Abhirami Temple every day for Abhisheka= Bathing the God)
A sudden flash of thought! Is it the reason for late opening of shrines in Thirukkdavur? I complained in another post that the shrines at Thirukkadavur open at 7-30 am and 7-45 am.
*Two Saivite devotees Kungiliya Kalaya Nayanar and Kaari Nayanar lived here a long time ago and reached the feet of Shiva.
*There are two Shiva Shrines here- One for Amrita Kateswarar and another for Kaala Samhaara Moorthy (meaning one who destroys Time; in other words Lord Shiva is a Blackhole in the Universe; not even Time can escape!)
*The Ganesh statue here known as Kalla Vaarana Pillayaar and three Shiva Lingaas here are popular.
*Plants of the Shrine- Pinjilam=Mullai=Jasmine and Bilva/Vilva tree
*Many saints like Agastya and Pulastya are associated with the temple. They may not be the original Agastya or Pulastya. They are clan names; any one born in that Gotra is called with the originator’s name)
*There are a few holy tanks. In the olden days people used to take bath in it. In my country Britain, there are several mineral water sources and the water bottled with that spring name get more price. In the olden days Hindu saints also found out several mineral water sources and built temples there. Those mineral water with medicinal properties are called Holy Teerthas. But they are not maintained with the same purity now.
*This is one of the Ashta Veerattana Sthalas (one of the Eight Great Adventure (of Shiva) Shrines; since Shiva is given the task of destruction among the Trinity, his Eight Destructions gain significance. One must remember that they are symbolic stories. The Eight Heroic Act shrines are known as Ashta Verattaana Sthalas.
*The Sthala Purana (Local Temple History book) gives several stories linking Brahma, Durga, Ganesh and other Gods. I am not going into the details.
*Kaala Samhaara Moorthy shrine inside the temple has good sculptures depicting the scene of Shiva kicking Yama. The Temple entrance also has got paintings on the ceiling (see my pictures)
Choose a weekday and visit the temple.
*I watched another argument in the lodge /hotel where I stayed. In most of the places in Tamil Nadu, they follow 24 hour checking in time. If you check in at 10 am today, you are allowed to stay until 10 am next day. But here they follow European Hotels. You can check in only around 2 pm. One customer was arguing against such practice. So make sure you get the correct information when you book a hotel/lodge in Tamil Nadu.
–subham–
Tags- Abhirami, Thirukkadavur, Thirukkadaiyur, Markandeya, Ashta Veeratta sthala, Kala samhara murthy, amirthakateswar
Tamil and Vedas 