Kadambavaneswarar (Siva) temple
Kulithalai, Tamilnadu
This
temple is located at Kulithalai on the Trichy to Kovai Erode route via
Karur. There is a belief that devotees are ensured of Mukthi if they
worship Kadambar at this temple in the morning, followed by Ayyarmalai
Rathinagiriswarar and Thirueengoymalai Nathar in the evening of the same
day. Since this temple in South India is facing North, it is also
known as the Dakshina Kasi. Thirumal, Murugar, Brahma, Saptha Kanniyar,
Kannuvar, Devasarma, Agathiyar have all benefited from worshiping this
Lord.
Lord Brahma, tired after his task
of creation prayed to Lord Siva for mukthi. Lord Siva praised Brahma for
his wondmerful job of creation and bade him to worship Kadambavaneswarar
- to bathe thrice a day in the sacred Cauvery river and perform abisheka
& pooja to the Lord. Brahma continued to worship Lord Siva for
several thousands of years. Finally Siva granted darshan along with
Ambal. Thus Brahma is said to have attained mukthi at this sthalam.
The moolavar is Kadambar in a seated
posture. His other naamams (names) - Kadambanathar, Sundaresawarar, Soundaresar.
The Ambal is Mutrilla Mulaiammai.
Her other namas - Baalagujaambigai, Thiruveni.
Devasarma is supposed to have got
the darshan in this temple of the Lord Sundareswarar marrying Meenakshi
(the wedding that took place in Madurai). Hence the deity in this
temple is also known as Sundareswarar & the Ambal as Meenakshi.
There are sannadhis for Viswanathar,
Vinayagar, Subramanyar, Somaskandar, Gajalakshmi, Jeshtaadevi, Naalvar,
Aruvathimoovar, Sekhizhar, Chandikeswarar, Natarajar, Navagrahams.
The panchaloha idol of Lord Nataraja is unique in that the Lord is not
stepping on the asura Muyalagan. (Muyalagan represents our ego)
Thirunaavukarasar, Aiyadigal, KaadavarKon
have worshipped at this sthalam. Arunagirinathar has sung the praise
of this Lord.
Saptha Kanniyar
Worship is offered to the Sapta
Kanniyar (7 female deities) placed behind the moolavar shrine. Once
when Devi Durga was fighting with the asura Dhumralosanan, the saptha kanniyars
fought the asura along with the Devi. The asura ran away unable to
withstand the onslaught and vanished near the hermitage of rishi Kaathyaayana.
The saptha kanniyars thought the asura had taken the form of the rishi
& killed the rishi. To rid themselves of the resulting Brahmahathi
dosham, they offered prayers at various temples and were finally relieved
on worshipping the Lord at this temple.
Temple
layout
There is a central Mahaamandapam,
two praakaarams. The Ambal sannadhi is facing east, with a kodimaram &
bali peedam. On the inner side, to the east of the 2nd prakaram is the
Vaahana Mandapam which houses processional vaahanams for the deities with
exquisite workmanship. In the north west corner is the Navarathiri Mandapam.
In the south east is the temple tank, Brahma theertham. There is
a path round the temple for the processional chariot.
Festivals
The Thai Poosa thiruvizha (festival)
is celebrated on a grand scale. Kadambavaneswarar & Ambal give
darshan at the banks of the Cauvery along with the idols from the surrounding
temples - Paettai Vaaithalai, Sivaayamkaruppathur, Raajendiram, ThirunEengoymalai,
Musiri, Vellur.
The Brahmotsavam is conducted for
10 days in the month of Maasi.
Source (Text
& images): "Kavalaigal theerpar Kadambavaneswarar" article in
Tamil by Mevani Gopalan in the "Dinakaran"
Aanmiga Sirappu
Maalar (pg 8) dated 21/6/2008.
Ashtalakshmi temple, Besant Nagar, Chennai
|
