Holy
Pilgrimage – Temples in Tamilnadu
State
Engan Murugan Temple, Tamilnadu
Legend
According to popular folklore, the sculptor who sculpted the idol of Murugan or Shanmughantheswara in this temple was the same person who carved the sculpture at Sikkal and Ettukudi. Upon sculpting the idol at Sikkal, the sculptor cut his right thumb so as to ensure that he would create anything anywhere which would surpass the beauty of the image at Sikkal. After sculpting the idol at Ethukudi, he, however, found the idol excelling the one at Sikkal in beauty and hence blinded himself as punishment. Hence while sculpting the idol of Murugan at Engan, the sculptor had to rely on the assistance of a woman as he was blind himself. By mistake, while sculpting, he cut a finger belonging to the woman and blood began to ooze. These droplets of blood fell on his eyes curing him of his blindness. Once the sculptor relaised that he could now see, he exclaimed in amazement "Engan! Engan!" meaning "My eyes" in the Tamil language.Sikkal
Sikkal is a small township near Nagapattinam in Tamilnadu, India. It is 6 km west of Nagapattinam, 18 km east of Thiruvarur and 6 km east of Kilvelur. It is famous for its Murugan temple, and one of the most popular festivals is the Sura Samhaaram.vel vangum thirunaalil,murugarukku nammai pol verkkum adhisayam verengum kaana mudiyathu.Thiruvarur
Thiruvarur also spelt as Tiruvarur is a town and municipality in Tiruvarur district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is the administrative headquarters of Tiruvarur district. The town was one of the five traditional capitals of the Chola empire, with one of the emperors of the dynasty, Kulothunga Chola I, having it as his capital. The town is believed to be of significant antiquity and has been ruled, at different times, by the Medieval Cholas, Later Cholas, Later Pandyas, Vijayanagar Empire, Marathas and the British. The town is known for the Thyagaraja temple, and the annual chariot festival held in the month of April. The temple chariot of the Thyagaraja temple, weighing 300 tonnes (660,000 lb) and measuring 90 feet (27 m) tall is the largest temple chariot in Tamil Nadu. Thiruvarur is the birthplace of Tyagaraja, Muthuswami Dikshitar and Syama Sastri, popularly known as the Trinity of Carnatic music of the 18th century CE.
Etymology
The historic name of the town was Aaroor (Arur) and it finds mention in the 7th century saiva canonical work, Tevaram. The term Thiru is added to all temple cities that are mostly revered by the verses of Tevaram, which is the case of Arur becoming Thiruvarur. Another name of Thiruvarur is Kamalayaksetra, meaning the "holy place that is an abode of lotuses"; the town is also referred so due to the presence of the Kamalayayam tank and the temple deity, Kamalambigai. During the British Raj, the town was termed Tiruvalur, Tiruvaloor, and Thiruvalur. As per the district and municipality websites, the district has the spelling "Tiruvarur", while the town has it as "Thiruvarur"History
As per folk legend, Thiruvarur is mentioned as the capital town of a legendary Chola king, Manu Needhi Cholan, who killed his own son to provide justice to a cow. His name is commonly used as a metaphor for fairness and justice in Tamil literature and Tamil culture.Thiruvarur was one of the five traditional capitals of the Chola empire and the history of town revolves around the Thygarajaswamy temple Thiruvarur is mentioned in the saiva canonical work, Tevaram by Thirugnana Sambanthar, Tirunavukkarasar and Sundarar, the foremost Saivite saints of 7th–8th century CE and classified as Padal petra stalam. Tirunavukkarasar mentions several traditions of the temple like Marghazhi Aathirai Vizha, Panguni Uttirai Perunaal and Veedhivitakanin Veedhi Panni. The granite structure of the temple was first constructed by Aditya Chola I (871–907 CE) in 9th century CE and revamped during the reign of Rajaraja Chola I (985–1014 CE). The temple was upgraded and rebuilt with stone by Rajendra Chola I (1012–44 CE). The temple has inscriptions from both the emperors, later Cholas and Pandyas. The temple is believed to be an inspiration for Rajaraja Chola to build the Brihadeeswarar Temple, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Inscriptions from the temple indicate Thiruvarur as the capital of Kulothunga Chola I (1070–1120 CE), during which the town emerged a centre of saivism. After the fall of Cholas during the reign of Rajendra Chola II in the 13th century CE, the town was caught under a power struggle between Pandyas and Hoysalas. The royal patronage continued and the town flourished as a cultural centre during the rule of the Nayaks, Vijayanagar kings and Marathas. During the period of Marathas, the town became a temporary home to the Nataraja of Chidambaram temple. The town was briefly captured by French troops lead by Lally (1702–66 CE) in 1759 CE. The Thyagarajar temple was ransacked in a failed attempt to discover hidden treasure During the attempt, six brahmins of the temple, suspected to be spies of the British, were killed in an encounter. The province and Tanjore were annexed by British after the failed attempt of the French to attack the King of Tanjore.
Culture
Music, dance and literature
Historically Thiruvarur has been a centre of eminent people in religion, arts and science. Sundarar, a 8th century Saivite saint, mentions "I am the slave of all those born in Thiruvarur" in his works in Tevaram. Two of the 63 nayanmars of Saivite tradition namely, Kalarsinga Nayanar and Tandiyadigal Nayanar were born in Thiruvarur. The Periyapuranam, a 12th century Saiva canonical by Sekkizhar, dedicates a chapter to those born in Thiruvarur including these two saints. The town was a traditional centre of music and dance – the inscriptions from Rajaraja Chola associates a large body of dancers associated with the temple. Thiruvarur is home to Trinity of Carnatic music namely Thyagaraja (1767–1847 CE), Muthuswami Dikshitar (1775–1835 CE) and Shyama Shastri (1762–1827 CE). Muthuswami Dikshitar has sung eulogies of the temple deities of the Thyagarajaswami temple. There was large influx of the acumen of South Indian culture to the town during the 17th century CE due to the political unrest in Thanjavur and increased patronage of the Maratha kings to Thiruvarur, resulting in developments in music and dance. A unique musical instrument called Panchamuga Vadyam with each of its five ends ornamented differently is used in the temple. A type of nadaswaram (pipe instrument) called Barinayanam is also a unique instrument found only in Thiruvarur.Chariot festival
Kulothunga Chola II (1133–50 CE) enlarged the temple ritual to have fifty six festivals, some of which are followed in modern times. The annual chariot festival of the Thygarajaswamy temple is celebrated during April – May, correspondong to the Tamil month of Chitrai. The chariot is the largest of its kind in Tamil Nadu weighing 300 tonne with a height of 90 feet. The chariot comes around the four main streets surrounding the temple during the festival. The event is attended by lakhs of people from all over Tamil Nadu The chariot festival is followed by the "Theppam", meaning float festival. The Carnatic music festival celebrated every year also garners large audience The town has 10 parks, with the Somasundaram Park at Panagal Road and Municipal Park at Thendral Nagar being the most prominent of themTransport to Thiruvarur
Thiruvarur municipality accommodates 94.06 km of roads: 54.9 km of BT roads, 10.91 km of metal roads, 9.48 km of cement roads and 18.75 km of highways. Thiruvarur is connected by three national highways, NH 45A to Villupuram, NH 67 to Coimbatore. Thiruvarur is connected with Chennai, Coimbatore, Tiruchirapalli, Karaikal and other major towns of Tamil Nadu through the state highways SH 23 from Mayiladuthurai to Thiruthuraipoondi, SH 67 from Thanjavur to Kodikkarai, SH 65 from Thiruvarur to Kumbakonam, SH 66 from Kumbakonam to Adiramapattinam, SH 67 from Nagore to Nachiyar Koil, SH 146 from Mannargudi to Sethubavachatram, SH 147 Kumbakonam to Karaikkal, SH 151 Kilvelur to Kachanam. The Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation operates close to 175 daily services connecting various cities to Thiruvarur. Most of the buses via Thiruvarur are operated by the corporation ply between Trichy and Velankanni. The corporation operates a computerised reservation centre in the municipal bus stand of the town. ] It also operates 25 town buses satisfying the local transport needs of Thiruvarur and the neighbouring villages. The State Express Transport Corporation operates long distance buses connecting the town to Bangalore, Thiruvanathapuram and Marthandam.Thiruvarur railway junction is a four way junction connecting Thanjavur in the west, Mayiladuthurai in the north, Nagapattinam in the east and Thiruthuraipoondi in the south. Gauge conversion between Mayiladuthurai and Thiruvarur was completed in August 2012 and the inaugural train ran from Bangalore to Nagore via Thiruvarur. There are passenger trains to Trichy, Thanjavur, Mayiladuthurai, Karaikal, Mannargudi and Thiruthuraipoondi. Gauge conversion between Thiruvarur and Karaikudi is in progress and there is only partial connectivity in the segment connecting Pattukottai, Thirthuraipoondi and Karaikudi. There is a daily express train to Chennai via Mayiladuthurai and Ernakulam. The are two trains from Mannargudi to Tirupathi and Velankanni to Goa, operated three times a week that pass through Thiruvarur. The nearest airport to Thiruvarur is Tiruchirapalli Airport located 110 km (68 mi) from the town
Ettampadai Temple, Chennai
The Ettampadai - எட்டாம்படை is a temple of Murugan in India which is located in the town of Triplicane, of Chennai.
Mythology
This Temple is the ancient temple in South India. The Lord Murugan kalvettu in this temple is only placed in Kandhaswamy temple and Thiruporoor Murugan Temple. In early days pilgrims refreshen up while carrying KAVADI.This land of this temple was donated by Ms. Pachayammal, later it was maintained by Dharmakartha Mr.K.S.Kathirvel Pillai and Mr.K.Subramaniyam.To restructure this temple the devotees of Murugan ( Thiruvallikkeni Thirumuruganadiyargal", started a Devotional Musical Organization named as "BHAJANASHWARA" in the year of 1978.From the remuneration they started initial structure of this temple.
The Temple
The Temple is situated in Triplicane, Chennai. ETTAMPADAI is the temple in Triplicane, chennai, India of Lord Muruga. This temple is called as eighth Padaiveedu of Lord Muruga.In the first inner prahāram, or ambulatory, around the heart of the temple, shrines are Pillayar, Shiva, Ambika, Sri Kanaka Durka, Navagraha's and besides one to the Ancient Pillar of Lord Muruga.
Festivals
Besides regular services, days sacred to the god Subrahmanyan are celebrated with pomp and splendour every year, and are attended by throngs of devotees from all over South India. Some of these festivals are the Thai-Poosam, the Vaikhashi-Vishakham and the Soora-Samharam.PANGUNI UTHIRAM பங்குனி உத்திரம் festival is the most famous festival at "Ettampadai Murugan temple, Triplicane". The six-day celebration includes homams ஹோமம், devotional music இறை பாடல்கள், nadhaswara concert நாதஸ்வரம், kavadiattam காவடியாட்டம், special abhishekam அபிஷேகஹம் and annadhanam அன்னதானம் on the festival of PANGUNI UTHIRAM.
Pilgrims after first having taken a strict vow of abstinence, come barefoot, by walk, from distant towns and villages. Many pilgrims also bring a litter of wood, called a Kāvadi, borne on their shoulders, in commemoration of the act of the demon Hidumba who is credited by legend with bringing the two hills of Palani to their present location, slung upon his shoulders in a similar fashion. Others bring pots of sanctified water, known as theertha-kāvadi, for the priests to conduct the abhishekam on the holy day.
Poojas
Darshan hours are from 6.00 a.m. to 12.00p.m. and 4.30 p.m. to 8.00. p.m. On festival days the temple opens at 4.30 a.m. till 10.30 p.m.Annual festivals
- 1 SKANDHA SHASHTI
- 2 VAIKASI VISAKAM
- 3 SESHADRI SWAMIGAL JAYANTHI
Kumaran Kundram Temple, Chennai
Kumaran Kundram is a hillock on the outskirts of Chennai, Chromepet. It houses a about 40-year-old temple dedicated to the Hindu God Murugan. The hillock is situated between the localities Hastinapuram, Chromepet, and Chitlapakkam. Special worship practices are followed on Fridays. There are also idols for Hindu gods Shiva, Sharabeswarar, Ganesh and Navagrahas (representing the nine planets). Ancient Vedas are taught in this temple to children. Also, there is a small auditorium inside the temple premises, where cultural events such as Carnatic Music programs and Bhajans are conducted. The Deity of Lord Murugan in Kumaran Kundram is believed to be equivalent to the one in Swamimalai.History
In 1956, Chandrashekarendra Saraswati swamigal, a twentieth-century saint, visited Chromepet. On looking at the hill, he proposed that a temple be built for Murugan. The temple for Siddhi Vinayakar was built on the same year. Twenty years later, while clearing the hillside for a path, a lance, the prime weapon of lord Murugan, was found. This inspired the devotees to speed up work. The consecration of the Swaminathaswamy temple was performed in 1979. Slowly, the hill acquired more shrines and the temple has been expanded. At present, the temple trust is focusing on the construction of a five-tier Rajagopuram for the temple.Vishnu temple
On the foothill, a temple dedicated to Vishnu and Hanuman is present. The ground where this temple is built belonged to Mr. Srinivasan Thiagarajan, who gave it in return for another land at Gajalakshmi nagar.Kunrakudy Temple, Tamilnadu
Kunrakudy is a Murugan temple, atop a small hill near Madurai, India.In Kundrakudi the Lord Murugan Temple is set up in a very small hill. Here Lord Muruga appears with his wives Lord Valli and Deivanai. The Murugan statue is set up with six faces and hence here Lord Murugan is called as "Lord Shanmuga", the meaning is Lord Murugan with six faces. The temple is under the control of Kundrakudi Aadhinam and maintained by them efficiently. At the bottom of the hill, there is a small temple for Lord Ganesh who is the brother of Lord Muruga and another temple is also at the bottom of the hill itself for Lord Muruga in the name Lord Palani Murugan. In this Palani Murugan temple the main statue is not fixed on floor and set up in a bar. Because this statue is brought to palani by the Kundrakudi Pada yatra group people every year at the time of Thaipoosam festival. Then on the way to the main temple three more mini temples are there, two temples for again Lord Ganesha and one for Lord Kadamba who is one of the devotees of Lord Muruga. In the main temple as already stated Lord Muruga is appearing with six faces and along with his wives.
Statues of Lord Ganesh, Lord Shiva, Lord Kulandaivelappar, Lord Nataraja, Lord Bhairavar and Lords of Nine Planets are also set up around the above mentioned main statue of Lord Muruga. Generally the Nine Planets Lord are set up facing various directions but here all planets are set up facing the Main statue of Lord Muruga.
The Shanmuga Archana is performed to Lord Muruga here. At the time of this Archana all Pooja materials are given by the Temple administrative body themselves and we need not to bring any pooja materials for such Archana.
Kundrakudi is situated very near to Karaikudi. Many famous temples such as Pillayar patti Karpaga Vinayagar Temple, Bhairavar Kovil Bhairavar Swamy Temple, Ariyakudi Thiruvenkatamudayan Temple, Thirupathur Thiruthalinathar Temple, Thirukostiyur Sowmyanarayar Temple are very near to Kundra kudi. So all of these famous temples can be seen in one day.
Lakkapuram Hill Temple, Erode
Lakkapuram (லக்காபுரம்) is a commercial town in the outskirts of the city of Erode. It is just 2 km to the south of Solar.
Apart from Commercial establishments, there are a lot of Residential living places formed in this area. Nearby is Subbaraya Valasu, Karukkampalayam
Lakkapuram Murugan Temple is one of the famous Hindu temples dedidated to Lord Muruga, located in the city of Erode, on Erode-Karur Highways.
It is about 9 km from Central Bus stand at Swastik Circle, 6 km from Erode Junction and 19 km from Sivagiri Bus station in Tamil Nadu, India.
It is on the way to Kodumudi Magudeswarar Temple, on the banks of the River Cauvery.
Temple named Sempu Malai. Erode RTO Office is just a km from Lakkapuram.
Surroundings of Lakkapuram
The residents of Lakkapuram are friendly and respects each other's value. There are ideal living conditions around Lakkapuram. Al Ameen PolyTechnic and Al Ameen Engineering College is just about 4 km away and RD International school and Carmel School are with about 5 km, and there are many temples and the Lakkapuram Masjid is located. Lakkapuram is considered as one of the calm and good place for residential conditions outside the city Erode.Transport
Well connected with city bus services to all major parts of the city. All the city buses going towards the south will have a stop at here.Erode Junction at 6 km is the major Railway Station.
Also, the Waterways Ferry Services are available here, for
transporting through Cauvery River to the other banks on Namakkal District.
A Permanent Ferry Station is available here
Om Tat Sat
(Continued...)
(My
humble salutations to the great devotees
, wikisources and Pilgrimage tourist guide for the
collection )
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