Day 4 August 29th
1. Kumbeswara temple-Kumbakonam
First temple we visited was Kumbeshwara temple .1. Kumbeswara temple-Kumbakonam
2. Chakrapani Temple-kumbakonam
3. Sarangapani temple-Kumbakonam
4. Garbarakshambikai Temple-Papanasam
5. Darasuram Shiva Temple
Last and final day of the trip.Today we decided to first see some local temples in Kumbakonam in and around the hotel where we were staying .Kumbakonam is full of temples. Every street, road, locality has a prominent temple.Infact I would say that Kumbakonam is a spiritual paradise
It is famous temple of Kumbakonam situated in a busy street. The rajagopuram looks great and it is rich in heritage.The main idols of the temple are Adi Kumbeswarar, Sri Mangala Nayaki, Lord Ganapathi & Lord Muruga .
The story behind this temple is that ,When it was time for the destruction of this world a huge Pralaya (heavy floods) came up. In order to save Living creatures, (Lord Brahma collected all these things and put them in a mud pot and kept the pot on top of the Meru parvatham (Mount Meru)
During floods the pot got washed away and came to a particular spot.Lord shiva in the form of a hunter Broke the pot and the contents got mixed with sand and formed the Linga. This Linga is called kumbeshwarar.The goddess here is called sri Mangala Nayaki and because the deity shines at the mantra peeta ,one of the distinguished Sakthi peetas, the deity is famous as Sir Mantra Peeteswari.
This linga is swambumoorthi and it is conical in shape. At the entrance of the Arthamandapa the sentinels - Dhwarapalakas - Chandi and Mundi stand in vigil on either side. Vinayaka of this shrine is called Adi Vinayaka as he is supposed to have reached this place even before Lord Shiva and the goddess
Next temple that we visited was Chakrapani temple.
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| Kumbeshwara temple |
Chakrapani temple is dedicated to Lord Vishnu. The main deity is Chakraraja and the goddess here is Vijayavalli Thayar. The temple is well known for its Exquisite pillars. The presiding deity is seen here with eight arms each arm having a weapon.
The temple is noted for its exquisite pillars. The presiding deity, Chakrapani is sported with eight arms, each having a weapon
As per Hindu legend the sudarshana Chakra ), the discus, is the most powerful weapon of god Vishnu. Once he had sent his weapon to kill king Jalandasura. The weapon is believed to have come out through river Kaveri Lord Brahma who happened to see this got impressed and installed the image of Sudarshan in the place where the temple is now located
The next temple was Srangapani temple which is dedicated to Lord Vishnu. Sarangapani is the largest Vishnu temple in Kumbakonam and has the tallest temple tower in the town.
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| chakrapani temple |
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| inside the temple |
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| inside the temple |
It is of great religious significance and considered to be second only to the Srirangam Temple in Trichy.
The main deity of this temple is Sri Sarangapani and he is also known as Aara Amudhan,. Sarangapani is shown in the Udhyoga Sayana posture as if he is getting up from a reclining position
Sarangapani’s (Lord Vishnu) consort is known as Komala Valli Thayar and has a separate shrine.
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| sarangapani temple |
Our next temple was Garbharakshambika temple at Thirukavvukavur.The first time I had heard about this temple was when I was pregnant. As I had a very difficult pregnancy I remember one of our friends suggesting that we send money to this temple and ask for the oil which is to be applied on the abdomen for safe pregnancy. My father had sent money to the temple and got the oil
So I was very happy to be visiting this temple.
This is a shiva temple where the Shiva lingam of the presiding deity, Lord Mullaivana nathar in the main sanctum of this temple is a Swayambu (self-manifested ) Lingam.
As this place was earlier covered with jasmine forest (jasmine in Tamil is Mullai and Forest in Tamil is Vana) the name Mullaivana nathar.
The goddess here is Garba Rakshambika ( karu Katha Nayaki which in English means savior of the featus).
The story behind the temple is that, thousands of years back, two sages Gowthama and Gargeya did penance in this forest. A couple by the name Nithuvar and his wife Vedhika stayed in the same place and rendered services to these sages .As the couple did not have any children , the sages advised the couple to worship Goddess parvathi. The couple did that with intense devotion and their prayers got answered and Vedhikai conceived.
One day when Sage Nithuvar was away, sage Urdhvapada visited the mullai garden. Vedhikai was tired and sleeping deeply as she was pregnant and hence could not show proper hospitality to the sage. But Urdhvapada unaware of her difficulties got angry and cursed her. The curse made her sick and also affected the foetus(child in the womb) She prayed to Goddess Parvathi who took the avatar of Garbarakshambigai and appeared before Vedhika and protected her child in a pot for the remaining pregnancy period and handed over the healthy child at the end of the period. Thus the goddess then came to be known as Garba rakshambikai or Karu katha nayaki
Many pregnant women visit this temple and seek the blessings. They are given oil which is applied to the abdomen during pregnancy to have a good healthy child
The temple is spread over a wide expanse of land with huge towering Gopurams and a beautiful water tank in front of it. The whole atmosphere is very calming, peaceful and serene
Our next and final temple was the Airavateswara temple, located in Darasuram
Airavateswara temple, located in Darasuram near Kumbakonam, was built by Rajaraja Chola. Airavateswara temple stands out for its intricate, beautiful scriptures.
This temple along with the Brihadeeswara templeat Thanjavur and the Gangaikonancholiswaram at Gangaikonda Cholapuram are collectively known as the Great living Chola temples, which have been recoginized by UNESCO as a World Heritage site
This temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva. Airavata, Lord Indra’s elephant, was cursed by Sage Durvasa for disrespecting him. As a result the spotless white elephant ended up with skin discoloration, which was cured only after Airavata took a dip in the sacred waters of this temple.
The temple and the presiding deity derive its name from this incident. As originally Airavata worshipped the Lingam, the Lingam is named after him as Airavateswara. The Goddess in this temple is known as Deva Nayaki.The steps, in the fenced enclosure, produce musical notes when tapped and each step emits a different tone of the musical scale
The temple is a treasure trove for art and architecture. The numerous carvings depict not only the gods and their stories but also daily life as witnessed in those days. There are depictions of the Bharatanatyam poses and gymnastic poses
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| darasuram temple |
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| the architectural beauty |
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| inside the temple |
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| Nandi or the bull at the temple |
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| The beauty of pillars |
