Thirumullaivananathar of Thirumullaivayil of Nagapattinam dist Tamilnadu

Thirumullaivanathar of Thirumullaivayil

Lord Mullaivana Nathar is 3.5 feet tall and swayambumurthi. King Killi Valavan, grandfather of Karikal Valavan was suffering from skin problems. Palace doctors advised him that he should have a bath in a reputed Shiva Sthala. He came to this place for a sea bath. The place was dense with Mullai plants which bound the legs of the horses. They could not move further. The king removed the plants with his sword. The sword hit a Shivalinga hidden under the bushes. It began to bleed. The king was shocked and thought he had killed somebody and on cleaning the place, he found the Linga bleeding and attempted to kill himself for the mistake. Lord with Mother Parvathi immediately appeared before him on His Nandhi vehicle and protected Killivalavan. Thus the place came to be known as Tiru Mullai Vayil. The scar on the Linga is still visible.

The Lord here is also known as Yuthika Parameswarar. Mother Anikonda Kothai, also praised as Sathyanada Soundari worshipped Lord here to learn the Panchakshara Mantra. Lord is a Guru here, hence there is no Palli Arai and pujas. One Susavi, eledest son of Vamadeva placed his father’s bones after his demise in holy waters. When he put the bones in the waters in this place, they became diamond stones. He immediately performed all the last rites for the father in this place that granted total salvation to the father. It is still believed that Holy Ganga springs here on the northwest direction of the temple. The temple was built 1300 years ago by King Killivalavan. Saint Gnana Sambandar had sung the praise of Lord in his Thevaram hymns.  

People who chant the Panchakshara-five letter mantra, Na Ma Shi Va Ya in the temple on Solar and Lunar eclipse days and on new moon days (Amavasya) would not be subjected to next birth, is the belief of the devotees.
The place is now declared as a tourist spot. Sea shore is just half a kilometer from the temple.

Bamboo Arts of India

                                      Bamboo Arts of India

India has a wealth of craftsmanship and Bamboo Arts is no exception.  The bamboo arts of Southern India, Bengal and eastern and North Eastern States excel and even today, they are thriving in spite of completion from the plastic and modern world.  The concept of cottage industries in India has transformed the lives of unemployed, uneducated, local artisans who are gifted in several traditional art forms of India.

Bamboo art apart are in use for many domestic purposes and also in musical instruments.  Even the household ones are made with such esthetic sense, one cannot but appreciate the imagination and implementation of thoughts of the craftsmen.  I have had number of occasions to run into these “products” selling on the roadsides to the one exhibited well in a hall for promotion of these “products”.  

Some interesting facts on Bamboo:

1.   Certain species of bamboo can grow 91 cm (3 ft) within a 24-hour period, at a rate of almost 4 cm (1.5 in) an hour (a growth around 1 mm every 90 seconds, or one inch every 40 minutes).

2.   Unlike all trees, individual bamboo culms emerge from the ground at their full diameter and grow to their full height in a single growing season of three to four months.  

3.   Bamboo has a higher Compressive strength than wood, brick, or concrete and a  tensile strength that rivals steel. 
4. Bamboo was used for the structural members of the Indian Pavilion at Expo 2010 in Shanghai. The pavilion was the world’s largest bamboo dome, about 34 m (112 ft) in diameter, with bamboo beams/members overlaid with a ferro-concrete slab, waterproofing, copper plate, solar PV panels, a small windmill, and live plants. A total of 30 km (19 mi) of bamboo was used. The dome was supported on 18-m-long steel piles and a series of steel ring beams. The bamboo was treated with borax and boric acid as a fire retardant and insecticide and bent in the required shape.

Even today the bamboo furnitures are being used in households though becoming sparse.  Will they become the thing of the past?

Bamboo products give a livelihood for several people involved in growing of bamboos to artisans and also those who market it.  Will we support it and not make it a thing of the past?

All said and done, definitely it will give the people who love music a wonderful time for years to come.

GARBARAKSHAMBIGAI OF THIRUKARUGAVUR

GARBARAKSHAMBIGAI OF THIRUKARUGAVUR

The special feature of this temple is Goddess Sree Garbarakshambigai Amman here cures infertility related problems to women, blesses them to conceive and also helps them for safe and trouble free delivery.

                                         Picture courtesy: Starsai.com

Thirukarugavur is on the banks of Vettaru, a tributary of river Cauvery.  Lord is known as Mullaivananathar and goddess Garbarakshambigai or Karukathanayaki.  Thirukarugavur can be reached from Papanasam and is 6 kms away and some trains stop at Papanasam statations. Otherwise one will have to come from Kumbakonam.

Women who have no child and pray here are asked to put kolam (Rangoli) after the cleaning the steps leading to Garpagraham of Garbasrakshambiga Amman.   The ghee in small bottles are kept at the feet of the Amman and pooja performed and handed over to the women and that has to be consumed with the husband before retiring to bed and after dinner.  This has to be done only  on days other than periods for the women.   Castor oil is given to women who have conceived to be applied around the naval for reduced pain and safe delivery.  There is cradle in which the new borns are placed and taken around the prakara of Amman.  Hence from conceiving to safe delivery and the new born’s well being, people pray in this temple.  The temple is well organized to carry out these and devotees throng this temple for the above.

Women want to conceive:  
Women who are wanting to conceive should read the following Mantra of Garbarakshambigai -

Aum Garbarakshambigaayai cha vidhmahe

Mangala dhevadhaayai cha dheemahee

Dhanno devi prachodhayaath

Pregnant women and ladies praying for marriage: 

Pregnant women praying for safe child birth and easy labour should chant this raksha stotram -

Hey sangara Shamarahara PramadhaadhiNaadhari Mannaadha shaamba sasisuda

HarithiriSulin sambo sugaprasava kiruthbavame dhayaalo

HeyMaadhaviVanesa Paalayamaam Namasthe     And

Hamavath yuthare Paarchve shuradhaa naama yakshini

Dhasyaa Shmarana Maathrena visalyaa Garbinibavedhu

History of the temple: Gowthama Munivar and Gargeya Munivar did penance in this garden of Mullai flowers.   Sage Nruthuvar was a disciple of these and he was living with his wife Vedika here.  Nruthuvar and Vedika prayed Lord Siva and Umamaheswari for progeny and they were blessed to have one with Vedike conceiving.  One day when Sage Nithuvar was away, Sage Urdhvapada visited the mullai garden.. as Vedhika was tired and she was sleeping deeply and she did not show the expected hospitality to Sage Urdhvapada.  In fact she was having pains due to pregnancy but Sage Urdhvapada unaware of her difficulties got angry and felt she could be sleeping purposely, decided to curse her.  The curse made her to have worst pain and she thought she would be loosing the child and foetus may not survivie.   She prayed to Goddess Parvathi to help her.    

                                     Garbarakshambiga and Vedika

Goddess parvathi took the avatar of Garbarakshambigai and appeared before Vedhika and protected her child in the womb by holding it in a "kalasam " - divine pot.  The goddess helped the child grow in the divine pot untill it grew as full fledged child.   Later, when Vedhika cried as she was not able to feed the baby with her milk, the sacred cow Kamadhenu came in front of the temple and made a lake of sacred milk - palkulam.  Vedhikai prayed to Goddess Garbarakshambigai to remain in the temple forever and bless all women with good soul mate, child birth and safe pregnancy.

                                Palkulam of Mullaivananathar temple

Mullaivananathar here is prayed to overcome skin diseases and the abhishekam for the Lord is with Punugu only done on Sukla Paksha (Valarpirai) Pradosham.

I have had darshan at this temple for a few times along with the family, this time I was there on 18th June 2016 and had darshan before returning to Bangalore.  The temple opens early in the moring at 05.30 hrs and open until 12.30 hours and in the evenings from 4 to 8 pm.  The temple can also be contacted in the following phone numbers (EO):

Email I                                     

Phone:04374-273423
Mobile:08870058269

Official Website: http://garbaratchambigaitemple.org/pooja-timings/