UTHTHAMAR KOIL, TIRUCHIRAPALLI

UTHTHAMAR KOIL, TIRUCHIRAPALLI

On 20th September 2016, I had darshan in the evening at Uthamar Koil, Tiruchirapalli.  The temple is very near to the Tolgate bus stop.  Incidentally this temple also is in the route between Tiruchy and Namakkal.  Presently Balalayam is being done for the Lord Ganapathy, Dakshinamurthy, Siva all behind Uthamar Perumal Sannidhi.  

The temple has the distinction of having all three  Lords with their consorts. Uthamar with Mahalakshmi in separate sannidhis, Lord Siva as Bikhshadanar and Soundarya Parvathi in separate sannidhis and also Lord Brahma and Saraswathi in different sannidhis.  


                                                       Purushothaman  

                                     Entrance to the temple Uthamar Koil

                                                       Poornavalli Thayar

Perumal Sree Purushothaman is in Sayana posture and facing east here.  The Urchavar is holding the Prayoga Chakra (discus) in standing posture.   Two sannadhis are there thayars one for Poornavalli and the other Mahalakshmi. Poornavalli thayar offers food in plenty to Lord Siva as Bhikshadanar.  When Siva takes of the 5th head of Brahama, the skull did not leave his hand and also all the food offered was consumed by the skull.  Siva comes with the skull embedded in his hand here and Sree Vishnu asked thayar to serve the food in the skull. The skull filled with the food and also was overflowing and satiated the hunger of Siva.  She thus became Poornavalli, one who fulfills the requirements of the needy.
                                                             Bikshandar

           
                                                                   Sivan

                                                          Sowndara Parvathi

Brahma had the curse of not having temple for him in Bhoologa and to fullfil his wish, Vishnu made him to be born in Bhoologa and Vishnu took the form of Kadamba tree. Brahma could visualise the tree as vishnu and fervently prayed him as directed by Vishnu. Later a temple was built here for him.  Hence this place is also known as Kadambanur.  Gnana Saraswathi the consort is not having the veena in her hand and holds palm leaves and a japamala and her shrine next to Brahma.                                                 

Brahma

Brahma Urchavar

This place is also called as Sapthaguru Sthala as Gurus in the form of Dakshinamurthy/Siva, Varadarajar/Vishnu, Sowndaryanayaki/Sakthi, Guru Brahma, Gnana Guru Subramanyar, Devaguru/Jupiter-Viyazhan and Asura guru/Venus-Velli bless the devotees.  

Karthikai festival is celebrated in all the three directions for the three lords with Chokkapanai.  Theerthavari for Lord Siva is done during the tamil month of Thai -Poosam day (January-February) in Coleroon River and for Vishnu during Tamil Month of Masi- Magam day (February-March).

The temple timings are- Morning- 06.30 AM to 12.00 PM
                                        Afternoon  -04.30 PM to 08.00 PM

Adequate shops are available to get Pooja materials starting from Tolgate to the entrance of the temple.  This place also has a Tuesday vegetable market under the bridge.

PETTI KALIAMMAN, KORANATTU KARUPPUR- IN KUMBAKONAM

PETTI KALIAMMAN, KORANATTU KARUPPUR
                     IN KUMBAKONAM

SREE ABIRAMI SAMETHA SUNDARESWARAR TEMPLE

This temple is 3 kms from Kumbakonam on the NH 36 and main deities are Sundareswarar and Abhiramai and is about 900 years old.    Kaliamman idol reached this place in flood in the River Cauvery about 200 years back, which flows about 100 metres from this temple.  

It is a big temple with 3 praharas and one of the pancha Krosha sthalam, that is 5 Siva temples within a radius of 10 miles within Kumbakonam.  The five temples are:

1. Darasuram
2. Swamimalai
3. Koranattu Karuppur
4. Thiruvidaimaruthur
5. Thirunageswaram.

It is said that Goddess Mangalambika went in Pradakshina to these five siva sthalas before taking her place with Sree Kumbeshwarar at Kumbakonam. Legend has it that once Devas joined together and conducted Poundreegayagam.  They got a liquid substance during the yagam which would give benefits equivalent to that of Amirtham.   Five droplets from that fell within the 10 mile radius and these are the pancha krosha sthalas.


Koranattu Karuppur in earlier days was known by the name Thirupatalavanam. The place was a Pathiri trees vana and thus the area was called Patalavanam. After Sree Mahakali with reduced shape (Bust Only) came to this place floating in Cauvery, the place got the name Kuraintha Karuppu Kaliyur which later on came to be known as Koranattu Karuppur.   As the Kali came in a box, the deity was also known as Petti Kaliamman.

From the inscriptions on stones in the temple, it is said that the temple had been built during the Chola period and lot of renovations had been carried out by Kulothungan III (1186-1216AD).  The front entrance Gopuram is 5 tierd and the main deity Sree Sundareswarar faces east and Sree Abhirami Ambal Southward.   Devas Sundaram and Logasundaram worshipped the Lord and lord came to be known as Sundareswarar.  The temple tank which is on the eastern side of the temple is known as Brahma theertham.  In the second praharam, one can find deities Sree Vinayagar, Sree Dakshinamurthy, Saptha Mathas, Sree Subramanyar, Lakshmi, Durgai and on the northern side can see the Sannadhis of Sree natarajar, Bhairavar and Navagrahas.  

Lord Siva, as Sundareswarar is in the form of Linga.   Sree Abhirami ambigai is with four hands, right top hand holds the Jepamalai, left top hand has the lotus flower, right lower hand abhayamuthra and left lower hand varadha muthra. The Kaliamman is with Ashta Puja and only the top half came in the box in Cauvery and that is the one presently kept in the temple as suggested by the then Paramacharya of Sree Kanchi Mutt.  When the box was washed aside to the banks of this place and the archaka and people found the bust of kaliamman were not knowing what to do.  A small girl then started speaking in Malayalam and Prakritha languages telling the mahimai of the amman, that she had come to this place and how she should be worshipped.  As she was kept in Sundareswarar temple and she was also called as Sundara Mahakaliamman. As instructed by the Amman, even today all the annam (cooked rice) and other prasadams will be offered first and then only the box will be opened.  Presently this is done only during the Ragu Kala on Fridays and Sundays.  After the pooja is over, the box will be closed again.  As she is an Ugra Amman, curd, milk, Pongal (Curd Pallayam - in cooked rice are added pure curd from cow's milk and with no salt, onion pieces mixed and with fruits - தயிர் பள்ளயம் -குளிர்ச்சியை தரும்) offered first and box is opened and then she is offered the normal pooja offerings of flowers, javvadhu, Punugu, panneer, sandal paste, turmeric powder, Kungumam, viboothi and fruits.  None of the ones offered to the Kaliamman is given as prasadam to devotees but curd pallayam, pongal and milk offered earlier is given as prasadam.  Yearly once during Uttarayana the box will be taken around the village and the palanquin in which the box is taken, will be swung and also the carriers will run to indicate the Ugra kali's fierce nature.

Every day, according to the Agamas, both for Moolavar and Abhirami Ambigai four kala poojas are carried out.  For Sundara Maha Kaliamman as earlier described on Fridays and Sundays and also special poojas are performed on Amavasya, Pournami, Ashtami and Navami days.  Brahmothsavam is being in Chithirai Pournami.

There are also specific restrictions for offering prayers to Mahakali.   Women those on periods, Pregnant women, those who have done shave or taken Oil bath should not offer prayers and Darshan of Mahakali).

Update on 05 03 2018

Presently the temple is under r enovation and the Kumbabhishekam is proposed to be on 21st March 2018 with festivities starting from 19th onwards.  On 04th March 2018, Sunday, I was at this temple and in the morning at 0900 AM the Balalayam was done for the Petti Kaliamman and deity was taken out of the box and she has been covered and will now can have darshan of her after Kumbabhishekam only.   

A picture of the deity has been installed with due homams between 9 and 10 AM on Sunday and pooja will be performed for this picture until Kumbabhishekam.

SREE PRASANNA VENKATESWARAR, GUNASEELAM

SREE PRASANNA VENKATESWARAR, GUNASEELAM

After the visits to the temples at Thottiam and Namakkal on 09 08 2016, I had lunch at Namakkal and  on returning back to Tiruchy by bus, I got down at Gunaseelam to have darshan of Sree Prasanna venkateswara Perumal.  I reached at 04.10pm Gunaseelam and the temple normally opens at 04.30 pm. Flowers and Thulasi vendors just opened their shops.   There is no separate sannidhi for thayar here.  

The temple history is based on the Gunaseela Maharishi's darshan at Tirupathi and as he was unable to part the company of the lord, placed before the lord his request for the lord to accompany him to his Ashram at Gunaseelam.  Rishi Thalpier was the Guru of Sree Gunaseelar and they worshipped at Tirupathi after their pilgrimage to Kasi.  Thalpier's Ashram was at Neelivanam (நீலிவனம் - Thirupaingneeli) and Gunaseelar was serving with utmost devotion, as a disciple when he was there.  The lord at Tirupathi advised him to get the necessary guidelines from his Guru, as he cannot leave Tirupathi until Kalpam is over as per the sankalpam.   Gunaseelar, as advised by his Guru was in penance on the Lord to bring him and the Guru had told him that the Lord would come and bless him at his ashram on the Northern bank of River Cauvery.  The penance and thava included standing on Panchagni during summer, and with wet clothes in winter and stood in water during rainy season.  The hardships undergone by him in his penance made the Devas led by Indra to go and see Brahama. Brahma told them that Sree Gunaseelar was in penance to get none other than the Vaikunda Vasudevan to get daily darshan and advised them not to interfere in his thavam.  Vaikunda Vasudevan did come and settled on the river bank of Gunaseelam and gave darshan to Gunaseelar in his Ashrama.  As the same was known already, Brahma, Saraswathi, Siva, Parvathi, the devas, Naradha, Sanakathi rishis and Thalpier and his disciples assembled there.  It is said that it happened on Emperuman's Avirbava Kala Kurthayuga, Purattasi Saturday afternoon in Dhanur Lagna.  When the Lord asked him whether he wanted any boon, Gunaseelar replied that he did not want any boon but requested the Lord to be in the Ashram until Kalpam to give darshan to devotees and bless them.  Gunaseelar was performing the poojas as had been advised by his Guru in Krutha, Thretha and Dwabhara yugas and during Dwabhara yuga his Guru asked him to accompany him to Naimisaranya and with the blessings of the Lord did so, though he was reluctant to part the lord.  He had asked one of his disciples to carry out the daily rituals.  As the area was filled with wild beasts and also time to time there were floods in Cauvery, the disciple left the place without attending to the Lord.  An anthill was formed completely covering the Lord which was later found by the King Gnanavarman who was ruling from Nisulapuri (present Woraiyur in Tiruchirapalli).    The villagers of Bhadrachakram (nearer to Gunaseelam) informed the King that the Milk from the vessels they were bringing to the palace go missing and the Lord from the anthill told an aged yadava that he was there and the same be brought to the notice of the King.  As the King wanted to find out and proceeded to Bhadrachakram, as he neared the anthill, a Brahmana appeared before him and told the King that the anthill be washed with Milk and this would be beneficial to him.  The King washed the anthill with 6000 pots of milk and found the lord Prasanna Venkateswarar and prostrated before the lord and the lord appeared before the King and told that he would fulfill the wishes of Gunaseelar and bless the devotees until kalpam and also told he desired the Pooja be performed according to Sree Vaikasana Sastra.  The King built the temple there.  Six kala poojas are performed according the Sree Vaikasana Sastra here.

                                            Temple seen from a distance

Contact:
Sri K.R.Pichumani Iyengar,
Heridetary Executive Trustee,
Sri Prasanna Venkatachalapathy Swamy Temple,
Gunaseelam,Trichy.
Tamil Nadu PIN 621604.PHONE :  91-04326-275310

email : info@gunaseelamtemple.com,
          gunaseelamtemple@gmail.com

Gunaseelam is 21 kms from Tiruchy and all buses going to Namakkal stop as also there are town buses from Chathiram Bus Stand.