திருப்புறம்பியம் கரும்பன்ன சொல்லி தேவி உடனுறை சாட்சிநாதர் கோவில்

திருப்புறம்பியம் 
கரும்பன்ன சொல்லி தேவி உடனுறை சாட்சிநாதர் கோவில் 

இது காவிரியின் வடகரைத் தலங்களில்  ஒன்றாகும். 

கரும்பன்னசொல்லி தேவி 



















ரத்னாவல்லி என்ற பெண்ணின் பெற்றோர் அவளுக்கு திருமணம் நிச்சயம் செய்திருந்தனர்.    தவிர்க்க முடியாத காரணத்தினால் திருமணமாவதற்கு முன்பே தான் மணக்கவிருக்கும் பையனுடன் அவள் இவ்வூர் வந்தாள்.  வந்த இடத்தில் பாம்பு கடித்து அப்பையன் இறக்கவே, அங்கே வந்திருந்த திருஞானசம்பந்தர் அப்பையனை திரும்ப உயிர்பெறச் செய்தார்.  அதோடு, அப்பையனுக்கும், ரத்னாவல்லிக்கும் அவ்விடத்திலேயே திருமணம் செய்து வைத்தார்.  இதற்கு சாட்சியாக திரு சிவனும், வன்னிமரமும் இருந்தமையால் இறைவன் திரு சாட்சிநாதர் என பெயர் பெற்றார்.  இது திருவிளையாடல் புராணத்திலும் இடம் பெற்றிருக்கிறது.

சாட்சிநாதர்   

                                                                  















சாட்சிநாதர், புன்னைவனநாதர் என்றும் அழைக்கப்படுகிறார். இவர் கிழக்கு நோக்கியுள்ளார்.    ஸ்வயம்பு மூர்த்தியாவார்.  

திருநாவுக்கரசர் போற்றி பாடியது:

ப்ரளயம் காத்த விநாயகர் 

இத்திருகோவிலுள்ள விநாயகர் பிரளயம் காத்த விநாயகர் என்று போற்றப்படுகிறார். மிக விசேஷமான தோற்றம் கொண்டவர்.    வருண தேவனால் கிளிஞ்சல் போன்ற பொருள்களால் செய்யபட்டவராகையால், விநாயகருக்கு பொதுவான அபிஷேகங்கள் கிடையாது.  விநாயக சதுர்த்தி முந்தைய மாலையிலிருந்து தேன் அபிஷேகம் நடைபெறும்.  பக்தர்கள் அன்று அபிஷேகத்திற்காக தேன் சமர்பிப்பதை, விநாயகரின் மேல் ஒத்தி எடுக்கிறார்கள்.

பிரளயம் காத்த விநாயகர் 

முதற் பிரகாரத்தில் நால்வர், அகஸ்தியர், புலஸ்தியர், சனந்தனர், சனகர், விசுவாமித்திரர் தொழுதால் லிங்கங்கள் உள்ளன.  இரண்டாவது பிரகாரத்தில் அம்பாள் சந்நிதி உள்ளது. கோவிலின் கிழக்கே உள்ள குளக்கரைக்கருகே தக்ஷிணாமூர்த்தி அருள்பாலிக்கிறார். சற்று மேலே சட்டைநாதர் சந்நிதி உள்ளது.  ஆறுமுகனை குழந்தை வடிவில் தன் இடையில் தாங்கி நிற்கும் ஸ்ரீகுகாம்பிகை சந்நிதி சிறப்பு வாய்ந்தது.

திருபுறம்பியத்திற்கு கும்பகோணத்தில் இருந்தும், சுவாமிமலையில் இருந்தும் பேருந்துகள் உள்ளன.  புளியஞ்சேரி பஸ் நிலையம் இவ்விருவூர்களுக்கும் நடுவில் இருக்கிறது.

கோவில் தரிசன நேரம்:
காலை 6 மணி - மதியம் 1 மணி வரை 
மாலை 4 மணி - இரவு 8.30 மணி வரை 
                        

NEPAL TOUR AND PILGRIMAGE - PART III MANAKAMANA DEVI

        NEPAL TOUR AND PILGRIMAGE - PART III     MANAKAMANA DEVI

The initial itinerary for Manakamana Devi darshan as per the earlier programme was on 1st October 2015 and while going to Pokhara from Kathmandu but due to the fuel supply crisis, that was postponed to 3rd October 2015.  Hence we went to Manakamana Devi temple on our return from Pokhara to Kathamandu. Manakamanadevi temple is at a height of  4272 ft above seal level on a ridge of a mountain and on the foot of the hill, river Trisuli flows in the south and  Marsyangdi river in the West.   The distance of 2.8 kms is covered by the rope car in about 10 to 12 minutes and this rope car facility was inagurated in 1998. The bottom station of cable car is in Cheres at a height of 846 ft above seal level and is in Gorkha district of Nepal.

              Entrance to Ropeway, Manakamanadevi, Gorkha District
  

       
          View from Manakamana Ropeway, river Trisuli can be seen    

 


The story of the temple dates back to 17th century and during the reign of King  Ram Shah.  The queen was an incarnation of the Goddess Parvathi and the king one day in his dreams found the queen to be Goddess and her devotee Lakhan Thapa the lion of the goddess. Upon mentiioning the revelation, death befell on the King and as per the custom during the period the Queen committed Sati. But before that, the Queen told Lakhan Thapa that she would come back in the near future.  A few months later, while a farmer was ploughing the fields, he saw blood and milk coming out of a cleaved stone. Knowing the same, Lakhan Thapa understood that the Queen is reborn and conducted Hindu tantric rituals and stopped the flow of blood and milk.  This became the foundation for the shrine at the present place of Manakamana Devi and the descendents of Lakhan Thapa are the priests in the temple so for.The temple had damages earlier too in an earthquake in 1934 and 2015 earquake destroyed the main temple.  Presently the deity is kept in a small shed and work is in progress to reconstruct the temple. 


Manakamana is mana meaning mind and kamana is wish and the goddess fulfills the wishes of the devotees.

                        Temple razed to ground in the earthquake, 2015

  The temple reconstruction is going on and whether will it be the same as it was looking earlier as shown below.

Normally tourists, visit the temple, which is between Kathmandu and Pokhara from either end.

Nepal tour and pilgrimage Part II - Muktinath 02 10 2015

Nepal tour and pilgrimage Part II - Muktinath  02 10 2015

Along with the group of the tourists, I had darshan at Muktinath in the mid afternoon on 2nd October 2015.  As there was blockade of goods and supplies from Bihar due to security reasons, (because of the problem created by Madhesi Protestors with the announcement of the new constitution), the tour also had to bear the brunt as rationing of fuel was announced in Nepal for two wheelers, four wheeles and tourist vans and buses.  The bus supposed to have started from Kathmandu at 08.00 hours in the morning after breakfast in the hotel, did not arrive on 1st October 2015.  The earlier planned itinerary was to proceed to Manakamanadevi and have darshan and reach Pokhara the same evening of 01 10 2015.  As the bus arrived at 10.15 hrs, programme was changed to have darshan of morning abishekam at Pasupathinath temple/Kathmandu and then proceeded straight to Pokhara and reached at 7.15 PM.  The night stay was at Pokhara and the next morning reached by flight to Jomsom, a flight for 15 minutes duration but would have occupied at least 7 to 8 hours if one were to take the road.  Jomsom airport is between the hills and at an altitude of  8976 ft above sea level. 

                               Jomsom airport among the hilly terrain

From here, by tourist bus reached Gandaki river bridge (5kms from Jomsom) and had to cross the bridge by foot and reach the other bank and walk for 5 minutes to reach the tourist bus stand.  
Gandaki river - photo taken from mobile phone and from the bridge

From this point, it is around 2 hours by road journey, a distance of 29 kms to Muktinath.  The mud road formed on the hilly terrain with lot of stones is along the river bank, at many places.  Again, at Muktinath too, the tourist vehicles are parked at a distance of roughly 1 km from the temple.

Pony and pillion riding in bikes are the mode of transport to the temple for those who cannot make it by foot, with the altitude and also the gradient posing a problem.  I took an hour to reach the temple as only a few ponies were available and also there were no bikes because of the fuel supply crisis.  It is worth the pain of walking the distance and this is known once when you reach the temple.

The temple premises a strip of land among the hills, has the 108 saligrama theerthas and also the papa and punya kunds to take bath.   Care has to be excercised for those who would like to take bath in all the theerths, as even with running underneath the springs, even as you cover half the distance, heads get frozen.   A good samaritan on the way advised to have towels on our head as we take bath and many opted for sprinkling the theerthams.

108 theerthams and the two kunds (Papa and Punya) at Muktinath temple

In the temple premises, facilities exist for performing homams in the form of a homakund, but all materials have to be carried for doing homams.  One among the group had brought all required materials and homam was performed. (Thanks to Sri Thiagarajan of Chennai).  Darshan of Muktinath, in an sannidhi of 8'x8' can be had and offerings are taken and kept at the feet of the Muktinath by buddhist nuns.  No bar in taking photographs of Muktinath.  

             Muktinath, Bhoodevi and Sreedevi - Saligram, Garudan, Ramanuja  

On the way to the temple, a few shops sell Saligrams, genuineness of which cannot be vouchsafed.  Back to bus stand and the journey back to Jomsom, as overnight stay at Jomsom is essential for the reason that flights are available only in the morning (Wind velocity higher during afternoons and flights are not operated) and also 7 to 8 hours are required for jomsom to muktinath and back.
Even from Pokhara, the starting of the morning flight depends upon the weather both at Pokhara and Jomsom and hence the programme has to be a little flexible with an inevitable one day stay at Jomsom, which you wont regret because of the excellent scenery all around the airport surrounded by mountains.  

VISIT TO NEPAL ON PILGRIMAGE - SEP/OCT 2015

VISIT TO NEPAL ON PILGRIMAGE - SEP/OCT 2015 

PART I - KATHMANDU

I went from Bangalore to Kathmandu for Nepal tour and pilgrimage for 5d/6N.  I joined the rest of the devotees from Chennai at Kathmandu.  The season had the best of climates in Nepal but the political climate was not that good with the fuel and other supplies not arriving from India during the period, with the problem of vehicles not available for tourism with restricted and rationed supply.

Still with delay and dropping of some places which had been planned earlier, the group was able to cover Kathmandu, Jomsom, Kandaki river, Muktinath and Manakamana Devi temple with ropeway in Gorka district.  The places dropped were in Pokra, Davy falls and         temple and in Kathmandu Durbar square. Indian money is accepted and no changing of currency is required in Nepal and conversion rate was INR 100= NR 160.

Pasupathinath Temple
Darshan at Pasupathinath temple was more than once, as we could have darshan at the time of morning abhishekam (10 AM onwards) and Aarti in the evening (6.30PM) and also aarti to Bagamati river which is in the rear of Pasupatinath temple in the evening.  The Chief Priest conducting the pooja in Pasupathinath temple is Shri Ganesh Bhat from Karnantaka.  Photography inside Pasupathinath temple is not allowed and to take pictures of aarti of Bagamati river, one has to go to behind the temple crossing the river. Pictures cannot be taken from the temple side and also the temple's aarti finishes by 7 PM and even as the river aarti goes on and the temple is closed. Fresh Rudrakshamalas are purchased and are given to be kept at the feet of the lord during abhishekam and also at aarti time and given back to the devotees. The temple nandhi quite big is a treat to watch. Lord Anjaneya's idol is nearby the Nandhi. This Nandi is 20 feet long is covered with pure gold.

 
The North entrance of Pasupathinath temple is the one through which the Royal highnesses used to have darshan.  Darshan at all the four sides can be had at the time of abhishekam and aarti and the doors are closed to have darshan from       only on normal hours.

Bagamati River

The temple of Pasupathynath is at the banks of the river Bagmati.  In the evening time aarthi is performed similar to Varanasi for Ganges. As the time we had been was Mahalyapaksh, several people were doing the pithru srartham in the river bank.

Jalanarayan

Jalanarayan temple is in Buddhalikantha area of Kathmandu and is about 5 kms from city centre.   Vishnu in lying posture over the Adisesha has been so beautifully carved and is about 5 metres inlength and lying in a 13 metre long tank. He is in sayana pose in the square water tank and an enclosure as a compound wall has been around the tank separates the other deities here. No photograph is allowed inside the enclosure and no objection is there to take photographs from outside the enclosure.  This temple also has Ganapathy and  Lord siva sannidhis.  

Sree Guhyeswari temple, Sakthipeetam

There are 51 Shakti Peethas corresponding to the 51 letters of the Sanskrit alphabet.  Each temple possesses shrines for Shakti and Kalabhairava.

This temple is dedicated to AadiShakti and near to the Pashupathinath temple. King Pratap Malla built this temple in the 17th century. The goddess is also called Guhyekali.  

In the temple, small statues of Sree Ganapathy and Lord Karthikeya is on either side of Lord Bhairava.  The sakthipetam has the Parvathi Mathas pathas (foot) and prayers are offered to this. 

This temple is revered by Tantric practitioners and Tantric rites are performed in this temple.

Boudhnath

The Boudhnath had damaged during the earthquake and work is rehabilitation work is going on and is one of the busiest centres of Kathmandu and thickly populated and huge traffic is always present on the roads leading to the Pagoda.  The prakaras around the main temple is full of shops with souvenirs and this place has lot of Moneychanger shops.  Vehicles cannot be parked outside the pakoda and have to be parked far away and when darshan is over, vehicles have to come to pick up.

Swayambunath  

Although the site is considered Buddhist, the place is revered by both Buddhists and Hindus.  The temple complex suffered damage in the  earthquake of April 2015.  Buddhist scripture about the origin and development of  Kathmandu is Swayambupurana and this also describes about the first and second buddhas in Buddhism.   From a stone inscription in the temple, it is estimated the temple came into being around 450-500 AD. A golden spire crowning a conical wooded hill is the famous Swayambhunath Stupa.  Lot of Monkeys are found in the temple and also known as Monkey hill.  A collection of legends about the site, the 15th century Swayambhu Purana, tells of a miraculous lotus, planted by a past Buddha, which blossomed from the lake that once covered Kathmandu valley. The lotus mysteriously radiated a brilliant light, and the name of the place came to be Swayambhu, meaning 'Self-Created or Self-Existent'. 

I had darshan of Pasupathinath on 30th evening, darshan of morning abhishekam at 10.30 hrs on 01 Oct 2015 and also evening aarthi on evening at 06.30 PM on 04 Oct 2015.  Few more postings with more photographs of each temple/pakoda will be done shortly.


Links for Part II : Nepal Pilgrimage and Mukthinath
https://sarayutoayodhya.blogspot.com/2015/10/nepal-tour-and-pilgrimage-part-ii.html
Links forPart III : Nepal Pilgrimage - Manakamana Devi
https://sarayutoayodhya.blogspot.com/2015/10/nepal-tour-and-pilgrimage-part-iii.html

KUMBABISHEKAM AND SAMPROKSHANAM 09 09 2015

KUMBABISHEKAM AND SAMPROKSHANAM 09 09 2015

Kumbabishekam -  1. Sree Subramanya temple, Swamimalai
                                  2. Sree Ramaswami temple, Kumbakonam
Samprokshanam -  1. Sree Renganathar, Srirangam, Tiruchirapalli.

The kumbabishekam and Samprokashanam took place for the above temples on 09 09 2015 and I was at Kumbakonam on 21 09 2015 and at Srirangam on 22 09 2015.  While I took some photographs of the Vimanas of Swamimalai and Srirangam, the photos of Sree Ramaswami temple function is available at Wikipedia and a few have been copied here.
 The story of Ramayana in pictures on the walls of Sree Ramaswami temple has been redone and I have taken a photo of part of that. I have given the pictures. 
The work at Srirangam is still going on and hence there is no darshan of the Moolavar and the Urchavar is giving darshan from Yagasala.

1. Sree Subramanya temple, Swamimalai

2. Sree Ramaswami temple, Kumbakonam

3. Samprokshanam, Srirangam, Tiruchirapalli

           Sand blasted pillairs, glittering and still works is going on

Since upto Mandala pooja one can visit the temples which have had Kumbabishekam, those desirious of having darshan at these places may please do and provide more photographs for the benefit of everyone.

SREE VEERANAJANEYA OF ARDHAGIRI

SREE VEERANAJANEYA OF ARDHAGIRI

My Facebook posting dt 12 09 2015

Hanumath stothram 6th verse:
Sanjeeva parvathoddhara, mama dukhaan nivaraya,
Ghoraan upadhravan nasaya, Aksha suranthaka II
Meaning:
He who carried sanjeevini mountain, please remove my sorrows,
Killer of the asura called Aksha, destroy awesome troubles.
(Thanks to Sri Puducode Rama Iyer Ramachander of Facebook for the Hanumath stotram with meaning)

The name Ardhagiri came from a myth related to Tretayuga, when Lord Hanuman was carrying Sanjeevani Parvatham, half of the mounatain fell down at this place and the place where it landed came is known as Aragonda - hence, the name Ardhagiri.
Ardhagiri Sri Veeranjaneya Swamy Temple is located one and a half km. up of the hill in Aragonda village, Chittoor District, Andhra Pradesh, 15 km away from Kanipakam.

Location: Aragonda Village
Timings: 5:00 AM to 9:00 PM
Distance: 76 kms from Tirupati RTC Bus stand
Address:
Sri Ardhagiri Veeranjaneya Swamy temple ,
Aragonda Village,
Paipalli Mandal, Chittoor (Dst.),
Andhra Pradesh
Seva timings and other details: http://tourism.intirupati.com/…/sri-ardhagiri-veeranjaneya…/

Updated on 18 07 2020:

A three-ft Anjaneya vigraha covered with copper plate, adorns the sanctum.  The temple’s tiled courtyard serves as the circumambulatory route. When parts of the hill fell in Aragonda, they formed the Ardhagiri Hills and the Pushkarini.  The Pushkarini is also known as Sanjeevaraya Pushkarini.   People believe that the water has medicinal properties because of the divine herbs has gained momentum through the ages.  To maintain sanctity and cleanliness a wall has been built around the tank and there’s a gate that remains locked. A pipe from the tank carries the water to an adjoining room for the sake of the devotees, many of whom carry this water back home. Full moon day is special here as it was on this day that Anjaneya flew to get the Sanjeevani herb. Cultural programmes are held and the temple remains open at night.  Upon reaching the foot of the hills, devotees can climb the hill on foot or hire a vehicle or auto-rickshaw.   The shrine, a modest structure is in the lush hills of 300 ft height.

Ardhagiri Veerajaneya Swamy Temple Timings: 5:00 am to 1:15 pm and 1:45 pm to 9:00 pm.

SUBRAMANYA BHARATHIAR - Repeat of my posting in Facebook in 2014.

SUBRAMANYA BHARATHIAR
Repeat of my posting in Facebook in 2014.
Chinnaswami Subramanya Bharathi
(Birth11-12-1882 Death 11-09-1921)
Was born in Ettayapuram to Chinnasami Subramanya Iyer and Lakhsmiammaal as "Subbayya" on December 11, 1882. Bharathi lost his mother at the age of 5 and his father at the age of 16. Bharathi was given to day-dreaming and could not concentrate on his studies. He was educated at a local high school called "The M.D.T. Hindu College" in Tirunelveli. In 1897, perhaps to instill a sense of responsibility in him, his father had the 14 year old Bharathi, married to his seven year younger cousin, Chellamal. Bharathi, due to prevailing family conditions, left for Benares in 1898 to further his interests in a relative’s house. During his stay in Benares, present day Varanasi, Bharathi was exposed to Hindu spirituality and nationalism.He learned Sanskrit, Hindi and English. In addition, he changed his outward appearance. He also grew a Moustache and wore a turban.

The turban became a hall mark of identification of Bharathi in later years.

In December 1905, he attended the All India Congress session held in Benaras. On his journey back home, he met Sister Nivedita, Swami Vivekananda’s spiritual daughter. From her arose another of Bharathi’s iconoclasm, his stand to recognise the privileges of women. He visualised the 'new woman' as an emanation of Shakti, a willing helpmate of man to build a new earth through co-operative endeavour.

During this period, Bharathi understood the need to be well-informed of the world outside and took interest in the world of journalism and the print media of the West. Bharathi joined as Assistant Editor of the Swadeshamitran, a Tamil daily in 1904. By April 1907, he started editing the Tamil weekly India and the English newspaper Bala Bharatham with M.P.T. Acharya. From hymns to nationalistic writings, from contemplations on the relationship between God and Man to songs on the Russian and French revolutions, Bharathi's subjects were diverse.
He was simultaneously up against society for its mistreatment of the downtrodden people and the British for occupying India.

Bharathi participated in the historic Surat Congress in 1907, which deepened the divisions within the Indian National Congress between the militant wing led by Tilak and Aurobindo and the moderate wing. Bharathi supported Tilak and Aurobindo together with V. O. Chidambaram Pillai and Kanchi Varathaachariyar. Tilak openly supported armed resistance against the British. In 1908, the proprietor of the journal “India” was arrested in Madras

An arrest warrant was issued against Bharathi by the government of British India for his revolutionary activities forcing him to flee to Pondicherry where he lived until 1918. Bharathi entered British India near Cuddalore in November 1918 and was promptly arrested. He was imprisoned in the Central prison in Cuddalore in custody for three weeks from 20 November to 14 December. The following year Bharathi met M K Gandhi . He was struck by an elephant at Parthasarathy temple, Triplicane, Chennai, whom he used to feed regularly. Although he survived the incident, a few months later his health deteriorated and he died on September 11, 1921
Bharati used simple words and rhythms, unlike his previous century works in Tamil, which had complex vocabulary. He also employed novel ideas and techniques in his devotional poems. He used a metre called Nondi Chindu in most of his works, which was earlier used by Gopalakrishna Bharathiyar.