Sree Ugra Narasimhar and
Namagiri Thayar, NAMAKKAL
It
was a sunny day and the time I could go was just in the noon and it was
really hot for walking around the prahara of the temple of Sree Ugra Narasimhar
and Namagiri Thayar of Namakkal. On after
returning from Sree Vedanarayana Perumal temple, Thirunarayanapuram to
Thottiam, I took the bus to Namakkal and after alighting in the bus stand, took
an auto to this temple.
Ugra Narasimhar temple
As usual you
had to adjust in the space available around the Lord Ugra Narasimhar and the Bhattars
were explaining the importance why one should not stand just opposite the Ugra
Narasimhar and asking people to line up on either side. The customary five minutes darshan was
allowed to the sevarthees with collection of thulasi/flowers and further archanai
and deepa arathanai and the prompt request/orders to leave to the benefit of
others waiting for the darshan. But this
time the Thayar Sannidhi was not crowded and I had ekantha sevai and no one
asked me to leave. The beautiful thayar
of Namakkal was a treat to watch and I told the Bhattar, this is the first time
I am able to get such a darshan.
Namagiri Thayar
Ugra
Narasimha Perumal
The
Ugra Narasimhar is in a sitting posture and it is said that the blood marks are
there in the nails of the Lord as he killed Hiranyakasibu. Rishies in Kurtha Yuga curse the gatekeepers
of Vaikundam and they were born as Hiranyakasibu and his younger brother
Hiranyaksha. Hiranyaksha, for his
harmful deeds, was killed by Mahavishnu in the Varaha Avatharam. Hiranyakasibu by his fervent prayers gets
boons from Lord Brahma, by which he could not be killed by a human being,
animal, earth or in sky, in and out of the houses etc., Hiranyakasibu thus was powerful and he was troubling rishis and devas and even compelled them to say as Hiranyaya Namaha
to prove his supremacy and also did not allow anyone to utter the name of
Narayana. The worried Rishis and Devas
with Brahma then approached Lord Vishnu and told of what was happening with
Hiranyakasibu. Lord Vishnu decided to
end the attrocities of Hiranyakasibu and the opportune moment came when
Prahalad replied his father Hiranyakasibu that the Lord is everywhere and he
would recite only Lord Narayana’s name and not his father’s. When the angry Hiranyakasibu banged the
Pillar with his mace, Lord Vishnu emerged as the Narasimha, a form not of
human, animal but a combined one. That
surprised Hiranyakasibu and in the ensuing fight the Lord kept Hiranyakasibu in
his lap and with the claws of the lion, pierced the stomach of Hiranyakasibu
and killed him to overcome all the conditions stipulated in the boons given by
Brahma. The Devas and even Mahalakshmi
initially feared to approach the Lord in the Ugram state, Bhaktha Prahalatha
prayed and Lord disappeared in a saligram form in his Kingdom which Prahalatha
worshipped with devotion. Sree Anjaneya
who fetched the Sanjeevini herbs for Rama and Lakshmana from Himalayas, while
replacing it brought the saligramam and he placed it here at Namakkal. After performing Santhyavanthanam he could
not take the Saligram from the ground.
Confused Sree Anjaneya prayed and the saligram grew as a hillock and a
voice arose advising him to go to help Sree Rama at Lanka and the Lord would
stay there. He was also informed he
would pray after the Ramavatharam in front of him in Kaliyuga and thus Sree
Anjaneya stands in the open air on the western side of the hillock and facing
Sri Ugra Narasimhar offering his prayers.
Mahalakshmi’s prayers made the Lord to calm down and he bestowed many
boons and the thayar was named as Namagiri Lakshmi and the lord
Lakshminarasimhar. In the sanctum
sanctorium, the beautiful sculpture of the Lord is in a sitting posture and
sanathkumarar, sanakar are present and Surya and Chandra are holding the
chamaram.
In
the Arthamandapam walls, beautiful sculptures of Vaikunda Narayana with Lord
Siva, Brahma, Bhoomadevi and sun, moon and
Markendeya can be seen and thus this sthlam is also known as Trimoorthy
Sthalam.
In the next wall, we can see Sri Ugra
Narasimha tearing the Hiranya's chest by nails. On the other side wall Sri
Vaamanamoorthy is getting danam by Mahabalya Chakravarty. Sukrachari is
punished by Garuda for disturbing the Dhyanam. Jambavan is drumming in the sky.
In
the same wall Sri Mahavishnu as THIRUVIKRAMA is measuring the earth and sky. In
the next wall, Sri VARAHA MOORTHY is bearing the four VEDAS all power heads on
the nose, and holding Sri Bhoomadevi by two hands.
There
are sannidhis for Lord Rama, Sita and Lakshmana, Udayavar (Ramanujar)
sannidhi, Nammalwar sannidhi, one for Sri Krishna, Bama and Rukmini and a
Desikar sannidhi.
Ramar sannidhi
Krishna, Bama and Rukmani
After having darshan at this temple, I went to the nearby Sree Anjaneya temple.
