UGRA NARASIMHAR AND NAMAGIRI THAYAR, NAMAKKAL

                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.