UCCHISHTA GANAPATHI, MANIMOORTHEESWARAM, TIRUNELVELI

UCCHISHTA GANAPATHI, MANIMOORTHEESWARAM, TIRUNELVELI

This temple is on the banks of the river Tamirabarani and at a distance of 2 kms from Tirunelveli Railway Station.   I had darshan on the evening of 13th October 2018 here and a  bhajan procession of the Maha Pushkaram reached the temple at that time. Though the initial road approach is narrow, the path to the temple is quite broad and vehicles can be parked.  Arugampul (அருகம்புல்) was available at the temple gate.  This is one of the few temples for Vinayagar exclusively, the moolavar being Uchchishta Ganapathy and the temple is having a 5-tier Rajagopuram  with 3 prakaras. The temple's kodimaram is next to the Rajagopuram. 

Uchchista Ganapathy is the 8th form of the 32 forms in which Lord Vinayagar is worshipped.   He has Neela Saraswathi in his lap.   Legend has it that Once an Asura by name Vidhyakaran was in penance on Lord Brahama.  Pleased with the penance of Vidhyakaran, Brahma appeared before him and Vidhyakaran sought a boon - that a person who can kill him should not be a man or a beast, should fight without any assistance from anyone and in front of asura and theva sabhais...should be with the sakthi with him at that time - thus he thought he could not be killed under any circumstances.  Brahma gave the boon what Vidhyakaran wanted.  That made Vidhyakaran arrogant and he gave problems to Rishis and when he became uncontrollable, rishis came for help to Mummorthees.  Mummoorthees conducted a Yagna to Parasakthi and also wanted Vinayagar to kill Vidhyakaran.  Vinayagar came from the Agnikunda of the yaga on an Ashtami.  As asked by Brahma, Pathanga muni too conducted a Yagna and from that as Brahama's daughter Neela Saraswathi appeared  The marriage of Vinayaagar to Neela Saraswathi was conducted on Navami.  Mummorthees then asked Indra to ask Vidhyakaran to come for a fight.  Vidhyakaran arrived for a war and he had to face Ganapathy with Neela Saraswathi on his left lap, with his trunk on her naval and on the hands with bow and arrow with Prakasha of a crore of Suryas.  Vidhyakaran could not face the prakasha coming out of the Ganapathy and bit his tongue and with pain and loss of blood he died.  Hence in front of the Deva Sabhai and with Sakthi in his lap and without any weapons, Vinayagar killed Vidhyakaran.  Rishis wanted Vinayagar to bless his devotees on the banks of the river Tamirabarani in the rishi theertham along with Neela Saraswathi.  He acceded to the request of the rishis and arrived in the chariot of Surya at Manimoortheeswaram and gave darshan to the rishis and devas.  Surya bhagavan requested that on the first of every tamil month Chithirai he would have his rays on the Ganapathi and that he should bless all those who pray on those days with prosperity,

Uchchista Ganapthy as depicted in a 19th century book, "Thathvaneedhi" - Pic from Wiki

There is a story regarding Kala Bhairavar here blessing Manikireevan, the son of Kubera.  Manikireevan was a great devotee of Vinyaga.   During the rule of a king named Savarnan, Manikireevan saw Chitraleka in a Nandavanam, daughter of Kandarvarajan Chitrasenan.  She wanted to marry him and Manikireevan said he would marry her only with the approval of her father.  She requested him to not to leave the place until she arrived with her father.  Chitrasenan agreed to the proposal and they Manikireevan and Chitraleka got married with the blessings of the Kandarvarajan and his entourage.  Even as they were living happily, Leelavathi, daughter of Kandharvan wanted to marry the handsome Manikireevan and she told to marry her too. When Manikireevan refused, she cursed that his beauty be gone and Manikireevan too cursed her the same,  With the beauty gone, Manikireevan prayed to Lord Ganesha and he in turn asked him to bathe in Tamirabarani at this palce and pray to the Bhairavar there and also made all the three - Manikireevan, Chitraleka and Leelavathi - to take bathe in Tamirabarani and pray Bhairavar there.  Vinayagar also asked Manikireevan to marry Leelavathi too.  They overcame the curse and as directed by Vinayagar, lived in Kubera Patnam.  

There are sannidhis for Lord Shiva, Kanthimathi amman, Kannimoolai Kanapathi,16shodasa ganapthis, valli devanai sametha Subramanyar and  Swarna Akarshana Bhairavar  Pathanjali Munivar and Vyagrabathar are installed in linga roopam.  The sthala vrukshas are: Vannai and Palmyra (பனை).  Theerthams: Rishi Theertham and Rurthrapatha theertham.  

Kumbabhishekam of the temple was done in the year 2016.

 

Temple timings:

8.00 AM - 11.30 AM

6.00 PM - 07.30 PM