Sree Lalithambigai Ambal temple, Thirumeeyachur

This temple can be reached from Mayiladuthurai, Thiruvarur and Kumbakonam and at a distance of 16, 27 and 33 kms respectively.  Further those who go to Peralam, can easily reach the temple which is at 1.5kms.   Peralam is between Mayiladuthurai-Thiruvarur and Kumbakonam-Karaikal routes.  I had darshan at this temple on 16^th February 2022. The link for this posting is also shown in - https://sarayutoayodhya.blogspot.com/2017/01/thiruvarur-nagapattinam-temples.html

The Lord here is known as Meganathar and facing East and the temple prakaram has the following deities.   Just opposite to the Kodimaram facing South is the Sree Lalithambigai Ambal sannidhi.  In the outer prakara apart from other deities, there are the sannidhis of Sree Vidvan Mekalambika (Minnum Megalai) Ambal and Sree Sakala Bhuvaneswarar. 

The 5 tier Rajagopuram has 7 kalasams and can be viewed even as you reach Thirumeichur.  At the entrance to the mahamantapam is the sannidhi of Vinayagar.  Further as we procedd we can have darshan of Lord Meganathar and the outer prakara of this sannidhi on the walls are the Narthana Ganapathi and Kshetrapuraneswarar.  Next is the separate sannidhi of Dakshinamurthy.  On the western side of the Prakara is Lingothbhavar.  Further as you circumbulate and reach the Northern side of the Prakara are Brahma, Chandrasekarar, Ashtabuja Durgai and  Rishabaruder.  Gajalakshmi is on the northwestern side of the Prakara and the sannidhi of Sree Sagala Bhuvaneswarar is here and in the south of this sannidhi is Dakshinamurthy, on the west Mahavishnu, north Brahma and Chaturmuka Chandikeswarar.   On the southern side of the Prakara is the sthala vinayagar sannidhi and Theyu Lingam.   Before reaching to the main entrance on the prakara is Arunachaleswarar.  On the eastern wall comprising of the prakara is Bhairavar, Suriayan and Akashalingam.

 

Sree Lalithambigai is in Manonmani Swaroopam, santhaswaroopi and gives darshan with the right leg on the Sree Chakrapeedam and the Rajarajeswari Simmsanam with abhaya Mudra.  She is freely letting her left leg towards the  ground.  Pandasuran was troubling the Devas and they went and asked for relief to Lord Siva.  He had asked the Devi to eliminate Pandasuran.  After fierce war lasting Saharsrakodi years, She won.  To overcome the fierce form of Sakthi, Lord asked her to pray and She did penance at Sripuram and there appeared 8 vak-devis from her and recited the Lalitha Sahasranama stotram and as the stotrams being recited she was calmed down and thus Sakthi as Santha swaroopini is blessing devotees here.
Neykula darisanm of Ambal can be seen during the Vijayadasami day, Masi masam Ashtami and Vaikasi month Pournami.  In front of the sannidhi,    banana trees mattai, thennai leaves are spread to around 15ft by 4ft on which the neivadyam items are filled to a height of one and a half feet and in the Sarkarai Pongal, a pit is formed to be filled with Ghee and the Ambal can be in this Ghee known as Neikula Dharisanam.

                                                     Neikula Darisanam

Sage Agasthiyar was blessed to have the Lalitha Sahasranamam taught by Sree Hayagrivar and as told by him, the Sage had darshan at this temple along with his wife Lobhamudra.  He sang in praise of the Goddess the Lalitha Navarathna Mala.

Yamadharmarajan also prayed in this temple.  Lord Suryanarayan was cursed by Lord Shiva for giving innumerable trouble to his devotee, sree Arunan, son of Bhrigu Maharishi and Vinathai.  Surya made fun of Arunan who was lame, that he cannot have the vision of the almighty and his prayers wont be answered.  That only spurred Aruna to do his prayers more fervently and the Lord blessed Arunan and cursed Surya to lose his power.   Darkness set in and Goddess asked Lord Shiva to restore the power of Surya.  When Surya came to worship the Lord here and did tapas for seven months and when he had to wait for long not getting relief from the curse, Surya in despair asked the Lord for early relief and the Goddess who got disturbed, wanted to punish him and Lord Shiva stopped that and told her that the prayers were only for the earlier curse and blessed the Goddess to be Shantanayaki here. Surya came out of the curse. He prayed Lord Shiva seated on an elephant and the vimana of this temple is like the back of an elephant - Gajaprishata Vimanam.  His rays directly falls on the Lord Meganathar during the tamil month of Chithirai, Mesha Masam on the dates 21st to 27th. 

 

The Kshtrapraneswarar in this temple at the Koshtam is special and depicts the Lord's wish for the goddess to be a shantanayaki.

                                                           Durgai Amman

                                      The chandikeswarar is with 4 faces

A devotee from Bangalore was reciting the Lalitha Sahasranamam regularly and in her dreams appeared an Ambal in November 1999 and asked for a Kolusu (Anklet) and she later confirmed that it was the goddess from Thirumeichur by seeing the picture from a magazine. She had made ready a kolusu and took the same to this temple to be adorned by the Goddess.  The sivachariar said there is no provision for putting the Kolusu and as the lady insisted that the Goddess herself had asked for the same to be worn, to the surprise of the sivachariar he found that the vigraha did have the provision.  Devotees offer Kolusu of 11.5" length to Goddess here and a shop nearby the temple also sells Kolusu.

 Those who become unwell pray here to get cured and offer Pirandai - வச்சிரவல்லி (Cissus quadrangularis) Satham and the same is kept over a lotus flower and offered to Lord Meganathar and pooja performed and the same are given as Prasadam.
Devotees recite the Lalitha Sahasranamam and Lalitha navarathnamala in front of the goddess to get her blessings.

There are adequate shops which sell flowers, earthern lamps in front of the temple. 
Sthala Vruksham - Vilva Maram
Theertham            - Surya theertham.

Temple Timings:
6 am- 12 Noon
4.30 pm - 8.30 pm