One Day Trip to SingriKoil, ThiruvaheendraPuram, Sri Mushnam, Thirukovalur and Vilianoor - 9th August 2009

Visiting Thirukovalur was my long time plan and thought of Visiting SriMushnam along. Myself along with my friend started on Saturday and it was getting delayed, so we stayed at Pondycherry. The following day we arranged for a Cab and started our trip at 07:30 AM Sharp. I have heard about Singrikoil and wanted to visit the teample. Our Driver was not aware of the place.
We asked people on the way and found the temple. It was a Big Temple and is located in a small and beautiful village called Abshisekapakkam. ( Refer to Abhishekapakkam, people know this place than SingriKoil). One has to travel from Pondy to Cuddalore and on the way we need to take right towards Abhishekapakkam.

The temple has a huge and majestic car, which invites you from a distance. As soon as you enter the Rajagopuram you will see a Vinayakar in a small sanctum. Then you enter the second prakaram , you will see the majestic dwjasthambam and then you can see the moolavar from Distance. Here Swami is Ugra Narasimhar with 16 hands fiercefully piercing the evil hiranyakashipu. It was an amazing sight to see him. We had very good Dharshan and went to Thayaars Sannathi. After this we started towards Cuddalore. We wanted to Visit Chidambaram and Srimushnam. But it was getting late, so decided to drop out Chidambaram from the plan.

After having breakfast in Cuddalore, we directly reached Sri Deivanayaka Perumal's Sannathi. Directly went to Perumals sannathi and He was standing in a majestic posture. This is my second trip to Thiruvaheendrapuram. I visited the temple during last october. Then we had the Darshan of Thaayar and Vedanda Desikar. Also went to Swami Manavalamamunigal Sannathi. The priest was asking us to start immediately to Sri Mushnam, else we might not be able to see the lord.

Immediately after this we started to Srimushnam and we reached Srimushnam exactly around 12:00 PM. Had a wonderful darshan of Varaha Swami. It was a very hot day. Then we visited Thaayars sannathi. Started back from Srimushnam. We had plans of visiting Kattu Mannarkudi, however the car got punctured and it was getting delayed, so we started off to Thirukovalur.

We reached Thirukovalur around 3 pm and were enjoying the beauty of the Rajagopuram and around 3.30 pm we heard that they have opened the temple, we got inside. The temple is not being maintained properly, which was a sad thing to notice. The crowd was ok and we had to wait in the queue for about 10 minutes. From the Main entrance we could see the gracious hands of Thiruvikraman. He was wearing a beautiful Kappu and my heart was eager to see his lotus feets and beautiful face. we recahed the garbagraham and had good darshan. Got the prasadams and then went to Thaayars sannathi, which was being opened that time. We got the blessings of thayaar and started towards Viliyanoor.

In Vliiyanoor we visited Vardharaja perumal temple, the Idols were beautiful and were real treat to our eyes. After this we started back to Pondicherry to return back to Chennai.

Mannargudi- Rappathu 4h day

திருமண்டங்குடி தொண்டரடி பொடியாழ்வார் அவதார ஸ்தலம்

Thirumandangudi is situated few kms away from Thirupullam Bhudangudi. This is the avathara sthalam of Thondaradi Podialwaar, who gave us "Thirumaalai";" Thirupalli Eluchi" . Alwaar was born on Markazhi Kettai Nakshatram and the avathara utsavam had taken place on the 26th of December 2008.

When we entered Thirumanjanam was happening to Siriya Thiruvadi moolavar. We were carrying vasthram for perumal and we gave it here in Thirumandangudi. Bhattacharyar was telling that he was expecting new clothes and didn't buy any for Anjaneyar. Also the Utsava Murthy's were kept with the alangaram.

Moolavar Ranganatha Swamy here is seen in Nindra Thirukolam with Sri & Bhu Devi Nacchiyar's. Thaayar is very special in this temple. The importance is the flowers on the hands of the moolavar. One on the right is completely bloomed and the one on the left hand is still a bud. One of the Devotee has presented Kavacham for this Thaayar and she was astonishing with the new kavacham.

When we came out of the Thaayar Sannathi Utsava Vigraham of Anjaneya swamy was ready for Thirumanjanam with Balagopala Swamy. Please look at the beauty of them.

திரு புள்ளம் பூதங்குடி வல்வில் இராமர்

Thirupullam Boodhangudi is few minutes away from Thiruadhanoor Divya Desam. Bhattacharyar stays close to the temple. The moolavar of this divya desam is Sri Ramar in Bhujanga Sayanam. He is sleeping here after performing the final rituals to Jatayu. Since Seetha Devi was in Srilanka she is not seen here. Bhooma Devi Thaayar is seen inside the sanctum along with perumal. There is a seperate sannathi for Hemambhuja Valli Thaayar and also for Sri Andaal. This temple is also under the administration of Ahobila Mutt. Vaikanasa Agamam is being followed in the temple.

Moolavar: Sri Ramar in Bhujanga Sayanam

Thaayar: Sri Hemambhuja Valli

Utsavar: Sri Ramar with Chathur Bhujam.

Vimanam: Shobana Vimanam

திருஆதனூர்

Our Next Visit was to pateeswaram and then Sri Gopinatha Swami Temple, which is famous for the "இரட்டை ஆஞ்சநேயர் ". I will write in detail about this temple as a seperate blog.

Then we directly reached Adhanoor. Temple is under Ahobila Mutt's administration.Perumal here is seen in Bhujanga Sayanam and he is lying on மரக்கால். There is a seperate Sannathi for Thaayar and the temple is following "paancharathra" agamam.

Moolavar: Aandu Alakum Ayyan

Thaayar: Ranganayaki Thaayar

Vadakalai Sampradhayam is being followed in the temple

Vimanam: Pranava Vimanam

Theertham: Surya Pushkarani

Mangalasasanam was done by Thirumangai Alwar

நந்திபுர விண்ணகரம் - நாதன் கோயில் (கும்பகோணம்)

This is an unplanned trip of ours and I made the preparation in the last minute. We have visited lot of temples and hence I am posting them all in Individual posts with their name as the title of the temple.

நந்திபுர விண்ணகரம் - நாதன் கோயில் (கும்பகோணம்)

We reached Kumbakonam on the 27th Morning and got ready. Somewhere around 07:30 AM we started our trip. The Driver took us to " Nathan Koil" alias " Nandhi Pura Vinnagaram". this temple is under the control of Vanamaamalai Mutt. Directly we entered the sannathi of Moolavar. He is called as "Adhi Srinivasar", " Sri Jagannatha perumal", " Nandhi pura Nathan". etc. Bhattacharyar was explaining the importance of the preseiding deity. It seems that Lord Rama came here during the end of his Avatar to take Krishna Avatar, so if you worship this perumal it is as good as visiting both Rama & Krishna. Thirumangai Alwar has sung 20 songs where he had considered perumal as Rama in the first 10 songs and Krishna in the next 20 songs.

Moolavar is seated with Sri Devi & Bhumi Devi Thaayar. He looks pleasant as usual and he is seen with Prayoga Chakram and Sangam. He is twice as powerful as Lord Narasimha and his Ukram is also twice as Lord Narasimha. This Kshethram is also called as Shenbagaranya Kshetram. Thaayar is Shenbagavalli Thaayar and Sri Shuktha Homam is performed in this temple during every Sukla paksham.

Melkote Visit

It has been a long time since I have written something on my blog spot. I am here to express the experience that I had in Melkote on the 24th of November. I was blessed to be there and definitely it was his Wish that made this trip so auspicious one.

I had been to Mysore on a Official trip and had plans of Visiting melkote. Saturday & Sunday we spent time in Coorg and on Monday morning around 8 am we started from Mysore and reached Melkote around 9.30 AM. Took a Holy Bath in Kalyani Pushkarani and then had breakfast near the temple.

Around 10.30 AM we entered the Temple. I have bought Vasthram for both Perumal & Thaayar, they had asked me to handover the same to the Temple Office. Then we were blessed to see the Arathi and then we had asked them for the Sadari, they had asked us to wait for Satrumurai and then we went to the Anjaneya Sannathi, then to Thaayar Sannathi. It was getting ready for the Arathi & Satrumurai, meanwhile one of the priest took us to the Udayavar Sannathi and to Pillailokacharyar Sannathi. We came back to Thaayar Sannathi for the Arathi, then Satrumurai started first in Thaayar's Sannathi and then they moved on to Udayar, Acharyar and then to Thirunarayanan. I found a new practice being followed here. I am not sure if this is correct but just wanted to share this info. During Satrumurai one of the beram is carried in Pallaku and taken around the moolasthanam, they go to each and every bali beetam and then move into the main Sanctum. I found the same happening in Sri Ranga Patnam in the evening.

We were lucky enough to get inside the main sanctum for Satrumurai, after few of us entered they stopped entry for others. First it started with the Arati to the moolavar and then we were standing facing the Chella Pillai Utsavar. It was an memorable event in my life, I haven't experienced such a vibration getting into me so Far. It all started when they started Andal's Thiruppavai and then with "Sri Sailesha Dayapatram". The moment the satrumurai was over we could feel the vibrations surrounding us. Then we got the Theertham and Thiruthulaai. The Sadari was carried by the priest and accompanied by two of them one carrying Thandam on his hand and the other person was carrying the Thee Pandham. It was a Majestic scene to be seen.

Pls note that in Melkote Sadari will be given only during the Satrumurai and not during the other times.

After this we had prasadam from the temple and came out of the temple to continue our trip. It was around 12.00 pm and we had a tight schedule on that day so we were running out of time. We decided to skip the Narasimha temple on the hillock. So started directly to Thondanur. We also had a plan of taking bath in Thondanur but time was a constraint. Unfortunately the Narasimha temple was closed. We went to Nambi Narayana Temple. It was such a beautiful temple , but sad to see that it is being neglected by people. By the time we entered the temple satrumurai was going on. We were glad to see Satrumurai happening everywhere we went. I had been there early this year during Bhramotsavam and it was a sad scene that no one was seen around. Then we went to Venugopala Swamy temple which is infront of Nambi Narayana's Temple, but it was Closed too :(.

We started from Thondanur to Srirangapatnam, our plan was to Visit the Mysore palace and come back to Ranganatha Swamy's temple. On the way we paid visit to Ananthalwar's Avathara Sthalam. It should never be missed. This is very close to Srirangapatnam, from Melkote to Srirangapatna we can see this towards the left of the Road with a Small tank. We were so lucky that the priest here was performing Satrumurai in the temple. He gave us the prasadam and from there we went to Mysore palace and then came back to Sri Ranga Patna in the evening.

Even in Srirangapatnam Satrumurai was happening and Ranganatha Swami was astonishing as always. Got the blessings from him and reached mysore station for our train back to Chennai. It was a memorable trip to Melkote and now it has made me think of visiting the place very often.

Kind Request: Pls spread the news about Nambi Naryana Temple to your Circle. I am not sure whether every one visiting Melkote makes a trip to Nambi Narayana Temple or not. But Pls encourage your friends and others to make a visit there. It's Such a beautiful temple and only 3 of us were there inside the temple apart from the Priest. No lights were on. I could hardly see Deepam inside the main sanctum. It was disheartening to see our God in such situation.