Skip to main content

KAILASANATHAR MARAGATHAMBIGAI TEMPLE - YAMA LINGAM - SENEERKUPPAM

 Ashthadikapala Temples - 6

YAMA LINGAM
KAILASANATHAR MARAGATHAMBIGAI TEMPLE - SENEERKUPPAM - TIRUVERKADU.


The Bhagavata Purana and the epic Mahabharata talks of Rishi Markandeya (from the clan of Rishi Bhrigu) who with the mercy of lord Shiva conquered death itself.
Mrikandu Rishi and his wife Marudmati prayed to Shiva for a child. Please with them Mahadev gave the choice of one virtuous son with a short span of life of 16 years or 100 arrogant fools with 100 years life each. They chose a virtuous son.
A day before the 16th birthday of Markandeya, the Rishi & Rishipatni out of their anguish told Markandeya about his fate.
Lord Brahma taught the Mahamrityunjay japam to Markandeya and asked him to propitiate on lord Shiva. Markandeya went to a Shiva temple and was absorbed in the Japam. Lord Yama himself came and told Markandeya to come out of the temple. Markandeya requested him to wait for the Japa to be over. Yama told him that he could not wait for any one and threw his rope - noose (Pasha) on Markandeya, who embraced the Lingam and prayed to the lord to save him. The noose went around the neck of Markandeya along with the Lingam.
Shiva came out of the Lingam and Killed Yama and hence he is also known as Kalantaka or Kalasamharamurthy (The killer of time or death). Shiva gave Markandeya the boon of eternal life without growing old and later revived Yama.
This temple however is dedicated to lord Shiva as KAILASANATHAR in the form of a Lingam and represents Yama as the regent of the South cardinal direction, in the list of Ashthadikapala temples surrounding the Vedapureeshwarar temple in Tiruverkadu near Chennai.
The Temple has a large compound , without a Rajagopuram & at the centre of the compound is a chaturanga Garbhagriha where sits Mahadev as KAILASANATHAR representing the Yama sthana ( Regent of the Southern cardinal direction) of the Ashthadikapala, facing east. To his left is the sanctum of Devi Parvati as MARAGATHAMBIGAI (Green like Emerald) facing south.
Both the sanctum of Shiva & Parvathi are two celled complex including the Garbhagriha & ArdhaMandapam facing which are their Vahana's Nandin & Simha respectively.
The Great Chola King Kulothunga II also known as Anabhaya Chola had built 108 Gajaprishtha ( Elephants back or Aspidal) Vimana temples around Thondaimandalam, now known as the region surrounding Chennai.
Being part of the Ashthadikapala temples surrounding the Vedapureeshwarar Temple, this temple also would have been initiated during the reign of the great CHOLA King KULOTHUNGA CHOLA II, (1133 - 1150 CE) about 800 years ago and must have passed through many dynasties.
The Koshta of the Garbhagriha is lined up with Vinayaka, Dakshinamoorthy, Vishnu Bramha & Durga.
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

DHARBHARANYESHWARAR TEMPLE - SHANI ( SATURN) - TIRUNALLAR

Dharbharanyeswarar Temple,Tirunallar –Shani(Saturn) Tirunallar Saniswaran Temple  or  Dharbharanyeswarar Temple  is a Shiva temple dedicated to Lord Dharbharanyeswar. There is a shrine dedicated to Shani (saturn) located in the Temple in Tirunallar town in Karaikal district of Pondicherry. The presiding deity is Lord Shiva, ( Dharbaranyeswar)  and the place Tirunallar  was historically called Dharbaranyam. The presiding deity, Lord Shiva in the form of   a swayambhu lingam coming out of Darbha grass hence known as Dharbaranyeswarar. His consort is Praneshwari. The worship is also centered around the icon of planet saturn, called Shani, originally treated as the door keeper of the shrine. According to Hinduism, saturn resides in each  rasi (zodiac) for two and half years. The tradition is to worship Shani before entering the inner sanctum of Lord Siva. Kings in the past had donated milch cows for the upkeep of the temple. From the cowherd community a cowherd(Idayan) was selected
Post a Comment
Read more

KAMAKSHI AMMAN TEMPLE - THE NAVEL OF GODDESS SHAKTHI - KANCHIPURAM

  Sri Kanchi Kamakshi Amman Temple - The Navel of Goddess Shakthi. Bhandasura the evil Asura was tormenting Indra and the devas. The devas prayed to Shakti in the form of a Parrot, residing on a Champaka Vriksha (Magnolia Champaka) at Kanchi. Hearing the plea of the devas, the goddess Kamakshi appeared from the Bila Dwara and destroyed the evil asura in this place. The bila dvara leading to bilakasha or Mahameru can be seen today in front of the tapomagna kamakshI sannidhi inside the garbhagriha of the Kamkshi Temple. The Kamakshi AmmanTemple is an ancient Temple dedicated to Goddess Kamakshi, the ultimate form of Shakthi. It is located in the historic city of Kanchipuram The Temple in all probability was built by the Pallava Kings, whose capital was Kanchipuram. The temple is one of the 51 Shakthi Peetham and is associated with the Navel of the Goddess, the Goddess was prayed to by Adi Shankara. Kamakshi, Meenakshi & Akilandeswari from Kanchipuram, Madurai & Thiruvanaikoil re
Post a Comment
Read more

ELEPHANTA CAVES PART 3 - THE CELESTIAL MARRIAGE - SHIVA - GHARAPURI -

GHARAPURI  - ELEPHANTA CAVES 3 THE MARRIAGE OF SHIVA AND PARVATHI - attended by relatives, Gana’s, Rishi’s and Deva’s. SHIVA's marriage to PARVATHI, who is standing to his right. SATI who is reborn as PARVATHI to a father who  adores her, does penance to LORD SHIVA to attain him, SHIVA is pleased with the Penance of Parvathi and decides to marry her King HIMAVAN the father, who loves UMA or PARVATHI his daughter, gives her in marriage to SHIVA as SUNDARA. Parvathi Stands on the right hand side of Shiva before marriage. HIMAVAN along with his wife MENA ( MAINA)  placing Uma’s hand in the hands of the LORD SUNDARA.  PARVATHI’s brother MT. MAINAK   with a Kalash (Pot) in his hand and CHANDRA (MOON) behind him. Parvathi is bedecked in Jewels and even Shiva  is crowned and jeweled with necklace and he is holding the sash of his garment which is flowing up to his ankle. A coy PARVATHI bedecked with jewels,SHIVA with a beautiful crown,necklace and yagyopavitham. Sitt
Post a Comment
Read more