Ashthadikapala Temples 1
VEDAPUREESHWARAR & BALAMBIGAI TEMPLE - TIRUVERKADU - CHENNAI.
During the night of Brahma,when he was sleeping, the Vedas flowed out of his mouth and were grasped by Hiranyakashipu the Asura. Mahavishnu in the form of Varaha retrieved them by killing the Asura. Since the Vedas had been with the Asura, inorder to attain for the sin they prayed to Lord Shiva here as the Vela trees( Acacia Nilotica),and hence the lord is known as Vedapureeshwarar.The Sthala Vriksham is Velavela after which the place is named as Vel Kadu.( Thiru = Shri, Vel = Vel tree, Kadu = forest) or Thiruverkadu.
Kailasha was getting ready for the grand celebration of the Divine wedding of Bhagavan SHIVA with his consort Devi PARVATHI. The whole world including Devas, Asuras, Rishis, Ganas,Nagas, and all creation were invited.
There was one problem, the earth would shake with the imbalance created by the presence of all living beings present in the northern hemisphere.
Mahadev called Sage Agastya and asked him to go to South to counter balance the weight of the Earth during the marriage.
Sage Agastya an incarnation of Shiva agreed, but was reluctant to go as he would not be present in Kailash on that grand occasion of the marriage of the master of the universe.
Shiva gave Agastya the boon of viewing the marriage from South itself & made the place his abode and appeared in his marriage posture to Agastya. This legend is the concept behind the Vedapureeshwarar Temple in Tiruverkadu Chennai, where lord Shiva & Parvathi gave darshan in the marriage attire to Rishi Agastya and his wife Lopamudra. ( Exchanging of Garlands between Shiva & Parvathi denoting the marriage)(Maalai Parimatram in Tamil).
This temple has a unique feature of lord Shiva & Parvathi in the human form along with the LINGAM in the Garbhagriha. Parvathi is sitting on the left of Shiva signifying the post marriage tradition of wife on the left of the husband,near to his heart.
This temple of lord Shiva as Vedapureeshwarar is the centre of eight Shiva Linga temples which represents the Ashthadikapala, the Gods of the Cardinal directions.
The Lingam would have been in existence for more than 2000 years. The temple has been revered in the canonized hymns on Shiva in Tamil known as Thevaram which is dated to have been written in the 7th Century CE meaning the temple pre-dates the 7th century making it more than 1300 years.The Gajaprishtha/Toonganai Madam in Tamil ( Elephants back or Aspidal)Garbhagriha and Vimana and the inner precinct seems to have been built during the reigns of Kulothunga Cholan II (1133 to 1150 CE) making it an 800 year old temple. The temple would have passed through many a dynasty including the Chola, Vijayanagara, Nayaka and others.
In the inner precinct surrounding the Garbhagriha at the back of the Koshta is the statue of Lingodbhavar. Exactly opposite to that is the Statue of Kulothunga Cholan II also known as Anabhaya Chola alongside Sekkiar.
The temple has a 5 tiered Rajagopuram, entering through which one comes in to a large compound, facing east, on entering it we come to a mukhamandapam, which leads to an ardhaMandapam and into the Garbhagriha.
Mahadev & Parvathi sitting next to each other is the backdrop of the Lingam Vedapureeshwarar. On circumumbulation we come to the sanctum of Devi Parvathi as BALAMBIGAI facing south.
The koshta is lined up with Vinayaka, Dakshinamoorthy, Lingodbhavar,Brahma & Vishnudurga.
In the precinct lined up is the statues of 63 Nayanmars. Sanctum for Vinayaka on the back left.
Subramanian on the back right, praying to lord Shiva in the form of a lingam in front of him inorder to attain for the sin of putting Lord Brahma in prison for forgetting the Pranava Manthra.
At the North east end one finds the sanctum of Kaalabhairavar.
The outer precinct has a Lingam installed by a Rishi under the Sthala Vriksham.
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