Kumbakonam Walking Tour - Chakrapani- Sarangapani

We continued our walking tour and moved on next to Chakrapani Temple located at a distance of around 2 Kms from Ramaswamy Temple.
Chakrapani Temple is a Hindu Temple dedicated to Vishnu who appears in the form of a discus or Chakra to put down the pride of Surya (the Sun), who subsequently became his devotee. Like Shiva, Lord Chakrapani has a third eye on His forehead. The temple is one of the most prominent temples in Kumbakonam.As per Hindu legend, Chakra(also called Sudarshana), the discus, is the most powerful weapon of god Vishnu.
Mahavishnu - deputed His discus – Chakra to destroy demon Jalandarasura.  The Chakra pierced into the Patala Loka (the nether world) and destroyed the demon.  It came out and rested on the hands of Lord Brahmma who was performing a yajna on the banks of Holy Cauvery.  Happy Brahmma installed that Sri Chakra there itself on the banks of Cauvery.  It was brighter than Sun.  Sun God was jealous to see another power brighter than him and further increased his light.  But the Sri Chakra absorbed all his brightness and made Sun dark.  The sun surrendered to the Sri Chakra and built this temple.

 

After Chakrapani we visited Adi Kumbeswarar temple once again. The crowd was thin and we could get really close to the sanctum and pray. We arrived in time for the 7.30 pm evening seva and witnessed the glorious deeparchanai at all the three sanctums - Kumbeswarar, Managalambikai and Somaskandar.The experience was exhilirating.

There on we moved on to Sarangapani - and we landed in time for the Oonjal Sevai. The Utsava Murthy (festival idols) had been taken out for circumambulation on the shoulders of hefty built & strong youth.There was chanting of Divya Prabandham by priests and periodical sevai to Perumal. The youth moved in rythmic steps and the utsavar murthy was swinging left & right as if in a cosmic dance mode. The murthy was taken to an Oonjal (swing) and placed on it. Perumal and Thayar were then made to swing while sevas were offered.It was a stunning spectacle and an overawing and humbling experience. The Sevai was over at 9.00 pm and all devotees were made to squat on the floor to receive pulihora prasadam.

Walking Tour of Temples in Kumbakonam

12 December 2017: After having rested well we took off on a walking tour of temples located in the central bazaar area of Kumbakonam. Our first visit was to the Ramaswamy Temple. This temple is dedicated to Lord Rama a reincarnation of Lord Vishnu.
The temple has a 3-tiered gopuram surrounded by walls. The central shrine houses the image of Rama in a seated posture with his consort Sita. The other images are of his brothers Lakshmana, Bharatha and Shatruguna in standing posture and Hanuman in worship posture. The sixty four pillars in the hall near the gopuram carry exquisite sculptures depicting various episodes of the epic Ramayana. On the walls of the outer prakaram or pillared corridor(closed precincts of a temple),Ramayanam is depicted in pictorial format in three segments.

ENTRANCE GOPURAM ( TAKEN FROM WEB)

EXQUISITELY SCULPTURED STONE FIGURINES

THE VIMANAM INSIDE WHICH HOUSES MAIN SANCTUM - YOU CAN ALSO SEE THE ENTRANCE GOPURAMS

COLONNADED CORRIDOR CARRYING PAINTINGS DEPICTING THE STORY OF RAMAYANA

THE COLORFUL VIMANAM

 

 

 

Tirukadayur Temple

Day 3: 12 December 2017
Visited Tirukadayur Temple in the forenoon. Reached around 11.00 am. It was generally a bright & sunny day. Many Sastiapthapurthy & Sathabhishekam celebrations were in progress. But it was not unduly crowded. Prayed at the Temple at the sanctums of Amritagadeswarar, Abhirami, Kalasamharamurthy & Vinayaker. Amazingly fulfilling darshan on my 69th Star Birthday (Nakshatra Poranthanal). The legend is that the Lord crushed Yamadharmaraja (God of Death) in order to save his young fiercely ardent devotee Margandeyan.The Lord is also known as Mritunjayamurthy as the annihilation of Yama depicts victory over death.This is a Padal Petra Sthalam.
Legend:Sage Mrigandu and his wife Maruthuvathi were praying to Lord Shiva for child.  The sage performed severe penance.  Lord said that the sage couple would have a son with all wisdom and noble qualities but his life would too short spanning just 16 years. He was named Markandeya.  When he entered the age of 16, his parents were sad.  Knowing the problem, Markandeya took a pilgrimage to all Shiva Sthalas.  He came to Tirukadayur.  This was the 108th temple of his pilgrimage.  That also happened to his day of destiny.  While he was praying to Lord, Yama directly came there to take his life.  Seeing Yama, Markandeya embraced Lord Amirtha Kadeswara with all his might.  When Yama threw his rope on Markandeya, it fell and covered Lord also, who in all fury hit him and destroyed him with His trident.  Turning to Markandeya, Lord said that he would ever be 16 only without death.
By 1.00 pm we completed our tour of the temple and proceeded for lunch at Hotel Sadabhishekam. The lunch was a typical South Indian style comprising rice curries vegetables curd butter milk etc served on banana leaf. We then returned to Kumbakonam for a well deserved afternoon nap.

MARGANDEYAN, SHIVA & YAMA

THE ENTRANCE GATE

DWAJA STHAMBHAM

REGULATION SELFIE

A FRIENDLY GOAT - WANTS TO KNOW WHATS IN THE SATCHEL

MAIN ENTRANCE CORRIDOR - SEE THE TEMPLE ELEPHANT ABHIRAMI

SADHUS WAITING FOR ALMS

HOTEL KANAKABHISHEKAM - NICE PLAY TO STAY & DINE

 BANANA LEAF MEALS

Myladithurai-Nagapattinam - Tirukannangudi

Day 2(11 December'17) contd...
After offering prayers at Sarangapani & Kumbeswara temples we left for Myladuthurai(40 Km from Kumbakonam) to visit the sub court for some follow up of legal matters. To our chagrin the concerned files pertain to the case in question had been transferred to the Nagapattinam District Court. We had to take a split second decision whether to proceed to Nagapattinam (56 Km from Myladuthurai) or not. We decided to go and left immediately. We traveled via Tranquebar (an old Danish settlement), Tirukadayur & Karaikal. We stopped briefly at Karaikal (comes under the administration of Pondicherry State) at Iyyengar bakery and stocked our larder with pastries, cookies, cup cakes,croissant,etc.Prospects of good clean hygienic food at Nagapattinam is poor hence we had to manage with bakery products.

We reached Nagapattinam district court around 12.45 noon and were directed to the archives where all files from sub courts are stored. Fortunately they located the case file bundles that we wanted in quick time. We requested for photocopies but they refused. They however agreed to allow us to read the case files and make notes. It virtually took us the whole day to finishing scanning all the documents and we finally left the court premises around 5.00 pm - mission accomplished.
Our next destination was to visit Tirukannangudi Temple situated around 15 Kms from Nagapattinam (via Sikkal). The picture below is taken from Dinamalar website.

This is one of the 108 Divya Desams. This is also one of the Pancha Krishna Kshetrams. A little run down & dilapidated with poor upkeep.We reached around 5.45 evening. The priest had to be summoned from his house nearby. The sanctums were opened and prayers offered at Moolavar sanctums. The main deity is Loganatha Perumal & his consort is Loganayaki Thayar. The Utsavar Moorthys are Damodara Narayanan & Aravindavalli Thayar.The priest offered us prasadam of pongal - a rice preparation which tasted quite divine.
After that we departed for Kumbakonam via Tiruvarur. The road upto Tiruvarur, around 21 Km was decrepit and the drive was uncomfortable. Thereafter the road conditions improved and the rest of the journey (40 Km) was smooth. We traveled via Tirucherai Tiruvidaimaruthur Nachiar Kovil Tirubhuvanam before reaching Kumbakonam around 8.30 at night. All these are significant temples but we could not visit due to late hours.

Kumbakonam Trip - Day 2

11 Dec'2017: We got up at 6.00 am and walked to Ramanas coffee for our morning cuppa - Kumbakonam Degree Coffee.A small non descript outlet near the bazaar abutting the Kumbeswarar temple They serve the best coffee in Kumbakonam - served piping hot in steel tumblers. The owners are a nice couple and very courteous.They also serve snacks like samosas, bondas, bajis & vadas etc.

 After our coffee we returned to the hotel for quick shower & breakfast. Next we walked across to the nearby Someswarar & Sarangapani Temples which are right opposite the Kumbeswarar Temple-the two being separated by the Pottramai Kulam or the Golden Lotus Tank.

This is how the tank looked some years ago. Now due to poor rainfall the tank has run dry. You can see the Gopurams or towers of the two temples in the back ground

Sarangapani Temple: This is one of the 108 Divya Desams as well as one the Pancha Renga Kshetrams.(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pancharanga_Kshetrams).The Lord Sarangapani is in reclining posture & his consort is Kamalavalli Thayar. The photo of the bronze utsavar ( festival idol) is shown below:

Someswarar Temple: This temple is a bit nondescript and not as frequented by devotees as Sarangapani.This is a Padal Petra Sthalam. The main deity is Someswara and his consort is Somasundari.When the nectar (Somam) pot broke, the water flowed in this place and a tank came into being called Chandra Pushkarini.  In course of time, it dried.
For more details please read my earlier blogpost:  http://sankriti.blogspot.in/2014/03/someswarar-temple-kumbakonam.html

Adi Kumbeswara Temple

10 December 2017: After a good rest in the hotel room we went to the Adi Kumbeswarar temple in the evening. It is a 5 minute walk from our hotel.We walked through a bazaar packed with shops & vendors selling coconuts, flowers, vegetables & fruits and stray cows meandering around.The smells from the bazaar were pleasant and reminiscent of Mylapore & Pondy Bazaar in Chennai. The Temple is fairly expansive and the corridor leading the the main temple is packed with shops selling a range of useful traditional house hold items - brass,iron,stone vessels,pots & pans,coconut graters, kolam makers,aapam pans, idiyappam makers etc. The rates are reasonable and if you are a good bargainer you can get hefty discounts.

The entrance gopuram & the pillared stone walkway

The stone colonnaded corridor around the temple through which devotees circumambulate

 We reached the main sanctum of Adi Kumbeswarar around 7.40 pm and by that time the evening deeparchanai had just been completed and we narrowly missed it. We prayed at the sanctums of Kumbeswarar & Mangalambikai. The lingam is a swayambu or self formed lingam. It is made of sand hence no abhishekam is performed.
Apart from this there is also a separate sanctum for Somaskandar ( Swamy, Uma & Skandar). This is a bronze Utsavamurthy or festival idol.
Legend: It is believed that the name of the town Kumbakonam is derived from legend associated with Kumbeswarar Temple.It is believed that the mythical pot (Kumbham) of Brahma contained the seed of all living beings on earth. The Kumbham is believed to have been displaced by pralaya ( destruction of the universe) effected by the arrow of Hindu god Shiva the destroyer. Ultimately the pot came to rest in this place and the town got is name Kumbha-konam.
History: The temple has been in existence since the 7th century and considerably expanded during the rule of the Nayaka Kings during 15th Century.

Kumbakonam Road Trip

10 December 2017: Left on a sudden unplanned road trip to Kumbakonam & Mayiladuthurai. Started from Coimbatore @ 9.45 am travelled via Palladam Kangayam Vellakoil Karur & finally parallel to the Cauvery river via Mukkombu towards Trichy (190 Kms from Coimbatore).Cauvery was virtually dry except for stray pools of water. From Trichy I allowed GPS decide the shortest route to Kumbakonam. The route took us via Kallanai Dam, Poondi,Tiruvaiyyar, Kabi Sthalam & Swami Malai. We reached Kumbakonam around 3.30 pm and checked into Hotel Athityaa.The Kallanai Dam is a very scenic picnic spot.
Kallanai also known as the Grand Anicut is an ancient dam built across the Cauvery river in Tiruchirapalli. The dam was originally constructed by the Chola King Karikalan in 2nd century AD and is the fourth-oldest water-diversion or water-regulator structures in the world and the oldest in India which is still in use. The dam was remodeled and strengthened by the British during the 19th Century.

THE GRAND ANAICUT OR KALLANAI DAM

STATUE OF KARIKALA CHOLAN

Handloom Weaving

At RMKV Silks, Coimbatore: Witnessed weaving of a vibrant hand loom silk sari. The guy is doing this so effortlessly and nonchalantly.He takes an average of 20 days to complete one sari. The result is a colorfully elegant sari with rich eye catching ornate designs and the gorgeously draped wearer weaves magic into your hearts.

Thiru Amanalingeswarar Temple

Here are some pictures of Amanalingeswarar Temple, Thirumurthy hills which we visited on 18th November 2017. The day was bright & sunny and the sky was clear blue except for some scattered white fluffy clouds. A fortnight after our visit the area experienced heavy rains resulting in flash flood in Thirumurthy falls and partial submergence of the temple. Access to the temple & falls has been temporarily closed. For detailed information about the temple please log onto the official temple website: http://www.amanalingeswarartemple.tnhrce.in/

Thirumurthy Falls, Udumalpet

The 1 Km trek from the base of Thirumurthy hills to reach Panchalinga Falls was pleasant. Surrounded by tall towering hills,lush greenery everywhere, amazing rock formations,exotic trees,the sound of the stream meandering downhill of the falls & racket of rhesus monkeys waiting to pounce on unsuspecting visitors to snatch away a satchel of food or your precious camera. A shower in the thundering Panchalinga falls was exhiliratingly divine.This place is a must visit. Pack your bags NOW for a day picnic from Coimbatore.(100 km)y .
Thirumurthy hills is quintessential of the irresistible pulchritude of Udumalpet !