Tuesday 19 March 2024

Abhi Mukheswarar Temple / அபி முகேஸ்வரர் சிவாலயம், Kumbakonam. Kumbakonam District, ( Thanjavur District ), Tamil Nadu.

The visit to this Sri Abhi Mukheswarar Temple, close to Mahamaham Tank, at Kumbakonam was a part of Divya Desams around Kumbakonam and Thanjavur Visit on 10th and 11th February 2024, organized by Culture Circuit. This is also one of the 12 temples, that participates in Mahamaham festival, which celebrates once in 12 years.


Moolavar  :  Sri Abhi Mukheswarar
Consort    :  Sri Amirthavalli

Some of the salient features of this temple are….
The temple is facing west with a 3 tier Rajagopuram. Dwajasthambam, balipeedam and Rishabam are after the Rajagopuram. Dwarapalakas are in front of sanctum sanctorum. In koshtam Vinayagar, Dakshinamurthy, Ardhanareeswarar, Brahma and Durgai.

In praharam, Chandikeswarar, Nagars, Bairavar ( two, Swarna Bairavar ), Adipooramman and Shiva Lingas.

Ardhanareeswarar
Brahma

Bairava

ARCHITECTURE
The temple consists of sanctum sanctorum, antarala, ardha mandapam, and mukha mandapam. The sanctum sanctorum is on a pada bada bandha adhistanam with jagathy, threepatta kumudam, and pattika. The Bhitti starts with vedika and the Pilasters are of brahma kantha pilasters with kalasam, kudam, palakai, vettu pothyal. The prastaram consists of valapi, and kapotam with nasi kudus. The one tala bricks vesara Vimanam is on the prastaram. Shiva, Dakshinamurthy, Maha Vishnu, Brahma are on tala and greeva koshtams. Ashtadikpalakas are also on the tala and greevam. The Sigaram is of vesara style.




HISTORY AND INSCRIPTIONS
The original temple belongs to 09th to 10th century Chozha Period. Latter reconstructed by the Thanjavur Nayakas and Marathas period.

Maha Kumbhabhishekam was conducted on 26th October 2015.

LEGENDS
It is believed that Shri Shiva gave darshan to all the sacred nine rivers also called as Nava kannis ( Ganga, Yamuna, Narmada, Saraswati, Kaveri, Godavari, Tungabhadra, Krishna and Sarayu ), and took them to cleanse their Sin after taking bath in the Mahamaham Tank on masi Maham Day. Hence Shiva is called as Abhimukeshwarar

POOJAS AND CELEBRATIONS
Apart from regular poojas special poojas are conducted on pradosham, Maha Shivaratri, Masi Magha nakshatra day, Mahamaham theerthavari, etc,.

This is one of the 12 Shiva Temples, that participates in Mahamaham Theerthavari festival, which occurs once in 12 Years. The list of 12 Shiva temples and 5 Vaishnava temples of Kumbakonam used to join  and celebrate this Mahamaha festival are given below.

Shiva Temples are…
1.          Kasi Viswanathar Temple,
2.          Adi Kumbeswarar Temple,
3.          Someswarar Temple,
4.          Nageswaraswamy Temple,
5.          Kalahasteeswarar Temple,
6.          Gauthameswarar Temple,
7.          Kodeeswarar Temple,
8.          Amirthakadeswarar Temple,
9.          Banapuriswarar Temple,

11.      Kambatta Viswanathar Temple and

12.      EkambareswararTemple.

The Maha Vishnu Temples are…
1.          Sarangapani Temple,
2.          Chakrapani Temple, 
3.          Ramaswamy Temple,
4.          Rajagopalaswamy Temple, and
5.          Varaha Perumal Temple.

TEMPLE TIMINGS
The temple will be kept opened between 07.00 hrs to 12.00 hrs and 17.00 hrs to 21.00 hrs.

CONTACT DETAILS
The land line number 0435 – 2420276, may be contacted for further details.

HOW TO REACH
The temple is 1 KM from Kumbakonam Railway Station and Kumbakonam Bus Stand.
The temple is about 36 KM from Thiruvaiyaru, 44 KM from Thanjavur, 47 KM from Thiruvarur and 282 KM from Chennai.
Nearest Railway Station is Kumbakonam.

LOCATION OF THE TEMPLE  : CLICK HERE





This lady sculpture is installed along with Nagars. May be a naga kanni or hero stone. Since turmeric is applied, couldn't be identified 
--- OM SHIVAYA NAMA ---

Monday 18 March 2024

Sri Kasi Viswanathar Temple / அருள்மிகு காசி விசுவநாதர் திருக்கோவில், Kumbakonam, Kumbakonam District ( Thanjavur District ), Tamil Nadu.

The visit to this Sri Kasi Viswanathar Temple, close to Mahamaham Tank, at Kumbakonam was a part of Divya Desams around Kumbakonam and Thanjavur Visit on 10th and 11th February 2024, organized by Culture Circuit. This is also one of the 12 temples, that participates in Mahamaham festival, which celebrates once in 12 years.


Moolavar  : Sri Kasi Viswanathar
Consort    : Sri Visalakshi

Some of the salient features of this temple are….
The temple is facing west with a 5 tier Rajagopuram. Balipeedam, Dwajasthambam and Dwarapalakas on flat stone slabs are after the Rajagopuram. Moolavar is on a square avudayar. In koshtam. Vinayagar, Dakshinamurthy, Lingothbavar, Brahma and Durgai. Nalvars are in the ardha Mandapam

In praharam Vinayagar, Bairavar, Suryan, Saniswaran, Chandran, Saptamatrikas,  Anjaneyar and Mahishamardini ( on pillars ), Somaskandar, Nava kannis, Sri Valli Devasena Subramaniar, Gajalakshmi, Ganga, Yamuna, Narmada, Saraswati, Kaveri, Godavari, Tungabhadra, Krishna, Sarayu, Natarajar, and Navagrahas.

Nava kannis - Ganga, Yamuna, Narmada, Saraswati, Kaveri, Godavari, Tungabhadra, Krishna and Sarayu.

Saptamatrikas


ARCHITECTURE
The temple consists of sanctum sanctorum, antarala, ardha mandapam and maha mandapam. The sanctum sanctorum is on an upanam and Adhistanam. The adhistanam is on the padma peetam with jagathy, threepatta kumudam and pattika. The Bhitti starts with vedika. The Pilasters are of Vishnu kantha pilasters with square base, kalasam, kudam, mandi, palakai and poo mottu pothyal. The prastaram consists of valapi and kapotam with nasikudu.

A tala bricks vesara Vimanam is on the prastaram. Shiva, Dakshinamurthy, Brahma are on the Tala, Greeva koshtas. Ashtadikpalakas are also on the greeva koshtams.




HISTORY AND INSCRIPTIONS
The temple belongs to early Chozha’s period ie 09th to 10th century and latter reconstructed by Vijayanagaras and Thanjavur Nayaks.

An inscriptions records that this temple participated in 1992 and 2004 Mahamaham Theerthavari.

Maha Kumbhabhishekam was conducted on 07th July 1985,  09th February 2014.




LEGENDS
It is believed that Shri Shiva  used to lead all the sacred nine rivers also called as Nava kannis ( Ganga, Yamuna, Narmada, Saraswati, Kaveri, Godavari, Tungabhadra, Krishna and Sarayu ), to cleanse their Sin through taking bath in the Mahamaham Tank on Masi Magam Day. This is depicted in the form of stucco images on the arch in front of the Temple Rajagopuram.  

POOJAS AND CELEBRATIONS
Apart from regular poojas special poojas are conducted on pradosham, Maha Shivaratri, Masi Magam nakshatra day, Mahamaham theerthavari, etc,.

One of the speciality of this temple is, for any celebrations in temples in Kumbakonam, putru man / anthill mud will be taken from this temple except Nageswara Swamy temple,

This is one of the 12 Shiva Temple, that participates in Mahamaham Theerthavari festival, which occurs once in 12 Years. The 12 Shiva temples and 5 Vaishnava temples of Kumbakonam used to join  and celebrate this Mahamaha festival.

Shiva Temples are…
1.          Kasi Viswanathar Temple,
2.          Adi Kumbeswarar Temple,
3.          Someswarar Temple,
4.          Nageswaraswamy Temple,
5.          Kalahasteeswarar Temple,
6.          Gauthameswarar Temple,
7.          Kodeeswarar Temple,
8.          Amirthakadeswarar Temple,
9.          Banapuriswarar Temple,
10.      Abhi Mukheswarar Temple,

11.      Kambatta Viswanathar Temple and

12.      EkambareswararTemple.
The Maha Vishnu Temples are…
1.          Sarangapani Temple,
2.          Chakrapani Temple, 
3.          Ramaswamy Temple,
4.          Rajagopalaswamy Temple, and
5.          Varaha Perumal Temple.

TEMPLE TIMINGS
The temple will be kept opened between 07.00 hrs to 12.00 hrs and 17.00 hrs to 21.00 hrs.

CONTACT DETAILS
The land line number +91435 2400658, may be contacted for further details.

HOW TO REACH
The temple is 1 KM from Kumbakonam Railway Station and Kumbakonam Bus Stand.
The temple is about 36 KM from Thiruvaiyaru, 44 KM from Thanjavur, 47 KM from Thiruvarur and 282 KM from Chennai.
Nearest Railway Station is Kumbakonam.

LOCATION OF THE TEMPLE  : CLICK HERE







--- OM SHIVAYA NAMA ---

Sunday 17 March 2024

Sri Veerabhadraswami Temple / Sri Agora Veerabhadra Temple / அருள்மிகு ஸ்ரீ வீரபத்திர சுவாமி திருக்கோயில், Kumbakonam, Kumbakonam District ( Thanjavur District ), Tamil Nadu.

The visit to this Sri Veerabhadra Swamy Temple, close to Mahamaham Tank, at Kumbakonam was a part of Divya Desams around Kumbakonam and Thanjavur Visit on 10th and 11th February 2024, organized by Culture Circuit. 


Moolavar :  Sri Veerabhadra Swamy

Some of the salient features of this temple are….
The temple facing west with a three tier Rajagopuram. Balipeedam and Rishabam are under a mandapam. Vinayagar and Arumugar are at the entrance of antarala. Moolavar Veerabhadra Swamy is in standing posture with 4 hands. Bow, sword and other weapons are in the hand. Medha Dakshinamurthy is only in the koshtam.

Ottakoothar, Bhadrakali and Rajarajeshwari are in the open mukha mandapam.

Moolavar Veerabhadra Swamy 
Moorka Nayanar and Ottakoothar

ARCHITECTURE
The temple consists of sanctum sanctorum, antarala, ardha mandapam and a open mukha mandapam. The total temple was constructed with bricks and cement concrete. The Sanctum sanctorum is on a pada bandha adhistanam with jagathy, vrutha kumudam and pattika. The Bhitti starts with vedika. Brahma kantha pilasters are on the bhitti with kalasam, kudam, palakai and vettu pothyal. The prastaram consists of valapi and kapotam with nasi kudus. The nagara Vimanam above the sanctum sanctorum is of single tala. Stucco images of Veerabhadra are in the greeva koshtams. There are no images in tala and Deva kostas. 





HISTORY AND INSCRIPTIONS
The original Temple belongs to Chozha period and renovated during Thanjavur nayaks period.

The temple is under the control of Veera Saiva Periya madam, and presently headed by Sri-la-Sri Jagadguru Neelakanda Saranga Desikenthra Maha Swamigal.

LEGENDS
As per the legend, Veerabhadra was created by Shiva for destroying Daksha’s yagna, without giving invitation to Shiva. Ma Parvati as Dakshayani was the daughter of Daksha. Veerabhadra as agora Veerabhadra destroyed the Yagna and chopped Daksha’s head. Latter a goat’s head was replaced as per Shiva’s order.

POOJAS AND CELEBRATIONS
Poojas are conducted by the VeeraShaivas, who has got the Deeksha from the Veera Saiva madam.

TEMPLE TIMINGS
The temple will be kept opened between 07.00 hrs to 12.00 hrs and 17.00 hrs to 20.00 hrs.

CONTACT DETAILS
Archagar A Anbazhagan‘s mobile number +919789346697 may be contacted for further details.

HOW TO REACH
The temple is 1 KM from Kumbakonam Railway Station and Kumbakonam Bus Stand.
The temple is about 36 KM from Thiruvaiyaru, 44 KM from Thanjavur, 47 KM from Thiruvarur and 282 KM from Chennai.
Nearest Railway Station is Kumbakonam.

LOCATION OF THE TEMPLE  : CLICK HERE



--- OM SHIVAYA NAMA ---