Thiru Marugal Temple. Nanilam.

1. Thiru Marugal
   
   
   
   Thiru Marugal is one of 275 Siva Devara Sthalam.
   
   
   
   Thiru Marugal is about 6 kms from Thirupugaloore and 5 kms from Thittacheri on the banks of River Puttharu.
   This is a maddakoil.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   The temple has a big Raja gopuram of five storeys. There is a big Nandi seen on a platform as we enter through the main entrance.
   
   
   
   Vinayakar is known as Vidanteertha Vinayakar. We have to climb few steps to reach Maha mandapam. Here we see paintings relating to the sthala purana. Amman sannidhi is seen in Maha mandapam to a side.
   
   
   
   From there we enter into Artha mandapam where we see huge Dwarabalakar near the entrance to main sanctum on either side.
   
   
   
   Main deity is Swayambu Lingam known as Maanikkavannar and his consort Vanduvar Kuzhali.
   
   
   
   
   Teertham is known as Maanikka teertham / sivagangi, and Sthala vruksham is Plantain. Pushkarani, seen in front of the temple. Marugal means a variety of Plantain.
   
   
   
   Sthala purana: Once a Vaisya named Daman gave word his sister, about giving one of his daughter’s hand by marriage, to her son kumaran. He got 6 of his daughter married to, outsider other than Kumaran. The last daughter was worried and she was not happy with her father’s attitude. She left the house to, marry kumaran her cousin.
   
   
   
   They left the place and wanted to go somewhere, far from the place. During their travel when they reached the place Thiru Marugl, it was dark and they had to spend the night in a safe place. They decided to stay in the temple that night. Due to snake bite, Kumaran lost his life that night and the girl was left alone. She was confused and started crying.
   
   
   
   
   Thiru Gyana Sambandhar was passing through the village and he heard the cry of the girl. He asked her about the girl and learned about the mishappenning. He  pleaded to Lord Siva, and sang hymns on Siva asking for a judgment, for the death that occurred within the compound premises of his temple.
   
   
   
   Lord Siva was pleased and blessed him. He gave life to kumaran. Sambandhar got them married in the temple. We see a separate mandapam in the temple relating to the story.
   
   
   
   Sambandhar sang hymns on Lord Siva and Arunagirinadhar sang Thirupugazh on Lord Murugan.
   
   

[Sambandhar][Swayambu Lingam] [Nandi][Snake bite]

Sirukudi and Anniyoor temple. Nanilam

1. Sirukudi:
   
   
   
   This is one of 275 Siva Devara Sthalam.
   
   
   
   The temple is about 3 kms from Thirupampuram temple. The road is not so good. The temple has a three storey raja gopuram with single prakaram.
   
   
   
   Main deity is Siva Lingam known as Mangala Nadhar and his consort Mangala Nayaki Amman. The Siva Lingam is small Prithivi Lingam.
   
   
   
   Teertham is known as Mangala teertham in front of the temple.
   
   
   
   Purana: Once Lord Siva and Parvathy were playing, and suddenly Lord Siva disappeared. Parvathy went in search of Lord Siva and reached this place and had her bath in this mangala teertham. she made a Small Siva Lingam of palm size out of mud and worshipped him. Hence the place was known as Sirupedi which later, changed as Sirukudi. Lord Siva disappeared in this place, hence the Lord Siva is known as Sukshama Pureeswarar.
   
   
   
   
   As we go around the temple, we see Chandra shekarar as koshta devata, were Lord Siva is seen embracing Parvathy Devi, which is beautiful.
   
   
   
   
   Sambandhar sang hymns on Lord Siva of this place.
   
   
   
   
2. Anniyoor:
   
   
   
   This is one of 275 Siva Devara sthalam.
   
   
   
   Thiru vanniyoor is 3 kms distance form Thiruveezhimizhalai on the banks of River Arasalaru.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   Main Deity is Swayambu Lingam known as Agnepureeswarar. Teertham is known as Agni teertham.
   
   
   
   Purana says Uma devi daughter of Kathyayana muni penenced here to marry Lord Siva. She was blessed by Lord Siva, here and married Lord Siva at Thiruveezhimizhalai. Somaskandar sculpture in this temple is beautiful.
   
   
   
   Thiru Navukkarasar sang hymns on Lord Siva of this place.
   
   

[Sambandhar][Prithivi Lingam]

Kasi, River ganges and ghats.

We are glad to share our travel trip to Varanasi, Mirzapur, Allahabad, Ayodhya, Nemisaranyam and Lucknow.




Inspite of certain difficulties we had to face, we did enjoy our trip and it was a memorable one. The trip was for ten days including train travel. All arrangements were done only by phone calls, so there were problems in communication about taxi rates. They do not disclose everything and take it for granted that we are aware of it. This was the first time we faced such problem.




I feel south is much better in many things than north. Their taxi driver are not ready to show the places which you ask for, instead he decides for you, and say those are the places visited by pilgrims normally. This was major problem in going around the places of our choice. We were able to see just 60% of our choice.




Taxi or auto is not the mode of transport recommended for Kasi, since the lanes are narrow; always one has to walk a lot to reach the temples. I will try to give hints about the places which we missed, along with the one which we visited, so that it can help someone who goes through the information about our trip.

Varnasi:




We did minimum rituals in Ganges shore after a dip in Ganges. The prohit arranged for a boat to travel from one end to the other end of Varnasi shore.




The great river banks at Varanasi, is built high with eighteenth and nineteenth-century pavilions and palaces, temples and terraces, are lined with an endless chain of stone steps. We got down from the boat in certain ghats and the rest we saw only from the boat.

1. Ghats
   
   
   
   The five important ghats are Asi ganga Ghat, Dasaswameda ghat, Adi kesava ghat Pancha ganga ghat, and Manikarnika ghat.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   At every point one has to climb atleast 50 steps we had to go up and pass through small lanes to reach the temple. We took the boat from Kedar ghat.
   
   
   
   
2. Kedar Ghat
   
   
   
   
   We had darshan of Kedareeswarar in this ghat. The temple is in South Indian style. We see Nalwar sculpture on the temple walls. The shiva lingam was huge one.
   
   
   
   



3. Thirupura Bairavi Ghat:
   
   
   
   Here in this ghat we have varahi temple to visit. The temple is opened from 4 am and it is closed by 7am before sun rise. Here she is known as pdala varahi.
   
   
   
   Goddess Varahi is in basement room and no one is allowed inside other than poojari. We have a room to ground level and here there is a small opening just to peep through to have Pada darshan of varahi amman.
   
   
   
   
   There is one more hole from where you can see a portion of Goddess varahi. The distance from where we look down to see varahi is about 10’feet from ground level.
   
   
   
   



4. Bindu Madhavar ghat:
   
   
   
   
   We have Bhindu Madhavar temple here in this ghat. This is one of the panchava madhava kshetram. The main deity Bhindu madhavar with four hands is of saligrahma stone. They say the yatra completes only after a visit to the temple.
   
   
   
   



5. Hanuman ghat:
   
   
   
   Kanchi Kamakoti Sankara math, with patasala is on this ghat.
   
   
   
   Kamakshi temple is near by. The temple was constructed as acharaya wanted it.
   
   
   
   Main deity is Kamakoteswarar, and goddess Kamakoti devi. Siva linga is of saligrahama stone. The sculpture of goddess kamakoti devi is of green stone, Ganesha and Soorya dev are of red stone.
   
   
   In the temple we see pallikonda sivan also. The gopuram is of south Indian style. We see different forms of Lord Siva as we go around the main sanctum.






6. Sindhya ghat :
   
   
   
   we have a Dattatreyar temple. We see padam of Dattatreyar
   
   
   



7. Ghya ghat:
   
   
   
   Swamy Narayan temple is seen in this ghat.
   
   
   
   



8. Mani karnica ghat:
   
   
   
   There is a small vishnu shrine and Padhuka of marble stone on the embankment of the ghat. chakkra teertham is there wich we cannot see.
   
   
   



9. Pancha ganga Ghat:
   
   
   
   important for pinda pradhanam. {ritual}
   
   
   
   



10. Adi kesava ghat :
    
    
    
    This is the place where vishnu landed first as an emissery of and stands on the original site of the city before it spreads southwards. It is to the outskirts of city. Here River Orna mees with River ganges and sangamam takes place.
    
    

[Varnasi][Ganges][Ghats]