Chandramouleeswarar Temple, Mamandur

Wherever we plan to do Uzhavarappani,  a few of our volunteers will visit the temple at least a month in advance to assess the work requirements.  Accordingly, we proceeded to visit  the Swayambunathar Temple at Ocheri (on the Chennai-Vellore Highway), which no doubt needs a face-lift.

We had requested Shri Venkatesan of   CHENNAI SIVAPATHIGAL    to join us.  As he was busy touring temples in  the Kancheepuram district, he expressed his inability.  However on hearing that we were proceeding to Ocheri, he very much  insisted that we should visit the Mamandur temple near Ocheri and come back with a few snaps of the place.  Beyond that he did not provide  any specific info about the temple at that point of time, as probably he might have  wanted to hear our views first.

After visiting Swayambunathar temple, we proceeded to Mamandur (about four km from Ocheri) taking directions from the local villagers.  It was late in the evening with the sun about to set in the next  15 minutes.  As we neared the temple, we could see the damaged super structure and gopurams.

What should have once been the foundation for a Rajagopuram awaited us at the end of a desolate mud road leading to the temple. After scouting for local people, we got hold of a few lads, who brought in a few more villagers to open the temple for us.  

As we entered through this foundation on the southern side, we came across the inner compound wall of more than 10 feet high on on all four sides; but except for a small footpath leading to the temple, the rest of the area was surrounded by wild growth.  We could also see remnants of what should have once  been an outer perimeter wall.

Remaining portion of the compound wall surrounded by wild growth

 At the entrance to the temple on the eastern side, Nandikeswarar is seated majestically on a mandapam, the top of which can be seen in a shattered condition.  Behind Nandi, two raised platforms can be seen.  One should have been the base for the Kodimaram, while the other one should have been a Balipeedam. 

The eastern gopuram is in a terribly bad shape, with only the brick works remaining .At the time of our visit, power cut was in force and with a small torch we entered the temple, only to be greeted by flying bats brushing our face.  These bats were so big in size that we initially mistook them in the dark  for doves.  The stink of bat droppings permeate the entire atmosphere inside.

The state of utter neglect was evident everywhere..  But what shocked us to the core was that except the moolavar and a Vinayagar( inside the praharam), other deities were missing.  The first image below is the place were Chandikeswara was once seated. and the second one is the Ambaal Sannidhi(with Ambaal missing).   Like wise in the vayu moolai of the praharam, the statues of Valli-Devasena-Subramaniar are missing and only the pedestal, where they were earlier installed is there.

When we asked our village escorts,  they told us a sad story.  A few years ago, all the panchaloha idols of the temple along with the stone idols of Amman, Chandikeswarar and Subramaniar were all stolen by idol thieves.  The temple is situated on the outskirts of the village surrounded by paddy fields,with no human habitation nearby.  There was a time when it was raining continuously for about three to four weeks and none of the villagers ventured out of their homes.  They feel that this idol theft should have happened during that period.  Since no regular pooja  had been  going on in  the temple, the theft of the idols were taken note of by them only after a long time.

Presently a group of villagers have realised the need for a regular pooja and they have appointed one of their men as a pujari to keep the temple open  and light the lamps. At the time of our visit, we could see a few young girls  from the village worshipping the moolavar.  Missing idols have not deterred the faithful. We observed a kolam and a few mud lamps in front of the Subramaniar pedestal, indicating that some form of a worship is going on despite the absence of the idols. The villagers told us that, they have already decided to install another statue of Sowbhagyanayagi Amman in the place of the missing one.  Presently they have arranged for a new Rishaba Vahanam in the place of the damaged one and we were informed that Pradhosha Pooja is being held regularly.

The newly acquired Rishaba Vahanam

The temple needs a total renovation on a massive scale.  We hope that the day may  not be far off when some philanthropists come forward to re-build the temple restoring  its earlier grandeur.  Strange are the ways of the Divine Almighty Lord Shiva and ordinary mortals like us cannot guess why He allowed His Place of Abode to be vandalised by miscreants.  However from our side, as a mark of our respect to the villagers who adore this temple and pray here, we have decided to clean up the place and clear the bushes & weeds from the surroundings, so that more local people evince interest and start praying at the temple regularly.

Local villagers (clad in dhoti/lungi) who presently look after the temple 

அருள்மிகு கோகிலாம்பிகை சமேத திருக்காமீஸ்வரர் திருக்கோவில். வில்லியனூர்

அருள்மிகு கோகிலாம்பிகை சமேத திருக்காமீஸ்வரர் திருக்கோவிலில் திருப்பணி செய்யும் பாக்கியம் நமது குழுவிற்கு இறையருளால் கடந்த ஞாயிற்றுகிழமை (16.09.2012) அன்று கூடியது. பாண்டிச்சேரியில் இருந்து விழுப்புரம் செல்லும் சாலையில், பாண்டியில் இருந்து 10 km தொலைவில் இத்திருக்கோவில் அமைந்துள்ளது.


இத்திருக்கோவிலின் சிறப்புகள் :    கோயில்களில் தீபாராதனையின் போது "ஓம் ராஜாதி ராஜாயப்ரசஹ்ய ஸாகினே' என்ற மந்திரம் கூறி தீபாராதனை காட்டுவார்கள். இந்த மந்திரத்தில் "காமேஸ்வரோ'  என்ற வார்த்தை வரும். இவரை தரிசிக்க வேண்டுமானால் புதுச்சேரி அருகிலுள்ள வில்லியனூர் கோகிலாம் பிகை சமேத திருக்காமீஸ்வரர் கோயிலுக்கு செல்ல வேண்டும். எந்தக்கோயிலில் இறைவனை வழிபட்டாலும் அதில் காமேஸ்வரரின் திருநாமம் உச்சரிக்கப்படும்.(நன்றி: தினமலர் )

1200 வருடங்களுக்கு மேற்பட்ட பழமையான கோவில்.  சுயம்புவான சிவலிங்கத்திருமேனி மண்ணால் உருவானது. எனவே, இங்கு அபிஷேகம் செய்யும்போது ஒரு லிங்க வடிவிலான செப்புப்பாத்திரத்தை சுயம்பு திருமேனியின் மீது கவிழ்த்து , அதன் மீது அபிஷேக வழிபாடு செய்யப்படுகிறது.

இந்திரன், மன்மதன், நாசிங்கமுர்த்தி, பிரம்மா, சூரியன், சந்திரன்,ஆதிசேஷன் ஆகியோர் வழிபட்ட சுயம்பு முர்த்தி. ஆதி சங்கரர் பூஜித்து நிர்மாணித்த ஸ்ரீ சக்ரம் அம்மன் சன்னதியில் அமைந்துள்ளது.  சுகப் பிரசவம் நடந்திட அம்மன் அருள் வேண்டி இங்கு உள்ள சிறிய பிரசவ நந்தியிடம் பக்தர்கள் தங்கள் வேண்டுதலைக்கூறி வழிபடுகின்றனர்.

காசியில் இருப்பது போலவே இங்கும் பைரவர் தனது வாகனமான நாய் இல்லாமல் காட்சி அளிக்கிறார்.  ஆண்டுதோறும் பங்குனி 9,10,11 ஆகிய நாட்களில் சூரியக்கதிர்கள் சிவலிங்கம் மீது விழுவதால், சூரிய பகவான் இக்காலத்திலும் சிவனை வணங்கி வருகிறார்.

தேவாரத்தில் வில்வேச்வரம் என்று  கூறப்படும் வைப்புத்தலமாகும்.  கோவில் முழுவதும் எண்ணற்ற கல்வெட்டுக்களும் கலை நயம் மிக்க சிற்பங்கள் கொண்ட தூண்களும் நிறைந்துள்ளன.

1.8 ஏக்கர் பரப்பளவில் அமைந்துள்ள திருக்குளம் பிரம்மதீர்த்தம் என்று அழைக்கப்படுகிறது.இத் திருக்குளத்தின் மகிமை வில்லைப்புராணத்தில் மிக  அருமையாக உரைக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது.

1000 ஆண்டுகளுக்கு முற்பட்ட கோவில் திருத்தேர் 67 அடி உயரம் உள்ளது. புதுச்சேரியின் பெரும் புகழ் பெற்ற திருவிழா வில்லியனூர் தேர்த்திருவிழா.
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Aboout sixty volunteers reached on the night of 15.09.2012 itself to commence uzhavarappani on Sunday.  Ten more joined us the next day.  Excellent arrangements  for our stay and food were made by Shri N Manoharan, Special Officer cum Executive Officer of the temple.  He deserves a special mention here, as under his instructions, the temple staff also were very helpful and cooperated with us fully in executing our cleaning work

We commenced our work by 6 am, splitting ourselves into various groups to clean the outer praharam of the temple.  It was observed that the abhishega water from inside the temple was stagnating in a pit on the outside, due to its normal outlet getting blocked.  With the help of a lengthy pole, our members cleared the block to drain out the stagnated water.

Wooden logs from fallen trees were lying scattered in the southern and western side of the outer praharam.  They were removed to a corner and arranged neatly.  One particular piece of a lengthy teak wood log, posed a big challenge and more than a dozen people had to be assigned to lift and remove it.

After removing the dried leaves and broken twigs from the temple  gardens, weed killer solution was sprayed to prevent unwanted growth of weeds and bushes.  Weeds that were growing on the temple walls were also removed and weed-killer applied.

In the meanwhile, the other groups that were assigned work inside the temple were removing the grime and soot accumulated on the walls and removing cobwebs from the ceiling.  Jet spraying machine was used clean the walls, ceiling, pillars and floor

Lady volunteers cleaned and polished the lamps and vessels used in pooja.  They also cleaned the swami and amman sannidhis.

This historic temple situated in a vast sprawling complex being very big and the size of our work force limited to about 70 only,  we took upon the task of cleaning only certain limited areas of the temple, which we did to the best of our ability and to the satisfaction of the temple authorities.  We are aware that much work needs to be done here.  As all of us had to return to Chennai that night itself, we worked till 2.00pm only.  After finishing lunch, we thanked the E.O. Shri Manoharan for all the excellent arrangements and co-operation extended to us and left the place with the viboothi & kungumam prasadam from the temple.