நெமிலி புன்னாகேஸ்வரர் திருக்கோவில்

Kumbabishegam for this temple takes place today(09.12.2013), after a long gap of more than 50 years.  The Thiruppani Committee needs to be congratulated for their excellent work of roping in almost everybody in the village of Nemili and its surroundings and got them involved in the process of this long pending renovation work.

We had taken up the work of white-washing the compound walls and we did the first coat of  white-washing on 21.july 2013.  This is covered in our blog post of 22.08.2013 which can be seen here  @ புன்னாகேஸ்வரர் திருக்கோவில் , நெமிலி

 

To give a second coat and finishing touch to the compound walls, we were again at the place on 01.12.2013. Those of us who had reached on the previous day were accomodataed at Thirumati Dhanabakiyam Venu Thirumana Maaligai at Nemili.

Shri Karthikeyan of Nemili conducts free tuitions to school children from 4th std to 12th std along with Yoga. Dedicated teachers assist him in this endeavour for the past 4 years. Their students top in school exams. Some of these students joined us in our Uzhavaarapani.

Like the previous occasion, this time too, the rain god was in our favour.  Though the sky was overcast with dark clouds, there was no disruption in our work, while the entire city of Chennai and its suburbs were lashed by the cyclonic storm and gusty winds.

This toddler won the heart of everybody, by actively serving us during our lunch

Our friends who had been to Thiruvannamali for the Mahadeepam festival (Refer our previous post).  distributed to  all the participants அண்ணாமலையார் விபூதி பிரசாதம் & ருத்ராக்ஷம் .

Our team gave the finishing touch and packed up by 05.00pm with a great sense of satisfaction.

Click Here  to view additional pictures of Nemili Uzhavarappani

தீப மங்கள ஜோதி நமோ நம

Six of our volunteers working in Canara Bank were blessed with the opportunity of serving at the holy shrine Thiruvannamalai Temple for a week from 11-Nov-2013 to 17-Nov-2013, on the occasion of  Karthigai Mahadeepam.

Every year, the Thiruvannamalai Devasthanam provides the devotees with the facility of participating in the Karthigai Mahadeepam by way of their offering ghee for lighting the Holy Deepam atop the hill.  This is done through sale of ghee tickets in the denominations of Rs.50, Rs.100 & Rs.200( for 1/4th kg, 1/2 a kg & 1 kg of ghee respectively).  The sale of these tickets are done through Canara Bank, at special counters established for the purpose.

Sea of humanity adds colour to the festival

The entire town of Thiruvannamalai wears a festive look  and the devotees start coming in huge numbers.  During the first four days, our guys had the opportunity of working at the special entrance ticket counter and the Navagraha Deepam counter, besides handling the sale of ghee tickets.  Usually, the heavy rush is seen only during the last three days and as a result, the ghee counter gets shifted near the entrance during this period.



The temple authorities make a bulk order for ghee which is obtained in 15 kg tins directly from the Aavin Dairy in advance. The devotees who purchase these ghee tickets are allowed to add some camphor when  the ghee is weighed before them and  are repacked in tins.  This apart, the ghee separately brought by the devotees directly are also taken and poured into tins. The tins are again sealed and taken to the hill top for lighting the Maha Deepam

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Ghee weighed in front of the devotees

Weighed ghee is re-packed

Tins are re-sealed

During the last three days, to meet the heavy rush, we opened our counters by 06.30am and we managed the show in shifts till 11.30pm in the night.  Especially on the 15th & 16th of  Nov., despite a heavy cyclonic storm lashing the town of Thiruvannamalai, the devotees came drenched to purchase the ghee tickets and patiently waited in the serpentine queue for this purpose. In between our shifts, we could snatch a few moments to take a few snaps for updating this blog post.
 

1000 metres of Gaada cloth- Wick for the Mahadeepam

The wick that is used in the Deepam is  new gaada cloth of 1000 metres.  This is provided by the family of Kandaswamy Mudaliar of Thiruvannamalai, who take it around the temple in procession  and hand it  over to the temple authorities  Along with the specially made big Kopparai (cauldron), all these are taken atop the hill by the members of Parvatha Raja Kulam, after the ceremonial  pooja at the temple.

Sealed Ghee tins are taken to the hill top

The Kaarthigai Maha Deepam in the evening  is preceeded by the Bharani Deepam celebrations, early in the morning at the Thiruvannamalai Temple.  A small portion of this Bharani Deepam fire is carried inside a container of baked earth to the summit of the mountain, where it is be used for lighting  the Maha Deepam in the evening.

In the meanwhile, preparations go on for the evening's climax. The Pancha Murthys are are brought out from the main shrine of the temple and housed in Vimanams in the 3rd prakaram of the temple, facing the flag staff and the Annamalai Hill. The last to arrive is Annamalaiyar who comes out of the second prakaram, dancing with his consort.

Ardhanareeswarar comes out dancing

The crowd waits to catch a glimpse of the  of Ardhanareeswarar, who comes out of the temple only once every year on this day and that too only for a few minutes. At the appointed time of 6.00pm,  Ardhanareeswarar is brought out in a gait by the bearers and a deeparadanai is offered to the Utsavar, and at this very instant, the Maha Deepam  on the hill is lighted amids the chanting of அண்ணாமலையாருக்கு அரோஹரா by the tens of thousands of devotees gathered inside the temple premises.  The crowd breaks into a cheer, yet retaining the order that was there when it was just beginning to assemble.

A few seconds after the Maha Deepam is lit---All devotees are turned towards the  peak with folded hands atop their heads  in prayer and chanting Annamalaiyarukku Arohara.  They  wait for the clouds to lift, so that they can have a Dharshan of the Maha Deepam.

The human mass gathered within and around the precincts of the temple, along with the residents of the town and neighboring towns catch sight of the flame atop the Annamalai hill, cherishing the age old belief that it is a representation of Shiva himself, who appeared in the form of a  mighty column of flame the origin of which  could not be deciphered by the other two of the Trinity namely Bhramma and Vishnu.

Keeping with tradition, the inner sanctum doors close, with the arrival of the deepam outside, and it is believed Annamalaiyaar is to be worshipped only as the Maha Deepam  beacon until the next morning when the shrine is reopened.   The residents of Thiruvannamalai also light deepams in their homes and start cooking food on that day only after witnessing and Maha Deepam. This year, there was a heavy cloud cover on top of the hills.  As a result. the Maha Deepam was visible from the eastern side only for the first few minutes on 17.11.2013.

 

Photo Courtesy: omarunachala.com

Photo Courtesy: omarunachala.com

 After eleven days of burning, the deepa kopparai is brought down from the hills and a ceremonial pooja offered.  A parihara pooja is also done at the temple since many devotees have climbed the Holy Hill which  is considered  as God Shiva Himself.   The burnt residue of the gaada cloth wick forms into a thick black paste. This black paste, after the ceremonial pooja at the temple on the day of Thiruvaadhirai festival,  is distributed to the devotees as a Prasad and the devotees consider this as a Raksha.

Click Here to view a few more images.

Thiruchotruthurai

அருள்மிகு ஸ்ரீ அன்னபூரணி அம்பிகா சமேத ஸ்ரீ ஒதனவனேஸ்வரர் திருக்கோவில் , திருச்சோற்றுத்துறை .

திருவையாறு சப்த ஸ்தான ஸ்தலங்கள் என்று அழைக்கப்படும் ஏழு இடங்களில் மூன்றாவது இடத்தில உள்ள திருத்தலம் இது.[மற்ற ஆறு இடங்கள் --திருவையாறு, திருப்பழனம், திருவேதிக்குடி,  திருக்கண்டியூர், திருப்பூந்துருத்தி மற்றும் திருநெய்தானம்  ஆகியவை].

திருமழப்பாடியில்  நந்தி தேவருக்கும் ஸ்ரீசாம்பிகைக்கும் கல்யாணம் நடந்தது.

திருவையாறைச் சேர்ந்த மாப்பிள்ளை நந்தி தேவருக்கும், திருமழப்பாடியைச் சேர்ந்த மணப்பெண் ஸ்ரீ சாம்பிகைக்கும்  நடந்த  கல்யாணத்திற்கு,

திருச்சோற்றுத்துறையிலிருந்து அன்னமும்,

திருக்கண்டியூரிலிருந்து  கண்டிகைகளும் ( ஆபரணங்களும்),

திருவேதிக்குடியிலிருந்து வேத பிராமணர்களும்,

திருபூந்துருத்தியிலிருந்து புஷ்பங்களும்,

திருநெய்தானத்திலிருந்து ஹோம திரவியங்களும்,

திருபழனத்திலிருந்து பழங்களும்,

சென்று விமர்சையாக திருமணம் நடந்தேறியது.

அதற்கு நன்றி சொல்லும் விதமாகத்தான் பஞ்சநதீஸ்வரர் சுவாமியும் தர்மசம்வர்தினி அம்பாளும் மாப்பிள்ளை பெண்ணோடும் இந்த ஊர்களுக்கு பல்லக்கில் சென்று நன்றி கூறுகின்றனர்.
 

 

திருச்சோற்றுத்துறை வரும் பல்லக்குகள் சுவாமி பிரகாரத்தை வலம் வர முடியாதவாறு புதர் மண்டியிருப்பதால் அவற்றை அகற்றி ஆறடி அகலத்திற்கு நடைபாதை  அமைத்து மேலும் பிரகாரத்தைச் சுற்றிலும் விஸ்தாரமாக உள்ள இடத்தில் நந்தவனம் அமைத்து அதைச் சுற்றி  வேலி போடவும் முடிவு செய்தோம். 

This temple has been in our consideration for quite a long time. We had wanted to clear the outer praharam of all the dense growth of vegetation and lay a pathway around the temple.  But the huge outlay involved made us to postpone our efforts for more than three years.  With Divine Grace,  financial and material  contributions from several devotees started pouring in that enabled us to complete a major portion of our work on Oct. 20, 2013.

Shri Kannan of Canara Bank, Thanjavur coordinated with  Shri Kannan, Computer Science Lecturer of Sastra University,  and engaged bulldozers to clear the bushes and create a pathway in the outer praharam.  The entire work was planned two months in advance.  Still, we had to encounter various delays in completing this clearing operation.

During the end of Sept.2013, a few of us visited a nursery in Uthandi, Chennai.  Under the guidance of Shri Ganesan, the Horticulturist of our team, we were able  to identify and order the flowering plants required for the temple. As the temple does not have a Rajagopuram and there are no gates at the entrance, we had arranged for grill gates to prevent entry of cattle.

 

Shri Mohan of Chennai was kind enough to make available at our disposal an Eicher Truck fully filled up with diesel along with a driver for two full days. The grill gates, fencing for the nandavanam area,   and all the equipment required for our work were  loaded in this truck  along with 1032 saplings of various flowering plants and sent in advance by Saturday (19.10.2013) afternoon itself.

On the night of Oct. 19, 2013, one group of volunteers numbering 70 boarded the Mannai Express at Egmore station.   We were joined by about 30 volunteers who had reached Tanjore directly by bus from various places.

The authorities of Kamala Subramaniam Matric Higher Secondary School were kind enough to provide us two buses as early as by 04.30 am  at Thanjavur railway station to  take us to Thiruchotruthurai temple and also to drop us back in the evening to board train for our return journey.

A separate area was marked for nandavanam and flowering plants like rose, arali, jasmine etc for use during pooja were planted.

Over all, we had created a 12 feet pathway around the second praharam for about 170 feet length  each on the southern side and the northern side and another 120 feet of the western rear side.  On both the sides of this pathway surrounding the wall of the second praharam, our volunteers dug out a trench of one foot depth , where the saplings were planted under the supervision  of Shri Ganesan.  The local children participated  with great enthusiasm and it was heartening to hear them say THIRUCHITRAMBALAM, with each planting of the saplings.   

We had also taken with us a motor pump in good working condition along with hose pipe for 100 metres length and the same was handed over to the temple trustees, to  help them in watering the plants. Shortly an overhead tank will also be constructed  for this purpose.

Final Touch to the entrance grill gate

We left Thiruchotruthurai after participating in the evening pooja.  praying for early construction of a Rajagopuram and a Kodimaram for the temple.  Strange are the ways of Lord Shiva.  We are sure that at the right moment He will get this done.

Varuna Baghavan too bestowed his benevolence on us.  The monsoon rains that lashed Thanjavur Dist during the previous two days had stopped when we reached Thanjavur.  The weather was very pleasant for the outdoor manual labour we had indulged in.  Only after we boarded the train for our return journey,  the rains started again and continued for the whole of next day. 

The tamil newspaper Maalai Malar - Trichy edition of 20.10.2013 covered our activities with a photo as well, quoting that the clearing of the bushes and creating a pathway around will enable the Utsavamoorthy to come around the second praharam after more than 200 years.

On Oct 26, we were delighted by  the information from the temple  that the saplings planted by us have started flowering and were used for the Pooja.  Again on Nov. 01, 2013,  Shri. Kannan of Thiruchotruthurai said that  after Pradhosha Pooja,  Pradhosha Nayagar was taken around the outer Praharam with Nadhaswaram, & Thavil vidhwans playing Mallari etc. They were ecstatic, since nobody had ever seen this happening before in their lifetime. This pathway around the outer praharam has been  cleared and leveled for the first time in nearly two centuries.

வாழ்க சீர் அடியாரெல்லாம்.  Looking back, three years ago, when we were discussing  this project, some of us were really doubtful if we could ever take up a mega work like this which required permission from the govt., huge financial outlay etc.  The sheer magnitude of the project made us a bit nervous. A week before we started on our journey, our group's coordinator decided to send a mail to all our contacts mentioning: "திருவோடு ஏந்திய இறைவனுக்காக நாங்களும்  திருவோடு ஏந்தி  விண்ணப்பிக்கிறோம்", since our project cost was exceeding  three lakhs and we were running short of funds.  Now that we have completed it, all we can say is that   this could not have happened without the Divine Grace, that has been guiding us throughout.    In the process, quite a number of philanthropists have helped us with money and material to complete this work. We record here  their timely contributions with a deep sense of gratitude.  We thank each and every one of them personally. 

காவினை இட்டும் குளம்பல தொட்டும் கனிமனத்தால்
ஏவினையால் எயில் மூன்று எரித்தீர் என்று இருபொழுதும்
பூவினைக் கொய்து மலரடி போற்றுதும் நாம் அடியோம்
தீவினை வந்து எமைத் தீண்டப்பெறா திருநீலகண்டம்

---- சம்பந்தர்

For more information about the greatness of this temple, please click on the following links:

 1.  Shaivam.org    2.   Dinamalar

Click Here   to see the images of the old outer praharam

To view additional photos of our work  Click Here

அருள்மிகு ஓதீஸ்வரர் திருக்கோவில், மடிப்பாக்கம்.

Madipakkam is a fast developing Suburb of Chennai.  Situated close to Madipakkam Bus Terminus on the busy main road  is the Odheeswarar Temple -- also known as Vedhapureeswarar Temple. The Goddess here is Arulmigu Vedapureeswari

Mavadibagam is the old name of the place .  It is said that when  Kanchi Maha Periyava was passing through this area,   He stopped when he came near the Sthala Viruksham -அரசு, வேம்பு, வில்வ மரம் இணைந்தது--under which the Sivalinga Thirumeni was seated in the open along with Nandhi.   The rest of what should have been a grand  temple was reduced to rubbles due to neglect over the centuries.  The Maha Swamy  told  the local devotees about the importance of this 1000 year old temple and advised them to rebuild the same.

We are informed that with the Divine Blessings of Maha Periyava, when the renovation work commenced, money started flowing in for the project and the work of temple consecration  was completed in  the late '90s.

Shri Jayaprakash, a Senior Manager in Canara Bank and one of the members of the managing committee of this temple had invited us to do the cleaning and white washing work .  Accordingly we had taken up the uzhavarappani  of this temple on 25.08.2013, with a workforce of more than 60 volunteers.

The inner walls of the temple have been beautifully done with oil painting of the images of the various Gods.  Therefore our work was confined to white-washing the ceiling, a tough task indeed, considering its height of 13 feet.  Besides, we had also used the aluminium paint for the ventilator grills and enamel paint for the Swamy Sannadhi.

The huge tree atop the roof of the praharam had to be trimmed to ensure  that its wild growth did not  create any structural weakness on the roofing and also on the gopurams..  A  group of about thirty volunteers were deployed for this purpose.  Braving thorny growths and  overhanging   television cables, they struggled hard for more than four hours to clear the wild growth.

The usual cleaning of pooja items, polishing the Utsava idols and the Kodi maram , cleaning and water-washing  the praharam with  high pressure compressor was also done.

Initially, we though that the temple being a small one, we could finish all the work by 03.30pm.  How wrong we were!  The work was really huge and we could finish only by 07.00pm.

We started a practice of explaining one Song l from a Thirumurai by any one of our members during each Uzhavarapani. It started in Nungambakkam in June 2013. Then Nemili, SEED and now in Odheeswarar Temple too.   Smt Kalyani explained one Thirumandhiram to our volunteers.

After Maha Deeparadhanai at the end of Sayaratchai pooja, we packed off.

Click Here To See Additional Photos

S E E D

Shri A R Palanisamy, a former colleague to many of us,  is the Secretary of SEED-- Society for Educational and  Economic Development-- a voluntary organisation located at Sriperumbudur.  He took voluntary retirement from Canara Bank, where he was working as an officer,  to look after the activities of SEED full-time    SEED is involved in educating the children of Life convicts, terminally ill patients and orphans.  It is a residential school type project, where everything is provided free to the children, with the ultimate aim of securing a decent life to them.   Here the children are imparted both standard education and vocational training.

Though we have always extended our services only in temples all these years,  an exception was made to accommodate the request of  Shri Palanisamy.  Accordingly we landed at SEED premises on the Independence Day (15 Aug 2013).  As usual our guys did cleaning, grill painting, white washing  et al.  

We were joined by Sam & Ann Bryan, a couple from USA. Sam is an aeronautical engineer from Seattle, now on a special assignment with INS Rajali at Arakkonam.  Like us, this couple too decided to spend their holiday differently and decided to visit SEED.  Upon seeing us, their joy knew no bounds and they participated with more  enthusiasm by mingling with us and offering their services.

Before we left, we presented the children  some play materials like, Carrom Board, Chess sets, Volley ball & net, a football, tennikoit rings  and a few tennis balls. We were very much moved by the joy and gratitude in their eyes over this small gesture. 

In the evening, before we packed of, the inmates of SEED presented each of us with a specially made garland prepared by them as part of their vocational activity, which we carried back  with fond memories.

Additional Photos

புன்னாகேஸ்வரர் திருக்கோவில் , நெமிலி

அருள்மிகு விசாலாக்ஷி அம்மன் சமேத அருள்மிகு புன்னாகேஸ்வரர் திருக்கோவில்  அரக்கோணத்திற்கு அருகே 12 கி.மி தொலைவில் நெமிலி கிராமத்தில் அமைந்துள்ளது.  தேவேந்திரனும்,  நாகேஸ்வரனும் வழிபட்ட தலம்.  சுமார் 4.5 ஏக்கர் பரப்பளவில் அமைந்துள்ள இத்திருக்கோவிலின் கும்பாபிஷேகத் திருவிழா 09.12.2013 அன்று நடைபெற உள்ளது.

As a part of our contribution to the on-going renovation work, we had decided to take up the white washing of the compound walls of this temple.  The temple being situated in a very vast area of land with  equally big compound walls, which were ten feet high, it was a challenging task to be completed in a single day.  Since Balalayam has been done in connection with the renovation, the sanctum itself had remained closed and there were no visiting devotees.

We had scheduled 21 July to do this white washing.  Many of our volunteers, had already reached the place on the night of 20.07.2013 itself and were put up in a local Kalyana Mandapam for their overnight stay.  Others reached on the morning of 21.07.2013.  This time our strength was a little short of fifty,  as many of our regulars did not turn up expecting heavy rains that were lashing the area for about a week.

Over a period of the last one year,   our volunteers have acquired a little  expertise and speed in white washing and painting.  At Nemili, the area to be covered was atleast twice that of Manavur temple and the number of volunteers was just half  the size that we had at Manavur.  Still our guys worked  till 05.30pm and completed the job.  For us it was one more day of our life spent in the service of God. 

Before we left the temple, the  sanctum was opened for our benefit.  As balalayam has been done and no poojas were going on inside the temple, the Gurukkal permitted us to enter the sanctum and showed us the  imprint of a five headed serpent on the back of the big Shivalingham. We are  all indeed  blessed and still carrying some poorva janma punyam to have a darshan  this awesome sight of the  serpent covering the main deity from behind.  

Apart from this  indication that the God was worshiped  here by Nageswaran, it is said that Devendra also worshiped here.  A carved panel on the stone ceiling in the temple, depicts Devendra on his Airavatham.  This temple should have also served as a parihara sthalam as indicated by the carvings of lizard, snake, rahu/kethu etc in the ceiling.  But unfortunately, no other details or  record of the past history of the temple are available.  

The Team -- before leaving Nemili 

In the morning, many of our volunteers visited the abode of  Nemili Bala -- The Child Goddess Bala Thripurasundhari and had a darshan.  The authorities of Nemili Bala Peetam informed us that the image of the Goddess here, which is just about the size of a little finger, is the smallest one to be worshipped anywhere in the world.  More details about Nemili Bala Peetam are available here.

How to Reach:  Take a suburban train from Chennai Central to Arakkonam.  From Arakkonam, buses plying through Nemili are available.  The distance is only about 12 km.  One can also take a share auto from Arakkonam.  

Click here to view additional photos of Nemili Uzhavarappani.