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