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.

Agatheeswarar Thirukkovil, Nungambakkam

Painting the main door of the Praharam

The annual Brahmotsavam festival is  always celebrated at Nungambakkam Agatheeswarar Temple   in a very grand manner.  In connection with this festival which is going to be held for the current year  from July 07 to 19,  2013, our team of volunteers took up the assignment of giving the Temple a festive look  through white-washing and painting.

After returning from Innambur, our coordinator Shri Ramachandran, visited this temple to make a study of the work requirements.  Accordingly, the Hereditary Trustees of the Temple, Shri Kalyana Raghavan & Shri Radhakrishnan made available all the material required much in advance.

Our team members started assembling from 7.30am onwards and within one hour the number of volunteers swelled to more than 70.  Our work mainly  involved painting and white washing the walls of the main praharam and also the  Sannadhis of  Adhikara Nandhi,  Vinayagar, Balasubramaniar, Durga-Lakshmi-Saraswathi,  Kasi Viswanathar, Annapurneswari, Bairavar, Navagrahams,  besides the Yagasalai and the madapalli.

The painting of grill gates at the entrance and white washing  the entire stretch of wall from the main road to the temple Rajagopuram  was also done.

The usual cleaning of  the inner praharam using water jet was also done.  Besides, lady volunteers cleaned the Pooja Vessels and the Thiruvasi of various Sannadhis to give them a bright look.  By 6 pm we packed up for the day.

On Completion

Shri Madanagopal, Executive Officer of the Temple, was very appreciative of our efforts.  He interacted with all the volunteers  and  gave us quite a  few valuable tips and suggestions for our future uzhavarappani work.  He also duly invited  all of us for the Brahmotsavam function

Mayil Anna with the Temple Gurukkal,Trustees and a few of our volunteers

This time we had a very  popular personality, who visited us during our work, remained with us for about an hour and encouraged us throughout.  He is none other than Shri Mayilsamy, who is well known to the Tamils as a comedy actor.  But not many know that he is very pious and an ardent devotee of Lord Arunachaleswara.  We have seen him involving himself in Annadhanam activities at Thiruvannamalai on all Pournami days.  When we had gone to Thiruvannamalai for the Chitra Pournami festival(Refer our earlier post Chitra Pournami) we had befriended him.  At that time we invited him to visit us during one of our programmes to  have a first hand idea of our field work and  he readily dropped in despite his busy schedule.

We have been regulars at this temple for the last four years.  But this year we were very much pained to see the near-dry condition of the temple tank, which contained very  little water that too only in small puddles. No doubt, the scorching heat in Chennai is continuing for more than a month after the end of Agni Nakshatram and this temple tank, which has been serving as a recharge point for the  wells in the surrounding localities has taken its toll.  We only pray that Varuna Baghawan fills up this tank at least to a reasonable level within the next 10 days so that all the dry patches vanish, when the festivities begin.

A section of our volunteers

Click Here  to see additional photos

Innambur Uzhavarappani

Temple Priest explaining the Salient Feature of the Temple

When we had planned the uzhavarappani, we were a bit apprehensive for quite a few reasons: ---.  The distance involved being too long most of our time may be spent in travelling.  Not many may turn up because of this.  The area that needed to be white washed / painted was in the region of more than 50000 sq. ft. and we were really worried if we could do it.   With all such doubts, we started our preparations in the month of May.  But, we were really surprised by the   overwhelming  response of our volunteers.  

More than 100 people had volunteered and we had to arrange two buses.  We left Chennai on the evening of 15th and reached Swamimalai around 11.30pm.  After resting for the night in a Kalyana Mandapam, we left by 7.00 am 16.06.2013 and proceeded to Innambur, which is at a distance of about 4 km.   The Kumbabishegam event, as mentioned in our previous post, now stands postponed to the month of August 2013.

Our major work here was only white washing of the inner and outer walls.  The temple contains two praharams.  The  inner praharam walls have a height of more than 18 feet and the outer compound walls are slightly less high.  Initially it appeared as a daunting task.  But all the participants including women and children vied with each other in  taking up the work.  For white washing the higher reaches of these walls, our guys tied a make-shift scaffolding and the brave at heart climbed them without any hesitation to paint the top portion.

 The walls of the Sugandha Kundalambal Amman Sannadhi in the second praharam, were of a lesser height and most of the painting here was done by the women volunteers.

Besides painting the walls, we also painted the grill gates, windows and collapsible gates with aluminium paint.  The sponge-brush method we learnt earlier at Thiruvaiyaru from Shri Venkatesh  came in handy to complete the same at a fast pace.  Besides the usual cleaning of Sannadhis were also done.

Apart from our volunteers, Shri Venkatesh had arranged a team of regular painters and a set of compressors. The inner and outer compound  walls were given a white wash by using these spray guns.

By the evening, we finished whatever work that we could complete and had a Darshan of  அருள்மிகு எழுத்தறிநாதர் before we left.  All the remaining incomplete work was finished by the team of Shri Venkatesh.

From Innambur, we proceeded to Thiruppurambiyam and had a darshan of  பிரளயம் காத்த விநாயகர்  and 

சாட்சிநாத ஸ்வாமி.  We came back to Swamimalai and had a darshan of Lord Subramanya.  

Leaving Swamimalai around 10.pm after finishing our dinner, we reached back Chennai in the early morning of 17th June 2013.

Our expenses for this Uzhavarappani has exceeded 2.00 lakhs.  As the temple was not having any funds and no grant came from the Govt, we had decided to bear all  the cost of material used.  But we have to admit that it exceeded our original estimates, especially in view of the massive size of the walls.  However, Lord Shiva has not let us down.  Many philanthropists have helped us through their  donations.  Our sincere thanks to all of them.  Their timely contributions have helped us to a great extent to tide over a major part of our crisis.

To see additional snaps of Innambur Uzhavarappani :     Click Here

இன்னம்பூர் செல்வோம், வாருங்கள்

Innambur Temple Rajagopuram

Present Condition- A portion of the Compound Wall

சுவாமிமலைக்கு அருகில் ஐந்து கிலோமீட்டர் தொலைவில் அமைந்துள்ள பாடல் பெற்ற தலம் இன்னம்பூர்.  அருள்மிகு எழுத்தறிநாதர் (வடமொழியில்  அட்சரபுரீஸ்வரர்), மற்றும் ஐராவதேஸ்வரர் என்று அழைக்கப்படும் மிகப்பெரிய சுயம்புலிங்க திருமேனி.

Highlights of the temple:  The temple is situated in a massive two acres of land, with two praharams.  The Shivalingam and the entrance to the sanctum are massive.  Goddess Nithyakalyani Amman representing the Kalyana Thirukkolam is to the right of Shiva.  Goddess Sugandha Kundalambal Amman is in the outer praharam.  The rays of the Sun fall directly on the Lord on the 13th , 14th & 15th of Tamil month Panguni(March-April).  Agasthiar.org web site mentions that this holy temple is one of the Aaditya Hridayam Shakthi Temples( http://www.agasthiar.org/a/ah.htm).  Devotees bring their children here on Vijayadasami day and pray for their increased mental faculties.

Legend:  

• The Sun God worshiped  Lord Shiva here.  Innan refers to  Sun.  The name  Innan Nambur got corrupted over the centuries and now called as Innambur.  

•  It is here that the God revealed the Tamil grammar to Sage Agasthiyar.  

•  The mythological white elephant Iravatham worshipped the God here and hence the entrance to the sanctum is a huge one to enable its easy entry.  

•  The Lord appeared in human form( as the temple administrator) and submitted the temple's accounts to the king. 

The Kumbabishegam for this temple has been fixed for 26 Jun 2013.(It is possible that due to paucity of funds, it may get delayed).  Our contribution for this Kumbabishegam will be painting and white- washing.  As the place is a bit far away from Chennai, we have decided to arrange buses for our up and down trip at a cost of Rs. 500/- per person.  So far around 90 people have volunteered.  We are leaving Chennai on 15.06.2013 at 03.30pm.  Night stay at Swamimalai has been arranged.  We plan to leave Innambur in the evening of 16.06.2013 after a day's work.

Philanthropists and devotees  who are interested in participating in this renovation may please contact our coordinator  Shri Ramachandran @ +91-9884080543