திருவண்ணாமலை-- சித்ரா பௌர்ணமி தரிசனம்

With The Divine Grace of  Arunachaleswara, ten of our volunteers who are working in Canara Bank had the opportunity of serving at Thiruvannamalai Temple in connection with the Chitra Pournami festival on 25.04.2013.

It was in the year 2006, a group of Canara Bank employees who had just a few months earlier started doing uzhavarappani in a small way, sat together to discuss ways and methods to strengthen their initiative.  They decide to open a common account and make monthly contributions from their salary to facilitate uzhavarappani activities.  The name of the account was deliberated upon at length and no satisfactory suggestion emerged.  At this point, one of our volunteers Shri Atma Ram suggested: " Today is Chitra Pournami Day.  Let us call ourselves as ANNAMALAIYAR ARAPPANI KUZHU ".  This suggestion was immediatly accepted by everyone present.  Thus Annamalaiyar Arappani Kuzhu came into existence 7 years ago.

Chitra Pournami attracts about 15 to 20 lakh devotees to Holy town of  Thiruvannamalai, next only to the Karthigai Maha Deepam festival in numbers.  The temple authorities had estimated a sale of atleast one lakh special darshan tickets on this day.  Canara Bank - Thiruvannamalai, which is the main banker for the temple accounts,  had gladly accepted the task of handling the sale of these tickets.  As our group has a sizeable presence in Canara Bank and widely known, we were entrusted with handling the sale of tickets.  

Assembling at Koyambedu bus stand, we left on the morning of 24th April itself to avoid the usual rush during the Pournami festivals.  Our group included two lady employees as well.  During our bus journey, Shri Ramachandran, our coordinator, recalled the above incident of 2006 that clinched the name of our group.

We reached Thiruvannamalai by noon.  The Chief Manager of our Thiruvannamalai branch had been kind enough to arrange for our stay and food within the temple complex, another rare opportunity in itself.  We were provided two rooms at the temple guest house and one of them we allotted to the ladies in our team.

After having a Darshan inside the temple, we started handling the ticket sales around 5.00pm, which continued till 10.00pm.   There was not much of a crowd on that day.

On April 25th, we all got up by 3.30 am itself and were ready by 4.30am to handle the counters.  Even at that early hour, there was a steady inflow of pilgrims.  As the day progressed, the number of devotees too increased.  Even to take a special darshan ticket, the pilgrims had to wait in the serpentine queue at least for two hours

We were handling the counters till 5.30pm in the evening, when we were relieved by the officials of Tiruvannamalai branch.  This gave us the opportunity to do a Girivalam on this holy day.  Some of us stayed in the temple premises that night and had a once in a  life-time opportunity of doing mantra japa during the  lunar eclipse at Thiruvannamalai.

A panoramic view of the Gopurams  and the Holy Hill from our place of stay

எதுவும் எங்கள் செயலல்ல. அனைத்தும் உன் திருவருளே !  அருளாளா !! அருணாச்சலா !!!

காசி விஸ்வநாதர் கோவில் , நசரத்பேட்டை

Kasi Viswanathar Temple, Nazarethpet, Poonamalle

Kasi Visalakshi Samedha Kasi Viswanathar temple at Nazarethpet is said to be more than 1000 years old.  The temple was earlier  managed by a family of  Beri Chetty, a trader community of the Arya Vysya Clan,   who had created a  number of endowments for the temple.  Now  the HR &CE board has taken control and have initiated steps for renovating this temple.  Balayalam has already been done and the renovation work has commenced at  snail's pace.

The specialty of this temple is that on the 5th , 6th & 7th of the Tamil month Panguni every  year, the rays of the sun fall on the main deity in the morning hours between 6 am and 7 am. It is considered that Surya Bhagvan is worshiping the presiding deity Lord Kashi Viswanathar on those days.

The Nandhi Bhagavan of this temple delights the devotees with his smiling face.  With his head inclined slightly to the right and a serpent tucked under his frontal left foot he sits majestically facing  the Presiding Deity, in the outer praharam.  On enquiry, we were told that the serpent here represents Karkotaka Mahirishi who got his mukthi here.  It is possible that there may be some connection of Karkotaka Mahirishi to this temple, since, the jeevasamadhi of the Maharishi is located at the  nearby Vaidhyanatha Swamy temple at Poonamalle.  If any  reader of this blog is aware of the history and background of this temple, we request that the same may please be passed on to us.

There is a separate shrine for Lord Ayyappa near the northern boundary of the temple.  This construction, we were informed, had come up within the last 12 years and it appears to be  a better-maintained one.

When we reached there on the morning of 21.04.2013, there was not a single soul anywhere nearby.  Only the priest's helper was waiting for our arrival. In view of the commencement of renovation, the main temple itself remained locked down.  Hence there was not much of a work for us inside the temple.

There was a wild growth of weeds and shrubs, especially on the northern side of the temple's outer praharam.  Our volunteers actively involved themselves in clearing the same.  Soon, our newly acquired brush cutter was pressed into service and made the job of cutting the unwanted shrubs easier.  Wild growth was also noticed on top of the gopurams and vimanams.  The same were cleared and weed-killer chemical applied over the remaining portion to prevent further growth.

Before returning, we dug two deep holes and planted coconut saplings after clearing the wild bush in that area

To view additional photos on Nazarethpet Uzhavarappani :  Click Here

How to Reach:  Nazarethpet is two kms away from Poonamalle. From Poonamalle, you can get into any MTC bus proceeding to Sriperumpudur side and get down at the next stopping, which is Nazarethpet.  Take a left turn at the bus stop and a walk for five minutes will lead you to the temple.

Acharapakkam Aatcheeswarar Temple

"முப்புரம் எரிசெய்த அச்சிவன் உறை ரதம் 

அச்சது பொடி  செய்த அதிதீரா"

என்று அருணகிரிநாதரால் போற்றி வணங்கப்பட்ட முழுமுதற்கடவுளாம் விநாயகப்பெருமான் வீற்றிருக்கும் தலம்.   அச்சரபாக்கம் /அச்சிறுபாக்கம் என்று அழைக்கப்படும் இந்த கிராமம் சென்னையில் இருந்து சுமார் 100 கி.மீ தொலைவில் உள்ளது.  சென்னை - திண்டிவனம் நெடுஞ்சாலையில் மேல்மருவத்தூரில் இருந்து சுமார் 5 கி. மீ.

For the last four years we have been getting regular invites every year from Acharapakkam to help them in cleaning up the temple for their Chithirai Festival. We take up the assignment with fervent  devotion as this gives us an opportunity to visit and pray at the shrine of அச்சு முறி விநாயகர்.  Our previous blog posts linked herein details A SHORT INFO about the temple and also details of our last visit and work.

This year too,  Shri Parthiban of SBI took care of all the arrangements for our stay and food.  More than thirty of us reached on the night of March 23rd itself, so as to commence our cleaning work in the morning.  An equal number joined us on 24th March.

Bush-cutter being used

Like the previous years, we mainly did the clearing of bushes in the outer praharam that had almost turned into a wild growth.  Shri Natarajan of Thiruvallur had brought in his bush-cutter equipment which made our job a bit easier.  The usual cleaning of inner praharams  and the temple pooja vessels was also done.

Women volunteers cleaning the brass pooja articles

Cleaned Kudams, sombu and lamps

A cleaning touch to the Kodimaram base

Frequent power cut being a regular problem in most of these villages beyond Chennai, we had to properly plan the work of cleaning the inner praharams using our pressure pumps.  By 2.00 pm the work had reached a finishing stage.  After having a Pooja & Darshan inside the temple, we had our lunch and wound up the proceedings.  

In the meantime, we had collected another Rs.17,500/- for Chitrambakkam temple renovation work.  The members of the renovation committee called on us at Acharapakkam temple and the amount was handed over to them.

More photos available at: Acharapakkam-March 2013

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Our next Uzhavarappani is on 21.04.2013, Sunday at Kashi Viswanathar Temple, Nazarethpettai, Poonamalle, Chennai.

அருள்மிகு குழந்தைவல்லி சமேத கும்பேஸ்வரர் ஆலயம், சிற்றம்பாக்கம்

Chitrambakkam is a small village in the Kadambathur taluk of Thiruvallur district.  The local villagers have taken up the task of renovating a 7th century Sivan Temple which was in a dilapidated state. 

வினை தீர்த்த விநாயகர், வள்ளி தெய்வானை சமேத முருகப்பெருமான், கடாட்ச லிங்கம், தாயாருடன் உடனுறை லக்ஷ்மி நாராயண பெருமாள், சண்டிகேஸ்வரர் சூழ, குழந்தைவல்லி தாயாருடன் கும்பேஸ்வரப் பெருமான் அருளாட்சி நடத்தும் அற்புதத் திருத்தலமே திருச்சிற்றம்பாக்கம்.

Our group was approached by the renovation committee with a request  to explore the possibility of providing them at least 100 bags of cement.  Messages were sent through SMS to our volunteers during the beginning of this month.  Thanks to their overwhelming response, we have been successful in mobilising  an amount of Rs.33000/= within two weeks and the same was handed over to the members of the renovation committee last week.

Those who wish to take part in this holy kaingaryam of renovation are requested to contact: 

     email:  kumbeswarar@gmail.com
     mobile: 0-94451 52916

Contributions can also be directly sent to:

UCO Bank, Perambakkam 
SB Account No. 05170110021941 in the name of
SK SK Alaya Maiyam
IFSC Code: UCBA0000517

Dhandeeswarar Temple, Velachery

Sthala Puranam:  During Thretha Yuga, the Four Vedas were snatched away ffrom Lord Brahmma by ther demon Somasura.  Lord Vishnu recovered them from the demon.  As the Vedas remained with the demon for some time, their sanctity was lost as they had acquired an asura dosha.  They prayed to Lord Shiva at this place to become pure and holy again.  Lord Shiva purified the Vedas here and restored them to their original glory.  The place where the four Vedas prayed was known as Vedasreni, which got changed in the later yugas and now called as Velachery.

The legend also has it that during Dwapara Yuga, when Yama came to snatch away the life of Markandeya, the Pasakkayiru fell on the Siva Lingam which Markandeya was hugging.  Angered over this act, Lord Shiva snatched the Dandam of Yama. On the advice of Sage Narada, Yama created a temple pond here and woshipped the Lord  Shiva and got back his Dandam. Hence the God here is known as Dandeeswarar and the Goddess as Karunambigai.  The temple pond created by Yama is called Yama Theertham.

Importance:   The rays of the sun fall on Shri Dandeeswarar on Makara Sankaranthi (Pongal).  Many people celebrate their 60th  / 80th birthday at this temple by offering their prayers and performing longevity homas.   From the notice board displayed in the outer praharam,  we could find that devotees have volunteered for Nithya Annadhanam expenses till the end of May 2013.

Shri Aadalarasan, Executive in a bank is a most respected personality in the Uzhavarappani circles.  His  group,  Thirukkovil Uzhavarappani Mandram, Velachery,  has around 1000 volunteers on their rolls.  This group did an excellent  sprucing up work of Shri Dandeeswarar Kovil at Velachery in connection with the forthcoming  Shiv-Raathri festival on 10.03.2012, as part of their Uzhavarappani.  We had the privilege of joining them to contribute our mite.

It was really amazing to see them, working with perfect coordination, erecting make-shift scaffolding and climbing atop the Temple's Rajagopuram to clean and paint it, unmindful of the hot sun..  By evening, they had completed their work and the newlook that they gave the Rajagopuram is seen to be believed.

Readying the scaffolding - These guys can  scale any height without fear

The painting work in progress

The Finishing Touch

In all, more than 100 volunteers from Thirukkovil Uzhavarappani Mandram participated in the temple cleaning work, which besides the Rajagopuram painting, also included cleaning the terrace of the temple.    Our group numbering around 40 volunteers did the cleaning job inside the temple.

Click Here to view more photos.

புஷ்பரதேஸ்வரர் திருக்கோவில் - ஞாயிறு கிராமம்

More than 60 volunteers  reached the Gnayiru gramam in three vans on 10.03.2013 for doing Uzhavarappani at அருள்மிகு ஸ்வர்ணாம்பிகை சமேத புஷ்பரதேஸ்வரர் திருக்கோவில்.  The temple is situated at a distance of about 15 km beyond Red Hills, which itself is on the outskirts of Chennai.  Buses are available from Red Hills, but without much of a frequency. 

The presiding deity is called Lord Pushparatheswarar because, Lord Siva emerged from a lotus flower in the form of Sivalingam, when the Sun God Surya came down to this place to pray.  Even today, during the Tamil month of Chithirai, on the first seven days,  the Sun God does Paatha Pooja to Ambaal & Sivan.  This can be seen every year in the mornings, when the Sun's rays fall at Their Feet.

The temple was in a dilapidated condition for several decades. Surya Trust took up the renovation work for three years and the consecration was done in June-July 2006.

One can see a big throng of devotees  every sunday, as the Sun God here is famed for curing the eye related problems.  Rest of the days, the temple wears a deserted look.  We were told by the temple care-takers, that since most of the villagers in the neighbourhood have converted their religious faith,  there is not much of a local support.

Adjacent to the temple outer wall, we observed a make-shift shrine of Yoga Narasimhar and Aanjaneyar.  When enquired, we were told that the Vigrahams were found out while digging for the Shiva Temple renovation.  Presently under asbestos roofing, plans are in the offing for construction of a pucca temple.  Here too, on the second and fourth sundays of every month, Sudarsana Homam is conducted for which a lot of devotees turn up.  

Another exclusive feature of this Temple is that it has a  Thiruvodu Maram.  This tree bears the fruit, from the shell of which Thiruvodu (the begging bowl of sanyasis) is obtained.

Thiruvodu Fruit

Since most of the devotees turn up from Chennai, and due to the absence of proper outside eateries, the temple authorities themselves arrange Annadhanam to all the devotees, every Sunday.  Their service deserves a lot of appreciation and support.

This temple is one of the few better maintained temples in and around Chennai.  As a result, there was not much of a major work for us within the temple complex.  Outside the temple complex, about 400 yards away is the birth place of Sangili Nachiyar, wife of Sundaramurthy Nayanar.  This place is a big open ground that  has been fenced around, with a small shrine-like structure, that houses a large framed image of Sangili Nachiyar (Within the temple complex, there is a separate shrine for Sangili Nachiyar).

The Birth Place of Sangli Naachiyar.  

This open ground was full of wild growth of plants and thorny shrubs.  The temple authorities wanted us to spruce up this place, as they have decided to celebrate here the Sangili Nachiyar festival on 27.02.2013.  Majority of our volunteers were pressed into the task of clearing up this place.

Dried leaves that had fallen down within the temple complex were also removed.  The lady volunteers in our group cleaned the brass vessels, lamps and other artciles used in the Pooja.  In the afternoon, after 1.30pm, the crowd of devotees had thinned down and thereafter we cleaned the Sannadhis using our water jet.

The temple has a well maintained big tank called Surya Theertham.  We had the privilege of adding to the beauty of this tank, by writing  சிவ சிவ  on the inner walls of this tank. 

After finishing our work around 3.30pm, we had a darshan in the various Sannadhis and started our homeward journey back to Chennai.

Additional photos @ : Gnayiru Uzhavarappani

Thiruvaiyaru Kumbabishegam Photos

A section of the crowd looking forward to the auspicious moment

The Maha Kumbabishegam at Thiruvaiyaru Panchanadheeswara Kovil took place on 07 Feb.2013 in a grand manner.  Our group's co-ordinator witnessed this Mega Event and took a few snaps.  Here are some of them:

Perching on Tree Tops to Witness the Once-in-a life time Event

All the roads lead to The Aiyarappar Temple

 To view additional photos,  Click Here