Shri Navaneetha Eswarar Temple, Sikkal, Nagapattinam, Tamil Nadu

74 Friday Temple Visit

08th July 2022

வாரம் ஒரு கோவில் தரிசனம்

by S. Subramaniam

Shri Navaneetha Eswarar Temple, Sikkal, Nagapattinam, Tamil Nadu

Location

Shri Navaneetha Eswarar Temple, popularly known as Sikkal Singaravelan Temple is located in village Sikkal on the banks of river Veera Chozhan and is about 7 kms from Nagapattinam and 20 kms from Thiruvarur.

The Sikkal temple is unofficially counted as the 7th Padai Veedu of Lord Muruga.

Google maps link : https://goo.gl/maps/ECsQDiF4xf1CvwNH7

Uniqueness

Though the (main) presiding deity of the temple is Lord Shiva, prominence is given to Lord Muruga in this temple.

The most interesting feature of the temple is the sweating of the idol of Lord Muruga while receiving Vel from mother Parvati during the annual Soora Samharam festival.

There are 28 temples where the shrine of Maha Vishnu is placed alongside the shrine of Lord Shiva, glorifying the Shaiva-Vaishnava unity, and the Sikkal Temple is ranked at No. 1 in the list of such temples.

Salient features

The name of the presiding deity of the temple is Sri Navaneetha Eswarar or Vennai Lingeswarar and Devi Parvati is known by the name Sri Satyaayadhakshi or Sri Vel Nedukanni Amman. Lord Maha Vishnu is called Sri Kola Vamana Perumal and Lord Murugan, of course, is known by the name Sri Singara Velan. Jasmine, malligai in Tamil, is the sthala vriksham and the three Theerthams associated with the temple are the Ksheera Pushkarini, Gaya Theertham and Lakshmi Theertham.

Name of the Place and the Lord

It is interesting to note that the Lingam of the temple was carved out of frozen butter and hence the Lord has come to be known as Navaneetha Eswarar (Navaneetham stands for butter in Sanskrit). Sage Vasishta who made the Lingam from out of butter (for temporary worship) tried to remove it but got entangled (sikkal in Tamil) amidst jasmine plants and thus the place came to be referred to as Sikkal.

History

The original temple is recorded to have been built by the Chozha Emperor Kochen Kann Chozhan during 3rd Century CE. It is one amongst the 70 odd Mada Kovil built by the Emperor. Later it was reconstructed with granite stones by Pandya king Jadavarman Sundara Pandyan (1250-1268). During Vijayanagara rule, King Sadashiva Maharayar (1542-1570) made extensive renovations to the temple.

Legends

Legend 1 of 4 - Relating to Divine cow Kamdhenu

It is believed that once, during drought, the divine cow Kamdhenu had consumed meat and thereby incurred sin and lost her glory. Lord Shiva came to the rescue of the cow and advised her to worship Him at the Sikkal temple, then known as Mallika-aranyam (Jungle of Jasmine). The holy cow took bath in the pond and worshipped Lord Shiva and got back her lost glory.

While taking bath, milk flowed out of her udder and filled the pond making it a pond of milk or Ksheera Pushkarini. The milk soon turned into frozen butter and Sage Vasishta who visited the place created a Lingam out of the butter. Later, when the sage tried to remove the Lingam, it got entwined between the plants and remained at that place.

Legend 2 of 4 - Relating to Lord Muruga

Before His departure to Thiruchendur to annihilate demon Soora Padman, Lord Muruga was gifted with the divine spear (Vel) by His mother Devi Parvati. That's why Muruga is known by the name Singara Velan and Devi Parvati as Vel Nedukanni Amman in this temple. The Vel, an embodiment of Adi Parashakti Herself, is supposed to be so powerful that even Lord Muruga is believed to have sweated while receiving the divine weapon. Even today, one can see beads of sweat on the idol of Lord Muruga as he receives the spear (“Vel”) from his mother, Goddess Parvati during the annual celebration of Skanda Sashti.

Legend 3 of 4 Relating to Lord Maha Vishnu

Before venturing out to the court of the demon king Mahabali, Lord Mahavishnu took the Vamana avatar and came to this place to worship Lord Shiva. He is also credited with creating the Gaya theertham or the holy tank. Lord Shiva blessed Vamana with the power to annihilate Mahabali. Hence, Lord Vishnu is praised here as Sri Kola Vamana Perumal.

Legend 4 of 4 - Relating to King Mutharasan and the sculptor

The Chozha King wanted to install the beautiful idol of Lord Muruga and entrusted the job to the most efficient sculptor of his kingdom. The king was so much impressed by the beauty of Singara Velan idol made by the sculptor that he chopped off the thumb of the artist - to ensure a similar or better idol is not made by him. Later the sculptor was able to chisel out an equally beautiful idol of Lord Muruga, even without the thumb, and this idol was installed at the Ettukudi temple. This time, the king blinded the eyes of the sculptor but still he managed to make yet another idol of Lord Muruga with the help of his daughter. During the final stages of making the idol, his chisel accidentally inflicted an injury upon his daughter and a couple of drops of her blood splashed over his eyes. Suddenly his vision was restored. He uttered the words “aaha En Kann” (meaning 'oh Lord I have got back my eyes'). It is worth noting that all the idols of Lord Muruga, installed at Sikkal, Ettukudi and Enkann look identical.

Other deities

Apart from the four main shrines of Lord Shiva, Devi Parvati, Lord Singara Velan and Lord Maha Vishnu (in one of the pictures attached you can see Garuda carrying the Utsava Murthy of the Lord), idols of Sundara Vinayakar, Karthikai Vinayakar, Mahalakshmi, 63 Nayanmars, Saptha rishis, Bhairavar and the Navagrahas can be seen in the main corridor.

Instead of Nataraja, we have the shrine of Lord Thyagaraja in this temple. Interestingly Lord Dakshinamurthy is seen without the Sanagathi rishis in this temple and Lingothbavar is seen in the company of Vishnu and Brahma on his either side. The shrines of Durga and Chandikeswarar are located in the Koshtam.

There is a separate shrine for Sri Varada Aanjaneya on the North-western corner of this temple. Lord Varada Aanjaneya is very famous here. Devotees perform pooja to him with Kattamudhu (an offering of curd rice) to seek his blessings.

Literary Mentions

Saint Thiru Gnana Sambandhar had visited this temple and sang the famous Pathigam Vaanulavum mathi vandhu ulavum madil maaligai - வானுலாவும் மதி வந்துலாவும் மதில் மாளிகை in praise of the Lord of this temple.

Saint Arunagirinadhar has sang songs in praise of Lord Murugan of this temple in his revered Thirupugazh.

Devotees believe that by reciting the Shatru Samhara Trishati prayer before Lord Singaravelan, they will be shielded from their enemies, all kinds of obstacles, negative thoughts and evil eye.

It is a very powerful mantra and not everyone can chant it. It can be done only by Subramanya Upasakas and that too only after getting the upadesam of Shadakshari Mahamantram.

THIRU CHITRAMBALAM THIRU THAAL POTRI

VETRI VEL MURUGANUKKU AROHARA