Friday Temple Visit Week # 85
23rd September 2022
வாரம் ஒரு கோவில் தரிசனம்
by S. Subramaniam
Sri Kalyana Sundareswarar Temple Thiru Nallur, Kumbakonam, Tamil Nadu.
Location:
Sri Kalyana Sundareswarar Temple is located in village Thiru Nallur which is about 12 Kms from Kumbakonam, 17 Kms from Valangaiman and 5 Kms from Papanasam. River Cauvery flows to the South and river Uyyakondan in the North close to the temple.
Salient Features:
Name of the presiding deity of the temple is Sri Kalyana Sundareswarar also known as Sri Pancha Varneswarar and name of Devi Parvati is Kalyana Sundari or Sri Vandu Vazh Kuzhali. The Sthala Vriksham (Holy tree of the temple) is Vilvam and the Sthala theerthams - Holy waters associated with the temple are two in numbers, River Cauvery and the Sapta Sagara Theertham.
Uniqueness:
The miracle of the temple here is the colour of the deity changes five times a day from copper, light red, molten gold, Emerald and Multicolor for every 2 hours and 20 minutes getting the Lord the name Pancha varneswarar. Many researches have been done to establish the colour changes, but till now the reason is unknown.
Also, devotees are blessed with Sadari in this Shiva temple, a practice common only in Vaishnava temples in South India.
History:
The temple is a very ancient one and being a Mada Kovil (temple built on an elevated) platform), King Ko Chenn Kann Chozhan is credited with its construction. The present structure was raised by Uttama Chozhan (970-985 CE) , predecessor of the great Raja Raja Chozhan.
Legends
Legend 1 of 5 - Relating to Sage Agastya
Sage Agastya was sent to South India by Lord Shiva to correct the level of Earth which got tilted during Shiva-Parvati wedding at Mt. Kailash. He was granted divine vision and it was at this temple that the sage witnessed the Kalyana Kolam (Marriage Posture) of the Lord. Hence the Lord came to be known as Kalyana Sundareswarar and Devi as Kalyana Sundari.
Legend 2 of 5: Relating to Kunti Devi
Kunti Devi, mother of the Pandavas, had incurred sin as she had disturbed the Devas such as Indra, Vayu - the Wind god, Yama - the God of Death and Surya - the Sun God in getting herself impregnated. Sage Narada advises her to have a dip in the seven seas to get rid of the sin. When she expresses inability due to her old age, Narada instructs her to visit this temple and worship Lord Shiva. Meanwhile, he himself fetches waters from the seven seas and mixes them with the temple tank. Hence the name Sapta Sagara Theertham for the tank.
Legend 3 of 5: Relating to Sain Thiru Navukku Arasar
It is believed that Lord Shiva gave the Thiruvadi Deeksha (to be blessed by the feet of Lord) at this temple to Saint Thiru Navukku Arasar, one of the 63 Nayanmats, by placing his feet on the saint’s head. In his hymn composed in praise of the Lord, the Saint refers to this place as “Vadapal Kailaiyum, Thenpal Nallurum tham Vazhpathiye" - O Lord! In the North thy abode is Mt. Kailash and in the South, it is Nallur.
After that event, the unique tradition of offering Sadari - (a crown-like thing with the Lord's feet embossed on it) - is placed on the devotee's head as a token of Lord's blessing, a practice religiously followed in all Vaishnava temples, is also followed in this temple.
Legend 4 of 5 Relating to Amara Needhi Nayanar:
Amara Needhi Nayanar, counted as the seventh in the elite list of 63 Nayanmars, obtained salvation at this temple. A rich merchant hailing from close by Pazhayarai, the then Capital of the Chozhas, Amara Needhi maintained the practice of offering Loincloth (kovanam) to Shiva devotees who visited him.
One day the Lord, in the disguise of a young Brahmin boy, visits the Nayanar and gives him his own loincloth to be kept in safe custody until he finishes his bath in the nearby pond. The Lord makes the loincloth vanish by divine trick and a helpless Amara Needhi offers to provide the boy with a replacement.
The boy will not settle for anything less than his own and demands equal weight in gold for his lost loincloth. Amara Needhi starts depositing all his wealth, one by one, on one the pans of the scale, but no amount of gold is able to balance it. Finally, he along with his wife Mangayarkarasi, submits before the boy and climbs the pan. The Lord then reveals Himself, gives Darshan to the couple and grants them both salvation.
Legend 5 of 5 - Relating to sage Brinki
Another legend has it that Sage Brinki, an ardent devotee of Lord Shiva, was not willing to worship the Goddess Parvathy. Hence, he took the form of a beetle (vandu) and worshipped Lord Shiva alone by flying around him. Similar to a bee hive, there are a few small holes on this Shivalingam.
The temple:
The temple is one of the elite group of seven Sapthasthana temples– the other six beit located at Govindakudi, Avoor, Maaligai Tidal, Mattiyanthidal, Papanasam and Thiruppalaithurai.
Significance of Magha Star
There is a famous proverb - “Magham piranthadu Nalluril Mahamagham piranthadu Kumbakonathil” which means the famous Maha Magham temple (where rituals are performed once in twelve years) is next in importance to the Nallur temple tank.
It was due to Kunti Devi who belonging to Magham Star that the temple tank in Nallur got waters from seven seas. Hence the Nallur temple tank is greater in importance than that of the Kumbakonam Mahamaham tank.
Deities of the temple:
Sage Agasthiyar consecrated another small lingam besides the existing one and performed pooja. This small lingam is known as “Agasthiyar lingam”. Hence there are two Shiva lingams on a single base (avudaiyar). This is a unique feature of this temple.
Behind the main Lingam in the sanctum (“garba graham”), there is a sculpture of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvathi in a seated posture. An interesting feature is that Lord Shiva, Lord Vishnu and Lord Brahma are all present in the same sanctum. Brahma is seen standing to Shiva’s right and performing the marriage rites, while Vishnu is seen standing and doing the Kanya dhanam.
Lord Nataraja in the temple is depicted with eight hands and in a dancing posture over the head of a demon.
The shrine of Maa Kaali is very popular among women devotees, especially pregnant women. They conduct their bangle wearing ceremony here during their pregnancy and pray for an easy and safe delivery.
Lord Vinayaka called Uchista Ganapathy in this temple can be seen with his consort.
We have two idols of Lord Dakshinamurthy in this temple - one of them is known as Gnana Dakshinamurthy.
Literary Mentions:
Apart from the famous four - Appar, Sambhandar, Sundarar and Manickavasakar who have composed hymns (Pathigam) on Lord Shiva of this temple, Ramalinga Adigalar, Sekkizhar, Nambiyandar Nambi and Malaikkozhunthu Navalar have also sang songs in praise of this Lord.
Saint Arunagirinadhar has sang songs in praise of Lord Murugan of this temple in his revered Thirupugazh.
Presenting here a set of three poems composed by me in praise of Amara Needhi Nayanar which form part of my forthcoming book on the famous Nayanmars titled Sivanadiyar Pathigangal.
Contact details:
Sri Kalyanasundareswarar Temple,
Thirunallar Post,
Sundaraperumal Koil-Via,
Valangaiman Taluk,
Tamil Nadu – 614208.
Tele: +91- 04374-312857.
9488110697, 9942439209 and 9443668306.
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