MAGUDESWARAR TEMPLE, KODUMUDI Dear friends,
Last week I had beento Kodumuti Magudeswarar Temple. I had been to Erode to see my ailing sister-inlaw. At that time my Late brother’s son in between talks told he had takensister in law last year to Kotumuti. My wife was interested to visit thetemple. We made a sudden trip in taxi and returned in time to Erode since ourreturn trip was in the night Yercad express. I had informationabout famous Kodumudi temple near Karurwhile working at Namakkal. From Karur Kotumudi is 25 KMs and from Erode 45 KMs.Red Taxies would take about 45 minutes to reach the temple from Erode. My visitwas in the evening. We performed archana to Lord Siva, Devi, Brahma and Perumaltemples. Praayed at Mahalakshmi temple in the premises. Temple opens in the evening only at 5 .45 PM , notat 4 PM . Archana items are available in the temple shop. With receiptsfor payment of archana we have to reach the sannidhi. Ample space is there in front of thetemple for car parking. The following is a compilationof information about the temple from different websites. Sincerely, Gopala Krishnan5-3-2021. 1 Introduction The MagudeswararTemple in Kodumudi is a large Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva in Erode district of Kongu nadu,Tamil Nadu, India. This is the sixth temple in Kongu, the region praisedin the Thevaram hymns. It is situated on the banks of the river Kaveri. Thesage Agastya is associated with this temple. The temple is about 40 km from Erode and about 25 km fromKarur.The Kodumudi Railway Station is located on the Trichy-Erode Rail Line. Thetemple is located close to the railway station. The nearest airports are at Coimbatore and Trichy,both at a distance of about 110 kms. The temple is counted as one ofthe temples built on the banks of River Kaveri. The rock in the middle of the river opposite to the templeis believed to be the place where a crow titled the kamamdalu of sage Agastya. 2 Legend of temple The east facingtemple is 640 feet in length and 484 feet in breadth. The temple houses theshrines for Lord Shiva,Lord Vishnu and Lord Brahma, hence the name Trimurthy Kovil. This vast temple has3 entrances on the east side. To the north of the central gate lies theentrance for the shrine of the presiding deity Lord Shiva known as Kodumudi Nathar and Makuteswarar.To the south of the central gate lies the entrance for the shrine of femaledeity his consort mother Parvathy known as Panmozhi Nayaki and Soundarambika. Lord Vishnu is called as Veeranarayana Perumal .Kunchitapaada Natarajar has both his feet on the ground, in contrast to theraised left foot. The StalaVriksham is Vanni tree and the Theertham is river Kaveri. This is a largetemple complex containing of 7 main shrines. Magudeshwar-Sundaranayaki(amman kovil) Veeranarayana perumal-Brahma-Anjaneya swami Shaneeswar-Sooryan & Chandran These are separate shrinesmade of stone. 2.1 Legend The legend of thistemple is connected to the sage Agastya. Once the sage noticed that the idolwas disappearing. He caught the idol in his hand and his finger prints can beseen on the deity. Pandiya kings havepatronised the temple regularly and because of the connection of Pandiya kings,this shivasthalam is called as Tiruppandikodumudi. The temple has epigraphs from the rule ofKing Sundarapandiyan Kesari. This Shiva temple is on the west bank of Kaveririver. 2.2 Legend of temple Legend has it that ina test of strength between Adiseshan and Vayu, 5 gems are said to have scatteredfrom the head of Adisesha. A ruby stone landedat Tiruvannamalai, an emerald at Eengoimalai, a Blue sapphire at Potikai, amanikkam at Vaatpoki and a diamondrested here in this temple. The legend ofAgasthyar travelling to the South to tilt the balance of the earth isassociated with Paandikkodumudi. It is believed that the waters of his kamandalam flowed from here as theKaveri river to alleviate the misery of the farmers downstream. The Vinayakar here is referredto as Kaviri Kanda Vinayakar. Endowments from thePandyan rulers such as Malayathuvuja Pandian, Maravarman Sundarapandian andPandiya Kesarivarman are some of the kings who have donated land, jewelleryetc. to this temple. 3 Poems on this temple It is one of theshrines of the 275 Paadal Petra Sthalams. Sambandar, Appar, Sundarar have composed the Pathigams.Sundarar composed his Namachivaayappatikam here Several literary works praisethe glory of this temple 4 Festivals Bhrammotsavam iscelebrated in the Tamil month Chittirai, in addition to Aadipperukku wherelighted lamps are set afloat in the river. The sun's rays illuminate thesanctum of Shiva and Ambal for a period of 4 days in the Tamil months ofPanguni and Aavani. The other festivals are Aippasi Pournami, Thaippoosam &Arudra Darisanam. 5 General Information Moolavar SriMagudeswarar / Sri Kodumudinathar Ambal Sri Vadivudainayaki/Sri Panmozhiyalammai Theertham (Holywater)-Kaveri, Bharathwaja Theertham, Brahma Threertham and Deva Theertham Sthala Vriksham(Sacred Tree) Vanni Tree Pathigam (Hymn)rendered by Saint Thirugnanasambanthar,Saint Thirunavukarasar (Appar)SaintSundaramurthy (Sundarar) 6. Parihara sthalam(Temple for remedial offerings) This is a famousSthalam for performing rituals to satiate one’s ancestors.This is also aParikara Sthalam for Naga Dhosham. The temple hasepigraphs from the time period of King Sundarapandiyan Kesari’s rule. 7 Legend (variation) According to thelegend there was a competition between Adiseshan (the serpent on whom SriMahavishnu rests) and Vayu (Lord of the Winds) to determine who was stronger.Lord Indiran prescribedcertain rules to conduct the competition. They put Mount Meru at the centre andit was held tightly by Adiseshan, Vayu blew the wind with all his might to pushAdiseshan. In the ensuing struggle, Meru’s peak (Magudam) split into 5pieces and fell in five different places. It is believed thatthe pieces came down as 5 different gem stones – Red Corel at Thiruvannamalai,Ruby (Manickam) at Rathinagiri (Thiruvatpokki), Emerald (Maragatham) atEngoimalai, Sapphire (Neelam) at Pothigaimalai and Diamond at Kodumudi. As perlegend the Diamond that feel at Kodumudi became the Swayambulingam (self-manifested lingam) and the restof the stones became hills. Since the origin of the lingam is fromthe Meru, the lord is called Magudeswarar. It is also believed that Sage Agasthiyar installed andworshiped the idol of Lord Shiva and his finger prints can be seen on thedeity. It is also believedthat Kodumudi is the place where Lord Shiva performed a dance for Sage Bharadwajar. It is also said thatboth these sages were blessed with Lord Shiva’s wedding darshan here. 8 Deities in the temple(additions) Near the AmbalShrine, there is a separate shrine for Goddess Saraswathi. Amongst otherdeities, Idols of Lord Dakshinamurthy, Hanuman, Navagraham are in thecorridors. Lord Mahavishnu isnamed here as Pallikonda Perumal and Veeranarayana Perumal. The mythological significance of Lord Vishnu and Lord Brahma templesinside this premises is that they are believed to be worshiping Lord Shiva. 9 Salient Features Devotees throng theplace in large numbers for performing ritual ceremonies (Tarpan/Shradh) for their ancestors onthe new moon day on the banks of river Kaveri. Devotees can also be seen celebrating their 60th birthdayhere with Poojas (Ayushya Homam) for longevity. This is a place forSerpent (Nagar) worship because Adiseshan was responsible for the origin ofthis temple. Majority ofthe devotees come here seeking relief from the adverse effects of Naga Doshamand they install a small stone Nagar under the Vanni tree. 10 Vanni tree and Brahma Historians are notable to estimate the age of the ancient Vanni tree of the temple. Under this tree, there is LordBrahma’s idol with three faces. The age of this tree may be morethan 3000 years. It is believed that ifa leaf from this tree is put in a pot of water, the water’s purity lasts foryears. Interestingly, certain portion of the tree has thorns and certainportion are devoid of any thorns. It also does not blossom or bear any fruits. AlthoughLord Brahma is said to have four faces, in this temple Lord Brahma’s idol hasonly three faces and the Sthala Viruksham (Vanni Tree) is said to be his fourthface. 11 Speciality of the Theertham It is believed thatthose who take a dip in the river Kaveri and worship the Lords Shiva andVishnu, will be cured of diseases and will get relief for their ailments. It is also said thatone of the Pandya Prince’s fingers were not growing enough. The King prayed tothis Lord after taking a dip in the river and soon his son’s fingers grew tonormal size. To show his gratitude, theKing constructed the three main towers (Gopurams) and renovated this temple. Because of the association withPandya kingdom, this place is also called Pandikkodumudi. 12 Greatness of Temple Those afflicted byRaghu Dosham (adverse effect of planet Raghu) and those facing obstacles inmarriage or child birth may pray here for relief. For longevity andbetterment of life, people perform Poojas (abhishekam) to Lord Vinayakar usingan equal number of pots of water as their age. 13 Temple Timings and address >From 06.00 AM to12.00 Noon and from 05.30 PM to 09.00 PM. Temple Address Sri MagudeswararTemple,Tirupandikodumudi (Kodumudi),Erode District, Tamil Nadu-638 151.Tele:+91- 4204-222 375. 14 Significances: One of the very fewtemples which enshrines all the three moorthies – Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva – inexclusive shrines with legendary significance (The other one I know is UthamarKoil near Trichy). A highly popular parihara sthalam from ancient timesitself The Holy and MysticVanni Tree, said to be 3000 years old is a living tree with one side of thetree having thorns and the other side without it. The tree is a male versionwithout flower and fruit. During the last weekof Aavani Tamil Month and the first week of Panguni Tamil Month, the sun lightenters through the aperture of the Rajagopuram and falls on Lord Magudeshwara. The river Cauverywhich flows Southward from Karnataka, turns 90 degrees in front of the templeand flows Eastward. One of the 275important Shiva temples glorified by Thevara hymns. Sambandhar sung 11songs, Appar sung 5 songs and Sundharar sung 10 songs on LordMagudeshwara of this temple. Sundarar composed his Namachivaaya Patikam here. Saint Arunagirinatharsung “Thirupugazh” on Lord Muruga of this temple. Agasthyar got themarriage dharshan of Lord Shiva here. Bharadwajar got thedharshan of Lord shiva’s dance here and there is also a Bharadwaja theerthaminside the temple. This is the placewhere river Cauvery was relieved of the curse of Sage Agasthiar (he hadcaptured her in a kamandalam). Vinayagar, at the behest of Lord Shiva, took theform of a white crow and dropped down the kamandalam here liberating theCauvery to continue her flow. Surprisingly, in support of this legend, the river Cauvery which flowssouthwards till here takes an exact 90 degree East turn here. The vinayagar here in the inner pariharam ofShiva shrine is named as “Kaviri Kanda Vinayagar”. It seems there is a rock inthe middle of the river here that has the rock cut image of this legend. Without any hurry,enjoying each and every moment, we started our parihara pooja and worship. The parihara hall is within thetemple premises and it took about an hour and a half for the parihara pooja. It is believed to bevery prosperous if you can put the vanni leaves of the Brahma tree, some coinsand one lemon in a bundle of new cloth and keep in your safe vault. Some timesback, the vanni leaves were being sold by the temple authorities but later itwas stopped. If you are lucky you can get some leaves automatically fallingfrom the tree when you circumambulate the tree – watch for it. 15 PariharaSthalam: additions This is a highlypopular parihara sthalam from ancient times itself. Pariharam for marriages andchild birth are the most conducted ones apart from many others. A nominal amount is being collected by the Devasthanam for variousparihara poojas and homams but a bigger amount by the archagars / bhattars.Either you can bring all the materials for the pooja or you can ask them toarrange the same and the rate differs for both. Very importantly, all theparihara poojas are done inside the temple. There are toutswaiting outside and don’t fall prey to them. If a specific pooja takes about an hourinside the temple, the outside people will complete it in half an hour. If youdonate Rs 500/= to 1000/= to the temple, they give some special privileges likeexclusive stage for the pooja / homam. Parihara Poojas/ Homams Done here are: Marriage obstacles,Swayamvara / Parvathi homam, Navagraha dhoshams for each graham, Rahu KethuPreethi, Sevvai Pariharam, Mrithyanja homam (to get rid of death fear), Prithyangarahomam (to get rid of the evil effects from enemies), Dhanvanthri homam (forillness), Gubera Lakshmi Pooja, Durga Soolani homam (to get rid of curse byladies), Ayushya Homam, Navagraha homams, Ganapathy homam, Pithru Saba homam,Brahma Harthi dosha nivarana homam, Sudharsana homam and many others. It is said the people suffering from mental illness,after doing the pariharam here, should go to Gunaseelam in the Trichy – Musiriroute immediately and continue the pariharam the nextday morning by taking a dip before sun rise at the Cauvery there for best cure. Effect of the pariharam – Ourexperience: Lot of my relatives /friends have done the parihara poojas here. As I can see, in 4 cases ofmarriage pariharams, it was an immediate success in one while in 3 others itwas successful within a year. In another pariharam for husband-wife relation,we witnessed a miraculous change after the pariharam here. We are seeing thecouple in dual role as ‘before Pariharm’ and ‘after pariharam’ like a dual rolemovie – such an unbelievable change, touch wood! While walking downfrom railway station to this temple, we can see another ancient temple called Malaiyamman temple. This is where Mahakavi Kalidoss attained knowledgefrom Goddess Malaiyamman. There is a shrine of Pechiamman also in thesame temple for curing ENT diseases. Mahakavi Kalidoss is also said to haveperformed pariharam here to wash out the curses of his previous birth andrecover the knowledge gained by him earlier (I am not sure about this sinceunfortunately I didn’t know about this when I visited). Kodumudi is the birthplace of Mrs.K.B.Sundarambal, the great yesteryear playback singer and actress.KBS Theatre in the town, which was opened in 1972 in the presence of the then CM M.Karunanidhi, MGR and J.Jayalalitha,stands as a mute testimony for her remembrance. Oonjalur is 6kms from Kodumudi in the train route en route Erode and it is theSookshmayoga Samadhi of Sri Seshadri Swamigal of Thiruvannamalai. Annualutsavam here is highly popular. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Thatha_Patty" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. 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