Thonda Nadu Temple 32. Thiru Irumbaimakalam

OM NAMASIVAYA

 

 

THIRU IRUMBAIMAHALAM
 

 

Location:

  

Irumbai Mahalam is just off the Pondy-Tindivanam Highway at a distance of about 10 Kms from Pondy. It is at a distance of just 3 Kms from Aroville. Another padal petra temple Tiru Arisili (Ozhynthyapattu) is 5 km northwest of this temple.

 

 

Swamy:         Arulmigu Thirumahakaleswarar

 

Ambal:          Arulmigu Kuilmozhinayagi Ambal

 

Theertham:   Mahakala Theertham

Sthala Viruksham: Iluppai Tree (இலுப்பை மரம்) - known as mahwa or mahua






Arulmigu Mahakaleswarar



 



Arukmigu Kuilmozhi Nayagi







 

 

 

 

Temple:

 

Thiru Irumbai is a small village and the Temple is situated separately. For the convenience of devotees there is a choultry nearby constructed by one Ulagapuram Chettiyar. The Temple is facing East with one pragaram. We heard once the temple had five pragarams. There is no Rajagopuram.  Moolavar shrine is facing east. The Ambal shrine facing south.
Lord Ganesha, Lord Subramanya with six faces along with his consorts Goddess Sri Valli & Deivayanai are there in the pragaram. The shrine to Subramanyar here is of significance, and Panguni Uthiram is celebrated in splendour here. Lord Nataraja & Goddess Sivakami, Kalabhairavar are there
 

Chandran is present in a separate shrine. He holds a palm leaf in one of his hands signifying that He is the one who gifts his devotees with good knowledge, education and great skill in fine arts. He is known as Kala Chandran. Devotees offer him rice boiled in milk as prasadam. A very interesting feature of this temple is that all the Navagrahams are seen with their consorts.

 
There are some beautiful painting on the temple wall depicting the story of the temple. These paintings are done from Kerala and the ingredients are from nature. 



Sthala Puranam:

Devimahathmyam describes the story of two demons Shumbha and Nishnumba. The two demon brothers underwent severe penance on the sacred land Pushkar and attained several boons from Lord Brahma. Immediately after achieving the boons they turned out arrogant and malicious.  Shumba and Nishumba heard about the enthralling beauty of Goddess Parvati. Shumba and Nishumba approached Goddess Parvati with an appeal to marry them. Goddess Parvati transformed into Mahakali, in a fierce form and beheaded all the demons. As a result Goddess Parvati was afflicted with Brahmahathi dhosham; she arrived on this sacred land and underwent severe penance praying to Lord Siva to get rid of Brahmahathy dhosham. Consequently, Goddess Parvati got relieved from the sin.




Kaduveli Siddhar:


It is said that Makaalar Rishi, installed a Sivalingam at Ujjain in Madhy Pradesh and another at Amabar Makaala near Mayavaram, Tamil Nadu. When he heard of the divinity of this place, he decided to install a Sivalingam at this village

Kaduveli Siddhar, a famous yogi who lived in the area some four to five hundred years ago. According to the legend, Kaduveli Siddhar was performing harsh penance sitting under a peepal tree in yogic pose for days. The heat of his body was so intense that the rain gods suffered, no rains came and the people were exposed to hardship and drought. The situation was so bad that it finally came to the ears of the King, who ruled from Edyanchavadi village. No one dared disturb Kaduveli in his penance as he chanted the mantra of Siva, and soon an anthill started to rise up around him. Finally a temple dancer, named Valli, devoted to the Lord Siva, decided to do her best to get the attention of the yogi, and to rescue the King and his people from the adverse effects of his penance. She observed that occasionally the Siddhar would, with his eyes shut, put out his hands to catch and consume the falling, withered peepal leaves. So she prepared some thinly fired appalam (a flat salty wafer made out of Urad gram dhal), and started placing them in the Siddhar's outstretched hands, as he tried to catch the falling leaves. Soon he started eating the appalams and getting his taste back. Slowly he grew fatter until finally the anthill broke and he was once more exposed to the rays of the sun. Finally he opened his eyes. Valli was extremely happy and was able to take him back to her house where she kept him happy, dancing for him and learning songs for him. Meanwhile the God of Rain was relieved from the torture he felt from the heat of the Siddhar's penance, the rain fell in plenty, and the people were happy once again.

In order to celebrate this event the King ordered a big Puja to be held at Irumbai temple, which was to be followed by a classical performance by Valli in which she would act out the cosmic dance of Lord Siva, in the form of Natarajar. During the performance, however, one of her anklets fell off, and she started to lose her balance and rhythm. Kaduveli Siddhar,  who saw the Lord Siva in Valli, picked up the anklet and put it back on her feet. This exposed him to the ridicule of the King and court for having touched the feet of a dancing girl, and he was heckled and jeered. Furious, he invoked the Lord Siva to come out of his temple and prove his innocence by causing a rain of stone.

Kaduveli Siddhar

He sung as follows:

"வெல்லும்  பொழுது  விடுவேன்  வெகுளியை

செல்லும் பொழுது செலுத்துவேன் சிந்தையை 

அல்லும் பகலும் உன்னையே தொழுவேன் 

கல்லும் பிளந்து கடுவெளியாமே" 

 Immediately the lingam in the sanctum of the temple exploded in to three parts, and wherever its fragments fell became desert. No greenery will grow around these spots, including a crater at a distance of three kilometres from the village, still to this day known as "Kaduveli".

The King was suddenly frightened and begged the pardon of the Siddhar, bowing down to him with all his entourage and pleading with him to quench the effects of his anger and curse. This appeased Kaduveli Siddhar, who, repenting of his anger, said that what was done was done, but that in the future, people from far-off lands would come and make the desert land green and fertile again.

 

The Siddhar sung a song again

 

எட்டும் இரண்டும் அறிந்த எந்தனை 

எட்டும் இரண்டும் அறிந்த உந்தனை 

எட்டும் இரண்டும் ஒன்றதாகுமே 

 

The broken Siva Lingam joined together of its own and the King put a copper belt to keep the parts united. Even today one can see the lingam in parts and the copper plate (belt) uniting them. This can be visible during the Aarthi. One piece fell outside this place. That place is called as Kazhuvezhi (கழுவெளி) is a small village nearby. 

In side of the Temple

 

 

 

 

Ambal Shrine

Navagraham with their consorts

Pathigam:

 

 

மண்டுகங்கை சடையிற் கரந்தும் மதிசூடிமான்
கொண்டகையாற் புரம்மூன் றெரித்த குழகன்னிடம்
எண்டிசையும் புகழ்போய் விளங்கும் இரும்பைதனுள்
வண்டுகீதம் முரல்பொழில் சுலாய்நின்ற மாகாளமே.

 

                                                                          ---- 2nd Thirumurai  திருஞானசம்பந்தர் 



Swamy Shrine





Wall Paintings

 

Wall Paintings

Wall Paintings

Wall Paintings

 

 

 

Timings:     7.00 AM to 12.00 Noon

                    4.00 PM  to 8.00 PM 

 

 

Contacts:   0413 - 268 8943, 98435 26601

                   Swamynatha Gurukkal - 9443465502

 

 

Address:   Sri Mahakaleswarar Temple, Irumbai-605 010, Villupuram district.

 

 

 

THIRUCHITRAMBALAM