Swaminatha Swamy Temple

Coordinates: 10°57′25″N 79°19′33″E / 10.956844°N 79.325776°E / 10.956844; 79.325776
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Swamimalai Murugan temple
)

Swaminatha Swamy Temple
Temple's Main Entrance
View of the entrance
Religion
AffiliationHinduism
DistrictThanjavur
DeitySwaminatha(Kartikeya)
Location
LocationSwamimalai
StateTamil Nadu
Country India
Swaminatha Swamy Temple is located in Tamil Nadu
Swaminatha Swamy Temple
Location in Tamil Nadu, India
Parantaka Chola I

The Swaminatha Swamy Temple is a

Thanjavur District, 290 km from Chennai, the capital of Tamil Nadu, India. The temple is fourth abode of Murugan among six (Arupadaiveedugal). The shrine of the presiding deity, Swaminathaswamy is located atop a 60 ft (18 m) hillock and the shrine of his mother Meenakshi (Parvati) and father Shiva (Sundareswarar) is located downhill. The temple has three gopuram
(gateway towers), three precincts and sixty steps and each one is named after the sixty Tamil years. The temple has six daily rituals at various times from 5:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., and three yearly festivals on its calendar. The annual Vaikasi Visagam festival is attended by thousands of devotees from far and near.

As per Hindu legend, Murugan, the son of Shiva, extolled the meaning of the Pranava Mantra (

Parantaka Chola I. The temple was greatly damaged during the Anglo-French war between Hyder Ali and British in 1740. The temple, in modern times, is maintained and administered by the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department of the Government of Tamil Nadu
.The Kandhanathaswamy thirukovil in eraharam is connected to the history of this temple

Nearby Eraharam Murugan temple

In the village of Eraharam there is a murugan temple known as Kandhanathaswamy thirukovil. This temple is considered to be the adhi temple of Swamimalai Swaminathaswamy temple. This Kandhanathaswamy temple can be reacher from kumbakonam and from thirupurambiyam.

Legend

A view of the temple from the basement
A view of the temple from the basement

According to regional Hindu legend,

Vedas (Hindu scriptures). On hearing the reply, Murugan asked Brahma to recite the texts from Vedas. Brahma started to recite the text, beginning with the holy syllable called the Pranava Mantra (Om). When Murugan asked Brahma to explain the meaning of the mantra, Brahma, who did not expect such a question from the child, could not reply.[1] Murugan knocked Brahma on his forehead with his clenched fists and punished him with imprisonment. Murugan took up the role of the creator. The devas (celestial deities) were surprised by the absence of Brahma and they requested Vishnu to negotiate with Murugan to release Brahma. Vishnu could not help, and as the last resort, Shiva went to the rescue of Brahma.[2]

Shiva came to Murugan and asked him to release Brahma from imprisonment. Murugan refused to release him stating Brahma was unaware of the meaning of the mantra Om. Shiva asked Murugan to explain the meaning and the latter did so. Shiva behaved like a student to a teacher, listening with rapt attention from his son, giving Murugan the name "Swaminatha Swami".[3] The meaning of this name is "The Teacher of Shiva".[4] Following the legend, the shrine of the son Murugan is atop the hillock, while the father Shiva's shrine is located at the basement.[5]

As per the

Pazhani. It is a practice followed in the modern times where people carry milk in both their shoulders as a devotion to please Kartikeya. The demon carried the other hill to Swamimalai.[7]

Architecture

image of the shrine from the first precinct
The vimanam of the shrine from the first precinct

The temple is located in

Tiruttani Murugan Temple.[12] Unlike other Murugan temples, where peacock is sported axial to the image of the presiding deity, an elephant is seen in front of Murugan in the temple.[13] The temple is maintained and administered by the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department of the Government of Tamil Nadu.[14]

Religious importance

Om symbol
Om symbol
Sapthavigraha Moorthis
Om symbol
Om symbol
Saptha Vigraha moorthis are the seven prime consorts in all Shiva temples located at seven cardinal points around the temple
Deity Temple Location
Shiva Mahalingaswamy temple
Tiruvidaimarudur
Vinayaka
Vellai Vinayagar Temple
Thiruvalanchuzhi
Murugan
Swamimalai Murugan temple
 Swamimalai
Nataraja
Natarajar temple
 Chidambaram
Durga
Thenupuriswarar Temple
Patteswaram
Dakshinamurti Apatsahayesvarar Temple Alangudi
Navagraha Suryanar Kovil Suryanar Kovil

Swamimalai is one of the

Murugan, that mark the different phases of his life.[15][16] According to Hindu belief, Swamimalai is where Murugan preached what as called as "Pranava mantra" to his own father, Shiva, at a young age, after arresting Brahma for not answering his question about Pranava Mantram. The teaching capabilities of Murugan is found as one of his identifying features. The cult of Murugan is of pride to the Tamil people who identify six with Murugan connating six directions and six chakras in human anatomy.[17]

According to Hindu legend,

Dakshinamoorthy in Apatsahayesvarar Temple, Alangudi at Alangudi, Papanasam taluk.[19]

Murugan.[20] He became a staunch devotee and composed Tamil hymns glorifying Murugan, the most notable being Tiruppukal.[21][22] Arunagirinathar visited various Murugan temples and on his way back to Tiruvannamalai, visited Swamimalai and sung praises about Swaminathaswamy.[23]

Worship and religious practises

The second level in the temple

The temple priests perform the

Palani Murugan temple, Vibhuti Abhishekam, the ablution of the central deity with ash is performed. The central deity with adorned with diamond Vel every Thursday.[24] The kumbabhisekam of the temple was performed on 9 September 2015.[25]

Kumbakonam Sapta Sthaana Temple

This is one of the Saptha Sthaana Temples of Kumbakonam. During the Mahahaman of 2016 the palanquin festival was held on 7 February 2016.[26] Following the tirttavari held at Mahamaham tank on 21 April 2016, the palanquin festival of the Sapta Sthaana Temples were held on 23 April 2016.[27] The festival which started from Kumbesvara Temple at the 7.30 p.m. of 23 April 2016 completed on the morning of 25 April 2016 after going to the following temples.

Notes

  1. ISBN 978-81-230-1661-0
    .
  2. ISBN 9788120907690
    .
  3. ^ a b Clothey 1978, pp. 127–128
  4. ^ Clothey 1978, p. 108
  5. ^ "Legend Connected with The Temple". Swaminathaswamy Temple administration. Archived from the original on 11 December 2013. Retrieved 30 November 2013.
  6. ISBN 9788179503973
    .
  7. ^ Bhoothalingam 2011, pp. 48–52
  8. ISBN 978-81-87952-12-1
    .
  9. ^ a b "Sri Swaminathaswami temple". Dinamalar. Retrieved 21 March 2013.
  10. ^ "What to see – Thanjavur district attractions". Thanjavur District Administration. Archived from the original on 18 May 2013. Retrieved 7 July 2013.
  11. ^ "About the Temple". Swaminathaswamy Temple administration. Archived from the original on 11 December 2013. Retrieved 30 November 2013.
  12. ^ Zvelebil 1991, p. 36
  13. ^ Meena, V. (1974). Temples in South India (1st ed.). Kanniyakumari: Harikumar Arts. p. 27.
  14. ^ "Thirukoil - Temple list of Tamil Nadu" (PDF). Hindu Religious & Charitable Endowments Department, Government of Tamil Nadu. p. 244. Archived from the original (PDF) on 9 October 2020. Retrieved 13 November 2021.
  15. ISBN 9780700712670
    .
  16. ^ Clothey 1978, p. 83
  17. ISBN 978-0-8239-3180-4
    .
  18. ISBN 978-81-7478-177-2
    .
  19. ^ a b Narayanaswami (April 1987). "Jyothirmaya Mahalingam". Om Sakthi (in Tamil). Coimbatore: Om Sakthi Publications: 34–5.
  20. ISBN 978-81-7017-471-4
    .
  21. ISBN 81-206-0151-3
  22. ISBN 90-04-04190-7
  23. ^ Zvelebil 1991, p. 53
  24. ^ a b "Festivals of the Temple". Swaminathaswamy Temple administration. Retrieved 30 November 2013.
  25. ^ "Kumbabishekam performed, The Hindu". 10 September 2015. Retrieved 3 December 2016.
  26. ^ கும்பகோணம் ஆதிகும்பேஸ்வரசுவாமி கோயிலில் சப்தஸ்தான பல்லக்கு வெள்ளோட்டம், தினமணி, 8 பிப்ரவரி 2016
  27. ^ ஆதி கும்பேஸ்வரர் கோயிலில் ஏழூர் பல்லக்கு பெருவிழா, மகாமகக்குளத்தில் தீர்த்தவாரி, தினமணி, 22 ஏப்ரல் 2016

References

External links

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