Margabandheeshwarar Temple, Virinchipuram – The Temple
This
beautiful temple is 1300 years old and is known for its impressive Rajagopurams
and sculptures. ‘Virinchipuram Madhil Azhahu’ is a popular saying. There are
miniature Rajagopurams on the temple wall itself on two sides. If a small
Rajagopuram itself can be built on the temple wall, the grandeur of the temple
wall can be imagined. Also, this has a sacred significance that the Siddhars,
Sages and Celestial Gods are believed to come here for worship during the
nights through these exclusive entrances for them where the normal humans
cannot enter.
The
Temple is having 7-tiered east facing 110 feet high Rajagopuram. There are 5
praharams in the temple. The entrance door is almost 18 feet high made of wood.
The temple walls, the Rajagopuram and the big Mada streets all add up to a
beautiful view and set the tone for what is in store inside. The first mandapam
after entering the houses the Dwajasthambam, Bali peetam and Nandhi.
As a
rare sight, there are two Dwajasthambams in this temple, one for the main
shrine and another, exclusive for the Amman shrine as well. Presiding Deity is
called as Margabandheeswarar / Vazhi Thunai Nathar and is facing east. The
presiding deity is a Swayambumurthy in a leaning form. There is a dance hall in
the front of the sanctum and two big & beautiful Dwarabalakars at the
entrance. Margabandheeshwarar is present as a big Swayambu lingam with the top
portion tilted a bit towards accepting the Abhishekam from Lord Brahma, as a
small boy.
Rays of
Sun fall on the presiding deity during the Panguni month (March-April). The
importance of the temple lies in the Rudraksha roof above the Sanctum
sanctorum. The main Vimanam is in Gaja Prashta Vimana structure. Ganapathy, Dakshinamurthy,
Vaasudeva Perumal in the back with Brahma and Durgai are the Koshta Idols
located on the walls of the sanctum. Mother is called as Maragathambigai / Maragathavalli
and is facing east.
The
Ambal shrine also has an inner praharam. The sanctum to the Goddess is a
separate shrine to the right of the Siva shrine, but within the same temple. Mother
is a small four-armed idol in standing posture. Amman Shrine can be reached from
the northern side of middle praharam. The Ambal sannidhi is a self-contained
structure with its own dwaja sthambam and Balipeedam.
At right
angles to the sanctum to Siva are shrines to Nataraja - a tall bronze, and
Bhikshatana, an impressively painted, probably a stucco idol. The latter
sanctum is a riot of art work, stunningly beautiful as befitting the deity
housed there. The outer praharam houses a small Sakthi Mandapam and a 14 pillar
mandapam. Adjacent to them is the Simha theertha well with a lion faced
sculpture entrance and footsteps inside. There are very big Mandapams on the
three corners of the outer praharam – two Kalyana Mandapams at two corners and
another mandapam at the third corner.
All the
Mandapams have enormous pillars and sculptures that have been intrinsically and
artistically carved out. You can find the various forms of Shakthi, Shiva,
Vishnu and other Gods in the form of beautiful sculptures in the pillars of
these mandaps. Narasimha coming out of pillar, Narasimha killing Hiranya,
Vishnu with musical instruments, and other such rare sculptures are carved in
these mandaps.
1008
Maha Linga shrine is in the north-west corner of the Temple. 1008 small lingams
are enshrined in a single Maha lingam. There is a 108 Mahalinga shrine located in
the north-east corner in the middle praharam. By the side of the 1008 Mahalinga
shrine, the 2nd Kalyana mandapam is present in the corner. Near the Kalyana
Mandapam is present a stone called ‘Kaalam Kaatum Kal’ (stone indicating the
time). Once this stone might have been used for knowing the time of the day
with its shadow but now it has lost all its markings and stands as a mute testimony
of the past.
There is
long Alankara mandapam running through the entire northern praharam wall. Like
the Southern Praharam, there is a miniature Rajagopuram on the Northern side
temple wall also. In the north-west corner of the middle prakaram, is present a
group of lingams called Yuga lingams along with Pancha Muga Sadhasiva lingam
and Karaikkal Ammaiyar idols. On entering to the left in the entrance praharam
is the idol of Lord Ganesha. The idol is huge about 10 feet. To the right is
the idol of Lord Muruga. The specialty in this temple is all the idols are big.
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Nayanmars Idols and Panchalingam along with goddess Lakshmi and Saraswathy are
present in the prakaram outside the sanctum. An idol of late 19th/early 20th
century vintage is a delightfully large Ganesa, housed in the entrance
pavilion. A stone inscription by its side has it that it was installed by
Parvathi Ammal, the wife of Arcot overseer Munisami Maistry, in memory/as per
the wishes of her sister Pappathi Ammal. The stone is dated to the month of
Karthikai in Vikriti year but with no numbers given.
Shrines
for Lord Ganesha, Lord Muruga, Lord Nataraja, Navagraha, Bairavar and there is
also a separate idol of God Soorya along with Sthala Linga in the middle
prakaram. Kala Bhairava Shrine can be seen in the outermost prakaram. The Kala
Bhairavar sannidhi is seen behind the Nandi in the outer praharam. The Selva
Vinayagar Shrine is located behind the Nandi and dwaja sthambam and in the entrance
to the second praharam. Bhikshandar sannidhi in the second praharam look at the
wonderful art work. A tunnel found here is believed to run till the
Jalakandeswarar Temple in Vellore.
Sthala
Vriksham is Palm Tree and is in the inner corridor – prakara of the
temple. This has a peculiar character of giving the fruits in black in a year
and white the following year. Theertham associated with this Temple are Simha
Theertham, Sooli Theertham and Brahma Theertham. Another feature here is the
Simha Theertham, a small square cut stone well accessed by a flight of steps in
the belly of a large stucco lion. Every Karthigai (Tamil calendar month) last
Saturdays, thousands of female devotees take bath in this tank and sleep in the
temple mandaps with wet clothes. It is believed that if God appears in their dreams,
their wish come true.
