Thirumarperu Manikandeswarar Temple, Tirumalpur,
Kanchipuram – Legends
Lord Vishnu getting Lord Shiva’s Discuss:
Lord
Vishnu applied his discuss on Sage Thatheesi for a king named Kuban. When the
discus touched the divine body of the sage, it lost is sharpness. Worried Lord
Vishnu consulted with Devas and came to know that Lord Shiva has the Sudharsana
discus which he created to destroy demon Chalandarasura. Lord Vishnu
came to this place and worshipped Lord Shiva with thousand flowers a day.
To test
the determination of Vishnu, Lord Shiva caused shortage of one flower. To
make up the shortage, Lord Vishnu immediately plucked his eye and offered it in
the puja. Pleased with his determination, Lord Shiva restored his
eye saying that “as you offered your eye for a lotus flower, you will have the
eye with lotus beauty and you will be known as Padmashan.
Lord
Shiva also gave his discus to Vishnu. Lord Shiva further added that those
who chanted his 1000 names or a few of them chanted by Lord Vishnu would be
blessed with salvation. Lord Vishnu prayed to Lord Shiva that the benefit
of praying in many temples should be granted to the devotees who pray
here.
Lord
Shiva assured the boon to Lord Vishnu. As a same we can see Vishnu as
senthamarai Kannan praying in front of Siva in the sanctum. Here the Utsava
vigraha is with flower in one hand and with an eye in another hand.
Etymology:
Since,
Sri Hari (Thirumal) got back his Chakkram, this Sthalam is called as "Hari
Chakrapuram" and since, Thirumal got Peru (the reason for which he
worshipped the Perumaan is successful) it is called as "Thirumaalperu (Thirumal
+ Peru)". Since Thirumal dedicated his Netram (eyes), he is called as
"Senthamarai Kannaperumal".
Nandhi in Standing Posture:
Devotees
can notice one significant thing in this temple is Nandhi in standing posture.
One day Ravana came to this temple to pray Shiva. While entering the temple
Nandhi advised him saying Lord is taking rest, to visit after some time,
immediately Ravana cursed Nandhi to have monkey face. After that Nandhi cursed
him back that the cursed face will bring his destruction.
Place where Vishnu asked Mahabali three measures of
Land:
Some of
the local tradition indicates Tirumalpur as the place where Vishnu asked Mahabali Chakravarthy to give him land of the extent
measured by three steps of Vishnu.
