Thursday, January 26, 2017

Rajagopalaswamy Temple, Anandhamangalam – Legends

Rajagopalaswamy Temple, Anandhamangalam – Legends
Sri Rama, on his return to Ayodhya after conquering the battle in Lanka, stayed in the hermitage of Muni Bharadwaja. Naradha came there and told Rama that his battle in Lanka had not ended. The heirs of Ravana were burning with a spirit of vengeance and were performing penance to gain the valour needed to destroy him. Therefore, Rama could not rest and should wage a war against the heirs of Ravana and undo their penance. Rama, though agreed with Naradha that these demons deserved to be killed, told him that if he delayed his landing in Ayodhya, his devout brother Bharatha would sacrifice his life and hence he could not take up the job and asked Naradha to find some means to destroy the demons.
Naradha asked for Lakshmana to help him but Rama could not part with him too as he was following him as a shadow. The only hero then available for the action against the demons was Hanuman. He has all the valour and the intelligence needed for the battle. Lord Vishnu gave Hanuman his conch and Sudharsana disc. Brahmma offered the Brahmma Kabaalam. Rudra gave mazhu. Rama gave his bow and arrow. Indra gave his Vajrayutham. Garuda gave his wings. With all the divine weapons presented by the Gods, Hanuman appeared with ten hands holding these weapons.
Lord Shiva, who came to the spot at the end, presented Hanuman with his third eye. Setting out with the weapons and blessings of all Gods, Hanuman destroyed the demons and returned to Ayodhya triumphantly. On the way, he stayed at this place in a very happy mood (Ananda state). Hence, the place came to be known as Anandhamangalam.
Thus Sri Anjaneya armed with all these weapons acquires the form of "Thri Nethra Dasa Bhuja Sri Veera Anjaneya" (Veera Anjaneya with three eyes and ten hands). This form of Anjaneya is depicted in the temple at Anandhamangalam. He carries in his five right hands the Sudharshana, Trishulam, Ankusham, Arrows and Maththaksham. His five left hands carry Shanka, Padmam, Pasham, Kothandam and Navaneetham. The third eye decorates his forehead. He carries a quiver full of arrows on his back.