Kasi Viswanathar Temple, Keel Ambur, Ambasamudram,
Thirunelveli
Kasi
Viswanathar Temple is dedicated to Hindu God Shiva located in Anbu Nagar in
Keel Ambur (Snehapuri) near Ambasamudram in Thirunelveli District of Tamilnadu.
Presiding Deity is called as Kasi Viswanathar and Mother is called as
Visalakshi. Sthala Vriksham is Vilwa Tree.
Legends
There
lived in this place a couple belonging to the Pillai community, Kasi
Viswanathan and Visalakshi. They had a son Madanarajan by name. He
was married to a woman Subbulakshmi by name. They had 8 sons and two
daughters. It was an affluent family. As fate had it, their riches began
to shrink. Rajangam and Pandi Thurai, two among the 8 sons began to make a
livelihood by selling woods bringing from the forest nearby. They were engaged
in the tree felling job one day near the Trishul hill and were relaxing under a
banyan tree near Athiyuthu. They were just recalling about the charitable deeds
performed by their ancestors in Kasi – now Varanasi - and hoped for a good day
to continue the sacred deeds of their ancestors.
Suddenly
it began to rain heavily with thunders and lightning. The lightning ray
fell on the banyan tree. A Shivalinga and Ambica rose from the roots. They
granted darshan to the brothers and assured them as rich a life as they had in
the past. After the moving the Shivalinga by the side, they found 7 big bowls
containing all gold coins. They took the gold container bowls and the
Shivalinga by the night to their house. They – Rajangam and Pandi Thurai
sent word to other six brothers. They made 9 shares. Eight brothers took
one each. With the riches in the 9th bowl, they built a temple and
installing Lord Shiva. They named them as Lord Kasi Viswanathar and Mother Visalakshi.
The
Temple
Presiding
Deity is called as Kasi Viswanathar and Mother is called as Visalakshi. Sthala
Vriksham is Vilwa Tree. The sanctum sanctorum of the presiding deity and that
of Mother is facing east and south respectively. As in all Shiva temples
there is Nandhi before the sanctum and an Abisheka Well in the temple. The
Theerthavari is celebrated on the Thaipoosam day on the banks of Kadana River
with Lord and Mother granting darshan to devotees followed by
procession. The rays of Sun fall on the presiding deity in the sanctum
sanctorum, Lord Ganapathy in the Kanni Moola corner and on Lord Muruga during
the Utharayana Punya Kala in the Thai month – January-February between 5.00
a.m. and 6.30 a.m.
Temple
Opening Time
The
temple is open from 6.00 a.m. to 10.00 a.m. and from 5.00 p.m. to 8.00 p.m.
Festivals
Monthly
Pradoshams, Navarathri in September-October and Thai Poosam in January-February
are the festivals celebrated in the temple.
Prayers
Devotees
pray to Lord and Mother with different wishes in their minds. Devotees offer
abishekams and vastras to Lord and Mother.
Contact
Sri Visalakshi-Kasi
Viswanathar Temple,
Anbu
Nagar, Keel Ambur (Snehapuri),
Ambasamudram,
Thirunelveli District
Mobile: +91 98946 48170 / 94420 27013 / 99420 16043
Connectivity
The
temple is situated in Anbu Nagar – Keel Ambur in Ambasamudram, Thirunelveli
district. Bus facility is available. Ambasamudram is 37 Kms from Tenkasi,
12 Kms from Veeravanallur, 47 Kms from Thirunelveli, 206 Kms from Madurai and
143 Kms from Thiruvananthapuram. Nearest Railway Station is located at Ambasamudram.
Nearest Airport is located Madurai and Thiruvananthapuram.
