Ponnum Peruvembudaiyar Sastha Temple, Rajakkalmangalam,
Thirunelveli
Ponnum Peruvembudaiyar Sastha Temple is dedicated to
Hindu God Aiyappan located on the northern bank of Nambiyar at the base of the
hill called Koormagiri (Tortoise Hill) which looks like a Koormam (Tortoise)
from the top in Rajakkalmangalam in Thirunelveli District of Tamilnadu. The
temple is located on the highway in a village called Rajakkalmangalam which is exactly
between Vallioor and Nanguneri.
There
are archaeological findings near this temple recently unearthed by ASI
indicating the presence a city on the northern side of river Nambiyaru, like
the Sastha at chitoor a few km east of this place on the southern side of the
river called Thenkarai Maharaja temple dedicated to Sri Ayyappan’s brother,
Panthala Maharaja, who came here in search of Sri Aiyappan.
Legends
Sastha in Linga Form:
A demon
who tortured all the Devas and people had to be decimated. So, Lord Shiva
created Dharma Sastha and directed Sastha to kill the demon. Later on, once the
mission was successfully accomplished, Lord Shiva gave a “Linga” form to Dharma
Sastha who is popularly known as Lord Ayyappa. So, the unique feature of the
Sree Peruvembudaiyar temple is that Lord Ayyappa along with his consorts Poorna
and Pushkala are in the form of a “lingam” in this temple. Lord Ayyappa, as we
all know, is Hariharan (a combination of Lord Vishnu (Hari) and Lord Shiva
(Haran). Further, a “Vel” is also a part of the legacy of this temple which
definitely adds to the significance.
Koormagiri:
During
the “Kreda” Yuga, an asura (a demon) threw away Goddess Mahalakshmi in the
ocean. Lord Narayana took upon the form of “Koorma Avatar” and killed the demon
to rescue his beloved consort Goddess Mahalakshmi. It is believed that after
killing the demon, Lord Narayana visited Perumazhinji and conducted Shiva-pooja
in his “Koorma Avatar” to rid himself of the Dosha. This is the reason
this place is also called as Koormagiri Malai.
Swayambu Sastha:
Years
ago, the Dharma Sastha was seated atop a hill to give darshan to his devotees.
One day, as usual, the priest who conducted the rituals in the temple was
climbing the hill. Suddenly, he tripped and fell down. Who would come to his
rescue other than Lord Sastha himself? How would he allow his devotee to suffer?
The priest heard a voice that said, “O, Priest, there is no need for you to
come all the way up to propitiate me. To ensure that all my devotees can access
me freely, I am already present along with my wives Poorna and Pushkala in the
lingam form beneath a Neem Tree.
I will
be glad if you can do the rituals for me at that location where red ants and
white ants are appeasing me with flowers”. As if on cue, the priest went near
the Neem Tree and discovered the three Lingas. As the Dharma Sastha was found beneath
a neem tree (called as “Veppa Maram” in Tamil), the Sastha is fondly referred
to as Sri Peruvembudaiyar Sastha. It was also believed that siddhars were devoted
to Dharma Sastha and prayed to Lord Ayyappa in a formless manner.
Equivalent to Sabarimalai:
Legend
has it that the Dharma Sastha who was created by Lord Shiva in Perumazhinji
also took upon the onerous task of killing a female demon and was anointed as
Lord Ayyappa in Sabarimalai. Devotees who were unable to take the trip to
Sabarimalai, prayed at the Sri Peruvembudaiyar Sastha temple. Lord Ayyappa in
the “lingam” form is very much special. The triumvirate kings – Chola, Pandyan and
Cheran - in Tamil Nadu also seemed to have visited this place. This is as per
archaeological records that were retrieved. Records show that devotees visited
this shrine enroute to Sabarimalai, took bath in the “Nambi” River and cooked
food nearby.
The
Temple
Unique
feature of the Sree Peruvembudaiyar temple is that Lord Ayyappa along with his
consorts Poorna and Pushkala are in the form of a “lingam” in this temple. The
Boothathar moorthy of this place is a marvelous stone work. Boothathar is the
personal god of Sri Aiyappan, like Veerabahu to Murugan, hence you may see him
in all Aiyappan temples facing south in front of the Sastha Sannathi. The
temple trust has constructed a separate building for conducting “Annadhanam”
(free meals). During the months of Karthikai and Margazhi, Annadhanam is
conducted thrice in a day.
Annadhanam
is also conducted every Saturday. The trust has created a Lotus Pond in which
Lord Shiva is seated in the centre and the arrangements have been made to
ensure that water flows on Lord Shiva 24 x 7. A mini-poultry farm, a resting
station for birds, creation of a beautiful garden – all these have been created
and are also being maintained.
Prayers
Those
who wish to fix the marriages of their daughters, childless couples and those
with mental and physical illnesses have come to this shrine and have been
blessed with the grace of Sri Peruvembudaiyar Sastha. Wealth will pour in and
all your diseases will vanish without a trace when you are the recipient of the
grace of Lord Ayyappa.
Contact
Ponnum Peruvembudaiyar Sastha Temple,
Vaagaikulam,
Sasthapuram,
Rajakkalmangalam,
Perumazhinji.
Thirunelveli
District
Mobile: +91 9003799344 / 9363346436
Connectivity
The
temple is located in a village called Rajakkalmangalam - highway connecting Vallioor
and Nanguneri. Rajakkalmangalam is located at about 9 Kms from Valliyur, 8 Kms
from Nanguneri, 86 Kms from Thoothukudi, 40 Kms from Thirunelveli, 200 Kms from
Madurai and 125 Kms from Thiruvananthapuram. Nearest Railway Station is located
at Vallioor and Nanguneri. Nearest Airport is located at Thoothukudi, Madurai
and Thiruvananthapuram.