Friday, June 23, 2017

Sarguneswarar Temple, Karuveli – The Temple

Sarguneswarar Temple, Karuveli – The Temple
This is a small temple facing east. The presiding deity is called as Sarguneswarar, a form of Shiva. Lord Siva is Swambumoorthy here. Mother is called as Sarvanga Nayaki. Sthala Vriksham is Vilwa Tree. Theertham of this Temple is Yama Theertham. Before entering the temple it is a common ritual for the people to go into the sprawling tank called Yama Theertham located opposite to the temple, wash their hands and legs and sprinkle the water over their head. It is believed that Yama bathed here before worshipping Lord Sarguneswarar.









Taking a dip in it and worshipping Lord Sarguneswarar will remove the fear of death, so goes the local legend. The Nandi Mandapam or Nandikeswara is located just outside the main prakara. This Sannidhi is always placed just outside the main Sanctum of Lord Shiva with the Nandhi looking towards the main deity. The entry into the main temple is through the three storied Raja gopuram leading to the main sanctum. As in all South Indian temples here too the main Sanctum Santorum is of Lord Shiva Sri Sarguneswarar in the form of a Swayambu Linga of a modest height and simple decorations.









Lord Shiva here is said to reflect the much softer side of him radiating a sense of peace, calm and an unexplained sense of happiness and relief. Sarvanga Sundari Amman around 5.5 feet in height and with four hands in standing position is seen in a separate Sanctum sanctorum (sannidhi) facing east. The face of the idol radiates a wonderful feeling of calm beauty and peace, automatically makes you feel relieved of all stress and anxieties. It is a magical feeling that cannot be explained but only felt.









In the main Mandapam there is a separate sannidhi for Lord Nataraja. A marble statue of Hanuman can be seen in a separate Mandapam. Goddess Durgai with her Simha Vahanam can also be worshipped inside Ambal sannidhi. Unlike other south Indian temples this temple does not have a separate sannidhi for Navagrahas. Within the temple complex we can find the beautiful statue of Valampuri Vinayakar and various statues of Nagas under Pipal and Neem Tree.








There are also shrines for Dhana Ganapathy, Bala Murugan, Brahma, Durga, Ardhanarishvara, Bhairava, Chandikeswara and Dhakshinamoorthy. It is considered as the place where the marriage of Shiva and Parvathi was blessed by Vishnu, this place is believed to be of great power especially for those wanting to be married or to be gifted with a child.