Darmeswarar Temple, Achuthamangalam, Thiruvarur
Darmeswarar
Temple is a Hindu Temple dedicated to Lord Shiva located at Achuthamangalam
Village in Thiruvarur District of Tamilnadu. Presiding Deity is called as Darmeswarar
and Mother is called as Dharmapatni.
Legends
After
losing all the royal wealth and life, Pandava Brothers resorted to woods with
Panchali. They lost everything material in life but not the faith in the
Almighty. They carried with them this faith intensely, visited many holy places,
bathed in sacred rivers and worshipped in famous temples. They reached Thiruvannamalai,
the holy place that would lift the devotee to higher levels of life. They came
to the region made fertile by the perennial flow of the Holy Cauvery. They
performed Shiva Pujas.
They
came to a place that was very pleasant but without a river or a tank. Panchali
was sad. Arjuna took an arrow, prayed to Lord Krishna for a while and aimed it
on the ground. Water began to leak out gradually and soon there was a vast and
deep tank. All had a pleasant bath, took Vilwa leaves and performed Shiva Puja.
They returned to their place, Hasthinapuri, fought for their rights, regained
the throne.
The tank
created by Arjuna with his arrow boring the ground still exists in the temple. Knowing
the creation of the tank by Arjuna, devotees in the place built a Shiva temple
here. Everyone hopes that prayer in the temple would bring them back lost
earlier. The place was earlier known as Arjuna Mangalam after the name of
the tank and has now changed as Achuthamangalam. The Lord is named
after the name of Dharma the eldest of the Pandava brothers. Mother is
praised as Dharmapatni.
The
Temple
The west
facing Darmeswarar Temple, worshipped by Yudhishthira and other Pandavas is in
a pathetic state. Presiding Deity is called as Darmeswarar and Mother is called
as Dharmapatni. The Avudayar traditionally on the left of the Shivalinga is on
the right side in this temple. The Lord is named after the name of Dharma
the eldest of the Pandava brothers. The Ambal shrine has fallen down and
the Deity is kept in the Ardhamandapam of Swami sannidhi. The tank created by
Arjuna with his arrow boring the ground still exists in the temple.
Festivals
Maha Shivarathri
in February-March and Tirukarthikai in November-December are the festivals
celebrated in the temple.
Prayers
Devotees
pray here to recover what they had lost. Devotees perform abishek to Lord
Darmeswarar and Mother Dharmapatni with Vilwa petals and offer vastras.
Connectivity
Achuthamangalam
is located at about 3 Kms from Srivanchiyam, 3 Kms from Nannilam, 19 Kms from Nachiyar
Koil, 30 Kms from Kumbakonam, 20 Kms from Thiruvarur and 120 Kms from Trichy.
Nearest Railway Station is located at Nannilam and Nearest Airport is located
at Trichy.