Sundara Kamakshi Temple, Sirukarumbur, Vellore
Sundara
Kamakshi Temple is dedicated to Hindu God Shiva located at Sirukarumbur village
near Kaveripakkam in Kanchipuram District of Tamilnadu. Presiding deity is
called as Thirupuranthaga Easwarar. Mother is called as Sundara Kamakshi.
Mother is given importance over Lord Shiva. This is one of the
Kamakshi’s installed by Adhi Shankara.
The
temple with great religious importance as well as beautiful icons is situated
in a very beautiful ambiance amidst green fields. From the outside, it looks
like a small village temple. Indeed it’s a small temple with just a Shiva and
Ambal shrine, both not so big, but it is a hidden treasure trove for devotees,
heritage and art lovers with so many unique features.
History
In this
small village the historical temple was covered with sand due to the foreign
invasion. During 1958 Baskara Tondaiman the Vellore collector took initiative
to uncover the sand and find out what is the hidden treasure behind this sand
hill.
It is
also said that erstwhile Kanchi Periyava visited it during the 1970’s as he
stayed here and do pooja to Sundara Kamatchi. He was instrumental in conducting
the Kumbabishekam in 1980. The sculpture and shape of the temple suggest that
it belongs to the chola period. It is also believed that one the earliest Hindu
guru Adisankara visited this place and installed the Sundarakamatchi.
The
Temple
Lord
Shiva here is called Sri Thirupuranthaga Easwarar as Swayambu lingam and Ambal
is Sri Sundara Kamakshi. The Linga is Swayambhu. Though this is a Shiva Temple,
importance is for Sundara Kamakshi Ambal and she is very beautiful, as the name
signifies. Unlike Kamakshi Ambal in other temples, here she is in a standing
posture. Sri Adhi Sankarar had visited this place and installed the Sri
Chakra in front of her. The Srichakra has the presence of Ashtadhik Balagars in
it.
The
Ambal shrine is totally different. It is built of green granite stones and its
goshta walls are completely filled with exquisite carvings and very rare and
special moorthies. The Devi Temple stands close to the Easwara Temple and is
made of green stone. A lot of dilapidation had been there and renovation has
been done and is still taking place. A few stones have been arranged near the
wall inside the Temple that shows the glory of the Temple. The sculptures here
are intricate in places and worth seeing.
Normally,
one would find a Peepal tree and a Neem tree growing together in many Temples.
Here you find a tall Bilva tree (Aegle marmetos / Stone apple/
Bael/Shivadruma)branching into three trunks three feet above ground level and a
Neem Tree growing through the space between the Thrisul like trunks. Vilva
represents Lord Siva and the Neem Tree, the Devi. Puja is done here by couples
who wished to be blessed with children. Under the trees is a huge Linga which
had been brought here from a distant hill.
There
are sculptures in relief of Naga and fish on the ceiling of the Mandapa just
outside the Garbha Griha which implies that those with Naga dosha can get rid
of them by worshipping the Devi here. There is a Sannidhi for Lord Ganesha,
Lord Karthikeya, Lord Bhairava and the Nava Grahas. Fearing attacks from the
invading forces, the people here had covered the Temple with sand and mud in
the early nineties and this Temple was exposed to people only in the year 1958.
This is one of the Kamakshi’s installed by Adhi Shankara.
The
sanctum Sanctorum of Lord Siva abounds in sculptures too and so does that of
the Devi. At the inner entrance to Shiva shrine there are icons of Sage
Patanjali on the right side and Sage Vygrapathar on the left. On either side of
the innermost entrance to the Shiva shrine there are icons of male and female
versions of Purusha mirugas in the posture of doing poojas. They are considered
to be present always and doing the daily poojas to Easwarar.
Lord
Veera Badhrar inside the Shiva shrine has a Shiva linga on his forehead. Lord
Dakshinamurthy here is unique. He has in his Jata, sixty three tiny Lingas
which the Priest refers to as the 63 Saiva- Devotees called the Nayanmars,
who have sung praises of the Lord.
Inscriptions
Stone
inscriptions dating back to the 10th and 11th century AD in the Temple throws
light on the way records of properties were maintained during the Chola times. The
stones disclosed the many agreements reached between different groups of people
for endowments and upkeep of the temple. The inscriptions also revealed that
there were Chola bronze images, consecrated and worshipped in that temple.
One of
the stone documents recorded that a bronze idol of Umaparameswari, consort of
Lord Nataraja, was installed and worshipped by the villagers in the year 1013
AD, the 28th year of the reign of Rajaraja Chola-I, in the temple. The stone
records also brought to light the agreements reached by a group of people in
the village to endow paddy for the upkeep and maintenance of the temple.
Names of
the people of the community like Arunan, Ezhilan Pondhai, Mani Nagan, and village
posts like "Gramavitthan", mentioned in the stones, revealed that the
temple had been a common holding of the community.
Contact
Sundara
Kamakshi Temple,
Sirukarumbur,
Kaveripakkam
Kanchipuram
District
Mobile: +91 - 94863 70223
/ 94860 60120
Connectivity
Sirukarumbur
is located at about 3 Kms from Ocheri, 16 Kms from Walajapet, 23 Kms from Arcot,
46 Kms from Vellore, 34 Kms from Arakkonam, 19 Kms from Thirumalpur, 6 Kms from
Kaveripakkam and 97 Kms from Chennai. Sirukarumbur is located in the Chennai -
Mumbai highway. The temple is located at a distance of about 400 meters from
the Chennai – Bangalore highway at the Sirukarumbur junction between Ocheri and
Kaveripakkam. The Sirukarumbur junction is 1 km after Ocheri junction; 2 kms
before Murugan Idly Shop; and around 4 kms before Kaveripakkam while going from
Chennai. Nearest Railway Station is located at Thirumalpur and Arakkonam.
Nearest Airport is located at Chennai.
References
