Saptha Karai Kanda Sthalams and Saptha Kailaya Sthalams
Saptha (7) Karai Kanda Sthalams and Saptha (7) Kailaya Sthalams
are the 14 Shiva temples on either side of Cheyyar river where the Shiva
lingams were installed and worshipped by Lord Muruga himself to absolve himself
of the sins for killing the rishis while creating Cheyyar (Sei aaru) for his
mother Goddess Parvathi. Parvathi Devi was proceeding from Kanchipuram to
Thiruvannamalai with the aim of getting into Lord Shiva’s one half (Arthanareeswara).
On her way, at Vazhai Pandhal, she made a Shiva lingam out of sand but had no
water for Abhishekam.
So, she asked her son, Lord Muruga to make arrangement
for water. Lord Muruga threw his spear (Vel) towards West to create a pond but
water from the hills there flew in red. It was because of the blood oozing out
from seven sages – Puthirandan, Puruhudan, Pandurangan, Bodhavan, Bodhan,
Koman and Vaman – who were performing penance there. While the sages got
relieved of the curses they were undergoing, Lord Muruga was caught with the
sin of killing the sages.
As directed by Mother Uma, Lord Muruga established seven
temples on the northern bank of Cheyyar and seven temples on the southern bank
of the river and worshipped Lord Shiva to get relieved of his sin. Most of
these temples are located in the Polur – Thiruvannamalai and Polur – Sengam
route apart from the 2 Saptha Kailaya temples (Karaipoondi and Mandakolathur)
in the Polur – Vandavasi route. While all the Karaikandeswarar temples maintain
the deities name as Karaikandeswarar and Ambal Brahan Nayagi / Periya Nayagi,
only a few of the Saptha Kailaya temples maintain the name Kailasanathar.