Kachaleeswarar Temple, George Town – The Temple
Presiding Deity is called as Kachaleeswarar / Kachabeswarar.
Lord is portrayed with five seats – Koormasanam (tortoise), Ashtanagasanam
(eight serpents), Simhasanam (lion), Yugasanam (time), and Kamala Vimalaasanam
(lotus flower). Lord Shiva is portrayed as lingam in all the South Indian
temples. But in this temple, at the back side of the lingam, Lord Shiva is
portrayed with five heads as Sadasivamurti along with his consort Manonmani.
This is something rare which cannot be found in the other temples.
Also, the tortoise at the foot of Shiva Linga is Lord
Vishnu. Balipeedam, Dwajasthambam and Nandi can be found facing the sanctum. The
Vimana is Chaturanga Vimaanam. Mother is called as Soundarambikai / Azhakambigai.
She is housed in a separate shrine. Goddesses Lakshmi and Saraswathi can be
found on both sides of Mother Shrine. Worshipping all the three Shakthis
(female power deities) at the same time is believed to bestow a person with
good education, wealth and great potential for development.
There is a heavy Urchava Moorthy, Somaskandar in the
Temple prakaram. Because of the heavy weight, he is being taken on procession
only twice in a year. Somaskandar here is said to as sacred as that of
Thiruvannamalai. Adjoining this Utsavar
Shrine, Sthala Kachapa Maha Ganapathy Shrine can be found. History says that
this deity had been installed on the banks of the adjacent tank even before
this temple was built. Next to this Sannadhi, Lord Muruga is portrayed with his
two consorts Valli and Devayani. Utsava Idol of Durga can be found after this
Lord Muruga Shrine.
The Navagrahas in this temple are unique in their nature
in that they have been made as per astrological calculation. The Navagrahas
(nine planets) are standing in a separate shrine in standing posture. The Sun
God Surya is at the center and he alone is depicted with his wives, Usha and
Pradyusha. At the roof of the mandapam are sculpted the 12 zodiac signs, 27
stars, 60 years, the four yugas and the Ashtathik Balakas (the angels of the
eight sides). Those with planetary affliction, if they worship here, the misery
will ward off. People celebrate their sixtieth birthday before these Navagrahas.
The boosts up their longevity is the belief.
There is a shrine for Panchamukha Vinayaka (Ganesha with
five faces) along with his consorts in front of the Sanctum. He is also called
as Herambha Vinayagar. Lord Vinayaga is on his Simha vehicle (lion and not
mouse) carrier. Standing next to him are his consorts Siddhi and Buddhi. The
traditional belief is that when this Ganesha is worshiped, it engenders greater
unity between a married couple.
There is shrine of Lord Ayyappan in the Temple premises.
When the sanctum of Lord Ayyappan in Sabarimala caught fire, a new image of the
god was carved and taken from Tamil Nadu. That image was brought to this temple
for pooja and when they tried to take the deity out of the temple something or
the other stopped it from leaving the premises. Ayyappa had to stay in the
George Town Kachaleeswarar Temple in Chennai for three days. On all these three
days, poojas were performed to Lord Ayyappan. In memory of this special event,
a separate sanctum has been built for Lord Ayyappan. The celebration of
Ayyappan’s famous festival, Jyothi Darshan in January, is performed at the same
time as it happens in Sabarimala.
Sculpture of Dalavai Chettiar and his wife Sundari can
be seen on a pillar in the south praharam. Colorful paintings depicting the Thiruvilaiyadalgal
(Shiva’s Play) of Lord Siva are seen on the walls of the inner praharam and
Alankara mandapam. Devaram songs are written on the walls of the temple. There
is a shrine for Durga in the north praharam. She blesses her devotees with the
fortune of marriage, children and property. The twelve Thirumurai Vedas and
Chidambara Ragasyam are there at the Nataraja Shrine. Govinda Raja Perumal has
been portrayed at the right side of its entrance.
Lord Vinayaga here is Varasiddhi Vinayagar. Jaggery
rice is offered to him. There are shrines for Moolakeswarar, Shanmukha with his
consorts, Subramanya, Adi Shankara, Hanuman, Nalvar, Shasta along with his
consorts, Nataraja with Sivakami, 63 Nayanmars, Dakshinamurthy, Lingothbavar,
Brahma, Chandikeswarar, various forms of Shakthis (Durga), Agora Veerabhadra,
Bhairava, Saraswathi, Lakshmi, Varadaraja (Vishnu) and Dattatreya in the temple
premises. Sthala Vriksham is Kalyana Murunkai and Theertham associated with
this Temple is Sivagangai Theertham.
