Amirtha Kalasa Nathar Temple,
Sakkottai, Kumbakonam – Legends
Maha Pralayam:
According to Hindu mythology, at
the end of every Yuga, there is a huge flood called Maha Pralayam occurs and the
whole world immerses in a deluge on account of the wrath of Hindu god Shiva for
the sins committed by humans in earth. Lord Brahma prepared himself for
the next cycle of creation. He put all the seeds from which creation would
sprout in amrita (the elixir of immortality) along with four Vedas and Puranas
and kept them together in a clay pot. On top of the pot, he placed a coconut
with mango leaves and wrapping around the pot’s neck a sacred thread. He then
placed the pot on the peak of Mount Meru in the Himalayas.
When the Maha Pralayam started,
it destroyed all living creatures on the earth. The Amutha Kalasa also got
displaced and started floating on the seas for years. Eventually when the
Pralayam stopped, the Kalasa settled in Kumbakonam. Then Lord Shiva took the
form of a hunter (Kirata Murthy) and split open the pot with his arrow. The
life on earth started flourishing again. It is believed that when Lord Shiva
opened the pot with his arrow, the pot broke and fell in various places across
the earth. Each of these items became Shiva Lingas and temple has been
established later.
These Temples are;
1. Adi
Kumbeswarar Temple (place
where the Amrutha Kalasa stayed). It is believed that Lord Kirata Murthy (Lord
Shiva) himself made a Shivalingam with the broken pieces of the Kalasa by
mixing nectar and sand with it. He worshiped this lingam and stayed back in
this place. The Shivalingam is in the shape of the neck of a pot (Kudamukku in
Tamil).
2. Someswarar
Temple (place where the string (Uri/Sikkam) fell.
3. Nageswarar
Temple (place where the Vilva leaves tied to the Kalasa fell).
4. Abhimukeswarar
Temple (place where the Kalasa’s coconut fell).
5. Gauthameswarar
Temple (place where the sacred thread of Kalasa fell).
6. Koneswarar
Temple, Kudavasal (place where the rim of the Kalasa fell)
7. Sakkottai
Amirthakalasa Nathar Temple (place where the mid-portion of the
Kalasa fell). Since the pot (locally called kalayam) arrived here, it was
called Kalayanallur.
8. Banapureeswarar
Temple (place where Lord Shiva broke the Kalasa with his arrow).
9. Aadhi
Kampatta Viswanathar Temple (place where the flowers of the Kalasa
fell).
10. Kalahastheeswarar
Temple (place where Chandan of the Kalasa fell).
11. Ekambareswarar
Temple (place where the balance items of Kalasa feel).
12. Kottaiyur
Kodeeswarar Temple (place where some drops of the nectar fell).
Sakkottai:
Another legend states that Nayanmar saint
Sakya was a staunch devotee of Shiva. He used to wear in Sakya style, which was
not typical of Saivism. He used to worship Shiva at this place and even
did puja for a stone he crossed. In his
devotion, he used to forget that he was adorning the image of Shiva with stones
instead of flowers. One day he forgot to do his austerities and started
consuming food. He suddenly realized his mistake and ran to the place where he
usually worships Shiva to find stones from Kailash started
falling at his feet, with Shiva and Parvathy appearing before him. It is
believed that as Sakya worshipped Shiva here, the place used to be called
Sakkottai.
Place of Buddhists:
Sambandar in
his works in Thevaram mentions that this place was
originally occupied by Buddhists (Sakkiyar) and hence it came to
be known as Sakkiyar Kottai, which with time became Sakkottai.
Parvathy performed penance here:
It is believed that Goddess
Parvathy performed penance here. Pleased with her penance, it is believed that
Lord Shiva married her. In the first stanza of his hymn, Saint Sundarar
mentions this legend. There is a shrine dedicated to her in the name of Thapas
Amman in the corridor.
People worshipped Lord Shiva here:
Lord Brahma, Sundaramurthy Nayanmar
and Sakkiya Nayanmar have also worshiped the lord of this temple.