Tuesday, August 13, 2019

Brahmapureeswarar Temple, Vilathotti – The Temple

Brahmapureeswarar Temple, Vilathotti – The Temple
This is an east facing temple with an entrance arch. The entrance arch has stucco images of Lord Shiva and Mother sitting on Nandi, housed in a small Mandapam, flanked by Vinayaga and Murugan. The Temple covers an area of about one acre and is completely surrounded by compound walls. The Temple has only one prakaram. Balipeedam and Nandi, housed in a Mandapam, is located outside the Temple facing the sanctum.


The Sanctum Sanctorum consists of a front Mandapam, Mahamandapam, Artha Mandapam and Sanctum. Presiding Deity is called as Brahmapureeswarar and is facing east. He is housed in the sanctum in the form of Lingam. Lord is Swayambhu Moorthy. Dakshinamurthy, Lingodbhava, Brahma and Mother Durga are the Koshta Idols located around the sanctum walls. Chandikeswarar Shrine can be seen in his usual location.


Mother is called as Itsharasu Nayaki. She is housed in a separate east facing shrine. As her blessings are as sweet as sugarcane juice (Itshu in Sanskrit means sugarcane, Rasa-juice). She came to be called as Itsharasu Nayaki. Nandi and Balipeedam is situated in front of Mother shrine and can be found facing the Mother Shrine. Lord Balamuruga shrine is situated behind the sanctum. There is a Lingam infront of Lord Murugan in the shrine. He is behind his father here as in Kumara Vayalur and blesses the devotees.


Lord Vinayaka, praised as Aabathu Katha Vinayaka (Vinayaka rescuing devotees at any time of crisis) greets the devotees from the left side of the Maha Mandapam. His idol is a little bigger in size than seen usually in temples. The special Mandapam and Mahamandapam are just after the entrance. The sculpture showing Lord Brahma worshipping Lord Shiva is on the left side of the Maha Mandapam. There are idols of Nataraja with his consort Shivagami and Manikkavasakar on the right side of the Mahamandapam. 


Lord Maha Vishnu with his consorts Rukmini and Sathyabama graces the devotees from his shrine on the left side of Mahamandapam in his Venugopala posture. Garudazhwar can be seen facing the shrine. Devotees believe that Perumal in this temple grants all prosperity to his devotees. There are shrines for Niruthi Vinayaga, Gajalakshmi, Mahalakshmi, Bhairavar, Suryan and Saneeswarar in the Temple premises. Sthala Vriksham is Vilwa Tree.