Vedagiriswarar Temple,
Thirukalukundram – Legends
Significance of the Eagles:
According to a legend, sage
Pusha and sage Vidhadha performed penance on Lord Shiva seeking Sharoopa
status. Lord modified their demand and granted the Sayujya status and promised
elevation to Sharoopa later. The sages refused to accept the offer and were
adamant on their demand. Angry Lord cursed them to become eagles. Since then,
they are in this hill known as Shambu and Aadhi and are worshipping Lord with
the Pakshi Theertha they had created.
It is believed that they are the
two eagles that visit Thirukazhukundram daily from time immemorial, in order to
worship Siva and to obtain salvation from their curse. To attain moksha and
regain their original forms, they have to worship the deity of this temple till
the end of Kaliyuga. While these sacred Eagles were known as Sandan and Prasandan
in Thretha Yuga, Sambathi and Jatayu in Krutha Yuga, Sambhukthan and Mukundan
in Dwapara Yuga, in Kali Yuga they are now known as Pusha and Vidhadha.
It is said that after a bath in
the Ganges in the morning, they come here at noon for food, reach Rameswaram in
the evening for darshan and return to Chidambaram for the night. The eagles
circle around the temple top and approach the priest. They eat the balls of
rice and after cleaning their beaks in the water kept in a small vessel nearby,
take off, circle around the tower again and fly off. This has been going on for
centuries now. The scene is also sculpted on one of the walls in front of Goddess
Thirupurasundari, in the lower temple.
The two sacred eagles appearing
over the temple to worship the Lord every day are a major attraction for the
devotees. Legend also says that the
birds will not come if there are sinners in the crowd which assembles at the
temple. Till 1998, the mystical bird pair used to appear every day at noon at
Thirukazhukundram. But one day they stopped coming and they simply vanished.
For the local people, it’s a bad omen and attributed to the presence of sinners
among the onlookers. For a decade now, no mythical birds had visited the temple, but the ritual is of practised by the temple priest in the hope that
they eventually will turn up some day.
Unique phenomenon of birth of Conch:
It is believed that Saint
Markandeya, came down here after visiting Benares. He wished to have a bath in
the sacred tank and perform abhishekam to the Siva lingam here, but he found no
vessel to take the water. Just then a conch suddenly emerged from the tank,
with a humming sound, and Markandeya performed the abhishekam. It is said that
even now once in 12 years, a conch emerges from this water, which the temple
authorities collect with all honors and preserve in the temple in an enclosed
glass box with dates mentioned therein. It is astonishing that a conch gets
formed in fresh water since the natural phenomenon of a birth of a conch can
happen only in salt water. Abhishekam is performed to Lord Vedagiriswarar
with the collected conches on the last Monday in the Tamil month of Karthigai.
Vedagiriswarar:
Sage Bharadhwaja prayed
to the Lord Shiva for
a long life so he could learn all the
Vedas. Shiva appeared before him and granted him the wish to learn
the Vedas and created three mountains each signifying a Veda (Rig, Yajur and Sama).
Shiva took a handful of mud and said "Dear Bharadhwaja! The Vedas that you
could learn are only this handful compared to the mountains present here, even
if you live much longer and hence, learning is never ending and could possibly
cannot be the route for Salvation". Shiva also said that in Kaliyuga,
the simplest and the surest way to salvation is Bhakti or
unfettered devotion, service and love of God and his creations.
The hillock is named as Vedagiri,
since it is traditionally believed that the four (Rig, Yajur, Sama and
Atharvana) Vedas are seen one above the other in the form of four rocks. Lord
Shiva is believed to be emerging from the head of the fourth (Atharvana) Veda
and said to have derived the name Vedagiriswarar (a Swayambhu lingam), the
presiding deity of the temple situated on the hilltop.
Indra is worshipping Lord Shiva here:
It is believed that Indira is
still worshipping Lord in this temple. As an evidence of this fact, thunder
falls through a hole in the tower above the sanctum sanctorum (Vimana) and goes
around the Shivalinga. Unbearable heat is experienced while opening the sanctum
next day. This happens once in a few years. Scientists had proved that such an
incident took place on the 10th November 1930.
Nandi Theertham:
The Nandi once undertook penance
on Earth. Pleased with him, Siva appeared before him and granted boon. The
Nandi desired that the place and the tank be named after him and asked that
those taking a dip in the tank and offering prayers to Lord Vedagiriswarar be
absolved of their sins. His prayer was granted and hence the place is also
known as Nandipuram and the tank, Nandi Theertham.
Thirukazhukundram:
The word Thirukazhukundram comes
from the Tamil words Thiru (Respectful), Kazhugu (Vulture/Eagle), Kundram
(mount). It was known as "Thirukazhugukundram" in ancient times,
which, overtime became Thirukazhukundram.
Sangu Thirtha Pushkara Mela:
According to the Sthalapuranam,
Lord Siva himself had declared Sangu tank to be the holiest of all, and as per his
command, all the sacred waters in India would meet here once in 12 years when
Guru (Jupiter) enters Kanya rasi. The event is conducted as a festival known as
Sangu Thirtha Pushkara Mela when there is a huge gathering from all parts of
the country (The Hindu 02, August 2002).
There is an interesting story
prevalent with respect to the origination of Sangu Theertha Pushkara Mela
festival. There occurred a tussle of proving supremacy amongst various rivers
such as Ambai, Indraputra, Rudra, Cauvery, Pamba, Yamuna, Thamirabarani,
Vaigai, to name a few. Each one touted itself to be the best. The rivers then
decided to worship Lord Vedagiriswarar by taking bath in the Sangu Theertham.
The Lord appeared before the
rivers and told them that none of them was superior before the conch that
appeared in the tank, which was used to perform abhishekam to Lord. The rivers
felt ashamed about their mean fight and then decided to take bath in the Sangu
Theertham during the day of transition of Jupiter into Virgo rasi.
Lord Shiva initiation of Panchakshara to
Manikkavasakar:
It was in Bhaktavachaleswarar Temple
that Lord Siva appeared before the Tamil saint Manikkavasakar, in the form of
Dakshinamurthy, and initiated him into the secrets of the holy Panchakshara.
Part of Sanjeevi Parvatha:
When Sri Anjaneya took the
Sanjeevi Parvatha from Himalayas, some parts of Mountain fell over this
mountain. Hence even today rare herbals are available here.
Different Names:
The place has been called as Pakshi
Theertham, Uruthrakodi, Nandipuri, Indrapuri, Narayanapuri, Brahmapuri,
Dinakarapuri, Muniganapuri in the past.
Equivalent to Amaravathi:
Saint Arunagirinathar describes
the place as the one equal to Amaravathi the capital of Indira.
King Suraguru had Lord Shiva darshan here:
It is believed. King Suraguru,
to whom Lord granted darshan was instrumental for the creation of this sacred place.