Abhimukeswarar Temple,
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).
Abhimukeswarar:
Legend has it that the Lord
Shiva was facing east earlier and only when Mahamaham started, the Navakanniga
rivers including Ganges and others requested that they would like to have a
glimpse of the Lord from Mahamaha Kulam, the Lord acceded to the request and
turned towards west. Thus, the Lord is facing West and
came to be known as Abhimukeswarar.
Sumathi got cured of leprosy here:
A beautiful girl child was born
to Sudhaban, a brahmin from Kashmir and his wife Seelavathi and they named her
as Sumathi. When she approached marriageable age, due to her karma, was
inflicted by Leprosy. The people around thus despised Sumathi and the parents
were worried and prayed to Lord Siva fervently for the wellbeing of their
daughter. Sage Naradha came in their dreams and told they had to go and take
bath in Mahamahakulam during Masi Magam and pray to Abhimukeswarar
for the cure of the illness of Sumathi. The couple did as told by Sage Naradha
and Sumathi was cured of her illness. That night, Lord Siva came in the dream
of Sudhaban and told to conduct the marriage of Sumathi before him and live for
some time and they would reach Kailasa.
