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Sunday, June 14, 2020

Abhimukeswarar Temple, Kumbakonam – Legends

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.