Prananadeswarar Temple,
Tirumangalakudi – The Temple
This
Temple is facing towards east with 5 tiered
Rajagopuram and has two prakarams. Balipeedam, Nandhi and Dwajastambam can be
found in the Mukamandapam facing the sanctum. Presiding Deity is called as Prananadeswarar
/ Pranavaratheswarar and is facing east. He is housed in the sanctum in the
form of Lingam. Lord is a Swayambhu Moorthy. Traditionally, the Linga-Bana is
shorter than the height of the Avudaiyar, the seat or peeta. The Linga part is
taller than the Avudaiyar part in this
temple.
Vinayaka, Dakshinamurthy,
Rishabaroodar, Brahma and Durga are the Koshta idols located around the sanctum
walls. Chandrasekarar, Mayil Vahanan, Naalvar, Pradosha Nayagar are the Utsava
idols present in this Temple. Mothers Mahalakshmi and Saraswathi (without Veena
in hands) are on both sides of the sanctum as Dwarapalakis. Still noteworthy is
that they are sitting in Padmasana style.
Mother is called as Mangala
Nayaki. She is housed in a south facing shrine. The Temple is known as Pancha Mangala
Kshetra. The name of the place is Mangalakudi. The Goddess is Mangalambikai.
The Vimana over the sanctum is Mangala Vimanam. The Theertham is Mangala
Theertham. The Vinayaka is Mangala Vinayaka. Everything in the temple is
Mangala (Prosperity).
There are two Natarajas in the
Prakara with Mother Sivakami. There is a Bhoodha Gana playing a musical
instrument under the feet of the Nataraja near the main Nataraja. There is a
Maragatha Lingam (Lingam in green stone, Emerald) near the Nataraja shrine.
Abhishekam is performed to this Lingam during midday using Valampuri Shanku
(conch with a right bend).
There are two Durgas present in this
Temple. While Shiva Durga is present behind the Somaskanda shrine,
Vishnu Durga is present on the Koshta wall of the main shrine. In both the
Durga shrines, Mahishasura is not present, another rarity. There is also idol
of River Cauvery near the Durga in the Shiva shrine. There is a unique
procession mount in this temple called Purusha Mirugam (a mix of human, animal
and bird).
There
is no shrine for Navagrahas in this Temple. It
is believed that the Navagrahas in the nearby Suriyanar Koil are the ones
belonging to this temple. This
is the place where Navagrahas themselves worshipped and got rid of their sins.
So, devotees set to Suriyanar Koil, should visit this temple first to complete their worship.
There are shrines and idols of Mangala Vinayagar, Shanmuga, Gajalakshmi,
Bairavar, Chandrasekarar, Agasthiya Lingam, Nalvar, Haradatta and Meikandar and
11 Shivalingams placed in a row in the prakaram. Theerthams associated with this
Temple are Mangala Theertham, Cauvery River, Surya Theertham and
Chandra Theertham.
Surya and Chandra Theerthams are
situated in the prakaram. It is said that these two planets considered as two
eyes of Lord Shiva are in the Theertha (Spring) form to cool their Lord.
Abishek Water for the Lord is drawn from these springs. Unlike the other
temples, there are three Sthala Vrikshams namely Kongu, Ilavu and Vellerukku in
this
Temple.
