Gauthameswarar 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).
Gauthameswarar:
Sage Gautama was living here
then and was feeding poor people. Some mischievous Tantriks wanted to damage
his reputation and created a magic cow. Seeing the cow, the sage massaged the
cow for its comfort. But the animal suddenly disappeared. Feeling that he had
been responsible for the disappearance the cow, Gautama worshipped Lord Upaveda
Nadeswarar and got relieved of the sin which he never intended to commit.
As Lord is worshipped by Sage
Gautama, Lord came to be called as Gautameswara. This is the holy place that
relieves people from Pasu Dosha (a sin caused by offending a cow). Anyone
caught in this offence knowingly or unknowingly, are advised to visit Gautameswara
temple on the banks of Mahamaha
tank and pray for relief.
