Friday, July 17, 2020

Gauthameswarar Temple, Kumbakonam – Legends

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.