Kalahasteeswarar
Temple, Kumbakonam – The Temple
This
Temple is facing towards east with five tiered
Rajagopuram. Lord Vinayaka and Lord Muruga grace at the Rajagopuram entrance. There
is an entrance to this
Temple via Kamakshi Josiyar Street. Presiding Deity is called as Kalahasteeswarar
and is facing east. He is housed in the sanctum in the form of Lingam. Dakshinamoorthy,
Lingothbhava and Durga are the Koshta Idols located around the sanctum walls.
Mother is called as Gnanambigai
/ Gnanaprahalambigai. She is housed in a separate
south facing shrine. Mother shrine is situated to the right side of sanctum. There
is a west facing shrine for Lord Shiva Surya in the
temple premises. There is a separate shrine for Nataraja in the
temple premises. Lord Nataraja is holding the court along with
Mother Shivagami. Manickavasagar can be found in this shrine.
There is a shrine for Jwarahareswarar
/ Juradeva in the
temple premises. He appears with three legs of which two are on the
ground and one is in folding position. As illnesses occur due to three
problems in bones, veins and skin, it is said that Lord Juradeva has three legs
to protect the sick devotees. Abhishek to Lord is performed with hot water.
There is a shrine for Kalyana Sundareswarar
with Katyayini in the
temple premises. Lord Kalyana Sundara Murthy and Mother
Kathyayini appears in marriage attire with a walking stick. It represents the
tradition of bridegroom going to Kasi symbolically during the wedding ceremony.
There is a shrine for Durga in the temple premises. She is called as Ashtadasa
Bhuja Mahalakshmi Durga as she is having 18 hands. Mother Durga is the
authority on Rahu planet.
There are shrines for Siddhi
Vinayaga, Meenakshi Sundareswarar, Kasi Viswanathar, Saraswathi, Lakshmi,
Ganga, Navagrahas, Anjaneya and Rahu in
the temple
premises. When the bell of this temple rings, it sounds OHM. Sthala
Vriksham is Vilwa Tree.
