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Tuesday, August 11, 2020

Nageswara Swamy Temple, Kumbakonam – Legends

Nageswara Swamy 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).
Nageswarar:
As per Hindu mythology, Adiseshan (the king of serpents) holds the earth in its place. As the weight grew due to the sins committed by the wicked, he could not bear the excess weight and felt exhausted.  He visited Mount Kailash and begged Lord Shiva to bless him with the adequate energy needed to do his job. Lord promised him the energy to hold the earth with a single head (Adisesha has 1000 heads). 
Adisesha, with the blessings of Lord Shiva came to this part of Kumbakonam where one leaf of Vilwa fell from the nectar pot. He installed a Linga here and worshipped the Lord. As Nagaraja the king of snakes worshipped the Lord here, He is praised as Nageswarar. The water body in the temple is called as Naga Theertham.
Holier than Kasi:
Kumbakonam is considered more sacred than Varanasi (Kasi). A sin committed at normal places can be washed away by visiting a nearby holy place. A sin committed in one of the sacred places is washed away by performing a pilgrimage to Varanasi. However, if any one commits a sin in Varanasi can only be washed off in Kumbakonam. Similarly, any sinful act done at Kumbakonam is washed away there itself.
Surya Theertham:
Lord Surya is said to have worshipped here to regain his lost splendor. Hence, the temple tank came to be called as Surya Theertham. Hence, this Temple is also considered as Bhaskara Kshetram.
Kudanthai Keezha Kottam:
As this temple is situated on the eastern side of Kumbakonam, the temple is known as Kudanthai Keezha Kottam (Keezha means eastern side and Kottam means temple).
Other Names of this place:
The place was called as Vilva Vanam, Surya Kottam and Keezha Kottam in ancient times.
People worshipped Lord Shiva here:
It is believed that Adiseshan, Surya, King Nala, Daksha and Karkotaka worshipped Lord Shiva here.