Kathra Sundareswarar Temple, Kanjanagaram – Legends
Kanjanagaram:
As per
legend, the devas, sages and mortal beings were harassed by the demon brothers
Padmasura, Singa Mukha and Tarakasura. Unable to bear their atrocities, the devas
and sages approached Mother Parvathi for protection. Lord Shiva was in Katra Jyothi
(light in fire form) yoga during that time. No one could approach him at that
time except Mother Parvathy. She approached Lord Shiva to convey the distress
call of the devas and sages. Lord Shiva was interrupted in his meditation and
opened his third eye from which six sparks of golden rays came out.
These
six golden rays were united together to form Kartikeya. He then annihilated the
demons and saved the devas and sages. Thus, the place is associated with the
origin of Krittika Nakshatra and Muruga and Lord Shiva came to be called as Karthika
Sundareswarar. As the golden light (Kanchana Prakasa) appeared from the third
eye of Lord Shiva, the place came to be called as Kanjana Nagaram. Currently,
the place was called as Kanjanagaram.
Manakanchara Nayanar:
Manakanchara
Nayanar was a Nayanar saint, venerated in the Hindu sect of
Shaivism. He is generally counted as the twelfth in the list of 63 Nayanars. The
life of Manakanchara Nayanar is described in the Periya Puranam by Sekkizhar (12th
century CE), which is a hagiography of the 63 Nayanars. He is dated to the 8th
century CE and was a contemporary of Eyarkon Kalikkama Nayanar, a Nayanar
saint and his son-in-law as well as Sundarar. Sundarar venerates
Manakanchara Nayanar in the Tiruthonda Thogai, a hymn to Nayanar saints.
He is described as generous and having hill like shoulders.
Manakanchara
Nayanar was born in Kanjaru, a fertile place in the Chola kingdom. Kanjaru is currently
situated in Mayiladuthurai District of Tamil Nadu. He was a Vellalar,
a caste of agricultural land owners. He was a great devotee
of Shiva, the patron god of Shaivism. He was the commander-in-chief
of the Chola army. Manakanchara became a powerful and wealthy commander. He
served devotees of Shiva and generously donated gifts to them. However,
Manakanchara did not have a child. He prayed to Shiva for a child and was
blessed with a daughter. He distributed many gifts to devotees, while
celebrating the birth of his daughter with great pomp.
The
daughter is called Punniya Vardhini. She was instilled with values of devotion
to Shiva by her father from childhood. She grew up to become a beautiful
maiden, with long and beautiful locks of hair. The family elders arranged her marriage
to Eyarkon Kalikkama Nayanar, who was a Vellalar commander-in-chief of the
Chola kingdom. The prospective groom also shared the devotion and love for Lord
Shiva with Manakanchara Nayanar. It was said that Manakanchara Nayanar had
gained two boons from Shiva: a pious daughter as well as a devout and
illustrious son-in-law.
On day
of the wedding (in some versions, a day prior to the wedding), while the
bridegroom was on the way to the marriage venue at Manakanchara Nayanar's
house, Lord Shiva disguised himself as a Mahavrata Shaiva yogi (an
ascetic who has kept a great vow), with sacred ash smeared over his
body, matted hair and wearing garlands of bones and skulls and
a Yagnopavita (sacred thread worn across the chest) made of human
hair called a Panchavati. Manakanchara Nayanar welcomed and honoured the
ascetic. The ascetic enquired about the festivities and in response,
Manakanchara Nayanar informed him of his daughter's wedding.
When she
arrived and sought the blessings of the ascetic, he commented that her long
hair would have been ideal for making his Panchavati. Without giving it a
second thought, taking the statement as a command by the yogi, Manakanchara Nayanar
chopped off the hair of his daughter and gifted them to the ascetic, in an act
of supreme devotion to Shiva's devotees. Cutting of the hair of a young maiden,
especially of a bride, is considered inauspicious and thus a taboo. The
daughter of Manakanchara Nayanar had lost her hair, the reason of her beauty,
and faced the risk of rejection by the bridegroom.
The
ascetic disappeared immediately, as soon as he accepted the hair. Lord Shiva
along with his consort Parvati gave a divine vision to the family of
Manakanchara Nayanar, pleased with their service. The divine couple blessed the
family and disappeared. The bride's beautiful hair were also restored. Eyarkon
Kalikkama Nayanar and his wedding party arrived at the place and got to know
what had happened. Kalikkama regretted that he missed an opportunity to see his
patron god Shiva. He felt that if he had married the bride when Shiva asked for
the hair, he would have had the honour of gifting Lord Shiva.
The
temple of Panchavateeswarar temple, dedicated to Lord Shiva, marks the vision
of Lord Shiva to Manakanchara Nayanar. It is located Anandathandavapuram in Mayiladuthurai
District of Tamil Nadu. An image of Lord Shiva called Jata Nathar (the Lord of
the hair) depicts Shiva with a lock of hair, alluding to the hair of
Manakanchara Nayanar's daughter, in his hands. Manakanchara Nayanar is
worshipped in the Tamil month of Margazhi, when the moon enters the Swati nakshatra (lunar
mansion). He is depicted with folded hands. He receives collective worship as
part of the 63 Nayanars. Their icons and brief accounts of his deeds are found
in many Shiva temples in Tamil Nadu. Their images are taken out in procession
in festivals.
Jeeva Samadhi of Veda Vyasa:
It is believed that Veda Vyasa and his son Suka Brahmam had prayed Lord Shiva here. It is also said that Veda Vyasa is believed to have attained Jeeva Samadhi here.
