Jan

Ilanji Murugan and Kuttralam temple, Thenkasi, Thirunelveli.

Posted by Shamala Krishnan

Ilanji Murugan temple:

The place is about 3 kms from Thenkasi.

Main deity is Thiru Ilanji Kumarar. We see a Siva lingam in the temple known as Eruvaluga Nayakar and his consort Eruvaluga Isaykeneyal. Teertham is Chakra teertham.

Sthala vruksham Magizha Maram (tree). Elanji means Magizham and hence the place is known as Elanji. Arunagirinadhar sang Thirupugazh on Lord Murugan of this place.

To the main Gopuram, we see Lord Murugan sculpture with 10 heads. Once Murugan punished Brahma for not explaining the meaning of "OM", and he punished him by putting in a room and started doing the work of Brahma.

They say the meaning of ten heads is four of Brahma and six of shanmugar put together.
Kuttralam:

This is one of 275 Devara sthalam.

The place is about 6 kms from Thenkasi, and 58 kms from Thirunelveli Town.

There are five water falls here. After having a shower at these falls we have a temple to visit here which is one of the Siva Devara Sthalams.
This place is known as Chakkra peetam which is one of Pancha Peeta Kshetram.

Main deity is swayambu Lingam known as Thirukundra Nadhar, Kutrala nadhar, and his consort Kuralvaaymozhi Ammai. To left side Parasakthi in different sanctum and to right side we see Ranganadha Perumal.

This is yoga sakthy peetam. In this place Nataraja sabha is known as Chittra sabha, one of 5 popular sabhy.

Other deities seen in the temple are vallabha Ganapathy, Murugan, Dakshina Moorthy, Saptha Kanniyar, Panchaboodha Lingam, Agastiyar, Ananda koothar and 63 Nayanmars.

Four Vedas together formed as Kurumpala tree and worshipped Lord Siva of this place.

Sambandhar, Navakkuarasar and Manikkavachakar sang hymns on Lord Siva of this place.

Purana says at the time of the marriage of Lord Siva with Parvathy, the earth got tilted to one side due to the weight of everyone who gathered to watch the function.

Siva asked Agyastiyar to travel down to south (Podigai malai) to balance the earth by virtue of his Tapas. Siva gave word to Agasthiyar that he can watch the function in the temple over there. Agastiyar reached Kutralam and after having bath at falls he reached the temple. He was denied the permission to enter inside the temple. The temple was Vishnu temple.

Agastiyar was worried and he reached Illanji and prayed to Lord Murugan who asked him to enter in to the temple as a Vaishnava Brahmin. Once he enters inside he can have the darshan of marriage precedings of Lord Siva.
Agastiyar did as he was told by Murugan and he was able to enter inside the temple easily.

To his surprise he saw Vishnu instead of Siva. He was worried and he touched the Vishnu idol on its head, closed his eyes and started praying. The big idol of Vishnu started decresing and turned into Siva Lingam and he was able to look into the marriage procedings of Lord Siva.

There is a mark of Agastiya muni’s fingers on the Siva Lingam in this place.

This entry was posted on Sunday, January 17, 2010 at Sunday, January 17, 2010 . You can follow any responses to this entry through the comments feed .