Koyambedu Kurungaleeshwarar Temple Chennai

Kusalavapureeshwarar or Kurungaleeshwarar Temple is the Temple located in Koyambedu near the Koyambedu main metro station, Poonamalle High road and CMBT Bus Stand.

It is the Temple where the first Pradosham Utsavam took place. Pradosham is the time when Lord Shiva dances in between the horns of Nandhi Deva. Every day evening 4:30 to 6:30 pm is called Nithya Pradosham and the Tryodashi day which 13th day from Pournami/Amavasai (Full Moon/New Moon) is called Paksha Pradosham. If Pradosham coincides with a Saturday, it si called Sani Pradosham and is considered very auspicious.

Sthala Puranam

During the Samudra Mathanam or churning of the Parkadal or Milky ocean, Alahala visham/Halahala poison emerged which frightened the Devas. Devas approached Lord Shiva and Nandhi Deva brought the Alahala visham to Lord Shiva. Lord Shiva Drank the posion and saved the worlds from destruction. Parvathy devi through her pathivratha shakthi touched the neck/kanta of Lord Shiva and arrested the poison there. Hence Lord Shiva is known as Neelakanta.

Nandhi Deva became proud and Haughty that he had brought the Poison to Lord Shiva and it did not affect him. This sin of Nandhi deva made him mad and he started laughing wildly like a mentally affected person.

Parvathy devi took pity on him and brought him to Koyambedu and pulled the Mookan kayiru or rope that is tied around the Nandhi/Bull through her leg. Hence Parvathy devi known as Dharmasamvardhini here is seen with one leg brought forward here. Lord Shiva danced in between the horns of Nandhi deva during Pradosha kalam and the world's first Pradosham was celebrated in this temple. Hence Pradosham Utsavam celebrated here is equivalent to 1000 Pradoshams celebrated in any other Temple.

Agasthiar Vijayam Spiritual Magazine has brought out the other intricacies and benefits of Pradosha Kaalam in a Book on Pradosham and also in their Website Link below,

http://www.agasthiar.org/g/pradosham-dance.shtml

In Tretha Yuga when pregnant Sita Devi was sent to forest by Rama, she resided in Valmiki Ashram in this premises and Lava and Kusa the sons of Lord Rama were born and brought up here. Lava and Kusa worshipped Lord Shiva here, hence the main deity is known as Kusalavapureeshwara. Vanadurga kali devi worshipped Lord Shiva here and hence he is also known as Kurunkaleeswarar. There is a separate temple for Vanadurga devi nearby also. Lord Vishnu gave Darshan as Vaikunta Vasa kolam and hence he is known as Vaikunta Vasa Perumal in a separate temple nearby.

Kurukaleeswarar and Dharmasamvardhini Devi Sannidhi 

Shiva Parvathy Kalyanam, Mylapore Chennai

Viewing the Shiva Parvathy Kalyana Utsavam blesses one with happy married life, children, prosperity and happiness!!! 

The Celestial Shiva Parvathy Kalyana Utsavam took place in Mylapore Temple in Chennai on Panguni Uthiram day on Wednesday March 23 2016. Here Lord Shiva is known as Kapaleeswarar and Goddess Parvathy is known as Karpagambika.

Kolavizhi Amman is the Kaval Devatha or the Deity who is incharge of the Mylapore Region. There is a separate temple for her in Mylapore. 'Kolam' means round shape and 'Vizhi' means eyesight/vision. Truly the Eyes of the Goddess are beautiful as seen in this photo below. Kolavizhi Amman is a form of Bhadrakali.

It is to be noted that even today first pooja even in Brahmotsavam in Mylapore is performed to kolavizhi amman before performing pooja to Kapaleeswarar. The Utsava Murthy of Kolavizhi Amman is taken out in procession first before 63 Nayanmargal procession in Brahmotsavam.

Kolavizhi Amman

 Utsava Moorty of kolavizhi Amman

Sthala Puranam of Kapaleeswarar Temple

Lord Shiva was imparting wisdom to Goddess Parvathy. Parvathy was distracted by a beautiful peacock and lost her concentration to the subject detailed by Lord Shiva. Lord Shiva cursed Parvathy that she would take birth as a peacock. She visited several places and finally reached Mylapore. Here she performed penance and Shiva Pooja under Punnai Maram/Tree. Hence this place is known as 'Mayilapur' which is colloquially known as Mylapore today(Mayil in Tamil means peacock).

Lord Shiva was pleased with Parvathy's penance and the celestial wedding ceremony of Shiva and Parvathy took place in Uthiram Nakshatra/Star in Panguni tamil month. Every year Brahmotsavam is held in the month of Panguni and kalyana utsavam is held on Uthiram Nakshatra star day.

Kapaleeswarar

Brahma Deva was proud that he had five faces and Lord Shiva wanted to teach him a lesson. Lord Shiva plucked the Fifth Head of Lord Brahma. The Fifth head stuck to Lord Shiva's hand as Skull which is known as Kapalam in Sanskrit/Tamil. Hence Lord Shiva here is known as Kapaleeswarar.

Karpagambal

Karpaga Vriksham in Tamil and Kalpa Vriksham in Sanskrit refer to the divine wish giving tree in heaven. Goddess Parvathy satisfies the wishes of her devotees here, hence she is known as Karpagambal.

Nakshatra Aarty to Kapaleeswarar

There is saying in Tamil that 'Kailaye Mayilai, Mayilaye Kailai'. It means that Kailash in Sanskrit or Kayilai in Tamil, the celestial abode of Lord Shiva is the same as Mylapore and Mylapore is the same as Kailash to Lord Shiva. 

Agasthiar.org details that Mylapore is Kailash itself owing to the 7 Shiva Temples in Mylapore in their website link below,

http://www.agasthiar.org/AUMzine/0020-seven-shiva-temples-mylapore-chennai.htm

The Seven Shiva Temples in and around Mylapore are as follows,

1) Karaneeswarar

2) Theerthapaleeswarar

3) Velleswarar

4) Virupaksheeswarar

5) Valeeswarar

6) Malleswarar

7) Kapaleeswarar

 Shiva Parvathy Kalyana Homa/Havan Agni continously burning for 4 yugas!!!

Goddess Parvathy took many forms to perform penance and marry Lord Shiva since Kritha Yuga, the first of 4 Yugas. When Parvathy was born as the Daughter of Himavan, the King of Mountains in Himalayas Parvathy is known as Himadri sutha or Daughter of Himavan.

In Kritha yuga or the first of four yugas, the marriage of Lord Shiva and Parvathy in the presence of Lord Vishnu took place in  Himalayas in a place currently known by Triyugi narayan in the State of Uttarkhand. The Temple is located on the way to Kedarnath. The Google map location of the same is as follows:

https://www.google.co.in/maps/place/Trijuginarayan,+Uttarakhand+246471/@30.6465688,78.9715153,14z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m2!3m1!1s0x390847a4e8c94a93:0xb11ec260732a1de7

Tri means 3

Yugi means Yuga

Narayan is the Vishnu Avatar who witnessed Shiva Parvathy wedding.

The Fire has been continuously burning in Kritha, Tretha, Dwapara Yugas. Hence the Temple is known as Triyuginarayan Temple.

The Homa/Havan conducted during the Shiva Parvathy wedding is still burning since the Kritha yuga here. Families reside in triyuginarayan to provide firewood and continue to protect the fire for the years to come. This tradition was rejuvenated by Adi Shankaracharya when he travelled to this temple. He nominated separate families for protecting the fire.

Even the Darshan of the Agni here will bless one with Happy married life, Children and happiness!!

Triyugi Narayan Temple with smoke coming out continously owing to Agni

Brahma Shila: It is the Shila/Peetam/Base on which Lord Shiva and Parvathy were seated when they performed the Kalyana Homa/Havan in Triyuginarayan Temple. Photo of the same below,

Coovam River Origin!!.......Coovam Shiva Temple outside Chennai

The Clean water of the small Coovum river outside Chennai is polluted heavily with sewage water inside Chennai city and is a stinking and almost stagnant water in Chennai. The Overbridge near Chennai Central Station shows the dark stagnant water of Coovam river before it meets the ocean. No efforts taken by government has actually helped in cleaning this river. Recent floods in Chennai in November 2015 have helped to clean this river to some extent. Yet untreated sewage continues to pollute the river till date.

It is interesting to note that the heavily polluted Coovam river of Chennai actually originates near Coovam village near Arakkonam outside Chennai!!

Clean Coovam Tank of Tripuranthakanathar temple: It is said that frogs do not reside in this tank as the sound of frogs are a hindrance to Lord Shiva in meditative form here.

Sthala Puranam of Coovum Temple

Tarukakshan, Vidyunmali and Kamalakshan were the three asuras who built forts in Gold, Silver and Iron and resided in them. They were troubling the Celestial Lords or Devas. Devas approached Lord Shiva and he destroyed the Tri Puras or Three Forts.

The power of Earth bacame the Chariot, Sun and Moon were the wheels of the Chariot, Brahma was the Charioteer, Meru Mountain was the Bow and Lord Vishnu became the arrow for Lord Shiva during the battle with Tripurasura.

This Place is known as Tiruvirkolam as Lord Shiva stood with Bow and arrow before destroying Tripurasuras.

Tiru:     Prefix for Gods signifying respect
Vil:       Bow
Kolam: Form

Lord Ganesha was not worshipped before the Tripurasura Samharam. In Sanatana Dharma, Lord Ganesha is to be worshiped before starting any new activity in order to ensure the success of the activity. Else there is possibility of obstacles hindering the progress of the activity. Lord Shiva wanted to demonstrate the truth in worshipping Ganesha.

As Lord Ganesha was not invoked before embarking on the journey to the warfront, the 'Kooram' or 'Axle of the Chariot' broke and the Acchu or screw of the Chariot Wheel broke. Lord Ganesha is accordingly called 'Achumuri Vinayaka' or Vinayaka who broke the screw of Wheel.

Arunagirinathar in his 'kaithala niraikani' Tirupugazh praises the same episode in the following verse,

As the broken Kooram fell here, this place is known as Kooram. Colloquially it became Koovam later.

Achhuarutha/Achumuri Vinayaka

 Lord Shiva worshipped Ganesha afterwards and proceeded in the Warfront. Despite coming with huge weapons with the help of Devas, Lord Shiva destroyed the Tripuras with a mere smile. According to the Tamil Puranic literature, the verse 'Sirithu Purameritha Peruman'  explains that Lord Shiva destroyed the three forts with a mere smile.

Tripurasura Samharam 

Agasthiar.org website based on the guidance of Sathguru Venkatarama swamy also details the Tripura Samhara Sambavam. It explains that the Devas became proud that they had become the ornaments and weapons of Lord Shiva for Tripurasura Samharam. But Lord Shiva wanted to teach them a lesson and destroyed tripuras with a mere smile. None of the Deva powers were used for the war by Lord Shiva.

The Full Article in Agasthiar Website is detailed here,

http://www.agasthiar.org/tstmfr.htm

Tripura Samhara Thandava Murthy from Agasthya Vijayam

The magnanimous nature of Lord Shiva can be seen from the fact that Tarakan, Vidyunmali demons after Tripurasura Samharam became Dwara Palaka of Lord Shiva in this Temple. This is the power of Saranagathi or Surrender to the Lord. He converts you into his follower and gives you highest bliss, prosperity and happiness. 

When an Asura like Vidyunmali can be pardoned why can't we mortals surrender to Lord Shiva and receive his blessings here?

The Shiva Lingam here is known as 'Tripuranthakanathar' and is a very powerful manifestation of Lord Shiva. The Shiva Linga is not even touched by the Shiva Archaka/Poojari inside the Temple. The Shiva Linga is said to represent the entire world through its appearance. Any disasters due to flood, volcano, earthquake is said to produce changes in the Shiva Linga. Hence nobody dares to touch the Shiva lingam.

Residents of Chennai should note that the Coovum river originates in this sacred place but is polluted with untreated drainage water from its residents. If rivers are polluted with drainage, where will there be ground water recharge process? No wonder there is frequent water problem in Chennai.

Inside Chennai if anybody says the word Coovum, people refer to it as drainage and frown. 

Coovam Tripuranthaka Nathar Temple

 There are 2 Dwaja Sthambam/Kodi Maram for both Lord Shiva and Parvathy here as seen below.

Brahma Deva 

 Nataraja

 Durga

Shanmukha

 Muruga with Naga devatha Moorty

Navagraha Sannidhi

Bhairava