Suparni Devi: 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