திட்டக்குடி கோயிலில் ருத்ரயாகம் (RUTHRAYAAGAM IN THITTAKUDI TEMPLE)

TEMPLE RENOVATION DETAILS

 Such a Holy and Divine Temple which has several unique characteristics of its own is now being governed by the H.R.C.E. of Tamilnadu. The Temple’s renovation work is been undertaken and is going on now. The previous ‘Kudamullhuku Villha’ or ‘Maha Kumbabishekam’ (Holy-Consecration) was performed in 1973.

 At some places,instead of doing repair works,only white-washing with lime-stone powder is done and the holy-Consecration is performed; At other places all repair works are

done in a sincere and dedicated manner and then consecration is performed. In our case,we are of the second-type,where the town and Temple elders,advicers,kind and noble-hearted people have all in good faith decided to carry out all repairs,do renovation work where necessary and only then perform the Holy-Consecration.

 Let us all attain all the good things in life,lead a disease-free life,a mind of purity and bliss by praying to the Most Gracious Asanambigai Amman and the Most Gracious Vaidyanatha Swamy who have their Holy Presence in this Holy-Temple. 

THE TEMPLE'S UNIQE -QUALITIES

·         This holy-Temple possesses the ‘Chaitanya’ – Wisdom & Presence of the Lord to enable the ‘Jivanma’ (individual-Soul) and the ‘Paramanma’ (infinite-Soul) to merge together and become One.

·         This place is on par with the holy Kailash-mountain in the Himalayas.

·         This place is the doorstep or gateway to heaven.

·         This holy venerated-Temple has the 3 special-qualities needed by any powerful divine-Temple – ‘Moorthy’ – Lord’s personal association; ‘Theertham’ – holy waters borne by a river,well,pond,waterfall or spring; ‘Thalam’ – Divinity and holiness of the land itself.

·         The Seven Holy Rishis who bore the sins due to their attending the Yaaga performed by Dakshan (who was under the curse of Lord Siva),came here and bathed in seven holy-banks of the ‘Suvaedha’ or ‘Vellhar’ river to cleanse and absolve themselves of their sins. Those seven holy-banks are presently known as ‘Saptha-thuraigal’. Among these on the northern banks of the river Vellhar is the famous ‘Thiruvathittathurai’ or ‘Thiruvathittakudi’ or Thittakudi as is now known. Mankind falls and wallows in the seven-seas of births and misries and this holy-place is indeed the harbor from which he can board the ship to attain salvation.        

·         This is the holy-place where Kamadhenu the divine-cow appeared from heaven to heed to the orders of the Sage Vashista.

·         Lord Rama received ‘Upadesam’ or initiation in the high-philosophies of ‘Jnana Vashistam’ here in this venerated-place.

·         The Rishi Markandeya who conquered and overcame ‘Yama’ the Lord of death and Athiri Maharishi who made Lord Vishnu take ten Avatars stayed here in this place.

·         Brahma the Creator gave Upadesam or initiation on the ‘Panchantra mantra’ of Lord Siva to his son Vashista here.

·          The benefits and fruits available to a person who performs puja and penance for a very long time,gets them by worshipping the Lord here and by just uttering ‘Jnana Vashistam’ once. This one utterance at this holy-place is equal to chanting several billion moola-mantras says Lord Vishnu.

·         The Origin and Historical Purana of Thittakudi says: “ The benefits of worshipping atChidambaram; the benefits of being born at Thiruvavur; attaining death at Kasi on the banks of the Ganges river are all attained by chanting ‘Vashistam’ in Thittakudi!”

·         This venerated-place bears more riches and fortunes than ‘Kuberapuri’ which is the kingdom of ‘Kubera’ the Lord of riches.

·         A 100 meters east of this Temple is the holy-pond whose four walls and stone-steps leading down to the bottom was built by the Zamindar of Udayarpalayam in a splendid manner. This holy-pond has many ‘Theerthams’ (holy spring-waters) like the ‘Sakthi Theertham’,’Jnanavavi Theertham’,’Rama Theertham’,’Bharata Theertham’,’Laskshmana Theertham’,’Shatrugan Theertham’,’Guhan Theertham’,’Lavan Theertham’,’Sita Theertham’,’Myndhu Pasu Theertham’,’Sadhavala Theertham’,’Kaisa Theertham’,’Nadhimugan Theertham’,’Brahmaheti Theertham’,’Sarapa Theertham’,’Nandhamadhana Theertham’,’Kavadasat Theertham’,’Angada Theertham’,’Vibishna Theertham’,’Sugriva Theertham’,’Vashista Theertham’,’Hanuman Theertham’ which total 24 Holy Theerthams. During the festival-times,devotees also conduct the ‘Theppa Thiruvillah’ which is floating of the Holy-relics on rafts in the Holy-Pond.

·         This Temple was designed and built by the Emperor Manu.

·         It is a ‘Baskara Thalam’ (Temple where the Sun-God worshipped personally) and in the month of ‘Panguni’ (march) in ‘Meena rasi’ (Pisces) at the break of dawn,the golden rays of the Sun falls precisely on the Sivalinga. The extraordinary sight of the Sun itself worshipping Lord Siva needs a billion eyes to view. At that time special pujas and ‘Abishekams’ are performed for the Lord.

·         The Sthala Puranam says that the foremost Temple among the 56 Temples mentioned during the Vedic-times is ‘Thittakudi’.

·         The benefits and fruits earned due to performing prayers,pujas,abishekams,Yaagas,religious-journey’s and visiting multitudes of Temples are all gained and even more gains are attained by coming to this Temple and chanting ‘Vashitam’.

·         The Emperor Manu not only did a splendid job of building this Temple,but also made special arrangements to regularly and steadfastly conduct daily pujas,monthly utsavas,yearly utsavas and various other festivals. During ‘Vaikasi’ (May) full moon-day Utsava for Lord Vishnu is conducted,during Adi-Pooram Maha Utsavam for Asanambigai,during Avani Sukla Patcham Utsava for Lord Vinayaka,During Thai Poosam Utsavam for Lord Muruga,during Panguni Maha Utsavam for Vaidyanathar and many other festivals are conducted says the Sthala Puranam. ·         On to the right-hand side of Lord Siva’s Temple there is a separate Temple for Godess Asanambigai and this is a very rare occurrence which needs to be noted. The Diety heeds to the devotees prayers and wishes and there is immediate grant of boon. When marriage requests and child requests are made,there is immediate approval and grant of wish in this holy-Temple and this is a very well known fact!

·         Right before the Lord’s main Temple,there is a Temple for the Sage Vashista and his most loyal and virtuous wife ‘Arundhati’. There is also a Temple for the Godess of learning and Vashista’s mother ‘Saraswathi Devi’. Moreover we should all pray to Saraswathi Devi to grant us wisdom and the mastery in all the arts for which she is the Godess!

 The ancient name for the Vaidyanatha Swamy Temple was ‘Thiruthan Thondeeswara Nayanar Kovil’. This name was derived for the Sivalinga had originated on its own and not man-made. The learned and the Wise say through experience that ‘Syumbulingam’ or Lingams that had originated by themselves are indeed very powerful bearing the full presence of the Lord,this Temple has the power to grant us ‘mukti’ or liberation from the endless cycle of birth and death.

 The holy-figure of Lord Nataraja enchants the eye and mind. The eight stone-pillars that bear that mandapam have tiny intricate beautiful carvings which are again a feast for the eyes of the beholder.   

The Lord’s Holy-Names: ‘Devadevan’,’Nayanar’,Thiruthan Thondreeswarar’,’Oorudai Peruman’,’Vaidyanatha Swamy’.

The Godess’s Holy-Names: ‘Vengai Vallhar Valli’,’Meenavan Magal’,’Thaen Mollhi’,’Poongullalhi’,Asanambigai’,’Thirukama Kottadhu Nachiar’,’Asalai’.

The Vellhar river’s various names:’Suvaedha nadhi’ – This name was derived since Suvaedha Munivar performed penance,had purificatory-baths and attained an exalted-state here.

‘Neeva nadhi’,’Thenya munai Vellhar’,’Susi nadhi’.

Vashista’s lineage: Father – Lord Brahma; Mother – Saraswathi Devi; wife – Arundhati; Son – Sudhakar alias Pithuru; elder brother – Agasthya Munivar

·         Vashista is the foremost among the ‘Saptha Rishis’ (seven sages)

·         Vashista preached the high-tenets of the ‘Jnana Vashistam’ to Lord Rama in Thittakudi.

·         Vashista also wrote the astrological masterpiece ‘Vashista Siddhanta’.

·         Vashista wrote the text ‘Vasthu Viddhi’ on Vasthu-Sashtra.

·         Vashista also wrote the excellent text ‘Vashista Smriti’.

·         Vashista was the ‘Kula Guru’ or family-Master for the ‘Surya’ or Sun-Dynasty of Emperor Dasaratha and Lord Rama.  

 Such a wise and great personality as Vashista came to this place and built it and stayed here and hence was known by his own very name ‘Thiruvathittakudi’. In the course of time the name got hortened and is now known as ‘Thittakudi’.                                                                                                 

Thittakudi’s other names: ‘Vashistam’,’Vaengai vanam’,’Vathittapuri’,’Manukula Kuravanpathi’,’Asanaranyam’,’Madhava Vashista Nadu’,’Mantra Sthalam’,’Baskara Shetram’,’Ganga theera nagar’,’Asana pathi’,’Rameshwaram’,’Saetta pathi’,’Aanpathi’,’Tharuppam’,’Maha sattham’,’Sirashtam’,’Sivarapam’,’Vaitthagam’,’Pavanasam’,’Manmatha nasam’,’Sri Vaishnavam’,’Suddha Saivam’,’Veda Brahma pathi’,’Valiyam’,’Nishkamam’,’Keesaham’,’Yum karuva nasam’,’Siva Chidambaram’ totalling 28 Holy-Names says ‘Sudha Mamunivar in his ‘Thittakudi Sthala Puraman’.

LATER DAY HISTORY

  During the rule of the Pallava Dynasty ( 600 to 900 A.D.),Thittakudi comes to the attention of the historians repeatedly. Narasimha Varman was the heroic son of King Pallava Mahendran and during his time this place was known as ‘Narasinga Chaturvedhi Mangalam,the reason being since this dense forest-like place had persons who willingly studied the four-Vedas. The Puranas and stone-inscriptions bear the fact that praised Thittakudi as having many persons who were wise with divine-wisdom.

 Thittakudi was ruled by many dynasties and many famous kings governed from this venerated-place:

1.       Rajaraja Cholan 2. Rajendra Cholan 3. Kullothunga Cholan Emperor of Thiribhuvanam (1191 A.D.) 4. Veera Rajendra Cholan 5. Rajaraja Vangara Mutharayan 6. Veera Pandyan ( 13^th century) 7. Pon Parapina Vanna,Kovadhirayan 8. Sundara Pandyan 9.Veera Kaammana Udayar of Vijayanagar Dynasty ( 1398 A.D.) 10. Veera Pandya Devar 11. Nagama Naicker 12. Boopathy Raya Udayar (1419 A.D.)

During the rule of the Cheran Dynasty,Empress Sembiyan Madevi had the holy venerated statues of the Temple measured and studied and bronze-statues were duly offered to this Temple.

 The ancient Tamil land’s very rich,affluent traders (the Mercantile Community) known as ‘Chitramellhi Perunattar’ and ‘Thisai Ayirathhu Iynootruvar’ competed with each other to make this flourishing place and Temple to grow even into greater heights!

 Chitramellhi Periya Nattar

·         Were the most famous of the country.

·         Earned fortune and money in vast quantities through name,fame and dharmic-means.

·         Had close contact with people of 79 countries.

·         In which ever countries they lived,they took great care of the Temple-lands that they and others had liberally donated.

·         They donated lamps and made sure that they were maintained properly to shed light.

 Thisai Ayirathhu Iynootrupavar

·         Went to various lands and countries and since were wealthy and affluent in all the four directions were known as ‘Nana desikans’.These traders were famous citizens of Thittakudi during those times.                                                                                     

·         They did a very good trading-business and multiplied it several times over.

·         They did business in and flourished in many countries and lands like Tamilnadu,Andhara,Karnataka,Mumbai,Srilanka,Malaysia and Singapore.

·         They had the full and entire support of great Kings like Rajarajan The 2nd and Kulothungan The 3^rd.

·         A stone inscription bears the following message: “ From 79 countries were earned untold fortunes in a dharmic-manner; they spread the fame of Tamil and the Tamil-land; Grammar,music,drama and the fine-arts flourished; Spread in the wide-lands in all the four cardinal-directions; The 18 heavenly-hosts envied; The fame of the Thisai Ayirathhu Iynootruvar.”