Dindigul Arulmigu Kalahastheeswarar Temple Maha Kumbabisheka Festival Invitation
Moolavar : Kalahastheeswarar, Padmagireeswarar
Amman / Thayar : Gnanambikai, Abhirami Ambikai
Thala Virutcham : Gooseberry
Theertham : Five springs
Agamam / Pooja : Karana Agama
Old year : 500-1000 years old
Historical Name : Thindeesuram
City : Dindigul
District : Dindigul
State : Tamil Nadu
Singers:
A Tamil devotee scholar Pala Pattadai Chocknatha Pulavar had sung the glory of the Lords of this temple.
Festival:
12 day Chithirai big festival in April-May with flag hoisting on the Kruthika star day and concluding on the Chithirai star day with theerthavari, drawing huge crowd; Aadi Shukravara Utsav with flower palanquin procession of Lord and Mother; Vinayaka Chaturthi in August-September; Navarathri in September-October; Aipasi Skanda Sashti in October-November; Karthikai Deepa festival in November-December; Margazhi Thiruvadhirai in December-January; Fridays of Thai month January-February; Masi Magam in February-March and Panguni Uthiram in March-April are the festivals celebrated in the temple. Devotee crowd is usually huge on full moon, new moon and Pradosha days each month.
Temple’s Speciality:
The temple has two presiding deities in two separate sanctum sanctorums.
Opening Time:
The temple is open from 6.00 a.m. to 12.00 a.m. and from 4.00 p.m. to 9.00 p.m.
Address:
Sri Kalahastheeswarar Temple, Dindigul-624 001.
Phone:
+91-51- 2433 229, 2460 903.
General Information:
This is a very ancient Shiva temple, built by Chera kings and renovated by Cholas, Pandyas, kings of Vijaya Nagar and Naickers of Madurai. Lord Vinayaka of the temple is praised as Vanni Vinayaka. Lord Shiva who came here as Bhairava to destroy Thindimahasura is in the prakara. Mother Baladurga graces devotees from a pillar. Garuda Bhagwan graces from another pillar. Great Saivite Acharyas praised as Santhana Kuravas, Meikanda Thevar, Maraignana Sambandar, Arulnadhi Shivacharya and Umapathi Shivacharya grace the devotees from the front mandap.
Prayers
Devotees pray to Lord Kalahastheeswarar for relief from the adverse aspects of the serpent planets, pardon for sins committed and to get back the job lost. Those seeking child boon pray on Kruthika star days.
Thanks giving:
Devotees perform abishek to Lord and Mother offering vastras.
Greatness Of Temple:
Unlike in other temples, there are two presiding deities in this temple. Car and wedding festivals are celebrated in this temple only in evenings against morning hours in other temples. In his foreword to the famous book Thendral Vidu Dhoodhu – sending a message to Lord Padmagirinathar through the wind from south – by Pala Pattadai Chockanatha Pulavar, great Researcher and Scholar of Tamil Renaissance – by gathering age old literatures from the palm leaves and publishing them in print, says that Dindeeswaram is but the name of Dindigul adding that the place is one mentioned in Thevaram hymns also.
In early days, the temple of Lord Padmagiriswarar was on the hill top. Lord will come to the ground during festivals days. To receive the Lord, a mandap was built then near Mother Abhirami Amman temple.
King Achuta Devarayar ruling this place then was a staunch devotee of Lord Kalahastheeswar of Thirukalathi now in Andhra Pradesh. To worship Him daily and that too in his place, the king installed Kalahastheeswarar and Mother Gnamabikai in this Mandap in the year 1578. Later, when other kings came to power here, they brought down Lord Shiva and Mother too to the foot hill place and facilitated worship easily in the same mandap. The mandap then was expanded as a full fledged temple with both Lords and Mothers. Even now, there are two presiding Lords with two Mothers in the same temple in separate shrines. During the Fridays of Aadi and Thai months (July-August and January-February) respectively, Ambicas are dressed in sandal paste (alankaras). Special pujas are performed on the Thai new moon day.
There was no shrine for Ambica in the beginning. Mother Kali came here to destroy a demon named Analan and was very furious. Lord Shiva softened Her fury and married Her. She looked very alluring then and therefore, was named Abhirami Ambica. A festival remembering the furious Kali destroying the demon and her wedding with Shiva is celebrated during Chithirai month – April-May.
Though a Shiva sthala-place, Ambicas occupy a prominent place. The temple is popularly known as Abhirami temple. The name Abhirami contains auspicious Mantra letters. Worshipping Mother in the name of Abhirami, naturally the devotees chant this Mantra bring them manifold blessings.
Tirukarthikai in November- December was grandly observed in olden days. Two Shiva devotees Bahu and Subahu used to worship the Lord during these days without fail. While they were proceeding to temple, Lord Shiva intercepted them in the guise of a tiger as if to kill them. The two asked the tiger to wait and have them for its prey after they finished the Shiva worship. The tiger yielded to their request. They returned to the tiger as promised. Tiger Shiva granted darshan to them and blessed them with salvation. This event is symbolically celebrated during Karthikai festival.
Varuna the God of Rain lost his job due to a curse by Indira. He prayed to Lord Shiva here and got back his job. Those who had lost their jobs pray to Lord here on their birth star days or on Poornima-full moon days offering Rudrabisheka and Samba rice nivedhana to regain the job. Those aspiring promotions also follow this worship.
Sage Vishwamitra offered a heavy wage to a Brahmin named Sumedhan for participating in his yajna. The Brahmin was still greedy and demanded more. To teach him a lesson, the sage cursed the Brahmin to become a deer. He also told the animal that it would get back its original form by worshipping Lord Padmagiriswarar in this place. This event is played during the Chithirai-April-May Brahammotsavam in the temple.
Girivalam-circumambulating the hill is followed by devotees on Poornima-full moon days. On the eighth day of new moon fortnight (Ashtami), in Margazhi-December-January, Lord Shiva gives alms to all (Padi Alathal in Tamil). Pancha Moorthis come in procession that day. Lord Dakshinamurthi in the Shiva shrine goshta graces with two disciples only against four traditionally seen in other temples. They are in standing posture learning from the Great Teacher paying their respects. Behind the shrine of Lord Kalahastheeswarar, in the place of Lingodhbava, Lord Muruga occupies the place.
Sage Agasthya worshipped Lord Vinayaka here on his way to Pothigai hills. The Vinayaka praised as Agasthya Vinayaka is on the Girivalam path. During Skanda Sashti, Valli and Deivani come to this place. A drama is played then here as if Vinayaka threatening Valli and followed by Muruga-Valli wedding. A nivedhana made of Thinai flour, a corn so dearto Lord Muruga is offered during this festival.
There is a shrine for Lord Varadaraja Perumal in the prakara facing north, a direction said to be very auspicious and prosperous. People pray here seeking prosperity. Sri Anjaneya having His shrine separately in other temples or before the Lord, graces the devotees so close to Perumal Himself in the shrine, a respect to His Bhakti. On the Vaikunta Ekadasi day, Perumal passes through the entrance of Mother Abhirami as there is no special Sorga Vasal – entrance to Paradise for Perumal in the temple. It is said that He uses this entrance with liberty as the Brother of Mother Abhirami.
Temple History:
Lord Brahmma performed penance in this place on Lord Shiva for relief from an evil effect-dosha- he was suffering then. Lord gave him darshan from a Lotus-Padma- tank. Hence, Lord Shiva is praised as Padmagiriswara. He marched on a demon Dindimasura. At the very sight of Lord, the demon became good and surrendered at His feet. As requested by Him, Lord agreed to make the place known after his name as Dindeeswaram.
Later, the demon invaded Devas who fell at the feet of Lord of Padmagiri. As a token of their gratitude to Lord, the Devas installed a Shiva devotee Dharmabala as the king of Dindeeswaram and left the place. He built a temple to Lord Padmagiriswara on the hill top. During the rule of the Moghuls, people brought down Lord and Ambica to the ground temple as procession deities in the present Kalahastheeswara temple. They showed equal respect and importance to both Shivas and Ambicas. Dindeeswaram later came to be known as Dindigul.This is a hill temple.
Special Features:
Miracle Based: The temple has two presiding deities in two separate sanctum sanctorums.