Maragathaleswaraswami Temple - Thiruengoimalai

Name :  Thiruengoimalai Arulmigu Maragathaleswaraswami Temple

Lacation : 

This Temple lies 40 km from Tiruchirappalli and 5 kms from Musiri, Taluk headquarters in Tiruchirappalli District. Thiruengoimalai lies between Musiri and Thottiam.

Legend :

The name of the place is said to be derived from Thiru-i-ongaimalai (‘i’ meaning bee in Tamil) and to have been so called because the sage Agasthiar, finding the gates of the temple closed one evening, took the form of a bee and entered the temple to perform his worship.

Ambal worshipped Shiva here and so the hill is also called Sivasakthi malai.

Description : 

Moolavar : Maragadachaleswarar, (Trinajyotheeswarar), Eengoinathar
Amman / Thayar : Maragadambikai
Thala Virutcham : Tamarind tree
Year : 1000-2000 years old

The hillock is otherwise called Maragathamalai /Thenkailayam /Sivasakthimalai /Malaikovil /
Erattimalai. Name of the Goddess is Maragathambigai / Maragathavalli. God is also named as Aragathasalanathar/ Malaikozhnthar / Achutheeswarar / Birameswarar / Indreekarar / Threethar.

The river cauvery passes nearby the hillock. The river 'Surpanathi' passes adjoining the hillock. The river is otherwise called Kondayurumarai or Kondamarai.

The lingam of the temple is said to be transparent and also to throw a green shadow when camphor is burned. It is therefore called the 'emerald' (marakata) lingam. The god is connected with the deities of kadambarkovil and Ratnagiri. At all three temples special poojas are performed in Kartigai and the Taipusam day. Devaram songs will be sung in temple. At the base of the temple lies Bogar Sidhatemple. 500 vertical steps leads to the temple at the top of the hillock. Poet Nakkeerar has sung a booklet named Engoi-Elupathu ( 70 Engoi songs).

Temple's Speciality :

The rays of Sun fall on the presiding deity for three days during the Masi Shivrathri festival. The Linga changes colour during this time. Only a few Shiva temples are on hills and one such is in Eengoimalai in Tiruchi district.

There are three important sacred shiva temples in this region glorified by the Thevara hymns and Agathiar used to worship all the three in a single day. Agasthiar was not satisfied even after worshipping so many temples in south and finally got satisfaction after worshipping these three temples. He worshipped Kadamba nadhar at Kadambar koil in the morning, Rathnagreeswarar temple at Ayyarmalai (Thiruvatpokki) in the noon, and the Thiruvengi nadhar at Thiru-engoi-malai in the evening. It is considered that worshipping all of them in a single day will get us salvation.

The temple is sung in Devaram also. At the base of the temple lies Bogar Sidha temple. 500 vertical steps lead to the temple at the top of the hillock. Poet Nakkeerar has sung a booklet named Eengoi-Ezhupathu ( 70 Eengoi songs)

Bhogar Gennma Nakshatram is Bharani. So Abhishegam, Aaradhanai, Annadhanam @ 9AM onwards. Contact: Mr. Sundhar, 9095102695 & 9095102696

Festivals :

Brahmmotsavam in Panguni (March-April), Masi Magam in February-March, Thai Poosam in January-February and Pujas on all Full Moon days – Poornimas – are the festivals celebrated in the temple.

Websites :

https://shanthiraju.wordpress.com/trichy/

http://www.trichy.com/placesofworship/maragathal.htm

Uyyakondan Malai

Name : Uyyakondan Malai (Uchi Nathar Temple)

Location : TiruKarkudi. Located at 5 Kms west of Trichy atop a small hill, now known as Uyyakondan Malai.

Deity : Lord Shiva known as Uchi Nathar, Ujjeevaneswarar and Thayaar (Female deity) known as Anjanakshi, Balambikai, Neelnedunkanni

Legend : Mrikandu Maharishi did penance on Lord Shiva for getting children. Lord Siva asked him whether he needed 100 useless children who may live for 100 years or one intelligent, righteous son who would live only for a short period of 16 years of age. Mrikandu preferred to have one righteous son who may have a short life span of 16 years. The child thus born was named Markandeya who also came to know about this dealine and then he took shelter in Lord Shiva. Markandeya, who was an ardent Siva devotee from his childhood, visited many temples of Lord Shiva and prayed to him for longer life. It is in this sivasthalam at Karkudi, Lord Shiva pleased with Markandeya's true devotion and worship, appeared in front of him when he visited this temple and gave him a boon that Markandeya will be a Chiranjeevi and will live forever thereby nullifying the deadline of 16 years of life.

Description : This Sivasthalam is situated on the top of a rock hill of 30 feet height. 64 steps cut in the rock takes one to the top of the hill. The temple has 5 prakarams with high compund walls on the 4 sides. Stone inscriptions found in the temple give details of patronage and renovation work undertaken by the Pallava King Nadivarma Pallavan and hence Karkudi is also referred as Nandivarama Mangalam.

It is interesting to note that Lord Shiva's shrine is atop the hill and that of His Son Lord Muruga's shrine is situated at the bottom of the hill. Usually the temples for Lord Muruga will be found on the top of a hill and here, in this Sivasthalam, the shrine for His Father is atop the hill.

Website : http://www.shivatemples.com/sofc/sc004.html

VENNAI MALAI

Description : The Balasubramanyaswami temple at Vennaimalai is an ancient one, revered by the Tiruppugazh hymns of Arunagirinathar, although its current structure is a recent one.

Location : Karur near Tiruchirappalli. The temple is built on a small hill and it enshrines Balasubramanyar, Kasi Viswanathar and Visalakshi.

Festivals : Skanda Sashti in the tamil month of Aippasi, Thai Poosam and Aadi Krittikai.