10th November 2019.
Problem in Childbirth ?… Pray to Poongavanathamman with lemon and Amman will take care of the rest…
This is the second visit to this Amman Temple at Putlur on 10th November 2019, after a long gap 23 years. The putlur is a part of Tiruvallur on the banks of Holy river Cooum. Found a sea of change in the temple and the road leading to the Temple. During our earlier visit, the temple was with a small sanctum. On Sunday, 10th November more than 5000 devotees thronged the temple for dharshan. Regulated with barricade queues are formed for entry tickets Rs 20 and 50. The streets are flooded with shops that sells the cradle, bangles, lemon, Kumkum and other pooja materials. There are many astrology centers also opened on the street which leads to the temple. Since ma Parvathi manifests herself in the form of ant hill – Putru ( புற்று ), this place was called as Putrur, which got corrupted to the present name of Putlur.
Moolavar : Sri Poongavanathamman also called as
Sri Angala Parameshwari Amman
Some of the salient features of this temple are….
The temple is facing south on the north side of the Putlur Halt Railway station road and temple tank is on the south side. A Trident made of brass is installed in front of the mandapam. An ant hill with neem tree is on the left side of the entrance. Nagars, Karumari, Murugan and Vinayagar are near the ant hill. Lot of cradles are tied on the neem tree, as the prayer was fulfilled. Dwajasthambam, Balipedam and Nandhi are in the open mukha mandapam. ( It is believed that Lord Shiva as Thandavarayan and ma Parvathi in the form of anthill / putru, in this temple, hence Nandhi is installed ). The Temple complex consists of sanctum sanctorum, mahamandapam, a mukha mandapam and on the left a big mandapam ( to do the seemandham / marriage functions ). The Mandapam before the sanctum sanctorum pillars reminds the antiquity of this temple atleast 500 to 600 years old. But the antiquity look was lost due to tiles fixed on the floors and walls.
In the mahamandapam, Subramaniyar, Madurai Veeran, Yazhi Dwarapalakis on both sides and Vinayagar. At the entrance of the sanctum top, instead of Gajalakshmi, Amman at the center and simhas are on both sides. There is a thulabharam / scale also in the mandapam. Devotees used to offer sugar/ Sugarcane / Banana, equal to their weight after the prayer was fulfilled. In the sanctum a small Amman idol and Thandavarayan with a sorrow face are installed in a niche like small room.
At the center of the sanctum an anthill / putru shaped in the form of a Amman with open mouth ( like crying due to pregnancy labour pain ), delicately small pretty eyebrows, legs, hands and pregnant belly. The head is on the north side and the legs are pointing towards south ( Amman is not exactly North –South but little skewed towards east). Metal barricade with wire mesh is installed around the Amman, leaving a little space to circumambulate. This is the only temple where Amman manifests herself in the natural form of anthill. Hence abhishekam is not done. A Cotton saree is wrapped around her leaving the face for the dharshan.
PROCEDURE FOR CHILDBIRTH
It is believed that after praying Arulmigu Sri Poongavanathamman, will get a child boon. The procedure is very simple. Buy 5 lemons and bangles from the shop. As you enter the Temple gate there will be many old ladies who performs the casting the evil eye, ie they will circle the lemon around the head of the lady who came for the child boon, called eye drishti. The lady will drop the lemon and ask to crush with leg. Then the devotee has to pierce the 3 lemons on the trident /trishul installed before the Dwajasthamba, before entering the sanctum sanctorum. Then the Lady Devotee has to ties a piece of cloth from her Saree. In the sanctum, after circumambulation the poojari will take the 5th lemon and place it on Amman’s leg and smears with Kumkum and give back to the Devotee, who came for the Child boon. The Devotee has to take it on her saree front or pallu. The poojari will also take the bangles and give others as Prasad. This is practiced when the crowd is large. If there is no crowd, the poojari will pace the Lemon on the Amman’s leg which will rolled down. The Devotee lady has to catch the same through her saree front / pallu. After the wish is fulfilled the ladies used to conduct the seemandam at this temple. As a part of thanks giving Devotees used to offer Saree, Lemon, Pongal, Variety rice ( seemandha sadhams ), Bangles, flower jadai will be offered to Amman.
LEGEND:
There many stories/ sthala purana revolves around about this temple. One such story is… Lord Shiva with Parvathi from Melmalayanur in the form of aged man and woman, travelled towards north. They were become tired and hungry after walking from a long distance through the forest. On reaching Ramapuram ( Putlur ) Parvathi asked Shiva to get some water to drink. So Lord Shiva went to fetch water from the Holy river Cooum, leaving Parvathi at Poongavanam. It was raining heavily when he reached and the river was flooded. He waited to subside the flood. Tired, thirsty and hungry forced Parvathi to lay on the ground. An anthill was grown on her and covered completely. On return Lord Shiva had seen the anthill on the place where he left his consort Parvathi. Feeling sad Lord Shiva stood there as Thandavarayan. Since ma Parvathi manifests herself in the form of ant hill – Putru ( புற்று ), this place was called as Putrur, which got corrupted to the present name of Putlur.
Another story goes like this …
A Farmer by name Ponmeni got a loan from Mahisuran and couldn’t pay the interest. So Mahisuran forced Ponmeni to plough the Poongavanam land and watering it in one night. Knowing, it was a difficult task he prayed his kula Deivam Mariamman and started the ploughing. Lord Shiva and Parvati as Angalamman from Melmalayanur came to this place as old man and a prganent woman. When the old man asked the farmer, some water to drink, Ponmeni went out to fetch the water. On return he couldn’t see the old man and woman. Ponmeni continued ploughing and his plough hit at one place and blood was came at a force like jet. When the place was excavated he had seen Amman in the form of ant hill in lay down posture and heard a voice. It said that the ant hill is the Amman, Parvati. From that day on wards the Villagers started Pooja to this Amman. Since Amman was excavated from Poongavanam, Amman is called as Poongavanathamman.
FESTIVALS:
Apart from regular poojas special poojas will be conducted on Adi month Fridays, Maha Shiva rathri and Masi maham mayana kollai. Annual festival will be celebrated during Adi month and special even of “Iruttu Kumbam” function also will be held. During that time, all the lights will be switched off for 2 minutes.
TEMPLE TIMINGS
The temple will be kept opened between 06.00 hrs to 13.00 hrs and 14.00 hrs to 19.30 hrs. On Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays the temple will be kept open since 06.00 hrs to 20.00 hrs.
The following numbers Contact Numbers +91 9965566776 & +91 7373555322 may be contacted for further details
HOW TO REACH
The temple is about 750 meters from Putlur Railway Station and 3 KM from Tiruvallur Veeraghava Swamy Temple.
The temple is 38 KM from Arakkonam Junction, 45 KM from Chennai and 55 KM from Kanchipuram.
The Nearest Railway Junction is Arakkonam and Local Trains will stop at Putlur.
PC: Website
Ant hill with cradles offered by the devotees
Cradles tied to the neem tree
Entrance top instead of Gajalakshmi, Amman with Simhas
Seemandha functions
Seemandha functions
Seemandha functions
Seemandha functions
--- OM SHIVAYA NAMA---
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