Wednesday 13 September 2023

Arulmigu Angalamman Thirukoil / Sri Arulmigu Angala Parameswari Temple / அருள்மிகு புற்றாய்வளரும் பூங்காவனத்தம்மன் ஸ்ரீதாண்டேஸ்வரர் ஸ்ரீ அருள்மிகு அங்காளபரமேஸ்வரி, Melmalayanur/Melmalaiyanur, Villupuram District, Tamil Nadu.

The is one of the famous Amman Temples of Tamil Nadu, at Melmalayanur in Villupuram District considered as Kula Deivam and worshipped, irrespective of Cast, creed, etc. This temple is in the midst of graveyard once, but not allowed now. Happened to see two graves on the north side entrance few years before. But the places around the temple are concreted. Visited the temple on 3rd September 2023 in connection with a family function.



Moolavar  : Sri Thandeswarar
Consort    : Sri Parvati as Sri Angala Parameswari

Some of the salient features of this temple are.....
An entrance arch is on the road side. The temple is facing North with a Chariot mandapam. Entrances are from North, west and south. Stucco images of Shiva as Rishabaroodar, Angala Parameswari, an ant hill, Vinayagar and Murugan are on all the three entrance arches. Stucco images of Amman and Shiva are on the Q Complex mandapam parapet wall. Stucco Dwarapalaka and Dwarapalaki are at the entrance of ardha mandapam and sanctum sanctorum.



Utsava Murthi

Amman is in the sanctum sanctorum is in sitting posture on ant hill with 4 hands. While the upper hands are holding Damaru and trishul, the lower right hand hold a long knife, and a bowl / kapala in the left hand. Pei medai, Simha vahana, Balipeedam, Ayyappan, Amman’s Cradle and Utsavar  are in the mandapam.

Amman's cradle 

In the inner praharam Nindra Vinayagar, Stucco image of Shiva & Parvati accepting food posture, Annapoorani sannidhi, Poomaram ( cradles will be tied in this place ) with Nagaras & Amman’s images, Rishabam and Amman,  Gopala Vinayagar sannidhi and Vahanas.
In the outer side Agni Theertham, Periyayi Amman ( A Stucco image of Amman in lying posture ), Gengai Amman Temple and Chariot steps mandapam.


Pei Medai – Sannu Munivar Jeeva Samadhi.
Many centuries ago a saint called Sannu Munivar lived in this place.  He did penance on Sri Angalamman and got blessings from her. He attained Jeeva Samadhi in this temple and a granite slab was covered over it. The same is called as Pei medai.

It is believed that the people caught by the evil sprit will be asked to sit on the Jeeva sammadhi and ritual will be done to chase away the evil sprit.


Child boon and Gulmohar tree…
A Gulmohar tree is in the praharam called as special tree. There are nagars and Ammans are under tree. Devotees used to tie cradles and pray for Child boon.



ARCHITECTURE
The temple is a Ilangoil Style. The temple consists of Sanctum sanctorum,  ardha mandapam and mukha mandapam. The sanctum sanctorum is rectangular in shape and a salakara Vimanam is on the sanctum sanctorum.The sanctum sanctorum is on a pada bandha adhistanam with three patta kumudam.  The Vimanam above the prastaram was constructed with bricks and cement. The anthill might have been worshipped initially and latter Amman’s idol was installed on it.  

The Mukha mandapam was built during Vijayanagara Nayaks period and the pillars has the bas relief of Nataraja, kannappa nayanar, Ambal worshipping Shiva, etc,.

The prahara pillars are with Various forms of Amman, Hindu deities which was built with cement concrete during recent years.






History of Malayanur…
The land that spreads Thiruvannamalai, arani, Arcot, Villupuram was ruled by the King Malayan, hence this place was called as Malayanur and the same continued till date. The remains of a fort and the street name as “Kottai Mettu Theru” are the proof of the King Malayan’s rule in this area.

It is believed that the Temple was constructed during 16th to 17th century during Vijayanagara period as a stone temple. ( Inscriptions are found on the wall and was not allowed to take photographs )

Salem Ammapettai Pada yathra Group donated a Trishul weighing 188 Kg and measures to a height of 7 feet to this temple on 09th April 2000.
The inner praharam was constructed in 1993. Maha Kumbhabhishekam was conducted on 13th November 2015 and 2021.




தல வரலாறு  
போளூர்,திருவண்ணாமலை,ஆரணி,செஞ்சி,திண்டிவனம்விழுப்புரம் போன்ற நகரப் பகுதிகளை உள்ளடக்கிய மிகப் பரந்த தண்ட காருண்ய பகுதிகள் மேல் மலைப்பகுதியை ஆண்ட மலையன் என்பாரின் பெயராலேயே மலையன் ஊர் "மலையனூர்என்ற காரணப் பெயரான மேல்மலையனூரில் மலையன் ஆட்சி புரிந்த காலத்தில் ஏற்படுத்திய கோட்டை கொத்தளங்களின் அடிச்சுவடுகள் இருந்தன என்றும் மேல் மலையனூரில் ஒரு தெருவின் பெயர் கோட்டை மேட்டுத்தெரு என்று இருப்பது இதற்கு சான்றாக அமைகிறது.  

Sthala Purana….
As per the legend, during ancient times, Brahma also had 5 heads like Shiva. This made ma Parvati, confused and did pada pooja thinking that he is Shiva. After some time Shiva also came to that place. Parvati felt guilty for doing Pada pooja to Brahma, also She got angry on Brahma for accepting the Pada Pooja, with out revealing his identity. So Parvati complained to Shiva  and asked him to pluck one of the head  of Brahma. Shiva plucked one of the head and the head sticked to his hand. What ever he gets, the Brahma’s 5th head ate everything. Shiva with out food roamed on all the places. Saraswati also cursed Parvati to become ugly, wearing plants and creeper leaves. Parvati sought the help from Maha Vishnu to get rid of this brahmahati dosha and Saraswati’s curse. Maha Vishnu advised Parvati to feed food on the ground and take a bathe in the agni Kund. Ma Parvati and Shiva Came to this place, prepared 3 kavala of food and 2 kavala was put in the kapala and the third, Parvati threw on the ground. The Brahma’s 5th head, detached from Shiva’s and started eating food on the floor. Shiva took bath in the Agni Theertham and got relieved from Brahmahathi dosha.

Immediately, the 5th head caught Parvati. Ma Parvati crushed the head and wore as garland. Ma Parvati took the Angalamman avatar and stayed at this place to bless her devotees.  Shiva also stayed as Thandeswarar after the Brahmahathi dosha relieved in this place. Since Shiva stayed here for a night to get relieved from brahmahati dosha, that night is celebrated as Maha Shivaratri.

தல புராணம்
ஆதிகாலத்தில்சிவபெருமானைப் போன்று பிரம்மனுக்கும் ஐந்து தலைகள் இருந்தனதோற்றத்தில் சிவபெருமானைப்போன்று இருந்த அவன் ஒரு சமயம் கயிலைக்குச் சென்றான் வந்திருப்பது தனது பதியே என நினைத்த பார்வதி தேவி பிரமனை வணங்கி அவனுக்குப் பாத பூசை செய்தாள்அவ்வமயம் சிவபெருமான் வந்து சேர்ந்திட பார்வதி தனது தவறை உணர்ந்தாள். பின்பு பிரம்மனுக்குத் தண்டனை அளிக்க உறுதிகொண்டு பெருமானை வணங்கிசுவாமி இவன் தங்களை போன்று உள்ளான் அறியாமல் நான் செய்த பூசைக்கு இவன் மறுப்பேதும் தெரிவிக்கவில்லைஅதற்குத் தண்டனையாக இவனது ஒரு தலையைக் கொய்துவிட வேண்டும்என்று வேண்டி பணிந்தாள்சிவபெருமான்,பிரம்மனின் ஒரு தலையைக் கிள்ளியெறிந்தார்இதனால் அவரைப் பிரம்மஹத்தி தோஷம் பற்றிற்றுகீழே விழுந்த தலை சிவபெருமானின் கையில் ஒட்டிக்கொண்டதுதனது கணவனின் நிலையறிந்த சரஸ்வதி தேவி கோபமுற்றுபிரம்மஹத்தி தோஷத்தால் மாயனந்தோறும் அலைந்து திரிவீராக என்று பெருமானைச் சபித்து தனது கணவனின் தலையைக் கொய்திட காரணமாயிருந்த பார்வதியை நோக்கி நீ செடிகொடிகளை அணிந்து கோர ரூபமாய் கானகத்தில் அலைந்து திரிக என்று சபித்தாள்

பிரம்மஹத்தியால் பீடிக்கப்பட்ட பெருமானின் கையில் விழும் உணவை பிரம்ம கபாலம் புசிக்கத் துவங்கியதுஇதனால் உண்ண ஏதும் கிடைக்காமல் இறைவன் பசி,தாகத்தால் காடுமலையெல்லாம் அலைந்து திரிந்தார். பார்வதி தேவி திருமாலிடம் சென்று முறையிட்டு சாப விமோசனத்திற்கான வழியைக் கேட்டறிந்தாள். பின்னர் சிவபெருமானுடன் சென்று தண்டகாருண்யத்தை அடைந்து அங்குள்ள மயானத்தினருகில் ஒரு தீர்த்தமுண்டாக்குமாறு கூறினாள்பெருமான் தனது சூலாயுத்தால் ஒரு தீர்த்தமுண்டாக்கினார். அத்தீர்த்தம் அக்னி தீர்த்தம் என்று இன்றும் வழங்கப்படுகிறதுஅங்குத் தேவி உணவு வகைகளைத் தருவித்து மயானத்தில் சூறையிட்டாள் அந்த உணவையருந்த பெருமானின் கையைப் பற்றியிருந்த பிரம்ம கபாலம் கீழே இறங்கியதுகபாலம் இறங்கியதும் பெருமான் அக்னி தீர்த்தத்தில் நீராடி தோஷம் நீங்கப்பெற்றார்.

அப்போது கபாலம் பார்வதி தேவியைப் பற்றிக் கொண்டதுதேவி பேருருவங்கொண்டு தனது காலால் கபாலத்தை மிதித்து பின்பு அதனையெடுத்து மாலையாகக் கழுத்தில் அணிந்து கொண்டாள் அப்போது தேவியின் கோர உருவம் அவளை விட்டு விலகியதுஅந்தத் திருவுருவமே அருள்மிகு அங்காளம்மன் ஆகும்கபால மாலை தரித்துக் கோபத்துடன் விளங்கிய அங்காளம்மனைச் சாந்தம் செய்து மதியில்லாத காரிருள் நாளில் உனதருள் வேண்டி மக்கள் வருவர்நீ இவ்விடத்தே எழுத்தருளியிருந்து அவர்களுக்கு அருள் செய்து வருக என்று பார்வதி தேவி கூறியருளினாள்அதன்படி அங்காளம்மனும் பிரம்மஹத்தி தோஷத்தைத் தாண்டிய பெருமான் தாண்டேஸ்வார் எனும் திருப்பெயருடனும் அவ்விடத்து எழுந்தருளியிருந்து அங்கு வந்து வணங்கும் உயிர்களுக்குக் கருணை செய்து வரங்களை அருளி வருகிறார்பிரம்மஹத்தி தோஷம் கொண்ட சிவன் பூங்காவனத் தாயின் இருப்பிடமான மலையனூருக்கு வந்து இரவில் தங்கியதால் அந்த இரவே மகா சிவராத்திரி என்று அழைக்கப்படுவதாகக் கூறுவர்.

Since Shiva was relieved from Brahmahathi dosha, devotees comes to the temple for 3 consecutive new moon days to get rid of Pilli Soonyam, Eval, Katteri, Chettai, etc.

POOJAS AND CELEBRATIONS
Apart from regular poojas, special poojas are conducted  on New moon days, 23 hrs oonjal Utsavam, 7 days annual Brahmotsavam  will be held in masi month ie MahaShivaratri followed by masana/ mayana kollai, Adi Amavasai / new moon day, Theemithi thiruvizha, are celebrated in grand manner with temple Chariot procession.

Devotees worships Angalamman as their Kuladeivam and offer their prayers. Devotees conducts tonsure the head of their children, ear boring ceremony etc in this temple. The Pongal, fish. Karuvadu, Chikken will be prepared and offered to Angalamman as a part of gratitude for their wishes fulfilled. 

Periyayi amman

TEMPLE TIMINGS
The temple will be kept opened between 06.00 hrs to 21.00 hrs.
Temple will be kept opened during Night on New moon/ amavasya days.


CONTACT DETAILS
Official Website
The office Land line number 04145-294466 & 234291 may be contacted for further details.
The Poojaris Duraikasi Poojari +917539967326, Kamalanathan Poojari +919791214324, Sundar Poojari +918678966076, Durai Poojari +916382177010, Sankar Poojari +917539967327, and  Palanisamy Poojari +918883188871 may be contacted for Poojas.   

HOW TO REACH
Melmalayanur is 20 KM from Gingee, 15 KM from Chetpet, 39 KM from Thiruvannamalai, 60 KM from Villupuram and  173 KM from Chennai.
Nearest railway station is Thiruvannamalai. 

LOCATION OF THE TEMPLE : CLICK HERE

West entrance 

 North side entrance 

Agni Theertham
Gengai Amman Temple with Pambai & udukkai players
Prayer ropes and Cloths
 Nagars
 Vahanas
Vahanas

 Annapoorani Sannidhi


 Shiva & Parvati


 Ambal & Murugan


 Road side Arch
--- OM SHIVAYA NAMA ---

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