Arulmigu Abirami Amman Temple, Dindigul

Arulmigu Abirami Amman Temple  is a holy place situated in Dindigul in Tamil Nadu, India. This is one of the important ‘Shivasthalam’ were you can find Badmagiriswarar – Abirami Amman and Kalahastheeswarar – Gnanambigai Sannathi’s. 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.

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.

Festival

• Chithirai
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.
• Aani
Aani Thirumanjana Thiruvizha will be celebrate
• Aadi
Sandhana kappu Abisegam will be celebrate on mother Ambika and Abirami of all fridays.
• Aavani
Vinayagar chaturthi will be celebrate
• Ippasi
kandahar sasti kavasam will be celebrate on 6 days of this month
• Kathigai
Karthigai thiruvizha will be celebrate in this month
• Margalai
Thiruvilaku Poojai will be celebrate in this month
• Maasi
Special valipadu for Arulmigu nadarajar

Thirumalaikeni Subramaniaswamy Temple, Dindigul

Sri Subramaniaswamy temple is located in the city of Thirumalaikeni, Dindigul, Tamil Nadu and is about 500-1000 years old. The Temple is situated at a distance of 25 kms from Dindigul on the way to Senthurai, where Lord Muruga blesses his devotees. It is situated on the top of a hill in the midst of thick flora and fauna.

Peacock and monkeys engage the children who visit the temple. The spring water is tasty and is available in hot, cold and normal temperature at various places with in the temple which surprises the devotees. Buses are available from Dindigul. Private cars and vans are the other modes of transport. The place can also be approached from Natham.

Legends

A king belonging to the Pandya dynasty had the desire of building a temple for Lord Muruga. While he was here on hunting and resting after drinking the water from a spring, he fell asleep. Lord Muruga appeared in his dream and directed him to build the temple here. Accordingly, the old and first temple came into being.

Greatness of Temple

Dressed as a king 

Lord Balamurugan in the upper temple always appears in his royal attire known as Raja Alankaram. It is the faith of the devotees that seeing the Lord in the Royal form would ensure high position and leadership in life. The consorts of Muruga, Valli and Deivanai are not by the side of the Lord but grace in the form of the holy springs. 

Kil Palani

Generally, devotees go up on the steps to have the darshan of the Lord in hill temples. Here, people step down to reach the Lord. Devotees call this temple Kilpalani (Palani downward). During the 7 day Skanda Sashti festival, Surasamharam (killing the demon Surapadma) takes place on the sixth day followed by Valli-Deivanai wedding festival on the seventh day.

Speciality

This Murugan temple is built in such a way those devotees have to go down to worship lord Muruga. Maunaguru Swamigal Adhistanam is situated near by this temple. Milk abhishegam, Santhana kappu, Viboothi abhishegam are conducted by devotees as people who want higher position in office pray to lord Murugan who is always in raja Alangaram.

The Temple

It is a two tier temple with a Muruga shrine at the ground and one at the top of the hill. : This is a two tier temple in the midst of dense forests. The idol of the presiding deity was damaged in days of yore and the temple too became dilapidated. Regular pujas came to an end. Sri Kripanandavariar took up the renovation of the temple in the year 1979. A new idol was made for the presiding deity. But the old idol could not be removed. Therefore, a Mandap was built where the old idol was installed while a temple above this was built installing the new idol. Thus, it became a two tier temple with deities installed in each.

The two temples are constructed with high engineering skill that the water used for the Abhishekam of the Lord in the upper level will fall on the Lord in the Ground too through a hole specially made for the purpose.

Shakthi Vinayaka shrine is in the corridor of the temple. Saint Pattinathar appears under the mango tree in the temple. The Adhishtanam (Samadhi) of His Holiness Maunaguru Swamigal is near the temple.

Valli Theertham is in the middle of the hill in the form of a well, hence the place is known as Malaikeni- a spring the hill. The specialty is the spring, the source of which could not be traced.

Temple Opening Time

The temple is open from 6.00 a.m. to 1.00 p.m. and 2.00 p.m. to 6.00 p.m

Festivals

Chitra Poornima in the month of April-May, Vaikasi Visakam (May-June), Kruthika in Aadi (July-August) and Karthigai (November-December),Skanda Sashti in Iyppasi ((October-November), Thirukarthigai (November-December) and Thai Poosam (January-February).