Venkatarangan (வெங்கடரங்கன்) blog
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In Faith

Trip to SriMushnam temple

8 Mins Read

Srimushnam temple dedicated to Lord Bhuvarahan (one of the avatars of Lord Vishnu) is in Cuddalore district of Tamil Nadu. It is the birthplace of my paternal grandmother. Last time, with our family we had gone there for a darshan about 10 years back. The travel from Chennai by road takes about four-and-half hours. You go via Chengalpattu, Tindivanam, Villupuram, Vridhachalam to reach Srimushnam (Tamil Nadu state highway SH 216 goes to the town as well). After about one-and-half hours from Chennai, reaching Madhuranthagam on the highway, we stopped for a coffee at “Only Coffee”, outlet – they serve excellent filter coffee and provide clean restrooms.

Reaching Srimushnam, we took a pit stop at Sri Andavan Ashram before heading to the temple. The ashram runs a residential school teaching Vedas.

The Perumal in the temple is said to be a natural formation (swayambumurthi) and not man-made.

கோயிலில் இருந்த குறிப்புகள்

தானே தோன்றிய மூர்த்திகளைக் கொண்ட வைணவத் தலங்கள் –
1. ஸ்ரீரங்கம்
2. ஸ்ரீமுஷ்ணம்
3. திருப்பதி
4. வானமாமலை
5. ஸாளிக்ராமம்
6. புஷ்கரம்
7. நைமீசாரண்யம்
8. பதரிகாச்ரமம்

ஸ்ரீ பூராஹஸ்வாமி அவதார வரலாறு. ஸ்ரீமந் நாராயணன் மிகப் புனிதமான வராஹ அவதாரம் எடுத்து பூமியைக் கவர்ந்து சென்ற ஹிரண்யாக்ஷன் என்றும் அசுரனைக் கொன்று, அப்பூமியை தனது கோரைப்பற்களினால் சுமந்து வந்து, ஆதிசேஷன் மேல் முன்னிருந்த நிலையில் நிலைக்கச் செய்து, தனது இருகண்களினின்றும், அச்வத்த விருக்ஷத்தையும், துளசியையும் உண்டாக்கி, தனது வியர்வை நீரின் பெருக்கைக் கொண்டு, நித்ய புஷ்கரிணி என்ற புனிததீர்த்ததையும் ஏற்படுத்தி ஸ்ரீமுஷ்ணம் என்னும் இத்தலத்தை இருப்பிடமாக ஏற்று பிரமன் முதலானோர் பூஜிக்க ஸ்ரீ புவராஹன் என்ற திருநாமத்துடன், பக்தர்களுக்கு அருள்பாலிப்பவராக இத்திருக்கோயில் எழுந்தருளியுள்ளார்.

மூலவர் திருநாமம் – ஸ்ரீ புவராஹன்
தாயார் – ஸ்ரீ அம்புஜவல்லித்தாயார்
புண்ய தீர்த்தம் – நித்ய புஷ்கரிணி
தல விருக்ஷம் – அச்வத்தம் (அரசமரம்)
விமானம் – பாவன விமானம்

Srimushnam temple has been renovated well by state government recently. The temple complex is bright and maintained clean. Great job by the authorities. Everywhere you look in the temple you see intricate stonework all over. Exquisite.

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In Travel Review

Trip to Rameswaram

9 Mins Read

A few weeks back I got to visit Rameswaram town after a decade or so. The main reason for the trip was to visit the recently opened memorial for Dr Kalam at Peikarumbu, Rameswaram.

We travelled from Chennai by train – the newly introduced “Faizabad Express” (16794) that runs from Ayodhya to Rameswaram.  The train leaves Chennai Egmore at 18:50 to reach Rameswaram next day morning 07:10. It was a new route, the coaches were brand new and comfortable, with bio-toilets that don’t dirty the tracks with its waste.

We stayed at Daiwik Hotels Rameswaram, which was one of the best hotels in town.

After settling down in the hotel and a bath, we went for a darshan at the famous Ramanathaswamy Temple on Rameswaram Island dedicated to the God Shiva. It is one of the 274 Paadal Petra Sthalams, where the three of the most revered Nayanars (Saivite saints) have glorified the temple with their songs. The temple was expanded during the 12th century by Pandya Dynasty. The presiding deity, the Lingam of Ramanathaswamy (Shiva), is believed to have been established and worshipped by Rama, an avatar of the God Vishnu, to absolve the sins created during the Ramayana war at Sri Lanka. According to Skānda Purāṇa, twenty-four Tīrthas (holy water bodies) that are on this island are important. Bathing in these Tīrthas is a major aspect of the pilgrimage to Rameswaram and is considered equivalent to penance. Twenty-two of the Tīrthas are within the Rāmanāthasvāmī Temple, hence you will see on any given day thousands of pilgrims queueing for the holy bath. As pilgrims move around in half-dried clothes, the corridors in the temple can be wet – the elderly have to be careful while walking.

After having a good darshan, we went for a boat ride on the sea near Rameswaram temple. The joyride was operated by a small outfit who charged Rs.60 per person for the 30-minute ride on the sea close to the shore. Apart from us, there were about 50 passengers who went on the ride, which were being operated continuously during the day.

After lunch on the first day of our stay in Rameswaram, we went to House of Kalam and then to Dr A P J Abdul Kalam Memorial at Peikarumbu.

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