Thursday, December 5, 2013

KSHETRA FOR THE MONTH OF DECEMBER 2013

The crab worshipping Shiva.- Karkateshwara.


Gangakarshanam- the well at the mutt
                                                             
                                                              THIRIVISANALLUR
There is a shiva kshetra by name Thirivisanallur. There was once a chola king who wanted to worship Lord Shiva there. He had informed the archakar that he wanted to worship the Lord with thousand lotus flowers that had grown in the lotus tank. The next morning as the archakar made all arrangements for the king’s visit and opened the door of the sanctum sanctorium he was shocked.That was because there were already thousand flowers on Shiva. Who had worshipped Him? The king came there and to his utter dismay felt cheated. He suspected that the archakar had did it. The latter pleaded that he had not worshipped Lord Shiva and also said he would see who had done it. That night he was awake and waited to see who was worshipping Shiva. Just then a crab came through the Gomukha  and placed flowers on Shiva’s head one by one. As the archaka came to hit it the crab climbed on to Lord Shiva’s head so that he could not hit it. Crab is called Karkataha in Sanskrit. Hence Lord Shiva of Thirivisanallur came to be called Karkateshwara.

Many famous scholars lived at Thirivisanallur. But of all Sreedhara Iyyaval was the most famous saint. He was a contemporary of Bodhendral. He did Nama Sidhdhantha. He was previously a minister at the court of Mysore Maharaja.But he did not like his post. He preferred to be a sincere devotee of Lord Shiva. Hence he came on a kshetradana ( pilgrimage) to Trichy. He composed several works like Krishna Dwadashamanjari, Akhyashashti, Dolanavarathnamalika etc. He settled at Thrivisanallur. Once a hungry orphan begged him for food. Out of pity he gave food to him. But that was on the day of his pithru shraadhdham. All the Brahmins of that village were annoyed at his behaviour.  They advised that Ganga snan was the only solution to it. He went to his well and prayed that Ganges came to his well. The river truly came to his well. This uthsava is celebrated as Gangakarshanothsavam. Thousands of people come to this village on Kathika Amavasa for Ganga snan ( at the well). Sreedara Iyyaval’s greatness is indescribable.

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