| Description: Tirukkarambanur
is located in Uttamar Koyil - also known as Bhikshaandaar Koyil , a village located on the
railroad between Tiruchirappalli
and Villuppuram. This is a unique temple in that it has shrines dedicated to Vishnu and
his consort Lakshmi, Bhrahma and Saraswati, Shiva and Parvati. This shrine is also
known as Nepakshetram or Adimapuram. Tirumangai Alwar refers to 'Karambanur Uthaman' in a
lone verse, where he states that Uthaman of Karambanur, Perumal of Kurunkudi and Tiruttankaal,
are none other than Ranganathar of Srirangam -
in a decad of verses praising Srirangam. It is believed Tirumangaialwar lived here,
supervising the renovation of the Srirangam temple.
Deities: There are shrines here to all three of the trinity of deities
revered in the Indian system of beliefs, namely Shiva and his consort Vadivudaiamman,
Bhrama and his consort Saraswati, Vishnu and his consort (Purushottaman and Poornavalli).
Shiva is worshipped in the form of Bhikshatanar. Legend has it that
the fifth head of Bhrama, which was pulled out by Shiva, stuck to his palms; and it was
only after his receiving alms from Mahalakshmi, that it came unstuck. The same
legend is held at the Tirukkandiyur
Divyadesam (where the presiding deity is known by the name Hara Saapa Vimochana Perumaal),
adjacent to the Tirukkandiyur Veerattastalam of
Shiva and at Tirukkurunkudi
near Nanguneri - Tirunelveli. This temple also popularly goes
by the name Bhikshantar koyil.
Bhrahma is regarded as a Guru - or teacher, and hence offering worship on thursdays is
considered significant.
Another legend has it that Vishnu took the form of a Kadamba tree to which Bhrahma
offered worship, offering water from his kamandalam. Legend also has it that Kadamba muni
offered worship to Vishnu on the banks of the Kadamba theertham created by Bhrahma.
The Temple: Shiva's shrine is situated south of Vishnu's shrine,
facing west. There is also a shrine to Dasaratha Lingam and Soundara Parvati. There are
also shrines to , Andal, Varadarajaperumaal, Venugopalan, Rama, Vinayakar, Natarajar,
Subramaniyar, Saneeswaran and Anjaneyar. The Bhikshatanar form of Shiva here is considered
to be of great significance. Sanakar, Sanandanar and Sanatkumarar, as well as Kadamba Muni
are believed to have worshipped the Trinity Bhrama, Vishnu and Shiva here here.
Inscriptions from the period of the Cholas and Pandyas are seen here.
Festivals: The annual Bhramotsavam of Perumaal is conducted in the
month of Chittirai, while that for Shiva is conducted in the month of Vaikasi The Maasi
festival of the Tiruvarangam temple witnesses a procession of Ranganathar to the Kadamba
theertham at this temple. |
