He Came As My Mom, Tirichirapalli

Long ago, when the Chozhas ruled over the regions of Central Tamil Nadu, there lived near the present city of Tiruchi a wealthy merchant Thanakuthan and his wife Rathnavathi.  Blessed with all the comforts required for life, their hearts brimmed with devotion for the Lord who presided over the land, across the wide Kaveri. They visited his temple every day and prayed for a peaceful life of devotion and service. The temple was none other than the magnificent shrine to Shiva, built on the crests of the RockFort at Tiruchi.

Their lives went on, as they lived for each other with the enormous bounty that God had blessed them with. Bhagavan, however, had a surprise for the unassuming couple and to their elation; they came to know that they were soon to become parents. “That will be so sweet”, exclaimed Thanakuthan, “my child is growing within you”. Blushing, Rathnavathi turned in the direction of the temple, and offered a silent prayer “Hey Mahesha, protect us and our child from all dangers”. 

The nine months of pregnancy rolled by, with Rathnavathi receiving the best care possible from Thanakuthan. Gradually the day of the delivery drew near. “Perhaps you must call your mother dear, to help with the child birth. We can always do with some elderly advice, you know” said the worried to-be father. The ever dutiful wife that she was, Rathnavathi answered “I will send for her right away”.

That night, the monsoon clouds burst open with all their fury and a strong wind kicked up a fine storm. The river Kaveri ran wild, water splashing around, threatening to destroy the settlements on its banks. Thanakuthan and Rathnavathi remained indoors the whole day. There was not a single soul which braved the storm and went out into the open.

In the early hours of the morning, Thanakuthan woke to the screams of his wife writhing in pain. The baby was coming out!!! Knowing that his mother-in-law would never make it in time, he rushed to her side and taking her arm, comforted her “Dear, can you hold on for a little while I go out in the rain to look for someone to help??” Receiving a weak nod from her in answer, he ran out in search of help. Rathnavathi once again turned towards the temple and pleaded “I did ask you to protect us, you know?”

At that very moment, a knock sounded on the door and her mother walked in. “Amma”, she cried out in a mixture of pain and surprise. ”How did you make it so soon? I sent the word only yesterday”.  Her mother gave her a caring glance, “I know when my daughter needs me. No one needs to remind me of that” and settled down besides her, the perfect mid-wife aiding in pregnancy. With a final shriek of excruciating pain, Rathnavathi fainted.

When she woke up, she found herself beside a beautiful baby boy, kicking out his teeny-weeny legs. But her mother was nowhere to be seen. Assuming that she must have gone out, the lady waited, playing with the new born. 

The rain had just let up when her husband walked in with a mid wife, pale with the fear that he could have been too late. His joy knew no bounds when he saw both the mother and child lying down, perfectly healthy. “Amma came early you know, she helped me through”, said Rathnavathi looking down at the baby, with pride in her eyes.

 A third knock sounded on the door just then. “That must be your Amma”, said Thanakuthan as he opened the door and Rathnavathi’s mother strolled in. “So you gave birth already?? Did it pain much??” she asked, happy at the sight of her grandson sleeping besides her daughter.

“Amma, don’t kid. You were the one who helped me deliver the baby”, coaxed Rathnavathi.

“Are you hallucinating dear”, asked her mom, “I know that the labor pain can do strange things at times. I couldn’t come as soon as I got word because of the dratted storm. And here I am just now. How could I have delivered your child??” reasoned out her mother.

Perplexed, Thanakuthan looked at his wife, worried about her. And then, wonder of wonders, realisation dawned upon Rathnavathi. At that moment Parameshwara appeared before them with Mattuvarkuzhalammai at his side, seated majestically on his Nandi. He brimmed with the love of a mother. Rathnavathi was ecstatic. “Was it really you who came as my mother??” she exclaimed, “Just because I had asked you to protect my child. Oh Eshwara, how will I ever be able to thank you for your grace at the time of need? Oh Father of this creation, did u come as my Mother too (லோக தந்தையான ஈஸ்வரனே, நீ என் தாயும் ஆனாயோ)? Namah Shivaya Om, Namah Shivaya Om”.

Rathnavathi’s mother and Thanakuthan went down on their knees at the sight of Rishabharudar (He who sits astride a bull). They wondered at the extreme fortune of Rathnavathi to have been doctored by Vaidhyanathan himself. With a smile on his face, Shiva blessed the mother and child. And then in an eye-blink he was gone.

A wall painting at the temple giving the details of the descent of Thayumanavar

The Thayumanavar (He who came as the mother) temple is a famous shrine situated at the crests of the famous RockFort in Tiruchirapalli. It is believed that the hillock itself is a piece of Mount Kailasa. Once when Adisesha and Vayu had a fight over their superiority over each other, they decided to settle it by means of a competition that would test their strengths. Adisesha offered, “Oh mighty Wind, I will cling on to the Maha Kailasa Mountain. If you are able to loosen my grip on the mountain I will submit to your superiority, else you must submit to mine. Is it a Deal?” Vayu pondered over it and finally agreed. Anantha gripped Kailasa, wrapping one coil after another of his long body around the sacred mountain. Vayu then got into the field, and summoning all his strength, blew full force across the face of Kailasa. Due to the intensity of the wind, the top of Kailasa chipped off and fell on to earth in three places. But even after repeated tries with cyclones, tornados and gales, Adi Sesha did not even budge and Vayu gave up accepting the superiority of Anantha.

One of the tiny parts of the Kailasa which fell off is believed to be the one that we see in Tiruchi today, the Rock Fort (The other two are Thirukkonamalai in Lanka and Thiru Kalahasthi). The RockFort today houses the Ucchi Pillayar temple (maybe I will write a post on this one too!!!) at its crest and the Thayumanavar Kovil just below the top. The Thayumanavar shrine has two Prakara Veedhis (Roads for Circumambulation) – one which is located midway to the top of the mountain, called the Mel Veedhi (the upper street) and the other one running around the foothill, called the Keezh Veedhi (the lower street). Like Kailasa, it is also built at three levels, with the Manikka Vinayagar shrine at the foothill, the Thayumanavar Temple midway up and the Ucchi Pillayar temple at the peak. Hence it is often referred to as Dakshina Kailasa.

Legend has it that the Linga was worshipped by Tirisiraasuran, the three-headed brother of Ravana. After many years of rigorous worship he was disappointed that Shiva had still not appeared. Furious at his failure, he started hacking off his heads one by one and fed them to the Sacrificial Fire. When he was about to chop off his last head Shiva took pity and appeared before him. Consenting to his request Shiva agreed to stay at that very spot blessing the lands of the kingdom. He also returned Tirisiran’s two other heads back to the Asura. Since he was worshipped by Tirisiran, Shiva came to be known as Tirisiranathar and the place was named Tirisiraamalai. Over the years the name evolved into Tiruchirapalli.

Ages later, when the Cholas ruled from Uraiyur, Sarama Rishi had set up a small ashrama near Tirisiranathar’s shrine and offered his daily worship at the temple. He established a beautiful garden of Sevvanthi (Chrysanthamun indicum) flowers. He had specially obtained the flower from Nagaloka for use in his pooja. One day, a flower merchant who passed by the garden saw the beautiful flowers and decided to present them to the queen. He stole some of the flowers without Sarama’s approval and presented them to the queen. The queen fell in love with the flowers at once and demanded that she should be presented with more every day. To please the queen and obtain her favours, the merchant stole the flowers from the garden at sunrise every morning. Sarama Rishi was greatly perplexed by the robbery. He was disturbed about having obstacles in his Shiva Pooja and appealed to the Chozha King to inquire into this matter. Knowing the truth, the King remained aloof to Sarama’s petition. Extremely angry at the King’s lack of moral conduct, Sarama finally appealed to Shiva.

Taking pity upon his devotee and extremely disgusted at the King’s behavior, Shiva turned his burning sight onto the Chozha Capital Uraiyur. The whole of Uraiyur was tormented with Sand Storms as a result of this. The King died at his palace, suffocated from the swirling sands. The queen was however saved by a Brahmin while she was about to jump into the flowing Kaveri. Historians inform us that she bore a child who was later to become the much praised KariKaala Chozhan.

Mattuvarkuzhali Sametha Shri Thayumanavar

The presiding deity at the shrine is of course Thayumanavar or Mathrubhutheshwarar along with his consort Mattuvarkuzhalammai also known as Sugandha Koondhalaambigai. Parvathi is said to have incarnated as the daughter of Kaatyaayana Maharishi in accordance with the Rishi’s wished. Since her hair (Kuzhal) was naturally fragrant with the smell of honey (Mattu)-filled blossoms, she was christened Mattuvarkuzhali. Eventually, she worshipped Shiva and once again took his hand in marriage. This marriage ceremony is celebrated every year in the month of Chithirai (April-May).

Though the temple itself dates back to more than two thousand years (The Agananooru sings in praise of the kshetra), the construction of the RockFort was started under the patronage of Viswanatha Nayakkar in the 16^th century. It had served as a stronghold for the British during the Franco-British wars in the 18^th Century. In memory of the victory against the French, an embossed picture depicting the Fort still hangs in the Westminster Abbey in England. Interestingly, when viewed from the East the mountain appears like Ganesha. When viewed from the south it appears like a seated bull and takes the appearance of a lion when seen from the north. When looking down from the doors of the Ucchi Pillayar shrine, the steps and the mountain appear like the trunk of an elephant. The Mountain is 273ft above sea level at its highest point which can be reached upon climbing 417 steps.

Rockfort, Thayumanavar Temple and Ucchi Pillaiyar Kovil

At the foot hill is the shrine dedicated to Manikka Vinayagar. Upon climbing up we pass by various other shrines and Mandapas. Some of the important ones are the Sahasralinga Mandapa that literally contains a number of Lingas, the sixteen pillared hall which served as a watchtower for the French, and the Hundred Pillared Hall or the Nootru Kaal Mandapa. Within this Nootrukkal Mandapam, on a marble dais, is celebrated the incident of Rathnavathi’s delivery. Every Chithirai month, in a special utsavam known as Chetti Penn Maruthuvam, Thayumanavar and Rathnavathi are seated on the platform. The screen is then drawn and when opened Rathnavathi is shown to have a baby in her arms. Thousands come to witness this re-enactment of the Lord’s play. During this utsavam a special medicine containing Dried Ginger (Sukku) and Jaggery is given as Prasad, which pregnant women take to ensure an easy child-birth.

Chetti Penn Maruthuvam

In the central shrine, Shiva gives darshan as a gigantic Linga, one of the biggest in Tamil Nadu. A fascinating fact is that here, the Dwajastamba is not in front of the Linga but behind it. It is believed that the Linga originally faced the Dwajastamba, but when Shiva turned towards Uraiyur to punish the King for his injustice, the Linga ended up facing the other way. Even today, during poojas, all the instruments are played and the Thevaram is recited at the back (or is it the front?) of the shrine. In a fitting manner to the huge Linga, a separate Nandhi, equally gigantic in size, is housed in a temple at the foot hills. This temple is often referred to as Nandhi Kovil. Since he was worshipped with Sevvanthi flowers, the lord is also known as Sevvanthi Nathar. Thayumanavar is worshipped by the Sun on the 23^rd, 24^th and 25^th days of Panguni when the sun’s rays shine onto the Linga. The vimanams of both Thayumanavar and Ucchi Pillayar are covered in gold, shimmering brightly against the midday sun.

Thayumanava Swamy Vimanam

Mattuvarkuzhali is housed in a separate shrine facing west. Just opposite to her shrine is the shrine of Pathala Iyyannar who resides in a hall under the ground. People usually worship him before going to worship Devi. A beautiful wooden Mahalakshmi is also housed within the temple precincts. People worship her with milk and lotuses to grant them with wealth and prosperity. In the Navagraha Mandapa, in a very unique manner, all the Navagrahas are shown to be facing Surya who appears with his wives Usha and Chaya. Again, in the Dakshina Moorthi shrine, in addition to just the four Sanakadi Munis at his feet, there are also present Sivayogamamuni, Patanjali, Vyagrapadar and Thirumoolar. Here Dakshinamoorthi is shown to be seated on a mat of Dharba grass. It is believed that Shiva himself appeared in the form of Dakshinamoorthi to teach the secrets to grammar to the famous Tamil poet Thayumanavar Swamy.

Dakshinamoorthi and his eight disciples

The temple also houses the Gangala moorthi of Shiva which is one among the 64 Shiva Moorthis. He is shown to be taking the fury of Ganga as she fell from the heavens - a very beautiful piece of work indeed. There are also some remarkable pieces of architecture in the temple like chain-links carved in stone and balls that rotate within the mouth of a lion and so on. Many people also believe that somewhere in the upper reaches of the RockFort are preserved the footprints of Vibheeshana (He was involved with the SriRangam temple as well as the Ucchi Pillayar temple).

The sthala Vriksha is Vilva and there are a number of theerthas including the Kaveri, Sivaganga theertham, the Nadrudaiyan theertham and the Theeyathillan theertham.

Men and women flock to the temple to pray for a safe pregnancy and the birth of a healthy child. When their wishes are granted, the couples return to the temple and offer whole stalks of bananas to the deity and thank him for his protection during pregnancy. Just like a banana tree never perishes and grows one generation after the other, the offering of these bananas signify the prayers for an unbroken lineage to follow the couples. Women also worship Thayumanavar with ghee and eat it for 48 days to be blessed with a child. Many devotees also circumambulate the hill on every full-moon night.

The temple follows two codes of worship called the Kaaranam and Kaamegam. The main festival is in Chithirai which is held for 10 days. The Thayumanavar shrine is the 6^th Kshetra on the southern banks of the Kaveri to be sung in the Thevaram and hence it is also a Paadal Petra Thalam.

A place worth the visit, it is located bang in the center of Tiruchi and is pretty hard to miss out on. A temple where every expecting mother must pray at, seeking a safe delivery, its story beautifully bringing out the tender hearted nature of the supreme being who came down to help an ordinary devotee just like her mother would have done.

हे शंकर स्मरहर प्रमतादी नाथ 

मन्नाथ ! शाम्भ ! शशिचूड ! हर ! त्रिशूलिन |

शम्भो ! सुखप्रसवकृत ! भव ! दयालो !

श्री मातृभूत शिव पालयमां नमस्ते ||

"Oh Shankara, I think of you, Oh Primordial One.

My Lord, Shaambha, The wearer of the crescent. Victory to you, bearer of the Trishoola!

Shambho, Bless me with a painless childbirth. Oh gracious one, full of compassion.

I bow to you Shiva, who is also Mathrubhutheshwara. Bless me oh Lord" 

- Shri Govinda Damodhara Swamigal