Sankaran Kovil * - Both Lord Shiva & Lord Vishnu stood as one!

Once in the Abode of lord Shiva (called as Kailash), goddess sri Parvathi Devi pleaded lord Shiva that She wanted to see the dharshan (vision) of lord Vishnu within Him as in One called Sankara Narayanar, colloquially called Sankara Nayinar.

Having accepted Her request, lord Shiva told Her that She would go to the place called 'Pothigai malai' where the sage Agathiyar had been residing and made thapus (penance). Near by that place, a lot of sages had been conducting sincere penance towards lord Shiva as in the form of 'Punnai Virutcham' ( a kind of holy tree called Punnai).

He added that She should go there and should do sincere penance towards Him. He said that Her desire would be fulfilled at that time. Parvathi Devi, having received the acceptance of lord Shiva, departed to the place nearby Pothigai malai accompanied with the celestial beings and the sages.

She requested the celestial to be grown there as the 'Punnai trees' and the cows. She asked the sages to worship lord Shivs there to accompany with Her.In old Tamil the cow has been called as 'Aa'. Since that place had been accompanied with the punnai trees and the cows, the goddess sri Parvathi Devi has been called as ' (Aa)vudayal'.

She had done a severe penance there in order to see the dharshan of 'Narayanan' (lord Vishnu) within lord Shiva as the one called 'Sankara Narayanan. Having pleased with the severe penance done by Parvathi Devi, lord Shiva blessed Her as in the form of 'Sankara Narayanan' {Sakaran (Shiva) + Narayanan (Vishnu)}.

The day when lord Sankara Narayanan had appeared before Parvathi Devi fell on the auspicious day of the Tamil month of 'Aadi' (June-July) full moon day.

Having seen the dharsan of Sankara Narayanan, Parvathi Devi asked His spouse again to get back His own Linga form. Lord Shiva also blessed Her with the boon of what she wanted and stayed there as Sankara Linga with Uma Devi (Parvathi Devi).

The grand festival celebrated here is 'Aadi Thabasu' which fall on the full moon day coming in the Tamil month of 'Aadi' (June -July). On that day evening, lord Shiva would bless the devotees with the darshan of lord Sankara Narayanan as the processional deity, and in the night He transformed into Linga form, as per Parvathi Devi's wish.

This incident assures one thing definitely, that all the gods like Brahmah, Vishnu and all other deities have been concluded and also included into one, none other than lord Shiva. In order to exhibit that philosophy to the devotees, He had staged this phenomena at Sankaran Kovil.

Sankan & Pathuman

Once there lived two nagas (belongs to the snake), named Sankan and Pathuman who were very fond of lord Shiva and lord Vishnu respectively. They had been thinking that their own deity would be superior to all. Both of them, after having seen the darshan of Lord Sankara Narayanan, had accepted the truth that both of the gods were not different but all as one.

Kaavar paraiyan and the king Ukira Pandiyan*

Once there lived a celestial being named Manigreevan, who had been cursed by goddess sri Parvathi Devi and been made as the guardian of 'Punnai vanam' (place where punnai trees were grown).

Karivalam vantha nallur - Paal vanna nathar had a fine garden at the 'punnai vanam', which also had been guarded by the 'kaavar paraiyan' on those days. At one end of the garden, there had been a 'puttru' (ant hill).

One day when he began to destroy the ant hill, he had to unfortunately cut the tail of a snake. Then he happened to see a 'Shiva Linga' near the ant hill. By coincidentally, he knew that the arrival of the king Ukirapandiyan to the nearby forest and ran to there to inform him about that phenomena.

Ukirapandiyan made the temple and the living place Sankarn Kovil

Ukirapandiyan had ruled over the land 'Maanur', which had been on the bank of river 'Porunai' at Tirunelveli. He had a custom of having visited Madurai and worshiped lord Chokkanathar (lord Shiva) and goddess sri Meenakshi.

The same day when 'Kaavar paraiyan' had cut the tail of the snake and found the Lingam near by it, there had been a strange phenomena had happened that the elephant of the pandiya king had dug the ground with it's tusks and fell on it. This made the king getting confused.

At the same time, the 'Kaavar paraiyan' had approached the king Ukira pandiyan and explained about that incident and also asked him (king) to come there. The king at once rushed to that spot and had seen all those incident which had happened there.

Then an 'Asariri ' (prediction voice of god) heard from the sky that he would make a temple there and the king also obeyed the order of lord Shiva and had done that work immediately. When we happen to pass the main tower of the temple, we could able to see the sculpture of that 'Kaavar paraiyan' even today.

Inside the temple's pillar, at the right hand side, we could able to see the sculpture of the king Ukirapandiyan.

This is the place where all these 'Thakkanai (a widow), Chola king Veera senan, Sayanthan (lord Indran's son), Kaanavan (hunter), Kanmadan (Sage Sivaraathan's son) had been blessed with the grace of lord Sankara Lingam.

This temple Sankara Nainaar(1) has been one among the 'Pancha Bootha Isthalam' which represents the sand or earth. The rest of the Isthalams are 'Tharughapuram(2), Thenmalai(3), Karivalam vantha nallur(4), Theva thaanam(5)' which represents water, air, fire and sky respectively.

This temple tower has been at the height of 125 feet with having nine stages. This tower top has been 56 feet at south-north and 15 feet at east-west directions. The temple kalasams (domes) are in the height of 7 feet and 4 angulams (old measurement). The temple tower view has been cleanly visioned even when we come from a very long distance.

The structure of the temple *

Actually this temple (Sankara Nainaar) comprises of three main sanctums namely Sankara Linga temple, Sankara Narayanar temple and Gomathi Amman temple. The temple which found directly opposite to the main entrance and which has been south in direction, is called as Sankara Linga temple. At the northern direction, Goddess Sri Gomathi Amman shrine has been situated.

These two temples having got their own sanctums, artha mantapam, antharala mantapam, mani mantapam, ma mantapam, parivara mantapam and corridor mantapams. In all the walls of lord Sangara lingam temple, there have been the hymns of 'Thirumurai' encrypted all over.

In the Sanctum there lies the lord Sangaralinga and the Goddess Sri Manone mani devi who blesses their devotees with their spontaneous bliss.

Godess Sri Gomathiamman Shrine

It's been situated at the north. Before having entered into Her temple, there one (the right persons) could feel the vibrations of spiritual ecstasy, since the Sri Chakram has been installed there. Here the peasants who have been suffering from long term sickness, could have been got rid of their sickness. The people have done one unique ritual of 'Ma vilakku' (lamp lit on their body like stomach, hand, chest, fore head and so on).

On the northern side of the corridor, there lies the 'Sagala roga nivaarani' , that is the snake pit sand, which has been used as the remedy for the long term sickness like kuttam (leprosy),kunmam (acute stomach pain) and impotent etc.

In between the temples of lord Sankara Lingam and Goddess Sri Gomathi Amman, there lies the temple of Sankara Narayanar, who has been the symbol of the fusion of Saivam and Vaishnavam.which are the two important divisions of Hinduism.

The other name for lord Sankara Linga has been Vanmeega nathar, since He had been originated from the snake pit, which is also called as 'vanmeegam'. The other names as Sakara murthy, Varasai nathan, Vaithiya nathan, Seerasai nathan, Punnaivana nathan and Koolaiyaandi. The other name for Gomathi Amman is 'Aavudaiyaal'.

Theerthas, tanks, Isthala tree and it's features*

Here there are five theerthas namely Agni theertham, Agathiya Theertham, Surya theertham, Vairava theertham and Gowri theertham. Before the entrance of the shrine of goddess sri Gomathi amman, we could able to see a tank called Nagasunai which had been dug deeply by the 'nagas' (snakes) called Sangan, Pathuman and since they had immersed into that 'sunai', it hasn't be the inhabitant of crawl, tortoise, frog and fish etc. Amidst the tank, there lies a lovely mantapam. To the south of this Sankaran koil, there has been one another 'poigai' (tank) called Aavudai poikai, in which a festival called Theppam festival has been taken place on the Tamil month of 'Thai' last friday.

The Isthala virutcham (temple tree) here is the Punnai tree*. In the ancient past, this place had been full of 'punnai' trees and might be known as Punnai vanam.

With this i just conclude this hub and appreciate you for your patience to stay with.

Yours Frienly

Selvaganapathy (raakachi)

Bye...