Sri Kasi Viswanathar temple, Thiruparankundram, Madurai District, Tamil Nadu.

 22^nd April, 2015

Continuation to the earlier post ( CLICK HERE to see the details )

SRI KASI VISWANATHAR TEMPLE THIRUPARANKUNDRAM

This temple is 1050 feet above sea level on the top of Thiruparankundram Hill. Lord Sri Kasi Viswanathar is facing west and Ambal is facing south. It is believed that one of the 18 Siddhar Sri Machamuni lives in the form of jeeva jothi. But at the temple, a white fish is called Sri Machamuni in the pond. Devotees in large numbers circumambulate the hill on a full moon day to get the blessings of Lord Shiva. It is believed that this temple is the cause for writing the ‘Thirumurugatrupadai’ a Tamil literature by Nakkeerar. The story goes like this….

East side entrance to the temple 

LEGENDS

Once upon a time, a booth called Karki Muni got a varam from Lord Shiva to live without death, after killing 1000 Munivars. Karki muni managed to keep 999 munivars in the cave of a relief. When Nakkerar came to that side and was doing pooja to Shiva under a banyan tree. The karki muni diverted his attention through a banyan leaf on the shore of the Saravana poigai. – one half as a bird and the other half as a fish. Since the attention was diverted his pooja to lord Shiva was not completed. So Nakkeerar was also put in the cave. Before killing all, Nakkeerar sang the hymn of ‘Thirumurugatrupadai’. Lord Murugan appeared and saved all Munivars. To get rid of the sin caused due to this incident Nakkeerar wants to take a bath in the Ganges. Lord Muruga created a pond on the ( Panchatcharam parai ) hill through his ‘Vel’ and the Ganges water flowed in it. In remembrance of this incident, local villagers worship the ‘Vel’, on Puratasi, Friday every year.

MY EXPERIENCE IN TREKKING THE HILL.

After visiting the Pandya Period Rock cut temple on the south side of the Thiruparankundram hill, happened to see the direction board of Sri Kasi Viswanathar temple on the top of the hill. The steps were neatly paved. Considering the height, sun heat, and hunger ( Morning I had taken only Prasad as breakfast at Sri Meenakshi Amman Temple – a small quantity )  skipped and landed at the Railway gate bus stop by Mini Bus. From there I walked towards  Sri Murugan temple bus stop to get a bus to Madurai (Later understand that bus to Madurai town is available at the Railway gate itself). On the way again I saw the direction sign board of Sri Kailasanathar temple (Northside). The Kailasanathar Temple can be reached from the south and north sides.

Sri Palani Andavar Temple. The trek starts from here. There is a Jain monument inside the temple which I could not see since the temple was closed at that time

Assuming that the ’OHM’ signboard with a temple-like structure is the Sri Kailasanathar temple, started climbing up the hill. The steps are not uniform. In some places, steps are not there. On reaching the structure understand that that is not the temple and it is a Karthigai Deepam pillar structure.

 

Karthigai deepam pillar structure.

The Northside path joins with the south side steps

Steps start steeper 

Devotees visit this place too, to light lamps during normal days. Again started trekking up the hill asking the way to Kasi Viswanathar Temple from down coming people. After that, the path was steep without steps. Steps are cut on the rock in many places ( Valukkuparai ). 

Valukkuparai with no steps for about a KM stretch

It was very difficult to cross the 2 km stretch, trekking alone in the hot sun. The Muslims also trekked up to Dargah. Near Dargah, there is a Muslim cemetery; from there, the route diverts to the Shiva Temple.

Muslim cemetery  

Dargah on the top of this hill 

After ½ Km from the cemetery the route joins with the south side steps. Here the steps are also very steep. A group of 10 people joined from there. Monkeys too followed us on seeing their bags.  After the darshan of Sri Kailasanathar, had the darshan of Sri Machamuni in the form of white fish and offered curd in the Panchatcharam Parai pond. Annadhanam was served by some devotees. Had the annadhanam since I was too hungry and tired.

Reliefs of Shiva Ganapathy, Machamuni on the Panchatcharam Parai

After taking a rest for a while, I trekked down the hill. I carefully climbed down, and no one joined me except Sri Kasi Viswanathar. At last, around 15.30 hrs, I reached the base safely.

   

THE TEMPLE TIMINGS : 

The temple is kept open between 08.30 Hrs to 17.30 Hrs 

LOCATION OF THE TEMPLE: CLICK HERE

An abandoned mandapam 

Trekking up the hill 

View of the Thiruparankundram Shiva/ Murugan Temple Rajagopuram from Karthigai deepam pillar structure.

The last leg of the steps was cut on the rock 

From the top of Mandapam descending, here too there are no steps.

West side view of the temple 

 ---OM SHIVAYA NAMA:---