VELUDHARAN TEMPLES VISIT : Sri Munkudumeeswarar Temple at Pon Vilaintha Kalathur ( P.V. KALATHUR), Chengalpattu District, Tamil Nadu.

Wednesday, 30 August 2017

Sri Munkudumeeswarar Temple at Pon Vilaintha Kalathur ( P.V. KALATHUR), Chengalpattu District, Tamil Nadu.

27^th August 2017.

It was a long due to visit Chozha and Pallava Period Temples and heritage sites around Chengalpattu. Utilizing the opportunity to attend the Kumbhabhishekam of Sri Munkudumeeswarar temple at Pon Vilaintha Kalathur, visited Anur, Ozhalur, and Pulipakkam. When Mrs. Radha Kumar invited us to the visit to Chengalpattu, I readily accepted the invitation.

On 27^th August started around 06.00 hrs from Tambaram after picking up Mr Raja on my scooter. It almost took us about an hour to reach Chengalpattu at a steady speed of 40 KMPH. When we reached Chengalpattu Court, Mrs Radha Kumar was waiting for us. Pon Vilaintha Kalathur ( P.V. Kalathur ) is about 10 KM from Chengalpattu.

It was a wonderful experience to attend Kumbhabhishekam and watch Gurukal pouring the holy water on the Kalasams sitting on the temple roof. We went inside the temple a little earlier to see the Chozha period inscriptions, Koshta murtis, and Moolavar.

Moolavar: Sri Munkudumeeswarar

Consort : Sri Meenakshi Amman

Some of the important details are…

The temple faces east with a damaged Rishabam outside the temple praharam wall. Once it was sitting under a mandapam and now only the 4 pillars are standing. The temple has entrances from the east and south. In koshtam, Vinayagar, Dakshinamurthy, Vishnu (in place of Lingothbavar), Brahma, and Durgai.

Dwajasthambam, Palipedam, and Nandhi are immediately after the east side entrance. In the prakaram sannadhi for Anukai Vinayagar, Subramaniyar with Valli Devasena and Chandikeswarar. Navagrahas, Bairavar, Suryan are in the front mandapam. Sri Meenakshi Amman is facing south in a separate sannidhi.

ARCHITECTURE

The Temple consists of Sanctum Sanctorum, antrala, artha mandapam, and Muka mandapam. Though the Vimanam is of Gajaprishtam, the sanctum Sanctrorum is square in construction. The sanctum sanctorum is on a pada bandha adhistanam with jagathy, three patta Kumudam, and pattikai. The Bhitti starts with vethikai. The pilasters are with square bae, naga bandham, kalasam, kudam, lotus petals mandi, palakai and Pothyal. The prastaram consists of valapi, kapotam, and Bhoomidesam. 2 tier stucco Gajaprishta vimanam is on the Bhumidesam.

LEGENDS

Moolavar is a little tall and swayambhu. There is a tuft on the Shiva Linga’s head. The story behind this goes like this… When the Chozha King came to worship Lord Shiva for a child boon, the Gurukkal gave a garland to the king, and in turn, he gave it to his Queen. When a hair was found in the garland, Gurukkal said that it belonged to the Lord, and he will show tomorrow, how it has come into the garland. In the night the Gurukkal prayed Lord Shiva to save him from Chozha King’s punishment. The next day when the Gurukkal showed arathi, the Chozha king had seen a tuft on the head of Lord Shiva. Hence Lord Shiva is called Sri Munkudumeeswarar.

The place is called Pon Vilaintha Kalathur. As per the legend a Brahmin had given a piece of land to a Shiva devotee to look after his land which sowed paddy. When the Brahmin happened to see the gold was yielding from the Shiva Devotee’s land, he became greedy and asked the Devotee to take all the paddy of his land and give the paddy yielded to the Devotee’s land. When asked by the villagers he refused to share with the Devotees. When this case went to Chozha King’s court, the King took all the gold to the Government treasury. The Brahmin lost both shares and the Devotee has got more paddy yield through God’s grace. Hence the place is called Pon Vilaintha Kalathur in short P.V. Kalathur.

HISTORY & INSCRIPTIONS

This is the birthplace of Kootruva Nayanar, one of the 63 Nayanmars, and the Poet Pukazhenthi who had written Nalavenba. This temple was built with brick and mud during Pallava King Nandivarman-III, and the same was rebuilt with stone during Chozha king Vikrama Chozha. As per the inscriptions Lord Shiva was called "Perunthiru Koil Mahadevar" and As per Rajaraja-III's inscription this place was called "Jayangonda Chozhamandalathu Kalathur Kottathu Kalathur nattu Kalathur".

Simha Varman’s inscription speaks about the income from the reservoir to be given to this temple. During the second Kulothunga Chozha’s 12^th year of rule, one of his official & chieftains Anabaya Mooventhavelan merged some of the villages near this place, called “Kulothunga Chozhar Chiruthonda Thokai Nallur” and gifted to this temple.

The Inscription recorded from this temple belongs to Nandivarman-III, Vikrama Chozha, Kulothunga Chozha-III, Rajaraja Chozha-III, Pandya Kings Sundara Pandyan, Veera Pandiyan and Thondaiman. The temple is under the control of ASI but managed by a Trust.