Sri Bhoomeeshwarar Temple, Marakkanam, Villupuram District, Tamil Nadu.

28^th April 2019.

This Bhoomeeshwarar Temple visit was a part of the temples visited on 28th April 2019, from the Tindivanam to Pondicherry, bus route.  A few weeks before Mr Ramesh of Munnur asked to visit the temples in their Village, which are very old. When Mr Manoj and Shyam asked me to join them for this trip,  I readily accepted and traveled along with them from Chennai. During our visit, visited some new temples and three Thevara Paadal petra Shiva Sthalangal.  Started on Saturday Evening, and stayed at a hotel near Marakkanam to save travel time and to cover more temples.

On Sunday morning our first visit was to Sri Bhoomeeshwarar Temple on the Junction of ECR & Tindivanam to Marakkanam Road.

Moolavar   : Sri Bhoomeeshwarar

Consort     : Sri Girijambal 

Some of the salient features of this temple are…

The temple faces east with an entrance arch. Before the entrance, there is a mandapam with a lot of Hindu deities reliefs on the base. A Deepasthambham, balipeedam, Dwajasthambam,  Rishaba mandapam, and a Navakanda Nadukal are in front of the sanctum. In koshtam Vinayagar, Dakshinamurthy, Vishnu, Brahma, and Durgai with 6 hands.

Chandran and Suriyan are installed in a sannadhi on the right side immediately after the arch. In the front mandapam Karnapooshana Vinayagar,  A Rishabam, Sri Lakshmi Vinayagar. Chozha Dwarapalakas are at the entrance of the sanctum. Urchavars are in the antarala. On the left mandapa, Naalvar, Ammans, Vinayagars (3 ), Saptamatrikas, Ayyanar. In the prakaram sannadhi for Vinayagar, Sri Valli Devasena Subramaniar, Kotti room and Shiva Lingas.  Ambal is in a separate temple like sannadhi facing East. Navagrahas and Bairavar are in the ardha mandapam.

 Saptamatrikas

ARCHITECTURE

The temple consists of a sanctum sanctorum, Antarala, an ardha mandapam, a Mukha mandapam, and two mandapas on the North and south side. The sanctum is of Pada bandha adhistanam. The prastaram consists of Vlapi, Kapotam with Nasi kudus and Viyyla vari. Bhuta ganas are in the valapi. A Two tier Dravida Vimanam is on the sanctum Sanctorum. The Greeva Koshtas are built in mada style.

      

  Lakshmi Narashimhar in place of Vishnu on Vimanam

HISTORY AND INSCRIPTIONS

There are 47 inscriptions recorded from this temple. The Rajaraja Chozha-I, Rajendra Chozha-I, Vijaya Rajendran Rajadhiraja Chozha-I, Kulothunga Chozha-II and III and Vijayanagara Dynasty.

Shiva was called Bhoomeeshwara Thevar, Bhommeeswarathalwar, Thirubhoomeeswaramudaiya Nayanar, Bhoomiswaramudaiya Thambiran, Thirubhoomiyappa Thambiran ( Vijayanagara Period ).

This Place Marakkanam was called as Rajaraja Peralam, Pattinam, Eyil Pattinam and Kandrathitha Nallur. Marakkanam Came under Pattina Naadu, during Rajaraja Chozha, Kandraritha Nallur in Pattina Nadu, Vijaya Rajendra Chozha Valanadu in Jayankonda Chozha mandalam. During Vikrama Chozha the Marakkanam was gifted to Brahmins and called Vikrama Chozha Chaturvedi Mangalam. Some of the Chozha inscriptions mention this place as Manarkaanam, due to the seashore sand and later turned to Marakkanam.

The inscriptions mainly speak about Tax relaxation on Salt pans for burning 2 Lamps, the gift of Sheep/ Goat for burning a Lamp, Sale of Land for Nandhavanam. The Mandapas belongs to Vijayanagar Nayakas period. 

The inscription near the Pichadanar idol belongs to Rajathirajan's 35th-year reign. This inscription records that Paddy was given to the person who plucked the 100 Senthamarai flowers for Thirupallithamam / Garland.

"நிசதம் நூறு செந்தாமரைப்பூத் திருப்பள்ளித்தாமம் பறிப்பான் ஒருவனுக்கு நிச்சம் நெல்லுப் பதிநாழிக்கும்"

நூறு செந்தாமரை மலரைப் பறிப்பவர்க்கு நெல் கொடுக்கப்பட்டது.

LEGENDS

As Per the legend, Lord Shiva in the form of a Sage, came to a Devotee’s house. When the Devotee offered food, the sage said, he would take food only after performing Pooja. The Devotee kept his Marakkal ( a vessel to measure paddy or Salt) upside down and decorated with flowers. After the pooja, the sage had the food and left. The devotee tried to remove it but couldn’t do so. Instead, it disappeared. On seeing this the devotee ran out of his house, shouting Markkaal kaanom. Later he found his marakkal on the seashore and a Temple was built on that place. Somebody says that “Marakkal Kaanom", has turned to Marakkanam.

TEMPLE TIMINGS:

The temple will be kept open between 07.00 hrs to 11.00 hrs and 17.00 hrs to 20.00 hrs.

CONTACT DETAILS:

Archakar Chandrakumar may be contacted on his mobile 9943911879 for further details.

HOW TO REACH:

The temple is on the west side of East Coast Road (ECR) at Marakkanam.

All the buses from Chennai and Mahabalipuram to Pondicherry pass through Marakkanam.

Marakkanam is 118 KM from Chennai, 62 KM from Mahabalipuram,  33 KM from Pondicherry, and 47 KM from Tindivanam.

Nearest Railway station is Pondicherry.

LOCATION OF THE TEMPLE:    CLICK HERE

Dwarapalakas

 Mandapa Pillar relief - Hiranya Kasibhu vatham by Narasimha Moorthy

 Roadside Mandapa reliefs - Dakshinamurthy

 Road side Mandapa reliefs - Gaja samkaramurthy

 Road side Mandapa reliefs - Herdman

 Roadside Mandapa reliefs - Krishna

 Road side Mandapa reliefs - Varunan

A Navakanda Nadukal ( The details of this hero stone will be written on a separate post )

---OM SHIVAYA NAMA---