Putlur Angala Parameshwari Amman Temple / Arulmigu Sri Poongavanathamman alias Sri Angala Parameshwari Amman Temple, Putlur / Ramapuram, Thiruvallur District, Tamil Nadu.

 10^th November 2019.

A problem in Childbirth ?…  Pray to Poongavanathamman with lemon and Amman will take care of the rest…

This is the second visit to the Amman Temple at Putlur on 10^th November 2019, after a long gap of 23 years. The Putlur is a part of Tiruvallur on the banks of the Holy River Cooum. Found a sea of change in the temple and the road leading to the Temple. During our earlier visit, the temple was with a small sanctum. On Sunday, 10^th November more than 5000 devotees thronged the temple for darshan. Regulated with barricade queues are formed for entry tickets Rs 20 and 50. The streets are flooded with shops that sell the cradle, bangles, lemon, Kumkum, and other pooja materials. There are many astrology centers also opened on the street which leads to the temple. Since ma Parvathi manifests herself in the form of ant hill – Putru ( புற்று ), this place was called Putlur, which got corrupted to the present name of Putlur.

Moolavar : Sri Poongavanathamman also called as

         Sri Angala Parameshwari Amman

Some of the salient features of this temple are….

The temple faces south on the north side of the Putlur Halt Railway station road and the temple tank is on the south side. A Trident made of brass is installed in front of the mandapam. An ant hill with a neem tree is on the left side of the entrance. Nagars, Karumari, Murugan, and Vinayagar are near the ant hill. A lot of cradles are tied on the neem tree, as the prayer is fulfilled. Dwajasthambam, Balipeedam and Nandhi are in the open mukha mandapam. ( It is believed that Lord Shiva is Thandavarayan and ma Parvathi in the form of anthill / putru, in this temple, hence Nandhi is installed ). 

In the maha mandapam, Subramaniyar, Madurai Veeran, Yazhi Dwarapalakis on both sides and Vinayagar. At the entrance of the sanctum top, instead of Gajalakshmi, Amman is at the center and simhas are on both sides. There is a thulabharam / scale also in the mandapam. Devotees used to offer sugar/ Sugarcane / Banana, equal to their weight after the prayer was fulfilled. In the sanctum, a small Amman idol and Thandavarayan with a sorrowful face are installed in a niche-like small room.

At the center of the sanctum an anthill/putru shaped in the form of an Amman with an open mouth ( like crying due to pregnancy labor pain ), delicately small pretty eyebrows, legs, hands, and a pregnant belly. The head is on the north side and the legs are pointing towards the south ( Amman is not exactly North-South but a little skewed towards the east). Metal barricade with wire mesh is installed around the Amman, leaving a little space to circumambulate. This is the only temple where Amman manifests herself in the natural form of anthill. Hence abhishekam is not done. A Cotton saree is wrapped around her leaving the face for the darshan.

ARCHITECTURE

The Temple complex consists of a sanctum sanctorum, a maha mandapam, a mukha mandapam, and on the left a big mandapam (to do the seemantham/marriage functions). The Mandapam before the sanctum sanctorum pillars reminds the antiquity of this temple at least 500 to 600 years old. But the antiquity look was lost due to tiles fixed on the floors and walls.

Entrance top  instead of Gaja Lakshmi, Amman with Simhas

PRAYER & OFFER FOR CHILDBIRTH/ CHILD BOON

It is believed that after praying Arulmigu Sri Poongavanathamman, will get a child boon. The procedure is very simple. Buy 5 lemons and bangles from the shop. As you enter the Temple gate there will be many old ladies who perform the casting of the evil eye,  ie they will circle the lemon around the head of the lady who came for the child boon, called eye Tishri. The lady will drop the lemon and ask to crush it with her leg.  Then the devotee has to pierce the 3 lemons on the trident/Trishul installed before the Dwajasthambam, before entering the sanctum sanctorum. Then the Lady Devotee has to tie a piece of cloth from her Saree. In the sanctum, after circumambulation, the Ppoojari will take the 5^th lemon place it on Amman’s leg smear it with Kumkum, and give it back to the Devotee, who came for the Child boon. The Devotee has to take it on her saree front or pallu. The Poojari will also take the bangles and give others as Prasad. This is practiced when the crowd is large. If there is no crowd, the Poojari will pace the Lemon on the Amman’s leg which will be rolled down. The Devotee lady has to catch the same through her saree front/pallu. After the wish is fulfilled the ladies used to conduct the seemantham at this temple. As a part of Thanksgiving Devotees used to offer a Saree, Lemon, Pongal, a Variety of rice ( seemantha sadhams ), Bangles, and flower jadai will be offered to Amman.

PC: Website

 Anthill with cradles offered by the devotees 

Cradles tied to the neem tree

LEGENDS

There are many stories/ sthala purana that revolve around this temple. One such story is… Lord Shiva with Parvathi from Melmalayanur in the form of an aged man and woman, traveled north. They were become tired and hungry after walking from a long distance through the forest. On reaching Ramapuram ( Putlur ) Parvathi asked Shiva to get some water to drink. So Lord Shiva went to fetch water from the Holy river Cooum, leaving Parvathi at Poongavanam. It was raining heavily when he reached and the river was flooded. He waited to subside the flood. Tired, thirsty, and hungry Parvati lay on the ground. An anthill was grown on her and covered completely.  On return, Lord Shiva had seen the anthill on the place where he left his consort, Parvati. Feeling sad Lord Shiva stood there as Thandavarayan. Since ma Parvati manifests herself in the form of ant hill – Putru ( புற்று ), this place was called Putlur, which got corrupted to the present name of Putlur.

     

Another story goes like this …

A Farmer by name Ponmeni got a loan from Mahisuran and couldn’t pay the interest. So Mahisuran forced Ponmeni to plough the Poongavanam land and water it in one night. Knowing, it was a difficult task he prayed his kula Deivam Mariamman and started the ploughing. Lord Shiva and Parvati as Angalamman from Melmalayanur came to this place as an old man and a pregnant woman. When the old man asked the farmer, some water to drink, Ponmeni went out to fetch the water. On return, he couldn’t see the old man and woman. Ponmeni continued plowing and his plough hit at one place and blood came at a force like a jet. When the place was excavated he had seen Amman in the form of an anthill in lay down posture and heard a voice. It said that the ant hill is the  Amman, Parvati. From that day onwards the Villagers started Pooja to this Amman. Since Amman was excavated from Poongavanam, Amman is called Poongavanathamman.

FESTIVALS:

Apart from regular poojas special poojas will be conducted on Aadi month Fridays, Maha Shivaratri, and Masi maham mayana kollai. The annual festival will be celebrated during Aadi month and a special event the “Iruttu Kumbam” function also will be held. During that time, all the lights will be switched off for 2 minutes.

TEMPLE TIMINGS

The temple will be kept open between 06.00 hrs to 13.00 hrs and 14.00 hrs to 19.30 hrs. On Tuesdays, Fridays, and Sundays the temple will be kept open from 06.00 hrs to 20.00 hrs.

CONTACT DETAILS

Mr. Jeevan +91 8610948449 may be contacted for Poojas, Thulabaram, etc, on his mobile number. 

HOW TO REACH

The temple is about 750 meters from Putlur Railway Station and 3 KM from Thiruvallur Veeraraghava Swamy Temple.

The temple is 38 KM from Arakkonam Junction, 45  KM from Chennai, and 55 KM from Kanchipuram.

The Nearest Railway Junction is Arakkonam and Local Trains will stop at Putlur.

LOCATION OF THE TEMPLE: CLICK HERE

 Seemandha functions

 Seemandha functions

 Seemandha functions

Seemandha functions

--- OM SHIVAYA NAMA---