தனுஷ்கோடி

தனுஷ்கோடி (Dhanushkodi) தமிழ் நாட்டில் இராமேஸ்வரம் தீவின் தென் கோடியில் உள்ள நகரமாகும். இது பாம்பனுக்கு தென் கிழக்கே உள்ளது.
இங்குள்ள வங்கக் கடலும் இந்தியப் பெருங்கடலும் கூடுமிடம் புகழ் பெற்றது. இங்கு குளித்தால்தான் காசி யாத்திரை முடிவுறுவதாக இந்துக்கள் நம்புகின்றனர்.
1964 புயல்
முதன்மைக் கட்டுரை: தனுஷ்கோடி புயல், 1964 1964 ஆம் ஆண்டு டிசம்பர் 23 இல் மன்னார் வளைகுடாவில் ஏற்பட்ட புயல் கரையை கடந்த போது ராட்சத அலைகள் எழுந்து ஊருக்குள் புகுந்தது. தனுஷ்கோடி நகரமே கடலால் மூழ்கடிக்கப்பட்டது. தனுஷ்கோடியையும் பாம்பனையும் இணைத்த இருப்புப்பாதை வீசிய கடும் புயலில் அடித்து செல்லப்பட்டது. இதன்போது சென்னையில் இருந்து இராமேஸ்வரம் சென்று கொண்டிருந்த தொடருந்து அடித்துச் செல்லப்பட்டதில் அதில் சென்று பயணித்த 123 பேரும் கொல்லப்பட்டனர்.[1]. அதிகாலையில் நடந்த இந்த கோர தாண்டவத்தில் மொத்தம் 2000 பேர் வரை உயிரிழந்தனர். அதன் பின்னர் தமிழ் நாடு அரசு இந்த ஊரை வாழத்தகுதியற்றதாக அறிவித்தது
தமிழக மக்களால் மறக்க முடியாத தினங்கள் பல. அதில் ஒன்று தனுஷ்கோடியை கடல் தின்ற தினம். தமிழக கடலோரப் பகுதிகளை 2004ம் ஆண்டு டிசம்பர் 26ம் தேதி சுனாமி ஆழிப் பேரலை புரட்டிப் போட்டு விட்டுப் போனதற்கு முன்பே, தனுஷ்கோடியை அந்த சுனாமி முத்தமிட்டு, விகாரமாக்கி விட்டுச் சென்ற தினம்தான் (டிசம்பர் 23).1964ம் ஆண்டு டிசம்பர் 23ம் தேதியன்று தனுஷ்கோடியைத் தாக்கிய சுனாமி, அழகிய தனுஷ்கோடியை சின்னாபின்னமாக்கி, அலங்கோலப்படுத்தி விட்டுப் போனது.மன்னார்வளைகுடாவில் ஏற்பட்ட புயல் கரையை கடந்த போது ராட்சத அலைகள் எழுந்து ஊருக்குள் புகுந்தது. அதை அப்போது கடல் கொந்தளிப்பு என்று பொதுவான வார்த்தையால் அழைத்தனர்.அன்றெல்லாம் சுனாமி என்றால் என்ன என்றே அக்காலத்து மக்களுக்குத் தெரியவில்லை. ஆனால் நமது காலத்தில் நம்மைத் தாக்கிய சுனாமியைப் போன்ற ஆழிப் பேரலைதான் அன்றைய தனுஷ்கோடியையும் அலைக்கழித்துள்ளது.
இந்த அலை 20 அடி உயரத்துக்கு ராட்சத அளவில் எழும்பி வந்தது. ராமேஸ்வரம் தீவின் கிழக்கு முனையில் தனுஷ்கோடி நகரம் இருந்தது. 500-க்கும் மேற்பட்ட வீடுகள் கொண்ட அழகிய மீனவ நகரம்.அப்போது அதிகாலை 3 மணி இருக்கும். மீனவ மக்களும், பிறரும் நிம்மதியாக கண்ணயர்ந்திருந்த நேரம் அது. ஆனால் கடல் மட்டும் காட்டுத்தனமாக விழித்துக் கொண்டிருந்தது.பொங்கி வந்த கடல் வெள்ளமும், திரண்டு வந்த ஆழிப் பேரலைகளும், தனுஷ்கோடிக்குள் புகுந்து, புரட்டிப் போட்டது. நகரமே கடலால் மூழ்கடிக்கப்பட்டது நகரிலிருந்த முக்கால்வாசிப் பேர் முகவரி தெரியாமல் கடல் அன்னையின் கோரப் பிடியில் சிக்கி உயிரிழந்தனர்.அப்போது சென்னையில் இருந்து ராமேசுவரத்துக்கு ஒரு ரயில் போய்க் கொண்டிருந்தது. அதற்கு அப்போது போட் மெயில் என்று பெயர். தனுஷ்கோடி வரை செல்லும் இந்த ரயிலில் தமிழ்நாட்டில் பிறபகுதிகளில் இருந்து பயணிகள் தனுஷ்கோடி சென்று அங்கிருந்து கப்பல் மூலம் இலங்கை செல்வார்களாம். அப்போதெல்லாம் இலங்கைக்கும், நமக்கும் நல்லுறவும், பயணப் போக்குவரத்தும் இருந்து வந்தது.எனவே இலங்கை செல்ல ஏராளமான பயணிகள் அதில் இருந்தனர். தனுஷ்கோடியைத் தாக்கிய புயலுக்கும், ஆழிப் பேரலைக்கும் இந்த ரயிலும் தப்பவில்லை. அப்படியே கடலுக்குள் இழுத்துப் போட்டு விட்டது போட் மெயிலை, கடலில் எழுந்து வந்த ஆழிப் பேரலை.அதிகாலையில் நடந்த இந்த கோர தாண்டவத்தில் 2000 பேர் உயிரிழந்தனர். அழகிய தனுஷ்கோடி அடியோடு அழிந்தது. மண் மூடிப் போன மேடாக மாறிப் போனது. புயல் வந்து புரட்டிப் போட்டதன் அடையாளமாக இன்றும் மிச்சமிருப்பது சிதிலமடைந்த ஒரு தேவாலயம். சில கட்டடங்கள் மட்டுமே.தனுஷ்கோடியைப் புதுப்பிக்க நமது அரசுகள் ஏனோ மறந்து போய் விட்டன. இருப்பினும் தனுஷ்கோடியில் இன்றும் சில மீனவ குடும்பங்கள் வசிப்பதைக் காணலாம். அவர்களும் கூட தனுஷ்கோடிக்கு வரும் சுற்றுலாப் பயணிகளை நம்பியே வாழ்ந்து வருகின்றனர். சுடச் சுட மீன் சுட்டுத் தருவது உள்ளிட்டவற்றை செய்து வருகின்றனர். ஒரு காலை கடலுக்குள்ளும், இன்னொரு காலை கடல் மண்ணிலுமாக வைத்து தனுஷ்கோடி தடம் மாறிப் போய்க் கிடக்கிறது.தனுஷ்கோடியின் ரயில் நிலையத்தை கடல் கொண்டு விட்டது. ரயில் தண்டவாளம் மட்டும் பாதி கடலுக்குள் சென்றபடி காட்சி அளிக்கிறது - கடந்த காலத்தில் தாங்கள் ‘தடம் புரண்ட’ கதையை சொல்லியபடி.ராமேஸ்வரம் வரும் யாத்ரீகர்கள், சுற்றுலாப் பயணிகள், ஒரு எட்டு தனுஷ்கோடிக்கும் சென்று வருவது வழக்கம். இப்படி வந்து செல்பவர்களால்தான் இன்னும் தனுஷ்கோடி நமது மன ‘டைரி’யிலிருந்து அழியாத காவியமாக உள்ளது.

sathuragiri is a miracle place and lovely peace full place: தை அம்மாவசை அன்று கங்கன சூரிய கிரகணம் முடிந்து நடந்த உதிரயனகால அம்மாவசை பூஜை

sathuragiri is a miracle place and lovely peace full place: தை அம்மாவசை அன்று கங்கன சூரிய கிரகணம் முடிந்து நடந்த உதிரயனகால அம்மாவசை பூஜை

sathuragiri is a miracle place and lovely peace full place: சதுரகிரியில் வருடத்திருக்கு ஒரு முறை நடக்கும் சித்தர் பூஜை மிக சிறப்பானது

sathuragiri is a miracle place and lovely peace full place: சதுரகிரியில் வருடத்திருக்கு ஒரு முறை நடக்கும் சித்தர் பூஜை மிக சிறப்பானது

Chathurakiri Mount. - Mahalingam Mount - Viruthunagar District

சாதாரண மலைகளைப் போலல்ல இது. வீரியம் நிறைந்த வினோதமான மலை. கணக்கற்ற இரகசியங்களைத் த‎ன்னுள்ளே பொதித்துக் கொண்டு அமைதியாய்க் காணப்படும் அபூர்வ மலை.

சித்தர்களி‎ன் இராஜ்ஜியமாகவும், அபாயகரமான காட்டுவாழ் விலங்கினங்களி‎ன் புகலிடமாகவும், அபூர்வ சக்திகள் படைத்த மூலிகைகளி‎ன் வாழ்விடமாகவும் விளங்கும் இம்மலை, பரம்பொருள் சிவபரமாத்மாவி‎ன் அருட்கடாட்சம் பெற்றபடியால் சிவ‎ன்மலை எ‎ன்றும் மகாலிங்க மலை எ‎ன்றும் அழைக்கப்படுகிறது.

சிவனும் பார்வதி தேவியும் இங்கே நிரந்தரமாகத் தங்கியிருந்து பக்தர்களுக்கு அருள்பாலிப்பதாக சித்தர்களுக்கு வாக்குத் தந்திருப்பதால் இவ்விடம் தென்கயிலாயம் எ‎ன்றும் அழைக்கப்படுகிறது.

இம்மலை அஷ்டமாசித்திகள் பெற்ற பதினெட்டு சித்தர்களி‎ன் தலைமையிடமாகவும், மற்றும் பல சித்தர்கள் கூடி தத்தம் ராய்ச்சிகளை விவாதிக்கும் இடமாகவும் அறியப்படுகிறது. இம்மலையிலுள்ள நூற்றுக்கணக்கான குகைகளில் தங்கியிருந்து சிவனை வணங்கி வழிபட்டு வந்ததுட‎ன் மக்களி‎ன் நோய் தீர்க்கும், துன்பங்களைக் களையும் மருந்துகளைக் கண்டுபிடிக்கும் ராய்ச்சிகளிலும் சித்தர்கள் ஈடுபட்டு வந்துள்ள‎னர். சித்தர்பூமியாம் சதுரகிரியில் எண்ணற்ற மூலிகைகள் நிறைந்த வனம் உள்ளது. இன்றும் இம்மலையில் சித்தர் பெருமக்கள் அரூபமாக வாழ்ந்து வருவதாகக் கூறப்படுகிறது. சித்தர்களி‎ன் அதிர்வலைகள் மலையெங்கும் நிறைந்திருப்பதால் அதில் சிறிதாவது தமது உடலில் ஒட்டட்டும் என பக்தர்கள் விரும்பி ‏இங்கு வருகின்றனர்.

அமைவிடம் சதுரகிரி, தமிழ்நாட்டில் விருதுநகர் மாவட்டத்தில் வத்றாப் என அழைக்கப்படும் வத்திறாயிருப்பு அரு‏கில் உள்ள தாணிப்பாறையில் உள்ளது. வத்றாப்பிலிருந்து சுமார் 10 கிமீ தொலைவிலும், வத்றாப் விலக்கிலிருந்து சுமார் 7 கிமீ தொலைவிலும் தாணிப்பாறை அமைந்துள்ளது. தெ‎ன்னந்தோப்புகளும், மாந்தோப்புகளும், கொய்யாத் தோப்புகளும் சூழ தாணிப்பாறை ரம்மியமாய் காட்சியளிக்கும். மலையி‎‎ன் அடிவாரத்திலிருந்து ஏறக்குறைய எட்டு கிமீ தூரத்தில் உச்சியில் மகாலிங்கம் ச‎ன்னதி அமைந்துள்ளது. ஒரு மலையல்ல, இரு மலையல்ல.. ஏழு மலைகளைக் கடந்துதா‎ன் கோவிலைச் சென்றடைய முடியும். ‎மலைகள் சுற்றிலும் சதுர வடிவில் அமைந்த படியால் சதுரகிரி எ‎ன்று பெயர்பெற்றதாகவும் சொல்கிறார்கள். நா‎ன்கு பெரிய மலைகள் கோவிலைச் சுற்றிலும் அரண் போல் அமைந்திருப்பதாலும் அவ்வாறு பெயர் பெற்றதாகச் சொல்வதும் உண்டு. ‘சதுர’ எ‎ன்றால் நா‎ன்கு, ‘கிரி’ எ‎ன்றால் மலை. சுற்றிலும் பெரிய மலைகள் இருந்தாலும் சிறு சிறு கிளை மலைகளும் உண்டு. ‏இவற்றையெல்லாம் தாண்டித்தா‎ன் மேலே செல்ல வேண்டும். ஒரு மலைக்கும் இன்னொரு மலைக்கும் இடைப்பட்ட பகுதி காட்டாற்றி‎‎ன் போக்கிடமாக உள்ளது.

தல புராணம்கைலாயத்தில் சிவபெருமானையும் பார்வதியையும் தேவாதி தேவர்களும், ரிஷிகளும், முனிவர்களும் வழிபட்டு வந்தனர். அவர்கள் அனைவரும் இருவரையும் பிரதட்சணமாகச் சுற்றி வந்து வணங்கினர். பிருங்கி மகரிஷி என அழைக்கப்படும் தவ சிரேஷ்டப் பெருமகனார் மட்டும் சிவபெருமானை மட்டுமே சுற்றி வந்து வணங்கினார், பார்வதியை தவிர்த்துவிட்டு. பார்வதி சிவனைப் பார்த்து ஏன் அவர் தன்னைச் சுற்றி வரவில்லை எனக் கேட்டார். பூலோகத்தில் அனைத்தையும் துறந்துவிட்டு மோட்சகதியைத் தேடி தன்னிடம் வருவோருக்குத் தாம் மோட்சத்தை அளிப்பதாகப் பதிலளித்தார் பரமாத்மா. உலக இன்பங்களை அனுபவிக்க விரும்பும் பக்தர்கள் அவற்றை அடையும் சக்தியை தேவியிடமிருந்து பெறுவதால், தங்கள் இருவரையும் சேர்த்து வணங்குகி‎ன்றனர். ஆனால் பிருங்கி முனிவரோ தமக்கு மோட்சகதி மட்டும் கிடைத்தால் போதும் என விரும்புவதால் அவர் த‎ன்னை மற்றும் சுற்றி வந்து வணங்கியதாக மேலும் கூறினார் சிவ‎ன். இவ்வாறு பரம்பொருள் கூற, தன்னைத் தவிர்த்துவிட்டாரே எ‎‎‎ன்று கோபம் கொண்ட பார்வதி தேவி பிருங்கி மகரிஷிக்கு சாபமிட்டார், அவருடைய சக்தியெல்லாம் இழக்கட்டும் என்று. சக்தியை இழந்த மகரிஷி தடுமாறி கீழே விழ, த‎ன்னுடைய அடியாரைக் காக்கும் விதமாக ஓர் ஊ‎ன்றுகோலை எடுத்து சிவ‎ன் வீச, அதைப் பிடித்துக்கொண்டு தட்டுத் தடுமாறி பிருங்கி மகரிஷி வெளியேறினார். த‎ன்னை சிவனுட‎ன் இணைத்துக் கொண்டால் மட்டுமே த‎ன்னுடைய விருப்பங்களை நிறைவேற்ற முடியும் எ‎ன எண்ணிய பார்வதி, பரமாத்மனின் இடப்புற உடலாகத் த‎‎ன்னை ஆக்கிக்கொள்ள வேண்டி தவம் செய்யப் புறப்பட்டார். பரம்பொருளை விட்டுப் பிரிந்த பார்வதி சதுரகிரி வந்தடைந்து தவம் செய்ய சரியான இடம் தேடி மலையுச்சியை அடைந்து கல்லால மரத்தி‎ன் அடியில் அமர்ந்து சிவனைக் குறித்து தியானம் செய்யலானார். இந்த மரம் சட்டநாத முனிவரின் குகைக்கருகில் இருக்கிறது. அவ்வனப் பகுதி 12 ஆண்டுகளாகத் தொடர்ந்து வறட்சியி‎ன் பிடியில் சிக்கியிருந்தது. தெய்வமகளி‎ன் வருகையால் மரங்கள் மலர்ச்சியடைந்தன. செடிகளும், கொடிகளும் பூச்சொறிந்தன. புத்துணர்வு பெற்றது வனம். தெய்வத்தி‎ன் வருகையறிந்த சட்டநாதர் அவரை வரவேற்று, வந்த காரணத்தை வினவினார். பார்வதி தேவி‎யின் விளக்கத்தைக் கேட்டறிந்த சட்டநாதர், அவரது தவம் நிறைவேற அனைத்து உதவிகளையும் செய்தார்.பார்வதி தேவி சந்தனத்தைக் குழைத்து அத‎ன் மூலம் லிங்கம் ஒ‎ன்றை பிரதிஷ்டானம் செய்தார். அந்த லிங்கத்தை அனுதினமும் தவறாது பூஜித்து வந்த தேவி, கடும் தவத்தை மேற்கொண்டார். மனமுருகிய சிவ‎ன் தேவியி‎ன் தவத்தினை மெச்சி, த‎ன்னுடைய ரிஷப வாகனத்தில் காட்சி தந்து, தேவி வேண்டிய வரத்தினை அருளினார். சந்தன லிங்கத்தை தேவியே பூஜித்து வழிபட்டமையால் அதை தவத்தில் உயர்ந்த ரிஷிகளும், முனிவர்களும், சித்தர் பெருமக்களும் மட்டுமே பூஜிக்க வேண்டுமெ‎ன்று ஆணையிட்டார். இவ்வுலக வாழ்க்கையை விரும்பும் பக்தர்கள் த‎ன்னை இங்கே வந்து வழிபட்டால், இவ்வுலக வாழ்வி‎ன் இன்பத்தை அனுபவித்துக் கொண்டே அவர்கள் மோட்சகதியை அடையும் பக்குவத்திற்கு உட்படுத்தப்படுவார்கள் எனவும், இறுதியாக த‎ன்னுடன் இணைவார்கள் எ‎ன்றும் அறிவித்தார். அத‎ன் பின் எல்லோரையும் ஆசிர்வதித்த சிவபரமாத்மா த‎ன்னுடன் இணைந்த தேவியுட‎ன் அர்த்தநாரியாக கைலாயம் திரும்பினார். பி‎ன்னர், சட்டநாத முனி சந்தன மகாலிங்கத்தை வழிபட, அவருக்குப் பி‎ன் அவருடைய சீடர் காணாங்கி முனி வழிபட்டு வந்தார். இதுவே தல வரலாறு.

Sathala Puranam

Once at Kailash, Lord Siva and Parvathi were worshipped by several saints, ganas, siddhars and sanyasis. When everybody made pradakshinam to both one Maharishi called "Bringi" made pradakshinam to Lord Siva only, ignoring Parvathi. When Parvathi asked Lord Siva as to why Bringi Maharishi did not pay his tributes to her, Lord Siva explained that those who have left everything and think only about "Moksha House" will perform duties that way and at the end they will join me and those who wish to enjoy "Ishta Kamya Moksha" will worship her and enjoy everything in life. Since everybody wanted to enjoy "Ishta Kamya Moksha" in life they paid their tributes to both and this Bringi wanted only "Moksha", he paid tributes only to Lord Siva. On hearing this Parvathi Devi cursed Bringi Maharishi and he lost all flesh from his body since flesh is sakthi form. Bringi Maharishi was unable to stand without sakthi and fell down. On seeing this Lord Siva, to protect his devoted/realised disciple, threw a stick with which, the Maharishi walked away.
On seeing this, Parvathi decided that if only she become "Ardha Nari " on left side of Siva, she will be able to achieve her goals and thought to do a pooja/thavam/penance to appease Lord Siva to grant her the position. Parvathi Devi left Lord Siva and went to find a suitable place and on reaching the hill she sat under the shades of "Kallala Tree" and started her meditation. The tree was near to "Sattanadha Muni Siddhar" cave. There was no rain for nearly 12 years in that place and on the presence of Goddess, the entire place flowered back with greenary. On seeing the Goddess, the Muni went and received her by paying tributes and enquired about her arrival at the place. On hearing the message, the Muni arranged everything and Parvathi Devi made a Prathishtanam of Linga with Sandalwood Paste.
Goddess worshipped Lord Siva with flowers, mantras and meditation. On being appeased, Lord Siva appeared on his "Rishaba Vahana" and accepted the demand of Goddess. On their return Lord Siva proclaimed that since the Siva Lingam was worshipped by Parvathi Devi, it should be worshipped only by Maharishis only and those who wish for "Kamya Loka" should not do pooja to the lingam. And if they do so, they may stand to hate "Ishta Kamya Loka" and will become "Moksha Desired" person and ultimately join him. Lord Siva blessed everybody and went away. After that, Satta Natha Muni worshipped the "Santhana Lingam" and "Chanangi Muni" followed suit.
It is also said in Siva Puranam that the four Vedas joined together and formed this mountain and that is why it is called Chathur(ved)agiri


Other Sanctums

§ At Santhana Mahalingam Temple, separate sanctums for 18 Siddhars, Lord Ganesha, Lord Muruga, Santhana Mahadevi (Goddess) and Navagrahas, are there.
§ At Sundara Mahalingam Temple, there are two separate sanctums viz., Sundara Murthy at the entrance of the temple and Lord Sundara Mahalingam are there.
§ On the way to the hill up to Sundara Mahalingam, the following sanctums are there.
§ At Thaniparai entrance, separate sanctums for Lord Ganesha, Rajakali Amman, Pechi Amman and Karuppa Swami.
§ At Kora Kunda (Korakkar), two sanctums of Sivalingams inside two separate caves.
§ On the way up twin Lingams in a single sanctum called "Rettai Lingam". (Sankaran Narayanar Lingams).
§ Vana Durga sanctum.
§ Pilavadi Karuppaswamy sanctum.
§ From Sundara Mahalingam up to the top of the hill the following sanctums are there deep in the forest.
§ Vana Durga
§ Oonjal Karuppan Swamy
§ Korakkar Scripture Rock
§ Vella Ganapathi (White colored Lord Ganesha)
§ Nadu Kattu Ganapathi
§ Naga Kanni Kavu
§ Periya Mahalingam
§ Thavasi Cave (where it is said that Siddhars are still there and one can enter only with their permission).



Devotees are requested to climb the mountain only from Thaniparai Region. There are so many other ways from different directions to Top of the hill. But they are very dangerous. Atleast the devotee can find some other person within a gap of 5 minutes while climbing/getting down from Thaniparai direction. How to Reach Sathuragiri

§ This place is situated in Virudhunagar District in Tamilnadu (Southern India). The nearest Airport is Madurai and the nearest Railway Station is Srivilliputhur.
§ Pilgrims coming from Chennai direction has to come to Madurai and get down at Krishnan Koil Bus Stop before Srivilliputhur and then go to Watrap (Vatthirairuppu). From Watrap to Thaniparai, the base of the hill. Buses are available even from Srivilliputhur itself to Watrap and Taniparai.
§ Pilgrims travelling from South has to pass Nagerkoil > Tirunelveli > Rajapalayam > Srivilliputhur > Watrap > Thaniparai.
Do's and Dont's
§ Sathuragiri is not a place for research. Avoid it.
§ The forest section starts from Thaniparai.
§ For the first timer, it takes 6 to 7 hours to climb up to Top. Rest, can reach the top within 4 to 5 hours.
§ Do not take heavy luggage. It will be very tough to climb.
§ Have drinking water, torch light, blanket and small snacks. Have medicines at hand. The diabetics, have to keep some sweets, in case. People having heart problem are strongly advised not to climb.
§ Head load carriers are available. Up to 35 Kg an amount of Rs.110/- is charged as coolie. Beyond 35 Kg it is Rs.160/- per head.
§ Do not pluck flowers, leaves etc on the way or break any branch of the tree. Everything belong to the Lord. Each and every thing in the hill has got power.
§ Please avoid bringing in plastic bags, even it is inevitable, do not dispose in the hill or dump among bushes.
§ Do not climb alone or get down unless you are sure about the pathway. All animals except Lion is there in the mountain.
§ Chanting (manasa) mantras will bring in strength and guidance to Top.
§ If you are hungry, some body will give you food. So is for thirst.
§ On top of the hill there is no electricity, no range for cell phone, no landline phone connection, shop, hotel, nor lodge.
§ Annadhana is going on from morning to evening near both the temples and stay in the shelter provided there before night falls.
§ Do not walk in the dark without proper torch light.
§ If you happen to see any animal, stay quiet and wait for it to move away and then move. Especially elephants are more dangerous.
§ Do not go in to the jungle alone or climb up the hill without proper guide.
§ Excellent guides who knows nook and corner of the entire forest are available. Take their assistance to climb further and follow strictly their instructions.

Nobody knows when, where, how, why something happens but if you have been thinking of doing something for quite a long time, it happens! jus like that!

so we received his aaseervadams and kept moving..there was a sharp right and there was pechiamman and karupasami temple to the right..

almost did all sorts of tricks to save us from falling off. i had a feeling "climb a hill is almost like meditation..infact the best mediation eyes open! " you allow your mind to wander for a second..lo ! you ll get free transportation service to some distant land!!

we would have walked a few more steps..watching the tall mountains, dense trees, naughty monkeys..chitchatting! we would not have crossed 2 kms i felt damn hungry. unfortunately we didnt carry any eatables with us. Jus then we found a seperate pathway leading to the "gorakkar" cave.

"Sree Gorakkar actually resided mostly in Kollimalai. (Kollimalai placed in Namakkal district ofTamilnadu) He holds an outstanding place among the Sidhas. He prepared live medicines having longevity of several thousands of years to His credit. He possessed eight mystic powers in full shape. With opium (GAanja) as the basic herb, He was able to prepare medicines capable of curing diseases. Thus, the herb opium specially called as Gorakkar herb (mooli). He used His medicines for four kinds of human need namely Vaithyam (curing diseases), Vaatham(alchemistry), yogam (Divine physical practice) and gnaanam (spiritual knowledge) and imparted its full secrets to the world. "There in the gorakkar cave i saw a saintly lady in safron robe. She was having a vessel full of kooozhu(porridge). i peeped into the vessel and asked if she would give me some porridge..she immediately answered.."well this is to eat only..wait! be patient ! "..she immediately took some glasses...washed them in the nearby brook..and porridge was served!! heaven on earth!! :)I had around 2 glasses! but later realised that i should not have drank so much. it makes the climb more harder. It was infact tedious from then. we were also surprised to see sivasangu uncle join us at that time..Fortunately Mr sun was missing..it was a very pleasant weather..!

"Sree Gorakkar actually resided mostly in Kollimalai. (Kollimalai placed in Namakkal district ofTamilnadu) He holds an outstanding place among the Sidhas. He prepared live medicines having longevity of several thousands of years to His credit. He possessed eight mystic powers in full shape. With opium (GAanja) as the basic herb, He was able to prepare medicines capable of curing diseases. Thus, the herb opium specially called as Gorakkar herb (mooli). He used His medicines for four kinds of human need namely Vaithyam (curing diseases), Vaatham(alchemistry), yogam (Divine physical practice) and gnaanam (spiritual knowledge) and imparted its full secrets to the world. "There in the gorakkar cave i saw a saintly lady in safron robe. She was having a vessel full of kooozhu(porridge). i peeped into the vessel and asked if she would give me some porridge..she immediately answered.."well this is to eat only..wait! be patient ! "..she immediately took some glasses...washed them in the nearby brook..and porridge was served!! heaven on earth!! :)I had around 2 glasses! but later realised that i should not have drank so much. it makes the climb more harder. It was infact tedious from then. we were also surprised to see sivasangu uncle join us at that time..Fortunately Mr sun was missing..it was a very pleasant weather..!

vanadurga one of them kept asking (defly not me!) "இன்னும் எவ்ளோ தூரம்? இன்னும் எவ்ளோ தூரம்?"we heard one of them cry " hey thats it! we have reached pilavadi karuppu!"This is the famous "eNNai kinaru" (oil well, beneath the stone ) - supposed to have magical oil which can convert anything into gold!!) guarded by dieties headed by karupu samii thought we have reached but then later came to know the final summit is still 2 more kms from that place. There was a pond like thing with water flowing from one end. we decided to refresh by a nourishing bath and then continue ... we took a refreshing for almost an hour..got karupaswami's blessings..and then proceeded..

we were eager to reach the summit. Sooner i saw a something on a board hung on a tree "சதுரகிரி" (chaduragiri)..Alt ~ 4000ftvoila! we reached the sundaramahalingam temple !as we entered the arc..to the left there is "sundaramoorthy " shrine, Lord Shiva installed by the great sage Agasthiyar. (due to the strict poosari i could not take pictures. :))Later further ahead its sundaramahalingam shrine. A very divine place surrounded by the seven serene hills of chaturagiri. The lingam of sundaramahalingam is inlied to 40 degrees to the left. It is said that some king kicked the lingam and he got inclined like that. Also some cow seems to have done abhishekam to the "swayambu" lingam those days. The next was sandana mahalingam. We took a deviation and proceeded towards sandana mahalingam shrine.On our way we came across many annadaana chathrams, of which one was of our sivasangu uncles. i raaaaaaaaaaan inside and landed in safe place! I told myself "sandana mahalingam is not going to go anywhere..let me meet him in the evening !" Others followed..we ate hearts content in the annadaana chathram and what next! we all slept beneath 2 gigantic cotton trees.. i heard a distant roar..i thought may be a bear is approaching..nah! someone was snoring !

There is this stalapuranam which i would like to share here .."Once at Kailash, Lord Siva and Parvathi were worshipped by several saints, ganas, siddhars and sanyasis. When everybody made pradakshinam to both one Maharishi called "Bringi" made pradakshinam to Lord Siva only, ignoring Parvathi. When Parvathi asked Lord Siva as to why Bringi Maharishi did not pay his tributes to her, Lord Siva explained that those who have left everything and think only about "Moksha House" will perform duties that way and at the end they will join me and those who wish to enjoy "Ishta Kamya Moksha" will worship her and enjoy everything in life. Since everybody wanted to enjoy "Ishta Kamya Moksha" in life they paid their tributes to both and this Bringi wanted only "Moksha", he paid tributes only to Lord Siva. On hearing this Parvathi Devi cursed Bringi Maharishi and he lost all flesh from his body since flesh is sakthi form. Bringi Maharishi was unable to stand without sakthi and fell down. On seeing this Lord Siva, to protect his devoted/realised disciple, threw a stick with which, the Maharishi walked away.

On seeing this, Parvathi decided that if only she become "Ardha Nari " on left side of Siva, she will be able to achieve her goals and thought to do a pooja/thavam/penance to appease Lord Siva to grant her the position. Parvathi Devi left Lord Siva and went to find a suitable place and on reaching the hill she sat under the shades of "Kallala Tree" and started her meditation. The tree was near to "Sattanadha Muni Siddhar" cave. There was no rain for nearly 12 years in that place and on the presence of Goddess, the entire place flowered back with greenary. On seeing the Goddess, the Muni went and received her by paying tributes and enquired about her arrival at the place. On hearing the message, the Muni arranged everything and Parvathi Devi made a Prathishtanam of Linga with Sandalwood Paste. Goddess worshipped Lord Siva with flowers, mantras and meditation. On being appeased, Lord Siva appeared on his "Rishaba Vahana" and accepted the demand of Goddess. On their return Lord Siva proclaimed that since the Siva Lingam was worshipped by Parvathi Devi, it should be worshipped only by Maharishis only and those who wish for "Kamya Loka" should not do pooja to the lingam. And if they do so, they may stand to hate "Ishta Kamya Loka" and will become "Moksha Desired" person and ultimately join him. Lord Siva blessed everybody and went away. After that, Satta Natha Muni worshipped the "Santhana Lingam" and "Chanangi Muni" followed suit.It is also said in Siva Puranam that the four Vedas joined together and formed this mountain and that is why it is called Chathur(ved)agiri.In the evening, we went to the sandanamahalingam shrine!

There was a sattanada muni cave .. 18 sidhars, sandanamahalingam and lord muraga, vinayagar, sandanamahadevi, navagrahas..! All devotees were awaiting for the abhishekam. I settled for a tall place(not a tree!) so that i get a good view. It was a pleasant evening. Best time for meditation !Some devotees were singing! some were sitting eyes closed..i was moved to a different world of tranquility. The abhishekam was divine. The moon lit up the skies and posed as if it too were enjoying His grace. The Poornima moon was a delight to see. The Moon nodded "hey stop staring at me and look at the Lord!"

Some of us wanted to go to the thavasi paarai(further top, considered to a be good place for meditators) while others were tired. So this time we were not able to venture out thavasi paarai.Nallathanbi entertained us with stories of chaturagiri, his 14 yrs experiences acquaintance with the holy place, many encounters and lot more. sans TV, net, cell phone rings, buses, cars, noise, smoke, pollution !!!! How far have come from our usual habitats and environment..To my amaze whenever i sat for meditation there I could bring that silence and tranquil almost immediately!It was night again but pilglrims kept coming, the food kept steamingAlready other pilgrims in the hall started packing their things..we started becoming ready! we had our ஸ்டீமிங். The trek downhill was a bit tedious as it was very steep at certain points. One really needs to be careful if you are a beginner. I again felt hungry. Luckily some passerby gave me mangoes.. somehow managed to eat it all alone saving the mango from the monkeys..mango in one hand..camera in the other!! imagine!!We were almost close to thaaniparai..while we spotted a nice place for bath..Others rejoiced while i went clicking these naughty monkeys..

http://www.chathuragiri.com/.

I can think of many reasons why I was in Gandhigram for a year. One other reason was, otherwise i would have never enjoyed the beauty, the innocence, the art and the freshness that dwells in the southern districts of tamilnadu. Especially temples. I have always wondered at the art and architecture of almost all south-indian temples..for their extraordinary brilliance in sculptures, their fabulous architecture, vastness and something more special which im not able to describe.When I first visited the thenkasi temple i was simply awestruck!(i might have to write a seperate article on the thenkasi temple) but for now let me write about another such marvelous temple i recently visited - Sri vadabathrasayanar temple in srivilliputur(srivi in short).It was a long time plan for me to go to the Andal temple..not because of its glorious emblem that it makes..not because it has the tallest tower..not even because some close friend of mine kept telling me to visit the temple :P ..!! But almost every time i cross the srivi station while travelling in the chengotai madurai passenger, the temple have tried to offer me a spectacular view with its tall tower standing sky high and give me a feeling as though asking "tell me.. am i tall? or the podigai hills behind me?! " :) Im sure if any artist would have been in my place would have definitely taken a pen and paper within reach and would have tried to retain that scene.. with sillver clouds rubbing against the majestic podigai as the backdrop and the temple tower attracting every passerby.well!! that day the same thing happened. Actually srivi temple was not in our itinerary. we were on a plan to go on a trek to the chaturagiri hills, near vatraayirupu ( a small town 20 kms west of srivi) .we took the chengotai - madurai passenger at 1600 hrs from chengottai and it was almost 1745 hrs when we reached srivi station. srivi station is a bit away from the actual town. (That we knew only later !!) Bewitched by the beauty of the sunset, the hills, the countryside and a silent breeze carassed us ..so we decided to enjoy the evening by walking till the srivi busstand. the walk made us fresh. i could take a few longshots of the srivi temple (though not the one what i used to see in my train trips). We some what guessed that the busstand should be some where near the temple so the temple was our compass. As we were nearing the temple, we were almost 100% sure that we could see the temple and then catch the bus to vatraayirupu. Lo! we were before the tower that spoke to me :).. I could feel the same gust of wind that one can feel while entering the tenkasi temple..i wonder what kind of a mystery it is ! How wonderful artisans we have had!!I was really amazed to see the neatness of the temple..after all temples are places of worship..but not all temples are maintained properly and kept neat which is a very sad thing. The first sanctorum was that of Shri Lakshmi Nrasimhar. A very calm and a good vibration i could feel, though i might not have felt the same feeling a staunch follower of vasihnavism would have felt. I have somehow never had a strong religious / spiritual /devotional feeling in temple santorums..funnily i do become very much moved in places of natural beauty or when im deeply involved in music..ok back to vadabathrasaynar..we next went to the chaktrathaazhvar sannidhi..with nice paintings decorating the walls..The next was the vadabathrasayanar sannidhi.. the perumal known as Vatapathrasayee is in Bhujanga Sayanam..his shrine was in the mezanine floor..im not joking..! :) On the both sides of the steps to the shrine beautifully sculpted yaali and an elephant receieved us. The pillars had picturesque designs..imagine carving them on a stone !! wow! Mom quipped "probably this is were they take the designs for silk sarees from ! "I asked the kurukkal about the noble king who built the temple and in what century he lived..Actually the story goes like this......Hundreds of years ago, the area from Shrivilliputtur to the Western Ghats was covered by denseforest and there was a forest of Shenbaga trees here. A Rakshasa 'Shenbagasura.'performed severe penance for many years and got many boons. Since his penance wasone here, this place is called 'Shenbagavanam' even today. Emboldened by the powerof the boons, he harmed all the sadhus and rishis.They took refuge in ShrimanNarayana and he sent hisSudarshanazhvar tokill Shenbagasuran. Chakrathazhvar did as he was bid, but since Shenbagasuran haddone a lot of penance, Chakrathazhvar was afflicted by brhamahathi. So, he was rendered powerless - he protested to his Lord and Shri MahaVishnu called upon Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswathi to come to this area and help remove Sudarshanazhvar's brahmahathi. The Three holy rivers descended to the Earth and removed Chakrathazhvar's brahmahathi and filled the tank in Shrivilliputtur. This tank is still known as 'Mukkulam' since the three holy rivers filled it.Mahavishnu resided to the east of this tank, thereby fulfilling the wish of the holy rivers as Vatapatrashayee and took the same form as in Shreevaikuntam. But, no one new of His presence, since the whole area was covered with dense forest.Then one day, two hunters Villi and Kantan came hunting.And .....Kantan was killed by a tiger and Villi was looking for him. He was very tired and slept under a tree and the Lord appeared in his dreamsand showed him where he was and bade him to build a temple for him. He also showed Villi the treasure that was buried under the tree under which he was sleeping.Villi woke up and found the Lord. He built the temple and the little town around it.This town was known as Villiputtur after Villi and Shrivilliputtur since the Lord resided here. Hundreds of years later, Periyazhvar incarnated here and Kodai appeared as his daughter.And the rest is, of course, is well known by all devotees.

The temple seems to have been built in 9 century AD.We had a delightful darshan of shri vadabathrasayi perumal with bhoomadevi and sridevi.image courtesy : internetUnfortunately we could see only the utsavar. however the moolavar is supposed to be as in srirangam i guess. The other side of the santorum had a huge hall with beautiful wooden carvings decorating the hall.

The next a colourful nandavanam(garden) which had a shrine for Andal, considered to be the her birthplace. Finally we came to the main shrine of Andal.. im still not so sure if my order of the shrines are correct! ;) i tend to forget such details easily!! anyways ...The life size statues of great men and warriors stood receiving us to the main shrine..the sculpture there had many similarities like ... style of sculpture, the expertise, the jewels worn by the statues, the weapons they had, the beauty of women and a marvellous spirit of bravery in those of warriors with many south bound temples like tenkasi viswanathar temple, nellai temple..to my little brain it does ring a bell..probably all these were built by the same artisan/same reign/same king!! god knows!!We were already tired by then! we were even wondering if there would be any energy left within us for the hard trek early tomorrow! Cause the temple was that huge and vast..but our souls were already overflowing with an unexplicable delight like a monsoon freshness. i still have a doubt if we explored the temple fully.. the 90 mins we spent in the temple is not at all enough.. one needs atleast a day to relish its beauty and to sink our souls in the divine ocean. we just had a preview. the main ocean im yet to explore! :)

" அன்பே தகளியாக ஆர்வமே நெய்யாக இன்புருகு சிந்தை இடுதிரியாக நன்புருகி ஞான சுடர் விளக்கேற்றினேன் நாரணர்க்கு ஞான தமிழ் புரிந்த நான் ! "

- ஸ்ரீ பூதத்தாழ்வார்

" அன்ன தானமே அருவாய் நிற்கும் என் அப்பனை காணும் இயல்பு வழி !" - ஸ்ரீ பிரும்ம ஜோதி

" சொற்றுணை வேதியன் சோதி வானவன்பொற்றுணை திருந்தடி பொருந்தக் கைதொழக்கற்றுணை பூட்டியோர் கடலிற் பாய்ச்சினும்நற்றுணை ஆவது நமச்சிவாயவே "- திருநாவுக்கரசர்"

Thai pongal Festival - TamilNadu

Wish U A Happy Pongal - & - Tamil New Year 2010

Location:Tamil Nadu
Falls In The Month:Thai (January)
Celebrated To Mark:Withdrawal Of The Southeast MonsoonsAs Well As The Reaping Of The Harvest Celebrated For:Four Days

A majority of the population of India depends on agriculture. As a result, most of the festivals are also related to the agricultural activities of the people. These festivals are celebrated with different names and rituals in almost all the states of India. Pongal is an important festival of Tamil Nadu, which is celebrated to mark the withdrawal of the Southeast monsoons as well as the reaping of the harvest. It falls in the month Thai and is strictly a rural festival.About The Festival The festival is celebrated for four days and the celebrations on the first day of the Tamil month Thai and continues for the three days. The month of Thai is supposed to be very auspicious for every kind of activity. The Sun is worshipped for his rays are responsible for the life on earth. It is the biggest harvest festival, spread over four days. 'Bhogi' is celebrated on January 13, 'Pongal' on January 14, 'Mattu Pongal' on January 15, and 'Thiruvalluvar Day' on January 16. Thiruvalluvar has done a great contribution to Tamil literature with 'Thirukkural'. There are 1,330 verses in this work and they talk about all aspects of life. In fact, the name of the festival is derived from Pongal, a rice pudding made from freshly harvested rice, milk and jaggery. The first day, "Bhogi Pongal", is a day for the family. "Surya Pongal", the second day, is dedicated to the worship of Surya, the Sun God. The third day of Pongal, "Mattu Pongal", is for the worship of the cattle. Cattle are bathed, their horns polished and painted in bright colours, and garlands of flowers placed around their necks. Pongal is associated with cleaning and burning of rubbish, symbolizing the destruction of evil. All the four days of Pongal have there own individual significance. On the first day, delicious preparations are made and homes are washed and decorated. Doorways are painted with vermilion and sandalwood paste with colourful garlands of leaves and flowers decorating the outside of almost every home. On this day 'Bhogi' or the Rain God is worshipped.
The Legend Behind The CelebrationsThere are few interesting legends behind the Pongal celebrations. The most popular among them related to the celebrations of the first day of the Pongal festival goes like this - Lord Krishna lifted the Govardhan Mountain on his little finger to shelter his people and save them from being washed away by the rains and floods.According to another the third day of Pongal is celebrated because Lord Shiva once asked Nandi, his bull, to go to earth and deliver his message to the people - to have an oil bath every day and food once a month. But Nandi got it all mixed up when he delivered the message, and told the people that Shiva asked them to have an oil bath once a month and eat every day. Shiva was displeased, and told Nandi that since the people would now need to grow more grain, Nandi would have to remain on earth and help them plough the fields. Mattu Pongal is also called "Kanu Pongal", and women pray for the welfare of their brothers. This is similar to the festivals of Raksha Bandhan and Bhai Dooj celebrated in some states of North India. The Tempting RecipesSweet rice, known as "Pongal", is cooked in a new earthenware pot at the same place where puja is to be performed. Fresh turmeric and ginger are tied around this pot. Then a delicious concoction of rice, Moong Dal, jaggery and milk are boiled in the pot on an open fire. This Pongal, according to ritual, is allowed to boil and spill out of the pot. Pongal, once ready, is offered to God first, on a new banana leaf along with other traditional delicacies like Vadas, Payasam, etc. Besides this, sugarcane, grain, sweet potatoes, etc are also offered to the Sun God. Rituals FollowedA typical traditional Pongal celebration has a number of rituals attached to it. The place where the Pongal Puja is to be conducted is cleaned and smeared with dung, a day prior to the festival. People generally choose an open courtyard for this purpose. 'Kolams' (Rangoli) generally drawn with rice flour are special to the occasion. The idea behind using rice flour is that the insects would feed on it and bless the household. At the centre of it a lump of cow dung holds a five-petal pumpkin flower, which is regarded as a symbol of fertility and an offering of love to the presiding deity. In a similar way the houses are also cleaned, painted and decorated. Kolams (Rangoli) are made in the front yards of the houses and new clothes for the whole family are bought to mark the festivities. Even the cattle are gaily caparisoned with beads, bells and flowers-their horns painted and capped with gleaming metals. ProcessionsA procession is taken out from the Kandaswamy (also spelt as Kandaswami) Temple in Chennai. In Madurai, Tanjore and Tiruchirrapalli, where Pongal is known as Jellikattu, bundles of money are tied to the horns of bulls, and villagers try and wrest the bundles from them. Community meals are made from the freshly gathered harvest and enjoyed by the entire village.

The word Pongal literally means the boiling over of the rice in the cooking pot. It is considered to be an auspicious activity in the southern parts of India. Though there is not much known about the history and origin of Pongal, it is assumed that it is a Dravidian harvest festival that is being celebrated from hundreds of years. It is a four days festival in Tamil Nadu, which is celebrated with extreme zeal and fervor throughout the state. Feasting and celebrations form a vital part of the Pongal celebrations. The celebrations of Pongal festival have now also become global with lots of Tamilians residing in various part of the world.Pongal is celebrated in the month of Thai according to the Tamil calendar. It marks the end of winter and the beginning of the harvest season or spring. The date of the Pongal festival remains the same as it is considered according to the solar calendar compared to the other Hindu festivals which are decided according to the lunar calendar. According to the Solar calendar, when the sun enters the Makaram Rashi or the Tropic of Capricorn from the Tropic of Cancer, it marks the beginning of a very auspicious phase in the Hindu culture. It is the phase when sun begins its journey northwards (Uttarayan) for a period of six months as opposed to southwards (Dakshinayan) movement.According to the Gregorian calendar, the Pongal festival has a fixed date of beginning i.e. 14th January. As per Tamil calendar, it celebrated for four continuous days beginning from the last day of Tamil month of Maargazhi (December-January) and lasting up to the third day of Thai. The second of Pongal celebrations is treated as the main Pongal day of Surya Pongal, which marks the beginning of Tamil month of Thai. Apart from socio-geographical significance, the festival also holds scientific as well as eternal significance to it. Scientifically, the festival brings respite to the people as this day onwards the warmth and length of the day increases and that of the night shortens in the Northern Hemisphere. Eternally, as the festival is related to Sun God, this festival has divinity and wisdom attached to it. On the first day, i.e 14th of Januray, the festival starts with the Bhogi Pongal. On this day, the celebrations are limited to the house. On this day, basically the evil spirits are driven out of the home and the entire home is cleaned and whitewashed. All the dirt and waste materials collected from home is burnt into bonfire. On the second day, Surya Pongal, there is commemoration of the Sun god. This is the main day of the celebrations when people wear new clothes and cook food with newly harvested cereals in new pots on new stoves. The third day is Maattu Pongal, which is meant to honor cattle. Pets like cows, buffalo, ox and bullocks are bathed with clean water and worshipped for their contribution in farming and related activities. The festival ends with the fourth day celebrations of Kaanum Pongal.

Pongal 2010

Bhogi Pongal: 14th January.

Surya Pongal: 15th January

Maatu Pongal: 16th January

Kaanum Pongal: 17th January

The word Pongal, in both Telugu and Tamil, signifies the boiling over of the rice in the cooking pot. Though little is known about the origin of Pongal, it is known to a Dravidian harvest festival that has survived for ages. Pongal also marks the beginning of a New Year and is the day to praise and thank God with full devotion, faith and sincerity. The festival covers all living beings, including humans, cattle and birds and crops. Falling just after the winter solstice and a bountiful harvest, Pongal marks the season of celebration and joyous activities and is celebrated continuously for four days.

Bhogi Pongal: The first day of Pongal, known as 'Bhogi Pongal', is a day for family gathering and is dedicated to Lord Indra, the King of the deities and God of the Clouds and Rains. Offerings are made to please him, so that he blesses the devotees with the plentiful harvest. Pongal also signifies the beginning of a New Year, according to the Malayalam calendar. A huge bonfire is lit at home and kept burning throughout the night. Boys beat little buffalo-hide drums, known as 'Bhogi Kottus', whiel lighting the fire and make merry. The houses are then cleaned till they shine and decorated with Kolams, using rice flour. Yellow pumpkin flowers are set in cow-dung balls, in the middle of these designs. The harvest of rice, turmeric and sugarcane is brought in for the next day.

Surya Pongal: The second day of Pongal, known as 'Surya Pongal', is dedicated to the Sun God. Since the word 'Ponga' means 'to boil', representing plentiful and excess yield, a special dish is cooked on this day, in a new mud-pot that comes in innovative shapes and have artistic designs on them, called 'Pongapani'. The special dish is called 'Sarkkarai Pongal' and is offered to Sun God, with sugarcane sticks. A colorful sugarcane market is also set up on this day. It is said that Lord Sundareshwar performed a miracle in the Madurai temple, on this day, and breathed life into a stone elephant that ate sugarcanes. One can see the depiction of the event in the Meenakshi temple.

Mattu Pongal: The third day, known as 'Mattu Pongal', is dedicated to the cattle and other domestic animals. Shepherds pay thanks to their cows and bulls, wash them, paint their horns and cover them with shining metal caps. They are fed 'pongal' and tinkling bells are tied around their neck. Cattle races are also conducted and in the game called 'Manji Virattu', groups of young men chase running bulls. Bull fights called 'Jallikattu' are also arranged at some places, where young men have to lay their hands on the money bags tied to the horns of ferocious bulls single-handedly. Lord Ganesha and Goddess Parvati are also worshipped on this day. At some places, this day is celebrated as Kanu Pongal, when girls feed colored balls of cooked rice to birds and crows and pray for their brothers' happiness.

Kaanum Pongal: The fourth day of the festival is celebrated as Kaanum Pongal. Kaanum Pongal is known as Karinaal in some parts of Tamil Nadu. Sun God is worshipped on the day. Along with the prasads made for the festival, the deity is also offered Sarkarai Pongal, a sweet dish prepared by using rice and jaggery. In addition to this, sugarcane is also offered to the lord. Thereafter, the Sarkarai Pongal, prasad and sugar cane are offered to the people, who have gathered while performing the rituals. People in Tamil Nadu consider Kaanum Pongal as an auspicious day to visit their long lost friends and far away relatives. The performance of folk dances and folk songs on Kaanum Pongal is part of the celebrations.

Song:

Next time listen to this song "Thai pongalum ponguthu palum ponguthu...". Let me try explain what this means. The mood of the song is during Pongal festival which is THE Harvest festival for Tamils (I think this is the only festival which is celebrated across all relegions as this is actually a farmers festival.). If I say this song is actually praising the river mahanadhi and then-pennai for her motherly affectionate of the southies

..I like the use of the usage of the word "Thennattavar" in the line -

"Intha ponni enbaval thennatavarku anbin annayadi.."

As the expert says most of the cultures breed on the river-bed and this song especially talks more about the Cauvery river and its tributeries to south..as in the following line.

"Muppattan kalam thottu muppoogam yaaraalae.

Kal maedu thaandi varum kaaveeri neeralae..."

Meaning it is this river which is the reason why our life from the ancestral ("muppattan") time is glorifying. - Here muppoogam means three times the usual harvest and hence profit a farmer gets.Next stanza kinds of cultivation typically which ths cauvery enriches..

"Sevvazai sengkarumbu thottam than..yellamae ingirukku edhum illai vattam than..."

Sevvazai - RedPlantain tree and Karumbu refers cane - esply those that needs heavy water. This line says we have all these cultivations are because of this river and hence no worry..And saving the best for the last, the song finishes by saying,

"Intha sorgam enbathu mannil ullathu vaanil illayadi..."

Sorgam - means Heaven. It says Sorgam is not somewhere in sky or some unknown place, but in this soil - the very soil that is enriched by cauvery river.If you keenly observe the movie you can draw parallels between the river cauvery and the protagnaist of the story (Krishnamorrthy). River travels all the rough paths - the mountain the rocks, jungle in its way but only to save the people who are dependendant on it. So do the subject - He undergoes a lot of pain and mental trauma in his life only for their family,kids and their well beings.

Music is composed in a way that you will feel a slight tragic or sad overtone throutout the song..which is also the theme of the movie - Mahanadhi.

Music by Illayaraja and the sung brilliantly by Chitra.Especially the usage of folk instruments like Thabala and corus-hummings like

"..thaya thayya thakka.."

Raja had used the same tune for two other songs - voiced by Kamal himself and an other by SPB, in the same movie but in different situation. In these two other version you will see the over-usage of some sort of guitar, not sure what type of guitar it is, but you will have a feel of something touching your chord.

Pongal Poet :

Pongal thirunaalum,

Thalaipongal thirunalum,

Pongivarum pongal polaEngum

pongattum magizhchiIniya

pongal nalvaazhthukkal!

Udal Kalaipu

Udaluku MattumManadhirku

EndrumThevai Inippu

Ahdai InaippaduThaan Pongalin Sirappu

Iniya Pongal Nalvazhthukkal!

Happy Pongal to all!

We thank sun for burning himself to save us.

We thank plants sacrificing their life for us.

And we thank all the creatures helping us to live in this world for some time.

Pot Rice to Sun God Sugarcane to cow and ox And milk to friends and familyhave a happy pongal and a prosperous year ahead

As you joyfully celebrate the festival of Pongal and welcome the harvest season,

this greeting is being sent your way,

to wish you everything, that the occasion is meant to bring.

Have a Happy Pongal.

Anaivarukkum INIYA PONGAL NAL VAZHTHUKKAL

Pongal Thirunal Ulaga Thamilargalin ore Vizha Uzhavargalin Unnatha Thirunall Kadavulukku Nandri Therivittu Pongalai Kondadungal!

Popular Pongal Songs:

Pongalo PongalPongalo Pongal!

Thai pongal!

karumbu soru yarukku

yenakkusarkarai satham yaruku

ungallukuPongalo Pongal!

Mattu Pongal!

nandasoru yaruku

mattukuPongalo Pongal!

yenna machan paal pongiyacha

pongalo pongal

Thalaivar Pongal Podhuvaaha en manasu thangon

Oru poattiyinnu vandhuputta singon

Unmaya solvaen nallatha seiven

vetri mel vetri varum...

aaduvom paaduvom kondaaduvom

aanandham kaanuvom ennaalumae

Vandhaendaa paal kaaraenad

adaaaaa

Pasumaatta paththi paada poaraen

Oru paattu katti aada poaraen

Pullu kuduththaa paalu kudukkum

unnaala mudiyaathu thambi

Hey Paadhi pulla porakkuthappaaa

Pasumbaala thai paala nambiiii

Sakalakalavallavan

'amman kovil kizhakkale

anna vayal merkale

namma ooru naduvale nikkuthadi

nathu sanam nammai kandu sokkuthadi

angala ammanukku adiyile pongal vacha......'

Thanda NanaThanda nana....

Thanda nana...Thanda naa naa..aaa..

hoiBogi idhu Bogi idhu nandha laalaaaa...

hoi...Bogi idhu Bogi idhu nandha laalaaaa...

hoi...katukuyilu manasukkulla paatukonnum panjamilla paadathaan

kavalaikattu vittuputtu thavilaith thattu thullikittu aadathan

ellorum moththathile sandhosha saththathilea

onnaana naerathile ullasa nenjathilae

Podaa ellam vittuthallu pazhasaiyellam suttuthallu

pudhusaa ippa porandhomunnu ennikollada!!! 2010....

By

T.R.Harihara Sudhan.,