Ramanathaswamy(Shiva) Temple, Rameshwaram

Ramanathaswamy temple is located in Rameshwaram which is 3.5hrs from Madurai. Rameshwaram is kind of small island located beween India and Srilanka. This temple is famous all over India, said as Kasi of South India.

Ramanathaswamy Temple is dedicated to the god Shiva. It is also one of the twelve Jyotirlinga temples.It is one of the 274 Paadal Petra Sthalams, where the three of the most revered Nayanars (Saivite saints), Appar, Sundarar and Tirugnana Sambandar, have glorified the temple with their songs. The temple was expanded during the 12th century by Pandya Dynasty, and its principal shrines sanctum were renovated by Jeyaveera Cinkaiariyan and his successor Gunaveera Cinkaiariyan of the Jaffna kingdom. The temple has the longest corridor among all Hindu temples in India. The temple is located in Rameswaram considered a holy pilgrimage site for Shaivites, Vaishnavites and Smarthas. The presiding deity, the Lingam of Ramanathaswamy (Shiva), is believed to have been established and worshiped by Rama, an avatar of the god Vishnu, to absolve the sins created during the Ramayana war at Sri Lanka.

According to the Ramayana, Rama, the seventh avatar of the god Vishnu, prayed to the god Shiva to absolve him of the sin of killing a brahmin, committed during his war against the demon king Ravana in Sri Lanka. Rama wanted to have a large lingam to worship Shiva. He directed Hanuman, the monkey lieutenant in his army, to bring a lingam from the Himalayas. When Hanuman was delayed in bringing the lingam, Sita, the wife of Rama, built a small lingam out of the sand available in the sea shore, which is believed to be the lingam in the sanctum.

Temple Tanks(Tirthas of Rameswaram)

Agni Theertham - the primary sea shore associated with the temple
There are sixty-four Tīrthas (holy water bodies) in and around the island of Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu, India. According to Skanda Purana, twenty-four of them are important. Bathing in these Tīrthas is a major aspect of the pilgrimage to Rameswaram and is considered equivalent to penance. Twenty-two of the Tīrthas are within the Ramanataswami Temple. The number 22 indicates the 22 arrows in Rama's quiver. The first and major one is called Agni Theertham, the sea (Bay of Bengal).

Sundara Mahalingawami temple, Chaturagiri

    This temple is located on the hills, 53km from Madurai city, remains open from 6am to 11am & 4am to 8am.

Lord Shiva in the temple is a Swayambumurthy gracing in slanting position. As there are four hills here in a square shape in each of the four directions (16 hills in total), the place is called Chaturagiri. This connects Madurai, Saptur and Virudhunagar. Earlier, the temple was under private administration.  Now it is under the control of Hindu Religious and Endowment Charities. Devotees come to the temple from all parts of India for worshipping the Lord.  There are two ways to reach the temple from Saptur and Vathirayiruppu.  The temple is illuminated on Aadi new moon day with generator power.

The hill is home of all creatures as birds, snakes, trees, herbal plants etc.  Besides Sundara Mahalingaswami temples, there are also temples for Lord Sundaramurthy, Mother Anandavalli, Palavadi Karuppannaswami and Sandana Mahalingaswami.

Sundara Mahalingaswami is a Swayambu Linga.

One Pachaimal was grazing his cows in this area and was making a livelihood by selling the milk.  One of the cows did not yield any milk.  He found that the cow was pouring its milk at a particular place while returning home.

Pachaimal hit the cow with the cane he had on hand but the cow ran away.  In its place there was a Shiva devotee bleeding in the head. He immediately rushed and brought some herbals and treated the devotee.  The bleeding stopped but the scar stayed.  Lord Shiva in the guise of the devotee told the farmer that He was there and directed him to build a temple and worship him promising all benefits to them and disappeared.

Accordingly the residents of the place built this temple.  Later many Siddhas as Gorakkar Siddha stayed here and did wonders.  Such spots in the temple region are named after them.

Thirumarainathar (Shiva) temple, Thiruvathavur

This is a well known, oldest(1000 to 2000 years) Shiva temple in South India famous for curing the stroke in patients. There is a belief that visiting this temple three times in subsequent weeks and doing certain procedures(Abisekam) to god and applying the blessed oil on affect parts like leg and hands will give relief to the stroke. Shiva is appearing as Shuyambu Moorthi here.

Temple is located 25Km from Madurai city,
Public transport facility available from Mathutavani bus stand, Madurai.

Temple opens from 6am to 11am and 4pm to 8pm.

Immayilum Nanmai Tharuvar (Siva) temple

    This is a oldest Shiva temple aged 1000 to 2000 years. Here Shivalinga is facing west. Lord Shiva and Mother Parvathi are behind the Linga. The place is praised as Kailash(Heaven) on Earth.

Special pujas are dedicated to Lord Bhairava in the temple on new moon fortnight Ashtami (eighth day after full moon), Karthika Shamba Sasti in November-December and Margazhi Ashtami days. Sri Veerabadra in this shrine is facing west. A strong Puliyodharai (Tamarind rice) prepared with rice and chillies in 1:3 ratio respectively is offered as nivedhana to Lord Bhairva. Lord Siddhi Vinayaka graces the devotees in the temple.

While we have the Darshan of Lord Shiva, Shivalinga from the front side, we have the darshan from the rear in this temple.  According to rules, Shiva Puja should be performed by sitting westward. Lord Shiva along with Mother is performing the Linga Puja this way, hence the devotees have the rear side darshan.

When the coronation festival is celebrated in Sri Meenakshmi Amman Temple in the city, Lord and Mother visit this temple first.  They are placed facing the sanctum sanctorum.  Pujas and Deepa Aradhana are offered to Lords Immayilum Nanmai Tharuvar, Lord Meenakshi Sundareswarar and Mother Meenakshi simultaneously.  It is said that Lord Shiva Himself is performing this puja.

Mother Madhyapuri Nayaki graces from a separate shrine. As the temple is at the centre (Madhya) of Madurai city, She is so named. She is also praised as Mangalya Vara Prasadini as those praying to Her for timely marriage, are blessed with happy matches. Mother Madhyapuri Nayaki appears in a standing posture on a lotus designed peeta. The peeta is adored with a Sri Chakra carved in stone.  Generally, Sri Chakra is drawn on copper sheets and installed in temples. This is a difference in this temple.

Lord Lingodhbava is under a Bodhi tree (Arasa Maram in Tamil) behind Mother Madhyapuri Nayaki shrine. Virgins facing delays in marriage worship here with milk abishek to Lord Lingodhbava, offering a skirt, mangal sutra, turmeric and kumkum seeking a good match for them.

Lord Shiva wedded Mother Meenakshi, daughter of Malayadwaja Pandya. He took charge as the king of Madurai then.  As a rule, Shiva Puaja should be performed before assuming any responsible and high positions.  Hence, He installed a Linga and performed the puja. Based on this event, Lord Shiva – Immayilum Nanmai Tharuvar-appears in worshipping posture.  Though generally it is believed that reliefs for the sins committed in this birth will come only in following births, it is granted in this birth itself by Lord Immayilum Nanmai Tharuvar.