Thursday, June 24, 2010

Adhishtanam at Elayathangudi /Ilayathangudi

Ilayathangudi
Close to Pudukottai near Karaikudi is Elayathangudi (Vidiathangugi)
HOW TO  REACH:
The village is situated south of Pudukottai and north west of Karaikudi.Once you cross Thirumayam  from Pudukottai take the road to sivaganga and in 15 kms you will come to the road to this village towards the west
Alternatively it is 26 kms north west of Karaikudi via small roads, Since I was driving down from Karaikudi I used both roads and I felt the Thirumayam road to be of better quality(Nov 2019)



There are plenty of lakes and ponds with the Sri Kailasanathar sametha  Nithyakalyani amman  temple nearby on the west side and Sri Athmanadhaswamy temple in front of the adhishtanam  . This area houses the  vedapatashalai of the Kanchi mutt.There are total 7 temples around the adhishtanam in the village 
slaiyathangudi1

The Ganesh temple before reaching the Adhishtanam and patasalai take a right here to reach the adhishtanam.
picture from Kanchi mutt premises







Sri Sudarsana Mahadevendra Saraswati : 
Son of Seshadri Sastri of Madhyarjuna was known as Mahalingam prior to his sanyasa. He toured extensively and attained siddhi at Ilaiyattangudi on Amavasya in the month of Phalguna of the cyclic year Virodhi (1891 AD).His pontificate was for 40 years. .


(Actually this periyava is also  related to our Mahaperiyava in his poorvashrama. ) ref:http://www.kamakoti.org/souv/4-12.html



This periyava was also known as,"Laddu periyava" as he was fond of  feeding the patashala students  with large laddus and reward the them with 1 kasu for eating one laddu .



He is reputed to have travelled from Kumbakonam to Vedaranyam for Adi amavasya alone on horseback.



He apparently came here on his tour and meditated at the present adhishtanam spot  and asked the  Kailasanathar temple authorities if they could donate the land to him. The temple authorities said they will give a better land for periyava if he so wants, shortly afterwards he attained siddhi and the place he asked for was itself given for his adhishtanam and he was interned here



(Above info was related to me by Prof. Dr.S.Kalyanaraman Neurosurgeon who also came with me during both trips to this adhishtanam It seems about 1 April 1962, Mahaperiyava called Dr.Subramania 
  his father, fondly referred to as "Pal" Doctor Subramani iyer by his holiness  and instructed him to start a trust for bhikshavandanam and pada pooja on specific days in a year in this adhishtanam premises Mahaperiyava suggested the name and also gave other  specific instructions and the same was done with his blessings at once and is still being carried out religiously even today 57 years later!! Today many more activities have been included with the  permission and blessings of their holinesses' and Mahaperiyavas instructions are being carried out with the blessings of present and past acharyas religiosly by the next generations also) 




elay
trichy_trip_183_large
From the Kanchi mutt calender 2018
ilayathangudi









November 2019

Last week I had the opportunity to revisit the Adhishtanam The Kumbabhishekam of nearby Shiva temple has been done and also a Statue of Mahaperiyava has been installed a the tank bund where he used to do his anushtanams
(For the reader who wanted a clearer picture )











details of Adi shankara's mutts

ancient inscription from original construction

Sri Sudharshana Mahadevendra Saraswathi

from the wall hanging in the adhishtanam


The Mahaperiyava statue installed in the tank bund 





4 comments:

  1. Can we have a more clear photo of culvert “Adi Sankarar Niruvia Matanga” as we can not read clearly when enlarged, thanks in advance

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sir as per your request better picture uploaded in ythe blog

      Delete
  2. Any contact number to reach periva adhishtanam

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I Do not have a verified number with me sorry

      Delete