Sri Krittivasan sametha Langilai nayaki temple, Vazhuvur Veeratteshwarar temple–Thiruvazhuvur-Padal petra sthalam-Veeratanam

This ancient temple is at Vazhuvoor close to Mayavaram on the Mayavaram peralam  road.It can also be reached from Kumbakonam via Aduthurai,Komal and also Peralam  It is the veerattanam where Shiva killed the Rogue elephant Gajasura sent by the rishis and won the title as Gaja Samhara murthy. It is a peaceful temple with a hoary legend. Shashta was supposedly born here and a sannidhi is seen for him here.
How to reach:
The place is easily reached from Mayavaram on the peralam road in about 8 kms . It can also be reached from Kumbakonam via aduthurai,Kuttalam or komal or from Peralam
History and Legends:
It is part of the Veerattanam temples where Shiva kills the ego of the Rishis.. The rishis had amassed powers by doing yagas but instead of using the powers for betterment of the world had started doing the yagnas only for getting more powers and feeding their egos. They had come to believe that the yagnas were the end to salvation and not the means to achieve salvation so Shiva and Vishnu decided to teach the rishis and their wives a lesson to forget their egos. They descended as Mohini and Bhikshandavar and teased the rishis and their pathnis with their simple ways.
The sages lost their minds at the sight of the Mohini and their wives on Lord Shiva’s handsomeness. Lord Vishnu and Lord Shiva created  (Shastha) and disappeared. Realizing that they were cheated, the rishis performed a yajna and brought out Fire, tiger, deer, axe snakes, demon Muyalaga to attack Lord Shiva. but the lord merely used them as his adornments. Having miserably failed in their attempts, they finally created a wild elephant to kill Him. Lord shiva entered into the belly of the elephant. The world became dark. Mother  Parvati held child Muruga in fear. Lord churned the belly of the elephant which cried out loudly unable to bear the pain. He came out dancing tearing its belly. The sages fell at the feet of Lord and sought His pardon. As Lord Shiva killed the Gaja-elephant asura , He is praised as Gaja Samhara Moorthy or Krittivasan.
The same history as in Tharukavanam Thiruparaithurai,Uthamar koil  and  Lalgudi saptha rishi temple  legends
( click here for my blogs on these temples http://drlsravi.blogspot.in/2012/01/uthamar-kovil-trichy-guru-sthalam.html
http://drlsravi.blogspot.in/2012/12/shri-tharukavaneshwarar-temple-at.html
http://drlsravi.blogspot.com/2011/12/saptharishishwarar-temple-lalgudi.html
There is a Rajagopuram with entrance to the courtyard which has a nandi and a huge pond before the temple. This pond is rare it is called Pathala ganga and is rare to find Nandi separated from Shiva by a pond in a Shiva temple



The main Temple has two seperate shrines each for Shiva and Parvathi and which houses the Dwajasthambam
There is a Mandapam with Gajasamharamurthy displayed on the top

The main shivan sannidhi houses both the shiva lingam as well as the Gaja Samhara murthy which is an exquisite bronze sculpture  art of idols with Shiva and parvathi and Skanda ,the infant on his mothers hip (from the internet) the upturned left heel and the entire composition especially Parvati with Murugan is truly a remarkable piece of art.There is a yanthra behind the Shiva which will help to control our egos

The outer praharam is vast with the usual kosta vigrahas and also paintings of the legend
The next building houses the eastern facing ambal Iangilai nayaki sannidhi

The temple legend displayed inside

The highlight to me was the Gajasamhara murthy statues with such attention to detail and the Bhiksandavar statue (From Dinamalar.com)
From my visit in jan 2016

Contact details of the temple

Sri Meenakshi Sundareshwarar Koil Katharikuppam near Ranipet-Adhishtanam of Sri Sri Satchidghanendra Saraswati Swamiji the 13th Pontiff of the Kanchi peetam

The new calendar for 2016 from the Kanchi madam  talks of many newly found adhishtanams of the previous pontiffs. I ventured out to visit the one near Ranipet –the Adhishtanam of Sri Sri Satchidghanendra Saraswatiswamiji the 13 Pontiff of the Kanchi peetam. The place mentioned was Katharikuppam .A Google search led me on an adventure which is memorable. I ended up near Sholinghur  at Kattarikuppam which was a wrong call. There was no shiva temple.I proceeded to the nearby Shiva temple near pulivalam and spoke to the priest of the Kameshwarar koil who was very helpful though he did not know of this temple he told me there is another Kattari kuppam near Chittoor road So away I went going around Sholinghur reserving that visit for another day. I ended up near Pudur medu Kattari kuppam this was also a wrong call. There was no shiva temple here also.So crest fallen I proceeded towards Lalapet bus stop and lo Google maps picked up another Katharikuppam I turned in and after travelling about 8-10 kms I found the correct place!!. His holiness had decided to give me a small blessing and showed me the way.

How To Reach:

The shortest way from Chennai is to take the Bangalore highway and turn into Ranipet and Old Bangalore road.Near the MGM resorts take a right turn towards Ponnai and in about 10 kms you will reach the road to Katharikuppam. On the right. Proceed for about 6 kms and you will reach the Meenakshi Sundareshwarar  temple where the Pontiff is said to have merged with the Shivalingam.

Legends and Stories:

The Legend:

Sri Satchidghanendra Saraswati : Known as Seshaya in his poorvasrama, he belonged to a village on the bank of the Gadilam river. He was the son of Sridhar Pandlta. Like his predecessor, he relinquished his pontificate to his successor and wandered about the environs of Kanchi as an "Avadhuta". After wandering for over thirty-two years, he disappeared into a. temple near Kanchi and it is said that his mortal frame got transformed into a Linga, now identified with Meenakshi Sundareshwarar temple at Katharikuppam on Sukla Prathama in the month of Margasirsha of the cyclic the cyclic year Khara (272 AD).

History of thekamakoti peetam(web link to theKamakoti peetam's website history of the mutt).

The temple priest Sridhar a very honest and simple soul narrated that actually there was another brindavanam inside a snake pit nearby( near the temple pond), after Deiva prashnam the jeeva Samadhi of a  sanyasi was found there and that brindavanam which has  since been re built revealed that the pujya  guru of that swamiji was infact the kanchi pontiff who had merged with the Linga inside the temple

The name and Identity of this swamiji is not known yet.

The pond in front had very little water earlier and once many years ago  after Mahaperiyava bathed here it started raining heavily and the pond was filled up in no time

The temple itself is very small but the vibrations you receive are something you have to experience to believe

As you enter the main gate you see the banner on the door and  a plaque on the wall about the Adhishtanam

The inner Chamber is a small room with the Ambal facing South and the Shivalingam facing East in their enclosures

Both the Shivalingam and the Meenakshi ambal are small in size but the ambience is  electrifying. In front of the Shivalingam a pair of Padukas have been installed recently.There was also a sculpture of a Saint?, A siddhar? and hanuman

The outside praharam has small koshta vigrahas like Ganapathy, Dakshinamurthy, Durga and Brahma. There is also a Bhairava, and a navagraha sannidhi. There is also a nagar and a statue of Shiva sitting

For further help Contact the priest Sri Sridharan Cell:8489637744