KANCHI MUTT LALGUDI AN ANCIENT ADI SANKARAR SANNIDHI CONSECREATED BY MAHAPERIYAVA IN 1913

I recently visited my native village Lalgudi near Trichy and it was 12/05/24 Adishankara Jayanti so after visiting the Saptharishiswara temple we visited the Kanchi Mutt Lalgudi, an institution that was established by Shri Mahaperiyava before his sojourn at Mahendramangalam in 1913. When I reached,the sankara jayanti poojas were over and preparations were on for the Veedhi ulaa to be held in the evening with Adishankarar's vigraham which I was told was the only Adi Sankarar vigraham consecreated in all the areas around trichy and this veedhi Ula is very popular over the years

HOW TO REACH: Lalgudi is a bustlng extention of Trichy now and the temple of Saptharishishwarar is the geographical centre. The red stone gopuram gave it the name of LALGUDI from the invading moghuls. Once you reach the temple arch take a left on the NEW STREET. A furlong down this road will bring you to the Kanchi Mutt Lalgudi. The peaceful surroundings are enchanting. It used to house a bustling vedapatashalai and many eminent vidwans have studied here in the past sadly its not so today

LEGENDS AND HISTORY: It is mentioned in the book,"Pujya Mahaswami Divya Charithram by Shri Sambamoorthy sastrigal in page 18 that he established a shankaralayam in Lalgudi, a veda patashala was established in 1913 and later many vidwans emerged from here From family sources and other references I gathered these impressions, Periyava had special affinity for this matam since this was the first Shri ADI SHANKARAR prathishtai done by Periyava after his initiation to sanyasam. Engineer, Gopalakrishnan,Munsif Krishna Iyer (my paternal great grandfather),Judge L.S.Parthasarathy Iyer played a major role in this pratishtai. Periva himself had narrated this in 1959-60 to late Shri L.K.Saptharishi Iyer(Son in law of Angarai Annadhanam Iyer) who was the Mudradhikari of the mutt at lalgudi and the son of Munsif Krishna Iyer , that HE remembers the poornakumbam was given by Munsif Krishna Iyer during the event in 1913. Mahaperiyava visited the mutt in 1959-1960 for 10 days and performed chaturmasyam while staying in angarai village nearby. In 1977 Shri Jayendra saraswathi swamigal performed the Kumbabishekam and so also another kumbabhishekam under his tutelage was performed in 1994 . Pudhu periyava instructed to do Balalayam in 2012 and wanted to celebrate the 100th year anniverary of first prathishtai but could not come after the kumbabishekam. The bhaktas of Lalgudi are eagerly awaiting Shri Sankara Vijayendra Saraswathi swamigal and Shri sathya Chandrashekarendra Saraswathi swamigal 's visit .so good days ahead seem possible for the Lalgudi bhakthas and the Lalgudi Kanchi madam. As you enter there is a spacious courtyard as shown in the pic above which takes you into the building housing the Adishankarar sannidhi I visited after the Jayanthi celebrations

The area behind houses a huge pond but is now dry. It was once helpful in performing pitru karyas in the past.

There is a sandhyavandanam mandapam behind that seems encroached by the local homeless persons. The far end houses the adhishtanams of many sanyasis who were part of Kanchi mutt in their poorvashrama. The term used by the narrator was abathsanyasams . some pictures of the Sankara jayanthi I received later

A humble request is for devotees of our matam to visit this serene institution with a history from 1913 and experience the blessings of Adi Sankara, Mahaperiyava, Puduperiyava and BalaPeriyava HARA HARA SANKARA JAYA JAYA SANKARA

2/05/25

Today received pics of Sankara jayanti celebrations

Sri Mruthyunjayeshwarar temple Kanchipuram

This is one of the ancient still fully functional temple of that Era in Kanchi and under supervision of the ASI

How to Reach:

The temple is very close to the Kanchi Railway station on Kammala street. If you are reaching by road it's on the main road after the bypass landing on the chennai Bangalore  side

Legends and stories:

The temple is from the  Pallava time (dates to 700CE or around )

The devas wanted eternal life so Brahma directed them to do penance to Shiva at Kanchi and they consecreted the temple here. The lord is also known as Iravatheshwarer

Sri Markandeya Rishi is supposed to have prayed here to this shivalingam

The temple is famous for doing 60 th/70 th and beyond birthdays. 

Those who experience health issues can pray to the lord for safe and long life

The temple is small and very peaceful. The entry is via the steps on the left side as seen above

The main shivalingam is about 3 feet and faces east in the garbagruha. In the ante chamber there is an ancient homa kundam on the right

The outer walls of the temple are filled with multiple carvings of divine events. They are all relief carvings not idols carved and placed like in later temples these carvings are a part of the wall itself

there are two small sannidhis for Vinayaka and Murugan behind the main temple. These don't have the same carvings on their walls

the sthala vriksham is vilvam

It's a small peaceful ancient temple .please do visit for long life

The priest is a professor in the local college and available before 9:30  am Evenings temple opens by 5 pm to 7 pm

Adhishtanam of Shri Thotakacharya in Kamakshi temple Kanchipuram

 One of the other prominent Sishyas of Adi Shankara was Shri Giri 

Sri Sankara, with his three principle disciples, namely, Padmapadar, Sureshwarar (Mandana Mishra) and Hastaamalaka, went from place to place, and preached Advaita. Sri Sankara gave intense training to his disciples.  ShriThotakacharya(Giri)  One of the other disciples, Giri, while listening to the discourses, would not ask any doubts, would not open his mouth, and would be silent all the time. Some of the other disciples thought that this Giri was a dumb idiot and did not know anything. One day, all the disciples were ready to listen to Sri Sankara's discourses. Sri Sankara waited for Giri to arrive. Ultimately, Giri turned up but instead of keeping silent on that day, burst forth into eight slokas which had never been heard by the disciples earlier. These were the creation of Giri. On hearing this, all the disciples felt ashamed and praised Giri. These slokas are called "Thotaka ashtakam". Giri was named as Thotakar by Sri Sankara.(from Kamakoti.org) He was made the first Jagadguru (head) of the Jyotirmaṭha Pīthaṃ, the original northern maṭha founded by Ādi Śaṅkara in Uttrakhand. He founded a maṭha by name Vadakke modam in Thrissur, Kerala.(from wikipedia) On learning that his Guru took samadhi at Kamakshi Temple at Kanchipuram, he took decided to return back to Kanchipuram and took samadhi near to his Guru's samadhi.

Thotakacharya's adhistanam can be seen within the Kamakshi temple near to the theertham next to the Durga sannidhi below the Neem tree.

Adhishtanam of Shri Padma padacharya seen in Shri Ekambareshwarar temple Kanchipuram

 Shri AdiSankara had many disciples and prominent among them were Sureshwaracharya, Padmapadacharya,Hastamala, Thotakacharya. These disciples were giants in their own stead but drew strength from the guidance of their guru and  travelled with Adishankara . At appropriate times they were given charge of his various mutts established by him and contiinued the legacy. I recently came to know from the Kanchi mutt that the samadhis of Padmapada and Thotakacharya  are also in kanchi where they came on hearing that their guru had left his earthly form wished to be interned near his samadhi (as per Kanchi mutt belief and records) . We can find the Adhishtanam of Sri Sureshwaracharya inside the Kanchi mutt( click to see my blog on this acharya)

 

Shri Padmapadacharya

Sri Sankara went to Kasi and by that time, he had a lot of disciples. One of them, Sanandhyaya, was drying the clothes of his Guru and suddenly Sri Sankara called him to the other bank of the river as he needed the clothes urgently. Sanandhyaya, little realising that he would drown, starts walking into the river. However, the Grace of his Guru resulted in a lotus materialising wherever he was keeping his foot. When asked as to how did he cross the river, he says that when his Guru calls, he is not to worry about anything. Sri Sankara named him as Padma Padar (lotus feet).

( above from Kamakoti.org Kanchi mutt website)

 Padmapada was the first head of Puri Govardhana matha. He is believed to have founded a math by name Thekke Matham in Thrissur, Kerala. Keralites believe that he was a Nambuthiri belonging to Vemannillom, though according to textual sources he was from the Chola region in South India.

Padmapāda, together with Sureśvara, developed ideas that led to the founding of the Vivarana school of commentators. The only surviving work of Padmapāda known to be authentic is the Pañcapādikā. According to tradition, this was written in response to Shankara's request for a commentary on his own Brahmasūtrabhāsya, and once written was destroyed by a jealous uncle. The surviving text is supposed to be what Shankara could recall of the commentary; certainly, all that survives of the work is an extended gloss on the first four aphorisms.

(above detail from wikipedia)

Padmapadacharya's Guru bhakti was exemplary. 

Once he came to know of his Guru's samadhi in Kanchipuram,

he too rushed back to Kanchipuram and took samadhi at Ekambareshwar temple.

The samadhi temple is known as "Vishnu-eswarar"

and just outside the south gopuram of

the Ekambareshwar temple, Kanchipuram..

(As received from a trusted source)

Thiru Kolanjiappar temple Vriddhachalam -a rare swayumbhu Murugan Temple

This weekend a group of friends from the hospital took a break and visited Thirunallar, Swamimalai, Srimushnam and Vriddhachalam on prompting from one group member we visited this temple .

There is a unique way of passing on our prayers for suitable  consideration  to the lord Muruga here .we are to make a request in writing called "Piradhu" in Tamil and cost of the pradhu seva  is proportional to the distance of the temple from your residence  by km. For example Chennai vaasis paid Rs.250. In 90 days when it is fulfilled you revisit and thank him suitably.

How to reach 

The temple is 5 km towards Ulundurpet from the main Vridhagirishwarar temple on the highway across the river on mettupalayam Cuddalore road

Inside the door frame the carvings depict how the temple was discovered.  A cow was nurturing the idol with milk daily and on digging below the ant hill where milk was being poured the swayumbhu moorthy was discovered .It is believed that it was the divine mother Parvati  nurturing her children 

Legends and stories:

The nayanmar Sundarar took leave of Virudhagirinathar without singing any songs praising him and was proceeding on his way but Shiva and Parvati wanted to bring back Sundarar so he sent Lord Muruga to bring him back.

Murugan went dressed as a hunter, waylaid Sundarar and robbed him and when Sundarar demanded his possessions back. Murugan asked him to come to vridhachalam . Sundarar  understood the mischief of Shiva and returned to Vridhachalam

The Murugan here is formless and a swambhumoorthy .

The main sanctum has 2 sannidhis one for Siddhi Ganapathy and one for Murugan. There are 2 vimanas .

Siddhivinayaka(pic from Google)

Kolanjiappar swayambhu Murugan(pic from Google) 

The devotees first fills in his piradhu kattudhal sheet and brings it to the priest who places it on the lord's feet and this is then tied to the hundreds of spears in the front courtyard

(pic from Google)

The temple also dispenses neem oil of medicinal value to be applied to wounds and aches with utmost reverence 

The front has a separate shrine for Muniappan and behind are shrines for Idumban and Kadamban

The Veeranar shrine in front 

Shri Maikanteshwara Manikyavalli temple at Dadapuram near Tindivanam

This is a small temple built in 1025 AD by Kundavai the sister of Raja Raja chola . The village houses a Karivaradaraja vishnu temple, Vinayaka temple and also a Jain temple all  built by her.

How to reach: 

The temple is 2.5 kms before Tindivanam on the  road from cheyyar to Tindivanam parallel to NH 45

Temple legend 

As you enter the arch

view as you enter

Nandi  in front

main door of the temple

kostha vigrahas on the north

Dakshinamurthy

vinayaka in his north west sannidhi

Vishnu behind the sanctum

Brahma on the south west side

stand alone lingam behind

Vishnu Durga

Ambal Manikyavalli (@ Kamakshi) sannidhi on the north west side of the temple

Bhairavar standing alone 

Suryanar

Priest Kumaraswamy at the main door the legends are inscribed on either side

Better view of the Nandi

It is a poorly patronised temple but ancient . It is famous as a rahu ketu parihara sthalam . The priest Sri Kumaraswamy does not even own a cellphone  but was very enthusiastic to show me around