Sri Muthukumaraswami Temple – A Must Visit for Vishaka Starers !!

Vishaka Nakshathira!! As we all are aware, this Nakshathira is closely associated with Lord Muruga. And so, the temple that is dedicated to Vishaka Nakshathira is Sri Muthukumaraswami Temple that is located in a city named Panmozhi in Tirunelveli Dist. The temple was built by a lady named Thiruvarutchelvar Sivakami Ammaiyar, who was an ardent devotee of Lord Shiva and Lord Muruga. The ruling deities of the Vishaka star are Agni and Indira. So the people who are born on the Vishaka Nakshathitra would be goal oriented. Similarly, as the power of Agni could be used in both constructive and destructive way, Vishakam starers will also be in great position when channelized in a right way.  They show more interest in trading and they are capable of achieving any heights. They are also mostly self-motivated people and charitable in nature.

The main deity of this temple is Lord Murugan. As per the Sthala Purana, once there was only Vel (The Weapon of Lord Muruga) in this temple and the priest, Poovan Pattar used to perform pooja only to it. While he was relaxing under a Tamarind tree, Lord Muruga came in his dream and told him that this hill belonged to Him and He is in the form of an idol. He also told that he could find the idol in a placed called Kottaithiradu. Lord also directed the priest to that place by following the ants that are moving in a line. The priest informed the king. Then they dug the place that was pointed by the Lord in the dream. While digging, the crowbar touched the nose of the idol and slightly damaged it. But this also added to the beauty of Lord Muruga. Hence He is called the Mookan. (Mooku means Nose in Tamil). The temple was then built by the Pandala King.

Once Sivakami Ammaiyar was living in this place with her husband Gangaimuthu Devar. They did not have a child. So they went and worshiped all the temples for the Child Boon. Since the couple did not have a child, they started treating all the children of the village as their own. They even served many saints who visited their village. At that time, a Muslim Holy man named Walar Mastan visited their place. So Sivakami and Gangaimuthu went and told Him about their childlessness. The Mastan advised them to Adopt Lord Muruga Himself as her son. The couple was unsure of doing next. They were very much confused by the advice of the Mastan. That night, Lord Muruga appeared as a Child in Sivakami Ammaiyar’s dream. He also asked her to build a temple on the Hill Top. After this incident, the couple readily accepted and even willed all their assets to Lord Muruga.

It was said that the couple started to build the temple using the elephants to carry big stone pillars and beams to the hill top. The elephants carried those pillars and the beams with the help of strong ropes. When the ropes got cut off resulting in the rolling down of the pillars, it was said that Sivakami dared her life and stopped those stones with her head from rolling down. Until those stones were pulled up again, she used to hold them by her head. It was believed that she got this power from blessings of Lord Muruga. She also used to carry the bricks on her head by placing them on the strip of a plantain stem. We could still see an idol of Sivakami Ammaiyar in the temple.

The devotion of Sivakami Ammaiyar and her determination in carrying the stones for building the temple is really a thrilling incident. There are 625 steps to reach the temple. This hill is called Thirikoodamalai. At the entrance of the hill, we have a shrine for Lord Vinayaka, known as Vallabha Vinayaka or Shodasa Vinayaka. There are actually 16 steps before you reach the Vinayaka Temple. Shodasa means 16 in Sanskrit. As in our culture, the number 16 represents 16 wealth such as education, courage, material wealth etc. So it is strongly believed that by worshipping the Lord Vinayaka first, we can get all those 16 wealth.

Another significant feature of this temple is the sacred spring that is found on the top of the hill. This spring is called Ashta Padmakulam or Poonjinai. A special flower named Kuvalai (a type of Blue Lotus) blossoms here. The feature of this spring is that only one flower would blossom a day.

The next significance of Sri Muthukumaraswami Temple is the presence of separate shrine for Sapta Kannikas (Seven Virgins). Sapta Kannigas are the one who worshiped Lord Muruga all through their life and they are believed to have all the seven powers of Goddess Parvathi. Normally, the idols of Sapta Kannigas will be found only in the Lord Shiva temple. But here, these idols are seen installed on the banks of the Poonjinai spring.

It is also believed that the departed ancestors (Pithrus) live on the steps of the hill that lead to the temple. So, it is said that by doing the Tarpans (Yearly custom) to them in this place would benefit the future generations greatly.

The people who are born on Vishaka Nakshathira are advised to visit this temple at least once in a year or on their birth star days. The letter ‘V’ in Vishakam represents Supremacy and ‘Shakam’ means Light. It is told that the Vishakam star has 3 lights in it namely Vimala Shakam, Vibhava Shakam and Vipula Shakam. Many Siddhas who lived on this hill mentioned that these 3 lights exist in this Hill Temple. So it is evident that there will surely be a positive change in the life of the people who visit this temple.