14. Arulmigu Koraka Siddhar Jeeva Samadhi Peedham, Vadakku Poigai Nalloor
I woke up pretty early and saw that the other devotees were still asleep. I moved over to Korakar’s samadhi and had a quiet moment with him. I came back to my ‘bed’ and began my normal routine of checking my breath and performing pranayama. Slowly some of the devotees began to arise, one after the other, to go to the loo. I eased myself too before going out to the front of the temple and taking in some fresh air. It was 4am and already the local buses were plying the route. I chanced to pick up a conversation with one gentleman of Indian origin who was working in Singapore. He soon boarded the bus that came that way. I took a seat at the entrance and was joined by a sadhu. We spoke a few words before Sugu who had woken came along and joined us. It was then that Sugu shared his experience the night before. He had only slept about 2 hours and remained awake the whole night long. When he did wake up he saw me clad in his saffron or kavi vesti standing in front of Korakar's sannadhi. He then turned his head away to where I had slept and saw me there too, sleeping! He had goose bumps and dived into his blanket wondering what was going on. The night before he had loaned me his saffron vesti. But I had used it to support my head.
Sugu continued narrating. In the middle of the night Sugu stuck his head outside his blanket as he heard someone walk by. There was indeed someone. He/she was clad in a rainbow cloth and covered fully the torso, from head to toe. Sugu immediately hid himself behind the covers. He was not sure of the mysterious figure until I asked him if it was the same person that we saw at Adhi Kumbheswarar Temple. It must have struck a chord in him for he agreed that it was indeed her. Now we were wondering how did she appear again, here at Vadakku Poigai Nalloor, some 72 kms away?
Shortly Sankar arrived to bring us over to the hotel to have our bath. After the bath we all adjoined back to Koraka Siddhar’s Jeeva Samadhi for puja, expecting that the abhisegam or libation was over as we were told it would be conducted at 6.30am. As we arrived at 8am we were surprised to note that the abhisegam had yet to start! We waited a while and thr abhisegam began. After the puja annadhanam was served in the adjacent quarters. We sat to recite the Siddhar Potri and spent some time in the meditation hall before joining the rest for food. We were told by the temple aids who were serving food that what was left was only a small portion of pongal. We gladly received a handful each. Dyalan was asked to spent the night here and partake the Kavadi Sorru in Agathiyar’s Nadi reading read in Salem on his last trip to India. Was this the Kavadi Sorru then we questioned ourselves?
Just then another aid came to us serving what he mentioned as Kavadi Sorru! Bala had seen him bring this Kavadi Sorru from Korakar Siddhar’s altar in the dinning hall. We were blessed to be served the very food offering for the Siddha! The man served all nine of us who were seated next to each other in a row. He finally served Bala and did not go beyond but instead returned to top up the rests of us before placing the empty plate in the bin. There were many who sat beyond Bala and across the room but the portion of Kavadi Sorru was only sufficient to serve us!
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| The girls receiving blessings from "Amma" who tidies and cleans Koraka Siddha Peedham. |
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| Waiting for the Kavadi Sorru |
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| Koraka Siddhar's altar in the Dining Hall |
Bala wanted to bring us here. As we entered the sannadhi abhisegam was going on for Subramanya Swamy. We had the privilege to witness it. We prayed at Vinayagar’s sannadhi under a tree, and adjoined to the back where there was the Jeeva Samadhi of Vaanmigi Siddhar in the courtyard adjacent to Subramanya Swamy’s sannadhi. We came back to the priest who served vibhuthi prasad at Vinayagar’s sannadhi asking regarding the samadhi and he obliged us by leading us and showing us the spot. We asked him if we could read the Siddha Potri and then took our places next to the tree to start reciting. Bala noticed a family that had gathered there and were preparing to provide annadhanam. They waited for us to complete our chant before approaching us with the food parcels. After distributing them to us first only then did they start giving it to the rests of the devotees at the temple.
16. Tanjai Periya Kovil, Tanjavoor
We arrived at Tanjai Periya Kovil at 3pm. As the children took some time out for themselves taking selfies and photos of themselves in this historic place, I began to wander around, discovering what was lying beyond the corridors of this ancient temple complex. I had been here earlier a couple of times but never had the time to venture beyond Karuvurar's sannadhi and the main temple, and investigate the mysterious corridors surrounding the temple.
There were numerous lingas, statues and shrines lined up all along the corridor. A small portion of the corridor served as a museum now educating visitors and devotees on the legendary king Raja Raja Cholan and his vast dynasty. I spent some time at Thakshanamurthy’s sannadhi. I realized that the Pranavam AUM resonated within this granite walls multifold when recited while in there. Soon I came to sit at Karuvurar’s sannadhi, the architect of this now famous monument cum temple.
Soon the children arrived too to join me and we began reciting the Siddhar Potri. A couple of temple helpers arrived to clean the temple for the Pournami puja scheduled to start at 6.30pm. I brought the girls and boys back to Thakshanamurthy's sannadhi where we recited certain mantras. We physically felt these mantras resonate within us and the walls. We then moved on thinking that we would miss seeing the magnificently large Shivalinga as it was only 3.40pm. Suddenly the temple bells sounded and we realized the sannadhi was opened to the public much earlier. We gathered at Lord Shiva’s sannadhi for a magnificent and unhindered view of the Lord, minus the crowd.
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| Ancient inscriptions on the walls of the temple |
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| Karuvurar |
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| Steps leading to the side entrance to Shiva's sannadhi |
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| At Thakshanamurthy's temple |
17. Arulmigu Meenakshi Sundareshwarar Temple, Madurai
We realized by now that we could not keep to the original schedule: that of visiting Meenakshi Sundareshwarar; then Pazhamudircholai Murugan and finally lodging at Palani for the night. We looked for a hotel in Madurai to retire for the night. After stopping over at two hotels, and finding that the options available were unfavorable to us, Shanga called up his business partner in this town who immediately sent his son to deal with the hotel. We settled in for the night after having dinner and a late night stroll in the streets of Madurai.