Good morning.
Sri Mangalanathar Mangaleswari Temple at Utharakosamangai in Ramanathapuram
of Tamil Nadu.
According to the legends, Mandodhari (wife of the Ravana) was very adamant that she would marry only a Shiva devotee. She prayed to Lord Shiva. Lord Shiva asked the sages in the ashram to take care (safe custody) of one of the veda scripts(Agamas) as he was going to grace Mandodhari and said that he would take back from them on his returning back. Lord Shiva appeared before Mandodhari as a child. Ravana who came there touched the child knowing that it was Lord Shiva. Lord Shiva tested Ravana by changing himself into fire form. All places around the world caught in this fire. The sages failed to protect the book and died. At this time, sage Manickavasagar courageously withstood the fire and saved the book. Then Lord graced Mandodhari’s wish and helped her to marry Ravana.The Lord changed Manickavasagar into his Linga form. The sage is still in the temple in the Linga form.
There is a 6 ft (1.8 m) tall maragatha Nataraja idol carved out of emerald inside the temple. The temple has a seven-tiered rajagopuram. There are separate shrines for Mangalanathar in the form of linga. A hall of Saharasralinga has thousand linga enshrined in it.
The temple is considered sacred along the lines of Ramanathapuram, Sethu Madhava Theertham and Lakshmana Theertham. The emerald image of Nataraja is anointed with sandal paste round the year except on Tiruvathidirai festival day when special worship is practised. It is believed that even small vibrations can damage the image and hence no percussion instruments are used during worship practises. The front hall has linga made of spatika, that is anointed with cooked rice every afternoon. As per Hindu legend, Vishnu and Brahma contested for superiority, Shiva appeared as a flame, and challenged them to find his source. Brahma took the form of a swan, and flew to the sky to see the top of the flame, while Vishnu became the boar Varaha, and sought its base. Neither Brahma nor Vishnu could find the source, and while Vishnu conceded his defeat, Brahma lied with the help of a thazhamboo (a type of flower) and said he had found the pinnacle. As a punishment, Shiva ordained that Brahma would never have temples on the earth in his worship and all Shiva temples do not use thazhamboo for worship. This is one temple, where thazhamboo is still used for worship practises. Manickavasagar, the 9th century Tamil saivite saint poet and nayanar has revered Mangalanathar and the temple in his verses in Tevaram, compiled as the fifth Tirumurai. Arunagirinatha, a 15th-century Tamil poet has composed Tamil hymns glorifying Subramanya in the temple. As per Hindu legend, Subramanya was awarded the Airavata (white elephant) of celestial deity Indra at this place.
Uthiram means upadesam (teaching), Kosam means rahasiyam (secret) and mangai means Parvathi/Shakthi . Here Lord Shiva taught the secrets of veda to Parvathi. Here Lord shiva gave dharshan to saint Sri Manikavasagar. It is believed that Goddess Parvathi is worshipping Lord Shiva here. This temple is praised in 38 places in Thiruvasagam , the famous Shiva hymn.
Sri Mangalanathar Mangaleswari Temple at Utharakosamangai in Ramanathapuram
of Tamil Nadu.
There is a 6 ft (1.8 m) tall maragatha Nataraja idol carved out of emerald inside the temple. The temple has a seven-tiered rajagopuram. There are separate shrines for Mangalanathar in the form of linga. A hall of Saharasralinga has thousand linga enshrined in it.
The temple is considered sacred along the lines of Ramanathapuram, Sethu Madhava Theertham and Lakshmana Theertham. The emerald image of Nataraja is anointed with sandal paste round the year except on Tiruvathidirai festival day when special worship is practised. It is believed that even small vibrations can damage the image and hence no percussion instruments are used during worship practises. The front hall has linga made of spatika, that is anointed with cooked rice every afternoon. As per Hindu legend, Vishnu and Brahma contested for superiority, Shiva appeared as a flame, and challenged them to find his source. Brahma took the form of a swan, and flew to the sky to see the top of the flame, while Vishnu became the boar Varaha, and sought its base. Neither Brahma nor Vishnu could find the source, and while Vishnu conceded his defeat, Brahma lied with the help of a thazhamboo (a type of flower) and said he had found the pinnacle. As a punishment, Shiva ordained that Brahma would never have temples on the earth in his worship and all Shiva temples do not use thazhamboo for worship. This is one temple, where thazhamboo is still used for worship practises. Manickavasagar, the 9th century Tamil saivite saint poet and nayanar has revered Mangalanathar and the temple in his verses in Tevaram, compiled as the fifth Tirumurai. Arunagirinatha, a 15th-century Tamil poet has composed Tamil hymns glorifying Subramanya in the temple. As per Hindu legend, Subramanya was awarded the Airavata (white elephant) of celestial deity Indra at this place.Uthiram means upadesam (teaching), Kosam means rahasiyam (secret) and mangai means Parvathi/Shakthi . Here Lord Shiva taught the secrets of veda to Parvathi. Here Lord shiva gave dharshan to saint Sri Manikavasagar. It is believed that Goddess Parvathi is worshipping Lord Shiva here. This temple is praised in 38 places in Thiruvasagam , the famous Shiva hymn.
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