Today I will take you to Thirunallar, the abode of
Lord Shaneeshwara, or Saturn. Known as the feared Lord who brings with him
seven and a half years of hardship, Shaneeshwara is not exactly a favourite of
the masses. Said to be dark complexioned, his vehicle is the crow. He is
believed to move slowly, due to a limp in his leg.
Technically Thirunallar comes under the jurisdiction
of Pondicherry in Karaikkal. We leave Bangalore at around 9.00 p.m. in bus, and
arrive in Karaikkal at about 8.30 – 9.00 a.m. the next day. Karaikkal bus
stand is well connected, with buses to places like Thirunallar, Nagapattanam, Kumbakonam,
and so on. We catch a bus to Thirunallar, which takes us about fifteen-twenty minutes. This
part of Tamil Nadu is very idyllic, and I catch myself gazing at the scenic
lush paddy fields and wide open spaces on the way.
We arrive at the town, and head towards the temple guest
house. After quick ablutions, we head for darshan.
We are lucky to be here on a Saturday, which is considered to be auspicious for Shaneeshwara.
Gopuram at the temple entrance
The presiding deity, Darbaranyeshwarar is a form
of Shiva, and the temple is named after him. Lord Shaneeshwara has a shrine
dedicated to him in the temple. We stop in front on the temple to buy offerings
from one of the many shops that line the path leading to the gopuram. You can buy a set comprising of
a small piece of black cloth, a coconut, and a string of flowers. There is a
free queue and paid queues. The VIP queue costs Rs. 200, which cuts down the
waiting time to a bare minimum. We take the more reasonable Rs. 50 ticket, and
enter the line. The free queue is roundabout and takes more time.
As we step in the queue, we see that the walls are
decorated with the picture story of king Nala and his brush with Lord
Shaneeshwara. Read the legend of Nala and Damayanti here.
The story of Nala concludes, and the remaining
panels tell us about the ‘Pacchai Padigam’ or the evergreen verses. This story
is about the Pandiyan king Ninraseernedumaran who converted to Jainism. The
famed Shaivite saint Thirugyana Sambandar is asked to intervene by the Pandiyan
queen, who is a staunch Shaivaite. The legend tells us how Sambandar performs
miracles (like surviving an arson attempt to his life), and brings the king
back to Hindu fold. Sambandar uses the power of a verse that he composed at the
sanctum of Darbaranyeshwarar to prove the supremacy of his faith.
We have almost reached the end of the queue, and get
the coconuts broken by the priests who stand by the enclosure with sickles (to
break the coconuts) and huge containers (to collect the water). The temple is
very vibrant, with many colourful statues that adorn the pillars. Unfortunately,
they seem to have fallen to disuse, with cobwebs and dust attacking them.
We enter the sannidhi
with the rest of the people in the queue. The Lord Darbaranyeshwarar welcomes
us to the main sanctum. The queue continues to the sanctum of Lord
Shaneeshwarar, who is worshipped in a standing position, facing east. It is a
small idol, in black stone with a gold kavacham
or sheath covering his person. Lord Darbaranyeshwarar’s consort Bhogamartha
Poonmulayal sits in a sanctum to his left, facing south.
The Shaneeshwarar here is believed to be a peaceful
and happy Lord, who grants boons. He is not depicted in his vengeful and
punishing form.
The hall outside the temple in front of the gopuram is painted with depictions of
various deities. The ceiling has also been artistically painted with the navagrahas, or the Lords of the nine
planets. The length of the hall is supported by pillars. Each pillar has a
sculpture of Lord Nataraja (Lord Shiva as the lord of dance) in his many impossible
dance poses. The entire temple is dotted with pillars, which is a typical
feature of temples in Tamil Nadu.
We leave the temple, filled with the legend of the
power of Lord Shaneeshwara and happy to have worshipped him on a Saturday. Next
week, I will take you to another holy place. Till then, stay safe, and stay
devout!
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