Sri Soundararaja Perumal temple
Moolavar : Sri
Soundararaja Perumal
Amman / Thayar : Soundaravalli
Thala Virutcham : Vilwa tree
Theertham : Kudaganaru
River
City : Thadikombu
District : Dindigul
State : Tamil Nadu
5 day festival in the month of Chithirai (April-May) and 10
day Adi Poornima-July-August are the festivals celebrated in the temple,
drawing huge crowd of devotees.
The temple is noted for its sculpture of rare and minute
workmanship
The sculptures in the corridor-prakara are noted for their
exquisite beauty and minute workmanship in nails, muscles and reflecting even
the inner veins
Those who have lost their possessions, and those desirous of
restoring broken relationships offer lime fruit garlands to Karthaveeriarjuna
lighting ghee lamps. Sri Andal graces on every Thursday in the Mandap here,
when devotees perform turmeric abishek for early wedlocks. People believe that they get even foreign
suitors if so prayed for. Devotees also
throng the temple for child boon, academic achievements, business development
etc.
Those having prayer commitments to Madurai Azhagar can offer
the same in this temple.
Those weak in education, suffering from lack of memory pray
to Lord Hayagriva and Mother Saraswathi gracing from their shrines in the
Prakara. On Tiruvonam star day, they
perform special pujas to Lord Hayagriva with honey, coconut and a nivedhana
made of jaggery powder and ghee and cardamom garlands.
There is a separate shrine for Lord Dhanvanthari. On new moon days, abishek is performed with
oil and herbal paste known as Lehiyam.
Chakarathalwar graces with deities attributed to Gayatri
Mantra. Lord Narasimha graces with
Ashtalakshmis.
There are also shrines for Vishwaksenar, Twin Vinayaka, 10
incarnation forms of Lord Vishnu, Lakshmi Narasimha, Venugopala, Anjaneya and
Swarna Bhairava.
Sculptures of exquisite beauty:
The temple may well be called a treasure house of Indian
sculptures of rare workmanship. They
speak volumes. Mother Soundaravalli
graces from a separate shrine. Lord
Vinayaka and Vishnu Durga and deities of prosperity – Sanganidhi and Padmanidhi
graces at Her shrine. Mother’s shrine
may well be called a museum of sculptures.
The sculptures include Lord Vishnu measuring the three worlds, Lord
Narasimha, Vaikundanathar, Venugopala, Lord Vishnu on Gaurda, Anjaneya carrying
Lord Rama on his shoulders, Chakarathalwar, Oordhvathandavar (cosmic dance of
Lord Shiva), Oordhvakali, Akora Veerabadra, Rathi and Karthaveeryarjuna.
Tiruvona deepa:
Lord Soundararaja Perumal graces from sanctum sanctorum with
His consorts Sridevi and Bhudevi in a standing form. As it is believed that Lord Kallazhagar of
Madurai has connections with this place also, a festival of the Lord visiting
the Kudaganaru River is celebrated as in Madurai in Vaigai River. The festival represents the grace of the Lord
to Sage Mandukya. On each Tiruvonam star
day, a dheep is lit at the feet of the Lord.
The procession deity would be following the lamp taken before Him. It is believed that those fortunate to have
this darshan would be relieved of their sins.
Brahmmotsavam is celebrated in the moth of Adi
(July-August). The car festival of the
Lord takes in place on the full moon day of the month. Sri Akarshana Bhairva offers solution to
devotees to manage economic problems.
The Sanskrit word Mandookam means frog. A sage was once cursed and became a frog and
is known as Sage Mandookya. He performed
severe penance on Lord Vishnu in this place for relief from the curse. During the course of his penance, a demon was
harassing him. Responding to prayer call
of the sage, Lord Vishnu-Madurai Kallazhagar destroyed the demon and protected
the Rishi. As entreated by the sage,
Lord stayed here itself in the name of Soundararajar.
The temple, enjoying equal respect and importance as the
Kallazhagar temple in Madurai, is believed to have been built 500 years ago by
Atchuda Devarayar, a descendant of Krishna Deva Raya.
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