Search:
Bhakti List Archives

Smt Kanaka"s Questions

From the Bhakti List Archives

V. Sadagopan • November 18, 1995 


Srimathi Kanaka:

(1)Yes. I have been to Gunasekharam.  Others in the group might also have been
there.It 
is a beautiful site,where Srinivasa Perumal  presides. It is a Prarthanaa
Sthalam, where people 
bring people with relatives with mental  afflictions ( I guess, we all have one
form or the other) 
to receive the grace of Lord Srinivasan.I think it is at a place called
Mukkudal, not far from 
Sri Rangam , where Rivers  Cauveri, Coleroon  part with one another (?).People
stay 
for few days to get their Prarthanas answered.. 

(2)Singaperumal Koil that I know is at a distance of 30 miles from Madras City
on the Main rail route to Kumbakonam.The icon of Narasimha is hewn out of a huge
Rock. Pilgrims, who want to do pradakshinam go around the rock out of which is
hewn.

 2.1 A side note On Narasimha Temples in Tamilnadu:
**************************************************************
There are  13 other Sannidhis for Sri Narasimha Bhagavan in Tamilnadu besides ,
Singaperumal Koil. Number of them are part of 108 Divya desams or are in one of
the  Divya Desams(*) as  a separate snnidhi. These  are: Telliyasingam at
Thiruvallikeni*, Thiruvelukkai *,Thirunermalai,*
Thiruvali-Thirunagari*, Thiru Nagai*, Kachipuram Varadaraja Temple(Guhai
narasimhar)*, 
Thirukkatigai*, Thirukkoshtiyur*, Tanjayaali Koil*, Sri Rangam (Sudarsana and
Narasimhan in One Peetam as referred to By Sri Rangaswamy),*, Kondirajapalayam
near Tanjore, Niravaloor made famous by one of the Azhagiya Singars , and
Nammakkal near Salem. The Moortham at Thiruneer
-Malai is Saantha Narasimhan. The Moortham at Triplicane (Telliyasingam
celebrated by Thirumangai) has a Mudra or hand gesture , that symbolizes the
Lord"s invitation asking the child
 Prahlada to come near.  Narasimha Sannidhi at Thirunagari is in the Western
Praakaaram . This stalam is 6 miles  from Seerkazhi.
A rare form of Narasimha , Ashta Bhuja Narasimha doing Punishmnet iof the evil
(Dushta Nigraham) and protecting the virtuous (Sishta Paripaalanam) with each
set of four hands is 
worshipped here.This Moortham is  a marvel of the Silpi.

Legend has it that Brahma got permission fromGuhai Narasimhan at Kanchi to start
his Vedic Sacrifice, that culminated in the appearance of Hastigiri Varadarajan
in the Flames of the Yaga.
Yoga Narasimhan Sannidhi at Sholingar *(Thirukkatigai) is a Divya Desam as well
as a prarthanaa sthalam. Thirukkoshtiyoor or Tenkotti* has two moorthams of
Narasimhan in the Northern Praakaram, where He is seen both in the aspect of
Chasing Hiranya and holding him on His lap.

Tanjayali Koil* is on the bank of Vennar and Narasimha is the presiding deity
there. Melattur , the home of Bhagavatha Melam on Narasimha is nearby.

At Sri Rangam* is the Mettu Azhagiya Singar Sannidhi, where Kambar Inaugurated
his Ramayana and got the approval of the Lord there. There is also a huge Statue
of Narasimha at a shrine close to Sri Rangam station. Kondirajapuram is 3 miles
from Tanjore,the seat of former Maratta Kings.Narasimha came to the rescue of a
Devotee by name Petha Dasa, who was ridiculed by the King. When the king sent
the Devotee to the gallows for a feigned insult, Narasimha is said to have burnt
the gallows and saved his Devotee. The king repented and built a shrine to
Yoga Narasimha at Kondirajapaalayam.

L.V.Gopalan describes the shrine at Niravaloor, where the Sixth Jeeyar of
Ahobilas Mutt performeed a Miracle and saved the village  from the curse of
irate Auvyyar., that condemned the village to eternal drought.

Namakkal Narasimhan has the reputation as a Vara Prasaadi ( Immediate Boon
giver) abd His 
consort, Namagiri Thayaar is famous for her infinite mercy to the devotees.

 There are many famous  Narasimha temples in Andhra Pradesh in addition to the
most celebrated Ahobilam. These are at Ananthavaadi, Mangalagiri, Simhaachalam
and Yadagirigutta.

3)Thiruvaheendrapuram is the Divya Desam, where Swami Desikan spent many years
and worshipped Devanatha Perumal and Hembjavalli Thaayaar. It is close to
Cuddalore on the same main line. This sthalam will be covered extensively in the
108 Divya Desam Project , because of its hoariness and also because of the many
famous Sannidhis, where Swami Desikan composed Stotras like Raghuveera Gadhyam,
Gopala Vimsati, Achyuta Satakam, Devanatha Panchasat, Sri
Hayagreeva Stotram, Garuda Panchasat.

Sadagopan
Yuva Year, Karthigai  Krishna Paksha Ekaadasi