Pon Vilaintha Kalathur Munkudumeeswarar Temple, Kanchipuram

Address

Pon Vilaintha Kalathur Munkudumeeswarar Temple, P.V. Kalathur, Kanchipuram district– 603 405 Mobile: +91-97890 49704 / +91-99624 67355

Diety

Munkudumeeswarar Amman: Meenakshi

Introduction

Munkudumeeswarar Temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva located at Pon Vilaintha Kalathur located at a distance of 10 km from Chengalpet in Kanchipuram District of Tamilnadu. The Specialty is the tuft in the head part of the Shivalinga. During the Brahmotsavam, in the place of Chandikeswara, Kootruva Nayanar comes in procession. Pon Vilaintha Kalathur is a small village situated about 60 kms from Chennai and about 8 kms from Chengalpattu. After Chengalpattu, one has to take the road towards left (eastern side of GST Road) and cross a level crossing to reach the road towards Pon Vilaintha Kalathur. It is said that the village got its name as Gold was harvested in fields in the ancient days. Presently, the name of the village is shortened as PV Kalathur. Great poet Pugazhendi Pulavar, who wrote Nala Venba, was born here. One of the 63 Nayanmars called Sri Kootruva Nayanar is also said to have lived in this village.

Puranic Significance

Story behind the name Munkudumeeswarar: The legend of the God here is too unique and interesting. There lived a king who was ruling this part of the country in ancient days. He was an ardent devotee of Lord Shiva and had a habit of getting Prasadam from this temple every day before starting his routines. The priest of this temple used to perform daily morning pooja to the Lord and carry the Prasadham for the king at his palace. Once, as usual, the priest performed the pooja and went to the palace to submit to the king. The king was having his bath the priest had to wait for a while for the king to return and accept the Prasadham. Meantime, the queen saw the priest waiting and enquired him. The priest told that he had brought Prasadham from the temple for the king. The priest was holding a plate carrying Vibhuthi (Holy Ash), Kumkum, fruits and some flowers offered to the Lord. The queen liked the fresh flowers on the plate and out of curiosity took the flowers and wore on her head. The priest was shocked and told the queen that the first Prasadham from the temple is meant only for the king and grabbed the flowers from her head and kept them back on the plate. The king arrived and accepted the Prasadham with much devotion. But he was shocked to see a single long hair stuck with the flowers of the temple. The king got angry and asked the priest on how the hair got mixed up with flowers from the temple and whether the Lord had a long hair. The priest got frightened as he cannot tell the king that the queen was the responsible for it. At the same time, he had to answer. So, the priest told the king that the Lord in the temple has a long hair and hence the flowers taken from the Lord’s idol had a hair mixed up among the flowers. The king couldn’t believe it and told that he will visit the temple the next day morning during the Pooja and if he doesn’t find the hair on the Lord, the priest’s head will be cut off. The priest returned to the temple, cried and prayed the whole day in front of the Lord to save him from the king’s punishment. The next day both the priest and the king arrived at the temple for morning Pooja. When the priest opened the doors of the sanctum to start the Pooja, he was astonished to see a tuft near the forehead of the Shiva Lingam. The priest was in tears realizing the mercy of the God to whom he was doing Poojas with full devotion. The king, on seeing the tuft apologized with the priest for suspecting him. As the Lord has a tuft (Kudumi) towards his forehead, he came to be known as Sri Munkudumeeswarar. Even today, we can witness the tuft on the Lord’s (Lingam’s) head. Story behind the name Pon Vilaintha Kalathur: Once,Vedanta Desikar couldn’t get alms to feed Lord Hayagriva at night while staying in this village. The next day morning the villagers complained to him that a white horse had destroyed their paddy fields in the night. When Desikar went there, the places through which the horse had run through had turned into gold. Hence this village got the name Pon Vilaintha Kalathur wherein pon refers to gold and Vilaintha means yield from cultivation.

Beliefs

Those cheated by others and those seeking mental peace pray to the Lord in the temple Devotees, after gaining relief, perform abishek to Lord and Mother, offer vastra (clothing) and special poojas.

Special Features

The main deity here is called as Munkudumeeswarar and Meenakshi Amman. The temple was built by Rajendra Chozhan. The Temple is believed to be 1000 years old. Munkudumeeswarar is bold and beautiful and is facing the east. Nandhikeswara is seen present in front of the sanctum. Goddess Meenakshi Amman is so beautifully decorated and has a separate shrine near the sanctum facing south. Koshta deities like Brahma, Dhakshinamurthy and Durgai are present around the sanctum. The presiding deity graces the devotees sitting under Gajabrushta Vimana (roof design of the sanctum sanctorum). There are Anukkai Vinayaka, Muruga with his consorts Valli and Deivanai, Kalabhairava and Navagraha (9 planets) shrines in the corridor. It is the tuft on the head of the Shivalinga makes the temple especially famous. Valli Devasena Sammedha Subramanyar is present at the North West corner of the outer prakaram. Surya Bhagawan and Chandra Bhagawan are seen in front of the sanctum, facing the Lord. Bhairavar is present at the corner at the prakaram around the Ambaal Shrine. There is a small shrine for Kootruva Naayanaar who is said to have lived in this village, worshipping Lord Shiva here. There are many beautiful sculptures found on many of the pillars of the mandapam in front of the sanctum. There are also many inscriptions found on the walls of the temple. There is a beautiful Panchamuga (5 headed) Lingam carved on one of those pillars. Outside the compound wall of the temple, a huge and majestic Nandhi is found facing the Lord towards the sanctum. But the wall obstructs the Nandhi from facing the Lord. There are 4 strong pillars around the Nandhi which might have been the pillars for Nandhi Mandapam in ancient days. The temple is situated on a vast area amidst the paddy fields in the calm village. The temple is now protected and maintained by Archeological department.

Festivals

Brahmotsavam in Panguni (March-April), Chitra Poornima (April-May), Aadipooram in July-August, Annabishekam in Iyppasi (October-November), Navarathri in Purattasi (September-October), Skanda Sashti in October-November, Thirukarthigai in November-December, Shivarathri in Vaikasi (May-June), and Thiruvadirai in Margazhi (December-January).