SRI SIVAYOGINATHAR TEMPLE, THIRUVISANALLUR
Sivayoginathar Temple also known as Yoganandeswarar temple is an ancient templededicated to Lord Shiva located which is located in Thiruvisanallur in Thanjavur district, Tamil Nadu. Shiva is worshiped as Sivayoginathar, and Ma Parvati Devi is depicted as Mangala Nayagi. The presiding deity is revered in the 7th century Tamil Shaivite work, Tevaram.
There are many inscriptions associated with the temple indicating the contributions done by the Cholas and Thanjavur Kings. The temple has numerous shrines, and among those the main shrines of Sri Sivayoginathar and Soundaranayagi is considered to be the most prominent ones. The temple follows six daily rituals at various times from 6:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., and celebrates five annual festivals. The Aippasi Brahmostavam festival when the sacred marriage of the presiding deity is performed, is the major festival in the temple.
As per Hindu legend, once a king who ruled the present-day Kerala had kept illicit relation with lot of women. At one stage, the king wanted to lead a noble life and hence he found a yogi who advised him to visit Thiruvisanallur. The king reached the place, had a dip in river Cauvery and worshipped Sivayoginathar to get rid of his curse. The legend leads to the belief that whoever incurs curse of women, gets curative visiting the temple. This place is a curative to death related fears also, since it is believed that still now Lord Yama Dev visit this temple during Shivaratri festival day!
The Sivayoginathar Temple is believed to have been built at the spot where eight Siva yogis attained salvation and merged with the lingam. Thanjavur Palace Devasthanam comprises 88 temples, of which this temple is the one.
If we are cursed by a woman due to a mistake committed knowingly or unknowingly in our life then the curse and sin will be removed if we visit and worship Lord Shiva and Ma Parvati in Tiruvisanallur temple.
If a woman is cursed due to a mistake committed knowingly or unknowingly in her life then the curse and sin will be relieved by worshipping Lord Shiva and Ma Parvati in Thiruvisanallur temple.
Tiruvidaimarudur is 8 km from Kumbakonam on the Mayiladuthurai road. Tiruvisanallur temple is 3 km north-west of this place.
In order to get rid from doshams like Kanya Dosham, we can also sing songs in praise of Ma Santhoshi who is considered to be the daughter of the first god Lord Ganesha.
Some of the wonderful songs of Ma Santhoshi are as follows: –
Oh, our dear mother, you are beautifully dressed, with rich golden garments, and you wore costly ornaments like emeralds and diamonds. We will never forget about you, since you are our pretty mother. We will keep chanting your glories throughout the day, on all 365 days in a year, without leaving any break.
Oh, our merciful mother, your face appears like a lotus flower, and your smile reflects in all the worlds. Oh, Ma Santhoshi you are the one who gives Santhosham(happiness) to us, please fulfil our reasonable needs and wishes, and make us to concentrate only about you, and nothing more else.
Oh, our worshipful mother, You, are seated on a diamond throne, your devotees lit lot of lamps on your shrine, and holy Prasad items like honey and dry fruits are kept before you. Please accept our offerings and shower your abundant grace on us like the ocean. Hey Ma Santhoshi, now it is the time for you to accept our holy Prasad prepared by us in a hygienic manner at our home. Please take the form of a divine woman, appear before us, and accept our kind offerings, or otherwise we will never take food, since we want to have your divine darshan at least once in our lifetime.
Oh, our pretty mother, your devotees chant your stotra with utmost joy and devotion on their mind, which makes you to get satisfied with them, and hence, kindly bless your devotees.
Oh, my sweet devotees of Ma Santhoshi, now it is the time for all of you to worship Ma Santhoshi wholeheartedly, don’t you hear the ringing of temple bells, don’t you are aware of the puja performance takes place at our holy mother Santhoshi Temple, don’t you feel the rich aroma of the holy Prasad offered by the temple priests to Ma Santhoshi. Run, run, quickly run over to our sweet mother’s temple, and let us have her excellent darshan.
Oh, our excellent Mother Friday is considered as your best day, and during that day, we would perform an excellent puja for you by reading your stories and we would also offer sweet items to you. Oh, my dear Holy mother, our eyes are meant only to see you, our ears are given only to hear your wonderful songs, our hands are given only to worship you, our mouth is gifted by the god, only to recite your songs, our legs are meant only to proceed towards your temple, our lips are meant only to taste your delicious divine Prasad items, our nose is gifted by the god, to smell the marvellous fragrance of the holy flowers contained on your idol, our brain is given only to think about you, and our entire body is meant only for worshipping you!
During the time of performance of puja, all of us should keep thinking only about you, we would bow our heads before you, and we would touch your lotus feet. Oh Ma Santhoshi, you are the holy daughter of Lord Ganesha, and you also contain his entire powers, hence therefore, I would consider you as the “FIRST AND FOREMOST GODDESS”, and I would offer my first worship only to you, before worshipping other deities.
Please accept our worship, which was done by us with great devotion on you, and make our households to be fully filled up with full of happiness and wealth. Oh Ma Santhoshi, even I don’t want to live in the divine places such as Swarka Loka, Kubera Loka, Vayu Loka, Vaikunta and Kailasha, since I would want to dwell only under your lotus feet at your holy abode, by affectionately serving you and by the way of watching your divine beauty again and again, again and again. Those who meditates sincerely on you, would get fulfilled all of their desires, and they would attain great happiness and peacefulness for ever in their lives, your staunch devotees are to be considered as the best Bhagavathas in this world, and they would be treated equivalent to the great Vishnu Bhagavathas, like Sri Narada, Sri Prahalada and Sri Dhruva.
Oh, the holy mother of the universe, we honour you, admire your beauty, rejoice your importance, and we would sing lot of bhakti songs on you. Those who sincerely worship and meditates on Ma Santhoshi, and those who observe fasting on Fridays and performs puja to her with full of devotion on their mind would get their wishes fulfilled, and their life would blossom like the lotus flower and bad habits like lust, anger and greed would never arise on their mind.
“JAI MA GANESH PUTRI SANTHOSHI DEVI NAMO NAMAHA”
WRITTEN BY
R. HARISHANKAR