Thirukkarugavoor

Thirukkarugavoor is the notary place for the ladies who prays for a child It is evident in many cases, as succeeded after praying here for a child. Thirukarugavur

is to be found in Thanjavur district, Papanasam panchayat. Cauvery's tributary Vettar flows by, adding to the natural beauty of the place. The temple lies 20 km east of Thanjavur and 20 km west of Kumbakonam. A padal petra sthalam, Thirugnana Sambandar and Thirunavukarasar have sung the glory of this temple. It is being well maintained by the Hindu Religious & Charitable Endowments Department. Lord Shiva is known as Mullaivananathar and the goddess, Karukatha Nayagi (Sri Garbarakshambigai) in this temple. The place was earlier known as Mullaivanam and sages Gauthamar amd Kargeyar were performing penance there. Nithuruvar and his wife Vedigai stayed in the ashram and served the sages. They told the sages that they were childless and wanted children. The two sages advised that they worship Mullaivananathar and Karukatha Nayagi to have their wish fulfilled. After they prayed to the Lord and His consort, Vedigai became pregnant. Once when Nithuruvar was not around and Vedigai was in a swoon during to her pregnancy, sage Oordhuva Padar came to the ashram seeking alms. As Vedigai was unconscious and Nithuruvar was not there, they could not give him alms. Angered by the indifference, the sage cursed Vedigai and her foetus got aborted. Shaken by these happenings, Vedigai appealed to the Goddess who appeared as Garbarakshambigai in front of her. She put the aborted foetus in a 'kudam' and safeguarded it till it attained its full growth. She handed over baby Nanduruvan to Vedigai. Thrilled at the Goddess' kindness, Vedigai prayed to Her that She should stay in the same place in the form of Garbarakshambigai and help save pregnant women and foetuses. The Ambal also agreed and from that day on the place came to be known as Thirukarugavur and the Goddess as Sri Garbarakshambigai.

Since Vedigai could not breastfeed Nanduruvan, the Goddess sent Kamadhenu to feed the baby. Kamadhenu scratched the surface of the ground with its hoof and a milk tank appeared. The tank found opposite the temple is still known as ksheerakundam (milk tank). It is believed that the childless and those who are not able to sustain a pregnancy would be blessed with a child if they prayed to the Ambal here. And for those who are already pregnant, the oil sold in the temple would act as an armour and help them have an easy delivery. Mullaivananathar is a swayambulingam. It is made of an anthill (putru manal) and there are marks on the Lingam of a mullai (jasmine) creeper that is believed to have wrapped itself around it. Those who suffer from incurable diseases, do punugu (a kind of perfumed substance obtained from the civet cat) abhishekam to get cured STORY OF GODDESS GARBHARAKSHAMBIKA SAMETA SHRI MULLAIVANA NATHAR GODDESS GARBHARAKSHAMBIKA SAMETA SHRI MULLAIVANA NATHAR Thirukarugavur is the abode of Goddess Garbharakshambika and Lord Mullaivana nathar Garbharakshambika means The Mother Who Protects the Womb. The name of the place itself brings out the significance of the temple. A remarkable feature of the temple which distinguishes this temple from the innumerable other shrines of our land is that the Goddess Sri Garbharakshambika not only protects the unborn child, but also blesses people who long for a child, people who have pregnancy related problems and pregnant women who come to the temple praying for an easy delivery. The other presiding deity is Lord Mullaivana Nathar (Lord of the Jasmine Garden) and worshipping this God will cure all kinds of skin diseases. People who are afflicted with incurable diseases come to this temple.

LOCATION OF THE TEMPLE

The temple is situat ed in Thirukarugavur which is a small village situated in Papanasam Taluka, in Tanjore District. Tiruk- karugavur itself means -"The town where the foetus was protected". The temple is located in a serene atmosphere along the banks of the river Vettaar, which is a branch of the sacred river Cauvery Location details: Taluka: Papanasam District: Thanjavur (Tanjore) State: Tamilnadu Country: India Ideal Travel Base: Thanjavur (Tanjore) HOW TO REACH THE TEMPLE Thirukarugavur is in Papanasam taluka which is located on Thanjavur (Tanjore) Kumbakonam road. It can be reached from both Thanjavur (Tanjore)and Kumbakonam. Town buses are available from both places to take you to the temple. Papanasam is about 20 kilometers east of Thanjavur Town and at 20 kilometers South west of Kumbakonam, so the distance is almost the same. If you are traveling from Chennai, you have to take a train or bus to Kumbakonam and from Kumbakonam, there are buses going straight to Thirukarugavur where the temple is

situated. You can also rent a car locally for transport. PRESIDING DIETIES

Among the numerous shrines in Tanjore District the temple at Thirukarugavur is a unique one. The presiding deities of the temple are Lord Mullaivananathar and Goddess Garbharakshambika. Lord Mullaivananathar is Lord Shiva himself and Goddess Garbharakshambika is an incarnation of Goddess Parvati. Goddess Parvati is the embodiment of Shakti (Power). She has the power to give or empower and she is perhaps the most loved and undoubtedly the most giving of her love. In her we have the true celebration of Hindu womanhood. THE TEMPLE The Shri Garbharakshambika Sameta Shri Mullaivana Nathar temple is spread over a wide expanse with huge towering Gopurams and a beautiful water tank in front of it. The temple is surrounded by tall coconut - palms, the whole atmosphere is very calming and serene and lends the place sanctity. Once you walk past the temple tank, you reach into the temple complex of Shri Garbharakshambika Sameta Shri Mullaivana Nathar. There is a main Raja gopuram on the east and the temple has also got an entrance on the south side. Both the shrines of Lord Mullaivana Nathar and Goddess Garbharakshambika are situated in the outer Prakaram, which is the main Prakaram facing the east direction. The main sanctum of this temple has the Shiva lingam and Goddess Garbharakshambika is situated to the left of the Shiva temple. It is believed that the Nandi *at this temple is in Swayambhu vigraham (Self manifested) and so is the Karpaga Vinayagar inside the temple which is also a Swayambhu (self manifested) and as such commands unique devotion from the worshippers. There is also a shrine for Lord Subramanian. (*The sacred bull on which Lord Shiva rides) Devotees pay their respects to the presiding deity, Shri Mullaivana nathar ( Lord Shiva) first, as is the custom that is followed in Shiva temples anywhere in TN and then to Goddess Garbharakshambika. BEAUTY OF THE GODDESS Goddess Garbharakshambika is the supreme personality of Motherhood and the sanctum sanctorum (Garba Graha) of her temple is filled with the presence of her beautiful idol of, which is about 7 feet tall and decked in beautiful kanjeevaram sarees and exquisite jewellery. She is adorned with the most beautiful flowers which are offered in abundance

to the Goddess increasing her beauty. The Goddess has the most radiant smile on her face depicting positivity and a ray of hope. For the thousands who throng her abode she isnt an idol, she is their only remaining hope. Even a casual visitor cannot fail to be thrilled by the motherly grace and the imposing look of the Goddess here. HISTORICAL EVIDENCE TO THE SHRINE The Gopuram and the huge compound walls tell the story of more than a thousand years. The Sthalapuranas* which are in Sanskrit and Tamil are preserved in manuscript forms and show the antiquity of the temple. The Sthalapurana gives a detailed account of the origin of this Kshetram and the various persons who obtained Divine Grace at this place. (*Sthalapuranas are scriptures which usually extoll the virtues of a temple. They narrate stories of the temple's creation and spiritual history.) There are also ancient inscriptions of the walls inside. Inscriptions from King Raja Raja Chola's periodwho ruled between 985 and 1014 CE*. as well as those from Parantaka Cholas period (early 10th century) are seen inside the temple. There is evidence that Beema, Garkiyar, Gouthamar and a lot of ancient kings worshipped the God in this temple. (* CE stands for Common Era) Appar, Sundarar and Sambandar, the three famous Nayan-mars (Saints) have celebrated the glory of the God and this temple in soul-stirring verses (pathigams*) of rare beauty and charm. (* Pathigams are verses, poems or songs in praise of the lord and the temple) The three Nayan-mars visited these temples along with their followers in spite of the inconveniences they faced while travelling the nook and corner of Tamilnadu in search of these temples. There are instances when God Shiva himself had directed them and shown the way to some of the temples so that the above Nayan-mars could visit these temples and compose Pathigams. These Pathigaams composed in the classical Tamil language are of immense value to the Tamil literature.

STORY OF MULLAIVANA NATHAR Lord Shiva is mainly worshipped in the form of a Shiva linga. The shiva lingam of the presiding deity, Lord Mullaivana nathar in the main sanctum of this temple is a Swayambu (self-manifested ) Lingam, It is one out of the 64 in the world. In the Shiva lingam one can see even today the impression of jasmine creepers which once covered the Shiva lingam. The place must have been a jasmine garden once upon a time. Hence the Shiva at this place is called as Mullaivana Nathar (Lord of the Jasmine Garden). Mullai (Jasmine flower) also known as Madhvi or Vasanti in Sanskrit, is the favourite flower of this deity. The Sthala Vriksham* in this temple is the Mullai creeper (Every South Indian temple has its own tree - the sthala vriksham. The names of each temple's tree are included in the agamas, descriptive texts) The Lingam of Lord Mullaivana Nathar is made up of ant hill mud. Therefore there is no water abhisekam for this Lord. Instead, the Lingam is merely pasted with a kind of must called "Punuhu" in tamil. It is told that worshipping the main deity Lord Mullaivana Nathar (God Shiva) will cure all kinds of skin diseases. People who are afflicted with incurable diseases come to this temple, offer "Punuhu Chattam" to the Lord and get themselves relieved of their diseases. Special Feature Of This Temple The special feature of this temple is that the moon's rays falls on the Siva lingam on the full moon day in the Tamil month of Panguni (March/April) every year. This is a divine sight to see.

STORY OF GARBHARAKSHAMBIKA Here is the story of Goddess Garbharakshambika (an incarnation of Goddess Parvati) and why she is known as the protector of the womb. Once there lived a Rishi called Nidhruva who lived with his beautiful wife Vedhika in an Ashram. He spent his life praying to the lord and performing holy rites. They were very happy, except that they didnt have a child, so they prayed fervently to the lord to be blessed with a child. After many prayers Vedhika became pregnant. Everything was going on well and the couple were eagerly expecting their first born child. One day Nidhruva left to visit Lord Varuna by travelling through the skies. The rishis in those days had many powers. Vedhika was in the third trimester of her pregnancy, When he was gone, Sage Urdhvapada visited the Ashram. Vedhika was alone in the ashram and since she was in an advanced state of pregnancy and very tired after the daily household chores, she was lying down and taking rest. Vedhika didn't notice the Rishi or hear him, therefore, she failed to respond and unwittingly failed to offer, due hospitality to the guest. Urdhvapada felt terribly insulted and unaware of her pregnancy got incensed at her conduct and cursed her for not paying due respects to him. He cursed that she should suffer from a disease called Rayatchu, as a result of which poor Vedhika was struck with a foul disease, which began to eat into the very vitals of not only herself but also the child in her womb. Vedhika realized the effect of the curse and that the baby in the womb had become disformed because of this curse. The helpless Vedhika fervently prayed for relief to Goddess Parvati who in the plentitude of her mercy appeared before Vedhika, the Goddess offered protection to the embryo by keeping it in a divine pot till it bloomed into a full-fledged child. The foetus that was saved by Goddess Parvathi develops into a beautiful healthy male child called Naidhruvan, who receives blessings from Lord Shiva (Mullaivana Nathar) and Goddess Parvati. The holy cow Kamadhenu gives its milk to the newborn baby thus blessing and nourishing the baby.

When sage Nidhruva returned and heard what had happened, he was overwhelmed by the grace of the Almighty. He prayed to Lord Shiva (MullaivanaNathar) and Goddess Parvati (Garbharakshambika) that they should shower their blessings to all devotees praying to them. He fell at the feet of Goddess Parvati and prayed that she should take a permanent abode at the place and continue to offer protection to future generations of women also. Thus we find this prayer being fulfilled even to this day. Since the Goddess Parvathi appeared in the form of a savior to protect Vedhikas unborn child, she was known as Shri Garbharakshambika (The one who protects the unborn child or the one who protects the womb) To this day, pregnant women visiting this temple at Tanjore and praying to Shri Garbharakshambika have a peaceful delivery and it is believed that the Devi takes care of them and vouches safety to women during pregnancy and childbirth, just as she took care of Vedhika. POPULARITY OF THE TEMPLE Goddess Garbharakshambika is one of the most popular form of shakti in Tamilnadu. She is the lovely embodiment of womanhood and in this avatar as Garbharakshambika she has been ever gracious upon all womanhood to be the Goddess responsible to take care of women with uterus related disorders and pregnancy. The fame of this temple rests largely upon the Goddess Shri Garbharakshambika (an avatar of Goddess Parvati) who offers protection to, the human embryo. And it is no wonder that this temple draws worshippers from all sects. It is believed that childless people who worship here with devotion and faith are blessed with pregnancy and pregnant women with safe deliveries. Unmarried women also pray here for their marriages. Special prayers are conducted by people on behalf of their pregnant relatives or friends. The uniform experience of the people of these parts bears unfailing testimony to the said characteristic attributed to the Deity. The inhabitants of the village speak to the fact, that within Irving memory, there has been no case of fatality to the mother or child during confinement. Pregnant women from elsewhere come here and pray to the God and Goddess for a safe child birth. No one in this place has ever had a miscarriage or pregnancy problem. It is at a place like this that one can understand what "Divine Presence" is. POOJA AND PRASADAM Couples who remain childless for a long time should offer ghee, which will be placed at the Feet of the Goddess charged with manthras and given to them. If the couples eat a little of this Ghee at night daily for 48 days the woman will certainly conceive soon and they will be blessed with children. Pregnant women expecting deliveries should offer castor oil, which will be placed, at the Feet of Sri Garbharakshambikai, charged with mantras and offered to them. This castor oil has wonderful property. When the women gets the labour pains, this oil should be smeared on their abdomen. This will eliminate all complications, dangers and after effects of deliveries and make the deliveries quite easy.

Special pooja at Garbharakshambika temple The special Pooja and Pushpanjali at the Garbharakshambika temple help to overcome problems related to pregnancy and childbirth. Auspicious Times: All days are auspicious in this temple; Pradhoshams are very special in this temple, as in other Siva temples. Pooja Offerings For pooja coconut, banana, betel & Nut are offered, castor oil is offered which is kept in the feet of the goddess for mantra. Charging of Castor Oil for Easy Deliveries. Ghee is offered which is kept in the feet of the goddess for manthra. Charged Ghee is believed to Bless the couple with Children. CONTACT THE TEMPLE THE EXECUTIVE OFFICER Arulmigu Mullai Vananathar Thirukkoil Thirukkarugavur (P.O) Papanasam Tk. Thanjavur Dt. 614 302 Tamil Nadu Phone : (04374) 273423 Email ; enquiry@garbarakshambigai.com Below are the links to contact the temple You can get the Puja done through pariharam.com. They will send you the prasadam. Below is their link http://pariharam.com/Temple_Thirukkarugavur.aspx?TempleID=TMPL014 Delivery of prasadam process takes: 3 to 4 days from performing date for Indian address.5 to 7 days from performing date for Euroupe, Gulf and Asian address.10 to 12 days from performing date for US, Canada and Australia address.The amount details are available at the above link. www.eprarthana.com offers pooja at this temple and sends you prasad. www.hindupurohit.com will perform the pooja and courier the prasadam to you. Check these websites for more information. SHLOKAS

The garbharakshambika sloka in tamil is as follows "Hey Shankara smarahara Bramadhaa dha naadha Mannaadha saamba sasisooda hara thrisoolin Sambo suhaprasavagrudh bhava mey dhayaalo Sri mathru boodha siva paalayamaam namaste! Himavathyuththarey paarsvey seeradha naama yakshinee Thasyaahaa smarana maathrenaa vichalya gharbinee bhavethu!! " Check this link for more Shlokas. The Shlokas are available in Tamil and Englishhttp://www.go.to/ambalor you can also get the same shlokas at the below link http://geocities.com/jaganmatha/Eng