Lord Murugan Temple - Pazhamudircholai

Pazhamudircholai is situated 19 Kms. from the temple town of Madurai. This temple is mentioned as the sixth Arupadai veedu. The place is full of natural beauty and sylvan surroundings. This hill is also known as Virshabhadri or Idabagiri. Most scholars , priests and devotees identify this as the pazhamudircholai , twelve miles north of madurai in the alagar hills.

And this temple is not as large or bustling as the other five recognised shrines , it is just as incredible to visit. At the top of the hill is Noopura Ganga , a perennial waterfall with a temple dedicated to Rakkayi amman . the Noopura Ganga is said to be orignated from the anklet of Tirumal or Vishnu and hence the name of the spring.

Though the stala is of ancient origin , the temple as in existence today was constructed only recently. From days of Yore Vel has been worshipped as the moolavar or main deity. The idol of Lord Muruga in a standing posture has a single face and four hands with Vallu and Teyvayanai on both sides. The vel made up of stone is of special significance and is worshipped with great veneration by devotees.

The sthala Viriksha is a rose apple tree. The fruits of this tree ripen during skanda Sashti festival. The temple that was in existence during sangam period no longer existed in Arunagirinatha's time. The recently constructed temple is considered as Pazhamudircholai and worshipped by devoteed.

source : http://www.palanitemples.com/english/pazhamuthircholai.htm

Subramanya Swami Temple - Tirutani

Amongst Lord Murugan's Arupadi veedu , Tirutani or tirutanikai Malai , ranks prominent as the crown jewel of our Lord. As its name indicates , when we propitiate our Lord in this holy shrine, He blesses us with mental peace and bodily happiness. His righteous indignation towards the asuras for their cruelty is said to have been quelled and cooled at this place which is , therefore , know as Shantipuri . As the prayers and desires of the devotees who worship our Lord Tanikesan on this hill with unserving faith and intense devotion are fulfilled in no time, this hill is also called Chanikasalam.

This temple at Tirutani crowns a single rock 700 feet above the sea level. Around this temple are famous religious places such as Kancheepuram on the south , Sholingar and Vallimalai on the west , Tirupathi and Kalahasti on the North and Tiruvengadu with Lord Nataraja on the East.

When our Lord came to this hill after marrying Goddess Valli at Vallimalai, she implored him to enlighten her on the importance and greatness of this hill. In reply, Lord Muruga said that if anyone worships him with heart and soul for five consequtive days , that person would be blessed with all in his life.

Greatness of Tirutani temple :

Lord Rama , after defeating Ravana came to Rameshwaram and worshipped Lord Shiva , On request Lord Rrama came to Tirutani and worshipped Murugan and Got peace of mind. Arjuna got blessings of Lord Muruga here by offering prayers to him on his way to south for Teertha yatra. Lord Vishnu prayed to Muruga here , and got back his powerful Chakra and Shanku , which was forcebly seized from him by Tarakasura . Lord Brahma propitiated Muruga here at the holy spring known as Brahmasanai after his imprisonment by Murugan for his failure to explain the pranava Mantram and got back his creative function of which he was deprived by Murugan due to his egotistic impudence in neglecting to worship Lord subrahmaya on his way to Mount Kailas to worship Lord shiva. Lord Indra Planted and reared in the pool known as Indrasanai adjoining this hill temple the rare palnt known as karunkuvalai , which gave three flowers a day ans worshipped Lord Murugan thrice daily with these flowers and thus got back the precious wealth of Deva Loka which were seized by the asura Titan. The King of snakes Vasuki got his wounds healed , which had been caused during the churning of the Milky ocean to get the Amritha by the devas and asuras . Sage Agastiyar worshipped Murugan and he was blessed with rare divine gift of Tamil Language .

Legends and Mythology :

The temple is a very old one and scriptures can be used to trace the temple's existence to as early as two thousand years ago. The temple is known be several names some of which are Kunruthor Adal, Thanigachalam, Santhipuri and Skandagiri. Lord Subramanya, it is believed, took to Tiruthani as his abode, after vanquishing the demon called Soorapadman at Tiruchendur. The battle called Soora samharam saw the death of the arrogance of the demon who was transformed into a Seval or Cock that became Muruga's Kodi ( or flag) and the also into a Peacock which became the vehicle of the Lord. At Tiruthani, the swamy is known to be in a very tranquil state, especially after marrying Valli.

Mythology has it that Lord Subrahmanya swamy came in various forms such as a hunter and a old man to test the perseverance of Valli, a girl from the hunter community who undertook a penance to attain oneness with Lord Thanigesan. Vinayaka, his big brother helped Skanda in his efforts to marry Valli, by donning the form of a mad elephant, which scared Valli who scurried for refuge to the old man, none other than Subramanyar himself.

Specialities of Tirutani Malai :

SaravanPoikai :

The Sacred tanks of the shrines are also known as SaravanaPoikai . The tank at tirutani , which is at the foot of the hill , is particularly renowned for it ssacred water having curative effect for ailments , as it is rich in minerals . A bath in this holy tank refreshes the devotee and makes him hale and healthy to propitiate Lord with faith and devotion.

Sapta Rishi Teertham :

At the lovely garden on the south side of this sacred hill , the Seven Rishis are said to have worshipped Lord Muruga and the Sapta Kannikas enshrined at this place in a tiny temple.
On the outskirts of the Tiruttani town, on both sides of the Nandi River, are the ancient temples of Lord Vijayaragama Swami, Arumuga Swami and Veerateeswarar, the latter two of which are more than a thousand years old. In the temple of Arumuga Swami, there is soorya puja every year for three days in March when the rising sun is said to worship Lord Murugan by casting its rays upon the holy Feet of the deity on the first day, Breast on the second day and Head on the third day through a hole in the wall, which reveals the marvellous intellect of the architects of ancient days.

Festivals :

The two outstanding annual festivals are the Aadi Krittikai and the 31st december New year step festival along with the monthly krittikais.

Aadi krittikais : This festival falls between July and August , which lasts for three days witht he float festivals and devotees come to this holy place , carrying the Flower kavadis .

December 31st Step Festival : On the New year day lakhs of devotees are present here to have the darshan of Lord Murugan. This festival came into vogue during the british rule , when famous Vallimalai Swamnigal persuaded his followers to offer their homage to Lord Murugan first and then to thier official boss. On this day all the devotees sings Tiruppugazh songs and burns camphor on each of the hill 365 steps .

The entire atmosphere is filled with the music of these devotional songs, which is a feast to the eyes and ears. The sight of the Vel Kavadi taken to the shrine by some devotees on this day with the thin, sharp ends pricked and pierced all over the body above the hip (in spite of which they carry it with ease and grace) inspires and elevates our thoughts to adore our Lord for His mighty, marvellous and miraculous powers.

Source : http://murugan.org/temples/tiruttani.htm

Arulmigu Swaminatha Temple - Swamimalai

Swamimalai is situated about five kilometers west of Kumbakonam on the banks of a tributary of river Cauvery. The temple is built on an artificial hillock of about sixty feet height with sixty beautifully laid stone steps representing the Hindu cycle of sixty years - leading to the Lord . In the ground floor there are temples dedicated to Lord Sundareswarer and Goddesss Meenakshi. This temple is well connected to and surrounded by important places like Kumbakonam, Tiruvidaimarutur, Mayiladuthurai, Papanasam, Tanjavur .Hymns in praise of the presiding deity have been sung by saint Nakkeerar in Tirumurukatrupadaiand by Saint Arunagirnathar in Tiruppukazh.

Legend :

Swamimalai one among the Aarupadai veedu , sacred shrines dedicated to Lord Muruga. The presiding deity here expounded the meaning of the Pranava mantra OM to his own Father Lord Siva Himself.

Mythology says that saint Bhrugu before commencing an arduous tavam or penance, got the boon that anybody disturbing his mediation will forget all his knowledge. Such was the power of the penance that the sacred fire emanating from the head of the saint reached up to the heavens, and the frightened devas surrendered to Lord Siva praying for his grace. The Lord extinguished the sacred fire by covering the saint's head by hand. With the saint's penance thus disturbed the Lord became oblivious of all his knowledge and is said to have regained them by learning the Pranava mantra from Lord Muruga at this shrine.
Once when Brahma, the lord of all creations was proceeding to Kailasa, the ever-playful child Lord Muruga asked him for the meaning of the Pranava "OM". When Brahma admitted his ignorance, the Lord imprisoned him. With Brahma imprisoned, all creations came to a standstill and the devas prayed to Lord Siva to get Brahma released. When Muruga insisted that the imprisonment was a just punishment for the ignorance of Brahma, Lord Siva asked him whether he himself knew the meaning of the primordial Pranava OM. Lord Muruga said that he knew the meaning of OM and can expound it to the latter only if he can accept him as guru and listen to the exposition as a devoted disciple. As Lord Siva acceded to the request of Lord Muruga and heard the exposition of OM as a disciple, the place came to be known as Swamimalai and the presiding deity as Swaminathan.

Pujas and Festivals :

Daily pujas to the deities are performed six times a day (six kalams). Usha Kalam, Kalasandhi and Uchikala poojas are performed in the forenoon and the afternoon poojas commencing from Sayaratchai and Rendam kalam are concluded with Arthajama pooja in the night.

The important festivals conducted in the temple are:

• Monthly Kirutikai festival
• Temple Car festival in April
• Visakam festival in May
• Navaratri festival in May
• Skanda Shashti festival in October
• Tiru Karthigai festival in Nov/December
• Thaipusam festival in January and
• Panguni Uthiram festival in March.
  

Source : http://www.palanitemples.com/english/swamymalai.htm

Lord Murugan Temple - Thiruparamkundram

Tirupparankundram, a hill five miles southwest of Madurai, is the fourth pilgrimage site of Muruga. A cave temple dedicated to the element of earth and mentioned in various classical Tamil texts as the 'Southern Himalaya' where the gods assemble, Tirupparankunram is also mentioned in legend as 'the place where the sun and moon abide'. Murugan was married to Devasena upon the hill and for many centuries the Tamil people have considered it the most auspicious place for their own marriages, especially during the time of the Pankuni Uttiram, the festival of marriage held in late March. Besides the temple to Murugan on the hill, there is also a Muslim shrine dedicated to 'Sekunder' who is associated with Murugan by the Muslim pilgrims. Legend says that , "Sikandar was a friend of Murugan at the time when Murugan was King here".
Significance of the temple :

Thiruparamkundram is located at about 5 kilometers, south-east of Madurai.The presiding deities of the temple is Lord Subhramanya and Devasena.The rock-cut temple is located on the northern side of a hill. The sanctum celebrates the idols of Lord Murugan and Devasena seated beside each other along with the idol of Sage Narada. There are also other images of Godheads engraved on the walls of the shrine witnessing the divine union.There are five theerthams or sacred water sources in and around the temple. They are Saravana Poigai, Lakshmi Theertham, Saniyasi Kinaru, Kasi Sunai and Sathya Koopam.It is also fact that Machchamuni one among the eighteen Siddhars had attained salvation in thiruparamkundram.
Legend :
Long, long ago, when Lord Subrahmanya was staying at Kanda Verpu, the two daughters of Lord Maha Vishnu, Amrita Valli and Sundara Valli, cherished the desire of becoming the consorts of Subrahmanya. With this aim in mind they both went to Saravana Poigai and commenced austere penance to fulfil their desires. Pleased with their prayer and worship, Lord Subrahmanya appeared before them and told Amrita Valli, "You will be brought up by Indra as his daughter and I shall marry you in due course." Her younger sister Sundara Valli was also graced with a similar blessing. She was born to sage Sivamuni and brought up by Nambi. Amrita Valli took the form of a female child and went to Mount Meru, the abode of Indra, and told him, "I am the daughter of Maha Vishnu and the responsibility of looking after me has been entrusted to you." On hearing this, Indra became very happy and directed Airavatam, his white elephant, to take care of the child.The elephant with all love brought her up and affection and she attained the age of marriage in course of time. Hence she came to be known as Devayanai (Deva - Yaanai ), one who was brought up by the heavenly elephant of Indra.
The six sons of sage Parasara were cursed to become fishes in the Saravana Poigai .On request for redemption, these six boys were ordered to pray to Lord Subrahmanya. When they got his darshan, they could get redemption. It was also made known to them that Lord Subrahmanya would come to Tirupparankunram after vanquishing the demon Surapadma. Anxiously they waited for the arrival of Subrahmanya. When the mission of Subrahmanva to vanquish Surapadma was over at Tiruchendur, on his way, he came to this spot followed by all the devas and heavenly beings whom he had released from the untold miseries caused by Surapadma.On his arrival at Tirupparankunram, the sons of Parasara received Subrahmanya and, at their request, he consented to stay there. He at once ordered Viswakarma to construct a beautiful abode for himself, for the devas and for others. He also suggested to the heavenly architect to build roads and erect a city around them.



Indra, the king of the angels, desired to get his daughter Devayanai married to Subrahmanya, as a mark of his gratitude for relieving him and the devas from the depredations of the demon Surapadma.He expressed his desire to Brahma and Vishnu who were present there.When they communicated the desire of Indra to Lord Subrahmanya he readily agreed to it and said: "Devayanai has been praying at Saravana Poigai in the Himalayas for this happy marriage. Now the time has come for its being solemnised." As Subrahmanya agreed to this marriage, Indra sent a messenger to bring his wife Indrani and daughter Devayanai from Mount Meru.The marriage took place at Tirupparankunram, after the victory of Subrahmanya over Surapadma.All arrangements for marriage were made and the marriage was performed at the Tirupparankunram Temple. All the devas, Siva and Parvati attended the marriage and blessed Subrahmanya and Devayanai. Since then, the temple has become a very famous abode of Subrahmanya.
Source : http://www.palanitemples.com/english/thiruparamkundram.htm

ARULMIGU DANDAYUDHAPANI SWAMI TEMPLE - PALANI

Palani Hill Temple and the Idol :

Lord Murugan is the deity in Palani (Tiru Avinankudi) . The temple at Palani is an ancient one, situated at an elevation of 1500 feet above sea level . The deity of Palani is known as Dandayudhapani Swami , is the son of Lord Siva and son-in-law of Vishnu. He has other names such as Kulandaivelan, Balasubrahmanyan, Shanmukhan, Devasenapati, Swaminathan, Vallimanalan, Devayanaimanalan, Palaniandavar, Kurinjiandavar, Arumugan, Jnana Pandita, Saravanan, Sevar Kodiyonthe.

The deity at the sanctum sanctorum is made out of an amalgam of nine minerals popularly called Navabashana. The Lord having the Staff in his Hand. The deity is in a standing position with a baton in his hand. He has the look of a person who has renounced all worldly pomp. He has just a loincloth besides the baton. He is a mute messenger of the great precept 'Renounce all to reach Me'. The icon is unique in the whole world. It was made by siddha Bhogar by combining nine poisonous substances (navabashana).

The Legend or Sthala Purana of Palani :

As per the Hindu mythology, Sage Narada once visited the divine court of Lord Shiva at Mount Kailash. Lord Shiva was with his consort, Goddess Shakti, and their two children, Lord Ganesha and Lord Subrahmanya. Sage Narada gave Lord Shiva a fruit and told him that it was a special one, the fruit of wisdom (Jnana-Pazham).
Lord Shiva wanted his children to have the fruit of wisdom. However, when he offered it to them to be shared between the two sons, Sage Narada requested not to cut the fruit in two, lest the power be diminished. As a result, they had to decide to conduct a simple competition to decide who should get the fruit. Shiva and Shakti decided that the son who first circled the Earth would get the fruit. Immediately accepting the challenge, Lord Murugan started his journey around the globe on his divine vehicle, the peacock. Lord Ganesha, who believed that his parents were his world, simply circumbulated Lord Shiva and Goddess Shakti and claimed the mango fruit. Lord Subrahmanya returned to Mount Kailash, only to find that Lord Ganesha had already won the contest. Lord Murugan felt he had been deceived and decided to leave Mount Kailasam. He reached to top of what is today called Pazhani malai and set up his abode there. Goddess Shakti and Lord Shiva rushed to the hill and tried to pacify their son, calling him, Gnana Pazham Nee appa (in Tamil, "you are the fruit - Pazham; of wisdom - Gnana"). Hence this place came to be called Pazhani, or Palani.

Bhogar Shrine :

The Bhogar Shrine is in the southwestern corridor of the hill temple. Siddhar Bhogar created the icon (the amalgam of nine minerals) and did daily services. He lived long ago, perhaps 3000 BC.

Legend also has it that a divine siddhar named Boghar, created the idol of Dhandayuthapaani using navapashanam, an amalgam made from 9 poisonous elements which on getting mixed develops highly curative powers for many ailments of the human body, according to Sidhha Medicine practice. A small portion with a deity, dedicated to Boghar is also placed inside the temple. the adjoining walls depicts the history of the creation and other facts related to the temple.

In this shrine, pujas are offered to Navadurga, Bhuvaneswari and Maragatha Lingam that were worshipped by Bhogar. It is said that there is a subterranean tunnel linking the shrine with the sanctum sanctorum through which Bhogar is said to go to the main idol and perform daily pujas as he is said to be only in nirvikalpa samadhi.

How Kavadi Tradition Began :

The Kavadi is steeped in Mythology. At Mount Kailash, Lord Shiva entrusted the saint sage Agastya with two hillocks , Sivagiri and Sakthigiri (A small natural hill), with the instruction to carry and install them in South India. But the sage left them in a forest and later asked his disciple, Idumban to get them. Idumban found the two hillocks, but could not intially lift them , untill he obtained divine help. Near Palani in south India, Indumban Kept the hillocks down to rest awhile. When he attempted to continue with his journey , he found that the hillocks were immovable. He then sought the help of a scantily dressed youth , but the youth claimed the hillocks belonged to him. In the ensuing scuffle, Idumban was defeated. Idumban the realised that the youth was Lord Muruga. He pleaded to be pardoned and asked that anyone comes to hills to worship Muruga with an object similar to two hillocks suspended by a rod , may be granted his heart's desire. Idumban's wish was granted, and so the Kavadi came to play its role on the festivals.

Pooja :

There are six pujas every day . At 5 am the Lord gives Visvarupa Darshana and finally ends with Golden Charriot Darshan.

1. Vilaa Pooja (6.30 a.m.)
2. Siru Kall Pooja (8.00 a.m.)
3. Kaala Santhi (9.00 a.m.)
4. Utchikkala Pooja (12.00 noon)
5. Raja Alankaram (5.30 p.m.)
6. Iraakkaala Puja (8.00 p.m.)

Festivals :

Panguniuttiram, Thai Pucam, Kanda Sasthi, Agni Nakshatram are the major festivals. Vaikasi Vishakam, Tirukkarttikai and other festivals are also celebrated.

Pictorial representation of the story of how Palani gots its name :

check this link , where the whole story is well explained through photos :

http://palani.org/pazham_nee.htm

Source : http://murugan.org/temples/palani.htm

Thiruchendur Murugan Temple

One of the six places of worship dedicated to Lord Muruga, the shore temple of Arulmigu Subramanya Swami at Tiruchendur has a unique significance as the culmination of the concept of Muruga. With its lofty tower of about 140 feet. References are available in such texts as Purananooru, Silappadikaram, Tirumurugatrupadai, Adi Sankarar, Sri SubramanyaBhjangam, Kanda Puranam, Tiruppukazh, Tiruchendur Pillai Tamil , As one of the foremost spiritual centres, the temple has been an attraction for Hindus for ages. This was the only temple of Lord Muruga located on the seashore. His shrines are always situated amid mountains and forests, for these regions are considered dear to Lord Murugan. Indeed, it is here that Murugan and his deva-sena or army of celestials confront and vanquish the titan Surapadma and his demonic horde. This momentous struggle is annually re-created at Tiruchendur on the sixth day of Skanda Sashti, the 'Six (days) of Skanda'.

At this spot, Lord Muruga was said to have emcamped before and after vanquishing the asuras and worshipped Siva at the shrine Mayan had built for Him. The Kanda Madana Parvata, the red sandstone rock of this coast received its foundations. A lofty gopuram also rose beside it. A part of the cliff was bored into to form the holy sanctum of Subramaniam. Maharaja Marthandavarma of Travancore Samasthanam endowed the very first Udaya Marthanda Kattalai of each morning and others followed in the nine aradhanas of the day.
As time rolled on, the effect of the sea and its salt-laden air begain to tell upon the inferior sandstones used in the original construction. A noble sannyasin, Mauna Swami, immediately took up the renovation and was followed by two others, Kasi Swami and Arumuga Swami. The work continued during the course of 72 years. The temple and its gopurams of nine floors are a landmark visible at sea for twelve miles.

Temple Structure :

Lord Muruga's association with Tiruchendur is significant, Tiruchendur, a sacred and prosperous town of victory, was also known as Tiruchen-Chendiloor in the Tamil classics. The Vasanta Mandapam is a recent noble edifice standing on 120 columns and with a central porch. The Ananda Vilas Mandapam stands on a raised sandy promontory majestically overlooking the sea. It is a mandapam of 16 pillars worked in black granite. The Shanmukha Vilasam, a magnificent mandapam of intricate stone plinths and columns, is the frontal adjunct to the main temple. It houses an ornate mandapam of four pillars in the centre, and this touches the ceiling through its elaborately carved and majestic pillars and supports the entire Shanmukha Vilasam.

The main entrance of this temple opens into the first temple prahara known as Sivili Mandapam. It is a series of four long corridors running round the inner second prahara flanked on either side by familiar rows of columns of yalis. The Sivili Mandapam produces a fine effect of symmetry and randeur. There is a Vishnu shrine of Lord Venkatesa on the norther prahara. This Vishnu shrine is hollowed out of the rock itself.

The principal sanctum of this great temple is Subramaniam, the Lord of Senthil. The figure is seen in a standing posture. The principal sanctum has all the full complement of mandapas.

There are four lithic inscriptions of the Pandya times collected together and planted in a line. Two of them belong to Pandya Varaguna Maran of about 875 AD, the third of Pandya Mara Varman of about 1282 AD and the fourth of Vikrama Pandya Deva. The inscriptions of Varaguna speak of his grant of 1,400 gold coins to the temple. There is a mention of a shrine to Nakkira Deva, which speaks highly of the literary advancement of the period.
A little removed from the main shrine and on the northern seashore under a cliff of overhanging hardened sandstone there is a picturesque cave carved out of it, which is famous as Valli's Cave. Two images are installed there, one dedicated to Valli and another to Dattatreya. Almost embedded in a rolling high sand dune on the beach lies a remarkable spring known as Skanda Pushparani - the Nazhik Kinaru. It is a natural phenomenon and is said to have sprung up as Lord Shanmukha planted His lance - the Vel - on the spot.
There is a remarkable spring of fresh crystal water in a stone receptacle known as Nazhik Kinaru. It is a foot square and inset with the larger well. Another water source is one of saltish and highly sulphurous smelling and muddy-looking water. This swells up during the day and is pumped out daily so as not to allow it to overflow into the smaller one. A bath in the sea and in this well is considered to be of much spiritual merit.

According to legend, after the final Surasamharam battle on the beach at Tiruchendur, Lord Murugan felt remorse for His role in slaughtering Surapadma's demonic army. He therefore built a shrine nearby to His Father Lord Siva and worshipped Him there. Technically, therefore, the temple is dedicated to Lord Siva. Yet the mulasthanam deity is Lord Senthil Andavar Himself standing in a majestic and relaxed pose facing east towards the sea, alone and without His consorts Valli and Devasena. Devotees by the thousands undertake personal vows including mudikani and angapradakshina . Traditions including all the elaborate daily pujas are strictly maintained.

(will explain in a seperate posting about Kanta Shasti Vratam )

Source : http://www.lordmurugan.com/tiruchendur.htm

Arupadai Veedu

Lord Muruga - called by various favourite names like Karthilkeya, Arumuga, Shanmuga, Guhan, Skanda, Subramanya and Kumara - by his ardent devotees . He is considered to be the son of Lord Shiva - the Hindu God of distruction and the brother of Lord Ganesh - the most famous elephant headed god of India. The Arupadaiveedu (six abodes) are the most important shrines for the devotees of Muruga in Tamilnadu, India.
Lord Muruga's Aaru Padai Veedu:

• Thiruparamkundram : Soora Samharam, Chariot Festival and Laksha archana (worship to Lord Muruga by hundred thousand names)
• Thiruchendur : Swing Festival (Oonjal Sevai - where Lord Muruga swings with his consort in a highly tranquill atmosphere)
• Palani : The Golden Chariot Festival (A very famous occation in which golden image of the Lord goes around the temple in Gold Plated Chariot)
• Swamimalai : The Soora Vahana Festival (Lord Muruga is seated above the Asura Soorapadhman and is taken around the temple
• Thiruthani : Mirror Festival (Kannadi Sevai - where the Lord's Six faces are exposed through a mirror and worshipped)
• Pazhamudhircholai : Bathing Festival (Abhishekam - where the Lord's image is bathed in several holy waters, amidst the veda chanting - Sri Rudhram and Chamakam)

(will post in detail about each and every temple...)