Sri Muktambika Sametha Sri Ardhanaareshwara Swamy Temple, Rishivandhiyam, Villupuram District

Presiding Deity: Sri Ardhanaareshwara Swamy

Presiding Goddess: Sri Mukthambika

Stala Vriksham: Pinnai Tree & Mahila Tree

Teertham : Agasthiya Teertham, Indra Teertham, Sankara Teertham

 

This temple is located in Rishivandiyam , in Villupuram District. This place gets its name from " Rishi Vanda Vanam". It is a beautiful temple having its history recorded for more that 1000 years. Thesame was built by the early Pandya Kings and later renovated by the successors Pandya Kings and Vijayanagara Emperors.

As you enter the street leading to the temple you can see a four pillared mandap housing the Nandi Deva in front of the temple.The temple entrance has a 7 tiered Gopuram/Tower. The mandap infront of the gopuram has idols of the Shiva Family.

As you cross the Gopuram and enter the temple there is another Nandi housed in a smaller mandap.

You enter mahamandap you get to see the Lord Nataraja & Sivakami towards your right, Sri Vinayagar and the Palliyarai towards your left. After worshipping Sri Ganesha and as I enter towards the Sanctum , the feeling changes, i felt as i am going to my parents place where they both are sitting together and eagerly wanting to grace their blessings.

As i entered the queue to take the darshan, the preistperformed the mangala aarathi. I enquired with him about the temple history, he narrates the history as follows…..

" The baanam ( the lingam ) is swayambhu and is very special as it houses both Lord Shiva and Lordess Parvathi, however one cannot see Parvathi Devi normally. Indra Deva was performing pooja to Lord Shiva on a daily basis with Milk abhishekam, however he would leave without taking dasrshan of Devi Parvathi ! Being offended by the act of Indra Deva, Sri Parvathi devi complained to Lord Shiva, who inturn offered his Left side to Parvathi Devi. While DeveIndra was performing abhiseka he saw Parvathi Devi in the left part of the Lingam. Havingrealized his ignorance lord indra sought forgiveness from Devi Parvathi and went to his Loka,Until today one can see Devi parvathi in the Lingam while Honey abhiseka is performed"

He further informed that" This temple is also place of granting marriage boon to those who seek it. During the marriage of Lord Shiva & Lordess Parvathi, as people went to Northern Land the earth tilted towards North, Hence Sage Agasthiyar was asked to travel Southward to couter balance the tilt with the assurance of he will get to see all the rituals of the Marriage , This place is one such place where he saw the marriage"

After explaining the history we were asked to do a cicumabulation and come to Sri Mukthambika Shrine, while doing the pradakshina( going around the shrine) one can get to see the gostha devatas,

Sri Vinayagar, Sri Dakshinamurthy, Sri Lingothbavar, Sri Brahma, Sri Durga Devi, Sri Chandikeswara, and the Nayanmars.

By the time we reach the Shrine of Mukthambika the priest had opened the doors and asked us to come and perform aarthi. The devi offers mukthi(liberation) to her devotees hence the name. The idol of Devi is of immense beauty that will keep you bound there. You can get to see a human sized stone carved statue of Mahavishnu in the Mandapa before the Sanctum of Devi.

The Specialities of the Temple:

1. One can get to see Lordess Parvathi while performing Honey abhisheka and Milk Abisheka.

2. It is marriage boon offering temple, one has to visit this temple for 3/5 Amavasyas and perform archanai and in one of the months can offer the abhishek.

3. There is statue of a Yaali ( A mythical Creature) carved in one stone and in its mouth one can see a stone ball, which you cannot take out, however it rolls inside its mouth.

4. The temple has in its praharam five pillars which produces rhytmic sounds.

5. The Utsavar/ Somaskandar in the temple is of incomparable beauty.

How to reach?

One can reach Rishivandiyam from Thirukovilur, Kallakurichi or Ulundurpet.

Sri Soundarya Kanakambika Sametha Sri Athulya Nadeshwarar Temple, Arakandanallur, Thirukovilur, Villupuram District

The temple name was Araiani Nallur, Now it is called Arakandanallur. The same is located near Thirukovilur across the Thenpennai River.
This temple was glorified by Sri Thirugnanasambandar.
Presiding Deity:  Athulya Nadeshwarar ( Oppila Maniswarar)
Presiding Goddess: Soundarya Kanakambika ( Azhagiya Ponnammai)
Teertham:  Aaranya teertham, Pandava Teertham,  Then pennai River

This temple is located on a very small hilltop. The God is facing west and  Goddess is facing south . This temple has a significance as Lord Shiva has appeared as light source to Sri Thirugnanasambandar thousand years ago,  and to Sri Ramanamaharishi of Thiruvannamalai some 100 years..
There is a hearsay story that the Pandavas  of Mahabharata stayed hear during their exile, one can see five cave room in the hillock beneath the temple!!
The temple has a seven storied gopuram. As you enter the temple one can take the darshan of Sri Nandhikeshwara.
 Lord Athulya Nadeshwarar is of incomparable beauty!!! The vibrations in the sanctum puts your mind at peace!!
You take darshan of lord and do pradakshina of inner praharam one can see Sri Durga,  Sri Bairavar,  Sri Sankaranarayanar,  Sri Ardhanaareeshwar,  Sri Chandikeshwara, Sri Brahma,  Sri Dakshinamoorthy,  Sri Ramana  Maharishi,  Sri Thirugnana Sambandar.
As you come out of the inner praharam and start going around the outer one, you can see the footprints of Sri Thirugnana Sambandar!!! 
The wall around this temple has lot of inscriptions!!!
You complete the circumambulation of
Shiva temple you can enter the shrine of Sri Soundarya Kanakambigai!!  She is called as azhagiya ponnammai in Tamil!!!  She is gracing her devotees and blessings to all.
One can reach this place from Thirukovilur located at a distance of 4 kms ...

Sri SivanandaValli Sametha Sri Veeratteshwarar Temple, Thirukovilur, Villupuram District

Story 1:
The brilliant radiance of the sun has vanished suddenly, The pleasant coolness of the moon has gone suddenly, The temperature in the universe had gone down suddenly!!!!
Every God, Demi gods,  Rishis, Munis,  and every other being were confused without knowing the reason!!!!  These all were reactions of a small play full act of Sri Parvati!!!!
Guess what she had done??
She had playfully closed the eyes of her beloved husband, Lord Shiva, whose eyes are Sun and Moon!  The world had become dark then!!  The sparsha sambanda of devi and Lord had given birth to a child, it was too dark and was named Andhaka!! 
This child was destined to be brought up by the demonic king Hiranyaksan, brother of Hiranyakasipu. Hiranyakasipu was killed by Mahavishnu during his Narasimha avatar!!
Thus due to the brought up the child Andhaka grew as fine asura with all demonic qualities Asura s and was called as Andhakasura!!  The trouble begins here!!!!
The Deva and asura  war broke out as usual!! The devas went to Lord Mahavishnu who advised them take refuge at Mt. Kailash as the subject is son of Lord Shiva!!!!
Lord Shiva agreed to put the menace to end and entered the battle field!!!   The opponent had formidable powers due to his inherent birth quality!!  The battle continued for years!!!  Lord Shiva was surprised to see the asura  forces joining the battle in such large numbers as he had killed all of them atleast few times!!! The reason behind the asuraas joining the battle field was none other than Bhargava, the Asura Guru, who with his knowledge of Mrityu Sanjeevini mantra was raising the dead asuras back to life!!!!!
Lord Shiva decided to end this war, so he swallowed the asura guru, Bhargava stayed inside the lord for about 3000 years and later with grace of lord came out and later got the name as Sukraacharya!!! After swallowing the guru, lord took the form Bairava  and entered the battle field,  the fierce battle continued as from every drop of Andhakaasura created equal number of that asura,  hence Lord Bairava multiplied him self into sixty four numbers and Sri Parvati took the form of Kalidevi and ensured not a single drop of blood is spilt, Lord BAIRAVA with his Trident kills the asura!!!!!!  Thus the universe was saved from the atrocities of Andhakaasura!!!!
Story 2:
During the period of the poetic saint Avvaiyar's later days, while she was performing Pooja to Lord Ganesha here she saw two of her contemporaries going to Kailash for salvation!!!!!  She could not resist to see them and join them, however she was in middle of her Pooja!  She was worried as how she will reach Kailash?? 
Her God Ganesha assured her that he will assist her in reaching Kailash, so Avvaiyar continued her Pooja and sung " Vinayagar Agaval"!!  After the Pooja  Ganesha lifted his devotee with his trunk and extended it to Kailash and dropped Sri Avvaiyar there!!!!!!
Temple Details:
Presiding Deity: Sri Veeratteswarar
Presiding Goddess: Shivananda Valli/ Brihannayaki
Stala Vriksham:  Vilwa and Kondrai Tree
Teerth: Thenpennai River
Temple houses Lord Ganesha, Murugan,  Astabuja Durga, Dakshina murthy, and other shrines!!!
From Bus terminus it is just 1.5 kms
As I enter the shrine of Goddess Shivananda Valli I got Goosebumps  all over my body!! The priest gives me kumkum Prasad a drop of tear rolled from my eyes out of joy!!!
Visited this temple three days!!!
Thirukovilur is thirty five kms from Villupuram and Thiruvnnamalai!!!!