Asaladeepeswarar Mohanur

Asaladeepeswarar, Mohanur

Saivite Temples - Namakkal District

God

Asaladeepeswarar, facing west

Goddess

Madhukaraveni Ambal, facing east

Other Deities

Vinayaka, Kalyana Subramanyan with consorts, Naagar, Krishna, Vinayaka, Shiva, Parvati, Brahma, Naalvar, 63 Nayanmar, Kannimoola Ganapathi, Raaghu, Ganesha, Pancha Bootha Lingams, Kasi Viswanathar, Sadasiva Brahmananda Paadham, Kethu, Anjaneya, Kala Bhairava, Ayyappan with Poorna and Pushkala, Navagraha, Saneeswara, Sarabeswarar. Sanctum Niches of main deity – Chandikeswara, Brahma, Ardhanareeswarar, Dakshinamurthy. Sanctum Niches of goddess shrine – Anjaneya, Vishnu Durga, Chandikeswari

Asaladeepeswarar Mohanur is a west-facing temple that has three entrances. The main entrance for practical reasons is in the east through a 3 tiered Rajagopuram. There is a gate on the north side near the Sarabeswara Shrine. Another entrance is on the west from the banks of the Cauvery River. A bathing ghat and stone Dwajasthambam is in front of this entrance. The Cauvery flows in a north-south direction on the west side of Asaladeepeswarar Mohanur temple. The gateway from the west leads straight to the west-facing Sanctum Sanctorum of Lord Shiva through a Mahamandapam and an Ardha Mandapam. The sanctum is so designed that the flame of the perpetual lamp burning inside does not flicker. There is a panel with the carving of Jeshtadevi. A separate shrine for Sarabeswara is on the north side just outside the gate here at Asaladeepeswarar Mohanur. The goddess is in a separate shrine facing east. Lord Muruga with his consorts is in a separate shrine in between the main deity and goddess in a Somaskanda formation. Asaladeepeswarar Mohanur is a Vaippu Sthalam having found mention in the Thevaram hymns.

Holy Water (Theertham) – Kumari Theertham

Sacred Tree (Sthala Vriksham) – Vilwam (Aegle marmelos)

History

Thirunavukkarasar (7th Century CE) has mentioned this temple as Kongu Kumari in his Thevaram Hymns (6-70-9). Asaladeepeswarar Mohanur was built by Ramachandra Naicker, a small king who ruled Namakkal during the reign of Thirumalai Nayak of Madurai (regnal years 1623-1659 CE).

Legend

The lord here facing the Cauvery River received his name Asaladeepeswarar Mohanur because of the unflickering flame of the perpetual lamp burning in the sanctum sanctorum. We observed the flame burning steadily without a flicker. Once when the Devas went to see Lord Shiva at Mount Kailash and noticed that he was doing penance alone without Ganga Devi on his head. Lord Muruga to whom the devas asked the reason went in search of her and reached the Cauvery River here. Tired and disappointed, he relaxed and performed penance towards Ganga Devi to locate her. Mother Ganga appeared before him and at the sight of Lord Muruga as her son, she secreted milk that mixed with the Cauvery here at Asaladeepeswarar Mohanur. She blessed Muruga and told him that the spot in the Vilwa forest on the banks of the Cauvery where he did penance will become a holy spot. Lord Shiva with his consort Parvati appeared in front of them and Ganga merged with Parvati to confirm that she is but a part of Goddess Parvati. Magan means Son in Tamil and the name of the place was originally Maganur and transitioned to Mohanur voer time. Another legend for the name is that Goddess Parvati first met an angry Muruga, who had walked out from Mount Kailash and was on his way to Palani Hill, here at Asaladeepeswarar Mohanur and thus the name of the place became Maganur, later Mohanur.

Directions

Asaladeepeswarar Mohanur is about 20 kilometers south of Namakkal.

Stay and Food

None locally except tea and snack shops. The closest is Namakkal.

Saivite Temples

Tamilnadu Temples