Mannarashala - Shree Nagaraja Temple

Mannarshala Shree Nagaraja Temple is a very ancient pilgrimage for the devotees of serpent gods. this temple is located about three kilo-meters to the south east of the bus stand at Harippad in Alleppey district(Kerala). This is the holy location sanctified by the residence of the great Brahmin appointed by Parashurama for the pooja in Mannarshala Temple.

As you enter the temple, we see rows of stone images of serpents on either side to lead the devotees to the presence of their supreme god. We are led into the temple courtyard and at that time a gentle breeze blows and the birds sing pleasantly to provide us a divine experience.  As you walk along the sandy courtyard under the shade of ancient trees entangled by many kinds of creepers and thick growth of cane where the serpents in large numbers enjoy to sit without disturbance, the devotees in a dream of unspeakable beauty, in a state of ecstasy,  would already have achieved half of their objective in coming there. The great jungle is never a source of fear; it certainly increases our devotion.

First the Sarpayakshi, and next to that the  Nagaraja stand facing east, creating a halo for the main deities, drawing power every movement from the continuous offering  of worship and ready to bless us with smiling faces. In-front of the shrine of Sarpayakshi, we can see an Ilanji tree surrounded by Serpent images. This very ancient tree is full of holes for serpents to lie down undisturbed.

The quiet shrines of Nagachamundi and Nagayakshi are to the south-west of the temple. Sarpayakshi and Nagayakshi are the beloved consorts of Nagaraja. Nagachamundi is his sister. Ngaraja is Ananta (Vishnu) and Sarparja is Vasuki (Shiva).

Offerings:

For wealth and prosperity	A pot filled with gold or a gold pot filled with other things.
For education, prosperity and fame	Silk, grains, divine ornaments.
For recovering health	Salt.
For protection from poison	Turmeric
For curing diseases	Pepper, mustard, green peas etc.
For protection from damage	Serpent cave made of gold etc., images of serpents eggs, tree etc.
For long life	Melted butter (ghee)
For getting whatever one wants	Milk, ripe kadali fruit, nilavara-payasam.
For having a child	A big vessel (uruli) made of brass, bronze etc. for performing Nurum Palum.

Abhishekam with coconut water, milk and rose water.

Alankaram with sandal wood garlands, arecanut flower bunches.

Nivedyam with ghee, appam, payasam, balls of molasses, kadali fruit etc.

Sarpabali with Nurum Palum made out of turmeric powder and rice powder.

Valiamma:

The resplendent brightness of Valiamma who has turned into a symbol of Naga deities through fasting and other austerities has not dimmed in the least by now as a result of the performance of rituals and poojas. Pilgrims cannot leave this place without seeing that fascinating divine glow with their own eyes and feeling contented. The sight of faith full devotees, who came here to seek the blessings of Nagaraja, waiting for long to see the flicker of the eyes of the great mother, so serene and compassionate and filled with blessings, continues even today.

Temple Worship:

Those who suffer from incurable diseases, those possessed by fear as a result of the anger  of Serpents and thereby find life unendurable - all of them come here to stay and pray and go back with their wishes fulfilled.

Hora Time Table

We can refer the hora table for our daily activities to achieve more success in life.

Soma Hora: it is soft and gentle. Hence it is good for gardening, food related activities, sea related work and silver related work.

Mangal Hora: It is sharp and aggressive. Hence it is good for sports and competitive  activities, electrical and mechanical engineering work , fire related work, pursuing litigation and construction work.

Bhudha Hora: It is quick and stable. Hence it is good for education, learning new skills, changing place, finalizing a written agreement and travel related activities.

Guru Hora: It is favorable and fruitful. Hence it is good for travelling and transportation, money exchange, starting house construction and entering into the house and spiritual activities.

Shukra Hora: It is beneficial and uniting. Hence it is good for love, romance, marriage, music and dance activities.

Shani Hora: It is sluggish, inactive and delaying. Hence it is good for oil, lead, glass and iron related activities, laying foundation, opening the fixed deposit account and agriculture work.

Ravi Hora: It is energetic and powerful. Hence it is good for political work, court-related dealings, meeting politicians and government officials, submitting tender, handing over or taking responsibility and joining government job.

Chidambaram Temple

Chidambaram is a municipal town and one of the taluk headquarters in Cuddalore district. It is situated in the Kollidam River valley about 11 km from the coast, 20 kms from the towns Kollidam and Sirkazhi, 60 kms from Karaikal and 240 kms from Chennai. It is a famous pilgrimage site for Saivites as well as Vaishnavites, where one of the holiest and most ancient temples of Hinduism is located.

To the followers of Shaivism or the shaivaite, the very word koil refers to Chidambaram. In the same way, to the followers of Vaishnavism it refers to Srirangam or Thiruvarangam.

Thilai Kali Amman Temple:

once upon a time, a debate took place between Shiva and Shakti and both danced. In this dance, when Shiva danced by lifting one leg, Shakti could not lift her legs because of modesty. Hence Shakti had to submit to Shiva. Shiva at once, declared that Shakti should not reside within the boundaries of Thillai and made her reside outside. The Devi Shrine located in Thillai is the Thillai Kali temple in the north. This temple is known as Thillai Amman Koil.
In this place people will get blessing of victory. For this we have to first visit Thilai Kali Amman temple and then Nataraja temple. People normally give long 2.5m saari to the Kali amma and do kukumarchana. Also we can do abhisheka of mustard oil. Also already done mustard oil abhishekam is available that we can use daily to remove the negative energy from our body.

Nataraja Shiva:

The form of Shiva as Nataraja also known as Natesha or Nrityeshvara is worshipped in many parts of India. This form of Shiva is venerated by the devotees, religious philosophic thinkers, writers, poets, artists, painters, and experts of Indian art history. The image of Nataraja is the favourite theme for any artist even today in stone, metal, wood, painting and paper. In South India, particularly in Tamil Nadu Nataraja is venerated and worshipped in each and every temple . He is portrayed high on the front portion of the main temple (prasada), placed on the south. The metal images of the Nataraja installed in sub-shrines inside the temple thus also face the south. The great temple of Chidambaram also faces the south. 

The Nataraja as a concept and worship goes back to pre-Gupta times (4th century CE) in India. This form of Shiva is very popular. The name Nataraja, shows that Shiva, the master of dance, ie., raja (master) nata (nrittya or dance). In the ancient society, this kind of form was not worshipped and adorned in the worldwide. The dance of Nataraja is a universal dance which trembles the whole cosmos on one side and makes it stable again on the other. It combines the rhythm of life, shelter and abhaya on one hand and destruction of all the evils on the other. In this form Shiva Nataraja all his auspicious (saumya) and inauspicious (ugra or ashiva). It stands as a never surpassed model of eternity.

Lord Shiva is the creator, sustainer, dispellor of ignorance, grantor of solace and destroyer of the five essential acts called panchakriyas. The lord creates and destroys. Destruction is being recognized as not only the end but also the beginning (antam adi ie., anta is adi) and Shiva’s dance is the cosmic dance. His dance destroys all samasta samhara tandava. His is the dance of knowledge and above all his is the dance of bliss the paramanda tandava.

The upper sphere, the space above the linga in the sanctum should be worshipped as a aakasha, the supreme and tranquil space where the blissful dance takes place.

The Tandava dance of Shiva (the Lord of Chandi) give you pleasure which caused the hood of Shesha (the king of snakes) to bend down owing to the vortex created by the earth revolving in accordance with the movements of the feet of Shiva who is skilled in practicing the Chari step (in dancing) whose dance put to flight the elephants of the cardinal points because of the revolutions of his rod like arms, and whose dance suddenly caused commotion in parts of the universe (and) which (was accompanied by the) deep sound of the damaru gives you pleasure. The Shiva Tandava stotram also expresses the deep sounds of the damaru of Shiva with exact the same onomatopoeic tune as that the inscription refers.