Goddess Ankalamma

Yesterday evening during a shopping expedition to town, I paused to view a very nice procession of the Goddess Anakalamma parading through town on a chariot. On talking with a couple of bystanders, I learnt that this Goddess has a shrine on the way out of town on the Sathanur Dam roadway. The procession was in celebration of the Navaratri Festival.

As I am not familiar with this Goddess, I was interested to learn more. I was particularly delighted by the garlanded bow and arrow the priest took from the Goddess and (as her proxy) shot little wooden arrows into the watching crowd. I assumed that it was in some way associated with Kama the God of Love, however I was soon set right by some friendly bystanders who assured me that it was nothing to do with Kama but signified the Veera (power and strength) of the warrior Goddess.

On getting home I did some research on this fascinating Goddess and below write about some legends associated with her -- particularly those associated with her at the nearby Melmalaiyanoor Temple (35 kms east of Tiruvannamalai) to which the Goddess was supposed to have travelled, after leaving Arunachala.

Goddess Ankalamma is also known as Angalamma, Ankamma, Angamma, Ankali, Angali, Ankala Parameswari and Angala Parameswari and is worshipped in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka.

She is said to be one of the Seven Matrkas (Sapta Matrikas) and is also considered to be a form of goddess Ankali or Kali. Ankamma is considered to be the mother of the Trimurtis (i.e. Brahma, Vishnu and Siva) but like many Tamil popular deities, she seems to have originated as a fierce guardian figure. In the rituals dedicated to her she is appeased with blood. Ankamma also means Parvati, the consort of Shiva (in Telegu "Ankamu" means "Lap"). Hence Ankamma means the divine consort of Shiva who sits on the lap of Shiva.

It is held that that this Goddess has 1000 eyes and each red dot of kumkum indicates one eye of Goddess Ankamma. The devotees of Ankamma believe that the Goddess keeps a protective watch on her devotees through her one thousand eyes. Ankalamma's shrines are generally located outside villages in groves of trees and often in the form of simple stone structures.

One of the most famous Ankamma Temples is Sri Angala Amman Temple at Melmalaiyanoor, 35 Kms east of Tiruvannamalai. One of the fascinating legends of this temple is as follows:

Legend of Melmalaiyanoor

“With power of mantras and boons from Lord Shiva, Brahma performed a yaga to save the Gods and men from two demons known as Sandobi and Sundarar. Through this yaga Thilothama came to life as an apsara.

Attracted by her beauty not only demons but Brahma also followed her. For her protection she went to Kailash. As Brahma had five heads, Parvati mistook him for the five-headed Shiva and fell at his feet. But when Parvati realized the truth, in anger she prayed that Shiva would destroy the fifth head of Brahma. Shiva fought with Brahma and cut off his fifth head. But Brahma’s fifth head grew back. Shiva cut off Brahma's head nine hundred and ninety nine times and became fatigued. He made the nine hundred and ninety nine heads into a garland and wore it and then again cut off Brahma's fifth head which this time did not grow back. Shiva was affected by sin due to this.

The Goddess Saraswati, wife of Brahma cursed Shiva to have no food or sleep, and that his hunger and thirst could only be satisfied by bone. After this Shiva roamed the world. Saraswati was also cursed Parvati to become ugly, and that crane and peacock birds were to become her dress and her assistants were to be demons.

On hearing this, Lord Vishnu instructed Parvati that her ordeal would end when she became a snake in Melmalaiyanoor.

To win relief from these curses, the Goddess Parvati roamed around the world until she met the sage Kapil at Tiruvannamalai and took a bath in the Brahma Tirtham. From Tiruvannamalai, Parvati proceeded to Thazhanur where she stayed overnight and then moved onto Melmalaiyanoor.”

To read more of this legend go to this link here.



Below is an interesting narrative explaining the history of the Village Goddess and how that role has adapted over the years to fit changing times.

History of the Village Goddess

“Till about a hundred years ago, village goddesses as localised forms of Devi - the Goddess - constituted the single most important category of deities worshipped in the Indian countryside. In contrast to the great gods who were linked to the Universe as celestial space, goddesses were tied to the world and the earth. Bhudevi, for instance, was earth divinized.

The divinity rubbed off on the village goddesses as well. They were the presiding deities of their little kingdoms, their sovereignty being coterminous with the boundaries of the settlement. They were responsible for the protection of the populace within the village precincts. Agricultural production and human reproduction were also dependent on their grace. Thus Village India was dotted with countless shrines of Mata, Amman, and so on.

Whatever their local name or form, all village goddesses shared certain common features. The vast majority were represented without male consorts. Though not necessarily unmarried, they stood alone in their temples. The Tamil village goddess Angalamman, for example, was depicted both as an auspicious married woman with sons, and as a virgin without husbands. In both cases the male consort was absent.

Goddesses could stand and act alone because they embodied shakti, the energising power. Such single goddesses, however, were generally perceived as dangerous, quickly angered and bloodthirsty. They demanded animal sacrifices as appeasement, a trait which further set them apart from the great deities of Hinduism who., were, all vegetarian.

But in the modern era, village goddesses underwent a metamorphosis. Dietary reform now became the rage. The brahmanical commitment to vegetarianism was elevated to an all-India ideal. Overnight, Mahatma Gandhi made it the new moral imperative. By making all Hindus pure and superior, he struck a powerful blow at caste inequality.

The emphasis on vegetarianism had a telling effect on the position of the village goddesses. This triggered off a reform of village goddesses. They were either made vegetarian, or, if they still demanded animal sacrifices, abandoned. The overall result was a marked decline in the popularity of village goddesses.”

To read the full article by Meenakshi Jain go to this link here.

Arunachala Water

"Arunachala is the place of the confluence of all holy waters of the world. The Devatas said that the phenomena of rain waters and all water currents on earth lose their identity by vanishing into the fiery elements – as per the cycles of creation and destruction are commensurate with what happens at the time of deluge when the water belt is engulfed by the fiery belt. The Devatas further submitted to Arunachaleswarar, that from the fiery part in him, water was produced as an element in the structure of the Universe. The same water endowed with wonderful qualities was responsible for the creation of matter and the world."

[From: Aurora of Arunachala]

Samudram Evening

Walking about Samudram Erie is a favourite for my doggies and I, and I've previously posted many photographs of the hitherto unspoilt area. However things are changing and currently unchecked illegal sand quarrying occurs in this area, not only through the night but also during the day. Hopefully good results (for the sake of conservation) in the upcoming elections might change local dynamics and result in the people currently involved in sand quarrying being prevented from futher damaging our beautiful 750 acre natural reservoir.

The actual name Samudra means - sea of syrup (one of the seven seas), a gathering of the waters above and under the firmament and an ocean of virtues and auspiciousness.

There is an epigraph chiselled in the masonry at the Tiruvannamalai Temple dated 1317 which describes the glory of King Vallaladeva’s reign at Arunasamudra, an ancient name for Tiruvannamalai.

“From the lotus of [Vishnu's] navel arose Brahma, the creator of all men. From his mind was born Atri. Then Soma [the moon] was born in his eye. In [his family] was born the king Someswara. To him was born Narasimha who was like a lion to his elephant-like opponents. From him whose gifts eclipse those of the heavenly tree [the kalpa-vriksha or wish-fulfilling tree] whose wealth eclipses that of Kubera [the god of wealth] … and whose prowess eclipses that of the terrible blaze emanating from the forehead eye of the God having the bull as His vehicle [i.e. Siva] was born the king Vallaladeva.

The illustrious King Vallaladeva, possessing all auspicious things, was staying at his capital, which was distinguished by the name Aruna-samudra (earlier name for Tiruvannamalai), belonging to the Hoysala kingdom, which was established with love by his father, which possessed the wealth of a kingdom, and which was the abode of real riches.”

A Samudram Story

There is a fascinating story connected with the idols of Venugopalaswami and his Devis; Rukumini and Satyabhama, whose shrine is located immediately behind the Siva Sannidhi inside the Arunachaleswarar Temple. The story goes like this:

“It seems the statues were originally in a small Vaisnava Village or Agrahara near the large tank ‘Samudram’ about two miles to the south of Sri Arunachala Temple. The people of the village during certain festivals used to carry the Utsava murtis from there to Tirukoilur about 20 miles away. Tirukoilur is a Vaisnava centre with a large Vishnu Temple having a big gopuram on each of sides with no enclosure walls. The Vasinava inhabitants were over-zealous people. Every time the Saiva idols from Sri Arunachala Temple passed by to go round the hill the Vaisnava villagers would obstruct its progress. Repeated complaints of their behaviour were made to the Chola king of that period. The king himself it is said came to verify the complaint and when he was satisfied he worked out a strategy.

During a certain festival the king ordered that all the people of that village near the Samudram to go in procession to Tirukoilur. When they were gone, he had the images of Venugopal and his Devis removed from that Temple and had them installed immediately at the back of Sri Arunachala shrine. When this news reached Tirukoilur, the Utsava murtis were kept in the Temple there and the agraharam near the Samudram was abandoned by its inhabitants. It is also said that the property of the Temple goes in the name of Venugopala Swami to indicate that Arunachaleswarar is worshipped by Lord Vishnu in this Temple.”

[Extract from ‘Arunachalam’]

Animated Videos

Check out this great link here to watch many beautiful, animated videos on the mythology of India. The videos do not have an embed facility so you have to go to Rajshri site direct to watch them for free. You can also download them for a small charge.

I have no idea whether the videos are specifically targetted to children, but I can tell you they are absolutely great. Most of the animated videos are in English with a couple in Hindi. Just watched a very sweet video on the life of Shiva - check it out at this link or at this You Tube link.

Thai Full Moon

For those planning to peform Arunachala giripradakshina during the upcoming Full Moon, it will be interesting to know that the next Full Moon (January 21st) is called ‘Thai Poosam’. The special significance is the star Pushya (Poosam) is considered to be the most auspicious star for spiritual development. Pushya means "nuture" and is in the sign Cancer owned by the Moon, the Mother. The deity associated with Pushya is also Brihaspati, the Guru or teacher and has the property of inspiring spiritual growth.

Vallalar

It is believed that on Thai Poosam in 1874 Swami Ramalingam (popularly known as Vallalar) made his final merger with Light. This Saint who was thought to be able to transform his physical body into a body made of Light, lived and maintained his body of light for 1½ years for all to witness. And then on January 30th 1874 and Full Moon day, he made his final merger with the light complete and physically disappeared from the earth plane. No traces of his body were ever found. As Arunachala is a manifestation of light it is not surprising that several Vallalar Shrines and Centres have been established at Tiruvannamalai in recent years.

Mythology states that it was on Thai Poosam that Goddess Parvati, presented the Shakti Vel, (Divine Spear) to Lord Muruga to defeat the demon Surabhaduman. For many, Thai Poosam is the most powerful day to pray to the Vel and Muruga for destruction of all enemies, diseases and debts. The Vel (spear) is also known as Jyoti, or Light.

Ardhanarishvara at Arunachala

The following legend and commentary explains the reason Ardhanarishvara is worshipped so prominently during Deepam at Arunachala. At which time a Murti symbolising the union of Siva-Parvati is displayed inside the compound of Arunachaleswarar Temple immediately after the fire is lit on top of the Hill.

Legend of Ardhanarishvara

The Goddess once playfully closed the eyes of her Beloved thereby plunging the world into darkness and causing suffering to all living beings. The Universal mother comprehending her folly started worshipping Lord Siva in the form of a Lingam to absolve herself of the sin and reunite with him. After first visiting Kanchipuram, Parvati proceeded to Tiruvannamalai to do her penance. While performing penance at Pavalakundru (with the help of Sage Gautama), the demon Mahishasura came and disturbed Parvati’s tapas. The Mother then took the form of Durga Devi and destroyed the demon on Full Moon Day of the Tamil Month of Karthigai during the auspicious period of Pradosham. Satisfied with his Goddess, Lord Siva presented himself in the form of Fire atop the hill and merged with Parvati - thus was created the half-man, half-woman aspect of the Lord, symbolising the oneness of all beings. To commemorate this event, every year during the festival of Annamalai Deepam, Lord Ardhanarishvara presents himself as Jyoti Swarupa to his devotees.

This fusion of Siva and Shakti representing the male and female halves, transcends the distinction and limitation of male and female and takes the Lord to a level beyond gender-manifest Brahman, realization of which means liberation. Siva is snow-white while Shakti is golden. He is substance while She is substrate. Siva is static; Shakti dynamic and creative. Siva is Being and Shakti is Becoming. He is One; She is many; He is Infinite and She renders the Infinite into finite; He is formless and She renders the Formless into myriad forms; But both are one. Siva and Shakti exist in Nirmala Turiya state (Stainless Purity).

When it comes to worship of Ardhanarishvara, some worship the Siva aspect and some worship the Shakti aspect. Siva is viewed as the Holder of Power, though he is inert. Siva is Shava (dead body) without Shakti. All the power in creation, maintenance, and dissolution rests with Shakti. But the Great Mother does not exist without Siva. When they become one Ardhanarishvara becomes a being of generative and constructive force.

Philosophically, this form portrays the boundless Grace of God. The formless God is called Parashiva. On Its own free-will for the benefit of pashus (souls), which are drowned in pasha (bondage), It thinks to create the worlds. Its dynamism of creation thus springs out of It, which is called Shakti. Now Shiva and Its power Shakti create everything. This is the form of their togetherness that makes every existence active. Siva and Shakti are one and the same Supreme. They are associated like the person and the action of the person. They are one and the same like ice and the water - one becomes the other. Shiva and Shakti are compared to gold and gold ornaments; they are the same; Shiva is hypostasis and when this force fuses with Shakti, it results in a multitude of manifestations.

[With thanks to A. Venkatraman]

Deepam Festival – Another Legend

Long ago, King Vajresan of Panchala who was childless, was blessed with a son after having darshan of the Arunachala Deepam in the month of Kartika. The son was named Shatrujith. The prince grew up to be lecherous man. He once eloped with the wife of a Vedic scholar and came to Tiruvannamalai and entered the Temple of Arunachaleswarar.

It was the day of the festival of the beacon. The paramour made a wick out of her sari and lit the lamp with castor oil. At that moment the Vedic scholar came there and in a fit of rage stabbed his wife and the prince. And in turn the prince killed him.

Since it was a gruesome murder committed in the sacred precincts of the Temple the three were about to be taken to hell by the messengers of Yama, lord of death. At that moment the messengers of Siva intervened and claimed the prince and the woman as their own and took them to the abode of Siva. Their blasphemous acts were condoned by Arunachala Himself because the wife made a wick and the prince helped her to light the lamp for the Supreme Lord.

But the Vedic scholar was puzzled, as he was held by the messengers of Yama. The prince, moved by the plight of the Vedic scholar, ordered the vessel used for lighting the Karthika lamp to release the scholar. Immediately the Vedic scholar was liberated. Thus all the three, despite their misdeeds, were taken to the abode of Siva, as the merit gained by the simple act of lighting a lamp on Kartika day in his Temple outweighed their devilish acts.

The Glory of Arunachala

[Skanda Upapuranam]