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| God Ganesha - remover of obstacles, Alamy.com |
Uchi Pillayar temple, Trichy, TN:
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| Trichy rockfort Vinayagar temple,Alamy.com |
The very name Trichy, Tamil Nadu is synonymous with Srirangam, Aganda (wide) Cauvery and the Uchi Pillayar temple.
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| Trichy rockfort Vinayagar temple, TN. gosahin.com |
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| rock outcrop 3 bilion years old.Trichy rock fort Vinayaga temple Global Vision Tours |
The shrine dedicated to Vinayagar or Ganapathi is atop the hill that can be accessed via 417 steps carved out of hard stone. The hill is roughly 275 feet above the MSL The Thayumanavar temple at the foot of the hill is one of the popular Shiva temples of the state and is glorified in Thevaram hymns. The Pilliyar temple has a small prakaram around the small sanctum. From here, one can have a panoramic view of the city, the third largest one in Tamil Nadu. The temple priests conduct daily puja protocols and have to climb the steps to reach the hill shrine. The hill fort was constructed during the reign of Mahendra Pallava-Gunaparan in the sixth century according to inscriptions. These rock-cut temples were further improved during the Madurai Nayak period.
There is a legend behind this temple. Upon participating in the coronation ceremony of Sri Rama at Ayodhya after Rama had rescued Sita from the captivity of demon king Ravana of Lanka, Sri Vibishana, brother of Ravana, was on his way to Lanka with the gift of Sri Ranganatha idol from Sri Rama. The Devas did not like Vibeshna, an assura taking the idol of Vishu (Ranganatha) to Lanka. So, they sought the help of god Vinayaga. Vibishana, after reaching this part (of Trichy) was enthralled by the beauty of the River Cauvery and the serene environment, wanted to relax for a while. Lord Vinayaka was there in the guise of a little boy. Vibishana asked the boy to take care of the idol of Lord Ranganatha and not to keep it on the ground. While away to bathe in the river, the boy placed the idol on the ground and hid Himself in the hill.
Upon his return, Vibhishana was upset and could not locate the missing boy. On top of it, he could not lift the idol of Ranganatha that was to be taken to Lanka. Thus Ganapathi helped Sri Ranaganatha choose his abode in Srirangam. Both Lord Vinayaka atop the hill and Lord Ranganatha on the island of Srirangam grace this place.
Devotees perform abhishekam to Lord Vinayaka with milk and offer garlands made of a grass called Arugampul ( a kind of grass). It was built in the 6 to 7th century by the pallava rulers..
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ucchi_Pillayar_Temple,_Rockfort
The Swetha Vinayagar Temple, Thiruvalanchuzhi, Kumbakonam:
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| Swetha Vinayagar Temple, Thiruvalanchuzhidivinetraveller.net |
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| Swetha Vinayagar Temple,thiruvanchozhi Dinamalar |
The Swetha Vinayagar Temple (in Tamil Vellai Vinayakar Koil), situated in the village of Thiruvalanchuzhi is a famous and unique shrine dedicated to Ganesha whose idol is white in color. Believed to have been made from white sea sand, the temple also goes by the name of Swetha Vinayagar Temple (in Sanskrit).
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| Swetha Vinayagar Temple, Thiruvalanchuzhi wikiwand.com/ |
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| ornate stone pillars. Swetha Vinayagar Temple Tamilnadu Tourism - blogge |
Above images: Ornate pillars of Swetha Vinayagar Temple, Thiruvalanchuzhi, near Swamimalai and Kumbakonam, TN......
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| Swetha Vinayagar Temple lattice window, jaali, twitter.com |
The legend, has it that Indra, the king of the Devas, during the churning of the ocean (Samudra Manthan), created the idol of Ganesha out of sea sand and kept it in a niche in the temple in the belief that he would get it back later. When Indira came back to get the idol, he could not remove it. So, he left the idol to remain where it was. Kanaka Chola is said to have built the temple. The temple has fascinating ornate pillars and latticed-stone window pane.
Yet another legend has it that during churning of the ocean by Devas (celestial deities) and Asuras (demons) with Vasuki the serpent, poison spilled into Amrita. To get it rectified, the Devas created an image of Vinayaga with sea water and worshiped him at the place. The image of the presiding deity is white in colour on account of this belief.
This temple cane be accessed from Swamimalai and the presiding deity is Kapardiswarar, a form of the Hindu god Shiva and his consort Brihannayaki.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swetha_Vinayagar_Temple
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