By S Venkataraman
While holidaying at Chennai, I came across a historic book about a Lord Siva temple at Ezhuchur, about 30km from Chennai on the Tambaram-Kanchipuram highway. I visited the temple on November 18, 2016. This temple is several thousand years old. Up until a few years ago, it remained locked, surrounded by thick bushes and dense trees. A Muslim Auto Rickshaw driver, who came with a passenger to Ezhuchur, saw the condition of the temple. He learnt that the dire situation of the temple was because of a lack of unity among villagers. He came again with his Hindu friends and RSS workers, brokered peace among villagers and united them to renovate the temple. What a wonder! The Lord played a Muslim youth to fulfill His will.
Odisi Maharishi along with his two disciples Dadhisi and Kasyapa Munivars attended Lord Siva’s wedding with Parvati/Dakshayani. The Earth was in a state of imbalance since the North, the place of Lord Siva’s wedding, was crowded by devotees and worshipers. The Lord asked Sage Agasthiyar to go South to keep the Earth in balance. Later, Agasthiyar was blessed by the Lord and his consort. While visiting various temples, Agasthiyar became immersed into the Lord at the Nallinakkeswarar temple.
Odishi Maharishi told his disciple, Kasyapa Munivar, that it was his turn to get married to the remaining 13 daughters of Daksha. King Daksha objected to this, but all 13 of his daughters decided to marry Kasyapa Munivar. The Munivar had several children through his 13 wives, including many Devas, Asuras, Garuda, Napas and Yakshas. Seeing the children fight among themselves, Kasyapa Munivar prayed to Lord Siva to bring peace. Lord Siva told Kasyapa Munivar to go to Ezhuchur and recite “Om Nama Sivaya” in quest of a solution. Kasyapa Munivar followed the Lord’s orders and brought peace among his children, who came to Ezchuru seeking darshan of the Lord. He is therefore called Nallinakkeswarar (Lord of Harmony). A happy
Kasyapa Munivar took the form of a tree, near the temple, and is believed to live in incognito even today.
There are several such Sidhha Purushas, blessed by this Lord, living in incognito within the temple trees. The 54th Peetathipathi Kanchi Sankarachariyar Sri Maha Devendra Saraswathi Swamigal was a great devotee of this Lord. He used to desert the Kanchi Matt and stay in the temple, chanting the Lord’s name. The swamigal attained Samadhi behind the temple, which is now a place of worship.
Over time, many Chola, Pandya and Pallava kings donated to this temple. Paranthaka Chola Raja decorated this temple’s tower with gold. Subsequent Muslim Bhamini Kings went on to loot the gold tower. The temple’s jewels were relocated to a safe place but the Muslim rulers beheaded the temple’s priests when they refused to divulge the whereabouts of the jewels.
On the Maha Kumbabishekam day in 2012, the temple priest and Bakthas came to the temple in the morning. When the priest opened the temple doors, everyone was taken aback to see the lingam floating in water and droplets of water still dripping on the lingam. The hypothesis that the roof was leaking was untrue. Two live cobras lay surrounding the Lingam with their hoods on. The visitors were afraid. A renowned Astrologist saw prasnam and found that mother Ganga was pouring on the Lord and two Siddha Purushas visited the Lord in the form of serpents. Slowly, the water stopped flowing, the snakes disappeared and the rituals were completed.
The most interesting mystery in the temple is two king cobras which come twice every day, drenched in water from the temple tank, to pray to the Lord. They pass over the legs of worshippers without harming them. They sit on a plate of viboothi provided by the priests. The color of the viboothi changes once the cobras sit on it. The snakes then go around the Lingam and disappear. In spite of villagers’ best efforts to track the snakes, there is no answer to where the snakes come from or go to. The viboothi encircled by the snakes is known to have a curing effect on many diseases.
A great Kaliyuga miracle is happening in this temple. Om Nama Sivaya!!