As goes the mythos, Maarkandeya, son of the saint Mrikandu, was prophesied to live till the age of sixteen years and was advised to worship Lord Amritaghateswarar in Thirukadaiyur for the long life. On his father’s advice, Markandeya performed hard penitence for Lord Shiva bathing the Lingam/ idol with the water of Ganges that flows beneath the temple ground. On a fateful day, Yama appeared to take away Markandeya’s life. Markandeya, on seeing Yama with his Kaal Paasa ran to seek Shiva’s protection and clung to the Lingam of Mritunyjaya (Kala Samhara Murthi) in the Amritaghateswarar Temple, in which he was performing Pooja. At the very moment, Shiva appeared in human form to warn Yama to not avenge Markandeya’s life. However, Yama, deaf to Shiva’s warning, threw his noose on Markandeya and the Lingam at once. This inexorable demeanor by Yama infuriated Lord Shiva on which he kicked Yama with his left leg holding him under his foot. Shiva using his left leg to kick Yama has great relevance as he intended to punish Yama for his disobedience and not to quell him forever. To date, the mark of Kaal Paasa on the Lingam evidences the Yama-Shiva Purana story.
Thirukadaiyur Temple has three tanks known as Theertam or Amrita Pushkarini, Kala Theertham, and Markandeya Theertham. Devotees and pilgrims can avail pooja services six times a day. Amritaghateswarar Abirami Temple — the dwelling place of Kalasmahara Moorty — is filled with round-the-year festivities. Almost every day dawns with one celebration or other, as hundreds of pilgrims throng the temple to celebrate their 60th or 80th birthdays.
The Temple
The temple architecture that is bound to transpose you to the period of Chola reign in India, strikes first with its intricately designed gopurams and walls. Straggling endlessly on 11 acres of sacred land, Thirukadaiyur Temple constitutes five Prakarmas, temple towers, and huge-end-to-end mandapam. Aged walls, black with Homam that are performed in obeisance of the Lord and coatings of Vibhuti (holy ashes that are collected from the lamps or incense sticks) along with traces of flowers and puja debris describes the Abirami Battar’s sanctum — enshrinement of long life. On the exteriors are embossed some inscriptions dating to Raja Raja Cholan reign of the 11th Century. The temple mandapams are ornate with images depicting the Lord with a raised forefinger warning Yama and other related images of the Gods and Goddesses.
Sashti Aptha poorthi at Thirukadaiyur
Thirukadaiyur is the place to which many people go to celebrate the fact that they have lived through life for 60 or 80 years; but there is a catch - you can only celebrate if your spouse is alive- Sashtiyaptha Poorthi ( It is a Sanskrit word, which simply means completing 60; Shasti – 60, Purti – Complete). There is a fantastic sense of good cheer in the temple because it’s all about rejoicing-just being alive. The reason why people celebrate Sasthiaptha Purthi in Thirukadaiyur – As Death was conquered at Thirukadaiyur, the Lord in Thirukadaiyur had been named as ‘Kala Samhara Moorthi ‘( Kala – Death, Samhara – Conquering, Moorthi – Lord)/ Mritunga jaya murthy (Mritya – Death, Jayam – Victory). It is believed that by praying Kala Samhara Moorthi one can conquer death.
Amrithaghateswarar: The pilgrims also throng to the ancient shrine to Shiva as Amirthaghateswarar (the lord of the pot of nectar) and goddess Abhirami, who confer freedom from ailments, and longevity. The legend of the temple goes thus: when the devas and asuras carried away the pot of the nectar, delve out from the churning of the ocean, they set it down in this kshetra in order to bathe. When they returned after taking the bathe, they found that the pot tuned into the Shiva linga. The Shiva linga was so bigger in length that from the upper levels to the nether world, its base increased in leaps and bounds. So the ‘Lord of the pot of nectar’ stayed in this Kshetra and it came to be called as ‘(thiru)divine,(Kadai)chruning(ur)place’:Thirukkadaiyur.
Ceremony of Celebrating Birthdays and Re-marriages :Pre-dating the 8th century CE, great numbers of devotees come to the temple to conduct ceremonies in connection with their 60th or 80th birthdays(these being significant according to Hindu tradition). At any given time, dozens of these celebratory homams can be seen going on in the prakarams of the temple. The couples celebrating their 50th, 60th or 75th marriage anniversary come here to tie nexus of nuptial knot again. The holy activity of getting re-married, holds a significant place in Mythology also. This ceremony is performed in large groups, all together, in which the pledge about meeting in the next births are also taken. The bride and groom celebrate this infinite relation by getting re-married again. After performing the marriage ceremony, both of the mates, take the blessing of Lord Shiva and other deities. Both the ceremonies of celebrating the birthdays as well as getting re-married with their spouse are performed on the prior registration. It can be performed at any time of the year.
It was here that the ideal son of a pious couple, Markandeya, doomed to die at 16, embraced the Lingam in the fear of death. Yama threw this rope at the boy . It fell around the Lingam . Aan incensed Shiva emerged, slew Yama and granted immortality to the Markandeya. The legend is frozen in panchaloha in the sanctum of Kaalasamharamurthi(he who destroys the time or Yama’). Do observe the idols of Shiva , the slain Yama, Shiva’s assistant Gundodhara, waiting to drag Yama’s body away, and a frightened but relieved Markandeya.
Shrine of goddess Abhirami: is in a separate enclosure in the temple. The flag staff reminds devotees of the ordeal of Abhirami Bhattar, a poet and devotee of the ordeal of Abhirami Bhattar, a poet and devotee of the goddess. The flagstaff reminds of ordeal of the goddess. Although many Nayanmars have praised the goddess in the song, Abhrami’s Bhattar’s Abhirami Bhattar’s Abhirami Andhadhi is special, both because of intrinsic beauty and circumstances of its composition. Bhattar was meditating on the moon-like radiance of the goddess’ face on an Amavasya(new moon day), when a visiting Chola king asked him what day it was. Still meditating on Abhirami’s face the poet replied without hesitation the poet replied without hesitation, “It is a full moon day!!” The incensed kind ordered him to prove that it was full moon day, or else he was to be put to death. It was near the flagstaff that the poet sat, above a pit to make the full moon appear on that dark night. As Bhattar neared the desperate end of his 100 verse Andhadhi, Goddess Abhirami flung her thadangam(earring) where it shone radiant as the full moon and her devotee was saved. The Andhadhi is read in most Tamil households even today.
Thirukadaiyur — Amritaghateswarar Abirami Temple
Thirukadaiyur Temple at Mayavaram is a solemnization of the Yama’s (the lord of death) defeat at the hand of Lord Shiva. As the purana states that it was here within, where stands a temple today, the premises that Lord Shiva appeared in human form to save Markandeya from the ills of Yama. Located in Tamil Nadu, Thirukadaiyur is a methodologically an important place where one is granted longevity of life, and boasts of a list of legends and mythological narrations associated with the existence of the temple. The Amrataghateswarar Temple is listed to be one the eight Verratta Sthalams of the Lord of Universe, Shiva.
