My Spiritual Travelogue - Thirukkarugavur

My Spiritual Travelogue

Sri Garparakshambigai Amman Temple Darshan - Thirukkarugavur

Recently, we visited Thirukkarugavur for darshan of Sri Mullaivananatha Swami and Sri Karparakshambigai Amman Temple in Thirukkarugavur.

This small town - Thirukkarugavur is situated in Tanjore District of South India within a distance of 6 KM from Papanasam, in between Tanjore and Kumbakonam Main Road, on the banks of river 'Vettar'.  Public transport facilities are available to this temple town from Kumbakonam and Tanjore.   Also autorickshaws are available from Papanasam.  This temple town is also known  by other names viz.  - 'Madhavi Vanam', 'Mullai Vanam Thirukkarugavur', 'Garppapuri'.

The temple is  460' in length and 284' in breadth.    The Rajagopuram is in the eastern side and on the south side there is an entrance.  Sri Mullaivananatha Swami sannadhi is situated in the big corridor and on the northern side of it Sri Garpparakshambikai Amman sannadi is there. Both sannadhis have separatre corridors.

Shri Garparakshambigai Amman

                                                   
Greatness of the Goddess Arulmigu Garbarakshambigai

Long Long time ago, two sages - Shri.Gowthama and Shri.Gargeya were medidating and doing penance  here in 'Mullaivanam' - a garden full of jasmine flowering plants in full bloom.  At that time, a couple Nidhruva and Vedikai were also staying there and rendering service to the sages.  The couple had no children and prayed to the sages to bless them for a child.  The sages advised the couple to worship Shri Garbarakshambigai. The couple offered their prayers to Shri Garbarakshambigai amman with intense devotion  to bless them with a child.  Their prayers to Shri Garparakshambigam got answered and Vedikai got conceived.

During her pregnancy period. one day when her husband Nidhruva was away from home, another sage Shri Urdhuvapada came to her ashram  to get alms.  As Vedikai was in her later period of pregnancy she was resting due to the strain of pregnancy and in faint state.  She did not respond to that sage's need due to her unconscious state of mind.  Without knowing her inability, the sage was enraged and cursed her.  As a result of the sage's curse, her foetus got disintegrated and descended. Shocked Vedikai prayed to the Goddess Shri Garparakshambigai in great distress. The Goddess appeared before her, protected the foetus, preserved it in a sacred pot until it developed into a male child and presented it to the devoted couple. The parents named their child as 'Naidhuruvan'.

Struck by this great act of benevolence of the Almighty Goddess, the immensely grateful Vedikai prayed to the Goddess to remain in this place and protect women and their foetus as she had done in her case. The Goddess accepted her prayer and remains here as 'Garbharakshambigai' meaning to savior of foetus. Due to this fame this place came to be known as 'Thirukarukavur' i.e., the place where pregnancy is protected and also the place where childless couples are blessed with children.

Thus, at this sacred place childless couple who worship the Goddess Shri Garparakshambigam with full devotioin and faith are blessed with pregnancy. Those pregnancies are well protected and the women are blessed with easy deliveries by the grace of Goddess of Shri Garparakshambigai.

Mantras or Prarthana Slogas for early marriages and pregnancy:

தேவேந்தராணி நமஸ்துப்யம்

                                                      தேவேந்திரா ப்ரியபாமினி

         விவாக பாக்கியம் ஆரோக்யம் 

புத்ரலாபம்ச தேஹிமே

பதிம் தேஹி சுதம் தேஹி

சௌபாக்கியம் தேஹிமே சுபே

சௌமாங்கல்யம் சுபம் ஞானம்

தேஹிமே கர்ப்பரக்ஷகே

காத்யாயிணி  மஹாமாயே

மகாயோகின்யதீஸ்வரி

நந்த கோப சுதம் தேவி 

பதிம் மே  குருதே நம  

Mantra for safe delivery:

Vedikai had no mother's milk to feed her child Naidhuruvan.  Answering her prayers Goddess sent 'Kamadhenu' the divine cow to this place to feed the child. Kamadhenu scratched the earth in front of the temple with her hoof and milk came out in plenty from the ground and formed a 'Milk Tank'. This Tank exists even now in the name of 'Ksheerakundam'

Greatness of God Arulmigu Shri Mullaivananathar:

The Lord of this place is called 'Mullaivananathar'(meaning lord in jasmine forest). Even today everyone can see the impression of jasmine creepers which once covered it. Linga here is a "Swayambu' i.e. Self Manifested. This Linga is made up of ant hill mud. Hence abishekam to Linga using water is avoided. Instead, the Linga is merely pasted with a kind of must called 'Punuhu' during valarpirai Pradosham.. People who are afflicted with incurable disease come to this place offer 'Punuhu Chattam' to the Lord and get themselves cured from the diseases. This is a fact which is actually verified even today.

Shri Mullaivanatha Swami

Appar, Sundararar, Thirugnanasambandar - the famous Nayanmars have, in praise of  the deities sung verses in their Pathigams.    

                                      கமுத முல்லை கமழ்கின்ற கருகாவூர்

அமுதர் வண்ணம் அழலும் அழல் வண்ணமே

 திருஞானசம்பந்தர்

                                     கருவாய் உலகுக்கு முன்னே தோன்றுங்

                                     கண்ணாம் கருகாவூர் எந்தை தானே

 திருநாவுக்கரசர்

Given below are some of the prarthana procedures adopted in this temple:

Blessed Ghee for pregnancy

Couples yearning for a child have to come in person to this temple, obtain ghee from the counter, light 11 ghee lamp and must do step smearing (Padi Mezhuguthal) in sacred Ambal Sannadhi and pray for their child. After returning to their home they should buy quality ghee for 1 kg and mix them with the sacred ghee obtained from this temple. Before going to bed couples should take a teaspoonful of the ghee for next 48 days. Women should avoid intake of ghee during their periods, while men should continue without break. We advice the couples to recite the mantras which will be given to them in a book form during their visit to this temple. This is a belief that is backed up by the experience of many.  Persons who are unable to visit this temple in person can obtain blessed ghee from this temple through post or courier. The details are available with the temple authorities who will provide same on  request. 

Blessed castor oil for easy delivery:

Pregnant woman in third trimester has to obtain blessed oil from this temple. It is not necessary for the woman to come in person while her husband or any family member can come and obtain the blessed oil. The oil must be applied in the lower abdomen of the woman during pain. It is advised that the woman to recite the mantras for easy delivery.

Persons who are unable to visit this temple in person can obtain blessed oil from this temple through post or courier. The details available with temple office.  After obtaining the oil follow the procedure as detailed above.

Punugu sattam

Lord Mullaivananthar is Swayambu i.e, self manifested. Therefore no abishegam is done to him. During Valarpirai pradosham days Punugu Abhishegam (Ablution) is done to Shri Mullaivananathar. Punugu is believed to cure incurable and chronic illness. Punugu prasadam can be obtained either in person or through post.

Abishegams are also performed during these timings -  Monday to Thursday: 8.00 a.m. to 4.30 p.m.

Friday, Saturday: 8.00 a.m. only.  Sunday:  No abishegam is performed.  No abishegams are performed in evening on Pradosham days.  Similarly no abishegams are performed during festival days.

Pre-bookings are made for abishegams. Devotees are expected to be present ½ hour before abishegam. Delay causes discomfort to other devotees.  Temple officials are very helpful in providing neccsary details for performing pooja etc. on request. 

The temple has got a beautiful Nandavanam - "Mullai vanam" in outer prahara.  It has got various flowering plants in different varieties and it is a feast to our eyes when the plants in full bloom. 

In front of the temple main entrance on the eastern side, a beautiful temple tank is there.



Thanga Thottil

In the temple, there is a Thanga Thottil (Golden Cradle) being used for completing the prarthana made by the couple for having blessed them with a baby by the graceful blessings of Shri Garparakshambigai. This is something like a unique way of Thanking Goddess Shri Garbarakshambigai for her benevolence towards the couple by blessing them for having a child.  This is known as Thanga Thottil prarthanai.  The couple will place the baby in the Thanga Thottil and circumventing the Amman Praharam (corridor) with their child. 

Thulabharam:

This is an age old tradition which is followed in many temples. Placing your child in one plate of the weighing scale and balancing the other with goods is called Thulabharam. We accept all kinds of materials like Ghee, oil, food grains, fruits, currency coins, gold, silver etc in Thulabaram.

Navakodi Ghee lamps

All auspicious functions commence with the lighting of the lamp, which is often maintained right through the occasion. Light symbolizes knowledge, and darkness - ignorance. The Lord is the "Knowledge Principle" (Chaitanya) who is the source, the enlivener and the illuminator of all knowledge. Hence light is worshiped as the Lord himself.

The traditional ghee lamp has a further spiritual significance. The ghee in the lamp symbolizes our vaasanas or negative tendencies and the wick, the sin. When lit by spiritual knowledge, the vaasanas get slowly exhausted and the sin too finally perishes.

Taking into consideration the traditional belief, for the benefit of devotees we ask you to light up eleven lamps, if you are praying for pregnancy (one for Shri. Vinayagar, one for the Lord Mullaivananathar and nine for Almighty Shri. Garbaratchambigai) and five lamps for easy delivery (one for Shri. Vinayagar, one for the Lord Mullaivananathar and three for Almighty Shri. Garbaratchambigai).

Those who cannot come in person to light ghee lamps can use the temple service to do so. Lighting ghee lamps up to the number of their age is a common occurrence here. The details have been given in payments page of this website.



Ear boring and Tonsure prayers

Ear boring of the child and tonosuring head can be done in this temple. Temple officials will make necessary arrangements on request. 

வாழ்க முல்லைவனநாதரின் பெருமை 

வாழ்க கருக்காத்த நாயகியின் அருள்

வாழ்க சீர் அடியாரெல்லாம்.

வணக்கம்