Thirumanancheri Temple, Lord Udhvaganathar (Lord Shiva) and Gokhila Amman (Parvathi) remove obstacles and delays in marriage and bring separated couples back together. Some temples are more strongly imbued with the divine than others. Thirumanancheri’s Kalyana Sundareswarar temple is thought to be one of the shrines with a particularly strong divine blessing. Thousands of followers have attested to this experience of being bestowed with early and prosperous marriages. Thirumanancheri is a village in Tamil Nadu’s Nagapattinam district, close to the Kaveri River.
Thirumanancheri Legend
Parvathi was the only one who desired to wed Shiva. Her prayers were answered after a long and intense meditation. The site of her meditation became known as “Thirumanancheri” following the event of the divine marriage. “Thirumanan” signifies “marriage” in Tamil. “Cheri” denotes a community. As a result, Thirumanancheri alludes to the site of marriages. Here, Parvathi, known as “Kokilambal,” was married by Shiva in the guise of “Kalyanasundareswarar.” The Sanskrit words for marriage and the nightingale bird, respectively, are “Kalyanam” and “Kokila.” The Sanskrit term “Udhavaganathar” is another name for Lord Shiva.
The divine pair is referred to as “Arul Vallal” and “Kuyilinmenmozhiammai” together; the word “kuyil” denotes the nightingale and the protector of lovely birds, respectively. Parvathasundari is another name for the Goddess. As a result, Udhavaganathar temple is another name for Kalyanasundareswarar temple.
One legend has it that while playing dice, Shiva and Parvathi once got into a celestial brawl. When Shiva became enraged, He changed His wife into a cow. He naturally started to feel regret and asked Mahavishnu for assistance in taking on the feminine form of Goddess Parvathi. Vishnu took on the shape of a cowherd to protect His “sister.” The curse was then lifted at a location called “Thiruvaduthurai.” After bathing in the Kaveri River, Parvathi moved here to live as Bharatha Muni’s daughter. Later on, the girl was given to Lord Shiva by the muni. The location that is now known as “Thirumanancheri” is where the Lord joyfully requested her hand in marriage once more.
According to a different legend, Mount Kailasam became unbalanced during Shiva and Parvathi’s opulent wedding. Millions of people flocked to this residence. Shiva placed a Lord lingam for others to pray at and sent Agasthya rishi earthward to the south to restore the balance. The site is now known as Thirumanancheri. Agasthya Rishi installed a lingam and started to pray to Shiva from there. What we see today at the Udhavaganathar temple is the result of periodic alterations made thereby Shiva bhakthas, and is known as Kalyanasundareswarar in the temple.
There is an additional belief. Once they were adults, two old women made a promise to one another that their son and daughter would wed. But one of the women gave birth to a boy who resembled a turtle. The mother of the girl withdrew from the marriage agreement. The boy’s mother, dejected but resolute, prayed to Shiva for protection. The other woman changed her mind when the turtle boy was changed into a handsome young man by the Lord, who heard her prayers. Thirumanancheri was the location of their marriage. With the Lord’s blessings, it is therefore thought that even those with physical disabilities will find compatible matches. Furthermore, if you pray at Thirumanancheri, people with such disabilities tend to ignore you. Ignoring the physical aspects, the two hearts beat as one.
Prayers for a happy and calm married life as well as prayers for an early marriage:
For lonely hearts that, for whatever reason, choose not to get married, the temple is a blessing. This could involve problems related to one’s star (nakshatra). It is said that to be eligible for marriage, those born under specific nakshatrams, such as Moolam, Aayilyam (Ashlesha), and Kettai (Jyeshta), must make a significant offering to certain deities. After the proper poojas, a person who visits this temple and is unable to get married will soon find themselves sailing in happier waters. Following marriage, the newlyweds are required to come to this temple as a couple and dispose of the religious offerings, or prasadam, in the temple pond.
People travel great distances to visit the shrines of Shiva and Goddess Parvathi to receive their blessings and get married, such is the strength of this belief. Manmathan himself is credited with starting this practice. When the Lord was in deep prayer, Manmathan, the God of Love, aimed one of his love flower arrows. Shiva, disturbed in His meditation, became enraged, opened His third eye, and reduced Manmathan to ash. Rati, distraught, fell at Shiva’s feet and begged for forgiveness and a pause. Shiva gave Manmathan back his human life after yielding. Additionally, he gave Rati “Mangalya Pichai,” bringing the cupid couple together. Manmathan is reported to have prayed to Shiva at this location ever since.
Ambal is the divine consort of Udhvaganathar, who is viewed at the temple as a groom in this moolashtanam. They look like a recently married couple together.
Chola dynasty builder Sembiyanman Devi constructed the temple. This shrine is among the 275 Paadal Petra Sthalams, which are Shiva Sthalams that are exalted in the Tevaram poems of Tamil Shivite Nayanars Tirugnanasambandar and Tirunavukkarasar, written in the early medieval period.
The Kalyana Sundareswarar Temple in Thirumanancheri can be reached by train from Kumbakonam, Mayiladuthurai, and Kuttralam stations. Additionally, there are numerous buses from Mayiladuthurai and Kuttralam.
Temple offerings
The temple performs six poojas every day: Irandam Kalam, Artha Jamam, Uchikalam Sayaratchai, Kalai Santhi, and Ushakkalam. On Tuesdays and Fridays, there are also weekly poojas, such as Sahasranamam and Lalitha Thiruchathi archanas.
One of the temple’s special days is “Karthigai,” which is the first day of every Tamil month.
In addition to Nakshatra Pooja, there are dedicated poojas held during “Pradosham” and “Sangadahara Chathurthi.” The purpose of this pooja is to lessen the negative effects of the Nakshatram, which influences a person’s birth.
In addition, on a few chosen days, Thirumanancheri offers special poojas. Among these offerings are:
- On every Amavasai day, milk payasam is made to Mangala Rahu in honor of Putra bhagyam (progeny).
- Abhisegham, which takes place during Pradosham on the first day of each Tamil month. In the Hindu calendar, Pradosham occurs every two weeks. Three hours, or one and a half hours before and after sunset, are thought to be auspicious times to worship Shiva.
- On the days of Poosa nakshathram and Sankatahara Chaturthi, Abhishegam and Umamaheshwara homam.
Particular prayers at the Temple:
The following homams are available for performance at the temple:
• Swayamvara Kala Parvathi homam, is performed to remove barriers and hindrances from one’s marriage.
• Uma Maheshwara homam, helps to clear the roadblocks and impediments facing husband and wife partnerships. The homam is thought to be able to prevent divorces or estrangements.
• Poosa Nakshathra homam, means removing barriers and impediments from one’s path in life. Every month on the day of Poosa nakshathram, the temple performs the homam. Success is said to be bestowed by performing the homam not only in marriage but also in material gains, education, health, and careers.
Additional Celebrations at the Temple:
The temple gives the surrounding area a magnificent atmosphere as it celebrates the divine couple’s three-day Chithirai wedding festival in April and May. The Pradosham days of every month and the Aadi season see a significant influx of devotees. The first day of Aadi, which falls on July 16 every year, is known as “Aadi Pandigai” or Aadi Pirappu. It is a national holiday observed throughout Tamil Nadu, especially by recentlyweds. Nonetheless, some people think that marriages should not take place during the month of “Aadi.” As a result, some devotees avoid Thirumanancheri at this time.
The temple also hosts a significant event during “Thiruvadhirai,” which takes place in December and January. Tamil’s Thiruvathirai (Arudhra) translates to “holy big wave.” It is thought that trillions of years ago, on this day, Shiva created the universe. It is also observed as Shiva’s birthday on this day.
Large-scale celebrations are held here for the regular festivals of Navarathri, Vijayadasami, Thirukkarthigai, and Aruda Dharshanam.
- The temple is nine simple steps away.
- On regular days, you can park your car in front of the gopuram. Maybe you’re not as fortunate on the weekends!
- If you can, leave your shoes inside the vehicle.
- Purchase the clay lamps and ghee that are part of the archana set inside the temple to avoid falling for con artists. Try to bring the original ghee from home, as store-bought ghee might contain hydrogenated vegetable oils.
- Purchase archana tickets at the counter within the temple. Puthra dosham, marriage prayers, and routine visits are all subject to separate fees.
- Turn to the left of the sanctorum as soon as you enter the temple. There is Selva Ganapathy seated. Give Him your prayers first.
- After making a prayer to Shiva, proceed to Amman Sannithi on the right. In this instance, Meenakshi Amman plays a teenage Kokilambal.
- To see the Kalyana Sundareswarar sannithi and mandapam, proceed to the left of this mandapam.
- Start by lighting the ghee lamps in front of this idol. The gods are arranged in a marriage kolam, or elaborate pattern drawn on the floor. Meenakshi is positioned to the right of the Lord, her head lowered in modesty. Married girls therefore often try to imitate the celestial couple. At all religious ceremonies and poojas, women are expected to stand to the right of their husbands. Beyond this point, only would-be grooms and brides are permitted to conduct the poojas in groups. Anyone else going with them ought to wait outside.
If you are performing a proxy pooja—parents performing a ritual on behalf of their sons or daughters—tell the priest.
We recommend exercising caution when interacting with flower and garland vendors at the Thirumanancheri temple entrance. You have the option to purchase what you need from within the temple grounds or haggle for a better deal.
Pooja Rituals:
You can join the appropriate group after seeing potential spouses seated in batches. Married couples occasionally visit the temple as well to express their gratitude to Shiva. The ceremonies start with a sankalpam from the chief priest. Sankalpam is a pre-pooja or pre-offering procedure that unites the mind and body.
You will see that the idol of Kalyanasundareswar is the devotees’ blessing and their bridegroom. Goddess Kokilambal can be seen humbly lowering her head to her Lord. The holy couple is positioned in a way that symbolizes blessings for the guest.
Additionally, it’s thought that married couples who have fallen out of love or separated for any reason could go to Thirumanancheri to mend fences and ask Him for His blessings on a united front. We perform a special pooja for these kinds of couples.
Once the first round of poojas is completed, keep the garland that was presented to you in your prayer area or pooja room. Immediately upon the activation of your marriage proposal, dedicate the garland to Thirumanancheri. Once married, return to the temple to reaffirm your divine blessings and carefully lower your garland into the temple pond.
For both men and women, a standard offering consists of two garlands, two coconuts, turmeric, kumkum, camphor, plantains, areca nut, lemon, and jaggery. After your pooja, preserve the lemon and wear your garland the following day after taking a bath. Next, squeeze the lemon and sip the juice—sugary and salt-free. This juice is only for single people to drink. On the other hand, you can cook with the coconut halves for the whole family.
You can store the vibhuti, kumkum, and turmeric as an unmarried girl for up to 45 days, or even longer. These shouldn’t be used by others.
It is customary for married couples to abstain from eating non-vegetarian food on one Mandalam. The priest could be able to confirm this for you.
Sometimes, especially for those who live overseas, prospective grooms and bridegrooms are unable to visit Thirumanancheri in person. In these situations, their parents or other close relatives can go to the temple on their behalf and carry out the necessary rites. A unique sankalpam for single people will be chanted by the priest. Remembering or being aware of the concerned boy’s or girl’s gothrams is crucial!
Mangala Rahu is located north of the inner praharam and is the god to pray to if one has Mangala (Rahu) dosham.
Rahu Dosham & Puthra Dosham:
It is necessary to perform a Mangala pooja whenever a horoscope indicates the presence of a Mangal Rahu or Surya Mangal Dosha. When the planets Mangal (Mars) and Rahu or Surya and Mangal are situated in the same house, a Mangal Rahu / Surya Mangal Dosha, also called “Angarak Yoga,” forms in a horoscope.
Couples without children can do the puthra dosham pooja nearby. On the day of Amavasai, perform this pooja by bathing in the temple tank and bringing milk payasam along with ghee as an offering. Refunding the prasadam, is the priest. To get the most benefit, the couple must consume this prasadam for 48 days straight.
Thirumanancheri Temple Timings:
Morning Hours: 6:00 am – 1:30 pm | Evening Hours: 3:30 pm – 8:30 pm
Darshan Ticket Cost: Free. Available during opening hours.
Annadanam: 12:00 pm onwards for 100 devotees. Daily.
Broad Details:
- Since there isn’t much food available near the temple, it is advised to bring your own.
- This area lacks adequate restrooms.
- There are no lodging options close to the temple. After your pooja, you have to be prepared to depart for a location with better facilities.
- All clothing is acceptable, with the exception of nightgowns, lungis, and shorts. This includes shirts, sarees, pants, and chudidhar. There are no dhotis available for short-term rental on the temple grounds, in contrast to certain Keralan temples.
- There is no transportation available other than town buses; the closest hospitals are in Mayiladuthurai and Kumbakonam. There is no Kalyana mandapam nearby.
- You can bring your phones to the temple but turn them off during the proceedings.
- There isn’t a hotel nearby.
- The closest hotel is in Mayiladuthurai (formerly known as Mayavaram and Mayuram).
- The majority of the activities and procedures are easily apparent.
Thirumanancheri Temple Contact Details:
Kuthalam, Tamil Nadu 609801
Contact Number: 04364 235 002
Visit the official website of Liturgical Temples to learn more about these historical locations and temples. This website provides carefully examined information that has been gathered from reliable sources.