275 Thevara Shivasthalam !! Thiruvedagam Thiru Edanganathar Temple !!



Jai Sriman Narayana !!



Jaya Jaya Sankara Hara Hara Sankara !!













Thiruvedagam is one of the 275 Thevara Shivasthalam located on the river banks of Vaigai in the district of Madurai, Tamil Nadu.  This is one of the oldest temples of Lord Shiva built by the Pandya Kings.  The temple inscription reveals the contributions made by the King Jathavarma Kulashekara Pandya, Nayaks and the emperors of Vijayanagara. 




Presiding diety – Thiru Edanganathar/Yedanganatheswarar with his consort Goddess Sri Elavarkuzhali /Sungandha Kundalambikai




Mangalasasanam – Thiru Gnana Sambandhar praised the glories of Edanganathar in his famous composition ‘Thevaram’.  Saint Arunagirinathar also sung praising the glories of Lord Subramanya in this temple.




Worshipped by – Lord Vishnu, Garuda, Adishesha, Lord Brahma, Sage Parasara, Lord Ganesha,




Sthalavruksham – Bael (Vilvam)




Theertham – Brahma Theertham




Sannidhis  - Lord Ganesha, Lord Subramanya, Lord Kalabhairava,




Festivals – Vaikasi Utsavam, Vinayaka Chathurthi, Adi Pooram, Navaratri, Aippasi Utsavam, Skandha Shashti, Krithikai, Aurudra Darisanam, Maha Shivaratri, Thai Poosam, Masi Magam, Panguni Uthram,









The legend has that the King who was ruled this city was a follower of Jainism.  His wife Thiru Mangayarkarasi was a passionate devotee of Lord Shiva; afterwards she came to known as one of the prominent 63 Nayanmars (Shivaite Saints).  During those days the belief in Shaiva Siddhantha was drastically reduced due to the awful influence of Jains.  She worried about the series of events took place in their Kingdom and invited Thiru Gnana Sambandhar to visit Madurai, in order to reinstate the glories of Shaiva Siddhantha.  The King who was suffering from skin diseases for long time, Sambandhar applied a handful of ashes on the affected areas and the blisters were miraculously disappeared.  The Jains were shocked at the act of Sambandhar and engaged in a serious argument resulted in a huge conflict.  Jains were shoved their scriptures containing the principles of Jainism into fire and they burned into ashes, when Sambandhar tossed the sacred verses of Lord, to everyone’s surprise the scriptures remained untouched.  The arguments continued between them, Jains threw their scriptures into the river and it was washed off with its current.  Consequently,  Sambandhar shoved a palm leaf containing one of his famous compositions of Lord starts with ‘Vazhka Anthanar’  to Vaigai river, surprisingly the Palm leaf plunged opposite to the current of the water.  Kulaichirai Nayanar, who was the minister of the King, went on his horse back chasing the precious palm leaf written by Sambandhar.  Finally, the current of the water safely landed the palm leaf on a particular place in the river banks.  Startlingly King found a Linga on its place and he built an astounding temple to worship Lord.  Thus, Sambandhar reinstate the glories of Shaiva Shiddhantha once again on this sacred land.

 
It is believed that a single day’s stay and worship of Lord Edanganathar with his consort Sugandha Kundalambikai with utmost faith on this sacred land would yield the merit of living and serving Lord Kasi Vishwanatha in one’s entire life period.

This temple remains open from 6.00AM to 12.00PM in the morning and 4.30PM to 8.30 PM in the evenings.


Jaya Jaya Sankara Hara Hara Sankara !!

Jai Sriman Narayana !!

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