Visit to Thenambakkam
Thenambakkam is less than 10 Kms from Kancheepuram.Brahmapuriswarar Temple is situated here. The presiding deity is Brahampuriswarar, which is a Swayambhu Lingam.
Generally, Somaskanda is a particular form of representation of Lord Shiva with his consort Parvati and Skanda as a child on the laps of Parvati.
But the speciality in this temple is that Somaganapathi is the form of representation of Lord Shiva with his consort Parvati and Ganapthi as a child on the laps of Parvati instead of Skanda. Inside the sanctum sanctorum, behind the Lingam, in the background, you will find the form of Somaganapathi (Shiva, Parvati, and Ganapathi) and Adi Sankara.
Apart from the main Sannadhi of Brahmapuriswarar, the sannadhis of Ananda Dakshinamoorthy, Chandrasekara Ganapathi, Navagrahas, Kaalabhairavar are also there. There is a separate Sannadhi for H.H. Mahaperiyava, which has been constructed additionally. There is a Veda Patashala too functioning here, where students learn and chant vedas regularly.
Significance of this place:-
Mahaperiyava (H.H.Jagatguru Sri.Chandrasekarendra Saraswati Maha Swamigal 68th Pontiff of Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam) lived inside this temple for long, for a period of more than one year and performed penance/tapasyA.
H.H. Mahaperiyava lived in a small room close to the temple premises and never came out of the room for a year.
There is a small well inside the room itself and a cement tub for washing. There are two rectangular openings inside this room. One was meant to serve Bhikshai to Mahaperiyavaa and through the other opening Mahaperiyava used to have darshan of two sannadhis namely;a) the sannadhi of Ganapathi and b) the sannadhi of Ananda Dakshinamoorthy. It's Ananda Dakshinamoorthy because, he has a smiling face. The sannadhi of Ganapathi has been named as Kaarya Siddhi Chandrasekara Ganapathi. Mahaperiyava's nayana deekshai continuously fell on these two deities and hence they have gained lot of significance.
The Brahmatheertham, where H.H. Mahaperiyava had his snaan and performed anushtaanams, and the place near Ananda Dakshinamoorthy, where H.H. Maha periyava performed Vedanta Vichaaram, and Bhaashyapaatham are all close by to this temple, within the temple compound.
This place is serene and a visit to this place assures the blessings of H.H. Mahaperiyava to all the devotees.
Some of images captured in this place are given below.
Visit to Kalavai
Kalavai is a small town about 50 Kms from Kancheepuram on the Kancheepuram-Cheyyaar-Arcot State Highway Road, closer to Arcot. The State Highway Road is very good for driving. From Kalavai, Ranipet Circle on the Chennai-Bengaluru National Highway, is somewhat closer.Significance of this place:-
This is the holy place where (H.H.Jagatguru Sri.Sri. Chandrasekarendra Saraswati Swamigal 68th Pontiff of Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam) (H.H.Mahaperiyavaa) accepted Sanyasa Ashrama in 1907 and remained as an incumbent of the Peetam till 1994.
The Adhishtanam and Brindavanam of:- a) 66th Pontiff of Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam, H.H. Jagathguru Sri Sri Chandrasekarendra Saraswati Swamigal (Parameshti Guru of H.H. Mahaperiyavaa) 1891-1907, and b) 67th Pontiff of Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham, H.H. Jagathguru Sri Sri Mahadevendra Saraswati Swamigal (Parama Guru of H.H. Mahaperiyavaa) 1907, are situated here.
It is important to note that the 67th Pontiff H.H. Jagathguru Sri Sri Mahadevendra Saraswati Swamigal occupied the position/was an incumbent of the Peetam, only for 7 days.
In between the two Brindavanams of the 66th and 67th Pontiffs, one finds a stand alone Tulsi sapling growing, which they say represents the Mahaperiyavaa as he had originally wished his adhishtanam here, but his Brindavanam was made inside Kanchi Mutt, Kancheepuram.
This place too is serene and a visit to this place not only assures the blessings of H.H. Mahaperiyava but also the blessings of his Gurus too, to all the devotees.
Some of images captured in this place are given below.
