Kaalamegha Perumal Temple, Thirumohur
Thirumohur
Photo: Richard Mortel from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia · CC BY 2.0 · via Wikimedia Commons
Famous for its Sudarshana Chakra (Chakrathazhwar) shrine.
Sthala Purāṇam
Thirumohur, the Kaalamegha Perumal temple near Madurai, enshrines Lord Kaalamegha Perumal, whose name evokes the rain-laden dark cloud, signifying both His hue and His boundless generosity, standing east-facing in panchayudha kolam with Sridevi and Bhudevi. The consort Goddess is Mohanavalli Thayar, a form of Lakshmi. The name Thirumohur arises from the Mohini avatara: during the churning of the Milk Ocean (Samudra Manthana), when the devas and asuras contended over the amrita, Vishnu assumed here the enchanting form of Mohini and deluded the asuras, securing the nectar for the devas; because the Lord took the deluding (mohana) form at this spot, it became Thirumohanavur, shortened to Thirumohur. The temple is renowned for its Sudarshana Chakra shrine, where Chakkarathazhwar appears sixteen-armed with three fiery eyes in a dynamic stance, bearing Yoga Narasimha upon the reverse. The temple tank is the Kshirabdhi Pushkarini, named for the Milk Ocean of the churning legend, and the vimana is the Kethaki Vimana. Kaalamegha Perumal is especially revered as Maarga Bandhu, the Vazhithunai, the companion and guide who escorts the liberated soul along the archiradi marga, the path of light, to Sri Vaikuntham. This belief rests upon Nammalvar's decad Thiruvaimozhi 10.1, addressed to Kaalameghan; as the Acharya Manavala Mamunigal observed, when the Alvar uttered the name of Kaalameghan, the Lord became his guide on the ascent to Vaikuntha. This Divya Desam was hymned by Nammalvar and Thirumangai Alvar in the Nalayira Divya Prabandham.
Mangalāśāsanam — the Āḻvār pāsurams
The Lord Kaalamegha Perumal with Mohanavalli Thayar of Thirumohur is glorified by:
Thirumohur, east of Madurai, enshrines Kaalamegha Perumal (the Lord dark as a rain-laden cloud), the deity who, per tradition, led Nammalvar to Vaikuntha. Its Mangalasasanam totals twelve pasurams: eleven by Nammalvar in Thiruvaaymozhi decade 10.1 (the celebrated 'thALa thAmaraith' decade) and one by Thirumangai Alvar in the Periya Thirumozhi. Verbatim Tamil of 10.1.1 is sourced from the authoritative divyaprabandham.koyil.org.
thALa thAmaraith thada maNi vayal thirumOgUr nALum mEvi nangu amarndhu ninRu asuraraith thagarkkum
The opening pasuram of the 10th centum salutes Kaalamegha Perumal of Thirumohur, who eternally and joyfully resides in Thirumohur amid tanks of lotus-stalked, lotus-bearing fertile fields, and who, like death personified, crushes the asuras that torment the world. The Alvar declares that he has no refuge other than the lotus feet of this Lord. The whole decade 10.1 is dedicated to Thirumohur and leads toward the Alvar's ascent to Vaikuntha.
Verses & references (1)
- Thirumangai Alvar contributed a single pasuram of Mangalasasanam to Thirumohur Kaalamegha Perumal, bringing the temple's total to twelve pasurams (eleven by Nammalvar in the Thiruvaaymozhi tenth centum plus one by Thirumangai Alvar). — Thirumangai Alvar, Periya Thirumozhi (Naalayira Divya Prabandham) · source ↗
Tamil text & meaning sourced from divyaprabandham.koyil.org and other Śrī Vaiṣṇava authorities — please cross-check the linked source for the canonical reading.
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