FOOD, FRUITS AND PRAYERS

LORD SANEESWARAR

DONATE: £100.00 – for 100 meals. Wholesale costs for various vegetables, lentils, rice and fruit. The cooking and service is done by volunteers at the Pongu Saneeswarar Temple.

Pongu Saneeswarar - Agneeswarar Temple - Thirukollikadu

This sacred temple is dedicated to Saneeswarar. The only temple where Lord Saneeswarar destroys all your Karma, past, present and future and blesses you with abundance of wealth, health and happiness.

We organise through our volunteers for those suffering from serious health issues, business blocks and losses and educational hurdles to feed both the poor, the sick and wealthy devotees coming to the temple on Saturdays to get the blessings of the Lord Saneeswarar at this temple.

Agneeswarar temple at Thirukollikadu is more commonly known as Pongu Saneeswaran Temple. The Presiding deity of this temple, Agneeswarar, is also known as Thirukollikadar or Theevanna Nathar. " Thee” means fire and vanna means colour in Tamil.

True to the name, the Lingam here is slightly reddish in colour. The Lingam here is one of the 64 Swayambhu [self-manifested] Lingams. His consort is Mirudupaadanayagi or Menthiruvadiamman or Panjinmelladiaal. All the names of the Goddess here mean – the one with soft feet.

Thirugnana Sambandar has sung in praise of Thirukollikadar.

Agni was under the grip of Ezharai Sani when he had lost some of his power due to the following reasons. Agni had taken part in the Yaga conducted by Dakshan [Lord Shiva’s father-in-law], whose primary intention of conducting the Yaga was to insult Shiva. Agni had also been afflicted with dosha when the wax palace was burnt with the intent to kill the Pandavas. Agni prayed to Lord Shiva here to get back his power. Lord Shiva obliged him here and is hence known as Agneeswarar.

There is a story behind how this temple is so important for Saneeswaran worship. Saneeswaran is actually a just planet that has effects on the person according to his karmas [deeds]. However, people misunderstood and dreaded the very mention of the name. Ezharai Sani or the seven and a half years period when the planet casts its malefic effect on the native of the horoscope is a dreaded period. Similarly, Ashtama Sani is also feared. Saneeswaran did not like this and he appealed to the Lord that he should not be blamed or held responsible for doing his assigned task. Lord Shiva was pleased with Saneeswaran and conferred him the title Saneeswaran here. No other planet has the tag Easwaran attached. He directed Saneeswaran to stay back at this temple as Pongu Sani and bless the devotees.

Another mythical story is, after Nalan was relieved of the Sani Dosham at Thirunallar, Nalan came here and sought the blessing of the Lord. He was re-united with his family and got back his royal status after worshipping here. King Harichandra is also said to have bathed at this sthalam and was finally relieved of his dohsam by the grace of Kollikadu Sani Bhagavan. The river where he bathed is still named after him.

Saneeswaran is present here seated on his vehicle – the crow, as anugraha murthy [one showering his blessings] with his lower right hand showing abhaya hastham. He holds a plough in his upper right hand. He is holding a flag with crow embossed on it, in his left hand. Opposite to Pongu Saneeswarar is Bhairavar, who is Saneeswaran’s guru. There is a shrine for Lakshmi next to Pongu Saneeswarar. Murugan is present here with his consorts Valli and Deivayanai. He holds a bow in his hands instead of the Vel [spear]. The Navagrahas are usually seen as Vakramurthys, ie they face different directions. The Navagrahas here are uniquely placed. They form a shape Uhere.

Saturn is called Pongu Sani and Mangala Sani as he blesses the devotees abundantly.

The temple situated very near Mannargudi, Thanjavur in Tamil Nadu, is perpetually crowded especially on Saturdays.

This is purely a shrine dedicated for Saturn [Saneeswarar]. The serenity has an aura of spirituality at Thirukollikadu, a sleepy hamlet on the Mannargudi -Thiruthuraipoondi road in the agrarian heartland of Tamilnadu.

The Siddhar (Tamil (Romanised))from Sanskrit siddha) in Tamil tradition is a perfected individual who has attained spiritual powers called siddhi.

Historically, Siddhar also refers to the people who were early-age wandering adepts that dominated ancient Tamil teaching and philosophy. They were knowledgeable in science, technology, astronomy, literature, fine arts, music, drama, and dance and provided solutions to common people's illnesses and advice for their future. Some of their ideologies are considered to have originated during the First Sangam period.

Siddhars were typically first scientists, saints, doctors, alchemists, and mystics all in one. They wrote their findings in the form of Tamil poems on palm leaf manuscripts. They typically believe in one god, but there are some Siddhars who believe in polytheism. These are still owned by some families in Tamil Nadu and handed down through the generations, as well as being kept in universities in India, Germany, Great Britain, and the United States.

In this way, Siddhars developed the native Siddha medicine system. A rustic form of healing that is similar to Siddha medicine has since been practiced by experienced elders in the villages of Tamil Nadu. This is referred to as Paatti Vaitthiyam (grandmother's medicine), Naattu marunthu (folk medicine), and Mooligai marutthuvam (herbal medicine).

Siddhars are also believed to be the founders of Varma kalai - a martial art for self-defense and medical treatment at the same time. Varmam are specific points located in the human body that, when pressed in different ways, can give various results, such as disabling an attacker in self-defense, or balancing a physical condition as an easy first-aid medical treatment.

Tamil Siddhars were the first to develop pulse-reading (naadi paarththal in Tamil) to identify the origin of diseases.

Siddhars have also written many religious poems. It is believed that most of them have lived for ages, on a mystic mountain called Sathuragiri, near Thanipparai village in Tamil Nadu.

Three Siddhar Samadhi’s to visit after the prayers at Pongu Saneeswarar Temple at Thirukollikadu.

SRI GURU MARUTHUR SWAMI

Maruthur

SRI GURU CINTAMANI SWAMI

Komal

SRI GURU ARUNASALAM SWAMI

Thirunellikaval