Kothangudi is indeed special in many ways. First is the hymn rendered by Sambandar. “Kuthangudi Vedikudi Punalsoozh Kurundankudi…” goes the Thevaram. The Lingam is in the rare Chaturasra Vrutham shape, The Hindu has reported.

Sri Meenakshi-Sundareswarar temple in Kothangudi village, Thanjavur district, is different among the other temples of the deity. The ancient temple is 1,300-years old. it was praised by Tirugnanasambandar in his Kshetra Kovai Pathigam.

The holy temple is a vibrant place of worship, where festivals were celebrated with great fanfare. It lost its sheen over a period of time and fell into ruins. It was restored, consecration performed and daily pujas were revived after a gap of 100 years.

Kothangudi is indeed special in many ways. First is the hymn rendered by Sambandar. “Kuthangudi Vedikudi Punalsoozh Kurundankudi…” goes the Thevaram. The Lingam is in the rare Chaturasra Vrutham shape.

For four days, from the Full Moon of Panguni (March-April) the Lingam is bathed in the rays of the rising sun.

The lingam is in slightly tilted position, which indicates that the deity is listening to the appeal of the devotee.

“Meenakshi is our mother, who conveys our messages to Her Consort. A lamp lit in her shrine will drive away our worries,” say women, who visited the temple to offer her prayers.

Kothangudi is the destination for couples, who wish for offspring. Couples praying for a child, place an idol of infant Sundareswara, called Santhana Sundareswara, in a cradle and gently swing the craddle before the priest returns it to the sanctum.

“Their prayers are always answered,” says the priest. “After the child is born, the parents come back with the baby and place it in the cradle and perform puja,” he explains. Records have it that scholars Sri Mahadeva Sastri and Sri Krishna Sastri — both ardent followers of the Kanchi Kamakoti Pitam — lived in Kothangudi and worshipped Sri Meenakshi-Sundareswarar. Sri Krishna Sastri is said to have performed hundreds of Santhana Bhagya homam.

Image Source: The Hindu