The term ‘Siddhar’ refers to a person who has
perfected the Ashtma (Eight) Siddhis. They are
said to have the Divine knowledge which helps
them transcend the cycle of birth and death.
They serve selflessly for the upliftment of
humanity by helping people raise their spiritual
awareness apart from relieving them of their
physical as well as mental ailments.
Bogar Siddhar who is one of the revered 18
Siddhas is well known for his ardent devotion to
Lord Muruga. He had mastered all the Siddhis
and was especially gifted in the science of
Alchemy. With the welfare of humanity in mind,
Bogar Siddhar created “Medicinal Idols” of Lord
Muruga which had the ability to cure humanity
from many incurable diseases during the difficult age of Kali. They are considered as a
‘Master Medicine’ for diseases. It was built in
such a way that it is indestructible by fire, water
and could even survive an apocalypse
(Pralayam).
He has also been credited with creating and
consecrating a “Dasapashanam” Moorthy of
Lord Kulanthai Velappar at the Poombarai
village in Kodaikannal.
History of Lord Kulanthai Velappar
Temple at Poombarai
According to the legends, more than 3000 years
ago, Lord Muruga had given the Chera King an
assurance that He will give the king a vision of
His “Thiru Kalyanam” at Poombarai after the
return of the king from the Pazhani Thiruvizha.
The king instructed the famed sculptor
Devadakshan to build a beautiful Kalyana Mandapam with 16 pillars. On each of these
pillars a Dwara palakar or (guardian) of Lord
Muruga was to be depicted. The Mandapam
was built facing the direction of Pazhani and
the king on his return was given the divine
vision of Muruga Peruman’s Thiru Kalyanam as
foretold. Even Devas, Munis, Siddhars and
Saints were able to see the vision granted to the
king at Poombarai. Those who could not make it at that time came later to see the mandapam.
(Details about the Dasapashanam idol being
more than 3000 years and the history behind it
can be found on the stone inscriptions at the
Kulanthai Velappar temple at Poombarai).
Meanwhile Bogar Siddhar who had just returned
from his sojourn in China met his chief disciple
Pulipani Siddhar at Pazhani. Pulipani Siddhar
told him how Lord Muruga had graced the Chera
King with the vision of His Divine Wedding and
how the celestials and saints had been able to
witness it. Bogar immediately proceeded with
his disciple Pulipani Siddhar to see the
mandapam. He greatly admired the artwork done on the mandapam. He felt he should
create an equally beautiful idol of Lord Muruga
in His Dhandayudhapani form and place it in the
mandapam.
Dasapashanam Idol – Place of its creation
Let us take a quick look as to where Bogar
Siddhar and his disciples lived while making the
Dasapashanam idol.
i) Bogar Gajam or Bogar Kadu (Forest)
Bogar Siddhar worked with his disciples in a
dense forest that can be found midway between Poombarai and Pazhani. Bogar Siddhar is said to
have favoured the forest for its environment,
divine vibrations, privacy, Mooligai (herbs) and
the ready availability of a water source – the
Shenbaga River. This place later came to be
known as Bogar Gajam or Bogar Kadu. (The
natives till date have the tradition of going to
Bogar Gajam to pray and receive blessings for
bountiful rainfall once every year for their crops
after observing spiritual austerities.)
ii) Aanai Mutti Cave
Bogar Siddhar and his disciples lived in the
“Aanai Mutti” cave in the forest during the
making of the Dasapashanam idol. This cave can
be found on the way towards Bogar Gajam from
Poombarai. (The cave derives its name from its
walls which are full of markings left by the
elephants in the forest, who used to rub against
the stones of the cave to relieve themselves of
insects).
Consecration of the Dasapashanam
Moorthy
Bogar Siddhar added a special ingredient called
“Guru Moopu” apart from the ten pashanams or
poisons while making the idol. It was a chemical
mixture that acted as a binding agent and gave
the idol a stone like appearance. He also added
the baspam or the fine powder of various
Navarathnam (semi-precious stones) in the
creation of the idol. As per the revelations of
Muruga Peruman to Shri Rejith Kumar one of
the elements used in creating the idol has the
ability to enable humans to live on Mars.
Bogar Siddhar after making the idol,
consecrated the Moorthy of Lord Muruga at the
Kalyana Mandapam with the help of the Chera
King.
The Years That Followed
In the beginning, the Adivasi villagers taught of
Muruga Peruman as their Kula deivam (clan
deity) and prayed to Him. Both farmers and
hunters would worship him with their offerings
and only then eat their food. They lovingly
adorned their Lord with the creepers and
flowers they would find nearby. They appointed
village priests would take the offerings made at
the temple, as their food in return for their
services.
The idol was worshipped in the mandapam by
the next nine generations of the Chera dynasty.
However, as time passed by, the mandapam
gradually reached a neglected state. The
villagers tried to protect the idol by burying it on
a higher ground where the present temple of
Lord Kulanthai Velappar stands.
After many years, people began to farm in this
area because of the availability of a water source
nearby. While digging the soil they found the
idol. They built a small hut and reverentially
placed the idol of Lord Muruga there and started
the worship again.
Meanwhile the villagers heard that Raja
Punaiyathu Thambiran of Travancore was
building a temple for Lord Vigneshwaran at
Pollur. They approached him and requested him
to build a temple for them as well. He remarked
that he would finish the construction of the
temple he had taken on and then come to help
them. But that very night, Muruga Peruman
directed him to go and build the temple at
Poombarai as requested by the villagers. The
villagers told him the history behind the Kalyana
Mandapam and Bogar Siddhar’s association with
it. Raja Punaiyathu Thambiran got skilled
craftsmen from the Chera Kingdom to construct
the temple. He used the pillars and stones from the old mandapam to construct the temple. The
temple was built facing the direction of Kerala.
The Dasapashanam moorthy of Lord Muruga
was duly consecrated in the temple. He gave
further instructions to follow the tradition of
doing flag hoisting at the Poombarai temple on
the day following the hoisting of the flag at the
Pazhani Thiruvizha and further added that the
Thiruvizha at Poombarai must be celebrated in
the same way as that of Pazhani.
Saint Arunagirinathar’s Visit
Saint Arunagirinathar is said to have visited
Poombarai during the 15th century to take the
darshan of Lord Muruga. He spent the night in
the temple premises. A brahma rakshashi
(demoness) who was flying past, saw an infant
playfully climbing all over the sleeping
Arunagirinathar. She wrongly thought him to be
a lady and left him alone. Thus, Lord Muruga
took the form of an infant and rescued His
devotee Arunagirinathar’s life. The local villagers
from then onwards began to call their Lord
Muruga as “Kulanthai Velappar” – the infant
God who holds His Vel and protects His beloved
devotees from all harm.
Lord Kulanthai Velappar’s Temple at
Poombarai
Kulanthai Velappar temple which comes under
the jurisdiction of the Pazhani Devasthanam
holds a place of pride in the beautiful and
picturesque village of Poombarai.
It is located about 20 kilometers away from the
city of Kodaikannal in the Dindigul district of
Tamil Nadu, India. The temple is built according
to the South Indian Architectural style. Saint
Arunagirinathar in one of his Thiruppugazh
songs (#620) describes the beauty of Poombarai
and says it’s a place filled with groves of Neem,
Jack fruit and Plantain trees, lush greenery and
flowers and calls it the abode of Lord Muruga.
The main sanctum of Lord Kulanthai Velappar
faces the eastern direction.
His Peacock Vahanam is found near the Bali
Peedam and the flag staff (Kodimaram) faces the
main sanctum of Lord Kulanthai Velappar.
Lord Kulanthai Velappar’s luminous eyes seems
to look at the world with infinite compassion. In
His bala swaroopam, He bewitchingly smiles at all those who come to take His darshan while
being adorned royally in a silk dhothi and a
crown. He is found in a standing posture holding
a staff or dhandam in His right hand while His left
hand is placed on His hip.
Sandal wood paste is applied on the Moorthy at
night. During the night the Moorthy ‘perspires’
as the heat absorbed by Him during the day
condenses at night when the temperature
drops. The “Raakala Sandhanam” so collected is
later distributed as a medicine for the devotees;
similar to the practice carried out in the Lord
Dhandayudhapani temple at Pazhani.
The Abhisekham is done with Water, Milk,
Vibuthi and Panchamritham. It absorbs the
medicinal properties of the idol and serves to
relieve people from ailments like Diabetes and
Cancer amongst others.
There is a small shrine inside the sanctum
sanctorum for the Urchava Moorthies
(processional deities) of Lord Ganesha and Lord Muruga with His Divine Consorts Goddess
Devanai and Goddess Valli.
One can find the
moorthies of Lord Nataraja and Lord Dattatreya
on the walls around the Garba graha as Koshta
idols. There are also separate shrines dedicated
to Lord Shiva, Lord Vinayagar, Navagraham
(Nine Planets), Lord Bhairavar, Idumban, Lord
Dakshinamurthy, and the Naga deities. This
temple is specially known for celebrating the
“Ther Thiruvizha” for 10 days starting on the
day of Kettai Star immediately following the
Thai Poosam festival.
Benefits of Visiting the Kulanthai
Velappar Temple
The devotees who come to worship in this
temple get the following benefits:
(1) Removal of hurdles in marriage (2) Relief
from childlessness and (3) To get good health
and prosperity. Bogar Siddhar has consecrated the idol of Lord
Kulanthai Velappar in Poombarai - a place which
receives abundant Karthika or Pleiadian energies. This is as per the revelation given by
Muruga Peruman to Shri Rejith Kumar. The
Dasapashanam moorthy of Lord Kulanthai
Velappar is one of a kind in the world. Apart
from being medicinal in nature He also graces
the devotees who come to this blessed temple
with divine Karthika energies; this in turn helps
the spiritual aspirants on their path by leading
them to a higher state of awareness.
Om Saravana Bhavaya Namaha
Contributors:
Mrs.Sowmya Nikhil, Mrs.Asha
Jagannathan, Mrs.Rani Pandian, Mrs. Jyoti Sena
and Mr. Arun Murugan
References:
1. Poombarai Navapashana Murugan Silai
by Shri T.R. Govindan
2. Bogar Gajam & Aanai Mutti CaveVendhar Channel (Moondravathu Kann
Program)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UgsAaA7dwU&https://youtu.be/ji7r7iCuK
58
3. Kulanthai Velappar Temple
https://www.revolvy.com/page/kulanth
ai-velappar?stype=topics&cmd=list
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