108 Divya-deshams: Thirumogur

BY: SUN STAFF

Thirumohoor Chakaratalvar Temple

Dec 20, 2023 — CANADA (SUN) — A tour of the 108 Divya-desams, the divine abodes of Lord Vishnu and Lakshmi.

Thirumohoor Kalamegaperumal Temple

The Thirumohoor Kalamegaperumal Temple (also known as Thirumogur or Thirumohur) is located near Melur, Madurai district in Tamil Nadu. One of the divya-deshams, it is dedicated to Lord Vishnu, who is worshipped as Kalamega Perumal with His consort Lakshmi as Mohanavalli Thayar. The temple is glorified in the verses of Nalayira Divya Prabandham and mentioned in the Brahmanda Purana and Matsya Purana.

The temple's presiding Deity is said to have appeared as the divine enchantress Mohini to allure the asuras to support the devas. For this reason, the temple is also known as Mohanapuram and Mohanakshetram.

Constructed in the Dravidian style of architecture, a granite wall surrounds the temple, enclosing all its shrines and three of its four bodies of water. It has a five-tiered rajagopuram, a gateway tower and a huge temple tank in front. The temple is believed to have been built by the Pandyas, with later additions from the Madurai Nayaks.

The temple tank

Bhasmasura did penance here, and Lord Shiva granted him a boon that when he touched anyone's head, that person would turn to ashes. Bhasmasura wanted to test the boon by touching the head of Shiva who then went to seek shelter of Lord Vishnu. The enchantress Mohini lured Bhasmasura with her dance, and enticed Bhasmasura to touch his own head with his hand. The asura was thus defeated.

Before the churning of the Ocean of Milk for amrita, the asuras were able to overpower the devas, who thus sought Vishnu's help. During the Samudra Manthanam, Vishnu appeared as Mohini to lure the asuras and denied them the elixir, allowing the devas to gain the upper hand. Thirumohur is said to be the place of this event.

Sangam literature offers details about this tirtha as being prosperous during that time. The documentation from Ptolemy (c. CE 100 – c. 170) also makes reference to this place. An inscription on the temple's south outer wall identifies the builder of the temple as Sri Kaala Maegam, alias Kaangaeyan, during the reign of Sadaiya Varman Sundhara Pandiyan (Later Pandiya king), circa CE 1259. This inscription also mentions an endowment of ponds and adjoining areas, duly specifying the boundaries of the land.

Temple Shrines

The current structure is believed to have been built by the Madurai Nayaks. During the later part, there were additions made by the Marudu brothers, whose images are also housed in the temple. Thirumohur was an impregnable fort during the period of British. During the Carnatic Wars, there was an attempt made by a Muslim general, but it was repulsed by the local devotees. The inscriptions from the period of Nayaks have been recorded by the Archaeological survey.

There are four prakarams (closed precincts) inside the temple. The main deity (mulavar) is Kalamegaperumal in panchayudha kolam and in a standing posture. The consort of the presiding deity, Tirumohurvalli (also called Mohanavalli) is housed in a separate shrine. The Prathanasayana appearance of the main deity is not found anywhere else in the 108 Divya Desam temples.

Images of Bhudevi and Sridevi also reside in the sanctum. Unlike other temples, the goddesses do not touch the feet of the presiding deity. A separate shrine accommodates Anantasayi Vishnu.

To the front of the image of Sudarshana Chakra stands the deity Chakratalvar, and present on the back is Narasingha Perumal, situated amidst 48 apsaras. Inside the six circles that are present, there are 16 weapons with 154 letters present. The letters are believed to be text from the Bhijakshara Mantra. Perumal is depicted with 16 hands and three eyes glowing like fire.

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