AUTISM REMEDY THROUGH TEMPLE VISIT

Thirumuruganatheeswarar temple in Thirumuruganpoondy, Avinashi Thirumuruganpoondi, a town panchayat in Tirupur district, is about five km from Avinashi, that lies at a distance of five km from it and about eight km from Tirupur. What was a somnolent village two decades ago has now leapt to modernity with newly laid tar-roads and other infrastructural developments. Still it is famous for the making of stone idols, and the houses noted for making them are found along the route to the temple of Thirumuruganatheeswarar from the bus stop where one alights to reach the shrine. Surrounded by thorny bushes and trees, the temple of Thriumuruganatheeswarar or Muruganathe-Eeswarar, facing west, is far away from the madding crowd. Though shorn of architectural grandeur and a majestic rajagopuram it is richly compensated by its legendary significance and inscriptional wealth elevating it to the fourth place among the seven specially mentioned shrines of Kongu Nadu. It is said that Muruga, after slaying Soorapadma, sought Siva’s advice on getting rid of Brahmahati dosham. He was directed to go to Kandamapuri in Kongu Nadu, make a lingam out of sand and offer worship. Subramanya obeyed and the presiding deity of the temple came to be known as Muruganatheeswarar and the place Thirumuruganpoondi (earlier Kandamapuri). Due to this fact the shrine has become famous for curing autism and mental problems. On entering the temple, after worshipping Raja Ganapathy, one will witness a vast courtyard with a dwjasthambam and a 16-pillared nritya mantapam, on the northern side of the entrance. Then there is a rectangular mantapam, also a part of the maha mantapam, which has a separate shrine for Muruga facing south. He goes by the appellation, Shanmukam, a five-ft icon, with five of his faces looking towards south and the sixth one facing north. Seated on abeautifully sculpted peacock, he is flanked by His consorts, Valli and Devasena. At the entrance of the maha mantapam are the exquisite statues of dwarapalakas, Dandi and Mundi. The presiding deity Muruganatheeswarar is a small lingam with a five-headed snake spreading its hood over it. There is no enclosure around the garbha griha for circumambulation. To the left of the presiding deity is the shrine for goddess Muyangupoon Mulai Valli or Alingabushana Sthanambigai.