Tiruvannamalai Ashrams

This small Siva temple is situated on the northern bank of the river Cauvery in Uthara Mayuram. The place where the temple is situated is familiarly known as Vallalar Koil. It is noted for its famous Dakshinamurthy shrine which attracts a large number of devotees on every Thursday. The main pagoda of this temple dedicated to Sri Vadhanyeswarar who is a Swayambu Lingam faces west. The divine consort here is known as Sri Gnanambigai and her sannadhi faces south. There is a small and attractive shrine for Her. The Yogic posture and the Gnana Mudra of Lord Vadhanyeswarar seated on Nandhi suggests the Upadesa pose and Parvathi is called here as Gnanambigai.

The temple which covers an area of about 1.50 acres has a beautiful gopuram in the front. It is linked with several other sacred centres by bus and train, the nearest railway station being Mayuram at a distance of about four kilometers. Four beautiful vimanams add to the serenity and charm of the shrine. There are several sub-deities and a number of uthsava vigrahams for Swamy, Ambal, Somaskandhar, Dakshinamurthy, Gangai Amman etc. There is a separate shrine for Sri Medha Dakshinamurthy to the southern side of the main sanctum of the Lord. He is seen sitting in Yoga Asana with the right hand in Gnana Mudra and the left holding a book. The unique feature of this Dakshinamurthy is that He is seated on Nandhi. There is also a stone Nandhi in front ot Him. The tank adjoining the temple goes by the name of Gnanamirtha Saras. It is also called Pancha Brahma Theertham on Karthigai Somavaram (Mondays) will be blessed with peace and plenty. There are also sannadhis for Vigneswarar, Subramaniar, Durgai and Saneeswarar.

The Lord is called Vadhanyeswarar or Vallalar. Vallalar means one who gives abundantly to His devote, the seeker. Here the Lord is known as Kai Kattum Vallalar-the lord who shows the hand representing Gnanam or wisdom in the form of offering Upadesam. A few miles west of Mayuram at Moovalur is the Vazhi Kattum Vallalar

(Lord who shows the way or Marga Sagayar). Here the Lord is said to have guided Indra, Vishnu and Kubera who lost their way while traveling as hunters. At Vilanagar, a few miles to the east, is the Thurai Kattum Vallalar (Lord who showed Saint Sambhandar the way to cross the river Cauvery which was in spate.) in the south, a few miles from Mayuram, there is a place known as Peruncheri where the Lord gave the power of speech to Guru and came to be known as Vageesar. These four sacred places are around Mayuram. The river Cauvery flows in the middle of the town of Mayuram; on the south it is known as Dakshina Mayuram and on the north Uthara Mayuram.

Legend has it that the Lord humbled the proud Rishabadeva and initiated him into the mysteries of the Devine Wisdom. As Rishabadeva felt haughty since he was the vahana of the lord, Siva threw a hair of his sacred locks on the bank of Rishabadeva who at once groaned under its heavy weight. He sought the mercy of the Lord who not only pardoned him but also blessed him with Divine Wisdom. So even when the Lord took the form of Guru or Gurumurthi, Rishabadeva was permitted to serve as His mount.

The punished Nandhi begged the Lord to forgive him and requested upadesa-Siva Gnana Upadesa. The Lord made him to stay at Mayuram in the middle of the river Cauvery and said that the Ganges and other rivers would flow into the Cauvery on the New Moon day in the month of Ayppasi, when he could have his upadesam at Uthara Mayuram. Hence the river came to be known as Rishaba Theertham at that spot. Devotees believe that Goddess Ganges comes here on the particular day to wash off all the sins deposited into her by millions of the bathers from all over the country. It is believed that Ganga Devi is freed from all sins and impurities by having a dip in the Cauvery and having a sacred darshan of Sri Medha Dakshinamurthy and Lord Vadhanyeswarar

The sannadhi of Sri Medha Dakshinamurthy attracts the attention of one and all on every Thursday when the Lord is adorned with the gold kavacham. Every year in the month of Karthigai, a Maha Abishegam is done to the lord. Special Abishegas are also performed when the plane Guru moves from one Zodaic to the other. Apart from this Moola Vigraham, there is a fine bronze image of Dakshinamurthy in this temple. It is taken in procession on the New Moon Day in the month of Ayppasi.

Medha means Gnana or Wisdom. So Medha Dakshinamurthy here is said to exhibit His Gnana Swaroopam or form of wisdom. He sits facing south, under a huge Banyan Tree with the crescent Moon adorning his locks. The crescent Moon represents the growth of Gnanam or Wisdom. Time moves on, but Dakshinamurthy is always young. Four Rishis are sitting at His feet. They are awaiting the grant of the supreme knowledge by the Lord. The notable thing here is that the teacher is young and the disciples very old, a deviation from the normal course of things in the world where the Guru is generally older than his disciples. Strangely enough He sits silent. A Guru must teach his disciples. This Guru teaches through His silence. The moment the disciples see Him, their doubts are cleared. The Lord has adorned Himself with the crescent Moon, Ganga, Fire and Holy Ash. His right hand shows the Gnana Mudra and He holds a book in His left. Ignorance in the form of a demon lies under His feet, completely subdued. The four Rishis represent humanity. Uthara Mayura Mahatmiyam in Sanskrit gives the history of this place in twenty chapters of which the upadesa chapter is the most important. Maha Vidwan Meenakshi Sundaram Pillai has sung the Sthala Puranam in Tamil. Sri la Sri Sivagnana Desiga Swamigal, the Tenth Maha Sannidhanam of Dharmapuram has also sung the praise of Lord Dakshinamurthy in ten stanzas which go by the name "Sri Dakshinamurthy Thiruvarutpa". Poojas are performed four times daily by hereditary Brahmin priests according to the principles of the Karana Agamam. There are two chapparams and silver Kailasa Parvatham apart from vahanas such as horse, peacock and rishabam. Another unique mount viz., the crocodile (Makara) is used for carrying the Goddess Ganga to the Cauvery on the Kadaimukham day when it is believed that the Cauvery at Mayuram becomes as holy as Ganges. Brahmothsavam in Ayppasi, Adi Pooram, Navarathiri, Karthigai Deepam and Thiruvadhirai are the regular annual festivals celebrated, of which the ten-day Ayppasi Brahmothsavam is the most important one attracting about 10,000 devotees from in and around Mayuram. The affairs of the temple are managed by a Superintendent appointed by the Adheena Kartha of the Dharmapuram Adheenam who is the hereditary Trustee of the temple.