Margabandeeswarar Temple - Virinchipuram near Vellore
Main Gopuram-110 feet
Gopuram
From Vellore it is 14 kms on Chennai - Bangalore Highway you will see a Service Road leading to Sethuvalai Junction take turn right this road leads to Virinchipuram in just 2 km and also one can see or View the Huge Majestic 110 feet tall Raja Gopuram from a far off Distance with 7 Stage East Facing where Main entrance is there.
Main Entrance
Margabandeeswara santum
This beautiful temple is 1300 years old and is known for its impressive Rajagopurams and sculptures. The main shrine of the temple is said to have been built by Raja Raja Chola, Sambara Rayan, the viceroy of Kulothunga Chola. Nandhi Vikrama Pallava, Rajendra Chola, Paranthaha Chola, Kobarakesari Varman, Narayana Sambuvarayar and Vijayanagara kings - Krishna Devaraya & Achutharaya have all contributed significantly to this temple.
Sri Maragabandeeshwara with consort Sri Maragadhavalli ambal are a Blissfull to see and the Serenity,Cleaniless is well maintained here.
inner Garbhagudi
It is the Oldest and Biggest temple in Vellore district Sung by many Appayya Dikshithar, Thirumoolar, Pattinathar, Appar, Sambhandhar, Arunagiri nadhar and many others.Arunachala Puranam, Siva Rahasiyam, Kanchi puranam and many other Holy books have described this temple in their Puranas.
Aadhi Shankararacharya had done the Beejakshara Prathishtapana of the Simha theertham in the temple complex.
Lord Brahma was born as Shivasarma here in a priest family. When Shivsarma’s father died at his early days, Shivsarma was to undertake the pooja responsibilities as a small boy. Shivasarma’s relatives had planned to take away the priest’s rights and land from them and so they warned that his rights and land will be taken away, if he does not perform the pooja when his turn comes up. Shivasarma’s mother prayed to Margabandeeswar and he appeared in her dream. It was the last Saturday night of the Karthigai month. The next morning, Shivasarma took bath in the Brahma theertham and Lord Shiva came as an elderly person and conducted the Upanayana Brahmopadhesa and Shiva Dikshai to Shivasharma and disappeared as Mahalinga in the temple tank bund.
The small boy was then paraded on an elephant with the holy water pot and the temple door opened automatically to everyone’s surprise. As if he was very experienced in the pooja procedures, he conducted the pooja activities to Swarna Ganapathy and while attempting to do the abhisheham for the Margabandheeswarar, as a small boy, he was unable to reach the head of the lingam. He then submitted his inability to Lord Shiva.Hence the Shiv Linga tilted slightly towards the boy and You can still find the Shiv Linga idol tilted.
In another legend, once Brahma and Vishnu got into an ego battle and they set out to reach the head and foot of Lord Shiva but both failed. Brahma lied to Shiva that he had seen the head with Tazhampoo as a false witness but here Lord Brahma accepted his inability to reach the head of Lord Shiva and offered his failure to the Lord Himself. Lord Shiva, then bowed His head to accept the abhisheham and Brahma got his curse cleared off and attained salvation. So the Margabandheeswarar lingam can be seen in a slightly tilted position here.
Dhanabalan, a Kundala desa pepper merchant lost his loads to thieves. He prayed to Lord Shiva and He came as a soldier on a horse and not only retrieved the pepper loads but also accompanied Dhanabalan till Kanchipuram. Due to this He is called ‘Vazhi Thunai Nathar’ in Tamil and Margabandu in Sanskrit (Marga meaning way and Bandhu meaning company)
This temple is also known as -- Bhaskara Kshetra -- because the Sun God is said to worship the linga when its rays fall on it in the month of Panguni; The name of the place as Virinchipuram came from the legend that the temple was worshipped by Brahma, i.e., Virinchi; The theertham of this temple is said to be produced by Gowri devi and so, this place is also known as Gowripuram; Vishnupuram and Margabandheeswaram are also the other names of the place.
Taking a dip at the Simha theertham here will remove the evil effects of bad omens
This is the birth place of Sri Appayya Dikshithar (1520-1593), the greatest interpreter of Advaitha Sidhantha after Adhi Sankara. His Margabandhu stotram on this Margabandheeswarar is for the protection of people while on journey. By reciting this one can have Lord Shiva with them as Marga-bandhu (protector during journey) along their journey.
True Benefits one gets by Worshipping Sincerely to the Lord are:
The childless couples take dip in all the three theerthams of the temple, stay overnight with the wet cloth to receive the Lord in their dream and get the boon of a child. Since Lord Shiva of this temple protected the pepper merchant Dhanabalan, the business people can have this Lord Shiva as the protector for their business. Since Lord Shiva had conducted the Upanayanam and Dikshai to Lord Brahma here, this is a holy place to have Upanayanams, to get Dikshai and to start education The last sunday of the Karthika masa or month is considered very auspicious since on that day, Lord Shiva appeared as an elderly person and conducted Upanayanam for Lord Brahma as Shivasarma.
By worshipping here for One Day people get their marriage obstacles removed and Achive Success in Happy Married Life .
---------- Hari Om ----------
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