Nachiar Kovil – Kal Garudan
(నాచ్చియార్ దేవాలయ శిలా గరుత్మంతుడు)
Nachiar Kovil or Thirunarayur Nambi Temple, is situated in
Thirunarayur, a village in the outskirts of Kumbakonam in the South Indian
state of Tamil Nadu. It is constructed in Dravidian style of architecture. It
is one of the 108 divyadesams dedicated to Vishnu, who is worshipped as
Srinivasa Perumal and his consort Lakshmi as Nachiyar or Vanjulavalli Thayar. Here
Mahalakshmi is given prominence and all rituals are conducted to her first and
then to Lord Srinivasa.
When Goddess Lakshmi departs Vaikutha after a scuffle with the lord,
it is said that Garuda was the one to trace Mahalakshmi to this place and led
Mahavishnu here. As a mark of gratitude, Lord Vishnu has blessed Garudan to
receive equal status at this temple. Sri Garuda Bhagwan graces the devotees
from His shrine holding 9 snakes.
As per local legend, the sculptor who sculpted the idol of
Garuda got frustrated as the bird flew away each time, and he sculpted a new
murthy. The frustrated sculptor due to recurrence
of the event, he threw a stone at Garuda, who got injured. Then he decided to
stay as Kal Garuda (రాతి గరుత్మంతుడు). The murthy of Kal Garuda is
made of Saligrama and is housed in the shrine outside the main sanctum.
The most astounding factor at this temple which is yet to be
discovered by the present day Scientists is that, during festive procession in
the Tamil months of Margazhi(మార్గశిర మాసము)
(December–January) and Panguni (ఫాల్గుణ
మాసము) (April – May), the festive images are carried out in procession
in Kal Garudar. While only four people are needed to carry the idol of Garuda
to bring out of the shrine, it multiples to 8, 16, 32, 64 and 128 people when
the murthy is taken outside for circumambulation round the temple.
The staggering fact is
that the weight of the Garuda murthy remaining the same when carried by 4
people and there on in multiples of 4 up to 128, it becomes imminent on the
people who offered their shoulders to add on in multiples of four at every
pre-identified point, up to a peak of 128 and there from the number will reduce
to 4 in the same descending order of multiples in the same way. The devotees
believe it to be a supernatural force is acting on that murthy. If we replicate
the same murthy somewhere else, 128 people are required to lift. On the way
back only 4 people are required to carry the float in the decreasing order 128,
64, 32, 16, 8, 4. Another incredible fact is that is treated as magical is, drops
of sweat are observed on the image of Kal Garuda during the six hour long
procession. These are all bare facts beyond the reach of Modern Science.
Kal Garudan is the Vara Prasadhi at this temple
and answers all the wishes of the devotees are fulfilled by praying to Him on
nine consecutive Thursdays. He removes the naga doshams, blesses childless
couples with progeny, removes obstacle in marriage etc.
Swasthi.
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