Kandiyur Hara Sabha Vimosana Perumal

Divya Desam where Shiva got rid of ‘Brahmma’s Curse’
Pancha Kamala Kshetram 
Visit this Divya Desam for salvation from all curses

Located 11kms from Thanjavur on the road to Thiruvayaru, this place is called Kandiyur in memory of Lord Shiva, also known as Kandeeswarar, who was liberated from Brahmma’s curse.

The story 

Once upon a time, both Shiva and Brahmma had 5 heads. One day Parvati (Shiva’s wife) coming out of her pooja mistook Brahmma (because of his 5 heads) for her husband and began serving him by washing his legs. A furious Shiva opined that Brahmma and his 5 heads was the reason for this confusion and that Brahmma had become arrogant because he too had 5 heads.

In a fit of anger, Shiva took the middle head of Brahmma with his hand. Unfortunately though, the 5th head of Brahmma stuck to his (Shiva’s) hand. Shiva went around on a pilgrimage to find salvation from the curse by begging for food, with Brahmma’s skull as the begging vessel. Every time someone filled the vessel with food, it vanished immediately, to Shiva’s horror.

Finally on reaching Uthamar Koil (http://prtraveller.blogspot.in/2007/05/108-divya-desam-uthamar-koil.html), Goddess Lakshmi filled the vessel with food ending Shiva’s hunger. However, to Shiva’s dismay, Brahmma’s skull still lay fixed on his hand. Purushottamar answered Shiva’s prayer for salvation and asked him to bathe at Kandiyur and seek the blessings of Goddess Kamalavalli and Lord Kamalanathan at Kandiyur.

As Lord Shiva was liberated from his curse here at Kandiyur, the moolavar here is called ‘Hara Sabha Vimosana Perumal’(Hara is another name of Shiva).

Thirumangai Azhvaar’s reference to Shiva's curse

பிண்டி ஆர் மண்டை ஏந்தி  பிறர் மனை 

திரிதந்து உண்ணும் 

முன்டியான் சாபா தீர்த்த ஒருவன் ஊர் 

உலகம் ஏத்தும் 

கண்டியூர் அரங்கம் மெய்யம் கச்சி 

பேர் மல்லை என்று 

மண்டினார் உய்யல் அல்லால்  மற்றையார்க்கு

உய்யல்  ஆமே - Thiru Kurunthaandagam

Pancha Kamala Kshetram

Being the place where Shiva himself got salvation from his curse, it is believed that all our curses will go away if one visits this temple and offers sincere prayers here.

This is also known as the Pancha Kamala Kshetram (Lord Kamalanathan, Goddess Kamalavalli, Kamala Pushkarani, Kamala Vimanam and Kamala Kshetram)

Quick Facts:

Moolavar : Hara Sabha Vimosana Perumal East Facing Standing Posture
Thaayar    :  Kamalavalli Naachiyar
Utsavar     :  Kamalanathan
Time         : 8am-12noon and 430pm-8pm
Contact    : Kannan Bhattar @ 94872 52321 / 99439 44415

How to reach

Buses ply every 5-10 minutes between Thanjavur and Thiruvayaru

Place to stay

A number of economical hotels at Thanjavur

Retiring room at Thanjavur railway station

When here, also visit Srinivasa Perumal temple at Kalyanapuram, 2kms North East of here, ( http://prtraveller.blogspot.in/2008/11/kalyanapuram-srinivasa-perumal.html)

and Thanjai Maa Mani Divya Desam on the banks of Vannar ( http://prtraveller.blogspot.in/2009/01/thanjai-maa-mani-koil-divya-desam.html).