Thirumohoor Kalamegaperumal Temple

Introduction

Thirumohoor Kalamegaperumal temple is a very ancient place of worship of Lord Vishnu. It is also a well-known Divya Desam, a chosen abode of the Lord that has been glorified in the Divyaprabhandham compositions of the Azhwar saints. It is located in Thirumohoor, near Madurai city, in the Madurai district of Tamil Nadu. The presiding deity is Lord Kalamega Perumal, and his consort is Goddess Mohanavalli Thayar. This Lord is said to have appeared as Mohini, a beautiful celestial damsel to entice the Asuras, and help the Devas. This temple is also hence referred to as Mohanapuram or Mohanakshetram.

Temple Legends

Thirumohoor finds mention in many ancient scriptures like Matsya Purana and Brahmanda Purana. As per legends, demon Bhasmasura did severe penance and obtained a powerful boon from Shiva to the effect that if he places his hand on anyone's head, that person will immediately be reduced to ashes. But when Bhasmasura wanted to test the efficacy of his boon on Shiva himself, Shiva got confused and sought Vishnu's help to ward off the threat. With a view of diverting the demon's attention, Vishnu took the form of Mohini, a bewitching damsel, mesmerized him, made him dance with her, and ultimately forced him to touch his own head. And true to the boon, the Asura was turned into ashes. 'Moham' means allurement. As it was here that the demon was said to have been lured into destruction, this place came to be called Thiru Mohoor.

Also, the Devas, the celestials, and the Asuras, the demons, once churned the great ocean of milk to obtain Amrita, the elixir of immortality. But when it emerged from the ocean, Vishnu assumed the form of the enchanting Mohini, distracted the evil demons, and gave away the prized liquid to the virtuous celestials. This Puranic event, too, is said to have happened only in Thirumohoor.

The History and Architecture of Thirumohoor Kalamegaperumal Temple

The ancient Sangam literature and the Tamil epic Silapathikaram speak about the prosperity of this place, and so, there are reasons to believe that this temple can even be 2000 years old. The Pandyas are believed to have originally erected the temple, but the present structure was built by the Madurai Nayaks, with later additions from the famous Marudu brothers. The temple was also used as a fort during the British rule.

The temple is built in the Dravidian style of architecture in 2.5 acres, is enclosed in granite compound walls, and has 4 Prakarams, the precincts, and a five-tiered Rajagopuram, the main tower. The principal deity Kalamega Perumal is housed in the sanctum, in a standing posture, along with Goddesses Sridevi and Bhudevi. He is in 'Panchayudha Kolam, holding all his 5 weapons. The roof above the main shrine is Kethaki Vimanam, while the large temple tank Kshirabtha Pushkarini is in front of the temple. Goddess Mohanavalli Thayar is housed in a separate shrine. Chakrathazhwar, the discus weapon of the Lord appears imposing, in a separate shrine. He is seen with 3 fiery eyes and rolling feet, is in the midst of 48 divinities, and is holding 16 mighty weapons in his 16 hands. His idol also bears letters of the sacred Bhijakshara Mantra. Lord Narasimha is at the back of the same idol.

Temple Festivals

Brahmotsavam of Vaikasi (May-June), Vaikunta Ekadasi of Margazhi (December-January), Gajendra Moksham on Masi Poornima (the Full Moon day of February-March), and Panguni Thirukalyanam of March-April remain as the prominent festivals of this temple.

Benefits of worshipping Thirumohoor Kalamega Perumal

It is believed that the Lord fulfills the genuine wishes of the devotees so that they can lead a life of contentment and joy. It is also a belief that he removes illusions, helps them to a life of purity, and even leads them to salvation. Chakrathazhwar is regarded as very powerful here. People pray to him, particularly for early and successful marriages and career and business advancement.