POC: Paramashivoham Oneness Capsule 197 (Saatchinathar Temple visit - 21 May 2012)

Description

His Divine Holiness, 293rd Guru Maha Sannidhanam of Madurai Aadheenam, Paramahamsa Nithayanada visits the the ancient Saatchinathar temple. One among the 24 Gurusthalams, it was built in the 6th century for Lord Dakshinamurthy.

The temple hails the leela of Lord Paramashiva, who radiates in this temple, when he helped an old lady merchant who was in legal trouble by standing witness for her. Hence the name Saatchinathar - Witness.

The temple also has a very special Ganesha deity. During the Krita yuga, Lord Paramashiva asked Ganesha to save the world from the great deluge. Ganesha created a well on the east side of the temple tank and channeled all the seven seas into that well, controlling the deluge and saving the world. Lord Varuna, the God of Oceans, created a deity of Lord Ganesha from sea shells and other materials obtained from the sea and worshipped him as “Pralayam Katha Vinayakar”.

On the night before Vinayaka Chathurthi, a special abhishekam with 100 kgs of honey is done to this beautiful Ganesha throughout the night. All honey that is poured during the abhishekam is absorbed by the deity. No abhishekam is performed during the rest of the year.