Bangaru Kamakshi - The divine queen of Thanjavur

Happy Navratri to all of my readers!!!

Navaratri aka Dusshera is a 10 day long festival celebrated grandly in almost in every part of India. Following that in Southern parts of India, we have Vijayadashami and Sarasvati Pooja are also being observed. Goddess Durga and many other female deities are worshipped mainly during this festival. Sumangali Pooja and Lalitha Sahasranamam and Kanakadhara stortram chanting yields good blessings to the families during this Navratri times.

Golu at Bangaru Kamakshi Amman temple

In this 10 days long festival, Golu which is the festive display of dolls arranged in a step like shelves are kept in everyone’s house and they invite people to see the golu and also gives presents to small girls (Kanyas). The best part of visiting others house and seeing golu is that everybody gets chickpeas which is offered to the deities. This is really a great opportunity to grab a cup of sundals from everyone's house after seeing the golu.

Bangaru Kamakshi Amman Temple lit up for Navrati Festival

On the Second day of Navratri, I feel blessed and love to present you people a post about Sri Bangaru Kamakshi Amman temple, Thanjavur.  I wanted to post this for the first day of Navratri but due to some personal commitments it got delayed.

Thanjavur is highly spiritual and has many famous temples are located in and around the district. Among all those temples, Bangaru Kamakshi is considered to be one of the powerful sakthi petal located in Thanjavur. The temple is located in the West Street, where most of the divine temples are located. West Street in Thanjavur is considered to be the hub temples.

Bangaru Kamakshi

Bangaru Kamakshi

Bangaru Kamakshi is actually the utsava moorthy of Kanchipuram's Kamakshi Amman. As you can see that our Bangaru Kamakshi is in the standing pose, which is generally the pose of the utsava moorthys'. Bangaru Kamakshi is also known as Swarna Kamakshi and Hema Kamakshi. She appeared from the fire as a child, when Lord Brahma was doing homam. For our moolava moorthy Bangaru Kamakshi, utsava moorthy is Kamakoti Amman.

Bangaru Kamakshi was brought to Thanjavur by the devotees and important people of Sri Matam aka Kanchi Matam in order to safeguard Kamakshi from the invasion happened during that time of Mughal and British periods who doesn't believes in idol worshipping. During 1680 when Mughals were invading various dynasties and places, they've looted everything. They've also got eyes on temples, gods and the precious jewelry they got. So they also destroyed the main idols which were placed in the sanctum of many big and important temples.

  

When the Kanchi matam people felt that they might lose divinity of the place, they decided to move Kamakshi's utsava moorthy to many places. They've at least roamed around various places for 50 years. After leaving Kanchipuram, they have come across Senji, Thiruvannamalai, Udaiyarpalayam, Thiruvarur, and Kumbakonam and also came across many small villages town at that time and finally they've reached Thanjavur. They stayed at Udaiyarpalayam for long time as there was a good landlord who provided facilities for Kamakshi's Pooja. Landlords then were equally powerful as king so Kanchi Matam's devotees stayed there for long as they were safe at that place. Then after the death of that landlord (whose name is not known), his wards were not kind hearted enough to service for Kamakshi. Then they came to Thiruvarur. One person among the people who took Kamakshi to various places was Shyama Shastri's father. Shyama Shastri was born during his father's stay in Thiruvarur. When Shyama Shastri was 5 years old, they moved to Kumbakonam and stayed there for a short time and then came to Thanjavur.

Golu Pics from Bangaru Kamakshi Amman Temple

Marathas were ruling Thanjavur at that time and were really powerful. So they built a temple for Kamakshi during 1780s' and Serfoji Maharaja’s son Prathapa Singh who was the king then, built temple for Bangaru Kamakshi and also Punnainallur Mariyamman temple. The king also offered many land and offerings to Bangaru Kamakshi.

During Shyama Shastri's lifetime at Thanjavur, he composed many kirtis and songs on Bangaru Kamakshi. Shyama Shastri stayed in a house behind the temple itself. Shyama Shastri is one among the music trinity which also includes Thyagaraja Swami and Muthuswamy Dheekshithar.

 

Golu Pics from Bangaru Kamakshi Amman Temple

Because of his sheer and deep devotion that he had on Bangaru Kamakshi, Kamakshi herself gave dharshan to Shyama Shastrigal.

There are only 11 abhishekams done to Bangaru Kamakshi. Those 11 days are 

1.     Iyppasi Pooram - Kamakshi's janma nakshathram

2.     Panguni Uthiram - along with kalyana utsavam

3.     Every 9 days during the Navratri

People cannot have dharshan of Kamakshi while abhishekam. As per the Shastra, female deities’ abhishekam should not be done in front of all. Now-a-days every temple allows people to watch the abhishekam of female deities. It is wrong actually. It’s just because the host for the abhishekam gives the temple’s priest more money, he just can’t ignore the Shastra. It’s actually a blunder happening in most of the temples.

This Bangaru Kamakshi Amman temple and Kanchipuram Kamakshi Amman temple are taken care by Sri Matam (Kanchi Matam).  This is one among various other temples where 6-kaala Poojas are done. Even in Kanchipuram temple only 5-kaala Poojas are done. This temple's priest are taking care of the temple on their own as this temple follows hereditary trustee method. Only the hundi offerings and other accounts are taken care of TNHRCE.

 

Gopura Vimanam of Bangaru Kamakshi Amman

Also there is a small sanctum of lord Ganapathy dedicated in the outside of the temple premises. The whereabouts and the history Ganapathy is unknown. But Both Kamakshi and Ganapathi is more powerful in fulfilling the devotees wishes.

The temple timing on normal days is 5 am to 12 pm and in the evening 4 pm to 9 pm. On every Fridays the evening timing is 4 pm to 10 pm. On Navratri evening the temple functions from 4 pm to 10:30 pm.

For contact: Kalyanaraman Gurukkal (mob: 9994710314).

Pictures displayed in my post are clicked by myself.

Ending this divine Bangaru Kamakshi post here.

Yours East Gaterr