JOIN USYet another attraction to draw crowds
With the city making brisk preparations on eve of Mahashivaratri, the Sri Trineshwaraswamy temple in the Amba Vilas Palace premises has a special attraction for devotees this year.
‘Bindu Theertha,’ a small pond within the temple, which was closed for the last 75 years has now been made accessible to the visitors this Shivaratri.
Officials were seen in last minute supervision works including desilting and cleaning of the pond, which was opened about five months ago for restoration works.
The temple was built during the ninth century, along with Goddess Tripura Sundarammanni Temple on the same surrounding. The pond was also been set up at the same time. It was named after Bindu Theertha Maharshi, who is said to have used the water from the pond for performing pujas.
It had however remained closed following the collapse of the ‘dwaja stambha’ (flag post) in the temple about 75 years ago, which broke into three pieces.
The branch of a peepal tree is said to have fallen on the post, causing its breakage.
The incident was considered a bad omen by the erstwhile rulers of Mysore of Wadiyars, as it was followed by death of Jayachamarajendra Wadiyar’s mother Yuvarani Kempammanni.
A few years later, he lost his elder daughter, princess Gayatri Devi, after which was followed by the death of Maharaja Jayachamarajendra Wadiyar himself. Ever since then the temple authorities have kept the pond closed by filling it up with sand, according to priest of the temple, Dattatreya Srihari Dixit.
The Mysore Palace Board in association with the muzrai department recently took a decision to re-open the pond.
T S Subramanya, Deputy Director, Mysore Palace Board, when contacted said that the Board had informed the royal family, which is said to have given its assent for the opening the pond. “The pond was closed because the Palace had difficulty in finding people to clean and maintain it all year round.
The Palace had to shell out Rs two for cleaning the pond, then. It wasn’t closed because of any bad omen. The Board felt that the pond should be opened to use its water for religious affairs,” he added.
Venkatesh, a priest associated with the temple, was overjoyed to see the pond open and said that even his father S Venkatadri Shastri, who was a priest there had never seen the pond filled with water.
He said that had heard about the incident surrounding the pond by his ancestors. He also lauded the authorities for making the pond accessible after so many years.
The priest said that there was a lot of cleaning process involved, which had been completed by Saturday afternoon.
The golden mask
The district administration handed over the golden mask (chinnada kolaga), which was kept in the District Treasury to embellish the idol of lord Thrineshwara Swamy on account of Mahashivaratri. The mask, which will be placed on the idol after 7.30 am with special pujas, will remain in the shrine till March 11.
The history of the golden mask dates back to 1953. Jayachamarajendra Wadiyar in 1953 presented it to the temple, when royal scion Srikantadatta Wadiyar was born.
The idol of Trineshwaraswamy was decorated with the mask every Monday, till it was handed over to district administration.
The mask, which was with the temple priests itself till 1982, was handed over to the district administration to safeguard it in the treasury. Since then, the mask is being handed over to the priests on the eve of Mahashivaratri.
Salu lingas
The temple has ‘salu lingas,’ a row of 15 lingas, which is a major crowd puller much on the festival day along with the golden mask.
LCD television sets will also be set up in the temple this time to facilitate devotees to have a complete view of the pujas inside the sanctum sanctorum, while they are awaiting for their turn in the winding queues.
Once a year
The Shaiva Shilpi Bramha Rushi Gurukula Temple of Shaiva Shilpi Siddalinga Swamy Mutt, located on the Ramanuja Road, was also seen busy making arrangements. The temple, which is opened only on the occasion of Mahashivaratri every year, has four ‘veda murtis’ along with 101 shiva lingas.
The Kameshwara Kameshwari temple on the same road is also bound to attract devotees on Sunday. The sanctum sanctorum of the temple has idols of Kameshwara and Kameshwari with Shivalinga on ‘Sri Chakra’. This temple was established by Jayachamarajendra Wadiyar to appease the Gods for offsprings.
Sahasra Bilvarchane, Rudrabhishekas, Tailabhishekas and other special pujas will be carried out in all Shiva temples on the day. Temples will also have music and bhajan programmes the whole night