The Holy Tank of Sri Dharbarnyeswara Temple and Sri Saneeswara Baghavan Thirunallar Temple, Karaikal
Since the principal deity Darbharanyeswara (Lord Siva) his consort Praneswari (Shri Ambal), Saneeshwaran and the several other gods and goddesses enshrined here have the power to offer benedictions to the devotees, hundreds of them visit this temple daily. There is an additional attraction of several sacred tanks which exist here and which are said to and possess healing powers literally as well as metabolically.
A beautiful Rajagopuram in five tiers rising to the sky and adorned with an abundance of terracotta sculptures as we entered into the temple. As one enters and perambulates round the eircumambulatory path this shrine of Kalathinathar and Karpakavinayakar are seen which are readily worshipped. The images of the four great Shiva Saint besides those of the 63 – Nayanmars are represented at the turn of the southern Prakara of the temple, and noteworthy feature here is the image of Nala house in a separate shrine at the end of the gallery of the 63 – Nayanmars.
The image of Lord Saneeshwaran is seen in a graceful standing pose housed in niche on the left side of the Lord Siva’s Sannithi. He is shedding benevolence as he is wearing the aspect of Anugrahamum and a Perennial stream of Bhaktas throng here to worship him and obtain his grace throughout the year on the most important festival days.
According to mythical legends, Lord Saneeshwaran is the son of the Sun [the Chief of the solar system] by Chaya, the shadow of Samine his wife. He was ordered by his father to take his place amongst the planets and engage himself in meeting out their joys and sorrows to mortals in proportion to the merits and demerits earned by them in their past lives.
Lord Saneeshwaran is very much sought after by countless millions of devotees on the day when the Planet Saturn [worshipped as Saneeshwaran] transits front one zodiacal sign to another. This day is great occasion here and abhishekas, archanas, poojas, aradhanas and naivedyas are offered to the Lord continuously from the whole day for mitigation of the scorching effects his influence produces on those to pass through Sani Dasa in their lives. There are several tanks here which are considered highly sanctified. They are respectively Brahma Tirtha, Vani Tirtha, Hamsa Tirtha, Agasthia Tirtha, Nala Tirtha, etc., The Sthala Vriksha here is the Darbha plant [Kusa grass].
The Lord Darbharanyeswara is offered poojas six times a day and Lord Saneeshwara has five times a day. Lord Saneeshwara has also other names such as Mandam [dullard], Pangu [lame], Kartam [biack man] etc. Since, it takes nearly three decades completely that is one orbit around the sun and he is reckoned as a very slow moving planet. The name Sanaichara means slow moving. And his vehicle is the crow the familiar black bird. The color of his garments is also black.
According to astrology, Saturn is the Lord of the houses. Makhara[Capricorn] and Kumbha [Aquarius]. He is exalted in the house of Thula[Libra] and is Ayurkaraka or in other words, governs our life span, Sesame or the gingelli is his favourite seed and cooked rice mixed with sesame is the favourite naivedana.
The Siloatatnakara mentions the eagle as his vehicle. It is also said that lamps fed with gingelly oil and lighted before him reduces the intensity of his male life and saturday being his day in the week the offerings on that day of gingelly oil fed lamps and gingelly-rice bring to the devotee great virtues besides getting the saturnine influence mitigated if they happen to be affiliated by it.According to astrology, Saturn is the Lord of the houses. Makhara[Capricorn] and Kumbha [Aquarius]. He is exalted in the house Thula[Libra] and is Ayurkaraka or in other words, governs our life span, Sesame or the gingelli is his favourite seed and cooked rice mixed with sesame is the favourite naivedana.
Saturn is well known as one of the 9 planets and it is the biggest planet in the solar system next only to Jupiter. Its diameter is 71,500 miles and it is of a lighter density than the earth. It orbits around the sun taking about 29.5 years to take one full round and passing through the 12 sign of the zodiac in its stride. It is 886 million miles away from the Sun and it takes 10.15 hours to make in rotation on its own axis.