01Fragrance for the Vedas
The asuras Madhu and Kaitabha once stole the Vedas from Brahma, and Vishnu recovered them. The temple katha says the Vedas came back touched by the impurity of their captivity, and the Lord of Indalur made them fragrant again: parimala, fragrance, gives him his name. Indu is the moon, and Chandra too was freed of his curse here, which is why the Thayar is also Chandrasaba Vimochanavalli. Kaveri, grieved that she was held lower than Ganga, did tapas before Parimala Rangan and was promised the higher place in the month of Tula. So in the sanctum Kaveri is at his head and Ganga at his feet, and through Aippasi devotees bathe in the Kaveri at Mayiladuthurai, the Thula Snanam.
02The locked doors
Thirumangai Alvar sings of Thiruvindalur in eleven pasurams. The temple katha says he arrived when the doors were shut and sang outside, and the doors stayed shut; at last, half in exasperation, he told the Lord to keep his temple to himself, and the doors opened. With Srirangapatna, Srirangam, Koviladi and Sirkazhi, Indalur is one of the Pancharanga Kshetrams. The Perumal’s image, about 3.7 m long, is of green stone and faces east; the sanctum holds Kaveri, Ganga and Santhana Gopalakrishna, and Brahma is carved on the wall. The Garuda mandapam pillars carry the ten avatars. The great festival is Aippasi Thula Mahotsavam.
The life of this place
- Alvar periodThirumangai Alvar sings eleven pasurams on Thiruvindalur.
In Mayiladuthurai town, about 2 km from the railway station. Come in Aippasi for the Thula Snanam at the Kaveri ghats.
