THE HOLY BRAHMATHEERTHAM OF SREE KAALAHASTHI
BY
S. MAHESHKUMAR
BY
S. MAHESHKUMAR
BRAHMATHEERTHAM and Saraswathitheertham are the two primordial sacred wells of Sree Kaalahasthi. The former has been located inside the temple dedicated to Lord Sree Brahma and the latter inside the Sree Kaalahastheeswara’s Temple which is also called the Paathaala Ganga!
When I visited the Brahma temple of Sree Kaalahasthi few days ago, it was strange to see that there were no walls enclosing the sanctum sanctorum. It appeared as an open space and I searched further for the divine Brahmatheertham. It was shattering to note that the sacred Brahmatheertham was sacrilegiously sealed and the walls guarding the Brahma temple were also sinfully smashed to grab land for constructing a new guest house and a cement road. The side stretching thoroughfare in front of the Brahma temple was blocked further.
In mid 1990s, a large portion of the sacred hill of Sree Kaalahasthi encompassing the Bharadhwaaja Theertham was bombed to make way for vehicle and people traffic.
It seems that the Gaali Gopuram which fell with thunderous noise on 26-5-2010 was premeditated to fall as it stood blocking the way for traffic in its side! The conspiracy became obvious when the temple authorities and others began rebuilding a new Gopuram not at the exact place of the fallen Gaali Gopuram but at a place fairly far away for which a hotel premises was razed down as soon as the Gaali Gopuram fell.
Inside the sanctum sanctorum of the Sree Kaalahastheeswara Temple, the historic structure was gradually disfigured to add fenced queues, overbridged queues, air coolers and a lot of other paraphernalia. The chief deities of the temple are distanced from the poor public with a tag price to avail dharshan at close proximity for the rich.
At the instigation of corrupted astrologers and greedy temple staffs, the grand temple has turned into a mess and menace of Rahu-Kethu parihaara pooja shed. Every available space in the temple vicinity is now utilised mostly in favour of the said parihaara pooja. Finally, the vicious miscreants converted the temple into a godless anthropomorphic snake park in order to mint money.
It is said that by merely entering the holy temple of Sree Kaalahastheeswara, liberation is granted. The Sree Kaalahasthi Hill originally called Sree Brahmaachalam is regarded as the presiding deity Lord Sree Brahmaachaleswara Himself. The Gaali Gopuram was one of the testimonies of the missing temple dedicated to the supreme Lord Sree Brahmaachaleswara at the quadrangular ancient than the present hill side temple. This is evident from the practice of the Uthsava Moorthies of Sree Kaalahastheeswara temple going round the quadrangular on auspicious occasions. Also, the temple car circumambulates the quadrangular in worship of the latent and ubiquitous God of Sree Brahmaachalam!
The holy hills of Sree Brahmaachalam and Sree Arunaachalam existed first followed by many ephemeral temples surrounding them.
In Thiruvannaamalai, Sree Arunachalam is revered and worshipped of paramount importance. But in Sree Kaalahasthi, the case is otherwise for so long. Let us worship the Holy Hill of Sree Kaalahasthi, i.e. Sree Brahmaachalam once again forever!
—S. Maheshkumar.
{Enhanced version of the draft composed on 15th February 2012 at 5.12 PM, Indian Standard Time.}
When I visited the Brahma temple of Sree Kaalahasthi few days ago, it was strange to see that there were no walls enclosing the sanctum sanctorum. It appeared as an open space and I searched further for the divine Brahmatheertham. It was shattering to note that the sacred Brahmatheertham was sacrilegiously sealed and the walls guarding the Brahma temple were also sinfully smashed to grab land for constructing a new guest house and a cement road. The side stretching thoroughfare in front of the Brahma temple was blocked further.
Sree Brahma Temple
The wide open Brahma Temple!
The spot where the sacred Brahmatheertham well had been for ages and the cement road put by razing down the Brahma Temple walls!
The newly built guest house facing the Brahma Temple!
In mid 1990s, a large portion of the sacred hill of Sree Kaalahasthi encompassing the Bharadhwaaja Theertham was bombed to make way for vehicle and people traffic.
Hill blasted to facilitate passage to Lobavi
It seems that the Gaali Gopuram which fell with thunderous noise on 26-5-2010 was premeditated to fall as it stood blocking the way for traffic in its side! The conspiracy became obvious when the temple authorities and others began rebuilding a new Gopuram not at the exact place of the fallen Gaali Gopuram but at a place fairly far away for which a hotel premises was razed down as soon as the Gaali Gopuram fell.
Lethargic construction work far away from the original site of the collapsed Gaali Gopuram
Inside the sanctum sanctorum of the Sree Kaalahastheeswara Temple, the historic structure was gradually disfigured to add fenced queues, overbridged queues, air coolers and a lot of other paraphernalia. The chief deities of the temple are distanced from the poor public with a tag price to avail dharshan at close proximity for the rich.
The Sannadhi of Sree Kaalahastheeswara infested with queue trellises
At the instigation of corrupted astrologers and greedy temple staffs, the grand temple has turned into a mess and menace of Rahu-Kethu parihaara pooja shed. Every available space in the temple vicinity is now utilised mostly in favour of the said parihaara pooja. Finally, the vicious miscreants converted the temple into a godless anthropomorphic snake park in order to mint money.
It is said that by merely entering the holy temple of Sree Kaalahastheeswara, liberation is granted. The Sree Kaalahasthi Hill originally called Sree Brahmaachalam is regarded as the presiding deity Lord Sree Brahmaachaleswara Himself. The Gaali Gopuram was one of the testimonies of the missing temple dedicated to the supreme Lord Sree Brahmaachaleswara at the quadrangular ancient than the present hill side temple. This is evident from the practice of the Uthsava Moorthies of Sree Kaalahastheeswara temple going round the quadrangular on auspicious occasions. Also, the temple car circumambulates the quadrangular in worship of the latent and ubiquitous God of Sree Brahmaachalam!
Lord Sree Brahmaachaleswara (SVBC TV Image)
The holy hills of Sree Brahmaachalam and Sree Arunaachalam existed first followed by many ephemeral temples surrounding them.
In Thiruvannaamalai, Sree Arunachalam is revered and worshipped of paramount importance. But in Sree Kaalahasthi, the case is otherwise for so long. Let us worship the Holy Hill of Sree Kaalahasthi, i.e. Sree Brahmaachalam once again forever!
—S. Maheshkumar.
{Enhanced version of the draft composed on 15th February 2012 at 5.12 PM, Indian Standard Time.}
