Kumbakonam weekend trip.

Last weekend was hectic but good - as we had covered 21 temples in a span of 2.5days!! We had amazing energy levels during this trip. Currently, I am back from the trip and my stomach is not OK. This is because of some over-eating I did during this trip. I sometimes try to be on par with S and eat more than what I am capable of and end up with such issues!!

We had a good peaceful Dharshan in all temples. We were able to do archana and special pooja’s as told for us by our family astrologer.

The list of temples visited in the order with the day and timings. This might help for anyone who is intending to visit these temples.

Friday(morning 10am to 1pm)

1) Thirukarukavur (Garbaga rakshambigai temple).
Visit the temple link to get to know more details on the significance of this place.

2) Thingalur (Navagraha temple - Moon-Chandran)

3) Swami malai(Murugan – one of the arupadai veedu). We got to see a beautiful abishegam(milk/sandhana) of lord Muruga.

Friday (evening 4pm to 8pm)

4) ThirumangalaKudi (Prananadeswarar/Mangalambikai temple.) To know more about the sthala puranam of this place, visit the link here.
5) Suriyanar koil(Navagraha temple-Sun-Suriyan)
6) Kanjanur (Navagraha temple- Venus- Sukiran)
7) Kozhikuthi(Vanmutti perumal)
This temple was suggested by our cab driver only. He was very patient with us. We took lot of time in all the temples. I will first try to read the sthala puranam and will translate the same to S as well. We would do a slow darshan.

8) Vaitheeswaran koil (Our family deity , Navagraha temple-Mars-Chevvai-Angarahan)
We did archanai for Vaitheeswaran , Thaiyalnayaki, SelvaMuthukumaraswamy & Angarahan)

Saturday (morning 7am to 8pm)
9) Thirunageswaram (Navagraha temple- Raaghu)
10) Thirumeeyachur (Lalithambigai)

I have been thinking for a long time to learn to recite Lalitha sahasranam. I hope the visit to this place, helps me to make an attempt to start the same!
11) Poonthootam (Koothanur –Saraswathi).

I got a tamil alphabets book for S here! I did start teaching him with the 12 uyir ezhuthu. I hope “Sarawathi” blesses him to read and write Tamizh soon! :)

He is able to identify the alphabets which I have taught him so far! He is doing better. ;). Long way to go though. Lord give me the patience to teach him .

It’s believed that kids who write their names and pray to goddess are blessed with good education. I could see lots of kids having written their exam numbers and names in the temple boards . :) I have prayed for a good education for some of the small kids I know of.

12) Thirunallaru (Navagraha temple- Saturn-Saneeswaran)

We got a beautiful darshan of Lord Saturn and able to see “Thailabhisegam”(sesame oil bath), on an auspicious day(Saturday) for Saneeswara Bahgawan.

13) Keezhaperumpallam (Navagraha temple- Kedhu)

14) Thiruvengadu(Navagraha temple-Mercury-Buddhan)

15) ThiruBhuvanam (Sarabeswarar temple)
16) Alangudi (Navagraha temple-Jupiter-Guru)

Sunday(10am to 12pm)

As we stayed in temple city, kumbakonam, we visited the famous temples of Adi Kumbeswerar, Chakrapani temple, Ramaswami Temple, Nageswarar temple.

We got a good auto driver in the temple city to do our local temple visits. One of the temple suggested by him was Karuvalarcheri. This temple is meant to help couples to be blessed with a child. The goddess Akilandeswari is believed to protect the foetus and help for a safer pregnancy.

We sincerely prayed in these temples for a “Santhana Bhagyam” for myself and S. I still need to improve my confidence level in believing that I will be able to have a healthy pregnancy!

There are some temples which are being maintained with lot of difficulties(less patronage). I find that some temples have got very much commercialized!

I feel its better we do a little bit of planning like getting our own OIL and lamps (deepam) to light in the temples. Also, we can buy blouse bits(different colors) for different navagraha swamy earlier itself and take it to the temples. We can buy deepam oil packets for the temple we visit. We did do that for most of the temples we visited this time.

Some places which I would suggest for good coffee/snack is “Seetharama Vilas”, Aduthurai. This place is a very very small place with serves good filter coffee! I had a good lunch in “Ambal mess” in a small village on the way from Thirunallaru to Mayiladuthurai”. I literally hogged their meals as I had not had proper food since Saturday morning. I forgot the name of the village now! I find that in most of the hotels in and around kumbakonam , everyone is supposed to dispose their own Banana leaf plate!(dignity of labour).