Swamimalai
From Free net encyclopedia
Swamimalai is a small town near Kumbakonam in Thanjavur district of Tamil Nadu, India. It lies on the banks of river Cauvery, on the road connecting Kumbakonam and Thiruvaiyaru. The name of the town means 'God's mountain'. It has the only school that teaches the art (craft) of making bronze icons. Like the rest of this part of the Thanjavur district it is mainly an agricultural town producing rice and sugar cane. The town has one of the six (padal petra sthalangal) sacred temples of Lord Karthikeya. The sacred story associated with this temple is that Lord Karthikeya expounds the meaning of pranav (AUM) to Lord Shiva, at this location. Hence, one can see the Lord Karthikeya depicted as Guru (teacher) and Lord Shiva listening as shishya (disciple)in the raja gopuram of the temple complex. The reintiation and reassertion of the knowledge takes place after an intense debate with regards to pranavam (AUM) between Lord Brahma (embodiment of creationary aspect) and Lord Karthikeya, during which Lord Brahma fails to adequately convey the meaning of AUM. Hence, Lord Karthikeya suspends Lord Brahma from his duties, for which Lord Shiva and Goddess Shakthi object and Lord Shiva engages in the searching the meaning of AUM with Lord Karthikeya. Locally, Lord Karthikeya is also known as Swaminatha and "Thagapan Swami" to highlight that Lord Shiva got reinitiated in Pranav (AUM mantra).