Aavur

There is an Anjaneya temple which is nearly five hundred years old at a village Aavur which lies enroute to Pudukottai from Trichy. We have to take a diversion from Mathur roundana to go to this village, which is about five kilo meters from the main state highway. The village is a part of Pudukottai District. The river by the name ‘Aavuran’ [a] ‘Korai’ runs bordering the village Aavur. The Anjaneya temple located before the village Aavur, village called Mullipattiis is known by the name Peedampatti Sri Sanjeevirayan temple. The temple is about sixteen kilo meters from main bus stand. Apart from this temple there is no activity nearby and we could see that we are passing through a terrain which is just short of forest when travelling from Mathur.

Pilgrims camp

It is left to the imagination of what it would have been about four hundred years back. That was the time when a group of pilgrims from Telugu speaking area were passing through this place. When they were camping here for the night, the leader of the team felt some thing attractive about this place and had decided to camp there for more days. When they went around the place for their food they found lot of herbs which could cure many ailments in this place.

Sri Anjaneya vigraha

One day when they were on their usual trail of the area, they came across a strange looking rock half struck in the land. When they started removing the rock off the ground they noticed that it was a small vigraha of Sri Ganesha. Some distance away they found another rock which they could not move from the ground. On that night Sri Anjaneya had appeared in the leaders' dream and informed that He is present in the place. He had also instructed them that He would be worshiped by them henceforth.

Worship of Sri Sanjeevirayan

From then on they had started worshiping the rock in which Sri Anjaneya was found and continued to live in the same area. This group of pilgrims' knowledge about the herbs grown in the area was good and they offered medicine for the ailment for the people around this place. It was their strong belief that it was gifted to them by non other than Sri Anjaneya Himself.

Rulers’ visit and temple for the Lord

It was during the Sixteenth century that the ruler of the province came here for hunting and came across this group. The ruler then had no child and was offered medicine for this by these pilgrims and told the ruler to have faith on Sri Anjaneya who would grant him children. After few days of taking the medicine, the ruler was blessed with a child and was so happy that he came to Aavur and built a temple for the Lord Anjaneya. Then the temple came to be known as saviour of all ailments and the presence of Lord who brought Sanjeevinee is felt here to cure the ailments of His devotees.

Grants to the Temple and Poojaris

Today the poojas for the Lord are being performed by the decendents of the original pilgrims. The 21st generation of the original tribe is now performing the poojas. As a mark of gratitue and respect to the Lord Sanjeevirayan many rich rulers and land lords had gifted articles to the temple and improved upon the temple at different point of time. They hold a copper plate dating back to 1805 statting that the then ruler donated acres of land to them as pujaris of the Sanjeevirayan temple.

Poojas in the Temple

Unjal celebration is conducted during the month of Margaze along with Sri Hanumath Jayanthi. Ten days annual celebration is conducted with gay and gaiety during the month of Chitrai, Car festival is held during this celebration. There are very few Hanuman temples that have its own car, this is one among them.

Experience

Sri Sanjeevirayan, who brought medicinal herbs from Himalaya for Sri Lakshmana, is present at this kshetra for curing all aliments of His devotees. Come with hope and faith on Sri Sanjeevirayan and get rid off all aliments.

Ed [June-July 2016]