PALLIKONDESHWARASWAMY TEMPLETHE ONLY PRODHOSHA KSHATRAM IN ENTIRE INDIA.

Sri Pallikondeshwara swamy temple at Suruthapalli. Chittor district in Andhra Pradesh 3kms from Uttukottai, TamilNadu is the only place where the Lord Shiva is seen in the reclining position (sleeping position) also called as Neelakantha. It is here the Prodohosha Kala pooja has began since ages. By performing this Prodohosha Kaala pooja everyone will find complete solutions and get rid of poverty, ill health and will be bestowed with wealth and prosperity. This is one of the most auspicious pooja in the Hindu Dharma. Related to Shiva Skanda Purana
Prodhosha is the worship of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati when both are in an extremely propitious mood. Prayers during this period will fulfill one's desires and bring happiness in life.
The Prodhosha Kaala pooja is highly lauded by the scriptures and is very great sanctity and importance to the worshipers of Lord Shiva. The mere sight of the Deity in the temple during this period will destroy all the sins and bestow bountiful blessings and Grace upon the fortunate beholder. Even a single Bilva leaf (leaf taken from the stone wood apple tree) offered to the Lord at this unique, auspicious moment equals a hundred Mahapujas.
During the Prodhosha Kaala a large number of devotees gather to light the lamps. It is said that even to light a single wick of a lamp at this period is considered highly meritorious and productive of untold benefits both materialistic and spiritually. Most fortunate and blessed is the person who performs the Prodhosha Kaala pooja, Lord Shiva showers His choicest Grace and blessings on him in a very short period.

WHAT IS KARMA
Karma is not just a metaphysical philosophy, it is real. "Karma is ones own predisposition of your previous birth which influences in your present life'. It decides the way of your living in this present life, it influences your position name, fame. money etc. of the present life. Everyone has a choice to live his /her one's own karma of the previous birth or to create a new one. because they do not know how to remove their old karma and simply live their old karma until they live.lt is the thought process that creates Karma. It is also influenced by the planets. It is important to remain positive and nurture positive thought only. as negative thoughts and negative deeds will inflict danger to mankind in the present and the future life.

HOW CAN KARMA BE REMOVED?
The ultimate purpose of our human life is realization of God. It is told that this can be achieved only when the deeds of your old karma has been wiped clean, and when it is the right time the grace of God will flow on to you. When that begins to happen, an intense flow of both the material and spiritual worlds open to us. Now it is your choice on the abundance that is presented to you, whether you take the spiritual or the material route, one thing is certain, you have to completely eliminate your karma to even to get there. The Prodhosha Kaala pooja gives a great opportunity to build a road to prosperity and true happiness.

WHAT IS PRODHOSHAM?
Prodhosha literally means the removal of sins. This is an auspicious time or a holy spiritual time: these times are the windows of opportunity to remove bad karma as karmic energies that limit our potential in this present life. It is the best time to pray and request Lord Shiva to eliminate our bad karma and fulfill our desires.
Prodosham is a very important day for the Hindus. It is the day for worshiping Lord Shiva. It comes twice a month. i.e.
15 moon days from New moon to Full moon 15 moon days from Full moon to New moon
The evening of Trayodasi , i.e. the 13th moon day between 4.30 p.m and 6.00 p.m. is Prodhosha.
Whatever sins we have committed will be forgiven by the lord if we pray wholeheartedly.
We can pray to God by performing abhishegam. Milk gives long life. Ghee gives moksha. Sandal gives Lakshmi's grace and there are lot more.
By Chant Om Nama Shivaya and write 108 times you can get God's grace...
Prodosham timings are one and half hours hours before sunset and one hour after sunset, it is observed in the twilight period (sandhya kaala). Some perform abishekas for the Lingam. some people chant "OM Nama Shivaya". some chant the Maha Mrityunjaya Mantra 108 times and the very pious also read the Siva Skanda Purana Story. But it is said. that just lighting a lamp and praying also pleases Lord Shiva.
Among the poojas performed by Shainavas to the Graceful Lord Shiva. During Shukla Paksha (15 moon days from new moon to full moon) and Krishna Paksha (15 moon days from full moon to new moon) the evening of the Trayodasi (thirteenth moon day) between 4.30 pm to 6.00 p.m. is called "Prodosham''. It comes once in fifteen moon days. Prodosha kaala is the time to pray Lord Shiva and invoke His Blessings. Praying during this time will free us from sins and gives Moksha (hence the name Prodosha).
Trayodasi is catergonsed according to the duration of its occurance. Prodhosham is categorized into three:
Uthama Prodhosham (Maximum power) — If the Trayodasi period is present from dawn to the next day dawn

Mathima Pradhosham (Normal power) — If the Trayodasi period is present from dusk to the next day dusk
Athama Pradhosham (Minimum power) — If the Trayodasi period comes after the sunset and goes before 4:30 pm the next day.
There are various abihishekams perfomed to Lord Shiva and each has the following effects which is considered fruitful

ABISHEKA NAME	ITS EFFECTS
PANCHAGAVYAM	Removes all sins of mankind
PANCHAMRUTHAM	Gives wealth
GHEE	Gives Moksha state
MILK	Gives long life
CURD	Gives Good Children
HONEY	Melodious voice
RICE POWDER	Frees from debts
LIME JUICE	Gives good health and removes enmity
SUGAR CANE JUICE	Removes fear of death
TENDER COCONUT JUICE	Gives enjoyment and full satisfaction in life
COOKED RICE (ANNAM)	Gives Majestic life
SANDAL PASTE	Gives Lakshmi's Grace
SUGAR	Removes enmity

HISTORY OF THE TEMPLE

    According to Sthalapurana (history of the place), it is said that Asuras (demons) and Devas (Gods) decided to consume the nectar from Kseerabthi (the milk ocean) to live immortal. Hence, they churned the ocean with the help of Vasuki (the celestial snake) and the hill Mandhara, with Gods on one side and demons on the other. Unable to tolerate the pressure, Vasuki spilled out the poison from his mouth. The Gods and demons then approached Lord Shiva to save them from the harmful effects of poison as it would have killed the leaving creatures on the earth and also Gods and demons. Lord Shiva transformed himself into Vishabhakarana Moorthy and swallowed the poison. He then started feeling little giddy. As he laid down, his consort. Goddess Parvati placed Lord's head on Her lap and gently pressed His neck and thus the poison remained in His throat without affecting His body. Hence Lord Shiva got the name as •Neelakantha.' (`Neela'- blue with poison and 'Kantha'- throat) (as Goddess Parvathi held the poison in the throat she is called as `Sarvamangalabigar.) It is in this place the Lord rested on the lap of Goddess Paravathi. During this time all the gods, maharishis and rishis assembled here for the well being of Lord Shiva and this place got its name as Suruttapalli. Surutta means assembly of Gods.

    The Devas and Asuras resumed their effort to get the nectar from the ocean on Lord Shiva's orders, after he regained consciousness and obtained the nectar on Dhwadashi (12th moon day). In that happiness, they forgot to thank Lord Siva who consumed the poison for everyone's well being. Realising their mistake, they prayed Him for forgiveness on Trayodasi (13th moon day) for which the Lord forgave them and in a happy mood, began His celestial dance (Shiva Tandavam) between the horns of Nandi (the mount of Lord Shiva) where all the Gods, Goddess and sages joined Him. This moment is celebrated as Pradosham every fortnight and hence Pradosha Pooja is said to have originated from this temple. It is believed that during Pradosha Punya Kaalam, anyone who offers prayers will attain shanti (peace), sakala sowbhagyam (Complete Happiness) and will be comforted from the obstacles of life. Even Lava and Kusha. who unknowingly fought with their father Lord Rama, over Aswamedha yagna horse, came to this temple along with Sage Valmiki. to worship Lord Siva and to get rid of their sins. Another prominence of Suruttapalli is that most of the deities are present with their consorts in their respective temples.

ABOUT SURUTTAPALLI
    Suruttapalli, a small village famous for Sri Palli Kondeshwara Swami (Lord Siva), temple is located in Chittoor Dist. of A.P., 53kms from Chennai and 3kms from Uttukottai. This temple is one of its kind where Lord Shiva is resting on the lap of Goddess Parvati. The temple was built during the Vijayanagaran Era by Kings Harihara and Bukkha. As you enter the temple through the entrance, you'll find the temple of Goddess Margathambigai (Goddess Parvati) on the left side and Sri Valmikeshwara (Sage Valmiki) on the right side of the entrance. It is said that one has to visit these two temples first before visiting the main temple.
The temple of Goddess Margathambigai has to be visited first, even before the shrine of Sri Valmikeshwara or the main temple. The garbha griha is guarded by Lord Kubera (God of wealth) with his consort Sanganidhi on left side and with his another consort Padumanidhi on the right side. The Goddess inside in the standing posture is seen with Kamadhenu on one side and Kalpaha Virksham on the other. There are some more Idols of Gods like Varasidhi Vinayaka (Lord Ganesha), Sri Venugopala Swami (Lord Krishna), Kasi Vishwanathan with Visalakshi and others present in the inner praharam (inner wall of the temple).

   Next to the shrine of the Goddess. there are two other shrines of Sri Ramalingeshwara and Sri Valmikeshwara, the main deity facing each other. It is said that Sage Valmiki performed penance before he started writing Ramayana and Lord Shiva appeared in the form of the Lingam and blessed the Sage and hence the Lingam is known as Sri Valmikeshwara Lingam. The Lingam is in triangular shape and there is a large Nandi outside the temple. Next to this temple is a slab of stone with many footprints on it. It is said that. in 1971. Kanchi Mahaperiyavar Sri Sri Chandrashekara Saraswathi swamyji (a sage), camped here for 40 days and asked some people to dig a particular place. On digging, they found a slab of stone with innumerable footprints on it. Mahaperiyavar disclosed that the footprint belongs to Lava and Khusha - the twin sons of Lord Rama. There is another idol of Lord Dakshinamoorthy (Lord Shiva) who is present as Dhambadya Dakshinamoorthy along with his consort Gown, in the outer walls of Sri Valmikeshwara shrine. The Lord is in a sitting posture with left leg slightly lifted and His left hand on His left knees in a stylish way. It is said that one who worships him on Thursday, are immensely blessed and will have a peaceful life.

   The presiding deity is PaIli Kondeshwara (Lord Shiva) with His consort and many other Gods. The Lord is in reclining position (about 6 feet long) with his head on the lap of Goddess Parvathi who resides as Sarva Mangalaambigai. The uniqueness of the temple lies in Lord Shiva seen in the human form unlike His usual Linga form. The Sun God and Moon God are present on the either side of Goddess Parvati. Many others including Lord Vishnu. Lord Brahma. Goddess Lakshmi, Sage Maarkandeyar, Sage Agasthair, Sage Valmiki, Indran, Sage Naradhar. Lord Subramaniyam with His consort and Lord Ganapati are also present in the temple. It appears as if the whole Kailasham (Lord . Shiva's aboard) assembled here to know the well-being of Lord Shiva after He consumed poison to save the universe

    Another prominence of Suruttapalli is that most of the deities are present with their consorts in their respective temples. Unlike the common practice of giving Vibhooti (holy ash) as Prasadam, as in the temples of Lord Shiva, holy water is given here.
Pallikondeswarar is worshipped by a celestial congregation consisting of Brighu. Brahma, Mahavishnu. Markendaya. Narada. Chandran, Surya, Kunera. Agasthya. and Vinayaka.

    Till a few years back, this temple built by Vijayanagara emperor was in a dilapidated state but now it has been renovated beautifully. The paintings. floorings,Rajagopuram, Vimanams, front Nandhi making the temple look beautiful. Even the walls of the inner praharam have undergone modernization with tiles. The Nandi Idol has been beautifully painted and placed at an elevated height in the huge open space in the front of the temple welcoming the devotees.

 

Dhampathi Sametha Dhakshinamoorthi

     After the darshan of Sri Valimikeshwara swamy you will have to visit the shrine of Dakshinamoorthi. It is customary to have Dakshinamoorthi idol facing south of the main santum santorium of Lord Shiva. Various forms of Dakshinamoorthi are present, like Gnana dhakshinamoorthi, Yoga Dhakshinamoorthi, Veera dhakshinamoorthi, Medha Dhakshinamoorthi etc. In Surutapalli the uniqueness is that the Lord Dhakshinamoorti is seen with his consent only one of its kind. It a visual pleasure to watch the idol. The Lord is sitting stylishly with his consent Gown i on his lap and held affectionately with his left arm and hence He is known as Dhampathi Sametha Dhakshinamoorthi. Offering prays to him gives prosperity, health, wealth, good education etc. it is also told that couples who pray for offspring are blessed with children.

    After the war with Ravana the Demon King, he was killed Lord Rama. All of us know that in the war between Lord Rama and the demon King Ravana, Rama killed Ravana and this mounted a curse on Lord Rama due to Brahmanahtaya. To get rid of this curse Lord Rama performed various yagnas, pujas and yet he was not satisfied and did not feel that he was rid of the curse. On the advice of his Guru Vashita he came to this place and placed a lingam in front of Valmikeshwara and performed prays and got rid of the curse. The idol place by Lord Rama is known as Sri Ramalingeshwara. You can see the idol of Sri Rama, Sita Lakshmana, Baratha and Shatarguna along with Hanuman in the temple opposite the Valmikeshawara.

The Pallikondeshwara Swamy temple can be reached by road from Chenai or Tirupathi on the Chenai-peripalayam- Uttukotai- Tirupathi route. It is just 3 KM away from Uttukottai.

         

             It was an unique and inspirational experience which I would like to share about the Pallikondeshwara temple and its importance during my visit. The Lord Shiva in sleeping position with his head on the lap of the Goddess Parvati, surrounded by the Lord Brahma, Lord Vishnu, Mukoti Devas Maharishis and Sages creates an atmosphere of Kailash (Heaven). It is only temple where Lord Shiva is seen in the human form. In my first visit itself I felt the immense strength filling into meand gave me a sense of calmness and closeness to Lord Pallikondeshwara Swamy.

           With due salutations to the great sage Sri Sri Chandrashekara Saraswathi Swamiji of Kanchi has no doubt expressed the presence of Lord Shiva in this place during his stay in 1971. This temple known as Prodosha Kshetra where the Prodosha Kala Pooja originated has very calm and peaceful atmosphere making it a very ideal place to worship Lord Pallikondeshwara along with SarvaMangla Ambigai who would shower their blessing on those visiting this place and get benefit for their life. This immense feeling in me, made me to prepare this book in simplest form so that the importance of Sri Pallikondeshwara and Sri Dhampathi Sametha Dhakshna Moorthi at Suruttupalli could be spread to large section of devotees who in turn will spread this to many more. By spreading the importance of this temple to entire population, in turn every devotee who visits the temple can obtain the blessing of Goddess Sri Maragathambika and Sri Valmikeshwra Swamy to live a peaceful, healthy and happy life.I thank the almighty for choosing me to prepare this book. I sincerely thank the Chairman of the temple • "- for permitting me to make this possible. 1 also extend my thanks to the temple archakar who very patiently explained the every importance of this temple. It was nice to get some contribution from Mr. Anandkumar in getting this book printed. It is the personal experience I intend to share with everyone and does not hold any relevance to all.

Dr. K. Chandrashekar

Devotee