Mela Kadambur Amirthakadeswarar Temple is a Hindu temple located at Mela Kadambur in Cuddalore district of Tamil Nadu, India. The historical name of the place is Tirukadambur. The presiding deity is Shiva.
He is called as Amirtha Kadeswarar. His consort is known as Vidyujothi
Nayaki. The temple has beautiful sculptures and the vimana is in the
form of a chariot.
It is one of the shrines of the 275 Paadal Petra Sthalams - Shiva Sthalams glorified in the early medieval Tevaram poems by Tamil Saivite NayanarsTirunavukkarasar and Sundarar.
Sangamangai near Kancheepuram is the birth place of Sakkia Nayanar born
in the month of Margazhi (December-January) on a Pooradam star day. He
was attached to Lord Shiva and his devotees with the staunch faith that
Lord Shiva alone can help a soul to cross the ocean of life.
Though
appearing in his Sakya style (Sakyas do not belong to Saivism and had a
type of dressing different from Saivites) Lord Shiva was ever in his
thoughts. He was doing Shiva Puja secretly without anybodys
knowledge.
While Nayanar was out on a day, he found a Shiva Linga lying
uncared for. He wanted to clean the Linga with abishek, garland and
worship but there was nothing for the purpose. Yet Nayanar took a small
stone considering it as a flower and placed it on Him chanting the Shiva mantra-Nama Shivaya. What fell on Lord was not the stone but a
flower.
Nayanar continued his worship this way and had his food only
then. As he was in a Sakya attire, many thought that he was one against
Lord Shiva but Lord alone understood his devotion. One day, Sakkia
Nayanar began to take his food and suddenly realized that he had failed
to do the puja and desparately ran for the puja doing it with stones
The
stones used for the puja fell at the feet of Lord Shiva in Mount
Kailash. He gave darshan to Nayanar with Mother Parvathi. As Sakkia
Nayanar worshipped Lord Shiva here, the place is known as Sakkottai.
Festival:
Maha Shivrathri and Masi Magam in February-March and Margazhi
Tiruvadhirai in December-January are the festivals celebrated in the
temple.
Opening time:
Temple is open from 10 a.m to 11a.m and from 5 p.m to 7.pm
