Miraculous Return of Lord Arumuga

Miraculous Return of Lord Arumuga by Chitra Murthy It all happened in the 17th Century when Dutch looters came by sea to Tiruchendur in India on 20th February 1649 and encamped there. The locals objected to the Dutch and an armed confrontation followed. Three Dutch soldiers lost their lives in this and the Dutch demanded compensation. The Indians categorically refused. Irate Dutch pirates started plundering many temples. They took away the idol of Lord Arumuga mistaking it to be a golden idol and also an idol of Lord Nataraja.   They set sail with the idols on board. They didn't anticipate the danger they faced by this unscrupulous act. They set sailed with the idols on board. The Dutch had not gone far when their ship was capsized by deadly storm and torrential rains. This made the Dutch think that the calamity had struck them because they had the stolen the deities. They quickly threw Lord Nataraja's idol overboard. Still the cyclone refused to abate. Then they tied the idol of Arumuga with a rope and lowered it into the sea. To their surprise the storm subsided. Relieved to have escaped from the danger for their lives they continued their journey back home. After this the temple was deprived of the festivities for a couple of years. A that time a local called Vadamaliappa Pillai, a devotee of Senthil Andavan, used to work for the British. Lord Muruga came in his dream and told that his idol was at the bottom of the sea.  He would be able to spot the exact location when he finds a lemon floating and a garuda (Vishnu's mount) circling right above it.  As guided in his dream he went to sea and brought the idols of Lord Nataraja and Arumuga back to the temple .The festivities were resumed with fervour. This story has been preserved for eternity as drawings on the ceiling of the temple. To date you can see the evidence of the idol submerged in salty water as scars on its face. Researcher Mr Somasundara Mudaliyar says the word ‘Thirunallaru' is carved at the base of the idol of Lord Nataraja. This is the reason for the idol in the chariot taken out during the Masi Brahmotsavam, appearing as Lord Muruga at the front and Nataraja on its back. Masi Brahmotsavam is held every year in Thiruchendur. There is also a widespread notion that Lord Muruga gave his Dance Darshan to Saint Arunagirinadhar in Thiruchendur granting his entreaty and hence this twin darshan in one idol. Courtesy: Gnana Alayam, May 2013 About the Author Chitra Murthy, an ardent devotee of Lord Muruga, writes many research articles on Thiruppugazh and gives musical discourses on Thiruppugazh. She also teaches Thiruppugazh to interested students in Chennai. She learned Thiruppugazh from Thiruppugazh Gana Chakravarthy Guruji Shri A.S. Ragavan and Thiruppugazh Adimai Shri Natarajan. Guruji Shri Ragavan helped her to explore the expanse of Thiruppugazh ocean and Thiruppugazh Adimai Shri Natarajan helped her to delve deep into it. Source : Murugan Bhakti editor@murugan.org via mail28.wdc03.rsgsv.net  %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%