History of Munishwara

Image: Taiping's 'Om Sakthi Sivanantha Arulantha Muneeswarar' temple. Design is similar to the Sapta Muni-s in Tiruvaṇṇāmalai’s Pacaiyamman temple, Tamiḻ Nāḍu 

In this article, I will cover the two aspects of Muni.

1. As a saint

2. As a spirit

Then I will talk about how the term 'Munīśvara' is attributed differently according to worship.

The Beings Who Surround Lord Shiva

In Tantra, we see Lord Śiva as the absolute reality Who is surrounded by different groups of deities. Lord Śiva is surrounded by 5 dimensions which house these groups of deities.

The Danger of Walking into any Random Temple You Encounter Part 2

This article is a continuation to 'The Danger of Walking Into Any Random Temple You Encounter Part 1' 

Aranyani: The Forgotten Goddess of Rig Veda

Image: A Vana devi located in a Maḍura Vīra temple in Shah Alam, Malaysia

In the Ṛg Veda, we have a portion which reveals a mysterious deity of the forest region ( Āraṇyānī). This portion is found as the 10th Maṇḍala as the 146th Sūkta. It is colloquially called Āraṇyānī Sūktam (Āraṇya: forest).

Quickest & Guaranteed Way to Access Karuppar

One of ,or probably THE quickest way to squeeze yourself under the umbrella of Karuppanaswamy's grace is selfless service.

Kailaya Vathiyam - The Echoes of Kailasa

Video : Kailaya Vathiyam in Brickfields Kandaswamy Temple,Malaysia

The very amalgamation of instrumental echoes that energise the contemporary ether to turn any atmosphere to an experiential Kailasa - that's what 'Kailaya Vathiyam' stands for.

The Consequence of Forgetting Your Kula Devata

  ''Staying away from worshiping Kula devatā is like keeping a vessel with a hole. Nothing will stay on the vessel with a hole.

Likewise, no good thing will dawn on the person who does not worship his Kula devata.”

- Kāñcī Periyavā

Adopting a Kula Devata - An upcoming trend

A kula devatā as we commonly know, is a deity who is specific to your bloodline.

There are many ways to trace your kula devatā and one easy route would be rooting back to your ancestral village.

Many or perhaps most Malaysian Indians today do not know their actual kula devatā. As migration took place, the upcoming generation of the diaspora lost touch with their kula devatā temple and its identity.

If you made a random survey some decades back, you will notice how many families tend to give bizarre answers regarding their kula devatā. Commonly, they would just blurt out their favourite deity – say Gaṇeśa or Kṛṣṇa.

They do not know what 'kula devatā' actually refers to. Lately, some awareness of kula devatā has been circulating the net. An important and authentic clarification on how a kula devatā and iṣṭa devatā differ has penetrated the awareness of many. This ought to be a good sign but has unfortunately rendered some drawbacks.

In addition, a kula devatā may not necessarily be a guardian deity.

Many families started to conveniently 'adopt' kula devatās. For instance, if their grandparents had been worshiping muniaṇḍi, muniaṇḍi now becomes their new kula devatā in the house.

Now, try another simple survey. Just display the same query today. You will notice how 8 out of 10 families (in a rough guess) would vaguely answer muniaṇḍi or maḍura vīra. And interestingly, these families would not be consanguineous.

You have to understand that your kula devatā can never have a vague identity, like just muniaṇḍi or vīraṉ. They should at least have a prefix or suffix to it. They should be specific to a temple in India at least. Those who are still keeping in touch with their ancestral village would know this. Your kula devatā would have a unique identity, with a unique history and name.

If 1000 families are going to claim maḍura vīra as their kula devatā, it really doesn't do justice to their ancestral ways.

For instance, you should at least identify a specific form of māriammaṉ – samayapuram māriammaṉ instead of a hanging 'māriammaṉ'.

If you are Malaysian, I would advise you to reconfirm your kula devata by default.   

Read More : 

(1) consequences of forgetting your kula devata

Folk Deities And Their Reference in Vedas

A common misconception in regards to folk deities is their crude absence from the Vedas, hence their label as 'non-Vedic' deities.

History of Karuppar

  

Karuppasvāmi as a deity is stealing the limelight on the contemporary. His popularity is rising as we speak and people of different ethnicities around the globe have started to worship Him.

How Does Trance Oracling ( Vāk ) Happen?

' Aruḷ Vāk' or Trance Oracling....

Karuppar Mantra

Karuppasvāmi is commonly referred to as the 'dark god'. Kaṟuppu translates to black in Tamil. The Mahākāla we worship is Karuppasvāmi.