Vinayaka in Tamil nadu!

From

http://newstodaynet.com/col.php?section=20&catid=29&id=10539

"Our ‘Puranas’ and ‘Ithihasas’ establish Bhagwan Ganesha’s connections with Tamilnadu. The Great Sage of Kanchi, Maha Periyavah Sri Paramacharya has many times conveyed the history of Bhagwan Ganesha in connection with Tamilnadu through his discourses. It would be appropriate to take a few leaves out of Bhagwan Rama’s history, as mentioned by His Holiness Paramacharya. Before starting the construction of Rama Sethu, Rama decides to worship Bhagwan Ganesha, as he acts as the ace troubleshooter and blesses for the successful completion of any task. Rama goes to a nearby place called ‘Uppoor’ (5kms from Sethukarai in Ramanathapuram district), where he consecrates & performs pooja for Bhagwan Ganesha and the same Ganesha Murthi is still there!

The famous river Cauvery is also believed to have been brought to Tamilnadu by none other than Bhagwan Ganesha, by releasing the river waters from the Kamandal of Sage Agasthya, when he was in his penance at the hills of Coorg.

After his ‘Pattabishekam’ (Swearing in ceremony), while giving mementoes and presents to one and all, Rama gives a Vigraha (Idol) of ‘Sri Ranganatha Swamy’ to Vibeeshana and requests him to take the Vigraha, Rama’s ancestral property, to Sri Lanka without placing it anywhere in the middle, for it would not be possible to remove it again from where it has been placed.

On his way back to Lanka, Vibeeshana was mesmerised by the beauty of River Cauvery and hence wants to enjoy a bath in it. Bhagwan Ganesha, understanding Vibeeshana’s predicament comes in aid of him in the guise of a small boy and says that he would keep the Vigraha till he completes his bath. While Vibeeshana was taking his bath, Bhagwan Ganesha deliberately places the Vigraha on the bank between Cauvery & kollidam Rivers facing south and this very same place later on becomes the famous Srirangam, when the Adi Cholas built the Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple in a sprawling land of 112 acres.

Fuming at this deliberate cheating, Vibeeshana chases the boy who takes him up to the top of a nearby hillock and shows his original form of Ganesha. This same hillock later becomes the famous Malaikottai Pillayar Temple in Trichy. Bhagwan Ganesha convinces Vibeeshana that Lanka would certainly get the Blessings of Sri Ranganatha Swamy, as the Vigraha is facing southwards at the direction of Lanka. Thus, Bhagwan Ganesha has saved our ancestral property and has also given us two important pilgrimage centers apart from giving sanctity to the River Cauvery. Along with Rameshwaram, Srirangam also plays a vital role in integrating the people of this Great Hindu Nation.

Having got so much from Bhagwan Ganesha, it is quite natural that the Tamil Hindus have placed him in every street and worship him with great reverence addressing him affectionately as ‘Pillayar’. In no other state of India that we have so much of Temples for Bhagwan Ganesha and indeed the Dravidian leaders have to be thanked, for without their contributions, ‘Pillayar Perumai’ (Ganesha’s Keerthi) would not have spread far and wide in Tamilnadu. Even during the periods of Tamil Kings there were not many temples for Bhagwan Ganesha."

Read the complete article at

http://newstodaynet.com/col.php?section=20&catid=29&id=10539

or

http://janamejayan.wordpress.com/2008/09/12/tamil-nadu-a-land-of-pillayar/

Related article:-

http://jayasreesaranathan.blogspot.com/2008/09/antiquity-of-vinayaka-worship.html