Temple for Marriage Delay - Kalyanasundareswarar Temple

One of the many blessings people desire in life is to have a good marriage. But for some unfortunate people, marriage is not destined, or it may take place very late. This can cause them great sorrow and pain, and they may lose all joy in life as a result. Astrology says that the fault lies in their stars. A person who has Kuja Dosha or Kala Sarpa Dosha, Pitru Dosha, or Rahu Dosha may face such problems. What is the remedy?

Astrology also offers remedies for such problems. One such remedy is to visit certain temples and perform rituals to appease the deity there. Kalyanasundareshwarar temple at Thiruvelvikudi, Nagapattinam, is a temple that is frequented by those who are facing delays in marriage.

This temple is near Mayuram (Myiladuthurai Kuttalam). Many come here and worship Lord Manavaleswarar and Parimalasugandhanayagi for a speedy marriage. The temple is near Kuttalam and en route to Vanaathirajapuram.

This place was supposedly the venue for the Lord’s wedding. Here, the 9 planets or Navagrahas have no shrine. The main deity occupies the Easanya or northeast corner. Devotees whose marriage is delayed because of adverse planetary positions, worship here. They light 48 lamps seeking relief for their problem. The temple conducts a yajna on full moon days from 10.00 a.m. to 4.00 p.m. for such people. Those who suffer from this problem take part in the rituals. Once their wish comes true, they visit again and perform Abishekam and Archanas to thank the Lord and his consort.

This place finds mention in the hymns of the Saivite saints. Once, a princess was supposed to marry a prince here. Unfortunately, her parents passed away before the wedding could take place. The relatives of the bride cancelled the wedding. So the prince prayed to the Lord here to make the wedding happen. The Lord sent a Bhootham (a spirit), which brought the princess to the prince, and their wedding took place without a hitch. It was also at this place that Saint Sundarar took a bath in the Agni Theertham, following which his disease was cured. Again, at this place, Lord Shiva offered half of himself to his consort, Shakti, and became Ardhanarishwara.

Legend Behind the Temple 

Goddess Parvati, the consort of Shiva, was born as the daughter of Sage Bharatha in Kuthalam near Tiruvelvikudi. She did penance for 16 Mondays on Lord Shiva so that he would wed her. She made a Linga using sand for her penance. The Lord appeared before Parvati on the 17th Monday as Manavaleswarar. He also promised to marry her. The rituals, called Velvi in Tamil, were conducted, and Lord Brahma was the head priest for this celestial marriage. Thus, the place got the name Thiru Velvikudi. 

The Shaivite saints, Sambandar and Sundarar, sang praises of this temple in their Thevaram hymns. It is the 23rd Shiva temple on the northern bank of the Cauvery river, praised in the Thevaram hymns. Two of the important festivals celebrated in this temple are Maha Shivratri (February-March) and Panguni Uthiram (March-April). 

Panguni Uthiram is a festival that commemorates many divine marriages like those of Shiva-Parvati, Krishna-Radha, Muruga-Valli, and Rama-Sita. Celebrating Panguni Uthiram and observing a Vrat/fast on this occasion supposedly is a remedy for those whose marriages are delayed and who are facing problems in marriage due to Kuja Dosha and other Doshas. In fact, the day is so auspicious that in ancient times, even the royals chose to get married on this day, as it could bring divine blessings for wealth, prosperity and happiness.

As the ritual Kanganatharanam was perfomed for the Goddess, the place also has the name, Kouthuka Bandhana Shethram. The Kuthalam Tiruthuruthi hymn has 17 songs about this temple. The Lord supposedly resides in Thiruvelvikudi in the morning, but in the evening, he is in Kuttalam. The temple stands in the center of the city and has a Sanctum, Artha mandap, Maha mandap, Yeduthukatti mandap, and two courtyards. Lord Shiva here is a swayambumurthy who faces east.

 Timings:

Morning: 07:00 am - 12:00 pm

 Evening: 04:00 pm - 07:00 PM

 Timings may differ on special occasions.

 Location:

Kalyanasundareswarar Temple, dedicated to Lord Shiva, is located at Thiruvelvikudi in Kuthalam taluk of Nagapattinam district in Tamil Nadu. Buses ply from Mayiladuthurai to Maharajapuram.