Welcome to Bagaru Adigalar's history! Before reading this check 1 Melmaruvathur History & 2 Melmaruvathur Siddhar Peedam History to understand the complete history behind Melmaruvathur.
Since the 1960s, Melmaruvathur Siddhar Peetam has steadily grown in popularity as a place of worship. But its fame is not new. Its history is ancient and it was once a great site of pilgrimage famous in and outside India. The celebrated 7th-century Chinese Buddhist monk and scholar, Hieun Tsang or Xuanzang visited it.
In an Arulvaaku, Amma said that its ancient heritage can be found in one of the oldest sacred texts called the Matsya Purana. In it, researchers discovered the story of Devi Dakshayani, another name for Devi Parvati, who announced to King Dakshan that She would appear in 108 sacred sites in the form of a Swayambhu. The names of those 108 places are in the Matsya Purana. Among them is Siddha Vanam with a Maata Kovil (Temple of Mother Sakti). Today it is Melmaruvathur Siddhar Peetam.
A Swayambhu is believed to be a sacred rock that is not part of earth but is created by the divine powers of gods themselves. It is worshipped as a manifestation of the god who created it and is believed to have tremendous spiritual and healing power. Hence the Swayambhu is worshipped as “It” and one of the three forms of Adhiparasakthi in Melmaruvathur Siddhar Peedam is believed to be the one mentioned in Matsya Purana.
Siddha Vanam evokes an image of a pleasant place (vanam) with beautiful vegetation with a divine power that attracts Siddhars. In an Arulvaaku, Amma said that 21 Siddhars attained Jeeva Samadhi in the land where Melmaruvathur Siddhar Peetam stands today.
Siddha is spiritual knowledge and a Siddhar is a person who has attained spiritual knowledge in full. We also learn that this ancient site especially attracted Siddhars.
Even as recently as 150 years ago, Arumuga Pulavar, a poet, wrote about Kaali Kovil (Sakthi Temple). Interestingly, in her memoir, Thirumathi Bangaru Adigalar, wife of Adigalar Amma, wrote that to this day, local villagers refer to Melmaruvathur Siddhar Peetam as Kaali Kovil.
Over time forests the temple was covered by overgrowth and forests until the 1966 storm fell the neem tree and once again revealed the Swayamabhu in Sri Gopala Nayakar’s land.
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