the Ultimate Web on Indian Gods & Temples

 by Padmani,

Abodes of Lord Muruga

Sri Kumara Kottam temple is located in Kanchipuram. It is just half a kilometre to the northwest of the bus stand, on the west Raja Street at the north end of which is the Sankara Matham and at the south end is the Kachapeswarar Temple. The location of the Kumara Kottam Temple between Sri Ekambereswarar Temple and Sri K�m�kshi Amman Temple reminds devotees of the Somaskanda form in which Muruga sits in between Parvati and Parameswara.

In this temple, the sacred Kanda Puranam in praise of Lord Muruga was composed by the saintly scholar Kachiappa Sivachariyar. According to the account of Kachiappa, each day he would write his inspired account of the career of Lord Murugan or Skanda, and in the evening deposit his day�s work in the m�lasth�nam of Lord Subrahmanya at Kumara Kottam. Each night, miraculously, the Lord Himself would modify Kacciappa�s manuscript with His own corrections. Hence, the Kanda Puranam is considered to be the absolutely authoritative account of Lord Murugan�s career bearing the seal of approval of none other than the Lord Himself. According to mythology, Lord Muruga punished Lord Brahma for his ignorance of the meaning of the Pranava mantra, by a hard knock on his vortex with His fist and then imprisoned him. Later, He assumed the Creation duties of Lord Brahma. In this Kumara Kottam Temple, Lord Muruga installed himself in the sanctum in the �Creator� (Brahmasasta) form.