पुन्नूर टेम्पल

PUNNAI NALLUR KOTHANDARAMAR TEMPLE..... 🙏🙏🙏 Have u heard about Punnai Nallur Kothandaramar Temple near Mariamman Temple in Tanjore District??
This Ramar is made of 5’ tall SALIGRAMA SILA(Stone)

Punnai Nallur is 4 km.away from Tanjore,situated behind the world famous”PUNNAI NALLUR MARIAMMAN KOVIL”.
It’s a 500 yr old Temple, the specialty of this Temple is the MOOLA VIGRAHA OF KOTHANDA RAMAR IS MADE OF 5’ TALL SINGLE PIECE OF SHALIGRAMA SHILA(stone)WHICH IS VERY RARE TO FIND.SHALIGRAMA STONES ARE SUPPOSED TO BE VISHNU SWAROOPA IN VAISHNAVA SAMPRADAYAM.

During marriage of Daughters,Vaishnavites used to give Tulsi Madam n SHALIGRAMA to the Grooms.This practice is still carried out in very orthodox n conservative families, since it’s believed LORD VISHNU is in SHALIGRAMA

Shaligramas are found in KANTAKI river in Nepal only.
Once when the King of Nepal married off his daughter to a Tanjore based Maratha King’son, Nepal king gave away Big Shaligrama Shila, along with other presents to the groom’s family,as was the practice.After some years,when King Pratap Singh was ruling over Tanjore, he was amazed to see this big Shaligrama,made KOTHANDARAMA’s Idol,built a beautiful Temple n donated cows also to the Temple.

Learned people say, it’s a rarity to have MOOLAVIGRAHA  in Shaligrama, that too,this big.
Dome  above Gharbhagraha is called Soundharya Vimana
Lord Rama, along with Sita Devi, Lakshmana n Sugreeva in Standing Posture Blesses His Devotees.It’supposed to be one of the Mukti Stal.