Amrutha Kadeshwarar
Amrutha Kadeshwarar, worshipped in the form of a Siva Lingam, is the presiding deity of the sacred Thirukadaiyur Temple, located near Mayiladuthurai in Tamil Nadu.
With the grace of Lord Siva, the sacred presence of Amrutha Kadeshwarar from the punya sthalam of Thirukadaiyur is being brought to Ottawa, Canada. A beautifully crafted sculpture of the divine Siva Lingam will be consecrated here, providing devotees the opportunity to receive powerful blessings of protection and longevity associated with this temple.
Discover the timeless legends behind the original temple!
Sri Rudram
ॐ त्र्य॑म्बकं यजामहे सु॒गन्धिं॑ पुष्टि॒वर्ध॑नम् ।
उ॒र्वा॒रु॒कमि॑व॒ बन्ध॑नान्मृ॒त्योर्मु॑क्षीय॒ माऽमृता॑॑त् ।।
oṃ tryàmbakaṃ yajāmahe sugándhiṃ puṣṭi-várdhanam ।
urvārukám iva bándhanān mṛtyór mukṣīya mā́ 'mṛ́tāt ।।
Devaram – Thirugnana Sambandhar Thirumurai
எரிதரு வார்சடை யானும்வெள்
ளையெரு தேறியும்
புரிதரு மாமலர்க் கொன்றைமா
லைபுனைந் தேத்தவே
கரிதரு காலனைச் சாடினா
னுங்கட வூர்தனுள்
விரிதரு தொல்புகழ் வீரட்டா
னத்தர னல்லனே. - 3rd Thirumurai, Song 8, Stanza 2
Sthala Puranam
Lord Siva worshiped as Amrutha Kadeshwarar bestows devotees with a long and healthy life.
According to puranas, after the Samudra Manthanam (churning of the cosmic ocean), Sri Vishnu, Indra, and the other Devas sought a sacred place to consume the divine elixir of immortality (amrutham) from the kumbham or Ghatam (pot). They brought the Ghatam to Thirukadaiyur but forgot to offer prayers to Lord Ganesha. Hurt by this oversight, Lord Ganesha took the Ghatam and hid it.
Lord Ganesha then created a Siva Lingam in honor of his parents—Siva and Parvati—and performed abhishekam with the amrutham.
Thus, the temple not only enshrines the concept of immortality but also marks Ganesha’s pivotal role in sanctifying this divine space.
The Story of Markandeya
Sage Mrikandu and his wife Marudhuvati were ardent devotees of Lord Siva who prayed fervently for a child. After many years of penance, Siva appeared before them and gave them a choice: they could have a gifted son who would live only for sixteen years, or a son of lesser intelligence who would be blessed with a long life. They chose the gifted son and were blessed with Markandeya, an exemplary child, however, destined to die at the age of sixteen.
As Markandeya grew, his devotion to Lord Siva deepened. On the day he was destined to die, he went to Thirukadaiyur and embraced the Siva Lingam in the temple, praying with complete surrender. At that moment, Yama, the god of death, arrived and cast his noose to take Markandeya’s life. However, the noose also touched the Lingam, which enraged Lord Siva. Bursting forth from the Lingam in his fierce form as Kala Samhara Murthy, Siva struck Yama with his trident and subdued him, thus protecting his devotee. Moved by Markandeya’s unwavering devotion, Siva blessed him with immortality.
With Yama subdued, death ceased on earth, but life continued to be born, creating imbalance. The earth-goddess Bhumi Devi, burdened by this imbalance, appealed to Siva for relief. Compassionate, Siva released Yama with a warning: Yama must never harm those who worship Siva devoutly.
As Lord Siva triumphed over Yama, he became known as Mrityunjaya. Praying to Amrutha Kadeshwarar is believed to grant devotees grace, protection from untimely death, and blessings for a long, healthy life. Devotees perform longevity rituals—such as Shastiapthapoorthi (60th birthday), Bheema Ratha Shanthi (70th birthday), Sathabhishekam (80th birthday), and Ayul Shanthi—to mark important milestones with prayers for health, vitality, and spiritual well-being.