Uthirakosamangai Temple

Today I visited this temple. The visit was suggested by a good friend who was also my client. I had the good fortune to meet him through work and we have now become good friends. He came to Singapore from India and has worked very hard, started a successful enterprise and has done well for himself.

I have never heard of this temple but I later found out that this Sivan temple has a history dating back some 3000 years and is considered to be the oldest and most sacred Sivan temples in the world.

There are many legends about how this temple came to be built. It is also said to be sacred because this was where Lord Shiva gave the secrets of the scriptures to Goddess Parvati.

The temple is famous for housing a 6ft tall ancient emerald Nataraja idol. This is covered in sandal paste throughout the year which is only removed during the annual Arudra darshans. On that day, the sandal paste is removed and the deity is paraded around the temple for the public to see. This temple has been revered in various 9th century tamil hymns.

The temple also houses a 3000 year old ilanthai tree.

When I arrived here, the first impression I had was that its a temple in the middle of nowhere. It’s clearly a very old temple and there were not that people here. Perhaps because it was a weekday morning. I performed darshans here and received a garland. I felt the strongest presence of the deity here.

I am glad I came here.