About Mayiladuthurai – Mayuram Radhakalyanam

Courtesy: Wikipedia.

Mayiladuthurai gets its name from the Mayura or Mayil (peacock) form in which the Hindu goddess Parvathi worshipped the Hindu god Shiva at this place. While previously known by its Sanskrit name, Mayuram,meaning "peacock town," the town has been recently de-Sanskritized to its Tamil translation, Mayiladuthurai.

This town has significant antiquity, its oldest extant temples dating back to the time of the Medieval Cholas (middle of the 9th century CE). The region, however, is known to have been inhabited since the 3rd millennium BC. There have been references to Mayiladuthurai in the works of the 7th century Saivite saint, Sambandar.

Mayiladuthurai is known for its numerous temples. Famous of them include Mayuranathaswamy temple, Parimala Ranganathar temple, Vallalar temple, Kasi Viswanathar temple, Kuberar temple and Ayyarappar temple.

The Kaveri (Cauvery) River runs through the town, bisecting it. All the Hindu holy rivers in India are believed to converge in Mayiladuthurai every year on New Moon day in the Tamil month of Aippasi (November–December). A bathe at the bathing ghats on the banks of the river Kaveri on this day, according to Hindu belief, relieves a man of all his sins and misdeeds as the waters of the holy Ganga river mix with the Kaveri on this day. Recently on a day of the particular configuration of stars which happens once in 144 years, the festival of Cauvery, Maha Pushkaram, was celebrated at Thula Kattam (between September 12 and 24, 2017). Devotees participated in huge numbers even from faraway places to take a holy dip in Kaveri.

According to local folklore, Mayiladuthurai was associated with Hindu holy men called "Siddhars". To this day, a neighbourhood of Mayiladuthurai is called “Siddharkaadu.” The town is considered the gateway to the Navagraha temples, the nine temples associated with planetary deities. As the town was nearer to Poompuhar port in olden days, it also prospered economically.

The above are some of the reasons why the natives of Mayuram take pride in their heritage saying “Ayiram analum Mayuram aguma?”(No place can equal Mayuram.) Those who have visited the town vouch for it.

Mayiladuthurai (Mayuram)