There was an Asura, Kaumasura, who was doing penance to please Shiva and get a boon. To prevent him from asking for a boon, Devi Saraswati made him dumb (hence called Mookasur)
Later, Adi Parashakti slayed him and came to be called Mookambika.
It is said that Adi Shankaracharya had a vision in which Devi agreed to follow him provided he did not look back. He kept walking and was assured of her presence due to the sound of anklets. When he reached here in Kollur, he turned back as the sound of anklets had stopped.
So Devi stayed here and merged with the lingam. The place came to be called Mookambika Kshetram.
The linga has integrated on it’s left side MahaKali, Maha Lakshmi and Maha Saraswathi and on the right side- Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva.
A swarna rekha (gold line) divides this linga into left and right portion. Adi Shakthi in this Udhbhavlinga form appears only here.
Devi sits in padmasana and has 4 hands.
Adi Shankaracharya installed the Sri Chakra in front of Devi and also composed the Soundarya Lahiri here.
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SRI MURUDESHWARA KSHETRAM
BHATKAL TALUKA, KARNATAKA
Murudeshwara is another name for Shiva.
Once, Ravana prayed to Shiva to get his powerful Atmalinga.
Pleased by his penance, Shiva gave him the Atmalinga but warned him not to place it on the ground before reaching destination
To prevent Ravana from becoming all powerful, Sri Vishnu covered the Sun with his chakra. As Ravana always did Sandhya prayers, he needed to put the Atmalinga down. Sri Ganesh appeared as a child and agreed to hold the Atmalinga for Ravana. @DubeyYash1911
However, Ganesha put down the linga before Ravana’s return. Vishnu also uncovered the Sun.
Furious Ravana tried to lift the linga but failed. It’s shape now looked like a cow’s ear. This place is known as Gokarna (Go means Cow and karna means Ear in sanskrit).
ARULMIGU SRI PARTHASARATHY SWAMY KSHETRAM, CHENNAI (TN)
Divya Desha where Perumal appears with moustache of a Sarathi (charioteer) to conduct Arjun’s Rath in Kurukshetra war.
Here, Venkatkrishna-Parthasarthy is present with his entire family.
He is flanked by Sri Rukmini, Sri Balarama, Satyaki, son Pradyumn and grandson Anirudha.
It is said that on the request of Raja Sumathirajan, Sri Perumal appeared and stayed here as Arjun’s charioteer (Partha-sarathi).
He is without chakra as he had promised not to wield weapons in Mahabharata war.
The face has scars caused by Bhishma’s arrows on Arjun. Prabhu took the arrows on himself to protect Arjun.
In the Kotirudra Samhita of Shiv MahaPurana, there is a story of a hunter, Gurudruh (गुरुद्रुह). The hunter was a cruel man who knew no mercy.
One day, he kept roaming in the forest but could not kill any animal. @RatanSharda55
It so happened that it was Shivratri that day.
At night, he took some water with him and climbed a bilva tree near a pond hoping to find an animal. Soon, he saw a roe (female deer).
As he was going to kill her, some water and bilva leaves fell on a Shivlinga below the tree.
The roe begged for mercy and asked him to let her go and meet her kids one final time. The hunter agreed.
After sometime, another roe came. Again, some water and bilva leaves fell on the shivlinga as Gurudruh tried to kill her.
She too asked him to give her sometime.
Known as Dakshin Badri, Thiru Narayanapuram is one of the four famous Swayambu Kshetrams, the other three being Srirangam, Kanchipuram and Tirupati.
The presiding diety is Cheluva Narayana Swamy/ Selva Pillai/ Rama Priyan.
Once, Sri Rama gave his aradhana murthi of Sri Ranganatha, to Raja Vibhishana on his request. So he was left without a murthi for his daily pujas. Brahma is said to have provided the murti of Selva Pillai to Rama who later passed this on to his sons, Lava and Kusa.
When Kusa’s daughter married a Yadava prince, this murthi moved to the lunar dynasty from solar.
It is said that the utsav murthi got the name Selva Pillai due to Sri Ramanuja.
Once, a Sultan took away this murthi and Sri Ramanuja went in its search to the Sultan’s palace.
The Ekadashi Tithi of Phalguna, Krishna Paksha is called Vijaya Ekadashi.
Vijaya Ekadashi is the day that symbolises victory. Those who wish to attain success in some work observe this vrat and seek Sri Vishnu's blessings.
When Sri Rama got to know where Ravana had taken Ma Sita, he decided to attack Lanka. However, the vast ocean in front of him made his task difficult. It was then suggested to him to go to Rishi Bhakad Albhya.
The great Rishi suggested the Ekadashi Vrat to Sri Ram.
Sri Rama did the Ekadashi vrat, as suggested and was able to overcome all obstacles.
Similarly, anyone who observes the Vijaya Ekadashi vrata with devotion, attains glory and the eternal blessings of Sri Hari Vishnu.
Sri Varadaraja Swamy is the presiding deity in this kshetram which is on a hillock called Hastigiri.
Once, Brahma performed a yagna in which he failed to invite Devi Saraswati. Thus angered, Devi took the form of a river (Vegavathi).
Sri Narayana lied down across the flooded river to save the yagna. When the yagna was completed, Sri Varadaraja appeared from the yagna agni with his consorts, Sridevi and Bhoodevi.
As Prabhu emerged from fire, he acquired pinkish spots on his face.
Near the sanctum, there is a carving of 2 lizards- in gold and silver.
It is said that once Rishi Gautam cursed 2 of his disciples as the water brought by them for pooja had two lizards in it which were not noticed by them. They were cursed to become lizards.