Kaalamegha Perumal Temple, Thirumohur

Sthala Purāṇam

Thirumohur, the Kaalamegha Perumal temple near Madurai, enshrines Lord Kaalamegha Perumal, whose name evokes the rain-laden dark cloud, signifying both His hue and His boundless generosity, standing east-facing in panchayudha kolam with Sridevi and Bhudevi. The consort Goddess is Mohanavalli Thayar, a form of Lakshmi. The name Thirumohur arises from the Mohini avatara: during the churning of the Milk Ocean (Samudra Manthana), when the devas and asuras contended over the amrita, Vishnu assumed here the enchanting form of Mohini and deluded the asuras, securing the nectar for the devas; because the Lord took the deluding (mohana) form at this spot, it became Thirumohanavur, shortened to Thirumohur. The temple is renowned for its Sudarshana Chakra shrine, where Chakkarathazhwar appears sixteen-armed with three fiery eyes in a dynamic stance, bearing Yoga Narasimha upon the reverse. The temple tank is the Kshirabdhi Pushkarini, named for the Milk Ocean of the churning legend, and the vimana is the Kethaki Vimana. Kaalamegha Perumal is especially revered as Maarga Bandhu, the Vazhithunai, the companion and guide who escorts the liberated soul along the archiradi marga, the path of light, to Sri Vaikuntham. This belief rests upon Nammalvar's decad Thiruvaimozhi 10.1, addressed to Kaalameghan; as the Acharya Manavala Mamunigal observed, when the Alvar uttered the name of Kaalameghan, the Lord became his guide on the ascent to Vaikuntha. This Divya Desam was hymned by Nammalvar and Thirumangai Alvar in the Nalayira Divya Prabandham.

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