VERY RARE -The portrait of Swamy Ayyappa in the tree at Tummagunta in Nellore district

VERY RARE -The portrait of Swamy Ayyappa in the tree at Tummagunta in Nellore district

Unusual abode The portrait of Swamy Ayyappa in the tree at Tummagunta in Nellore district.

Devotees worship Ayyappa ensconced in a tree with unflinching faith

NELLORE: When one mentions about shrines of Lord Ayyappa, many revered places of worship, including the most famous Sabarimala, come to the minds of devotees across the country.

But the Lord has taken abode in a tree at Tummagunta of Vidavalur mandal of Nellore district, which may not be known to many, including the ardent devotees of Lord Ayyappa. The 15th century temple, which is associated with many legends, is now catching the attention of devotees.

Significantly, huge quantity of camphor is lit at the temple to coincide with the appearance of Makara Jyothi in Sabarimala on the day of Makara Sankranti every year. The temple also conducts Laksha Thulasi Archana on the full moon day during Karthika month.

‘Sthala purana’

According to ‘Sthala purana’ or local history, Vijayanagar Emperor Sri Krishna Devaraya, who was on his way back from the South to his capital, desired to take rest for some time at this place along with his soldiers, their horses, elephants, etc. Impressed by the nature’s pulchritude at this place, the emperor decided to construct a village there and asked some of the Brahmin families in his entourage to settle down there.

Accordingly, the Dravidian Brahmin migrant families originating from Taamraparni river basin, which is on the Kerala and Tamil Nadu State borders, settled at Tummagunta. They planted a ‘Juvvi’ (Pluksha in Sanskrit) tree and Indian rubber fig tree with scientific name: Ficus Elastica Moraceae and consecrated it with Lord Mahaa Saastha , another name of Ayyappa ‘yantra’ (copper plate on which Beejaaksharaas are engraved). Devotees continue to worship Ayyappa in His tree-abode with unflinching faith, chief priest of the temple Bhattaram Chandrasekhara Sarma said.

Lord on a lion

Moreover, the temple possesses a rare painting of Lord Ayyappa that depicts Him riding on a lion instead of the tiger, which is generally considered to be his Vahana (vehicle), with bows and arrows in His hands. “The painting, which was kept in the sanctum sanctorum constructed adjacent to the Ayyappa tree, was done on the basis of the description of the Dharma Sastha in the Brahmanda Purana and the Moola Manthra of Lord Ayyappa, which also describes the Lord as being mounted on a lion,” claims Bhattaram Pattabhiramaiah and his son Vijaya Kumar, the migrant Brahmins.

Source :

http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-andhrapradesh/rare-ayyappa-shrine-at-tummagunta/article1179261.ece