The Chaya Shakti Peetham

 Sri Lalitha Devi

The Chaya Shakti Pittha

Eengoimalai

Temple Name : Eengoinathar

Devi : Sri Lalitha

Bhairava : Siva Bhairava

Organ: Face Shadow

Sanskrit letter: “LA”

How to reach :

This temple is very near to Rathnagiri 5 km away from it and 42km from Tiruchy, 41 km from Nammakal.

About the temple –

• Moolavar : Maragadachaleswarar,
  (Trinajyotheeswarar),Eengoinathar.
• Amman / Thayar : Maragadambikai.
• Thala Virutcham : Tamarind tree.
• Old year : 1000-2000 years old.
• Historical Name : Thiruengoimalai.
• Location : Eengoimalai, Thiruchirapalli,Tamil Nadu.

Festivals:

Brahmmotsavam in Panguni (March-April), Masi Magam in February-March, Thai Poosam in January-February and Pujas on all Full Moon days – Poornimas – are the festivals celebrated in the temple.

History:

• Maragadachaleswarar Temple is a Hindu Temple dedicated to Lord Shiva located at Thiruengoimalai in Trichy District of Tamilnadu. Presiding Deity is called as Maragathachalar / Maragadachaleswarar / Trinajyotheeswarar / Eengoinathar / Malaikozhnthar / Achutheeswarar / Brahmeswarar / Indreekarar / Threethar.
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• Mother is called as Maragathavalli / Maragadambikai. The hillock is otherwise called Maragathamalai / Thenkailayam / Sivasakthimalai / Malaikovil / Erattimalai. 
• 
  
• The river Cauvery passes nearby the hillock. 
• The river ‘Surpanathi’ passes adjoining the hillock. The river is otherwise called Kondayurumarai or Kondamarai. 
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• It is one of the shrines of the 275 Paadal Petra Sthalams – Shiva Sthalams glorified in the early medieval Thevaram poems by Tamil Saivite Nayanar Tirugnanasambandar. 

According to the legend, the hallowed Thirumeeyachoor is where the celebrated Sri Lalitha Sahasranama that hails the Divine Mother in 1,008 titles came into being with the Vasinyathi Vag Devathas glorifying the Goddess for the benefit of human beings.

This is the shrine where the great Sage Agasthiyar composed the wonderful Sri Lalitha Navaratna Maalai in classical Tamil to be savoured by even those who could not relish the spiritual nectar flowing out of Sri Lalitha Sahasranamam.

the principal deity here is Goddess Lalithai herself, who evolved out of the leaping flames of a sacred homam on the Sri Chakra Ratham to annihilate Bandasura.

When even after the war with the asura the fury of the Mother did not abate, the Lord suggested that she go to Thirumeeyachoor and undertake penance taking abode there as Manonmani. When the anger subsided, Goddess Laithai produced the Vasinyathi Vag Devatas from Her face and they propitiated her in 1,008 names that came to be hailed as the Sri Lalitha Sahasranamam that hugely pleased the Goddess.

This 50th shakthi peetam is important for tantric practices. Devi Lalitha is surrounded by 64 crore yoginis and the bheejakrashram for her formed in this place. Sage Aagasthiya installed this linga in this saya peetam and also called as ‘La’ peetam, maragathasalam, thintrivanam, eengoimalai. I thought this after seeing the separate shrine for him in hill basement and also one inside the temple. The story weaved around him again as once he was very eager to pray Shiva. He came here and saw the temple is locked. He took a bee form and got inside. Right from that incident in Tamil they named as ‘Eengoinathar’. “Ee” means bee in Tamil.
There is a myth that lot of celestial bodies worshipped here and tantric practices held over here in huge scale.

The original Swayambu lingam of the temple called Maragatha lingam is said to be transparent and also to throw a green shadow when camphor is burned. But now such a precious and sacred lingam was stolen a few years back.

The Sri Lalithambigai samedha Sri Meghanatha Swamy temple is under the administration of Velakurichi Adheenam whose 18th Adheenakartha Sri Ajaba Nateswarar Swamigal is spearheading the Mahakumbabishekam work.