LORD SHIVA, THE GOD WHO CLEARS DEBTS

Contributor,
Mrs. Jayamangalam Ramamoorthy
Freelance Writer

GREEN HOUSE LAYOUT is graced by the presence of the Lord Shiva Temple, popularly known as Shri Shanta Muneswara Sameda Shiva Panchayatana Temple. This temple is located on Bettadasanapura Main Road. The idol of Lord Shri Shanta Muneswara is over 300 years old. It was originally a solitary temple in the jungle, which later developed into the Green House Layout, DODDATHOGUR, E.CITY Phase I. The temple was consecrated in 2005.

The main idol of Lord Shiva here is called Runa Mukteswara, meaning the Lord who wards off all our debts. The unique feature of this temple is the Daridraya Dahana Chakra—a chakra believed to burn away poverty and debts. This chakra was brought from another Shiva temple in Thirucherai, a hamlet near Kumbakonam, Tamil Nadu. Notably, there are only 12 temples in India with this chakra, and this temple is the second in the sequence. The chakra is considered so powerful that no one is allowed to take a picture of it.

The sanctum sanctorum houses five idols: Lord Runa Mukteswara (Lord Shiva), Lord Ganesha, Lord Suryanarayana, Lord Vishnu, and Goddess Durga. These idols were donated by the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam.

The landowners of this temple were the late Sri Ayyappa, Muniyamma, and Akkachamma. Their descendant, Shri Narayanaswamy, is the current trustee. While Lord Ganesha, Lord Shanta Muneswara, and Chandikeswara have separate sannidhis, there is no Navagraha sannidhi in this temple. The reason is that the powerful Daridraya Dahana Chakra enables Lord Shiva to relieve devotees of all debts and mental agony caused by the Navagrahas.

Festivals:

The temple celebrates festivals such as Pradosha Pooja, Kartika Somavara, Shivratri, Shravana Month, Durga Pooja, Sri Sathyanarayana Pooja, and Sankatahara Chaturthi with great fervor.

Prasada distribution occurs every Monday and on special pooja days. Annadana (food donation) is conducted throughout the day on Maha Shivratri and is held on a grand scale on the fourth Monday of the Kartika month by the temple authorities.