Yoga Gnana Dakshinamoorthy Temple

Yoga Gnana Dakshinamoorthy Temple
a form of Shiva as a teacher, located in Kakkalur, a suburb of Thiruvallur Town in Thiruvallur District of Tamilnadu.This Temple is also called as Guru Kottam.

Lord Dakshinamurti is regarded to be the personification of the supreme or the ultimate awareness, understanding, and knowledge.Dakshinamurti represents Shiva as a teacher of yoga, music, and wisdom, offering an exposition of the Shastras. He is worshipped as the god of wisdom and meditation.

Dakshinamurti literally means ‘one who is facing south (dakṣiṇa)’ in Sanskrit. According to another school of thought ‘Dakshinya’ means Karuna in Sanskrit or kindness (benevolence). So this manifestation of Shiva is a benevolent teacher who accords wisdom to seekers of salvation.In most of the Shiva temples, the stone image of Dakshinamurti is installed, facing south, on the southern circumambulatory path around the sanctum sanctorum. Perhaps, of all Hindu Gods, he is the only one sitting facing south.

The 9 feet Dakshinamurthi and 8 feet Shaneeswara idols are uniquely placed one opposite the other.

Yoga Dakshinamurti here is seen with his one leg resting on the ground, while the other is on his thigh, with the help of a Yogapatta. His four arms are shown in different ways. He carries an akshamala in his upper right hand; the upper left hand is shown as carrying fire; the lower right hand is depicted in gyanamudra; and the lower left hand is shown in abhayamudra. Below his seat, two deer are shown squatting, and a cobra wound around his right arm looks towards him.

Special poojas and Abhishekas are conducted every Thursday and Saturday. People in and around Tiruvallur, Chennai throng here on Guru peyarchi and Shani peyarchi days to do parihara pooja.