Delhi Malai Mandir

August 10, 2005

Dear All,

Recently I was browsing the photos section, wherein I came upon photos

of Delhi Malai Mandir!

Some months back, I was given to the thinking that Malai Mandir was

just another " new " murugan temple constructed by Tamil people in

Delhi, but " The assumption " was wrong!! (atleast partly). It was not

just another murugan temple, it has a merky past behind it's

construction ... which not many people know.

Recently I met a Maami from Delhi, now reteired, who was in Delhi, as

the Temple developed, along with Shankar Math. Here is the interesting

story.

Long back, as long as the 1940's Tamil Immigrants in Delhi used to

celebrate Padi Vizha, with great devotion and fervour, by singing

various songs, thiruppugazh, slokas, hymns, etc. There had always been

a shortage of a Temple of Lord Muruga, and the Tamil Immigrants were

very keen in building one. After the Pooja, they would call a jyothish

and ask a " prasnam " whether this year they would be able to construct

a murugan temple. And repeatedly they would get a negative reply.

Somewhere in 1950's or early 60's (I dont recall), that year, after

finishing poojas, when they made the usual prasnam, this year

surprisingly, what had been negative for nearly more than a decade,

turned positive. Everyone was astonished! and happy, but was unable to

believe it. Yet everyone, happy, went back.

Following Ardra Darshanam, one among the devotees had a dream. An old

man was requesting him (in his dream) to lead him to his house and he

agreed. Slowly but steadily he led the old man through the streets of

Delhi (in the sleep!), until they reached the present spot which is

malai mandir. Back then Malai Mandir area was not developed as it is

today. It was much like what was Cheddanagar in Mumbai 40 - 50 years

back. A vast outgrowth of wild bushes and shrubs, and one had not much

land marks to identify the area except for the hill which adorned the

place. On reaching the hill, the old man said (again in the sleep) " I

have reached my destination, I will leave now " , saying so, he quickly

went up the top and suddely vanished.

The next morning the devotee woke up and not able to withstand the

pleasant surprise, he contacted some senior members of the sabha (padi

vizha). THey were interested, and being muruga bhaktas themselves,

believed that this may be a clue as to where to construct the temple.

So saying they requested him to lead to the spot. The three hired an

autorickshaw, and the devotee with uncanny precision, led them through

the same route in which he had taken the old man! (again the leela of

the Lord). When they reached the spot, they beheld the great hill,

which would become malai mandir!

In a few days, they contacted Archaeological survey as to the history

of the Hill, to avoid building a temple on some Old Battlefield, Grave

etc. Delhi for a Long time was inhabited by tribals, later by Moguls

etc. there is no guarantee of purity of any spot. Surprisingly the

place (spot) of malai mandir was registered as a RP (Religious Place),

and when checked with the records, revealed that it was the spot of a

1000 year old Shiva Temple! The entire sabha was convinced that the

Old man was none other than Lord Muruga! who had shown the pace he

wanted to be! The " prashnam " confirmed the same.

The spot was now clear, where would the money come? It's not any cake

walk to build a temple (especially in dravida style with lot of

ornamentation especially on the gopuram) ? Interestingly the lord

shone his grace, in the form of Jagadguru Shankaracharya Shree

Abhinava Vidyatheertha MahaSvami of Shringeri Sharada Peetham. It so

happened that he was camping at Madras during his Vijaya Yatra and

huge chandi Homams, Yajnas had just been conducted.

These devotees approached him for financial help. And when they just

finished talking, without a word, he just presented them with just 108

rupees! These people were expecting thousands of rupees of help, but

lo! only a hundred and eight rupees? Of what help would these be, they

thought. Anyway without a word, thankfully they went their way.

The greatness of these one hundred and eight rupees would later be

realised. Because the first donation was given by a jnani - a pontiff

of the Highest order, it did miracles. Within a very short span of

time, donation started pouring from all directions! and within a very

short span (compared to other temple constructions), they finished

temple construction, and there was still money left that they could

generously purchase pooja articles, utensils etc.!

Such is the greatness of Malai Mandir! It was chosen by the Lord to

shower his grace to his devotees, in a land far from Homeland (tamilnadu)!

|| Thiruchitrambalam ||

August 11, 2005

muruga saranam

Dear Mr. Sivaramakrishnan..

Thank you so much for the wonderful information which is almost like a

sthala puranam. Time and again Lord Muruga has informed His devotees

where He wants to reside and bless His devotees. It has happened so in

Skanda giri, Eela Tiruchendur in Batticola/Srilanka

(http://murugan.org/), His shrine in Old Palani area that belongs to a

community and in some other places as well.

His grace is boundless.

May All Glories be to Swaminatha Swami !!!

MURUGA SARANAM

With Best Regards

Meyyappan S

On 8/11/05, R.Sivaramakrishna Sharma <arunagirinathar wrote:

> Dear All,

> Recently I was browsing the photos section, wherein I came upon photos

> of Delhi Malai Mandir!

>

> Some months back, I was given to the thinking that Malai Mandir was

> just another " new " murugan temple constructed by Tamil people in

> Delhi, but " The assumption " was wrong!! (atleast partly). It was not

> just another murugan temple, it has a merky past behind it's

> construction ... which not many people know.

>

> Recently I met a Maami from Delhi, now reteired, who was in Delhi, as

> the Temple developed, along with Shankar Math. Here is the interesting

> story.

>

> Long back, as long as the 1940's Tamil Immigrants in Delhi used to

> celebrate Padi Vizha, with great devotion and fervour, by singing

> various songs, thiruppugazh, slokas, hymns, etc. There had always been

> a shortage of a Temple of Lord Muruga, and the Tamil Immigrants were

> very keen in building one. After the Pooja, they would call a jyothish

> and ask a " prasnam " whether this year they would be able to construct

> a murugan temple. And repeatedly they would get a negative reply.

>

> Somewhere in 1950's or early 60's (I dont recall), that year, after

> finishing poojas, when they made the usual prasnam, this year

> surprisingly, what had been negative for nearly more than a decade,

> turned positive. Everyone was astonished! and happy, but was unable to

> believe it. Yet everyone, happy, went back.

>

> Following Ardra Darshanam, one among the devotees had a dream. An old

> man was requesting him (in his dream) to lead him to his house and he

> agreed. Slowly but steadily he led the old man through the streets of

> Delhi (in the sleep!), until they reached the present spot which is

> malai mandir. Back then Malai Mandir area was not developed as it is

> today. It was much like what was Cheddanagar in Mumbai 40 - 50 years

> back. A vast outgrowth of wild bushes and shrubs, and one had not much

> land marks to identify the area except for the hill which adorned the

> place. On reaching the hill, the old man said (again in the sleep) " I

> have reached my destination, I will leave now " , saying so, he quickly

> went up the top and suddely vanished.

>

> The next morning the devotee woke up and not able to withstand the

> pleasant surprise, he contacted some senior members of the sabha (padi

> vizha). THey were interested, and being muruga bhaktas themselves,

> believed that this may be a clue as to where to construct the temple.

> So saying they requested him to lead to the spot. The three hired an

> autorickshaw, and the devotee with uncanny precision, led them through

> the same route in which he had taken the old man! (again the leela of

> the Lord). When they reached the spot, they beheld the great hill,

> which would become malai mandir!

>

> In a few days, they contacted Archaeological survey as to the history

> of the Hill, to avoid building a temple on some Old Battlefield, Grave

> etc. Delhi for a Long time was inhabited by tribals, later by Moguls

> etc. there is no guarantee of purity of any spot. Surprisingly the

> place (spot) of malai mandir was registered as a RP (Religious Place),

> and when checked with the records, revealed that it was the spot of a

> 1000 year old Shiva Temple! The entire sabha was convinced that the

> Old man was none other than Lord Muruga! who had shown the pace he

> wanted to be! The " prashnam " confirmed the same.

>

> The spot was now clear, where would the money come? It's not any cake

> walk to build a temple (especially in dravida style with lot of

> ornamentation especially on the gopuram) ? Interestingly the lord

> shone his grace, in the form of Jagadguru Shankaracharya Shree

> Abhinava Vidyatheertha MahaSvami of Shringeri Sharada Peetham. It so

> happened that he was camping at Madras during his Vijaya Yatra and

> huge chandi Homams, Yajnas had just been conducted.

>

> These devotees approached him for financial help. And when they just

> finished talking, without a word, he just presented them with just 108

> rupees! These people were expecting thousands of rupees of help, but

> lo! only a hundred and eight rupees? Of what help would these be, they

> thought. Anyway without a word, thankfully they went their way.

> The greatness of these one hundred and eight rupees would later be

> realised. Because the first donation was given by a jnani - a pontiff

> of the Highest order, it did miracles. Within a very short span of

> time, donation started pouring from all directions! and within a very

> short span (compared to other temple constructions), they finished

> temple construction, and there was still money left that they could

> generously purchase pooja articles, utensils etc.!

>

> Such is the greatness of Malai Mandir! It was chosen by the Lord to

> shower his grace to his devotees, in a land far from Homeland (tamilnadu)!

>

> || Thiruchitrambalam ||

August 11, 2005

Wow! What a story! Thanks for taking the time to narrate it.

dhandapani , " R.Sivaramakrishna Sharma "

<arunagirinathar> wrote: