Nagaraja Temple..Manjakombai

 

Nagaraja Temple is a Hindu Temple located in Manjakombai (Manihada) Village in Kundah Taluk near Ooty Hill Station in picturesque Nilgiris Hills in Nilgiris District of Tamil Nadu. The deity in this temple is considered a powerful. The temple lies in a calm and serene location surrounded by fresh air which creates a perfect environment for worship and meditation.
Legends

Construction of this Temple:

The people of Manjakombai began digging the ground for collecting sand in order to build a temple in the place. On digging for a few meters, they heard a sound and is said to have found a Nagaraja idol and a couple of caves beneath the ground. A rock is believed to have obstructed the construction work on further digging, which upon removal had revealed the presence of a live snake. A temple for the Goddess and Nagaraja were later raised in the same place. It is that snake which is still believed to be alive.

Underground Tunnel between Nagaraja & Heddhai Amman Shrine:

There is yet another specialty attached to this temple. A live snake is believed to reside within the sanctum sanctorum of Sri Nagaraja. It is also believed that this snake had created an underground pathway or tunnel between the Nagaraja temple to the Heddhai Amman Temple in order commute between the two shrines.

Sri Rama foot Print:

According to hearsay, while Lord Rama was passing through this temple, he has left his print of his feet on a rock here during his 14 years Vanavasa – forest life. There is also a feet symbol on a rock confirming this faith. A large number of Rama devotees visit this temple. The high monkey population in the locality support the Ramayana theory.
The Temple
Presiding Deities of this temple are Lord Nagaraja and Goddess Heddhai Amman. A separate shrine dedicated to Goddess Santhanalakshmi is also found in this temple. The feet symbol of Lord Rama is revered highly by the devotees. Banyan tree is the holy tree of this temple while Santhana Kulam is its holy spring.
Hero Stones
Rare hero stones, mostly dating to a period between the 2^nd and 14^th century can be found near Manjakombai Nagaraja Temple in Melur. The hero stones and dolmens are the only ancient monolithic structures found in the upper plateau of the Nilgiris, and a few stones, carved more recently, even tell of the British’s arrival in the Nilgiris. Most other hero stones are found at lower altitudes, in areas bordering present-day Karnataka. Most of the stones date back to the 11^th and 14^th century during the time of the Hoysala and Vijayanagara dynasties, whose militia, along with their families, settled here.
The carvings show the valour of those who died protecting their people and cattle from carnivores such as tigers and leopards. The Kurumbar tribes, who are renowned for their stone-carving abilities, are believed to have a historical link to the site as well and could have been the first settlers in this particular region to have carved the earliest hero stones. Unfortunately, the picturesque location of the hero stones, surrounded by beautiful Shola forests, have also led to them being ignored and not being protected for their historical and cultural value.
Temple Opening Time
The temple remains open from 6.00 a.m. to 11.00 p.m. and 5.00 p.m. to 8.00 p.m.
Festivals
The annual fire pit (generally called flower pit) festival is celebrated in the temple on May 1st and 2nd. On the days of fasting, every devotee must wear only yellow or red coloured clothes with a sacred garland around their necks. Women devotees should at the least have a red or yellow coloured towel adorning their necks. It is believed that a devotee, who walks on the fire pit when fasting, would receive the immense blessings of the deity. Their wishes and desires are said to get fulfilled. The crowd turn up for this festival easily exceeds fifty thousand. A large number of devotees throng the temple on new moon days too.
Prayers
Pilgrims are attracted to this the temple due to its serene location and greenery, which makes this an ideal place for getting mental peace and happiness. On performing the necessary pujas in the Nagaraja shrine, devotees usually take a piece of white cloth and a lime to the shrine of the Goddess Santhanalakshmi. Going around this shrine, they tie a tiny toy cradle with this white cloth in the temple’s tree for child boon. There is also a belief that people addicted to liquor and tobacco are cured of these bad habits on offering their prayers to the deities here.
Those childless couples, who were blessed with a child on worshiping this deity, usually undertake to walk on this fire pit as a mark of devotion and gratitude to the deity. Tonsuring is also done by the devotees as a mark of respect to this god. People affected by various Naga Doshas (adversities in their horoscope due to snakes) offer milk to the anthill, which is considered scared. Following this ritual continuously on all the new moon days (Amavasya) is said to relieve the person of Naga Doshas.
Contact
Nagaraja Temple,
Manihada - Manjakombai,
Kundah Taluk,
Nilgiris District – 643221
Phone: +91 423 228 6258
Mobile: +91 94869 04422