Just sharing some thoughts with you The earth and all other planets go round the Sun in an anticlockwise direction. In fact, the whole universe turn in an anticlockwise direction. But we do pradakshinam in template in a clockwise direction. It is because, the Lord will always be in our right side guiding us in a path of righteous living. But in Shiva temples, the devotees begin the Pradakshina by walking clockwise till they reach the gomukhi. Gomukhi is the outlet where the water, milk, ghee or ashes used for abhisheka are drained out. Once the worshipper reaches the Gomukhi, he/she has to stop and start walking in anti-clockwise direction till he/she reaches the other side of the gomukhi. In this way, one Pradakshina is completed. According to Shastras and Shivpurana, only half-parikrama must be carried out by the devotees around the Shiva Linga. This practice is justified by explaining that, Shiva is both ‘Aadi’ & ‘Anant’. Aadi meaning first or beginning and Anant means everlasting. Thus, the divine and endless energy (Shakti) flowing from him is represented in the form of Nirmili which is the narrow outlet from where the milk and water flows. It is a sacred part of the Shivling and should never be over-stepped.
It reminds me It reminds me of vakra kali Amman temple in puduchery erstwhile pondicherry. There fossilised stones around believed to be broken pieces of weapons when devas and auras fought eons ago. Here the practise to circumambulate around deity is anticlockwise. A notice board reads there interalia that pradakshanam of Amman is to be done anticlockwise but I am unable to recall any logical reason for doing so. But shiva temples i visit in Chennai- i haven't seen observing this method of prathakshanam neither in Kapali nor at Gangadeeswarar Temple Street, Purasawalkam.
I agree with you. I too have visited this temple and was told that Kali there got the name Vakrakali as she played a major role in the slaying of Vakrasura. So she was called Vakrakali but over a period of time, people started believing that this Kali amman needed to be offered vakra pradakshinam.
Vakra - I took for eccentricity in persons and the Goddess would dispel the quantum in proportion to anti clockwise circumambulation a person does in this temple! It looks there is step by step method to do the prathakshana around the temple deities within the complex prescint. Here a visual
I do it from time to time at Mangadu Kamakshi temple. Incidentally the entire Navaratri pooja tomorrow is sponsored by me. I have been doing it for the last 40 years
Glad to know you have sponsored navarathri at Mangadu தவகாமாட்ச்சி. This temple was introduced to me for the first time by my late father-in-law for the first Friday followed after my wedding day in 1975. After that several Fridays and including Navarathri Friday with spouse & daughter I visited this temple. In 1975 this was a smsll shrine and there was lot of open space around the sanctum with salubrious mango orchards. It's all disappeared to real estate and the serenity greenery all lost a la shirdi.
