Chitragupta Temple

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City: Kanchipuram
State: Tamil Nadu
Location: South India
Type of Building: Temple
Religion: Hinduism
Festival: Chitra Poornima day
Accomodation: Accomodations are available at Kanchipuram.
Accesibility: Kanchipuram is very well connected to the other cities by road and rail.


Chitragupta Temple :

Chatur Varga Chinthamani of Hemadri stipulates that Chitragupta should stand to the right of Yama, along with Yama duthas. But here he is bestowed the unique glory of being a Main deity and hence the Mula Bhery is Chitragupta. Framed by a Prabavali, the Deity with two hands is of blade granite in Sukasana (sitting) pose, one leg bent and the other hanging and resting on a lotus bloom. As if to indicate his functions, he is provided with a stylus in his right hand and a sheaf of cudjan leaves in the left.

According to the scriptures, Chitragupta is the assistant of Lord Yama, the God of Death. It is believed that when a person dies his soul first goes to Lord Yama, where Chitragupta reads out the good and bad deeds of the person. There is only one temple in South India for Chitragupta at Kancheepuram. Chitra Pournami is a very auspicious day here which is considered to be the birthday of Chitragupta.

According to Hindu mythology, Chitragupta is an assistant of Yama Dharmaraja, the God of Death, recording the good and bad deeds of each and every human being. It is said that Lord Shiva once drew the chitra (picture) of a man and gave life to it. Hence he is known as Chitragupta. According to another belief, Chitragupta is the son of Kamadhenu, brought up by Indra. In this temple, which is only one of its kind in the South, Chitragupta is depicted in the sanctum as having an iron style (an ancient writing implement) in one hand and palm leaf in the other hand. Chitragupa puja is done on the auspicious Chitra Poornima day, which is considered his birthday.

Puranic Origin:

Sri Chitragupta Temple As long as the creatures or the living beings do not secure liberation or Mukti which is a state of eternal bliss, they are bound to get involved in the continuous cycle of births and deaths. The feeling of pain and pleasure, grief and joy that are experienced in this world are the result of actions in former life. The virtuous deeds lead to pleasure and the sinful acts to grief. Thus the fate of individual is determined by his or her own actions in former life. The old saying 'As you sow, so you reap" enunciates the same idea. The deity appointed by the Lord to maintain accounts of virtues and vices of all living-beings so as to reward or punish them suitably in their ensuing births is known as Lord Chitragupta.

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