This is a meditation place of Pambatti Siddhar, one of revered 18 Siddhars from Tamil Nadu.
There is a place to sit and meditate. You can go into meditative states here effortlessly.
How to get there
It is located towards the left side of Marudhamalai Arulmigu Subramanya Swami Temple. You have to go down few staircases down to reach the cave temple.
Map: https://goo.gl/maps/xb8NpCgBZzM5XTwp7
About Pambatti Siddhar
He was the favorite disciple of Sri Lankan-born Sattaimuni Siddhar.
Visualizing the 5 elements like a 5 headed snake, he included the line AaduPambe in all his songs. He became a famed snake catcher from a young age. He was overcome by a desire to catch the mythical Navaratna Snake. He searched far and wide for years. Suddenly a man in a woolen sweater appeared before him. This was Sattaimuni. Pambatti Sidhar told him about the long continuing search. Sattaimuni laughed and told him that the world’s most precious snake is within him. It is called Kundalini. The one who tames it is the real snake charmer. Pambatti became his discipline and learned the secrets of yoga. He garnered all the Siddhis. After years, Sattaimuni asked Pambatti, “ Dear, I had forgotten to ask your name.”Pambatti replied, “I was just a snake catcher. You revealed Kundalini to me. I have witnessed the Ultimate Reality. Now I have no name. As one who is watching the dance of the snake within, Pambatti is my ideal name.” The Pambatti songs converse with the snake of energy within Kundalini yoga.
After enlightenment, he travelled to Maruthamalai in Coimbatore. He became famous there for his Sidha yoga and Sidha treatment. We can still see his cave in Maruthamalai. More such caves are found in Mahalingamalai, Vathirayiruppu, Kollimalai, Madhurai, Puliyur, and Bhavani. There are indicators of his samadhi at Virudhachalam in Thirukadaiyur. But there is no strong evidence.
Some studies suggest that his Samadhi is at Sankarankovil. M Kannupillai’s History of Siddha Medicine, Pulithevar’s ‘Neru kaattum Seeval” and Dr. Yogi’s “ Collected Verses of 18 Siddhars for Daily Recitation” mention Sankarankovil as the Samadhi spot. Some books refer to Pambatti Sidhar as Sankarnalaya Sidhar.
Pambatti sees Siva as the energy of the universe and his guru. His works describe superhuman capacities that can be attained like a sex change, universal destruction, conquering the 5 elements and powers of God. He has described the siddhis in detail. Several of his works refer to the concept of a single God.
Pambatti Sidhar’s works urge us to realize that the body is not the soul, to love our brothers, be kind, discriminate between truth and falsehood, strive to reach the truth, and surrender to the ultimate power. To obtain the blessings of the sadguru within, remove worries and enjoy the loving-kindness of the Creator: this is the message of the 600 beautiful lines that he has left us.
Siddha tradition is vast and varied in its searches and findings. A succession of yogis has passed through this land leaving behind an immensely rich treasure of knowledge. These treasures are well within our reach. Hope this information motivates you to explore further.
Besides Sankarankovil, through Vassi yoga, Pambatti Sidhar has another samadhi at Thirukadaiyur at Nagapattinam. Sree Narayana Guru’s Kundalini song is another exploration of the same realization.
Read More
https://agasthyam.com/pambatti-siddhar/
