Matthur

Every temple in India has a tale behind it. Mathur situated 10 kilometers on the left of the Thiruthani-Thirupathi road is no exception. When work was underway for laying the railway line, the diggers discovered a beautiful statue of Devi Mahishasuramardhini under the ground. The eight-foot high idol depicted the multi-armed manifestation of Durga on a lion piercing the asura with her three pointed spear. The Asura is ignorance; Devi is Light. They have built a nice little temple near the railway track. The place is a divine location with open fields, a small tank with water and in the distance the mountains running in a continuous range.

The Neem Tree (Azadirachta Indica) situated right in front of the sanctum sanctorum, which is intertwined with a Peepul Tree or Arasa Maram (Ficus Religiosa) is the Sthala Vrksham. The Neem tree is the symbol of Shakthi or Energy and the Peepul tree is the male. Thus when these two trees grow intertwined in a place they symbolize the natural meging of energy into matter to create life force. While Neem and Peepul trees are worshipped on teir own, the reverence shown to these twinned trees is even greater. Further, the local lore has it that the Devi out of her infinite compassion takes on herself all our sorrows and bitterness. Symbolizing this transference of bitterness, the leaves of the neem tree in front of the sanctum sanctorum at this temple are devoid of their usual sharp bitterness. The leaves of this tree are offered as prasadh to devotees at the temple.