Thirunaimisaranyam

Thirunaimisaranyam is traditionally enumerated as number 97 among the 108 Divya Desams — the sacred abodes of Sri Maha Vishnu sung by the Alvars.

Tapovana. There are nine tapovanas viz., Dandakaranya, Saindhavaranyam, Jambukaranyam, Pushkararanyam, Utpalaranyam, Badarikaranyam, Gurujangalaranyam, Arputharanyam and Naimisaranyam. This Naimisaranya tapovanam is regarded as a very holy forest.

The sthala mahatmyam of this place is reported to have been related by Lord Shiva to Parvati. It is said that once upon a time, Sounaka and other maharishis went to Brahma and asked Him which is the place best suited for performing yaga, dhana and tapas. Then Brahma lifted a darba grass nearby, rolled it into a shape of a wheel and let it loose. He said that the place where this wheel goes and stops will be the ideal spot for performing yagas. The wheel rolled on to earth and is reported to have reached the spot which is now known as Naimisaranyam. Nemi means a

wheel (chakra). This place got the name Naimisaranyam as the Nemi i.e. chakra landed in this area which was an aranya (forest). So the kshetra was first known as Naimism. When the chakra fell a deep pit emerged in that area. Water bubbled out ot that pit and that pit became the holy tank and got the name Chakra theertha as the chakra i.e. wheel rested in this spot. It is believed that-whoever has a bath in this kshetra will have the same benefit as if he has had a bath in Kurukshetra during the eclipse time. This eclipse represents the following episode in Mahabharata war. As is well known during Mahabharata war in order to enable Arjuna to locate and kill Jayadratha before Sunset, Lord Krishna played a small leela when He hid the face of Sun with His disc for a split second and made Jayadratha think the Sun had set while it really had not. Jayadratha came out of hiding, Krishna also recalled the disc and Arjuna let loose the arrow and killed Jayadratha. It is believed that a bath in this chakra theertha will ensure moksha. What is more if one has a bath for 30 days in this chakra theertha, is regarded as equivalent to having had a bath in the theerthas of all the 108 divya desas.