This temple for Lord Kala Bhairava is in the village of Vembedu, around 7 km from Thiruporur and 23 km from Chengalpet. Kala Bhairava is a fierce form of Lord Shiva and is associated with annihilation. He is also called Dandapani or the ‘One who holds a Danda (rod) in his hand’. The rod is to punish sinners. Another name for him is Swaswa or ‘One whose vehicle is a dog’. Kala Bhairava is also worshipped in India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka, as well as Tibetan Buddhism. Interestingly, the state of Tamilnadu has the most number of Kala Bhairava temple in India.

Who is Bhairava?

The word ‘Bhairava’ comes from ‘bhiru’, meaning ‘fearsome’. So Bhairava means ‘a most fearsome form’. He is someone who vanquishes fear or is beyond fear. Bhairava is said to protect people from enemies, lust, greed, and anger. These negative emotions are also our enemies as they prevent us from seeking the God within us. Some hold that he is the deity who creates, sustains, and dissolves the 3 stages of life, and hence he is the ultimate God. They say that ‘bha’ denotes ‘creation’, ‘ra’ denotes ‘sustenance’, and ‘va’ denotes ‘destruction’.

Legends of Kala Bhairava

The Shiva Mahapuranam has a story that explains the origins of Lord Kala Bhairava. Once, Brahma and Vishnu were talking, and Vishnu asked Brahma who was the supreme creator of the Universe. Brahma replied arrogantly that he was the supreme creator. He also felt that both he and Shiva had five heads, and so he was equal to Shiva or Shiva himself. This made him very egotistical, and soon, he began to interfere in Shiva’s activities. Irritated by this, Shiva decided to teach Brahma a lesson. He plucked a single strand of hair from his head and tossed it down. The hair took the form of Kala Bhairava and cut off one of Brahma’s five heads. The skull or kapala that Kala Bhairava holds in his hand belongs to Brahma. This incident served to destroy Brahma’s ego, and he attained enlightenment. He was also grateful to Shiva for curing him of his bloated ego. 

Kala Bhairava also guards all the Shaktipeeths or Shakti temples. Every Shaktipeeth has a temple dedicated to Bhairava.

Another story says that Bhairava is a fusion of Shiva, Kali, and her fury. A demon called Dahurasuran obtained a boon that only a woman could kill him. Goddess Parvati, the consort of Shiva, took the form of Kali to slay him. Her fury destroyed the demon, and after he was killed, her wrath turned into a child. Kali nursed the child with her milk. Shiva then made Kali and the child merge with him, and from this merger, Bhairava was born in his eight forms, or Ashtanga Bhairava. So some people also consider Bhairava to be Shiva’s son. 

The Puranas have their own version of Bhairava’s origin. They claim that he was created by Shiva to destroy the demons when war broke out between the gods and the demons.

In Shiva temples, Bhairava idols are found in the north, and they face the Western direction. He is also the Kshetrapala or guardian of temples. He is found in a standing position and has four hands. He holds a drum, noose, trident, and skull in his hands. Some forms of Bhairava have more than four hands. He is naked and is accompanied by a dog. His weapons, protruding teeth, fierce looks, and his garland with red flowers all make him look frightening. 

Regular Pooja in all Shiva temples begins with worshipping the Sun God or Surya and ends with Pooja for Bhairava. The ideal time to pray to him is midnight, for he is said to give darshan to his devotees at midnight, along with his consort, Bhairavi. Friday midnight is very auspicious. 

One form of Bhairava is Swarṇakarṣhaṇa Bhairava, who has a red or blue complexion and wears golden attire. The moon is seen over his head, and he has four hands. In one, he holds a golden vessel. In this form, he bestows wealth and prosperity. 

Legend behind the temple

According to legend, Sage Agasthya installed Bhairava in 8 directions in this region. This temple is one among the eight. It is situated atop a 300 ft high hillock called Bhairavar Malai, near Kattur Uthira Vaidya Lingeshwarar temple. It is a custom for devotees to visit this temple before visiting the temple in Kattur. One needs to climb 101 steps to reach the temple. In front of the sanctum are several stone elephants. The sanctum sanctorum comprises the sanctum and Ardha Mandapam. Kala Bhairava is the presiding deity. At the back side of the sanctum is a shrine for Lord Vinayaka. 

The temple is open from 4 pm to 6 pm, but on Ashtami days, it is open throughout the day.

People worship the deity here for relief from Navagraha Dosha, especially when they are undergoing Shani Dasa.