INTRODUCTION : 
Yama or Yama Dharma raja is the god of death. He is the son of Surya and Saranyu. His sisters are Yamuna, tapti and Bhadra, and his brother is Lord Shani Dev. By the divine grace of Lord Shiva, he became the ruler of the departed souls, and is called as the "Lord of the Pitrus".
IMPORTANCE :
Lord Yamadev who was also called as dharma raja or dharma prabhu will take our souls to his place, and do his justice as per our Karmic deeds, and it is believed that persons who has done good karma will be sent to heaven, and persons who has done bad karma will be sent to hell, and will be severely punished by his attendants. He will never award injustice to the true devotees of god, and those who frequently chant the names of god, and they will be allowed to go to the suitable divine places as per their good karma. It is advisable for those who are suffering from dreaded diseases and mind related problems to do “MAHA MRITYUNJAYA HOMAM” for restoring good health, and for living a longer life without any worries in their life. Lord Yama is also praised in Buddhism, and he is worshipped in Srilanka in the name of Dharmapala. It is also believed that the great Vidura and Yudhishtra of Mahabharatha were the incarnations of Yamadharmaraj. In Himachal Pradesh, there is a temple dedicated to Lord Yama known as “DHARMESHVAR MAHADEV TEMPLE”. Devotees will visit this temple and offers their worship to Lord Yama Dev for maintaining a good health and for a long and peaceful life. Lord Yamadharmaraj maintains the track of records of human beings good and bad deeds with the help of “SREE CHITHRA GUPTA”. He is a divine accountant and verifies the good and bad things done by us in this earth, and will make the correct calculations and keep it in record and show it to Lord Yamadharmaraj. They will be given the correct justice by Lord Yama as per their deeds. There is also a famous temple for Chitragupta in Kanchipuram, and he is worshipped by a large number of devotees, especially during “CHITRA POURNAMI FESTIVAL” which falls during the English month of April.
CONCLUSION :
Yama and Chitragupta are worshipped widely all over India. There is no need to get afraid of them, if we have not committed any greater sins to others. Both of them are worshipped mainly for removing our sins to some extent, and to lead a healthy and to live a sustainable life. It is advisable for those who visit Arunachaleswarar Temple at Tiruvannamalai, to worship Lord Chitragupta shirine situated inside the temple. Let us worship them and be blessed.
“OM SREE YAMADHARMA RAJAVE NAMAHA”“OM SREE CHITRAGUPTARE NAMAHA”“OM SREE ARUNACHALESWARAYA NAMAHA”
SENT BY
R.HARISHANKAR
