This shiva temple is third in Ashta Veerattanam Sthalangal. This is the Veeratteshwarar temple. It is located at Thiruvadigai which is about two kilometers from Panruti in Cuddalore district. The temple covers an area of about 7 acres. The shaiva saints Sambandhar, Appar and Sundarar have sung sacred hymns about this temple. This is one of the 276 Paadal Petra Sthalams.
Mulavar: Veeratteshwarar, Veerattanar, Athigainadar, Thirukedilavanar
Devi: Periyanayaki, Tripura sundari, Umay Amman
Utsavar: Chandrasekhar
Kshetra Vruksha: Bahava (Sara Kondrai in tamil)
Sacred Teertha: Shulaa Teertha, Kadila River, Chakra Teertha,
Puranik name: Adhigapuri, Thiri adigai veerattanam
Present Name: Thiruvadigai, Kadalur district
The temple has two gopurams, and two parikramas. The temple is about 1500 years old. The rajagopuram is seven tiered and has idols depicting 108 bharatnatyam postures. The second gopuram is five tier and it is the entrance to the second prakaram (corridor). The sanctum sanctorum of Lord Shiva and shrine of devi are in the second parikrama. There is a sixteen pillar hall known as Thiruneetru Mandapam. This was constructed to commemorate Saint Appar’s conversion to shaivism from jainism. In the outer parikrama there is a garden containing trees and plants representing Nakshatra and Rashis. The temple tank is on the southern side entrance of the second rajagopuram. Nandi can be seen from the entrance of the second parikrama.
Other idols and shrines:
The sanctum sanctorum houses a huge swayambhu shiva linga. There are sixteen stripes of sacred mark on the Shiv Linga. In the sanctum there is an idol of Ayyar Appar. The entrance to the temple is from the south gate. On the Viman (tower) above the sanctum we come across the sculpture of the Tripurasamhar murti with twelve hands. The shadow of the gopuram of mulavar’s shrine does not fall on the ground. Which is the same case at Tanjore and Kanchipuram temples.
There are idols on all the three sides of sanctum sanctorum and the gopuram which give a chariot like appearance. The koshta murtis are Lord Dakshinamurti, Durga, Chandikeshwar, and Ardhanareeswarar. In the shrine of Devi we find Shiva Linga believed to have been worshiped by Lord Vishnu. Devi’s shrine is to the right of Lord Shiva’s shrine. Lord Muruga’s shrine is behind Devi's shrine on the western corner. Inner prakara has a shrine of Thilakavathiyar (sister of Saint Appar), 63 Nayanmars, Shanishwar, Durga, Siddhivinayak, Lord Muruga, Shiva Lingas, Nataraja, and Surya. The temple tank is named as Chakra Teertha has a mandap at the north and is known as Vasant Mandap. The temple was originally constructed by Pallava king Mahendra Verma I. He demolished a Jain temple and constructed the present one as he got converted into Shaivism. From the remains of the original Jain temple he built another shiva and vishnu temple. A king named Kalingarayan made several endowments and built additional structures in the original temple.
Kshetra Purana:
This place is associated with Tripura Samhara. Three demons namely Tarakasur, Kamalaksha, Vidyunmali performed penance and got boon from Lord Brahma. This made them powerful without any fear of death. When deva, sages and others were harassed by these demons, they prayed to Lord Shiva. Heeding to their pleas he decided to destroy the demons. He made Earth his chariot, Sun and the Moon as his wheels, Lord Brahma as his charioteer and devas as his army. He had meru mount as his bow, Vasuki as a chord, Vishnu as bow and agni. When he mounted the ratha, the axel broke as he forgot to pray Lord Vinayaka. After praying to Lord Vinayaka, he mounted the ratha. Lord Shiva started laughing and a fireball came out of his mouth. The fireball burned the demons to ashes. Thus he redeemed the pride of devas. Later he pardoned the three demons. Two of them, he made them his dwarapalakas and one he made the player of his musical instrument known as Kudamuzha (a sort of pipe). As per another purana, this is the place where Lord Shiva destroyed the three demons and three cities created by them. Lord Vishnu as Saranarayana perumal helped him by giving an arrow. As per Shiva purana, the demon Tripuran was annihilated by Lord Shiva and the city of Tripura was destroyed by him. Shiva attained the name of Tripurantaka. Lord Shiva dipped his three fingers into the ashes of these cities and wore the ash on his forehead. This signifies the three lines of ashes worn by Lord Shiva.
Thirunavukkuarsar was earlier known as Vageesar. His sister was an ardent devotee of Lord Shiva. She wanted her brother to leave Jainism and become a shaivaite. When Thirunavukkuarsar was suffering from an incurable disease, she convinced her brother to come to this place and made him believe that he would be cured by Lord Shiva. Vageesar visited this temple and sang hymns and worshiped Lord Shiva. On the instruction of Lord Shiva he took a dip in the temple tank and drank water from it. He was instantly cured of his disease. Lord Shiva named him as Navukkuarsar for the first time. Later on the name struck to him and he became known as Thirunavukkuarsar. There is a separate samadhi for Thirunavukkuarsar and his sister.
Lord Shiva granted darshan to Appar in bridal form. Appar had entered the temple and Sundarar had not entered. When he was asleep by the side of the temple an old man trampled his hand. Therefore Sundarar avoided him by turning in another direction, but still the old man stepped on his hand. Lord Shiva appeared in front of Sundarar as the old man vanished. This temple is called as Siddhapureeshwarar temple near Panruti.
The tradition of breaking coconut on the ground by throwing it (sitharathengai in Tamil) started at this place.
Those who worshiped here: Lord Indra, Lord Brahma, Lord Vishnu, Pandavas, Saptarishi, Vayu, Varun, Yama. All these devas came to worship Lord Shiva in their chariots. So the temple is designed as a chariot.
About the temple: Thevaram hymns were uttered first at this place. All Shiva agamas were first formulated here. Chariot festival and chariot design started from this place. Maximum number of thevaram hymns started from this place.
Festivals:
1) Fortnightly worship on pradosham, new moon, full moon, chaturthi.
2) Special worship on Krittika nakshatra
3) Special worship on Mondays and Fridays besides daily worship
4) In the month of Chithirai (Apr-May) 10 days Vasant Utsav is held and the mulavar is paraded on different mounts. The shatabhisha nakshatra festival is associated with Appar’s salvation.
5) Vaikasi (May-June) 10 day Brahmotsavam festival. Pancha murtis are paraded on various mounts.
6) Adi Purva Phalguni festival for 10 days
7) Margazhi (Dec-Jan) 1 day Ardra darshan festival. Manik Vasagar utsav for 10 days.
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