Shri HariMukteeswarar temple

This temple is located at AriyaMangai (HariMangai).

This temple is part of various groups of temples. It is one of the Sapta Sthana temples around Chakrapalli. It is also one of the Sapta Mangai temples, seven Shiva temples in which Shri Parvati Devi along with Sapta-Matrikas performed Sharad NavRatri. The temple is more than 1200 years old.

Mulavar (Main deity): Shri HariMukteeswarar

Devi (Consort): Shri GyanaAmbika

Kshetra Vruskha: Gooseberry tree (Amla or Awla)

Sacred Teertha: SatyaGanga Teertha (HariTeertha).

Old name: AriyaMangalam

Taluka: Papanasam 

District: Tanjavur (TamilNadu)

Idols and other shrines in this temple:

The shrine of Shri GyanAmbika is facing the south. Shri Vishnu is in a separate shrine facing North along with his consorts - Shri Bhudevi and Shri Sridevi. Near this shrine we have shrine of Shri AyurDevi (Durga) with twelve hands.

Behind the shrine of Shri GyanAmbika, we have the shrine of Sapta-Matrikas facing East. 

As the old temple structure has crumbled, temple has been renovated recently. The path leading to the temple is difficult to traverse.

There is a separate shrine of Shri Muruga with Shri Valli and Shri Deivanai and a separate shrine of Shri Vinayaka.

Legends :

On the 2nd day of NavaRatri (Dwitiya), Shri AdiParashakti accompanied by one of the Sapta-Matrikas, Shri Maheshwari, worshiped Shri Shiva at this place. They had darshan of divine Shri Ganga on Shri Shiva's matted hair. Hence this darshan is called DivyaGanga darshan.

This place was earlier known as NalliVanam (Gooseberry forest).

Once Shri Mahalakshmi Devi did penance and worshiped Shri Shiva at this place in order to be with Shri Vishnu forever (i.e. without separation). She used to take bath in the SatyaGanga Teertha and eat only gooseberries during penance.

Shri Vishnu also worshiped Shri Shiva at this place hence Shri Shiva is known as 'HariMukteeswarar'

A staunch devoted couple Shri NadaSharma and Shri AnaVidya got the divine darshan of Shri AdiParaShakti in her kumarika form.

Festivals in the temple:

Masi (February-March): MahaShivaRatri festival

Panguni (Mar-April): SaptaSthana festival 

Vaikasi (May-June): ShivaRatri festival

Aippasi (October-November): AnnaAbhishek

Marghazhi (Dec-Jan): ArudraDarshan (known as Thiruvathirai)

Courtesy: Various websites and blogs