This Shiva temple is fifth in Sapta Vidanga temples. Thiruvaimoor is about 20 km from Nagapattinam on Thiruthurooaipoondi route. This Vidangar is known as Neelavidangar and dance performed is known as Kamalanatanam (dance like a lotus that moves in a breeze).
Mulavar: Vaimoornadar
Devi: Kshiropavasini, Paalinum Mohiziyal
Kshetra Vruksha: Jackfruit
Sacred Tirtha: Surya Teertha, Indra Teertha, Prachanda Marut Teertha, Harishchandra Nadi
Puranik Name: Thiruthen Thiruvaimoor
Present Name: Thiruvaimoor
District: Nagapattinam, Tamil Nadu
The temple is about 2000 years old. It is one of the Padal Pethra Sthalam on southern bank of Kaveri. Shiva linga is a swayambhu linga. Appar and Sundarar have sung sacred hymns (padigam). The temple is spread over 2 acres. The east facing temple has 3 tiered rajagopuram with 2 parikramas. The original temple was of brick and mortar. Later it was reconstructed by Vikram Chola.
There are several stone inscriptions denoting the repair work and grants made by chola king.
The Thyagaraja is called as Neelavidangar and is very small in size. The temple is also comparatively very small. The Lord has three shrines in the complex namely Thyagaraja shrine, Vaimoornadar shrine and Vedaranyeshwarar shrine. The last two are small sand shiva lingas. And covered by kavach. Vedaranyeshwarar blessed shaiva saint Appar at this place. When Appar enquired with Lord Vinayaka about Lord Shiva (Lord Vinayaka’s father), he pointed to the place where he was. So Lord Ganesha is known as Kai (hand) kattiya (show) Vinayaka. In this shrine, the idol is pointing his finger towards Lord Shiva.
Three Shiva lingas facing east are next to each other in Thyagaraja sabha.
Other shrines and idols:
Shrine of Ambika is in the outer Parikrama. She is known as Kshiravachana Nayaki and she is blueish in color. At present this temple is famous as Bhairavar temple. Viral (finger) Kattiya (showed) Vinayaka is in the inner parikrama. The Rishabh Dakshinamurti is in the outer parikrama. There are separate shrines of Ashta Bhairava, Lord Ganesha and Lord Muruga. The shrine of Paalinum Mohiziyal is facing the south. The Navagrahas are housed in a separate shrine and are in a straight line. Koshta murtis are Bhairava, Nalavar, Vinayaka, Lord Muruga with Valli and Deivayani, Mahalakshmi, Lord Dakshinamurti. There is an idol of Shaiva saint Karaikkal Ammaiyar.
The idol of Nataraja is very beautiful. The sacred teertha are in the west and Marut teertha is on the front side of the temple.
When shaiva saint Appar was staying in Vedaranyam, Lord Shiva appeared in his dream and directed him to visit this temple. Appar followed the instruction and came to the temple. When he reached the temple, he could not find the shiva linga. Lord Ganapati showed him the exact place inside the temple where the shiva linga was. There is an idol of Lord Ganesha pointing his trunk towards the shiva linga. Sambandhar who followed Appar also had the darshan of Lord Shiva like Appar at this place. It is believed that Surya worshiped Lord Shiva at this place. The ray of the Sun fall on the Shiva Linga and the Devi on the twelfth and thirteenth day of panguni. The place is known as Leela Rahasyapuram in Sanskrit. In this temple, it is believed that Sambandhar got to see the divine dance of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati. Lord Brahma and other devas who were afraid of Tarakasur came as birds to this place and they took bath in the Prachanda Marut Tirtha. To ward off their sins they worshiped Lord Shiva at this place.
Festivals:
- Masi (Feb-Mar) Mahashivaratri
- Margazhi (Dec-Jan) Thiruvadharai
- Special puja for Bhairav on Ashtami
- Aippasi (Oct-Nov) Special puja for Thyagaraja on the first day of
- Vaikasi (May-June) Eighteen day Vasantotsav
People pray for knowledge, prosperity and removal of obstacles in marriage.
Courtesy: Following sites https://tamilnadu-favtourism.blogspot.com/ and https://temple.dinamalar.com/en/
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