This temple is situated in the heart of Kumbhakonam city. This temple is also known as Kudanthai Keezh Kottam (Kudanthai means Kumbhakonam, Keezh – east; Kottam – temple). This is on Chidambaram-Mailadurai route and about 35 km from Mailadurai and 2 km from Kumbhakonam railway station. This is one of the Padal Petra Sthalam on the southern bank of river Kaveri, revered by Shaiva saints Appar and Arunagirinathar. The stone structure was built during King Aditya Chola I. There are about 54 stone inscriptions detailing the work done and the endowments made by various Chola and Vijaynagar kings. This is the parihar sthal for Rahu dosha. This temple is the 3rd temple connected with Mahamagam festival. This temple is also known as Koothandavar kovil and Suryakottam. At this place the bilva leaves from the kalash fell during the pralay and became a Shiva linga. Hence Lord is known as Shri Vilva Vaneshwarar.
Moolavar: Shri Nageshwar Swami, Shri Naganathar, Shri Vilva Vaneshwarar, Shri Patalbeejnathar, Shri Madanthainathar
Devi: Shri Periyanayaki, Shri Brihannayaki
Kshetra vruksha: Bilva
Kshetra teertha: Mahamagam tank, Singa-mukh-teertham (tank), Surya teertha, Nag teertha
Puranic name: Thirukudanthai Keezh Kottam
Kshetra Purana:
Once just before pralaya, Lord Brahma, got a doubt in His mind that if all the seeds for creation are destroyed how to start the creation. He rushed to Lord Shiva – the destroyer, for guidance. At that time Lord Shiva advised him about the manner in which the seeds for new creation can be preserved and at the same time how to start the creation after pralaya. He advised Lord Brahma to make a pot by mixing mud (sand) and amrut. Then fill it up with amrut and keep all the seeds necessary for creation inside the pot. Then he advised that he should spread the Vedas, Agamas, Puranas etc on all 4 sides in the kalash. He asked him to place a bunch of Mango leaves and a coconut at the top of the pot so that it gets the shape of the Kalash. He advised him to tie the sacred thread (upavidh) around the pot and inside the pot put flowers etc before sealing it. Then he asked him to keep it at the top of Mount Meru (which is a residence of Lord Brahma) and hang it from the ceiling by tying it with a rope made of sacred grass (darbha). He asked him to worship it with bilva leaves by placing it along with flowers over the coconut. He asked him to make this Kalash sacred by sprinkling the amrut over the Kalash. He told him that during the pralay, this Kalash will flow along the water and will stop at a place. Then he will appear as a hunter (Kiratmoorthy) and break the pot so that Lord Brahma can start srishti.
Lord Brahma followed the instructions to the point. When the pralay came, there was chaos around as nature's fury was at its highest in all forms. The Meru parvat also was drowned in the pralay water and the Kalash along with the sacred grass tied around it started moving along the water towards the south. It reached a particular point and stayed at a place as pralaya water started receding. The sacred grass, the mango leaves, etc detached themselves and fell at that place.
Where the Bilva leaves fell, they formed a Bilva Vanam. The temple that was constructed was known as Nageshwarar temple. Lord Shiva is praised as BilvaVaneshwarar and Pathal-Beejanathar, Selvapiran and Mabanthai nathar.
According to Purana, the king of Serpent (Aadi-shesha) holds the earth on his head. The weight of the earth grew due to the sins committed on earth and hence he could not bear the weight. He worshiped Lord Shiva to grant him extra energy so that he can hold the earth. Lord Shiva accepted his request and granted him the extra energy by giving him 1000 heads instead of 1. Aadi-shesha came to this place, where the Bilva leaves fell during the maha-pralay. He installed a linga and worshiped Lord Shiva. As the Nagaraja worshiped Lord Shiva at this place, Lord Shiva is known as Nageshwarar.
According to Sthala purana, Lord Surya once had lost his splendor due to a curse. He came to this place and created a sacred teertha (Surya teertha). He worshiped Lord Shiva. Pleased by his worship, Lord Shiva graced him and gave back his splendor.
King Rajendra Chola brought an idol of Ganesha as war trophy from the North and kept it at the hall in front of sanctum-sanctorum. This idol is praised as Gangai-Vinayaka.
It is stated in purana that the planet Rahu (serpent king) worshiped Lord Shiva in four parts of the night at four places. The places are – Shri Nageshwarar temple - Kudanthai keezh kottam (Vilva vanam), Thirunageshwaram Naganathswami in Hibiscus van (Jaswand in Marathi), Nageshwar swami at Thirupampuram in Shamee van, Naganathar at Nagapattinum in Punnag vana.
A Shiva devotee Padakachery Ramalinga Swamigal took a lot of pains to renovate this temple which was in a dilapidated condition. He performed consecration in 1923. For this purpose, he collected funds by tying a pot around his neck and meeting people.
Those who worshiped at this place:
AdiShesha, Lord Surya, King Nala and Serpents Daksha and Karkotaga.
Salient features:
1. ShivaLinga is a SwayambhuLinga, it was formed when the Bilva leaves from the Kalash fell at this place during Pralay. They formed Bilva Vanam and SwayambhuLinga.
2. The place is praised as Kudanthai Keezh Kottam (Kudanthai means Kumbhakonam, Keezh means East and kottam means temple).
3. This temple is a great marvel of Chola architecture, building technology and astronomy.
4. This is one of the temples participating in MahaMagam festival.
5. According to some puran, it is believed that Kumbhkonam is more sacred than Kashi.
6. This place is praised as BhaskaraKshetra as Lord Surya worshiped at this place.
7. Nataraja sabha is praised as Perambalam. It is in the form of a chariot. It is very beautiful with stone wheels, two horses and four elephants pulling it. There are 12 spokes in the wheels, these represent the 12 zodiac signs.
8. If one worships in a single day at Nageshwaram in the morning, Thirunageshwaram in the noon, Thirupampuram in the evening and Naganathar at Nagapattinum at night all sarpa dosha are removed.
9. Sun’s rays fall on the ShivaLinga on the 11th, 12th and 13th day of the Tamil month of Chitrai at 6am.
10. Goddess MahaLakshmi and Lord AgniVeeraBhadra (Oordha Thandava moorthi) are opposite to each other.
11. Shrine of PralayKalRudra is not found anywhere except at this temple.
12. Goddess ShivaKamini is seen playing Thalam to the dance of Lord Nataraja at this temple and Lord Vishnu is playing the flute. This is a unique representation. Hence Lord Nataraja is praised as AnandaKoothar.
About the temple:
This is an east facing temple with 5 tiered Rajagopuram with 2 parikramas. The gopurams are on the east, west and south entrances. The Shiva linga is a Swayambhoo linga formed out of the bilva leaves that fell from the kalash during pralay. When we enter the temple on the left side, we have a Nandanvan (garden) and Singa-mukh-teertha. On the right hand side we have the shrine of Periyanayaki and Nataraja. The Nataraja mandap is in the shape of a chariot. We come across at the entrance of the sanctum – Nandi, Balipeeth and Dhwajastambh at their usual positions. The shrine of Lord Shiva is facing the east. The Swayambhoo linga is very broad at the base (avudyai in Tamil) and cylindrical top (bana in Tamil) is smaller in size.
The koshta moorthys are Lord Ganesha, Lord Dakshinamoorthy, Lord Ardhanarishwarar, Lord Brahma & Goddess Durga. In a small shrine we come across Lord Chandikeshwarar.
Ambika’s shrine: Ambika is a separate south facing shrine, on the right side of Rajagopuram in the outer parikrama of Nataraja shrine. Her shrine is with sanctum-sanctorum, Artha-mandap and Vimana.
The Nataraja-sabha is in the form of a chariot similar to those at DaraSuram temple and at Sarangapani temple at Kumbhakonam. The chariot is sculptured in such as if it is being pulled away by 2 horses and 4 elephants. The twelve spokes on the wheel are supposed to represent twelve zodiac signs. Lord Nataraja is also known as Anand-Koothandavar. In this shrine we find the idol of Goddess Shivakaami clapping the hands to the dance of Lord Nataraja while Lord Vishnu is playing the flute.
Gangai Vinayaka shrine: The Chola king Rajendran had made an expedition to the Himalayas and the victorious army brought a beautiful Ganesh idol from there as a trophy and installed it at this place. This shrine is known as Gangai Vinayaka shrine.
In the parikrama we come across the sapta-vidangas. There is a separate shrine for Rahu. There is a separate shrine for Rudra known as Pralayakaal Rudra.
Other shrines and idols in the premises: Lord Vinayaka, Lord Muruga with Valli and Deivanai, Juragara Vinayaka, Somaskandha Moorthy, Saptamatrika, Valanchuzhi (trunk curved towards right) Vinayaka, Mahakali, Agniveerabhadra, Vishnu-Durga, Padaivetti Mariamman, Lord Surya, Goddess GajaLaxmi, Aadishesha (King of serpent), Lord Aiyanar. Goddess Mahakali & Agni Veerabhadra (Urdhwa-tandav Moorthy) are opposite to each other in separate shrines. The 2 idols are sculptured in such a manner that one feels they are competing with one another in a dance competition. The idols have very fearsome countenance.
In the parikrama, we come across Ayyanar, Sapta-Matrika, Sapta-Linga, NavaGraha, ShivaLingas that represent the Sapta-Vidanga Kshetra.
Prayers :
People pray here for
1. Relief from Rahu dosha (worship during Rahu Kaal or between 4.30-6 pm daily)
2. Reunion of estranged couples
3. Removal of marriage obstacles
4. For a child boon
5. For relief from fever people pray to Jwarahar Ganesha.
Pooja:
Regular, daily rituals, Pradosh pooja and special pooja are performed regularly.
Festivals:
Almost all festivals are similar to other Shiva mandirs.
Some of the important festivals are:
Maasi (Feb-March): Mahamagam festival, Maasi Brahmotsavam
Panguni (March-April): Panguni uttiram.
Purattasi (Sept-Oct): Navarathri
Margazhi (Dec-Jan): Thiruvadarai
Timings: 6 am -12.30 pm & 4.30 pm to 9 pm
Address: Shri Nageshwarar Swami temple, Kumbhakonam (Keezhkottam), TN 612001.
Phone: +91 4352430386
Courtesy: Following sites
https://tamilnadu-favtourism.blogspot.com/, https://temple.dinamalar.com/en/
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