Naganathaswami Temple, Peraiyur, Pudukottai
Peraiyur, a Palmyra shaded fertile village contains a
temple of great renown. The Naganathaswami temple is well known for Naga
worship, and barren women have been making pilgrimage to this village for
centuries and install stone image of Nagas. The stone images installed over the
centuries now accumulated to give a breathtaking site.
Peraiyur is on the south bank of the Vellaru. Hand fans
fashioned out of Palmyra fronds are an important product of this place. Men of
the Isai Vellala or Melakarar community in the village make these hand fans.
Lord Shiva with his Royal Consort is here and known by the
name Naganathar.
This holy place is a 'parigaras thalam' it means if any malefic
effect in an individual’s horoscope will be rectified by offering prayers here.
This holy place is especially rectifying the ill-effects caused by planets
Raagu and Ketu in the Hindu religion. Hindrance in marriage, delays in child
birth, Kala Sarpa Dhosa parikaram can be done for oneself.
Location
Peraiyur is about 15 km from Pudukkottai, which is just
three kilometers from the Pudukkottai – Kuzhipirai - Ponnamaravathi bus route.
Regular bus services and taxi facility is available from Pudukkottai.
Monument: Naganathaswami Temple
Peraiyur contains a temple of considerable interest. It
is dedicated to Siva in his Naganathaswami (lord of the snake) aspect. A tall
stone Nataraja dances at the entrance to the main shrine. The sculpture of Siva
and Parvathi seated on their bull are excellent pieces.
The oldest extant portion of the temple is the western
gopuram behind the sanctum. It is of the 10th century and is done in the Chozha
style. The specific Chozha architectural features of the structure coupled with
the presence of a Saptamatrika group in bas-relief on a single stone, and an
inscription of Rajendra Chozha I (1012-44) on the rock near the tarn, show that
the temple was originally a Chozha structure of the 10th century, but was later
renovated in the 12th or 13th century. There are other Chozha and Pandya
inscriptions belonging to the 13th century.
The present garbhagriham of the Naganathaswami is a
Pandya structure of the 12th - 13th centuries. It stands on a moulded plinth
with a vyala vari at the top and a curved kumudam in the middle. The pilasters
are octagonal with rectangular base but without nagapadams. The palagais is large
and square and the padmams has well defined petals. There are niches on the
wall and contains images of Dakshinamoorthy, Lingodbhava and Brahma. The vimanam
is a modern brick structure.
There is in the precincts a subsidiary shrine for
Goddess Brahadambal said to belong to the close of the 15th or early 16th
century, and is in the Vijayanagara architectural style.
The eastern main gopuram is a Pandya structure, but the
brickwork above is modern. The other mandapam-s in the prakaram are modern. The
temple bears renovations, the last of which took place in during the reign of
Ramachandra Tondaiman (1834-1886).
Stone Images of Nagas
The village is famous for the worship of Naga. People
install stone images of snakes in order to remove barrenness in women. The
shrine faces an oval tarn that is filled seasonally by rainwater. Along the
edge of this tank is a plinth on which are found snake stones (nagakkals) row
upon row. Each of these stones, one to two feet high, depicts, coiled five hooded
cobra.
Some of them show the common motif of two inter wined
snakes, one facing the other. These have been placed at the temple over the
centuries as votive offerings and installed every time with suitable rites in
the naga prathishta (snake installation) ceremony.
Musical Sound from the Tank
There is a baffling phenomenon noticed in the tank. The
Gazetteer of Pudukkottai District reports: 'From the tarn a musical sound is
said occasionally to rise. The warblings, reported to resemble the sound of
both stringed and percussion instruments, are held by the faithful to be the
accompaniment of an invisible worship of Siva by Adisesha (the serpent king). The
musical emanations are heard for a day or two when the receding waters of the
pond touch a particular level. At its loudest, the music is said to be audible
even outside the temple walls.'
Pooja Timings
·
06:00am –> Temple
Opening
·
09:00am –> Kalasandhi pooja
·
12:30pm –> Uchchi kalam
pooja (closing)
·
04:00pm –> Again
Opening
·
06:00pm –> Saiyarchai pooja
·
07:30pm –> Arthajama pooja
(closing)
Pooja Fees
|
S.No
|
Item
|
Fees
|
|
1)
|
Archanai Ticket
|
5.00
|
|
2)
|
Milk Kaavadi
|
10.00
|
|
3)
|
Naaga Dosha Parikaram
|
35.00
|
|
4)
|
Naaga Prithisthadai
|
75.00
|
|
5)
|
Pillai Thathu
|
50.00
|
|
6)
|
Hair Donation
|
10.00
|
|
7)
|
Annadhanam Donation
Ticket
|
25.00
|
|
8)
|
Annadhanam Donation
Ticket
|
50.00
|
|
9)
|
Annadhanam Donation
Ticket
|
100.00
|
Festival
·
Vasanthourchavam festival
conducted 10 at Panguni month.
·
Chariot Festival conducted
at month of Panguni 9th day.
·
Puratasi 10th Day Vijayadasami,
Ambu poduthal (Navarathiri).
Contact
Executive Officer
Arulmigu Naganatha Swamy Temple
Peraiyur post,
Pudukkottai District - 622 404
Phone: 04322-221084
Mobile: 98947 30410 / 90030 30920 / 8807794608
Email: pudukkottaithirukovilgal@gmail.com
Email: peraiyurtemple@gmail.com
Connectivity
Peraiyur is a small village. It is 15km away from Pudukkottai
city, on the way of Ponnamaravathy town.
·
Pudukkottai – Namanasamudram
– Peraiyur
·
Madurai – Thirupattur –
Thirumayam – Namanasamudram – Peraiyur
·
Trichy – Pudukkottai – Peraiyur
By Road:
Peraiyur is well connected to Pudukottai town.
Pudukottai is well connected to rest of Tamilnadu.
Buses from Pudukkottai Bustand to Peraiyur:
·
06:00am --> Bus No: 13
·
11:15am --> Bus No: 13
·
08:00am --> Bus No: 9D
·
04:00pm --> Bus No: 13
By Train:
Nearest Railway Station is Pudukottai. Peraiyur can be
reached via Manapparai to Pudukottai NH210 at 19 Kms.
By Air:
Nearest Airport is Trichy. Peraiyur can be reached via
Mathur Roundana to Thiruverumbur NH210 at 33 Kms.
