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Tuesday, February 16, 2016

Annamalaiyar Temple – Fifth Prakaram – Sivagangai Theertham

Annamalaiyar Temple – Fifth Prakaram – Sivagangai Theertham
Sivagangai Theertham is the name of the river in Kailayam, the abode of Lord Siva. The Theertham is named after the river Sivaganga. This water is used for sacred ablutions to the deities in the temple. Inscriptions reveal that water to this tank was provided by digging a canal called Thirumalai Amman Devi Samudram. There is a verse which proclaims that Sevappa Nayak, the ruler of Tanjore, dug a tank in 1572 A.D22.

To the south of the Kambatthu Ilayanar shrine, there is the sacred tank, called Sivagangai Theertham. This is rectangular in size. It has a flight of steps leading to the tank on the east the west, each one and two on the northern sides just at the corners. It is being fenced by a row of small pillars on all sides leaving the passages. In the south – east of this prakara, there is the Adiyar vidhuti (devotee’s rest house). To the west of the Sivagangai tank is the Theerthavari mandapa.

Adjacent to Kambatthu Ilayanar Sannathi is the Sivagangai Teertham which was originally dug by King Krishnadevaraya in 1516 A.D., and was intended for Theppotsavam. He named it ‘Vasanta Kolam’ and to get water to it (it is said in his epigraph) he dug the Thirumalai Devi Amman Samudram and connected it to the former with an underground conduit.
This Teertham has stone steps and is surrounded by enclosed long verandahs called Thirumanapathi Mandapams. This tank is closed to devotees. However, it is still used for Theerthavari (dipping in the water of Hasthi Devar, a bronze metallic symbol during eclipse) and at certain other Festival times. 
This tank was repaired and renamed in 1902 A.D. as “Sivagangai Teertham” by sponsors who financed its renovation i.e. the Nattukkottai Chettiars. On the walls surrounding this tank are seen two figures of helmeted soldiers in uniform with dogs at their feet.