Payaraneeswarar Temple, Udayarpalayam, Ariyalur
Payaraneeswarar
Temple is dedicated to Hindu God Shiva located at Udayarpalayam Town in
Ariyalur District of Tamilnadu. Presiding Deity is called as Payaraneeswarar
and Mother is known as Narumalar Poonguzhal Nayagi.
Legends
Once
upon a time, a trader carrying pepper told a lie that it was only pulse,
fearing the high tax for pepper on those days. He paid a small tax for pulse
and he moved on. Crossing the nearby town Vridhachalam, he found the pepper has
turned into pulse. He understood that it was only a punishment imposed on him
by the Lord of the shrine Shiva, and offered worship there and got the pulse (Pulse
is called as payar in tamil) back into pepper again.
Hence
the Lord of the shrine was called “Payaranee Nadhar or Payaraneeswarar”
henceforth. The place was also called “Payaraneechuram”. This place is ruled
many dynasties in different point of times like Pallavas, Cholas, Pandiyas and
others. The last four centuries were ruled by Udayars and the place got the
name Udayarpalayam.
The Temple
This is
one of the oldest Shiva temples dated back to 1400 years. The name of the deity
is “Murkabureeswarar” in Sanskrit and “Payaraneeswarar” or Payaraneenadhar in
Tamil. Here the Ambal is called as “Narumalar Poonguzhal Nayagi” in Tamil and
“Shakundalambigai” in Sanskrit. It is said that the Lord Ganesha here is called
as ‘Vil Valaitha Pillayar’, bent the ‘kandeeba’ bow for Arjuna. A symbolic bow
is seen in Lord Ganesha’s hand.
Temple Opening Time
The
Temple will be open from 6.00 am to 12.00 noon and 4.00 pm to 8.00 pm.
Connectivity
This
temple is located in Udayarpalayam which is 29 Kms from Ariyalur and 9 Kms from
Jayankondam. Udayarpalayam is located in Trichy – Jayankondam or Ariyalur –
Jayankondam bus route. There are buses from Jayankondam, Ariyalur and Trichy.