Thirukolakka Sapthapureeswarar Temple, Nagapattinam

Thirukolakka Sapthapureeswarar Temple, Nagapattinam

Thirukolakka Sapthapureeswarar Temple is a Hindu temple located at Keezhai Thirukolakka in Nagapattinam District of Tamilnadu. The historical name of the place is Sapthapuri. The presiding deity is Shiva. He is called as Sapthapureeswarar. His consort is known as Osai Kodutha Nayaki. It is one of the shrines of the 275 Paadal Petra Sthalams - Shiva Sthalams glorified in the early medieval Tevaram poems by Tamil Saivite Nayanars Tirugnana Sambandar and Sundarar.

The temple is known as Thiru Thalam Udayar temple. It is a small temple with 2 prakarams. This temple is located at about 1 km from Sirkazhi. Tirukkolakka is considered to be the 15^th of the Thevara Sthalangal located to the North of the river Kaveri in the Chola region of Tamilnadu. The temple is located just behind the Ulagalandha Perumal temple. It is about a kilometer distance from Brahmapureeswarar Temple on the banks of River Uppanaru. Those aspiring excellence in music pray in the temple. 

Legends

For brief details, please refer below link;

http://tamilnadu-favtourism.blogspot.com/2017/02/thirukolakka-sapthapureeswarar-temple.html

The Temple

This small temple covering an area of about three fourths of an acre has 2 prakarams. The Surya Theertham and Anandha Theertham are located in front of the temple. Lord Shiva in the temple is a swayambumurthy. The presiding deity is called as Shabdapureesar / Thalapureeswarar and the Ambal is called as Osai Kodutha Nayaki. Thirukkolakka temple was a brick construction during Chola period. Later Nagarathar re-built the same using Granites. The Temple is 230 feet in length East-west and 155 feet in width in North-south.

Vrushbaruda Darshan of Lord on the west of front entrance near a spring, Vahana mandapas are located near the entrance of the temple. Shrines of four Saivite saints, Adhikara Nandhi greet the devotees.  Lords Vinayaka, Somaskanda, Subramania, Mother Lakshmi, Sani Bhagwan, Lord Bhairava and Sun shrines are in the prakara. Procession deities are safely kept in the Mandapam right of the prakara. Mother Ambica is in a separate shrine. Of the procession deities, noteworthy is the one of Saint Gnana Sambandar holding the golden plate. Lords Vinayaka, Dakshinamurthi, Lingodhbava, Brahmma and Mother Durga are on the goshta walls.

Shrines for Periya pillaiyar, Mahalakshmi, Sri Valli Devasena Subramanyam, Sri Dakshinamurthy, Sri Suryamurthy, Sri Chandra Murthy, Arulmigu Nalvar, and Pancha lingas are located in the Temple premises. In the southeastern side, is the Sthala Viruksham Kondrai tree, grown from a single root into 3 Kondrai trees indicating the presence of Trimurthis Brahma, Vishnu and Maheshwara. There is Somaskandar (Muruga in kid form between Shiva-Parvathy).

Temple Opening Time

The temple is open from 7.30 a.m. to 11.00 a.m. and from 4.30 p.m. to 8.00 p.m.

Pooja Timings

·        Kalasandhi Puja - 8:30 A.M – 9:30 A.M

·        Uchchi Kaala Puja - 11:30 A.M – 12:00 P.M

·        Sayarakshai Puja - 5:30 P.M – 6:30 P.M

·        Ardhajama Puja - 8:00 P.M – 8:30 P.M

Festivals

Four worship services are offered each day here. Chithirai Tiruvadhirai festival in April-May is celebrated in Sirkali Sattainathar temple with the milk Utsav on the second day. After this event, Saint Gnanasambandar comes to this temple, when Lord Shiva gives the golden plate to the saint. The saint returns to the first temple in a flower decorated palanquin. Theerthavari is celebrated on all Karthikai Sundays in November-December.

Literary Mention

Saint Sundarar in his Thevaram hymn had mentioned the mercy of the Lord in gifting Thalams – sound producing instrument – to Saint Gnana Sambandar.  This is the 15th Shiva Temple on the northern bank of Cauvery praised in Thevaram hymns.

Tirugnanasambandar describes the feature of the deity as:

நிழலார் சோலை நீல வண்டினங்
குழலார் பண்செய் கோலக் காவுளான்
கழலான் மொய்த்த பாதங் கைகளால்
தொழலார் பக்கல் துயர மில்லையே.

Prayers

Those unable to speak and facing stammering problems bathe in the Ananda Theertha and pray to Ambica to bless them with the sound as she introduced the sound to a metal plate (Osai in Tamil means sound,  Kodutha means given and Nayaki Mother Goddess).  Hence mother is called by the name Osai Kodutha Nayaki. Lord gave the plate to the saint but it was Mother who gave the life to it with the sound). 

Devotees place honey at the feet of Mother, perform archanas and consume it then. As this is also the place where Mother Mahalakshmi performed penance on Lord Vishnu seeking his hands, women pray in the shrine on Mondays and Fridays for 6 weeks continuously with turmeric archanas to realize their wedding wish. Realizing their wish-speech ability-devotees offer gold plates to Lord.

Contact

Sri Sapthapureeswarar Temple,

Tirukolakka – 609 110,

Nagapattinam District

Phone: +91 – 4364 – 274 175

Connectivity

Tirukolakka is just 2 km far from Sirkali. Bus facility is conveniently available from Sirkali. Nearest Railway Station is located at Sirkazhi and Nearest Airport is located at Trichy.