Thandeswarar Temple, Kozhumam
– The Temple
This is an east facing temple with
an uncompleted Rajagopuram and an entrance arch on the southern side. Dwajastambam,
Balipeedam and Nandhi can be found immediately after the entrance arch facing
sanctum. The sanctum sanctorum consists of sanctum, antarala, Artha mandapam
and Maha Mandapam. There are shrines of Bala Murugan and Ganapathi on either
side of the entrance of the Maha Mandapam.
Presiding Deity is called as Thandeswarar
/ Chozheeswarar and is facing east. He is housed in the sanctum in the form of
Lingam. Dakshinamurthy and Durgai are the Koshta Idols located around the
sanctum walls. Dakshinamurthy in this temple has only two disciples against the
four according the tradition. But four disciples are found doing penance in the
sanctum sanctorum wall.
Mother is called as Periyanayaki
/ Brihannayagi. She is housed in a separate east
facing shrine. Jyestha Devi can be found in the front side of Mother
Shrine. Sabha mandapam is in an elevated
level with steps to climb. There is a shrine for Lord Nataraja (Thandeswarar) in
the Temple premises. He appears here too with one leg upward as in Chidambaram
temple. The idol is 5.5 feet tall. Hence, the shrine is known as Then Chidambaram
(Chidambaram of the South).
There are shrines for Vinayagar,
Agneeswarar, Chandikeswarar, Kala Bairavar, Navagrahas, Saneeswarar, Suryan and
Naalvar in the Temple premises. Sthala Vriksham is Vilwa Tree. Theertham
associated with this Temple is Amaravathy River. Inscriptions dated to 13th
century AD can be found around sanctum walls, kumudam and Sabha mandapam,
Adhishtanam and Kumudam. The inscriptions mainly speaks about the donations
given to the temple.
