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Thursday, April 2, 2020

Hari Theertheswarar Temple, Thiruvarankulam – The Temple

Hari Theertheswarar Temple, Thiruvarankulam – The Temple
This is an east facing Temple with 5 tiered Rajagopuram. The Rajagopuram is dated to Pandyan period. The sanctum follows Chola architectural style. The Ardhamandapam and Mahamandapam, situated in front of the sanctum also follows Chola style. The Sanctum, Ardha Mandapam and Maha Mandapam are surrounded by a hundred pillared mandapam. There is a second gopuram of Pandyan style to enter the inner prakaram.

There is a large pillared hall connecting the Rajagopuram and inner gopuram. Presiding Deity is called as Hari Theertheswarar / Arangulanathar and is facing east. He is housed in the sanctum in the form of Lingam. Lord is a swayambumurthi in the temple. Dakshinamurthy, Lingodbhava, Brahma and Durga are the Koshta Idols located around the sanctum walls. Here Lord Dakshinamurti graces with a Veena on his hands considered a very sacred musical instrument in India.

Mother is called as Brahadhambal / Periya Nayagi.  She is housed in a separate south facing shrine. She is having four hands. It is said that Mother Goddess was born to one belonging to Kattudayan Chettiyar lineage. Based on this belief, women of this community regard Lord Shiva as their son-in-law and worship him covering their head with Sari – Mukkadu.


The Mother Shrine follows Pandyan Style of architecture rather Cholas.  The vyalis and bhutagana found in the central shrine are absent here. The earliest inscription on this shrine says that the structure was built by Kannudaya Perumal, queen of the Nishadaraja chief of Piranmalai and daughter of the Nishadaraja chief of Ponnamaravathi.

All the 12 Zodiac signs (Rasis) with their relative Devadas (deities) are drawn with herbal colours on the roof of the Vasantha Mandapam. There is also wooden carving of a soldier on a horse believed to be one who lived in this place. There is a separate shrine for Lord Subramaniya with his consorts Valli & Deivanai behind the sanctum sanctorum.

There are shrines for Porpanai Vinayaka, Thiruchitrambalam Udayar, Surya, Veerabhadra, Sapthamathas, Chaturthi Vinayaka, 63 Nayanmars, Jyestha Devi, Gajalakshmi, Ayyanar, Chandran, Bhairava, Naalvar, Kasi Viswanathar, Visalakshi, Saraswathi, Mahalakshmi, Nataraja, Balamurugan, Navagrahas and Chandikeswarar in the Temple premises. The idol of Lord Nataraja is very beautiful. The blue print (Padimam) is in the National Museum, Delhi.


Sthala Vriksham is Porpanai (Golden palm tree). It is believed that the golden palm tree was on the outer corridor of the temple yielding golden fruits. Now, the tree is not there. There is a pillar now. Now, Magizha tree is the Sthala Vriksham. There is a temple tank and the Linga here is in the same level of the tank. Theertham associated with this Temple is Hari Theertham. The place was once a centre of iron-ore mining and contained in outcrop of ochre on the bunds of one of the temple tanks, called the Brahma Kundam.