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Sunday, August 22, 2021

Sivayoginathar Temple, Thiruvisainallur – History

Sivayoginathar Temple, Thiruvisainallur – History

The history of Thiruvisanallur can be traced to the time of the medieval Cholas who established the village as Vembarur or Chola Marthanda Chaturvedi Mangalam. Sambandar is believed to have visited Tirumangalakudi nearby before visiting Tiruvisalur and Thirundudevankudi. The temple was converted to granite structure during the reign of Parantaka Chola I (907-955 A.D.).

There are about 97 inscriptions dating back to Parantaka Chola I, Rajaraja Chola I, Rajendra Chola II, Kulothunga Chola I, Vikrama Chola and Kulothunga Chola III, Varaguna Pandya and Krishna Devaraya of Vijayanagara Kingdom. The Thanjavur Maratha king Shahuji I endowed Thiruvisanallur to forty-six Brahmins as a brahmadeya in the year 1695. Following this endowment, the name of the village was changed to Shahajirajapuram.

At about this time, a Hindu saint by name Sridhara Venkatesa Ayyaval a companion of the Shankaracharya Bodhendra Saraswathi settled down in Thiruvisanallur and founded the Sri Sridhara Ayyaval Mutt. This temple is considered as one of the 88 temples controlled by Tanjore Palace Devasthanam. This temple is under the administrative control of the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department of Government of Tamil Nadu (HR&CE).