Panchanatheeswarar Temple (Vadugurnathar Temple), Thiruvandarkoil, Puducherry

Panchanatheeswarar Temple (Vadugurnathar Temple), Thiruvandarkoil, Puducherry

Panchanatheeswarar Temple (Vadugurnathar Temple) is a Hindu Temple dedicated to Lord Shiva located at Thiruvandarkoil near Villianur in Puducherry. Thiruvandarkoil is also known as Vandaar Koyil / Vadukur. Presiding Deity is called as Vadukeeswarar / Panchanadeeswarar / Vadugurnathar. Mother is called as Thiripurasundari / Vaduvakirkanni. This shrine is known for the Bhairava manifestation of Shiva - Samhara Bhairava Vadugurnathar.

Saint Thirugnanasambanthar visited this temple and this temple is praised in the hymns of saint Thirugnana Sambandar. This is one of the 276 Devara Padal Petra Shiva Sthalams and 16^th Shiva Sthalam in Nadu Naadu. Saint Arunagirinathar has also sang songs in praise of Lord Murugan of this temple in his revered Thirupugazh. This is beautiful temple under the control of Archeological Survey of India (ASI) and has several inscriptions dating back to the period of Parantaka Chola and other great Chola kings like Rajaraja Chola, Rajendra Chola and Kulothunga Chola.

Legends

For brief details, please refer below link;

http://explore-pondicherry.blogspot.com/2017/10/panchanatheeswarar-temple-thiruvandarkoil-legends.html

History

This temple is believed to have been built by the Chola King Parantaka-I. It is constructed in a style that is similar to that of Tanjore temple but it is much smaller in size. The historical name of this place is Vadukur and that of the temple is Andarkoil. However, over a period of time, this place’s name has been changed to Thiru Andarkoil.  Currently, this temple is under the control of the Archaeological Department of India.

The Temple

For brief details, please refer below link;

http://explore-pondicherry.blogspot.com/2017/10/panchanatheeswarar-temple-thiruvandarkoil-temple.html

Temple Opening Time

The Temple remains open from 06.00 AM to 11.00 AM and 05.00 PM to 08.00 PM.

Festivals

For brief details, please refer below link;

http://explore-pondicherry.blogspot.com/2017/10/panchanatheeswarar-temple-thiruvandarkoil-festivals.html

Literary Mention

For brief details, please refer below link;

http://explore-pondicherry.blogspot.com/2017/10/panchanatheeswarar-temple-thiruvandarkoil-literary-mention.html

Prayers

Devotees believe that worshiping the lord of this temple would bless them with better job opportunities and promotions in works.  Majority of people pray for promotion in jobs and to conquer arrogance and ego. Devotees perform abishek, archanas and offer vastras to Lord. There are 8 pillars in the Artha Mandapa before Lord’s shrine. Worshipping Lord at this spot would bring royal honours and benefits to the devotee.  Special abisheks are performed to Lord Vadukeeswarar and Lord Bhairava on Ashtami days for removal evil effects. Those facing problems in wedding matters and suffering from illnesses perform abishek to Lord Bhairava with honey and sugarcane juice and feed the dogs.

Lord Muruga on his peacock vehicle turning left graces with His six faces, 12 hands and weapons.  Saint Arunagiriar in his Thirupugazh hymns ensures that the devotee would be relieved of all his/her sins if they worship Muruga in this form. Mother Durga graces from wall around the sanctum with her hands ready for a war.  Devotees pray here for success in their efforts. Special abisheks are performed to Lord Vadukeeswarar and Lord Bhairava on Ashtami days for removal evil effects. 

Contact

Panchanatheeswarar Temple (Vadugurnathar Temple),

Thiruvandar Koil Post

Kandamangalam Via,

Puducherry – 605 102

Mobile: +91 99943 05874 / 99941 90417

Connectivity

The temple is located at about 12 Kms, Villianur, 19 Kms from Puducherry, 20 Kms from Villupuram, 4.5 Kms from Chinnababusamudram, 179 Kms from Chennai and 183 Kms from Trichy. The Temple is located on Pondicherry to Villupuram Route (NH 45A). All the buses from Villupuram to Pondicherry and vice versa pass through Thiruvandarkoil. The temple is located on the road side opposite to Food Corporation Godown. Nearest railway station is Chinnababu Samudram (4 kms) on the Villupuram to Pondicherry railway line. Nearest Major Railway Station is located at Villupuram and Puducherry. Nearest Airport is located at Puducherry and Chennai.

Soundaryeswarar Temple, Thirunaraiyur, Cuddalore

Soundaryeswarar Temple, Thirunaraiyur, Cuddalore

Soundaryeswarar Temple is a Hindu Temple dedicated to Lord Shiva located at Thirunaraiyur in Cuddalore District of Tamilnadu. The presiding deity is called as Soundaryeswarar. His consort is known as Thiripurasundari. This shrine is associated with Pollaappillayar - who is connected with the legend regarding the recovery of the Thirumurais from the Chidambaram temple by Rajaraja Cholan and Nambiyandar Nambi. It is one of the shrines of the 275 Paadal Petra Sthalams - Shiva Sthalams glorified in the early medieval Thevaram poems by Tamil Saivite Nayanar Tirugnanasambandar and Appar. This is the 87^th Devaram Paadal Petra Shiva Sthalam and 33^rd Sthalam on the north side of River Cauvery.

Legends

For brief details, please refer below link;

http://tamilnadu-favtourism.blogspot.com/2017/10/soundaryeswarar-temple-thirunaraiyur-legends.html

The Temple

For brief details, please refer below link;

http://tamilnadu-favtourism.blogspot.com/2017/10/soundaryeswarar-temple-thirunaraiyur-temple.html

Temple Opening Time

The temple is open from 6.00 a.m. to 12.00 a.m. and from 4.30 p.m. to 8.30 p.m.

Festivals

Vaikasi Thiruvadirai in May-June, 13 day Rajarajan festival and Vinayaka Chaturthi are the festivals celebrated in the temple. The Nambiyandar Nambi (Vaikasi) festival, sponsored by the Thiruppanandal Matham witnesses the chanting of the Thirumurais. Other festivals include Navaratri and Skanda Sashti.

Literary Mention

It is one of the shrines of the 275 Paadal Petra Sthalams - Shiva Sthalams glorified in the early medieval Thevaram poems by Tamil Saivite Nayanar Tirugnanasambandar and Appar. This is the 87^th Devaram Paadal Petra Shiva Sthalam and 33^rd Sthalam on the north side of River Cauvery.

Tirugnanasambandar describes the feature of the deity as:

வேறுயர் வாழ்வுதன்மை வினைதுக்க மிக்க பகைதீர்க்கு மேய வுடலில்
தேறிய சிந்தைவாய்மை தெளிவிக்க நின்ற கரவைக் கரந்து திகழும்
வேறுயர் பூவின்மேய பெருமானும் மற்றைத் திருமாலு நேட எரியாய்ச்
சீறிய செம்மையாகுஞ் சிவன்மேய செல்வத் திருநாரை யூர்கை தொழவே.

Prayers

Lord grants all that the devotees wish. Devotees perform abishek to Lord and Mother offering new vastras.

Contact

Soundaryeswarar Temple

Tirunaraiyur Post, Via Lalpet

Kattumannarkoil Taluk

Cuddalore District – 608303

Mobile: +91 94425 71039 / 94439 06219

Connectivity

The Temple is located at about 4.5 Kms from Kumaratchi, 6.5 Kms from Lalpet, 8 Kms from Kattumannarkoil, 18 Kms from Chidambaram, 63 Kms from Cuddalore, 81 Kms from Puducherry and 156 Kms from Trichy. On the bus route Chidambaram to Kattumannar Koil via Kumaratchi, get down at Polla Pillayar temple Bus Stop and Thirunaraiyur is 1 Km. (Town Bus routes are 23, 28 from Chidambaram). Nearest Railway Station is located at Chidambaram. Nearest Airport is located at Trichy and Puducherry.

Soundaryeswarar Temple, Thirunaraiyur – Legends

Soundaryeswarar Temple, Thirunaraiyur – Legends

Polla Pillaiyar:

Nambi Andar Nambi, who collected and saved the sacred Thevaram hymns from pests and edited them, while young, was watching his father offering Nivedhanas to Polla Pillayar – Vinayaka. He wanted to know whether the Lord would accept only the nivedhana offered by his father and not his. The time came to Nambi to take charge of the priesthood of the temple. He offered Nivedhana to Pillayar and insisted him to consume the offer. But Pillayar was silent and Nambi began to weep. He dashed his head at the feet of Vinayaka and cried. Pleased with his Bhakti, Vinayaka accepted the Nivedhana of Nambi and consumed it.

King Rajaraja Cholan did not believe this miracle and came with different Nivedhana and asked Nambi to offer it to Lord Vinayaka. Pillayar was smilingly silent. Nambi sang the Irattai Mani Malai hymns with a touching prayer. Polla Pillayar ate the Nivedhana in the presence of all. The indebtedness to Nambi by the Saivite devotees is endless as we would have lost the treasure of our Thevaram Bhakti literature to pests but for the painstaking efforts of Nambi. The idol of Nambi and king Rajaraja also are in the temple.

Thirunaraiyur:

Sage Durvasa known for his temperament was on an intense penance to have the darshan of Lord Shiva. A Gandharva from the celestial world caused hindrance to Rishi’s penance. The Rishi cursed him to become a Narai-crane. He also refused to accept his apology and suggest a relief. The Gandharva appealed to Lord Shiva for relief. Lord said that he would be relieved of the curse if he performed abishek to him with Ganga water fetched each day from Kasi. As a bird, he flew to Kasi each day as fast as he could, fetched Ganga Water in his mouth, performed abishek and got the relief. As Narai the crane bird was granted salvation here, the place is named Narayur – Thirunaraiyur.

Nambiyandar Nambi:

This Shivasthalam is famous for the shrine of Polla Pillaiyar who blessed a small boy by name Nambiyandar Nambi with divine knowledge. According to legend, the Chola King First Rajarajan was informed by Polla Pillaiyar the whereabouts of Thevara Paadal. Even though Thirunavukkarasar, Sambandar and Sundarar composed the Thevara Pathigams during 7th to 9th Century AD, the inscriptions of the same were lying buried inside Chidambaram Temple. Chola King First Rajarajan with the help of the blessed boy Nambiyandar Nambi saw to it that the Thevara Paadal were recovered and preserved. Apart from what were destroyed by white ants, the remaining Thevara Paadal (Pathigams) were indexed and arranged in proper order and what we know today of Thevara Paadal were thus recovered from destruction by the blessings of Polla Pillaiyar, whose shrine inside Tirunaraiyur Shiva Temple is well known.

The credit of compiling and classifying this colossal collection of Tamil Thirumurais. He compiled the works of the 3 saints into the 1st through 7th Thirumurais; Manikkavacakar's Tiruvasagam & Thirukkovayar into the 8th. He included Thiruvisaippa and Tiruppallaandu in the 9th & Tirumular’s Thirumanthiram in the 10th. Tirumukhappaasurm and other works were included in the 11th Thirumurai. With the aid of a descendant of the musical Nilakanta Yaazhpaanar he assigned and fitted Panns to the Thevaram Hymns, (after worshipping Shiva at Erukkattampuliyur). Nambi is also credited with several other literary and devotional works.

People worshipped Lord Shiva here:

A Narai (stork), Surya and others are believed to have worshipped here. 

Soundaryeswarar Temple, Thirunaraiyur – The Temple

Soundaryeswarar Temple, Thirunaraiyur – The Temple

The Temple is having 78 feet high three tier Rajagopuram and is facing east. The Temple covers an area of about 5.5. Acres. There is no Kodi maram in this Temple. Presiding Deity is called as Soundaryeswarar. Sanctum is adorned with an Ardhachandra Vimanam with 2 kalasams. Agasthya Vinayagar, Dhakshinamoorthy, Annamalayar, Brahma & separate Sannadhi for Durgai Amman are the Koshta Idols surrounding the sanctum.

Mother is called as Thiripurasundari. Mother housed in a separate shrine near Rajagopuram. This Shivasthalam is famous for the shrine of Polla Pillayar who blessed a small boy by name Nambiyandar Nambi with divine knowledge. Polla Pillayar – Lord Vinayaka is a Swayambumurthy in the temple. Idols of Nambiyandar Nambi and Rajaraja Chozhan can be found in Polla Pillayar Sannadhi.

There are shrines for Thirumoolanathar, Chandikeswarar, Nambiyandar Nambi, Valampuri Vinayagar, Lord Muruga, Mother Gajalakshmi, Navagrahas the nine planets, Sani Bhagwan, Bhairava and Sun God. Idols of Meikanda Devar, Arul Nandhi Sivachariyar, Marai Gnanasambandhar, Umapathy Sivachariyar can be found in Santhanachariyar Shrine.

Idols of Tirugnanasambandar, Thirunavukkarasar, Sundarar, Manikkavacakar, Sekkizhar, Agasthiyar & Baga Munivar, Narayana Munivar and Ganapathy can be found in the inner prakaram. Paintings depicting life story of Nambiyandar Nambi on saving Devara Thirumurai can be seen in the inner prakaram. Narai, Polla Pillayar, Rajarajan, Chandrasekar, Naalvar are the Urchavar Idols of this Temple. Sthala Vriksham is Punnai Tree. Theertham is Sengazhuneer / Karunya Theertham.