Tirukkazhippalai Palvannanathar Temple

Tirukkazhippalai Palvannanathar Temple is a Hindu temple located at Chidambaram in Cuddalore district of Tamil Nadu, India. The presiding deity is Shiva in the form of Palvannanathar and his consort is known as Vedanayaki. The presiding deity is revered in the 7th century Tamil Saiva canonical work, the Tevaram, written by Tamil saint poets known as the nayanmars and classified as Paadal Petra Sthalam.

Palvananathar Temple
Religion
AffiliationHinduism
DeityPalvannanathar (Shiva) and Vedanayagi (Parvati)
Location
LocationChidambaram
StateTamil Nadu
CountryIndia
Location in Tamil Nadu
Geographic coordinates11°22′15.5″N 79°42′50.8″E
Architecture
TypeSouth Indian Architecture

The temple complex covers an area of one acre and all its shrines are enclosed with concentric rectangular walls. The temple has a number of shrines, with those of Oondreswarar and his consort Minnoli Amman being the most prominent. The temple has three daily rituals at various times from 6:00 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., and four yearly festivals on its calendar. Brahmotsavam festival during the Tamil month of Vaikasi (May - June) is the most prominent festival celebrated in the temple. The temple is also called Bhairava Temple and sports an image of Bhairava similar to the one in Varanasi.

Legend

As per Hindu legend, Shiva and Parvathi appeared to sage Agasthya at this place. It is counted as one of the eight places where the sage got the darshan of Shiva. As per another legend, sage Kabila made a lingam (an iconic representation of Shiva). A king was moving along the way and his horse's hooves split the lingam into two. The sage was disappointed and he started making another lingam. Shiva and Parvathi made a divine intervention and provided milk from the divine cow Kamadhenu that strengthened the image. The deity thus came to be known as Palvannanathar. In modern times, it is believed that the ablution done with milk is absorbed by the image.[1]

Architecture
Image of Shiva in various postures in the vimana

Palvannanathar temple is located in Sivapuri, a place 5 km (3.1 mi) from Chidambaram. The temple has a three tiered rajagopuram on the eastern side with concentric rectangular walls surrounding the temple. The passageway from the main road to the gopuram has an image of Nandi, located axial to the sanctum. The sanctum is approached through a pillared hall called mukha mandapa and an artha mandapa. The shrine of the Ambal is located in the mukhamandapa facing south. The presiding deity in the form of lingam (an iconic form of Shiva) is located in the sanctum. It is believed that the image is self manifested. There is a panel on the wall behind the image that depicts the marriage of Shiva and Parvathi. There is a circumabulatory passage around the shrines. The pillars in the hall leading to the sanctum has sculpted images depicting various Hindu legends. There is an image of Bhairava located in the south eastern corner of the temple, which is believed to have been made by same sculptor as in Varanasi. The image does not have the vahana of Bhairava, as in other temples.[1]

Religious importance and festivals
East facing entrance arch

Sambandar, an 8th-century Tamil Saivite saint poet, venerated Uchinathar in ten verses in Tevaram, compiled as the First Tirumurai. As the temple is revered in Tevaram, it is classified as Paadal Petra Sthalam, one of the 276 temples that find mention in the Saiva canon. The temple is counted as the fourth in the series of the temples on the northern bank of river Cauvery.[1] The temple is also called Bhairava temple. It is believed to the place where sage Agasthya and Valmiki are believed to have obtained grace. The image of Sivakami Amman is sported with her friends Vijaya and Saraswati.[2]

The temple priests perform the puja (rituals) during festivals and on a daily basis. The temple rituals are performed three times a day; Kalasanthi at 8:00 a.m., Uchikalam at 12:00 a.m. and Sayarakshai at 6:00 p.m. Each ritual comprises four steps: abhisheka (sacred bath), alangaram (decoration), naivethanam (food offering) and deepa aradanai (waving of lamps) for Uchinathar and Uchinayagi.[1] There are weekly rituals like somavaram (Monday) and sukravaram (Friday), fortnightly rituals like pradosham, and monthly festivals like amavasai (new moon day), kiruthigai, pournami (full moon day) and sathurthi. Thai Poosam during the Tamil month of Thai (January - February) is the most important festival of the temple. Navratri during Purattasi, Annabishekam during Aipasi, Thiruvadirai during Margazhi and Karthikai somavaram are other festivals celebrated in the temple.[2][1]

Literary mention

Tirugnanasambandar describes the feature of the deity as:[3]

எளியாய் அரியாய் நிலம்நீ ரொடுதீ

வளிகா யமென வெளிமன் னியதூ
ஒளியாய் உனையே தொழுதுன் னுமவர்க்

களியாய் கழிப் பாலையமர்ந் தவனே.

Appar describes the feature of the deity as:[4]

பழியிலான் புகழுடையன் பானீற்ற னானேற்ற னென்கின் றாளால்

விழியுலாம் பெருந்தடங்கண் ணிரண்டல்ல மூன்றுளவே யென் றாளால்
சுழியுலாம் வருகங்கை தோய்ந்த சடையவனே யென்கின் றாளால்

கழியுலாஞ் சூழ்ந்த கழிப்பாலைச் சேர்வானைக் கண்டாள் கொல்லோ.

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References
  1. R., Dr. Vijayalakshmy (2001). An introduction to religion and Philosophy - Tévarám and Tivviyappirapantam (1st ed.). Chennai: International Institute of Tamil Studies. pp. 336–7.
  2. "Sri Uchinathar temple". Dinamalar. 2014. Retrieved 14 May 2017.
  3. Tirugnanasambandar Tevaram, II: 21: 4
  4. Appar Tevaram, IV: 6: 5
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