THIRUTHINAI NAGAR – ABODE OF AN ANCIENT SIVA TEMPLE

ThiruthinaiNagar also called as Thirthanagiri is a beautiful agricultural village situated on the Cuddalore ---Chidambaram high way almost equidistant from both the towns.

The railway station is Alappakkam which is on the Chennai---Tiruchy main line where both Cuddalore ---Chidambaram are the nearest junctions.  The Siva temple is located amidst lush green fields fed by clean live streams.This particular shrine finds a place in the holy text SIVA RAGASYA.The place was known by several names during different YUGA.GIRUDHA YUGA& THIRUDHA YUGA ---depicted as ONGARAPURI
THUVAPARA YUGA ----known as THESAPIRATHAM
KALI YUGA -----it is GHANAPIRATHAM
In all the four YUGA the name Thiruthinainagar was also known. This place is having a link of sorts, as this LINGAM is a prototype for the other temples from KASI to KANYAKUMARI.The Lord in the form a LINGAMwhich is to have originated on its own-----SUYAMU where AUVUDAIYAR is square shaped.The LINGAMoriginated from earth &the base could not be reached-for more than 100 feet down ;probably there is a hillock in that region ,the peak / summit of which is transformed as SIVALINGAM.The history of this sacred place was told to UMA by SIVA as per scriptures of the Holy SIVARAGASYA .At that time Lord SUBRAMANIAN heard and retold the same to sage AGASTHIAR; the sage in turn compiled & documented as SIVA RAGASYA.AGASTHIAR was a SAIGIDA YOGEESWARAR who compiled nearly a lakh KIRANTHAM in to 12 ANGISHAM.(Part of which is available in the Connemara library.ThiruchendurMalaimarundhu descendant KumaraMalaimarundhu had written the same in Tamil.The Lord is variably called: 1.SIVAKOLUNDEESWARAR
  2. SIVANGURESWARAR
  3. PIRANAVA PUREESWARAR
              The Consort is known as: 1.KARUNTHATTAKANNI
  2. NEELATHALAMBIGAI
  3. PIRANAVA PUREESWARI
The sacred tree is SARAKKONDRAIThe water body four in no. namely 1.JAMBHAVA                                                                      2. GOWRI3. GARUDA (PERUMAL LAKE)4. DEVA (BAY OF BENGAL)Other stories & incidences related to this place:1. Maha VISHNU worshiped for three days; obtained a celestial power namely VAYAM& killed a demon called MURASURAN, hence VISHNU known as MURARI.2. Sage BIRUNGI who was cursed by Sage DHURWASA did penance here for 30 days & got the same corrected.3. GARUDA worshipped here & brought AMIRTHAM the holy Nector which he gave to his mother.4.  Sage JAMBAVAN who during the period of Lord RAMA along with the entire clan,came here after the war& subsequent anointment of RAM as king as  holy bear .5. Bengal King VISUBANIRUBAN was purified of his Brhamhathi curse6. His son King VEERASENAMAHA renovated & added additional structures; he stayed here for three years.        The original temple built by Bengal kings had three corridors with walls & four towers; they were destroyed by invaders during Arcot wars. (Some of the broken icons are seen even today).During the war the bronze sculptures were kept hidden in the various water bodies & retrieved later.King Verasena during his campaign noticed a strange happening. His horse & dog who had certain skin disorder got cured on bathing in the water bodies around. The realized that water & the Deities in the temple possess curative power.The king himself was suffering from Leckoderma& the same was corrected in the similar way like his animals. The king as a tribute renovated the temple complex & enhanced the water bodies.The figurine of King VEERASENA is kept along with the Four SaivaSivachariarsviz.SUNDARAR,APPAR,MANIKKAVASAGAR&THIRUGANASAMBANDARin the left of the main shrine.REASON FOR THE NAME THIRUTHINAI NAGARThe story goes like this: A farmer who was an ardent SIVA devotee who used to feed all the followers Lord SIVA. In the bargain he became poor but still he continued to feed at least one devotee every day before he & his wife eats. Since he lost the property he himself started tending the fields. One day at the field The Lord came in the guise of an ascetic (SANGAMA ROOPA) and asked for food immediately as HE cannot tolerate hunger. The farmer gave some of the seeds in hand & said to eat that till he brings food from home. The ascetic took shelter from scorching sun under a tree. (The same tree is alive till date & can be seen at a corner of the temple) At home there is nothing as well. But his intelligent wife took some of the grains indented to be used as seed & cooked .When the farmer reached the fields to his surprise the entire field was covered by fully grown ripe plants with grains. The plants were appearing like paying obeisance to the Lord; there was happiness everywhere.The farmer & his wife understood that the SIVA Himself had descended as in the place where the farmer was sitting a SHIVLING existed. As on the same day the entire process of farming was executed including obtaining the grains the village came to be known as THIRUTHINAI NAGAR.Latter the entire family of the farmer attained the abode of Lord SIVA.  About the temple:The main gopuram is three tiered.The mast / postis covered fully with engraved copper plates. THE TEMPLE HAS NANDHI & PALI PEETAMDuring the Tamil month of PUNGUNI Sun rays fall on the deity probably getting reflected from the NANDHI on 25, 26& 27(this approximately correspond to April second week beginning. The shrine of the Goddess is located on the left of the mast as one enters the temple. The temple also has separate shrine for Lord GANESA, Lord SUBRAMANIAN& a platform with NAVAKRAHAS. The information was provided by Mr.Manikandan, the priest of the temple.The temple is being maintained very well by him. The author also wishes to acknowledge the guidance of Mr. Yoga Siva; Computer work by P.Ranganathan.

THE UNIQUE BEAUTY OF THE TEMPLE

TEMPLE ENTRANCE

TEMPLE ENTRANCE

TEMPLE ENTRANCE

TEMPLE ENTRANCE

TEMPLE ENTRANCE

Raja Gopuram--the main three tiered tower at the entrance.  The tower traditionally never had any sculptures; but during the last renovation two figurines on standing postures had been incorporated. The main mast is fully covered with copper plates which contains engraved sculptures.

Base of the mast covered with copper plates. The base is in the form of a multi pettaled lotus in an inverted form. The sculpture is Mahalinga form of Lord SHIVA.

The Lord Shiva with His consort UMA on the celestial bull NANDHI.

To note the hands of the Lord around the waist.

The Lord Shiva with His consort UMA on the celestial bull NANDHI.To note the hands of the Lord around the waist.

MAIDEN STONE

Synonym : Kumari Kal

                   Valour stone

• A round stone which were used to test the raw strength of competitors 
• Persons who seek the hand of a girl or who want to enter the armed forces have to lift the stone

CONDITIONS

• The stone is lifted from the ground at one stroke
• Stone is lifted above the head and dropped behind
• More the times - the better it is

The stone balls are kept as show piece items on either side of the road bridge over the river Cauvery, connecting Tiruchirappalli with Srirangam.

VALOUR STONE

It is erected in memory of the slain soldiers in the war front.

The panel depicts portrait of the soldiers, their dress, ornaments, weapons used, etc.

The widow of the soldiers, consider the stone being alive and behave like a married woman. Others also treat her like a married woman.

Their children and descendants worship as their family deity.

Illustration was observed near Hanuman temple close to Manthralayam.

WEIGHT BEARING SLAB

Akkaraipatti near Samayapuram, Trichy

• If a pregnant lady dies without delivering the foetus, the slab is erected. 
• The slab will be on the road side adjacent to the water body. 
• The travellers can keep the head load & rest for a while.
• In this illustration, the lady and her family members also got interned.

SIVA PURI

Sivapuri is a beautiful village near Chidambaram, nearly 4kms from Annamalai University, Tamil Nadu, India.

In Sivapuri two ancient siva temples exist. One is replaced from river Kollidam estuary – called Thirukazhipalai and other is a Siva temple native to Sivapuri.                                                                                           

The Siva temple at Sivapuri (native one) is a well maintained temple.

SIVA : UJJEEVANATHA SWAMI

CONSORT : KANAGAMBIGAI

POOJARI : GOPAL

The ancient name of sivapuri is Thirunel Vayil.

In this place 12,000 devotees who were proceeding to saiva saint Thirugana Sambandhar marriage to be held at Achalpuram near kollidam town. The devotees were well fed before leaving the place. Here the belief is that anybody who worships here will never starve for want of food for the rest of their life.

Sivalingam is placed on a square Avudyar.

Anybody who worships here gets the same blessings as if from Kasi & Rameswaram Siva temples.

Ujjevanatha Swamy & Kanagambigai are supposed to remove any obstacles in education and marriage.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   

                                                                                                                                                                                                                            

Ganesha with his mount

 Murga sits on peacock

Parvathi on Kali after the Siva thandavam

Sivathandavam, siva putting his rear rings back.

 Nandhi and Brahma Watching.

Maha Vishnu holding conch in the folded hands

Appar with Rudraksham beads garland in folded hands

Brahmahathi

Floral design

Annam – a celestial bird

Brahmahathi depicted on the elephant head

Cow performing milk Abishekam on Sivalingam

Sukasanam

Peacock with snake in the beak

Appar in Namaskara Muthrai

Kamadhenu under kalpaviruksham

Embryo

Ornamental panels depicting various icons

Saraswathi with veena - kachabi

Musical conch

Ornamental pillars & panels

Dhakshinamoorthy, Siva as teacher

Raja Asanam with various mudras like namaaskara in one hand and chin mudra in one hand.

Padmasana with chin mudra

Narthana Ganapathi (Ganapathi dancing on his mount)

Nadi

Brahman

Cobra Snake with spread out hood

 

Nadi depicted in the form of serpent coiling each other.

A miniature snake – depicted as a link between two panels

Ornamental miniature panel

knot

Adhikara Nandhi

(To note the weapon systems)