16th
November 2019.
During
my temple visits, I used to be upset over the vegetation growth inside
the temple premises and on the gopurams/vimanas. Lord Shiva gave
me an opportunity last week on 01-09-2013 to remove the vegetation
grown on the Moolavar vimanam of Palur Shiva Temple. I joined with “Thirukkovil
Uzhavarapani Mandram“
(திருகோயில் உழவாரப்பணி
மன்றம் - வேளச்சேரி, சென்னை -600042),
under the head of thiru Adalarasan. The Mandram used to do this thirupani on the 1st Sunday
of every month. This month’s Uzhavarapani was at Palur Shiva temple, which is
on the Chengalpattu to Kanchipuram Train and bus route. The Thirupani was a
complete painting. The morning and lunch were organized through
donors. About 500 Shiva devotees from various places participated. There
are many regular participants also. With Lord Shiva's blessing, I was
lucky enough to join the month’s thirupani.
It was 08.00 when I
reached the temple, and the preparation of breakfast was in progress. A few devotees arrived on Saturday itself. The rest of the devotees arrived one
by one. It was interesting to see that small children also participated in the
thirupani. The temple is big and very old. The Moolavar vimanam
up to Rishabam level was made of stone and the top with sudhai. Two devotees and I were selected for the cleaning of the Moolavar vimanam. First, we removed
the vegetation growth, and then we cleaned the pigeon's shit to enable painting. When the sun rose, it was very hot, and by noon, we had
completed the cleaning of Moolavar vimanam. I wonder how the
vegetation grows in between the stone joints. It gets the fertilizer from the
pigeon’s shit and water from the rain. Okay, what will happen during the summer
and non-rainy season? But it is nature’s wonder that vegetation survives without
water for a long period, maybe at least 6 months, from where it gets water (Lord Shiva also feeds them).
I was very tired due
to the heat, and we worked till 12.00 hours. In the evening, I was given
the task of distributing the notice for the next month’s Uzhavarapani at
Vilapakkam next to Palur and painting of Dwarapalakas. In the evening, we had
the delight of hearing the IOC Sivanadiyar Thirukkayilaya music. It was a
wonderful sight to see two girls playing the drums. The same music troop
will also play in the next Uzhavarapani. Anybody who reads this
post can join the next Uzhavaram thirupani on 06-09-2013. I have taken many
photographs from morning to evening and uploaded them in this post.
ARULMIGU SRI BRAMARAMBIKA, VANDARKUZHALI MANGAI UDANURAI SRI PATHANGEEWARAR
TEMPLE, PALUR, NEAR CHENGALPATTU.
Front entrance arch
Moolavar : Sri
Pathangeeswarar
Consort : Sri Bramarambika, Sri Vandarkuzhali Mangai
Some of the important
details of this temple are…….
This is one of the
very old Pallava, Chozha, and Kadavar period Shiva temples on the north side of the Palar River. Palur was once called "Thirupathangadu".
There are many Tamil inscriptions found around the Moolavar Sanctum Sanctorum and the front of the ardha mandapam walls.
Suryan (sun) worshiped
Lord Shiva of this temple to get cleansed from the
graha dosha as per the advice of Lord Vishnu. (A few names of Suryan are
Pathangan, Parithi, Baskaran, and Aathithan.) Since the name of Suryan is
Pathangan, Iraivan is called Pathangesar, and the place was called Thirupathangadu.
The temple faces east. When we enter the temple arch, there is a vast open space on both
sides. Nandhi and balipeedam are in front of a small 2nd-level Rajagopuram.
There is no Dwajasthambam.
Sri Vinayagar, Ambal,
Kala Bhairava, Navagrahas, Suryan, Vinayagar, and Chandikeswarar sannidhis
are in the outer prakaram. Since Suryan worshiped Lord Shiva, there
was no Navagraha sannidhi during the old period, and the present Navagraha sannidhi
was built in recent years.
In koshtam Sri
Vinayagar, Dakshinamurthy, Lingothbavar, Brahma, and Vishnu Durgai.
When we enter through the east-side mandapam, we have to enter through the south-side entrance to
the Moolavar artha mandapam.
In the inner praharam
sannidhi for Sri Murugan with Valli, Devasena, and Naalvar. The Murugan has six
faces sitting on his vahana, a peacock with an Ohm arch behind. All
these are chiseled from a single sandstone. Murugan
sannidhi is on the left side facing North (A rare position). Later, with the addition of walls, his vahana and balipeedam are forced out to the outer
praharam. The additional wall constructed also obstructs the direct
Circumference path to Moolavar Sanctum.
We found that in the Naalvar, Sundarar does not match the regular Moortham available in many temples. (Headgear – Kireedam -
is missing). Gurukkal told us that the Nalvar was previously outside and brought
in recent years, which are very old.
There are no regular
Dwarapalakas and the recent period Stucco Dwarapalakas in standing posture.
Moolavar looks cute
with nagabrana alangaram/ decoration.
Amman Sri Vandarkuzhali is in a separate temple facing east in a standing posture.
Her vahanam simham is in front. Amman with four hands.
Rudraksha mala and Kamandalam are in the upper hands, and abhaya and varada hastham are in the lower hands.
The Theertha well is dry
now and has not been utilized for a long period.
It was very sad to
hear that the temple has many lands and is swallowed by the rogues who
are not inclined to offer anything to this temple.
CONTACT DETAILS
Gurukkal Sri P S Ekambaram, Sannadhi Street, Palur, can be reached through his landline at 044 27437011.
HOW TO REACH
PALUR is on the
Chengalpattu to Kanchipuram bus (Get down at the Railway station stop) and train
route. The Beach to Thirumalpur passes through Palur, and the ticket
is Rs 15.00 from the beach. And Rs 5 from Chengalpattu, both fares are in the train.
A lot of buses, both
private and Govt buses, are available from Chengalpattu to Kanchipuram,
Arakkonam.
Balipeedam, Rishabam mandapam with 2nd-level Rajagopuram
a beautifully chiseled Rishabam under the Simha Mukha pillar mandapam
Moolavar
vimanam - see the vegetation growth - The vimanam was built with stone up to Rishabam, then with Stucco.
View of the temple complex
Entrance to the main shrine - through the front mandapam
THE FOLLOWING PHOTOGRAPHS WERE TAKEN DURING UZHAVARAPANI
Suryan
& Ganapathy Sannadhi and 2nd level Rajagopuram painting in
progress
Painting of compound wall Vinayagar Sannadhi
Rishabam mandapam cleaning is in progress
2nd level Rajagopuram
2nd level Rajagopuram
Moolavar vimanam
THE FOLLOWING PHOTOGRAPHS WERE TAKEN AFTER UZHVARAPANI.
Balipeedam with Simha Vahana mandapam of Ambal sannadhi
Moolavar vimanam view from the west side
Ambal temple vimanam
View of Moolavar Vimanam from the south side
Kaala Bairavar Temple with wall paintings
Back side of Rajagopuram
Rishabam mandapam with Simha face pillars
Shiva painting in the Ambal temple mandapam wall - drawn by a
real artist.
SIVA - SIVA Written on the compound walls by the real artist
KOSHTA MURTIS & NAALVAR
Lingothbavar
Brahma
Vishnu Durgai - see the frills of the sari
Kala Bairavar
Nalvar - நால்வர்
As per Gurukkal, this is the moortham of Sundarar installed
in the old period. Originally, Naalvar was in the outer praharam and was later
brought inside. During this period, the moortham might have changed. Please see
that the headgear is missing from Sundarar - Kireedam (கிரீடம்)
An abandoned Hero Stone of a warrior in the ground on the southeast
corner of the temple outside the compound wall – This is a Hero Stone / Nadukal who ends his
life by cutting his head off with his own sword. The practice is called
Navakandam
TAMIL INSCRIPTIONS
These Tamil inscriptions belong to the Pallava, Chozha, and Kadavar periods, and some of them have the details of land donated to this temple
IOC SIVANADIYAR's THIRUKKAYILAYA VATHYAM - MUSIC
See the two girls playing the drums on the right side
It was learned that the Rishabam Mandapam pillars are made of sandstone. and the outer plaster was applied.
--- OM SIVAYA NAMA---
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