Sri Sathyagiriswara Rock Cut Cave Shiva Temple, / Sri Satyagireeswarar Temple / Satya Giriswarar Temple, Thirumayam, Pudukkottai District, Tamil Nadu.

30^th September 2018

The visit to this temple is a part of the Pudukottai Heritage visit. Thirumayam is a corrupted word of Thirumeyyaim (A Land of Truth). This place was ruled by Mutharaiyars, Chozhas, Pandyas, Vijayanagara, Pallavas, Hoysalas, Thondaimans, and Sethupathis. There are two rock-cut cave temples on the south side of the hill and a rock-cut cave on the North, which may be approached through the ladder. Out of two caves, one is excavated for Shiva and the other for Vishnu.

Moolavar    : Sri Sathyagiriswarar

Consort      : Sri Venuvaneswari

Some of the important features of this rock-cut cave temple are...

The entrance to Rajagopuram is of 3 tiers, and Maha Mandapam is after that. The sanctum Rock-cut cave faces east with a Rishabam/ Idabam in front. Moolavar and Rishabam / Idabam are excavated from the mother rock. Moolavar 65 CM tall on a 69 cm tall vesara avudayar. The dwarapalakas Soola Thevar & Mazhuvadayar, and Lingothbavar in front of the rock-cut caves look cute. The artha mandapam, Ambal shrine, A Banu Uma Maheswarar Shiva sannadhi, Bairavar, Navagrahas, Suryan, Chandran, Mahaganapathy, Natarajar  are in the praharam built in the latter period. The temple premises also have a natural pond.

HISTORY AND INSCRIPTIONS

On the north side of the rock-cut cave,  there are Pallava  grantha inscriptions called Parivathini (which means  a Veena with 7 strings, mentioned in Amarakosa, Raghu Vamsam, and Buddha Charithiram), which is the oldest of all the inscriptions. On the South side sanctum, it was believed that there was a musical inscription, and the same was chiseled out in the 13^th century, and Sundara Pandyan’s 7^th year rule inscription was inscribed. Traces of old inscriptions can be seen. This inscription has 47 lines. The inscription also records the removal of the old inscription, since it was written in an unknown language. This inscription gives the details of the dispute between Shiva and the Vishnu Temple regarding of sharing of property and how it was resolved during the Hoysala period, in front of Appanna Dhanda Nayakar. As per the inscription, the common land, water body, and periphery belonging to both temples  are to be shared in a ratio, ie, 2/3 portion to the Vishnu temple and 1/3 to the Shiva temple.

The rock-cut cave has 9 inscriptions and belongs to the Rajarajan & Rajendra Chozha, Maravarman Sundara Pandyan, and Parakrama Pandyan periods. Compared to Kunrandar Kovil, Mahadevar, and Veerasigamani rock-cut caves, this Thirumayam rock-cut cave may have been excavated during the 7^th century, Pallava period.

The inscription- old and new can be seen 

TEMPLE TIMINGS

The temple will be kept open from 07.00 hrs to 12.00 hrs, and from 17.00 hrs to 20.00 hrs.

HOW TO REACH :

Thirumayam is on the way to Pudukottai, Chettinad, from Trichy.

21 km from Pudukkottai and 68  km from Trichy.

The nearest Railway Station is Trichy.

LOCATION OF THIS ROCK-CUT CAVE TEMPLE:    CLICK HERE

  Soolathevar -Rock cut Dwarapalakas - Mazhuvudayar 

 Lingothbavar

HIGHER LEVEL ROCK CUT CAVE IN SIDE THIRUMAYAM FORT

The cave is inside the fort, excavated for Shiva to a size of  2.88 m x 2.7 m x 1.99 m, 10 meters high from the ground level. The entrance is 2 meters x 94 CM, carved in three steps on top and side, and looks like a wooden frame. A ladder arrangement has been provided by ASI (Archaeological Survey of India). A Shiva Lingam 66 cm tall on a 95 cm square Avudayar excavated from the mother rock. The komuka is supported by a bootha gana. On the side, there is a Pallava grantha inscription, which may be about Parivaathini, a 7-string Veena. 

 ---OM SHIVAYA NAMA---