16th April 2019.
It was planned to visit some of the old temples
around Villupuram on 16th April 2019, during our visit to Koovagam
Koothandavar temple Thiruvizha. After reaching Villupuram, First we had been
this Shiva Temple at Elavanasur Kottai. The temple is on a rocky place / hill
called Thirumalai. Since the temple was built like a fort with Guarding deities
on all 4 sides, the place is called as Elavanasur Kottai and moolavar is called
in different names.
Many people spells Shiva of this temple's name as Ardhanareeswarar, which is wrong. The coreect name is Sri Ardhanatheeswarar, since Shiva was called in the inscription as ..ஊர் பாகம் கொண்டருளிய மகாதேவர் / நாயனார்.
Moolavar :
Sri Arthanatheeswarar, Sri Grama Arthanatheeswarar,
Sri Oor Bhagam Kondaruliya Nayanar,
Consort :
Sri Brahan Nayaki, Sri Periyanayagi.
Some of the salient features of this temple are….
The temple is facing west with a 6 tier Rajagopuram
built during Vijayanagara period. There is a 3 tier Rajagopuram on a 2nd level. Ambal Sri Periyanayagi is in a separate
temple immediately after the Rajagopuram facing east.
Balipeedam, Dwajasthambam and Rishabam are
before the second level Rajagopuram. The Rishabam and the Prakara rishabam are
facing west in the same direction like moolavar.
In the koshtam Vinayagar and Dakshinamurthy. In
the prakaram sannadhi for Sani, Nagar, Govinda Raja Perumal, Suryan, Bairavar,
Navagrahas, Naalvar, 3 idols of Saptamatrikas Group, Vinayagi, Valli Devasena
Subramaniar and west facing Rishabam.
Brahma sastha
ARCHITECTURE
The temple consists of a raised level sanctum sanctorum, antarala and artha mandapam. The adhistanam is a simple pada bandha adhistanam with Jagathi, three patta Kumudam. Kumbha Panjaras and Vishnu Kantha pilasters are on the Sanctum Sanctorum wall. The vesara vimanam is on the sanctum Sanctorum. The terrace of the raised level of the corridor may be used for circumambulation. The temple tank and a urchava vavval nethi 100 pillar mandapam is on the left.
Ambal Sannadhi
INSCRIPTIONS:
From the inscriptions Lord Shiva was called as
Oor-Bhagam-Kondaruliya Nayanar / Mahadevar, Oorudaiya Paramesvarman etc. The
place was called as Iraiyanaraiyur & Iraivasanallur. The same has got corrupted to the present name of Elavanasur. As per the inscriptions this place was also called as Sri Chozha Kerala
Chaturvedi mangalam in Palur Kottam of Miladu Jananatha Valanadu.
The temple has inscriptions from 900 CE to 1500 CE.
The inscriptions belongs to Rajaraja-I, Rajendra –I, Uthama Chozha, the son of
Sembiyan Mahadevi, Kulothunga –I, Vikrama Chozha, Rajaraja-II & III,
Rajadhiraja-II, Kulothunga-II, Pallava King Koperunsingan and Vijayanagara
dynasty. One inscription speaks about gift of 132 Cows to burn a perpetual lamp
for killing a person by an another
person by mistake in the process of
hunting a boar. Vikrama Chozha’s inscription mentions a gift of land for reciting
Thiruchalal from Thiruvasagam composed by Manickavasagar. The other inscriptions
speaks about donation of lands and money towards functioning of daily poojas
and burning perpetual lamps.
LEGENDS
As per the legend “Deivigan, a Malayaman Chief Killed an asura Karundan, who was Brahmin in his previous birth. So Deivigan got the brahmahathi dosha. To get rid from the dosha he performed sacrifice and gifted 4 neighbouring Villages to 400 Brahmins and found 400 more are left out. He got confused and do not know what to do. Lord Shiva in the form a Brahmin appeared before him, asked to gift half of this Village to the 400 Brahmins and rest of the half to him. Deivigan does so. On receiving the half village the Brahmin disappeared and reveals himself as Lord Shiva. From this incident Lord Shiva was called as Oor Bhagam Kondaruliya Nayanar ( ஊர் பாகம் கொண்டருளிய நாயனார் ) and the sanskritised version is Grama Arthanatheeswarar.
TEMPLE
TIMINGS:
The temple will be kept opened between 07.00 hrs to
11.00 hrs and 16.00 hrs to 20.00 hrs.
HOW TO
REACH:
The place Elavanasur is on the Junction of Salem to Ulundurpet Highway and Thirukoilure
to Asanur ( Vellore to Tuticorin).
59 KM from Villupuram, 15 KM from Ulundurpet, 25.5
KM from Kallakurichi.
LOCATION: CLICK HERE
Vinayagar & Vinayagi 
---OM SHIVAYA NAMA---
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