Sri Vaitheeswarar Temple / Sri Vaidhyanathar Temple / Vikrama Chozha Temple, Chinthamani, Viluppuram District, Tamil Nadu.

8^th June 2019.

The visit to this temple was a part of the Viluppuram temple visit on 8^th June 2019. It was planned to visit this temple after the darshan of Sri Brahmapureeswarar at Brahmadesam. It was around 13.00 hrs when we reached the temple. Since there is no compound wall, we can go around the temple, and a few devotees also came to worship Lord Shiva of this temple.

Moolavar  : Sri Vaitheeswarar / Sri Vaidyanathar

Consort: Sri Thaiyal Nayaki.

Some of the salient features of this temple are…

The temple faces east with our entrance arch, or Rajagopuram. There is no compound wall, either. Balipeedam and Rishabam are in front of the mukha mandapam. In the sanctum, Moolavar is a little tall on a round avudayar. In koshtam, Pichadanar / Pichadanar, Vinayagar with Samara & Venkotrakudai, Oorthuva Thandavar (Natarajar), Dakshinamurthy, Lingothbavar, Brahma, Durgai, Bhairavar, and Shiva with Parvati as alingna murthy. The Koshta murtis are masterpieces of Chozha sculptures. 

Ambal Sri Thaiyal Nayaki is in a separate temple, like a sannadhi with a sanctum and a mukha mandapam.  Ambal is facing east. In the praharam sannadhi for Anjaneyar/ Hanuman, Navagrahas, Suryan, Vinayagar, Sri Valli Devasena Subramaniyar, and Jeeva Samadhi of a Siddhar. In the Samadhi, Panchabhuta Lingas, Nagars, and Vinayagars are installed.

ARCHITECTURE

The temple consists of the sanctum sanctorum, antarala, artha mandapam, and an open mukha mandapam. The ardha mandapa pillars are worth seeing. A vesara vimana is over the sanctum. A moat is around the sanctum sanctorum. The adhistanam is with upa peda, jagathy, three patta kumuda, and kapotam. Bhuta ganas are in the valapi, and yazhivari is above the prastaram. 

 

 Ardha mandapam pillars are worth watching

HISTORY & INSCRIPTION:

The temple was built during the Kulothunga period, and Lord Shiva was called Kulothunga Chozheeswaramudaiya Mahadevar. The place was called in named after the first Kulothunga Chozha’s wife, Madhranthaki, also called Thina Chintamani, and now called Chinthamani. On the South side of jagathy, there is a Vikrama Chozha’s inscription with his title as “Poomathu Punara… “.

Apart from regular poojas, Important functions like Pournami Pooja, pradosam, and Maha Shivarathri are celebrated in a grand manner.

Vikrama Chozha inscriptions

TEMPLE TIMINGS:

The temple will be kept open from 06.00 hrs to 12.00 hrs, and from 17.00 hrs to 20.00 hrs.

CONTACT:

The mobile number of the priest, +94427 79895, may be contacted for further details.   

HOW TO REACH:

The temple is about 500 meters off the Chennai to Trichy GST Road.

Chinthamani is about 10 km before Viluppuram, 68 km from Pondicherry, 32 km from Tindivanam, and 189 km from Chennai.

All the buses on the GST road will stop at Chinthamani.

The nearest Railway station is Villupuram.

LOCATION OF THE TEMPLE: CLICK HERE

 Siddhar's Jeeva Samadhi with Nagars and Vinayagar

 Vinayagar

 Oorthuva Thandavar

---OM SHIVAYA NAMA---