Sri Vadaranyeswarar Shiva Temple, Thiruvalangadu, Mayiladuthurai District, Tamil Nadu.

27^th July 2019.

The visit to this Thiruvalangadu temple was a part of the Kumbakonam Heritage Walk organized by "Yaaooyaakay" - யாஊயாகே”  and "Celebrate Kanchi" on 27^th and 28^th July 2019.  In this walk, 13 temples were covered, which included 6 Padal Petra Shiva Temples. Will be posting the details of the temples which are not covered during my previous visits/ Padal Petra Sthalangal Visit.  This place, Thiruvalangadu,  is on the bus route from Kumbakonam to Mayiladuthurai (not near Thiruvallur).

Moolavar    : Sri Vadaraneswar

Consort      : Sri Vandarkuzhali Amman

Some of the salient features of this temple are…

The temple faces west. A mottai gopuram is in front with a stucco image of Shiva and Parvati on the top.  Dwajasthambam, balipeedam, and Rishabam are after the entrance mottai Gopuram. On the right is the temple tank. In the second level, the Rajagopuram is of 5 tiers. Ambal is in a separate temple, like a sannadhi on the right side.

Irattai Vinayagar and Sri Valli Devasena Subramaniyar are in the muka mandapam. In koshtam  Durgai, Arthanareeswarar as Rishabanthikar, Brahma, Lingothbavar as Annamalaiyar, Dakshinamurthy, Vinayagar, and Vishnu.

In praharam Natarajar, Gajalakshmi, old Vandarkuzhali Amman, Saraswathi, Shiva Lingas, Dakshinamurthy, Sandikeswarar, Bhairavar, Shanishwar, Suryan, Nagar, 63var, Somaskandar, Vinayagar, Kasi Viswanathar with Visalakshi and Kaveri Amman.

ARCHITECTURE

The temple consists of the sanctum sanctorum, antarala, artha mandapam, and mukha mandapam. The sanctum sanctorum was built on a padma bandha adhisthana with virutha kumuda. A two-tier vesara vimana is over the sanctum.

HISTORY AND INSCRIPTIONS

The temple was built during the Chozha period. The prahara and the mandapa around the sanctum sanctorum were rebuilt by the Marathas. There is a measurement scale with an inscription on the praharam side of the Rajagopuram. The inscription speaks about the measurement being 16 feet, which is copied from the Thanjavur Rajarajecharam temple.

The measurement scale inscription

Thiruvadi on the head (written as Kulothunga ..?) Sivapada Sekaran - Rajaraja-I.

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:

Thiruvalangadu is on the bus route from Kumbakonam to Mayiladuthurai, before Thiruvaduthurai.

Thiruvalangadu is about 20 km from Kumbakonam and 15 km from Mayiladuthurai.

LOCATION OF THE TEMPLE: CLICK HERE

 A Loose sculpture

---OM SHIVAYA NAMA---