16th
November 2019.
It
was around 13.00 hrs when we reached Thirupulivanam and the temple was found
closed. Gurukkal was kind enough to open the door and had the Darshan of Lord
Shiva. The ancient name of Thirupulivalam was corrupted to the present name of Thirupulivanam. In Kanchi Purana, the
place was mentioned as Vyaghrapura Vanam. Vyaghrapada For the Pulikal Munivar is
usually related to the places with “Puli – Tiger”.
Moolavar : Sri Vyaghrapureeswarar
Consort : Sri Amirthagujalambal
Some
of the salient features of this temple are….
The
temple faces east with a 3-tier Rajagopuram. In front of the Rajagopuram, the temple tank and a mandapam are on the right side. Balipeedam, Dwajasthambam
base, and Rishabam are in front of the Rajagopuram. The temple complex consists of
Sanctum, antarala, artha mandapam, maha mandapam and a mukha mandapam. The
sanctum is at an elevated level of about 4 feet from the maha mandapam. Sri
Valli Devasena Subramaniar and Vinayagar are at the entrance of Maha Mandapam
entrance after the steps. In koshtam Vinayagar, Dakshinamurthy, Mahavishnu,
Brahma and Durgai.
The Dakshinamurthy panel is a little different.
Dakshinamurthy is sitting under a Kallala tree with Accamala / rudraksha mala
and Pokkanam / ( Vibuthi or holy ash bag ) shown hanging. Dakshinamurthy is
in a sitting posture, keeping both legs down. While the right leg is resting on a Muyalagan and the left leg rests on a Simham. On both sides instead of
Sanakatha munis, Suryan & Chandran are on Simhas, Rishis, Kinnaras and the King & Queen are in worshiping posture.
At the artha mandapam entrance on both sides are the bas-reliefs of
Ashtabhuja Durga and Bhairavar.
Vahanas
are in maha mandapam. In the inner prakaram / Circumambulatory path Vinayagar,
Subramaniyar, Sri Valli Devasena Subramaniar, Bhairavar, Suryan, Navagrahas,
Nalvar and Chandikeswarar. In the outer prakaram Vyaghrapada Jeeva Samadhi and Ambal. Both are temple like sannadhi with
sanctum and artha mandapam.
ARCHITECTURE
The
front mandapa was built during the Vijayanagara period. The reliefs of Vyaghrapada worshiping Lord Shiva, Ambal worshiping, Kannappa Nayanar Story, Snake
worshiping Lord Shiva, Lord Shiva, Hanuman, and the usual deities of
Vijayanagara.
The
east outside entrance of the maha mandapam has two squatting lion pillars. The
mandapa and the Prakara are supported by cylindrical pillars with simple
Pallava / Chozha period Pothyals / corbels. The Prakara pillars have the donor
names inscribed.
The
Vimana is of Gajaprishta Vimana constructed with brick. The Kalasas are also
of stucco. One of the kalasam and the Shiva’s stucco image on the mahaNasi of
the Vimana was found damaged. The sanctum was built on adhisthana comprised of
Upana, Jagathi, Tripatta kumuda, Pattikai, Bitti, prastaram, and Vimana. Bhuta
ganas are in the valabi and Yazhivari is in the prastaram. The inch bas reliefs in Kandam look
beautiful. The Koshta Thoranas have reliefs like Dancing Nataraja and Maha Vishnu with Sridevi and Bhudevi.
Ashtabhuja Durga
HISTORY
AND INSCRIPTIONS
The original Temple, ( a brick temple ) belongs to the Pallava period, and the same was rebuilt by Kulothunga Chozha-I's ( 1070 - 1125 CE ) period. As
per the inscriptions, this place was called Jayangonda Chozhamandalathu
Kazhiyur Kottathu thaniyur Sri Rajendra Chozha Chaturvedi Mangalam. Lord Shiva
was called as Thirupulivalamudaiya Nayanar and Aaludaiyar
Thirupulivalamudaiyar.
The
earliest inscription belongs to Kulothunga Chozha-I. and another inscription belongs to Sri Raja Narayana
Sambuvarayar, Sri Viruppanna Udayar, Sri Veera Prathapa Devaraya Maharaya,
Rajathi Rajan and some more inscriptions are there. The inscriptions record the gift of lands and cows ( 32 ), towards the burning of Perpetual Lamps. Another inscription records
the gift of 15 Cows for burning perpetual lamps for the killing of a person inadvertently during hunting. 60 veli land was donated as a trail during the Kulothunga Chozha period when Kulothunga was sitting under a
pearl pandal at Vikrama Chozha mandala Temple Abhisheka Mandapam.
A
Sambuarayara inscription records the rectification of Eri and land was donated to irrigate the land. Another 17th Century Sambuvarayar period inscription records the removal/abolition of tax on the Thari ( Hand weaving machine ) for a period of 5 Years when the weavers tried to vacate the village due to burden tax.
The Koperunsingan’s inscription records that Thevaradiyal Pichiyar’s son Jayanayanan donated 60 Cows and 2 Bulls/ Rishabas to provide one uri of ghee for the burning of 2 perpetual lamps.
The Koperunsingan’s inscription records that Thevaradiyal Pichiyar’s son Jayanayanan donated 60 Cows and 2 Bulls/ Rishabas to provide one uri of ghee for the burning of 2 perpetual lamps.
No.
96.
(A.
R. No. 396 of 1923).
Tiruppulivanam,
Conjeeveram Taluk, Chingleput District.
On
the west wall of the kitchen in the Vyaghrapurisvara temple.
This record of Tribhuvanachakravartin Tribhuvanaviradeva (i.e.
Kulottungachola III), dated in his 37th year (corresponding to A.D. 1215, June
7, Sunday), is included here because it notices an inscription of Aparajita
engraved on the walls of the temple of Tiruppulivanam-Udaiyar. A copy of this
record is also found at Uttaramallur (A. R. No. 67 of 1898). The assembly of
Uttaramelur alias Rajendrasola-Chaturvedi Mangalam, an independent village in
Kaliyur- Kottam, a subdivision, of Jayangondasla Mandalam, agreed to maintain
before the god Tiruppulivanamudaiya-Nayanar, all the perpetual lamps for which
inscriptions were found in the temple. One such record belongs to
Aparajitavikramavarman dated in the 14th year and it gives Rajamattandan as the
surname of Aparajita. This epigraph states that on the day of the solar eclipse, the
king made a gift of 100 kalanju of gold for burning four lamps in the temple.
The solar eclipse cited in the record is, however, not helpful in fixing the
initial date of Aparajita.
The 10th CE inscriptions on the pillars of the inner praharam record the Names of Nayanamars ( 63var ) and Chola kings with their titles.
Vijayagandagopala’s
13th century CE, inscription records
that a lady dancer gave a gift of cows, a lamp stand, a gold necklace, a silver
plate, and a chariot to the temple in nearby Uttaramerur and in return, She
should be given the privilege of waving the chamara (fly-whisk) in front of the
deity during the chariot festival. Further, this was also made as a hereditary
right.
Vyaghrapada
was the son of sage Madhyandhanar. He used to worship Lord Shiva with fresh
flowers before the honey bee touched. So he
prayed to Lord Shiva to turn his legs and eyes like Tigers to climb trees and plug
flowers in the early hours, before dawn. Lord Shiva blessed him as per his wish.
Therefore he was called Pulikal Munivar, in Sanskrit Vyaghrapada. Since
Vyaghrapada circled around the Shiva Linga, the place was called Thirupulivalam, and the same was corrupted to the present name of Thirupulivanam.
It
is believed that Lord Indra came to this temple and worshiped Lord Shiva. Parantaka
Chozha and Kulothunga Chozha also worshiped Lord Shiva.
The sthala purana - Tiger worships Lord Shiva
FESTIVALS.
Apart
from regular poojas, special poojas are offered on Pradosham, Karthigai Deepam.
TEMPLE
TIMINGS:
The
temple will be kept open between 08.00 hrs to 12.00 hrs and 16.00 hrs to
19.00 hrs.
CONTACT
DETAILS:
Santhosh
Gurukkal may be contacted on his mobile at +91 9787117740 may be contacted for
further details,
HOW TO REACH:
The
Temple Vyaghrapureeswarar is at Thirupulivanam.
Thirupulivanam
is on the Uthiramerur to Kanchipuram bus route. 6.2 KM from Uthiramerur, 23 KM
from Kanchipuram, 50 KM from Arakkonam, and 84 KM from Chennai.The
Nearest
Railway station is Kanchipuram ( for Local Trains to Arakkonam and Chengalpattu
) and Arakkonam is the main Junction for Express Trains.
LOCATION OF THE TEMPLE: CLICK HERE
Vyaghrapadar Jeeva Samadhi
Nandhi and Rishabam
Dwarapalakas
---OM
SHVAYA NAMA---
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