Aatcheeswarar Temple / Atcheeswaraswamy Temple – Achirupakkam / Acharapakkam, Chengalpattu District, Tamil Nadu.

Now this place is called as Acharapakkam. This is the 29^th Thevara Paadal Petra Shiva Sthalam in Thondai Nadu. There are two Shiva sannidhis in side the temple built in parallel and the legends are written below.  

Sekkizhar  mentions that Thirugnanasambandar Visited this temple after worshiping Sri Vedagiriswarar of Thirukazhukundram. Thirugnanasambandar stayed here for some after worshiping Lord Shiva “Aatchi Kondar”.

    ஆதி முதல்வரை வணங்கி

        ஆட்சி கொண்டார் என மொழியும்

    கோது இல் திருப்பதிக இசை

        குலாவிய பாடலின் போற்றி

    மாடவத்து முனிவருடன்

        வணங்கி மகிழ்ந்து இன்புற்றுத்

    தீது அகற்றும் செய்கையினார்

        சிலநாள் அங்கு அமர்ந்தருளி

Thirugnanasambandar has sung hymns in praise of Lord Shiva of this temple.

    

    பொன்திரண் டன்ன புரிசடை புரளப்

        பொருகடல் பவளமொடு அழல்நிம்புரையக்

    குன்று இரண்டன்ன தோளுடையகலம்

        குலாயவெண் ணூலொடு கொழும் பொடியணிவர்

    மின்திரண்டன்ன நுண்ணிடை அரிவை

        மெல்லியலாளையோர் பாகமாப் பேணி

    அன்றுஇரண்டு உருவம் ஆயஎம் மடிகள்

        அச்சிறுபாக்கம் ஆட்சிகொண்டாரே.

Moolavar  : Sri Aatcheeswarar, Sri Aatchikondanathar,

                  Sri Parkapureswarar,  Sri Sthiravarapureswarar,

                  Sri Mullaikkanamudayar.

Consort    : Sri Ilangiliammai, Sri Sundaranayagi,

                  Sri Balasukambigai,  Sri Athisundarambal.

Some of the important features of this temple are as follows…..

The main temple is facing east with 5 tier Rajagopuram. There are two Shiva sannidhis. This Paadal petra Shiva Sannadhi is on the right side after entering the inner entrance. The Balipeedam, Dwajasthambam and Rishabam are facing Aatcheeswarar ( Emai Aatcheeswarar ). Moolavar is short and swayambhu. In koshtam Vinayagar, Dakshinamurthy, Mahavishnu, Brahma, and  Durgai. Dharakan and Vidhyunmali, who are demons killed by Lord Shiva are the dwarapalakas at the entrance of the sanctum sanctorum

On the right side of dwajasthambam ( North east side ) Ambal Ilangiliamman is in a separate Sannadhi. In the inner prakaram on the left Saptamatrikas,  Nagras, Kondraiadi Eeswarar, Thirinethrathari Maharishi and Navagrahas.

Moolavar  : Umai Aatcheeswarar

Consort    : Umaiambigai

The main entrance is towards Umai Aatcheeswarar sannadhi. On both side of the sanctum sanctorum. On an elevated level from left are Polla Pillayar with Siddhi & Buddhi,  Naalvar, 63var in stone, Alamelu Mangai Thayar, Srinivasa Perumal, Umai Aatcheesar ( Bas-relief of Shiva and Parvati Thirumana Kolam in sitting posture behind moolavar ) with his consort Uma Parvathi, Palani Andavar, Sri Lakshmi, Durgai, Sarasvathy, Arumugasamy with valli Devasena, 63 var in Cheppu images, Urchavars / procession deities, Natarajar sabha, Arunagirinathar in north east corner, Bhairavar with brahma kapala malai, Vallalar and Suryan.

As per the history the artha mandapam from where we used to pray was a well and was closed with stone  slabs. 

Arunagirinathar has sung Murugan of this temple and mentions the “Achu muri Vinayagar” on the opposite to main temple as “முப்புரம் எரி செய்த அச்சிவன் உறைரத மச்சது பொடி செய்த”

HISTORY AND INSCRIPTIONS

As per the inscriptions this place was in Jayangonda Chozhamandalathu Rajendra Chozhavala Nadu and Lord Shiva was called as Akesuvarar and Achukondaruliyadeva.

The Thiribhuvana Chakravarthy Konerimai kondan period inscription ( 241 of 1901) records an idol was made by Atkinda Nayagan Sethirayan and the details of the idol’s are not known.

Rajakesarivarman Kulothungan-I’s 15^th year reign inscription ( AR 247 of 1901 ) records that an idol of Kulothunga was made and given to the Temple.

As per Kulothungan-III’s 12^th year reign inscription ( AR 239 of 1901 ) inscription records the endowment of lighting a perpetual lamps and Naivedyam for which donations of Sheep, Lands were donated and Chenkeni Ammaiyappan, who caught the Pandya Kingdom donated Diamond to this temple.

Another inscription ( AR 108 of 1933-34 ) inscription belongs to Nirupathungavarman, records the gift of 800 Kuli land after purchase that included the pieces called Viran-serun, Kaluvalun, Kodumadyun Kaliyu(ma)  as Arccana-bohan- seitha nilam by one Sankan. It is also stated that the land should not be sold or mortgaged. 

Maha kumbhabhishekam was conducted in 2001 and 2019.

LEGENDS

The Achirutha Vinayagar sannidhi is on the east mada street just before the main temple. The legend behind the temple is, that Lord Shiva took the form of Tripurantaka. when Lord Shiva went to destroy the three puram ( Tharagan, Kamalatchan, Vidwan mali  who has got special boon Brahma that all the three shoun own floating city made of Gold, Silver & Iron, They should once in 1000 years and if they were to kill, to be killed by a single person with single arrow all the  three at a time. After getting the boon they started torture Devas. Vishnu with Devas meet Lord Shiva and requested him for a solution. Lord Shiva agreed and started to destroy the tripuras and the Demons. When they meet each other, Lord shiva started in a chariot, the earth as chariot, Suryan and Chandran as wheels, The four vedas as Horses, Meru as bow, Vasuki as string, Thirumal as arrow and Brahma as sarathy. Since Lord Shiva without worshiping Vinayagar, Vinayagar has played his role as usual by breaking the  axle. Realizing this Lord Shiva  blessed Vinayagar and proceeded to Thiruvathigai  and destroyed three puras.

Achiruththa Vinayagar

In an another Legend, when Pandya king was travelling through this place his chariot axle has got cut. He happened to see a golden monitor lizard and followed. It came to this place and disappeared. The Pandya king found a Lord Shiva Linga under a Kondrai tree and asked his minister to built a Shiva temple. So the Minister built the temple on his name as Emai Aatcheesar. The king got angry on the minister, so the minister has built another sannadhi and told the King that one is Umai Aatcheesar. Some legends says the Thirinethrathari Maharishi instead of Minister.

Devotees pray Lord Shiva to get back the lost jobs, Lost Status, to remove marriage obstacles etc,.

POOJAS AND CELEBRATIONS

Apart from regular poojas, special poojas are conducted on Pradosham, Mahashivaratri ( Feb – March ), 10 days chithirai Brahmotsavam ( April – May ), Pournami, new moon days, etc. 

POOJA TIMINGS

The temple will be kept opened between 06.30 hrs to 12.00 hrs and 16.30 hrs to 20.30 hrs.

CONTACT DETAILS

The land line  +91 44 27523019 and the mobile number +91 98423 09534, may be contacted for further details.

HOW TO REACH:

The temple  is about 1.5 KM off main road at Acharapakkam.

Acharapakkam is on the National highway  Chennai to Villupuram before Tindivanam.

The temple is 4 KM from Melmaruvathur, 30 KM from Tindivanam, 39 KM from Chengalpattu, 97 KM from Chennai.

Nearest Railway Station is Acharapakkam ( 2 KM )or Melmaruvathur and Railway Junction is Tindivanam.

LOCATION OF THE TEMPLE : CLICK HERE

New chariot sculptures 

---OM SHIVAYA NAMA---