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

Now this place is called 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 faces east with the 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 ( Northeast side), Ambal Ilangiliamman is in a separate Sannadhi. In the inner praharam on the left Saptamatrikas,  Nagras, Kondraiadi Eeswarar, Thirinethrathari Maharishi, and Navagrahas.

Moolavar  : Umai Aatcheeswarar

Consort    : Umaiambigai

The main entrance is towards Umai Aatcheeswarar sannidhi. On both sides of the sanctum sanctorum. On an elevated level from left is 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 northeast corner, Bhairavar with Brahma, kapala malai, Vallalar, and Suryan.

As per the history, the artha mandapam from where we used to pray was 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 Akesuvarar and Achukondaruliyadeva.

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

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

Kulothungan-III’s 12th-year reign inscription ( AR 239 of 1901 ) inscription records the endowment of lighting a perpetual lamp and Naivedyam for which donations of Sheep and lands were donated and Chenkeni Ammaiyappan, who caught the Pandya Kingdom donated Diamonds 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 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 had got a special boon from Brahma that all the three shown own floating cities 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 a single arrow all the three at a time. After getting the boon they started torturing Devas. Vishnu with Devas met 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 starts in a chariot, the earth as a 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 did not worship Vinayagar, Vinayagar 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 another Legend, when Pandya King was traveling through this place his chariot axle got cut. He happened to see a golden monitor lizard and followed. It came to this place and disappeared. The Pandya king found Lord Shiva Linga under a Kondrai tree and asked his minister to build a Shiva temple. So the Minister built the temple in his name as Emai Aatcheesar. The king got angry with the minister, so the minister built another sannidhi and told the King that one was Umai Aatcheesar. Some legends say the Thirinethrathari Maharishi instead of Minister.

Devotees pray to Lord Shiva to get back the lost jobs and 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 Chithra Brahmotsavam ( April – May ), Pournami, new moon days, etc. 

POOJA TIMINGS

The temple will be kept open 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 the main road at Acharapakkam.

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

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

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

LOCATION OF THE TEMPLE: CLICK HERE

New chariot sculptures 

---OM SHIVAYA NAMA---