Sivakkozhuntheswarar Temple / Sri Shivakkozhuntheeswarar Temple / Sri Sivakozhundeeshwarar Temple / சிவக்கொழுந்தீசர் கோவில், Theerthanagiri, Cuddalore District, Tamil Nadu.

The place was called Thiruthinai Nagar during the Thevara Period, ie, the 7th to 8th century, and is now called Theerthanagiri. This place is on the banks of Perumal Lake, which receives water from the Paravanaaru River. 

This is the 37th Thevara Paadal Petra Shiva Sthalam and the 5th Shiva Sthalam in Nadu Naadu. Sekkizhar, in his Periyapuranam, mentions that Thirugnanasambandar worshipped Lord Shiva of this temple, but the hymns were not traceable.

    செல்வம் மலிகிய தில்லைமூ திரினில் திருநடம் பணிந்து ஏத்திப்

    பல் பெருந் தொண்டர் எதிர்கொளப் பரமர் தம் திருத்தினை நகர்பாடி

    அல்கு தொண்டர்கள் தம்முடன் திருமாணி குழியினை அணைந்து ஏத்தி

    மல்குவார் சடையார் திருப் பாதிரிப் புலியூரை வந்துற்றார்

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

    நீறு தாங்கிய திருநுத லானை

        நெற்றிக் கண்ணனை நிரைவளை மடந்தை

    கூறு தாங்கிய கொள்கையி னானைக்

        குற்றம் இல்லியைக் கற்றையம் சடைமேல்

    ஆறு தாங்கிய அழகனை அமரர்க்கு

        அரிய சோதியை வரிவரால் உகளும்

    சேறு தாங்கிய திருத்தினை நகருள்

        சிவக்கொ ழுந்தினைச் சென்றடை மனனே.

... சுந்தரர் தேவாரம்

Moolavar  : Sri Sivakkozhuntheswarar, Sri Shivalingeswarar

Consort    : Sri Neelathakshi, Sri Oppila Nayagi,

                 Sri Karuthadanayagi.

Some of the important features of this temple are.....

The temple faces east with a 3-tier Rajagopuram. Balipedam, Rishabam, and dwajasthambam are before the Rajagopuram. Moolavar is believed to be Swayambhu, who appeared under the Kondrai tree. In the koshtam, Narthana Vinayagar, Yoga Dakshinamurthy, Lingothbavar (Brahma & Maha Vishnu are on both sides), and Durgai.  

In the praharam, Natarajar Sabha, Valampuri Vinayagar, Dhandapani, Murugan with his consorts Sri Valli Devasena, Thirugnanasambandar, Naalvar, Agasthiyar Lingam, Suryan, Navagrahas, King Veerasenan and Chandikeswarar.

Ambal is in a separate temple on the right side immediately after the entrance Gate and before the Rajagopuram (outside the main temple). The Shiva Linga in the Ambal was worshipped by Jambavan. 

HISTORY AND INSCRIPTIONS

The original might have existed before the 7th century and was reconstructed/extended during the Chozhas and Vijayanagaras. The present name of "Theerthanagiri" is a changed name from the ancient name of "THIRUTHINAI NAGAR". This information is registered in the British manual, a book of Madras's presidency.

As per the Chozha period inscription, this place was under Virutharaja Bhayangara Nattu Merka Nattu Jayankonda Chozha Charthurvedi Mangalathu Pidagai Thiruthinai Nagar. Lord Shiva was called Thiruthinainagaridaya Mahadevar.

Svathi Sri Thirubhuvana Chakravarthy Konerimai Kondan’s 3rd year reign (Sundara Pandyan) inscription records endowment of (some) nivantham to this temple, for which 50 veli land with its periphery limits,  after exempting all taxes. The land was at Thiruthinai Nagar, Pidagai, Bhubalasundara Nallur. This was signed by the tax collectors and accountants of that Village.

Koperunchinga’s 9th year, 219th day of the Thai month, the reign inscription records the gift of 5 veli land to this temple. The inscription is incomplete...

Koperunchinga’s 22nd-year reign inscription records the endowment of Naivedyam/Amudhupadi, Sathupadi, Thirumerapoochu, Thiruppari chattam and Parikala parisu, for which gift of land/village Chennatha Nallur village as iraiyili.

The Atkolli Kadavarayan’s reign inscription records the endowment of Naivedyam and the burning of a perpetual lamp. For the same, land was gifted after exempting the taxes. The inscription is in the form of a poem.

கூடாத வன்புகழ்க் கூடல்மன் ஆட்கொள்ளிக் காடவர் கோன்

சேடார் பொழிற்றினை மாநகர் ஈசரைச் சிந்தை செய்து

பீடார் நிலத்துப் பெரும்பாடி காவல்வெட்டி தவிர்த்து

நாடார முதுக்கும் நுந்தா விளக்குக்கும் நாட்டினனே

The other inscriptions belong to Kulothunga Chozha-I, Pandiya King Jadavarman Sundara Pandyan, Maravarman Veera Pandyan, Sundara Pandiyan, Vijayanagara Period Veeraprathaba Krishna Devaraya, and Pallava period Koperunchingan.(SII XII-262, 115 /1904).

The Vijayanagara king Krishnadevaraya’s reign year 1517 C.E., inscription on the south base of the mandapa in front of the central shrine in the SIVALINKURESVARA TEMPLE, records an account of the eastern campaign (Purvatikkuvijayam) of the King Krishnadevaraya. It records that while he was halting at Bhejavada, on the bank of the river Krishnaveni on the day of full moon, he remitted jodi and arasaperu as sarvamanya in favour of many Siva and Vishnu temples of the Chola Country. While describing the campaign, the list of the cities he conquered and the forts he constructed is tabulated. Also, the list of Siva and Vishnu Temples to which he donated is given in detail. Copies of this inscription were engraved in different temples in the Chola country. 

References

1. Select inscriptions of Tamil Nadu, Department of Archaeology

2. Annual Report on South Indian Epigraphy, year 1904

3. South Indian Inscriptions Volume  -  XVII and XII.

LEGENDS

As per the legend, Periyan, a farmer, and his wife are ardent devotees of Lord Shiva. They used to have their food only after feeding a Shiva devotee. One day, they couldn’t find any Devotees and asked their friend to send one of his servants. Unfortunately, nobody had turned up on that day. In the evening, they found an old man. When Periyan asked the old man to have food, the old man declined and said that he had the habit of getting food only after his manual labour. 

Periyan, the farmer, asked the old man to plough his field.  When the old man started ploughing, Periyan and his wife went home to bring him. On return with food, to their astonishment found the field was ploughed; “Thinai”, a type of millet, was sown and grown to the harvesting stage. Periyan and his wife offered food to the old man who was sitting under a Kondrai tree. After eating, the old man disappeared, and Lord Shiva, on his Vahana Rishabam, said that it was he who came as an old man. Lord Shiva blessed them and stayed here at the request of Periyan and his wife. Since Lord Shiva ploughed, sowed and grew the millet Thinai, this place obtained the name of “Thiruthinai Nagar”.  This sthala purana, in the form of bas-relief, is on the wall of the temple.

In another legend, a King called Veerasenan was suffering from Leukoderma- white patches on his body, and his dog was also suffering from a skin disease. When they came to this place, his dog fell into the temple tank and came out without the skin disease. Realising the sanctity of the temple and the tank, the King took a bath, came out cured of leukoderma, and worshipped Lord Shiva of this temple. Later, this temple.

It is believed that Natarajar of this temple is to be worshipped to excel in the field of Music and Dance. It is believed that Surya worships Lord Shiva from the 20th to the 22nd of Panguni month (March – April), in the form of sun rays.     

POOJAS AND CELEBRATIONS

Apart from regular poojas, special poojas are conducted on 13 days of Brahmotsavam during Vaikasi (May – June), Maha Shivaratri in Masi (Feb- March), Annabhishekam during Aipasi (Oct- Nov), Arudra darshan in Margazhi (Dec- Jan) and on all pradosam days.

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 DETAILS: 

Archakar Subramania Ayyer can be contacted for darshan  on 9047140464, 9150151195 & 04142 278324

Alternatively, this mobile may be contacted at 94434 34024.

HOW TO REACH : 

Town Bus route No. 34 is available from Cuddalore.  

Town bus roué No. 39 is also available from Mettupalayam (Mettupalayam Bus Stop is about 20 km from Cuddalore to Chidambaram route), which starts from Kurinjipadi.

The temple is 5 km from Mettupalayam Bus Stop, 25 km from Cuddalore, 17 km from Kurinjipadi,  38 km from Panruti, 66 km from Villupuram, and  200 km from Chennai, through Puducherry.

The nearest Railway Station is Panruti.

LOCATION OF THE TEMPLE: CLICK HERE

---OM SHIVAYA NAMA---