Veerattaneswarar Temple / Veerateeswarar Temple / திருவதிகை வீரட்டேஸ்வரர் கோயில், Thiruvathigai, Cuddalore District, Tamil Nadu.

This is the 39^th Thevaram Paadal Petra Shiva Sthalam and the 7^th Sthalam of Nadu Naadu on the banks of the river Kedilam. This is one of the Atta Veeratta Sthalams (8 Temples), where Lord Shiva killed the Demons. This is the birthplace of Thirunavukkarasu Swamigal, one of the 63 Nayanmars who had done service in this temple. After getting cured of the “soolai” disease (a disease related to stomach ulcer) by the grace of Lord Shiva, he has become an ardent devotee.

   

As per Sekkizhar, after worshiping Lord Shiva of Irumbai Mahalam, Thirugnanasambanadar came to this place.

    ஆதிதேவர் அங்கு அமர்ந்த வீரட்டானம் சென்று அணைபவர் முன்னே

    பூதம் பாட நின்று ஆடுவார் திருநடம் புலப்படும் படிகாட்ட

    வேதபாலகர் பணிந்து மெய்உணர்வுடன் உருகிய விருப்போடும்

    கோதுஇலா இசைகுலவு குண்டைக் குறள்பூதம் என்று எடுத்துஏத்தி

Thirugnanasambandar, Appar, and Sundarar have sung hymns in praise of Lord Shiva of this temple.

    குண்டைக் குறட்பூதம் குழும அனலேந்திக்

    கொண்டைப் பிறழ்தெண்ணீர்க் கெடிலவடபக்கம்

    வண்டு மருள்பாட வளர்பொன் விரிகொன்றை

    விண்ட தொடையலான் ஆடும்வீரட் டானத்தே

... திருஞானசம்பந்தர்

    போர்த்தாயங்கோ ரானையின் ஈருரிதோல்

        புறங்கா டரங்காநட மாடவல்லாய்

    ஆர்த்தான்அரக் கன்றனை மால்வரைக்கீழ்

        அடர்த்திட்டருள் செய்த அதுகருதாய்

    வேர்த்தும் புரண்டும் விழுந்தும் எழுந்தால்

        என்வேதனை யான விகக்கிடாய்

    ஆர்த்தார்புனல் சூழ் அதிகைக் கெடில

        வீரட்டா னத்துறை அம்மானே

...திருநாவுக்கரசு தேவாரம்

Since Thirunavukkarasar had done service in this temple, Sundarar was afraid of stepping in. So he stayed in a madam near the temple. In that night Lord Shiva in the form of old Andhanar also slept along with him keeping his leg on Sundarar’s head. When Sundarar got angry and enquired, who are you?. Lord Shiva asked Sundarar, do not know me?, then disappeared. Sundarar was shocked and sung this hymns expressing his ignorance.

    தம்மானை அறியாத சாதியார் உளரே

        சடைமேற்கொள் பிறையானை விடைமேற்கொள் விகிர்தன்

    கைம்மாவின் உரியானைக்கரிகாட்டில் ஆடல்

        உடையானை விடையானைக் கறைகொண்ட கண்டத்து

    தம்மான்தன் அடிகொண்டென் முடிமேல்வைத் திடும் என்னும்

        ஆசையால் வாழ்கின்ற அறிவிலா நாயேன்

    எம்மானை எறிகெடில் வடவீரட் டானத்து

        உறைவானை இறைபோதும் இகழ்வன்போல் யானே.

Vallalar also praised Lord Shiva of this temple in his Thiruvarutpa.

                                                            “ வார் கெடிலச்

    சென்னதிகை யோங்கித் திலகவதியார் பரவு

    மன்னதிகை வீரட்ட மாதமே”

Moolavar  : Sri Veerattaneswarar, Sri Veeratanathar, Sri Athigainathar,                     Sri Andhakaanthakan.

Consort    : Sri Thiripurasundari. Periyanayagi.

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

The temple faces east with a 7-tier Rajagopuram. The temple tank and a mandapam are after the Rajagopuram. A 5-tier Rajagopuram is on the second level of the sanctum sanctorum. Bharatha Natya 108 karana reliefs are on the side of the Rajagopuram. Balipedam, Dwajasthambam, and Rishabam are immediately after the second-level Rajagopuram. Moolavar is big and made of 16 flat surfaces, the Dhara Lingam. Lord Shiva with Parvati is on the back side of the wall. In koshtam, Lingothbavar, and Durgai. In the inner praharam, Vinayagar, Murugan, Tripura Samharamurthy & Urchavar with bow and Uma.

In praharam, Appar, 63 var, Thilagavathiyar, Shaniswarar, Durgai, Siddhi Vinayagar, Shiva Lingas, Palliyarai, Sri Valli Devasena Subramaniyar, Kashi Viswanathar, Gajalakshmi, Navagrahas, Natarajar, Suryan Chandikeswarar, and Bhairavar.

One of the special attractions of this sanctum vimana is that there are a lot of stucco images on all 4 sides, and we cannot find any other temple that looks like Thiruteir (Chariot). 

It is believed that this temple is older than Thanjavur Rajarajecharam and steps on both sides  to the artha mandapam, which is the inspiration to keep a similar arrangement in the Rajarajecharam also. Further, it is believed that the Moolavar Vimana Thanjavur Rajarajecharam and Kanchipuram Kailasanathar temples were built after seeing this temple.

The 15th-century Arunagirinathar also visited this place and worshiped Lord Muruga of this temple.

    அடர வேவரு மசுரர்கள் குருதியை

        அரசு ராவென அலகைகள் பலியுண

        அலையும் வேலையும் அலறிட எதிர்பொரு            மயில்வீரா

    அமர ராதிய ரிடர்பட அடர்தரு

        கொடிய தானவர் திரிபுரமெரிசெய்த

        அதிகை மாநகர் மருவிய சசிமகள்                          பெருமாளே

HISTORY AND INSCRIPTIONS

The temple was believed to have existed before the 7^th Century, built by the Pallavas (Mahendra Pallava)and reconstructed during the Chozha period. As per the inscriptions, Lord Shiva was called Veerattanamudaiyar, and the place was also called Thiruvathigai, Athiraiya Mangalam, Athirajamangalam, Athirajamangaliyapuram, etc. The temple was built during the Mahendra Pallava period, called Gunaparaveecharam - "Adhimoola Gunabarechuran Kovil".  Shiva was called Thiruveerattaana Mahadevar,  Thiruveerattanamudaiyar, Thiruveerattanamudaiya Nayanar, Adhigai Nayagar, etc, and Ambal was called "Adhigai Veerattathu Eesan Irimadangil Enthizhai".

This place, Thivathigai, was called Athiraja Mangalyapuram, which was in a different Nadu and Mandalam during Rajendra Chozha-I, Kulothunga Chozha-I, Kulothunga Chozha-II, and Koperunchingan.

The Pallava period inscription of Nirupathungavarman, Thellerintha Nandi, Potharayan period inscriptions record the endowment of Perpetual Lamps  from the interest earned (Palisai)

Rajendra Chozha-I’s 23rd-year reign inscription records the endowment of Uchi kala pooja for which land was donated by Vanjiyur Kizhavan Warayanan Rajarajan.

The Kulothunga Chozha Vikrama Chozha period inscription records the construction of Ambal sannadhi, by a Chieftain Koothar Kalingarayan of Thondai Mandalathu Manavir Kottathu Manavir. The inscription is in the form of Venba.

    அருமறை தாவி னறக்காம கோட்டந்

    திருவதிகைக் கேயமையச் செய்து- பெருவிபவங்

    கண்டா னெதிர்ந்தா ரவியத்தன் கைவேலைக்

    கொண்டானந் தொண்டையர் கோ

Another venba records the paving of a gold plate for the vimana by the same Kalingarayan.

    தென்னதிகை வீரட்டஞ் செம்பொனால் வேய்ந்திமையோ

    பொன்னுலகை மீளப் புதுக்கினான் – மன்னுணங்கு

    முற்றத்தான் முற்றுநீர் வையம் பொதுக்கடிந்த

    கொற்றத்தான் தொண்டையர் கோ

Vikrama Pandyan's 6th-year reign inscription records that the King had issued a verbal order for staging koothu (“நாடற்கரியதொர் கூத்தும் நன்குயர் வீரட்டம்”) in a 100-pillar mandapa for which Devaradiyars to dance, screen provision, etc.

The Vinayagar, also called as Moothanayinar shrine, was renovated in Sakam 1399 (1477 CE).

A temple Chariot was donated by Chalukya lineage Narasinga deva Maharayar’s captain Aramvartha Nayanar in Sakam 1400, ie, 1478 CE.

Kulothunga Chozha's 48th-year reign inscription records the endowment of  Annadhanam at Thirunavukkarasar Thiru Madam by Arumpakkam village head Madurantaka Devan Ponnambala Koothan, for which 4800 kuzhi punjai land was donated.

Koperunchinga’s period inscription records the gift of 15 ma land to this temple by Sendamangalam, Siruvakoor Vallavarayan Thottaman Somanatha Devan. This inscription is incomplete...

The Vijayanagara period Veera Bokkanna Udayar’s son Kampanna Udayar (II) 1370 CE inscription (AR 375 of 1921) records the donation of tax-free Village Sattipattu, also called Nyaya Paripala Nallur in Kilai Alisukkattupparru, for the expenses of offerings and worship of Mudalisvaram Udaiya Nayanar of Thiruvathigai. A Kannada version of the inscription is also there.

The Vijayanagara period Veera Bokkanna Udayar’s son Kampanna Udayar (II) 1370 CE (Saka 1292) Inscription (AR 373 of 1921) records the sale of land to this Village, Thiruvathigai. The land was situated at Sattipattu of Siru Thiribhuvanamadevi in Kilai Alisukkattupparru, a sub-division of Vesalipadi, by two individuals, Vanthadevan Mazhavatharayan and Villavatharayan of Siru Thiribhuvanamadevi in Kilai Alisukkattupparru, to Mappudi Senthamaraikannan Kalingarayan Mallinathan of Jananathanallur alias Mamallapuram in Amur Nadu, a subdivision of Amur Kottam of Jayankondachozha Mandalam,  for the sum of 250 Vira Samban Kuligai (This coin was issued by Vira Kamban in Saka 1236).

In the latter stage, the temple was used by the French Government, the Arcot Nawabs, the Marathas, and the British for storing arms and as a fort.

Ref:

1. Annual Report on South Indian Epigraphy, Year 1921. 

2. South Indian Inscriptions Volume -8

LEGENDS

Appar returned to Hinduism from Jainism after he recovered from "Soolai Noi" (a disease related to the stomach-like ulcer) through his sister Thilagavathiyar after drinking the holy water of this temple well.  There is a separate sannadhi for Appar. Sundarar did not enter the temple and stayed away in a madam since Appar was doing seva in this temple. 

As per the Sthala Purana, this legend is associated with the Lord  Shiva’s Thripuranthakeswara story, one of the 64 forms of Lord Shiva. Lord Shiva took this form to destroy the Tripuras with three demons, Tarakaksha, Kamalaksha, and Vidyunmali. The Demons did a penance on Brahma and got the boon of Tripuras made of Gold, Silver, and Iron (huge floating cities), which can fly /travel to three Lokas. They should meet once in 1000 years, and if they are killed, all three must be killed at a time, by a single person with a single arrow. After getting this boon, they started torturing the Devas and ruled the three lokas. The Devas sought the help of Maha Vishnu. Maha Vishnu said that it may not be possible to destroy those who are worshiping Lord Shiva. He mooted the idea of sending Narathar to all three puras and made all the ladies lose their female virtue. Then Maha Vishnu took the form of Buddha, Jinas, and preached to them. This made them forget the worship of lord Shiva. Then Mahavishnu, Brahma, and all the Devas went to Mount Kailash and requested Lord Shiva to destroy Tripura.

Lord Shiva started the Tripura samhara in a chariot created by Deva carpenter Mayan with earth as the Chariot, Chandra and Surya as wheels, Brahma as a Charioteer, Vedas as Horses, Meru Hill as a Bow, Adhiseshan as the rope, and Agni & Mahavishnu as an arrow. Vinayagar broke the axle of Shiva’s Chariot since he was not respected before starting.  While the Chariot started falling down, Maha Vishnu held the chariot on his back. The Devas were worried.  Arumagar came and told them that this was the act of Vinayaga since Lord Shiva forgot to worship him before starting this venture. 

Lord Shiva asked the Three puras to appear before him. Till this, the Devas thought, Lord Shiva cannot destroy without their help. Instead, Lord Shiva laughed at the Tripura. The Tripura got burned, but the three demons escaped. Lord Shiva shoots the arrow and kills all three demons at a time. 

Mahavishnu, Brahma, Indra, Pandavas, Sapta Rishis, Vayu, Varuna, and Yama worshiped Lord Shiva of this temple. Devotees pray to Lord Shiva for stomach-related disease, Child boon, family prosperity, etc.

POOJAS AND CELEBRATIONS

Apart from regular poojas, special poojas are conducted on Pradosham, 10 days Vasantha utsavam in Panguni- Chithirai, Chithirai Sadayam Appar’s salvation day, 10 days Vaikasi Brahmotsavam with Pancha murthy procession, which includes car procession, 10 days Aadi Pooram, 10 days Manickavasagar Utsavam in Markazhi, and Markazhi Thiruvathirai Theerthavari utsavam.

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 :

The Mobile numbers, + 91 98419 62089, +91 9443988779, and +91 9442780111 may be contacted for further details. Alternatively, these numbers are also contacted.

HOW TO REACH:

The temple is 2 km from the Panruti bus stand on the Panruti to Cuddalore Bus Route. May be reached through Town buses, Private and Govt buses, and Auto and Share autos.

The temple is 2 km from Panruti Town, 24 km from Cuddalore, 30 km from Villupuram, and 185 km from Chennai.

The nearest Railway Station is Panruti.

LOCATION OF THE TEMPLE: CLICK HERE

---OM SHIVAYA NAMA---