Aappudayar Temple / Thiru Aapudaiyar Koil / Thiruaappudayar Koil / Sri Rishabareswarar Temple, Thiru Aappanoor - SELLUR - திருவாப்புடையார் திருக்கோயில் ஆப்புடையார் கோயில் செல்லூர், Madurai District, Tamil Nadu.

This is the 246^th  Thevara Paadal Petra Shiva Sthalam and 2^nd sthalam of Pandya nadu. This temple is on the north bank of river Vaigai and the place is called as Sellur. 

As per Sekkizhar after worshiping Lord Shiva of Thiruparankundram Thirugnanasambandar came to this temple and sung hymns starts with Thiruvapanooraip paRRu – Please  follow Lord Shiva of Thiru Appanur.

    ஆறுஅணிந்தார் தமை வணங்கி அங்குப் போற்றி

        அணி ஆப்பனூர் அணைந்து பணிந்துபாடி

    நீறுஅணிந்த செல்வர்பதி பிறவும் சேர்ந்து

        நிலவு திருப்பதிகங்கள் நிகழப் பாடி

    சேறுஅணிந்த வயல்பழனக் கழனி சூழ்ந்த

        சிரபுரத்து வந்தருளும் செல்வர் செங்கண்

    ஏறுஅணிந்த வெல்கொடியார் திருப்புத்தூரை

        எய்திறஞ்சிச் சிலநாள் இருந்தார் அன்றே

Thirugnanasambandar and Vallalar has sung hymns in praise of Lord Shiva of this temple. In this hymn Lord Shiva will help to get rid of the Karma, who follows him.

   முற்றும் சடைமுடிமேல் முதிரா இளம்பிறையான்

   ஒற்றைப் படஅரவம் அதுகொண்டு அரைக்கணிந்தான்

    செற்றமில் சீரானைத் திருஆப்ப னூரானைப்

    பற்று மனம்உடையார் வினைப்பற்று அறுப்பாரே

.... திருஞானசம்பந்தர்

                                                            -“சீலர்தமைக்

    காப்பனூரில்லாக் கருணையால் என்றுபுகும்

    ஆப்பனூர் மேவு சதானந்தமே.

..... திருவருட்பா

Moolavar  : Sri Idaburesar ( Rishabaresar ), Sri Annavinodhan, 

                  Sri Aappudayar.

Consort    : Sri Kuravangazhl kuzhali

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

The temple is facing east with an entrance arch constructed during recent years. Another arch with a mandapa is in front of the sanctum sanctorum. On the tip of the mandap Stucco images of Lord Shiva and Parvati as Rishabaroodar and on both sides are Vinayagar and Murugan on Peacock. Balipeedam, Dwajasthambam and Rishabam are in the front mandapa. Rishabam is looking straight without turning its head to any side. Moolavar is swayambhu. In koshtam, Vinayagar, Dakshinamurthy, Lingothbavar, Brahma and durgai.  The sanctum sanctorum consists of sanctum antarala and Artha mandapam. There are lot of beautiful sculptures like, Arumugar in sitting and standing postures, Yazhi, Lord Shiva’s various forms on the pillars

In the Prakaram sannadhi for Vinayagar and Valli Devasena Murugar sitting on the peacock and Natarajar. Bhairavar as bas-relief  is with Nagar in a separate shrine. Natarajar is made out of single stone looks cute. Sivakami, Nandi playing mathalam, Raghu and Kethu are also in the Natarajar Sannadhi. In this temple, Murugan Sannidhi is in between Lord Shiva and Ambal Shrines, this type of arrangement is called as Somaskandar form. Vinayagar with Nagar are under the peepal tree. 

HISTORY AND INSCRIPTIONS

Since this is one of the Thevara Paadal Petra Shiva Sthalam and the Hymns was sung by Thirugnanasambandar, the temple exists before 6^th Century. Latter reconstructed / extended during Chozhas and Vijayanagar Nayaks periods.

Kumbhabhishekam was conducted during Jan 2018.  

LEGENDS

A Pandiya King  Chozhanthagan was an ardent devotee of Lord Shiva. He used to take food only after worshiping Lord Shiva. One day he went for a hunting  and fallen down due to tired & hunger. His ministers requested him to take food. The King refused and said that he eat only after worshiping Lord Shiva.  In the middle of the forest, where to find Shiva Linga..? One of his clever Minister  took an wooden Aappu – wedge and erected on the earth and told the King, here is the swayambhu Shiva Linga. With tired and hungry the king  does the Pooja to the wedge and ate the food. After he become normal, he realised that he worshiped only an wooden Aappu / Wedge and not the Shiva Linga. He felt very guilty and told, if it is true that he worships Lord Shiva with full devotion, Lord Shiva should appear from this Aappu otherwise he will kill himself. Satisfied the King’s devotion Lord Shiva appeared through the Aappu and blessed him. From then onwards the Wooden Aappu / wedge  was considered as swaymbhu Shiva Linga and called as Thiru Aappudayar and this place was called as Thiru appanur.

As per another legend, during the heavy drought the people of Madurai was starving out of food. But the Archakar who cultivated in a small land and offered Naivedya to Lord Shiva. The other Anthanars threatened the Archakar that, when the people are starving without food why he is offering Naivedyam to Lord Shiva alone and also they diverted the water to their cotton fields. The archakar complained to Lord Shiva, since there is no dharma in this place  he wishes to quit from this place. Lord Shiva told him, to follow the Rishaba. When the Archakar followed and it stopped at place. Hence this place was called as Rishabapuram. When the Archakar was confused, how to prepare the food. Lord Shiva asked him to cook the sand from the Vaigai River, in the form of divine voice. And further told that if it is known to others then the sand will not become Annam.  The Archakar cooked the sand, which has become food and the Archakar offered Naivedyam to Lord Shiva. Since Lord Shiva converted the sand to Annam, Lord Shiva was called as “Annavinodhan”. When his wife compelled to tell her the secret of Naivedyam and he told her the truth. From then the sand didn’t turned to annam/ Naivedyam. When he told this to Lord Shiva, in turn Shiva asked the archakar to Meet the King. In the previous night in his dream, Shiva asked the king to help the archakar. The King  Constructed a Temple and gave all the materials needed for the Naivedyam and built a city around the temple.

POOJAS & CELEBRATIONS

Apart from regular poojas, special poojas are conducted on Pradosham, Maha Shivaratri, Navaratri, Vinayagar Chathurthi, Aadi Pooram, 10 days festival in Chithirai, Margazhi, Thirukarthigai, Panguni Uthiram, Deepavali, This Pongal, Tamil and English new year days.

TEMPLE TIMINGS

The temple will be kept opened between 06.00 hrs to 11.00 hrs and 17.00 hrs to 20.00 hrs.

CONTACT DETAILS

Archakar may be contacted  on his mobile number  +91 452 2530173 & 9443676174 for further details.

HOW TO REACH

Town bus Route No 17, 17A, 17C  from Periyar bus stand to Sellur. Get down at Thiru Appudaiyar Koil bus Stop.

Town bus to Chozhavanthan  to Mattuthavani, passes through Thiruvedagam and Sellur passes through Thiru Appudaiyar Koil also. 

The temple is about 2 KM from Madurai Meenakshi Amman Temple, 4 KM from Periyar Bus Stand, 3 KM from Madurai Railway Junction.

Nearest Railway Station is Madurai Junction.

LOCATION OF THE TEMPLE : CLICK HERE

Except the last 3 other photos are taken from Web site and google maps. Thanks to the un known photographers. 

---OM SHIVAYA NAMA---