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 the 2^nd sthalam of Pandya Nadu. This temple is on the north bank of the river Vaigai, and the place is called Sellur. 

As per Sekkizhar, after worshiping Lord Shiva of Thiruparankundram, Thirugnanasambandar came to this temple and sang hymns starting 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 have sung hymns in praise of Lord Shiva of this temple. In this hymn, Lord Shiva will help to get rid of the Karma that 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 faces east with an entrance arch constructed in recent years. Another arch with a mandapa is in front of the sanctum sanctorum. On the tip of the mandapa, Stucco images of Lord Shiva and Parvati as Rishabaroodar, and on both sides are Vinayagar and Murugan on a 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 the kostam are Vinayagar, Dakshinamurthy, Lingothbavar, Brahma, and Durga.  The sanctum sanctorum consists of the sanctum, antarala, and the ardha mandapam. There are a lot of beautiful sculptures like Arumugar in sitting and standing postures, Yazhi, and Lord Shiva’s various forms on the pillars

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

HISTORY AND INSCRIPTIONS

Since this is one of the Thevara Paadal Petra Shiva Sthalam and the Hymns were sung by Thirugnanasambandar, the temple existed before the 6^th Century. Later reconstructed/extended during the Chola and Vijayanagara Nayak periods.

Kumbhabhishekam was conducted in January 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 hunting and fell down due to tiredness & hunger. His ministers requested him to take food. The King refused and said that he ate only after worshiping Lord Shiva.  In the middle of the forest, where can one find Shiva Linga?. One of his clever ministers  took a wooden Aappu–wedge and erected it on the earth and told the King, here is the swayambhu Shiva Linga. Tired and hungry, the king did the Pooja to the wedge and eats the food. After he became normal, he realized that he worshiped only a wooden Aappu / Wedge and not the Shiva Linga. He felt very guilty and said that 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 with 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 Thiru Aappudayar, and this place was called Thiru Appanur.

As per another legend, during the heavy drought, the people of Madurai were starving for food. But the Archakar cultivated on a small piece of land and offered Naivedya to Lord Shiva. The other Anthanars threatened the Archakar, asking why he offered Naivedyam to Lord Shiva alone, and they also diverted the water to their cotton fields. The archakar complained to Lord Shiva that there was no dharma in this place, and he wished to quit this place. Lord Shiva told him to follow the Rishaba. When the Archakar followed, it stopped at a place. Hence, this place was called Rishabapuram. The Archakar was confused about how to prepare the food. Lord Shiva asked him to cook the sand from the Vaigai River in the form of a divine voice. He further said that if it is known to others, then the sand will not become Annam.  The Archakar cooked the sand, which had become food, and the Archakar offered Naivedyam to Lord Shiva. Since Lord Shiva converted the sand to Annam, Lord Shiva was called “Annavinodhan”. When his wife was compelled to tell her the secret of Naivedyam, he told her the truth. From then on, the sand didn’t turn to Annam/ Naivedyam. When he told this to Lord Shiva, in turn, Shiva asked the archakar to meet the King. 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-day festival in Chithirai, Margazhi, Thirukarthigai, Panguni Uthiram, Deepavali, Thai Pongal, Tamil and English New Year days.

TEMPLE TIMINGS

The temple will be open from 06.00 hrs to 11.00 hrs, and from 17.00 hrs to 20.00 hrs.

CONTACT DETAILS

Archakar may be contacted on his mobile numbers +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.

The town bus from Chozhavanthan to Mattuthavani passes through Thiruvedagam, and Sellur passes through Thiru Appudaiyar Koil. 

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

The nearest Railway Station is Madurai Junction.

LOCATION OF THE TEMPLE: CLICK HERE

Except that the last 3 photos were taken from the website and Google Maps. Thanks to the unknown photographers. 

---OM SHIVAYA NAMA---