Sri Panangatteswarar Temple / Panankatteesar Temple / Sri Thiruppuravar Panankatteesvarar Temple Temple / Panayapuram Shiva Temple / Netroddharakaswami Temple / Panayapuram, Villupuram District, Tamil Nadu.

This is the 52^nd Thevaram Paadal Petra Shiva Sthalam and 20^th  Paadal Petra  sthalam of  Nadu Naadu. As per the Thevara hymns this place was called as Thiruppuravar Panangattur and now called  as Panayapuram. This is one of the Shiva temples, in which Palm Tree as sthala vruksham ( The other places ase Thirupanandal, Thiruvothur ( Cheyyar ), Thirupanangadu- Thiruvan Parthan Panankattur, Thirupanaiyur, Thirumazhapadi and Thiru Valampuram  ). 

In Periya Puranam Sekkizhar mentions that after worshiping Lord Shiva of Thiruarasili, Thirugnanasambandar came to this place. Went to  Thillai / Chidambaram from Thirupanankattur, after worshiping temples on the way.

    அரசிலியை அமர்ந்தருளும் அங்கண் அரசைப் பணிந்து

    பரவி எழு திருப்புறவார் பனங்காட்டூர் முதல் ஆய

    விரைசெய்மலர்க் கொன்றையினார் மேவுபதி பல வணங்கித்

    திரைசெய் நெடுங்கடல் உடுத்த திருத்தில்லை நகர் அணைந்தார்

Saint Thirugnanasambandar and Vallalar, has sung hymns in praise of Lord Shiva of this temple.

    விண்ணமர்ந்தன மும்மதில்களை வீழவெங்கணை யாலெய் தாய்விரி

    பண்ணமர்ந்தொலி சேர் புறவார் பனங்காட்டூர்ப்

    பெண்ணமர்ந்தொரு பாகமாகிய பிஞ்ஞகாபிறை சேர்நுதலிடைக்

    கண்ணமர்ந் தவனே கலந்தார்க்கு அருளாயே

.... திருஞானசம்பந்தர்

                                                                -“பெண்தகையார்

    ஏர்ப் பனங்காட்டூர் என்று இருநிலத்தோர் வாழ்த்துகின்ற

    சீர்ப் பனங்காட்டூர் மகிழ்நிக்ஷேபமே”

.... திரு அருட்பா   

Moolavar  : Sri Panangatteswarar

Consort    : Sri Sathyambigai, Sri Puravammai.

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

The temple is facing east with a 4 tier Rajagopuram and there is no stucco images. Balipedam, Dwajasthambam and Rishabam are are immediately after the Rajagopuram.  Dwarapalakas are at the entrance of Sanctum Sanctorum. Vinayagar and Murugan are on the both sides. In koshtam Vinayagar, Dakshinamurthy, Lingothbavar, Brahma and Durgai.

In the inner prakaram Vinayagar, 63var ( Thiruneelakandar with his wife are holding a stick and hands are in anjali hastam.), Saptamatrikas, Bhairavar, Mahavishnu with Sridevi & Bhudevi, Natarajar, Bhikshadanar and Urchavars / procession deities.

In Prakaram, sannadhi for for Ambal, Vinayagar, Valli Devasena Sri Arumugar and Navagrahas. Ambal is in a separate temple facing east on the left side of the Shiva’s shrine. The sthala vruksham with a Shiva Linga is also in the outer prakaram.

The Ambal sannadhi is with Sanctum Sanctorum, artha mandapam and maha mandapam. Dwarapalakis are of stucco images with Vinayagar and Dhandapani.

This temple was under threat of shifting to give way for road expansion and the road alignment was changed after public protest.

ARCHITECTURE

The temple consists of sanctum sanctorum, antarala, ardha mandapam and a maha amndapam. The sanctum sanctroum is ona pada bandha adhsitanam with 3 patta kumudam. A 3 tier Vesara Vimanam is on the sanctum sanctorum. 

Ambal is in a separate temple on the left side of the moolavar temple with  Sanctum Sanctorum, artha mandapam and maha mandapam. A 3 tier nagara Vimanam is on the sanctum sanctorum.

A remains of Pallava period Squatting Lion pillar is in front of Rajagopuram.

 

HISTORY AND INSCRIPTIONS

The temple built during Pallava Period before 7^th Century and reconstructed as stone temple during Chozha period and extended by Vijayanagaras. As per the inscriptions this place was under Gangaikonda Chozha Vala Nattu Paravaipurathu Thirupanankadu. Lord Shiva  was called as Thirupanangadudaya Mahadevar.

Chozha King Kulothunga Chozha-I, 48^th year reign inscription ( AR 436 of 1903, SII-X- 752 ) starts with his meikeerthi. The inscription records the endowment of burning perpetual Lamps two Nos for which 12 Kasu was received by this temples Sivabrahmanars from Jayankonda Chozhamandalathu Manayil kottathu Manayil Nattu Manayil Arumba Kozhaan Arayan Ponnambala Kooththan alias Thondaimanar

Another Chozha period inscription ( no details ) records the sale of Land and allows to excavate the irrigation channel and use for Agriculture. The measurement of the land and periphery limits are also given. Th inscription was damaged in many places  and starts from 3^rd line, hence the King’s name is not known.   

LEGENDS

The pace obtained the name as Puravar Panangattur since, Palm tree as Sthala Vruksham. The other reason is Sibi Chakravarthy cuts his thigh flush for th pigeon for its weight to Vulture and worshiped Lord shiva of this temple.

In another legend Dakshan father of ma Parvati performed an yagna to which all the celestial deities are invited and avirbakam share was also given. Lord Shiva was not invited intentionally. Angry Lord  Shiva send Veerabhadra to destroy the Yagna and punish those are attended. Surya lost his eye sight. He came to Bhoolok and Worshiped Lord Shiva at Thirupannakadu and got back the eye sight. Hence lord shiva is called as “ and Kan Parithu Aruliya Kadavul”  Netroddharakaswami. Sun rays falls on moolavar on first 7 days in the month of Chithirai. People with eye related ailments worships Lord Shiva of this temple to get cured.

POOJAS AND CELEBRATIONS

Apart from regular poojas special poojas are conducted on Pradosham, Maha shivaratri in Masi ( Feb- March ), Surya Pooja in the Tamil Month Chithirai, Thiruvathirai in Markazhi ( Dec- January ) and annabhshekam in tamil month Aippasi.

TEMPLE TIMINGS

The temple will be kept opened between 06.00 hrs to 10.00 hrs and 16.00 hrs to 20.30 hrs.

CONTACT DETAILS 

The Mobile number +91 9942056781 may be contacted for further details.

HOW TO REACH :

From Chennai to Villupuram get down at Mundiyampakkam. The buses  going to Pondicherry  via Mundiyampakkam  is going through  Panayapuram.

From Chennai to Neyveli, Panruti, Thanjavur, 2 KM after Vikravandi get down at Panayapuram.

Auto/ Share autos are available on the opposite side of Mundiyampakkam Sugar Factory and about 3 KM from Mundiyampakkam.

The temple is 12.8 KM from from Villupuram, 28 KM from Tindivanam, 33 KM from Puducherry and 154 KM from Chennai.

Nearest Railway station is Villupuram.

LOCATION OF THE TEMPLE : CLICK HERE

---OM SHIVAYA NAMA---