Thiruthalinathar Temple / Tiruttali Nathar Temple / திருத்தளிநாதர் கோவில், திருப்பத்தூர், Tirupattur, Sivaganga District, Tamil Nadu.

This is the 250^th Thevaram Paadal Petra Shiva Sthalam and the 6^th Sthalam in Pandiya Naadu.  The place was called Thiruputtur, which is now called Tirupattur. 

 

In Periyapuranam, Sekkizhar mentions that Thirugnanasambandar, after worshiping Lord Shiva of Thiru Appanoor, came to Tirupattur and stayed here for some days. Thirugnanasambandar’s 3^rd yathra to temples, he meets  Appar.  

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

   வெங்கள் விம்மு வெறிஆர் பொழில்சோலை

   திங்க ளோடு திளைக்கும் திருப்புத்தூர்க்

    கங்கை தங்கு முடியார் அவர்போலும்

    எங்கள் உச்சி உறையும் இறையாரே

........ திருஞானசம்பந்தர்

    புரிந்தமரர் தொழுதேத்தும் புகழ்தக் கோன்காண்

        போர்விடையின் பாகன் காண் புவன மேலும்

    விரிந்துபல வுயிராகி விளங்கி னான்காண்

        விரைக் கொன்றைக் கண்ணியன் காண் வேதம் நான்கும்

    தெரிந்துமுதற் படைத்தோனைச் சிரங்கொண்டோன் காண்

        தீர்தன்காண் திருமாகலோர் பாகத்தான் காண்

    திருந்துவயல் புடைதழுவு திருப்புத்தூரில்

        திருத்தளியான் காண்வனென் சிந்தை யானே

..... திருநாவுக்கரசு சுவாமிகள்

                                                -“முற்றுகதி

    இத்தூரமன்றி இனித்தூரமில்லையெனப்

    புத்தூர் வரும் அடியார் பூரிப்பே”

..... திருவருட்பா

Moolavar  : Sri Srithaleeswarar, Sri Srithalinathar,

                  Sri Thiruthalinathar

Consort    : Sri Sivakami.

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

The temple faces east with a 4-tier Rajagopuram with a mandapa. This entrance is called as Nambiyandar Nambi entrance. Balipeedam, Dwajasthambam, and Rishabam are after the Rajagopuram entrance. Nalvar, Polla Pillayar, Narthana Vinayagar, Valli Devasena Subramaniar, and stucco Dwarapalakas are at the entrance of the sanctum sanctorum. Moolavar is of swayambhu on a square avudayar. During the summer Agni Nakshatram period, Dhara Patra – a pot with water will made to be hung above the Moolavar through which water drops will fall on the Moolavar. In koshtam Vinayagar, Dakshinamurthy, Lingothbavar, Brahma, and Durga.  

In praharam Veppamarathadi Vinayagar, Sri Valli Devasena Subramaniar, Navagrahas. Another special in this temple is that all the Navagrahas are in a sitting posture.

In the inner praharam 63var, Suryan, Mahalakshmi, Veerabhadra, Urchava murtis, Agasthiyar Lingam, Maha  Vishnu as Yoga Narayanar (in sitting posture) with Sridevi and Bhudevi, Hanuman, Durgai Sannadhi, Nageswarar, Sthala vruksham Kondrai tree, Natarajar Sabha, and Chandikeswarar.  

Ambal is in a separate temple facing east with a 3-tier Rajagopuram, which is kept closed to enter. The sanctum sanctorum is with a circumambulation path / prakara and Chandikeswari sannadhi.  

There is a west-facing separate temple with a beautiful vimana for Bhairavar. The dog is not there with the Bhairavar. Bhairavar is in a sitting Dhyana posture. Special Pooja is performed every day, ardha jama. During ardha jama pooja, nobody is allowed in the sanctum Sanctorum. During pooja, Punugu is applied, and Vada mala and samba are offered as Naivedyam. People who apply smelling liquids are advised not to enter the Sanctum Sanctorum. The front mandapa was built by the Maruthu Pandiyar brothers. Protective coatings have been applied to Bhairavar Sannidhi. Their images are in the mandapa. Since Indran’s son Jayanthan worshiped  Bhairavar of this temple.

Murugan is in a separate sannadhi facing north with Valli Devasena. The 15th-century saint Arunagirinathar has sung hymns in praise of Muruga of this temple.

சீல மாப்பதி மத்தப் பாரிட

        சேனை போற்றிடு மப்பர்க் கோதிய

        சேத னார் த்தபர சித்திக் கேவரு       முருகோனே

    சேல றாக்கயல் தத்தச் சூழ்வய

        லூர வேற்கர விப்ரர்க் காதர

        தீர தீர்த்த திருபுத் தூருறை               பெருமாளே

ARCHITECTURE

The Sabha mandapam kodungai is made of stone similar to the Aavudayar Temple. Natarajar is made out of stucco. Nataraja dance in this temple is Gowri Thandavam / Lakshmi Thandavam. He performed this dance for Devi Lakshmi.  In addition to this, there are mandapams for the Elephant stable/ mandapa, Tirupattur Tamil sanga Mandapam, and Anabaya Chozhan mandapam. The 5 pillars in the sabha mandapam are carved nicely and are called musical pillars.

  

Kodungai - Similar to Aavudayar Koil

Beautiful pillars

HISTORY & INSCRIPTIONS

The original temple might have been built before the 6^th Century and later reconstructed during the Pandyas and Vijayanagara Nayaks.

The Maha Mandapam was built by Maruthu Pandiyar, and later the Rajagopuram was built during the Nayak period. The place is also called Srithali/Thiruthali, and Lord Shiva is called Thiruthalinathar. The temple is under the control of Kundrakudi Ponnambala Adikal.

The place was called Tiruputtur,  and Lord Shiva was called Thiruthali Badarar, Thiruthalinathar, Sri Thali Parameswar, etc. 

The Pandya King Maranjadayan’s 4^th (6^th ?) year reign inscription (AR 136  of 1908, SII –XIV- 9) records both Sanskrit in the form of sloka and Tamil. The Sanskrit portion records that  Patta, daughter of Maran and the wife of Sankara, donated 10 dindra for the burning of a perpetual lamp. The Tamil inscription records that the Brahmana modi Kandan Sankaran is stated to be the son of Kilar of Arukandur, and the amount donated is 10 kasu, This endowment was handed over to the AyiratteInuRRuvar (maybe a merchant group).

The Pandya King Varaguna Marya’s 4^th year (4635^th day) reign inscription (AR 137  of 1908, SII–XIV-15) Sanskrit portion records the endowment of burning a lamp at the temple of Siva of Nutanagrama by Kadambavelan from the interest of 15 kasu donated.   The Tamil portion records that Maran Anukkapperaraiyan, alias Kadamban Velan of Perumattur in MuttuRRU KuRRam, made a gift of 15 Palangasu and a lamp stand to burn a perpetual lamp in the temple, and another similar amount for the garlands for the deity. Tiruppattur (Nutanagrama) is said to be a Brahmadeya village in Koluvur KuRRam. The money was left with the temple sabha.

Pandya King Ko Chadaya Varman Tribhuvana Chakravarthi Sri Vallava’s 17th-year reign inscription (AR 97 of 1908, XIV–238) records the endowment of  Pooja and Vasthiram and a flower garden for which a gift of Chempon 11 kalanju  & 6 Manjadi was deposited in the treasury by a merchant of Desi Uyyavanthapattinam, Thanjavur Kizhavan Vadugan Uyyavanthan

Pandya King Tribhuvana Chakravarthy Sri Vallava’s 20th-year reign inscription (AR 108 of 1908, XIV–246) records the endowment of burning a perpetual lamp for which Saava Moova  25 cows and a bullock by KuRRalur Vellalan Thirukkadikudi Devan. For burning the lamp, the Idayan Vendan Battan alias Thiruvidhikon agreed to supply one Uzhakku ghee daily to the temple, and the same to be measured in Soola Uzhakku.

Pandya King Tribhuvana Chakravarthy Sri Vallava’s 20^th year reign inscription (AR 109 of 1908, XIV–247) records the endowment of burning a perpetual lamp with Saava Moova 25 Cows and a bullock by Bhuthalur Mahamathiran Periyazhvan’s wife on her birthday (?). For burning Lamp, Soolanazhikaal (¼) uzhakku

Pandya King Tribhuvana Chakravarthy Sri Vallava’s 20th-year reign inscription (AR 115 of 1908, XIV–248) records that the Madaipalli (Temple’s kitchen) was built by the King’s wife & Queen Ulagamuzhuthudayar.  

Pandya King Tribhuvana Chakravarthy Sri Vallava’s 21st-year reign inscription (AR 93 of 1908, XIV–252) records the endowment of burning a perpetual lamp by Rajendra Chozhan Keralan Nisha..... Rajan for which 50 Saava Moova Peradu (Sheep/goats) and the same was received by  Idayan Nangan Chozhan and agreed to supply Uzhaku ghee measured in Soolauzhakku.

Ref: 

1. South Indian Inscriptions Volume XIV

LEGEND

Lord Shiva, in the form of Bairavar, destroyed the asuras Anthakasuran and Sambakasuran. To get rid of the sin, Shiva performed pooja in this temple as a Yoga Bhairavar with Shiva Lingam in one hand.

Lord Shiva gave darshan to Valmiki when he was under dhabas in a “putru”, hence this place is called Thirupputrur and later changed to Tirupattur.  

POOJAS AND CELEBRATIONS

Apart from regular poojas, special poojas are conducted on pradosam, Maha Shivaratri (Feb–March), Chithirai Bhairavar Visha in April- May, 6 days Ashta Bhairava yagna will be conducted, Karthigai Chambaka Sashti in Nov – December.

TEMPLE TIMINGS

The temple will be kept open from 09.00 hrs to 12.00 hrs, and from 17.00 hrs to 20.00 Hrs.

CONTACT DETAILS :

The mobile number of Chandrasekaran, +919487034931, may be contacted for further details.

HOW TO REACH : 

Tirupattur is well-connected to major cities like  Madurai, Karaikudi, Devakottai, Sivagangai, etc.

The temple is  22 km from Karaikudi, 34 km from Melur, 47 km from Pudukkottai, 70 km from Madurai, 92 km from Trichy,  and 421 km from Chennai.

The nearest Railway Station is  Tirupattur.

LOCATION OF THE TEMPLE: CLICK HERE

Ambal Temple Rajagopuram

Nambiyandar Nambi entrance Rajagopuram

Kumba Panjaram

--- OM SHIVAYA NAMA ---