Thiruneedur Somanathaswami Temple Temple / Arul Somanatha Swamy Temple, அருள்மிகு ஆலால சுந்தரி ஸ்ரீ பத்திரகாளி அம்மன் ஆலயம், Thiru Needur – Nidur, Mayiladuthurai District, Tamil Nadu.

This is the 75^th Thevara Paadal Petra Shiva Sthalam and the 21^st Sthalam on the north side of river Kaveri in Chozha Nadu. The place maintains the same name as Nidur, mentioned in Thevara Hymns. But during ancient times this place was called Magizhavanam, Vagularanyam, and Magizharanyam.

  

In PeriyaPuranam Sekkizhar mentions that Thirunavukkarasu Swamigal stayed some time with Thirugnanasambandar at Sirkazhi. He expressed the wish to worship Lord Shiva in other temples. Both went to Kolakka and Thirunavukkarasu Swamigal alone started his pilgrimage.

ஆண்ட அரசு அழுந்தருளக் கோலக் காவை

        அவரோடும் சென்று இறைஞ்சி அன்புகொண்டு

மீண்டருளினார் அவரும் விடை கொண்டு இப்பால்

        வேத நாயகர் விரும்பும் பதிகள் ஆன

நீண்ட கருப்பறியலூர், புன்கூர், நீடூர்

        நீடு திருக்குறுக்கை, திருநின்றியூரும்

காண்தகைய நனிபள்ளி முதலாய் நண்ணிக்

        கண்ணுதலார் கழல் தொழுது கலந்து செல்வார் 

Appar, Sundarar, and Vallalar have sung hymns in praise of Lord Shiva of this temple. Appar has sung these hymns praising Lord Shiva of both Thirupunkur and Nidur Temples.  

பிறவாதே தோன்றிய பெம்மான் தன்னைப் பேணாதார் அவர்தம்மைப் பேணா தானைத்

துறவாதே கட்டறுத்த சோதி யானைத் தூநெறிக்குந் தூநெறியாய் நின்றான் தன்னைத்

திறமாய எத்திசையுந் தானே யாகித் திருப்புன்கூர் மேவிய சிவலோகனை

நிறமா மொளியானை நீடூ ரானை நீதனேன் என்னேநான் நினையா வாறே

........ திருநாவுக்கரசு சுவாமிகள்

ஊர்வ தோர்விடை ஒன்றுடை யானை ஒண்ணு தல்தனிக் கண்ணுத லானைக்

கார தார்கறை மாமிடற் றானைக் கருத லார்புரம் மூன்றெரித் தானை

நீரில் வாளை வரால்குதி கொள்ளும் நிறைபு னற்கழ னிச்செல்வ நீடூர்ப்

பாரு ளார்பர வித்தொழ நின்ற பரம னைப்பணி யாவிட லாமே

....... சுந்தரர்

                                        -“உருப்பொலிந்தே

ஈடுரிலாதுயர்ந்த வேதுவினா லோங்குதிரு

நீடுரிலங்கு நிழல் தருவே

.......... திரு அருட்பா.

Moolavar  : Sri Somanathawami, Arul Somanatha Swamy.

Consort    : Sri Aadhithya Abayaprathambigai, Sri Alalasundari

                 Sri Vedhanayagi, Sri Veyurutholoammai.

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

The temple faces east with an entrance arch at the beginning of the road and at the entrance of the temple. Stucco images of Rishabarooder with Vinayagar and Murugan are on both sides of the arch. The balipeedam and Rishabam are after the entrance arch. Moolavar was made of mud / River sand. The sanctum sanctorum consists of sanctum, antarala, and ardha mandapam. In Koshtam Narthana Ganapathy, Dakshinamurthy, Lingothbavar, Brahma, and Durgai.

In the praharam for 3 Vinayagars – Chinthamani Ganapathy, Selva Ganapathy and Shivananda Ganapathy, Saptamatrikas, Chinmayananda Ganapathy, Subramaniyar, Shiva Lingas – Shivaloganathar, Kayilayanathar and Kasi Viswanathar, Natarajar Sabha,  Mahalakshmi, Kala Bhairava, Munaiyadu Nayanar with  Anjali hasta, Saneeswarar and Chandikeswarar. The Urchavars are kept at Therazhundur Perumal Temple for safety reasons.

HISTORY AND INSCRIPTIONS

Since Thirunavukkarasu Swamigal has sung Hymns on Lord Shiva of this temple, the original temple might have existed before the 7^th Century and was later reconstructed during the Chozha, Period.

The temple’s inscriptions belong to Kulothunga-I, Rajathi Rajan-II and Rajarajan-III. As per Rajathi Rajan-III inscriptions, this place was called Rajasigamani Chaturvedi Mangalam. The Kulothunga Chozha-I’s period inscription is in the form of song records that Mozhalai nattu Velkandan Madhavan constructed the Vimana.

Yaparungalam and Yaparungakala karikai  was written by Amuthasagarar. But the inscriptions refers as Amithasagarar. 

Rajaraja-III’s inscription records that Thiruindalur Nattu Rajasigamani Chathurvedi mandalam Pukazhaparana Pillaiyar Koil Nattar and Karayar assembled and decided to collect  Tax for the 1/32 veli land Five, One kasu and nobody is authorized to collect taxes except the King. Nidur belongs to Rajathiraja Vala Nattu Indalur Nadu.

Maha Kumbhabhishekam was conducted on, 20^th June 1947,  4^th July 1985, and 05^th April 2007.

LEGENDS

Munaiyaduvar Nayanar, one of the 63 Nayanmars, had done service at this temple and attained mukti. He was a soldier and led many battles and won in all. He used to turn the defeat into victory of all wars. He spent all the money earned on the service of the Shiva Temples.  

At the end of every yuga, all the living things will be destroyed during pralaya. But this place will not be subjected to Pralayam. Hence this place is called Nidur. 

Indra had made the Shiva Linga out of Kaveri River sand and Worshiped Lord Shiva. He sang in praise of Lord Shiva to have the darshan of Lord Shiva’s dance. Satisfied by the Devotion of Indra, Lord Shiva gave the dance darshan on Margazhi Thiruvathirai Nakshatra day. Hence Lord Shiva is called “Sri Gana Nardhana Sankarar". Since the Shiva Linga is made of Sand no abhishekam was done to the Moolavar.

Suryan worshiped Ambal of this temple, hence Ambal is called Adithya Varadha Ambigai. During Tamil month Avani sun rays fall on Moolavar for three days. Chandra worshiped Lord Shiva of this temple after creating a Chandra Theertham. Hence Lord Shiva is called Sri Somanatha Swamy.

Suryan, Chandran, Kali, and a Crab also worshiped Lord Shiva of this temple.

It is believed that Bhadrakali, Visited this place after worshiping Lord Shiva of Kedarnath and Kasi, she was given the charge of protecting this Village. Hence called Alalasundari and blessed us in a separate sannadhi. 

Kali worships Lord Shiva ( some of the Photos are taken from the website and thanks to unknown photographers )

POOJAS AND CELEBRATIONS

Apart from regular poojas, special poojas are conducted on Pradosham, Vinayaka Chathurthi in Avani ( Aug- September), Navaratri in Puratasi ( Sep-Oct), Thirukarthigai in Karthigai ( Nov - Dec ),  Makar Sankranti in Thai ( Jan – Feb ) and Maha Shivaratri in Masi ( Feb- March )

TEMPLE TIMINGS

The temple will be kept open between 08.00 hrs to 12.00 hrs and 16.00 hrs to 20.00 hrs.

CONTACT DETAILS :

Mobile and landline numbers +91  99436 68084, +91 364 250 424, and K. Sivasubramaniya Gurukkal may be contacted on his mobile at +91 97868 79971, for further details.  

HOW TO REACH :

The temple is just 4 KM from Mayiladuthurai town and can be reached by auto. 

The temple is 4 KM from Mayiladuthurai, 23 KM from Sirkazhi, 44 KM from Chidambaram, and 260 KM from  Chennai.

The nearest Railway station is Nidur and the Junction is Mayiladuthurai.

LOCATION OF THE TEMPLE: CLICK HERE

--- OM SHIVAYA NAMA ---