Palaivananathar Temple / Sri Palaivaneswarar Temple / திருப்பாலைத்துறை பாலைவனநாதர் கோயில், Thirupalathurai - Papanasam. Thanjavur District, Tamil Nadu.

This is the 136^th Thevara Paadal Petra Shiva Sthalam and 19^th  Sthalam on the South side of river Kaveri in Chozha Nadu.  This place is a part of Papanasam near Kumbakonam. Since the Temple  Thirupalathurai is on the banks of river Kudamurutti and “Thurai”, means the place / river bank /riverbed of the way  which leads to the river, like padi/ steps thurai etc. This place was called during puranic period as Brahmavanam, Paalaivanam, Arasavanam and Punnahavanam.

 

In Periya Puranam Sekkizhar records that Thirunavukkarasu Swamigal came to this place after worshiping Lord Shiva of Avoor.

கருகாவூர் முதலாகக் கண்ணுதலோன் அமர்ந்தருளும்

திருஆவூர் திருபாலைத்துறை பிறவும் சென்று இறைஞ்சிப்

பெருகு ஆர்வத் திருத்தொண்டு செய்து பெருந்திருநல்லூர்

ஒருகாலும் பிரியாதே உள் உருகிப் பணிகின்றார்

Thirunavukkarasu Swamigal, Manickavasagar and Vallalar  has sung hymns in praise of Lord Shiva of this temple. 

நீல மாமணி கண்டத்தர் நீள்சடைக்

கோல மாமதி கங்கையும் கூட்டினார்

சூல மான்மழு ஏந்திச் சுடர்முடிப்

பால் நெய் யாடுவர் பாலத்துறையரே

…….. திருநாவுக்கரசு சுவாமிகள்

அந்தரத்து இழிந்து வந்து அழகமர் பாலையுள்

சுந்தரத் தன்மையொடு துதைந்திருந்து அருளியும்

……… திருவாசகம் (..கீர்த்.. திரு )

                                                                    -“முருகார்ந்த

சோலைத்துறையிற் சுகஞ்சிவ நூல் வாசிக்கும்

பாலைத்துறையிற் பரிமளமே

……… திரு அருட்பா

Moolavar  : Sri Palaivaneswarar, Sri Palaivananathar.

Consort    : Sri Thavalavennagaiyal, Sri Thavalambal.

Some of the important features are......

The temple is facing  east with a 3 tier Rajagopuram. There is no stucco images/ sirpam on the Rajagopuram. Balipeedam, Rishabam are in front of the Rajagopuram. In koshtam, Narthana Vinayagar, Dakshinamurthy, Oorthuva Thandavar ( one form of Lord Shiva ), Pichadanar, Arthanareeswarar, Brahma and Durgai. Chandikeswarar is in the inner prakaram.

In prakaram Vinayagar, Valli Devasena Murugan, Somaskandar, Natarajar, 63var, Kala Bhairavas ( two nos ), Saneeswarar, Maha lakshmi, Suryan, Chandran, Navagrahas, Nalvar, Shiva Lingas worshiped by Sage Vasishtar, Rama, Pandya King Malaiyathuvajan and Arjuna as Parthipan.

Ambal is in a separate sannadhi facing east. Lord Shiva and Ambal are in Kalyana Kolam. Natarajar dance is called urdhva thandavam.

ARCHITECTURE

The sanctum sanctorum consists of sanctum, antarala and artha mandapam. A Vesara Vimana is over the sanctum. There is a 400 years old paddy storage bin / granary   to hold 3000 kalam paddy which is equivalent to 1.0 lakh kgs, is at the entrance Rajagopuram. The granary was built by the Thanjavur Nayaka King Raghunatha ( 1600 – 1634 CE ), measures to a height of 36 feet and the top is in conical shape.

Granary

HISTORY AND INSCRIPTIONS

Since Thirunavukkarasu Swamigal has sung in praise of Lord Shiva of this temple, the original temple was existed before 7^th Century and rebuilt with stone during Chozha period.

The inscriptions recorded belongs to Palavas, Chozha kings Kulothunga-I, Vikrama Chozha, Rajarajan-II, Rajarajan-III, Kulothunga Chozha –III. and Vijayanagaras.  As per the inscriptions Lord Shiva was called as “Thirupalaithurai Mahadevar”.  This place Thirupalathurai was under Nithavinotha valanattu Nallur. The inscriptions records the endowments of daily worship, Nandavanam. 

Rajaraja-III, 28^th reign inscription records that  gift of lands at Thiru Chitrambala Nallur and Rajakembeera Nallur to the Thirugnanasambanda Eswaramudayar Temple.

Rajarajan-II’s 45^th reign year inscription records the lands were measured during Kulothunga Chozha-I period.

Inscription

LEGENDS

Maha Vishnu, Brahma, Rama, Sita, Devas, Sage Vashistar, Sage Dhaumya, Pandavas, Ashta dikpalakas,  worshiped Lord Shiva of this temple. Arjuna married Uloopi from pathala loka after learning the bow and arrow technique after worshiping Lord Shiva of this temple. This is one of the Saptha Sthanam temples of Thirunallur.

As per the legend The Rishis and sages living in the Parai forest thought they are superior than Gods and they believed that they can do any thing through yagnas. Lord Shiva, wants to teach a lesson to the Rishis and Munis. Lord Shiva asked Maha Vishnu to take the form of Mohini and divert the attention of Rishis. At the same time Lord Shiva took the form of Pichadanar and went to houses of sages. The sages wives were enamoured by Pichadanar and followed him.  

So, the sages started yagna and the weapons, Deer, Tiger, Snake, etc, which came out of Yagna used to destroy Pichadanar. Pichadanar used  everything as an ornament and dress.  Finally they realized that the Pichadanar is, none other than Lord Shiva and surrendered to him. Lord Shiva appeared before them and pardoned them.  It is believed that this legend happened in this temple.

Similar to the Yajur veda as centre of  vedas, the panchatcharam  of Appar's thevaram in the centre of Thirumurai. This is the centre and the 51st temple pathigam of Appar's thevaram. In that centre of this temple's hymns starts with "Vinninar paninthu... விண்ணினார் பணிந்து...". 

The panchatcharam is in the centre of this song in the form of sukshma. 

விண்ணினார் பணிந்து ஏத்த வியப்புறும்

மண்ணினார் மறவாது சிவாய என்று

எண்ணினார்க்கு இடமா எழில் வானகம்

பண்ணினார் அவர் பாலைத்துறையாரே

POOJAS AND CELEBRATIONS

Apart from Regular Poojas, special poojas are conducted on Vinayagar Chathurthi in the month Avani ( Aug – September ), Navaratri in the month Purattasi ( Sep – Oct ), Skanda Sashti and annabishekam in the month Aippasi ( Oct – Nov ), Thirukarthigai in the month karthigai ( Nov – Dec ), Thiruvathirai in the month Margazhi ( Dec – Jan ), Maha Shivaratri in the month Masi ( Feb – March ) and Monthly pradoshams.

TEMPLE TIMINGS

The temple will be kept opened between 08.00 hrs to 12.30 hrs and 17.30 Hrs to 20.30 hrs.

CONTACT DETAILS :

The mobile number of Vignesh Gurukkal +91 70103 24728 may be contacted for further details.

HOW TO REACH : 

This place is on Kumbakonam to Thanjavur road.

The Temple is 1 KM from Papanasam, 10 KM from Chakkarapalli, 14 KM from Kumbakonam, 27 KM from Thanjavur and 313 KM from Chennai.  

The nearest Railway station is Papanasam, is just a Km distance and Junction is Kumbakonam.

LOCATION OF THE TEMPLE : CLICK HERE

---OM SHIVAYA NAMA---