Sri Natrunaiappar Temple /Sri Natrunaiappar Swamy Temple, நற்றுணையப்பர் கோவில், Thirunanipalli / Ponsei, Mayiladuthurai District, Tamil Nadu

This is the 160^th Thevaram paadal Petra Shiva Sthalam and the 43^rd Sthalam on the south side of river Cauvery in Chozha Nadu. The place was called Thirunanipalli during the 6^th to 7^th Century and is now called Ponsei –புஞ்சை. This is the birthplace of Thirugnanasambandar’s mother Bhagavathy. This is one of the 44 Temples, where Moovar, Thirugnanasambandar, Thirunavukkarasu Swamigal, and Sundarar, have sung hymns in praise of Lord Shiva of this temple.

In Periyapuranam, Sekkizhar records that Thirugnanasambandar came to this temple after worshiping Lord Shiva of Thirupungur and Thirunavukkarasu Swamigal came to this temple after worshiping Lord Shiva of Thirunindriyur.

காரைகள் கூகை முல்லை எனதிகழ் கலைசேர் வாய்மைச்

சீர்இயல் பதிகம் பாடித் திருக்கடைக் காப்புத் தன்னில்

நாரி ஓர்பாகம் வைகும் நனிபள்ளி உள்குவார்தம்

பேர்இடர் கெடுதற்கு ஆணை நமது எனு,ம் பெருமை வைத்தார்

......... திருஞானசம்பந்தர் புராணம்

ஆண்ட அரசு எழுந்தருளக் கோலக் காவை

        அவரோடும் சென்று இறைஞ்சி அன்புகொண்டு

மீண்டருளினார் அவரும் விடை கொண்டு இப்பால்

        வேதநாயகர் விரும்பும் பதிகள் ஆன

நீண்ட கருப்பறியலூர், புன்கூர், நீடூர்

        நீடுதிருக்குறுக்கை, திருநின்றியூரும்

காண்தகைய நனிபள்ளி முதலாய் நண்ணிக்

        கண்ணுதலார் கழல் தொழுது கலந்து செல்வார்

....... திருநாவுக்கரசு சுவாமிகள் புராணம்

Thirugnanasambandar, Thirunavukkarasu Swamigal, Sundarar, and Vallalar has sung hymns in praise of Lord Shiva of this temple. It is believed that Thirugnanasambandar has sung this hymns sitting on the shoulders of his father and the same was mentioned in his hymns.

கடல்வரை யோதமல்கு கழிகானல் பானல் கமழ்காழி யென்று கருதப்

படுபொருள் ஆறுநாலும் உளதாக வைத்த பதியான ஞான முனிவன்

இடுபறை யொன்றை அத்தர் பியன்மேலிருந்தின் இசையால் உரைத்த பனுவல்

நடுஇருள் ஆடும் எந்தை நனிபள்ளி உள்க வினைகெடுதல் ஆணை நமதே

........ திருஞானசம்பந்தர்

முற்றுணை ஆயி னானை மூவர்க்கும் முதல்வன் தன்னைச்

சொற்றுணை யாயினானைச் சோதியை ஆதரித்து

உற்றுணர்ந்து உருகியூறி உள்கசி வுடையார்க்கு

நற்றுணை யாவர்போலு நனிபள்ளி யடிகளாரே

........ திருநாவுக்கரசு சுவாமிகள்

ஆதியன் ஆதிரை யான்அயன் மால் அறி தற்(கு) அரிய

சோதியன் சொற்பொரு ளாய்ச்சுருங் காமறை நான்கினையும்

ஓதியன் உம்பர்தங் கோன்உல கத்தினுள் எவ்வுயிர்க்கும்

நாதியன் நம்பெரு மான்நண்ணும் ஊர்நனி பள்ளியதே

....... சுந்தரர்

                                                            -“இன்புள்ளித்

தெள்ளியர் போற்றுத் திகழும் திருநன்னிப்

பள்ளியார்ந் தோங்கும் பரமசிவமே

....... திருஅருட்பா

Moolavar  : Sri Nartrunaiappar

Consort    : Sri Parvatha puthiri.

Some of the features of this temple are as follows.

The temple faces east with an entrance arch. Panchamurtis stucco images, Vinayagar, Murugan, Lord Shiva with Ambal as Rishabaroodar, Ambal, and Dakshinamurthy are on the entrance arch. Balipeedam and Rishabam are after the entrance arch. Moolavar is of Swayambhu. In koshtam Agasthiyar, Vinayagar, Dakshinamurthy, Lingothbavar, Brahma and Durgai.

In parakaram Nalvar, Vinayagar and Suriyan. Natarajar Sabha is in the maha mandapam. Ambal is in a separate sannadhi facing west. There are two Ambal Sannathis in this temple. Sri Parvatharajan puthiri is on the right side of the moolavar sannadhi and Sri Malayan Madanthai sannathi is in the prakara. There is a separate sannathi of Kalyana Sundarar and Parvati, who gave the kalyanakola darshan to the sage Agathiyar.

ARCHITECTURE

The temple consists of sanctum sanctorum, antarala, and artha mandapam. An eka tala vesara vimana is over the sanctum. It is believed that the Vimana is one of the biggest Vimnas in South India. On the base of the sanctum bas-reliefs of the epic Ramayana story are worth watching.

HISTORY AND INSCRIPTIONS

Since Thirugnanasambandar has sung in praise of Lord Shiva of this temple, the original temple existed before the 7^th Century. Later the temple was reconstructed as a stone temple during the Chozha period and extended during the Vijayanagara period.

The inscriptions recorded from this temple belong to Chozha Kings, Rajaraja, Kulothunga Chozha, and Vijayanagara King Krishna Devaraya. As per the inscription, this place was in Jayankonda Chozha Valanattu Akkur Nattu Brahmadeya Nanipalli.

Vijayanagara period Saka 1439 ie 1517 CE inscription records the order issued by Krishnadevaraya records his meikeerthi and tax exempted to some of the Village temples.

Kulothunga period inscription records that 10 veli lands in front of Thalachangadu Vishnu temples, as archana bogam to the Thirugnanasambandar Nallur Vinayagar.

Rajendra period inscriptions record the gift of lands to celebrate Rishaba Vahanam and Natarajar.  The lands were gifted for Brahmins' feeding and later the donors died due to self-immolation in a fire due to a land quarrel. 200 Kasu was gifted for making 4 idols of them. Some privileges were given to Kollars ( Viswakarmas ) and 6 other castes.

Maha Kumbhabhishekam was conducted on 14^th September 1970.

LEGENDS

It is believed that this place obtained the name Nanipalli, since a person called Nanni, who had constructed this temple.

Thirugnanasambandar has sung this temple’s hymns sitting on his father’s shoulder, which he mentions in the last song. This place was once a sandy desert and he changed this into fertile land ( neithal land and again to fields and forest ) through the hymns.

As per the legend, Vinayagar in the form of a crow toppled the kamandala of the Sage Agathiyar, in which he carried the river Kaveri and made it to flow in Tamil Nadu. Angered sage Agathiyar cursed Vinayagar to remain as a Crow ever. To get rid of the curse Vinayagar came to this temple and worshiped Lord Shiva after taking a dip in the temple tank and came out in golden ( Pon – Gold, Sei – change ) Colour, hence this place obtained the name as Ponsei.

In another legend, Lord Shiva gave the Celestial wedding event darshan to sage Agathiyar. The Kalyana Sundarar shrine symbolizes this event.

It is believed that Sun–Suriyan worships Lord Shiva through the rays falling on the moolavar from the 7^th to the 13^th of the Chithirai month ( April – May ). Special poojas are conducted on those days. The Maha mandapam is called as “Nanipalli Kodi Vattam”. The Prakara pillars have various reliefs and some are Yazhi pillars. One of the Yazhi has a hole in the nose through which a rope can go through one nostril and will come out through the other nostril.

POOJAS AND CELEBRATIONS

Apart from regular poojas special poojas are conducted on Vinayagar Chathurthi in the month of Aavani ( Aug – Sept ), Navaratri in the month of Purattasi (Sept-Oct), Skanda Sashti and Annabhishekam in the month of Aippasi ( Oct – Nov ), Thirukarthigai in the month Karthigai ( Nov – Dec ), Thiruvathirai in the month Margazhi ( Dec – Jan ), Maha Shivaratri in the month of Masi ( Feb – March ) and monthly pradoshams.

TEMPLE TIMINGS

The temple will be kept open between 08.00 hrs to 12.00 hrs and 17.00 hrs to 19.00 hrs.

CONTACT DETAILS 

The landline number of the temple is +91 4364 283 188 and Vaidyanatha Gurukkal’s mobile number is +91 94439 06587 may be contacted for further details.

HOW TO REACH 

Buses are available from the Mayiladuthurai Bus stand and the temple is close to Sembanarkoil.

The temple is 4 KM from Sembanarkoil, 14 KM from Mayiladuthurai, 17 KM from Sirkazhi, 34 KM from Karaikal, 50 KM from Kumbakonam, and 255 KM from Chennai. 

Nearest Railway station is Mayiladuthurai.

LOCATION OF THE TEMPLE: CLICK HERE

--- OM SHIVAYA NAMA ---