Sri Paathaleswarar Temple / Sri Padaleeswarar Temple / பாதாளேஸ்வரர் கோயில் / அரித்துவாரமங்கலம் / Arathaiperumpali / அரதைப்பெரும்பாழி / Haridwaramangalam, Thiruvarur District, Tamil Nadu.

This is the 216^th Thevaram Paadal Petra Shiva Sthalam and 99^th sthalam on the south side of river  Kaveri of Chozha Nadu. Now this place is called as Haridwaramangalam.

In Periyapuranam Sekkizhar records that Thirugnanasambandar came to this temple after worshiping Lord Shiva Of Thiru Irumpoolai ( Alangudi ).

பாடும் அரதைப் பெரும் பாழியே முதல் ஆகச்

சேடர் பயில் திருச்சேறை திருநாலூர் குடவாயில்

நாடியசீர் நறையூர்தென் திருப்புத்தூர் நயந்து இறைஞ்சி

நீடுதமிழ்த்தொடை புனைந்து அந் நெடுநகரில் இனிது அமர்ந்தார்

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

பைத்தபாம் போடுஅரைக் கோவணம் பாய்புலி

மொய்த்தபேய் கள்முழக் கம்முது காட்டிடை

நித்தமா கந்நட மாடிவெண் ணீறணி

பித்தர்கோ யில்அர தைப்பெரும் பாழியே

....... திருஞானசம்பந்தர்

                                                -“விரும்பும்

விரதப் பெரும்பாழி விண்ணவர் களேத்தும்

அரதைப் பெரும்பாழி ஆர்ந்தோய்”

...... திருஅருட்பா

Moolavar  : Sri Padaleeswarar, Sri Paathalavarathar

Consort    : Sri Alangaravalli, Sri Alangara Nayagi

Some of the salient features of this temple are….

The temple is facing east with a 3 tier Rajagopuram. Balipeedam and Rishabam are after the Rajagopuram. Dwarapalakas are made of Stucco. In sanctum moolavar is swayambhu and there is  shallow / “kuzhi’, is on the Shiva Linga. In koshtam, Dakshinamurthy in a separate sannathi abutting sanctum, Lingothbavar and Brahma.

In the front mandapam Natarajar is with Sivakami, Patanjali and Vyaghrapada, Vinayagar and Murugan ( Little large in size). There are two Utsava vahanas in the mandapam.

In the outer praharam Vinayagar, Valli Devasena Murugan, Chandikeswarar, Bhairavar, Visalakshi, Viswanathar, Mahalingam, Shanieswarar, Chandran, Saptamatrikas, and Natarajar. There is no separate Navagrahas. There are 7 Vinayagars in this temple.

Ambal is in a separate Temple. Since Ambal is of Durga, there is no Durgai in the Koshtam.

HISTORY AND INSCRIPTIONS

Since Thirugnanasambandar has sung hymns in praise of Lord Shiva of this temple, the original temple might have existed before 7^th Century. The temple was reconstructed during Chozha Period and further extended during Nayakas / Marata period.

The inscription recorded from this temple belongs to Kulothunga Chozha –III’s 10^th reign year inscription starts with his mei keerthi as Madurai konda, day as Tuesday and Uthrattathi nakshathra – Suthamallivalanattu veNNi... and found damaged. The full details of the inscription are not known. 

LEGENDS

In sanctum moolavar is swayambhu and  there is  shallow / “kuzhi’. on the Shiva Linga, which is believed that Vishnu in the Varaha avatharam excavate this kuzhi to find the feet of Shiva. This legend is associated with the Lord Shiva’s Lingothbavar form. When a conflict raised between Maha Vishnu and Brahma, regarding who is great. Lord Shiva told them that who ever sees first the start and end of him and stood in the form of Column, will be the greatest. Brahma took the Anna bird form and flew to the top to find out the end of Lord Shiva. Where as Maha Vishnu took the form of Varaha avatara started digging / excavating the earth to find out the start point of Lord Shiva. Finally Maha Vishnu  came out  and accepted his failure. To signifies this legend, there was a hole on the top of Shiva Linga, which was closed now. 

Haridwaramangalam means – Hari – Vishnu, Dwaram- excavate the earth ( making a hole - Thulaiyiduthal ), Mangalam – the sacred place.

This is one of the Pancha Aranya kshethras, they are 1. Mullaivana nathar Temple Thirukkarugavur ( Mullai ), 2. Sri Satchi nathar Temple, Avalivanallur ( Pathiri ), 3. Pathaleswarar Temple, Arathaiperumpazhi (Vanni ), 4. Sri Abathsahayeswarar Temple, Thiru Irumpoolai – Alangudi ( Poolai ), 5. Sri Vilvavaneswarar temple, Thirukollampudur ( Vilvam ).

Devotees worships Lord Shiva to remove the obstacles in the marriage,  and Child boon etc. After fulfilling their wishes they used offer new vastras and abhishekam to Lord Shiva and Ambal.

POOJAS AND CELEBRATIONS

Apart from regular poojas, special poojas are conducted on Vaikasi Visakam in the month Vaikasi ( May – June ),  Vinayagar Chathurthi in the month Avani ( Aug – Sept ), Annabhishekam in the month Aippasi ( Oct – Nov ), Thirukarthigai in the month Karthigai ( Nov – Dec ), Thiruvathirai in the month Margazhi ( Dec – Jan ), Makar Sankranti and Thaipoosam in the month Thai ( Jan – Feb ), Maha Shivaratri in the month Masi ( Feb – March ) and monthly pradoshams.

TEMPLE TIMINGS

The temple will be kept opened between 08.00 hrs to 12.00 hrs and 16.30 hrs to 20.00 hrs.

CONTACT DETAILS 

The Temple’s caretaker/accountant - Ms. Sridevi may be contacted on her mobile number +9184892 34981

HOW TO REACH

Bus facility( Town bus Route no 38, ) is available from Kumbakonam via Ammapettai to Haridwaramangalam. 

The temple at Haridwaramangalam is  10 KM from Alangudi,  21 KM from Kumbakonam, 40 KM from Thiruvarur, 55 KM from Mayiladuthurai and 316 KM from Chennai.

Nearest Railway Station is Kumbakonam.

LOCATION OF THE TEMPLE :  CLICK HERE

--- OM SHIVAYA NAMA ---