Sri Veerataneswarar Temple / Veeratteswarar Temple / வீரட்டேசுவரர் கோயில் / வீரட்டானேசுவரர், திருவிற்குடி / Thiruvirkudi, Thiruvarur District, Tamil Nadu.

This is the 191^st Thevara Paadal petra Shiva Sthalam and 74^th sthalam on the south side of river Kaveri of Chozha Nadu. 

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In Periyapuranam Sekkizhar records that Thirugnanasambandar came to this temple after worshiping Lord Shiva of Thirupugalur. Sekkizhar also records that both Thirugnanasambandar and Thirunavukkarasu Swamigal received gold from Lord Shiva of Thirupugalur ( Varthamaneeswarar – Sambandar ) and came to this temple.

சொல்பெரு வேந்தரும் தோணி மூதூர்த் தோன்றல்பின் காதல் தொடரத்தாமும்

பொன்புகலூர் தொழச் சென்று அளைந்தார் புகலிப்பிரானும் புரிந்த சிந்தை

விற்குடி வீரட்டம் சென்று மேவி விடையவர் பாதம் பணிந்து போற்றிப்

பற்பல ஆயிரம் தொண்ட ரோடும் பாடலன் நான்மறைபாடிப் போந்தார்

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

வடிகொள் மேனியர் வானமா மதியினர் நதியினர் மதுவார்ந்த

கடிகொள் கொன்றையம் சடையினர் கொடியினர் உடைபுலி யதளார்ப்பர்

விடைய தேறும்எம் மான்அமர்ந்து இனிதுறை விற்குடி வீரட்டம்

அடியர் ஆகிநின்று ஏத்தவல் லார்தமை அருவினை அடையாவே

……...திருஞானசம்பந்தர்

சலமுடைய சலந்தரன்றன் உடல்தடிந்த நல்லாழி

நலமுடைய நாரணற்கு அன்று அருளியவாறு என்னேடீ

நலமுடைய நாரணன்தன் நயனம் இடந்து அரனடிக்கீழ்

அலராக இட வாழியருளினன்காண் சாழலோ

…….. மாணிக்கவாசகர் திருவாசகம்

                                                                    -“பண்புடனே

எற்குடியானாங் கொண்டிருக்க மகிழ்ந்தளித்த

விற்குடியின் வீரட்டமேயவனே”

……. திருஅருட்பா

திருவும் உரைமகளும் நிறைசெம்பொன் மணிமாடம்

மருவும்மொரு திருவிற்குடி வளமுற்றிடு தளியின்

வருவாரருள் பெறவே தருவய வீரட்டநாதன்

இருதாள் மலரெழில் நாள் மலர் இட்டுப் பணிவோமே

……….. தனிச்செய்யுள்

Moolavar  : Sri Veerataneswarar

Consort    : Eelavar Kuzhali, Parimala Nayagi.

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

The temple is facing west with 5 tier Rajagopuram. Dwajasthambam, balipeedam and Rishabam are in the mukha mandapam. Dwarapalakas, Dwara Ganapathy and Subramaniar are in front of Sanctum. Moolavar is of swayambhu looks little Orb ( urundai ) on a square Avudayar. A seppu / copper Rishabam is in-front of moolavar. In koshtam Brahma, Mahavishnu, Dakshinamurthy and Narthana Vinayagar.

In Prakaram The place where Lord Shiva converted Birundha in to Thulasi for Maha Vishnu, Shiva Sannathi worshiped by Maha Vishnu, Vinayagar, Sri Valli Devasena Subramaniar, Mahalakshmi, Bhairavar, Bhairavi,  Shani Bhagawan, Navagrahas, Suriyan, Pidari, Mariamman, Bhairavar, Nalvar with Sekkizhar, Somaskandar and Chandikeswarar.

Natarajar sabha and urchavars are in the artha mandapam. Urchavar  in impon Jalandhara varatha moorthy, - holding Chakra in right hand and Maan, Mazhu, Aayutha mudra in the other hands. Ambal is in a separate sannadhi facing South.  The mandapa ceiling in front of Ambal sannathi has the bas reliefs of 12 Zodiac symbol.  It is believed that, if prayed under the respective Zodiac symbols, their wishes will be fulfilled.

12 Zodiac symbol.

There is also another Shiva temple called as Mayaleswarar and locally called as Meignaneswarar Koil.

 

The 15^th Century Saint Arunagirinathar has sung hymns in praise of Lord Muruga of this temple.

வெற்றி யுற்றகதிர் பத்தி ரத்தையரு

            ளிச்சு ரர்க்கதிப திப்ப தத்தையுறு

            வித்த ளித்துமதி பெற்ற தத்தைமண                  முண்டவேலா

    வெட்கி டப்பிரம னைப்பி டித்துமுடி

            யைக்கு லைத்துசிறை வைத்து முத்தர்புகழ்

            விற்கு டிப்பதியி லிச்சை யுற்றுமகிழ்                 தம்பிரானே

ARCHITECTURE

The main temple consists of sanctum sanctorum, antarala, artha mandapam, maha mandpam  and a mukha mandapam. The adhistanam is of pada bandha adhistanam on a upanam.  Komugam is supported by a lady.

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 same was reconstructed as a stone temple during Chozha period and further extended during Pandyas, Vijayanagaras and Nattukottai Nagarathars.  As per the inscriptions this place was in Kulothunga Chozha valanattu Paniyur Nattu Thiruvirkudi and Lord Shiva was called as Mayaneswarar.

Sundara Pandya’s 16^th reign year inscription records the sale to Malaya Perumal Parakrama Pandya Irungolar, son of Arasu Thirunattap Perumal of some lands and housing sites in devathanam of Thiruvarur Udayar in Narikkudi in Panaiyur nadu.( Nannilam Kalvettukkal )

Tribhuvana Chakravarthi ( Jatavarman) Sundara Pandya’s, 16^th reign year inscription records that  a andhanar belongs to Keyamanicka Chaturvedi mangalam, sold a land to ( the same person of the previous inscription ) Malaya Perumal Parakirama Pandya Irungolar.

Vijayanagara King Vira Krishna Devaraya Maharaya  inscription saka 1439 ie 1517 CE, records that donation of 10000 varahan to Shiva and Vishnu temples, of many places. The inscription further mentions the name of the temples.

The Chozha King Rajaraja- ( II or III) ‘s 13^th reign year  and Pandya King  Sundara Pandyan fragment stone inscriptions records the lands gifted to the temple as Devadhanam.    

LEGENDS

This is one of the atta Veeratta sthalam, where Lord Shiva had done samharam of Jalantharasuran. Jalandhara was believed to be born from the third eye sweat drop of Lord Shiva. In this legend Jalandhara did a penance on Brahma for immortality. When Brahma declined, Jalandhara asked to give the same till his wife was mentally loses her chaste /a momentary lapse. Brahma granted the boon. With the boon he started terrorizing the Devas. Unbearable Jalandara’s torture Devas complained to Lord Shiva. Lord Shiva took the form of an old andhanar and asked Maha Vishnu to take the form of Jalandharan and go to his wife Birundha. On Seeing Maha Vishnu as Jalandara, Brundha called him inside the home and mentally lost her chaste by thinking maha Vishnu as her husband /a momentary lapse. In the mean time Lord Shiva in the form of old Andhanar appeared before Jalandhara and called him for a challenge. When he accepted, Lord Shiva killed Jalandaran with the Chakrayutham. 

On hearing her husband's death, Birundha, cursed Mahavishnu that he also to be separated from Maha Lakshmi. Latter they got reunited by Lord  Shiva. Birunda was converted as Thulasi.

Jalandran's vatham

Maha Vishnu receives Chakrayutham from Lord Shiva 

POOJAS AND CELEBRATIONS

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

TEMPLE TIMINGS:

The temple will be kept opened between 07.00 hrs to 09.00 hrs and 17.30 hrs to 19.00 hrs.

CONTACT DETAILS :

Shanmuga Sundaresa Gurukkal may be contacted on his mobile +91

8870887717 for further details.  

HOW TO REACH :

On the bus route Mayiladuthurai to Thiruvarur – a place after Vettaru, Kangalajery and after that Virkudi Railway station, from there 2 KM

On the bus route Nagore to Nagapattinam via Karaikal get down at Virkudi Koot road, from there 1 KM.

The bus  to Thirumarugal, Aamur from Thiruvarur passes through Thiruvirkudi.

This place Thiruvirkudi is 10 KM from Thirupanaiyur, 11.00 KM from Thiruvarur, 30 KM from Nagapattinam, 37 KM from Mannargudi, 43 KM from Kumbakonam and 294 KM from Chennai.

Nearest Railway Station is Thiruvarur. 

LOCATION OF THE TEMPLE : CLICK HERE

Rishaba kunjaram

---OM SHIVAYA NAMA ---