Sri Brahmapureeswarar Temple / Thyagarajasamy Temple / பிரம்மபுரீஸ்வரர் கோயில் / கோளிலிநாதேஸ்வரர் கோயில், Thirukolili –Thirukkuvalai / திருகுவளை, Nagapattinam District, Tamil Nadu.

This is the 240^th Thevaram Paadal Petra Shiva Sthalam and the 123^rd Sthalam on the south side of river Kaveri in Chozha Nadu. Now this place is called Thirukkuvalai. This is one of the temples where Moovar has sung Lord Shiva of this temple. This temple is popularly known as “Thirukkuvalai Thyagaraja Temple”.

In Periyapuranam Sekkizhar records that Thirugnanasambandar came to this temple after worshiping Lord Shiva of Thiruvalivalam. In Thirunavukkarasu Swamigal Puranam Sekkizhar didn’t mention this temple in particular but he visited this temple on the way to Thiruveezhimilali from Thirumaraikadu.

மல்லல் நீடிய வலிவலம் கோளிலி முதலாத்

தொல்லை நான்மறை முதல்வர் தம் பதிபல தொழுதே

எல்லையில் திருப்பதிகங்களால் பணிந்து ஏத்தி

அல்லல் தீர்ப்பவர் மீண்டும் ஆரூர்தொழ அணைந்தார்

...... திருஞானசம்பந்தர் புராணம்

Thirugnanasambandar, Thirunavukkarasu Swamigal, Sundarar, and Vallalar have sung hymns in praise of Lord Shiva of this temple.

நாளாய போகாமே நஞ்சணியுங் கண்டானுக்கே

ஆளாய அன்புசெய்வோம் அடல்நெஞ்சே அரநாமம்

கேளாய்நம் கிளைகிளைக்கும் கேடுபடாத் திறம் அருளிக்

கோளாய நீக்கும் அவன்கோளிலிஎம் பெருமானே

..... திருஞானசம்பந்தர்

மைகொள் கண்ணுமை பங்கின் மான்மழுத்

தொக்க கையினன் செய்யதோர் சோதியன்

கொக்க மர்பொழில் சூழ்தரு கோளிலி

நக்க னைத் தொழ நம்வினை நாசமே

....... திருநாவுக்கரசு சுவாமிகள்

கொல்லை வளம்புறவில் திருக் கோளிலி மேயவனை

நல்லவர் தாம்பரவும் திருநாவல வூரன்அவன்

நெல்லிட ஆட்கள்வேண்டி நினைந்து ஏத்திய பத்தும்வல்லார்

அல்லல் களைந்துலகில் அண்டர் வானுலகு ஆள்பவரே

..... சுந்தரர்

கோளிலியப்பர் குணமூன்று டையார் தம்

தோளிலுலாமாலை சூட்டுதற்கு – வாளவுணன்

கற்பக வேல் தொட்ட கடவுட்கு முன்வந்த

கற்பகத்தின் பொற்கழல்கள் காப்பு

.... திருக்குவளை தியாகரஜசுவாமி உலா- விநாயகவணக்கம்

                                                                           -“நெற்சுமக்க

ஆளிலை என்று ஆரூரனார் துதிக்கத் தந்தருளுங்

கோளிலியின் அன்பர் குலங்கொள் உவப்பே”

..... திரு அருட்பா

Moolavar  : Sri Brahmapureeswarar, Sri Kolilinathar,

                  Sri Kolili Natheswarar.

Consort    : Sri Vandamarpoonguzhali.

Some of the salient features of this temple are ……

The temple faces east with a 5-tier Rajagopuram. The sthala purana stucco image is on the Rajagopuram. Dwajasthambam, balipeedam and Rishabam are in a mandapam. Stucco images in the form of an arch at the entrance of the sanctum sanctorum. Moolavar is of swayambhu made of sand. In koshtam Arthanareeswarar, Brahma, Durgai, Uma Maheswarar, Natarajar, Narthana Ganapathy, Pichadanar, Dakshinamurthy, Maha Vishnu with sangu and chakram.

In Prakaram Sundarar with his wife Paravai, Thyaga Vinayagar, Viswanathar, Visalakshi, Indira Pureeswarar, Chokkalingam, Annamalaiyar, Nalvar, Mahalakshmi, Navagrahas ( all are facing south direction in a single row ) and Shivaloka Vinayagar (who showed Siva loka to Hemakantha Munivar ).

This temple Thyagaraja is the second to Thiruvarur Thiyagarajar. This is also one of the saptha vidanga sthalam ( Avani Vidangar and Dance is Birunga Nadanam ). Utsavar is Chandrasekar.

ARCHITECTURE

The temple complex consists of Sanctum sanctorum, antarala, ardha mandapam and a mukha mandapam. An eka tala stucco vesara vimana is on the sanctum.

HISTORY AND INSCRIPTIONS

This is one of the Mada Temples constructed by Ko Chenkat Chozhan. Since Thirugnanasambandar has sung hymns in praise of Lord Shiva of this temple, the original temple might have existed before the 7^th Century and the same was reconstructed as a stone temple by Chozhas and further extended by Pandyas and Vijayanagara Nayakas.

The inscriptions recorded from this temple belong to Chozhas and Pandyas. As per the inscriptions Lord Shiva was called “Thirukolili Udaya Nayanar” and Thiagarajar was called “Avani Vidanga Thyagar”. The temple’s north street was called “Thirumaraikadan Street”. This place was in Rajendra Chozha Valanattu Idayalanattu Vendalai Velur Kootram.

During the Jadavarman Sundara Pandyan period, the Maha mandapa was built by VadavallathuIrukudiyan Indrapathinallur Uyyavanthan Chiyyalai Pillai alias Jayathungavarman.

The Pandya king Sadayavarman Sundara Pandyan’s 8^th reign year inscription records that, due to a flood in the Chandramouli river, the south bank was breached and the water entered into the Temple on the north thiruveedhi. To drain the flood water, Palaikuruchi Udayar Thirumaraikadudayan diverted the river water by making noth banks as south bank at the limit of Kundaiyur Village. Due to this, the thirunamathukani land belonging to the temple was taken for diversion. To compensate for the same, he had given a gift of  2 veli lands belonging to him, which was at Parameswara Chaturvedi Mangalam. The Thiruveedi and the Vaikal/channel were named after him as “Palaikuruchi Udayar Thirumaraikadudayan”.

Rajaraja Chozha –III’s 4^th year reign inscription records that the Athipaththanayanar image/idol was established by Alan, who belongs to “Sivanbadavar” ( Chembadavar Community ). For the same 2100 kasu was collected ( begging ) from his community and the money was handed over to Ayyanaippa bhattan’s son Dhamothara bhattan. From the interest earned 2 nazhi paddy to be arranged for Athipaththa Nayanar’s image worship and naivedyam. 

"ஸ்வஸ்திஸ்ரீ திரிபுவனச்சக்கரவத்திகள்

ஸ்ரீராஜராஜ தேவர்க்கு யாண்டு 4 ஆவது

மார்கழி மாதத்தொருநாள் உடையார்

திருக்கோளிலி உடையார் கோயிலில்

முன்னாளில் சிவன்படவரில் ஆலன்

எழுந்தருளிவித்த அதிபத்த நாயனார்க்கு"

Rajendra Chozha-III’s 35^th reign year inscription records the endowment Thiruveethiuzha / procession, on his birth star kettai day, by Pandya nadu Chozha Pandya mandalathu Mathurothayavalanattu, Palaikuruchi Udayan Akayan Thirumaraikadudayan. After the procession, the Utsavar will be kept and Pooja will be conducted in the “Thirumaraikadudayan mandapam”. For those days naivedyam, Sathupadi, burning lamps, Thirupallithamam / Garland, donations are made and details are not known since the inscription was damaged on those portions.  

Most of the Chozha period inscriptions record the endowment of burning perpetual lamps with ulakku oil, 91 nazhi oil per year, Naivedyam, sacred bath,  etc,. For the same money, like 1000 kasu, 800 kasu, 140 kasu, 260 panam, 100 panam, paddy, Gold, and lands were donated to this temple. Some of them are received by the batters of the temple and one inscription mentions “Kaniudaya Muppathu Vattathu Kaniudaya Sivabramins”. These inscriptions record that lands are held by the Siva Brahmins as Irayili ie Tax-free. Also, there was a madam called “Thirugnanasambandar madam” existed in the village.

This is one of the temples under the administrative control of Dharmapura Adheenam. Maha Kumbhabhishekam was conducted in January 1999.

The Maragatha Lingam is one of the Saptha Vidanga Lingas ( believed that it was brought by Rajendra Chozha from an East Asian Country. The Maragatha Lingam was stolen and the same was recovered back by the Tamil Nadu Police. 

LEGENDS

Moolavar is of white sand and always covered with Kuvalai hence this place is called Thirukkuvalai. Maha Vishnu, Brahma, Indra, Agathiyar, Musukunthan, Pancha Pandavas, Navagrahas and King Hemantha.

It is believed that all Vidanga Shiva Lingas were gifted by Indra to Musikunta Chakravarthy and he installed them in 7 temples around Thiruvarur. Vidanga means made without using a chisel. This is one of the Saptha Vidanga Sthalams. The details are... ( The others are Thiruvarur – Veedhi Vidangar, Ajapa Natanam, Nagapattinam ( Nagai Karonam), - Sundara Vidangar, Vici Nadanam, Thirukaravasal – Adi Vidangar, Kukkuda nadanam, Thirukkuvalai ( Thiru Kolili ) – Avani Vidangar, Brunga nadanam, Thirunallar – Nagara Vidangar, Unmatha nadanam, Thiruvaimur – Nilla Vidangar, Kamalana nadanam and Vedaranyam ( Thirumaraikadu ) – Bhuvai Vidangar, Hamsapada nadanam.

Brahma worshiped Lord Shiva of this temple. To get rid of dosham ( Brahmahathi dosha ) by killing Bahasuran, in continuation to the Lingothbavar episode, Brahma was cursed. Due to this the creation was stopped and the actions of Navagrahas are also paralysed. Brahma came to this temple, created the Brahma Theertha, and worshiped Lord Shiva to get relief from the curse. Hence Lord Shiva is praised as “Brahmapureeswarar”    

Beeman worshiped the Lord of this temple to get rid of the Brahmahathi dosha by killing the demon Bahasuran. The stucco image of Bahasuran and Brahmahathi are in the Rajagopuram. The sthala vruksham is "Thetha maram".

As per Sundarar’s hymns and Sekkizhar’s Periya Puranam, Sundarar used to do annadhanam at Thiruvarur. Kundaiyur Kilan used to offer paddy to Sundarar. Once he does not have anything to offer. To his prayer, Lord Shiva gave him a paddy in the form of a hill. Sundarar prayed to Lord Shiva and got persons to shift the paddy to Thiruvarur.

நீள நினைந்தடியேன் உனை நித்தலும் கைதொழுவேன்

வாளன கண்மடவாள் அவள் வாடி வருந்தாமே

கோளிலி எம்பெருமான் குண்டை யூர்ச்சில நெல்லுப் பெற்றேன்

ஆளிலை எம்பெருமான் அவை அட்டித் தரப்பணியே

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), Annabhishekam in the month Aippasi ( Oct – Nov ), Thirukarthigai in the month Karthigai ( Nov – Dec ), Thiruvathirai and Sundays in the month Margazhi ( Dec – Jan ), Thaipoosam in the month Thai ( Jan – Feb ), Masi Mahan “Nel atti chillum thiruvizha”, Maha Shivaratri in the month Masi ( Feb – March ), Musukuntha archana, Vasantha Utsavam,  and monthly pradosams.

Navagrahas are in a single-row

TEMPLE TIMINGS

The temple will be kept open between 07.00 hrs to 11.00 hrs and 17.00 hrs to 20.00 hrs.

CONTACT DETAILS

The mobile number is +91 97862 44876 and the landline number is +91 4366 245 412 may be contacted for further details.

HOW TO REACH

On the bus route Thiruvarur to Ettukudi –before Ettukudi.

From Thiruvarur to Vedaranyam bus passes through this village.

The temple at Thirukkuvalai is 16 KM from Thiruthuraipoondi, 23 KM from Thiruvarur, 35 KM from Mannargudi, 45 KM from Vedaranyam and 328 KM from Chennai 

The nearest Railway station is Thiruthuraipoondi and Junction is Thiruvarur.

LOCATION OF THE TEMPLE:  CLICK HERE

The Maragatha Linga was stolen and recovered.

--- OM SHIVAYA NAMA ---