Sri Jagadeeswarar Temple / ஸ்ரீ ஜகதீஸ்வரர் கோவில். Pereyil / Ogai Peraiyur / Ohai Peraiyur / ஓகைப்பேரையூர், Thiruvarur District, Tamil Nadu.

This is the 231^st Thevaram Paadal Petra Shiva Sthalam and the 114^th Sthalam on the south side of river Kaveri in Chozha Nadu. This place was called Pereyil ( பேரழகு ) during the Thevaram period and is now called Ogai Peraiyur and Vengara Peraiyur. Since there are many places in the name of Peraiyur, to differentiate, the words Ogai and Vengara are added.

In Periyapuranam Sekkizhar records that Thirunavukkarasu Swamigal came to this temple after worshiping Lord Shiva of Thalaiayalangadu. He didn't mention this temple in particular but mentioned other temples on the way from Thiruvanjiyam to Thirumaraikadu.

வாய்ந்த மிழலை மாமணியை வணங்கிப் பிரியா விடை கொண்டு

பூந்தன் புனல்சூழ் வாஞ்சியத்தைப் போற்றிப் புனிதர் வாழ்பதிகள்

ஏய்ந்த அன்பினால் இறைஞ்சி இசைவன் தமிழ்கள் புனைந்து போய்ச்

சேர்ந்தார் செல்வத்திருமறைக்காடு எல்லை இல்லாச் சீர்த்தியினார்

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

மறையும் ஓதுவார் மான்மறிக் கையினர்

கறைகொள் கண்டம் உடைய கபாலியார்

துறையும் போகுவார் தூய வென்னீற்றினர்

பிறையும் சூடுவர் பேரெயி லாளரே

.....திருநாவுக்கரசு சுவாமிகள்

                                     -“வெள்ளிடைவான்

வாம் பேரெயிற் சூழ்ந்த  மாண்பாற் றிருநாம

மாம் பேரேயில் ஒப்பிலாமணியே

.......... திரு அருட்பா

Moolavar  : Sri Jagadeeswarar

Consort    : Sri Jagan Nayagi 

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

The temple faces east with a 3-tier Rajagopuram. Balipeedam and Rishabam are in the open mukha mandapam. In Koshtam Dakshinamurthy, Lingothbavar, and Durgai.  

In the prakaram Karpaga Vinayagar, Murugan, Mahalakshmi, Ayyanar, Suriyan and Chandran. Pancha murtis (Lord Shiva, Parvati, Vinayagar, and Murugan) and Natarajar are in the Mandapam. Ambal is in a separate Sannadhi facing South. The temple tank with lotus is on the left side of the temple.

ARCHITECTURE

The main temple consists of Sanctum Sanctorum, antarala and artha mandapam and a mukha mandapam. A Two-tier brick Vesara Vimanam is on the sanctum sanctorum. An open mandapam was built around the sanctum Sanctorum at a later stage. 

HISTORY AND INSCRIPTIONS

This place has existed since the Sangam period. The Sangam period Lady Poet “Pereyil Muruvalar”, who has sung in Kurunthogai and Purananooru belongs to this place. As per the historians, when Thiruvarur was the capital of Chozhas, there was a fort existed near this place. Hence this place was called “Pereyilur”, which was corrupted to the present name of “Peraiyur”.

Since Thirunavukkarasu Swamigal has sung Hymns in praise of Lord Shiva of this temple, the original temple might have existed before the 7^th Century. The same was reconstructed as a stone temple during Chozha’s period and further extended by Vijayanagara and maintained by Nattukottai Nagarathars.

Nattukottai Chettiar had done Thiruppani to this temple and the statue of Muthupattinam, Karaikudi Valliammai Achi is in the front mandapam.

LEGENDS

As per historians, when Thiruvarur was the capital of Chozha Nadu, a beautiful fort existed in this place. The place looked beautiful- Perayil- which had been corrupted to the present name of Peraiyur.

It is believed that the people who are suffering from Ven kushtam ( Vitiligo ) will get relieved if they take bath in the Agni Theertham and worship 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  in the month Aippasi ( Oct – Nov ), Thirukarthigai in the month Karthigai ( Nov – Dec ), Thaipoosam in the month Thai ( Jan – Feb ), Maha Shivaratri in the month Masi ( Feb – March ) and monthly pradosams.

TEMPLE TIMINGS

The temple will be kept open between 08.00 hrs to 11.00 hrs and 16.30 hrs to 20.00 hrs.

CONTACT DETAILS

The telephone number is +91 4367 237 692  or Baskara Sivachariyar may be contacted on his mobile at +91 93607 40260 for further details.

HOW TO REACH 

On the bus route from Thiruvarur to Mannargudi, get down after Kamalapuram at Moolangudi from there we can reach Ohai Peraiyur. 

Through Mavoor Road to Vadapathimangalam route also the temple can be reached. 

Town buses are available from Thiruvarur Bus stand and the route nos are 353 (Thiruvarur to Vikrapandiyam/Kottur and A32 Thiruvarur to Vadivaikkal). 

The temple is 12 Km from Thiruvarur, 21 KM from Mannargudi, 30 KM from Thiruthuraipoondi, 50 KM from Kumbakonam, 60 KM from Thanjavur, and 310 KM from Chennai.

The nearest Railway station is Thiruvarur.

LOCATION OF THE TEMPLE: CLICK HERE

---OM SHIVAYA NAMA ---