Savadipalayam Sivan Temple / சாவடிபாளையம் சிவன் கோயில் / A Dolmen converted Shiva Temple, சிவன்கோயிலாக மாறிய கற்திட்டை, நீர்த்தொட்டி / Stone Tub, Savadipalayam, Salem District, Tamil Nadu.

The visit to this Sivan Temple, at Savadipalayam was a part of “Shiva, Vishnu, Amman Temples and Heritage sites from Komarapalayam to Edappadi Visit” – On 19^th May 2024. Thanks to ல மா செல்வராசு, one of my FB friends of Komarapalayam for taking me to all these places.

  

This Shiva temple is with an unique construction. The roof has 4 stone slabs supported by 9 pillars.  One stone slab has a hole and a Shiva Lingam without avudayar is installed under the hole of the slab, for the sunlight to fall on the Shiva Lingam. A Rishabam and a Balipeedam are also in-front of the Shiva Lingam. A Vinayagar sannidhi was also created inside the same structure in 1990.

  

DOLMENS

Actually this temple was constructed using a dismantled Dolmen. These 4 stone slabs belongs to the side walls of a dolmen cist. These dolmens are erected bury the dead about 3000 to 4000 years before. These 4 stone slab forms a square or rectangular shape room, called cist, where a remains of the deceased will be kept along with pots, which contains the favourite article or food of the deceased. Mostly the east side slab will be provided with a round hole. It was believed that the athma / spirit of the deceased used to comes out / go into the cist, through this round hole. Mostly this cist may be used for the secondary burial. Big boulders will be kept around this cist called cairn circles. But the cairn circle boulders are not seen near this place.

A STONE TUB

This stone tub is also found near the above, Dolmen converted Shiva temple. This tub measures around 10 feet long 1.5 feet wide and a feet deep. This tub has 18^th to 19^th century inscriptions. Since the inscription was heavily damaged, the details are not known. This tub was used to store water for the cattle.

LOCATION OF THE TEMPLE   : CLICK HERE

--- OM SHIVAYA NAMA ---