The visit
to the Sri Vaitheeswaran Temple at Pillaipakkam was a part of the “Gajaprishta
Vimana Temples visit” on 30th April 2023.
This village is on the Sriperumbudur to Mudichur road, which passes through many
industries. It can be reached through the Road before Sri Eswari Auto Components
Private Ltd.
Moolavar : Sri Vaitheeswaran
Consort : Sri Thayyal Nayagi
Some
of the salient features of this temple are….
The
temple faces east with a large white ambal flowers temple tank. An entrance
Rajagopuram base is on the south side. Vinayagar and Murugan are at the
entrance of the sanctum sanctorum. Moolavar is on a round avudayar and looks a little
big. In the koshtam, Vinayagar, Dakshinamurthy,
Maha Vishnu, Brahma, and Durgai.
Ambal
is in a separate sannidhi facing south. Ambal is in a standing posture with
abhaya varada hastam. Chandikeswarar,
Navagrahas, and Bairavar are in the
praharam.
ARCHITECTURE
The
temple consists of the sanctum sanctorum, antarala, and ardha mandapam. The sanctum sanctorum is on a pada bandha
adhistanam with three patta kumudam. The bhitti starts with pattikai. The sanctum sanctorum itself is of the Gajaprishta style. The Pilasters are Brahma kantha pilasters with kalasam,
kudam, palakai, and taranga pothyal. An eka tala "Gajaprishta Vimanam" is over the
sanctum sanctorum. Stucco images of Dakshinamurthy, Maha Vishnu, and Brahma are
on the greeva koshtam. The mandapam pillars are vrudha type with vettu
pothiyal.
HISTORY AND INSCRIPTIONS
The original temple belongs to 08th - 09th Century pallava period, and the same received contributions from the Chozha and Vijayanagaras. The temple was reconstructed after the Golkonda Nawab invasion.
பல்லவர்
கால
நிருபதுங்கனின் கல்வெட்டு (861 CE), மூலவரை மூலஸ்தானத்து
மகாதேவர்
என்றும்
முதலாம்
குலோத்துங்கன் காலத்தில் அகத்தீஸ்வரர் என்றும் அழைக்கப்படதை பதிவு செய்கின்றது.
Nrupathunga Pallava period 861 CE inscription
records the moolavar’s name as
Moolasthanathu Mahadevaar. Kulothunga
Chozha-I period inscription records Shiva’s name as Agastheeswarar.
The Pallava king
Nrpathungavarman’s 2(.) reign year, 889 – 95 CE inscription on the base of the
central shrine, records a gift of six ma of land in puram-pādu to the temple of
Mahādeva, for (daily) food-offerings (põnagam) by Ayyakkuttiyar, the younger
brother of Pillaipakkilar of Pillaippa[kka*]m for the latter's merit. The
gift-land was entrusted to Tiruppāsūran (the priest) who worshipped the god,
for maintaining the endowment with the stipulation of a specified amount of
fine for default.
The Pallava king Nrpatungavarman’s period inscription on the base of the
central shrine seems to record an undertaking by the urar (of Pallaipakkam) in
respect of seven ma of land, being the gift by Pādirikilar Singan for a
perpetual lamp in the temple of Mahādēva (of the village), obviously received
by them.
பராந்தக
சோழனின்
940 CE, கோயிலில்
விளக்கெரிக்க
ஏற்பாடு
செய்யப்பட்டதை பதிவு செய்கின்றது.
Parantaka Chozha’s 940 CE inscription records
the endowment of burning a lamp and the arrangements made for burning the
lamps.
பார்த்திவேந்திரவர்மனின் 971 CE, தேவதானமாக
நிலங்கள்
கொடுக்கப்பட்டதைப் பதிவு செய்கின்றது.
Parthivendra’s 971 CE inscription records that
the lands were gifted to this temple as thevadhanam.
ராதிராஜன்–I, 1045 CE, கல்வெட்டு கோயில் எல்லைகளை வரையறை செய்து, நிலம் தானமாக அளிக்கப்பட்டதைப் பதிவு செய்கின்றது.
Rajathirajan-I’s 1045 CE inscription records
the periphery limits of the temple and the lands gifted to this temple.
முதலாம்
குலோத்துங்கனின் 1074 CE, கல்வெட்டு
இறைவனின்
பெயர்
அகஸ்தீஸ்வரர்
எனக்குறிப்பிட்டு விளக்கெரிக்க தானம் அளித்துள்ளதையும்,
1118 CE, ல் நிலம் தேவதானமாக அளிக்கப்பட்டதையும் பதிவு செய்கின்றது.
Kulothunga Chozha-I’s 1074 CE inscription
records the moolavar’s name as Agastheeswarar and an endowment of burning a
lamp and donation of land given. Further, the 1118 CE inscription records the gift
of land as Dhevadhanam to this temple.
The koshta images were installed after temple construction since the inscriptions
are found on the back side of the Koshta images.
As
per the inscription tablet at the temple, the temple was destroyed during the Golkonda Nawab invasion. In the year 1977, Pillaipakkam Singaravel Chettiar’s
son Sri Namasivaya Chettiar obtained a patta in the name of the temple for the
dilapidated temple land. Maha Kumbhabhishekam was performed on 14th
June 1981. Again, Maha Kumbhabhishekams were performed on 4th April
2004 and 17th April 2017.
Ref:
1. தொல்லியல் நோக்கின் காஞ்சிபுரம் மாவட்டம், ச. கிருஷ்ணமூர்த்தி.
2. South Indian Inscriptions Volume - XII
3. The inscription of Pallavas, by T V Mahalingam.
Kulothunga Chozha's inscription on the back side of Maha Vishnu
19-20th Century inscription
LEGENDS
The moolavar Shiva was called Agastheeswarar during the Chozha period, and the name was
changed to Sri Vaitheeswaran. Why and when the name was changed is not known.
POOJAS AND CELEBRATIONS
Apart
from regular poojas, special poojas are conducted on pradosam Maha Shivaratri
days.
TEMPLE TIMINGS
The
temple will be kept open from 07.00 hrs to 11.00 hrs and from 17.00 hrs to
20.00 hrs.
HOW TO REACH
The
temple is 4.5 km from Sriperumbudur, 18 km from Kundrathur, 25 km from
Poonamallee, 39 km from Koyambedu, 45 km from Kanchipuram, and 45 km from Chennai Central.
The nearest Railway Station is Koyambedu.
LOCATION OF THE TEMPLE: CLICK HERE
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OM SHIVAYA NAMA ---
