The
list of Shiva temples in and around
Kanchipuram with link to GooglePhotos, Location link on Google Map and Location
QR Code are posted already in this blog.
Maha Shivaratri 2020 – Kanchipuram Shiva
Temples Visit- 10
21st
February 2020.
The visit to this Sri
Vyasa Sathaleeshwarar Temple also known as Santhaleeswarar Koil was a part of
2020 Maha Shivaratri Temples Visit, on 21st February 2020. This temple is on
the Santhaleeswarar Koil Street about 50 meters off from Vegavathi River Road after Pachaiyappa's
Women College. This is one of the
Saptarishi Mandala temples, installed and worshiped by Sage Vyasa. 18th
Century Muni, Sri Sivagnana Swamigal has mentioned Sage Vyasa in his
Kanchi puranam.
சாத்திரம் வல்ல வியாதைன யாண்டருள் சார்ந்தாரைக்
காத்த பிரான்திறம் இங்கிது கட்டுரை செய்தேமால்
ஏத்தரு மஞ்சள் நதிப்புடை யேழ்முனி வோரெந்தாய்
சேர்த்தென வேத்திய வேழிட மேய வளங்சொல்வாம்
அத்திரி குச்சன் வசிட்டன் அருட்பிரு குப்பாசங்
கைத்துயர் கௌதமர் காசிப ரோடங்கி ராவென்றேழ்
மெய்த்தவ ரும்பனிசூழிம யக்கிரி மேல்முன்னாள்
உத்தம
மான வருந்தவ மாற்ற லுருங்காலை
சிவலிங்கப்
பதிட்டை செய்தல் எவற்றுளுஞ் சிறந்த தாகும்
சிவபத்தர் பதிட்டை தானும் அன்னேத இவைதாம் செல்வச்
சிவனமர் தலங்கள் தம்மிற் செய்பயன் கோடி மேலாம்
சிவநிறை
காஞ்சி வைப்பிற் செய்திடின் அனந்த கோடி.
காஞ்சிபுராணம்.2 – 751-763
Moolavar : Sri
Santhaleeswarar or Vyasa Santhaleeswarar
Some of the salient
features of this temple are...
The temple is facing
east with a Temple pond. The Rajagopuram base / mottai gopuram or the entrance arch is on the east side. Stucco
image of Shiva and Parvati on Rishaba as Rishabaroodar. Dwarapalakas, Vinayagar
and Murugan bas-relief images are on both sides of the Rajagopuram base. Balipeedam and Mandapam with Rishabam are in
front of the temple under meta colour sheet mandapa.
Moolavar is of 16
flat Shiva Linga / Dhara Linga. In
Koshtam Vinayagar, Dakshinamurthy, Mahavishnu, Brahma and Durgai. In prakaram Chandikeswarar, Selva Vinayagar, Vyasar Pedam, Sri Valli Devasena Arumugar,
Bhairavar and Navagrahas. A Mystic image along with Vinayagars are at
Artha mandapam is believed to be of Vyasar. Nalvar are in the maha mandapam.
HISTORY
& ARCHITECTURE
The original temple
is believed to be built during Chozha period and there is no inscriptions found
to prove the same. Also it is believed that the temple was damaged to certain
extend during Nawabs invasion. The temple complex consists of Sanctum
sanctorum, antarala, artha mandapam and Maha mandapam. The Chozha / Vijayanagara
period pillars are in the ardha mandapa.
The adhistanam is of
simple padabandha adhisthana with tripatta kumuda. Brahma kanda pilasters with
Kalasam, Kumbam, palakai with vettupaothyals are shown. The sanctum sanctorum
was built with stone up to prastaram. The prastharam is of kapotha style with
Nasikood. Various images are carved in the nasikood, like demons, squatting
lion, monkey, flowers, etc,. A Viyyalavari is shown in the Bhoomi desam. There is
no dwarf demon images in the valabi. A Brick vesara vimana is above the
prastaram. The Vimana has the salai
koshtams and Karnakood. Stucco Images are in Salai, karnakood and
salilantharam.
LEGEND
It is believed that
the moolavar was installed and worshipped by Sage Vyasa. Lord Brahma, during
the course of explaining Lord Shiva’s fame to the seven sages ( Aththiri, Kuchchar,
Vashistar, Brigu, Kasipar, Gauthama and Angira), asked them to establish Shiva
Temples at Kanchi to attain mukthi.
As per the legend
during Vyasar’s visit to Kailash, Parvati asked, who is Paramporul / great. Vyasar told that Narayanan is the paramporul - Parabrahmam - நாராயணனே பரபிரம்மம். Maha Vishnu, who was entering at that time told that he is the Paramporul / great.
Nandi deva got angry and asked Maha Vishnu, can he say this at Kanchi..?. Came to
Kasi and raised his hands to say that he is the paramporul / greatest and the
hands got stuck up there itself. So Nandi deva chased Maha Vishnu out of Kasi. Maha Vishnu came to Kanchi and with the grace of Nandi deva his hands has become
normal. The Vyasar who was along with Maha Vishnu at Kailash also has got the sin
for not uttering any words against Maha Vishnu. So to get rid of the sin, Vyasa
came to Kanchi, established an Ashram, a
Shiva Temple and worshipped Shiva. Hence Shri Shiva, is
called as Vyasa Santhalingeswarar or Vyasa Santhaleeshwarar.
Shri Shiva is also called as "Sarntharai Kaththar- சார்ந்தாரைக் காத்தார், which means Shiva blessed/ saved Maha Vishnu, Vyasa, who are surrendered to Shiva.
சார்ந்தாரைக் காத்தார்
சுருதி நூன்முறை யொழுக்கமு மிழுக்ககிலாத் துறவுந்
தரும நீதியுந் தத்துவ நெறிப்படுந் தகவும்
பிரம ஞானமு மானமு நலப்படும் பிறவுங்
கரவு செய்திடுங் கலியுகம் பிறந்தவக் காலை.
சரத மாகவே படிந்தவர்க் கழிவுறாத் தலைமை
வரத மாகவே தருமொரு பெருந்திரு வைப்பா
பிரத நீர்வர நதிப்பெருங் காசியி னிருந்தான்
விரத மாதவன் தராதல புராதன வியாதன்
அனக மாகிய பிரமநிச் சயந்தனை யந்நாள்
வினைய மாகவவ் விடையறை முனிவரர் வினாவத்
தனிவி யாகர ணத்துநூன் முதற்பெருந் தகைமை
புனித நற்றிறத் துண்மையே தனித்தனி புகன்றான்.
TEMPLE
TIMINGS:
The temple will be
kept opened between 08.00 hrs to 10.30 hrs and 17.00 hrs to 19.00 hrs.
HOW
TO REACH:
This temple is about
200 meters from Pachaiyappas Women College
on Santhaligeeshwarar Koil Street and about 500 meters off from Kanchipuram to Chengalpattu main
road.
The temple is about 3.0
KM from Kanchipuram Bus Stand, 4.5 Km from Kanchipuram Railway station, 38.0
KM from Arakkonam and 72 KM from Chennai.
Nearest Railway
Station is Kanchipuram and Railway Junction is Arakkonam.
LOCATION: CLICK HERE
---OM SHIVAYA NAMA---
