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Tamil Nadu Tourism -
Temples |
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Tiruchendur
Swamimazhai
Thirupparangundram
Thiruttani
Pazhamuthircholai Temple
Samayapuram
Tiruvannamalai Temple
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Sri Rangam Temple
Madurai Meenakshi Sundareswarar temple
Kanyakumari
Chithambaram
Rameswaram
Palani
Brihadeeswarar Temple in Tanjavur |
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Tiruchendur
 The Sri
Subramanya temple, one of the six abodes (Arupadai Veedu) of Lord Muruga,
stands majestically on the seashore. An impressive gopuram welcomes the
visitor. The origin of this rock-cut temple goes back to Puranic days.
Mayan, the celestial architect, had constructed a Siva shrine for
Muruga's worship. Muruga had come here with Devas to annihilate
Surapadman, the Asura, who had encamped in the mid-ocean fortress of
Veeramahendrapuram near Tiruchendur. After the victory over Surapadman,
the Devas and Devaguru Brihaspati worshipped the Lord at Tiruchendur.
Hence the temple is also revered as a Navagraha Sthala dedicated to
Guru.
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Swamimazhai
 The temple of
Lord Subramanya, one of the six houses of Lord Muruga, is where the son
taught the efficacy of the Pranava mantra to his father, Lord Shiva. The
day of Krittika is very important and thousands of people worship the
Lord every month on this day. Swamimalai is 8kms from the central bus
stand, near Kumbakonam. Swamimalai is in the Thanjavur District. Every
New Yearrs day, Thirupadi Vizha (Puja for the holy steps) is conducted
with great pomp and grandeur. The Kavadi and Carrying of Milk Pots is
done daily adding on to the uniqueness of this holy shrine.
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Thirupparangundram
 The 6th
century rock-cut temple is dedicated to Lord Subramanaya. It is one of
the six abodes (Arupadai Veedu) of the Lord. Here, Subramanaya married
Deivayanai, daughter of Indra, after the victory over Surapadman. The
main shrine is an early cave temple situated at a height of 1050 feet.
At the entrance to this shrine, there are 48 pillars with artistic
carvings. In the central shrines, Muruga, Durga and Vinayaka are
worshipped. A special feature of Vinayaka is that He is holding only
fruits and sugarcane. Muruga is in sitting posture with Deivayanai. To
Her right is sage Narada. Vinayaka. Brahma, Indra, Surya and Chandra are
depicted above these images. In the two cells facing each other, there
are images of Vishnu with Sridevi and Bhoodevi and a Lingam
respectively. At the top of the hill, there is a shrine dedicated to
Kasi Viswanatha. The image of Nakkeerar, the Tamil poet, is seen here
standing in reverence.
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Thiruthani
 Tiruttani is
the famous temple dedicated to Lord Subrahmanya, is situated 51 miles
away from Chennai, Tamil Nadu. The temple is situated on a small hill,
which is reached over a flight of 365 masonry stems. It is one of the
six famous abodes of Lord Subrahmanya. It is considered to be the second
place of importance by some, while others give it the first place as
Lord Subrahmanya resides in blissful repose here, after his marriage
with Valli.
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Pazhamuthircholai Temple
 This temple is located 12 kms off Madurai, a city in Tamil Nadu. This
temple is considered the last among the six houses that enshrines Muruga
as the central deity. Tamil Poetess Avvayyar, revered for her moral and
ethical teachings, had darshan of Lord Muruga here. In the sanctum, lord
Muruga is seen with His consorts.
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Samayapuram
 Samayapuram is
an important place of pilgrimage to the devotees of Goddess Sakthi. It
is one of the few popular temples dedicated to Goddess Sakthi and she is
worshipped here as Mariamman.
Location : Samayapuram temple is situated on the main Chennai-Thiruchi
road about 15 km from Thiruchi. The nearest railway station is in
Thiruchi.
The Temple : Comparatively the temple is of recent origin and was
established about 300 years ago. Now an enormous number of devotees
visit this temple especially on festival days.
Legend : It is believed that that this
deity was once installed at the Sri Rangan temple near Thiruchi. As the
chief priest felt that he was suffering from some malevolent effect from
the Goddess, he asked the workers at the temple to remove the idol from
the temple. The workers carried the idol northwards and put it down in a
place called Kannanoor and left it there. Some passersby who saw this
idol left unattended in the middle of the village informed the local
villagers who named the idol Kannaoor Mariamman and established a shrine
there.
It was during this period that the
Vijeyanagara kings came down South waging war. During their foray down
South they camped at Kannanoor and adopted the local deity Mariamman as
their own and made a vow that if they were successful in their campaign
to conquer the South they would build a temple at the site of the
shrine. As a fulfillment of their vow, they built a shrine for the
Goddess and the king appointed a priest from the temple at Thiruvanaikka
to perform the daily 'pooja' and brought this temple under their
management. At present a separate board of trustees is in charge of the
temple.Festivals : There are four main festivals conducted in this
temple in the Tamil months of 'Thai', 'Masi', 'Chithirai' and 'Vaikasi'.
The festival conducted in the month of 'Masi' (February/March) is called
'Poochorithal' (inundating with flowers). There is a legend that is
associated with this festival. There was an 'Asura' called Mahishasuran
who had received special boons from Lord Shiva through his penance and
meditation.. He used this power to harass the 'Devas' and other
celestial beings. So the 'Devas' approached Goddess Parvathy and prayed
to Her to save them from this menace. So Goddess Parvathy reincarnated
as Goddess Durga and killed the 'Asura'. She was at this stage an
embodiment of anger and a force of destruction. After destroying the
Asura she arrived in the jungle near Samayapuram on the bank of the
river Kaveri and found this place suitable to calm her anger. Here she
took the name of 'Kowmari', took a reddish hue, wrapped herself in a
yellow cloth, and covered herself with flowers, undertook a fast and
conducted penance in order to regain her original form. As a result she
became very kind and benevolent and is worshipped as Goddess Mariamman
at Samayapuram.
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Tiruvannamalai Temple
 Tiruvannamalai the home of Annamalayaar or Arunachaleswarar (Shiva
worshipped as a Shiva Lingam) and Unnamulaiyaal (Apitakuchambaal -
Parvati), is one of the largest temples in India. It occupies a special
place in the Saivite realm and is regarded as one of the Pancha Bhoota
Stalams (one of the five grand temples associated with the five basic
elements) associated with the elementFire, the other four being
Tiruvanaikkaval (Water), Chidambaram (Space), Kanchipuram (Earth) and
Sri Kalahasti (Wind) respectively. Shiva is said to have manifested
himself in the form of a massive column of fire, whose crown and feet,
Bhramma and Vishnu attempted in vain to reach. A celebration of this
manifestation is seen today in the age old traditions observed in the
Shivaratri and the Kartikai Deepam Utsavams held here.
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Sri
Rangam Temple
 Sri Rangam,
the largest Vaishnavite temple in Tamilnadu, is dedicated to Sri
Ranganatha Perumal. This temple is as holy and venerable to Vaishnavites
as Chidambaram temple is to Saivites.
Location : Sri Rangam town itself has a railway station on the Madras-Thiruchchi
line. It is about 5 km from Trichi and about 300 km from Chennai.
Thiruchi being a large city is well served by road, rail and air.
Pilgrims throng to this temple throughout the year, but the main
festival falls in December/January during 'Vaikuntha ehathasi' and is
conducted over a period of 20 days.
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Legends : There are so many legends
associated with this temple. One of them relates how the 'Ranga Vimanam'
believed to be the chariot of Lord Vishnu came to be installed here.
Ikshavahu the descendent of Surya, the Sun god and forebear of Rama,
performed a penance in order to obtain the Ranga Vimanam to install it
in a temple in Ayodya. Garuda, the mount of Lord Vishnu, delivered the
Ranga Vimanam to Ikshavahu. The people of Ayodya thus venerated and
worshipped this Ranga Vimanam for centuries until Lord Vishnu himself
was born as Rama in Ayodya as heir to the Surya dynasty.
Rama is the hero of Ramayana, the epic story in which he was banished
from his kingdom for 14 years. During this time his wife Sitha was
abducted by Ravana, the King of Lanka. Vibishana, the brother of Ravana,
helped Rama to defeat and kill Ravana and rescue Rama’s wife Sitha.
At the end of his 14 years of banishment Rama returned to Ayodya to
reclaim his rightful crown. Many kings and others were invited to the
coronation and Vibishana was an important guest. At the end of the
ceremony as custom dictated gifts were exchanged. Vibishana to whom Rama
owed a debt of gratitude presented him with the Ranga Vimanam to be
taken to his kingdom, Lanka. On his way Vibishana arrived near Kaveri
River in the South and wanted to perform his daily pooja. He gave the
Ranga Vimanam to a boy standing nearby with instructions not to put it
on the ground. He got into the river for his ablution and when he came
out he found that the boy had put the Ranga Vimanam on the ground. He
tried to lift it but failed to move it. He became distraught and prayed
to Lord Vishnu who appeared and told him that He wished that the Ranga
Vimanam stayed at that spot. The King and others on learning this
requested Vibishana to install the RangaVimanam on that spot and perform
the 'Adhi Brahmotsava' thereby consecrating that place. The King who was
a great devotee of Lord Vishnu was delighted with this and built a large
temple to house the Ranga Vimanam and called the deity Lord Sri
Ranganathar.
Years passed. The local King was
childless. He prayed to Lord Sri Ranganathar for an heir. One day he
spotted a baby girl lying on a lotus flower. He took her under his care,
named her Kamalavalli and brought her up with all the love and
affection. The child grew into adolescence and one day saw Lord
Ranganathar taken in procession and fell in love with the Lord. When the
king came to know this he was delighted that his adopted daughter was in
love with the Lord himself. He adorned her as a bride and took her to
the temple. In the temple the bride on seeing the Lord walked into the
innermost sanctum and merged with the deity. In commemoration of this
merger the king built and expanded the temple further. He also built two
shrines, one for Kamalavalli and the other for 'Azhahiya manavalar'
(Handsome bridegroom).
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kingdom lost its power and was invaded by the Moguls who plundered the
temple and took away the figure of Alahiya manavalar or Manavalapperumal
as he was also called. A woman very much devoted to Alahiya manavalar
followed the marauding soldiers and managed to enter the harem of the
Mogul king. She found that the beautiful idol had been presented to the
princess who had kept it in her bedroom. She then came back to Sri
Rangam and conveyed this news to the chief priest of the temple. This
woman was then called 'Pinsentra Valli' (the one who followed)
A deputation of musicians and dancers were sent to the Mogul court under
the leadership of Pinsentra Valli who managed to persuade the King to
return the Idol to them. On learning this, the Mogul princess became so
distressed the King had to send a posse of soldiers along with the
princess to retrieve the idol. When the delegation returning with the
idol heard of this pursuit of the Mogul princess they hid the idol in
Thiruppathi and dispersed. The princess arrived at Sri Rangam and when
she could not find the idol she collapsed and died there. The soldiers
who accompanied her returned to their kingdom empty handed.
There was a blind man in the service of the temple who had been there
during the period when the original idol was there. One day he was
offered the ablution water from the idol that had been kept in the outer
enclosure. When he put this water in his mouth as devotees do, he
shouted with joy, 'Num Perumal, Num Perumal' - meaning 'Our Perumal'.
When questioned he said that he could distinctly remember the taste of
the ablution water of the original Perumal and this water tasted the
same. The authorities were then convinced that this was the original
idol and installed it in the sanctum. Thus the deity is also called 'Num
Perumal'.
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Madurai Meenakshi Sundareswarar temple
 The name 'Madurai' evokes in the minds of the Tamils the golden era when
their language, culture and arts flourished under the patronage of
successive Pandian kings. The city was the home of such illustrious
institutions as the 'Sangam' which revived and nurtured great works of
Tamil poets and artists. It now houses the largest temple complex in
Tamilnadu built by the Nayaka Kings who ruled Madurai from the 16th to
18th century. They have left an indelible imprint of their glorious
period in the Meenakshi-Sundareswarar temple. The goddess Sakthi rules
the world as Meenakshi in Madurai, as Kamakshi in Kanchi and as
Visalakshi in Kasi. But the most revered and worshipped of these three
is the Goddess Meenakshi of Madurai.
Location : Madurai has a small airport served by flights from
Chennai, Thiruvananthapuram and Bombay. It is about 16 Km south of the
city. There are four bus stands serving local towns and towns afar. The
inter-state buses arrive at the TTC bus-stand which is nearest to the
centre of the town. The railway station is just west of the temple
complex.
The Temple : At first glance the most striking feature of the temple
is the soaring 'gopuram' (gateway towers) built above the four entrances
on the four sides. The most popular entrance is on the East Side through
a towerless entrance in line with the shrine of Meenakshi. This entrance
leads to the 'Ashtasakthi Mandapam' where the pillars are full of
sculptures illustrating the different aspects of Goddess Meenakshi and
the miracles performed by Lord Siva in Madurai.
This hall leads to the 'Ciththirai gopuram' passing through which will
take you to a passageway on the eastern end of the 'Pottramarai kulam'.
Steps go down on all four sides of this tank to the water in the middle
of which stands a brass column. Walking around the tank in a clock-wise
direction brings into view the golden 'vimanam' of the shrines of
Meenakshi and Sundareswarar while on the east of the tank. As you come
round the tank you pass the 'Oonjal mandapam' where every Friday
Meenakshi and Sundareswarar are put on a swing while 'othuvars' sing the
ancient Tamil hymns. Passing the 'Oonjal mandapam' you arrive at the 'Kilikkoottu
mandapam' where parrots were used to be kept. Next is the entrance to
Meenakshi shrine. North of the entrance to Meenakshi koil is the
entrance to Sundareswarar koil.
Legends : There are many legends as to the origin of Meenakshi. The
Pandyan king, Malayathuwajan, performed a 'Yagna' seeking the blessing
of God for a child as he had none. From the sacrificial fire appeared a
3 years old child with three breasts. This caused a great anxiety among
those gathered at the ceremony. They were then told by a mysterious
voice that the third breast would disappear when she met her future
husband. The voice also commanded that the child be known as 'Thadathagai'
and be brought up as if she was a son. So she was given training in all
aspects of royal duties befitting a prince including the art of war. One
day while she was pursuing her princely duties she came across a young
person of immense beauty and aura. She was so attracted by the majesty
and divine nature of this person that she became shy and was love
stricken towards this heavenly person. Her third breast also disappeared
at this point and she became aware that she had met her future husband.
This was none other than Lord Sunthareswarar who had come to take her
consort as pre-ordained.
The king was informed of his daughter's wishes and a marriage ceremony
was arranged. The bride was decked with all fineries and taken to the
temple where she walked into the sanctum and became one with the Lord.
Over the years Goddess Meenakshi (meaning the one with the beautiful
fish-shaped eye) has gained prominence and the temple is now called 'Meenakshi
koil' though the original name was Meenakshi-Sunthareswarar koil.
Another legend is that Goddess Sakthy was born to a Pandyan king in
Madurai. When she reached the age of marriage, she was so beautiful that
many suitors vied for her hand. She was a warrior princess and vowed
that she would marry only someone who could defeat her in combat. Many
of her suitors came forward and faced defeat in her hands. Finally Lord
Shiva came in the guise of Sundareswarar and won her in combat. He then
took her as His consort, they thus becoming the deities at the temple in
Madurai.
The name Madurai itself has a legend associated with it. King Kulasekara
Pandyan heard from his subjects that celestial beings were visiting his
kingdom in order to bathe in a pond and worship at the Lingam installed
nearby. He built a temple next to this tank and arrangements were made
to install this Lingam in the temple. At the appointed hour Lord Shiva
himself appeared and bathed in the pond. As he came out of the water
droplets from his matted hair fell upon those gathered around and on the
earth. This water was found to be the sweetest of all waters (Mathuram -
Nectar of the Gods) and the place where this water fell came to be known
as 'Mathurai'. The temple where the Lingam was installed came to be
known as Sundareswar koil and later as Meenakshi - Sundareswarar temple.
Opening Times and Festivals: The temple is open for worship throughout
the day. There are festivals in this temple practically every month. Two
main festivals fall in the month of Chiththirai (April/May) and in
Aavani (August/September).The temple abounds with sculptures depicting
the various lore of Hindu mythology. The dancing pose of Lord Nadarajar
usually has the left leg raised. In the 'Hall of Silver' (Velliamblam)
there is a statue of Lord Nadarajar with his right leg raised, which is
very unusual. Near the Southern tower there are five musical pillars
made up of 22 slender rods. Each of these rods gives out a different
note when tapped gently. The pillar is carved out of a single piece of
granite stone.
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Kanyakumari
 Kanyakumari is
at the southernmost tip of India and off its shores meet three seas; the
Arabian Sea, the Indian Ocean and the Bay of Bengal. It derives its name
from the virgin Goddess Kanyakumari whose temple is situated here on its
shore.
Legends : Kanyakumari is a railway terminus and can be reached from any
part of the country by rail via Trivandrum or Thirunelveli. There are
buses from all cities in Tamilnadu and some places in Kerala state. The
nearest airport is in Trivandrum about 86 Km away.
The Temple : The main entrance to the
temple is through the northern gate though the deity is facing east. The
eastern entrance is kept closed except on special occasions when the
deity is taken out for ceremonial bath.
Three corridors surround the sanctum. The outer corridor has no special
shrines, but after a walk round it the devotees cross the 'Navarathiri
mandapam' and a pathway leads to the second corridor encircling the
shrine. There stands the flag mast or 'Kodisthambam'. From here you can
have a clear view of the Goddess. A move further forward will take you
in front of the sanctum.
The Goddess stands with rosary in one hand as if in prayer. It is
believed that Parasurama installed the Idol made of blue stone. After
worshipping the Goddess, the devotees walk around the inner corridor
where the shrines of Vinayagar and Thiagasundary can be seen.
Legends : Many ages ago Banasura, the demon king, harassed the Devas and
imprisoned them. Unable to bear his atrocities the Devas sought the help
of Lord Vishnu, the protector of the Universe. He advised them to pray
to Goddess Parasakthi who alone could banish him. So the Devas started a
'yagna' to propitiate the Goddess who appeared and promised to destroy
Banasura. It was pre-ordained that only a virgin could kill Banasura, so
she arrived here as a Kumari (virgin) and started a penance to attain
the special powers before setting off to kill Banasura. Lord Shiva (Lord
of Suchindram temple about 11 km away) saw this beautiful virgin and
wanted her as his wife. He let the Devas know this and wanted them to
make arrangements for the wedding. The Devas, having known that only
Kumari could kill Banasura, did not want the marriage to go ahead. So
they sought the help of Naradha, the celestial roving trouble-shooter,
to stop this wedding.
Arrangements for the marriage were made and an auspicious time was fixed
as midnight of a certain day. On the appointed day the Lord left
Suchindram and traveled with his entourage to where the bride was
residing. As he was approaching the abode of this virgin incarnation,
Naradha played his trick. He turned himself into a cock and crowed,
signifying the approach of dawn. On hearing this, the Lord thought that
he had missed the auspicious time and returned to his abode.The Goddess
Kanyakumari was waiting eagerly for the arrival of the groom. When the
groom did not turn up at all she was disappointed and in a rage cursed
all the articles, ornaments and the food that had been prepared for the
wedding. They turned into sand and seashells that had scattered along
the seashore. That is why you see an abundance of colored sand and
seashells of every shape and form along the sea front in this
town.Banasura heard about the beauty of the virgin Goddess and came to
request her hand in marriage. When the Goddess refused, the demon king
tried to take her by force. As he drew his sword the Goddess killed him
with her 'Chakrayutham'. The Devas were thus restored to their kingdoms
and the relieved Devas requested her to remain there protecting them
forever.
Main Festivals and Opening Times : The main festivals are held in the
Tamil month of Vaikasi (May/June) and the Navarathri festival in
September/October.
The temple is open to the public from 4.30 AM to 11.45 AM and 5.30 PM to
8.45 PM. Male worshippers are required to remove their shirts before
entering the temple.
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Chithambaram
 Ramayana, the
Hindu epic, tells the story of Rama who declared war against the
powerful Ravana, the King of Lanka who had imprisoned Chidambaram is one
of the holiest and most venerated temples in Tamilnadu dedicated to Lord
Natarajah. When people refer to 'koil' (the Tamil word for temple) the
word denotes the temple in Chidambaram. Chidambaram is referred to in
Hindu scriptures by other names such as Thillai, Puliyur, Chittambalam,
Vyagrapuram and Pundareekapuram. The temple has attained such sanctity
and sacredness due to its antiquity and its association with so many
miracles mentioned in Hindu scriptures. Many sages, saints and religious
savants have sung in praise of the presiding deity.
Location : Chidambaram is about 250 km south of Chennai (Madras) and
is easily reached by rail and road. The town is situated on the main
railway route between Chennai and Trichi about halfway between these two
towns. There are buses from all the major towns of Tamilnadu to this
temple town.
The Temple :The temple occupies an area of about 51 acres. Four imposing
towers rise on the four sides of the temple. Each of these towers rises
to about 135 ft and are comprised of 7 storeys and are topped with 13
copper 'Kalasam' (finials). The entrances at the base of these towers
are quite large rising at least to a height of 40 ft. The outer
perimeter wall is about 30 ft high enclosing the outer 'street' (veedhi)
and the inner enclosures (praharam).
The shrines of Mukkuruni Vinayagar, Katpaga Vinayagar, Subramanya,
Somasundarar, Sivakamasundary and Pandyanayagar are all built along this
outer 'street'. The sacred tank 'Sivaganga' and the thousand-pillared
mandapam - 'Raja Sabah' - are also situated along this 'street'. The
second 'praharam' (enclosure) is connected to the outer 'veedhi' by two
entrances, one on the west and the other on the east.
On entering the second praharam you can see the shrine of Kalasamhara
moorthy, Oorthavathandava moorthy, Luxmi and Thandayuthapani. The
Flagstaff can be seen on the southern section and the 'Nrithya sabah'
houses the idol of Oorthavathandava moorthy. The shrine of 'Pollapillaiyar
and the shrines for the four 'Nayanmars' Appar, Sundarar, Sambanthar and
Manikkavasagar are seen here. The 'Deva Sabah' is also situated along
this corridor.
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At the entrance to the inner enclosure the golden roof of 'Chittambalam'
comes into view. It is in this 'manadapam' that Lord Nadarajah performs
his dance (the Anandathandavam) eternally. The Chitsabah and the
Kanakasabah are linked together and are called 'Ponnambalam'. This is
also called as 'Chittambalam' and 'Gnanasabah'. There isa small entrance
to the right of the Dancing Siva ('Nadarajah'). During 'pooja' the
curtain hung at the entrance is drawn aside and 'araathi' is shown.
There are no images inside but only a garland of golden 'vilva' leaves
is seen. This represents the 'Chidambara Rahasyam' representing the Lord
in the form of space. Chidambaram thus represents one of the five
elements (ether) and is called 'Aakasa sthalam'.As you stand in front of
the 'Chitsabah' at the entrance to the inner circuit you can see the
South facing Nadarajah and the East facing Govidaraja Perumal (Vishnu).
There is no other temple in the south where you can see both the Saivite
god Shiva and the Vaishnavite god Vishnu from the same spot.
Legends : Rishi Madyandinar had a son. He, under the direction of his
father, came to the forest of Thillai and worshipped the 'Lingam', which
had appeared there. He usually got up early before daybreak to collect
flowers with which to perform his pooja. One morning he could not
collect the flowers early as it was dark and cloudy and he could not see
the flowers. After daybreak he went to collect the flowers and found
that the flowers had been polluted by the bees and was grief stricken.
Lord Shiva on seeing his devotee grief stricken took pity on him and
gave him the eyes and limbs of a tiger so that he could see in the dark
and climb trees easily to collect the flowers. Thus he came to be known
as 'Vyagrapadar' and the forest where he lived as 'Vyagrapuram' or 'Puliyoor'.
During this time the rishis living in the forest known as 'Tharukavanam'
became very arrogant as they had mastered all the 'Vedas', 'Agamas' and
'Shastras' and could raise powerful creatures from the sacrificial fires
to do their bidding. Lord Shiva wished to show these rishis their
limitations and appeared as a handsome mendicant with Vishnu as his wife
'Mohini'. This created chaos in 'Tharukavanam' as the wives of the
rishis fell under the spell of this charming, handsome mendicant while
the youthful rishis fell for the allure of Mohini. The older rishis
became very angry and wanted to destroy the pair. They raised a
sacrificial fire ('Homam') from which appeared a tiger which was
directed at the pair. Lord Shiva killed the tiger, peeled off its skin
and tied it around his waist. Then the rishis produced a poisonous
serpent, which Lord Shiva caught and wore around his neck. The rishis
also sent a demon 'Muyalakan' against Lord Shiva whom he crushed under
his feet. Then the rishis sent the sacrificial fire against him which he
put on his left hand. The rishis having lost the fire sent the vedic
'mantras' which the Lord wore around his ankles. At this the rishis
conceded defeat and the Lord revealed himself by dancing the 'Oorthava
thandavam' with his matted hair unfurling in all eight directions and
the world reverberating to his steps.Lord Vishnu described this incident
to Adishesa, the serpent on which Lord Vishnu reposes. Adishesha wished
to see this dance and taking leave of Lord Vishnu went and prayed to
Lord Shiva to grant him the honour of witnessing his dance. Lord Shiva
advised Adhishesha to go to Vyagrapuram where he would one day perform
this dance. Adishesha was then born on this land and was given the name
Pathanjali. Pathanjali approached Vyagrapadar and told him of his quest.
As Vyagrapadar himself was eager to see the Lord's dance he was
delighted to receive Pathanjali and accompanied him to the temple of
Lord Shiva and prayed for the Lord's appearance. On an auspicious day
the celestial beings arrived at Thillai along with other Rishis, and
sages and assembled where Vyagrapadar had his temple. The heavenly
musicians too arrived. Then Lord Shiva appeared with one of His right
hands beating the drums and the other hand bestowing grace. With His
left hand holding the fire and the other pointing to his right leg
trampling Muyalakan under the foot, He appeared with His left leg raised
in a dancing pose.
The guardian of the forest in Thillai, Goddess Kali, refused to allow
Lord Shiva to dance in Her domain. Lord Shiva therefore challenged Her
to a dance competition on condition that if He won then She would be
banished from that area. The competition began. While Naradha played the
veena, Nandikeswara played the drums and other celestial musicians
accompanied with their instruments Lord Shiva danced with his hair flung
in all directions. With the 'vedas' as his anklets, the serpent as his
waist band, the tiger skin as his attire with Ganga and the crescent
moon on his crest, He performed the 'Ananda thandavam'. At one stage
Lord Shiva took a pose with His left foot raised above His head but
modesty prevented Goddess Kali matching the same pose. Thus She lost the
competition and had taken residence in the northern end of Chidambaram
in the Thillaiamman temple. Every devotee who comes to Chidambaram after
worshipping at the Natarajar temple visits this temple too. Pathanjali
and Vyagrapadar prayed to Lord Shiva to remain at Thillai as the
eternally dancing god 'Lord Natarajar' so that all the earthly beings
could witness his dance and receive his grace and blessing.
Opening Times:The temple is open from 6 am to 12 noon and then from 5 pm
to 10 pm.
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Rameswaram
 Rameswaram, an
island about 160 km Southeast of Madurai is connected to the mainland
both by a railway and a road bridge. It is a major pilgrim site. It is
believed that the pilgrimage one undertakes in Kasi in the very north
should culminate in bathing in the sacred waters of Rameswaram in order
to obtain the full benefit. According to 'Ramayana', the Hindu epic,
Lord Rama himself had installed the Lingam in this place which therefore
gains an added importance and is held in high esteem by all the Hindus
of India both Vaishnavites and Saivites. The other pilgrimage point in
this island of Rameswaram is Dhanuskodi that is also called 'Sethu'. It
is considered meritorious to take a dip in the sea off the coast of
Dhanushkodi. There are several other small temples of interest scattered
around this island.
Rameswaram is connected by road to all
important towns in Tamilnadu. There are rail connections with all major
cities like Madras, Madurai, Coimbatore, Trichy and Tanjavur. The
nearest airport is Madurai.The mainland is connected by an impressive
bridge called Indra Gandhi Bridge and busses ply to and from many towns
in Tamilnadu. This is a railway terminus for the Southern Railway and
there are daily trains from Madras, Madurai and Coimbatore.
Rameswaram Temple- temples in Tamil nadu,
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The Temple : The temple was originally a small thatched hut looked after
by a 'sadhu'. Subsequently over the centuries various people added to
the structure among whom the 'Sethupathys' of Ramanad were significant.
King Parakramabahu, King of Sri Lanka, constructed the sanctum around
Sri Ramanathaswamy, Sri Viswanathar and Sri Visalakshi in the 12th
century. The temple has three corridors (praharam). The outer corridor
is flanked on either side by a continuous platform with large number of
pillars, each adorned by great sculptures. The longest corridors are the
north and south corridors which from each end present a vista of
receding columns and one cannot fail to marvel the grandeur and
precision of the art of ancient architects and artisans. The western
tower is about 78ft high and the eastern tower about 126ft made up of
nine tiers. There is an imposing 'nandhi' in front of the 'moolasthanam'.
The sanctum of Lord Ramanathaswamy contains a Lingam believed to have
been installed by Lord Rama himself while on the north of this shrine is
the sanctum of Lord Visvanathar which is believed to have been brought
by Hanuman from Mount Kailash. There are other shrines dedicated to
various minor deities and 22 'theerthams' (source of sacred water)
within the precinct of the temple. Devotees bathe in these waters before
proceeding to the inner sanctum to receive 'dharshan'.
Legends : Rama's wife Sita. In the fierce battle that ensued Ravana was
defeated and killed by Lord Rama. Sita was released from Ravana's
prison. Rama and Sita returned to the island of Rameswaram, which was
then, called 'Gandhamadana malai' on their way back to Ayodya. The sages
and 'rishis' assembled in Remeswaram to receive Rama and his consort
advised him that as he had killed Ravana, a brahmin, he should atone for
his sin of 'brahmahastya' by performing a purificatory rite in front of
a Lingam. As there was no Lingam available, Rama asked Hanuman to obtain
one from Lord Shiva himself from Mount Kailash. Hanuman went to Mount
Kailash and sat in prayer to Lord Shiva requesting a Sivalingam. Days
passed and Hanuman had not returned. As the auspicious time was
approaching Sita moulded a Sivalingam out of sand and Rama performed his
purificatory rite in front of this Lingam. Later Hanuman arrived with
his Lingam given by Lord Shiva and was dejected to find that his efforts
were in vain. Lord Rama seeing his dejection told him to throw away the
Lingam made out of sand and to install the Lingam given to him. Hanuman
then tried to lift the Sivalingam already installed but could not move
it. So Rama advised him to install his Sivalingam near the one already
there and requested all his followers to worship this Lingam first
before worshipping the Lingam installed by himself. So this practice
continues until this day as the devotees first offer prayers to this
Lingam from Mount Kailash as Visvanathar before offering prayers to Lord
Ramanathaswamy.
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Palani
 Palani is one of
the six padai vedu shrines of Murugan, representing the sites where
Murugan the valiant commander of the gods sojourned, while he proceded
to battle against the demon Soorapadman. Palani is probably one of the
most visited and the most endowed temples in the state of Tamilnadu. The
Dhandayudapani Temple is located on the 450 feet high Palani malai in
the town of Palani near Madurai. 690 stone steps line the mountain
passage and an electric winch also takes pilgrims up the hill This
temple is refered to in the Tamil work Thirumurugatruppadai of Nakeerar
of the Sangam age (pre Christian era). Arunagirinaathar, the saint poet
has composed 95 verses on Palani in his Thirupugazh. The Palani malai
hill temple and the Thiruvavinankudi temple at the foot hills form a
composite unit. The Thiruvavinankudi temple is refered to as
Kuzhandhaivelayudar temple and the Saravanpoigai tank is located near
it.
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Brihadeeswarar Temple in Tanjavur
 Thousands of temples with lofty towers dot
the skyline of the southernmost state of Tamilnadu in India. These
temples are torchbearers of the glorious heritage of the Tamil speaking
region, and are repositories of the magnificient art forms that evolved
over several centuries.The Cholas (900-1250 AD) have a number of
monuments to their credit. Mention must be made of the Brihadeeswarar
Temple in Tanjavur. The Cholas added many ornate mandpams or halls to
temples and constructed large gopurams - towers.The Pandya Style (Upto
1350 AD) saw the emergence of huge towers, high wall enclosures and
enormous towered gateways. The Vijayanagar Style (1350 - 1560 AD) is
noted for the intricacy and beauty especially for the decorated
monolithic pillars. The Naik style (1600 - 1750 AD) is noted for the
addition of large prakarams (circumambulatory paths) and pillared
halls.The above is a rather terse description of the Dravidian temple
styles found in Tamilnadu. The age of a temple could be determined from
the architectural features exhibitied by it, as well as from references
to it in ancient literature.
The Sangam period literature of the pre
Christian era refers to some temples. The songs of the revered Saivite
Saints (Nayanmars) and the Vaishnavite Alwar Saints that date back to
the period 7th to the 9th century CE provide ample references to the
temples of those days, and these are a valued source of reference in
estimating the age of temples.
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