Thursday 5 November 2020

Soundaryeswarar Temple / Sri Soundareswarar Temple / Sri Siddhanatheswarar Temple / அருள்மிகு சவுந்தர்யநாயகி உடனுறை சித்தநாதேஸ்வரர் திருக்கோயில் திருநறையூர். Thirunaraiyur, Cuddalore District, Tamil Nadu.

This is the 87th Thevara Paadal Petra Shiva Sthalam  and 33rd sthalam on the north side of river Kaveri in Chozha Nadu. The Poola Pillayar is very popular than Lord Shiva of this Temple. 

In Periya Puranam, Sekkizhar records that, Thirugnanasambandar came to this temple after worshiping Lord Shiva of Thirukadamabur also called as Melakadambur.  Thirunavukkarasar visited this temple after worshiping Lord Shiva as Natarajar at Thillai also called as Chidambaram.

நம்பரை நலம்திகழ் நாரையூரினில்
கும்பிடும் விருப்பொடு குறுகிக்கூடிய
வம்புஅலர் செந்தமிழ் மாலைபாடி நின்று
எம்பிரான் கவுணியர் தலைவர் ஏத்தினார்
.......... திருஞானசம்பந்தர் புராணம்

அப்பொழுதே அம்பலத்துள் ஆடுகின்ற கழல் வணங்கி அருள்முன் பெற்றுப்
பொய்ப்பிறவிப் பிணி ஓட்டும் திருவீதி புரண்டு வலம் கொண்டு போந்தே
எப்புவனங்களும் நிறைந்த திருப்பதியின் எல்லையினை இறைஞ்சி ஏத்திச்
செப்பரிய பெருமை யினார் திருநாரை யூர் பணிந்து பாடிச் செல்வார்
.......... திருநாவுக்கரசு புராணம்
Thirugnanasambandar, Thirunavukkarasu Swamigal and Vallalar has sung hymns in praise of Lord Shiva of this temple.

கடலிடை வெங்கடு நஞ்சம்உண்ட கடவுள் விடையேறி
உடலிடை யிற்பொடிப் பூசவல்லான் உமையொடு ஒருபாகன்
அடலிடை யிற்சிலை தாங்கி எய்த அம்மான் அடியார்மேல்
நடலைவி னைத்தொகை தீர்த்துஉகந்தான் இடம் நாரை யூர்தானே
...... திருஞானசம்பந்தர்

சொல்லானைப் பொருளானைச் சுருதி யானைச்
        சுடராழி நெடுமாலுக் கருள் செய்தானைச்
அல்லானைப் பகலானை அரியான் தன்னை
        அடியார்கட் கெளியானை அரண்மூன் றெய்த
வில்லானைச் சரம்விசயற் கருள்செய் தானை
        வெங்கதிரோன் மாமுனிவர் விரும்பியேத்தும்
நல்லானைத் தீயாடு நம்பன் தன்னை
        நாரையூர் நன்னகரிற் கண்டேன் நானே
........ திருநாவுக்கரசு சுவாமிகள்
                                                                    -“மேனாட்டுந்
தேரையூர்ச் செங்கதிர் போல் செம்மணிகள் நின்றிலங்கும்
நாரையூர் மேவு நடுநிலையே
.......... திரு அருட்பா
Moolavar  : Sri Soundaryeswarar.
Consort    : Sri Thiripurasundari.

Some of the important features of this temple are.....
The temple is facing east with a 3 tier Rajagopuram. Balipeedam, Kodimara Vinayagar and Rishabam are in front of the Rajagopuram ( Out side ). Stucco image of Shiva with Parvati are above the entrance. Moolavar is of swayambhu. On both side of the sanctum sanctorum entrance paintings of sthala purana of Naarai/ Crane worshiping Lord Shiva and Nambiyandar Nambi worshiping lord Shiva. In koshtam Agasthiya Vinayagar, Dakshinamurthy, Annamalaiyar, Brahma & separate sannadhi for Durgai Amman.

In the inner prakaram Chandrasekar, Nalvar, Thirugnanasambandar, Thirunavukkarasar, Sundarar, Manickavasagar, Sekkizhar, Agathiyar & Bagamunivar, Narayana Munivar and Vinayagar. Urchavars are Naarai, Polla Pillayar, Rajarajan.

In the outer prakaram Thirumoolanathar, Two Chandikeswaras ( One for the moolavar and other one for Sri Thirumoolanathar ), Navagrahas, Shaniswarar, 3 Bhairavas, Suryan, Pollapilayar, Subramaniyar and Gajalakshmi. In Santhanachariyar sannadhi Meikanda devar, Arul nandhi Sivachariyar, Marai Gnanasambandar and Umapathy Sivachariyar.

Polla Pillayar is in a separate sannadhi facing east. A swayambhu Valampuri Vinayagar. ( Pollal = to make with chisel ). Pillayar was on his own with out chiselled. In the inner prakaram paintings of  how Nambiyandar Nambi found out the Thevara thirumurai. Idols of Nambiyandar Nambi and Rajaraja Chozhan are in Polla Pillayar Sannadhi. Ambal is in a separate Temple near Rajagopuram.

Kanchi Chidambaram Munivar has sung this  song in which he praises Muruga of this Temple. In addition to this he narrates that Chozha King brought out the Thevara Thirumurai / Hymns from the locked room of Chidambaram through Polla Pillayar.

முகில்போல் பொழியும் மூவர் திருமுறை கண்டெடுக்கச் சோழேசன்
        முக்காலத்தின் இயல்புணர்ந்த முத்தர் நம்பி யாண்டார்தாள்
புகழ ஆங்கே நிவேதித்த பொற்பார் மோதகாதியெலாம்
        பொருந்தத் துதிக்கை யாலெடுத்துப் புசிக்க அவர்தாம் பின்கேட்க
மகிழைங்கரத் தோன் கனகசபை வாயுதிக்கிலிருக்கு தென்றே
        வந்தே யருளத் திருமுறையால் வைய மெல்லாம் வாழவைக்கும்
திகழு நாரையூர்க்குமார சிறியேஞ் சிற்றில் சிதையேலே
        தெய்வக் குறப் பெண் மணவாளா சிறியேஞ் சிற்றில் சிதயாலே
... காஞ்சி சிதம்பர முனிவர் பாடியுள்ள சுப்பிரமணியக்கடவுள் க்ஷேத்திரக்கோவை பிள்ளைத்தமிழ்
HISTORY AND INSCRIPTIONS
Since Thirugnanasambandar gas sung hymns in praise of Lord Shiva of this temple, this temple might have been existed before 7th Century. The temple was reconstructed during Chozha Period and extended further.

The recorded inscriptions belongs to latter period ie after 11th Century,  Kulothunga Chozha, Vikrama Chozha and Koperunchinga. Kulothunga Chozha period inscription records the endowment of burning a Sandhi Lamp for which a Village was gifted to this temple,.

The Vikrama Chozha period inscription records the donation of 540 Kalam yield land for poojas.

Koperunchinga 1250 CE inscription  records the  sale of 60 Ma land. Another inscription mentions that a Cow with calf was stolen and recovered back by the Village Sabha after conducting the enquiry.

In 1943 Maha Kumbhabhishekam was conducted after constructing the Vimana, Santhana Sivachariyar with sekkizhar sannadhi by Dharmapura Adheenam Sri-la-Sri Shanmuga Desika Gnanasambanda Paramachariyar Swamigal and in 2009 also conducted Kumbhabhishekam.

LEGEND: 
As per the legend the sage Durvasa cursed a Gandharva, who was a musician  to the celestial deities to become Naarai / Crane, since he disturbed Sage’s penance. When Gandharva begged for pardon, the sage advised him to worship Lord Shiva of this temple by doing abhishekam with the Ganga water from Kasi. Daily Gandharva used to take water in his beak from Ganga  and flew down to this place for worship and attained Mukthi, hence this temple is a mukthi sthalam.  

The other Legend is associated with the life story of Nambiyandar Nambi. During his young age happened to do Pooja to this temple’s Polla Pillayar, in his father’s absence.  After pooja he offered naivedyam and asked Pillayar to eat. When nothing happened, thinking that he had done some mistake in pooja, that’s why Pillayar is not eating. So he tried to hit his head at the feet of Pillayar. Immediately Pillayar had consumed the naivedyam. This was checked by his parents. This incident was spread like wild fire. On hearing, this miracle Chozha King  Rajaraja personally came to this place and asked Nambi to show in front of him. Though Pillayar didn’t eat initially after hearing Nambi’s “Irattaimani malai”, hymns  Pillayar started eating. On the King’s request Pillayar also showed the way to get the Thevara hymns kept in a locked room of Natarajar temple at Chidambaram. ( Historians differs this incidence happened during Rajaraja period, and happened only Latter ).    

என்னை நினைந்தடிமை கொண்டென் இடர்கெடுத்துத்
தன்னை நினையத் தருகின்றான் - புன்னை
விரசுமகிழ் சோலை வியன்நாரை யூர்முக்கண்
அரசுமகிழ் அத்திமுகத் தான்.

நாந்தன மாமனம் ஏத்துகண் டாய்என்றும் நாண்மலரால்
தாந்தன மாக இருந்தனன் நாரைப் பதிதன்னுளே
சேர்ந்தன னேஐந்து செங்கைய னேநின் திரள்மருப்பை
ஏந்தின னேஎன்னை ஆண்டவ னேஎனக் கென்னையனே.

In Sundarar’s Thiru Thondar Thogai, he mentions 60 nayanmars. Nambiyandar Nambi had written a brief history of each Nayanmar, as Thiruthondar Puranam. Based on this Sekkizhar  added Sundarar and his parents and written as Periya Puranam. This Periya Purana is added as 11th thirumurai of 12 Thirumurai.  

POOJAS AND CELEBRATIONS
Apart from regular poojas, special poojas are conducted on Pradosham, 13 days Brahmotsavam, Vaikasi Visakam, Rajarajan festival, Nambiyandar Nambi’s Guru pooja are celebrated in Vaikasi ( May – June ),  Vinayagar Chathurthi in Avani ( Aug – Sep ), Kandar Sashti and Annabhishekam in Aippasi ( Oct – Nov ), Thirukarthigai in Karthigai month ( Nov – Dec ), Thiruvadirai in Margazhi ( Dec- Jan ) and Maha Shivaratri in Masi ( Feb–March ),

TEMPLE TIMINGS
The temple will be kept opened between 06.30 hrs to 11.30 hrs and 16.30 hrs to 19.30 Hrs

CONTACT DETAILS:
Mobile numbers of the temple +91 98420 73704 and +91 94439 06219 and Gurukkal Sri Muthukumarasamy mobile number +91 99432 54861, may be contacted for further details.

HOW TO REACH :
On the bus route Chidambaram to Kattumannarkoil via  Kumaratchi, get down at Polla Pillayar temple bus stop and  Naraiyur is 1 Km.( Town Bus routes are  23, 28 from Chidambaram)
The Temple is 8 KM from Kattumannarkoil, 12 KM from Kanattampuliyur, 15 KM from Omampuliyur, 16 KM from Melakadambur, 16 KM from Chidambaram and 235 KM from Chennai.
Nearest railway station is Chidambaram. 

LOCATION OF THE TEMPLE : CLICK HERE


























---OM SHIVAYA NAMA---

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