The visit to this Sri Thiruvaliswarar Temple at Arpakkam,was a part of REACH Foundation’s Epigraphic field visit on 26th February 2023. Thiruvaliswarar Temple is very Close to Sri Adhikesava Perumal Temple and Adhinathar Jain temple in Kanchipuram district Arpakkam. This Arpakkam Village is on the banks of river Cheyyar, a tributary of Palar River. The river is praised as Pali in Magaral Shiva Temple Thevara pathigam. ( about 2.2 KM from this place ).
உரையா தாரில்லை யொன்றுநின் தன்மையைப்
பரவா தாரில்லை நாள்களும்
திரையார் பாலியின் தென்கரை மாற்பேற்
றரையா னேயருள் நல்கிடே. 1.55.6
இந்த ஆர்பாக்கம் கிராமம் காஞ்சிபுரம் மாவட்டம் பாலாற்றங் கரையில் அமைந்துள்ளது. இவ்வூர் ஒருகாலத்தில் சமணம், பவுத்தம், வைஷ்ணவம் மற்றும் சைவம் சிறப்புற்று இருந்தது.. இன்றும் வழிபாட்டில் இருக்கும் சமணர் கோயிலும், புத்தரின் பின்னப்பட்ட சிலைகளும் அதற்கு சான்றாக காணப்படுகின்றது. திருவாலீஸ்வரர் என்ற இந்த சிவன் கோயில் ராமாயாண காவியத்தின் ஒரு பாத்திரமான வாலியால் வணங்கப்பட்டதாகக் கருதப்படுகின்றது. பல்லவர்களால் தொண்டைநாட்டில் கட்டப்பட்ட 108 கஜபிருஷ்ட விமானக் கோயில்களுள் இதுவும் ஒன்று எனக் கருதப்படுகின்றது. இக்கோயிலில் சோழர், மற்றும் சம்புவராயர்கள் காலத்தைச் சார்ந்த கல்வெட்டுகள் காணப்படுகின்றன. இக்கல்வெட்டுக்களுள் ஒரு கல்வெட்டு சிங்களப்படைகள் பாண்டியரை வென்ற பின்பு, சோழநாட்டில் புகுந்து நாசம் விளைவிப்பதைத் தடுக்க 28 நாட்கள் அஹோர பூஜை நடத்தாப்பட்டதையும் அதனால் சிங்களப்படையை வெற்றி கொண்டதையும் பதிவு செய்கின்றது.
Moolavar : Sri Thiruvaliswarar
Consort : Sri Tripura Sundari / Thirunallazhaki
Some of the salient features of this temple are….
The temple is facing east with an entrance arch on the South side. A mandapam is before the south side entrance arch. Stucco images of Shiva & Parvati in the form of Rishabaroodar, Vinayagar and Sri Valli Devasena Subramaniyar are on the top of the entrance arch. Balipeedam, Dwajasthambam and Rishabam are on the east side. A 4 pillar mandapam is on the left side of balipeedam. Vinayagar is on the right side entrance of sanctum sanctorum. Moolavar is of Swayambhu with a Kozhu ( hit mark ) on the top under Rudraksha pandal. In Koshtam Vinayagar, Dakshinamurthy with two Sanakathi munivars, Maha Vishnu, Brahma and Durgai.
In Praharam Chandikeswarar, Nalvar, Shiva Lingas which includes a dhara Lingam, chandikeswarar, Suryan, Bairavar, Nagars, Navagrahas, Natarajar with Sivakami, balipeedam and a Rishabam.
In the outer praharam, Vinayagar, Aiyyanar, Jyeshta Devi / Thavvai and vahana mandapam.
ARCHITECTURE
The temple consists of sanctum sanctorum, antarala, ardha mandapam and Maha mandapam. The Sanctum sanctorum is of Gajabirushta style on a pada bandha adhistanam with jagathi, threepatta kumudam and Pattigai. An ekatala Gajabirushta Vimanam is over the sanctum sanctorum.
HISTORY AND INSCRIPTIONS
It is believed that the original temple was constructed during pallava period and reconstructed with stone during Chozha period. This is one of the 108 Gajabuirushta Vimana temples built in Thondai mandalam.
The inscription recorded from this temple belongs to Kulothunga Chozha, Rajarajan-II, Rajathirajan, Sambuvarayars. Some of the inscriptions starts with Ganapathiye Namaha – கணபதியே நமக.. and Thiruvaykezhvikku munnaka - திருவாய்கேழ்விக்கு முன்னாக....,. As per the inscriptions this place was in Jayangonda Chozha mandalathu Eyir Kottathu, Makaral Nattu Arpakkam. Also called as Alpakkam.
Most of the inscriptions records the gifts given to this temple for burning Lamps, poojas, in-terms of Land, etc,.
The Kulothunga Chozha –III’s inscription records the endowment of burning a sandhi lamp for which 12 Sava moova peradu / sheep / goat was gifted to the temple. The Koparakesari Thirubhuvana
Chakravarthikal Rajayiraja Thevar alias Rajathirajan- II’s 5th reign
year ( 1163 – 1178 CE ) inscription starts with his meikeerthi as ஸ்வஸ்திஸ்ரீ கடல் சூழ்ந்த
பார்மாதரும் பூமாதரும் கலைமாதரும் அடல் சூழ்ந்த போர் மாதரும் சீர்மாதரும் அமர்ந்துவாழ.... This
inscription records that Singhalese army captured the Pandya country and chased
away the King. They also destroyed the Rameswaram Temple, stopped poojas and
looted pandaram / treasury. Then they tried to enter Chozha Country
and the people are scared. On the way they looted properties, destroyed
temples, tortured peoples. Ethirili Chozha Sambuvarayar, a small regional king
under Rajathiraja handed over a letter to Rajagru Swamithevar alias Gnanasiva
of Rajathiraja at this place. And requesting to do parihara to win the
Singhalese army. The Rajaguru conducted the apichara Ahora poojas
for 28 days. After that received a letter from Chozha Chieftain Pallavarayan,
stating that the Singhalese army was chased away. It was submitted to Rajaguru
and Sambuvarayar requested Rajaguru to accept some thing. The Rajaguru asked
this Village Alapakkam ( 167 Veli Land comprising of nanchei, Punjai
gifted as Irayili after exempting the taxes ) and the same was gifted as
irayili ( AR No 20 of 1899 ).
The south side mandapa was built by arpakkam Mahadeva Rathna Mudaliar in 25th day, October 1921. Maha kumbhabhishekam was conducted on 25th may 2005. The Right side mandapam in front of the Temple was constructed in Karthigai month in Vihari Year.
LEGENDS
It is believed that Vali, one of the Ramayana Epic Character worshipped Shri Shiva of this temple. Hence Shiva obtained the name of Thiruvaliswarar.
In another legend, to carryout the Brahma Yagna with the help of Balaramar, ploughed the land. The plough hit an object. When excavated carefully found the Shiva Linga. Shiva was then called as “Kozhu Nathar ..”, since the iron part of the plough is called as Kozhu in Tamil. Shiva was then worshipped by Rajaraja-II and his son Kulothunga Chozha.
Once Kulothunga Chozha-III’s ( ...? must be Rajathi Raja ) Rajaguru conducted the Ahora poojas at this place. With the benefit of this Yagna Kulothunga Chozha defeated Singhaleese and Pandyas. He gave this village Arpakkam to his Guru.
POOJAS AND CELEBRATIONS
Apart from 2 kala poojas, special poojas are conducted on Pradosham, maha shivaratri, Amavasya, Pournami, etc.
TEMPLE TIMINGS
The temple will be kept opened between 07.00 hrs to 10.00 hrs and 17.00 hrs to 19.00 hrs.
CONTACT DETAILS
Raja Gurukkal +91 9443690219 and Rajasekara Gurukkal +91 9600999204 may be contacted for further details.
HOW TO REACH
Arpakkam is about 2.2 KM from Magaral one of the thevara Paadal Petra Sthalam, 15 KM from Kanchipuram, 37 KM from Chengalpattu, 51 KM from Tambaram and 82 KM from Chennai Central.
Nearest Railway Station is Kanchipuram.
LOCATION OF THE TEMPLE : CLICK HERE
Vahanas
Shiva
Suryan and Nagars
Bairavar
A Shiva Linga- Dhara Lingam may belongs to another temple
--- OM SHIVAYA NAMA ---
No comments:
Post a Comment