Tiruppaatrurai Adhimooleswarar Temple

Adhimooleswarar Temple
Adhimooleswarar Temple Location in Tamil Nadu
Name
Other names	Thirupatruthurai
Geography
Coordinates	10°50′45″N 78°46′09″E / 10.84583°N 78.76917°E / 10.84583; 78.76917Coordinates: 10°50′45″N 78°46′09″E / 10.84583°N 78.76917°E / 10.84583; 78.76917
Country	India
State	Tamil Nadu
District	Tiruchirapalli
Location	Panayur
Culture
Primary deity	Adhimooleswarar(Shiva)
Architecture
Architectural styles	Dravidian architecture

Tiruppaatrurai Adhimooleswarar Temple is a Hindu temple located at Tirupattrurai in Trichy district of Tamil Nadu, India. The historical name of the place is Tirupalathurai. ^[1] The presiding deity is Shiva. He is called as Adhimooleswarar. His consort is known as Nithyakalyani.

Adhimooleswarar is revered in the 7th century Tamil Saiva canonical work, the Tevaram, written by Tamil saint poets known as the nayanars and classified as Paadal Petra Sthalam.

It has several inscriptions dating back to the Chola period. The temple has six daily rituals at various times from 5:30 a.m. to 8 p.m., and three yearly festivals on its calendar. The annual Brahmotsavam (prime festival) is attended by thousands of devotees from far and near. The temple is maintained and administered by the Hindu Religious and Endowment Board of the Government of Tamil Nadu.

Legend

As per Hindu legend, a Chola king was hunting in the region and was chasing a bird. The bird escaped and went inside a bush. The king aimed at the bird and shot an arrow, but the bird was not found. He instead found an ant hill in the place and milk was oozing out from the point of the arrow. The king got frightened and returned to his palace. During that night, Shiva came in his dream and informed that it was he who was inside the anthill. The king established a temple in the place of the anthill.^[1]

Architecture

Sculptures in the temple

Adhimooleswarar temple complex has two prakarams (outer courtyard) and a small five-tiered rajagopuram (gateway tower). The central shrine faces east and holds the image of Adhimooleswarar (Shiva) in the form of lingam made of granite. The granite images of the deities Ganesha (son of Shiva and god of wisdom), Murugan (son of Shiva and god of war), Nandi (the bull and vehicle of Shiva) and Navagraha (nine planetary deities) are located in the hall leading to the sanctum. The hall leading to the sanctum also has the South facing shrine of Nithyakalyani, the consort of Adhimooleswarar, in standing posture. As in other Shiva temples of Tamil Nadu, the first precinct or the walls around the sanctum of Adhimooleswarar has images of Dakshinamurthy (Shiva as the Teacher), Durga (warrior-goddess) and Chandikeswarar (a saint and devotee of Shiva). There are four historic image of Bhikshadanar, Dakshinamoorthy sporting a Veena and two image of Vishnu. The first precinct is surrounded by granite walls.^[1]

Significance

It is one of the shrines of the 275 Paadal Petra Sthalams - Shiva Sthalams glorified in the early medieval Tevaram poems by Tamil Saivite Nayanar Tirugnanasambandar.

Literary Mention

Tirugnanasambandar describes the feature of the deity as:^[2]

References

External links

• "Moolanathar Temple, Tiruppatrurai". Shiva Temples of Tamilnadu, Paadal Petra Sivasthalangal. 

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