Peravurani Pinnavassal Agathiswarar Temple- Thanjavur

Address

Peravurani Pinnavassal Agathiswarar Temple- Pinnavasal, Peravurani Thanjavur district, Tamil Nadu 614804

Diety

Agathiswarar Amman: Periyanayaki Ambal

Introduction

Agathiswarar Shiva Temple is 1000 year old Shiva temple located in the village of Pinnavasal near Peravurani, Thanjavur district, Tamil Nadu.. The old name of the village was Punnaivayil. The exact year of construction of the Shiva temple found here is not known but the temple must have been built during the Chola period and later rebuilt during the Pandya period. Inscriptions are found as evidence of restoration. The temple had reached a state of total dilapidation. Large trees had come up on the Vimana and the inner walls. The prakara was covered with huge bushes and no devotee could go around the sannidhi in either of the temples. There is a shrine of Periyanayaki Ambal in this temple. The temple has a total of two towers. The temple is under the control of the Hindu Temples Department.

Puranic Significance

The temple dates back to the nineteenth century. The temple now has a sanctum sanctorum, a hall in front of the sanctum sanctorum, a mahamandapam and a shrine to the goddess. Other parts of the temple are in ruins. The sculptures of Moolavar, Murugan and Byravar, ambal are found here. Chola and Pandya architecture are found in the Mahamandapath pillars. There are a total of 6 pillars out of which 4 pillars are from the Chola period and the remaining 2 pillars are from the Pandya period. A total of 3 inscriptions are found in this temple which are of Pandya period one inscription is large and the other two are small. The large inscription tells the story of Kalumalamudaiyan who sold the land to Venavudaiyar, the lion of Kalumalamudaiyan, to build a temple and set up an Agaram (Agraharam). Its period is B.C. 1259. The name of the second Sadyavarman Kulasekara Pandian is mentioned as Sundarapandiya Valanadu. Another inscription also mentions the character of a man from Adanur during the restoration of the temple in pandya period.