AnandhaThandava Puram Anandha Thandaveswarar Temple, Nagapattinam

Address

AnandhaThandava Puram Anandha Thandaveswarar Temple, Anandha Thandava Puram, Nagapattinam District – 609 103. Phone: +91 4364 242 127 Mobile: +91 94860 32325 / 94420 58137

Diety

Panchavateeswarar / Kalyana Sundareswarar / Anandha Thandaveswarar / Parijathavaneswarar. Amman: Kalyana Sundari and Brihannayagi

Introduction

Panchavateeswarar Temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva located in Anandha Thandava Puram Village in Nagapattinam District of Tamil Nadu. The Temple is also called as Anandha Thandavareswarar Temple. Presiding Deity is called as Panchavateeswarar / Kalyana Sundareswarar / Anandha Thandaveswarar / Parijathavaneswarar. There are two shrines for goddess Parvathy namely Kalyana Sundari and Brihannayagi in this temple. The Temple is considered as ThevaraVaippu Sthalam as Devaram hymns had a mention about this temple.

Puranic Significance

The Temple might have been in existence from 6 th century CE as it finds mention in Thevaram hymns of Appar. The Temple was reconstructed by Cholas in 12th century CE. Anandha Thandava Puram was called as Kancharur in ancient times. Kancharur is considered as the birthplace of Manakanchara Nayanar, one of the 63 Nayanmars The great carnatic composer and lyricist Sri Gopala Krishna Bharathi lived in this village for most of his life. His music Guru, Sri Govinda Yati is also lived here. A music festival in memory of Gopala Krishna Bharathi is conducted in this village annually. This festival will be attended by renowned musicians from all over the country. Manakanchara Nayanar was a Nayanar saint, venerated in the Hindu sect of Shaivism. He is generally counted as the twelfth in the list of 63 Nayanars. Manakanchara Nayanar is dated to the 8 th century CE and was a contemporary of Eyarkon Kalikkama Nayanar, a Nayanar saint and his son-in-law as well as Sundarar, one of the most prominent Nayanars. Sundarar venerates Manakanchara Nayanar in the Tiruthonda Thogai, a hymn to Nayanar saints. The life of Manakanchara Nayanar is described in the Periya Puranam by Sekkizhar (12th century CE), which is a hagiography of the 63 Nayanars. He is said to have cut his daughter’s hair and given it to Lord Shiva disguised as a Shaiva ascetic, on her wedding day. Manakanchara Nayanar was born in Kancharur, a fertile place in the Chola Kingdom. Kancharur is currently called as Anandha Thandava Puram in Mayiladuthurai District in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. He was a Vellalar, a caste of agricultural land owners. He was a great devotee of Shiva, the patron god of Shaivism. He was the commander-in-chief of the Chola army. Manakanchara became a powerful and wealthy commander. He served devotees of Shiva and generously donated gifts to them. However, Manakanchara did not have a child. He prayed to Lord Shiva for a child and was blessed with a daughter. He distributed many gifts to devotees, while celebrating the birth of his daughter with great pomp. He named her as Punniya Vardhini. She was instilled with values of devotion to Lord Shiva by her father from childhood. She grew up to become a beautiful maiden, with long and beautiful locks of hair. The family elders arranged her marriage to Eyarkon Kalikkama Nayanar, who was a Vellalar commander-in-chief of the Chola kingdom. The prospective groom also shared the devotion and love for Lord Shiva with Manakanchara Nayanar. It was said that Manakanchara Nayanar had gained two boons from Shiva namely a pious daughter as well as a devout and illustrious son-in-law. On the day prior to the wedding, while the bridegroom was on the way to the marriage venue at Manakanchara Nayanar’s house, Lord Shiva disguised himself as a Mahavrata Shaiva yogi, with sacred ash smeared over his body, matted hair and wearing garlands of bones and skulls and a Yagnopavita (sacred thread worn across the chest) made of human hair called a Panchavati. Manakanchara Nayanar welcomed and honoured the ascetic. The ascetic enquired about the festivities and in response, Manakanchara Nayanar informed him of his daughter’s wedding. When she arrived and sought the blessings of the ascetic, he commented that her long hair would have been ideal for making his Panchavati. Without giving it a second thought, taking the statement as a command by the yogi, Manakanchara Nayanar chopped off the hair of his daughter. and gifted them to the ascetic, in an act of supreme devotion to Shiva s devotees. Cutting of the hair of a young maiden, especially of a bride, is considered inauspicious and thus a taboo. The daughter of Manakanchara Nayanar had lost her hair, the reason of her beauty, and faced the risk of rejection by the bridegroom. The ascetic disappeared immediately, as soon as he accepted the hair. Lord Shiva along with his consort Parvati gave a divine vision to the family of Manakanchara Nayanar, pleased with their service. The divine couple blessed the family and disappeared. The bride’s beautiful hair was also restored. Eyarkon Kalikkama Nayanar and his wedding party arrived at the place and got to know what had happened. Kalikkama regretted that he missed an opportunity to see his patron god Shiva. He felt that if he had married the bride when Shiva asked for the hair, he would have had the honour of gifting Lord Shiva. The vision of Lord Shiva to the family of Manakanchara Nayanar is said to have happened in this temple. There is a bronze image of Jata Nathar depicts Lord Shiva with a lock of hair, alluding to the hair of Manakanchara Nayanar’s daughter in his hands. Manakanchara Nayanar is worshipped in the Tamil month of Margazhi, when the moon enters the Swati nakshatra (lunar mansion).

Beliefs

Devotees worship Lord Shiva here for total salvation, for removal of confusions in family life and for mental peace. Devotees take bath in Amrita Bindu Theertham for child boon, relief from leprosy and any other skin diseases. Devotees pray to Periya Nayagi for relief from family disputes and pray to Kalyana Sundari for wedding boon.

Special Features

As per legend, Sage Bharadhwaja performed intense penance under the Parijada tree of this temple. Pleased with his penance, Lord Shiva appeared with the two forms of Goddess Parvathy. She appeared in the form of bride namely Kalyana Sundari and in the form of married lady namely Periya Nayagi. TheTemple This Temple is facing towards east with three tiered rajagopuram. The temple covers an area of about two acres. Dhwaja Sthambam can be found immediately after the rajagopuram. Kodimara Vinayagar can be seen at the base of the Dhwaja Sthambam. Balipeedam and Nandi can be seen in the mukha mandapam immediately after the Dhwaja Sthambam. The sanctum sanctorum consists of sanctum, antarala, maha mandapam and open mukha mandapam. Dvarapalakas made of stucco can be seen on either side of the entrance of the maha mandapam. Presiding Deity is called as Panchavateeswarar / Kalyana Sundareswarar / Anandha Thandaveswarar / Parijathavaneswarar and is facing east. Lord is a Swayambhu Moorthy (self-manifested). Dakshinamurthy and Jayadurga are the koshta idols located around the sanctum walls. The image of Jaya Durga might be a later addition. Chandikeswarar shrine can be seen in his usual location. There are two shrines for goddess Parvathy namely Kalyana Sundari and Brihannayagi in this temple. Periya Nayagi / Brihannayagi shrine is situated in the mukha mandapam. Her shrine is facing towards south. Kalyana Sundari shrine is situated in the outer prakaram. Her shrine is facing towards east. Shrines of Subramanya with his consorts Valli & Devasena, Punniya Vardhini, Manakanchara Nayanar, Sage Anandha and Sage Bharadhwaja can be seen in the mukha mandapam. Nataraja Sabha can be seen next to the Periya Nayagi shrine in the mukha mandapam. The Nataraja Sabha is facing towards south. The Nataraja Sabha enshrines an image of Nataraja with his consort Shivagama Sundari. He is depicted in dancing posture with his raised left foot, in line with his face and the right foot. Hence, he is praised as Mukha Mandala Ananda Thandava Nataraja.