Panaiyur GnanapatheeswararTemple, Pudukkottai

Address

Panaiyur GnanapatheeswararTemple, Pudukkottai

Panaiyur village,

Pudukkottai District,

Tamil Nadu 622412

Moolavar

Gnanapatheeswarar

Amman

Akilandeswari

Introduction                

• Gnanapatheeswarar Temple is an ancient temple dedicated to Lord Shiva, located in Panaiyur village, now known as Melappanaiyur, in the Pudukkottai district of Tamil Nadu.
• The temple is situated in the northeast of the town, and its features are described in the inscriptions found at the site.
• The Presiding Deity is Gnanapatheeswarar (a form of Lord Shiva), and the Mother Goddess is Akiladeswari.
• The temple has a large circular wall and a porch called Gudavariyavasal on the southern side.
• Both the sanctums of the Lord and Ambal are placed in an east-facing position.

Puranic Significance:

• The original statue of Amman in the temple was repaired, and the villagers decided to replace it with a new one. However, according to the village legend, Ambal appeared in the king’s dream when the King of Pudukkottai was preparing to install the new statue. In her dream, she questioned why she was being discarded, asking, “Why should I be thrown out? If your child gets any disability, will you throw your child out?”
• Despite the new idol being consecrated, the old idol was not removed from the temple but was instead placed in the front hall as a sign of respect and continued presence.

Beliefs:

• It is believed that those who worship at this temple will gain wisdom and knowledge.
• Additionally, the temple is considered a place of healing, where diseases are kept at bay.

Special Features:

• The Gnanapatheeswarar Temple is believed to be over 1200 years old.
• The temple houses shrines for deities such as Moolapillayar, Subrahmaniyar, Bhairava, Chandikeswarar, and others.
• Dakshinamurthy is enshrined in a small mandapam attached to the southern side of the sanctum sanctorum.
• There are no idols in the west and north devakothams of the sanctum sanctorum.
• The deities Subrahmaniyar and Shaniswarar, along with Valli and Deivanai, are also enshrined in their own sanctum sanctorums, showering blessings on devotees.
• The temple complex includes the Arthamandapam, Mahamandapam, and Vasanthamandapam.
• Around 60 inscriptions are found at various places within the temple.
• The name of the Lord was originally Arivisuramudayar, while the Goddess was known as Akilaminnachiyar before being named as Gnanapatheeswarar and Akiladeswari.

Festivals:

• The most important festival at the temple is the Thiruvadhirai festival, which is celebrated in the month of March.
• The Thiruvadhirai festival is celebrated over 10 days, with special rituals and poojas conducted during this time.

Century/Period

1200 years old

Nearest Bus Station

Panaiyur

Nearest Railway Station

Pudukottai

Nearest Airport

Trichy

Location on Map

lightuptemple