Peraiyur Naganathaswami Temple, Pudukkottai

Address

Peraiyur post, Pudukkottai District,

Tamilnadu – 622 404,

Phone: 04322-221084

Moolavar

Naganathaswami

Amman

Brahadambal

Introduction

Naganathaswamy Temple is a Siva temple in Peraiyur in Pudukkottai district in Tamil Nadu (India). Peraiyur, a Palmyra shaded fertile village contains a temple of great renown. The Naganathaswami temple is well known for Naga worship, and barren women have been making pilgrimage to this village for centuries and install stone image of Nagas. The stone images installed over the centuries now accumulated to give a breathtaking site. Peraiyur is on the south bank of the Vellaru. Lord Shiva with his Royal Consort is here and known by the name Naganathar.

Peraiyur is about 15 km from Pudukkottai, which is just three kilometers from the Pudukkottai – Kuzhipirai – Ponnamaravathi bus route. Regular bus services and taxi facility is available from Pudukkottai.

Puranic Significance

It is dedicated to Siva in his Naganathaswami (lord of the snake) aspect. A tall stone Nataraja dances at the entrance to the main shrine. The sculpture of Siva and Parvathi seated on their bull are excellent pieces. The oldest extant portion of the temple is the western gopuram behind the sanctum. The 10th century temple and is done in the Chozha style. The specific Chozha architectural features of the structure coupled with the presence of a Saptamatrika group in bas-relief on a single stone, and an inscription of Rajendra Chozha I on the rock near the tarn, show that the temple was originally a Chozha structure of the 10th century, but was later renovated in the 12th or 13th century. The present garbhagriham of the Naganathaswami is a Pandya structure. It stands on a moulded plinth with a vyala vari at the top and a curved kumudam in the middle. The pilasters are octagonal with rectangular base but without nagapadams. The palagais is large and square and the padmams has well defined petals. There are niches on the wall and contains images of Dakshinamoorthy, Lingodbhava and Brahma. The vimanam is a modern brick structure. There is in the precincts a subsidiary shrine for Goddess Brahadambal said to belong to the close of the 15th or early 16th century, and is in the Vijayanagara architectural style. The eastern main gopuram is a Pandya structure, but the brickwork above is modern. The other mandapam-s in the prakaram is modern. The temple bears renovations, the last of which took place in during the reign of Ramachandra Tondaiman (1834-1886)

Beliefs

This holy place is a ‘Parikara Sthalam’ it means if any malefic effect in an individual’s horoscope will be rectified by offering prayers here. This holy place is especially rectifying the ill-effects caused by planets Raagu and Ketu in the religion. Hindrance in marriage, delays in child birth, Kala Sarpa Dhosa parikaram can be done for oneself.

Special Features

As Naga worshipped the presiding deity it is known as Naganathaswamy. The Goddess is known as Brahathambal. This place is known as Shenbagavanam and Girikshetram. In the kosta of the presiding deity, Annamalaiyar, Brahma, Gajalakshmi and Subramania are found. In the north prakara shrines of Chandikesvarar and Durga are found.

The village is famous for the worship of Naga. People install stone images of snakes in order to remove barrenness in women. The shrine faces an oval tarn that is filled seasonally by rainwater. Along the edge of this tank is a plinth on which are found snake stones (nagakkals) row upon row. Each of these stones, one to two feet high, depicts, coiled five hooded cobra. Some of them show the common motif of two inter wined snakes, one facing the other. These have been placed at the temple over the centuries as votive offerings and installed every time with suitable rites in the naga prathishta (snake installation) ceremony.

Festivals

Vasanthourchavam festival conducted 10 at Panguni month. · Chariot Festival conducted at month of Panguni 9th day. · Puratasi 10th Day Vijayadasami, Ambu poduthal (Navarathiri).