Sri Thenthirukalatheeswarar Temple- Viluppuram

Address

Sri Thenthirukalatheeswarar Temple Anniyur Road, Ezhusempon, Viluppuram district, Tamil Nadu 605203

Diety

Thenthirukalatheeswarar Amman: GnanasundariAmbal

Introduction

EzhuSempon is a small village located in the highway between Viluppuram to Tiruvannamalai. Ezhusembon is also known as Eshamur. It is believed that since seven copper vessels filled with gold coins have been buried below this temple situated in this area, the village was earlier called EzhuSempon.

Puranic Significance

Since King Koperumsingham who ruled the conquered areas from 1242 till 1279 and held the title ‘Ezhuessaimohan Azhagiyaseemaan’, the village came to be called ‘Ezhussaimohan’ which over the years gradually got changed as ‘EzhuSempon’ village. While three inscriptions are found in Lord Shiva’s temple in this village another seven inscriptions are found in Perumal temple out of which four inscriptions pertained to the period of Vijayanagar rulers and rest three pertain to the period of Pandya rulers. The oldest amongst the inscription relates to the period of ‘King MaravarmaSundara Pandian-III’ who ruled from the year 1303 AD to 1322 AD. Since one of the inscriptions found in this temple relates to the period 1316 AD, it is presumed that these temples may have been built during his rule. During the regime of King MaravarmaVikra Pandya he prayed for keeping good health and donated ‘ChathurvediMangalam’ (name of an adjacent a small village) in the name of the temple deity. Hence the belief that those who offer some kind of services to this temple will be rewarded by the Lord with good health. As per the contents in the inscriptions if one visit this temple continuously on five Mondays and offer worship, it is believed that the childless couple beget children, hurdles in marriage proposals vanish and the one who offer prayer is relieved of their debts. Such a great temple was demolished by a King of Orissa namely ‘KumarahamVeera’ when he invaded this place in the year 1463 AD. The inscription mentions the invasion as ‘Ottiyankalagam’ (meaning Oriyan revolt).However the Oriyan King was driven away in the year 1464 AD by one of the Army generals of the then Vijayanagar ruler In the year 1518 AD King ‘Krishnadevaraaya’ donated a village called ‘Navilangathaalpattu’ to this Shiva Temple. The glorious temple of Lord Shiva thus established during the reign of King Koperumchingan, destroyed by the Oriyan King and resurrected by the rulers of Vijayanagar today remains neglected and in dilapidated condition for several centuries.