Rasipuram Kailasanathar Temple, Namakkal

Address

Rasipuram Kailasanathar Temple, Rasipuram-637 408, Namakkal District Phone: +91 – 4287 – 223 252 Mobile: +91- 94435 15036, +91-99943 79727

Diety

Kailasanathar Amman: Aram Valartha Nayaki

Introduction

The Kailasanathar Temple is a significant temple dedicated to Lord Shiva located in Rasipuram, Namakkal District, Tamil Nadu.

Presiding Deities:

Lord Shiva: The presiding deity of the temple is Lord Kailasanathar. The main Shiva Lingam is a Swayambumurthy (self-manifested) and has a scar from an arrow.
Goddess Parvathi: The consort of Lord Shiva is known as Aram Valartha Nayaki, who faces west.

Puranic Significance

The temple is believed to be constructed during the 1st or 2nd century and was built by King Valvil Ori, who was known for his charitable and loving nature.
The temple’s history is associated with a hunting incident when King Valvil Ori shot an arrow at a white swine, which was later revealed to be Lord Shiva in disguise. The deity’s Linga was wounded by the king’s arrow, leading to the construction of the temple.

Beliefs

Devotees pray to Lord for artistic skills and to Mother for relief from evil effects on children. Devotees perform abishek to Lord and Mother offering vastras.

Special Features

Unique Features:

The temple has a Thala Virucham, which is the nali tree.
There are separate shrines for Lord Muruga in two forms: Baladhandayuthapani and Kalyana Subramania with consorts Valli and Deivanai.
Devotees can also pray to Lord Dakshinamurthy with four disciples on the first Thursday of each month.
The temple has a special shrine for Nagar, the Serpent deity, where milk abishek is performed with sweet pudding (Sarkarai Pongal) by those facing adverse aspects of serpent planets, especially for resolving marriage-related issues.

Other Deities and Shrines:

The temple also has shrines dedicated to Lord Vinayaka (Sakata Vinayaka), Kala Bhairava, Sani Bhagwan, Panchalingas, Gajalakshmi, Saraswathi, Ayyappan, and various Nayanmars and Santhanacharyas.
There is a separate shrine for Val Vil Ori, one of the seven philanthropists (Kadai Yelu Vallalgal), who is praised for his charitable traits.

Architectural Features:

The temple’s Rajagopuram is a five-tiered structure.
The temple is known for its unique and historic sculptures, which reflect its rich heritage.

Festivals

The temple observes six pujas (Aaru Kala Puja) to Lord Shiva on Shivaratri day (February-March), which is more than the usual four pujas.
Women seeking blessings for children pray to Goddess Aram Valartha Nayaki during the midday of Pradosha in the full moon fortnight by offering coconut, fruits, raw rice, and cooked rice without salt as nivedhana.
Conch abishek is offered to Mother Shiva Durga on the last Friday of Aadi month (July-August).
The temple follows the Kasi-Rameswaram tradition and has shrines for Lord Kasi Viswanatha with Mother Visalakshi and Lord Ramanathaswamy with Mother Parvadhavardhini.