Thagattoor Bhairavanatha Swami Temple- Nagapattinam

Address

Thagattoor Bhairavanatha Swami Temple- Thagattoor, Nagapattinam District – 614 714 Phone: +91 4369 270 197 / 270 662

Diety

Bhairavanatha Swami

Introduction

Bhairavanatha Swami Temple is dedicated to Lord Bhairava located in Thagattoor Village in Vedaranyam Taluk in Nagapattinam District of Tamil Nadu. This is the only temple in Tamilnadu where Lord Bhairavanatha Swami graces from the sanctum sanctorum. Historically this place is called as Yandhirapuri. The Temple is believed to be 1000 years old. The Temple is considered as Thevara Vaippu Sthalam as Devaram hymns had a mention about this Temple.

Puranic Significance

Lord Rama decided to perform Shiva puja in Rameswaram to cleanse himself of the sin of killing Ravana in the Sri Lanka war. He sent Sri Anjaneya to Kasi to get him a Shivalinga from there. When he returned with the Linga, Lord Kalabhairava also came with him. Kalabhairava is the security God of temples. While closing the temples, the keys would be placed before Kalabhairava. Anyone attempting to even touch the key would meet with his end. On the way to Rameshwaram, Hanuman visited this place. The book, Abhidana Chintamani speaks about the birth of Lord Bhairava. A demon, Tharuka Suran performed penance and demanded Lord Shiva to bless him with immortality. Lord Shiva told him that everything born should meet with death one day and suggested that he may ask for one who could not cause him death. Agreeing, Tharuka Suran asked that he could not be killed by anyone except by a woman. He thought that as man with high physical prowess, a woman cannot be able to kill him. He began his arrogant activities and the time for his end came. Devas of the celestial world appealed to Lord Shiva to protect them from the demon. Mother Parvathi created a spark from the poison once devoured by Lord Shiva. It took the form of a woman. The poison was called Kalam; hence the woman was named Kali. Kali turned on the direction of Tharuka Suran furiously. Her fury turned into fire and burnt the demon. Then the Kali converted the fire into a child, breast-fed it. Then Lord Shiva made Kali and the child enter his body, from which 8 children came out. Lord Shiva amalgamated the 8 into one and named it Bhairava.

Beliefs

Devotees pray for excellence in academic pursuit, to wipe out enemies, removal of obstacles in marriage talks and for child boon. People perform special abishek and offer Vastras to Lord Bhairava.

Special Features

The place, Thagattoor is a Tamil translation from the Sanskrit word Yantra made mainly of copper sheets with some diagrams. Traditionally Yantras as Sri Chakra are installed in temples and there is one such in this temple also. This is the only temple in Tamilnadu where Lord Bhairavanatha Swami graces from the sanctum sanctorum. The place, Thagattoor is a Tamil translation from the Sanskrit word Yantra made mainly of copper sheets with some diagrams. Traditionally Yantras as Sri Chakra are installed in temples. There is one such in this temple called Panchatchara Yantra installed in the Maha Mandapam of this Temple. There is also the idol of Sattainathar, the procession deity of the temple. There is a shrine for Shivaloganathar and Shivagama Sundari in the prakaram behind the sanctum. As Lord Bhairava came with Sri Anjaneya, there are shrines for Lord Kasi Viswanathar, MotherVisalakshi. There are also shrines for Ganapathy, Subramaniya with consorts Valli & Deivanai, Durga and Chandikeswarar in the Temple premises. There is also a tank before the temple. There is a shrine on one side of the tank for Rowther with Karuppayi and Kathayee. He is the guardian deity of the temple. Sthala Vriksham is Jamun Tree.

Festivals

10-day festival is celebrated in the temple following the Chitra Poornima – April-May. Special poojas are performed on Sundays Rahukalam time (4.30 p.m. to 6.00 p.m.), Ashtami (8th day from new moon or full moon day) during the new moon time, Bhairavashtami during Karthikai (November-December). Also, for relief from diseases, developing mental health and for realizing righteous desires, poojas are performed between 5.00 p.m. to 8.00 p.m. on new moon period Ashtami days.