Thinnakonam Pasupatheeswarar Temple, Trichy

Address

Thinnakonam Pasupatheeswarar Temple, Thinnakonam, Musiri Taluk, Trichy District Tamil Nadu 621202

Diety

Pasupatheeswarar / Sadanandar Amman: Govindavalli / Shivagama Sundari

Introduction

Pasupatheeswarar Temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva located in Thinnakonam in Musiri Taluk in Trichy District of Tamilnadu. Presiding Deity is called as Pasupatheeswarar / Sadanandar and Mother is called as Govindavalli / Shivagama Sundari. The Temple is considered as Thevara Vaippu Sthalam as Devaram hymns sung by Sambandar. Thinnakonam was called as Narkundram in ancient times.

Puranic Significance

The Temple was built by Parantaka Chola. The place was called as Thiruvirarkundram and Thirunarkundram and Lord was called as Thirumaadathu Koonanar and Sadanandar as per the inscriptions dated to Parantaka Chola period. The Temple is believed to be 1000 years old. As per one of the inscriptions in the Temple, the village was also called as Thinnakonam and as per another inscription, was called as Thinnakunam. Narkundram: During ancient times, the village was populated with cow herders. A cow belonged to one of the cow herders used to milk by itself on a particular spot every day. This practice of his cow angered the cowherd. The cowherd hit the cow with a stick, on account of the beatings, the cow died. Lord Shiva appeared in Parantaka Chola dreams and instructed him to visit Narkundram and construct the temple in the place, where the cow got killed. He also informed the Kinga that he himself had manifested in the dead body of the cow. At the same time, Lord Shiva instructed Mother Parvathi to visit Narkundram and worship the Lingam in the shape of cow to get rid of her curse. As instructed, Parantaka Chola built the Temple. The name Narkundram got corrupted to Nerkundram and further got corrupted to Thinnakonam. 3 Konams of Suryan: Konam means Chakram or Yanthra. Lord Surya contains three Kona Sakthi namely Kanni Konam, Thinna Konam and Parithi Konam. He got three Konams by praying to three Lingams in 3 different times of a day. He got Kanni Konam by praying to Amoor Raviswarar during sunrise, he got Thinna Konam by praying to Thinnakonam Pasupatheeswarar during noon and he got Parithi Konam by praying to Parithi Niyamam Paruthiyappar during sunset.

Special Features

This is an east facing Temple with an entrance arch. Presiding Deity is called as Pasupatheeswarar / Sadanandar and is facing east. Balipeedam and Nandi, housed in a Mandapam can be found facing the sanctum. He is housed in the sanctum in the form of Lingam. The Lingam is in the form of cow laid down in the sanctum. Lord is a Swayambhu Moorthy. It is believed that Linga kept growing every day. The vimana, structure over the sanctum is in the form of Gajabrusta, the shape of an elephant in its sitting posture. Lingodbhava, Arthanareeswarar and Veena Dakshinamoorthy are the Koshta idols located around the sanctum walls. Mother is called as Govindavalli / Shivagama Sundari. She is housed in a separate east facing shrine. There is a shrine for Agastya in the Temple premises. A wax prepared as per Siddha practice is provided as prasadam to the devotees in this shrine on Brahma Muhurtam on every Wednesday There are shrines of Valampuri Vinayagar, Sankara Narayana, Lakshmi Narayana, Sastha, Sivasakthivelan with his consorts Valli & Deivanai, Swarna Akarshana Bhairavar, Suryan, Chandikeswarar, Navagrahas and Chandran in the Temple premises. Sthala Vriksham are Vilva Tree and Panneer Tree.