Tiruverumbur Sri Erumbeeswarar Temple, Trichy

Address

Tiruverumbur Sri Erumbeeswarar Temple, Tiruverumbur , Trichy District Pin – 620013 PH:9842957568

Diety

Erumbeeswarar, Somaskandar Amman: Narunkuzhal Nayaki

Introduction

Erumbeeswarar Temple in Thiruverumbur, Tamil Nadu, India, is a Hindu temple dedicated to the deity Shiva. Built on a 60-foot (18 m) tall hill, it is accessible via a flight of steps. The temple’s main shrines and its two prakarams (outer courtyards) are on top of the hill, while a hall and the temple tank are located at the foothills. Shiva is believed to have transformed himself into an ant hill and tilted his head at this place to enable ants to climb up and worship him. Erumbeeswarar is revered in the canonical 7th-century Tamil Saiva work the Tevaram, written by Tamil saint poets known as nayanmars and classified as Paadal Petra Sthalam. Thala Virutcham : Vilwa Theertham : Brahmma theertham

Puranic Significance

The temple is one in a series built by Aditya Chola (871-907 CE) along the banks of river Cauvery, to commemorate his victory in the Tirupurambiyam Battle. It has several inscriptions from the Chola Empire dating back to the 10th century.[1] The temple has been declared a protected monument by the Archaeological Survey of India and is locally referred as “Kailash of South India” Devas, an elite community in the celestial world lost all their wealth and position to demon Tharakasura. They approached Lord Brahmma for remedy. He advised them to worship Lord Shiva in this place with flowers and assured them that the demon would be killed by Him. To escape the attention of the demon, Devas took the form of ants (Erumbu in Tamil) to worship Shiva. As the Linga was too soft and slippery and steep, they could not reach the top of the Linga. All merciful Lord, changed His form as an ant-hill also leaning slightly to facilitate their pujas to Him. Lord came to their rescue, destroyed the demon. He is praised as Erumbeeswarar. Lord Shiva in the temple is a swyambumurthy. There is gap in the middle of the Linga as if it is twin Linga. This is explained as Shiva-Shakti form. As ants go in line in the sanctum sanctorum during pujas, it is said that Lord, in the form of ants, accepted the pujas offered to Him.

Beliefs

Prayer to Lord relieves the devotee from laziness and turns him/her active. Harships in life will vanish. Devotees offer vastra and sweet pudding-sarkarai pongal as nivedhana.

Special Features

Sun God in the Navagraha shrine is with His two consorts Usha and Pradyusha both facing each other. Lord Kailasanatha graces from a separate temple left of this temple. The temple has four theerthas – Brahmma Theertham, Madhu Theertham, Kumara Theertham and Padma theertham. It is said that the hill of this place is but a piece of the Meru mount split by Vayu – God of Wind when a competition arose between him and the divine serpent Adisesha to decide the power of their physical strength. There is Lord Shanmugha Subramnaya’s shrine with His consorts Valli and Deivanai between the 2 Kasiviswanatha shrines behind the sanctum sanctorum. There is the Shatkona Chakra below His Peeta. Worshipping Lord Shanmughasubramanya along with this Chakra brings immense benefits to the devotee, it is said. Selva Vinayaka graces the devotees in the temple.

Festivals

Vaikasi Brahammotsavam in May-June, Shivrathri in FebruaryMarch, Aipasi Annabishekam in October-November, Tirukarthikai in November-December are the festivals observed in the temple.