Mayuranathaswami Temple, Mayiladuthurai
Encyclopedia
The Mayuranathaswami Temple is a Hindu temple in the town of Mayiladuthurai
(formerly known as Mayavaram or Mayuram) in the Nagapattinam District of Tamil Nadu
in India
. The temple is dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva
and has given its name to the town itself.
The main icon is a lingam
and the presiding deity is called Mayuranathar because the Hindu goddess Parvathi worshipped Shiva here in the form of a mayura.
On the day of the new moon in the Tamil month of Aippasi (November–December), religious Hindus have a ceremonial bath in the temple tank as it is believed to purify them from sins. A annual dance festival called the Mayura Natyanjali festival is celebrated within the precincts of the temple each year.
about a mile from the Kaveri River
. The temple is on the Chidambaram
–Thanjavur highway.
, the symbol of the Hindu god Shiva
. Shiva's consort is known by the names Abhayapradhambikai, Abhayambikai, Anjalanayaki and Anjalai. There are three smaller shrines to the Hindu god Ganesha
and another to Shiva as Nataraja
or "Lord of Dance".
One of the sculptures in the temple represent Shiva embracing Goddess Parvathi.
, the goddess Parvathi, the consort of Shiva
, once offended him. Shiva was so annoyed he cursed Parvathi to be born as a lowly peahen. Later, when Parvathi repented, Shiva reduced this sentence. Parvathi had to pray first at Mylapore
and then at Mayiladuthurai
, at the end of which she was ridden of her curse and became known as "Abhayambal".
. The oldest inscriptions on the temple walls date to the time of Kulothunga Chola I
. Massive renovations were carried out in the 17th century. In May 1927, a temple entry of Dalits was organised on a big scale by the proponents of the Self Respect Movement thereby resulting in a huge clash.
near the northern entrance of the temple is expertly sculpted and differs from those in other temples. On the temple walls, there is the sculpture of a devotee trying to sever his head as an offering to the God.
There is an expansive temple tank in the centre of the complex. People travel in large numbers to Mayiladuthurai to bathe in this tank on the day of the new moon in the Tamil month of Aippasi (November–December). This bath purifies a person of sins because the waters of the river Ganges and other Indian rivers mingle with the waters of the Kaveri river
in this tank on this particular day.
Mayiladuthurai
Mayiladuthurai , formerly known by its Sanskrit names Māyavaram and Mayūram is a town in the Nagapattinam District of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is the headquarters of the Mayiladuthurai taluk of Nagapattinam district and is the second-largest town in the district...
(formerly known as Mayavaram or Mayuram) in the Nagapattinam District of Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...
in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. The temple is dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva
Shiva
Shiva is a major Hindu deity, and is the destroyer god or transformer among the Trimurti, the Hindu Trinity of the primary aspects of the divine. God Shiva is a yogi who has notice of everything that happens in the world and is the main aspect of life. Yet one with great power lives a life of a...
and has given its name to the town itself.
The main icon is a lingam
Lingam
The Lingam is a representation of the Hindu deity Shiva used for worship in temples....
and the presiding deity is called Mayuranathar because the Hindu goddess Parvathi worshipped Shiva here in the form of a mayura.
On the day of the new moon in the Tamil month of Aippasi (November–December), religious Hindus have a ceremonial bath in the temple tank as it is believed to purify them from sins. A annual dance festival called the Mayura Natyanjali festival is celebrated within the precincts of the temple each year.
Location
The Mayuranathaswami temple is located in the southern part of MayiladuthuraiMayiladuthurai
Mayiladuthurai , formerly known by its Sanskrit names Māyavaram and Mayūram is a town in the Nagapattinam District of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is the headquarters of the Mayiladuthurai taluk of Nagapattinam district and is the second-largest town in the district...
about a mile from the Kaveri River
Kaveri River
The Kaveri , also spelled Cauvery in English, is a large Indian river. The origin of the river is traditionally placed at Talakaveri, Kodagu in the Western Ghats in Karnataka, flows generally south and east through Karnataka and Tamil Nadu and across the southern Deccan plateau through the...
. The temple is on the Chidambaram
Chidambaram
Chidambaram is a fast growing industrial city in Eastern part of Tamil Nadu and the taluk headquarters of the Cuddalore district. It is located in 58 km from Pondicherry, 60 km from Karaikal, and 240 km south of Chennai by rail...
–Thanjavur highway.
Icons
The presiding diety is a swayambhu lingam or a self-manifested lingamLingam
The Lingam is a representation of the Hindu deity Shiva used for worship in temples....
, the symbol of the Hindu god Shiva
Shiva
Shiva is a major Hindu deity, and is the destroyer god or transformer among the Trimurti, the Hindu Trinity of the primary aspects of the divine. God Shiva is a yogi who has notice of everything that happens in the world and is the main aspect of life. Yet one with great power lives a life of a...
. Shiva's consort is known by the names Abhayapradhambikai, Abhayambikai, Anjalanayaki and Anjalai. There are three smaller shrines to the Hindu god Ganesha
Ganesha
Ganesha , also spelled Ganesa or Ganesh, also known as Ganapati , Vinayaka , and Pillaiyar , is one of the deities best-known and most widely worshipped in the Hindu pantheon. His image is found throughout India and Nepal. Hindu sects worship him regardless of affiliations...
and another to Shiva as Nataraja
Nataraja
Nataraja or Nataraj , The Lord of Dance; Tamil: கூத்தன் ;Telugu:నటరాజ is a depiction of the Hindu god Shiva as the cosmic dancer Koothan who performs his divine dance to destroy a weary universe and make preparations for god Brahma to start the process of creation...
or "Lord of Dance".
One of the sculptures in the temple represent Shiva embracing Goddess Parvathi.
Myths
According to mythologyHindu mythology
Hindu religious literature is the large body of traditional narratives related to Hinduism, notably as contained in Sanskrit literature, such as the Sanskrit epics and the Puranas. As such, it is a subset of Nepali and Indian culture...
, the goddess Parvathi, the consort of Shiva
Shiva
Shiva is a major Hindu deity, and is the destroyer god or transformer among the Trimurti, the Hindu Trinity of the primary aspects of the divine. God Shiva is a yogi who has notice of everything that happens in the world and is the main aspect of life. Yet one with great power lives a life of a...
, once offended him. Shiva was so annoyed he cursed Parvathi to be born as a lowly peahen. Later, when Parvathi repented, Shiva reduced this sentence. Parvathi had to pray first at Mylapore
Mylapore
Mylapore is a cultural hub and neighborhood in the southern part of the city of Chennai, the capital of Tamil Nadu, India. Earlier, Mylapore used to be called Vedapuri....
and then at Mayiladuthurai
Mayiladuthurai
Mayiladuthurai , formerly known by its Sanskrit names Māyavaram and Mayūram is a town in the Nagapattinam District of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is the headquarters of the Mayiladuthurai taluk of Nagapattinam district and is the second-largest town in the district...
, at the end of which she was ridden of her curse and became known as "Abhayambal".
History
The temple was built by the Medieval CholasMedieval Cholas
Medieval Cholas rose to prominence during the middle of the 9th century C.E. and established the greatest empire South India had seen. They successfully united the South India under their rule and through their naval strength extended their influence in the Southeast Asian countries such as Srivijaya...
. The oldest inscriptions on the temple walls date to the time of Kulothunga Chola I
Kulothunga Chola I
Kō Rājakēsarivarman Abaya Kulōthunga Chōla was one of the greatest kings of the Chola Empire. He was one of the sovereigns who bore the title Kulottunga, literally meaning the exalter of his race.-Early life:...
. Massive renovations were carried out in the 17th century. In May 1927, a temple entry of Dalits was organised on a big scale by the proponents of the Self Respect Movement thereby resulting in a huge clash.
Architecture
The temple complex is 719 feet (219.2 m) long and 52 feet (15.8 m) wide. The gopura at the eastern entrance to the temple is nine storeys high and measures 194 feet (59.1 m). The idol of DurgaDurga
For the 1985 Hindi Film of Rajesh Khanna see DurgaaIn Hinduism, Durga ; ; meaning "the inaccessible" or "the invincible"; , durga) or Maa Durga "one who can redeem in situations of utmost distress" is a form of Devi, the supremely radiant goddess, depicted as having eighteen arms, riding a lion...
near the northern entrance of the temple is expertly sculpted and differs from those in other temples. On the temple walls, there is the sculpture of a devotee trying to sever his head as an offering to the God.
There is an expansive temple tank in the centre of the complex. People travel in large numbers to Mayiladuthurai to bathe in this tank on the day of the new moon in the Tamil month of Aippasi (November–December). This bath purifies a person of sins because the waters of the river Ganges and other Indian rivers mingle with the waters of the Kaveri river
Kaveri River
The Kaveri , also spelled Cauvery in English, is a large Indian river. The origin of the river is traditionally placed at Talakaveri, Kodagu in the Western Ghats in Karnataka, flows generally south and east through Karnataka and Tamil Nadu and across the southern Deccan plateau through the...
in this tank on this particular day.