Thiruvotriyur Temple
Encyclopedia
Thyagaraja Temple is a Hindu temple
dedicated to Lord Siva located in Tiruvottiyur
, in the suburbs of Chennai
, Tamil Nadu
, India
. The temple is revered by the Thevaram
hymns of Saiva nayanars
, 7th century Tamil
saint poets and classified as Paadal Petra Sthalam.
s are on display. Sree Adi Sankaracharya is said to have visited this temple. This temple of yore finds a definitive place in Tamil Saivite history as this is the place where the Marriage of Sree Gnanasambandar was supposed to happen but concluded in Sree Gnanasambandar being absorbed with several others into the jyothi before the marriage could be solemnised.
Very famous Saints like Sree Pattinathar, Sree Topeswamigal , Sree Ramalinga Swamigal lived in this town and prayed to Lord Thyagaraja. The Carnatic composer Sree Thyagaraja visited this temple and composed the Thiruvottiyur Pancharatna or 5 Gems in praise of the Goddess Sree Tripurasundari. This place is also home to Sree Thiruvottiyur Thyagayyar who is a carnatic composer and poet.
The god Aadhipureeswarar
is in the form of a mud mound which cannot be touched and is covered by a kavasam(armour). On the day of the full moon of the Tamil month karthigai the kavasam(armour) covering is removed and the representation of the god is visible to devotees. It is anointed with punugu, javvadhu, and sampirani oils.
and the location where he attained samadhi
in the form of a lingam
. It is the birthplace of Kaliya Nayanar, one of the 63 Nayanars. Campantar
, Sundarar and Tirunavukkarasar rendered religious songs at the temple.
. It was a vedic centre during the Chola period and the temple architecture is superb and belongs to the Chola period.
Hindu temple
A Mandir, Devalayam, Devasthanam, or a Hindu temple is a place of worship for followers of Hinduism...
dedicated to Lord Siva located in Tiruvottiyur
Tiruvottiyur
Tiruvottiyur is located within the city premises of Chennai. It is located to the north of Chennai. Due to its proximity to Parrys and Chennai Central, it is fast becoming a sought after residential destination...
, in the suburbs of Chennai
Chennai
Chennai , formerly known as Madras or Madarasapatinam , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the sixth most populous city in India...
, 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...
, 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 revered by the Thevaram
Thevaram
Thevaram is a panchayat town in Theni district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu.Thevaram located in the border of Kerala separated by western ghats-Demographics:...
hymns of Saiva nayanars
Nayanars
The Nayanars or Nayanmars were Shaivite devotional poets of Tamil Nadu, active between the fifth and the tenth centuries CE...
, 7th century Tamil
Tamil people
Tamil people , also called Tamils or Tamilians, are an ethnic group native to Tamil Nadu, India and the north-eastern region of Sri Lanka. Historic and post 15th century emigrant communities are also found across the world, notably Malaysia, Singapore, Mauritius, South Africa, Australia, Canada,...
saint poets and classified as Paadal Petra Sthalam.
The Temple
The name of the goddess at this temple is Vadivudaiamman a.k.a. Sree Tripurasundari. Other deities present at the temple include Thiruptheeswarar, Kuzhandhai Eesar, Jaganadhar, Annamalayar, Jambukeswarar, Nagalingar, Meenakshi, Sundareswarar, Sagasralingam, Amirthakandeesar, Gowrieeswarar, and Ekabaadhar. Twenty-seven natchathiras(stars) are believed to have worshipped Lord Shiva here, and the lingamLingam
The Lingam is a representation of the Hindu deity Shiva used for worship in temples....
s are on display. Sree Adi Sankaracharya is said to have visited this temple. This temple of yore finds a definitive place in Tamil Saivite history as this is the place where the Marriage of Sree Gnanasambandar was supposed to happen but concluded in Sree Gnanasambandar being absorbed with several others into the jyothi before the marriage could be solemnised.
Very famous Saints like Sree Pattinathar, Sree Topeswamigal , Sree Ramalinga Swamigal lived in this town and prayed to Lord Thyagaraja. The Carnatic composer Sree Thyagaraja visited this temple and composed the Thiruvottiyur Pancharatna or 5 Gems in praise of the Goddess Sree Tripurasundari. This place is also home to Sree Thiruvottiyur Thyagayyar who is a carnatic composer and poet.
The god Aadhipureeswarar
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...
is in the form of a mud mound which cannot be touched and is covered by a kavasam(armour). On the day of the full moon of the Tamil month karthigai the kavasam(armour) covering is removed and the representation of the god is visible to devotees. It is anointed with punugu, javvadhu, and sampirani oils.
Nayanars
The temple was the home of the Hindu saint PattinatharPattinathar
Saint Pattinathar was a Saivaite and a Spiritual leader.He was born to Sivanesa chetty and Gnanakalai. His father was a trader in Tiruvidaimarudur, Thanjavur district. His birth name was Swetharanyar after as epithet of Lord Siva of Swetharanyeswarar Temple. He was also called as Thiruvenkadar by...
and the location where he attained samadhi
Samadhi
Samadhi in Hinduism, Buddhism,Jainism, Sikhism and yogic schools is a higher level of concentrated meditation, or dhyāna. In the yoga tradition, it is the eighth and final limb identified in the Yoga Sūtras of Patañjali....
in the form of a lingam
Lingam
The Lingam is a representation of the Hindu deity Shiva used for worship in temples....
. It is the birthplace of Kaliya Nayanar, one of the 63 Nayanars. Campantar
Campantar
Tirugnana Sampantar was a young Saiva poet-saint of Tamil Nadu who lived around the 7th century CE....
, Sundarar and Tirunavukkarasar rendered religious songs at the temple.
History
The temple was originally built by Pallavas and later rebuilt by Rajendra Chola IRajendra Chola I
Rajendra Chola I was the son of Rajaraja Chola I and was one of the greatest rulers of Tamil Chola dynasty of India. He succeeded his father in 1014 CE as the Chola emperor...
. It was a vedic centre during the Chola period and the temple architecture is superb and belongs to the Chola period.