Wednesday, March 19, 2008

Thiru Idaichuram Sri Gnanapureeswarar

Thiru Idaichuram (திரு இடைச்சுரம்) is located about 60 kms from Chennai. It lies on the road connecting Chengalpattu and Thirupporur. Thiru Idaichuram can either be accessed from Thirupporur at about 18 kms or from Chengalpattu about 9 kms. There is an arch on the main road indicating the path to the temple. This village is presently called as Thiruvadisoolam.

Thiru Idaichuram (Thiruvadisoolam) is a small village surrounded by many hills. This village has an ancient temple for Lord Shiva. The main deity here is Sri Gnanapureeswarar, also called as Idaichura Naadhar. Goddess here is Sri Govardhanaambigai.

As per the legend, Goddess Parvathi took the form of Kaamadhenu (cow) and came to this village. One day villagers here saw the cow pouring its milk by its own, on an ant hill. They dissolved the ant hill to find a beautiful Shiva Lingam inside. They installed the deity in the same place and formed this temple.

As the cow poured milk by itself on God, the place came to be known as Thiru Idaichuram, and Goddess is called as Govardhanaambigai (In Sanskrit ‘Go’ means cow).

It is also said that this place got its name as this village is surrounded by hills. In Thamizh, the place between hills is called “Churam”.

This temple is one among the 275 Paadal Petra Sthalams. Thiru Gnana Sambandhar has sung praise on the Lord here. It is said that Thiru Gnana Sambandhar visited this village during morning hours. He took bath in a pond here and was resting on the banks of the pond. Lord Shiva appeared as a Yadhava (shepherd) and went to Him carrying food in a mud pot. Lord Shiva offered food to Sambandhar. Sambandhar politely refused and said that he will never take food before having dharshan of Lord Shiva, which was his everyday practice.

The Yadhava man told Sambandhar that there is a Shiva temple nearby and took him to this temple. Sambandhar followed the Yadhava and went inside the temple where the Yadhava vanished near the sanctum. Sambandhar overwhelmed by the mercy of God, sung in praise of Lord Shiva here. The pond in which Sambandhar took bath (pic above) is still seen in this village, a little away from the temple. The Lord here is also said to have been worshipped by an ancient sage called Gowthama Rishi.

The temple looks too ancient amidst serene atmosphere surrounded by paddy fields. There is no Rajagopuram for this temple. The praakaarams are vast and have concrete pathways. The structure of this temple is unusual, looking like an old village house when viewed from outside. The temple is facing south.

There are beautiful stone pillared mandapams inside the temple. The ceiling is a bit lower and the whole mandapam allows limited sunlight. The interior structures are too good making us forget the present materialistic world.

The main deity Sri Gnanapureeswarar is seen facing east from a small, beautiful sanctum. The deity is made of Maragatha (dark green) stone and hence called as Maragatha Lingam, which is not too visible to make out while having dharshan. It is said that the actual color and the glow of this Maragatha Lingam will clearly be visible when ‘Then Abishegam’ (Honey Abishegam) is performed to the deity.

The Goddess Sri Govardhanaambigai is seen facing south. One can have dharshan of both the God and Goddess by standing in the same place.

Sri Vinayagar, Sri Dhakshinamurthy, Sri Sandigeswarar, Sri Durgai and Sri Brahma are seen around the sanctum.

The outer Praakaaram is spread on a vast space having a small shrine for Vinayagar. Sri Valli Devasena Samedha Subramanyar has a shrine on the outer praakaaram. On the northern side there is a small shrine where another Shiva Lingam is seen in the name of Sri Brahmaandeswarar facing west.

The Ambaal for Sri Brahmaandeswarar is called Sri Brahmaandeeswari located on the eastern side facing south.

The Nandhi is seen on the eastern praakaaram facing west toward the Lord.

The Sthala Viruksham here is Vilvam, which is on the eastern part of the temple. There is also a shrine for Sri Surya Bhagavan. There is an ant hill and a Nandhi on the southern praakaaram.

Outside the compound, on the eastern side there is the temple pond with ‘Alli flowers’ grown beautifully in it. This pond looks very natural without any steps or bathing ghat built to it.

Thiru Idaichuram is surely a ‘feast to soul’ for temple lovers.

18 comments:

  1. Saravanan, u should come out with a book. It will be great with colourful pictures and writings.
    Its so interesting to read. U will getting good merits

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  2. HI
    Just curious,
    you have been to all these temples is it?
    You have a wonderful vast knowledge of these temples and their history.
    Like Mr.Suriya says, you sure should come out with a book with all the pictures/photos and the history of these temples.
    Have a happy day

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  3. Yet another interesting temple that I had no idea existed! Very nice, as usual. When I am next in Madras, all my spare time will be taken up visiting these temples you have written about!
    Kamini

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  4. Hi,

    i have a good idea. U can start up travels and take us to all the temples(not for free, but at a cost).

    I will assure u that u will be a Good guide.

    Hariharan

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  5. Dear Saravanan,
    I am very glad and feel very fortunate to view the ancient Siva temples captured well by you in your camera.
    My best wishes and felicitations to you !!
    I have also visited by Siva's grace many ancient Siva temples in Thanjavur and Trichy districts of which many are in interior villages with serene atmosphere and divine ambience which I cherish in my memory.
    Thanks
    Dr.T.Ganesan
    Senior Researcher in Saivasiddhanta
    French Institute
    11, St. Louis Street
    PONDICHERRY-605001
    INDIA

    ReplyDelete
  6. Both the photographs and the content are apt, cute and interesting.
    Thank you.
    Sankaram Siva Sankaram
    Krish
    Krishnamoorthy Venkataraman

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  7. Very nice and also the places were i was ....
    Marjo

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  8. Thank you once again. OM NAMASIVAYA

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  9. Hi, visited the temple. Thank you so much for the information. But the saddest part is that the gurukkal there mentioned that the third kala pujai, which is done in the temple is not being performed there for want of money. He feels that people should come forward and do something, but then once started, it should not be stopped. Intersted people may joing together to organise something. Since the temple is under the govt. control , what is given is not enough for performing regular pujas and the visitor and awareness is quite limited.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Hi, visited the temple. Thank you so much for the information. But the saddest part is that the gurukkal there mentioned that the third kala pujai, which is done in the temple is not being performed there for want of money. He feels that people should come forward and do something, but then once started, it should not be stopped. Intersted people may joing together to organise something. Since the temple is under the govt. control , what is given is not enough for performing regular pujas and the visitor and awareness is quite limited.

    ReplyDelete
  11. I am amazed and overwhelmed by your work. I am passionately searching for the migratory path of the great family of Sri.Appaya and Nilakanta Dikishtar.

    The link Margathavalli landed me here.I also read about the Vrinjipuram and adyapalm posts. Can u throw some light On Chaturveda Mangalam near tiruvannamalai, where Margathavalli presides over a green field (Sakthi Vikatan-300 varudam mudiye iruntha koil). Precisely at Kottaram Village in Tirunelveli District She looks north over an expanse of padddy fields, nearny flows the Thamiranharani.

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  12. Is this temple a parihara stalam for marriage? Because in a particular post in wikipedia.org, Veepa Vilva Maram & Sivalayam, Veepa Vilva Maram & Sivalayam – Thiruvadi Choolam (Chengalpet To Thiruporur)
    This temple is mentioned as sthalam for marriage

    thanks
    raju

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  13. Thiru Saravanan Avargalukku
    Intha Valai thalam, arputhamaana sevai,

    Mikka nandriyum, magzhichiyum.
    Karthik R

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  14. Very nice description of the temple
    indeed what is wrote in here is true, actual and factual
    please visit this temple
    indeed it is correct
    om namashivayaaa
    Vijayaraghavan R.

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  15. hi sara!! u r doing a gr8 job!! i heard abt this temple by reading a magazine, but the entire temple history was given in ur blog... this information is useful.

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  16. Very nice Saravanan. Great job.

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  17. https://picasaweb.google.com/118015198607847485900/Thiruvadisoolam#

    Please see the new look of the temple...and thank you for the write up which inspires me along with many to visit to these temples...

    ReplyDelete
  18. Many thanks to you for a great job. I had a dream of an Emerald Shiva Lingam three days back. Thanks to your good work and Sri R. Muthuswamy - http://know-your-hindu-religion.blogspot.ch/ - I was able to get more info about the Shiva Lingam and the temple. I plan to visit the temple in the near future, ofcourse the Lord has to approve my visit. Thanks again.
    Kannan

    ReplyDelete