Tiruvetkalam Pasupatheswarar Temple

Tiruvetkalam Pasupatheswarar Temple is a Hindu temple located at Chidambaram in Cuddalore district of Tamil Nadu, India. The presiding deity is Shiva. He is called as Pasupatheswarar. His consort is known as Satgunambal and Nalla Nayaki. The temple is located inside the Annamalai University complex.

Paasupatheeswar Temple
Religion
AffiliationHinduism
DeityPasupatheeswarar (Shiva) and Satgunambal (Parvati)
Location
LocationChidambaram
StateTamil Nadu
CountryIndia
Location in Tamil Nadu
Geographic coordinates11°23′29″N 79°43′10.7″E
Architecture
TypeSouth Indian Architecture

The temple complex covers an area of two acres and all its shrines are enclosed with concentric rectangular walls. The temple has a number of shrines, with those of Paasupatheeswarar being the most prominent.

The temple has three daily rituals at various times from 6:00 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., and many yearly festivals on its calendar. Tamil New year during the Tamil month of Chittirai (April) is the most prominent festivals celebrated in the temple.

The original complex is believed to have been built by Cholas. In 1914, this was renovated with stone by A.Pethaperumal chettiar of kanadukathan

Legend
Shrine inside the temple

As per Hindu legend, Arjuna, the Pandava prince from Mahabharatha was asked to perform penance to obtained divine grace of Shiva. He performed severe penance at this place. One day, he spotted a wild boar speeding to attack him. While he shot the pig with an arrow, another hunter also claimed that he was the first to shoot the pig. A fight of superiority started between the two. Arjuna attacked the hunter with an arrow, the impact of which was felt by all beings in the world. The hunter then tossed Arjuna with his toe, who fell in Krupa Samudram. It took Arjuna time to realise that it was Shiva in the form of the hunter who attacked him. Parvathi, the consort of Shiva was angry at Arjuna for hitting her husband, but Shiva pacified her. They both granted boons to Arjuna, a weapon named Pasupatham. Since Shiva granted Paasupatham at this place, he came to be known as Paasupatheeswarar.[1]

Architecture

Paasupatheeswarar temple is located in Annamalai Nagar, a place 2 km (1.2 mi) from Chidambaram and inside the premises of Annamalai University. The temple has a three tiered rajagopuram on the eastern side with concentric rectangular walls surrounding the temple. The sanctum is approached through a pillared hall called mukha mandapa and an artha mandapa. The shrine of the Ambal is located in the mukhamandapa facing south. The presiding deity in the form of lingam (an iconic form of Shiva) is located in the sanctum. There is a circumabulatory passage around the shrines. The pillars in the hall leading to the sanctum has sculpted images depicting various Hindu legends. The pillared halls in the hall has legends of Arjuna doing penance.[1] The image of Parvati with her hair unlocked is a notable feature.[2] The metal image of Arjuna getting Pasupathasra from Shiva is housed in the temple.[3]

Religious importance and festivals
Shrine inside the temple

Sambandar, an 8th-century Tamil Saivite saint poet, venerated Uchinathar in ten verses in Tevaram, compiled as the First Tirumurai. As the temple is revered in Tevaram, it is classified as Paadal Petra Sthalam, one of the 276 temples that find mention in the Saiva canon. The temple is counted as the fourth in the series of the temples on the northern bank of river Cauvery.[1] The temple is also called Bhairava temple. It is believed to the place where sage Agasthya and Valmiki are believed to have obtained grace. The image of Sivakami Amman is sported with her friends Vijaya and Saraswati.[2]

The temple priests perform the puja (rituals) during festivals and on a daily basis. The temple rituals are performed three times a day; Kalasanthi at 8:00 a.m., Uchikalam at 12:00 a.m. and Sayarakshai at 6:00 p.m. Each ritual comprises four steps: abhisheka (sacred bath), alangaram (decoration), naivethanam (food offering) and deepa aradanai (waving of lamps) for Uchinathar and Uchinayagi.[1] There are weekly rituals like somavaram (Monday) and sukravaram (Friday), fortnightly rituals like pradosham, and monthly festivals like amavasai (new moon day), kiruthigai, pournami (full moon day) and sathurthi. Tamil New year during the Tamil month of Chittirai (April) is the most important festival. Vaikasi Visagam during May–June, Aani Thirumanjanam during June - July, Navratri during Purattasi, Annabishekam during Aipasi, Thiruvadirai during Margazhi and Karthikai somavaram are other festivals celebrated in the temple.[2][1]

== Literary mention ==Tirugnanasambandar describes the feature of the deity as:[4]

பூதமும்பல்கண மும்புடைசூழப் பூமியும்விண்ணு முடன்பொருந்தச்

சீதமும்வெம்மையு மாகிச் சீரொடுநின்றவெஞ் செல்வர்
ஓதமும்கானலுஞ் சூழ்தருவேலை யுள்ளங்கலந்திசை யாலெழுந்த

வேதமும்வேள்வியு மோவா வேட்கள நன்னகராரே.

There are two more Thevarams on this temple that I know,as under: நன்று நாள் தோறும் நம் வினை போயரும் என்றும் இன்பம் தழைக்க இருக்கலாம் சென்று நீர் திரு வேட்களத் துள்ளுறை துன்று பொற்சடை யானைத் தொழுமினே

வேடனாருறை யுஞ்செழு மாமலை ஓடி ஆங்கிடுத் தான் முடி பத்திர வாட ஊன்றி மலரடி வாங்கிய வேடனார் உரை வேட்களம் சேர்மினே The first one is I think from Thirunavukkarasar. The authorship of the second one is not known to me.

References
  1. R., Dr. Vijayalakshmy (2001). An introduction to religion and Philosophy - Tévarám and Tivviyappirapantam (1st ed.). Chennai: International Institute of Tamil Studies. pp. 372–3.
  2. "Sri Pasupatheeswarar temple". Dinamalar. 2014. Retrieved 14 May 2017.
  3. Ayyar, P. V. Jagadisa (1993). South Indian Shrines: Illustrated (2nd ed.). New Delhi: Asian Educational Service. p. 244. ISBN 81-206-0151-3.
  4. Tirugnanasambandar Tevaram, I: 39: 3
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