Tiruchengode Ardhanareeswarar Temple

God is portrayed as male in some religions and as female in others. Some religions worship nature as God. According to some beliefs, God has no shape or name. In Hinduism, God is formless, has form, and can manifest as self, animal, bird, male, or female. To explain this in detail, I would need to write hundreds of blog posts. Keeping that aside, there is a temple in South India where God is depicted as half-man and half-woman. This rare temple is located in Tiruchengode (Thiruchengodu) in Tamil Nadu.

Lord Shiva is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. Ardhanareeswar, one of the 64 manifestations of Shiva, appears as half-man and half-woman, symbolizing the unity of Shakti and Shiva. Even though Ardhanareeswara is a well-known form of Shiva, dedicated temples or shrines for this manifestation are rare. As far as I know, the only temple where Ardhanareeswara is worshiped in a half-man, half-woman form is in Tiruchengode. (There are temples for Ardhanareeswara where the icon is in the form of a Shiv Linga.) This makes the Tiruchengode Ardhanareeswarar Temple unique.

Tiruchengode is a small town near Erode. The hilltop temple of Ardhanareeswarar is the most famous landmark of Tiruchengode. The town is believed to be ancient, as it is mentioned in Tamil literature such as Silappadikaram. In the past, it was known as Kodimada Chenkunrur. The temple is situated at an altitude of 1,900 feet above sea level. It can be reached either by a motorable road or by climbing 1,200 steps. If you choose to take the steps, you will come across various mandaps and small shrines along the way. You will also notice carvings of snakes and five-hooded serpents on either side of the pathway.

According to legend, there was a fierce battle between Vayu and Adi Sesha, the serpent couch of Lord Vishnu. Adi Sesha was defeated and thrown onto this hill, sustaining bleeding wounds. As his blood fell on the hill, it became known as Chengodu (Chen means red in Tamil). Due to its association with the serpent god Adi Sesha, the place is also called Naga Giri.

Once you reach the hilltop, you can enjoy a panoramic view of Tiruchengode before entering the temple, which has a massive five-tiered tower facing north. Although the temple tower faces north, the sanctum of Ardhanareeswarar faces west. Upon entering the temple, you will first reach the Chengottu Velavar shrine, dedicated to Murugan, who is as revered as Ardhanareeswarar here. Arunagirinathar and other poets have sung hymns in praise of Chengottu Velavar. In this temple, Velavar carries a spear (vel) in his right hand and a cock in his left. The image, though small (about 3.5 feet tall), is highly captivating. This shrine is located directly behind the main sanctum.

In front of the Velavar shrine, there is a mandap filled with exquisite life-size sculptures of various deities and saints, including Rathi, Manmada, Nandi in different postures, a king with three wives, Veerabhadra, and Kali. There is also a small image of Selva Vinayaka in this mandap.

The sanctum houses the image of Ardhanareeswarar, made of Navapaashanam (a special medicinal amalgam). The right side represents Shiva, while the left represents Parvati, symbolizing their inseparable union. Great saints like Manikavasagar and Sambandhar have composed hymns in praise of Ardhanareeswarar. The Tiruchengode Ardhanareeswarar Temple is one of the 275 Paadal Petra Sthalams (important Shiva temples). According to legend, the sage Bringi, a staunch devotee of Shiva, refused to worship any other deity, including Parvati. In response, Shiva appeared as Ardhanareeswarar to emphasize the oneness of Shiva and Shakti. The temple features an image of Sage Bringi with three legs in the sanctum. One of the most remarkable aspects of this shrine is the presence of a natural spring that continuously supplies water at the deity’s feet.

There is also a separate shrine housing the processional (utsav) image of Ardhanareeswarar. The temple contains many other shrines and images, including those of Mallikarjun, Sahasra Linga, Ilupai Viswanath and Visalakshi, Nataraja with Sivakami, Vinayaka, Adi Sesha, Sangameswarar Vedanayaki, Bhairava, Surya, Arunagiri, Siddhi Vinayaka, Kumaresar, Navagraha, and Lingodbhava.

A shrine dedicated to Adi Sesha, which is rare in Shiva temples, is also present. The temple is adorned with numerous stunning sculptures, including Nataraja and dancing Kali, as well as depictions of Kuravan and Kurathi (tribal couple). Additionally, there is a separate shrine for Adi Kesava (Vishnu). Other shrines in the temple include those of Kedara Gowri, Nallesar, Mukkodu Vinayakar, the Nalvar, Chandikeswarar, the 63 Nayanmars, Kubera Lingam, Lakshmi, Nageswarar, and various Shiva Lingas.

The temple was built and renovated by several dynasties, including the Cholas and the Vijayanagara kings.

An architecturally magnificent temple filled with extraordinary sculptures on a scenic hilltop—a must-visit destination.

Happy travelling.



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