Tirupalathurai Adimoolanathar Temple

By Indian Columbus - May 05, 2017

Welcome to the serene village of Tirupalathurai, nestled in the beautiful state of Tamil Nadu, India. This lesser-known gem is situated approximately 14 kilometers away from the bustling city of Trichy, along the Trichy-Lalgudi route. Panayapuram stands as the nearest well-known locality to this quaint village, which holds significance due to its sacred Hindu temple, the Adimoolanathar temple. It is considered as the 59th among the Devara Paadal Petra Sthalams (274 most important temples of Lord Shiva) located in the Chola region north of Cauvery river.

Highlights:

Sambandhar has revered the temple in his verses in Devaram.
God - Adimoolanathar a.k.a. Tirumoolanathar a.k.a. Adimooleshwarar a.k.a. Tiruppattrurai Mahadevar
Goddess - Nitya Kalyani a.k.a. Meghalambikai a.k.a. Moga Nayaki
Teerth (Holy water) - Kollidam river
Sthala Vruksha (Holy tree) - Bilva
Considered as one of the Devara Paadal Petra Sthalams.

Legend:

This temple carries an intriguing legend from the past. According to one version, the sage Markandeya once visited this sacred site but struggled to find milk for his pooja rituals. In a miraculous turn of events, milk gushed from the ground as a blessing from Lord Shiva, allowing the sage to perform his worship with joy.

Another version speaks of a Chola King who encountered a rare white bird while hunting in the forested region. Upon following the bird, he stumbled upon a spot where milk suddenly welled up from the ground. Frightened by the mysterious occurrence, the King returned to his palace. However, Lord Shiva appeared in his dream and instructed him to excavate the location. To his amazement, the King discovered a Shiv Linga at that very spot, leading to the construction of the Adimoolanathar temple.

Although there are two different versions of the legend associated with this temple, both indicate that the site was named as Tiruppaatrurai due to its association with milk. Tiruppaatrurai is the original name of this village. In Tamil language, it means the place of milk.

History:

Dating back to the Chola period, the temple is believed to have been constructed during the reign of Parantaka Chola I in the 10th century CE. Evidence of this historical legacy lies in stone inscriptions found within the temple premises, attributed to Parantaka Chola I and Vikrama Chola.

Temple Layout:

Entrance:

The east facing temple has three tiered tower. At the entrance, the sub-shrines of Ganesha and Bala Dandayudhapani are located.

The flagstaff, bali peetha and Nandi mandapa are located outside the temple complex and they face towards the tower.

Adimoolanathar:

The main sanctum houses the magnificent Adimoolanathar, a unique name for Lord Shiva in this temple. The vimana and intricate carvings add to the sanctity of the shrine, which is guarded by two imposing Dwarapalas. In the Maha Mandapa, we find Nandi facing the sanctum, exhibiting his unwavering devotion to Lord Shiva.

Nitya Kalyani:

Goddess Nitya Kalyani, also known as Meghalambikai or Moga Nayaki, presides in a grand south-facing shrine within the front side mandapa. The shrine of Nandi faces the Goddess.

Koshta Deities:

The temple's beauty is enhanced by the presence of exceptionally beautiful Koshta Murtis, featuring Bhikshatana, Veenadhara Dakshinamurti, Shankara Narayana, Brahma, and Mahisasuramardini Durga as niche images around the sanctum. A carving of Lord Ganesha is also found in the outer wall, along with a small shrine dedicated to Dakshinamurti in his regular form.

Utsava Deities:

In the Maha Mandapa, a sub-shrine houses various bronze images, including Nataraja-Sivakami, Somaskanda, Uma-Maheshwara, Ganesha, Subramanya-Valli-Devasena, and Chandikeshwara.

Unusual Icons:

Within the Maha Mandapa, you'll encounter some intriguing icons that differ from the typical representations in a Shiva temple.

Venu Gopala is found along with his two consorts on either sides. A Shiva devotee is found next to Gopala. Then a male deity holding deer in one of his arms is found; he has his two lower arms folded in Anjali mudra. He is named as Narayan by the temple authorities. However, he must be Adhikara Nandi. Next to him, there is a Devi seated similar to Uma in Somaskanda group of images. She is named as Lakshmi by the temple authorities. This also seems to be incorrect to me.

It is possible that these icons were excavated near the temple or within the village, but their origin remains uncertain, and they might not belong to the temple's original structure.

Other Images:

In the prakara, the sub-shrines of Ganesha, Subramanya-Valli-Devasena, Gaja Lakshmi, Chandikeshwara and Nava Graha are located.

Bhairava is found near Navagraha. Facing towards the sanctum, the Chola period beautiful icons of Surya and later period Chandra are located.

Happy travelling.