Edaganathar temple
Encyclopedia
This Shivastalam lies on the banks of the river Vaigai in thiruvedagam, close to Madurai
and is closely associated with Tirugnanasambandar. This temple is regarded as the 4th of the Tevara Stalams in the Pandya kingdom of Tamilnadu.
here, hence the name Tiruvedakam. 'Vaaduvenra Vinaayakar' here is said to have stopped the movement of the palm leaf in the guise of a fish, in response to Sambandar's patikam. Shiva here is believed to have been worshipped by Garuda
, Adiseshan and Vishnu
.
Pathigam here. The Tiruppukazh has also mentioned this shrine.
Madurai
Madurai is the third largest city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. It served as the capital city of the Pandyan Kingdom. It is the administrative headquarters of Madurai District and is famous for its temples built by Pandyan and...
and is closely associated with Tirugnanasambandar. This temple is regarded as the 4th of the Tevara Stalams in the Pandya kingdom of Tamilnadu.
Mythology
The legend has that Sambandar's patikam on a palm leaf (Edu) is said to have gone against the current of Vaigai and settled here, as opposed to the leaf floated by the once dominant JainsJainism
Jainism is an Indian religion that prescribes a path of non-violence towards all living beings. Its philosophy and practice emphasize the necessity of self-effort to move the soul towards divine consciousness and liberation. Any soul that has conquered its own inner enemies and achieved the state...
here, hence the name Tiruvedakam. 'Vaaduvenra Vinaayakar' here is said to have stopped the movement of the palm leaf in the guise of a fish, in response to Sambandar's patikam. Shiva here is believed to have been worshipped by Garuda
Garuda
The Garuda is a large mythical bird or bird-like creature that appears in both Hindu and Buddhist mythology.From an Indian perspective, Garuda is the Hindu name for the constellation Aquila and...
, Adiseshan and Vishnu
Vishnu
Vishnu is the Supreme god in the Vaishnavite tradition of Hinduism. Smarta followers of Adi Shankara, among others, venerate Vishnu as one of the five primary forms of God....
.
Temple structure
The present structure with spacious corridors and imposing gopurams occupies an area of about 5 acres (20,234.3 m²). Images related to Sambandars episode are seen carved on the stone steps leading to the Vaikai river. The presiding deity lord shiva is called as Edakanatheswarar and the Ambal his consort mother Parvathy is called as Elavaarkuzhali, Sugandha Kundalambika. The sthala vriksham is Vilvam(Aegle marmelos) and the Theertham is called Bhrama Theertham. Inscriptions from the period of Jatavarman Kulasekhara Pandyan (12th cent AD), and Krishna Deva Raya are seen in this temple, speaking of their endowments to this shrine.Poems on this temple
Sambandar composed the thevaraThevara
Thevara is a region in the city of Kochi, in the state of Kerala, India. Geographically, Thevara is part of the mainland Kochi , and marks its south-west boundary. It is connected to the water-bound West Kochi via bridges.Thevara is noted especially for being home for the Cochin Shipyard...
Pathigam here. The Tiruppukazh has also mentioned this shrine.
Festivals
Sambandar's miracle here is celebrated in the form of the 'Edu Ethireriya Utsavam' in the tamil month of Vaikasi. Other festivals include Vinayaka Chaturthi, Aadi Pooram, Navaratri, Aippasi Pournami, Skanda Sashti, Kartikai Deepam, Arudra Darisanam, Tai Poosam, Maasi Magam, Panguni Uththiram and Vaikasi Visakam.Location
This temple is located on the Madurai - cholavandan bus route. Nearest railway station is cholavandan. Town bus services from Madurai Periyar bus stand are available to Tiruvedagam. Buses to cholavandan go via Tiruvedagam and the temple is very near the Tiruvedagam bus stop.External links
- http://www.shivatemples.com/pnaadu/pn04.html
- http://www.templenet.com/Tamilnadu/s049.html