Tirupperunturai
Encyclopedia
Tirupperunturai known as Avudayar Koil, is a Shaiva temple situated near Aranthangi
in the Pudukkottai
district of Tamil Nadu
. One of the sacred books of Tamil
Saiva Siddhanta, Manikkavacakar's Tiruvacakam, originated from this shrine. Manikkavacakar is said to have converted the king to the cult of Shiva
and built the temple with money that had been intended for war-horses.
allows deity worship only for beginners in the initial stage. As the devotee and his devotion matures, he has to realise the truth of formless. To illustrate the theology, the temple has been designed. This is the only Saivite shrine in whole of India
to potray the supreme truth symbolically. Since the soul(athma) has no form, the deity is called Athmanathar.
and Tiruvanaikoil, here Vedic
rituals are performed, unlike the Sivachariyar or Adhisaivar temples who follow Agama
rituals. in this case the temple is administered by Nambiar
Brahmin
s – a class of Vaideeka Brahmins said to be descendants of Rowshayadana, a saint who originated from Agni
, and were taught the Vedas by Atmanatar himself. They are said to number three hundred and are also called Munnothioruvar.
At Tirupperunturai, as in Chidambaram temple, Aruvam (அருவம்.. அதாவது உருவமற்ற கடவுள் நிலை) is worshipped. Tirupperunturai is also known as Kokozhi, Sivapuram, Akasha Kailasham, Vadavoor, Chatur-Veda-Mangalam and Adi Kailasam in Sangam literature
and Atheetha Sabha as it has six Sabhas, the Kanaka Sabha, Chit Sabha, Sat Sabha, Ananda Sabha, Ratna Sabha and Deva Sabha in comparison to five Sabhas at Chidambaram. It is believed that Manikkavacakar himself built these six sabhas, and covered the Sabhas with 21600 plates of copper.
king to buy horses in building the temple. As he was bereft of money, Lord Shiva
displayed one of his Thiruvilayadal(holy prank) by transforming foxes to horses and once they were given to the king became foxes.
and Siva
's rudra thandavam(wild dance) are the finest specimen in sculptural art.
Many renovations have been carried out, much of the current structure dates to the fifteenth CCE. The temple covers an area of over 10 acres (40,468.6 m²) and faces south, constructed so that the setting sun strikes the sanctum even though it is cloistered within three circumambulatory paths. The thousand pillared hall has several delicately crafted pillars with depictions of the Oordhwa Tandavam of Shiva, Kaaraikkaal Ammaiyaar, Dhanurdhara Subramanya etc.
Aranthangi
Aranthangi is a town and a municipality in Pudukkottai district in the state of Tamil Nadu, India.-Demographics: India census, Aranthangi had a population of 34,266. Males constitute 49% of the population and females 51%. Aranthangi has an average literacy rate of 50%, lower than the national...
in the Pudukkottai
Pudukkottai
Pudukkottai is a town and a municipality in Pudukkottai district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Pudukkottai District was carved out of Tiruchirappalli and Thanjavur districts in January 1974.It is the administrative headquarters of Pudukkottai District....
district of Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...
. One of the sacred books of Tamil
Tamil people
Tamil people , also called Tamils or Tamilians, are an ethnic group native to Tamil Nadu, India and the north-eastern region of Sri Lanka. Historic and post 15th century emigrant communities are also found across the world, notably Malaysia, Singapore, Mauritius, South Africa, Australia, Canada,...
Saiva Siddhanta, Manikkavacakar's Tiruvacakam, originated from this shrine. Manikkavacakar is said to have converted the king to the cult of Shiva
Shiva
Shiva is a major Hindu deity, and is the destroyer god or transformer among the Trimurti, the Hindu Trinity of the primary aspects of the divine. God Shiva is a yogi who has notice of everything that happens in the world and is the main aspect of life. Yet one with great power lives a life of a...
and built the temple with money that had been intended for war-horses.
The Temple
The presiding deity is formless (Atmanatar); there is no Shivalingam but only a pedestal {Avudayar} located in the sanctum, hence the name Avudayar Koil. His consort is worshipped as Siva Yoga Nayaki in iconless form. There is no Nandi bull icon. There is deep spiritual significance in the queerness. HinduismHinduism
Hinduism is the predominant and indigenous religious tradition of the Indian Subcontinent. Hinduism is known to its followers as , amongst many other expressions...
allows deity worship only for beginners in the initial stage. As the devotee and his devotion matures, he has to realise the truth of formless. To illustrate the theology, the temple has been designed. This is the only Saivite shrine in whole of India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
to potray the supreme truth symbolically. Since the soul(athma) has no form, the deity is called Athmanathar.
Administration
As at ChidambaramChidambaram
Chidambaram is a fast growing industrial city in Eastern part of Tamil Nadu and the taluk headquarters of the Cuddalore district. It is located in 58 km from Pondicherry, 60 km from Karaikal, and 240 km south of Chennai by rail...
and Tiruvanaikoil, here Vedic
Vedic
Vedic may refer to:* the Vedas, the oldest preserved Indic texts** Vedic Sanskrit, the language of these texts** Vedic period, during which these texts were produced** Vedic pantheon of gods mentioned in Vedas/vedic period...
rituals are performed, unlike the Sivachariyar or Adhisaivar temples who follow Agama
Āgama (Hinduism)
Agama means, in the Hindu context, "a traditional doctrine, or system which commands faith".In Hinduism, the Agamas are a collection of Sanskrit scriptures which are revered and followed by millions of Hindus.-Significance:...
rituals. in this case the temple is administered by Nambiar
Nambiar
-Communities:The name Nambiar applies to several Hindu communities from South India:-Kerala:*Nambiar - the Royal families and the subdivision within the Nair caste from the North Malabar region of Kerala....
Brahmin
Brahmin
Brahmin Brahman, Brahma and Brahmin.Brahman, Brahmin and Brahma have different meanings. Brahman refers to the Supreme Self...
s – a class of Vaideeka Brahmins said to be descendants of Rowshayadana, a saint who originated from Agni
Agni
Agni is a Hindu deity, one of the most important of the Vedic gods. He is the god of fire and the acceptor of sacrifices. The sacrifices made to Agni go to the deities because Agni is a messenger from and to the other gods...
, and were taught the Vedas by Atmanatar himself. They are said to number three hundred and are also called Munnothioruvar.
At Tirupperunturai, as in Chidambaram temple, Aruvam (அருவம்.. அதாவது உருவமற்ற கடவுள் நிலை) is worshipped. Tirupperunturai is also known as Kokozhi, Sivapuram, Akasha Kailasham, Vadavoor, Chatur-Veda-Mangalam and Adi Kailasam in Sangam literature
Sangam literature
Sangam literature refers to a body of classical Tamil literature created between the years c. 600 BCE to 300 CE. This collection contains 2381 poems composed by 473 poets, some 102 of whom remain anonymous The period during which these poems were composed is commonly referred to as the Sangam...
and Atheetha Sabha as it has six Sabhas, the Kanaka Sabha, Chit Sabha, Sat Sabha, Ananda Sabha, Ratna Sabha and Deva Sabha in comparison to five Sabhas at Chidambaram. It is believed that Manikkavacakar himself built these six sabhas, and covered the Sabhas with 21600 plates of copper.
Legend
The temple is supposed to have been built by Manickavasagar. Being the prime minister, he spent all the money given to him by the Varaguna Pandya IIVaragunavarman II
-Death:Varagunavarman tried to assert his independence but suffered defeat at the handsof Apaajita, the son of Pallava king Nripatunga at Sri Purambiyam near Kumbhakonam. He died shortly after and was succeeded by his younger brother Parantaka Viranarayan Sadaiyan in 880 AD.-References:...
king to buy horses in building the temple. As he was bereft of money, Lord Shiva
Shiva
Shiva is a major Hindu deity, and is the destroyer god or transformer among the Trimurti, the Hindu Trinity of the primary aspects of the divine. God Shiva is a yogi who has notice of everything that happens in the world and is the main aspect of life. Yet one with great power lives a life of a...
displayed one of his Thiruvilayadal(holy prank) by transforming foxes to horses and once they were given to the king became foxes.
Architecture
The temple is noted for the zephyr(granite) roof work. The ceiling of the Kanga sabhai(golden hall) is a grandeur creation in stone. The ropes, rafters and nails all are made of granite. The bow wielding Muruga, KaliKali
' , also known as ' , is the Hindu goddess associated with power, shakti. The name Kali comes from kāla, which means black, time, death, lord of death, Shiva. Kali means "the black one". Since Shiva is called Kāla - the eternal time, Kālī, his consort, also means "Time" or "Death" . Hence, Kāli is...
and Siva
Shiva
Shiva is a major Hindu deity, and is the destroyer god or transformer among the Trimurti, the Hindu Trinity of the primary aspects of the divine. God Shiva is a yogi who has notice of everything that happens in the world and is the main aspect of life. Yet one with great power lives a life of a...
's rudra thandavam(wild dance) are the finest specimen in sculptural art.
Many renovations have been carried out, much of the current structure dates to the fifteenth CCE. The temple covers an area of over 10 acres (40,468.6 m²) and faces south, constructed so that the setting sun strikes the sanctum even though it is cloistered within three circumambulatory paths. The thousand pillared hall has several delicately crafted pillars with depictions of the Oordhwa Tandavam of Shiva, Kaaraikkaal Ammaiyaar, Dhanurdhara Subramanya etc.