The temples that were part of the day’s(25 Dec 2021) trip, in the same order that we visited.
- Nathan Kovil or Nandhipura vinnagaram
- Keezha pazhaiyarai
- Patteeswaram
- Thirusakthi mutram
- Swamimalai
All the above temples are possible to cover in 2 to 3 hrs if you have your own transport or vehicle. Two-wheelers would be ideal as most of these are situated in interiors and since the roads connecting are quite narrow, cars are fine too. The plus is the roads are flanked by lush fields almost throughout, so kannukku kulirchi ✅ We were staying in the husband’s native, which is very close to all of these temples. If you are put up at Kumbakonam, that should work fine too.
Each of the first 4 temples in the above list are max 2 to 3 km from each other, 4 is just 300m away from 3. And you wouldn’t need more than 20 mins for each temple, if you are casual visitor. But if you are a history, temple buff, you will most unlikely be disappointed. And since most of these temples are off the tourist radar (you would find Swamimalai and the Durga shrine at Patteeswaram crowded), you wouldn’t have to wait in long queues, hopefully.
If you are a history buff or Ponniyin Selvan fanatic, then I am sure you would be wanting to visit these temples as 1 and 2 are directly mentioned in the work.
1. Nathan kovil- Nandi pura vinnagaram is a Vishnu temple. It is one of the 108 Divyadesams.
Deities – Shri Jagannatha Perumal and Sengamala Valli thayar. In the sanctum sanctorum there is also Nandi and Brahma seen worshipping the Jagannatha Perumal.
Thirumangai aazhwar has sung a couple of pasurams on the deity. Nandivarma pallavan is also said to be a devotee of this Perumal.
2. Keezha pazhaiyarai. What must have once been a very important temple is now in a not so great state. The main gopuram is almost a ruin but thankfully the temple is intact. But we see neither devotees nor tourists here. This also has the shrine constructed as a Chariot and on a raised platform, much like Dharasuram Airavateshwarar temple but not so grand. Pazhaiyarai was the Chozha capital when Sundara chozhan was ruling.
Deities: Lord Siva as Somanatha swamy and ambal is Soma kamalambikai. Don’t miss to notice the Ardha nareeshwarar sculpture at the wall to the backside of Somanatha swamy. Generally, this backside wall of lord Siva has Lingothbhavar but here it’s Ardha nareeshwarar. Later when I visited Nageshwaran Kovil in Kumbakonam on the next day, I found there as well, it was Ardha nareeshwarar and not lingodhbhavar.
Since, not many people visit this temple, you can enjoy the temple and sculptures and soak in the history all by yourself and of course you can take many photos without interruption. There are no restrictions for photography as there is basically no one to keep check on, so be mindful of that too.
3. Patteeswaram – Although, the place is famous for Goddess Durga, the actual temple is dedicated to deities Lord Siva as Dhenupureeshwarar and ambal as Gnanambikai. The temple pond is also called Gnana vapi. It looks like the sthalam is equally associated with bravery and knowledge.
Numerous historical accounts and stories are associated with this temple right from why this places is called Patteeswaram, who or what is Patti? Why this sthalam may be associated with ‘gnanam’ or wisdom? All these can be read from the web or the walls of the temple.
A very interesting story is about why all the Nandis in this sthalam are shifted to right or left but not situated in the straight line in front of Shiva. It is said that ThiruGnanaSambandar was visiting the temples of this region and singing in praise of the lord. As he was approaching this sthalam, it was already noon and the saint was drained by the sun’s heat. So, the lord ordered his bhuta ganas to make a ‘muthu pandhal’ or a shelter/umbrella out of pearls. Not just that, the Lord also wanted to see the beauty of Gnanasambandar arriving under the Muthu pandhal and so ordered the Nandis to shift a little bit so that they don’t obstruct his view of the saint.
You can also see se wonderful sculptures in this temple and also the majestic Durga. Also, the Aagna ganapathy is wonderfully situated overlooking the Gnana vapi temple pond. The entire temple is a treat to eyes and mind.
4. Thiru Shakti muttram- this is referred as a Siva sakthi sthalam. Lord Siva is sakthivaneshwarar and ambal as Brhan nayaki. If you visit Patteeswaram, please don’t miss this temple and vice versa, as this is hardly 300m from Patteeswaram. This temple also has a lot of history and tales associated. It is also said that this temple was where the Muthu pandal was given for Thiru Gnanasambandar and the later part of the tale happened at Patteeswaram (the Nandis were ordered to be shifted from their usual location).
It is believed that Goddess Parvati was doing penance by standing on one of her feet to marry lord Siva. Siva just wanted to try her devotion further and appeared in front of her as a ball of fire. Parvati was able to see that it was indeed lord Siva, by the power of her penance and immediately embraced the fire tightly, without giving a thought about its scalding heat and Siva was impressed. This is depicted in a sculpture,which is also worshipped primarily in this temple, as Parvati hugging the Siva lingam in such a loving and intimate hug. You must not miss this cute one. 🙂
5. Swamimalai- This needs no introduction, being one of the six arupadai veedu of Lord Murugan and He being the Thagappan swamy or Swaminathan. This is the only temple which is a bit far away from the other temples but it’s pretty reachable and easy to find.
In addition to the above, you can also visit Thiruvaljuzhi, close to Swamimalai and on the way if you are following this trail. Also, Udayalur, where the Rajarajan pallipadai is located is also closer to Patteeswaram (I haven’t visited this yet).
More details on the history are available obviously in the web and it’s not that what I have written is new or different. Just shared what I really like of all those history or the tales associated with these temples.
P.S. All the pictures in this blog are taken by me (Lavanya). It would be appreciated if it’s not being used unauthorised 🙂
lavanyagurumurthy 