6 days ago
- General
- New Indian Express
Exploring the ancient Siva temples of Pazhaiyanur
The ancient village of Pazhaiyanur, located very close to Thiruvalangadu which is famous as the home of Siva worshipped as Vataranyeshwarar, also has two ancient Siva temples, one for Kailasanathar and the other for Thazhuvi Kuzhandishwarar. Pazhaiyanur village was famous and the entire area, in the Chola times, was called Pazhaiyanur Nadu. Inscriptions from the Vataranyeshwarar temple in nearby Thiruvalangadu mention that it was part of Pazhaiyanur and situated in Menmalai Pazhaiyanur Nadu, which was part of Jayankonda Chola Mandalam. A famous 11th century copper-plate inscription from Thiruvalangadu, belonging to the reign of Rajendra Chola I mentions that Pazhaiyanur was also called Puranagrama. Interestingly, the same inscription mentions the name of Vataranyeshwarar as Pazhaiyanur Amma. It is also noteworthy that an epigraph in the Thirusaktimutram temple, close to Kumbakonam, mentions a gift of livestock and lampstands by Vedavanam Udaiyan Karunakara Devan from far away Pazhaiyanur, clearly mentioned as being located in Pazaiyanur Nadu in Jayankonda Chola Mandalam.
Over the centuries, Pazhaiyanur has become far less famous than Thiruvalangadu. The Kailasanatha temple in Pazhaiyanur village, which is small in size and much modernised, faces east, but the entrance, which is only a gate, is on the south. The central sanctum, enshrining a Siva Lingam, has a mandapam in front. Adjacent to the main shrine is one for Parvati, worshipped as Parvartavardini, facing south. In the prakaram (enclosure), are sanctums for Ganesa and Subramanya. A Chola inscription discovered on the east wall of the Kailasanatha temple refers to an agreement by people connected with the temple of Kailayamudaiya Nayanar for a lamp in this shrine.
Another temple in Pazhaiyanur for Siva, worshipped as Thazhuvi Kuzhandishwarar, is also small in size. Once again, the entrance is from the south with no gopuram but only a gateway, while the temple faces east. The wide prakaram has an entrance leading to the sanctums inside. Straight ahead is a mandapam which leads to the south-facing shrine for Goddess Parvati, called as Anandavalli Amman while to the right is the sanctum enshrining the Siva Lingam worshipped as Thazhuvi Kozhundishwarar, facing east. The mandapam enshrines the images of the four important Siva devotees — Appar, Thirugnanasambandar, Sundaramurti and Manikkavachakar, collectively called Nalvar and also Vinayaka. Shrines for Lakshmi Narayana, Vinayaka,
Subramanya and Chandikeshwara are seen in the prakaram and also a lovely Nandi on the east who gazes at Siva in the principal sanctum through a perforated stone window in the wall.
