Thiruvaiyaru Panchanadheshwara temple

The season of Marghazhi brings a hectic life to this sleepy town due to the annual Thyagaraja utsavam. Though it is more famous for shri Thyaga brahmam who lived here it is also famous for the huge Shiva temple. It is a Paadal petra sthalam visited by many nayanmars. Sundarar had the flooded cauvery part to facilitate his visit, Appar Thirugnanasambandar have sung about this temple. The Town of Thiruvaiyaru is crisscrossed by the Cauvery and its various tributaries making it 5 rivers here hence the presiding diety is pancha nadhi eashwara or Ayarappan in tamil. He rules over with Dharma samvardhini ambal.

How to Reach:

The fastest way to reach thiruvaiyaru is from Tanjore by road its about 9kms.It can also be reached from trichy via Kallanai the grand anicut, at present the road here is horrible between Manakkal and thirukattupalli  so it is better avoided. There is also a road via the kollidam banks via Appakudathan temple a divya desam.

Legends of the temple:

It is the birthplace of Nandi and Shiva performed the marriage of Nandi here. Annually It is celebrated with Nandi visiting 7 temples in procession as part of the sapthapadi

Kulothunga Chola  Apparently built this temple as per directions from a saint The temple has many contributions from the Pallavas,Chelas and the Hoysalas and Mahrattas too.

The temple has 5 prakaras and Ambal has a seperate temple in one prakaram.

The temple is being renovated by the Dharmapura aadheenam and is being readied for Kumbabishekam in Feb 2013

 

The rajagopuram from inside

Way to the Ambal sannidhi

Multiple pillars in the hall in the ambal complex

 

 

The main temple has manypraharams and the Lord is in the inner praharam as a shivalingam.

The second praharam has wall murals by the Mahrattas in 18 century being re done now.The original is below

The Birth place of Nandi

A meditation Centre inside leading to Guru sannidhi

A maha vilvam tree with 12 leaves

Kosta vigrahas Bhairavar

 

The temple legend

The temple Nandi