SATTAINATHAR KOVIL
SIRKAZHI-PAADAL PETRA STHALAM
A temple trip to the most famous Natarajar Temple in Chidambaram, Tamilnadu, should definitely include a list of many other temples in and around this place. One among those is the very lesser known but must visit SIRKAZHI SATTAINATHAR KOVIL. As you approach this temple, you will be in awe of the majestic high walls which enclose the shrine inside. Once you enter you are in for more surprises for which you will feel blessed and overwhelmed with gratitude just to have visited this beautiful temple. This temple, the Sattainathar kovil or Brahmapureeswarar kovil or Thoniappar Kovil as it is popularly known in the locality, is a very important Paadal Petra Sthalam among the 275 Shaivaite Sthalams devoted to Lord Shiva.
Periyanayaki Sametha Thoniappar Swamy
LOCATION
SATTAINATHAR KOVIL (also called as Brahmapureeswarar Kovil) is located in the town SIRKAZHI, in Mayiladuthurai District, Tamilnadu. It is 19 km from Chidambaram and 7 km from the famous Vaitheeswaran Kovil.
DEITIES
Moolavar or the Main Deity:
SHIVA is the Main Deity here. He is worshipped in 3 different forms in this 3-tier temple.:
BRAHMAPUREESWARAR (Linga Roopam) accompanied by AMBAL THRIPURASUNDARI (Ground level)
UMA MAHESHWARAR (Thoniappar) (Middle Level)
SATTAINATHAR (Bhairavar) (Upper Level)
In this beautiful 3-storied temple, as you enter the main Sanctum, we can have the darshan of Lord Shiva in the Linga form. Shiva is said to have been worshipped by Lord Brahma hence is called Brahmapureeswarar. As you do pradakshina around the temple you can see a flight of steps to the 1st floor which leads you to an amazing 25 feet colossal sculpture of Uma Maheshwarar sitting on a raft (“thoni”). In the background of this sannadhi one can see Guru, Indra, Chandra and Surya.
2nd floor houses Sattainathar (Bhairavar).
OTHER DEITIES IN THE TEMPLE
Vinayakar Sannadhi known as Padikkasu Pillayaar
Ambal Sannanadhi – Sthira Sundari/ Thripurasundari
ThirungnanaSambandar Sannadhi
Ashtabhairavas (the eight Bhairava) Sannadhi - (Asitanga, Visalaksa, Marrtanda, Modakapriya, Svachanda, Vignasantusa, Khechera and Sarcaracara)
Paathaleswarar Sannadhi
Punnagavareswarar Sannadhi
INTERESTING FACTS
This is one place where the Trimurthys along with their consorts (Brahma-Saraswathi, Vishnu-Mahalakshmi, Shiva-Parvathi) give darshan to the bhakthas.
Once, to prove that Shiva and Vishnu are not different but one, Shiva wore the skin of Vishnu as a garment. Mother Mahalakshmi misunderstood this as Shiva had destroyed Vishnu and stopped wearing flowers in Her tresses. As a custom in the temple, women coming to this shrine avoid wearing flowers.
As Lord Shiva is the supreme head of all Laws-Sattam in Tamil, He is praised as Satta Nathar. Hence, people involved in any litigation seek the Lord’s blessing to win disputes.
Here Shiva is worshipped in the form of 8 Bhairavas. So, this place is believed to be as sacred as Kashi.
There is a special pooja conducted for Sattainathar on the Ashtami day of every month for which only men are allowed. While visiting the Sannadhi of Sattainathar, men are asked to remove their shirts as a mark of respect and devotion.
The Jeeva Samadhi – monument of Sattai Muni Siddhar one of the 18 siddhas can be seen is in the temple. People have the darshan of Lord Sattainathar from this platform.
As this is the place where the famous Shaivite saint, Thirunganasambandhar was given the “Gnana Paal” (milk of wisdom) by Devi Parvathy, bhakthas coming to this temple usually offer milk as naivedhyam and distribute it to other devotees coming to the temple.
The famous Carnatic singer Late Sirkazhi Govindarajan hails from this place.
STHALAPURANAM
According to the Tamil legend, at the time of Maha Pralaya or the deluge during which the world was on the verge of destruction, Lord Shiva in order to protect the “Arubathinaangu kalaigal” 64 arts, using a boat of Ohm Moola Mantra was travelling on the flood waters with Mother Uma. He saw this place, Sirkazhi unaffected by the floods. He chose this place and stayed here with the name “Thoni Appar “(God with the boat) along with his consort. She is worshipped in the name of “Thiru Nilai Nayaki” (the one who stays permanently here)
Also, the legend says Lord Brahma’s arrogance and pride claiming that he is the most superior of all the Gods, is said to have been destroyed in this sthalam. It is believed that visiting this place destroys one’s bad qualities of ego and arrogance.
One of the most important facts in the sthalapuranam is that the temple is associated with the legend of the famous 7th century Shaivite poet-saint, Thirungnanasambandar. Sambandar was born to Sivapada Hrudiyar and his wife Bhagavathi who lived in Sirkazhi. They were a Shaivite Brahmins who were well versed in the Vedas. When Sambandar was 3 years old his parents took him to the Shiva temple where Shiva and his consort Uma appeared before the child. The goddess nursed him at her breast. His father saw drops of milk on the child's mouth and asked who had fed him, whereupon the boy pointed to the sky and responded with the song “Thodudaya Sevian” - the first verse of the Thevaaram, a devotional Shaivite literature on Lord Shiva. Thevaaram literally means, "garland of divine songs" and refers to the collection of verses sung in praise of Shiva, by the three famous Tamil poets known as Shaiva Kuruvars - Sambandar, Appar, and Sundarar. The three are considered the primary three among the 63 Nayanaars. By the age of 7, Sambandar is said to have expounded the Vedas with clarity. He has composed 16,000 hyms of intense bhakthi on Lord Shiva, of which 383 hymns with 4,181 stanzas have survived. Sri Shankaracharya who lived in the subsequent century has also referred to Sambandar in one hymn of Soundarya Lahari, praising him as a gifted Tamil child (Tamil sisu) who was fed with milk of wisdom by goddess Uma.
This place is classified one among the 275 Paadal Petra Sthalams (Those Temples where the 63 Nayanaars have sung praises on Lord Shiva, similar to 108 Divya Desams of the Vaishnava temples).
OTHER NAMES OF THE STHALAM
In ancient times, this town had twelve different names, including Brahmapureeswaram, Venupuram, Thonipuram, Kazhumalam, Pugali, Sirkazhiswaram, Sattainathapuram, Brahmapuram and Shri Kali.
HISTORY AND ARCHITECHTURE
The temple is believed to have been built by the Chola king Kulothunga Chola I (1070-1118 CE) and expanded by his successors. The temple complex is enclosed by a massive granite wall with four gopurams. The main gopuram, on the eastern side, is 130 feet (40 m) tall.
The enlargement of the original temple happened during the period of 11th through the 13th centuries).
The temple has a vast prakaaram with high walls of enclosure. There are two sets of seven-tiered gopurams on the outer walls of the enclosure.
There are 22 water bodies associated with this shrine.
In 1987 the temple was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
NAYANMAAR THIRUNGNANASAMBANDAR’S PADHIGAM (Hymn)
தோடுடைய செவியன் விடையேறியோர் தூவெண்மதி சூடிக்
காடுடையசுட லைப்பொடிபூசிஎன் உள்ளங்கவர் கள்வன்
ஏடுடையமல ரான்முனைநாட்பணிந் தேத்தஅருள் செய்த
பீடுடையபிர மாபுரம்மேவிய பெம்மானிவ னன்றே.
ADDRESS
Sri Brahmapureeswarar Temple,
Sirkazhi
Nagapattinam District
Tamil Nadu – 609110
Image Source: Hand drawn sketch by me based on photograph of the Deity.
Information Source: Bhakthas who have visited the temple, Internet and Self.
Lots of useful details. I had visited this temple a few years ago. The sketch of the deities is beautiful.