Friday Temple Visit - Week # 95
2nd December 2022
வாரம் ஒரு கோவில் தரிசனம்
by S. Subramaniam
Sri Gnana parameswaran, Tirumeignanam, Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu, India
Location:
The temple is located in village Thirumeignanam also referred to as Naalur Mayanam and is about 16 Kms from Kumbakonam and 3 kms from Kudavasal. The temple lies on the banks of river Vanjiyar and River Kudamurutti flows to the South of the temple.
Salient Features
Name of the presiding deity of the temple is Sri Gnanaparameswarar also known as Sri Mayanathu Peruman. Devi Parvati is known by the name Sri Gnanambika. Vilvam forms the Sthala vriksham (holy tree) of the temple and Sthala Theertham (holy waters) is the Gnana Theertham.
It may be noted here that the name of the temple, the names of the Lord, Devi and Sthala Theertham all carry the prefix Gnana which means knowledge.
Uniqueness - one of the five Mayanam temples
Thirumeignanam or Naalur Mayanam temple is one of the five Mayanam temples located in Tamil Nadu. Mayanam literally stands for cremation ground. The other four Mayanam temples are Kachi Mayanam (Kanchipuram), Kazhi Mayanam (Sirkazhi), Veezhi Mayanam (Thiru Verzhimalai) and Kadavur Mayanam (Thirikadavur).
Name of the place
In ancient times the temple was known as Chaturvedi Mangalam in Sanskrit and Naal Vediyur in Tamil. It is believed that the four vedas worshiped Lord Shiva at this temple.
History
The temple is a very ancient one about 2000 years old and reported to have been constructed during early Chozha regime. The present structure was erected by Aditya Chozhan (871-907 CE). The temple has a huge collection of inscriptions numbering to 23.
Legends
Legend 1 of 4 - Relating to Sage Apastamba
It is said that Apastamba Rishi worshiped Lord Shiva of this temple who directed him to compose Apastamba Dharma Sutra.
Apastamba Dharmasutra is a Sanskrit text and one of the oldest Dharma-related texts of Hinduism. It is one of three extant Dharmasutras texts from the Taittiriya school of Krishna Yajurveda, the other two being Baudhayana Dharmasutra and Hiranyakesin Dharmasutra.
Legend 2 of 4 - Relating to Naalur
The term Chaturvedi Mangalam in general refers to the settlement of learned Brahmins arranged by the ruling monarch. It is said that the inhabitants of such settlements usually had vast proficiency in the four Vedas.
This place is considered as one such Chaturvedi Mangalam populated by Vedic Scholars in ancient times. Chaturvedi Mangalam is also called as Naal Vediyur in Tamil. Naalvediyur later got corrupted to Naalur.
Legend 3 of 4 - Relating to Palasa vana nathar
Once, this place was full of Palasu / Purasu (Flame of the Forest) trees. Hence, the place came to be called as Palasa Vanam and Lord Shiva came to be called as Palasa vana nathar.
Legend 4 of 4 Snakes worshiping Lord Shiva here:
It is said that snakes have been visiting this temple occasionally and remain on the Lingam for some time. In fact, Thirugnana Sambandar had mentioned about the snakes Lord Shiva in this temple in one of his Devaram hymns. Even today one can witness snakes appearing in the temple and circumventing the Lingam occasionally.
The Temple
The Temple is an East facing one without a temple tower or Raja Gopuram bu only with an entrane arch. The Sanctum Sanitorium is square in plan and the vimana over the sanctum is of hemispherical shape.
Other deities of t temple
The shrine of Devi Gnanambiga is situated in Maha Mandapam to the left side of the Sanctum.
The Koshtam shrines of Nartana Vinayaga, Dakshinamoorthy, Lingothbhava, Brahma and Durga can be seen.
There is a sculpture on the wall of the sanctum, showing a Chozha King worshiping a Shiva Lingam and Nataraja near to it. The Chozha King is believed to be Aditya Chozha.
There is a separate shrine for Saint Thiru Gnana Sambanthar in the Maha Mandapam.
Lord Murugan with his consorts Valli & Deivanai, Dakshina Kailasanathar, Uthira Kailasanathar and Dakshinamitthy can be soon on the prakaram.
Lingams of Amrita Ghateswarar, (Thirukadayur), Sattanathar (Sirkazhi), Ekambareswarar (Kanchipuram) and Veezhi Azhagar (Thiru Veezhi Malai) - the other Mayanam temples can be seen in the western prakaram.
Literary Compositions
The Temple is considered as one of the shrines of the 276 Paadal Petra Sthalams (Shiva Sthalams) glorified in the early medieval Thevaram poems by Tamil Saivite Nayanar Thirugnana Sambandar. Ramalinga Swamigal has composed hymns in his Thiru Arutpa about the Lord.
A poem composed by yours truly can be seen in the below link.
Contact details:
Sri Gnanaparameswarar Swamy Temple,
Thiru Naalur Mayaanam (Thirumeignanam),
Inchikollai Via, Thirucherai Post,
Kumbakonam Taluk,
Tanjure District,
Tamil Nadu - 612 605.
Phone: +91-94867 67962 and 75020 56284.
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