01Milk of wisdom
The Periya Puranam tells it. Sivapada Hridayar went down into the tank to bathe and left his small son on the steps. The child cried for his father, looking up at the tower, and Mata Parvati came down with Bhagwan Shiva and gave him milk from a golden cup. When the father came out and saw milk on the boy’s lips he raised a stick and asked who had fed him. The child pointed to the sky and sang ‘Todudaiya seviyan’, he who wears a ring in his ear. That is the first hymn of the Tevaram. Every year the temple keeps the Tirumulaippal festival, the feast of the breast-milk, for that morning.
02Three levels, three forms
On the ground is the linga of Brahmapureeswarar, worshipped by Brahma, from whom the town took the name Brahmapuram. Up a flight of steps is Thoniappar, Shiva and Uma seated in a boat, for the katha says this town alone floated on the waters of the pralaya. Higher still is Sattainathar, the Bhairava form, worshipped on Fridays at night. The Tevaram gives Sirkazhi twelve names, and Sambandar sang more hymns on it than on any other shrine. The town also has the Divya Desam of Trivikrama Perumal, sung by Tirumangai Alvar.
The life of this place
- 7th century CESambandar was born here and sang the first hymn of the Tevaram at the temple tank.
Sirkazhi is about 20 km north of Mayiladuthurai on the Chidambaram road; the temple is in the town centre.
