हिंदीOn this day
Standing

Sivalokanathar Temple, Tirumundeeswaram (Gramam)

Appar sang Tirumundeeswaram, and the Cholas made it a stone temple in Parantaka’s reign. Its inscriptions carry the story of the Chola prince Rajaditya, who fell at Takkolam.

Built: Rebuilt in stone under Parantaka Chola I; Chola, Rashtrakuta, Pandya and Vijayanagara inscriptions; present masonry 16th centuryWhere: Tamil Nadu (Villupuram district)Deity: Bhagwan Shiva as Sivalokanathar (Mundeeswarar); Devi as Soundara Nayaki (Kanarkuzhali)11.85° N, 79.40° E
  1. 949 CE
Photo: Ssriram mt · CC BY-SA 4.0

01Rajaditya’s lamps

Thindi and Mundi, the dvarapalas of Shiva, worshipped here, and so the shrine is Tirumundeeswaram. In Appar’s day the Lord was called Aruttali Mahadevar. Under Parantaka I a military camp of the Cholas stood in this region under his son Rajaditya, and the inscriptions record that the temple was rebuilt in stone and that Rajaditya gave lamps. In 949 Rajaditya was killed on his elephant at the battle of Takkolam against the Rashtrakuta Krishna III, and inscriptions of Kannaradeva, as Krishna III is called in Tamil records, are on these walls too. Later grants come from Chola, Pandya and Vijayanagara rulers.

The life of this place

  1. 949 CERajaditya, the Chola prince who gave lamps to this temple, falls at the battle of Takkolam.
Visiting

At Gramam village in Villupuram district, near Tiruvennainallur. Chitra Pournami and Aani Tirumanjanam are the chief festivals.

Nearby

Kripapureeswarar Temple, TiruvennainallurStanding
Cholas and the Southern Seas

Kripapureeswarar Temple, Tiruvennainallur

Where Shiva stopped Sundarar’s wedding with a bond of slavery and Sundarar sang his first hymn, Pitha pirai soodi. Meykandar, author of the Sivagnana Bodham, lived here.

Marundeeswarar (Idaiyatrunathar) Temple, Tiruvidaiyaru (T. Edaiyar)Standing
Cholas and the Southern Seas

Marundeeswarar (Idaiyatrunathar) Temple, Tiruvidaiyaru (T. Edaiyar)

Idaiyaru, between the rivers, on the Thenpennai near Tiruvennainallur. Sundarar sang it; Shuka Brahmarishi is said to have done tapas here.

Bhaktajaneswarar Temple, TirunavalurStanding
Cholas and the Southern Seas

Bhaktajaneswarar Temple, Tirunavalur

The birthplace of Sundarar, last of the three Tevaram singers, who sang his own village’s Lord.

Sishtagurunathar Temple, TiruthuraiyurStanding
Cholas and the Southern Seas

Sishtagurunathar Temple, Tiruthuraiyur

Here Sundarar asked Shiva to grant him the way of tapas, and the Lord became his guru. Sishtagurunathar means the Lord who is teacher to his disciple.