हिंदीOn this day
Standing

Soundareswarar Temple, Tiruppanaiyur

The palmyra village where the boy Karikala Chola hid under Vinayakar’s protection, and where Shiva danced before Sundarar at the boundary. Sambandar and Sundarar sang it.

Built: Chola temple of the 11th century; inscriptions of Kulottunga I, Rajadhiraja I, Rajaraja II and Pandya kingsWhere: Tamil Nadu (Tiruvarur district)Deity: Bhagwan Shiva as Soundareswarar (Thalavaneswarar); Devi as Periyanayaki10.86° N, 79.66° E
Photo: Mohan Krishnan (talk) · CC BY-SA 3.0

01Karikala’s refuge

Panai is the palmyra, the sacred tree here. The temple’s tradition says that when the young Karikala’s father was killed by rivals, the prince and his mother were sent to Panaiyur and lived hidden for years, praying daily to the Vinayakar of this temple, who is honoured as Thunaiyirundha Vinayakar, the one who stayed as a companion. Sundarar, returning from the Panguni Uttiram festival at Tiruvarur, was met at the village edge by the Lord dancing, and called Him the handsome dancer of the forest. Inscriptions name the Lord Panaiyadiappan and the village Rajendra Chola Panaiyur. Paintings in the temple tell Karikala’s stay, and a bas-relief shows a crab worshipping Shiva.

Visiting

About 2 km east of Aandipandal on the Tiruvarur–Mayiladuthurai road and 3 km from Nannilam; no buses on the last stretch.

Nearby

Pasupatheeswarar Temple, TirukondeeswaramStanding
Cholas and the Southern Seas

Pasupatheeswarar Temple, Tirukondeeswaram

A moated shrine whose small linga is split by the horn of Parvati in cow form; a three-headed Jvaradeva on a pillar is prayed to for fevers. Appar sang it twice.

Veeratteswarar Temple, TiruvirkudiStanding
Cholas and the Southern Seas

Veeratteswarar Temple, Tiruvirkudi

One of the eight Veerattanams, where Shiva destroyed the asura Jalandhara with a disc drawn by His toe. Tulasi is the sacred tree, and Sambandar sang it.

Madhuvaneswarar Temple, NannilamStanding
Cholas and the Southern Seas

Madhuvaneswarar Temple, Nannilam

The great temple of Nannilam, where the devas hid as honeybees in the sanctum, and bees still live. Sundarar sang it and named Kochengat Chola as its builder.

Sowriraja Perumal (Neelamegha) Temple, ThirukkannapuramStanding
The Age of Great Kingdoms

Sowriraja Perumal (Neelamegha) Temple, Thirukkannapuram

Bhuloka Vaikuntham: the most sung of all Divya Desams after Srirangam, praised by five Alvars in 128 pasurams. The festival Perumal wears a sowri, a lock of hair, after he grew one to save his priest.