01Thyagaraja and the dance of breath
The temple has two lords. Vanmikanathar is the swayambhu linga in an anthill, the oldest shrine. Thyagaraja is Shiva as Somaskanda, seated with Uma and the child Skanda. The temple katha says the Chola king Muchukunda helped Indra in battle and asked for this image as his reward; Indra made six copies to confuse him, but the king picked the true one, and was given all seven. They are the Saptavitanka shrines of the Chola country, Tiruvarur first. Thyagaraja’s procession dance, the Ajapa natanam, is said to follow the rhythm of Vishnu’s breathing as the image rested on his chest. The face of the god is shown, the body kept covered.
02Tank, chariot and trinity
The Kamalalayam tank beside the temple is one of the largest in India, with a small shrine on an island in its middle. The temple chariot, the Azhi ther, is the largest in Tamil Nadu, pulled through the four streets by thousands at the Panguni festival. Stone carvings in the precinct tell the katha of Manu Needhi Cholan, the king who ran his own son over with a chariot to give justice to a cow whose calf the prince had killed. Syama Sastri (1762), Tyagaraja (1767) and Muthuswami Dikshitar (1775) were all born in this town, and Dikshitar’s Kamalamba Navavarana kritis are sung to the Devi of this temple.
The life of this place
- 1762 CESyama Sastri was born at Tiruvarur.
- 1767 CETyagaraja was born at Tiruvarur.
- 1775 CEMuthuswami Dikshitar was born at Tiruvarur.
Tiruvarur is about 55 km east of Thanjavur; the chariot festival falls in Panguni (March–April).
