The Vedagiriswarar Temple is a

Hindu Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism.Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...

temple dedicated to the god

Shiva Shiva (; sa, शिव, lit=The Auspicious One, Śiva ), also known as Mahadeva (; ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐ, or Hara, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions within Hindu ...

, located in Tirukalukundram (also known as Thirukazhukundram),

Tamil Nadu Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is a States and union territories of India, state in southern India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by area, tenth largest Indian state by area and the List of states and union territories of India ...

, India.

The Temple

Tirukalukundram is known for the Vedagiriswarar temple complex, popularly known as ''kazhugu koil'' (eagle-temple). The temple consists of two structures, one at the foot-hill and the other on the hill's crest. The large hill-top temple (the main attraction) houses the deity

, also known as ''Vedagiriswarar''. The temple at the foot-hill is dedicated to his consort

Parvati Parvati ( sa, पार्वती, ), Uma ( sa, उमा, ) or Gauri ( sa, गौरी, ) is the Hindu goddess of power, energy, nourishment, harmony, love, beauty, devotion, and motherhood. She is a physical representation of Mahadevi i ...

, known here as ''Thiripurasundari Amman''. The temple at the foot-hills has four towers (

gopuram A ''gopuram'' or ''gopura'' ( Tamil: கோபுரம், Malayalam: ഗോപുരം, Kannada: ಗೋಪುರ, Telugu: గోపురం) is a monumental entrance tower, usually ornate, at the entrance of a Hindu temple, in the South I ...

s), which closely resemble the architecture of the

Annamalaiyar Temple Arunachalesvara Temple (also called Annamalaiyar Temple) is a Hindu temple dedicated to the deity Shiva, located at the base of Arunachala hill in the town of Thiruvannamalai in Tamil Nadu, India. It is significant to the Hindu sect of Shaivis ...

History

The word "Thirukazhukundram" comes from the Tamil words ''thiru'' (respectful), ''kazhugu'' (vulture/eagle), and ''kundram'' (mount). It was known as "Thirukazhugukundram" in ancient times, which later culminated into "Thirukazhukundram". The town is also known as "''Pakshi-theertham''" (''Pakshi''- bird; ''Theertham''- holy lake) because of a pair of birds (most likely

Egyptian vulture The Egyptian vulture (''Neophron percnopterus''), also called the white scavenger vulture or pharaoh's chicken, is a small Old World vulture and the only member of the genus ''Neophron''. It is widely distributed from the Iberian Peninsula and ...

s) that are believed to have visited the site for centuries. These birds are traditionally fed by the temple priests and arrive before noon to feed on offerings made from rice, wheat,

ghee Ghee is a type of clarified butter, originating from India. It is commonly used in India for cooking, as a traditional medicine, and for religious rituals. Description Ghee is typically prepared by simmering butter, which is churned from c ...

and sugar. Although punctual, the failure of the birds to turn up was attributed to the presence of "sinners" among the onlookers. Legend has it the vultures (or "eagles") represent eight sages who were punished by

with two of them leaving in each of a series of epochs. It has also been known as ''Uruthrakodi'', ''Nandipuri'', ''Indrapuri'', ''Narayanapuri'', ''Brahmapuri'', ''Dinakarapuri'', and ''Muniganapuri'' in the past. There are many inscriptions in the temple.

Legend

The sage

Bharadwaja Bharadvaja ( sa, भरद्वाज, IAST: ; also spelled Bharadwaja) was one of the revered Vedic sages (maharishi) in Ancient India. He was a renowned scholar, economist, grammarian and physician. He is one of the Saptarishis (seven great ...

prayed to the god

for a long life so that he could learn all the Vedas. Shiva appeared before him and granted him his wish to learn the Vedas and created three mountain, each signifying a Veda ( Rig, Yajur and Sama). Shiva then took a handful of mud and said: "''Dear Bharadwaja! The Vedas that you could learn are only this handful compared to the mountains present here, even if you live much longer, and hence, learning is never ending and possibly cannot be the route for salvation''". Shiva also said that in the ''

Kali Yuga ''Kali Yuga'', in Hinduism, is the fourth and worst of the four ''yugas'' (world ages) in a ''Yuga Cycle'', preceded by '' Dvapara Yuga'' and followed by the next cycle's '' Krita (Satya) Yuga''. It is believed to be the present age, which is ...

'', the simplest and the surest way to salvation is

bhakti ''Bhakti'' ( sa, भक्ति) literally means "attachment, participation, fondness for, homage, faith, love, devotion, worship, purity".See Monier-Williams, ''Sanskrit Dictionary'', 1899. It was originally used in Hinduism, referring to d ...

, or unfettered devotion, service and love of God and his creations. It is believed that the hill on which the Vedagiriswarar temple is built, consists of the mountains signifying the Vedas created by Shiva himself. The name ''Vedagiriswarar'' means "''the Lord of the Vedic Mountains''" in

Sanskrit Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had diffused there from the northwest in the late ...

Poets

It is one of the 275 shrines known as

Paadal Petra Sthalams The Paadal Petra Sthalam, also known as Thevara Sthalam, are 276 temples that are revered in the verses of Saiva Nayanars in the 6th-9th century CE and are amongst the greatest Shiva temples of the continent. The Divya Desams by comparison ar ...

. The five poet-saints

Nalvar The Nayanars (or Nayanmars; ta, நாயன்மார், translit=Nāyaṉmār, translit-std=ISO, lit=hounds of Siva, and later 'teachers of Shiva ) were a group of 63 Tamil Hindu saints living during the 6th to 8th centuries CE who were de ...

Appar Appar, also referred to as ( ta, திருநாவுக்கரசர்) or Navukkarasar, was a seventh-century Tamil Śaiva poet-saint. Born in a peasant Śaiva family, raised as an orphan by his sister, he lived about 80 years and is ...

Sundarar Sundarar (Tamil: சுந்தரர்), also referred to as Chuntarar, Chuntaramurtti, Nampi Aruran or Tampiran Tolan, was an eighth-century poet-saint of Tamil Shaiva Siddhanta tradition of Hinduism. He is among the Tevaram trio, and one o ...

Manickavasagar Manikkavacakar, or Maanikkavaasagar ''(Tamil: மாணிக்கவாசகர், "One whose words are like gems")'', was a 9th-century Tamil saint and poet who wrote ''Tiruvasakam'', a book of Shaiva hymns. Speculated to have been a minis ...

and Thirugnanasamandhar had visited the temple complex and composed hymns in praise of ''Vedagiriswarar''. A shrine, ''Nalvar Koil'', is dedicated to them.

Arunagirinathar Arunagirinaadhar (Aruna-giri-naadhar, ', ) was a Tamil Saiva saint-poet who lived during the 15th century in Tamil Nadu, India. In his treatise ''A History of Indian Literature'' (1974), Czech Indologist Kamil Zvelebil places Arunagirinathar's ...

composed many of his hymns of

Thirupugazh Thiruppugal (Tamil: , ', IPA/Tamil: , meaning 'Holy Praise' or 'Divine Glory'), sometimes spelled Thiruppugazh, is a 15th-century anthology of Tamil religious songs dedicated to Lord Murugan, the son of Lord Shiva, written by the poet-saint ...

in Thirukazhukundram.

Location

Thirukazhukundram is located on State Highway 58, 70 km away from Chennai and 15 km away from the famous tourist town

Mahabalipuram Mamallapuram, also known as Mahabalipuram, is a town in Chengalpattu district in the southeastern Indian state of Tamil Nadu, best known for the UNESCO World Heritage Site of 7th- and 8th-century Hindu Group of Monuments at Mahabalipuram. It is o ...

. It is also 15 km away from Chengalpattu. Near road links are, 10 km away from

Old Mahabalipuram Road State Highway 49A (SH-49A) also known as Rajiv Gandhi Salai and Rajiv Gandhi IT Expressway or just IT Expressway is a major road connecting Chennai, Tamil Nadu with Mahabalipuram in Chengalpattu district, Tamil Nadu. It is 45 km long and ...

, 10 km away from

East Coast Road East Coast Road (ECR), combination of SH-49, NH-332A, NH-32, officially known as Mutthamizh Arignar Kalaignar Road, is a two-lane highway (now being partially upgraded to four-lane way from Chennai to Mamallapuram) in Tamil Nadu, India, built ...

and 15 km away from

GST road Grand Southern Trunk Road (or) National Highways 45 is an arterial road in Tamil Nadu. It is also known as Chennai–Trichy Highway. The Road starts from Kathipara Junction in St Thomas Mount, Chennai towards Tiruchirappalli. It branches out from ...

Gallery

Image:Main Gopuram.jpg, Main

Gopuram A ''gopuram'' or ''gopura'' ( Tamil: கோபுரம், Malayalam: ഗോപുരം, Kannada: ಗೋಪುರ, Telugu: గోపురం) is a monumental entrance tower, usually ornate, at the entrance of a Hindu temple, in the South I ...

of Hill temple of Thirukazhukundram Image:Sangu Theertham.jpg, Sangu

Theertham Theertham (Theertha or Tirtha) literally refers to water. In Hindu sacred literature, it is referred to as the physical holy water body associated with a temple or deity. As per Hindu religious belief, water is the principal purification mechanis ...

(conch tank) of Thirukazhukundram Orukal Mandapa, Brahma Siva Visnu Cave temple 1, Tirukkalukkundram Tamil Nadhu.jpg, Orukal Mandapa (610-640 CE) is a Pallava-era rock-cut cave temple about 50 steps below Vedagiriswarar temple, east side of the hill. Image:Tirukalukundram2.jpg, Temple view from foothills Image:Tirukalukundram4.jpg, Basement temple view from the hill Image:Tirukalukundram7.jpg, Sangu Theertham(conch tank) view File:Thirukalukundram Sangutheertham and Hill Temple.jpg

References

Hymns of Thirupugazh with their composed locations
*http://www.thirukalukundram.in/ {{HinduMythology Hindu temples in Kanchipuram district Padal Petra Stalam Shiva temples in Kanchipuram district