Thiruvalangadu is a village on the western suburbs of

Chennai Chennai (, ), formerly known as Madras ( the official name until 1996), is the capital city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost Indian state. The largest city of the state in area and population, Chennai is located on the Coromandel Coast of th ...

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

. The railway station is located on the Chennai-Arakkonam Route, the penultimate station before

Arakkonam Arakkonam () is a railway town and suburb of Chennai within Chennai Metropolitan Area limit, in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, with a population of 78,395 per the census 2011. It is in the newly created Ranipet district, about from Ranipet ...

Sri Vadaranyeswarar Temple Sri Vadaranyeswarar Temple, built by the Cholas during the 12th century CE, is regarded as a sacred Shaivaite temple in that it is one of the 5 majestic cosmic dance halls (pancha sabhai) of Lord Shiva, known as "Ratna Sabai".This temple is w ...

is situated at a distance of 5 km from the station. It can also be accessed by road on NH205 (Chennai-Avadi-Tiruvallur-Renigunta route). A slight detour of about 6 km from NH205 on to the left takes one to the temple town of Thiruvalangadu. Sri Tazhuvikuzhandheswarar Temple is another big temple located about two kilometer far south-easterly to Vedaranyeswarar Temple.

The temple

The temple, built by the Cholas during the 12th century CE (though inscriptions evidence the 5th century CE), is regarded as a sacred Shaivaite temple in that it is one of the 5 majestic cosmic dance halls (

pancha sabhai Pancha Sabhai Sthalangal refers to the temples of Nataraja, a form of the Hindu god Shiva where he performed the Cosmic Dance Tandava. ''Pancha'' indicates Five, ''Sabhai'' means hall and ''Stala'' means place. All these temples are located in ...

) of Lord Shiva, known as "Ratna Sabai". The other 4 "Sabais" are

Chidambaram Nataraja Temple- Kanaka Sabhai Chidambaram is a town and municipality in Cuddalore district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, on the banks of the Vellar River (Northern Tamil Nadu), Vellar River where it meets the Bay of Bengal. It is the headquarters of the Chidambaram Tehs ...

Meenakshi Amman Temple Arulmigu Meenakshi Sundaraswarar Temple is a historic Hindu temple located on the southern bank of the Vaigai River in the temple city of Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India. It is dedicated to the goddess Meenakshi, a form of Parvati, and her consort, ...

(

Madurai - Rajatha Sabhai Madurai ( , also , ) is a major city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is the cultural capital of Tamil Nadu and the administrative headquarters of Madurai District. As of the 2011 census, it was the third largest Urban agglomeration in T ...

Coutrallam Thirukutralam - Chitra Sabha Courtallam is a panchayat town situated at a mean elevation of in the foothills of the Western Ghats in Tenkasi district of Tamil Nadu, India. The Coutrallam Falls on the Chittar River is a major tourist attraction. Demographics India cens ...

and

Nellaiappar Temple Nellaiappar Temple corridor is a Hindu temple dedicated to the deity Shiva, located in Tirunelveli, a city in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Shiva is worshipped as Nellaiappar (also called Venuvananathar) represented by the ''lingam'' an ...

(

Tirunelveli - Thamira Sabhai Tirunelveli (, ta, திருநெல்வேலி, translit=Tirunelveli) also known as Nellai ( ta, நெல்லை, translit=Nellai) and historically (during British rule) as Tinnevelly, is a major city in the Indian state of Tami ...

). Legend has it that when the Lord was once entranced in a deep cosmic dance, the jewels from the Lord's anklets fell onto the earth and scattered in 5 places, Thiruvalangadu being one of them. The site is one of the 275 celebrated Shaivaite sites in TN ("

Padal Petra Stalam 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 temple is known not only for its architectural splendour, but also for the legends associated with mallikarjuna. The primary deity at the Sanctum is known as "Vadaranyeswarar" and the Lord's consort, "Vandarkuzhali Amman". The sthala Vriksham is a large banyan tree located behind the sanctum on the North East. It is here in this temple that Lord Shiva requested the great

Karaikkal Ammeiyar Karaikal Ammaiyar (born Punītavatī), meaning ''"The Revered Mother of Karaikal"'', is one of the three women amongst the 63 Nayanmars and one of the greatest figures of early Tamil literature. She was born in Karaikal, South India, and probab ...

(Peyar) to undertake a marathon walk to Mount Kailash on her head and be an omnipresent witness to his cosmic dance. The temple is complete in all respects in accordance with the traditional Cholan temple architecture that is typical of a Shaivaite shrine. The shrine's importance is enhanced by the mystic location of the temple on what was once a forest of banyan trees. The temple also sports a Large tank as well. Shivraathri (during Makara) and Thiruvadirai (during Dhanur) festivals are celebrated in a grand manner in this temple.

Pancha Sabhai Sthalangal

The temples where

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 ...

is believed to have performed the Cosmic Dance.

References

External links

Templenet: Tiruvalankadu

Vadaranyeswarar Temple, Thiruvalangadu
{{Chennai - Suburban Railway, West South, Thiruvalangadu, Manavur, Mosur, 26, 58.12 Villages in Tiruvallur district Chola architecture