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Arthanāreeswarā temple, also known as Thirukodimāda Chenkundrūr (
Tamil Tamil may refer to: People, culture and language * Tamils, an ethno-linguistic group native to India, Sri Lanka, and some other parts of Asia **Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka ** Myanmar or Burmese Tamils, Tamil people of Ind ...
: திருக்கொடிமாடச் செங்குன்றூர்), is an ancient
Hindu Hindus (; ; also known as Sanātanīs) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism, also known by its endonym Sanātana Dharma. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pp. 35–37 Historically, the term has also be ...
temple, located in
Tiruchengode Tiruchengode is a special grade municipality town located in western part of southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is famous for the ancient hilltop Ardhanareeswarar Temple, dedicated to the unique combined male-female form of Lord Shiva and G ...
, in the southern Indian state of
Tamil Nadu Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is the southernmost States and union territories of India, state of India. 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 Indi ...
. The temple is dedicated to Arthanāreeswarā, a form of the Hindu deity
Shiva Shiva (; , ), also known as Mahadeva (; , , Help:IPA/Sanskrit, ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐh and Hara, is one of the Hindu deities, principal deities of Hinduism. He is the God in Hinduism, Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions w ...
combined with his consort
Parvati Parvati (, , IPA: /Sanskrit phonology, pɑɾʋət̪iː/), also known as Uma (, , IPA: Sanskrit phonology, /ʊmɑː/) and Gauri (, , IPA: /Sanskrit phonology, gə͡ʊɾiː/), is one of the principal goddesses in Hinduism, revered as the Devi, ...
. Also called as "Umayorubāgan" "Mādhorubāgan" and ''Ammaiyappan'' (mother-father). The famous Chenkottu Velavar Temple, dedicated to Lord
Murugan Kartikeya (/ kɑɾt̪ɪkejə/; ), also known as Skanda ( /skən̪d̪ə/), Subrahmanya (/ sʊbɾəɦməɲjə/, /ɕʊ-/), Shanmukha ( /ɕɑnmʊkʰə/) and Murugan (/ mʊɾʊgən/), is the Hindu god of war. He is generally described as the ...
, is also situated on the same hill and a separate temple for Lord Vinayaka far away from the main temple complex. The Vinayaka temple is situated in a rock on one of the peaks of the Mountain and is called as "Ucchi Pillaiyar Kovil".


History

It is one of the shrines of the 275
Paadal Petra Sthalams The Paadal Petra Sthalams (), also known as Devara Sthalams, are 276 temples that are revered in the verses of Shaiva Nayanars in the 6th-9th century CE. The Divya Desams by comparison are the 108 Vishnu temples glorified in the poems of the ...
praised in the Thevaram hymns of the Saivite saints. Both Thirugnansambandar who lived in the 5th century and
Arunagirinathar Arunagirinathar (', ) was a Tamil language, Tamil Shaivism, Shaiva saint-poet who lived during the 14th century in Tamil Nadu, India. In his treatise ''A History of Indian Literature'' (1974), Czechs, Czech Indologist Kamil Zvelebil places Aru ...
have composed hymns celebrating the temple. In the ancient work
Silapathikaram ''Cilappatikāram'' ( IPA: ʧiləppət̪ikɑːrəm, ''lit.'' "the Tale of an Anklet"), also referred to as ''Silappathikaram'' or ''Silappatikaram'', is the earliest Tamil epic. It is a poem of 5,730 lines in almost entirely ''akaval'' (''aciri ...
the place is mentioned by the name 'Neduvelkundru'. The temple is also the subject of a popular composition by Muttuswami Dīkshitar, ''Arthanāreeshwaram'', set in the ragam Kumudakriya. Important renovations were made during the reigns of the
Chola The Chola Empire, which is often referred to as the Imperial Cholas, was a medieval thalassocratic empire based in southern India that was ruled by the Chola dynasty, and comprised overseas dominions, protectorates and spheres of influence ...
,
Pandya The Pandya dynasty (), also referred to as the Pandyas of Madurai, was an ancient Tamil dynasty of South India, and among the four great kingdoms of Tamilakam, the other three being the Pallavas, the Cholas and the Cheras. Existing sinc ...
and Nayak kings, and by a British colonial officer, Davis, whose image can be found in the Mukkoottu Vinayagar temple. The temple is maintained and administered by the
Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department The Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department of the Government of Tamil Nadu manages and controls the temple administration within the state. The Tamil Nadu Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Act XXII of 1959 controls 36,425 ...
of the
Government of Tamil Nadu The Government of Tamil Nadu () is the administrative body responsible for the governance of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Chennai is the capital of the state and houses the state executive, legislature and head of judiciary. Under the Const ...
.


Legends

It is believed that Adi Kesava Perumāl, a form of
Vishnu Vishnu (; , , ), also known as Narayana and Hari, is one of the Hindu deities, principal deities of Hinduism. He is the supreme being within Vaishnavism, one of the major traditions within contemporary Hinduism, and the god of preservation ( ...
enshrined here, instructed
Parvati Parvati (, , IPA: /Sanskrit phonology, pɑɾʋət̪iː/), also known as Uma (, , IPA: Sanskrit phonology, /ʊmɑː/) and Gauri (, , IPA: /Sanskrit phonology, gə͡ʊɾiː/), is one of the principal goddesses in Hinduism, revered as the Devi, ...
on the Kedara Gowri Vratam, which she performed to unite with
Shiva Shiva (; , ), also known as Mahadeva (; , , Help:IPA/Sanskrit, ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐh and Hara, is one of the Hindu deities, principal deities of Hinduism. He is the God in Hinduism, Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions w ...
as
Ardhanareeswarar Ardhanarishvara () is a form of the Hindu deity Shiva combined with his consort Parvati. Ardhanarishvara is depicted as half-male and half-female, equally split down the middle. Ardhanarishvara represents the synthesis of masculine and feminin ...
. Once
Brahma Brahma (, ) is a Hindu god, referred to as "the Creator" within the Trimurti, the triple deity, trinity of Para Brahman, supreme divinity that includes Vishnu and Shiva.Jan Gonda (1969)The Hindu Trinity, Anthropos, Bd 63/64, H 1/2, pp. 212– ...
,
Indra Indra (; ) is the Hindu god of weather, considered the king of the Deva (Hinduism), Devas and Svarga in Hinduism. He is associated with the sky, lightning, weather, thunder, storms, rains, river flows, and war.  volumes Indra is the m ...
and the sage
Bhringi Bhringi () is a rishi in Hinduism, described to be a great devotee of Shiva, the Hindu destroyer deity. Legend According to the Shiva Purana and Tamil Sthala Puranas, all the rishis who paid homage to Shiva also offered their veneration to ...
went to
Kailash Mount Kailash (also Kailasa; ''Kangrinboqê'' or ''Gang Rinpoche''; ; ; , ) is a mountain in Ngari Prefecture, Tibet Autonomous Region of China. It lies in the Kailash Range (Gangdisê Mountains) of the Transhimalaya, in the western part of ...
to worship Shiva. Everyone first paid their respects to Parvati and then proceeded to Shiva. However, Bhringi directly marched to Shiva. Parvati, annoyed by his act, sucked the flesh from the sage's body to stop him proceeded. Shiva blessed Bhringi with a third leg, to counter Parvati's curse. With her austerities, Parvati appeased Shiva to grant position in his body, thus leading to the half-male, half-female manifestation as Ardhanareeswarar. Another legend states that there was a battle between the serpent
Adishesha Shesha (), also known by his epithets Sheshanaga () and Adishesha (), is a serpentine demigod ( naga) and king of the serpents (Nagaraja), as well as a primordial being of creation in Hinduism. In the Puranas, Shesha is said to hold all the p ...
and the wind-god
Vayu Vayu (; ), also known as Vata () and Pavana (), is the Hindu deities, Hindu god of the winds as well as the divine messenger of the gods. In the ''Vedic scriptures'', Vayu is an important deity and is closely associated with Indra, the king o ...
for superiority. The sages set a challenge that Adishesha had to cling to
Mount Meru Mount Meru (Sanskrit/Pali: मेरु)—also known as Sumeru, Sineru or Mahāmeru—is a sacred, five-peaked mountain present within Hindu, Jain and Buddhist cosmologies, revered as the centre of all physical, metaphysical and spiritua ...
and Vayu has to release him by his power. Adishesha succeeded. Vayu, out of anger, stopped the airflow in the world; as a result all living beings fainted. The sages convinced Vayu to release his hold. By the sudden release of air by Vayu lead the top of the mountain with the head of Adisesha, thrown into earth on three places with flesh and blood and making it red and thus the name ''Chengodu''. There is a 60 ft long snake carved on the hill, and hence the name as ''Nagamalai''. Sambandar composed the Tiruneelakandapathigam here, to help rid fellow travellers of an affliction. Saint
Arunagirinathar Arunagirinathar (', ) was a Tamil language, Tamil Shaivism, Shaiva saint-poet who lived during the 14th century in Tamil Nadu, India. In his treatise ''A History of Indian Literature'' (1974), Czechs, Czech Indologist Kamil Zvelebil places Aru ...
has also composed
Thirupugazh The ''Tiruppugal'' (Tamil: , ''Thiruppugazh'', IPA/Tamil: , meaning 'Holy Praise' or 'Divine Glory'), sometimes spelled ''Thiruppugazh'', is a 14th-century anthology of Tamil religious songs dedicated to Murugan (Kartikeya), the son of Shiva, ...
on Lord Subramanya here. Muthuswamy Deekshitar has sung of this shrine in Ardhanareeswaram in Kumudakriya.


Margatha Lingam

In this temple, Emerald Lingam is established. Margatha Linga darshan takes place solely in the early mornings of the margali month between 3:30 and 7 am and during the daily Ucchi Kala Poojai.


Architecture

The sacred hill is about 650 ft. high, and a climb of 1156 steps leads worshippers to the temple at its peak. The hill is called 'Nagagiri' in the Thevaram hymns and is also known by many other names like Chemmalai, Panimalai, Nandimalai, Uragaverpu. The hill contains about 350 acres of land, which lies 2000 ft about sea level. On top of the hill, the main
gopuram A ''gopuram'' or ''gopura'' ( Tamil: கோபுரம், Telugu: గోపురం, Kannada Kannada () is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly in the state of Karnataka in southwestern India, and spoken by a minority of th ...
(Tower) with 5 tiers is on the north side of the hill. The compound wall of the temple is 260 feet length east to west and 170 feet length north to south. The main shrine is for Lord Shiva known as Maathoru Paagar and the Ambal his consort is known Baagampiriyaalammai. The image of the main deity is 6 feet in height, the right half of the image as male and left half of the image as female. Hence the main deity is also known as Ardhanareeswarar.
Subramanya Subramaniam, Subrahmaniam, Subramaniam or Subramanian (; ) is a South Indian male given name. Due to the South Indian tradition of using patronymic surnames it may also be a surname for males and females. The etymology of the name is from Sanskri ...
known as Chengottu Velar is located on a flat surface atop the hill. This Chengottu Velar shrine is on the back side of the main sanctum sanctorum. The Theertham in this temple is called Sangu Theertham. Although the sanctum faces the West, entrance to it is from the South. There is a water spring at the foot of the image, which is said to have been divinely manifested "Uli Padaa Uruvam" ('sculptured without tools'), also known to be Navabashana type. There are many
mandapam Mandapam is a panchayat town in Ramanathapuram district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The famed Pamban Railway bridge and Vehicular bridge lie to the East of this Panchayat Town. Mandapam is Tamil Nadu’s largest refugee camp for Sri ...
s on the way for people who alight steps to take rest. The sculptures found in the mandapam in front of the Chengottu Velar shrine are of intricate designs and workmanship. "Artha Jaama Pooja" the late night worship service is considered to be of importance in this shetram. New moon days are also considered to be special events. The annual festival is celebrated in the
Tamil month The Tamil calendar (தமிழ் நாட்காட்டி) is a sidereal solar calendar used by the Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It is also used in Puducherry, and by the Tamil population in Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Singap ...
of Vaikasi. There is a shrine for Adikesava in the temple. Along the path are 11 mandapams, providing shelter to pilgrims climbing up the hill. The first is the Senguntha Mudaliyar Mandapam, then the Kālathi Swamigal Mandapam, Thirumudiyar Mandapam and Thailee Mandapam. One of the 64 manifestations of Shiva, representing the unity of Shiva and Parvati, is enshrined in this revered hill temple of great significance, accessible by a motorable road. Ancient walls, mandapams and sculptured pillars (now in a state of disrepair) add to the awe that this temple perpetuates, on top of the hill was built by Vijaya Nagar Kings.The motorway and the renovated Rajagopuram are of recent origin. True to the name
Nagagiri Arthanāreeswarā temple, also known as Thirukodimāda Chenkundrūr (Tamil language, Tamil: திருக்கொடிமாடச் செங்குன்றூர்), is an ancient Hinduism, Hindu temple, located in Tiruchengode, in ...
, there is a long
snake Snakes are elongated limbless reptiles of the suborder Serpentes (). Cladistically squamates, snakes are ectothermic, amniote vertebrates covered in overlapping scales much like other members of the group. Many species of snakes have s ...
carved on the hill. Although the sanctum faces the West, entrance to it is from the South. A majestic image of Ardanareeshwarar adorns the sanctum. There is a water spring at the foot of the image which is said to have been divinely manifested (Uli Padaa Uruvam). There are inscriptions here from the times of Parantaka Chozha, Gangaikonda Chozha, the
Vijayanagar The Vijayanagara Empire, also known as the Karnata Kingdom, was a late medieval Hindu empire that ruled much of southern India. It was established in 1336 by the brothers Harihara I and Bukka Raya I of the Sangama dynasty, belonging to the ...
and the Nayak Kings.


Arupatham Padi

Along the path are 60 steps called the Arubadam Padi (அறுபதாம் படி), which are considered to have special significance, and are mentioned by Arunagirināthar.


Ucchi sivalingam

The Ucchi Pillaiyar shrine is found about 425 feet further up and is dedicated to
Ganesha Ganesha or Ganesh (, , ), also known as Ganapati, Vinayaka and Pillaiyar, is one of the best-known and most worshipped Deva (Hinduism), deities in the Hindu deities, Hindu pantheon and is the Supreme God in the Ganapatya sect. His depictions ...
and to the
lingam A lingam ( , lit. "sign, symbol or mark"), sometimes referred to as linga or Shiva linga, is an abstract or Aniconism, aniconic representation of the Hinduism, Hindu Hindu deities, god Shiva in Shaivism. The word ''lingam'' is found in the Up ...
form of Shiva. On the west of it lies a stone called Varadikal, Maladi kal, or Vandhya Paatana Sikara. Couples offer worship at this shrine in the hope of being blessed with a child. தத்வ நாற்பத் தெட்டு நாற்பத் தெட்டு மேற்றுத் திடமேவும்
தர்க்க சாத்ரத் தக்க மார்க்கச் சத்ய வாக்யப் பெருமாளே


Gopuram

The north facing, 84.5 ft tall Thirumalai Gopuram was built by Krishna Devarayar in 1512 and the basement (kalkarar) was built during the reign of Sadāsiva Mahārāyar. The 84.5 feet tall Majestic Rajagopuram of this hill temple faces north and its five stages contain fine pieces of embossed figures.


Theertham

Tiruchengode, one of the most important religious places in South India, is said to have 108 ''Theerthangal'' or water bodies. Of these, the Ammaiyappar Theertham is the most important one, as it is found at the feet of Lord Arthanareeswarar.


Festivals

The temple is counted as one of the temples built on the banks of
River Kaveri The Kaveri (also known as Cauvery) is a Rivers of India, major river flowing across Southern India. It is the third largest river in the region after Godavari River, Godavari and Krishna River, Krishna. The catchment area of the Kaveri basin i ...
. The most important festival is the annual chariot festival of the Sengottuvelavar temple, which occurs for 15 days in the month of Vaikāsi. The special feature of the festival is that four separate chariots are used to carry the processional deities through the streets. The first chariot carries Lord
Ganesha Ganesha or Ganesh (, , ), also known as Ganapati, Vinayaka and Pillaiyar, is one of the best-known and most worshipped Deva (Hinduism), deities in the Hindu deities, Hindu pantheon and is the Supreme God in the Ganapatya sect. His depictions ...
, the second Sengottuvelavar (
Murugan Kartikeya (/ kɑɾt̪ɪkejə/; ), also known as Skanda ( /skən̪d̪ə/), Subrahmanya (/ sʊbɾəɦməɲjə/, /ɕʊ-/), Shanmukha ( /ɕɑnmʊkʰə/) and Murugan (/ mʊɾʊgən/), is the Hindu god of war. He is generally described as the ...
), the third is used for Arthanāreeshwara and the last for Adikeshava Perumāl (
Vishnu Vishnu (; , , ), also known as Narayana and Hari, is one of the Hindu deities, principal deities of Hinduism. He is the supreme being within Vaishnavism, one of the major traditions within contemporary Hinduism, and the god of preservation ( ...
). These chariots are also of considerable historic importance: the largest, that of Arthanāreeshwara was donated to the temple by Nagamalai Gounder in 1699, the chariot of Sengothuvevar was donated by Chennaraja Chikendar in 1628 and the remaining two were made by Kondabhupathi, the ruler of Kongunādu, in 1628.


Girivalam

Girivalam is the practice of circumambulating the sacred hill by foot, which is performed by large crowds on full-moon days. The route around the hill is about 7 km long and takes about 1.5 hours to cover the distance.


References


External links

{{commons category, Ardhanareeswarar Temple
Official WebsiteArthanareeswarar.com Website


* ttps://web.archive.org/web/20111006074755/http://www.shivatemples.com/knaadu/kn2.html "Ardhanareeswarar Temple, Tiruchengode - Paadal Petra Sivasthalam in Kongu Naadu" Hindu temples in Namakkal district Shiva temples in Namakkal district Padal Petra Stalam