Someswarar Sankagiri

Someswarar, Sankagiri

Saivite Temples - Salem District

God

Someswarar, facing east

Goddess

Soundarya Nayaki, facing east

Other Deities

Vinayaka, Muruga, Nataraja, Sellandiamman, Kamakshiamman, Somaskandar

Someswarar Sankagiri is an east-facing temple with a 5 tiered Rajagopuram at the entrance in the east. There is a temple tank on the south side called Chunnambu Kuttai having limestone on the sides. A single Prakaram houses all the shrines and the sanctum sanctorum. A Mukha Mandapam is in front of the large Mahamandapam. The goddess shrine is separate and facing east on the north side of the sanctum sanctorum of the main deity. In between the two is the shrine of Muruga, thus the temple has a Somaskanda formation. The Sankagiri Fort built in the 15th Century CE by Vijayanagar Kings is behind the temple. This was where the Britishers hung to death, Dheeran Chinnamalai. The Sankagiri Hill has two Perumal temples, one at the base and one small temple on top of the hill.

Holy Water (Theertham) – Temple Pond (Chunnambu Kuttai)

Sacred Tree (Sthala Vriksham) – Vilwam (Aegle marmelos)

History

Someswarar Sankagiri is an old temple said to have been originally built by Chettiyars who fled from the Thanjavur region during the Maratha Rule under Vyankoji Bhonsle (1632 – 1686) in the 1670’s CE and settled here. To avoid persecution from the Maratha Ruler they named the lord here as Kopineshwara after the Lord’s name at the Shiva Temple in Pune. The goddess was called Angayarkanni. The temple was dilapidated over time and the remains were seen in 1982 by one Viswanathan Chettiyar of Coimbatore and the present temple was built. The temple was under extensive renovation when we visited in 2021.

Legend

No information

Directions

Someswarar Sankagiri is near the east side base of the Sankagiri fort. Sankagiri is about 38 Kilometers southwest of Salem on the road to Erode.

Stay and Food

None locally except tea shops. The closest for food and stay would be Salem or Erode depending on your travel plans.

Saivite Temples

Tamilnadu Temples