Ardhanareeswarar Vasudevanallur

Saivite Temples, Tirunelveli District

God

Chintamaninadar (Ardhanareeswarar), facing east

Goddess

Idabagavalli as part of the main deity, facing east

Other Deities

Outer Prakaram – Gopura Ganapathi, Gopura Shanmuga, Vinayaka, Ayyappan, Naagar, Kala Bhairava, Nataraja, Mahaganapathi, Balasubramanyan. Inner Prakaram – Adhikara Nandi, Suryan, Chamundi, Nataraja, 63 Nayanmar, Sapthamaadhar, Shiva Lingam, Kanni Vinayaka (Huge idol), Ardhanareeswarar, Pancha Lingam, Mahalakshmi, Sastha, Sidhdhi Vinayaka, Muruga with consorts, Saneeswara, Vishnu Durgai, Navagraha, Chandran with Rohini. Sanctum Niches – Dakshinamurthy, Lingotbavar, Brahma, Chandikeswara

Ardhanareeswarar Vasudevanallur is a large east-facing temple with 2 Prakarams. The entrance is through a broad gateway mandapam in the east. Two long corridor mandapams lead inside, the first one with about 44 pillars, and the second one is with 22 pillars. This is followed by a Mahamandapam and Ardhamandapam. The main deity is an amalgamation of the god and goddess and is called Ardhanareeswarar (male and female halves). There are several beautifully carved Yaali Pillars in the mandapam in front of the Sanctum Sanctorum. In the Panchalingam installation behind the sanctum sanctorum, a beam of daylight illuminates only on the Lingam in the center. The outlet spout for the ablution water from the main deity is unique in the form of a beautifully carved small elephant with a short trunk. A large temple tank is outside the entrance gateway. The old and new temple cars are stationed adjacent to the temple tank.

Holy Water (Theertham) – Kumbha Theertham

Sacred Tree (Sthala Vriksham) – Puliamaram (Tamarind – Tamarindus indica)

History

Ardhanareeswarar Vasudevanallur is an ancient temple as is evident from the numerous inscriptions found here. It is mentioned in them that Jatavarman Parakrama Kulasekhara Pandyan (14th Century CE) completed this temple’s construction. Though inscriptions between 1543 and 1552 CE belonging to him have been found in places, details about him are not available. He was the elder son of Abirama Parakrama Pandyan about whom much is not known.

Legend

Sage Bringi once paid respects to Lord Shiva in Mount Kailash ignoring the presence of Goddess Parvati and incurred her wrath. The Lord consoled her by assuring her that Shiva cannot exist without the female aspect of Shakti. He advised her to go to the Podhigai Hills area and undertake a penance. The Lord appeared before her and took her up as his left side, half man and half woman, thus making it evident to the Sage and the world that man cannot exist without a woman. The spot where she undertook the penance was Ardhanareeswarar Vasudevanallur. Once Lord Indra was roaming the world as a mad man because of a curse. He came here to Ardhanareeswarar Vasudevanallur to worship Lord Ardhanareeswara and he was relieved of the curse. Indra’s other name is Vasavan. He then requested Lord Ardhanareeswara that the place be called after him as Vasudevanallur.

Directions

Ardhanareeswarar Vasudevanallur is about 23 kilometers northwest of Sankarankovil and 40 kilometers north of Tenkasi in the Tenkasi – Rajapalayam Road.

Stay and Food

None locally. The closest are Sankarankovil, Tenkasi, and Rajapalayam depending on your travel plan.

Saivite Temples

Ardhanareeswarar, Vasudevanallur