Madhyasthanadar Dharugapuram

Madhyasthanadar, Dharugapuram

Saivite Temples - Tirunelveli District

God

Madhyasthanadar, facing east

Goddess

Akilandeswari, facing east

Other Deities

Bala Vinayaka, Bala Murugan, Adhikara Nandi, Surya, Vinayaka, Juradevar, 63 Nayanmar, Vinayaka, Kasi Viswanathar, Visalakshi, Sastha, Saptamadar, Muruga with consorts, Saneeswara, Sage Dharuka, Kala Bhairava, Chandran. Sanctum niches – Navagraha Peeda Dakshinamurthy, Chandikeswara. Amman shrine – Vinayaka, Valampuri Vinayaka, Balamurugan, Chandikeswari.

Madhyasthanadar Dharugapuram is an east-facing temple entered through a gateway mandapam in the east. A temple tank is outside northeast of the entrance. The entrance leads through a pillared mandapam inside the outer Prakaram. The outer Prakaram runs around both the east-facing and separate sanctum of the main deity and the shrine of the goddess. Both these have their own separate inner Prakaram, Mahamandapam and Ardha Mandapam. The Prakaram of the main deity is entered through a large gate with a 3 tiered Gopuram on top. The sanctum sanctorum has a perennial spring that has been sealed in accordance with the scriptures and worship rules, but the moisture can be seen on the walls. The Bhairava here is special and called Agni Bhairava. The Dakshinamurthy here at Madhyasthanadar Dharugapuram is a unique idol seated on top of a base with the Navagrahas engraved on it. The burial spot of a Sidhdhar is also here. Madhyasthanadar Dharugapuram is one of the Pancha Bootha (5 Elements) Temples in the region representing Neer (Water). The others are Sankarankovil (Land), Devadanam, Virudunagar District (Sky), Karivalamvandanallur (Fire), Tirupuranathar, Thenmalai (Air). About 1.5 kilometers southeast from Madhyasthanadar Dharugapuram is a small cave temple of Lord Shiva (Mahadeva) with his consort Maragathavalli in the base of a hill.

Holy Water (Theertham) – Temple Tank

Sacred Tree (Sthala Vriksham) – Mango (Mangifera sps)

History

Madhyasthanadar Dharugapuram is an ancient temple as is evident from the numerous inscriptions found around the sanctum sanctorum walls. The temple in a dilapidated condition was consecrated by a later Pandya King. The royal family of Thalaivankottai (about 3.5 kilometers south of Dharugapuram), one of the 72 Palayams of old Madurai, and their heirs administered all the temples in Thalaivankottai and its surroundings, most importantly the Madhyasthanadar Dharugapuram temple.

Legend

Lord Shiva appeared in the form of a mediator (Sage Agastya) to end the constant feud between the Chera, Chola, and Pandya regimes here at Madhyasthanadar Dharugapuram and hence his name is so – to Mediate is Madhyastham in Tamil. He is also called Pinakkarutha Peruman (Pinakku means conflicts, Arutha means to remove), the one who got rid of conflicts. An Asura called Dharuka is believed to have worshiped Lord Shiva here and hence the place came to be called after him as Dharugapuram. Sages Gautama, Sanakati, Vasishta, and Valmiki have worshiped the Lord here at Madhyasthanadar Dharugapuram.

Directions

Madhyasthanadar Dharugapuram is about 8 kilometers northeast of Puliankudi and 4.5 kilometers southeast of Vasudevanallur. Both Puliankudi and Vasudevanallur are in the Tenkasi – Rajapalayam Road.

Stay and Food

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

Saivite Temples

Tamilnadu Temples