Thirupurandeeswarar Palayamkottai

Thirupurandeeswarar, Palayamkottai

Saivite Temples - Tirunelveli District

God

Thirupurandeeswarar, facing east

Goddess

Gomathi Amman, facing east

Other Deities

Murugan, Surya, Adhikaranandi, Juradevar, Veerabadhra, Saptamadar, 63 Nayanmar, Kannimoola Ganapathi, Muruga with consorts, Saraswathi, Gajalakshmi, Saneeswarar, Kalabhairava, Chandran, Navagraha, Ayirathambal. Sanctum niches of main deity – Dakshinamurthy, Lingotbavar, Jaladurga, Chandikeswara. Prakaram of Murugan Sanctum – Valli, Ganesha, Mahadevar, Deivanai. Prakaram of Goddess sanctum – Vinayaka, Muruga with consorts, Chandikeswari.

Thirupurandeeswarar Palayamkottai is a large temple with 2 Prakarams. The sanctums of the Main deity, Goddess, and Muruga are in the Somaskanda formation with Muruga in between Shiva and Parvathi. All there have separate shrines with their own circumambulatory prakarams. The Muruga idol here is considered to be similar looking as that of the Tiruchendur Temple. At the entrance of Lord Muruga’s sanctum are Veerabahu and Veeramahendran as Dwarapalakas.

Holy Water (Theertham) – Tamiraparani

Sacred Tree (Sthala Vriksham) – Vanni (Prosopis cineraria)

History

Thirupurandeeswarar Palayamkottai is an ancient temple having many inscriptions on the walls of the sanctum of the main deity. Vikrama Pandya (12th Century CE) and the local King of Manapadai Veedu (part of Palayamkottai in the ancient days, this king is said to have built an ancient bridge over Tamiraparani) have rendered services to this temple. Thirunavukkarasar (7th Century CE) has mentioned the Lord and this temple in his Hymns making this a Vaippu Sthalam. It is understood that Thirumangai Azhwar mentioned this temple as Shenbagaranya Kshetram in the place where Saivites and Vaishnavites lived in harmony.

Legend

A local king called Uthalan was on a stroll with his queen and encountered a sage on their way. He made fun of the sage and in turn, the sage became angry and cursed the King to lose his beautiful form. In despair, he apologized and the sage told him to install and worship a shiva lingam in a Shenbaga forest to get relief from the curse. with the help of Sage Gautama, they located such a forest near the banks of Tamiraparani. Sage Gautama request Anjaneya to fetch a Lingam from Kasi and provided it to the King and his queen to worship. The king regained his old form. Sage Gautama requested the lord to stay on in the same location and the king built up the Thirupurandeeswarar Palayamkottai temple.

Directions

Thirupurandeeswarar Palayamkottai is 400 meters straight east of Rajagopalaswamy Temple.

Stay and Food

Tirunelveli has many restaurants and hotels.

Saivite Temples

Tamilnadu Temples