Thyagaraja Temple, Thiruvottriyur – Sanctum Sanctorum
The
presiding deity is Aadhipureeswarar is in the form of a mud mound covered
by an armour. Lord Shiva is a Swayambumurthy in the temple as a tall Bana Linga
without the base called Avudayar. On the day of the full moon of the Tamil
month karthigai, the armour is removed and the representation of the god
is visible to devotees. The Lord is anointed with Punugu, Javadhu,
and sampirani oils. Lord Shiva is available in this temple in three main
forms - formless, physical form, and in an indescribable form.
The Lord
Siva’s shrine houses Thyagarajar, the processional deity and Padam Pakka
Nathar, the self-created form which is normally covered with a Kavasam.
The sanctum is semicircular in shape at the rear side. Both images of the Lord
are facing the Eastern direction. The sanctums share a common
closed Mandapam with several identical stone pillars of circular
cross section. The sixty-three Nayanmars are in the inner corridor. Mother
Durga in the ghoshta wall does not have the Mahishasura under her feet.
Tradition
holds that this Shiva stala was the first temple ever on the face of the earth
and was called Aadhipuri (the primordial town). In the same vein, the
moolavar here is called Aadhipureeswarar. Shiva is present as Agni or
fire. Shiva is also present in a third, complex dimension. The story goes like
this. Vasuki, the snake heard about the greatness of Shiva here through Sage
Upamanyu. He worshipped Shiva ardently until he attained unison with him.
Vasuki’s
hood protects the manifestation of Shiva in this temple and Shiva is called
Padampakka Nathar (‘He who is protected by a hood’). He is also called Putridam
Kondar (He who resides in a snake pit). Lord Padampakka Nathar is ever under
cover and can be seen plain only for three days following Karthikai
Poornima-full moon day in November-December for Thaila Kappu purpose-oil
application on the body. He will be covered again on the night of
the third day.
It is
said that Lords Vishnu, Brahmma and Vasuki are worshipping Lord during these
three days. Adjacent to the main shrine, the shrine of Thyagarajar is located.
Lord played his Padma Thandava dance for Nandhi Deva here. Conch abishek
is performed in Lord Thyagaraja shrine on the 3rd Monday of Karthikai in
December-January. Aipasi Annabishekam is offered on the Poornima day-full
moon day for Lord Aadhi Pureeswarar.
Shiva is
thus present in Thiruvottriyur in three dimensions:
· In the formless form of
Agni (fire) or Light with neither beginning nor end, alpha or omega.
· In the physical form of a
Swayambu lingam of earth in turn the form of a snake pit facing the east.
· In a form, indescribable
as Padampakka Nathar who was ordained as not to be touched by any hand, mortal
or immortal.
Though
the presiding deity of the temple is Aadhipureeswarar, the temple is closely
associated with the Thyagaraja cult of Saivism. Somaskanda is the iconic form of Thyagaraja and is believed
to have emerged from the 10th century, the period
coinciding Raja Raja Chola. The 8th-century saint Sundarar is believed to have spread the cult from Tiruvarur to the temple here.
