Thiruppayarrishvarar Temple

Overview : Sri Tiru Payatrunathar temple is a God Shiva temple located at Tiru Payathangudi, Nagapattinam District ,Tamil Nadu. It is one among the 276 Thevara Paadal petra sthalams.The Temple was celebrated by Saint Appar in his Thevaram hymns.This is the 78th Shiva Temple on the southern bank of Cauvery commended in Thevaram songs. It is believed that if a devotee take a dip in Devi Theertham, Karuna theertham and worshipped the Goddess will cure eye diseases. Also there is Sivandi tree the blooms of this tree is yellow and is as creepy crawly.God Shiva in the temple is in the form of Swayambumurthy.God Vinayaka of the temple is adored as Siddhi Buddhi Vinayaka. The sanctuary is confronting the east direction. There are different shrines for God Siddhi Vinayaka, God Dakshinamurthy, God Muruga with His partners Goddess Valli and Goddess Deivanai, God Viswanatha with Goddess Visalakshi,Goddess Gajalashmi and Goddess Mahalakshmi, Sage Bhairava Maharshi, God Bhairava, Sun, Moon, Somaskanda, Veera Makali and God Chandikeswara. Legend/Story : Once a merchant pleaded God Shiva to change his stock from taxable pepper to tax free pulses, so as to stay away from duty and again back to pepper. The God satisfied his wish and consequently the name Payatrankudi Sundarar made the Pathigam.According to the legend this place was a center of business and trade.Horses were imported from Arabia and pepper was traded in return. Once a trader brought pepper packs for trading. There he came to know about the obligation that was imposed then on export of pepper. However, no taxes were imposed on the export of pulses.The obligation would eat out the benefit of the merchant. He appealed to God Shiva to convert the bag of pepper into bags of pulses till he crosses the check post so that he could not pay the taxes which could incur him heavy loss. He rested there during the evening.The gracious God Shiva fulfilled his wish and enlightened him about this in his dreams.The authorities passed the sacks subsequent to checking them.The merchant came to Nagapattinam and sold his item and got profit from it. The merchant spent his profit in the service of God Shiva. Pulses in English implies Payaru in Tamil. Deity therefore got the name Tiru Payattrunathar and the spot came to be known as Tirupayattrur.