Tolaiyachelvar Shiva Temple

Overview

The Tolaiyachelvar Shiva Temple is located in Tirukkandaiyuri and is dedicated to God Tolaiyachelvar.

About the Temple

On entering the temple, a vast prakara welcomes the devotee. Southeast of this prakara is the Shrine of Mother Ambica facing east. She is praised Oppilambikai and Annapoorani. As God Shiva-Chottruthurai Nathar is pouring endless wealth on His devotees, He worshipped as Tholaya Selvar. Mother Annapoorani is half of Shiva taking all care of Her devotees. Poverty and ailments vanish from those who place themselves at Her feet. God Vinayaka and God Muruga are on the two sides of Rajagopuram. Next is the large Mandap with God Nataraja Sabha, leading directly to the sanctum sanctorum. God Arumugha’s shrine is on the south prakara facing east and shrine of God Mahavishnu facing east followed by a sculpture depicting Sage Gautama worshipping the God. Proceeding further after worshipping Adhikara Nandhi we have the darshan of Tholaya Selvar-Chottruthurai Nathar.

Legend and stories

The story of how the temple came into being is an interesting one. A king's chariot once got embedded in the ground. While digging around the wheels of the chariot to get it out, they chanced upon a Lingam. A wise minister advised them to dig further, but carefully, and they were rewarded for their efforts with the idols of the goddess Dharmasamvardhini, Vinayaka, Muruga, and also a Nandi. To top it all, they also found a Siddhar (saint) deep in meditation underground. The saint advised the king to build a temple at the same place, and also told him to dig under the hoofs of the Nandi where he would find the wealth needed for building the temple.

This Shivasthalam is one of the 6 most sacred places on the banks of river Cauvery which is considered as equivalent to the temple at Varanasi. The other 5 shivasthalams are Tiruvenkaadu, Tiruchaaikkadu (Chaayaavanam), Mayiladuthurai, Tiruvidaimarudur and Tiruvanchiam. Tiruvaiyaru is one of the big and famous temple for God Shiva and is known as Dakshina Kailasam. More than 70 stone inscriptions from the Chola period have been found inside the temple.

The temple was worshipped by Brahma, Vishnu, Indiran, Gauthama Munivar and Suryan. Indiran and Gauthama Munivar attained salvation here. The Thiruvaiyaru temple is one among a group of seven, collectively known as the Saptha Sthaanam temples. These temples are unique, for they are related to the marriage of Shiva's foremost attendant, Nandi, and the part that Shiva played in this marriage. Nandi was born to Siladha Maharshi and performed great penance to his favoured deity, Shiva. Shiva was so pleased with his worship, he not only made Nandi his prime attendant, He also got him married. The marriage itself took place at Thirumazhapadi near Thiruvaiyaru, and Shiva took his devotee around these seven temples as part of the Sapthapadi. Every year, this occasion is celebrated in April/May.

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