Tiruvengadu – a great kshetram is a place that I’ve been planning to visit for quite some time but had a chance only in this trip. Great kshetram for Bhudan (Mercury) with very large temple with 3 tanks and the only place where we can see Lord Agoramurthi. There is a legend behind this avatar of Lord Shiva who came to kill a asura….Beautiful temple….It is believed that Sun God Suriyan, Moon God Chandran, Lord Indiran, Airavatam, Mercury God Budhan have worshiped Lord Shiva at this place. Thiruvengadu Swetharanyeswarar Temple is considered to be the Adi Chidambaram (First Chidambaram) because Lord Shiva was said to have danced first at this temple before dancing at Chidambaram. There is a beautiful idol of Lord Natarajar found in this temple. And Lord Vishnu is seen near to the shrine of Lord Natarajar as in the Chidambaram temple.
Saint Valmiki refers to this temple in the Ramayana as swetharaneyeswarar killed yema at Thiruvengadu in the same manner Rama killed Kara & Dushana. This is the most popular among the six sacred places considered equivalent to kasi kshetra.
The temple has separate shrines for the three forms (moorthi) of Lord Siva, Swetharanyeswarar, Nataraja and Agoramurthi.
The four saints namely St. Gnana Sambandar, St. Appar and St. Sundarar and St. Manickavasagar have sancitified this temple by hymns.
This is the only temple where Lord Siva is worshipped in his most ferocious and the terrific one, of the 64 forms of Lord Siva as Agoramurthi.
This is the place where Pattinaththar, the author of the 11th holy scriptures (Thirumurai) attained benediction (Sivadeekshai).
Right opposite to the temple is a yajurveda Patasala & Mahaperiyava temple managed by Advocate Sri Venkatasubramanian. A big hall for Mahaperiyava with lots of photos of Periyava – some are rare….This hall is very similar to sama veda Patasala at sthoobi in Kanchi (built by Sri Simpson Vaitha mama). Mahaperiyava sitting on the 2nd floor like a Maharaja in a huge mena…..Kaana Kan koti vendum!!!
It was bit late in the evening I visited this place – so the lighting was not that good. Hence the photos are slightly darker than I wanted to…
Hara Hara Sankara Jaya Jaya Sankara!
