Thiru Aappanoor

Last updated

Aapudayar Temple
Appudayar1.jpg
Religion
Affiliation Hinduism
District Madurai
Deity Sokkanathar
FestivalsMaha Shivaratri
Location
Location Sellur, Madurai
State Tamil Nadu
CountryFlag of India.svg  India
India Tamil Nadu location map.svg
Om symbol.svg
Thiruvaappudaiyaar Temple, Sellur, Madurai, Tamil Nadu
Geographic coordinates 9°55′50″N78°07′22″E / 9.9305°N 78.1228°E / 9.9305; 78.1228
Architecture
Type Dravidian architecture
CompletedUnknown
Specifications
Temple(s)One
Elevation182 m (597 ft)

Thiru Aappanoor is a Hindu temple of the god Shiva in Sellur,Madurai, [1] India. The Pandya Kings and the Royal Sethupathi kings made many contributions to this temple. It is one of the shrines of the 275 Paadal Petra Sthalams.

Contents

Legend

Temple entrance Tiruvapudayar.jpg
Temple entrance

One day a wedge, or 'aappu', is said to have miraculously transformed into a shivalingam to allow the Pandya King Solandhagan to cross the flooded Vaigai River to reach the Meenakshi Amman Temple (the principal temple in Madurai); it is from this event that the Thiru Aappanoor temple takes its name. On another occasion, Shiva is also believed to have miraculously caused the sand of the river here to turn into rice during a famine.

Temple structure

The Pandya kings began the construction of the temple, which was further expanded by the Nayak kings. The shrine of the presiding deity, Shiva faces east. A shrine to Subrahmanya (Kartikeya) is situated between the shrines of his parents Shiva and Ambal (Parvati). Thus, the temple is said to be of the Somaskanda type, an icon where Kartikeya is depicted dancing between his parents. The god Hanuman is found on a pillar, and there is a fig tree (Ficus religiosa) in between the two shrines, with a Vinayagar (Ganesha, another son of Shiva) statue beneath it. This tree is considered to be a Shtala Virutcham or temple tree.

Sambandar composed the Tevaram Pathigam on Thiru Aappanoor.

Festivals

The Brahmotsava is celebrated at Thiru Aappanoor for the Tamil month of Maasi. Navaratri is also celebrated at the temple. On the day of Panguni Uththiram, images of Meenakshi and Sundareswarar are brought to Thiru Aappanoor from the Meenakshi Amman temple across the river, and return on Rishabha Vaahanam. The festival idols at the temple are made of silver, and are taken in procession during the bimonthly Pradosham festival.

Thiru Aappanoor is located in Sellur, [2] part of Madurai city in Tamil Nadu. Town bus services run from Madurai Periyar bus stand, and the Simmakkal bus stop is also close by on the other side of the river.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Palani</span> Town in Tamil Nadu, India

Palani (Tamil:[paɻani] or Palnias in British records, is a town and a taluk headquarters in Dindigul district of the western part of Tamil Nadu state in India. It is located about 106 kilometres south-east of Coimbatore and 122 kilometres north-west of Madurai, 67 kilometres from Kodaikanal. The Palani Murugan Temple or Arulmigu Dhandayuthapani Swamy Temple, dedicated to Murugan is situated on a hill overlooking the town. The temple is visited by more than 7 million pilgrims each year. As of 2011, the town had a population of 292301 which makes it the second largest town in the district after Dindigul.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kamakshi Amman Temple</span> Hindu temple in Kanchipuram

The Sri Kamakshi Amman Temple is an ancient Hindu Temple dedicated to the goddess Kamakshi, one of the highest aspects of Adi Parashakti, the mighty goddess in Shaktism. The temple is located in the historic city of Kanchipuram, near Chennai, India. The temple houses one of the 108 Divya Desams of Vishnu and is called Tirukalavanur. The temple is dedicated mainly to Kamakshi and then to Vishnu in his form of Varaha. The temple is glorified by the 6th-9th century Vaishnavite Alvars in the Naalayira Divya Prabandham. Its construction is credited to the Pallava kings, whose capital was in the same city. This temple, along with the goddesses of Madurai and either Varanasi or Thiruvanaikovil, are the important centers of Shaktism in the state of Tamil Nadu. The present temple is also known as Kamakoti Peetha or Kamakota Nayaki Kovil, where Tripura Sundari had settled after killing a demon. This ancient temple was mentioned in Perunaraatrupadai, an ancient Tamil literature that praises the renowned Sangam era. King Thondaiman Ilandiraiyan of the Pallava dynasty, who ruled Kanchipuram, constructed the temple. Kamakshi is worshipped in the shrine in 5 forms, one of them was a golden idol, which was transported to Thanjavur due to the Muslim invasions of Kanchipuram. There are no other goddess temples in the city of Kanchipuram, apart from this one, which is unusual in a city that has hundreds of traditional temples. There are various legends that account for this fact.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nellaiappar Temple</span> Hindu temple in Tamil Nadu, India

The Nellaiappar Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to the deity Shiva, located in Tirunelveli, a city in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Shiva is worshipped as Nellaiappar represented by the lingam and his consort Parvati is depicted as Kanthimathi Amman. The deity Vishnu is also worshipped here, having witnessed their wedding according to legend. Hence, this temple is regarded as an abhimana kshetram of Vaishnavism. The temple is located on the northern banks of Thamirabarani River in Tirunelveli district. The presiding deity is revered in the 7th century Tamil Saiva canonical work, the Tevaram, written by Tamil saint poets known as the nayanmars and classified as Paadal Petra Sthalam.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Subramaniya Swamy Temple, Thiruparankundram</span> Hindu temple of the god Murugan in Thiruparankundram, India

Arulmigu Murugan Temple, Thiruparankundram is a Hindu temple dedicated to the god Murugan at Thiruparankundram, Tamilnadu, India. It is regarded as one of the "six Houses of Murugan". The temple is built in rock-cut architecture and believed to have been built by the Pandyas during the 6th century. According to the legend, Murugan slayed the demon Surapadman and married his consort Devasena here. Murugan is also said to have worshipped his father Shiva here as Parangirinathar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Meenakshi Temple</span> Historic Hindu temple in Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India

Arulmigu Meenakshi Sundaraswarar Temple a.k.a Arulmigu Meenakshi Amman Thirukkovil is a historic Hindu temple located on the southern bank of the Vaigai River in the temple city of Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India. It is dedicated to the goddess Meenakshi, a form of Shakti, and her consort, Sundareshwarar, a form of Shiva. The temple is at the centre of the ancient temple city of Madurai mentioned in the Tamil Sangam literature, with the goddess temple mentioned in 6th-century CE texts. This temple is one of the Paadal Petra Sthalams, which are 275 temples of Shiva that are revered in the verses of Tamil Saiva Nayanars of the 6th-9th century CE.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kalaiyar Kovil</span> Temple in India

Kalaiyar Kovil is a historic temple in Sivaganga District, Tamil Nadu, India. Kalayarkoil is a town in Kalaiyarkoil Block in Sivaganga District of Tamil Nadu State, India. It comes It is located 18 km towards East from District headquarters Sivaganga.466 km from State capital Chennai.

Sacchidananda Bharati I , was a Hindu sant and religious leader of the 17th century. He was the Jagadguru of the Hindu matha Sringeri Sharada Peetham from 1623 to 1663, and is believed to have saved it from attack by spiritual means.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Swetharanyeswarar Temple</span> Navagraha temple in Tamil Nadu

Swetharanyeswarar Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to the deity Shiva, located in Thiruvenkadu, a village in Mayiladuthurai district in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Shiva is worshiped as Swetharanyeswarar, and is represented by the lingam. His consort Parvati is depicted as Brahmavidyambigai. The presiding deity is revered in the 7th-century-CE Tamil Saiva canonical work, the Tevaram, written by Tamil saint poets known as the Nayanars and classified as Paadal Petra Sthalam. It is significant to the Hindu sect of Saivism as one of the temples associated with the nine planet elements, the Navagraha Stalas, and specifically Budha.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chithirai festival</span> Annual Tamil Hindu festival in Madurai, India

Chithirai Festival, also known as Chithirai Thiruvizha, Meenakshi Kalyanam or Meenakshi Thirukalyanam, is an annual Tamil Hindu celebration in the city of Madurai during the month of April. The festival, celebrated during the Tamil month of Chithirai, is associated with the Meenakshi Temple, dedicated to the goddess Meenakshi, a form of Parvati and her consort Sundareshwar, a form of Shiva.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kodumudi Magudeswarar Temple</span> Hindu temple in Tamil Nadu, India

The Magudeswarar Temple in Kodumudi is a large Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva in Erode district of Tamil Nadu, India. This is the sixth temple in Kongu, the region praised in the Thevaram hymns. it is situated on the banks of the river Kaveri. The sage Agastya is associated with this temple.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tiruttalinathar Temple</span> Hindu temple in Tamil Nadu, India

Tiruttalinathar temple is a Siva temple located in Thiruputhur near Karaikkudi. This temple is regarded as the 6th of the Tevara Stalams in the Pandya kingdom of Tamil Nadu. The temples Rameswaram and Tiruvadanai are the other Shivastalams nearby. It is one of the shrines of the 275 Paadal Petra Sthalams.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tourism in Tamil Nadu</span> Overview of tourism in Tamil Nadu, India

Tamil Nadu has the largest tourism industry in India with a percentage share of 21.31% and 21.86% of domestic and foreign tourist visits in the country. According to the 2020 Ministry of Tourism report, the number of domestic arrivals was at 494.8 million making the state the second most popular tourist destination in the country, and foreign arrivals numbered 6.86 million, the highest in the country, making it the most popular state for tourism in the country.

Madurapuram is a small village in India that lies on the banks of the Vaigai River and on the National Highway 49 that connects Madurai with Rameshwaram. The village is situated 18 kilometres (11 mi) from Madurai. Though Madapuram is near Madurai it is within Sivagangai district. The famous Madurapuram Badhrakali amman and ayyanar temple is situated at this place. Today this temple is managed by HR & CE ministry of Government of Tamil Nadu.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vandiyur Mariamman Teppakulam</span> Hindu temple in Tamil Nadu, India

Vandiyur Mariamman Teppakulam is a temple tank located near to Vandiyur Mariamman Temple and situated at a distance of about 5 km from the Meenakshi Amman Temple. Literally, Teppakulam means temple pond mainly used for devotional festivals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tiru Nilakanta Yazhpanar</span>

Tiru Nilakanta Yazhpanar was a Nayanar saint, venerated in the Hindu sect of Shaivism. He is generally counted as the sixty-first in the list of 63 Nayanars. While the first part of his name can be spelt as Tirunilakanta, Tirunilakantha, Tiru Neelakanta, Tiru Nilakanta, Nilakantan and Thiruneelakanda, Yazhpanar is spelt as variously as Yalppanar, Yalapannar, Yalpanar and Yazhpaanar. He is described as a companion of Sambandar, one of the most prominent Nayanars.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Madavar Vilagam Vaidyanathar temple</span> Hindu temple in Tamil Nadu, India

Madavar Vilagam Vaidyanathar temple is a Shiva temple located in Madavar Vilagam, located in one kilometer southerly to Srivilliputhur in Virudhunagar district in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu, is dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva. Constructed in the Dravidian style of architecture, the temple has two precincts. Shiva is worshiped as Vaidyanathar and his consort Parvati as Sivakami. The temple is the largest Shiva temple in the district. Shiva is worshipped as Vaidyanathar or the "God of healing". The holy water of the Siddhamirtham tank in the temple complex is believed to have curative effects, and a holy dip here is believed to cure all diseases. The temple was built by Thirumalai Nayak during the 16th century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Papanasanathar Temple</span> Hindu temple in Tamil Nadu, India

Papanasanathar Temple in Papanasam, a village in Tirunelveli district in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu, is dedicated to Hindu god Shiva. It is located 60 km from Tirunelveli. Constructed in the Dravidian architecture, the temple has three precincts. Shiva is worshipped as Papanasanathar and his consort Parvathi as Ulagammai.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kasi Viswanathar Temple, Tenkasi</span> Shiva temple in Tamil Nadu, India

Kasi Viswanathar Temple in Tenkasi, a city in Tenkasi district in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu, is dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva. Constructed in the Tamil style of architecture, the temple is believed to have been built by Pandyan ruler Parakrama Pandyan during the 13th century, with later additions from Madurai Nayaks. Shiva is worshipped as Kasi Viswanathar and his consort Parvathi as Ulagamman.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thirumeninathar temple</span> Hindu temple in Tamil Nadu, India

Thirumeninathar temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to the deity Shiva, located in Tiruchuli in Virudhunagar district, in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Shiva is worshipped as Thirumeninathar, and is represented by the lingam. His consort Parvati is depicted as Thunaimalaiyammai Amman. The temple is located on the Virudhunagar–Manamadurai road. The presiding deity is revered in the 7th century Tamil Saiva canonical work, the Tevaram, written by Tamil saint poets known as the nayanmars and classified as Paadal Petra Sthalam. The temple is closely associated with Sundarar, who has sung praises about the presiding deity. This shrine is regarded as the 12th of the Tevara Stalams in the Pandya region of Tamil Nadu.

Yanaikkal is a neighbourhood in Madurai district in the state of Tamil Nadu in India. Yanaikkal as the name in Tamil language implies that it is a 'Stone Statue of Elephant'. The area was said to be 'Allankadi' in Tamil language (அல்லங்காடி), which was busy with selling products during night times, several hundred years ago.

References

  1. Priyanka (21 July 2018). "Aappudayar Temple, Thiru Aappanoor, Sellur, Madurai". Bharat Temples. Retrieved 4 September 2023.
  2. "Tiru Aappudayar Temple : Tiru Aappudayar Tiru Aappudayar Temple Details". temple.dinamalar.com. Retrieved 4 September 2023.