Karaikal is a town of the Indian Union Territory of Puducherry. It is the administrative headquarters of the Karaikal District and the second most populated town in the Union Territory after Pondicherry. Located on the Coromandel Coast of Bay of Bengal in South India, it is situated at the center of a coastal enclave surrounded by the state of Tamil Nadu and its Cauvery delta districts.
Sambandar, also referred to as Tirujnana Sambandar, was a Shaiva poet-saint of Tamil Nadu who lived sometime in the 7th century CE. According to the Tamil Shaiva tradition, he composed an oeuvre of 16,000 hymns in complex meters, of which 383 (384) hymns with 4,181 stanzas have survived. These narrate an intense loving devotion (bhakti) to the Hindu god Shiva. Sambandar died when he was sixteen years of age. The surviving compositions of the poet-saint are preserved in the first three volumes of the Tirumurai, and provide a part of the philosophical foundation of Shaiva Siddhanta.
Tirumurai is a twelve-volume compendium of songs or hymns in praise of Shiva in the Tamil language from the 6th to the 11th century CE by various poets in Tamil Nadu. Nambiyandar Nambi compiled the first seven volumes by Appar, Sambandar, and Sundarar as Tevaram during the 12th century. During the course of time, a strong necessity was felt by scholars to compile Shaiva literature to accommodate other works. Tiruvasakam and Tirukovayar by Manickavasagar are included as the eighth, nine parts are compiled as the ninth Tirumurai out of which most are unknown, and the tenth as Tirumandiram by Tirumular, the famous Siddhar. The eleventh is compiled by Karaikal Ammaiyar, Cheraman Perumal and others. The contemporary Chola king was impressed by the work of Nambi and included Nambi's work in the eleventh Tirumurai. Sekkilar's Periya Puranam, composed a century later, contains the life depiction of all the 63 Nayanmars. The response for the work was so tremendous among Shaiva scholars and Kulothunga Chola II that it was included as the 12th Tirumurai. Tirumurai along with Vedas and Shaiva agamas form the basis of Shaiva Siddantha philosophy in South India and Sri Lanka.
Navagraha (Pron: nævəˈgrɑ:ə) pilgrimages are pilgrimages devoted to Navagraha—the nine (nava) major celestial bodies (Grahas) of Hindu astronomy. These temples are made of stone. These celestial bodies are named Surya (Sun), Chandra (Moon), Mangala (Mars), Budha (Mercury), Brihaspati (Jupiter), Shukra (Venus), Shani (Saturn), Rahu and Ketu. Many temples in South India contain a shrine dedicated to the Navagrahas. However, the term Navagraha temples refers to a cluster of nine separate temples, each an abode of one of the Navagrahas.
Shani, or Shanaishchara, is the divine personification of the planet Saturn in Hinduism, and is one of the nine heavenly objects (Navagraha) in Hindu astrology. Shani is also a male Hindu deity in the Puranas, whose iconography consists of a figure with a dark complexion carrying a sword or danda (sceptre) and sitting on a buffalo or some times on a crow. He is the god of karma, justice, and retribution, and delivers results depending upon one's thoughts, speech, and deeds. Shani is the controller of longevity, misery, sorrow, old age, discipline, restriction, responsibility, delays, ambition, leadership, authority, humility, integrity, and wisdom born of experience. He also signifies spiritual asceticism, penance, discipline, and conscientious work. He is associated with two consorts: Neela, the personification of the gemstone sapphire, and Manda, a gandharva princess.
Vaitheeswaran Koil is a Hindu temple dedicated to the Shiva, located in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Shiva is worshipped as Vaidyanathar or Vaitheeswaran meaning the "God of healing" and it is believed that prayers to Vaitheeswaran can cure diseases. Vaitheeswaran is a Tamil derivative from vaidya (Doctor) and Ishvara (God/Master). The presiding deity is Sri vaidyanathan, facing towards West whereas East side is the common one. He is the God of Healing. When pronouncing in Tamil, it sounds like "vaideeswaran". It is one of the nine Navagraha temples and is associated with the planet Mars (Angaraka).
Appar also referred to as Tirunavukkaracar or Navukkarasar, was a seventh-century Tamil Shaiva poet-saint. Born in a peasant Shaiva family, raised as an orphan by his sister, he lived about 80 years and is generally placed sometime between 570 and 650 CE. Appar composed 4,900 devotional hymns to the god Shiva, out of which 313 have survived and are now canonized as the 4th to 6th volumes of Tirumurai. One of the most prominent of the sixty-three revered Nayanars, he was an older contemporary of Sambandar.
Sundarar, also referred to as Chuntarar, Chuntaramurtti, Nampi Aruran or Tampiran Tolan, was an eighth-century poet-saint of Tamil Shaiva Siddhanta tradition of Hinduism. He is among the Tevaram trio, and one of the most prominent Nayanars, the Shaiva bhakti (devotional) poets of Tamil Nadu.
Peralam is a panchayat town in Thiruvarur district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu.
Sade-Sati is the 7+1⁄2 years long period of Shani (Saturn). This astrological phase is much feared by those in India who believe Indian astrology. This is a period with many challenges, but also a time of great achievements and recognition.
The Tevaram, also spelled Thevaram, denotes the first seven volumes of the twelve-volume collection Tirumurai, a Shaiva narrative of epic and Puranic heroes, as well as a hagiographic account of early Shaiva saints set in devotional poetry. The Tevaram volumes contain the works of the three most prominent Shaiva Tamil saints of the 7th and 8th centuries: Sambandar, Appar, and Sundarar. The three saints were not only involved in portraying their personal devotion to Shiva, but also engaged a community of believers through their songs. Their work is an important source for understanding the Shaiva Bhakti movement in the early medieval South India.
Thenupuriswarar Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to the god Shiva located in the village of Patteeswaram, Tamil Nadu, India. Shiva is worshiped as Thenupuriswarar, and is represented by the lingam. His consort Parvati is depicted as Nyanambikai (Somakamalambigai). The presiding deity is revered in the 7th century Tamil Saiva canonical work, the Tevaram, written by Tamil saint poets known as the Nayanars and classified as Paadal Petra Sthalam. The temple is associated with the legend of Sambandar to whose view Nandi moved to have a direct view of the presiding deity. Muthupandal festival celebrated in the temple in associated with the legend.
Edaganathar Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to the deity Shiva, located in Thiruvedagam, a village in Madurai district in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The temple is located on the banks of Vaigai River. Shiva is worshipped as Edaganathar, and is represented by the lingam. His consort Parvati is depicted as Visalakshi. The presiding deity is revered in the 7th century Tamil Saiva canonical work, the Tevaram, written by Tamil saint poets known as the nayanars and classified as Paadal Petra Sthalam.
Thiruvathigai Veerateswarar Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva. It is situated in Thiruvathigai village which is about 2 kilometres east from the town of Panruti in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu, India. Shiva is worshiped as Veerattaaneswarar, and is represented by the lingam. His consort Parvati is depicted as Thiripurasundari. 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. The temple is considered the place where the Saiva saint poet Appar (Thirunavukkarasar) converted back to Saivism, and attained final salvation.
Koon Pandiyan was the nickname of a king who ruled Madurai around 7th century. Some historians identify him with the Pandyan king Arikesari Parankusa Maravarman.
Aiyarappar is a Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva located in the village of Tiruvaiyaru, Tamil Nadu, India. Shiva is worshiped as Aiyarappar, and is represented by the lingam and his consort Parvati is depicted as AramValarthaNaayagi. The presiding deity is revered in the 7th century Tamil Saiva canonical work, the Tevaram, written by Tamil poet saints known as the nayanars and classified as Paadal Petra Sthalam.
Nageswaraswamy Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva located in Kumbakonam in Thanjavur district, Tamil Nadu, India. The presiding deity is revered in the 7th-century Tamil Saiva canonical work, the Tevaram, written by Tamil poet saints known as the nayanars and classified as Paadal Petra Sthalam. The temple is counted as the earliest of all Chola temples. Shiva in the guise of Nagaraja, the serpent king..
Vedapuriswarar Temple, Thiruvedhikudi or Vazhaimadunathar Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva located in Thiruvedhikudi near Tiruvaiyaru, Tamil Nadu, India. The presiding deity is revered in the 7th century Tamil Saiva canonical work, the Tevaram, written by Tamil poet saints known as the nayanars and classified as Paadal Petra Sthalam. The temple is counted as the earliest of all Chola temples.
Dharbaranyeswarar Temple, more popularly known as Tirunallar Saniswaran Temple, is a Hindu temple dedicated to the deity Shiva, located in the Thirunallar village of the Karaikal district, in the Union territory of Puducherry, Southeastern India.
Pasupatheeswarar Temple, Avoor or Avoor Pasupatheeswaram is a Hindu temple dedicated to Hindu god Shiva, located in the village Avoor, located 12 km south of South Indian town, Kumbakonam, Tamil Nadu, India. The temple is one of the 3 madakoil built by 7th century Chola king, Kochengat Chola. The temple is known for the Panjakavyamuthra, the five images of Bhairava vijay. The temple is revered in the verses of Tevaram, the 17th century Tamil Saiva canon by Tirugnana Sambandar.
India 
