Coordinates: 10.831304°N 79.

663743°E

Veerateeswarar temple, Thiruvirkudi

Veerateeswarar Temple (also called Thiruvirkudi
Veerateeswarar temple) is a Hindu temple located at Thiruvirkudi
Veerateswarar temple
in Mayiladuthurai district of Tamil Nadu, India. The presiding deity
is Shiva in the form of Veerateswarar and his consort is known as
Elavar Kuzhali. 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 276 temples that find mention in it.
Gopura of the Veerataneswarar
As per Hindu legend, Shiva is believed to have destroyed eight
different demons and the eight Ashta Veeratanam temples are built Temple
signifying each of his victories. The temple is counted one of the Religion
eight where Shiva is believed to have punished Jalandhara.
Affiliation Hinduism
The temple has four daily rituals at various times from 6:30 a.m. to District Mayiladuthurai
8:30 p.m., and few yearly festivals on its calendar. The present Deity Veerateeswarar
masonry structure was built during the Chola dynasty during the 9th
(Shiva)
century, while later expansions are attributed to Thanjavur Nayaks.
The temple is maintained and administered by the Dharmapuram Location
Aadhenam. Location Thiruvirkudi
State Tamil Nadu
Country India
Contents
Legend
Architecture
Religious significance
Festival and religious practices
References
External links

Legend
In the Shiva Purana, when Indra and Brihaspati were going towards
Mount Kailash to meet Shiva, they met a mendicant on the way
who was Shiva himself. Indra did not recognize and was asking him
Shown within Tamil Nadu
about the whereabouts of Shiva, for which the medicant did not
reply. Getting infuriated, Indra used his weapon, the Vajrayudam on Geographic 10.831304°N
Shiva. Shiva was angry at Indra and immediately opened the third coordinates 79.663743°E
eye to destroy Indra. Brihaspati recognized Shiva and prayed to Architecture
him, requesting him to pardon Indra. To avoid killing Indra, Shiva
directed the fire from his eye towards the ocean. The fire when it Type Dravidian
met with the ocean created an asura who Brahma named Jalandhara
 as he was born out of ocean. He also told the celestial deities that since
he emanated from the third eye of Shiva, he can be killed only by
Shiva.[1]

Jalandhara under the aegies of the Guru Sukracharya became very

powerful. He defeated all celestial deities and Indra. Indra along with
other deities prayed to Shiva to destroy the demon. Jalandhara in the
meanwhile, married Tulasi (also called Vrinda), the daughter of the Asura
Kalanemi. Her chastity and devotion to the husband, made him even
more powerful. Shiva appeared as Veerateewarar (also called
Jalandharavathamurthy) There was severe fight between the Shiva and
Jalandhara in Virkudi, with both showing equal prowess. Each time
Shiva appeared overpowering Jalandhara, Tulasi's chastity was sving
Legend of Shiva slaying a demon him. Vishnu in the meanwhile tricked Tulasi by appearing as a sage and
bringing bad dreams to her. She approached the sage for relief, who
created a mirage showing Jalandhara being killed by Shiva with the sage
bringing him back to life. Tulasi was happy with the replica of Jalandhar, who was Vishnu himself. She lost
her chastity on account of the incident. Shiva in the meanwhile, challenged Jalandhara to break a chariot,
which he could not. Shiva killed the demon with the chariot. Tulasi, in the meanwhile cursed Vishnu that he
would turn into a stone. Pleased by the devotion of her, Vishnu gave her a boon that she will be part of every
Vishnu worship and she would acquire equal place in his heart as Lakshmi. Jalandhar, being born out of
Shiva, got merged into Shiva.[2][3]

Architecture
The temple is located in Thiruvirkudi, a village 4 km (2.5 mi) away from
Moongilkudi in Mayiladuthurai - Thiruvarur road. The temple faces the East
and has a five-tiered rajagopuram. The temple tank, the Chakra Theertham is
located outside the main entrance and another water body named Sangu
Theertham is located behind the temple. The sanctum houses the image of
Veeratneeswarar in the form of lingam. The sanctum has ardhamandapa before
it and a Mahamandapa, the worship hall. The Mahamandapa houses the metal
image of Kamadahanamurthy sported with six hands holding six different
weapons. There are metal images of festival deities in the Mahamandapa. The
Mahamandapam also houses other metal image of Murugan, Somaskanda and
Vinayagar. The important image is that of Jalandharavathamurthy, a panchaloha
image sported with chakra in right hand and various weapons in the other Veerateeswarar image in
hands. The shrine of Ambal in the form of Elavar Kuzhali faces South. The the temple
image is sported in standing posture with four hands. The ceiling in the hall
before the Ambal shrine has the twelve zodiac signs. The temple has two
precincts and all the shrines in the temple are enshrined in rectangular granite walls. The outer precinct has the
image of Vishnu and Tulsi built shrine, which is also believed to be the place where Vishnu worshipped
Shiva.[2]

Religious significance
As per Hindu legend, Shiva is believed to have destroyed eight different demons namely Andakasuran,
Gajasuran, Jalandasuran, Thirupuradhi, Kaman, Arjunan, Dakshan and Taaragasuran. There are Ashta
Veeratanam temples built signifying each of his victories in the war,[4] and also as places where he is believed
to have performed with fury.[5] The eight temples are: Tiruvadigai Veerattaaneswarar Temple at Thiruvadigai,
Tirukkovilur Veerateshwarar Temple at Tirukoilur, Veerateswarar temple at Thiruvirkudi or Thirukkurukkai,
Amirtagateswarar Temple at Thirukadaiyur, Vazhuvur Verateswarar Temple at Vazhuvoor, Keelaparasalur
Veerateswarar Temple at Tirupariyalur, Kandeeswarar Temple at Thirukkandiyur and Tiruvirkudi
Veerataneswarar Temple at Thiruvirkudi.[6] Shiva in all these temples are described to have used bow and
arrow, trident and spear.

It is one of the shrines of the 275 Paadal Petra Sthalams - Shiva Sthalams glorified in the early medieval
Tevaram poems by Tamil Saivite Nayanar Sambandar. The ten songs of Sambandar are compiled in second
Thirumurai as 108th canto.[3]

Tirugnanasambandar describes the feature of the deity as:[7]

ெச க மாெலா நா க ேத த வ யற யாைம

எ மாெரரி யாக ய இைறவைன யைற ன யா த

மா வைர கரி ரி க தவ

த ைக யா ெதா ேத தவ லாரவ தவம ண தாேர.

Festival and religious practices

The temple priests perform the pooja (rituals) during festivals and
on a daily basis. Like other Shiva temples of Tamil Nadu, the
priests belong to the Shaivaite community, a Brahmin sub-caste.
The temple rituals are performed four times a day; Kalasanthi at
7:00 a.m., Uchikalam at 10:00 a.m., Sayarakshai at 6:00 p.m. and
Ardha Jamam at 8:30 p.m. Each ritual comprises four steps:
abhisheka (sacred bath), alangaram (decoration), neivethanam
(food offering) and deepa aradanai (waving of lamps) for both
Outer view of the temple
Veerateeswarar and Elavar Kuzhali. The worship is held amidst
music with nagaswaram (pipe instrument) and tavil (percussion
instrument), religious instructions in the Vedas read by priests and
prostration by worshippers in front of the temple mast. There are weekly rituals like somavaram and
sukravaram, fortnightly rituals like pradosham and monthly festivals like amavasai (new moon day),
kiruthigai, pournami (full moon day) and sathurthi. There is a temple procession during the Tamil month of
Margazhi (December- January) Thiruvadhirai festival. Masimagam during (February - March) followed by 10-
day Brahmostavam are the major festivals in the temple.[8]

References
1. Stella Kramrisch (1992). The Presence of Siva (https://books.google.com/books?id=O5BanndcI
gUC&q=jalandhara&pg=PA391). Princeton University Press. pp. 388, 389, 391. ISBN 978-0-
691-01930-7.
2. R., Ponnammal. 108 Thennaga Shivasthalangal (in Tamil). Giri Trading Agency Private
Limited. pp. 120–5. ISBN 978-81-7950-707-0.
3. Dr. R., Selvaganapathy, ed. (2013). Saiva Encyclopaedia volume 4 - Thirumurai Thalangal.
Chennai, India: Saint Sekkizhaar Human Resource Development Charitable Trust. pp. 411–3.
4. P., Karthigayan (2016). History of Medical and Spiritual Sciences of Siddhas of Tamil Nadu (htt
ps://books.google.com/books?id=Q4HDDAAAQBAJ&q=veerattam&pg=PT388). Notion Press.
p. 388. ISBN 9789352065523.
5. Madhavan 2014, p. 145
 6. R., Dr. Vijayalakshmy (2001). An introduction to religion and Philosophy - Tévarám and
Tivviyappirapantam (https://archive.org/details/dli.jZY9lup2kZl6TuXGlZQdjZY2lZpy.TVA_BOK
_0006115) (1st ed.). Chennai: International Institute of Tamil Studies. pp. 458–9.
7. Tirugnanasambandar Tevaram, II:108:9
8. "Sri Veerateeswarar temple" (https://temple.dinamalar.com/en/new_en.php?id=482).
Dinamalar. Retrieved 13 June 2020.

External links

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This page was last edited on 2 February 2021, at 12:40 (UTC).

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