AVINASHIAPPAR TEMPLE - AVINASHI

 AVINASHIAPPAR TEMPLE – AVINASHI – TAMILNADU

Lord Shiva in the form of a Lingam known as Avinashiappar ( Avinash =Indestructible or eternal, Appar=Father) sits in the Garbhagriha of this beautiful temple in the town of Avinashi in Tiruppur District of Tamilnadu.

His consort Parvati is known as KARUNAMBIKAI or PERUN(Great) KARUNAI (Compassionate) NAYAKI (Goddess). The sanctum of Karunambikai is on the right side of that of the Lord, which in itself is very unique. Locally the temple is also known as Karunai Aathal Temple signifying the importance of goddess.

There are 7 Shivasthalams in Kongunadu( The West Northern Parts of Tamilnadu, including Coimbatore) out of which Avinashiappar Temple or Karunai Aththal Temple seems to the earliest. The Temple was also known as ‘TIRUPUKKOZHI” (to take Shelter in a Safe place)

TEMPLE

The temple for its large size is in a very unusual position, without any road leading to the temple. The entrance is through a Mukhadwara Mandapam block, after which the Rajagopuram seems to have been added very late somewhere in the last two or three centuries. This mandapam consists of the shrine of Selva Vinayagar and he entrance is flanked by Narthana Ganapathy on both sides.

The compound is a rectangular one which comprises of primarily three buildings, all of which face east. There are two Dhwajasthambams, Balipeedam and Nandi,one for the lord and goddess respectively. To the right of Avinasiappar’s Sanctum is the Garbhagriha of Parvati as karunambikai and in between the two sanctums is a Kalyana Mandapam or Marriage hall. The sanctum of the Goddess consists of a Mukhamandapam, Ardhamandapam & Garbhagriha, without any inner precinct. On the walls of the sanctum is a carving of a scorpion.

The sanctum of the lord consists of a Big praharam which contains again a Mukhamandapam, Ardhamandapam and the Garbhagriha where Lord Shiva sits majestically in the form of a Lingam. After the Nandi are two grand Idols of Veerabhadra Alangadu kali and Urdhwatandavamurthy of around 6ft to 7ft on the Pillars flanking the entrance to the Lords compound.On the Left on entrance is the shirne of Dandayudhapani, and on circumambulation you find the elongated shrines of the 63 Nayanars, at the western end or back side is the Saptha Lingam shrines.

HISTORY

The Shaivite Saints Thirunavukkarasar, Manikkavasagar and Sundarar have sung Hymns in praise of Avinashiappar in the “Thevaram” a Tamil canonical work of the 7th century in praise of Lord Shiva. Hence the temple was already in existence befire the the 7th century CE.

The temple was patronized by the Cholas, Kongu Chola’s, Pandya’s, Hoysala’s, Vijayanagara, Nayaks and Mysore Kings. The inscriptions in this temple belong to the period of Veera Rajendra Chola (1063-1070), Kulothunga Chola (1178-1218), Veera pandian(1216-1238), Sundara Pandian (1251-1268), Maravarman Kulasekara Pandian (1268-1308), Veera Sikkaraya Wodayar (1489-1517), Veera Nanjaraja Wodayar (1748-1770), who have contributed to the development of the Temple.

LEGEND

There are 12 legends attached to this temple as mentioned in the sthalapuranam published in 1937, out of which the two are well known.

SUNDARAR

Traveling from Chola to Cheranadu to visit his friend and king Cheraman Perumal, Tamil Saint (Nayanaar) Sundarar (8th centuryCE) had to pass through the Brahmin Agraharam. He heard the sounds of celebration from one house and mourning from the adjascent house. On enquiring he found that, the celebration was for Upanayanam of a boy and the mourning was for another boy devoured by a crocodile in the local tank known as Tamarai Kulam or lotus pond. Sundarar went to the pond along with the boy’s parents and sang a “Pathigam”(Poem of 10 verses) in praise of the Lord. At the end of the verses the crocodile opened its mouth and from it came alive the boy for whom Sundarar himself performed Upanayanam. A temple dedicated to Sundarar is built on the edge of the Pond.

GURUNATHA PANDARAM

Due to heavy rains, the bund in the Lotus Pond was on the verge of collapse because of flooding. Gurunatha Pandaram a Devotee who was praying on the tank bund and was deep in meditation, was rudely asked to move by the officials and the Lingam which he was praying was thrown into the pond. He was also forced to work as a labour to repair the tank bund. Gurunatha after the repair did penance to Lord Shiva and did not move till such time that the lord himself restored his Lingam. By the divine intervention a fish spit out the Lingam from its mouth and restored it.

Both these legends are depicted in the 70 feet Deepasthambam or lamp pillar before the Temple.