EDAGANATHAR TEMPLE – TIRUVEDAGAM

 EDAGANATHAR TEMPLE – TIRUVEDAGAM MADURAI

The queen & consort of Koon Pandian, (Hunchback) Pandian King(640 – 670 CE), Mangayarkarasiyar (Chola dynasty) was worried that Shaivism which was the religion of the Pandian Empire, would be lost forever. The entire Madurai region and the King had converted to Jainism. So deep was the king engrossed in Jainism, that he became a fanatic and forbid his queen from smearing Vibhuti on her forehead. The queen and the prime minister Kulachirai Nayanar,(who was also one of the 63 Nayanar), invited Thiru Gyana Sambandar, a child Shaivite brahmin saint and a Nayanar to help in reviving Shaivism in the down, south of India.

Koon Pandian or Arikesari Parankuja Varman was a Hunchback and was suffering from incurable boils all over his body along with a fever. The jain monks tried to cure him with their medicine,but were unsuccessful. Sambandar not only cured the King with Thiruneeru ( Vibhuti) applied on the Kings body, but also cured him of his hunchback by singing hymns in praise of Lord Shiva starting with the Verses “ Manthiram Avadu Neeru”. Meaning, the Manthra is Thiruneeru or Vibhuti. Hence the King was also called Ninra Sri Nedumaran ( The King who Stood) and also became a Nayanar along with his consort and his Prime minister. The King reconverted to Shaivism.

The Jain monks called it witch craft and challenged Sambandar to compete with them and vowed that if lost they would leave Madurai and go. The competition was that sambandar and the Jain Scholar’s would write Verses on Palm leaves ( Edu) and float them in the centre of River Vaigai. The winner would be the person, whose verses floated to the river bank without getting sunk. The Jains verses sunk.

Sambandar’s Verses floated against the current of Vaigai River and reached the banks at this place known as Tiruvedagam. (Thiru = Shri) (Edu = Palm leaf)(gam= Place) (Place where the palm leaf floated and reached).

Lord Shiva is supposed to have come to the Kaveri bank as Edaganathar (The Lord who let the leaf float). He is in the form of a lingam and his consort Parvathi is known as Elavrkuzhali or Visalakshi. The temple has found place in Tamil canonical works known as Tevaram, around the 7th Century, built in the earlier times by the Pandian’s and subsequently the masonic work done by the Nayak’s of Madurai in the 16th century CE. The temple also was under the supervison of Vijayanagara kingdom.

The temple has a five acre compound, with either an unfinished or collapsed Mukhadwaram facing east inside a gated compound. The four pillars are engraved with sculptures of Yoginis, Yalis and Rishi’s,Garuda and Yogic postures. The platform seems to have been raised under modern times. Entering through this leads to an open outer Prahara , which leads to two Gopurams one for the Lord and one for the consort. This again is very unique as both the Gopurams are adjacent to each other. Another unique feature is the Sanctum of the Goddess, which is on the right hand side of the Lord. Generally, the sanctum of the goddess is on to the left of the lord in most of the Temple.

Entering the Gopuram, you come to another big compound or the second praharam, The gopuravasal or entrance is again sculpted with yogini’s on both side along with many sculptures. In this compound on is the Dhwaja Sthambam and on a very high raised platform sits a small but beautiful Nandi facing the Lord. Passing through we come to the Mukhamandapam with the shrines of Vinayaka and Kathikeya on both sides of the entrance. On entering the Mukhamandapam again you can see pillars with craftmenship of gods and goddess’es. In the Mukhamandapam again on a raised platform is the adhikara Nandi with a Balipeetham. The Sanctum of the Lord is in the centre of the Mukhamandapam without an Ardhamandapam.

The Lord is in the shape of a Small Lingam of about 3 feet with a square Avudayar or Pindika. Outside the Garbhagriha is the 1st precinct inside the Mukhamandapam and on to the right of the Lord the wall is decorated with the statues of 63 Nayanars.

Circumumbulating a full circle, to the right an entrance leads to a separate enclosure or the Mukhamandapam of the goddess Elavrkhuzhali or Visalakshi or Sughanda Kundalambika, similar to the one of the Lord. The goddess stands resplendently facing the east. In the compound you have the Koshtha Devis of Iccha Shakthi, Kriya shakthi and Gyana Shakthi and a Chandikeshwari.

The uniqueness of the sanctum of the goddess on the right hand side of the Lord is worth a mention once again.

Temple Number : 04543-259311

06.30 AM to 12.00 Noon & 04.30 to 08.00 PM