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THINTHRINEESHWARAR TEMPLE - TINDIVANAM

 

Thinthirineeshwarar Temple – Tindivanam - Villupuram

 

Thindeeswaram, Thinthiruni, Pulithinthirunivanam,Puliyankadu were the names of Tindivanam in History of the Town on the Chennai – Trichy national highway about 120 kms from Chennai. The place was also known as Tinthrivanam or the Jungle of Tamarind Trees. Since the Shiva Linga was found under a Tamarind tree, Mahadev is known as Tinthrivaneshwar.

As you enter into the town from the highway, about half a Kilometer inside the town Facing East is the Temple of Mahadev Shiva as Thintheerinishwar and Mahadevi Parvathi as Maragathavalli or Marathambal.

       The temple is known for its Shiva Bhakthi by Rishi Veda Vyasa, Valmiki, Killi, Killali, and Shiva Dwarapalaka’s Tindi and Mundi. Infact the Gopuram is supposed to have been built by Vyasa himself.

 

HISTORY

 

The Lingam would have been in existence for time immemorial. The temple has been revered in the canonized hymns on Shiva in Tamil, known as “Thevaram” which is dated to have been written in the 7th Century CE, meaning the temple pre-dates the 7th century making it more than 1300 years. The Nalvar or four Nayanar's (out of 63 Nayanars) or Shaiva saints Appar, Sundarar, Manikkavasagar & Sambandar who are part of the epigraphy of the Thevaram a tamil text on the Bhakti node from the 6th-7th century CE have visited this temple.

 

The Temple is considered as Thevara Vaippu Sthalam as Thevaram hymns sung by Saint Appar had a mention about this Temple. The Temple is mentioned in 6th Thirumurai in 7th Patikam in 8th Song and 6th Thirumurai in 70th Patikam in 9th Song.

 

During the period of Raja Raja Chola 1, the temple basically had the Garbhagriha or the central shrine and the Ardhamandapa, alongwith the Devakoshtha Idols containing the Parivara deities Ganesha, Dakshina Murthy, Mahavishnu, Brahma and Vishnu Durga which belongs to the 10th Century CE. All other deities were from a later period. The temple seems to have been reconstructed by the Chola King, Kulothunga Chola 1 (1025-1122 CE), with the lower portion of the temple built in stone and the upper portion including the Vimana in mud bricks.

 

INSCRIPTIONS

Two inscriptions on the wall of the temple, one belonging to the period of Sundara Chola Parantaka 11 (958-973 CE) and the other Raja Raja Chola 1 (947-1014 CE) records the gift of Lamps by many people and gift of land to two musicians who performed before Lord Shiva in this temple.

 

LEGEND

Thindi and Mundi were born on earth as mere mortals. They were named as Nandi and Mahakal (not Nandin or Mahakala, the commanders of Shiva’s army.). Nandi was born in Vaishya community; he was a great Shiva Bhakth. He Built a Temple for Shiva in the village and installed a Shiva Lingam and Prayed to it daily with precious stones. One day Mahakal who was born as a Kirata, came to the place and was mesmerised seeing the Temple and the Shiva Linga. He started praying to Mahadev by doing abhishek with water from his mouth, and anointing the lingam with wild flowers after scatering away the diamonds and precious stones offered by Nandi.

 

 This ritual continued daily and perturbed Nandi, that somebody is defiling the Linga. So he removed the Lingam from the Temple, installed the same in his home and thought that now nobody would be defiling Shiva. When mahakal came to the temple with the water and flowers, he saw the missing Shiva lingam. In his grief, he took a dagger and cut his own throat. Shiva appeared with parvathi and gave Moksha to Mahakal. Mahakal requested the Lord to give moksha to Nandi too. Shiva said he did not recognise nandi, to which Mahakal acknowledged that he is a great friend of mine and it is Nandi who built this beautyful temple for you and daily prayed to you first, before I would pray to you, and hence give moksha to both of us.

 

Mahadev told Mahakala that “I didn’t recognise Nandi, but since you called him as a great friend, I give moksha to him also and appoint both of you as my Dwarapalaka’s. Without your permission no body will be able to enter my house.” Hence Thindi and Mundi became the Dwarapalaka’s of Shiva’s abode.

Thindi had prayed to Shiva and attained moksh in this Temple and hence the place is known as Thindeeswaram. There is also a temple called Thiru Mundeeswaram about 63 Kms away from Tindivanam, where Mundi was given Moksha by Mahadev.    

TEMPLE

 

The entry into the temple is through a seven tiered Rajagopuram flanked by Surya and Kalabhairava facing the Lord. This leads one into a rectangular compound greeted by a Dhwajasthambam, Bali peedham and a Nandin facing lord Shiva. There are two praharam’s; in the inner praharam are the Mukhamandapam, Ardhamandapam and the garbhagriha. In the Garbhagriha, majestically facing east, sits Mahadev as Puliyankateeswarar or Thinthirinieeshwarar as a Lingam with the Avudayar or pindika facing left of the Lingam. Towards the left of Shiva is a separate sanctum of Bhagavati parvathi as Pachchainayaki or Maragathavalli also facing east.

This Garbhagriha is flanked by Ganesha and murugan on each side, with the unique feature of only one Dwarapalaka on entry to the Ardhamandapam. The outer praharam has sub shrines of Vinayaka, Arumugam, Anjaneya and the Navgraha. The temple has panchalingam’s of Prahaladeeshwarar, Gyanapureeshwarar, Moolanathar, Nagalingeshwarar, including Thinthirineeshwarar.

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