| Nellaiappar Temple | |
|---|---|
Tirunelveli | |
 | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Hinduism |
| District | Tirunelveli |
| Deity | Nellaiappar (Shiva)Kanthimathi Amman (Parvati) |
| Festivals | Aani Brahmostavam, Aadi Puram, Avani Mula Utsavam, Puratasi Golu Darbar, Aippasi Tirukalyanam, Aippasi Visu, Kandha Shasti, Karthikai Tiruvananthal, Margali Tiruvathirai, Thai Pusam Tirthavari, Thai Amavasya, Masi Shivaratri, Panguni Uttiram, Chittirai Pournami Tirthavari, Vasanthostavam, Vaikasi Shirabhishegam, Koratham, Vishakam. |
| Features |
|
| Location | |
| Location | Tirunelveli |
| State | Tamil Nadu |
| Country | India |
  Location in Tamil Nadu | |
| Coordinates | 8°43′42.4″N77°41′19.4″E / 8.728444°N 77.688722°E /8.728444; 77.688722 |
| Architecture | |
| Type | Tamil architecture |
| Creator | Early Pandyas,Medieval Cholas |
| Completed | 700 CE |
| Direction of façade | East |
| Website | |
| http://kanthimathinellaiappar.tnhrce.in/ | |
TheNellaiappar Temple is aHindu temple dedicated to the deityShiva, located inTirunelveli, a city in theSouth Indian state ofTamil Nadu. Shiva is worshipped as Nellaiappar (also called Venuvananathar) represented by thelingam and his consortParvati is depicted as Kanthimathi Amman. The deityVishnu is also worshipped here, having witnessed their wedding according to legend. Hence, this temple is regarded as anabhimana kshetram ofVaishnavism. The temple is located on the northern banks ofThamirabarani River inTirunelveli district. The presiding deity is revered in the 7th century Tamil Saiva canonical work, theTevaram, written by Tamil saint poets known as thenayanmars and classified asPaadal Petra Sthalam.
The temple complex covers an area of 5.9 hectares (14.5 acres) and all its shrines are enclosed with concentric rectangular walls. The temple has a number of shrines, with those of Swamy Nellaiappar and his consort Sri Kanthimathi Ambal being the most prominent.
The temple has three six rituals at various times from 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., and six yearly festivals on its calendar. Brahmotsavam festival during theTamil month ofAani (June–July) is the most prominent festival celebrated in the temple.
The original complex is believed to have been built byPandyas, while the present masonry structure was added by Cholas, Pallavas, Cheras, and Madurai Nayaks. In modern times, the temple is maintained and adminIstered by theHindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department of theGovernment of Tamil Nadu.
Tirunelveli is one of the many temple towns in the district which is named after the groves, clusters or forests dominated by a particular variety of a tree or shrub and the same variety of tree or shrub sheltering the presiding deity. The region is believed to have been covered with Venu forest and hence called Venuvanam.[1]
The original complex is believed to have been built byPandyas, while the present masonry structure was added by Cholas, Pallavas, Cheras, and Madurai Nayaks. The sanctums of the temple and the gopurams were constructed byNindraseer Nedumaran (Koon Pandian) who reigned in the 7th century AD. The mani mandapam with its famous musical pillar was also likely built by Nindraseer Nedumaran. The flag stand near the Nandi was set up in 1155.[2] Later Pandya,Kulasekara Pandyan I built the outer wall of the Thirunelveli Nellaiappar temple, in 13th century.
Originally, the Nellaiappar and Kanthimathi temples were two independent structures with spaces in between. It was in 1647 that Thiru Vadamalaiappa Pillaiyan, a great devotee of Siva linked the two temples by building the "Chain mandapam" (In Tamil Sangili Mandapam). In the centre of the Flower Garden is a square vasantha mandapam with 100 pillars. The Nandi mandapam is said to have been built by Sivanthiappa Nayakar in 1654. To the western portion of the chain mandapam is the flower garden that was set up in 1756 by Thiruvengadakrishna Mudaliar.[3]
There are a number of stone inscriptions in the temple. The most important of them are those Veerapandiyan who reigned around 950 AD and those ofRajendran I andKulothunga Chola I. The inscriptions ofMaravarman Sundara Pandyan refer to the Lord as "Woodayar" and "Wodeyanayanar" and the Goddess as "Nachiar". From the inscriptions ofKulasekkara Pandiyan we learn that he defeated theChera,Chola andHoysala kings and built the outer walls of the temple with the spoils of war.[4]
During the Puranic period, the site of this temple was called Venuvana, a forest of bamboos. The deity in the current temple is believed to have appeared inside this bamboo forest. Vishnu is believed to have witnessed the wedding between Shiva and Parvati at this place. There is an image of Vishnu with a metallicgindi, a vessel with a spout, in the temple depicting the legend.[5]
The temple complex covers an area of 5.9 hectares (14.5 acres), measuring 260 metres (850 ft) long and 230 metres (756 ft) wide, and all its shrines are enclosed with concentric rectangular walls, with a massive Rajagopuram.[6] Sangili Mandapam built on 1647 by vadamalaiyappa pillayan connects the Ganthimathi Amman and Nellaiyappar temples.[7] The temple has a number of shrines, with those of Swamy Nellaiappar and his consort Sri Kanthimathi Ambal being the most prominent.
The Nandi mandapam has a fairly big statue of Nandi (the bull God), similar to those at Tanjore and Rameswaram. The unique feature of the temple is the 'Mani manadapam' located near the nandi mandapam with two giant pillars carved out of a single stone and each one is having 48 sub pillars which produce musical notes when struck. Tamil poet says that the pillars here are a combination of the Shruti Gana Laya types.[8]
The composite columns ofVirabhadra holding sword and horn are found be additions of the Vijayanayagara kings during the early 1500s. Similar columns of Virabhadra are found inAdikesava Perumal Temple at Thiruvattaru,Meenakshi Temple atMadurai,Kasi Viswanathar temple atTenkasi,Krishnapuram Venkatachalapathy temple,Ramanathaswamy Temple atRameswaram,Soundararajaperumal temple atThadikombu,Srivilliputhur Andal temple,Srivaikuntanathan Permual temple atSrivaikuntam,Avudayarkovil,Vaishnava Nambi and Thirukurungudivalli Nachiar temple atThirukkurungudi.[9]
Tirunelveli also is one of the five places where Lord Shiva is said to have displayed his dance and all these places have stages/ ambalams. While Tirunelveli has the Thaamira (Copper) Ambalam or Thamira Sabhai , the others are the Rathina Ambalam/ Rathna Sabhai atThiruvaalangadu (rathinam – ruby / red), the Chitra Ambalam or Chitra Sabhai at Courtallam (chitra – painting), the Velli Ambalam or Rajatha Sabhai at MaduraiMeenakshi Amman Temple (velli – silver) and the Pon (Gold) Ambalam or PorSabhai atThillai Nataraja Temple, Chidambaram.[10][11]
The temples whereShiva is believed to have performed theCosmic Dance. This temple is calledTambra Sabha (copper hall) based on the dance pose ofNataraja. There are several architectural depictions in the temple detailing the legends.[5]
| Category | Temple | Location | Element |
| Rathina sabai | Sri Vadaranyeswarar Temple | Thiruvalangadu,Chennai | Ruby |
| Porchabai | Natarajar Temple | Chidambaram | Gold |
| Velli sabai | Meenakshi Amman Temple | Madurai | Silver |
| Thamira sabai | Nellaiappar Temple | Tirunelveli | Copper |
| Chithira sabai | Kutralanathar Temple | Thirukutralam | Art |
Navaratri, Tirukkalyanam in Aippasi, (15 October – 15 November) and Arudra Darisanam are some of the important festivals here. Arudra Darisanam attracts huge crowds here. The temple chariot is a massive one, second supposedly only to Tiruvarur. The Bhrammotsavam here lasts for an extended period of time during the Tamil month of Aani (15 June – 15 July). Also, a golden temple car (First Inaugural run of Nellaiappar Temple Golden Car is 2 November 2009) will run during important festivals like Thirukalyanam, Kaarthigai, Aaruthra Festival etc. DuringThaipoosam festival in Thai, Lord Shiva and Parvathy are taken to the banks of Thamirabarani river in Tirunelveli junction called "Thaipoosa mandapam". Special rituals are undertaken there and the Lord return to the temple at night. Nellaiappar Temple car is the third largest car inTamil Nadu.And it is the first car to be driven fully automatically.[12]
The temple priests perform thepuja (rituals) during festivals and on a daily basis. The temple rituals are performed Six times a day;Thiruvananthal at 5.15 a.m Ushatkalapooja at 6.00a.m Sirukalasanthi at 7.00a.m Kalasanthi at 8:00 a.m.,Uchikalam at 12:00 a.m. andSayarakshai at 6:00 p.m. Arthajamam at 8.30 p.m Palliarai at 9.15 p.m Bhairavar Poojai at 9.30 p.m Each ritual comprises four steps:abhisheka (sacred bath),alangaram (decoration),naivethanam (food offering) anddeepa aradanai (waving of lamps) for Nelliappar and Kanthimathi Amman. There are weekly rituals likesomavaram (Monday) andsukravaram (Friday), fortnightly rituals likepradosham, and monthly festivals likeamavasai (new moon day),kiruthigai,pournami (full moon day) andsathurthi. The Thai Aaratu festival during theTamil month ofThai (January – February) is the most important festivals of the temple.[13][14]
Tirugnana Sambandar andAppar, the 7th-century TamilSaivite poetNayanmars, venerated Nelliappar in ten verses inTevaram, compiled as theFirst Tirumurai.Sundarar, an 8th-century nayanmar, also venerated Idaiyatreeswarar in ten verses inTevaram, compiled as theFifth Tirumurai. As the temple is revered inTevaram, it is classified asPaadal Petra Sthalam, one of the 276 temples that find mention in the Saiva canon.[14]Muthuswami Dikshitar composed one song (Sri Kantimatim) on this temple goddess Kanthimathi Amman.This song is considered to be a rare song set in the rare raga Hemavathi.[6]
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
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