Trichy Tours - Tiruparaithurai-Pasupatiswarar-Vennaimalai

Mukkombu : This was the final day of our temple tour. After yet another round of Murali coffee,we left Trichy around 6.30 am back on the Karur Road. We reached Mukkombu a picnic spot 18 kilometers from Tiruchirappalli. It is the place where the River Kollidam branches off from the river Cauvery. The place is also known as Upper Anaicut. The dam is about 685 meters long. It was constructed in the 19th Century across the Kollidam. The place attracts tourist because of the park, greenish garden science park, toy train, merry go round, fishing facility, and boating facility.
Tirupparaitturai : Located around 7 Kms from Mukkombu, we reached the abode of Paraitturai Nathar or Dharukavananathar, a tevara sthalam of Chozhanadu South of Kaveri. Praises sung by Sambandar & Appar.The Ambal is Pasum Pon Nayaki or Hemavarnambika. This shrine is located on the banks of the Akhanda Kaveri -the widest point in the course of the river. Kubera, Saptha Rishis & Indra have worshipped Shiva here. The Lord is said to have crushed the ego of the rishis in Dharukavanam here. The Shivalingam is said to have been dug out of an ant hill by a devout Chola King, upon his seeing a golden bird frequently flying by it.
you enter the temple through the raja gopuram at the entrance, There is a stone mandapam & the tell dwaja sthambam is right in front. The mandapam carries scultures of Appar,Sambandar, Manickavasar & the Chettiar who renovated the temple. There are shrines for Vinayakar & Dhandapani in the outer prakaram. You enter the prakaram through a second gopuram & reach the east facing moolavar. Innner prakaram contains shrines/idols - Valamburi Vinayakar, Sapta kanyas, 63'ars, Somaskandar, Mahaganapathy,Panchalingam,Arumughar,Bhikshadanar, Brahma, Durgai,Gajalakshmi, Shanmughar seated on a peacock, Navagrahas, Bhairavar. In the Koshtam you have sculptures of - Vinayagar, Dakshinamurthy(South), Ardhanariswarar(West), Brahma,Durgai (North) & a sannithi for Sandikeswarar. Ambal is south facing. The pillars opposite ambal contains sculptures of Urdhvathandavar & Kali in dancing pose.
Karur Pasupatiswarar : This temple is regarded as the 7th of the seven Tevara Stalams in the Kongunadu. Saint Tirugnana Sambandar, the great Siddha, Karuvurar and Saint Arunagirinathar have sung in praise of the deities at this Temple.The moolavar is a Swayambhu lingam - Pasupateeswarar or Anilaiappar. The Lord has two consorts, Goddess Kripanayaki (Alankaravalli) – the Adinayaki with a Srichakra Pitham at Her feet and Goddess Soundaranayaki (Vadivudaiyal), a great devotee who is believed to have merged with the Lord on the 7th day of the Panguni Uthiram festival.

The Sthala vriksham is vanji & tirtham is Amaravati.
Kamadenu (divine cow) worshippped the Lord here. During the worship, the feet of Kamadenu touched the Lord’s head, the symbol of which is still on the Linga. The Lord was also worshipped by Brahma who did penance here in atonement for his haughtiness as the primordial Creator.
It is believed that Siddha Karuvurar dissolved himself with the Lord. He has a shrine in the Southwest corner of this temple.

This Sthalam is associated with the two great Nayanmars Eripatthar and Pukhazcholar. They worshipped here and their history is very well detailed in Periyapuranam. Arunagirinaathar sang about 9 'Thirupugal's’ in praise of beautiful Lord Muruga here.
Emperor Musukunda, belonging to the Skanda Mahapurana period is believed to have undertaken renovation of the temple.
Vennaimalai :The Balasubramanyaswami temple at Vennaimalai is an ancient one, revered by the Tiruppugazh hymns of Arunagirinathar, although its current structure is a recent one.
Vennaimalai is located near Karur near Tiruchirappalli. The temple is built on a small hill and it enshrines Balasubramanyar, Kasi Viswanathar and Visalakshi. The festivals of significance here are Skanda Sashti in the tamil month of Aippasi, Thai Poosam and Aadi Krittikai.