Vilamar-Tiru Alangudi

9 March'2008 - This was the final leg of our trip. The previous four days were exciting but exhausting. we decided to keep the last day easy & our primary objective was to return to Coimbatore. Enroute we visited teo Tevara Sthalams described under. As we crossed Thanjavur the Big Temple again came to focus. We stopped over on the flyover adajacent to the temple & took some great shots. We went into the temple for some more shots. The results were magnificent. See picture gallery at: http://picasaweb.google.com/ramakrishnan49/BigTemple02
Tiru Vilamar: This Shivastalam is a small temple 3 km to the south west of the grand Tiruvarur temple. Vilamar is regarded as the 90th in the series of Tevara Stalams in the Chola region south of the river Kaveri. The presiding deity is Shiva or Patanjali Manoharar and the Ambal is Yaazhinum men mozhiammai, Madhura Bhashini. Theertham is Agni Theertham hymns have been sung by Sambandar.
The Agni Theertham tank is in front of the temple. Patanjali and Vyagrapadar, for whom Shiva provided a vision of the cosmic dance at Chidambaram are said to have worshipped here. The east facing temple has a south facing Ambal shrine and a south facing shrine for Bhairavar. There are also shrines to Saneeswaran, Surya, Chandra, Ganesha and Gajalakshmi. The mandapam in front of the main shrine enshrines images of Patanjali and Vyagrapadar.
Tiru Alangudi: Also known as Tiruvirumpoolai Aabatsakayar. This is regarded as a 'Gurustalam' where Dakshinamurthy is held in great reverence, attracting huge crowds when Jupiter transits between zodiac signs. The festival image here is that of Dakshinamurthy & this stalam is considered to be one of the 9 Navagrahastalams of the Chola region. This shrine is regarded as the 98th in the series of Tevara Stalams in the Chola Region south of the river Kaveri. The presiding deity is Shiva or Aabatsakaayar & Ambal: Elavaar kuzhaliammai, Elaalakaambaal. Theertham: Amrita Pushkarini & Patikam : Sambandar
Legends: Dakshinamurthy is said to have preached to the Devas who had swooned under the impact of the poison that came out of the churning of the milky ocean. Parvati is said to have been reborn on the banks of Amrita Pushkarini and later on reunited with Shiva. Viswamitrar is believed to have worshipped Shiva here.
The Temple: There are as many as 15 theerthams in this temple which occupies an area of about 1.25 acres, surrounded by lofty walls. One of the theerthams is a well located inside the temple and it is referred to as the Jnana koopam. East of the temple is the Poolaivala river, whose waters are used in abhishekam ceremonies in the Tamil month of Aippasi.
There are shrines to Surya, Gurumoksheswarar, Somanathar, Saptarishi nathar,Someswarar, Vishnunathar and Bhrameesar, Kaasi Viswanathar and Visalakshi.
See photo gallery at: http://picasaweb.google.com/ramakrishnan49/Tirumarugal