Parijatha Vaneswarar Temple

🛕 Lord Shiva | 📍 Tirukalar, Tiruvarur, Tamil Nadu

Temple Tags: Ancient Temple Chola Temple Famous Temple Nayanmar Temple Paadal Petra Sthalam South India Temple Spiritual Healing Temple Tevaram Temple

✔ Verified by Mandirvaas

📍 Open in Maps

⏰ Darshan

Morning: 06:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Evening: 04:00 PM – 08:00 PM

📅 Best Time to Visit

Early morning or evening

📸 Photography

Not Allowed

🔱 Temple Significance

Parijatha Vaneswarar Temple is an important ancient Shiva temple in the Cauvery Delta and is one of the 275 Paadal Petra Sthalams. The temple has been praised in the Thevaram hymns by the Shaivite saints Tirugnanasambandar and Tirunavukkarasar.

The temple is particularly associated with Sage Durvasa. According to the traditional legend, Durvasa wanted to witness Lord Shiva's cosmic dance after hearing about the dance at Chidambaram witnessed by Patanjali and Vyaghrapada. He brought the celestial Parijatha flowers, planted them here and created a sacred grove. He then installed a Shiva Lingam and worshipped Lord Shiva.

Pleased with Durvasa's devotion, Lord Shiva appeared before him as Nataraja and performed the Thandava dance. The tradition connects this divine dance with the name Tirukalar, with kalari being associated with dance. Shiva is therefore also worshipped here as Kalarumalainathar/Kalarmulainathar.

The temple also contains shrines associated with Ganesha, Somaskanda, Murugan, Durga, Lakshmi, Agastya and the 63 Nayanmars, adding to its importance within the Shaiva tradition

🏛 Temple History

The sacred place has historically been known as Tirukalar. The temple's association with the Thevaram saints places it within the historic Shaiva pilgrimage network of the Cauvery Delta. Traditional sources identify it as the 222nd Thevaram Paadal Petra Shiva Sthalam and the 105th such shrine on the southern bank of the Cauvery in Chola Nadu.

The temple's history is strongly connected with the legend of Sage Durvasa, who is believed to have installed and worshipped Shiva here. The temple tradition also states that Vishwakarma helped construct the temple after Durvasa established the shrine.

The temple is notable architecturally for its five-tier eastern Rajagopuram, approximately 80 feet high. It also has several subsidiary shrines, including a distinctive Ashtabhuja Durga shrine and a separate shrine for Akora Veerabhadra.

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Daily Poojas

Regular temple worship schedule

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No daily poojas available.

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Special Rituals

Sacred offerings and temple rituals

🕉️

No special rituals available currently.

🎉 Temple Festivals

No festivals available.

🧭 Pilgrim Travel Tips

Mannargudi is a convenient base for visiting Tirukalar.
From Mannargudi, travel towards Thiruthuraipoondi and proceed to Tirukalar.
Pilgrims can also approach from Thiruthuraipoondi, which is about 13 km away.
Check the temple timings before travelling, especially on festival days.
Arudra Darshan and other Shiva festivals are important occasions for devotees.
Combine this temple with nearby Mannargudi, Thiruthuraipoondi and Tiruvarur temples for a larger pilgrimage circuit.
Wear appropriate temple attire and follow the temple's rules regarding photography and mobile phones.
Carry drinking water when visiting multiple temples in the region.
During festivals, allow extra time for parking and darshan.
For special poojas, confirm the procedure and timings with the temple before travelling.