Sivalokanathar Temple (சிவலோகநாதர் கோயில்)
[ :ta:திருப்புன்கூர் சிவலோகநாதர் கோயில்] is a
Hindu
Hindus (; ; also known as Sanātanīs) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism, also known by its endonym Sanātana Dharma. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pp. 35–37 Historically, the term has also be ...
temple in the
Indian state
India is a federal union comprising 28 states and 8 union territories, for a total of 36 subnational entities. The states and union territories are further subdivided into 800 districts and smaller administrative divisions by the respe ...
of
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is the southernmost States and union territories of India, state of India. The List of states and union territories of India by area, tenth largest Indian state by area and the List of states and union territories of Indi ...
. It is dedicated to the god
Shiva
Shiva (; , ), also known as Mahadeva (; , , Help:IPA/Sanskrit, ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐh and Hara, is one of the Hindu deities, principal deities of Hinduism. He is the God in Hinduism, Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions w ...
. The temple is situated in the village of Tirupunkur or Thirupunkur which lies about 3 miles west of
Vaitheeswaran Koil.
The temple is associated with the legend of the
Saivite
Shaivism (, , ) is one of the major Hindu traditions, which worships Shiva as the supreme being. It is the second-largest Hindu sect after Vaishnavism, constituting about 385 million Hindus, found widely across South Asia (predominantly in ...
saint
Nandanar
Nandanar (also spelt as Nantanar), also known as Thirunaallaippovaar () and Tirunallaipovar Nayanar,Other names include: Nandan (Nanda, Nantan), Tirunalaipovanar, Nalaippovar, Nalaippovan was a Nayanar saint, who is venerated in the Hindu se ...
who was one of the 63
Nayanmars
The Nayanars (or Nayanmars; , and later 'teachers of Shiva') were a group of 63 Tamil Hindu saints living during the 6th to 8th centuries CE who were devoted to the Hindu god Shiva. Along with the Alvars, their contemporaries who were devoted ...
. While being a
Dalit
Dalit ( from meaning "broken/scattered") is a term used for untouchables and outcasts, who represented the lowest stratum of the castes in the Indian subcontinent. They are also called Harijans. Dalits were excluded from the fourfold var ...
, Nandanar was not allowed inside the temple, the idol of ''Nandi'' within the temple precincts moved a few inches at the command of Shiva so as not to obstruct Nandanar's view from the gate of the shrine.
Literary mention
Tirunavukkarasar
Appar (), also referred to as Tirunavukkaracar () or Navukkarasar, was a seventh-century Tamil Shaiva poet-saint. Born in a peasant Shaiva family, raised as an orphan by his sister, he lived about 80 years and is generally placed sometime betwee ...
describes the feature of the deity of Tirupunkur and
Thiruneedur as:
[Tiruanvukkarasar Tevaram, VI: 11: 9]
Notes
References
*
File: Tiruppunkur7.jpg, Main entrance
File: Tiruppunkur1.jpg, Nandhi(front view)
File: Tiruppunkur5.jpg, Nandhi (rear view)
File: Tiruppunkur2.jpg, From inside the temple(Nandhanar shrine next to Rajagopuram)
File: Tiruppunkur12.jpg, Vimana of Nandhanar shrine near Rajagopuram
File: Tiruppunkur13.jpg, Nandhanar shrine outside the temple (Front view)
File: Tiruppunkur9.jpg, Nandhanar shrine outside the temple (Rear view)
{{Mayiladuthurai Topics
Shiva temples in Mayiladuthurai district
Padal Petra Stalam