Thiruvaalangadu
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Thiruvalangadu is a village in the western suburbs of
Chennai Chennai, also known as Madras (List of renamed places in India#Tamil Nadu, its official name until 1996), is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Tamil Nadu by population, largest city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost states and ...
,
India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...
. The railway station is located on the Chennai-Arakkonam Route, the penultimate station before
Arakkonam Arakkonam () is a railway town in the Ranipet district, state of Tamil Nadu. Included within the Chennai metropolitan area, Chennai Metropolitan Area since 2022, Arakkonam is a major suburb of the state capital city Chennai, with a population ...
. Sri Vadaranyeswarar Temple is situated at a distance of 5 km from the station. It can also be accessed by road on NH205 (Chennai-Avadi-Tiruvallur-Renigunta route). A slight detour of about 6 km from NH205 on to the left takes one to the temple town of Thiruvalangadu. Sri Tazhuvikuzhandheswarar Temple is another big temple located about two kilometer far south-easterly to Vedaranyeswarar Temple. This village is the birthplace of the great Saint Pattinathar


The temple

The Thiruvaalangadu temple, built by the Cholas during the 12th century CE (though inscriptions evidence the 5th century CE), is regarded as a sacred Shaivaite temple in that it is one of the 5 majestic cosmic dance halls ( pancha sabhai) of Lord Shiva, known as "Ratna Sabai". The other 4 "Sabais" are Chidambaram Nataraja Temple- Kanaka Sabhai,
Meenakshi Amman Temple Arulmigu Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple, also known as Arulmigu Meenakshi Amman Thirukkovil, is a historic Hindu temple located on the southern bank of the Vaigai River in the temple city of Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India. It is dedicated to the god ...
( Madurai - Rajatha Sabhai), Coutrallam Thirukutralam - Chitra Sabha and
Nellaiappar Temple The Nellaiappar Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to the deity Shiva, located in Tirunelveli, a city in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Shiva is worshipped as Nellaiappar (also called Venuvananathar) represented by the ''lingam'' and his ...
( Tirunelveli - Thamira Sabhai). Legend has it that when the Lord was once entranced in a deep cosmic dance, the jewels from the Lord's anklets fell onto the earth and scattered in 5 places, Thiruvalangadu being one of them. It is one of the 32
Saiva ''Saiva'' is a genus of Asian planthoppers, family Fulgoridae. They are colourful insects, marked boldly in red, blue, white and black, with a prominent slender stalk like structure arising on the head that points upwards or forward. The know ...
temples in
Tondai Nadu Toṇḍaimaṇḍalam, also known as Toṇḍai Nāḍu, is a historical region located in the northernmost part of Tamil Nadu and southernmost part of Andhra Pradesh. Toṇḍaimaṇḍalam was divided into 24 ''kottam''s — smaller district ...
which have been sung in the devaarams. The site is one of the 275 celebrated Shaivaite sites in TN (" Padal Petra Stalam"). This temple is amongst the greatest Shiva Temples of Tamil Nadu. The temple is known not only for its architectural splendour, but also for the legends associated with mallikarjuna. The primary deity at the Sanctum is known as "Vadaranyeswarar" (Vada - meaning north and aaranyam - meaning forest and Eswarar - referring to Lord Siva)) and the Lord's consort, "Vandarkuzhali Amman" ('VaaNdaarkuzhali': meaning the one whose locks attract beetles - to suck honey from the flowers that decorate it). Thiruvaalangadu also houses the Rathinasabai - which is one of the panchasabais (pancha - meaning five, and sabais meaning stage / dias), for Lord Nataraja. The sthala Vriksham is a large banyan tree located behind the sanctum on the North East. It is here in this temple that Lord Shiva requested the great Karaikkal Ammeiyar (Peyar) to undertake a marathon walk to Mount Kailash on her head and be an omnipresent witness to his cosmic dance. The temple is complete in all respects in accordance with the traditional Cholan temple architecture that is typical of a Shaivaite shrine. The shrine's importance is enhanced by the mystic location of the temple on what was once a forest of banyan trees. The temple also sports a Large tank as well. Shivraathri (during Makara) and Thiruvadirai (during Dhanur) festivals are celebrated in a grand manner in this temple. Saints Sambanthar has sung one pathigam (a form of poetry),
Appar 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 betwe ...
two pathigams and
Sundarar Sundarar (), also referred to as Chuntarar, Chuntaramurtti, Nampi Aruran or Tampiran Tolan, was an eighth-century poet-saint of Tamil Shaiva Siddhanta tradition of Hinduism. He is among the Tevaram trio, and one of the most prominent Nayanars, ...
one pathigam in praise of the Lord at Thiruvaalangadu. Kaaraikaal Ammaiyar, one of the foremost of the 63 devotees of Lord Siva, who sought and obtained a ghost form and added the signature of 'Kaaraikaal Pei' (the ghost of Kaariakaal) to her poetry, is said to have walked into this place on her head - considering even the soil around too holy to be stepped on. She has composed the famous 'Moothathirupadhigam', the 'Thiruirrattaimanimalai' and the 'Arpudhathiruvandhadhi' in praise of the Lord. Shs attained spiritual bliss and salvation at Thiruvaalangadu and it is believed that she still sits beneath the Lord's feet, singing his glory when He dances. Lord
Nataraja Nataraja (/ n̪əʈəɾɑd͡ʒᵊ/ ,, ; , ''Naṭarājar'' Telugu: నటరాజు,''Naṭarāju''), also known as Adalvallan (), is a depiction of Shiva, one of the main deities in Hinduism, as the divine cosmic dancer. His dance is ca ...
at Thiruvaalangadu is exquisite and captivating. At the Rathinasabai the Lord is seen with his consort, Goddess Sivagami on His right and Kaaraikaal Ammayar singing on his left. Sri Viswaroopa Panchamukha
Hanuman Hanuman (; , ), also known as Maruti, Bajrangabali, and Anjaneya, is a deity in Hinduism, revered as a divine ''vanara'', and a devoted companion of the deity Rama. Central to the ''Ramayana'', Hanuman is celebrated for his unwavering devotio ...
ashram is located at Tiruvallur, next to Tiruvalangadu. A Sri Panchamukha Hanuman has been installed in this ashram as per
mantra A mantra ( ; Pali: ''mantra'') or mantram (Devanagari: मन्त्रम्) is a sacred utterance, a numinous sound, a syllable, word or phonemes, or group of words (most often in an Indo-Iranian language like Sanskrit or Avestan) belie ...
shastra.


Pancha Sabhai Sthalangal

The temples where
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 ...
is believed to have performed the Cosmic Dance.


References


External links


Templenet: Tiruvalankadu

Vadaranyeswarar Temple, Thiruvalangadu
{{Chennai - Suburban Railway, West South, Thiruvalangadu, Manavur, Mosur, 26, 58.12 Villages in Tiruvallur district Chola architecture