Temples of Tamilnadu - 29 - Star Temples - Anusham - Part 17

Sri Ulaganaayaki samedha Sri Lakshmipureeswaraswamy Temple -  Thirunandriyur Nagapattinam District (Sri Mahalakshmeeswarar temple)

Star : Anusham/Anuradha 

Temple timings : 07:00 am to 1:00 p.m. 04:00 pm to 07:30 pm.  

Phone         : 04364 – 320520

Location         : 33 Kms from Chidambaram. 8 kms from Myladuthurai

Nearest Town         : Myladuthurai

Important days : Aani Thirumanjanam in June – July, 

                                       Mahasivarathri in Feb – Mar and Thirukarthikai in Nov - Dec

Other temple/s      :       Mahalingaswamy temple Thiruvidaimarudhur.

One of the “Devara Sthalam” of Nagapattimnam District and is the 19th Shiva  temple sung about by three poets about its greatness. No Thwajasthambam. The temple tower  has 3 stages.  

After worshipping Dwaravinayakar, Dhandapani  and Dwarabalar, it leads to the main diety  and the Ambal is located to the right.  There are three pools sung by  Samandhar as  “Neelamalar Poigai” about the theertham.  The existing structure was built when the temple was renovated 100 years ago.

Parasuramar who killed his mother Renuka by accepting the order of his father sage,  Jamudagni,  worshipped the Lord here to get relieved from the curse of killing his  mother.  Jamadagni too worshipped here.  Shiva worshipped by Parasuramar is  in the courtyard as “Parasuramalingeshwarar” and the one which was worshipped by Jamudagni is called  as “Jamatakaneshwarar”.    Goddess Mahalakshmi was  blessed hee by worshipping Shiva, so the Lord is called as “Mahalakshmeshwarar”.  

Every day Chola king went through this way to Chidambaram to worship Lord Nataraja and  while passing through this limit the torch would automatically switch off and lit after crossing the limit.  Since it continued to happen, when the King asked a shepherd about the specialty of that place, he was informed that the cows would extract milk automatically in one particular place.  When the King dug thet place with an axe,  Blood started oozing out and he was shocked to find a Shiva Lingam, with upper part bleeding.  When he was then commanded by a divine voice to build a temple there, he took the Linga out and constructed a temple in that place.  The axe cut scar can be seen on the head of Linga.  The presiding deity of the temple is Swayambhu Linga  (formed by its own).