Experience the Mystical Aura of Sattainathar Temple in Sirkazhi, Tamil Nadu – The Cultural Heritage of India (2024)

Overview

Sattainathar temple, Sirkazhi(also calledBrahmapureeswarar templeand Thoniappar temple) is aHindutemple dedicated toShivalocated in Sirkali,Tamil Nadu,India.

The temple is incarnated by the hymns ofThevaramand is classified asPaadal Petra Sthalam. It is an ancient temple complex with three different Shiva shrines in three stories.

The Bhramapureeswarar shrine is housed in the lower level. Brahmapureeswarar is accompanied by AmbalSthira sundari/ Thiripurasundari orThirunilainayakiin Tamil.

The second-level houses Periyanakar with Periyanayaki on aThoni, hence the name Thoniappar. Sattainathar/Vatukanathar is also housed here. There are 22 water bodies associated with this shrine.

Three different forms of Shiva are worshipped here, the Shivalingam (Bhrammapureeswarar), a colossal image of Uma Maheswarar (Toniappar) at the medium level, andBhairavar(Sattanathar) at the upper level.

The temple is associated with the legend of childSambandarwho is believed to have been fed byParvathion the banks of the temple tank. The child later went on to composeTevaram, a Saiva canonic literature on Shiva and became one of the most revered Saiva poets in South India.

Etymology & Origin

In ancient times, this town had twelve different names, including Brahmapuram, Venupuram, Thonipuram, Kazhumalam, Pugali, Sirkazhiswaram and Shri Kali.

As per popular belief, Kali is believed to have worshipped the presiding deity, Brahmapureeswarar, and thus the place came to be known asSrikalipuram, which went on to becomeShiyali.

According to Hindu legend, during one of the biggest deluges that submerged the planet earth, Hindu god Bhrama is said to have carried the64 artson a raft (calledThoniin Tamil).

The presiding deity in the temple, Shiva, is thus called “Thoniappar” (the one who carried the raft) and the region is called “Thonipuram”.

The Hindu godBrahmais believed to have worshiped Shiva here, giving the name “Bhramapureeswarar” (the one worshipped by Brahma) and so the region is also referred as “Bhramapureeswaram”.

The town is thus called “Sattainathapuram”, which in modern times, is a suburb within Sirkazhi. The town was known as “Kalumalam” during the early Chola period.

Thirugnanasambandar, the seventh century SaivaNayanar, as an infant is believed to have been fed with the milk of wisdom by the divine mother Parvation the banks of the temple tank.

The child Sambandar started singing the anthology ofTevaramhymns from then on, commencing with “Todudaiya Seviyan”.

Sambandar refers the town as “Kazhi” in his verses.It was called Shiyali duringBritish rule, and afterIndependence, it was renamed “Sirkazhi”.

The temple is maintained byDharmapuram Adheenam, aSaivitemuttor monastic institution located in the town of Mayiladuthurai, India. As of 1987, there were a total of 27Shivatemples under the control of theAdheenam.

Architecture

The temple has a vastPrakarams (courtyards) with high walls of enclosure. There are two sets of seven-tieredGopuramson the outer walls of the enclosure.

The porch on the entrance from the second to the first prakara date back to 10th to 11th century.

The original shrine during the period of theNayanmarsincluded the shrine of Bhrammapureeswarar, on the southern bund of the temple tank; the Tonniappar shrine on a mound west of the central shrine, and the Sattanathar shrine in the second floor reached from the southernPrakaram(outer courtyard) of the Toniappar shrine by a flight of steps.

The enlargement of the original temple happened during the period of Kulothunga Chola I,Vikrama Chola,Kulothunga Chola IIandKulothunga Chola III(as inChidambaram– 11th through the 13th centuries).

The temple is a holy site forHinduismand thousands of devotees come to pay homage to the deities. The image ofParvathiin the form of Sthira Sundari is located in the basem*nt in a separate shrine.

Tirugnana Sambandar

Sambandarwas a youngSaivapoet-saint of Tamil Nadu who lived around the 7th century CE. He is one of the most prominent of the sixty-threeNayanars, TamilSaivabhaktisaints who lived between the sixth and the tenth centuries CE.

Sambandar’s hymns toShivawere later collected to form the first three volumes of theTirumurai, the religious canon of TamilSaiva Siddhanta. He was a contemporary ofAppar, another Saiva saint.

Sambandarwas born to Sivapada Hrudiyar and his wife Bhagavathiar who lived inSirkazhiinTamil Nadu. They were a saivite Brahmins who at that point of time professedRig Veda.

The group of servitors wore tuft on top of their head with a tilt towards right, as seen in all murals and statues of sambandar and also finds mention in the related hagiographies of that period and also of the later periods like that of arunagirinathar.

According to legend, when Sambandar was three years old his parents took him to the Shiva temple where Shiva and his consortParvatiappeared before the child.

The goddess nursed him at her breast. His father saw drops of milk on the child’s mouth and asked who had fed him, whereupon the boy pointed to the sky and responded with the songTodudaya Seviyan– the first verse of theTevaram.

At his investiture with the sacred thread, at the age of seven, he is said to have expounded theVedaswith clarity.

SriSankaracharyawho lived in the subsequent century has also referred to Sambandar in one hymn ofSoundarya Lahari, praising him as a gifted Tamil child (Tamil sisu) who was fed with milk of divine gnosis by goddessUma.

Festivals

The temple priests perform thepooja(rituals) during festivals and on a daily basis. Like other Shiva temples of Tamil Nadu, the priests belong to theShaivaitecommunity, a Brahmin sub-caste.

The temple rituals are performed six times a day; Ushathkalam at 5:30a.m., Kalasanthi at 8:00a.m., Uchikalam at 10:00a.m., Sayarakshai at 6:00p.m., Irandamkalam at 8:00p.m. and Ardha Jamam at 10:00p.m.

Each ritual comprises four steps:abhisheka(sacred bath), alangaram (decoration),neivethanam(food offering) anddeepa aradanai(waving of lamps) for all the three Shiva shrines.

The worship is held amidst music withnagaswaram(pipe instrument) and tavil(percussion instrument), religious instructions in theVedasread by priests and prostration by worshippers in front of the temple mast.

There are weekly rituals likesomavaramandsukravaram, fortnightly rituals likepradoshamand monthly festivals likeamavasai(new moon day),kiruthigai,pournami(full moon day) andsathurthi.

Religious Importance

The temple is mentioned in the Saiva canonical work,Tevaram, byThirugnana Sambanthar,TirunavukkarasarandSundarar, the foremost Saivite saints of 7th–eighth century CE and is classified asPaadal Petra Sthalam.

There is a separate shrine for Sambandar celebrating the miracle ofParvathisuckling the child Sambandar when he was crying for milk.

Shiva is worshipped in three different forms; the Shivalingam (Bhrammapureeswarar), Uma Maheswarar (Toniappar) at the middle level, andBhairavar(Sattanathar) at the upper level.

The original temple was enlarged during the period ofKulothunga Chola I, Vikrama Chola,Kulothunga Chola IIandKulothunga Chola III(as in Chidambaram – 11th through the 13th centuries).

Every year in the Tamil month ofChithirai(April – May), a 10-day festival is celebrated.

According to a Hindu legend,Mahalingaswamy at Thiruvidaimaruduris the centre of all Shiva temples in the region and theSaptha Vigraha Moorthis(seven prime consorts in allShivatemples) are located at seven cardinal points around the temple, located in various parts of the state.

The seven deities areNatarajainChidambaram Nataraja Temple atChidambaram,Chandikeswarar temple at Tirucheingalur, VinayagarinVellai Vinayagar TempleatThiruvalanchuzhi, Muruga inSwamimalai Murugan TempleatSwamimalai,Bhairavain Sattainathar Temple atSirkali,NavagrahainSooriyanar TempleatSuryanar Kovil andDakshinamoorthyinApatsahayesvarar Temple, AlangudiatAlangudi, Papanasam taluk.

Thoniappar, enshrined in Grivakostha in Thonimalai, is an aspect ofBhairava. The Ashtabhairavas (the eight Bhairava) are housed in the Valampuri mandapa in the temple.

The images along with the inscriptions indicate Bhairava worship from the late 16th century.

The eight Bhairavas in the group include Asitanga, Visalaksa, Marrtanda, Modakapriya, Svachanda, Vignasantusa, Khechera and Sarcaracara. The images are sported with trident, hand-drum, noose and sword.

Arunagirinatharwas a 15th-century Tamil poet born inTiruvannamalai. He spent his early years as a rioter and seducer of women.

After ruining his health, he tried to commit suicide by throwing himself from the northern tower ofAnnamalaiyar Temple, but was saved by the grace of godMurugan.

He became a staunch devotee and composed Tamil hymns glorifying Murugan, the most notable beingThirupugazh.

Arunagirinathar visited various Murugan temples and on his way back to Tiruvannamalai, visited the temple and sung praises about Murugan in the temple.

Mayaka Kshetras are the places where Lord Brahma was reduced to ashes by Lord Shiva. Five such places are – Kasi (Varanasi) Mayanam, Kacchi (Kanchipuram) Mayanam; Kazhi (Sirkazhi) Mayanam, Nallur (Thirunallur) Mayanam and Kadavur (Thirukadaiyur) Mayanam.