Among the many forms of Lord Shiva, one of the fiercest is
the Aghoramurthy, the manifestation of Lord's anger. The temple of
Swetharanyeswarar, celebrates this revelation of Shiva. The place is also
called Aadhi Chidambaram, as it is believed that the Lord performed his
celestial dance, the Tandava, here before performing at Chidambaram. The shrine
is also popular for the sanctum of the Navagraha, Budhan. He is considered as
the wisest of all the planets and is associated with intellect and knowledge.
The temple is considered more than 2000 years old. The inscriptions on the
temple depicts contributions to the shrine by the Cholas.
Location TamilNadu, Nagapattinam, Chennai
Legend
Marutwasura, the demon was creating havoc in the area of
Thiruverkadu, troubling the sages and people here. Nandi, who had initially
defeated the demon was sent by Lord Shiva to fight the evil. Marutawasura, who
with severe penance to Brahma, had become stronger than before and attacked
Nandi, causing wounds on his back. Lord Shiva, enraged at his loyal devotee
being hurt, manifested as Aghora murthy and killed Marutwasura under a tree.
This Temple is part of the famous Navagraha Yatra.
Architecture
The Swetharanyeswarar Temple is built in Dravidian style of
architecture, with the tiered gopuram vibrant with tinted carvings. The stone
built temple is huge with vast courtyards and long courtyards with sculpted
pillars all around. A unique feature about Swetharanyeswarar Temple is that the
image of Lord Shiva has five faces, each representing a distinct aspect of the
Lord. The idol of Nandi bears the nine
scars as described by the legend of the temple. There is an idol of Nataraja
and similar to Chidambaram, Lord Vishnu near to it. There is also a shrine for
Budhan, the Navagraha. There are three holy tanks in the temple.
Culture
Nagapattinam has many heritage and historic points like
Nagore, Velankanni, Sikkal, Kodiyakkarai, Vedaranyam, Mannargudi and
Tharangambad. Nagore Durgha, a 16th-century minaret, is one of the important
pilgrimage centres of the place. There are many other ancient and medieval
temples around the area. Thiruvenkadu is one of the six places considered
equivalent to Kashi in its holiness.
Picture Courtesy: www.yatrastotemples.com
Darsan Info
Swetharanyeswarar Temple timings:- 6.00 AM to 12.00 PM and 4.00 PM to 9.00 PM
Darsan Dresscode
Devotees are advised to wear clean and traditional clothing.
Western attire are not allowed in the temples of Tamil Nadu.
Famous Festival
January - Sankranti
February - Chariot festival
December - Thiruvathira
Temple Rituals
The priests perform regular pujas to the deities at
Swetharanyeswarar Temple.
Worshipping Budhan on Wednesdays are said to alleviate
Budhan dosham.
Sunday nights are considered auspicious to worship Lord
Aghoramurthy.
Special Rituals
People who wishes to have their own house make toy house
with bricks to have their wishes fulfilled. It is customary to light lamps at
the Budhan shrine in Swetharanyeswarar Temple.
Additional Info
Hotel Annapurna
Hotel Navaratna
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