Satya Gireeswarar, Tirumayam, Pudukkottai

Basic information about the temple

Moolavar:	Satya Gireeswarar	Ambal / Thayar:	Venuvaneswari
Deity:	Siva	Historical name:
Vriksham:	Moongil	Teertham:	Chandra Pushkarini
Agamam:		Age (years):	1000-2000
Timing:	to & to	Parikaram:
Temple group:		–
Sung by:		Temple set:
Navagraham:		Nakshatram:
City / town:	Tirumayam	District:	Pudukkottai
Maps from (click):	Current location	Pudukottai (19 km)	Sivaganga (64 km)
	Tiruchirappalli (76 km)	Thanjavur (90 km)

Location

Tirumayam is located almost halfway between Pudukottai and Karaikudi.

Sthala puranam and temple information

As adharma started gaining currency, Satya (a form of Parvati), the God of truth and dharma, hid herself in a bamboo forest at Tirumayam. She was named Venuvaneswari. Lord Siva followed her and they both are installed at this temple which is a cave temple forming part of the Tirumayam fort.

Chandran (the moon God) worshipped Siva and Parvati here, and hence the temple tank is named Chandra Pushkarini.

Both the Satya Gireeswarar temple and the Satyamurti Perumal temple are Pallava temples, built in the time of Narasimha Varman I in the 7th century CE. The reason for both temples being close to each other was to instill a sense of unity amongst the Saivites and Vaishnavites. Devotees cannot do a pradakshinam (circumambulation) of either temple separately – they would have to cover both temples necessarily.

Devotees pray to Goddess Venuvaneswari for begetting children.

Tirumayam town and the Tirumayam fort are both of historical importance in the Indian freedom movement. The fort itself is an ASI protected site, and is abutted by both the Satya Gireeswarar temple and Satyamurti Perumal temple.