Paaluganthanathar, Tiruvaaippaadi, Thanjavur

Basic information about the temple

Moolavar:	Paaluganthanathar	Ambal / Thayar:	Brihannayaki, Periyanayaki
Deity:	Siva	Historical name:	Tiruappaadi
Vriksham:	Aathi Maram	Teertham:	Ksheera Teertham, Manniyaru river
Agamam:		Age (years):
Timing:	7 to 9 & 5 to 7.30	Parikaram:
Temple group:	Paadal Petra Sthalam (Kaveri Vada Karai)	–
Sung by:	, Appar	Temple set:
Navagraham:		Nakshatram:
City / town:	Tiruvaaippaadi	District:	Thanjavur
Maps from (click):	Current location	Kumbakonam (19 km)	Mayiladuthurai (26 km)
	Tiruvarur (49 km)	Ariyalur (50 km)

Location

Tiruvaippadi is located about 17 km from Kumbakonam on the way to Tiruppanandal.

Sthala puranam and temple information

Senganur is the avatara sthalam of Chandesa Nayanar, who was elevated to the status of a god, as Chandikeswarar – invariably seen on the northern side of the garbhagriham of Siva temples. This place –Tiruvaaippaadi – is considered Chandesa Nayanar’s mukti sthalam.

This temple’s puranam is closely connected to that of the Senganur temple (do read that first). Visara Sarma, a shepherd, used to carry milk every day to the market. Each day, he would slip away at a particular place and pour some of the milk. Wondering why this was the case, the local villagers dug up the place where he would pour the milk. When doing so, they found blood oozing out and unearthed a Siva Lingam. The villagers consecrated the Lingam as a formal temple here, and continued to worship it with milk, which the Lord would consume – and hence He is called Paal Ugandha Nathar (Lord that drank milk). Since Visara Sarma grazed his cows here, the place came to be known as aa-aappaadi (aa = cow, aappaadi = grazing), which has been corrupted to Tiruvaaippaadi (and lately, Tiruvoippadi).

In addition to the Chandikeswarar shrine to the north of the garbhagriham, this temple also has Chandikeswarar in the main garbhagriham itself. This deity receives daily puja right after Siva, and even before Ambal’s puja.

The core temple is said to be over 3000 years old. The structural part of the temple is from the Chola times, and features a unique architectural aspect (as do many other temples in the Chola region) called the vavval-nethi mandapam (mandapam’s design like the forehead of a bat).

Other information for your visit

The temple is open for only a couple of hours in the morning and evening every day, so it is advisable to plan one’s visit. However, there is no shortage of temples nearby to spend time at, including: Kolavilli Ramar at Tiruvelliangudi, Satya Gireeswarar at Senganur, and Aruna Jadeswarar at Tirupanandal.