Amritapureeswarar, Tirunangur, Nagapattinam

Basic information about the temple

Moolavar:	Amritapureeswarar	Ambal / Thayar:	Santhirakshi Amman
Deity:	Siva	Historical name:
Vriksham:		Teertham:
Agamam:		Age (years):
Timing:	6 to 11 & 4 to 8.30	Parikaram:
Temple group:		–
Sung by:		Temple set: Ekadasa Rudra Peetham
Navagraham:		Nakshatram:
City / town:	Tirunangur	District:	Nagapattinam
Maps from (click):	Current location	Mayiladuthurai (23 km)	Nagapattinam (58 km)
	Tiruvarur (59 km)	Kumbakonam (61 km)

Location

Sthala puranam and temple information

This temple is connected to the Ekadasa Divya Desam and Rudra Peethams of Nangur. It is one of two possible temples (the other being the Jurahareswarar temple in Nangur) which are regarded as the Soma Peetham, and is therefore connected with the Kudamadu Koothan Divya Desam temple in Nangur.

After the events of Daksha Yagam, Siva was inconsolable. As Rudra, he started a terrible and fierce dance – the Rudra Tandavam – and every time his flowing hair touched the ground, another Rudra sprang up – this way, there came to be a total of eleven Rudras. All of this took place at what is Nangur today, at a place called the Ubaya Kaveri, lying between the Maniyaru river in the north and the Kaveri in the south. To avoid further damage to the world, and to pacify Siva, Lord Vishnu appeared as Paramapada Nathar.

Siva then requested Vishnu to be present in as many forms as there were Rudras (11). Each of those forms are said to be the at the eleven Tirunangur Divya Desam temples (Ekadasa Divya Desams, or eleven Divya Desams). Each such temple has a corresponding Rudra temple, which are referred to as the Ekadasa Rudra Peethams. Two of the Rudra Peethams are not yet consecrated as structural temples, but their worship idols are housed in another temple.

According to another legend, Lord Siva performed the Ashwamedha Yagam in 11 places, to rid Himself of Brahmahathi dosham, after He plucked one of the heads of Brahma. Lord Vishnu blessed Lord Siva and the Rudras at each of these 11 places.

Except for the entrance to the maha-mandapam, some of the outer walls of the garbhagriham, and the vimanam, the rest of the temple has been reconstructed with brick and mortar, thereby losing significant heritage value and historical references. Given what is left, this appears to be a Chola temple, but its timeline is not clear. It is possible that this is from the early part of the medieval Chola period.