Tirulokanathar, Thakkalur, Karaikal

Basic information about the temple

Moolavar:	Tirulokanathar	Ambal / Thayar:	Dharma Samvarthini, Anandavalli
Deity:	Siva	Historical name:
Vriksham:		Teertham:
Agamam:		Age (years):
Timing:	8 to 12 & 4 to 7	Parikaram:
Temple group:	Vaippu sthalam	–
Sung by:		Temple set:
Navagraham:		Nakshatram:
City / town:	Thakkalur	District:	Karaikal
Maps from (click):	Current location	Nagapattinam (23 km)	Tiruvarur (33 km)
	Mayiladuthurai (34 km)	Kumbakonam (57 km)

Location

Sthala puranam and temple information

This Tevaram Vaippu Sthalam finds mention in the pathigams of both Appar and Sundarar.

At one time, this place was a forest of pure white jasmine plants, and so the place was called Swetaranyam (not the same as Tiruvenkadu near Poompuhar). For this reason, Siva here is also called Swetaranyar.

It is believed that Siva, together with His entourage / parivara devatas, as having visited Thakkalur before proceeding to Tiruveezhimizhalai for His wedding there.

The pathigams of both Appar and Sundarar refer to this, and hence this is a Tevaram Vaippu Sthalam. Sundarar is believed to have visited this temple after worshipping at Tirunallaru.

Originally a Chola temple (date unknown), the principal remnants of Chola architecture here are the ardha mandapam, maha manadapam and the garbhagriham. This temple has been for several centuries, and continues to be, maintained by the Nagarathar community. The absence of intricate architecture on the koshtam walls suggests this might have been an early Chola temple. The deities installed in the koshtams are clearly from a later period.

The temple has been built according to the agama sastras, and therefore houses all the parivara deities in separate shrines – these include Dakshinamurti, Kanni Moolai Ganapati, Murugan, Lingodhbhavar, Brahma, Durga, Chandikeswarar, Bhairavar, and Suryan. However, contrary to agamas, there is no dhwajasthambam, although there is a bali peetam and Nandi at the entrance. Adjacent to the temple’s well is also a hexagonal tank, called Saravana Bhava.

The temple does not have a raja gopuram, but has a mottai-gopuram instead. Given that this was originally a Chola temple, one can only speculate if there was a raja gopuram at one time.