Veeratteswarar, Keelaparasalur, Nagapattinam

Basic information about the temple

Moolavar:	Veeratteswarar	Ambal / Thayar:	ILamkombiLaiyaaL, Balambika
Deity:	Siva	Historical name:	Tiruppariyalur Veerattam
Vriksham:	Vilvam, Parijatham	Teertham:	Uttaravedi Teertham
Agamam:		Age (years):
Timing:	6 to 12 & 5 to 7	Parikaram:
Temple group:	Paadal Petra Sthalam (Kaveri Then Karai)	–
Sung by:	Sambandar	Temple set: Ashta Veerattanam
Navagraham:		Nakshatram:
City / town:	Keelaparasalur	District:	Nagapattinam
Maps from (click):	Current location	Mayiladuthurai (13 km)	Tiruvarur (46 km)
	Nagapattinam (48 km)	Kumbakonam (50 km)

Location

Parasalur (Keelaparasalur) or Tiruparaiyalur, is located 12km from Mayiladuthurai, towards Sembanar Koil.

Sthala puranam and temple information

This temple’s legend takes us back to the Daksha Yagam (which is also connected with the Nangur Ekadasa Divya Desam and Ekadasa Rudra Peetham). Siva was first married to Sati (Dakshayani), whose father Daksha, originally very devoted to Siva. But after receiving several blessings and benedictions, he became egotistic and started ill-treating the Devas and celestials, to the point of disrespecting Siva. To specifically prove a point, he organised a yagam with the sole objective of insulting Siva, and the Lord was not invited. Sati, however, wanted to go, and despite Siva’s strong objections, she reached her father’s place.

After listening to the insults meted out to Siva and her, Sati warned Daksha, and immolated herself in the sacrificial fire. This made Siva furious, and He unleashed Veerabhadra to punish Daksha. Daksha’s head was cut off, as his punishment, at this place. Later, he repented but his head was replaced with that of a goat, and all the benefits given to Daksha earlier were recalled. Pari in Tamil means to take back.

Since Siva recalled Daksha’s benefits, the place came to be known as Pariyalur. (At Daksha’s sacrifice, Suryan’s teeth were broken by Veerabhadra’s army, which explains the traditional menu for the Pongal festival – read here.)

It is believed that the temple tank is where Daksha was decapitated, and when the tank is dry, the altar can be seen.

The moolavar Lingam faces west, and is on a square avudai. In addition, there is a separate shrine facing south, for Daksha Samharamurti, and Daksha is seen at His feet. This is possibly the first temple that is effectively dedicated to Veerabhadrar, who has a separate shrine here. The ardhajama puja (last puja of the day) is dedicated to Bhairavar.

While the core of the temple and the outer precincts are from the original construction during the Pandya period, the rest of the inner parts of the temple are very recent brick and mortar additions.

Suryan also begged for forgiveness from Lord Siva, and has a separate shrine here. It is believed that Suryan worships Lord Siva here every day. For this reason, there is no additional Navagraham shrine at this temple.

There is a very unusual murti of Murugan standing with one leg perched on his vehicle, the peacock.

Arunagirinathar has sung about Murugan in his Tiruppugazh, here.

It is believed that Daksha first created the Chamakam – the supplement to the Sri Rudram – at this place, and chanted the together as part of the Rudra Yagna. For this reason, this place also used to have the name Daksha Puri.

There is a separate Vinayakar shrine associated with this temple, on the other side of the entrance arch of this temple. Like Tirukadaiyur and a few other places, this temple is also associated with longevity, and devotees often perform their 60^th, 70^th and 80^th birthday celebrations here.