Sundareswarar, Elanthurai, Tiruvarur

Basic information about the temple

Moolavar:	Sundareswarar	Ambal / Thayar:	Abhirami
Deity:	Siva	Historical name:
Vriksham:		Teertham:
Agamam:		Age (years):
Timing:	– to – & – to –	Parikaram:
Temple group:		–
Sung by:		Temple set:
Navagraham:		Nakshatram:
City / town:	Elanthurai	District:	Tiruvarur
Maps from (click):	Current location	Kumbakonam (13 km)	Mayiladuthurai (27 km)
	Tiruvarur (33 km)	Thanjavur (53 km)

Location

Sthala puranam and temple information

According to the sthala puranam here, Veda Vyasa, the revered author of the Mahabharatam, once roamed the lands seeking a serene spot for his penance. His journey brought him to this verdant expanse, lush with Elanthai trees, reminiscent of the sacred Badarikashramam. Finding this place perfectly suited for his spiritual practices, Vyasa settled here and installed a vigraham (idol) of Badrinarayana Perumal. He also consecrated the temple’s holy tank, now known as Vyasa Pushkarini.

The sacred ambiance of Elanthurai has attracted numerous sages over the ages, including Markandeyar, Durvasa, Agastyar, and Kashyapa, who are believed to have worshipped here. The temple is also a significant parikara sthalam, a place of remedy for those afflicted by the sevvaai dosham (planetary affliction related to Mars), as Sevvaai himself worshipped Lord Shiva here to rid himself of a curse.

A unique tradition associated with this temple is the ritual bathing in the Vyasa Pushkarini tank on Tuesdays during the Tamil month of Karthigai (November-December). Each Tuesday holds a special blessing for the devotee who takes a bath in the pushkarini: the birth of a son on the first Tuesday, wealth on the second, knowledge on the third, and the fulfillment of all wishes on the fourth.

Elanthurai is located about 2 km from Tiruneelakudi, home to the Neelakanteswarar temple, a Paadal Petra Sthalam. This temple is one of the seven revered temples forming the Tiruneelakudi sapta sthanam, including:

These temples are interconnected through their unique sthala puranam. Lord Shiva granted sage Markandeyar eternal life at Tiruneelakudi. In devotion, the sage visited six other temples nearby, thus binding them into a sacred group known as the sapta sthanam. Each year, during the Chithirai festival (April-May), the idols of the sage, accompanied by Shiva and Parvati, are taken in a grand procession to these six temples before returning to Tiruneelakudi.

An intriguing aspect of the temple is its association with Abhirami Amman. Sage Markandeyar, associated with the Abhirami Amritakadeswarar temple in Tirukadaiyur, requested that Abhirami Amman take the same form at five other temples –

Amman at these temples is named Abhirami, and it is also believed that one can worship Abhirami Amman of Tirukadaiyur at any of these 6 temples. These six temples are said to represent six of the seven chakras of the body, with inscriptions referring to the sage’s worship of these chakras (Muladhara, Swadishthana, Manipuraka, Anahata, Vishuddha and Ajna chakra) at these sites.

The temple faces east, and upon entering, there is a long corridor with a vavvaal-nethi mandapam that leads to the maha mandapam. In this corridor is a bali peetham and Nandi, and there is no dhwajasthambham at this temple. The maha mandapam is guarded by two dwarapalakas, and there is a Vinayakar vigraham on the left. The maha mandapam consists of yet another long corridor with a Nandi, and leads to the garbhagriham.

Going by the architecture here, the original temple appears to be 10th or 11th century Chola, but clearly has undergone significant renovation during the Nayaks’ period. As we come around the temple, there is Dakshinamurti in the south, and Durga in the east, which are the only koshtam deities. In the prakaram are shrines for Vinayakar, Badrinarayana Perumal along with Sridevi and Bhudevi (referencing the sthala puranam involving Vyasa), Murugan with his consorts Valli and Deivanai, Gajalakshmi, and Chandikeswarar. In the eastern corridor are vigrahams of Bhairavar, Suryan, a navagraham shrine, and a niche housing a Siva lingam and Amman (Bhuvaneswarar and Bhuvaneswari). There is a separate south-facing shrine for Abhirami Amman.

Just outside the main gates of the temple, facing west, is a standalone shrine for the kshetra puraneswarar – a Siva lingam for Elantheswarar – with one Vinayakar vigraham standing guard. It is possible that in the times of Sage Markandeya, this was the original moolavar deity.