ASHTA VEERATTA STHALAMS

(Thiruvathigai, Tirukkovilur, Tirukkadavur, Tirukkurukkai, Tirutturutti,

Vazhuvur, Tiruvirkudi and Tirukkandiyur)
Strength has always been one of the most admired qualities and one
has only to read history or mythology to see how much importance has been
given to strength and the display of strength. One can find many temples all
over India, all testifying to a victory of a god over a demon, or some special
exhibition of greatness. There is a set of eight temples in the south of India,
situated near Mayiladudurai, Thiruvarur and Thiruvannamalai, all of which are
associated with displays of the strength and greatness of Shiva. At all these
temples, Shiva has either vanquished a demon, or punished another god.
These are collectively called the Ashta Veeratta Sthalams. Each of these
temples is fascinating, and has special points of interest. Especially interesting
is that 6 of these 8 temples have bronze statues depicting the story of the
temple. These are statues that are absolutely invaluable and must be seen to
be believed. Lets take a tour of six of these temples that are situated around
Mayiladudurai and Thiruvarur. These are:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Vazhuvoor
Thirukkorukkai
Thiruvirkudi
Thiruppariyalur
Thirukkadaiyur
Thirukandiyur

The other two temples are in the vicinity of Thiruvannamalai.

VAZHUVOOR
Vazhuvoor was the most interesting among the Ashta Veeratta Sthalams.
Just

before

we

started

on

our

trip,

we

chanced

upon

a photo

of

Gajasamharamoorthy of Vazhuvoor in a Tamil magazine, and I was fascinated

by it. I feel fortunate to have been able to view the bronze image with my own
eyes, and have been waiting to share my experience with all of you.

Long

long ago, when Vishnu took the form of Mohini during the churning of the
ocean, Shiva was also enamored of the beautiful form, and arrived in the
handsome form of Bhishandavar or Bhikshatanar. The union of these two
great ones resulted in the birth of a child we know of as Ayyappan. Shiva
continued to roam around the forests of the south in the same form, to where
a group of sages were performing homams. Their wives, on seeing the
beautiful form of Shiva, were absolutely lovelorn, and the sages were jealous

and angry. In their anger, they forgot themselves, and performed the sacrifices
usually performed in black magic, and brought forth terrible creatures and wild
animals to scare away the handsome stranger, without realizing who it was.
The most terrible of these creatures was a wild elephant who charged at
Shiva, who took a miniscule form and entered the elephant. When Shiva
entered the body of the elephant, the world grew dark at his absence, and
everyone was frightened. Parvati, who was playing with Muruga at the
moment, started carrying her son and began to run, when suddenly, Shiva
appeared with 6 arms, holding different weapons in for of them, tearing open
the body of the elephant, standing on the elephants head, and holding the
torn skin with two of his hands. In such a form, he is known as Gaja Samhara
Moorthy the destroyer of the elephant, which symbolizes all our negative
desires and actions.
This form has been beautifully depicted in a bronze statue in this temple.
An interesting point of this image is that the inner side of the left foot of the
lord is visible. This is the only image with such a feature, and this par is
usually kept closed and opened only during the aarti. Accompanying Shiva in
this form here is a statue of Parvati, holding Muruga in her arms, just running
away. The statues are so life-like, one feels they will come to life at any
moment. Though I wasnt allowed to take a photo of the original sculpture,
here is a photo of the image on the gopuram of the temple. This bronze image
is kept secure and covered, and opened only when devotees arrive to see the
deity. Behind this deity is a yantram, installed by the Paramacharya of Kanchi,
to safeguard the potency of this powerful image.

Though the main

deity here is Gajasamharamoorthy, the main deity in the sanctum is as usual,

a Shiva lingam, where the lord takes the name of Kirtivasar, kirti being
another name for elephant. The goddess here has a separate sanctum, and
she goes by the name of Balakurambigai. It is believed that she blesses
those who pray to her with progeny.
There are a number of other interesting things about this temple.
There

is a

Sahasralingam (lingam

with

1000 lingams

inside) which,

surprisingly, is placed outside the temple. Since this is apparently the birth
place of Ayyappan, there is a small shrine about a few meters from the temple
dedicated to him. Further, the temple has a bronze statue of the lord, which
itself is unique. The image of Shaneeshwara here holds a bow and arrow, and
Guru, who normally is antagonistic to him, faces Shani in this temple.

(Vazhuvoor is about 9 Kms from Mayiladudurai on the Thiruvarur

road, and due to the condition of the roads, the journey takes about
an hour by car)

THIRUKORUKKAI
The story of Kama being burnt to ashes for daring to shoot his arrows of
love on Shiva, trying to get him to fall in love with Parvati is a famous one.
One would imagine that this place would be somewhere in the north, near the
Himalayas where Parvati was born. However, the site associated with this
story in the south is a small village near Vaitheeswaran Kovil named
Thirukkorukkai, originally known as Thirukurungai.

While this place is

rather obscure, and we really had to search for it, the temple is an extremely
beautiful one, with the gopuram decorated with stunning works of art,
depicting the gods in beautiful forms. The main deity in this temple is Shiva
as Yogeeswarar,

since

he

was

deep

in

meditation.

His

consort

is Gyanambigai, who bestows knowledge on her devotees. The main

Ganesha in this temple is known as Kurungai Vinayakar, probably derived
from the name of the village. This temple does not have a bronze depiction of
the story of Kama.
200 meters from the temple, is a pit in a sort of garden, which it is said,
is filled with the ashes of Kama. While vehicles can approach this place, we
elected to walk the short distance, and were rewarded by the sight of unspoilt
countryside, both sides of the path covered by trees and flowering plants,
butterflies by the hundreds milling around the flowers. The pit itself was
overgrown with plants, since it had been raining till a few days back, and the
earth was too wet to leave any remnants of dry ash. However, the local who
accompanied us, took some mud from the centre of the pit and gave it to us.
While it was wet, it still had the distinct odour of holy ash, or vibhuti, and over
the next few days, as it dried, we saw it turn white in colour. The man
explained to us that it was only in the pit that this white ash was found; the
surrounding areas had red coloured mud.
(Thirukkorukkai is about 15 Kms from Mayiladudurai, via Nidur and
Palakkudi. It is nearer to Vaitheeswaran Kovil)

THIRUVIRKUDI
Jalandran was a demon king who became very strong, and captured all the
3 worlds. He wished to destroy the gods too, and advanced towards Shiva.
Shiva destroyed Jalandran with a chakra (Discus) which he later gave to
Vishnu. It is believed that Thiruvirkudi is the holy place where this took place,
and it is here that Shiva is worshipped as Jalandran Samhara Moorthy. The

bronze statue depicting the lord has him in a standing posture, holding a
discus in his hand. The main deity in the temple does not have a separate
name, and is simply called Veerattaneswarar. The main deity is a lingam,
while the Utsava moorthy is the bronze statue described above. The goddess
is called Parimala Nayaki.
There are also other legends connected to this temple. Jalandrans wife
Brinda is believed to have been a great devotee of Vishnu, and also a
righteous wife. It is believed that Shiva was able to kill Jalandran only after
Vishnu took Jalandrans form and deceived his wife, so that he would be
deprived of her fidelity, thus rendering him mortal. When Brinda learnt of this
ruse, she immolated herself, and Vishnu gave her the boon that she would
appear as the Tulsi plant and would remain forever dear to him. Supporting
this story is the sthala vriksham of this temple, or the temple plant, which is
the Tulsi.
It is also believed that this is the place where Arjuna concealed his
weapons during the year of concealment. He was granted a boon that the
weapons would appear as snakes to anyone who approached them, and thus
would remain safe.
(Thiruvirkudi is about 22 Kms from Mayiladudurai and about 30 Kms
from
Sirkazhi)

THIRUPPARIYALUR
The story of Sati, her marriage to Shiva, and her fathers insulting her
husband resulting in her self immolation is quite well known. It was then that
Shiva danced his Tandava and killed Daksha, Satis father. Thiruppariyalur is
dedicated to this episode in Shivas life, where he is known as Daksha
Samhara Moorthy. As in the temple at Thiruvirkudi, here also the main deity,
the lingam is named Veerattaneswarar and the Utsava Moorthy is a bronze
idol of Daksha Samhara Moorthy, depicted as having Daksha under the
lords feet.
(Thiruppariyalur is about 13 Kms from Mayiladudurai and near
Sembannar Kovil)

THIRUKKADAIYUR

Sage Mrikandu and his wife prayed to Shiva for a child. Shiva gave them a
choice they could have a foolish son with a long life, or a short lived, but
intelligent child. They chose the latter, and soon had a smart child, who came

to be known as Markandeya. When, just before his 16th birthday, he learnt

that he would die soon, he left home, and stayed in the temple, praying to
Shiva, who was the one who had brought him to life. At the appointed hour,
Yama (or Kaala) arrived to take his soul, and threw his noose of death over the
child. Markandeya at once embraced the Shiva lingam, and the noose fell over
the lingam. Shiva was furious and came out of the lingam, kicking Yama to
death, thus stopping all death and saved Markandeya. However, with Yamas
death, there were no more deaths on earth, and Bhoomi Devi could bear the
burden no more. Finally, Shiva yielded to their prayers, resurrecting Yama, and
giving Markandeya eternal youth.
Thirukkadaiyur is the holy place where this legend is believed to have
taken place, and here, the main deity is called Amritaghateswarar the lord
with the pot of nectar, who can confer immortality. The legend is depicted in
the form of the bronze statue of Kaala Samhara Moorthy Markandeya
embracing the lingam out of which Shiva appears and kicks Yama. The lower
portion of the statue showing the actual Samharam or killing of Yama is kept
closed and opened only during the Aarti. Right opposite the sanctum of Kaala
Samhara Moorthy is the sanctum of Yama, who is believed to be thanking the
lord for allowing him to live. The goddess here is Abirami, who is believed to
have answered the prayers of a great devotee of hers, Abirami Bhattar, by
bringing the full moon to the sky on a new moon night.

It is believed

that at this temple, all the Navagrahas and even Yama owe their allegiance to
Shiva, and hence prayers to Shiva can solve all problems, and in particular,
increase the life span of people. The temple is at all times filled with
multitudes of people who arrive to perform special pujas and homams on their
birthdays, especially their 60th and 80th birthdays. Homams are conducted all
day long, all around the pragaram and inside the sanctum yet there are
waiting lists. This is among the most popular temples in the area.
(Thirukkadaiyur is 20 Kms from Mayiladudurai and 45 Kms from
Thirunallar)
=====These 5 temples are almost in the same area, around Mayiladudurai and can be
covered in a single day, in fact within 5 to 6 hours=====

THIRUKANDIYUR
Thirukandiyur or Kandiyur is the site where Shiva curbed the ego of
Brahma by cutting off his fifth head. It is believed that, at the beginning of

creation, Brahma had 5 heads, and as he created one form of life after
another, his ego grew, until he felt that he was the greatest of the gods. Shiva
decided to teach him a lesson, and cut off Brahmas fifth head, which stood on
top of the other four. Brahma at once realized his error, and prayed to Shiva,
asking for forgiveness. This temple also figures among the Saptha Sthaanam
temples. The main deity here is the Brahma Shira Kandeeswarar. There is
no bronze

idol depicting

the

story of

this temple.

The

goddess

is

Mangalambigai. There is a nig statue of Brahma and Saraswati to the left of

the

lingam,

facing

it,

in

separate

sanctum.

(Thirukandiyur is 3 Kms from Thiruvaiyaru on the Thiruvaiyaru Thanjavur

road)

While all these 6 temples are situated near Thanjavur and Kumbakonam, the
two other temples are in the vicinity of Thiruvannamalai. The town nearest to
these

is

Panruti.

THIRUKKOVILUR
The Vaishnava temple of Vamana or Trivikrama is a famous one.
However, the same village also boasts of a Shiva temple, one of the Ashta
Veeratta Sthalams, where Shiva is believed to have vanquished the demon
Andhakasuran.
(Thirukkovilur is about 37 Kms from Villupuram and about 30 Kms
from Thiruvannamalai. It is about 20 Kms from Panruti)

THIRUVADIGAI
Thiruvadigai is believed to be the place where Shiva vanquished the
asura

Tripura.

(Thiruvadigai is about 3 Kms from Panruti)

***

Thiruchitrambalam

***

Itinerary for Ashta Veerattanam

06.00
10.00
11.15
12.30
14.00
17.00
19.30

From
Puducherry
Korukkai

To
Korukkai
Thirupariyallu
r
Thirupariyallur 11.40 Valuvoor
Lunch Break
Valuvoor
15.00 Thiruvirkudi
Thiruvirkudi
19.00 kandiyur
kandiyur
22.30 Puducherry
09.00
10.45

Km
115

Duration
2.30

25

0.45

20

0.30

30
75
165

1.00
2.00
3.30

Korukkai Sirkazhi-V.Koil-take left at Thalainayar-near Thalancheri/Kallikadu

or Mayavaram- Neivasal - Nidur take left at Kondal
Pariyalur Korukkai-Mayavaram (take right at swathi hospital before
Mayavaram/Kaveri river) proceed in NH 22 along cauveri river take right at
Melapathy and proceed in NH149 take right after 2 kms
( 2 km from sembanar koil)
Valuvoor Return from Pariyalur and proceed in the same route and take left to
reach Mayavaram- Akkur Road Straight & cross Mayavaram take left after
Mayavaram railway fly over (along the way of manjalaru)
Thiruvirkudi Proceed further and take right and proceed at NH 23 take left
at kakka kotur reach temple
Kandiyur reach NH 148 from virkudi take right at CUT high road and proceed
in NH65 Join in NH 45C Take left in NH 27 turn right to reach temple
**Thiruchitrambalam**
To search in Google map use the words
Veeratteswarar Temple, Korukkai
Thirupariyallur veerattam, Parasalur

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17.10.20
15
(Saturday
)

From
Puducherry

18.10.20
15
(Sunday)

Pillaiyarpatti
Thiruparankundr
am
Srivilliputhur
19.10.20
15
(Monday)
20.10.20
15
(Tuesday)

Tenkasi

Sabarimala

Thiruparankundra
m
Srivilliputhur
Tenkasi
Halt @ Tenkasi
Sabarimala

Halt @ Sabarimala
Kumily

Kumily
21.10.20
15
(Wedday
)

To
Pillaiyarpatti

Trichy

75
80
160

180
160

Puducherry

From

90

105

Palani
Halt @ Palani
Trichy

Palani

Distance
300

To

200
1350

Distanc
e

Date/Day Time
Place
17.10.20 21.0 Puducherr
15
0
y
(Saturday
)

Date/Day
18.10.20
15
(Sunday)

Time
05.00

18.10.20
15
(Sunday)

18.10.20
15
(Sunday)

14.00

Pamba

320

02.00

Kumily

110

08.00

Palani

190

19.10.20
15
(Monday)

07.0

Pillaiyarpat

ti

10.0
0
04.0

Halt @ Sabarimala
Sabarimal
19.10.20
15
a
(Monday)
Kumily

Place
Pillaiyarpat

300

ti

0
20.10.20
15
(Tuesday)

09.0
0

Halt @ Palani
Palani
20.10.20
15
(Tuesday)

16.00

Puducherry

360

1280

From

To

Distanc
e

Date/Day Time
Place
17.10.20 20.0 Puducherr
15
0
y
(Saturday
)

Date/Day
18.10.20
15
(Sunday)

Time
05.00

Place
Suruli

450

18.10.20
15
(Sunday)

07.0

18.10.20
15
(Sunday)

11.00

Pamba

135

19.10.20
15
(Monday)

10.0

02.00

Kumily

110

08.00

Palani

190

16.00

Puducherry

360

Suruli

0
04.0

Halt @ Sabarimala
Sabarimal
19.10.20
15
a
(Monday)
Kumily

0
20.10.20
15
(Tuesday)

09.0
0

Halt @ Palani
Palani
20.10.20
15
(Tuesday)

1245