Temples of Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry #111: Dharbaranyeswarar or Saneeswarar Temple, Thirunallar

தர்பாரண்யேசுவரர் அல்லது சனீசுவரர் திருக்கோயில், திருநள்ளாறு

Thirunallar

Thirunallar

Thirunallar

Thirunallar

Thirunallar

Thirunallar

Thirunallar

Thirunallar

Thirunallar

Thirunallar

Thirunallar

Thirunallar

This Navagraham temple associated with Lord Saneeswarar or Saturn is very popular on the Navagraham pilgrimage circuit. People fear and respect Lord Sani's influence on their lives. The position and movement of Lord Saturn vis-à-vis one's Zodiac sign often brings about negative outcomes. People come here to nullify those negative effects. The temple is a Sivan temple and is an ancient Paadal Petra Sthalam. Lord Sivan presides here as Dharbaranyeswarar in a Sivalingam form. In ancient times, this area was a forest of Dharbai grass giving the Lord and the temple their names. There is a separate shrine for Lord Sani and it is customary to worship him before proceeding to the sanctum to worship Lord Sivan.

The temple is also a Saptha Vidanga Sthalam. It is one of the seven temples that are the most important in the Thiagarajar worship tradition. Thiagarajar worship is the iconology that gives preeminence to Lord Sivan in the Somaskandar form. Iconographically the Somaskandar is the form where Lord Sivan is in a sitting posture with his left leg bent across at the knee, with Parvati sitting at his left and the child Murugan between them. The Thiagarajar is the Utchavar here.

This temple is actually situated in the Union Territory of Puducherry or Pondicherry. What is not known to many outsiders, is that there are pockets of territory administered by the Union Territory that are away from the city of Pondicherry and within the Tamil Nadu borders. It is a result of the French colonial holdings in the area. Karaikkal is one such district in the Kaveri Delta. It is close to Mayiladuthurai and Nagapattinam. The area is rich in Tamil history and temples.

Legends say that King Nalan of Nishadha, who was married to the beautiful princess Damayanthi, went through untold misery and loss due to the negative influence of Lord Sani. He worshipped Lord Saneeswaran here at this holy site and was eventually relieved of his bad fortune and regained his kingdom, wealth and family back. Thus the place came to be known as Nallar. Others believe that the place got its name because the Kaveri divides into many small rivers like Arasalaru, Noolaru and Vanchiyaru around here in the Kaveri Delta. The temple got its name because it is situated amidst these rivers. "Nal" means middle and "Aru" means river in Tamil. There are many stories of people getting relief from negative influences in their lives here, making a pilgrimage to this temple very popular.

With an imposing 7 tier rajagopuram and containing numerous shrines ,it is an east-facing temple. It is about 2 acres in area and not very large. The presiding deity is Lord Sivan as a suyambulingam in the sanctum. He is known as Dharbaranyeswarar or Nallarar. The consort is Goddess Praneswari or Pranambigai and has her own shrine. To the left of the sanctum (to your right as you enter) is the shrine for Lord Saneeswarar. It is customary to worship there first. He is the gatekeeper. It is an east-facing shrine unlike at other temples where Lord Sani faces south. The resplendent idol of Saneeswarar has only two hands here as opposed to four usually. There are no shrines for the other Navagrahams here. The balipeedam, peculiarly is not in a straight line with other main elements, but is off to a side. In the prakaram, at the end of the gallery of the idols of the 63 Nayanmar, there is a small shrine for KIng Nalan. There is a set of 3 sculpted figures in the western inner prakaram, one of which is believed to be that of King Rajarajan I. The shrine for the Utsavar, Lord Thiagarajar as Somaskandar is in the southwestern corner of the prakaram.

As a Paadal Petra Sthalam venerated in song by all three of the Moovar, Sampanthar, Appar and Suntharar, it was already a very revered site in the 7th and 8th centuries. Originally a Chola temple, it was greatly expanded during the Later Pandyan and Vijayanagar eras. The earliest existing structures appear to be from the 9th century. The oldest available inscription is from the reign of the Chola king Rajadhirajan I (1044-1052), son of Rajendran I. It mentions the donations made to this temple during Rajendran's rule. Other inscriptions have been lost, perhaps due to overzealous renovations by devout well-wishers over the centuries.

The temple has many sacred water bodies or theerthams. The primary one is called the Nala Theertham. Bathing in it relieves people of their Sani Dosham it is believed. The Sthalaviruthcham or temple tree is the Dharbhai plant. The temple is thronged by devotees on Saturdays and during the shifting of Lord Sani's position in the Zodiac, called the Sani Peyarchi which occurs every 2.5 years. The main festival, the 18 day Brahmotsavam, begins on the day of the Uthirattathi Nakshatram, in the Tamil month of Vaikasi (May/June). The temple is administered by the Hindu Religious Institutions and Wakf Department of the Government of Puducherry.

This is the 169th Paadal Petra Sthalam on the south side of the Kaveri River and the 52nd in the Chola Nadu. Thirugnanasampanthar dedicated 4 pathigams to this temple. Thirunavukkarasar or Appar and Sundaramoorthy Nayanar or Sundarar also have sung in its praise. In a famous incident in Madurai described in Tamil Saivite history and lore, Sampanthar was once confronted and ridiculed by Jain monks. In the ensuing debate he threw a copy of one of his Thirunallar pathigams into the fire while the Jains did the same with their holy scripture. The Jain manuscript apparently burned to ashes while Sampanthar's scroll remained untouched and green. It is called the Pachai Pathigam or the green pathigam. The Pandiyan king Nindraseer Nedumaran subsequently converted to Saivism from Jainism.

போகமார்த்த பூண்முலையாள் தன்னோடும் பொன்னகலம்

பாகமார்த்த பைங்கண்வெள் ளேற்றண்ணல் பரமேட்டி

ஆகமார்த்த தோலுடையன் கோவண ஆடையின்மேல்

நாகமார்த்த நம்பெருமான் மேயது நள்ளாறே

(My Lord who has a blissful countenance, has Uma adorned with golden ornaments on her chest as part of him, rides the white bull with gentle eyes, is the essence of the Agamas, wears the (tiger's) skin as his loincloth, has the cobra as an ornament, He dwells here at Nallar)

Thevaram 1.049

The temple is located 140 km or 3 hours east of Thiruchirapalli or the same distance south of Pondicherry. It is 33 km or 45 mins southeast of Mayiladuthurai, 17 km or 30 mins south of Tharangambadi and 25 km or 45 mins north of Nagapattinam. It is close to Karaikkal in the Union Territory of Puducherry or Pondicherry. We visited in August 2017 and June 2025. We were based in Tharangambadi and Kumbakonam.

Sources:

S.R Balasubrahmanyam, Middle Chola Temples, 1975. Chapter IV. Temples of Rajendra's Time

Thevaram

Shaivism.com

Dinamalar Temples - Dharbaranyeswarar Temple - (Tamil)

Courtesy Google Maps