Temples of Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry #112: Mehanadhar Temple or Lalithambigai Temple, Thirumeeyachur

மேகநாதர் அல்லது லலிதாம்பிகை திருக்கோயில், திருமீயச்சூர்

Thirumeeyachur

Thirumeeyachur

Thirumeeyachur

Thirumeeyachur

Thirumeeyachur

Thirumeeyachur

Thirumeeyachur

Thirumeeyachur

Thirumeeyachur

Thirumeeyachur

Thirumeeyachur

Thirumeeyachur

Thirumeeyachur

Thirumeeyachur

This fairly small but beautiful Sivan temple is a twin Paadal Petra Sthalam. There are two Sivan shrines here that have been celebrated with Thevaram pathigams. The main or presiding deity is Mehanadhar in the form of a Sivalingam. There is also another Sivan sannidhi at this temple which is known as the Ilamkoyil (இளம் கோயில்) and the Lord there is Sakalabhuvaneswarar. Both Sivan shrines have dedicated pathigams of their own, making them both Paadal Petra Sthalams in their own right. But the temple is most popular because of the Ambigai's shrine here where she is known as Lalithambigai. She sits with her right leg crossed at the knee on the Sri Chakra Simmasanam as a seat. This is known as the Manonmani form of the Goddess. Mehanathar is sometimes referred to as Mihara Aruneswarar or Muyarchinathar.

The temple celebrates the grand victory of the Goddess over the evil Asuran Pandasuran. To achieve this, she took on a fierce form and came here to be pacified and regain her composed and benevolent usual self. The Lalitha Sahasranamam which is an ancient composition celebrating the Goddess by a thousand different names is said to have originated here. It is believed that the Lalitha Sahasranamam was imparted to Sage Agasthya by the Sage Hayagriva.

In modern times, there is a story of an ardent devotee of Ambigai who was living in Bangalore. One day, in 1999, she had a dream of an idol of the Goddess which was missing an anklet. After a bit of research she found out the idol at this temple was missing an anklet. She made one out of gold and came here and was surprised that the likeness of the idol was identical to the one in her dream. When she presented the anklet to the priest, he told her that there was no room for the anklet to go around the idol's ankle. But miraculously, when he tried it, there indeed was a small passage for the anklet to go around and it fit perfectly.

The temple is also associated with the Sun and his charioteer Arunan. Legends say that once the Sun was mean to Arunan and was smitten by a curse which made the Sun lose his light and glow. He regained his brilliance by doing penance to Lord Sivan here. The temple is so designed that the Sun's rays fall in the sanctum from the 21st to the 27th day of the month of Chithirai in April/May. It is believed that once, one of the wives of Sage Kashyapa wished for a child and prayed to the Lord and was blessed with a twin pregnancy, One of the infants was born prematurely and had a disability. His legs were deformed. The distraught mother and her son prayed to the Lord with much devotion at this temple and Lord Sivan made Arunan the charioteer of the Sun.

It is an ancient Chola temple with later Vijayanagar and Nayakkan expansions. It is said that Rajendra Cholan I, Kundhavai and Sembiyan Mahadevi all contributed to its renovation. As a Paadal Petra Sthalam, it was already an established temple in the early 7th century.

The temple has a 5 tier rajagopuram and is east facing. There is a 3-tier secondary gopuram. It is a compact temple at around 2 acres in area enclosed by granite walls in a rectangular form. The shrine of Lalithambigai is to the right as you enter through the rajagopuram. The sanctum of Mehanathar has a beautiful Gaja Prishta vimanam or Thoonganai Maadam with 3 kalasams. The Thoonganai Maadam is shaped like the back of an elephant and is commonly found in Chola era temples of the Thondai Nadu and is less common in the Chola heartland. This one is beautiful. The back koshta idol is a Lingothbavar and together with Brahma in the side koshtam and Perumal in the back koshtam of the Ilamkoyil, you can worship all three Gods of the Hindu trinity at the same time if you stand at the back of the temple. The Kshetra Puraneswarar idol, which is one of the koshtam idols, is very special. It is an idol of Lord Sivan and Parvati in standing posture with the Lord's hand resting on Uma's shoulder trying to pacify her. Depending on the angle from which you look at her, the Amman's face looks either peaceful or angry. The Ilamkoyil with Sakalabhuvaneswarar in the sanctum is adjacent to the sanctum of Mehanathar slightly to the north of it.

There are two sthalavirutchams, the Mantharai and the Vilvam. The primary theertham is called Surya Pushkarani. The main festival is the Rathasapthami in the Tamil month of Thai in January and February. People worship Devi Lalithambigai here for prosperity in their lives, As in most temples where the Goddess is given preeminence, it is customary to worship at her shrine before proceeding to the moolasthanam.

This is the 173rd Paadal Petra Sthalam and the 56th on the southern bank of the Kaveri River.

Thirugnanasampanthar sang the pathigam for Meganathar and Thirunavukkarasar composed the pathigam for the Ilamkoyil.

Thirugnanasampanthar about the Mehanathar:

காயச் செவ்விக் காமற் காய்ந்து கங்கையைப்

பாயப் படர்புன் சடையிற் பதித்த பரமேட்டி

மாயச் சூர்அன் றறுத்தமைந்தன் தாதைதன்

மீயச் சூரே தொழுது வினையை வீட்டுமே

(He burned Manmathan with the fire from his third eye. He has the cascading River Ganga flowing through his matted hair. My supreme Lord is the father of Lord Murugan who slew the demon Surapadman. Those who worship the Lord here at Meeyachur will rid themselves of their karma and attain mukthi)

Thevaram 2.062

Thirunavukkarasar on the Ilamkoyil:

தோற்றுங் கோயிலுந் தோன்றிய கோயிலும்

வேற்றுக் கோயில் பலவுள மீயச்சூர்க்

கூற்றம் பாய்ந்த குளிர்புன் சடையாற்

கேற்றங் கோயில்கண் டீரிளங் கோயிலே

(There have been temples, there will be temples, and there are many other temples in Meeyachur but the one that is the most desirable one for my Lord who kicked Yaman and who has cooling matted hair on his scalp, is the Ilamkoyil)

Thevaram 5.011

The temple is located 130 km or 3 hours east of Thiruchirapalli and the same distance and driving time south of Pondicherry. It is 32 km or an hour west of Tharangambadi and about the same distance east of Kumbakonam. We visited in June 2025. We were based in Kumbakonam.

Sources:

Dinamalar Temples - Mehanadhar Temple

N. Chockalingam 1971, Census of India 1961. Volume IX. Part XI -D. Temples of Tamil Nadu: Thanjavur Page 251

Thevaram

Shaivam.org

Courtesy Google Maps