Temples of Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry: Temple Group #5 - Paadal Petra Sthalangal of Pandiya Nadu
- Sudharshan
- Nov 15
- 7 min read
The southernmost part of the state of Tamil Nadu and India itself was the domain of the ancient Pandiyan dynasty. They ruled with Madurai as their capital and two great rivers, the Vaigai and the Thamirabarani watered their lands. With the ocean to the east and south and the Western Ghats to the west, their territory bordered the Kongu lands to the northwest and the Cholanadu to the northeast. In the Sangam period the ancient Pandiyan kings were the patrons of the Thamil Sangams, assemblies of poets and bards who created the corpus of Tamil literary works often referred to as the Sangam literature. One time ardent Buddhists and Jains, the Pandiyan kings were converted back to Saivism in the 7th century by Thirugnanasampanthar and Queen Mangayarkarasi who is also one of the 63 nayanmar. The kings rebuilt and embellished many Saivite sites and the nayanmar sang in praise of them. When the deeply Saivite Cholas took control of the Pandiyan lands in the mid to late 10th century, they patronised these ancient Sivan temples and expanded them further. Many temples which were built of brick, wood and stucco, were rebuilt in granite stone. Their contributions are still visible in these temples. Tall gopurams and mandapams were added during Vijayanagar and Nayakkan times.
Of the Saivite sites in the Pandiyan country, the 14 Paadal Petra Sthalangal are preeminent temples. These temples have been praised in verse by the moovar, Thirugnanasampanthar, Thirunavukkarasar and Sundarar, whose works comprise the thevaram. They are spread across the Pandiyan land. The 14 temples are Meenakshiamman - Sundareswarar Temple in Madurai, Ramanathaswamy Temple in Rameshwaram, Thiruparankundram, Nellaiappar Temple at Thirunelveli, Kutralanathar Temple at Thirukutralam, Thirumeninathar or Bhoominathar Temple at Thiruchuli, Pushpavaneswarar Temple at Thirupuvanam, Edaganathar Temple at Thiruvedagam, Aappudaiyar Temple at Thiruappanur, Kodunkundranathar Temple at Thirukodunkundram, Adhirathineswarar Temple at Thiruvadanai, Thiruthalinathar Temple at Thirupathur, Sornakaleeswarar Temple Kalayarkoil and Pazhampathinathar Temple at Thirupunavasal.
Meenakshi -Sundareswarar Temple at Madurai:
Located in the heart of the ancient city of Madurai, this massive temple is popular among devotees and tourists. It was known as Thiru Alavai in ancient times. Destroyed during the raids of the Delhi Sultanate, it was rebuilt by the Nayakkar kings in its current form in the late 16th century. With its 14 towering gopurams and 33, 000 intricate sculptures, it is an architectural marvel. Thirugnanasampanthar and Thirunavukkarasar rendered the pathikams here.
Ramanathaswamy Temple at Rameswaram:
One of the most revered Sivan temples in India, it is one of the 12 Jyotirlinga Sthalams and the only one in the Tamil country. It is a popular pilgrimage site and millions of people from all over India visit here every year. Praised in sacred hymns of the thevaram by all three of the moovar, Appar (Thirunavukkarasar), Sampanthar (Thirugnanasampanthar) and Sundarar (Sundaramoorthy Nayanar, it is a much celebrated temple.
This temple is situated in the southern part of Madurai and is an ancient cave temple. The entire hill of Thiruparankundram is considered sacred. The temple is also celebrated as one of the 6 Padai Veedu of Lord Murugan. This is considered as the 3rd Paadal Petra Sthalam in the Pandiya Nadu. Sampanthar rendered the pathikam here.
Nellaiappar Temple at Thirunelveli:
The temple is found in the southern town of Thirunelveli. Once a secondary seat of power for the ancient Pandiyan kings. It was a town where they stabilized for a period after their rout by the forces of the Delhi Sultanate in the 14th century. It is celebrated as one of the 5 Pancha Sabai temples. It is the Thamira sabai or the Hall of Copper. It has thevaram pathigams from all three of the moovar, Appar, Sampanthar and Sundarar.
Kutralanathar Temple at Thirukutralam:
Tucked away on the eastern slopes of the southern part of the Western Ghats with a waterfalls by its side, is this ancient temple to Lord Sivan. It is northwest of Thirunelveli. It is the Chithira Sabai or Hall of Paintings of the Pancha Sabai. The temple of murals and paintings is a separate structure away from and up the hill from the temple proper. Sampanthar composed the pathikam for this temple.
Thirumeninathar or Bhoominathar Temple at Thiruchuli:
Located southeast of Madurai, it is a large and beautiful temple. It is often spelled as Tiruchuzhi. Originally built by the Pandiyan kings, it has been embellished by the dynasties that have followed. In modern times, Swami Vivekananda spent 3 days here during his yatra of the south. It is the 12th Paadal Petra Sthalam in the Pandiya Nadu. Sundarar rendered the pathigam here.
Edaganathar Temple at Thiruvedagam:
Very close to Madurai and just northwest of the city is this ancient Paadal Petra Sthalam that is closely associated with saint Thirugnasampanthar. In the 7th century he won a debate with Jain monks by making his Edu (palm leaf book) float against the stream on the Vaigai River here. Sampanthar dedicated a pathigam for this temple. Appar mentions it in the Kaappu Thiruthandagam.
Pushpavaneswarar Temple at Thirupuvanam:
Located very close to Madurai and just east of it, this is a Paadal Petra Sthalam of great antiquity. This is where Sampanthar saw thousands of sivalingams in the sand and did not want to step on it. All three of the moovar, Appar, Sampanthar and Sundarar have praised this temple in thevaram. It is the 10th Paadal Petra Stalam in Pandiya Nadu.
Aappudaiyar Temple at Thiruvappanur:
This temple is found in the Sellur neighbourhood of Madurai. It is an ancient temple and is a Paadal Petra Sthalam. Legend says that a king once borrowed a wedge or Aappu from a woodcutter, to serve as a sivalingam for his worship. The Aappu would not move and a temple had to be built around it. Sampanthar composed the pathigam here. It is the 2nd Paadal Petra Sthalam in the Pandiyan country.
Kodunkundranathar Temple at Thrukodunkundram:
Set against the base of the ancient and sacred Piranmalai, this temple is northeast of Madurai and southwest of Tiruchirapalli at about the same distance from both cities. The legend of Paari Vallal, the king who gave up his chariot for a wild jasmine creeper, is associated with this temple. Sampanthar rendered the sacred thevaram for this temple. It is the 5th Paadal Petra Sthalam in the Pandiyan country.
Adhirathineswarar Temple at Thiruvadanai:
East of Madurai and almost at the coast, this ancient temple is a celebrated sivasthalam. The name comes from the legend that the son of Varuna was cursed to be born as an animal with the body of an elephant and the head of a goat. He was rid of this curse here. Sampanthar sang the pathikam for this temple. It is the 9th Paadal Petra Sthalam in Pandiya Nadu.
Thiruthalinathar Temple at Thirupathur:
This large and beautiful temple is northeast of Madurai and close to Karaikudi. It is sometimes referred to as Thiruputhur. It Is a large temple with 3 prakarams. The Bhairavar here is unusual in that he is in a sitting posture and is referred to as the Yoga Bhairavar. It is the 6th Paadal Petra Sthalam in the Pandiya Nadu. Sampanthar and Appar have dedicated pathigams in honour of this ancient temple.
Sornakaleeswarar Temple Kalayarkoil:
Located east of Madurai and close to Karaikudi. this is a storied and ancient temple. Closely linked to the Marudu brothers who played a pivotal role during the Polygar Wars of the late 18th century, it is drenched in Tamil Nadu history. Sampanthar and Sundarar sang in praise of this temple. It is the 10th Paadal Petra Sthalam in the Pandiyan land.
Pazhampathinathar Temple at Thirupunavasal:
East of Madurai on the eastern coast, this temple is situated at the mouth of the Pambar River. Thus it is called Punavasal or the temple at the river mouth. Its antiquity is reflected in the name of Lord Sivan here, Pazhampathinathar or the Ancient Lord. There is a shrine in the outer prakaram that houses 14 sivalingams, representing all 14 Paadal Petra Sthalangal in Pandiya Nadu. It is the 7th Paadal Petra Sthalam of the fourteen. Sampanthar and Sundarar were the authors of the pathigams here.
Suggested itinerary:
If you want to visit all 14 temples in a single trip ,you will need at least 7-8 days. You will need a car and a driver. We suggest starting with Madurai Meenakshiamman on the morning of Day 1. Thiruparankundram can be seen in the evening. You can see Thiruvappanur, Thirupuvanam and Thiruvedagam on Day 2 based in Madurai. On the morning of Day 3 you can head to Rameswaram early in the morning and stop at Thiruchuli on the way. You can arrive in Rameswaram for a late lunch. That evening you can take a break from temples and visit Danushkodi or another site. Stay at Rameswaram for the night. You can start Day 4 with an early morning visit to to the Ramanathaswamy Temple. Spend the morning at the temple and return to the hotel for lunch. After lunch set out for Thirunelveli. Plan to arrive around 4 pm. Check into the hotel quickly and you may be able to visit Nellaiappar in the evening. Go to Kutralam early in the morning of Day 5. It is at least a 1.5 hour drive from Thirunelveli and you have to leave early to return to the hotel in Thirunelveli for lunch. After lunch, leave for Madurai and arrive in Madurai for dinner and stay overnight. On the morning of Day 6, visit Thirukodunkundram at Piranmalai on the way to a hotel in the Karaikudi area for lunch and check in. In the evening, visit Thirupathur. The next day, Day7, you can visit Kalayarkoil and Thiruvadanai in the morning and Thirupunavasal in the evening. Return to hotel in the Karaikudi area for the night. You can add a couple of days if you want do this at a more leisurely pace or if you want to incorporate other temples or sites .
Sources:
Shiva Temples of Tamil Nadu shivatemples.com
276 Shiva Temple - Thevaram Thiruthalangal aanmeegam.org
Courtesy Google Maps
