Tiruvarur Big Temple

The temple is gigantic in structure. From a distance of miles the gopurams are visible. It is a great pilgrim centre, through out the year, particularly in the month of Chittirai when the most important festival, the annual festival of Sri Thiyagaraja is performed. There are four gopurams on four sides. The tower on the west is particularly noteworthy for the fine sculpture in brick and mortar. The colossal structure of the temple could be well imagined from its length of 846 feet with breadth of 666 feet.There are several tanks attached as an adjunct to the temple wherein devout pilgrims take their bath before entering into the precincts of the temple.

On the western side of the temple there is a famous tank known as Kamalalayam where Goddess Kamala (Lakshmi) took her birth. It is considered to be the biggest tank in the whole of South India, having an island temple in the middle dedicated to the Goddess. She was born with the nectar during the course of churning of the Milky Ocean by the Devas and the Asuras. Varuna, the God of Water brought up Kamala, and after devoted penance she was married to Vishnu at Thiruvarur. Hence the name Kamalalayam.

Besides the tank, a peculiar musical instrument called Panchamukha Vadya and Sivalingam made of sapphire and called Marakatalingam are worth seeing. The musical instrument has got five faces and is ornamented with the snake, the swastika and the lotus on three. The fourth face is plain without decorations. The central face shows the face of a deer. It is said that Nandi played on this when Siva danced. The circumference of the instrument is fifty-six inches. Thiruvarur is one of the seven sacred places of Lord Thiyagaraja. The others are Tirumaraikkadu (Vedaranyam), Tirunagai (Nagapattinam.), Tirukkolili, Tirukkaramayil, Tiruvanmiyoor and Tirunallar. In this temple where Thiyagaraja's idol is worshipped, the Navagrahas are placed in a line looking at the shrine. It is a peculiar feature.

When you visit the temple, you can really feel about the eternal life. I'm damn sure about it. Here, a great siddha named Kamalamuni came and worshipped Kamalambal.

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