Brahmapureeswarar Temple,Tamil Nadu

Brahmapureeswarar Temple is an ancient temple complex with 3 different Shiva Shrines. The Bhramapureeswarar shrine is present on the first level. The second level has thePeriyanakar shrine with Periyanayaki on a Thoni, hence the name Thoniappar. Sattainathar/Vatukanathar is also housed here. From the steps leading to the Toniappar and the Vatukanathar shrine, one can comprehend the entire arrangement of this enormous temple. There are 22 Theerthamsrelated with this shrine. Three different forms of Shiva are worshipped here, the Shivalingam (Bhrammapureeswarar), a gigantic image of Uma Maheswarar (Toniappar) at the middle level, and Bhairavar (Sattanathar) at the upper level.

Brahmapureeswarar Temple has 99 vast Prakaramswith high walls of insertion. There are two sets of 7 tiered gopurams in the outer walls of the enclosure. The original temple during the period of the Nayanmars included the shrine of Bhrammapureeswarar, on the southern bund of the temple tank; the Toniappar shrine on a mound west of the central shrine, and the Sattanathar shrine in the second floor reached from the southern prakaramof the Toniappar shrine by a flight of steps. The expansion of the original temple happened during the period of KulothungaChola I, VikramaChola, KulothungaChola II and KulothungaChola III (as in Chidambaram – 11th through the 13th centuries).

Brahmapureeswarar Temple,Tamil Nadu

History:

Campantar was born to SivapadaHrudiyar and his wife Bhagavathiar who lived in Sirkazhi .They were a saivite Brahmin couple who at that point of time professed Rig veda. According to folklore, when Campantar was a mere three year old his parents took him to the Shiva temple where Shiva and his consort Parvati appeared before the child. The goddess tended him at her breast. When his father saw drops of milk on the child’s mouth and asked who had fed him, the boy pointed toward the sky and responded with the song TodudayaSeviyan – the first verse of the Tevaram.

Festivals:

Brahmmotsavam in the Brahmapureeswarar Temple begins on the ChithiraiTiruvadhirai day in April-May. Oil abishek is offered to Lord Uma Maheswarar in the hill temple on the first day of Tamil months Chithirai (April-May); Aadi (July-August);Aipasi (October-November); Thai (January-February) and on KarthikaiDeepam in November-December, MargazhiTiruvadirai in December-January and Shivrathri in February-March. Special pujas are performed on AadiPooram in July-August, Navrathri in September-October, Thai new moon day in January-February, VaikasiMoola Star day in May-June, AaniRohini Star day in June-July and Sadayam Star day in Aipasi in October-November.

Rituals performed:

Brahmapureeswarar Temple priests perform the pooja (rituals) during festivals and on a daily basis. The temple rituals are performed six times a day.

Ushathkalam at 5:30 a.m.
Kalasanthi at 8:00 a.m.
Uchikalam at 10:00 a.m.
Sayarakshai at 6:00 p.m.
Irandamkalam at 8:00 p.m.
ArdhaJamam at 10:00 p.m.

Each ritual comprises four steps:

abhisheka (sacred bath), alangaram (decoration), neivethanam (food offering) and deepaaradanai (waving of lamps) for all the three shrines of Lord Shiva.

There are weekly rituals like somavaram and sukravaram, fortnightly rituals like pradosham and monthly festivals like amavasai (new moon day), kiruthigai, pournami (full moon day) and sathurthi.

The deity:

Lord Shiva is known as Sattainathar while the other deities here are Bhramapureeswarar, Thoniappar. The female deity is known as Periyanayagi

Temple timings:

Brahmapureeswarar Temple is open from 6.00 a.m. to 1.00 p.m. and from 4.00 p.m. to 9.00 p.m.

Location:

11°14′N79°44′E

Sirkali,Nagapattinam district, Tamil Nadu

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