Papanasam Temple Timings, Reviews, Photos, History, Architecture, Pooja and various other details can be checked from here. The temple we discuss in this article must be well-known by Shiva Bhakhts. In a small town in Ambasamudram Taluk of Tirunelveli district in Tamilnadu, a famous temple Papanasam Sivan Temple is located at the banks of the Thamirabarani River.
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Papanasam Temple
People from distant places come here to bathe in the sacred river and worship God Shiva and Goddess Parvati in the form of Papanasanathar and Ulagammai. The temple has many interesting historical stories and many religious beliefs about it.
Here in the article, you came to know all the interesting facts about thePapanasam Temple and the necessary information about it. So please be with us until the end of our article to know the facts about the temple you have never read before.
Papanasam Temple Location
Papanasam Temple, also known as Papanasanathar Temple, is dedicated to God Shiva and is 60 km from Tirunelveli. The temple has three main design elements. One is the massive granite wall covering the entire temple enclosing all its shrines, the second one is the 7 tiered gopuram, and the third one is the steep steps that lead all the way from the Thamarbharani river to the principal temple entrance. In the temple, there are unique images of Rishabaroodar, Somaskanda, and Agastya, which display the magnificent sculpture and art of the temple.
Lord Shiva is worshipped as Ligham in the temple and is believed to have appeared from a kala tree called Mukkala Nathar. It is also believed that the lingam is an aspect of Surya. The Shiva Lingha worshipped in the temple is entirely made up of rudraksha.
The temple has a series of Navagraha temples representing the nine planets dietary said to reside in one temple. The nine temples are called Nava Kailasam, and the presiding deity of all the temples is called Kailasanathar. That is why Papanasam town is also known as Surya Kshetra and Surya Kailash.
Interesting Things About Papanasanathar Temple
The temple has a solid connection with deeply rooted mythological and spiritual significance. There is a strong belief that for people suffering from any kind of disease, worshipping Lord Shiva in the temple will cure them for any kind of disease.
Another eye-catching thing about the temple is the pounding stone in front of the Maa Parvati Ulaagammai shrine. Here women and turmeric apply it on their hands and faces. Inside the temple is a stunning Natarajar statue, which is unique and can’t be seen in other temples.
The temple is situated on the banks of river Thamiraparni, which is teemed with fish. The people residing in the area believe that harming the fish would bring retribution. Moreover, the food offered to the divine god here is also offered to the fish.
Papanasam Temple Timings
To do the darshan of the divine god and goddess, the opening time for the visitors is from 5:30 am to 12 pm and 4:30 pm to 7:30 pm daily except during festival days. On the festivals, the temple is open for the whole day. The Shaivist priest performs six rituals on a daily basis. These are:
Tiruvananthal at 6:30 a.m
Sirualasanthi at 7:00 a.m.
Kalasanthi at 8:30 a.m.
Uchikalam at 11:30 p.m
Sayarakshai at 6:00 p.m
Arthajamam at 8:00 p.m
All six rituals are completed in three stages: alangaram (decoration of shrines), neivethanam (food offered to the deity) and deepa aradanai (waving of lamps). It is t be noted that the food offered to the deity is later offered to the fish in the Tamirabarani River.
Papanasanathar Temple Festivals
The temple celebrates three festivals a year; among the three Brahmotsavam festivals falling in April to May and Thaipoosam in January to February, are the most cherished and widely celebrated festivals. Lakhs of people gathered at the temple premises to celebrate these festivals. Another famous festival is Chittirai Peruvila which goes on for 13 days.
Papanasam Temple History
There have been disputes regarding the age of the temple. The exact history of the temple cannot be ascertained as there is no physical or graphical evidence. But believing the Hindu legend, it is believed that the temple was constructed by the Pandya king, Chandrakula Pandya, the ruler of the Madurai region.
He builds the central shrine and vimana of the temple. At the same time, the Yagasala, dwajasthamba (flagstaff) and Nataraja Hall were constructed by the ruler of the Madurai Nayak dynasty, Veerappa Nayaka. Currently, the temple is lok after by the Hindu Religious and Endowment Board of the Tamil Nadu Government.
Papanasam Temple Architecture
The temple’s architecture, constructed in Dravidian style, is a treat to watch. It surrounds with a granite wall enclosing all the shrines of the temple. Initially, the temple was built by Chandrakula Pandya of the Pandya dynasty, and later, further additions were made by the Vijayanagar and Nayak kings in the 16th century. The artistic sculptures of the temple represent Nayak Art.
The temple has west-facing shrines of Ulagammai adjacent to the Flagstaff and has a hall with yali pillars where Nataraja is housed. There are three temple tanks: Papanasa Theertham, Kalyani Theertham, and Agasthya Theertham.
Papanasanathar Temple Religious Significance
According to the Hindu legend, Sage Agasthya could not be able to witness the divine wedding (Kalyanama) of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati due to the large crowd gathered at Kailash. So Sage Agasthya prayed to Shiva at this place to see them at their wedding. Lord Shiva was finally pleased with his devotion and appeared in Kalyana posture in front of him and his wife, Lopamundra. This is why the falls near the temple are named Agasthiyar Falls.
The religious significance of the temple is different according to different Hindu legends. According to another legend, lord Indra killed the demon Dwastha, son of the guru of Asuras Sukracharya, as he was performing penance to please god to give him the supreme powers to use against the devas.
To resolve the sin of Btahmahatya ( to kill a person from the Brahmin caste), Indra has roamed at various places to do penance for the sin he incurred. Finally, on the advice of the Brahaspathi, he came to Papasanam. This is why the place is named Papasanam, as the sins of Indra are resolved here.
Papanasam Temple Reviews
Papanasam Temple is not only an important temple from the religious point of view but also the most prestigious historical one, which is to be kept with great concern. The architecture and the inscriptions mended on the stones define the beauty of Indian culture.
So in our recommendation, one should visit the temple not only to please their eyes with the mesmerising architecture but also with fully devoted to doing darshan of the divine god and goddess. Our suggestion to the readers reading our article is to avoid visiting the temple during the festive days as there is a huge crowd there.
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