SIRKAZHI - Siva Temple
Sattanathaswamy temple in the heart
of the town enshrines a Swayambhu Lingam. Brahmapureeswar, Tirugnana
Sambandar and Tirunilai nayaki are enshrined in three separate temples,
each with a prakara and many mandapams. Muthu Saatanathar's shrine
houses on the terrace, the beautiful statues of Uma & Maheshwar.
The image of Sattanathar is installed in a separate narrow niche and to
avail the darshan, one has to go with bent head. There is a staircase
in the Northern side taking the devotees to the top for darshan.
This sacred place is called Thonipuram
- boat city named for its boatshape. During the Mahapralaya, the
whole was submerged under water, except for this bit of land which remained
dry unaffected by the floods. Lord Maheshwar accompanied by Parvathi
rested here & charmed by its sanctity, he made it his abode.
Goddess Kali offered prayers to the Lord with great fervour & hence
the place came to be called Sri Kalipuram & this in due course came
to be called Sirkali.
It is at this shrine that Parvathi
Devi fed Thirugnana Sambandar. That day is celebrated on the 2nd
Chitra as Tirumulaippal. Festivals during Adi and Navaratri are also
very auspicious. There are twenty two thirthas in the town and two
in the temple itself - Brahma Thirtham and Parachara Thirtham. Eminent
Nayanmars like Tirunavukkarasu, Sundarar and Manickavachakar sang in praise
of this Lord.
15 kms from Sirkali, is the famous
seaport Poompuhar, situated at the confluence of river Cauvery with the
Bay of Bengal. It was the principal port of the Imperial Cholas and
the seat of the immortal characters of Silappadhikaram by Ilango - Kannaki
and Kovalan. The original city was submerged long ago, but currently
there is a superb art gallery depicting various scenes from the Silapadhikaram.
Other monuments Pavai Mandram, Ilango Mandram, Negungal Mandram, Kotha
Pandal lure tourists and pilgrims alike.
Brahmapureesar Temple
Sirkazhi, Sirkazhi Taluk
Nagapattinam District 609110
Source: hindubooks.org/
Ashtalakshmi temple, Besant Nagar, Chennai
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