Omampuliyur Pranavapureeswarar Temple

Omampuliyur

Paadal Petra Sthalams - Cuddalore District

God

Pranavapureeswarar, (also called Thuyartheerthanadar), facing east

Goddess

Poongodinayagi, (also called Pushpalathambigai), facing south

Other Deities

Twin Dakshinamurthy, Surya, Saneeswara, Lakshmi, Saraswathi, Nataraja

Omampuliyur Pranavapureeswarar Temple is an east facing temple with a 3 tier entrance Rajagopuram. A single Prakaram houses the Sanctum Sanctorum and all the shrines. A temple tank is located in front of the temple. To the south of Omampuliyur Pranavapureeswarar Temple and a little way across the road runs the Kollidam River.

Holy water (Theertham) – Gouritheerthem, Kollidam (River)

Sacred Tree (Sthala Vriksham) – Ilandhai (Zizyphus jujuba)

History

Thirugnanasambandar and Thirunavukkarasar (7th century CE) have rendered Thevaram Hymns for the Lord here at Omampuliyur Pranavapureeswarar Temple.

A stone inscription belonging to the period of Kulothunga Chola III  (reign 1178 – 1218 CE) mentions Omampuliyur Pranavapureeswarar Temple  as Vadakarai Viruthasa Bayangara Valanattu Merkanattu Brammadeyam Omampuliyuragiya Ulagalandha Chozhachaturvedi Mangalam’ and the Lord as ‘Vadathali Udayar’.

Sakalabuvana Chakravarthi Kopperunchinga Deva (13th Century CE) has performed services to the development of the Omampuliyur Pranavapureeswarar Temple as per stone inscriptions. There are three inscriptions all belonging to Sakalabhuvana Chakravartin Kopperunjingadeva’s 14th year, on the west and south walls of the sanctum. Two of them relate  to the sale of jewels of the temple and the purchase of land with the money received from the sale. It is also mentioned that the seller of the land (Arasalvan Aravamudalvan) made further gifts of land for the worship of the deity. Omampuliyur Pranavapureeswarar Temple is referred to as Vada-tali Udaiya-Nayanar. In another gift transaction, Tiruvalanjuli Udaiyar of Alisupakkam purchased some land from one Alappirandan Sani, a prominent lady from Perumarudur, in Ulagalandasola Chaturvedimangalam, a Brahmadesa in Merkkaa Naadu.

Legend

Omampuliyur Pranavapureeswarar Temple is one of the temples where Sage Vyagrapadar is believed to have worshiped the lord, hence the name ’Puliyur’. Dakshinamurthy is powerful here as Ambal is believed to have to have received the Pranava Mandiram (OM, hence the name of the place) from him. As this was taking place Lord Muruga was stopped from entering the temple by Nandi. He then transformed into a bee and went in and lodged himself in Amman’s hair to listen to the Mandiram (Holy Words). He then left in anger for Swamimalai. Lord Shiva went to Swamimalai to set things right and to his surprise he was told the Mandiram by Muruga. A separate Dakshinamurthy Sannidhi is in between Shiva and Parvati here.

Directions

Omampuliyur Pranavapureeswarar Temple is 7kms south of Kattumannarkoil on the Kollidam River bank.

Stay and Food

None locally. Closest are Chidambaram and Kattumannarkoil

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