Saatchinatheswarar Temple or Tiruppurampayam Temple is also one of the ancient Shivasthalams dedicated to Lord Paramasiva located in the Tiruppurampayam, Tamil Nadu, India. Tiruppurampayam is also known as Tiruppirampiyam.
Lord Shiva as “Saatchinathar” – witness to a devotee; how the name Saatchinaathar came to be for the main deity
Once a trader who was returning to Madurai from Kaveri Poompattinam died due to snake bite. As per the prayers of a trader woman who was accompanying him to the lord in this temple, the trader was graced by the Almighty back to life. Also He conducted the marriage of both traders and was a witness to his whole happening. After returning to Madurai with his new wife, his 1st wife abused him and did not accept his 2nd wife. To clear her doubts and show his causeless compassion towards His devotee, the Purampayathu Lord Himself appeared along with the whole set up of the Vanni tree, the well and the temple Madapalli (where the food is cooked in the temple to offer to the Lord) and told the truth as it is and declared himself as a witness to this incident. So, He is called Saatchinatheswarar Swami, the witnessing God in this temple (Saatchi meaning witness).
This entire witnessing Divine play has been mentioned in the epic “Silappathigaaram” as “Vannimaramum, Madapalliyyum saantraga munniruthi kattiya moikuzhalal”, and also wonderfully described in the Perumpatrapuliyar Nambi’s “Thiruvilaiaadar Puranam 62” and Paranjothi Munivar’s “Thiruvilaiaadar Puranam 64”.
Once a trader who was returning to Madurai from Kaveri Poompattinam died due to snake bite. As per the prayers of a trader woman who was accompanying him to the lord in this temple, the trader was graced by the Almighty back to life. Also He conducted the marriage of both traders and was a witness to his whole happening. After returning to Madurai with his new wife, his 1st wife abused him and did not accept his 2nd wife. To clear her doubts and show his causeless compassion towards His devotee, the Purampayathu Lord Himself appeared along with the whole set up of the Vanni tree, the well and the temple Madapalli (where the food is cooked in the temple to offer to the Lord) and told the truth as it is and declared himself as a witness to this incident. So, He is called Saatchinatheswarar Swami, the witnessing God in this temple (Saatchi meaning witness).
This entire witnessing Divine play has been mentioned in the epic “Silappathigaaram” as “Vannimaramum, Madapalliyyum saantraga munniruthi kattiya moikuzhalal”, and also wonderfully described in the Perumpatrapuliyar Nambi’s “Thiruvilaiaadar Puranam 62” and Paranjothi Munivar’s “Thiruvilaiaadar Puranam 64”.
The History
Dating back to the 5th century A.D., the presiding deity of this temple is Paramasiva in his incarnation as Dakshinamurti (one who is facing south), the first-ever guru, who imparted the ultimate spiritual instruction in “deep silence” to the four great saints – Sanaka, Sanandana, Sanatana and Sanat Kumara under the banyan tree on the banks of the Brahma Teertham, facing South.
The temple is one of the rare 24 shrines among the “24 Guru Sthalams” (24 centers dedicated to Lord Dakshinamurti) and is surrounded by Manniyaru river (which supplies water for agriculture), the Kollidam (Northern distributary of the sacred Kaveri river) and the sacred Kaveri river.
The child-incarnation Tiru Jnanasambandar, one of the four visionary poet-saints of the Saiva Siddhanta tradition, performed a number of miracles at this ancient temple, sanctifying and energizing the space.
Lord Brahma, one of the divine holy trinity of Hindu Gods (Paramasiva, Brahma and Vishnu), is also said to have worshiped Paramasiva here. A certain King of the Magadha Desam (a kingdom in South Bihar in India) was cured of the ‘Muyalaka’ disease at this shrine.
Saving the World from the Great Deluge
This temple also has a very special Ganesha deity called Pralayam kaatha Vinayagar meaning the Ganesha (also called Vinayaka) who saved from the great deluge. The temple’s History has it that during the Krita yuga or the Satya Yuga (the Golden Age of Truth), Paramasiva asked his son, Lord Ganesha to save the world from the great deluge. Ganesha created a well on the eastern side of the teetham (temple tank) and channeled all the seven seas into that well, and thus controlled the deluge and saved the world.
Lord Varuna, the God of the oceans, created a deity of Lord Ganesha from sea shells and other materials obtained from the sea and worshiped him as “Pralayam Katha Vinayakar”. Remarkably, even today this Ganesha deity is majestically seated, proving true this extraordinary happening.
As the temple’s shrine stayed unaffected by the great deluge, the name “Purampayam” came into being (puram – meaning outside).
On the night before Vinayaka Chathurthi, a day celebrating the anniversary of His advent, a special abhishekam (sacred oblations) and special decorations to Ganesha with 100 kgs of honey is offered to this Ganesha. The abhishekam with honey is performed throughout the night. It is said that all the honey that is poured during the abhishekam is absorbed by the deity. No abhishekam is performed during the rest of the year.
Most of the inscriptions here go back to the days of the Imperial Cholas (Parantaka I & descendants), detailing the grants that were made to the temple. There are inscriptions also from the King Raja Raja’s and the Vijayanagar period.
Tiruppurampayam was the fierce battlefield of “Purampaya war” in the 9th century deciding the bright future of the Cholas dynasty. Victorious Chola king Aditya I revived the brick temple into a blue metal stone temple in the sweet remembrance of the turn of the tide in his favor and renamed it as Aditeshwaram. Also this purampaya temple has about 230 acres of agricultural and horticultural farms as mentioned by a stone inscription researcher V.Sadhaasiva Pandara in the Sthala history of Purampayam. His writings about the history of “Tirupurampaya Devasthanam” was published in the year 1946.
Another pronouncing proof to this grand feat is proven by the temple well that still remains in the temple complex, reminding us to be established in the faith for the divine’s grace and protection for any situation. Praying and offering worship to this “Pralayam Kaatha Vinayakar” naturally brings us under the protective divine umbrella removing any dangers, negativity, obstacles from our life.
The Temple
The present name of the presiding deity Paramasiva is “Saatchinathar” and His eternal consort, “Kuraivilla Azhagi” (beauty unsurpassed). Legend has it that Paramasiva appeared here as a witness (meaning ‘Saakshi’ or ‘Saatchi’) to defend and protect his devotee, hence the name Saatchinathar.
The sanctum of the Consort of Paramasiva was built by King Rajaraja Chola I. The sanctum wall contains beautiful sculptures of Parivara Devatas (the divine beings who are extensions of Paramasiva). Lord Ganesha, the elephant God is performed honey ablution on the day of Vinayagar Chaturthi and all the honey offered is absorbed.
The Amman (Cosmic Mother) shrine is housed in the 2nd Prakaram (circumambulation) while Paramasiva’s sanctum is reached past the Mahamandapam (the great stage) housing all the relevant Parivara Devatas. Dakshinamurti’s shrine is located on the southern bank of the temple tank. There is also a shrine to Sattanathar (another form of Paramasiva) here.
Most of the inscriptions here go back to the days of the Imperial Cholas (Parantaka I & descendants), detailing the grants that were made to the temple. There are inscriptions also from the King Raja Raja’s and the Vijayanagar period.
Tiruppurampayam was the fierce battlefield of “Purampaya war” in the 9th century deciding the bright future of the Cholas dynasty. Victorious Chola king Aditya I revived the brick temple into a blue metal stone temple in the sweet remembrance of the turn of the tide in his favor and renamed it as Aditeshwaram. Also this purampaya temple has about 230 acres of agricultural and horticultural farms as mentioned by a stone inscription researcher V.Sadhaasiva Pandara in the Sthala history of Purampayam. His writings about the history of “Tirupurampaya Devasthanam” was published in the year 1946.
Glory of the Temple as sung by the various Poet Saints
The temple is glorified by the hymns of “Thevaram”, the composition of the 7th century great Tamil literature. The temple is the 46th in the series of “Paadal Petra Sthalam”, meaning the 275 temples revered in the verses sung by the most prominent Tamil poet-saints, the chief Nayanmars (servitors of the Lord), namely Tiru Jnanasambandar, Appar and Sundarar
This temple has been mentioned as “Purambayamadhanil Aram Pala Aruliyum” meaning “various good things bestowed by the Tiruppurambiyam temple”, by the poet Saint Manickavasagar in his work “Keerthi Thiruvagaval” of “Tiruvasagam”.
This shrine also has been mentioned in “Tiruvasagam” of Manickavasagar, in the Saint Pattinathar’s works and in the famous ‘Tiruvilayadal Puranam.”
Festivals
There are 4 worship services performed here daily. The festivals celebrated are the annual Brahmotsavam in the Tamil month of Maasi (Feb-Mar), the annual Vinayakar festival with the Tamil month of Avani. Kartikai Deepam, Arudra Darisanam, Vishu, Aadipooram, Navaratri, Skanda Shashti and Thaippoosam are celebrated here.
Temple Facts
Paramasiva worshipped as – Sakshinathar, Sakshinathar
Ambal (Devi, Paramasiva’s Consort) – Karumpadu Solli (Kuraivila Azhagi)
Sthala Vriksham (Sacred Tree) – Punnai
Teertham (sacred water body) – Saptasagara Teertham (well)
Pathikam (10 glorifying verses) by – Jnanasambandar, Appar, Sundarar
Location – Saatchinatheswarar Temple is located near Innambar in Tiruvaiyaru. It is also on the northern banks of the Manni river, approximately 8 kms from the northwest of Kumbakonam.