Thirupungur Temple, Tamilnadu:
Tamil Nadu is home to the Hindu temple known as Sivalokanathar Temple. It is devoted to Shiva, the god. The temple is located around three miles west of Vaitheeswaran Koil in the village of Tirupunkur, also known as Thirupunkur. The Thirupungur temple is linked to the myth of Nandanar, a Saivite saint and one of the 63 Nayanmars. As a Dalit, Nandanar was prohibited from entering the temple; at Shiva’s direction, the Nandi idol inside the temple’s grounds moved a few inches to allow Nandanar to see the shrine’s gate.
Thirupungur Temple History:
A family that tanned leather to make drums was where Nandanar was born. He was not allowed to enter any temple due to his occupation. His goal was to pay a visit to the Chidambaram temple. In addition, he was laboring in a landowner’s fields, and the latter denied him entry to the temple. One day, though, he promised Nandanar that if Nandanar succeeded in plowing the forty acres of his paddy field overnight, he would fulfill his request. A disappointed Nandanar beseeched the Lord to fulfill his desire to travel to Chidambaram.The Lord performed a miracle of plowing all forty acres in one night, delighted by his pure love for him. The Landlord and Nandanar were shocked to witness the miracle the following morning. After realizing his error, the landlord begged for pardon. Nandanar left toward Chidambaram, stopping en route at Thirupungur to get a vision from the Lord. The Nandi was in the way of his view, therefore he was unable to receive the darshan. He began to sing Lord Shiva’s praises. Lord Shiva was curious about the identity of the devotee.He was told by the dwarapalakas that it was Nandanar. Lord ordered Nandi to step aside right away so he could give Nandanar a clear darshan. It is evident that the Nandi at this temple has been moved to one side. Furthermore, the Nandi is not sticking out his tongue as he typically does.Here, the Nandi is actually a Swayambhu.
Thirupungur temple timings:
The temple is open from 6.00 a.m. to 11.00 a.m and 4.00 p.m. to 8.30 p.m.
Thirupungur temple Address:
Sri Shivalokanathar Temple, Thirupungur, Vaitheeswaran koil(Post)
Sirkali, Nagappatinam (Dist), TamilNadu, India.
How to reach Thirupungur temple:
The Thiruppungur Shiva Temple is situated 11 km from Sirkazhi and 3 km from Vaitheeswaran Kovil.
Thirupungur Temple Photos:
