Thonda Nadu Temple 14. Thiruvirkkolam ( Koovam )

                                                                     SIVAYA NAMA

Thiruvirkkolam ( Koovam )

Raja Kopuram

Location:

Thiruvirkkolam presently called as Koovam. Buses are there from Chennai, Sunguvarchathram, Kanchipuram, Poonthamaliee, Sriperambathur and Thiruvallur. From Kadambathur Railway Station the temple is in a distance of 10 KM.

Reason for the Name:

The Moolavar here is called as Thiripuranthakar, Thiruvirkolanathar etc.  Ambal  is called by the name Thirupuranthaki.  Lord is called as Thiripuranthakar because he killed the Asuras of Thiripuram. As he starts for the fight, the, axle of his chariot was broken. He got down from the chariot and stands with his bow and arrow in a rare form. Hence he is called by the name Thiruvirkolanathar. And this place is also called Thiruvirkolam. Lord Siva rose as suyambu from  ‘kooram’, that is axle. This  Kooram later became  ‘Koovam’ as presently known.During the Brahmmotsavam festival, Lord appears with the bow.  This darshan is considered very important in this temple.

Swamy:  Arulmigu Thiripuranthagar
 

Ambal :  Arulmigu Thiripuranthagi
 

Theertham :  Koovakni Theertham
 

Sthala Viruksham : Vilvam

Temple:

This temple was built in a 2.50 Acre  land with two pragarams. The Rajakopuram is a magnificent four tier tower. Swamy and Ambal sannathi are facing east. In the inner pragaram Acharutha Vinayakar, Murugan, Dakshnamurthy, Lingothbavar, Brahmma, Durgai, Sandikeswarar, Natarajar and Bairavar Sannithis are there. In the outer Pragaram Ambal Sannithi, Sthala Viruksham (Vilvam), Nandhi, Peedam and Kodimaram are there.




Importance of the Temple:

This temple is one of the pancha bootha sthalam of Thondanadu temples. This temple is Agni Sthalam which represents fire. The Moolavar is a suyambu lingam and the lingam is untouchable(தீண்டா திருமேனி). Even the sivachariar who is doing the abishegam and pooja will not touch the lingam. The deity will appear in white colour if it is going to rain heavily. If the lingam appears in red colour, it announce a caution that a war is going to happen. About this wonder Thirugnanasambandar praised about this lord in his Thevara Pathigam as fallows:

“ஐயன்ரல் அதிசயன்  அயன்  விண்ணோர்  தொழும் மையணி  கண்டார்

 வண்ணம்  வண்ண  வான் ”

Koovam river is flowing near the temple. For abishekam water is taken from this river. There is a village nearby the temple by name PINCHIVAKKAM. Every day milk is brought from this village at 11.00 AM for Abishekam and Uchikala Kala pooja (Mid day pooja at around 12.00 Noon).Kala pooja (Mid day pooja at around 12.00 Noon).Kala pooja (Mid day pooja at around 12.00 Noon).Kala pooja (Mid day pooja at around 12.00 Noon).

Sthala Puranam:

Three demons, Tharakasuran, Kamalakshan and Vidyunmali armed with the boons from Lord Brahmma, began to torture devas.  Devas surrendered to Lord Siva for protection.  Lord took a bow and began his march to fight against the demons. For the war the Ratham (Chariot) was made of all the seven world and devas. Suriyan and Chandran were Sarathis of the ratham. The bow was the Meru Hills and Vasugi  was the arrow. Before start of any action one should worship Lord Vinayakar. This is a general rule and custom.  Devas who know the rule also intentionally failed to worship Lord Vinayakar as they thought that Lord Siva himself was backing them.  Angry Vinayakar broke the axle of the Ratham.  Knowing that it was the act of Vinayakar, Lord asked him to set right the axle which son Vinayakar did.  Lord Siva rose as a suyambu from the place where the Kooram (axle) of the Ratham stuck.  Hence the place was named Kooram which later changed as Koovam.

At the request of Sages Munjikesar and Karkodar, Lord Siva played his Oordhva Thandavam – a dance with furious movement and won Kali in the competition.  Kali was too angry to accept her defeat.  Lord Siva told Kali that he would be playing a pleasing dance – Raksha dance – in Tiruvirkolam when she can have his darshan and shed her anger.  Kali had the pleasing darshan of the Lord on the occasion and became merciful.  Kali is gracing the devotees in the name of Tharka Madha in a separate shrine a little away from the temple.  Kali assumed the name of Tharka Madha as she contested against Lord Siva in the dance competition.

Pathigam:

Thirugnanasambandar sung the Pathigam on this deity.

உருவினார் உமையோடும் ஒன்றி நின்றதோர் 
திருவினான் வளர்சடைத் திங்கள் கங்கையான்
வெருவிவா னவர் தொழபி  வெகுண்ட நோக்கிய 
செருவினான் உறைவிடம் திருவிற் கோலமே   

------ திருஞானசம்பந்தர்


Address:      Arulmigu Thiripuraanthakeswarar Temple
                     Koovam, Kadambathur Post
                     Via Thiruvallur
                     Thiruvallur Dist - 631203

Timings:    6.00 AM to 11.00 AM
                   4.00 PM to 7.30 PM

Contact:       Sambantha Gurukkal / Sunderamurthy Gurukkal
                     9841894804 / 9444607369
                      044- 27651084   


Photographs: 




At the enterance of Swamy sannithi

Temple view with the Kodimaram



Uthsava Murthy



Arulmigu Natarajar and Arulmigu Sivakami Ambal

Sri Dakshnamurthy

 திருச்சிற்றம்பலம்