Nellaiappar Shivalingam was exist for a long in Venuvanam(bamboo forest) before even the Nellaiappar temple was built. Currently, the Arulmiku Nellaiappar Temple is located in the hot part of Nellai, dedicated to the deity shiva, the proud symbol of Nellai, the faith of many devotees, and an example of sculpture and architecture. It has been standing majestically for over 13 centuries, which has built-in 700 AD. But when it came to Tirunelveli and Nellaiappar temples? Actually, Shiva Lingam hasn't gone anywhere. The name Venuvanam later became Tirunelveli and the Nellaiappar temple was built at the place where the lingam is located.
Nellaiappar Temple Story
The story of the appearance of Venuvana Nathar - It happened several hundred years ago when the Pandya king named Rama Pandyan was in reign. Ramakonar, a milkman from a village near the Venuvnam(bamboo forest), used to collect milk from his cows in a mud pan and sell it all over the town. It also includes the fort of the Pandyan king who was ruling there.
Ramakonar had to pass through Venuvanam to bring milk to the fort of the Pandya king. One day while carrying milk in an earthen pot, a bamboo stick in the forest knocked and spilled the milk. But the pan did not break and only half of the milk spilled on the ground. He took the rest of the milk and brought it to the king. This was not a day but continued for several days.
The servants report this to the king as the amount of milk is decreasing every day. Hearing this, the king asked the merchant, "Are you trying to deceive me? The amount of milk must be correct from tomorrow, otherwise, action will be taken against you." Ramakonar got scared after hearing this, took an ax from the house, and went to cut the bamboo.
A surprise awaited Ramakonar when he cut the bamboo with the ax, blood gushed out from the bamboo stick. Seeing this, Ramakonar got scared and immediately informed the Pandya king about everything that had happened. Hearing this miracle, the Pandya king immediately reached the Venuvanam with his servants. He couldn't believe what he saw there and wondered how the blood was coming from the earth. Then he told his servants to dig around the bamboo. From there they found a small lingam.
Blood coming out from the Lingam - The blood was coming out from the head of Shiva Lingam. Seeing this, the Pandya king realized his mistake, now I have become the cause of your bleeding, and prayed to forgive him and stop the bleeding. Accepting it, Venuvana Nathar stopped the bleeding.
Due to the small size of the lingam, the Pandya king prayed to Venuvana Nathar to have a slightly bigger lingam to suit the worship of the people. Accordingly, Venuvana Nadar made the lingam so big that it touched the sky. The king was amazed to see that and said you are the sky and the earth, but it is very difficult to build a temple for such a huge lingam and asked him to erect a lingam of the proper size for people to worship.
After the linga had grown to its proper size, the king got down to the task of setting up the aavudai. Aavudai is a square-shaped building around the lingam. For this, he invited many people who knew the Vedas and started building aavudai.
21 Aavudai - The height of the lingam increased after the aavudai was built for the first time. Thus they made another one-on-one. But every time the aavudai was finished, the height of the lingam increased. In this way, 21 aavudai have been built. They stopped after 21 aavudai because in the Vedas more than 21 aavudai should not be made.
Nellaiappar temple - After 21 aavudai the height of the lingam stopped. The Pandya king built the biggest temple around him. That 20 aavudai still exists under the temple.
Different versions
Muluthum Kanda Rama Konar - Nellaiappar temple has a statue in the name of Muluthum Kanda Rama Konar. That statue tells another version of the story. In that story, it is said that Rama Konara himself found the Shiva Lingam and prayed to Lord Shiva to make the Lingam bigger, and the Lingam grew to such an extent that he made 21 Aavudai.
In another version of the story, It is said that the stone that was tapped on Rama Konar's feet was not bamboo and that stone was the lingam. Thus many versions of stories with a few differences are told.
Venuvanam to Tirunelveli
Tirunelveli has grown into a vast city but hundreds of years ago it was a bamboo forest. Venu means bamboo in Tamil and Vanam means forest. This is why it got the name Venuvanam.
Since the Shiva Lingam was in the middle of the Venuvanam(bamboo tree), he has been called Venuvana Nathar. People built a temple and used to worship him. One of the notable ones was Vedapattar, a Shivacharya(priest). He used to conduct a pooja and worship Venuvanathar every day. In that puja, he made food with paddy and ghee and offered padaiyal(meal) to Venuvanathar.
He used to get(by requesting) paddy and ghee from the people of the village to serve Venuvana Nathar. He used to break the paddy where he get from the people and take the rice from it and cook it and sacrificed it to the Venuvana Nathar. It is unknown whether it is god's play, but suddenly famine came into his life. Even so, he begged to people get paddy and ghee, and continued to worship Venuvana Nathar.
But one day, after breaking the paddy and drying the rice, he went to bathe in the Tamiraparani river. Unfortunately, the rain came heavily. Frightened by this, he quickly went to the temple and saw the dried rice. Even though there was no tent where the rice was dried, not a single drop of rain fell on the rice.
Despite the water running around the rice, the sun was beating hot on the rice. Seeing this miracle, Shivacharya informed the Pandya king who was ruling the country at that time. On hearing this, the king named Nelveli Nadar to Shiva, who saved the paddy from the water by fencing it.
Thus Nelvelinathar's place is called Nelveli, along with Thiru Jointly known as Tirunelveli, Venuvana Nathar also came to be known as Nellaiappar and Nelvelinathar.
The Architecture of Nellaiappar Temple
The temple is built on 14.5 acres of land. The total length is 269 meters and the total width is 235 meters. All shrines are surrounded by rectangular walls. Gandhimati's shrine is more beautiful and mind-blowing than the Nellayapar shrine. There is a pond in the middle of the temple.
Mandapam (Halls) :
1000 Pillar Mandapam - This hall has 1000 pillars, and all pillars can express music. These are also called musical pillars(Nellaiappar temple musical pillars). If you hit these pillars in the right way you can hear beautiful music.
Sangili Mandapam(Chain Hall) - The Chain Mandapam was built in 1647. As this mandapam connects the Gandhimati sanctum and the Nellaiappar sanctum, it is known as the Chain Mandapam. It is built by Vadamalayappa Pillaiyan.
- Oonjal Mandapam
- Somwar Mandapam
- Mani Mandapam
- Vasantha Mandapam
Tourist Information
Hotels near nellaiappar temple- Hotel Bluemoon
- Sree Bharani Hotel
- Hotel South Avenue
- Hotel Aryaas
- Delvi Villa
- Hotel Venkaateswara
- Hotel Palmyra Grand Inn
- NPK Residency
- Tirunelveli Home Stay
- Sri Janakiram Hotel
Post a Comment