Lord Pallavaneswarar - The One Who Grants Liberation!



 The 10th temple in the list of Paadal Petra Sthalam is the Pallavaneswarar temple in Kaveripoompattinam in Mayiladuthurai, Tamil Nadu. The presiding deity is Lord Shiva as Lord Pallavaneswarar and His consort is Devi Soundaryanaayaki.

Sivanesar and Gyanakamalambikai, a couple who were staunch devotees of Lord Shiva, had a son named Tiruvenkadar who remained childless for many years after marriage. He finally adopted a child named Marudavanar, who, unknown to anyone, was Lord Shiva Himself having taken a human birth for the sake of His devotees. Marudavanar grew up and assisted his family in marine-trading business. Once, after spending a lot of time out on the seas, he returned home and offered a huge box to Tiruvenkadar who greedily opened it, expecting some treasure. He found only a dried cake of dung inside the box. On the cake it was written- 'Even a broken needle will not accompany the soul on its last journey.' Tiruvenkadar realized that it was time to renounce his life as a householder. He prayed to Lord Shiva for salvation and was granted the same. Tiruvenkadar came to be called as Sage Pattinathar.

All the Navagrahas in the temple face the deity of the Lord. There is a shrine for Lord Muruga with His consorts but there is no vaahan for Muruga here. People here pray to Lord Pallavaneswarar for wise children and for cultivating a sense of renunciation.

The temple has a big Shiva-linga in the sanctum sanctorum. Sage Pattinathar has a shrine for himself here. Lord Ganesha is worshipped as Anugnai Vinayagar. The Vimana of this temple has sculptures of Pattinathar's wife, mother and Marudavanar. The temple does not have a kodi-maram (flag-post).

There are two festivals which are celebrated in a grand manner in the temple - the Adiyar festival celebrated in honour of Pattinathar  and Pattinathar festival which is celebrated for worshipping the salvation of the sage by Lord Shiva.

Om Namaha Shivaya!

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