CHENNAI: Thiruninravur in Thiruvallur District is home to the Hridayalishwarar temple, dedicated to Siva. The big Lingam is enshrined in the main sanctum which is in an apsidal shape called gaja-prishta in technical parlance. An image of the great Saivite saint Pusala Nayanar, one of the 63 important devotees of Siva is seen next to the Lingam. Pusala Nayanar is seated in the yogic pose called padmasana and has his right hand in chin-mudra and left hand kept flat near his chest with a Lingam on it.
The story of Pusala Nayanar, a poor man born in Thiruninravur, is very interesting. This devotee of Siva wanted to construct a temple for his favourite deity, but did not have the means to do so. He therefore decided to build a temple for Siva within his heart, adding each and every part meticulously.
He also chose an auspicious day for the consecration (kumbabhisekam). Kadavarkon, a king identified with Rajasimha Pallava of the 7th-8th century AD, was also constructing a temple for Siva (originally called Rajasimheshwara and now known as Kailasanatha) in Kanchipuram and had fixed the same day for the consecration of his temple.
God Siva is said to have appeared in his dream and bade him postpone the date of the kumbabhisekam of his temple as he had to be present at another one. Rajasimha, anxious to know which temple Siva preferred to his own, found his way to where Pusala Nayanar was, having been informed that he was constructing a Siva shrine. Not seeing one, he asked the saint who replied that the temple was being built in his own heart (hridaya).
It is said that Rajasimha built a temple to make the saint’s dream come true which is the Hridayalishwarar temple in Thiruninravur.
An inscription of the 9th century AD, belonging to the reign of the Pallava king Dantivarman was discovered in this temple.
Chithra Madhavan
cityexpresschn@gmail.com
The writer is a historian who focuses on temple architecture