CHENNAI: Thiruvotriyur in north Chennai is home to the old and historic Adipurishwara temple. Many Saivite saints (Nayanmars) including Appar, Thirujnanasambandar and Sundaramurti Nayanar, have praised the presiding deity in their Tamil hymns. Other great devotees associated with this temple are Adi Sankara, Manikkavachagar, Arunagirinathar, Pattinathar and Ramalinga Swami. Thyagaraja and Muthusvami Dikshitar, the famous music composers of the 18th/19th century visited this temple. Thyagaraja’s five compositions are collectively called Thiruvotriyur Pancharatnam.
Goddess Parvati is worshipped here as ‘Vadivudai Amman’ and also as ‘Tripurasundari’ and hence this temple is famously known as the Vadivudai Amman temple. It is one of the Shakti Pitams. Thyagaraja Swami is the processional image (utsava-murti) and hence it is also known as the Thyagaraja Swami temple. The shrine for Kali called ‘Vatapparai Amman’ is very well-known.
The main apsidal-shaped sanctum was constructed in the reign of Rajendra Chola-I in the 11th century AD. It enshrines the Lingam called Adipurishwara, believed to be self-manifest or Swayambhu. The other important sanctums inside the vast temple premises are for Siva known as Ottrishwara and Padampakkanatha. One of the most famous sculptures in this temple is Ekapada Trimurti, a form of Siva depicting this deity standing on one leg with Vishnu and Brahma emanating from either side of the deity’s body.
Inscriptions of the Pallava, Chola, Pandya, Vijayanagara and other eras have been discovered. They reveal that this temple had a well-evolved administrative system and record a long list of employees. The epigraphs record that Thiruvottiyur was a centre of Saivite sects such as the Kapalika and Pashupatha.