The Siva temple for Soundareshwarar (also known Azhagiya Nathar) is one of the 275 Padal Petra Sthalams or temples for Siva eulogised in the Tamil verses of the Nayanmars (famous Siva devotees). It is the seventythird Padal Petra Sthalam on the south bank of River Kaveri.
The Siva Lingam in this temple, praised by the Nayanmars, Thirugnanasambandar and Sundaramurti Nayanar, is a Swayambhu (self-manifested). God Siva is believed to have given Sundaramurthi Nayanar a Darshan of His Cosmic Dance here. This area was originally known as Tala-vanam since it was full of tala (palm) trees and therefore the deity is also worshipped as Talavaneshwarar (deity presiding over the forest of tala trees). In fact, the sacred tree (Sthala-Vriksham) in this temple is the tala.
According to the Sthala Puranam (traditional story) of this temple, Sage Parasara worshipped Siva here and dropped a small portion of Amrita (nectar) into the temple tank (pushkarini) which is therefore called Amrita Pushkarini and also as Parasara Tirtham. A shrine for this sage is there in the temple. In the inner prakaram are seven Siva Lingas, representing the deities of the temples in Thiruppugalur, Thiruppayatrangudi, Virkudi, Thiruvanjiyam, Nannilam, Thirukandishwaram and Ambar Makalam.
Goddess Parvati is worshipped here as Brihannayaki and Periya Nayaki. It is said that the famous early Chola king, Karikala of the 2nd century CE stayed in the temple’s premises as a child, as he had to be hidden from his enemies after the death of his father Ilamchetcheni.
God Ganesha in this temple protected Karikala and even today the image of Vinayaka here is worshipped as ‘Thunai Irunda Vinayaka’ (the Vinayaka who was of assistance). There are some Chola inscriptions belonging to the reign of Kulottunga Chola I, Rajaraja Chola II and other rulers. Some Pandya epigraphs are also here. The name of the deity is mentioned in these as Alagiya Nayanar and Alagiyadevar. Thiruppanaiyur was located in Panayur-Nadu in Kulottunaga- Chola Valanadu.
Sacred tree
The Sthala Vriksham is the tala (palm tree)
Inscriptions
There are some important epigraphs here
CHITHRA MADHAVAN
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The writer is a historian who focuses on temple architecture