Shiva Temples in Tamilnadu - An Introduction...
Shiva temples are sacred places dedicated to the worship of the Hindu God Shiva. As the supreme God in shaivism, one of the major branches of Hinduism, Shiva is revered by millions of devotees. India is home to numerous Shiva temples, with Tamilnadu being particularly renowned for its ancient temples that have stood for over a millennium. These temples are characterized by their grandeur, architectural marvel featuring intricate towers, exquisite sculptures, and ancient inscriptions that showcase the rich heritage of Tamilnadu. .
Paadal Petra Shivasthalam - This website provides information about the Shiva temples in Tamilnadu which are referred as Paadal Petra Shivasthalam (பாடல் பெற்ற தலங்கள) They are also known as Thevara Sthalam. Thevaram literally means "garland of divine songs" and refers to the collection of verses sung praising Shiva. There are 274 temples that are revered in these verses of Shaiva Nayanars, particularly the 3 viz, Thirunavukarasar (Appar), Sundarar and Sambandar in their Tevaram hymn, between the 6th-9th century CE. The Divya Desams by comparison are the 108 Vishnu temples glorified in the poems of the contemporary Vaishnava Alvars of Tamil Nadu, India.
Out of these 274 specific temples , 264 are scatterred across tamilnadu . All these temples have been in existence for more than 1000 years.
How to use this website - The temples are listed under the 'Shivatemples Menu' , categorised as per their geographical boundaries that exiseted at the time when the hymns (pathikam) were sung on these temples.
The entire list of 264 temples, its location, significance, temple legends, temple layout, how to reach, map and other relevant information required are provided in this website. The present-day name of the district , city , town is also given. Do include these temples also in your list of 'must-visit' temples of tamil nadu .
Parihara Sthalangal
The articles on Parihara sthalangal by Shri.N.S.Narayansamy was published over a period of 2 years by the tamil daily Dinamani's online portal. The hard copy of the same in 2 parts was published by Pinnacle books. Each part lists 54 temples and its specialities. Each book costs 200 and are available with the publishers.
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