Poovananathar Temple, Tirupuvanam
Location: Tirupuvanam
Deity known as: Poovananathar, Mangalanathar, Pithru Muktheeswarar
Female Deity: Mangalaambikai
Pathikam: Tirunavukarasar - 1, Sambandar - 2, Sundarar - 1
Gallery - Poovananathar Temple
How to Reach
This Shiva temple, situated 20 km southeast of Madurai, is well connected by road and rail. On the Madurai–Manamadurai route of the Southern Railway, Tirupuvanam Station serves as the nearest stop.
Railway Station: Trains halt at Tirupuvanam Station, located on the Madurai–Manamadurai section of the Southern Railway.
Bus Services: The temple is easily reachable by road, with regular bus services operating between Madurai and Tirupuvanam.
Temple Address
Tirupuvanam
Tirupuvanam Post
Manamadurai Taluk
Sivagangai District
PIN - 623611
Temple Hours
Morning: 6:30 AM - 12:00 PM
Evening: 4:30 PM - 8:00 PM
Map of Poovananathar Temple, Tirupuvanam
Temple Significance
This temple at Tirupuvanam is located on the southern bank of the Vaigai River. It is regarded as sacred as Varanasi (Benares) because the Vaigai turns northward at this point before flowing east.
Unique Distinction
Tirupuvanam is the only temple among the 14 Paadal Petra Shivasthalams in Pandya Naadu to have pathikams composed by Appar, Sambandar, and Sundarar. It was also revered by all three Tamil kings—Chera, Chola, and Pandya.
Among the '64 Thiruvilayadal' performed by the deity Somasundara of Madurai, Tirupuvanam is distinguished as the place where He appeared as a Siddha and blessed a woman named Ponnaiyal by granting her gold.
The Legend of the Leaning Nandi
When Tirugyanasambandhar came to this place, he needed to cross the Vaigai River to reach the temple. The sands on the riverbed appeared to him like a Shiva Lingam, and unwilling to step on it, he remained on the riverbank. From there, he sang a Pathikam in praise of Pushpavaneshwarar at Tirupuvanam. However, he could not see the deity, as Nandi blocked his view.
Divine Intervention:Seeing Sambandhar unable to view Him, God Shiva then instructed Nandi to lean slightly to the left so that Sambandhar could have a clear view. Obeying His command, Nandi gently tilted to the left, bowing her head and body, allowing Tirugyanasambandhar to behold the deiy. Even today, the Nandi here can be seen leaning slightly to the left.
The spot from where the three Nayanmars sang the Pathikam is now called Moovar Mandapam, located across the river.
Temple Architecture
The temple has an east-facing, five-tiered Rajagopuram. Entering the prakaram through this gateway, we encounter a series of mandapams—Kambathadi Mandapam, Nalamaharaja Mandapam, Tiruvacchi Mandapam, and a hall supported by six pillars. Adjacent to the six-pillared hall is the Mahamandapam, which leads to the sanctum, enclosed within the Artha Mandapam.
Swayambhu Lingam
The presiding deity, Pushpavaneshwarar, is a Swayambhoo Lingam adorned with a crown of matted hair and a trident. Behind the Lingam are clay lamps known as “Moksha Deepam”, which are lit to guide the souls on their onward journey.
Soundaranayaki, the Goddess, has a separate sannidhi within the temple. Both the sanctum of the presiding deity and that of the Goddess are enclosed by their own prakarams for performing pradakshina.
Sthala Vruksham: Jackfruit tree
Sacred Water Bodies (Theerthams): Manikarnika, Vaigai, Vasishta and Indra Theertham
Temple Sannidhis
The inner prakaram houses several sannidhis including:
- Bhaskara Vinayaka
- Subramanya
- Surya (Planetory god for sun)
- Sayanaperumal
- Four Nayanmars
- 63 Nayanmars
- Saptha Matha
- Mahalakshmi
- Dakshinamurthy
- Chandra (Planetory god for moon)
- Navagrahas
A magnificent idol of Nataraja, exquisitely crafted, can also be seen here. Sage Vyagrapadha and Patanjali appear on either side of the Lord. The Pandya kings, and later the Nayak rulers of Madurai, generously patronised this temple.
Tiruvilayadal Puranam - Ponnanaiyal's Devotion
Ponnanaiyal, a devotee of Poovananathar, lived in Tirupuvanam. Every day she bathed in the Vaigai, offered a flower garland, and danced before the deity. She cherished a heartfelt desire to make a golden idol for Shiva.
One day, a Siddhar visited her and claimed that he had the power to turn any metal into gold. Filled with hope, Ponnanaiyal handed over all the metal objects she owned. The alchemist—who was in fact Lord Shiva in disguise—sprinkled sacred ash on the vessels and told her that they would transform into gold by the next day.
The Pinch Mark: The next day, Ponnanaiyal gathered the transformed golden vessels and took them to a goldsmith to craft an idol of Poovananathar. The idol that emerged was so breathtakingly beautiful that Ponnanaiyal lovingly pinched the deity’s cheek, leaving a permanent mark. This golden Somaskandar, also called Azhagiya Nayakar, still bears that pinch mark on His cheek to this day.
More Temple Photos
