Shiva Temples of Tamilnadu

Temple Overview

History and Significance

There are two Paadal Petra Sthalams with the name Tirumullaivayil. To differentiate them, the one located in Thondai Nadu is known as Vada-Tirumullaivayil, and the other one near Sirkazhi (Sirkazhi) is known as Then-Tirumullaivayil (North of river Cauvery).

This historic temple, which has existed for nearly 1200 years, is celebrated by Sundarar in his pathikam. Following the loss of his sight in Tiruvotriyur, Sundarar traveled to Tirumullaivayil, where he composed an 11-stanza pathikam in honor of the temple's deity.

Temple Architecture

The prominent gopuram at the southern entrance serves as the main access point to the temple, while the eastern entrance remains inactive. Upon entering through the southern gateway, visitors first come into an enclosure supported by 15 pillars, where Prasanna Vinayaka welcomes devotees. Behind the Prasanna Vinayaka sannidhi, a sculpture illustrating the temple’s legend can be seen on the wall — it depicts a king cutting a creeper with his sword, with a Shivalinga situated beneath it. Proceeding through another inner gateway, visitors reach the sanctum of the goddess Kodi Idai Nayaki, which faces east. Further ahead lies the sanctum of the principal deity, Masilamani Eeshwarar, also oriented towards the east. This architectural arrangement is significant, as Eeswaran and Ambal are positioned adjacent to each other, with Ambal situated on the right side. The vimana above the sanctum is intricately designed in the form of the rear of an elephant, a style known as Gajaprushtam. In addition, the temple’s sacred tank, Kalyana Theertham, is located outside the temple premises, on the right side of the southern entrance.

The Swayambhu Linga

The principal deity, Masilamani Eeshwarar, is worshipped in the form of a swayambhu (self-manifested) Linga. A distinctive cut mark from a sword can be seen on the Linga, associated with the temple’s legend. Because of this mark, the deity is always covered with sandalwood paste to protect and preserve it. Every year, during the Tamil month of Chitirai, on the auspicious day of the Sadhaya star, the existing sandalwood paste is carefully removed and replaced with a fresh layer as part of a special ritual. It is also noteworthy that the ceremonial Abhishekam (ritual bathing) is performed only for the Avudayar, the sacred pedestal or base of the deity, and not directly on the Linga.

Kodiyudai Amman – Kriya Shakti

In Chennai, three temples dedicated to different aspects of Goddess Shakti are especially revered for their spiritual importance: Thiruvudai Amman Temple – associated with Ichcha Shakti (the power of divine will), Vadivudai Amman Temple – associated with Gyana Shakti (the power of knowledge), Masila Maneeswarar Temple Tirumullaivayil – where Goddess Kodi-Idai-Nayaki is worshipped as Kriya Shakti (the power of action). It is considered highly auspicious to have darshan of all three goddesses on the same day—particularly on a full moon (Pournami) day, and even more special if the full moon falls on a Friday. Tradition also holds that Thiruvudai Amman, Vadivudai Amman, and Kodiyidai Amman were sculpted by the same artisan, which is why their divine forms share a similar appearance.

Inner and Outer Prakaram

The Nandi here has a unique posture. Instead of facing the main deity, it is positioned outward toward the east, as if ready to support King Thondaiman, which is associated with the temple’s legend. In the prakaram surrounding the sanctum, devotees can see the idols of the four principal Nayanmars along with all 63 Nayanmars. On the northern side of this prakaram is the Nataraja Sabha, which faces south. Other sannidhis found within the prakaram include those of Dwarapalakas, King Thondaiman, Neelakanta Shivacharya, and Mahavishnu with his consorts Sreedevi and BhooDevi. Nearby, there is also a ‘Rasa’ Shivalinga, made from a mixture of mercury and silver, which was consecrated at a later period.

Saint Arunagirinathar, the renowned poet-saint and devotee, composed three beautiful hymns in praise of Lord Muruga in his celebrated work Tiruppugazh. In the northern outer prakaram of the temple, there is a dedicated east-facing sannidhi where Muruga appears with four divine arms, accompanied by his consorts Valli and Deivanai. In the eastern outer prakaram, a separate south-facing sannidhi is present for Bhairava. Notably, this temple does not have a sannidhi for the Navagrahas, the nine celestial deities. According to ancient legends, the revered sage Vasishta chose this sacred place for his penance, through which he was blessed with the divine cow Kamadenu. The Dwajasthambam, Balipeetam, and Nandi are aligned in a straight line with the eastern entrance of the temple.