Main god : Lord Shiva
Deities : Ganesha, Dakshinamoorthy, Surya and Chandra.
Location : Arulmighu Vijayanathar Temple
Tiruvisayamangai, Govindhaputhur
Pullapoothankudi Post
Kumbakonam Taluk
Thanjavur District – 612301
Phone : 94435 86453, 93443 30834
Festivals :
Masi Maha Shivrathri is grandly celebrated in the temple in February-March.
Temple Opening Time :
The temple is open from 8.00 a.m. to 12.00 a.m. and from 5.00 p.m. to 7.00 p.m.
Temple :
Vijayamangai Vijayanatheswarar Temple is a Hindu temple located at Tiruvijayamangai in Thanjavur district of Tamilnadu, India. The presiding deity is Shiva. He is called as Vijayanatheswarar. His consort is known as Mangalanayagi. Tiruvijayamangai is situated at a distance of 4 kilometres fromThiruppurambiyam in Thanjavur district and 11 kilometres from Kumbakonam. Lord Shiva in the temple is a Swayambumurthy. The scar caused by the hit of Arjuna’s bow is still visible on the Linga.
This is the 101st Devaram Paadal Petra Shiva Sthalam and 47th Sthalam on the north side of river Cauvery in Chozha Nadu. Thiruganasambhandar has sung hymns in praise of Lord Shiva of this temple.
Legends
According to the Indian epic Mahabharata, Arjuna desired to get the Pasupatha missile to conquer the Kurukshetra war. Lord Krishna told him that though he got many weapons with the blessings of his father Indira, for Pasupatha he had to appeal to Lord Shiva only. Arjuna came to this place and performed penance on Lord Shiva. Dhuryodhana sent demon Mookasura to spoil the penance and kill Arjuna. Lord Shiva appeared at the spot as a hunter with Mother Parvathi followed by four dogs representing the four Vedas. Lord shot an arrow on the Mookasura pig and killed it while simultaneously Arjuna too hit the pig with his arrow.
An argument arose between and Hunter Lord and Arjuna as to whose arrow hit the animal first. War of words between the two ended in true fight. Lord broke Arjuna’s arrow. Exasperated Arjuna hit the Lord with the broken arrow and the impact of the blow was felt by all in the three worlds. Lord appeared before him with Mother Parvathi in his true form and blessed him with the Pasupatha weapon.
The scar on the Linga is still visible on the Linga. As Arjuna-Vijaya performed penance here, the place was named Tiru Vijaya Mangai. Lord Shiva in the temple is a Swayambumurthy. The scar caused by Arjuna is still visible on the Shiva Linga.
The Temple
The temple was constructed by the Medieval Cholas in accordance with contemporary Chola designs. The presiding deity is Shiva and the consort is Mangalanayagi or Mangalambikai. There are smaller shrinesto Ganesha, Dakshinamoorthy, Surya and Chandra.
Presiding deity Lord Shiva is facing east. Mother Mangalambikai is facing south. There are shrines of Lords Nardana Vinayaka, Anugraha Dakshinamurthy, Sun and Moon.
The temple is built in accordance with the Chola designs. The one different feature of the temple is that the Rajagopuram is smaller than the tower above the sanctum sanctorum. Mother Mangala Nayaki graces devotees with her two hands with Abhaya Mudra (assuring protection to devotees), one with Akshamala and Neelothpala flower in the fourth. Saint Arunagiriar had sung the glory of Lord Muruga in the temple in his Thirupugazh hymns.
The temple is small but maintained beautifully. The Kumbabishekam might have been conducted in recent years. Only Dakshinamoorthy is seen in koshta moortham. Moolavar vimanam is higher than the entrance small Rajagopuram. There is a scar on Moolavar due to Arjuna’s arrow.
Significance
It is one of the shrines of the 275 Paadal Petra Sthalams – Shiva Sthalams glorified in the early medieval Tevaram poems by Tamil Saivite Nayanars Tirugnanasambandar and Tirunavukkarasar. This is the 47th Shiva temple on the northern bank of Cauvery praised in Thevaram hymns.
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