275 Thevara Shivasthalam !! Thiruchenkkattankudi Thiru Ganapatheeswarar Temple !!

 
 
 Jai Sriman Narayana !!
 
 
 
 
Jaya Jaya Sankara Hara Hara Sankara !!
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Thiruchenkattangudi/Ganapatheecharam is one of the 275 Thevara Shivasthalam of Lord Shiva located in Thirukkannapuram, Nagapattinam District, Tamil Nadu.  In this temple Lord Shiva worshipped in the form of a self-manifest Linga.
 
Presiding deity – Sri Utharapasupatheeswarar/Ganapatheeswarar with his consort Goddess Sri Soonikambal/Thirukkuzhalnayaki
 
Mangalasasanam – Thirunavukkarasar, Thiru Gnana Sambandhar
Saint Arunagirinathar sung praising the glories of Lord Subramanya in this temple
 
Theertham –Sathya Theertham
 
Sthalavruksham –Aththivuksham
 
Sannidhis – Lord Ganesha, Lord Nandikeshwara, Lord Subramanya with his consorts Goddesses Sri Valli & Deivayanai, Bikshanadamurthi, Kalasamharamurthi, Kangalamurthi, Urdhwathandavamurthi, idols of Siruthondar with his wife Thiruvengattunangai, son Seerala Thevar, Sandananangai (servant), 63 Nayanmar, Lord Bhairava, Goddess Durga,  Veeratta Linga, Viswalingam, Bujangalingam, Gajasamharar, Tripurari, Lord Brahma, Ardhanareeswarar, Nalvar, Sankhapathumanithi, Ashtamurthi,
 
Festivals – Maha Shivaratri, Panguni Uthiram, Arudra Darisanam, Markazhi Utsavam, Aippasi Annabhishekam, Thiru Karthikai, Chithirai-Thiruvonam Vizha,
 
Significance – Paramjyothi was the minister of King Narasimhavarman of Pallava Dynasty.  Once there was a battle between the Kingdom of  Pallavas and Chalukyas.  Paramjyothi led the war against the King Pulikesi of Chalukya Dynasty.  At last, Paramjyothi won the battle against Chalukyas and as a remembrance an idol of   Lord Ganesha was brought from Vatapi, capital of Chalukya Dynasty.    Later it was sanctified and installed in this temple was famously known as Vatapi Ganapathi.  Ganesha Chathurthi is widely celebrated in this temple.
 
Life of  Thiru Siruthonda Nayanar/Paramjyothi Nayanar:
 
Life of  Thiru Aiyadikal Kadvarkon Nayanar:
 
 King Aiyadikal Kadvarkon was a righteous ruler of Pallava Dynasty.  He was a passionate devotee of Lord Shiva, admired the devotion of Thiru Siruthonda Nayanar and earnestly desired to visualize Lord.    Lord instructed the King to carve a magnificent idol so that the he would be able to envision Lord.   Instantly, King ordered to create a splendid idol of Lord Pasupatheeswara.  The construction of the idol work stretched for some time, the idols made were not pleasing to King.   The workers engaged in the idol work were frustrated at the outcome on each idol created.  In the meantime there appeared a saintly person asking for water to quench his thirst, the frustrated craft person poured the molten metal on his alm pot instead of water.  The saintly person pleasurably swallowed the molten metal and turned out an idol.  Instantaneously Lord Shiva revealed his enthralling form to the King and everyone assembled.   King was delighted to see the captivating beauty of the idol of Lord Utharapasupatheeswara and consecrated the same in this temple.  A grand festival ‘Sembakapoo Vizha’ was performed in the month of Chithirai – Thiruvonam to commemorate this incident. 
 
Lord Shiva performed one of the cosmic dance forms ‘Ubhaya Padha Nruthyam’ in this temple.
  
 
 
 

The legend has that there was a demon Gajamukha who has elephant face and the body of human being.  He tormented the life of deities and Sages.   All the deities were approached Lord Shiva sought for protection.  Lord Shiva instructed Lord Ganesha to vanquish the demon and reinstate peace.  Lord Ganesha entered in a battle with the demon Gajamukha and beheaded him.  Soon Lord Ganesha was afflicted with the sin.  He arrived on this sacred land and underwent severe austerities praying to Lord Shiva.  Eventually, Lord Shiva was pleased at the devotion of Lord Ganesha and appeared before him as a self-manitested Linga. Thus Lord Ganesha was relieved from the curse and the place has got it name Ganapatheecharam.  This is the place where the demon Gajamukha was killed by Lord Ganesha, it resulted in the formation a wild river out of the blood of Gajamukha came to known as Thiruchenkkattankudi.
 
This temple remains open from 6.30 AM to 12.00PM in the morning and 4.30 PM to 8.00 PM in the evenings.
 
 
 
Jaya Jaya Sankara Hara Hara Sankara !!
 
 
 
 
Jai Sriman Narayana !!

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