PALLIKONDESWARATEMPLE, CHITTUR DISTRICT- ANDHRA PRADESH-COMPILED Dear friends,
Pallikondeswarar Temple is a Shiva temple located in Surutapalli, in the Chittoordistrict of Andhra Pradesh. It's situated near the Andhra- Tamil Nadu border,about 55 km from Chennai, on the Chennai-Tirupathi Highway. This temple isunique as it's the only one where Lord Shiva is depicted in a reclining posture, lying on the lap ofGoddess Parvathi, Lord Shiva is in areclining posture, known as Pallikondeswara, on the lap of his consort Parvati(also known as Sarvamangala or Sarva Mangalambika). This representation isunusual for Shiva temples, which typically feature a Lingam (aniconic symbol)as the main deity. The temple is believed to be of Vijayanagara origin, datingback to the 16th century, and is also associated with the Chola dynasty. Today my posting is about this temple. Thetemple is on the banks of the river Arani, close to the border of Tamil Nadu. Thisis one of the five Pancha Brahma sthalam. Hope a divine reading. Gopalakrishnan 6-8-2025. Origins and Mythology: The temple's name, Pallikondeswara, translates to"reclining deity," referencing Lord Shiva's unique posture. The reclining pose is linked to Hindu mythology, particularlythe story of Shiva consuming hala hala poisonduring the churning of the cosmic ocean (Samudra Manthan) to savethe world. After consuming the poison, he felt dizzy and rested on Parvati'slap. The temple is also knownas Pradosha Kshetram, a place associated with the Pradosha time of worship,which is considered auspicious for Shiva. It is also believed that sage Valmiki visited and worshippedShiva here before composing the Ramayana, leading to the temple also beingreferred to as Valmikeeswara. Additionally, the temple is associated with Lord Rama'svisit after his victory over Ravana, accompanied by Sita and his brothers. Legend in detail Due to the curse of sageDurvasa , Indra lost his position in Indraloka . The demons took over hiskingdom. To regain his lost position, the divine guru Brihaspati said that heshould churn the ocean of milk and consume the elixir to gain strength . With the help of Tirumal, the gods and demons churned theocean of milk on one side and the demons on the other, using the snake Vasukias a rope and the Mantra Mountain as a drink, on the day of Ekadashi. As per the legends, during the Samudra Manthana (Churning ofPaarkadal - Ksheera sagara or Ocean of milk) Mount Mandara was used as thechurner, and Vasuki the serpent king who adorns Shiva's neck, was used as thechurning rope. Amritham (elixir) came out of the ocean. While churning a deadly poison called Halahala escapedfrom Vasuki's mouth/cameout of the milky ocean.The poison was so lethal and powerful,it could have destroyed all the livingbeings. The Devas approached Shiva for protection. Without hesitation Shivaconsumed the poison to protect the three worlds. Parvathi immediately clutched his throat stopping the poisongoing beyond his throat any further. Shiva's throat turned blue and he becameto be known as Neelakandan.( Neela = blue, Kanda = throat inSanskrit),Nanjundan ( one who drank poison). After the task wascompleted, Shiva and Parvathy left for Kailash and on the way, he feltexhausted and uncomfortable due to the poison, He lied down reclining on thelaps of Parvathi. Hence, he is called as Pallikondeeswarar. Historical Context: Historical evidence indicates this temple was built during14th Century by Hari Hara and Bukka Raya of the Vijayanagara kingdom in 14thCentury. The temple's architecture reflects a blend of Dravidianstyles, featuring towering gopurams (gateway towers) and intricately carvedmandapams (pillared halls). An inscription indicates that a princess from Kalahastirenovated the temple in 1833, further adding to its historical layers. Architecture The temple is built inDravidian style. The temple is huge with big prakarams. As you enter throughthe three-tiered gopuram, you can see the vast courtyard. You can see the BaliPeetam,the Dwajasthambam and a big Pradosha Maha Nandhi in front of Sri Ramalingeswarar Sannidhi.The main entrance to the inner prakaram is a little left on the side. Instead of Dwarapalakas, you can seeKuberan Sanganidhi and Kuberan Padmanidhi with their wives. Chief deity As you to exit the prakaram, on the right side is the big andseparate sannidhi for Pallikondeswarar, Shiva in a reclining form that isunique in this temple. Inside the sanctum on a two feet tallpedestal, you can see Lord Siva idol , a massive 16 feet in length, seen lyingon the laps of Parvathi,Sarvamangalmbigai. To this moolavar only thaila kappu ( anointing with oil) isdone. Another unique feature in this Shiva sannidhi is , there isno Vibuthi (holy ash) given. Only Theertha(holy water) is given and sadari is applied on the headsimilar to Vaishnava temples. The deity in Surutupalli temple is called as Bhoga SayanaSiva. This icon of Shiva in this temple is in complete vigraha rupa which is arare feature, unlike the linga swarupa in most Shiva temples. This lying posture of Shiva is rare and unique, is almostsimilar to Vishnu’s reclining posture. The name Surutupalli comesfrom ‘Palli’ which means resting and ‘Surutta’ which means a little dizzy. The granite sculpture of the reclining Bhgawan Shiva is hugeand about 16 feet, as also the image of the seated Devi Parvathi by the side ofBhagwan Shiva. Sun God and Moon God are present on either side of DeviParvathi; Bhagwan Maha Vishnu, Brahma, Lakshmi, Sage Markandeya, Sage Agastya,Sage Valmiki, Indra, Sage Narada, Sanaka and Sananda Munis, Nandikeshwara,Bhagwan Subrahmanya with His Consorts, Bhagwan Ganapathy and many devas andrishis are present in the sanctum sanctorum as sculptures. The whole Kailasam is said to have assembled there, a scenewhich cannot be seen in any other temple. Sub deities There is a big separate sannidhi for Goddess Maragathambal in a standingposture called Simma Vahini (Lion as Vahanam). In the entrance on the left isthe Salagrama Ganeshaand to the right is Subramanyawith consorts Valli and Devayanai. Just outside Ambal sannidhi is Karpka Vritcham and on theleft side is the Kamadhenu. There are idols of the Nayanmars around thesannidhi. Before you could go to Valmikiswarar sannidhi, you can seeidols of Ekapadhathrimurthy,Jwaraharamurthy,Goddess Rajamathangi,Sandikeswarar and Saptha mathas. There is asannidhi to the right of Marahadhambal sannidi for the Valmikiswarar, in aswayambu linga(self-manifested) form. Opposite is another sannidhi for Ramalingeswarar withParvathi. Dakshina Murthy with AmbalGowri is called 'Dambathya Dakshinamurthy'.They say this is unique and not seen in any other temples.There is a sannidhi next to the saptha mathas for Shiva utsavar. Outside thissannidhi on the entrance are SriVenugopalaswamy and to the right is Adhikara Nandhi. There are idols ofSuryan, Chandran, Indra, Markandeya and other sages are seen. There is an idolon the outside of this sannidhi for Adi Shankara , who is the reincarnation of Shiva. Kuber, the god of wealth with his wives Kauberi and Bhadra,are present in the temple entrance as Dwarapalakas. On either side of the DeviMarakathambika, Kamadhenu and Kalpaa viruksham are present. In the front,Salagrama Ganapathy murti is present. Appar, Sundarar, Sambandar, Kasi Viswanatha with Vislakshi, areall present in the inner prakaram. Subramanya with his consorts Valli andDevyani is present facing south. Next to him is the Rajamathangi shrine. In the courtyard, sageBhrigu, Brahma, Vishnu, Markandeya, Narada, the Saptarishis, and Indra areseated. Significance andWorship: The Pallikondeswara Temple is a popular pilgrimage site,attracting devotees from all over India, particularly during festivals andrituals. The temple's unique representation of Shiva, along with itsmythological and historical associations, makes it a significant religious andcultural landmark. Besidesthe main deity, the temple complex also houses shrines dedicated to otherdeities, including Ganesha, Kartikeya, Surya, Chandra, and sages like Narada. The temple is currently maintained and administered by theState Institute of Temple Administration (SITA) of the Government of AndhraPradesh. What is the Specialityof Surutapalli Temple? As far as history , the speciality of the temple is theposition of lord after consuming the poison resting on the lap of the goddess.The temple is in Surutapalli on the Chennai - Andhra border. This old temple isunique as we can see reclining Shiva in human form (It is usually Vishnu whoposes like this). It is believed that sage Valmiki visited this temple and did penance at this placebefore starting to write Ramayana and worshipped Bhagwan Shiva. Hence the nameValmikeeswara to the deity. It is also believed that Bhagwan Rama accompanied by his consort Seetha,brothers Lakshman, Bharat, Satrughan and hanuman visited this temple afterkilling Ravan and becoming the King of Ayodhya. The foot prints of BhagwanRama’s sons Lava and Kusa can also be found in this temple. The specialty of this temple being that all its deities arepresent with their consorts. They are: Pallikondeswara – Sarva Mangalaambikai;Valmeekeshwara – Marakathambika; Vinaayaka – Siddhi, Buddhi; Saasthaa (lordAyyappa)– Poorna, Pushakala; Kuber –Kauberi and Bhadra; Dakshinamoorthy– Taara; Kasi Viswanatha – Vislakshi The main deity Valmikeeswara in an unusual triangular shapedSwayambhu lingam. In front of the Valmikeeswara shrine, to the left, is presenta stone with many foot prints of kids which is said to be of Rama’s twin sonsLav and Kush. Kanchi Maha Swami Sri Chandrasekara Saraswathiswamigal once visited here and dida tapas here for 40 days according to the temple sources. KanchiShankara Paramacharya is said to have spent lot of time here meditating and iscredited with tracing the Ramayana period findings present in the form of footprints of Lav and Kush on a stone. A meditation hall is constructed in thistemple in his memory. Beliefs Eligible Boys and girls, whose marriage are hindered ordelayed, light 'Nei despams' (ghee lamps) equivalent to their age in front of'Thambathya Dakshinamurthy' sannidhi, their obstacles are said to be removedand get married.(A 24-year-old will light 24 deepams) Pradosham is veryimportant here, and whoever visit during pradosham days are said to achievewhat they desire in life. Festivals Pradosham is important here. Apart fromPradoshams,Sivarathiri,Maha Siva rathiri, Navaratri, Aipasi Annabishekam inOct-November,Thiruvadhirai in Dec-January, are celebrated here. Details aboutPradosham Pradosham-The performance of Pradosha pooja atthis temple is noteworthy. Pradosham, the fortnightly festival is celebrated inall the south Indian temples. Pradosha or Pradosham is a bimonthly occasion onthe thirteenth day (trayodasi) of every fortnight in Hindu calendar. It is closely connected with the worship of Bhagwan Shiva.The auspicious 3-hour period, i.e., 1.5 hours before and after the sunset isone of the ideal time for worship of Bhagwan Shiva. In the Pradosha, period theSun and the Moon meet in a horizontal line during their movement on their Axis. Bhagwan Shiva swallowed that poison. Then as per His orderthey resumed their effort to get Amrutham and succeeded in getting it ondwadasi (twelfth moon day). Without praying and thanking Him, by whom they gotAmrutham, Devas started dancing and celebrating their victory. On trayodasi(thirteenth moon day) they realised their sin of not praying Bhagwan andpleaded for forgiveness. Bhagwan Shiva forgave them and danced between the horns of the Nandi(holy bull). That time when Bhagwan Shiva danced is called Pradosham. It isbelieved that whoever prays Bhagwan Shiva in that time, will get their wishesfulfilled and attain salvation. During Pradosha timeanointing (Abhishekam) the Shiva deity with the following is consideredfruitful. Milk gives long life, Ghee gives salvation, Curd gives goodchildren, Honey gives melodious voice, Rice powder frees one from debts, Sugarcane juice gives good health, Panchamrutham gives wealth, Lemon removes fear of death, Sugar removes enmity, Tender coconut gives enjoyment,Cooked Rice (Annam) gives majestic life,Sandalgives Lakshmi’s grace The above story gives a message that one should never forgetto show the gratitude to those who help them. It also tells that forgiveness isa divine quality one should cultivate (Like Bhagwan Shiva who pardons theDevas) Method of worship As one enters through the small Rajagopuram, the shrine ofValmikeeswara and Devi Marakathambika is on the left side and the shrine ofPallikondeswara is on the right side. People first worship Devi Marakathambika and thenValmikeeswara. Temple Timings The temple is open from 6:30 AM till 12:00 noon and from 4:00pm till 8:30 pm. DuringPradosha days the temple is open until 8:00pm without break. Dress code No stringent dress code exists for entering the temple , butdevotees are requested visit in a decent dress. Temple location The temple is 56 kms from Chennai in the Tamil Nadu APborder. The nearest airport is Chennai and there are several busservices from Chennai via Periapalayam (famous for Periyapalaythu Amman) . Youcan drive your car as the road is good. Contact Address of thetemple Sri Pallikondeeswaraswamy Devasthanam, Surutapalli,Nagalapuram Mandal Chittoor Dt. AP 517589 Contact Details:- 85762 78599, 073820 05038, and TempleArchaga: Ganesh Sharma - 98295 35741 & 88709 87829 How to reachPallikondeswara Temple? By Air: The nearest airport to the templeis located in Chennai at a distance of about 70 km. Tirupati (Reniguntaairport) is located at around 70 KMs from Surutupalli. By Rail: nearest railway station isSrikalahasti located at around 57 KMs. One can also go by train up to Chennaiand from there by road to reach the temple. By Road: Being a pilgrimage site, it is wellconnected by road from Tirupati, Puttur, Chennai and other major towns. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Thatha_Patty" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/thatha_patty/349179169.1714273.1754494490991%40mail.yahoo.com.
