Tirupulliruku Velur, popularly known as Vaitheeswaran Koil, is one of the most important Saivite shrines of Tanjore District. Situated on the northern side of the river Kaveri, Vaitheeswaran Koil is a railway station on the Madras-Mayavaram line.There are several choultries at Vaithee- swaran Koil for the accommodation of pilgrims. This shrine is known under several names like lalayapuri, Vedapuri, Panarapuri, Pathiripuri, Angarakapuram and Ambikapuram. But Vaitheeswaran Koil is the popular name as it is said that God came as a Vaidya and cured Angaraka of his leprosy
The beautiful temple is enclosed within tall granite walls and is in the centre of the town. In the east and western sides of the temple, there are big majestic towers andthere is one small tower on the rear side of the temple. There are two big corridors and separate inner corridors for the temple of God and Goddess. The Deity enshrined here is known as Vaidyanatha Eswarar and Goddess is Tayyalnayaki Devi. There are many minor deities along the corridors of the temple. As you enter from the western entrance you see two Dhwajastambha pillars, one of gold and the other of silver, and east of the western outer corridor there is the deity Kumara Guruparaswami and in the northern corridor Selvamuttukumaraswami is enshrined in a small temple adorned with a small tower.
The Sthala vriksha, the sacred Neem Margosa tree, is in the eastern outer corridor. The important Teertham known as Siddhamurta Teertham is a big tank lying south of the temple of the Goddess in the southern corridor. There are several deities like Sri Nataraja, Sivakami, Durga, Sun, Angaraka, Sapta Kannikas, 63 Nayanmars, etc., in the southern corridor. There is also another Teertham known as Jatayu Kunda near-by where it is believed that Rama and Lakshmana cremated Jatayu. There are images of Rama, Lakshmana, and Vishwamitra. Vasishtha and Jatayu near the Kunda. Singaravelar, Ayyanar, Mariamman, Draupadi, Bhikshatanar and Angaraka are the other Deities enshrined near-by.
Muruga enshrined here is known as Selvamuttukumaraswami. All the Navagrahas are also here and among them Angaraka is worshipped with great reverence and thus this shrine is also known as Angaraka Kshetra. It was here that God Muruga obtained the trident Jatayu. At the dying request of Jatayu, Sri Rama brought his remains here and cremated them. As King Veera Serva was listening to Siva Puranam he escaped being attacked by tuberculosis, but his son got this disease. This son Chitrasena came to this Kunda under the instructions of his guru and offered Puja to this Kunda and wore the sacred ash available here. Immediately he was relieved of his illness as many others are, who come nowadays with similar complaints.
Tiru Chandu Pills. This is purported to be the medicine, which Vaidyanatha gave to Angaraka to cure his illness. Pilgrims who come here to get their illness cured take this medicine after observing the following directions. They are first required to take bath in the Angasanatana Teertham on an auspicious day during the Sukla Paksha, get the Mrittika mud in a new pot to the temple, mix it with sacred ash and a few drops of water from Siddhamurta Teertham. They should grind this into a paste and offer it in prayer to the Goddess and take it in with a little water from the Teertham, whereby they will be relieved of any sort of illness. After the abhishekam, the feet of Lord Subrahmanya are covered with sandal paste mixed with saffron powder in equal weight and devotees receive it as prasad.'The traditional belief that the birds Jatayu and Sampati, the Rigveda, Lord Subrahmanya and the Sun all offered worship to Siva here is strengthened by the reference to the place in Thevaram as Pull Iruku Vel Ur Pull means birds; Iruku is the Rigveda; Vel stands for Subrahmanya; Ur, the Sun.
Siddhamurta Teertham. This is the most important Teertham of all, and is situated in front of the Goddess' temple. It - is also known as Goksheera Teertham. AsKamadhenu in Krita Yuga bathed the deity here with her milk which flowed into this Teertham; Ikshusara Teertham as it tasted like cane juice; Jatayu Teertham as Jatayubathed here in Dwapara Yuga. It is here that a Brahmin called Sundara got rid of his white leprosy and Angaraka of his red leprosy
Moreover it was with this Teertham that Daksha had his head and body joined together after Siva punished him for his disrespect. A Muni called Sadamantha was in puja near the tank after bathing therein, when a frog chased by a snake from the tank jumped on to him. Disturbed, he pronounced that there should be no snake or frog in this tank. Accordingly even to this day, no frog or snake can be seen in this tank.
Kodanda Teertham is in the southwestern corner of the temple and a deity of Sri Rama is enshrined here. It is also here that Triseelam was cured of his neck trouble by bathing.
When Sri Rama was living in the forest with his wife Sita and brother Lakshmana, they came here and offered prayers to their ancestors. Hence this Teertham is known as Rama Teertham. The Sthalavriksha is the Vanni tree.
There are a few stone inscriptions of note in this temple and eight of such inscriptions relate to the period of the later Chola kings of Tanjore and the early Maharatta kings.Tirujnana Sambandar, Tirunavukkarasu, Arunagirinathar, Vaduganta Desikar, Sivajnana Desikar, Kumaraguruparaswami, Padikkasu. Tambiran, Chidambara Muni, etc., are the well-known saints who visited and sang in praise of this shrine in the past.
This temple has extensive landed properties including 1176 acres of dry lands and 6105 of wet lands. Jewels to the value of Rs. 1,60,750 are kept here to adorn the deities during festival days, and in recent years many additions like silver and gold cover for the, images, gem-set crown, etc., have been added to the collections by the devotees and the head of the Dharmapuri Adheenam. There is a big car to take the image in procession during the Chitra festival and it was recently constructed at a cost of Rs.12000/-. Many silver and gold trays have also been endowed by the rich devotees and are used during the important festivals. This temple is administered ably by the Dharmapuri Adheenam.
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