Sayavaneswarar Temple Explained

Sayavaneswarar Temple
Map Type:India Tamil Nadu
Coordinates:11.1306°N 79.79°W
Country:India
State:Tamil Nadu
District:Mayiladuthurai
Location:Tamil Nadu, India
Deity:Sayavaneswarar(Shiva)
Architecture:Dravidian architecture

The Sayavaneswarar Temple or Chaayaavaneswarar is a Hindu temple situated in the village of Thirusaikkadu [or Thiruchaykkadu or Chaayavanam] near Kaveripoompattinam or Puhar, Mayiladuthurai in Mayiladuthurai district of Tamil Nadu, India. The presiding deity is the Hindu god Shiva. The temple dates from the time of the Medieval Cholas. The Saivite Nayanmars have sung of the temple in their songs.

The Temple

Tiruvaiyaru, Mayiladuthurai, Thiruvidaimarudur, Thiruvenkadu, Chayavanam and Srivanchiyam are considered equivalents of Kasi. Like in Kasi, where the city is centered around Kashi Vishwanath Temple, the temples in these towns along the banks of river Cauvery, namely Aiyarappar temple in Thiruvaiyaru, Mahalingeswarar temple in Thiruvidaimarudur, Mayuranathaswamy temple in Mayiladuthurai, Chayavaneswarar temple in Sayavanam, Swetharanyeswarar temple in Thiruvenkadu, Srivanchinadhaswamy Koil in Srivanchiyam are the centerpieces of the towns.[1] [2]

Idol Theft

An idol of Standing Sambandar was stolen sometime between 1965 and 1975 (There is documentary proof from 1958 by the French Institute of Pondicherry) and was traced by the Idol Wing of the Tamil Nadu Criminal Investigation Department (IW-CID) with the help of volunteer-collective India Pride Project to National Gallery of Australia in Australia and was successfully recovered in 2022.[3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8]

Literary mention

Tirugnanasambandar describes the feature of the deity as:[9]

Tirunavukkarasar describes the feature of the deity as:[10]

References

Notes and References

  1. Book: Venkatraman, Sekar. Temples of Forgotten Glory: A Wide Angle Exposition. 172. 9781645876250. Notion Press. 2019.
  2. Book: Ayyar, P. V. Jagadisa. South Indian Shrines: Illustrated. 244. Asian Educational Service. 1993. 81-206-0151-3. 2nd. New Delhi.
  3. Web site: Bringing back our heritage: Return of Tamil Nadu Antiquities. pib.gov.in. 19 August 2023.
  4. Web site: S.. Vijay Kumar. IDs of two more idols in OZ found, time for their return. Times of India. 19 August 2023. 30 March 2016. ... missing from this report was the Sambandar which too is now stranded in Australia. An analysis of the photos published in the book 'Shadows of Gods' — jointly published by the IFP and the Pondicherry Centre of the French School of Asian Studies and released by PM Modi and French President François Hollande – shows a striking resemblance between the idol in Australia to that which IFP photographed at Sayavanam near Sirkazhi in 1958. ....
  5. . National Gallery Of Australia Returns 14 Works Of Art To India . Canberra . National Gallery of Australila . July 29, 2021 . August 20, 2023.
  6. News: National Gallery of Australia returns 14 art works including Chola idols. The Hindu. 20 August 2023. 29 July 2021.
  7. News: Sivarajah. Padmini. 10 antiques from Tamil Nadu temples restituted. Times of India. 19 August 2023. 1 June 2022. ... The standing Sambandar was documented by the French Institute in Puducherry as belonging to the Sayavanam temple in 1960. ....
  8. News: Temples get back idols returned by US, Aus . DT Next. 19 August 2023. 10 June 2022. ... the Sambandar idol was given to the Nagapattinam Sayavaneswarar Temple. ....
  9. Gnanasambandar Tevaram, II: 38: 7
  10. Tirunavukkarasar Tevaram, IV: 65: 10