Edaganathar temple
| Edaganathar Temple | |
|---|---|
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 Location in Tamil Nadu
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| Geography | |
| Coordinates | 9°35′N 77°35′E / 9.59°N 77.59°ECoordinates: 9°35′N 77°35′E / 9.59°N 77.59°E |
| Country | India |
| State | Tamil Nadu |
| District | Madurai |
| Location | Tiruvedagam |
| Culture | |
| Sanctum |
Edaganathar (Shiva) Elavrkuzhali (Parvathi) |
| Architecture | |
| Architectural styles | Dravidian architecture |
Edaganathar (Shiva)
Edaganathar Temple (ஏடகநாதர் கோயில்) is a Hindu temple dedicated to the deity Shiva, located in Thiruvedagam, a village in Madurai district in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The temple is located on the banks of Vaigai River. Shiva is worshipped as Edaganathar, and is represented by the lingam. His consort Parvati is depicted as Visalakshi. The presiding deity is revered in the 7th century Tamil Saiva canonical work, the Tevaram, written by Tamil saint poets known as the nayanars and classified as Paadal Petra Sthalam.
The temple complex covers five acres and it houses two gateway towers known as gopurams, each facing the Edaganathar and Elavrkuzhali shrine. The temple has a number of shrines, with those of Edaganathar and his consort being the most prominent.
The temple has six daily rituals at various times from 6:00 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., and four yearly festivals on its calendar. The Muthu Pandal festival is celebrated during the day of the Magam (February – March) is the most prominent festival.
The original complex is believed to have been built by Pandyan Empire, while the present masonry structure was built during the Nayak during the 16th century. In modern times, the temple is maintained and administered by the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department of the Government of Tamil Nadu.
As per Hindu legend, Jainism was the most prominent religion in the region. Sambandar challenged the Jainist scholars to compete against him. As per the rules of the competition, the scholars had to write their verses in palm leaf, float them in the river and the winner is decided when the leaf floated, while the lower work sunk. Sambandar's verses on a palm leaf (Edu) is said to have gone against the current of Vaigai and settled here, as opposed to the leaf floated by the once dominant Jains here, hence the name Tiruvedakam. It is believed that Shiva appeared at the place as Eduganathar, the one who let the leaf float. Vaaduvenra Vinaayakar here is said to have stopped the movement of the palm leaf in the guise of a fish, in response to Sambandar's patikam. Shiva here is believed to have been worshipped by Garuda, Adiseshan and Vishnu. As per local legend, the place was called Cetanur as Adisesha, the serpent snake of Vishnu worshipped Shiva and later went on the become Edakam.
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