Legend - A Gandarva was travelling through the heavens, consuming fruit as he journeyed. A seed from the fruit he was eating became dislodged and fell to the earth below, landing upon the sage Durvasa, who was deep in a state of spiritual penance. The descending seed disturbed Durvasa's intense meditation, breaking his concentration and invoking his ire. Enraged by this interruption, the sage cursed the Gandarva to be reborn in the form of a Naarai, a bird characterized by its slender gull, forked tail, and narrow wings. The Gandarva, now trapped in an avian body, beseeched Durvasa for relief from this punishment. In response, the sage instructed him to perform the sacred ritual of Abisheka, the ceremonial bathing of a deity, for the Shiva linga at this location using water collected from the holy Ganges River in the city of Varanasi. The Gandarva, determined to atone for his perceived transgression and liberate himself from the curse, diligently followed Durvasa's counsel. Each day, the bird would fly to the banks of the Ganges, fill its beak with the sanctified water, and return to the site of the Shiva linga, where it would carefully and reverently perform the Abisheka ritual. Through this dedicated act of devotion and penitence, the Gandarva ultimately regained his original celestial form, freed from the sage's curse. The place where this transformative event occurred came to be known as Naaraiyur.
On one fateful return journey, the bird found itself caught in a fierce storm, buffeted by heavy rains and powerful winds. As it struggled to navigate through the tempestuous weather, a few feathers were torn loose from the plumage and were carried away by the gale. A few precious drops of Ganges water too fell from its beak. These fallen drops formed a small pond at the site, which came to be known as Karunya Theertham, Located just outside the temple. The place where the gandarva's feathers touched earth is said to be located three kilometers away from Tirunaaraiyur, at a site known as Siragu-Izhanda-Nallur, or "the place where wings were shed." Here, another temple dedicated to Lord Shiva, called the Gyanapureeswar Temple, marks the sacred spot. This temple is revered as a 'Thevara Vaippu Thalam', a term denoting a site that is extolled in the Thevaram, the sacred Tamil hymns of the Nayanars.
Significance - The temple, though dedicated to Lord Shiva, is prominently known as 'Polla Pillayar' temple featuring a unique idol of Vinayaka known as "Polla Pillayar." This name, meaning "the Ganesha who wasn't chiseled," refers to the fact that the Vinayaka idol is a swayambhu murti, or self-manifested deity, rather than one carved by human hands. According to local legend, a devotee named Ananthesar regularly performed puja rituals for this Vinayaka and would distribute the offered prasad to devotees before returning home empty-handed. When questioned by his young son Nambi-andar-nambi about the lack of remaining prasad, Ananthesar would explain that Vinayaka had eaten it all. On one occasion when Ananthesar was called away on an errand, he entrusted the puja duties to Nambi. The boy made the offerings to Vinayaka but, remembering his father's words, waited expectantly for the deity to consume the prasad. As time passed with the naivedya remaining untouched, the frustrated Nambi banged his head against the Vinayaka idol, imploring him to accept the sacred offerings. At this display of pure devotion, Lord Vinayaka himself appeared before the astonished boy and partook of the naivedya, demonstrating the power of sincere faith and the special bond between the deity and his devotees at this ancient temple.
Tirumurai - The Tirumurai, a revered collection of Tamil devotional poetry composed by the Nayanars, owes its preservation and compilation to the compassionate intervention of Polla Pillayar. During the reign of Raja Raja Chola I, also known as Raja-Raja-Abaya-Kula-Shekara Chola, efforts were made to gather and organize the sacred 'pathikam' hymns sung by the three principal Nayanars - Appar, Sambandar, and Sundarar. However, the exact location of these palm-leaf manuscripts remained a mystery. Upon learning of the esteemed reputation of Nambi-andar-nambi, a renowned scholar and devotee, the Chola king sought his assistance in this monumental task. Nambi, in turn, sought divine guidance from Lord Vinayaka, the remover of obstacles. In response to his fervent prayers, a celestial voice revealed that the palm leaves bearing the precious 'pathikam' were housed within the Chidambaram Nataraja Temple, specifically in a mandapa situated in the south-western corner of the complex. To this day, devotees can pay homage to the Vinayaka located in the western inner prakaram of chidambaram temple, who played an instrumental role in the rediscovery of these sacred text.
The discovery and compilation of the Tirumurai, involves the Chola king Raja Raja Abhaya Kulashekara, the saint Nambi Andar Nambi, and a woman named Paadini who was divinely chosen to set the verses to music. The king and Nambi journeyed to the Nataraja Temple in Chidambaram where they unearthed ancient palm-leaf manuscripts containing the sacred hymns, hidden away in a snake pit. Nambi meticulously organized the fragile leaves into seven volumes to preserve this treasure. However, the king and Nambi recognized that these divine verses were meant to be sung, so they ardently prayed to Lord Shiva at Erukathampuliyur for guidance on setting the proper meter and rhythm for the hymns. In response to their earnest pleas, they received a divine message that Paadini, a woman descended from the lineage of the revered Tiruneelakanda Yaazhpanar, was destined to set the Tirumurai to music. Overjoyed by this revelation, the king and Nambi sought out Paadini and brought her to Chidambaram where, in the presence of an assembly of scholars and devotees, she skillfully matched each verse to an appropriate Pann (melodic framework), bringing the Tirumurai to life through music. The Chola king and Nambi are honored for their pivotal roles with idols of them erected opposite the sanndhi of Vinayaka, who guided them to the location of the manuscripts in his form as Polla Pillaiyar.
The temples known as 'Arupdai Veedu' in connection with Muruga is widely recognized for its significance. Similarly, Vinayaka also has his own collection of six 'padai' veedu. Tirunaaraiyur 'Polla Pillayar' is the first 'padai' veedu for Vinayaka. The others are :- Tiruvannamalai, Virudachalam, Tirukadayur, Trichy 'Uchi' Pillayar and Pillayar Patti Karpaga Vinayaka.
Temple Layout - The Soundareshwarar Temple, spanning an impressive 5.5 acres, and the serene karunya theertham pond lies just outside the eastern entrance, setting a tranquil tone. Passing through the entrance, visitors are greeted by a small Vinayaka and a mandapam housing the Nandi. The absence of a traditional dwajasthambam flag-staff is notable. The striking focal point is undoubtedly the soaring 78-foot tall, three-tiered rajagopuram gateway tower, an awe-inspiring sight that draws the eye heavenward. The presiding deity, Soundareshwarar, manifests as a linga facing east, revered as Suyam-Prakasha Eeshwarar due to the deity's self-manifested nature. Circumambulating the central sanctum via the pathway, one encounters a series of sannidhis or shrines. To the west resides Subramanya, while Gajalakshmi graces the north-west. The northern side features Tirumoolanathar, Chandikeshwarar, and the sacred sthala vruksham punnai tree. In the north-east quadrant, devotees pay respects to Sri Bhairavar, Surya, Chandra, and the Navagrahas. The temple's pantheon is further enriched by the goshta murthas, including Vinayaka, Dakshinamurthy, Lingothbhavar, Brahma, and Goddess Durga. TripuraSundari, the divine female consort, resides in her own separate south-facing temple within the north-eastern outer prakaram. One of the temple's most unique features is the crescent moon-shaped vimana above the presiding deity's sannidhi, adorned with a double kalash - a rare sight symbolizing the sacred union of Shiva and Shakthi. The presence of a dedicated Natarajar sannidhi adds to the temple's spiritual vibrancy. An unusual arrangement can be found in the twin Chandikeshwarar sannidhis, one each for Sowndareshwarar and Tirumoolanathar, placed side by side. The prakaram also houses three Bhairavars together, whose darshan is considered auspicious.
Shankata-hara Chaturthi, Vinayaka Chaturthi, Kruthikai, Skanda-Shashti, Pradosham, and Maha Shivarathiri are among the notable festivals celebrated at this temple. In addition to these festivals, the temple hosts the annual Tirumurai festival of Nambi-guru puja on the day of the Punarvasu nakshatra in the Tamil month of Vaikasi. This occasion commemorates the attainment of moksha by the saint Sri Nambi Andar Nambi.
Both TiruGyanasambandar and TiruNaavukkarasar have extolled the deity enshrined within Tirunaraiyur, in their pathikam.
Rajagopuram
Navagraha
Karunya Theertham
Polla Pillayar
Chandikeshwarar
Sanishwarar, Bhairavar and Surya