Perumpuliyur, holds a unique position as one of the 'Pancha Puliyur' temples dedicated to Lord Shiva. The other four temples that complete this constellation are 1) Tirupathiripuliyur, 2) Perumpulatpuliyur (Chidambaram), 3) Erukkathampuliyu, and 4) Omampuliyur.
The temple's significance is deeply intertwined with the legend of the sage Vyagrapathar, the tiger legged sage. Having learned about the divine glory of Thillai Nataraja, the cosmic dancer form of Lord Shiva, from his father Mathyanthinar, Vyagrapathar journeyed Chidambaram. The sage's spiritual practice involved a meticulous daily ritual of picking the freshest flowers that had bloomed that very day and presenting them as offerings to the deity. Driven by an unwavering commitment to purity, Vyagrapathar sought to ensure that the flowers remained untouched by even the bees, which would feed on the pollen at dawn. To achieve this, he would climb the trees the night before, armed with the keen sight and dexterity of a tiger. It is said that he acquired tiger's feet to aid him in picking the flowers and tiger's eyes to discern and select only the most pristine blooms. This earned him the name Vyaakrapada, derived from "Vyaakra," meaning tiger in the ancient dialect. Perumpuliyur temple stands as a testament to Vyaakrapada's devotion, being one of the sacred sites where the tiger sage offered his heartfelt worship to Lord Shiva.
The Rajagopuram of this temple stands majestically, rising three levels into the sky and facing eastward. The intricate stone sculptures adorning the gopuram are remarkably well-preserved despite their venerable age. Passing through the ornate gateway of the gopuram, one enters the outer courtyard of the temple complex. Curiously absent is the flagpole often found in such temples - instead, a solitary altar occupies the space just within the entrance. Circumambulating the perimeter of the courtyard, the devotee encounters subsidiary sannidhis dedicated to the deities Surya and Vinayaka. Further on lies the sannidhi of Subramania with the deity within oriented to the east. The presiding deity of the temple, worshipped as a self-manifested Swayammurthy, rests upon an elaborately tiered altar in the form of a blooming lotus flower, the lower portion hewn from dark, gleaming stone and the upper part carved from exquisite, translucent jade. The sannidhi of the female deity SoundaraNayaki also faces eastward, the goddess bestowing her blessings upon the faithful in a standing posture. Perhaps the most remarkable and unique feature of this temple lies in its Navagraha shrine, where the nine planetary deities are all precisely positioned facing the central figure of Surya, the sun.
'Goshta Murtha' include Dakshinamoorthy on the southern side of the wall encircling the inner sanctum. Correspondingly, the western side of this enclosure, where one would customarily find a depiction of Lingodbhava, instead features a representation of Arthanariswarar, the androgynous composite form of Shiva and his consort Parvati. A shrine dedicated to Chandeswarar, occupies the northern side of the inner prakaram. Flanking the central shrine of Nataraja, the cosmic dancer, are two important figures: on one side stands Vyagrapathar, one of Shiva's foremost devotees, while on the other side sits the legendary sage Patanjali, compiler of the Yoga Sutras and Mahabhashya. Arunagirinathar has extolled the resident Lord Muruga in his hymns, collectively known as the Tirupugazh. Lord Muruga is in the company of his two consorts Valli and Deivanai. TiruGyaanasambandhar has also composed a pathikam in honor of this temple, which is documented in the second Thirumurai, one of the twelve volumes constituting the Shaivite canon.
Vinayaka
Dakshinamurthy
ArthaNareeswar
Goddess Soundara Nayaki
Inside view of the temple
Kala Bhairava
Four Primary Nayanmars
Idols in the prakaram
Vyagrapureeswarar