Panchavarneswar temple

There are many old temples around Kumbakkonam. THIRUNALLUR is between Kumbakkonam and Paapanasam. From the main road you have to go 2km. Very less bus service. It is an old temple by Chenkun Chola. This a "Maada Kovil" i.e. you have climb a flight of stairs to enter the temple. Here the God Lingam named as Panchavarneswar, because he is changing his colour for every six "nazegai"(2hr 24min). In morning nazegai, he is in copper colour, then 6-12 sight reddish, 12 to 18 golden colour, 18-24 Emrald colour and 24-30 a mixturer of different colours.

Temple poojari compares Lingam as Kailasa Parvat. That is, the pallette of colours is the same as when you saw Kailas from Manasarovar during different times of the day. The Lingam at Panchavarneswar temple, also shines in these colours.

There are also big statues of Shiva and Parvathi is behind the Lingam; named KALYANASUNDARAR and PARVATHI. There is one more Lingam in the same Aavudai, which was worshiped by Agasthiyar. Another speciality of this temple is that there are two Lingams in one Aavudai.

A big devotee of Lord Shiva and one of the 63 Nayanmar, Shri Thirunavukarsar had Padadharshanam here. Another speciality of this temple is that the icon of Lord Natarajar is with a stick ("Thalaikooal " ) in his right hand.

Ashtha Bujanga Kali also famous here.

A short documentary about this temple was also broadcast recently (on 5th April 2009) on Sun Tv channel as a part of their Teiva Tarshanam programme. I am also embedding the program below.

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