Tirumayanam Brahmapureeswarar Temple

Getting there

• By air

  Pondicherry Airport is the nearest airport to Mayiladuthurai town, about 116 km away.

• By train

  Mayiladuthurai is an important junction on the main line connecting Chennai with Trichy.

• By road

  Roadways and railways are the major ways to reach Mayiladuthurai town.

Why devotees come here

Tirumayanam Brahmapureeswarar Temple is a Shiva temple at Tirumayanam in Mayiladuthurai district, Tamil Nadu. It is one of the 275 Paadal Petra Sthalams, the Shiva shrines praised in the early medieval Tevaram hymns.

The temple's legend tells of the end of every eon. At that time Shiva burns Brahma, the creator, to ashes, and the legend says this happened at Tirumayanam too. The celestial beings, the devas, rushed to Shiva and begged him to give Brahma his life again, or creation would stop. Shiva relented and gave Brahma his life back.

The temple has several inscriptions about grants given to the temple for its daily maintenance and the practice of its daily rituals. The outer niches hold Chola era idols of Thirumal, Bhikshadanar, Durga, Lingodhbhava, Gangadhara and Ganapathy. Inside, the main sanctum holds a bronze idol of Singaravelar with Valli and Devasena.

Near the Dakshinamurthy idol, a statue of a Chola king stands with folded hands, worshipping the presiding deity, Shiva.

Festivals

• Panguni month (March to April), on Ashwini nakshathiram dayAshwini nakshathiram in Panguni

  Devotees bathe in the water of the temple well, Aswathi Kinaru.

Tips for your visit

• Devotees who cannot afford to travel to Kasi to bathe in the Ganges believe that bathing in the water of the temple well, Aswathi Kinaru, gives the same benefits.
• Near the Dakshinamurthy idol, look for the statue of a Chola king standing with folded hands in worship.

Questions people ask