The Largest Saivite Temple in the region has beautiful Sculptures and Lord Shiva in different exquisite postures depicted on Stone
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Appar and Sundarar’s Praise
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Festivals
Sundarar praises the temple as one where devotees offering their prayers with sincere devotion will be liberated from rebirth
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It is 230pm on a Monday afternoon and there is a big crowd that has already gathered outside the Eastern Raja Gopuram of the Patteeswarar Swamy Temple at Perur in the Western outskirts of Coimbatore. It is the Pradhosham day in Aani, a day that is celebrated in a grand way at this ancient Karikala Chozha period Appar and Sundarar praised temple.
By 330pm, the crowd outside the temple had gathered steam. Devotees came in large numbers in cars. The buses to Perur ran full. The face of the coconut vendor wore a delighted look for his entire bunch of over a 100 had been sold out by 330pm ahead of the coconut water abhishekam for Nandikeswarar. For a couple of hours, the several hundreds of devotees chanted the name of Lord Shiva as they watched in absolute devotion the archakas presenting the Abhishekam. Prasadam was presented in large quantities to every devotee in a traditional cup.
It is heartening to find that there are multiple archaka families presenting pooja for the Lord at this temple as contrasted with the hardship that those in remote Thevaram locations have been going through in recent decades.
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The temple, located on the banks of Kanchima River, is rich in history with the construction in the current form dating back to the period of Karikala Chozhan and architecture being the very best in the Kongu region.
The story goes that when the calf was drinking milk, her leg slipped and was stuck below the ground. The mother used her horn to dig the ground to help rescue the leg. Delighted at the commitment of the mother, Lord Shiva provided darshan here to the cow and hence came to be referred as Patteeswarar.
The Kanaka Sabha
The Mandapam in front of the Nataraja Sannidhi on the North was built about 450 years during the rule of the Nayaks of Thanjavur. Lined on either side of the Sannidhi are exquisite stone sculptures on the pillars depicting the various forms of Lord Shiva. The Nayaks were great devotees of Lord Rama. Hence, there is a beautiful Ramar Pattabhisekam sculpture at the entrance of the Sannidhi.
The Inscriptions on the outer Walls
On each of the walls of the outer prakaram, one finds innumerous inscriptions dating back a 1000 years that provide insights into the contributions to the temple during that period. Around the temple one finds various beautiful sculptures depicting various historical episodes.
Appar and Sundarar have sung praise of the Lord of Perur. Sundarar in his praise of the Perur Lord says that there will be no rebirth to one who offers his sincere prayers at this temple and invoking the blessings of the Lord.
ஆரூரத்தஆயிற்றமுதேஅழப்பூர்அம்மானே
கரூர்பொழிங்கள்உடைசூழ்புரதி
கருகாஓரானே
பேரூர்உறைவைபட்டிபெருமான்இறவாநதியானே
பாரூர்பலரும்தோற்றபடுவாய்பாசூர்அம்மானே -Sundarar
Special Features
As proof of that, when one goes to the burial ground after three months of the death, one finds the body having turned into a stone instead of remaining a skeleton.
When one takes the Tamarind seed from here and places it in another town, one finds much to one’s surprise that the seed does not find growth in that new region outside of the temple zone.
The cow dung of Perur is said never to lose its flavour.
The Archakas of Perur
Viswanathan Gurukal’s father M Subbu Rathina Gurukal performed great service at the temple for 75 years. Viswanathan Gurukal, who supported his father at the temple from a very young age, has now been here for three decades. There are four Sthaaneegams who have historically taking care of the poojas at the temple. They are now well support by many Gurukals, whose assistance is essential to take care of the huge devotee crowd that is seen at the temple especially on weekends and on festive occasions.
10 day Brahmotsavam is celebrated in Panguni with Kalyana Utsavam on the sixth day and the Chariot Festival on the seventh
On the 10th day of the Thiruvathirai Utsavam in Margazhi, Lord Nataraja on a Silver Chapparam and Ambal on a Golden Chapparam go around on a street procession in the morning at 7am after an abhishekam at 3am.
The temple is open between 6am-1pm and 4pm-9pm.
Contact S Viswanathan Gurukal @ 96294 37922.
Contact S Viswanathan Gurukal @ 96294 37922.
Buses every five minutes from Coimbatore Junction. Auto from Railway station will cost Rs. 150.