81. ERUMBHUR

KADAMBAVANANADHAR TEMPLE

Distance: 12kms from Chidambaram and 5 kms from Sethiyathoppu on Virudhachalam road.

Shiva: Kadambavanadhar

Amman: Kalyanasundhari

Speciality:

The temple entrance and the main deity Kadambavanaeswarar faces east.

It is an ancient Chola temple.

The temple was a stone temple.

The present doom shaped Sikaram was built later with a structure of bricks. 

Th deities are good speciemens of early chola scuptures of Parantaka I. 

A Perumal Sannidhi which is found now is a later addition. 

Due to invasions the temple was in ruins and most of the deities broken. The Shiva and the Amman Shrine did not have a proper door also. But recently the temple has been built and the broken deites have been newly installed leaving the Main Shrine, Dhakshinamurthy, Shiva and Brahma of the early Cholas alive.

The nishe images are of exquisite workmenship.

The Dhakshinamurthy in the south is sitting in a diferent posture. There is no demon under his feet.

The Brahma on the northern side is sitting on a lotus peetam. This is a different pose of Brahma.

Normally on the western side we find Lingothbava or Mahavishnu sannidhi but here Lord Shiva is sitting in a Yoga form. This Mahayogi form is seen before the Kaamadhahanam (Killing Manmadhan). This form of Shiva cannot be seen in any other temple.

The Bhairava which was a deity of the subshrine is now placed in the Mugamandapam after renovation of the temple.

Some of the old deities can be seen in the corner of the temple.

Inscriptions:

An inscription of this temple mentions that the temple was constructed by Irukngolan Gunavan Aparagithan in 935AD in the period of Parantaka Chola I. The village was called Urumur and Shiva was called Siruthirupkoil Peruman Adigal. The 3 Niches of the Garpagraha have exquisite sculptures. In the south Gnana DHakshinamurthy is seated in the Veerasana post while Shiva (Lingothbavar) and Brahma are depicted as Yogis in the west and north respectively. To the left of Dhakshinamurthy there is an inscription which has recorded that Madhirai Konda Parakesari has built the Vimana and shrines of Ashta Parivara Devatas around the main Shrine. This was constructed of stone by Irunkolan Gunavan Aparajithan during the Madhirai Konda Parakesari period. The village was called as Urumur and described as a Devadhana village in Naavalur Kottam on the northern banks of Kavery. During the days of Vikrama Chola (1118AD - 1135 AD). The place was renamed as Vikramacchola Chadhurvedhi Mangalam. The earliest inscription is of Parakesari Varman Parantaka I and 3 inscriptions of Madhrai Konda Parakesari. The earliest inscription is about the grants after the completion and renovation of the temple. The central Shrine has only 2 parts during the days of Parantaka I - Grapagriha and Artha Mandapam. The inscriptions referring to the goddess is of the period of Maravarman Veera Pandiyan when Chola power had declined and had passed onto Pandya rule. In the 9th Century the original stone temple which consisted only of Garpagriha and Artha mandapam had 8 subsidiary shrines around the main Shrine. By evidences provided by other early Chola temples the Parivara deities comprises of Suriyan, Saptha Mathrikas, Ganesha, Subramanya, Chandran, Chandikeswarar, Bhairavar and Jyeshta Devi. This practice of building Ashta Parivara Devatas continued upto Raja Raja Chola I period. 

The Name Urumur has been changed to Erumbhur.