The main diety of this temple is Pushparatheswarar who is an incrarination of Lord Shiva facing East direction. Lord is in lingam form here. The scar caused by the cut of the king is visible on the Shivalinga. Lord Shiva here is a Swayambu Moorthy.
Mother is called as Sornambigai consort of Lord Shiva is 5 feet tall facing East direction.
Interesting Facts
Best Season To Visit
The best season to visit this temple is Winter season. The best months to visit are September to February.
Weather
Highest - April to June ( 38°C during day and 26°C during night)Average - May (35 °C during the day and 21 °C during night)Lowest - October to February ( 25 °C during day and 18 °C during night)Monsoon season - August to September
Dress Code
Do's & Dont's
transport connections
Name | Distance | Contact Number |
---|---|---|
Minjur Terminus
|
7.8 KM | 9629240778 |
Ennore Railway Station
|
18.2 KM | 139 |
Chennai International Airport |
37.4 KM | 044-22560551 |
Architecture
By Surya's devotion, Lord Shiva appeared as a lingam on one of the lotuses and cured him. Deity is called as Pushparatheswarar / Poothereeswarar. Both the names convey the same meaning; Poo or Pushpam means flower and Ratham or Ther means chariot. Since the lingam was found in lotus, he got this name. Lotus is the flower that is offered to the god here. The temple is facing East direction and built in Dravidian style of architecture. The temple has 5-tiered Raja gopuram on the South side and dhwaja stambham is placed infront of the temple. Vinayakar, Dhakshinamoorthy, Lingothbavar, Brahma and Durgai are the niche idol around the sanctum walls. There is a shrine for Surya in the Artha mandapam. Interconnecting mandapam between mother shrine and sanctum was added at a later stage. Theertham of this temple is Surya pushkarini, situated near east side entrance.
Religious Significance
A Chola king was returning after successfully waging a war on a kingdom in Andhra Pradesh. He camped at Cholavaram. He was a staunch Shiva devotee and went in search of lotus to perform his daily pooja. During his search he saw a pond full of lotuses. One of the flowers was taller, bigger and more beautiful than the rest. The king wanted this flower for the pooja and tried to reach the flower. As the king neared the flower it moved away and was elusive. After several futile attempts, the king was very angry and threw his sword at the flower. The sword broke into pieces. One of the pieces fell on a lingam which was in the pond. The pond turned red in no time because of the blood that was oozing from the lingam. This scar can still be seen on this Shiva Lingam. The king fainted there. His horse fled from the scene before fainting. Lord Shiva then appeared before the king and blessed him. The king apologized to the lord. Lord Shiva asked the king to build a temple for the lingam that was found in the pond.
Sanjana devi, the wife of Sun god is the daughter of Vishwakarma. Though she was happy with her husband, at one stage she felt that she couldn’t bear his heat any longer. So, she left him after leaving her duplicate in her place whom she created from her own shadow. When Sun god realized the truth, he prayed to lord Shiva at the Arunachaleswarar temple to unite him again with his wife. While circumambulating the shrine he saw a light which fell on him by way of blessings and then moved away. Intrigued, he followed the light till it reached the village of Gnayiru where it fell on a linga and vanished. Surya was pleased at the happening and for Shiva's (Lord Pushparatheswarar) blessings, after which Surya returned to his wife. Since the Sun god is said to have bathed in the pond, it became known as Surya theertham and there is also a Surya shrine in the temple & here is the story on why this place got the name Gnayiru Gramam. A Chola king was on a pilgrimage to Kasi and was passing through this village. He saw the beautiful lotus in the pond and as he tried to pluck the same he was blinded. He prayed to the lord that he would build a temple here on his way back from Kasi. Immediately, his eyesight was restored in one eye. As promised he came to the village on his way back. Lord Shiva appeared to the king and shone brightly on the lotus as Suryan. The king then built a temple as instructed by the lord and got back his eyesight in the other eye as well. Since then, this place is known as Gnayiru Gramam and came to be known as a Surya sthalam.
History
Pandyas and Vijayanagar kings are contributed this temple. Sage Agasthiyar, the author of Adityahadayam is believed to have stayed here and worshipped Lord Shiva. Adityahadayam is a sloka recited by Agasthiyar to Lord Rama. Birth place of Sangili Nachiyar, the wife of the Nayanmar Sundarar. The place of final resting of Shri Kanva Maharishi (Foster father of Shakunthala). The temple was 1000 years old and renovation work done in 2006, built by Chola kings.
Temple Timings
Day | Timings | |
---|---|---|
All Days | 05:30 AM - 12:00 PM | 04:00 PM - 08:00 PM |
Tours
Airports
Airport Name | Distance |
---|---|
Shamshabad | 40 KM |
Lorem Ipsum | 12 KM |
Railway Stations
Railway Station Name | Distance |
---|---|
Secunderabad | 10 KM |
Nampally | 12 KM |
Begumpet | 6 KM |
Lingampally | 20 KM |
Bus Stations
Bus Station Name | Distance |
---|---|
MGBS | 35 KM |
CBS | 28 KM |
kukatpally | 20 KM |
Lingampally | 30 KM |
Uppal | 35 KM |
Private Transports
Transport Name | Distance | Contact Number |
---|---|---|
Private Transport | 8 KM | 9546858757 |
Private Transport1 | 8 KM | 9546858757 |
Private Transport1 | 8 KM | 9546858757 |
Private Transport1 | 8 KM | 9546858757 |
Private Transport1 | 8 KM | 9546858757 |
Local Transports
Transport Name | Distance | Contact Number |
---|---|---|
Local Transport | 5 KM | 9546858757 |
Local Transport1 | 5 KM | 9546858757 |
Local Transport1 | 5 KM | 9546858757 |
Local Transport1 | 5 KM | 9546858757 |
Local Transport1 | 5 KM | 9546858757 |
Nearest Temples
One of the 276 Devara Paadal Petra Sthalams and 18th Shiva Sthalam in Thondai Nadu
Pancha Bhootas worshipped Lord Shiva here
Lakshmi Narasimhar of this temple is said to be Varaprasadi
One of the 276 Devara Padal Petra Shiva Sthalams & 16th Shiva Sthalam in Thondai Nadu
Temple pond has medicinal power which can cure Skin & Eye diseases
To avoid accidents, people perform pooja to their new Vehicle's here
Seeds from Eranjhil tree are attracted back to the tree trunk and merges after some period
One of the 276 Devara Paadal Petra Shiva Sthalams and the 22nd Shiva Sthalam in Thondai Nadu.
Sun rays falls on the sanctum of every year on January and August.
Lord Vishnu in a reclining posture blessing sage Salihotra
Nearest Attractions
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Pulicat Lake Boating is perfect to enjoy within the arms of nature
It is a place really worth spending your valuable time
Museum exclusively for the exhibits of the pre-historic artefacts found in around Poondi
Poondi reservoir acts as the important water source for Chennai city
Known for prehistoric stone tools and culture
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