ConradQ41114 at 10:22, 14 April 2026

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{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2020}}
{{Use Indian English|date=August 2020}}
{{Infobox temple
| name = Krupapureeswarar Temple
| image = Kripapureeswarar temple, Thiruvennainallur (7).jpg
| alt =
| caption =
| map_type = India Tamil Nadu
| map_caption = Location in [[Tamil Nadu]]
| coordinates = {{coord|11|51|37|N|79|21|59|E|type:landmark_region:IN|display=inline,title}}
| other_names =
| proper_name =

| country = [[India]]
| state = [[Tamil Nadu]]
| district = [[Villupuram district|Villupuram]]
| location = [[Thiruvennainallur]]
| elevation_m =
| deity = Kripapureeswarar([[Shiva]])
Mangalambigai([[Parvathi]])

| Direction_posture =
| Pushakarani =
| Vimanam =
| Poets =
| Prathyaksham =
| festivals=
| architecture = [[Dravidian architecture]]
| temple_quantity =
| monument_quantity=
| inscriptions =
| year_completed =
| creator =
| website =
}}

'''Kripapureeswarar Temple''' (கிருபாபுரீஸ்வரர் கோயில்)<ref name="ta.wikipedia.org">[[:ta:திருவெண்ணெய்நல்லூர் கிருபாபுரீசுவரர் கோயில்]]</ref> (also called '''Arutkondanathar''' or '''Thiruvennainallur temple''') in [[Thiruvennainallur]], a panchayat town in [[Villupuram district]] in the South Indian state of [[Tamil Nadu]], is dedicated to the Hindu god [[Shiva]]. The presiding deity is revered in the 7th century Tamil Saiva canonical work, the ''[[Tevaram]]'', written by Tamil saint poets known as the [[Nayanmars]] and classified as ''[[Paadal Petra Sthalam]]''. The temple is closely associated with [[Sundarar]], the saivite saint of the 8th century, who started composing his ''[[Tirumurai]]'' starting with "Pitha Piraisudi" verse in this temple.

Constructed in the [[Dravidian architecture|Dravidian style of architecture]], the present structure of the temple is believed to have been built during the [[Cholas]] period in the 10th century. The temple has received gracious endowments from the Chola queen [[Sembiyan Mahadevi]]. Shiva is worshipped as Kripapureeswarar and his consort [[Parvathi]] as Mangalambigai. A granite wall surrounds the temple, enclosing all its shrines. The temple has a five-tiered raja[[gopuram]], the gateway tower.

The temple is open from 6am - 11 am and 4-8:00 pm on all days except during festival days when it is open the full day. Four daily rituals and many yearly festivals are held at the temple, of which the Aadi star day celebrated during the [[Tamil calendar|Tamil month]] of ''Aaadi'' (June - July) for [[Sundarar]] and Panguni Uthiram festival during ''Panguni'' (March - April) with a float festival being the most prominent.

The temple is maintained and administered by the [[Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department]] of the [[Government of Tamil Nadu]].

==Legend==
[[File:Thiruvennainallur temple (19).jpg|left|thumb|250px|Temple premises]]
As per Hindu legend, the sages in Tharukavanam were very proud of their achievements and started doing a penance to destroy [[Shiva]]. Shiva absorbed all the evils from the penance and realising their mistake, the sages started their worship to Shiva. Shiva blessed them with their wishes and came to be known as Krupapureeswarar, the "God who would bestow wishes of the devotees".<ref name="dinamalar"/>

As per another legend, [[Sundarar]], the famous Saivite saint and [[Nayanmar]], was stopped by an old man from marrying at Thirukovilur.<ref name=Meena>{{cite book|title=Temples in South India|last=V.|first=Meena|publisher=Harikumar Arts|location=Kanniyakumari|year=1974|edition=1st|page=44}}</ref> He showed a document indicating Sundarar was indebted to the old man for serving him for a lifetime. Sundarar called him ''Pitha'', a lunatic. The village elders after analysing the document, asked Sundarar to follow the old man. Sundarar followed the old mand and served him in his household. It was later revealed to him that Shiva appeared as the old man to test his servitude.<ref name="dinamalar"/><ref>{{cite book|title=Unleashing the Bodily Energies for Health and Success|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=K-JMCgAAQBAJ&q=thiruvennainallur+temple&pg=PT89|last=Deane|first=Martin|publisher=Abbott Press|year=2015|isbn=9781458219244}}</ref> Sundarar felt guilty of accusing Shiva, but Shiva revealed to him in a divine voice that he enjoyed the verse and requested him to sing verses starting with "Pitha".
Sundarar started singing his ''[[Tirumurai]]'' with "Pitha Piraisudi" verse in this temple and later would go on to become one of the four most venerated saints of Saiva literature.<ref name="dinamalar"/>
[[File:Thiruvennainallur temple Panorama (2).jpg|700px|thumb|center|Panoramic view of the temple]]

==Architecture==
{{multiple image|caption_align=center|header_align=center
|align=
| total_width = 300
|image1=Thiruvennainallur2.JPG
|image2=Thiruvennainallur4.JPG
|width1=1516|height1=1371
|width2=1826|height2=1777
|footer=Image of Vinayagar and Muruga on the temple tower}}

The exact year of building could not be ascertained from the inscriptions, but the inscriptions found in the Visalur temple indicate benevolent gifts to the temple from [[Raja Raja Chola I]] (984-1015 CE) and his successors.<ref>{{cite news|title=Rare inscriptions throw light on administration during Chola period|url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/rare-inscriptions-throw-light-on-administration-during-chola-period/article3604134.ece|work=The Hindu|access-date=8 November 2015|date=5 July 2012|location=Pudukottai}}</ref> Based on the inscriptions, researchers point out that the temple had gardens, which were supposed to have both floral plants and fruit bearing trees.<ref>{{cite book|title=The Indian Encyclopaedia, Volume 1|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KjlbinB5Xj8C&q=thiruvennainallur+temple&pg=PA2539|page=2539|last=Kapoor|first=Subodh |publisher=Genesis Publishing Pvt Ltd|year=2002|isbn=9788177552577}}</ref> The temple has received gracious endowments from the Chola queen [[Sembiyan Mahadevi]] and is believed to have established various sculptures.<ref>{{cite book|title=Woman, Her History and Her Struggle for Emancipation|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NZmyUpHdPWYC&q=thiruvennainallur+temple&pg=PA141|page=141|last=L.|first=Thilagavathi|publisher=Bharathi Puthakalayam|year=2009|isbn=9788189909970}}</ref>

Kripapureeswar temple is located in [[Thiruvennainallur]], a village located {{convert|19|km|mi|abbr=on}} from [[Villupuram]] on the [[Panruti]]- [[Thirukovilur]] road.<ref>{{cite book|title=Census of India, 1961: Madras Volume 9, Issue 1 of Census of India, 1961, India. Office of the Registrar General|last=India. Office of the Registrar General|publisher=Manager of Publications|year=1965|page=328}}</ref> The temple has a seven-tiered ''raja[[gopuram]]'', the gateway tower that pierces the rectangular wall that houses all the shrines. The sanctum houses the image of Kripapureeswarar in the form of [[Lingam]], an iconic form of Shiva. There is an Ardha [[Mandapam|Mandap]] and a Mukha mandap, pillared halls leading to the sanctum. The first precinct has the images of [[Vinayakar]], [[Murugan]], [[Durga]], [[Dakshinamurthy]] and [[Chandeshvara Nayanar|Chandikeswara]]. The hall where the case was fought between the old man and Sundarar is believed to be the Panchyat Mandap located on the right side of the entrance.

==Culture==
[[File:Kripapureeswarar temple, Thiruvennainallur (1).jpg|left|thumb|250px|The shrine of Amman located parallel to the Shiva shrine]]
The temple follows Saivite tradition. The temple priests perform the ''[[puja (Hinduism)|pooja]]'' (rituals) during festivals and on a daily basis. The temple rituals are performed four times a day: ''Kalasanthi'' at 6:00 a.m., ''Uchikalam'' at 11:00 a.m., ''Sayarakshai'' at 5:00 p.m., and ''Sayarakshai'' between 7:45  - 8:00 p.m. Each ritual has three steps: ''alangaram'' (decoration), ''neivethanam'' (food offering) and ''deepa aradanai'' (waving of lamps) for both Kripapureeswarar and Mangalambigai. There are weekly, monthly and fortnightly rituals performed in the temple. The temple is open from 6am - 12 pm and 4-8:30 pm.<ref name="dinamalar"/>

Aadi star day celebrated during the [[Tamil calendar|Tamil month]] of ''Aaadi'' (June - July) as [[Sundarar]]'s birthday and Panguni Uthiram festival during ''Panguni'' (March - April) with a float festival being the most prominent festivals. There are other common festivals like [[Shivaratri]], [[Vinayaka Chaturthi|Vinayaga Chaturthi]], [[Vijayadashami|Vijayadasami]] and Karthigai Deepam celebrated in the temple.<ref name="dinamalar">{{cite web|title=Sri Kripapureeswarar temple|url=https://temple.dinamalar.com/en/new_en.php?id=163|publisher=Dinamalar|access-date=31 May 2014|year=2014}}</ref>

[[Sundarar]], an 8th-century Tamil ''Saivite'' poet, venerated Kripapureeswarar in ten verses in ''[[Tevaram]]'', compiled as the ''[[Tirumurai|Seventh Tirumurai]]''. As the temple is revered in ''Tevaram'', it is classified as ''[[Paadal Petra Sthalam]]'', one of the 275 temples that find mention in the Saiva canon.<ref>{{cite web|title=Seventh Thirumurai|url=http://www.thevaaram.org/thirumurai_1/songview.php?thiru=7&Song_idField=7001&padhi=100+&button=%E0%AE%9A%E0%AF%86%E0%AE%B2%E0%AF%8D%E0%AE%95|publisher=Thevaram.org|last=Sundarar|access-date=30 November 2015}}</ref> [[Appar]] is believed to have visited the temple during the series of visits from Thingalur to [[Veerateeswarar temple, Thirukovilur|Thirukovilur]] and [[Sudarkozhundeeswarar Temple, Pennadam|Pennadam]].<ref>{{cite book|title=The Philosophy of Šaivism: Saiva works and tantras of Kashmir; Saivism; Kashmir Shaivism I; Kashmir Shaivaism II; History of Kashmir Saivism. The universal experience : five principles of the universal subject-object; The limited individual experience; Famous Saiva saints; The Saiva Acharyas; Kashmir Shaivism in Siddha Yoga; Moksa and the means of its attainment in Kashmir Shaivism; Literature of Śaivism; Vīra Śaivism; Śaivism|year=2004|section=Saiva Acharyas|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xuRfquoAGrcC&q=tiruvamathur&pg=PA501|page=501|publisher=Genesis Publishing Pvt Ltd|editor-first=Subodh |editor-last=Kapoor|isbn=9788177558852}}</ref> In modern times, the temple is maintained and administered by the Hindu Religious and Endowment Board of the [[Government of Tamil Nadu]].

==See also==
* [[Marundeeswarar Temple, T. Edayar]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Further reading==
* {{cite book|title=Temple Art under the Chola queens|pages=25–26|last=B.|first=Venkatraman|year=1976|publisher=Thomson Press (India) Limited|location=Haryana}}
* {{cite book|title=Explorations in Art and Archaeology of South Asia: Essays Dedicated to N.G. Majumdar|last=Majumdar|first=Nani Gopal|publisher=Directorate of Archaeology and Museums, Government of West Bengal|year=1996}}

==External links==
{{commonscat}}

== Photogallery==
<gallery>
File: Tiruvennainallurkirubapurisvarartemple2.jpg|Vimana of the presiding deity
File: Tiruvennainallurkirubapurisvarartemple5.jpg|Outer prakara (right)
File: Tiruvennainallurkirubapurisvarartemple6.jpg|Outer prakara (left)
File: Tiruvennainallurkirubapurisvarartemple8.jpg|Inner prakara(right)
File: Tiruvennainallurkirubapurisvarartemple7.jpg|Inner prakara (left)
File: Tiruvennainallurkirubapurisvarartemple3.jpg|Entrance of Amman shrine
File: Tiruvennainallurkirubapurisvarartemple4.jpg|Amman shrine
</gallery>
{{Famous Shiva temples}}

[[Category:Padal Petra Stalam]]
[[Category:Shiva temples in Viluppuram district]]

Kripapureeswarar Temple - Revision history

ConradQ41114 at 10:22, 14 April 2026