Rathnagiriswarar Temple,Thirumarugal

Rathnagiriswarar Temple
Name
Proper name	Rathnagiriswarar Temple
Geography
Country	India
State	Tamil Nadu
District	NAGAPATTINAM
Location	Thirumarugal
Culture
Primary deity	Manickavannar, Rathanagiriswarar(Shiva)
Consort	Vanduvar Kuzhali(Parvathi)
Temple tank	Lakshmi Theertham, Manicka Theertham
Poets	Appar, Campantar
Architecture
Architectural styles	Dravidian architecture

Rathnagiriswarar Temple (Tamil: இரத்தினகிரிஸ்வரர் கோயில்) is a Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Shiva, located in Thirumarugal, 10 km East of Nannilam, Near Nagapatnam, Tamil Nadu in India.

It is one of the 275 Paadal Petra Sthalams, where two of the most revered Nayanars (Saivite Saints), Appar and Tirugnana Sambandar^[1] have sung the glories of this temple.

Name origin

Thirumarugal derived its name from a plantain named Marugal, a type of banana tree found inside the northern-side of the Rathnagiriswarar temple since time immemorial.

The Temple

The temple has a 5-tier Rajagopuram and a large campaus. The sanctum has an elevated structure. The temple tank is right in front of the temple. Rathinagiri is about 13 km from Vellore towards Chennai and is famous for the Murugan temple on a hillock. There are 130 steps to the hillock top. Saint Arunagirinadhar had sung Thiruppugazh on this temple. The temple belonging to the 14th century was under dilapidated conditions a few decades back and with the efforts of Sri Swami Balamugan Adimai, the temple is now restored to its full glory with fantastic sculptural works, big mandapams etc., to the extent of people calling this as the 7th Padai Veedu of Lord Muruga.

Gallery

• 
  Gopuram view
• 
  Temple Tank
• 
  Inside view

References

1. "campantar tEvAram -2" (PDF). projectmadurai.org. Retrieved 16 July 2011.

Notes

• P. V. Jagadisa Ayyar (1920). South Indian shrines: illustrated. Madras Times Printing and Pub. Co. pp. 360–369.