Moolanathaswamy Temple, Bahour, Puducherry

Moolanathaswamy Temple, Bahour, Puducherry

Moolanathaswamy Temple is a Hindu Temple dedicated to Lord Shiva located in Bahour Commune in Union Territory of Puducherry, India. It is situated in the heart of Bahour Town. Presiding Deity is called as Moolanatha Swamy / Thiru Moolasthanam Udaiyar and Mother is called as Vedhambigai. The Temple was believed to be built during 6^th – 7^th Century A.D. by Pallavas and later got converted to granite construction during Chola Period. This Temple is one of the protected monuments in Puducherry declared by Archaeological Survey of India and is maintained by ASI.

Legends

Once, Chola King Parantaka Chola I wife was suffering from skin disease. She prayed to Moolanathar for relief from skin disease. Lord Moolanathar appeared in her dreams and instructed her to install and Thirushobanamudaiyar on the left side of the sanctum. Further, Lord Shiva instructed her to worship Thirushobanamudaiyar continuously to get rid of the disease. She followed the instruction without fail. As a result, she got relieved from the disease. Parantaka Chola 1 converted the brick structure to granite structure as a gratitude on insistence of the queen.

History

For brief details, please refer below link;

https://explore-pondicherry.blogspot.com/2020/01/moolanathaswamy-temple-bahour-history.html

The Temple

For brief details, please refer below link;

https://explore-pondicherry.blogspot.com/2020/01/moolanathaswamy-temple-bahour-temple.html

Temple Opening Time

The Temple remains open from 06.00 AM to 10.30 AM and 04.30 PM to 09.00 PM.

Festivals

Masi Magam, Aatru Thiruvizha (River Festival), Brahmotsavam, Shivaratri and Monthly Pradoshams are celebrated here with much fanfare.

Contact

Moolanathaswamy Temple,

Bahour, Puducherry – 607 402

Mobile: +91 98658 48461 / 94432 87111 / 94863 61135

Mobile: +91 97876 66137 / 94884 94784

Mobile: +91 86820 73800 / 85082 47310

Connectivity

The Temple is located at about 50 meters from Bahour Bus Stop, 4 Kms from Kanniyakoil Bus Stop, 9 Kms from Cuddalore, 9 Kms from Cuddalore Bus Stand, 13 Kms from Cuddalore Port Junction Railway Station, 14 Kms from Ariyankuppam, 20 Kms from Puducherry Main Bus Stand, 20 Kms from Puducherry Railway Station, 23 Kms from Puducherry Airport, 163 Kms from Chennai Airport and 171 Kms from Chennai.

The Temple is situated on Pondicherry to Cuddalore Bus Route. Devotees can get down at Kanniyakoil Bus Stop. The Temple is located at about 4 Kms from this Bus Stop. Share Autos and local buses connecting Pondicherry to Bahour can be taken from this bus stop to reach this temple.

PRTC Bus 8 A is plying between Pondicherry Bus Stand to Bahour will stop at Bahour Bus Stop. All the other private buses running in this route also stops here. Taxis and Autos are also available to reach this Temple from any part of Puducherry. Nearest Railway Station is located at Puducherry. Nearest Airport is located at Puducherry and Chennai.

Location | Photos

Moolanathaswamy Temple, Bahour – History

Moolanathaswamy Temple, Bahour – History

Names of the Village & Deity:

The ancient name of this village as given in the inscriptions was Vagur, located in the territorial division called Vahur Nadu and the deity enshrined in the main sanctum now worshipped as Moolanathaswamy was once known as Moolasthanam Udaiya Perumanadigal and Parameswara. The village was called as Azhagiya Chola Chathur Vedhi Mangalam during Chola Period.

Pallavas:

The Temple was believed to be built during 6^th – 7^th Century A.D. by Pallavas. Narasimha Pallava, Nandi Varma Pallava, Nripatunga Varma Pallava and other Pallava Kings also contributed towards the renovation of the Temple.

Copper Plate Inscriptions:

One of the greatest discoveries at Bahour was a copper-plate inscription, close to this temple in the middle of a structure of bricks in 1879. It belongs to the eighth year of the reign of Nripatunga Varman, one the last Pallava emperors of Kanchipuram. This bilingual record, dated 877 A.D., consists of two portions, the first in Sanskrit etched in the Grantha script and the second in Tamil and in the Tamil script of the Pallava times.

This interesting inscription mentions an educational endowment made to a college of learning called Vidyasthana in Vahur. The donation, made by the king’s Minister called Marthandan or Nilaithangi, consisted of three villages, the income from which was to be enjoyed by the residents of the seat of learning at Vahur.

The copper plates record that this exceptional centre of education had as its curriculum, the fourteen branches of learning (chaturdashavidya) which included the four Vedas, six Vedangas, Mimamsa, Nyaya, Dharma Sastra and Puranas. This very detailed inscription mentions that the poet Nagaya who composed the Sanskrit verses was an employee of the Bahour college and the person who wrote it on copper sheets was a goldsmith named Nripatunga after the Pallava emperor.

Rashtrakuta King Krishna III Inscriptions:

There are six inscriptions belonged to Rashtrakuta King Krishna III, also known as Kannaradeva of the 10^th Century A.D., one of greatest monarch of the Rashtrakuta Dynasty of Manyakheta. This king invaded the Chola territory and defeated the Chola army decisively in the 10^th century and thus his inscriptions are seen in many temples in Tamil Nadu. All the inscriptions were dated from his 22^nd to his 27^th years (three of his inscriptions belonged to 22^nd regnal year, one of his inscriptions belonged to 26^th year and two of his inscriptions belonged to 27th year).

One of his 26^th year inscription mentions a gift of four stone-slabs towards the construction of a tier of this temple by one Naminakkan Sankaran. It may be concluded that the temple converted into granite temple and was nearing completion about this time. Hence it should be considered a temple built in the latter part of the 10th century, the period of Parantaka I and Krishna III.

Chola Inscriptions:

The Temple contains inscriptions dated Parantaka Chola I (9^th Century A.D.). This inscription records about the renovation works carried out by Parantaka Chola I. The Temple was extensively supported by successive Chola monarchs like Sundara Chola, Rajaraja Chola I and Rajendra Chola I. The name Vahur got changed to Sri Alagiya Chola Chaturvedimangalam, from the 25^th year of Rajaraja Chola I.

There are Chola inscriptions here dates back to the period of Aditya Chola II, the elder brother of Rajaraja I of the 10th century A.D. It is dated back to fifth regnal year of Kop-Parakesari “who took the head of the Pandya” i.e. Aditya II. It records the gift of a perpetual lamp by Nambi Damodaran. Most of the inscriptions record various gifts to this temple and one donation was earmarked for annual repairs to be carried out in the tank at Vahur.

Moolanathaswamy Temple, Bahour – The Temple

Moolanathaswamy Temple, Bahour – The Temple

The Temple is east facing with a 4 pillared Mandapam as the front entrance. The Temple has single prakaram. Nandi, Dwajastambam and Balipeedam can be found immediately after the entrance.

Sanctum:

The Sanctum Sanctorum consists of Maha Mandapam, Artha Mandapam and Sanctum. Presiding Deity is called as Moolanatha Swamy / Thiru Moolasthanam Udaiyar and is facing east. He is housed in the sanctum in the form of big Lingam. Sculptures of uniquely carved Yalis can be found in the Artha Mandapam.

The pilasters have a square shaft with Kalasam, Kumbham and Palagai. The brackets are angular in profile. The cornice has Kudus semicircular in shape with a human head in the center and a Simha head at the top. There is a Bhootaganas frieze below the cornice. Sacred bulls adorn the four corners of the floor of the griva.

Koshta Idols:

Nritta Ganesha, Dakshinamoorthy, Vishnu, Brahma and Vishnu Durga are the Koshta idols located around the sanctum walls. All the Koshta Idols are dated to 10^th Century AD. The temple had undergone modifications in later times; but the walls of the sanctum and the devakoshta figures can be considered parts of the original temple.

Below the Devakoshtam, there are exquisite carvings in a row of dancers in different poses and musicians playing different instruments are found. These carvings run around the sanctum walls. There is a sculpture of a mother monkey sitting behind a baby monkey.

Vinayaga Shrine:

There is a sub shrine for Vinayaga on the right side of the Maha Mandapam.

Thirugnana Sambandar Shrine:

There is a sub shrine for Thirugnana Sambandar on the left side of the Maha Mandapam.

Chandikeswarar Shrine:

Chandikeswarar Shrine can be found in his usual location.

Mother Shrine:

Mother is called as Vedhambigai. She is housed in a separate south facing shrine. Her shrine is situated in Maha Mandapam to the left side of the sanctum.

Suryan Shrine:

There is a west facing shrine for Lord Suryan on the left side immediately after the entrance on the compound wall.

Bhairavar Shrine:

There is a west facing shrine for Lord Bhairavar on the right side immediately after the entrance on the compound wall.

Vimochanamudaiyar Shrine:

There is a separate shrine for Vimochanamudaiyar to the right side of the sanctum in the outer courtyard. He is facing west. Nandi can be found facing this shrine. The Linga is big and might have been brought from some other place as the temple doesn’t have any records about this Lingam.

Varasiddhi Vinayaga Shrine:

There is a shrine for Varasiddhi Vinayaga facing east in the outer courtyard behind the sanctum.

Subrahmanya Shrine:

There is also another east facing shrine for Lord Murugan with his consorts Valli & Deivanai in the outer courtyard behind the sanctum.

Thirushobanamudaiyar Shrine:

There is a separate shrine for Thirushobanamudaiyar to the left side of the sanctum in the outer courtyard. He is facing east. There is no Nandi in front of his shrine. The Linga is big and might have been brought from some other place as the temple doesn’t have any records about this Lingam.

Navagraha Shrine:

Navagraha shrine can be found opposite to Thirushobanamudaiyar Shrine.

Pongu Saneeswarar Shrine:

There is a west facing shrine for Pongu Saneeswarar to the left side of the sanctum in the outer courtyard. It is located near to Navagraha Shrine.

Nataraja Sabha:

Nataraja Sabha housing bronze idol of Nataraja and his consort Shivagami can be found in the north east corner of the Temple premises.

Sthala Vriksham:

Sthala Vriksham is Vanni Tree. It is situated to the left side of Thirushobanamudaiyar Shrine.