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[[File:Kailasanathar Temple.jpg|thumb|Kailasanathar temple, Kanchipuram
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{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2019}}
{{Use Indian English|date=August 2019}}
'''Pusalar''' (also transliterated as '''Pūcalār''', '''Pusala''' or '''Poosalar''') is an eighth-century [[Nayanars|Nayanar]] saint, venerated in the [[Hinduism|Hindu]] sect of [[Shaivism]]. He is generally counted as the fifth-eighth in the list of 63 Nayanars.<ref name="Dalal2011">{{cite book|author=Roshen Dalal|title=Hinduism: An Alphabetical Guide|date=2011|publisher=Penguin Books India|isbn=978-0-14-341421-6|page=281}}</ref> His hagiography speaks how he created a grand temple for Shiva in his mind and how his patron god [[Shiva]] preferred attending the consecration of his mind temple, instead of a grand temple created by a [[Pallava]] king.

==Life==
The primary account of Pusalar's life comes from the [[Tamil language|Tamil]] ''[[Periya Puranam]]'' by [[Sekkizhar]] (12th century), which is a hagiography of the 63 Nayanars. Pusalar was a [[Brahmin]], priest. He lived in [[Thiruninravur]] (Tiru Ninravur/ Ninravur), presently a neighbourhood in the city of [[Chennai]]. In Pusalar's times, Thiruninravur was part of [[Tondai Nadu]] (Thondai Mandalam), which is part of the [[Pallava]] kingdom. He was a poor temple priest.<ref name="Dehejia1988">{{cite book|author=Vidya Dehejia|title=Slaves of the Lord: The Path of the Tamil Saints|year=1988|publisher=Munshiram Manoharlal|isbn=978-81-215-0044-9|pages=86, 177}}</ref>

Pusalar was a Shaiva, a devotee of the god [[Shiva]]. He wanted to create a grand temple for Shiva, but did not have the money to do so. Thus, Pusalar decided to build a temple to Shiva in his mind with his imagination. He followed the rituals of temple-building, sanctified the ground and lay the first stone of his mind temple on an auspicious day. Over course of time, he completed his mind temple and selected a holy day for the ''[[Kumbhabhishekam]]'' ceremony, when the temple is consecrated and the image of God installed in the ''[[garbhagriha]]'' (sanctum sanctorum).<ref name="Dehejia1988"/><ref name="Parmeshwaranand2004">{{cite book|author=Swami Parmeshwaranand|title=Encyclopaedia of the Śaivism|url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_HQvbJDacNDMC|year=2004|publisher=Sarup & Sons|isbn=978-81-7625-427-4|pages=[https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_HQvbJDacNDMC/page/n248 242]–3}}</ref>

The Pallava king Kadavarkon had just completed a grand Shiva temple in the capital [[Kanchipuram]] and selected the same day for consecration of his temple. Shiva appeared in the king's dream and instructed him to postpone the date of consecration as He would be journeying to Thiruninravur for the consecration of His devotee Pusalar's temple on the same day. The king postponed the date as per the divine decree and hastened to see the magnificent [[temple]] of Pusalar, which Shiva favoured over his own. However, on reaching Thiruninravur, the king could not find any stone temple visible in the town and was perflexed. He reached Pusalar's house and informed Pusalar about his dream. The saint revealed that the temple existed in his heart. The king was astonished by Pusalar's devotion and bowed down to him and worshipped him. Pusalar consecrated the temple on the ordained day and continued his worship until his death, when he is said to have attained [[Kailash]], the abode of Shiva.<ref name="Dehejia1988"/><ref name="Parmeshwaranand2004"/>

[[File:Kailasanathar Temple.jpg|thumb|Inscriptions on the Kailasanathar Temple of Kanchipuram are used to date Pusalar to the eighth century.]]
Pusalar is regarded as a historical figure. The Pallava king Kadavarkon from the ''Periya Puranam'' account is identified as King Rajasimha (also known as [[Narasimhavarman II]]), who reigned between 700 and 728 CE. The king's temple is identified as the [[Kanchi Kailasanathar Temple|Kailasanathar temple]], which is regarded as Rajasimha's greatest temple and functioned as the personal shrine of the king. An inscription with 12 [[Sanskrit]] verses on the exterior walls of Kailasanathar temple aid the identification. The seventh verse talks about a "heavenly voice without body" that Rajasimha heard. This voice is associated with Shiva's voice in the Pusalar tale. Thus, Pusalar can be beginning to the beginning of the eighth century and a contemporary of [[Sundarar]].<ref name="Dehejia1988"/> The ''Periya Puranam'' depends on these [[inscriptions]] at Kailasanathar temple for telling the tale of Pusalar.<ref name="Lal2006">{{cite book|author=Mohan Lal|title=The Encyclopaedia Of Indian Literature (Volume Five (Sasay To Zorgot)|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KnPoYxrRfc0C&pg=PA3905|date=1 January 2006|publisher=Sahitya Akademi|isbn=978-81-260-1221-3|pages=3905}}</ref>

The tale of Pusalar (called Pusala Nayanaru in the account) is also recalled in the 13th-century [[Telugu language|Telugu]] ''[[Basava Purana]]'' of [[Palkuriki Somanatha]] in brief and with some variation. The king is called [[Vikrama Chola|Vikrama Choda]] (a [[Chola]] king who reigned between 1118–1135 CE), instead of the Pallava in the Tamil version. He created a grand temple of gold. Pusala Nayanaru created a similar temple in mind and gained the grace of Shiva.<ref>{{cite book|title=Siva's Warriors: The Basava Purana of Palkuriki Somanatha|date=2014|publisher=Princeton University Press|isbn=978-1-4008-6090-6|page=168}}</ref>

==Remembrance==
[[File:Sri Kokarneshvarar Temple in Tirukokarnam.JPG|thumb|The images of the Nayanars are found in many Shiva temples in Tamil Nadu.]]

Pusalar is depicted with a shaven head and with folded hands (see [[Anjali mudra]]). A holy day in his honour is observed on the twenty-eighth day of the [[Tamil calendar|Tamil month]] of [[Ashvin|Aippasi]], generally coincides with 13 November.<ref name="Dehejia1988"/> He receives collective worship as part of the 63 Nayanars. Their icons and brief accounts of his deeds are found in many Shiva temples in [[Tamil Nadu]]. Their images are taken out in procession in festivals.<ref name="Dalal2011"/>

[[Hridayaleeswarar Temple]], which dedicated to Shiva as Hrudayaleeswarar ("Lord in Devotees’ heart"), was built in Thiruninravur by the Pallavas in honour of Pusalar. Pusalar is worshipped with Shiva in the sanctum sanatorium of the temple. As per temple lore, this temple was created by the Pallava king from Pusalar's tale to fulfill Pusalar's wish to build a grand temple for Shiva. Since Pusalar originally built the temple in his heart, patients of heart diseases as well as cardiologists worship at this temple for cure of heart diseases.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://temple.dinamalar.com/en/new_en.php?id=646 | title=Sri Hrudayaleeswarar temple | publisher=[[Dinamalar]] | access-date=25 August 2019}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Nayanars}}

[[Category:Nayanars]]

Pusalar - Revision history

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