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{{Short description|Temple in India}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2020}}
{{Use Indian English|date=July 2020}}
{{Infobox temple
| name = Thanthoneeswarar Temple
| image = Thantondreeswarar1.jpg
| alt =
| caption =
| map_type = India Tamil Nadu
| map_caption = Location in [[Tamil Nadu]]
| coordinates = {{coord|10|22|N|78|51|E|type:landmark_region:IN|display=inline,title}}
| other_names =
| proper_name =

| country = [[India]]
| state = [[Tamil Nadu]]
| district = [[Tiruchirapalli district|Tiruchirapalli]]
| location = [[Woraiyur]]
| elevation_m =
| deity = Thanthoneeswarar
| primary_deity_Godess =
| utsava_deity_God =
| utsava_deity_Godess=
| Direction_posture =
| Pushakarani =
| Vimanam =
| Poets =
| Prathyaksham =
| festivals=
| architecture = [[Dravidian architecture]]
| temple_quantity =
| monument_quantity=
| inscriptions =
| year_completed =
| creator =
| website =
}}
'''Thanthoneeswarar Temple''' (also called '''Thanthonrisvaram''') is a [[Hindu temple]] dedicated to [[Shiva]], located in [[Woraiyur]], a suburb in the town of [[Tiruchirapalli]] in [[Tamil Nadu]], [[India]]. The temple was built by the [[Pandya]] ruler Varaguna Pandiyan II during the 9th century. It has inscriptions dating back to 885 AD during the rule of [[Chola]]s. The temple has four daily rituals at various times from 5:30 a.m. to 8 p.m., and three yearly festivals on its calendar. The temple is maintained and administered by hereditary trustees.

The temple is associated with the legend of Shiva appearing as helper or mid-wife for the pregnant Chola Queen Kanthimathi. The bangle festival called valaigkappu celebrated during the Tamil month Thai (January – February) is the most prominent festival celebrated in the temple.

==Etymology and legend==
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|width1=3264| height1=2448
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|image1=Thantondreeswarar8.jpg
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|footer=Stucco images in the temple indicating the legend
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Thanthoneeswarar, the presiding deity of the temple, derives its name from Tamil word ''Thanthondri'', meaning the one who formed on his own. As per Hindu legend, Chola queen Kanthimathi was an ardent devotee of Shiva and worshipped Shiva in the temple now known as [[Thayumanaswami Temple, Rockfort|Thayumanavar swamy Temple]]. When she was pregnant, she could not climb the hill to reach the temple. Shiva was pleased by the devotion of the queen and is believed to have appeared to her in the form of ''[[lingam]]'' (an iconic form of Shiva) at this place on his own and blessed her with a safe delivery.<ref name="hindu">{{cite news|title=Siva temple of yore |url=http://www.hindu.com/fr/2004/11/05/stories/2004110503201000.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050208020318/http://www.hindu.com/fr/2004/11/05/stories/2004110503201000.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=8 February 2005|date=4 November 2004|last=V.|first=Ganapathy|work=[[The Hindu]] |access-date=2013-09-09}}</ref>

==History==
The temple was built by the [[Pandya]] ruler Varaguna Pandiyan II during the 9th century. It has inscriptions dating back to 885 AD during the rule of [[Chola]]s. The temple, in modern times, is maintained and administered by hereditary trustees.<ref name="hindu"/> The temple has an inscription from The inscriptions speak about the donation made by Ananthan Chandramadhiyar from Chola period recording a gift made by the queen of Thennavan Ilangovar, a feudatory of the Kodumbalur clan. The record gifts golden jewelry as a deposit to the temple, the income of which was to be utilized for desilting the temple tank.<ref>{{cite news|title=Trichy: 1,000-year-old Chola era inscription slab reveals donation by queen to the temple|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/71250074.cms|work=The Times of India|date=23 November 2019|access-date=13 February 2021}}</ref><ref name="hindu1">{{cite news|title=Chola inscription found in Woraiyur temple |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Tiruchirapalli/chola-inscription-found-in-woraiyur-temple/article29505416.ece|work=The Hindu|date=25 September 2019|access-date=2013-09-09}}</ref> The inscriptions was made during the regime of [[Parantaka I]] during 911. The remaining amount from the gold was to be utilized for perpetual lighting of the temple. Similar inscriptions are found in other temples in the Trichy region like Vayalur, Allur, Andanallur, Paluvur and Thirupparaitturai indicating the supremacy of the Chola clan along with their relation with the Kodumbalur clan.<ref>{{cite news|title=New record about Kodumbalur clan found|first=Valayapathy|last=R. |url=https://www.deccanchronicle.com/nation/current-affairs/230919/new-record-about-kodumbalur-clan-found.html|work=Deccan Chronicle|date=23 September 2019|access-date=2013-09-09}}</ref> Historians assign the date of Parantaka to the temple based on the image of Ardhanareeswara.<ref name=early>{{cite book|title=Early Chola temples Parantaka I to Rajaraja I (AD. 907-985)|last=S.R.|first=Balasubramanyam|year=1975|publisher=Thomson Press (India) Limited|url=http://ignca.gov.in/Asi_data/49443.pdf|pages=220-1|format=PDF}}</ref>

==Architecture==
[[File:Thantondreeswarar2.jpg|200px|left|thumb|view of the shrines of the temple]]
Thanthoneeswarar temple complex has a single ''[[prakaram]]'' (outer courtyard) and a two-tiered ''[[vimana]]'' (tower over the sanctum). The central shrine faces east and holds the image of Thanthoneeswarar (Shiva) in the form of ''lingam'' made of granite. The granite images of the deities [[Ganesha]] (son of Shiva and god of wisdom), [[Murugan]] (son of Shiva and god of war), [[Nandi (bull)|Nandi]] (the bull and vehicle of Shiva) and [[Navagraha]] (nine planetary deities) are located in the hall leading to the sanctum. As in other Shiva temples of Tamil Nadu, the first precinct or the walls around the sanctum of Thanthoneeswarar has images of [[Dakshinamurthy]] (Shiva as the Teacher), [[Durga]] (warrior-goddess) and [[Chandeshvara Nayanar|Chandikeswarar]] (a saint and devotee of Shiva). The shrine of Kunkumavalli, the consort of Thanthoneeswarar, faces North and is depicted with Ankusam and lotus in her two hands. The temple precinct is surrounded by granite walls. Unlike other South Indian temples, the temple does not have any [[Gopuram]], an ornamental temple tower. These are typical of the early medieval regime Chola temples. The original walls of the temple carrying some of inscriptions are still present in the temple, while the surrounding structure are of recent origin.<ref name="hindu"/>

==Worship and religious practices==
[[File:Thantondreeswarar5.jpg|200x200px|thumb|Image of [[Ardhanarishvara]]]]
The temple priests perform the ''[[Puja (Hinduism)|puja]]'' (rituals) during festivals and on a daily basis. Like other Shiva temples of Tamil Nadu, the priests belong to the [[Shaiva]] community, a Brahmin sub-caste. The temple rituals are performed six times a day; Ushathkalam at 5:30 a.m., Kalasanthi at 8:00 a.m., Uchikalam at 10:00 a.m., Sayarakshai at 5:00 p.m., Irandamkalam at 7:00 p.m. and Ardha Jamam at 8:00 p.m. Each ritual comprises four steps: ''[[abhisheka]]'' (sacred bath), ''alangaram'' (decoration), ''[[Naivedhya|naivethanam]]'' (food offering) and ''deepa aradanai'' (waving of lamps) for both Thanthoneeswarar and Amman. The worship is held amidst music with ''[[nagaswaram]]'' (pipe instrument) and ''[[tavil]]'' (percussion instrument), religious instructions in the [[Vedas]] (sacred texts) read by priests and prostration by worshippers in front of the temple mast. There are weekly rituals like ''{{lang|te-Latn|somavaram}}'' (Monday) and ''{{lang|te-Latn|sukravaram}}'' (Friday), fortnightly rituals like ''[[pradosha]]m'' and monthly festivals like ''[[amavasya|amavasai]]'' (new moon day), ''kiruthigai'', ''[[pournami (festival)|pournami]]'' (full moon day) and ''sathurthi''.<ref name=dinamalar>{{cite web|title=Sri Kungumavalli Sametha Thanthondreeswarar temple|url=https://temple.dinamalar.com/New.php?id=1038|publisher=[[Dinamalar]]|year=2014|access-date=24 November 2015}}</ref>
Commemorating the event of Kanthimathi giving bangles to the Naga deity during her pregnancy, a bangle festival is celebrated during the Tamil month of Thai.<ref>{{cite web|title=உறையூர் குங்குமவல்லி தான்தோன்றீஸ்வரர் கோவிலில் வளையல் காப்பு திருவிழா நாளை தொடங்குகிறது|url=https://www.maalaimalar.com/devotional/devotionaltopnews/2019/01/31082353/1225358/Thanthondreeswarar-Temple-Woraiyur-festival.vpf|publisher=Malaimalar|date=31 January 2019|access-date=29 August 2020|language=Tamil}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{commonscat}}
{{Famous Shiva temples|state=collapsed}}

[[Category:9th-century Hindu temples]]
[[Category:Hindu temples in Tiruchirappalli]]

Thanthodreeswarar Temple, Woraiyur - Revision history

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