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{{Use Indian English|date=July 2020}}
{{Infobox Hindu temple
| name = Thayumanaswami Temple
| image = Rock Fort Trichy.JPG
| alt =
| caption =
| map_type = India Tamil Nadu
| map_caption = Location in [[Tamil Nadu]]
| coordinates = {{coord|10|49|43|N|78|41|49|E|type:landmark_region:IN|display=inline,title}}
| country = India
| state = Tamil Nadu
| district =
| location = [[Trichi]]
| elevation_m =
| deity = Thayumanavar
Mattuvar Kuzhalammai
| facade_direction =
| temple_tank =
| tower =
| festivals =
| architecture = [[Dravidian architecture]]
| temple_quantity =
| monument_quantity =
| inscriptions =
| year_completed =
| creator =
| website =
}}
The '''Thayumanavar Temple''' is a temple situated in the ''[[Tiruchirapalli Rock Fort|Rockfort]]'' complex (Malaikottai மலைக்கோட்டை) in the city of [[Tiruchirappalli]], [[India]]. Shiva is worshipped as Thayumanavar, and is represented by the ''[[lingam]]'' and his consort [[Parvati]] is depicted as Mattuvar Kuzhalammai. The presiding deity is revered in the 7th-century-CE Tamil Saiva canonical work, the ''[[Tevaram]]'', written by Tamil saint poets known as the [[nayanars]] and classified as ''[[Paadal Petra Sthalam]]''.

According to Hindu legend, a pregnant woman named Rathnavathi was an ardent devotee of Shiva and he arrived in the form of her mother to attend to her delivery. The presiding deity is thus named Thayumanaswamy, the one who acted as mother. The Rockfort is a fortress which stands atop a 273-foot-high rock, consisting of a set of monolithic rocks accommodating many rock-cut cave temples. Originally built by the Pallavas, it was later reconstructed by the Madurai Nayaks and Vijayanagara rulers. The major complex in the temple is believed to be built during the 8th century by the [[Pandyan Empire]].

The temple has six daily rituals at various times from 5:30 a.m. to 10 p.m., and twelve yearly festivals on its calendar. The Chittirai festival during the Tamil month of Chittirai (April - May) is celebrated for fifteen days, portraying the various incidents associated with the temple legend. The temple is maintained and administered by the [[Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department]] of the [[Government of Tamil Nadu]].

==Legend==
[[File:Thayumanavar (14).jpg|thumb|upright=1.25|Thayumanaswamy Temple at Trichy|left]]
According to Hindu legend, a pregnant woman named Rathnavathi was an ardent devotee of Shiva. While nearing labour, she requested her mother to come over. Her mom could not reach on account of heavy floods in river Cauvery. As the delivery time came closer, Rathnavathi prayed to Shiva. Shiva, moved by the devotion of Rathnavathi, took the form of Rathnavathi's mother and helped with her smooth delivery. After the delivery, Shiva vanished and Rathnavathi's mother arrived later. The family learned that it was Shiva who attended to the delivery. <ref name="history">{{cite web|title=The Temple on the Rock|url=http://www.thiruchyrockfort.org/history.htm|publisher=Arulmigu Thayumanaver Swamy Thirukovil, Hindu Religious and Endowment Board of the Government of Tamil Nadu|access-date=1 January 2014|archive-date=13 January 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140113005823/http://www.thiruchyrockfort.org/history.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>[[#M.K.V.|M.K.V. 2007]], p. 73</ref> Shiva disguised himself as a mother for a pregnant lady, leading to the name ''Thayumanavar'', meaning the one who became a mother.<ref name=Meena>{{cite book|title=Temples in South India|last=V.|first=Meena|publisher=Harikumar Arts|location=Kanniyakumari|year=1974|edition=1st|page=21}}</ref>

According to [[Hindu mythology]], the city Tiruchirappalli derives its name from a legend associated with the Thayumanaswamy temple. The three-headed demon ''Trishira'', who [[Tapas (Sanskrit)|meditated]] on Thayumanavar near the present-day city to obtain favours from the god.{{Sfn|Hemingway|1907|p=2}} An alternative derivation, not universally accepted,{{Sfn|Hemingway|1907|p=2}} is that the source of the city's name is the [[Sanskrit]] word "Trishirapuram"—''[[Trishira]]'', meaning "three-headed", and ''palli'' or ''puram'' meaning "city".{{Sfn|Hemingway|1907|p=2}}{{Sfn|Yule|Burnell|1903|p=938}}

As per another legend, due to a fight between [[Adisesha]] (serpent god) and [[Vayu]] (Wind god) to seek ownership of [[Himalayas]], the eight pieces of the mountain fell to eight different places. One of them was [[Trincomalee]] in [[Sri Lanka]], [[Srikalahasti]] at [[Andhra Pradesh]] and [[Tiruchirapalli Rock Fort|Rockfort]]. The place became known as Trisikarapuram as there are three peaks in the temple, one each for Shiva, Parvathi and Ganesha.<ref name=Diwakar>{{cite book|title=Temples of South India|first=Macherla|last=Diwakar|location=Chennai|year=2011|edition=1st|page=147|isbn=978-93-83440-34-4|publisher=Techno Book House}}</ref>

==History==
[[File:Thayumanavar (7).jpg|thumb|upright|left|Shrine of Mattuvar Kuzhalammai]]
Tiruchirapalli was the capital of the [[Chola]] kingdom and it houses several exquisitely sculpted temples and fortresses, the centre of which is the Rockfort temple.<ref name="thehindu_20010422">{{cite news|title=Poetry in stone|url=http://www.hindu.com/2001/04/22/stories/1322049n.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131016083522/http://www.hindu.com/2001/04/22/stories/1322049n.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=16 October 2013|date=22 April 2001|work=[[The Hindu]]|access-date=6 December 2011}}</ref> The temple is built in the [[Dravidian architecture|Dravidian style of architecture]];{{Sfn|Untracht|1997|p=389}} The rock-cut cave temples of the Rockfort, along with the gateway and the Erumbeeswarar Temple, are listed as [[List of Monuments of National Importance in Tamil Nadu|monuments of national importance]] by the [[Archaeological Survey of India]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Alphabetical List of Monuments – Tamil Nadu|url=https://asi.nic.in/alphabetical-list-of-monuments-tamil-nadu/|publisher=[[Archaeological Survey of India]]|access-date=3 October 2013}}</ref>

The Rockfort is a fortress which stands atop a 273-foot-high rock.{{Sfn|Sundararaj|1981|p=119}} It consists of a set of monolithic rocks accommodating many rock-cut cave temples. Originally built by the Pallavas, it was later reconstructed by the Madurai Nayaks and Vijayanagara rulers.<ref name=Nuvena>{{cite news|last=Rajendran|first=Nuvena|title=Trichy, rich in heritage and history|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/travel/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131203011150/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2013-11-14/travel/32684563_1_srirangam-temple-cauvery-bridge-trichy|url-status=live|archive-date=3 December 2013|access-date=3 October 2013|newspaper=[[The Times of India]]|date=14 November 2013}}</ref> The major complex in the temple are believed to be built during the 8th century by the [[Pandyan Empire]].<ref name="Knapp"/> The temple is maintained and administered by the [[Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department]] of the [[Government of Tamil Nadu]].<ref>[https://hrce.tn.gov.in/resources/docs/actrule/1/1/document_1.pdf Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Act, 1959]</ref>

== Architecture ==
[[File:A view of Mantapa.jpg|right|A view of pillared hall inside the temple|thumb]]
The temple complex has three shrines, two of which are dedicated to [[Lord Ganesha]], one at the foot and the [[Ucchi Pillayar Temple, Rockfort|Ucchi Pillayar Temple]] at the top, and the [[Thayumanavar Temple, Rockfort|Thayumanavar Temple]] between them. The Thayumanavar temple, the largest of the three, houses a shrine for Amman (the Goddess) as well as the main deity. The Rockfort is visible from almost every part of the city's north.<ref name=Nuvena /> The Teppakulam at the foot of the Rockfort is surrounded by bazaars.{{Sfn|de Bruyn|Venkatraman|Bain|2006|p=243}} It has a [[mandapa]] at its centre and has facilities for boat riding. All the temple-related float festivals are held in the tank.<ref>{{cite news|first=S.|last=Ganesan|title=Crocodile in Rockfort temple tank keeps visitors away|url=http://www.hindu.com/2005/03/10/stories/2005031004690600.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050406075441/http://www.hindu.com/2005/03/10/stories/2005031004690600.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=6 April 2005|date=10 March 2005|newspaper=[[The Hindu]]|access-date=3 October 2013}}</ref>

The temple is located halfway up the [[Tiruchirapalli Rock Fort|Rockfort]]. The temple has a columned structure. The central shrine of Thayumanaswamy is located a level up to the lower half that houses the shrine of Mattuvar Kuzhalammai. The lower level also houses the niches of Vinayagar, Arumugar, [[Navagraha]]s and Veerabadraswami. The walls around the central shrine house the image of Dakshinamurthy, Somaskandar, Natarajar, [[Surya]], [[Brahma]], and [[Durga]].<ref name="Knapp">[[#Knapp|Knapp]], p. 359</ref> There were details that the temple layout was found in the [[Shanmata]] form. It had two principal shrines, [[Shiva]] in the east and [[Vishnu]] in the west and central bay. The reliefs of [[Kartikeya|Skanda]], Surya, [[Ganesha]], and Durga were found on the central bay.<ref>{{cite news|author=Press Trust of India|title= Study uncovers interesting details of cave temple architecture|url=https://www.thehindu.com/features/friday-review/history-and-culture/Study-uncovers-interesting-details-of-cave-temple-architecture/article15794130.ece#|newspaper=The Hindu|date=27 October 2010|access-date=29 September 2019}}</ref>

==Worship and festivals==
[[File:Thayumanavar (10).jpg|thumb|Ceiling with stonechains]]
The temple priests perform the ''[[puja (Hinduism)|pooja]]'' (rituals) daily. Like other Shiva temples of Tamil Nadu, the priests belong to the [[Shaivism|Shaivaite]] 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 6:00 p.m., Irandamkalam at 8:00 p.m. and Ardha Jamam at 10:00 p.m. Each ritual comprises four steps: ''abhisheka'' (sacred bath), ''alangaram'' (decoration), ''neivethanam'' (food offering) and ''deepa aradanai'' (waving of lamps) for both Thayumanaswami and Mattuvar Kuzhal Amman. The worship is held amidst music with ''[[nagaswaram]]'' (pipe instrument) and ''[[tavil]]'' (percussion instrument), religious instructions in the [[Vedas]] read by priests and prostration by worshippers in front of the temple mast. There are weekly rituals like ''{{lang|te-Latn|somavaram}}'' and ''{{lang|te-Latn|sukravaram}}'', 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"/>

The temple celebrates dozens of festivals throughout the year. The Chittirai festival during the Tamil month of Chittirai (April - May) is celebrated for fifteen days, portraying the various incidents associated with the temple legend. The car festival is held on the ninth day, when the processional deities of Thayumanswamy and Mattuvar Kuzhalammai are taken out in separate chariots around the temple in NSB Road, Nandikovil Street, North and East Andar Streets and the Malaivasal.<ref name="hindu">{{cite news|title=Devotees throng Rockfort Temple|url=http://www.hindu.com/2007/05/01/stories/2007050118520500.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070913154351/http://www.hindu.com/2007/05/01/stories/2007050118520500.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=13 September 2007|location=Tiruchi|date=11 May 2007|newspaper=[[The Hindu]]|access-date=1 January 2014}}</ref> The Karthigai festival is celebrated during the [[Tamil calendar|Tamil month]] of ''[[Karthikai]]'', between November and December, concluding with the celebration of Karthikai Deepam. A huge lamp is lit in a [[cauldron]], containing three tons of [[ghee]], at the top of the Malaikottai hills during the Deepam. To mark the occasion, the festival deity of Thayumanaswami [[Circumambulation|circumambulates]] the mountain.<ref>{{cite news|title=Thousands witness Karthigai deepam at Rockfort temple|url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Tiruchirapalli/thousands-witness-karthigai-deepam-at-rockfort-temple/article5363977.ece|location=Tiruchi|date=18 November 2013|access-date=1 January 2014|newspaper=The Hindu}}</ref>

Every full moon, tens of thousands of pilgrims worship Thayumanaswami by circumambulating the Tiruchirappalli hill barefoot. The circumambulation covers the circumference around the hill, and is referred to as ''Girivalam''. On the day of yearly ''Chitra Pournami'', the full moon of the Tamil calendar, hundreds of thousands of pilgrims come from across the world to worship Thayumanaswami.<ref name="dinamalar">{{cite web|url=https://temple.dinamalar.com/en/new_en.php?id=313|title=Sri Thayumanava Swami temple|publisher=Dinamalar|access-date=1 January 2014}}</ref>

==Saints and literary mention==
[[File:Thayumanavar (3).jpg|thumb|Paintings on the wall of hall leading to the sanctum.]]
[[Campantar|Tirugnana Sambandar]], a 7th-century Tamil ''Saivite'' poet, venerated Thayumanavar in eleven verses in ''[[Tevaram]]'', compiled as the ''[[Tirumurai|First Tirumurai]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thevaaram.org/en/thirumurai_1/songview.php?thiru=1&Song_idField=1010&padhi=136+&button=Please+go |title=Muthalam Thirumurai Translation|year=2012|access-date=6 September 2012|publisher=Thevaaram.org}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Tirugnanasambadar |title=Muthal Thirumurai |url=https://www.projectmadurai.org/pm_etexts/pdf/pm0150.pdf|pages=110–111|year=2004 |publisher=Project Madurai |location=Online }}</ref> [[Appar]], a contemporary of Sambandar, also venerated Thayumanavar in 10 verses in ''Tevaram'', compiled as the ''Fifth Tirumurai''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thevaaram.org/en/thirumurai_1/songview.php?thiru=5&Song_idField=5085&padhi=100+&button=Please+go |title=Aintham Thirumurai Translation|year=2012|access-date=6 September 2012|publisher=Thevaaram.org}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Thirunavukkarasar|title=Aintham Thirumurai |url=https://www.projectmadurai.org/pm_etexts/pdf/pm0188.pdf|pages=46–47|year=2004 |publisher=Project Madurai |location=Online }}</ref> As the temple is revered in ''Tevaram'', it is classified as ''[[Paadal Petra Sthalam]]'', one of the 276 temples that find mention in the Saiva canon.<ref name="history"/> Muthukumaraswamy in the temple is revered in ''Tirupugazh'', the hymns of [[Arunagirinathar]], a 15th-century saint.<ref name="dinamalar"/> [[Thayumanavar]] (1705–1742), a Saiva Siddantha saint has glorified the presiding deity in his verses.<ref>[[#Lal|Lal 1992]], p. 4326</ref><ref>[[#Pillai|Pillai 1904]], p. 172</ref> There is a mutt named after the saint in the South Street of Rockfort, which celebrates his annual birth anniversary.<ref>[[#Pillai1|Pillai 1994]], p. 306</ref>

==Notes==
{{reflist}}

== References ==
{{refbegin|2}}
*{{cite book|last1=de Bruyn|first1=Pippa de|last2=Venkatraman|first2=Niloufer|last3=Bain|first3=Keith|title=Frommer's India|url=https://archive.org/details/frommersindia0000debr|url-access=registration|page=[https://archive.org/details/frommersindia0000debr/page/243 243]|year=2006|publisher=John Wiley & Sons|isbn=978-0-471-79434-9}}
*{{cite book|last=Hemingway|first=Frederick Ricketts|title=Madras District Gazetteers: Trichinopoly|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AtBrlwEACAAJ|year=1907|volume=1|publisher=Government Press}}
* {{cite book|title=Spiritual India Handbook|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=djI5mL2qeocC&q=thayumanavar&pg=PT359|last=Knapp|first=Stephen|publisher=Jaico Publishing House|year=2009|isbn=9788184950243|ref=Knapp}}
* {{cite book|title=Encyclopaedia of Indian Literature: sasay to zorgot|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KnPoYxrRfc0C&q=thayumanavar&pg=PA4326|last=Lal|first=Mohan|publisher=Sahitya Akademi|isbn=9788126012213|year=1992|ref=Lal}}
* {{cite book|title=Flipside of Hindu Symbolism: Sociological and Scientific Linkages in Hinduism|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ewRfp4qpvt4C&q=thayumanavar&pg=PA73|last=M.K.V.|first=Narayan|publisher=Fultus Corporation|isbn=9781596821170|year=2007|ref=M.K.V.}}
* {{cite book | title=A Primer of Tamil Literature| last=Pillai| first=M. S. Purnalingam | year=1904| publisher=Ananda Press|location=Madras|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JwkrAAAAYAAJ&q=thayumanavar&pg=PA172|ref=Pillai}}
* {{cite book | title=Tamil Literature| last=Pillai| first=M. S. Purnalingam | year=1994| page=115| publisher=Asian Educational Services|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QIeqvcai5XQC&q=thayumanavar&pg=PA305|isbn=978-81-206-0955-6|ref=Pillai1}}
*{{cite journal|last=Sundararaj|first=T.|journal=Journal of Indian History|volume=59|publisher=Dept. of Modern Indian History|year=1981|title=A Historical Sketch of Trichinopoly Rock Fort}}
* {{cite book|title=Tourist Guide to Tamil Nadu|year=2010|publisher=Sura Books|isbn=978-81-7478-177-2|pages=89–90}}
*{{cite book|last=Untracht|first=Oppi|title=Traditional Jewelry of India|year=1997|publisher=Harry N. Abrams, Inc.|isbn= 978-0-8109-3886-1}}
*{{cite book|last1=Yule|first1=Sir Henry|author-link1=Sir Henry Yule|first2=Arthur Coke|last2=Burnell|author-link2=Arthur Coke Burnell|title=Hobson-Jobson: A glossary of colloquial Anglo-Indian words and phrases|chapter=Trichinopoly|url=https://dsal.uchicago.edu/cgi-bin/philologic/getobject.pl?c.2:1:368.hobson|publisher=J. Murray|year=1903|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20121215005451/http://dsal.uchicago.edu/cgi-bin/philologic/getobject.pl?c.2:1:368.hobson|archive-date=2012-12-15}}
{{refend}}
{{Tiruchirappalli}}

[[Category:Hindu temples in Tiruchirappalli]]
[[Category:Padal Petra Stalam]]

Thayumanaswami Temple, Rockfort - Revision history

Niishad Shetty: started a place!