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{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2020}}
{{Use Indian English|date=February 2020}}
{{Infobox temple
| name = Tirunallar Dharbaranyeswarar Temple
| image = Thirunallar Dharbaranyeeswarar Temple and Tank.jpg
| alt = Thirunallar Dharbaranyeeswarar temple and tank
| caption =
| map_type = India Tamil Nadu
| map_caption = Location in [[Tamil Nadu]]
| coordinates = {{coord|10|55|32|N|79|47|32|E|type:landmark_region:IN|display=inline,title}}
| native_name = Dharbaranyam
| country = India
| state = [[Pondicherry (city)|Pondicherry]]
| district = [[Karaikal district|Karaikkal]]
| location = [[Tirunallar]]
| elevation_m =
| deity = Dharbaranyeswarar ([[Shiva]]) and Bogamartha Poonmulaiyaal ([[Parvati]]),<br> [[Shani]]
| utsava_deity_God =
| utsava_deity_Godess=
| Direction_posture =
| Vimanam =
| Prathyaksham =
| festivals =
| architecture = [[Dravidian architecture]]
| temple_quantity =
| monument_quantity =
| inscriptions =
| year_completed =
| creator =
| website =
}}

'''Dharbaranyeswarar Temple''', more popularly known as '''Tirunallar Saniswaran Temple''', is a [[Hindu temple]] dedicated to the deity [[Shiva]], located in the [[Thirunallar]] village of the [[Karaikal district]], in the Union territory of [[Puducherry (union territory)|Puducherry]], Southeastern [[India]].

The temple complex covers around {{Convert|2|acre}} and entered through a five tiered [[gopuram]], the main gateway. The temple has a number of shrines, with those of Shiva as Dharbaranyeswarar, his consort Praneswari Amman ([[Parvati]]), [[Shani]] (Saniswararan) and [[Somaskanda]] (a combined form of Shiva with Parvati and his son [[Kartikeya|Murugan]]) being the most prominent. All the shrines of the temple are enclosed in large concentric rectangular granite walls. The present masonry structure was built during the [[Chola dynasty]] in the 9th century, while later expansions are attributed to [[Vijayanagar Empire|Vijayanagar rulers]]. The temple is maintained and administered by the Department of Hindu Religious Institutions by the [[Government of Puducherry]].

The temple has six daily rituals at various times from 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., and four yearly festivals on its calendar. Mahasivarathri festival celebrated during the month of the ''Chittirai'' (March - April) is the most prominent festival of the temple for the presiding deity, while Sanipeyarchi festival that occurs every 2.5 years is the most prominent for Shani.

==Legend==
[[File:THIRUNALLAR SANISWARAN TEMPLE.jpg|The Rajagopuram of the temple|200x200px|left|thumb]]
As per [[Hindu]] legend, the ruler of the region asked a shepherd to provide milk to the temple daily. The shepherd was a staunch devotee of Shiva and happily provided milk for [[Abhisheka|ablution]] of the presiding deity. The government's headman, who lived close to the temple, coerced the shepherd to give the milk to him, instead of the temple, without the knowledge of the king. Once, the temple priest informed the king that the temple was not receiving the milk from the shepherd. The king asked the shepherd the reason for disobeying his order. Out of fear of the headman, the shepherd remained silent, which angered the king. He ordered the shepherd to be killed. The shepherd prayed to Shiva to relieve him of the punishment. Shiva stopped the punishment with his trident. Following the legend, the altar (''[[Bali Pitha|bali pitham]]'') of the temple is slightly away from the axis of the flagstaff and the central shrine.<ref name=Giri/>

As per another legend, [[Nala]] was ruling this region, full of tropical grass locally called [[Kusha grass|Darba]] after which the place came to be known as Darbaranyam ("forest of Darba"). Every person is afflicted by the movement of planet Saturn, which is believed to create negative effects on the lives of people. Nala was also afflicted by the planetary movement of Saturn on a day when he skipped standard practices of cleanliness.<ref>{{cite book|title=Temple Tales: Secrets and Stories from India's Sacred Places|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZQC0DwAAQBAJ&q=thirunallar&pg=PT36|page=36|first=Sudha G. |last=Tilak|publisher=Hachette UK|year=2019|isbn=9789388322478}}</ref> He is believed to have resided in the temple to get himself off the curses of [[Shani]], the planet [[Saturn]]. He prayed to Shiva and wanted him to protect all the devotees afflicted with Shani to be protected when they visit the temple. Following the legend, people afflicted take a holy dip with oil in Nala theertham, the temple tank and wear black dress.<ref>{{cite book|title=Planet Saturn Secrets: Vedic Astrology|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=sfnHDwAAQBAJ&q=thirunallar&pg=PT30|first=Saket|last=Shah|publisher=Body, Mind & Spirit |year=2020|page=30}}</ref>

==Architecture==
The temple is located in [[Thirunallar]], a village located {{convert|5|km|mi|abbr=on}} away from [[Karaikkal]] in the [[Union territory of Puducherry]] and {{convert|95|km|mi|abbr=on}} from [[Thanjavur]].<ref>{{cite book|title=The Top Ten Temple Towns of India|publisher=Mark Age Publication|first=S.C.|last=Karkar|location=Kolkota|isbn=978-81-87952-12-1|year=2009|page=80}}</ref> The temple has a rectangular plan with a five-tiered [[gopuram|rajagopuram]], the gateway tower and all the shrines are enclosed in granite walls. The presiding deity is Dharbaranyeswarar ([[Shiva]]) and is believed to have been made of ''darba'' grass. The central shrine is located in an elevated platform axial to the main entrance. The sanctum houses the image of Dharbaranyeswarar in the form of [[lingam]] (aniconic form of Shiva). The southern shrine parallel to the shrine of sanctum houses the image of [[Somaskanda]]. The niches around the sanctum houses the images of [[Dakshinamurthy]], [[Durga]] and [[Lingodbhava]]. The shrine of [[Shani]] (the god of the planet Saturn) is located in the northern side of the entrance tower. Shani is treated as the door keeper of the shrine. According to [[Hinduism]], Saturn resides in each ''rasi'' (zodiac) for two and half years.<ref name=Meena>{{cite book|title=Temples in South India|last=V.|first=Meena|publisher=Harikumar Arts|location=Kanniyakumari|year=1974|edition=1st|page=32}}</ref> The tradition is to worship Shani before entering the inner sanctum of Shiva.<ref name=Giri>{{cite book|title=108 Thennaga Shivasthalangal|language=Tamil|publisher=Giri Trading Agency Private Limited|isbn=978-81-7950-707-0|last=R.|first=Ponnammal|pages=52–61}}</ref> The temple is maintained and administered by the Department of Hindu Religious Institutions by the [[Government of Puducherry]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Sri Dharbaranyeswara Swami Devasthanam|url=https://thirunallarutemple.org/|publisher=Department of Hindu Religious Institutions|year=2020|access-date=23 January 2021}}</ref>

==Processional Dance==
The [[Thyagaraja Temple, Tiruvarur|Thyagarajar Temple]] at [[Tiruvarur]] is famous for the ''ajapa thanam'' (dance without chanting), that is executed by the deity itself. According to legend, a [[Chola]] king named Mucukunta obtained a boon from the god [[Indra]] and wished to receive an image of Thyagaraja (presiding deity [[Shiva]] in the temple) reposing on the chest of reclining [[Vishnu]]. Indra tried to misguide the king and had six other images made, but the king chose the right image at Tiruvarur. The other six images were installed in Thirukkuvalai, [[Nagapattinam]], Tirukarayil, Tirukolili, Thirukkuvalai and [[Tirumaraikadu]].<ref>{{cite book|title=The great temple at Tanjore|last=Pillai|first=J.M. Somanasundaram|publisher=Tamil University, Thanjavur|year=1994|page=9}}</ref> All the seven places are villages situated in the river [[Cauvery]] delta. All seven Thyagaraja images are said to dance when taken in procession(it is the bearers of the processional deity who actually dance). The temples with dance styles are regarded as ''Saptha Vidangam''(seven dance moves)<ref>{{cite journal |journal=The Journal of the Music Academy, Madras |volume= 33-34 |publisher=Music Academy (Madras, India) |year= 1962}}</ref> and the related temples are as under:<ref>{{cite book|title=Nityasumaṅgalī: devadasi tradition in South India|page=146|first=Saskia C. |last=Kersenboom-Story}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|- style="background:#FFC569"
| width="200pt" | '''Temple'''
| width="140pt" | '''Vidangar Temple'''
| width="140pt" | '''Dance pose'''
| width="250pt" | '''Meaning'''
|- align ="center"
|- style="background:#ffe;"
|-
| [[Thyagaraja Temple, Tiruvarur|Thyagarajar Temple]]
| ''Vidhividangar''
| ''Ajabathaanam''
| Dance without chanting, resembling the dance of Thyagaraja resting on Vishnu's chest
|-
| Dharbaranyeswarar Temple
| ''Nagaradangar''
| ''Unmathanathaanam''
| Dance of an intoxicated person
|-
| [[Kayarohanaswami Temple, Nagapattinam|Kayarohanaswamy Temple]]
| ''Sundaravidangar''
| ''Vilathithaanam''
| Dancing like waves of sea
|-
| [[Kannayariamudayar Temple, Thirukkarayil|Kannayariamudayar Temple]]
| ''Adhividangar''
| ''Kukunathaanam''
| Dancing like a cock
|-
| [[Brahmapureeswarar Temple, Thirukkuvalai|Brahmapureeswarar Temple]]
| ''Avanividangar''
| ''Brunganathaanam''
| Dancing like a bee that hovers over a flower
|-
| [[Vaimoornathar Temple, Tiruvaimur|Vaimoornaathar Temple]]
| ''Nallavidangar''
| ''Kamalanaanathaanam''
| Dance like lotus that moves in a breeze
|-
| [[Vedaranyeswarar Temple]]
| ''Bhuvanivividangar''
| ''Hamsapthanathaanam''
| Dancing with the gait of a swan
|}

==Religious significance==
[[Sambandar]], the 7th century ''[[Nayanars|nayanar]]'' and [[Tamil language|Tamil]] ''[[saivite]]'' poet has revered the deity with four hymns, in one of which he refers to a contest with [[Jainism|Jains]], and his victory. [[Appar]] and [[Sundarar]], the other ''[[Nayanars]]'' have glorified the temple with their hymns. [[Arunagirinathar]], a 15th-century poet and staunch devotee of [[Lord Muruga]] has composed hymns on the deity and this temple is attributed to [[Murugan]] worship as well.<ref>{{cite book|title=The Tyāgarāja cult in Tamilnāḍu: a study in conflict and accommodation| page=62| first=Rajeshwari |last=Ghose}}</ref> [[Campantar|Tirugnana Sambandar]], a 7th-century Tamil ''Saivite'' poet, venerated Naganathar in ten verses in ''[[Tevaram]]'', compiled as the ''[[Tirumurai|First Tirumurai]]''. [[Appar]], a contemporary of Sambandar, also venerated Dharbaranyeswarar in 10 verses in ''Tevaram'', compiled as the ''Fifth Tirumurai''. As the temple is revered in ''Tevaram'', it is classified as ''[[Paadal Petra Sthalam]]'', one of the 275 temples that find mention in the Saiva canon.<ref name=R/>

The temple is one of the nine [[Navagraha temples in Tamil Nadu|Navagraha temples of Tamil Nadu]] and is a part of the popular Navagraha pilgrimage in the state - it houses the image of Shani (Saturn).<ref>{{cite book|title=Jothirlingam: The Indian Temple Guide|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CE55CgAAQBAJ&q=thiruvenkadu|page=92|publisher=Partridge Publishing|author=Suriya|year=2015|isbn=9781482847864}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=Hindu spirituality: Postclassical and modern|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UUWIEfAY-mMC&q=tirunageswaram&pg=PA425|last1=K.R.| first1=Sundararajan|last2=Mukerji|first2=Bithika|page=425|publisher=Motilal Banarsidass Publishers|year=2003|isbn=9788120819375}}</ref><ref name="TN">{{cite web|title=Navagraha temples|url=http://www.thanjavur.tn.nic.in/navagrahas_m.html|publisher=Thanjavur District Administration|access-date=2013-07-07|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131112023302/http://www.thanjavur.tn.nic.in/navagrahas_m.html|archive-date=2013-11-12}}</ref>

==Religious practices==
The temple priests perform the ''[[puja (Hinduism)|pooja]]'' (rituals) during festivals and on a daily basis. Like other Shiva temples of Tamil Nadu, the priests belong to the [[Shaivism|Shaivaite]] community. The temple rituals are performed six times a day; Ushatkalam at 5:30 a.m., Kalashanti at 8:00 a.m., Uchikalam at 12:00 p.m., Sayarakshai at 6:00 p.m., Irandamkalam at 8:00 p.m. and Arddha Jamam at 9:00 p.m. Each ritual comprises four steps: ''abhishekam'' (sacred bath), ''alankaram'' (decoration), ''naivedyam'' (food offering) and ''deepa aradhanai'' (waving of lamps) for both Dharbaranyeswarar and Praneswari 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), ''kruttika'', ''[[pournami (festival)|purnima]]'' (full moon day) and ''chaturthi''.<ref name=dinamalar>{{cite web|title=Sri Dharbaranyeswarar temple|url=https://temple.dinamalar.com/en/new_en.php?id=1570|publisher=[[Dinamalar]]|year=2014|access-date=24 November 2015}}</ref><ref name=R>{{cite book|title=An introduction to religion and Philosophy - Tévarám and Tivviyappirapantam|url=https://archive.org/details/dli.jZY9lup2kZl6TuXGlZQdjZY2lZpy.TVA_BOK_0006115|last=R.|first=Dr. Vijayalakshmy|publisher=International Institute of Tamil Studies| location=Chennai|year=2001|edition=1st|pages=160–1}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{commons category}}
* {{official website| https://thirunallarutemple.org/}}
*[https://templeknowledge.com/about-thirunallar-temple/ Tirunallar Temple Complete info]

{{Navagraha}}
{{Shaivism}}

[[Category:Padal Petra Stalam]]
[[Category:Hindu temples in Puducherry]]
[[Category:Shani temples]]
[[Category:Navagraha temples in Tamil Nadu]]

Tirunallar Dharbaranyeswarar Temple - Revision history

KareemOman9338: started the location basic info