The temple is praised in the Thevaram hymns of Gnanasambandar and Tirunavukkarasar. This is the 95th temple on the southern bank of river Cauvery praised in Thevaram hymns.
Moolavar : Saraparameswarar
Amman : Gnanambikai, Gnanavalli
Old year : 1000-2000 years old
City : Tirucherai
District : Thanjavur
State : Tamil Nadu
Lord Shiva graces in the temple as Swaymbumurthi. He is worshipped as Rina Vimochana Lingeswarar meaning that He relieves the devotees from debts. This is the only temple where three Durgas are present as Shiva Durga, Vaishnavi Durga and Vishnu Durga. Saint Tirunavukkarasar has praised the Bhairava in the temple with a special hymn. Bhairava graces here with a tattoo on the left upper arm with a trident and bell, a form exclusively seen only in this temple. The rays of Sun falls directly on the presiding deity and the feet of the Mother on 13, 14 and 15th of Masi (February-March). The holy tree Mavilangai will have only leaves for first four months of the year, only white flowers during the second four months and nothing during the remaining four months.
Temple Location
Sri Saraparameswarar Temple, Arul Migu Gnanavalli-Samedha-Sara Parmeswarar Koil Thirucherai, TN 612605
Mother Gnanavalli shrine is on the outer corridor (prakara) left to the presiding deity Saraparameswarar. Lord Shiva teaches righteous path to all beings and Mother Gnanavalli assists Him in this graceful service, according to our Puranas. In the inner corridor, there are shrines for Vinayaka, Nataraja, Idaparooda (Lord Shiva on the bull vehicle), Dakshinamurthy, Kalabhairava, Durga, Sun and Sani Bhagwan (Saturn).
On the western side of the Prakara, there are shrines for Vinayaka, Markandeya and a Linga installed by him gracing His devotees from their debt burden web called Rina Vimochana Lingeswara. Then follows the shrines of Sri Balasubramania. The temple was built by the famous Chola King Kulothunga Chozhan.
Tiruchearai Lord Saraparameswara is also praised in the name of Chenneri Appar meaning that the Lord shows all the people the righteous way of living. There is also a Vishnu Temple nearby known as Pancha Kshetra.
This is the only temple where three Durgas, Shiva Durga, Vaishnavi Durga and Vishnu Durga grace the devotees from one shrine. Lamp worship is followed in this shrine during the Rahukalam time – 90 minutes in each day will be Rahukalam. The timing differs each day
After worshipping the Navagrahas (9 planets) and Sri Nataraja, Bhairava graces from His shrine. Bhairava appears here with a tattoo on his left upper arm with a trident and bell, a depiction only in this temple. Saint Tirunavukkarasar has sung the grace of Bhairava of this temple in his Thevaram hymn. The song describes Bhairava as Lord Shiva Himself.
Devotees offer garlands made of Vada (a pudding fried in oil) to Bhairava on Ashtami day (8th day from new moon or full moon day), perform archana with 1000 names (Sahasranama) for relief from the adverse aspects of the planets and for success in litigations.
The name of the place had changed from Arai or Chetrur as Cherai or Tirucherai. The place is noted for its fertility in the Thevaram hymns.
Sage Markandeya installed a Linga for his own soul satisfaction near the Vinayaka in this temple and had been worshipping the Lord, praised as Rina (debts) Vimochana (released and discharged) Lingeswarar (God).
Everyone aspires for a comfortable life. Despite health, education and wisdom, if poverty creeps in, life becomes miserable and involves one in borrowings and debts. People pray to Lord Rina Vimochana Lingeswara here to spare them from such events in life. They offer prayers on 11 Mondays performing archanas and participate in the abishek ceremony finally on the 11th Monday to realize their prayers. Devotees firmly believe that this prayer would offer solution for all their problems and endow them with a life free of debt and blessed with children, education and material progress.
The Lord is Swayambumurthy. The holy tree Mavilangai has only leaves during the first four months of the year, only white flowers during the next four months and with none of these during the remaining four months of the year. The rays of Sun falls on the presiding deity Lord Sara Parmeswara and on the feet of the Mother on 13, 14 and 15th of Masi month.
Thirumurai 3.86 திருச்சேறை
1. முறியுறு நிறமல்கு முகிழ்முலை மலைமகள் வெருவமுன்
வெறியுறு மதகரி யதள்பட வுரிசெய்த விறலினர்
நறியுறு மிதழியின் மலரொடு நதிமதி நகுதலை
செறியுறு சடைமுடி யடிகடம் வளநகர் சேறையே.
2. புனமுடை நறுமலர் பலகொடு தொழுவதொர் புரிவினர்
மனமுடை யடியவர் படுதுயர் களைவதொர் வாய்மையர்
இனமுடை மணியினொ டரசிலை யொளிபெற மிளிர்வதோர்
சினமுதிர் விடையுடை யடிகடம் வளநகர் சேறையே.
3. புரிதரு சடையினர் புலியத ளரையினர் பொடிபுல்கும்
எரிதரு முருவின ரிடபம தேறுவ ரீடுலா
வரிதரு வளையின ரவரவர் மகிழ்தர மனைதொறும்
திரிதரு சரிதைய ருறைதரு வளநகர் சேறையே.
4. துடிபடு மிடையுடை மடவர லுடனொரு பாகமா
இடிபடு குரலுடை விடையினர் படமுடை யரவினர்
பொடிபடு முருவினர் புலியுரி பொலிதரு மரையினர்
செடிபடு சடைமுடி யடிகடம் வளநகர் சேறையே.
5. அந்தர முழிதரு திரிபுர மொருநொடி யளவினில்
மந்தர வரிசிலை யதனிடை யரவரி வாளியால்
வெந்தழி தரவெய்த விடலையர் விடமணி மிடறினர்
செந்தழ னிறமுடை யடிகடம் வளநகர் சேறையே.
6. மத்தர முறுதிறன் மறவர்தம் வடிவுகொ டுருவுடைப்
பத்தொரு பெயருடை விசயனை யசைவுசெய் பரிசினால்
அத்திர மருளுந மடிகள தணிகிளர் மணியணி
சித்திர வளநகர் செறிபொழி றழுவிய சேறையே.
7. பாடின ரருமறை முறைமுறை பொருளென வருநடம்
ஆடின ருலகிடை யலர்கொடு மடியவர் துதிசெய
வாடினர் படுதலை யிடுபலி யதுகொடு மகிழ்தரும்
சேடர்தம் வளநகர் செறிபொழி றழுவிய சேறையே.
8. கட்டுர மதுகொடு கயிலைநன் மலைமலி கரமுடை
நிட்டுர னுடலொடு நெடுமுடி யொருபது நெரிசெய்தார்
மட்டுர மலரடி யடியவர் தொழுதெழ வருள்செயும்
சிட்டர்தம் வளநகர் செறிபொழி றழுவிய சேறையே.
9. பன்றியர் பறவையர் பரிசுடை வடிவொடு படர்தர
அன்றிய வவரவ ரடியொடு முடியவை யறிகிலார்
நின்றிரு புடைபட நெடுவெரி நடுவெயொர் நிகழ்தரச்
சென்றுயர் வெளிபட வருளிய வவர்நகர் சேறையே.
10. துகடுறு விரிதுகி லுடையவ ரமணெனும் வடிவினர்
விகடம துறுசிறு மொழியவை நலமில வினவிடல்
முகிடரு மிளமதி யரவொடு மழகுற முதுநதி
திகடரு சடைமுடி யடிகடம் வளநகர் சேறையே.
11. கற்றநன் மறைபயி லடியவ ரடிதொழு கவினுறு
சிற்றிடை யவளொடு மிடமென வுறைவதொர் சேறைமேல்
குற்றமில் புகலியு ளிகலறு ஞானசம் பந்தன
சொற்றக வுறமொழி பவரழி விலர்துயர் தீருமே
the daughter of the mountain who has breasts like lotus buds and a complexion flourishing like the tender leaves, to be frightened in the distant past.
Civan had the strength to flay a savage elephant full of must to peel the skin.
Cerai is the fertile city of the god on whose catai coiled into a crown the flowers of fragrant konrai, the river Kaṅkai, and the laughing skull are crowded.
Civaṉ has a liking to be worshipped by devotees with many fragrant flowers available in the sylvan tract he is ever-truthful in the weeding out the sufferings experienced by his devotees who have steadiness of minds.
Cēṟai is the fertile city of the god who has a bull of severe anger and wears an ornament resembling in shape the leaf of the pipal tree along with a cluster of bells.
Civaṉ has a twisted caṭai wears as dress in the waist a tiger`s skin;
has a body which is like fire and smears on it sacred ash.
rides on a bull.
Cēṟai is the fertile city where the god who has a conduct of wandering in every one of the houses of the ladies who wear bangles with lines which suit their beauty individually.
having a lady whose waist is like a drum, shaped like the hour glass, as a half of his body, rides on a bull whose bellowing is like the thunder.
has a cobra with a hood has a body smeared with fine powder of sacred ash.
ties in his waist a tiger`s skin which is shining.
Cēṟai is the fertile city of the god who has a caṭai coiled into a crown which is like a shrub.
the warrior who shot an arrow to be burnt and destroyed by fire, from the bow of mountain mantaram with bands in an instant, as the time measure of the snap of the finger, which had cobra as the bow-string and arimal and fire as its tip as its components, the three-cities which were wandering in the sky.
has a neck made beautiful by the poison.
Cēṟai is the fertile city of the god who has the colour of fire.
taking the form of a hunter who had as much strength as the mountain, Mantaram mantaram has become mattaram;
the soft consonant has been hardened for the sake of rhyme by the manner in which he defeated Vicayaṉ who had a beautiful body and ten names.
the beautiful and fertile city which is adorned with precious stones which shine in a row, of our god who granted a weapon.
is Cēṟai which is surrounded by dense gardens.
Civaṉ sang the abstruse Vētams in the manner of proper accent and order.
performed the rare dance that it indicated the he was the god who performed all the functions.
when the devotees praised him in this world with flowers and other things fit for worship.
the fertile city of the god who rejoices with the alms which is placed in the lifeless skull of the faded Piramaṉ.
is Cēṟai surrounded by dense gardens.
Civaṉ crushed the ten tall crowns and the body of the hard-hearted Irāvaṇaṉ who caused distress by his hands to the good mountains, Kayilai with his excessive strength the fertile city of the eminent god who grants his grace to the devotees who fall at his feet which are like flowers which have abundant honey, and rise.
is Cēṟai which is surrounded by dense gardens.
when Māl and Piramaṉ took the form of a pig and a swan respectively appropriate to them, to have a vision of Civaṉ were not able to see the feet and head as they both were opposed to each other.
when they were standing on the two sides.
Cēṟai is the city of that god who granted his grace to indicate he was the great one in the middle of a tall column of fire which rose.
buddhists who wear a cloths full of dirt as their dress.
and those who have naked bodies their mean words which are horrible do not contain any good;
therefore do not listen to them devotees!
Cēṟai is the fertile city of Civaṉ who has a caṭai coiled into a crown on which the ancient river Kaṅkai shines beautifully along with a crescent which is like a bud and a cobra.
on Cēṟai where Civaṉ dwells as his favourite place with Umai of small and beautiful waist, and where the devotees who practise good Vētam-s which they learnt in their young days, pay obeisance to him the sufferings of those who recite the words of Nyanacampantan who has no enmity with anyone and who lives in Pukali which is without defect, in the proper manner, will leave them and they will not meet with death.
