Avatar of Mahalakshmi

Moolavar : Siddha Natheswarar
Urchavar : Somaskandar
Historical Name: Siddheeswaram

The temple is praised by Saints Tirugnanasambandar and Sundarar.This is the 65th Shiva temple on the southern bank of Cauvery praised in Thevaram hymns.

Lord Shiva is Swayambumurthy. As this is the Avatar place of Mother Mahalakshmi, she is endearingly named Mazhalai (sweet speech of infants) Mahalakshmi and dressed in skirts and gowns.

Sri Siddhanatheswarar Temple, Tirunarayur-612 102. Thanjavur district.

This is west facing temple. Lord Aanda Vinayaka welcomes the devotees with His blessings.  Mother Soundarya Nayaki graces from a separate shrine.  She is decorated with sandal paste on the last Friday of Thai month-January-February.  Lord Dakshinamurthy blesses devotees from a shrine near that of Mother Mahalakshmi facing west against the traditional direction of south.  Navagraha shrine is opposite to this.  Those facing adverse effects of planets pray to Lord Dakshinamurthy and the planets.  The presence of three Chandikeswaras in the prakara is a special feature in the temple.  Mother Durga on the goshta wall is praised as Prasanna Durga.  Mother with eight hands looks soft and stylish with Her right leg forward.  This is a rare posture.  Lords Umai Oru Bagan, Bikshandava, Brahmma are near this shrine.  There are also shrines in the prakara for Saptha Kannikas, Panchalingas, Aanda Vinayaka, Kala Bhairava, Veera and Bhairava.

This is the place of Avatar of Mahalakshmi.  She wedded Lord Perumal and is gracing the devotees from the nearby Nachiarkoil.  Presents as silk sari, bathing items as oil and soapnut powder, cooking pot (Pongal Panai) jaggery and such gifts are sent from this temple (Her birth house) on Pongal, Deepavali festival days.  Lord Shiva and Mother Ambica visit this Perumal temple the day next to Vaikunda Ekadasi in December-January.  Mother Mahalakshmi is an infant in this temple.  She is dressed with skirt and gowns as a child and is praised as Mazhalai Mahalakshmi.  Gomatha (cow) puja and yajna are performed in this shrine on Fridays and on full moon days with 108 lotus flowers.  Lord Muruga is in a separate shrine nearby. Gorakkar, a siddha had to incur a curse of the Devas and was afflicted with skin diseases.  He came to this place and worshipped Lord Shiva for relief.  Lord granted darshan to Siddha and cured him.  Hence, Lord has the name Siddhanatheswara.  There is a sculpture of Gorakka Siddha in the temple.  Sage Medhavi also is nearby.  Those suffering from skin diseases perform abishek to Siddha with oil on full moon days and Fridays and apply it on their body as a medicine for relief.

Sage Medhavi aspired that Mother Mahalakshmi be born his daughter and prayed to Lord Shiva to realize his wish.  Lord Shiva spoke to Perumal to allow Mother Mahalakshmi to be born the daughter of the sage which Lord Perumal gladly obliged.  Mother Mahalakshmi appeared on a Lotus flower in Panguni Uthira star day in March-April.  Maharshi named Her Vanjula Devi, brought Her up and offered to Perumal as His consort.  Lord Shiva granting darshan to Rishi is gracing the devotees from this temple.

Thirumurai 7.93


திருநறையூர்ச் சித்தீச்சரம்

பாடல் எண் : 1

நீரும் மலரும் நிலவும் சடைமேல்
ஊரும் மரவும் உடையான் இடமாம்
வாரும் மருவி மணிபொன் கொழித்துச்
சேருந் நறையூர்ச் சித்தீச் சரமே

பாடல் எண் : 2

அளைப்பை அரவேர் இடையாள் அஞ்சத்
துளைக்கைக் கரித்தோல் உரித்தான் இடமாம்
வளைக்கைம் மடவார் மடுவில் தடநீர்த்
திளைக்குந் நறையூர்ச் சித்தீச் சரமே

பாடல் எண் : 3

இகழுந் தகையோர் எயில்மூன் றெரித்த
பகழி யொடுவில் உடையோன் பதிதான்
முகிழ்மென் முலையார் முகமே கமலம்
திகழுந் நறையூர்ச் சித்தீச் சரமே

பாடல் எண் : 4

மறக்கொள் அரக்கன் வரைதோள் வரையால்
இறக்கொள் விரற்கோன் இருக்கும் இடமாம்
நறக்கொள் கமலந் நனிபள் ளிஎழத்
திறக்குந் நறையூர்ச் சித்தீச் சரமே

பாடல் எண் : 5

முழுநீ றணிமே னியன்மொய் குழலார்
எழுநீர் மைகொள்வான் அமரும் இடமாம்
கழுநீர் கமழக் கயல்சேல் உகளும்
செழுநீர் நறையூர்ச் சித்தீச் சரமே

பாடல் எண் : 6

ஊனா ருடைவெண் டலைஉண் பலிகொண்
டானார் அடலே றமர்வான் இடமாம்
வானார் மதியம் பதிவண் பொழில்வாய்த்
தேனார் நறையூர்ச் சித்தீச் சரமே

பாடல் எண் : 7

காரூர் கடலில் விடம்உண் டருள்செய்
நீரூர் சடையன் னிலவும் மிடமாம்
வாரூர் முலையார் மருவும் மறுகில்
தேரூர் நறையூர்ச் சித்தீச் சரமே

பாடல் எண் : 8

கரியின் னுரியுங் கலைமான் மறியும்
எரியும் மழுவும் உடையான் இடமாம்
புரியும் மறையோர் நிறைசொற் பொருள்கள்
தெரியுந் நறையூர்ச் சித்தீச் சரமே

பாடல் எண் : 9

பேணா முனிவான் பெருவேள் வியெலாம்
மாணா மைசெய்தான் மருவும் மிடமாம்
பாணார் குழலும் முழவும் விழவில்
சேணார் நறையூர்ச் சித்தீச் சரமே

பாடல் எண் : 10

குறியில் வழுவாக் கொடுங்கூற் றுதைத்த
எறியும் மழுவாட் படையான் இடமாம்
நெறியில் வழுவா நியமத் தவர்கள்
செறியுந் நறையூர்ச் சித்தீச் சரமே

பாடல் எண் : 11

போரார் புரம்எய் புனிதன் அமரும்
சீரார் நறையூர்ச் சித்தீச் சரத்தை
ஆரூ ரன்சொல் லிவைவல் லவர்கள்
ஏரார் இமையோர் உலகெய் துவரே

Cittīccaram in Naṟaiyūr where the scooping streams reach sifting precious stones and gold, like a winnow.
is the place of Civaṉ who has a crawling cobra on his caṭai, where water and flowers are shining.

Cittīccaram in Naṟaiyūr where ladies who wear bangles on their hands bathe for a long time, in the deep pools which have extensive water.
is the place of Civaṉ who flayed the skin of an elephant having a trunk with holes, to make the lady with a waist resembling the cobra with a hood which lives in the anthill, fear, Cobra is compared to the waist of ladies

citticcaram in naṟaiyūr where the lotus flowers are as brilliant as the faces of the young ladies whose breasts are resembling buds;
is the place of Civaṉ who possesses the bow, along the arrow with which he burnt the three forts of the acurar who despised him.

Cittīccaram in Naṟaiyūr where the bees open the petals of the lotus which contains honey The lotus having closed petals is described to be sleeping.
is the place where Civaṉ, the chief who pressed by his toe the mountain to make the shoulders which were as strong as mountain, of the arakkaṉ who was valourous before.

Cittīccaram in Naṟaiyūr which has fertile water in which the different kinds of fish, kayaḻ and cēl, frisk to make the purple indian water-lily to spread its fragrance.
Civaṉ who smears holy ash all over his body.
is the place of Civaṉ who steals the noble qualities of the ladies with dense tresses of hair The ladies referred to here are the wives of the sages in Tārukāvaṉam

Cittīccaram in Naṟaiyūr where the flourishing gardens in which the moon shining in the sky seems to be fixed, have abundant honey.
is the place of Civaṉ who is seated on a strong bull which belongs to the bovine species, receiving alms for eating in the broken white skull which has flesh sticking to it.

Cittīccaram in Naṟaiyūr where in the streets cars run and young girls who wear bodies on their breasts are moving frequently.
is the place of Civaṉ on whose caṭai water of the Kaṅkai spreads, who drank the poison that rose in the black sea.

Cittīccaram in Naṟaiyūr where brahmins who perform their duties with love make research into the words and their meanings which are profuse.
is the place of Civaṉ who has the skin of an elephant, a young male deer and a burning red-hot iron.

Cittīccaram in Naṟaiyūr where in the festival the music of the flute playing many melody-types and the sound of the muḻavu can be heard at a great distance.
is the place of Civaṉ who destroyed completely the great sacrifice performed by Takkaṉ, the sage who detested Civaṉ without liking him, to lose all its eminence.

Cittīccaram in Naṟaiyūr where great men of daily routines, do not swerve from the right, are crowded.
is the place of Civaṉ who has a battle-axe to be thrown on enemies and who kicked the cruel god of death who never missed his purpose.

on Cittīccaram of great fame where the pure Civaṉ who shot an arrow on the cities of acurar who were always engaged in war.
those who are capable of reciting these verses composed by Ārūraṉ will reach the beautiful world of the celestials who do not wink.