Contents
Aappudayar Temple, Thiru Aappanoor, Sellur, Madurai
| Date built: | – |
|---|---|
| Deity: | Aappudayar |
| Architectural style: | Dravidian architecture |
| Major festivals | – |
| Locale: | Thiru Aappanoor, Sellur |
| District:: | Madurai |
| Address: | Aappudayar Temple,Thiru Aappanoor,Sellur – 625 002,Madurai District |
| Phone |
Aappudayar Temple is a Hindu Temple dedicated to Lord Shiva located at Sellur in Madurai City in Madurai District of Tamilnadu. This Temple is also called as Thiru Aappanoor. This temple lies in the shadow of Madurai Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple. The Pandya Kings and the Royal Sethupathi kings have made many contributions to this temple although little is known of its history to the thousands of visitors that throng Madurai. Presiding Deity is called as Aappudaiyaar / Rishabeswarar / Idapureesar / Vrusharesar / Anna Vinodhan, Appanur Nathar / Anna Lingeswarar. Mother is called Kuravankamazhum Kuzhalammai / Suganda Kundalambal. The temple is praised in the hymns of Saint Thirugnana Sambandar. This is the 246th Devaram Padal Petra Shiva Sthalam and 2nd Sthalam of Pandya Nadu.
Temple Opening Time
The temple is opened from 6.00 a.m. to 11.00 a.m. and 5.00 p.m. to 8.00 p.m.
Festivals
The Brahmmotsavam festival is very famous in the month of Masi (February-March), 10 day Navarathri festival in Purattasi (September-October), Ani Uthiram with special Pujas to Nataraja (June-July), Adi Pooram (July-August), Aipasi Poornima (October-November), Mondays in the month of Karthikai (November-December), 10 days Margazhi Thiruvanandal (December-January), Panguni Uthiram (March-April), Deepavali, Pongal, New Year day of both Tamil and English Calendars, Ganesh Chaturthi are the festivals very devotionally celebrated in the temple. Images of Meenakshi and Sundareswarar visit this temple from the famed Madurai temple, on the day of Panguni Uttiram, and return on a Rishabha Vahanam. The festival idols here – made of silver are of great beauty and they are taken in procession during the biweekly Pradosham festival.
Prayers
Those facing Mars planet adverse aspects (Sevvai Dosham) pray to Lord Muruga and those aspiring prosperity pray to Lord Shiva performing archana with Vilwa leaves. Realizing their wishes devotees perform abishek and archanas with Vilwa leaves to Lord and offer vastras.
Architecture
Legend / Local stories
Aappanoor:
King Cholandhagan was a staunch Lord Shiva devotee. During his reign, the land was fertile and prosperous with timely rains. Farm yields were plenty. His subjects were happy. All this was due to his devotion to Lord Shiva. He went on hunting on a day. As he could not succeed in chasing a deer, he felt fainted at last. Shocked attendants offered food and water to the king to recover from the weakness. The king said that he could not afford to take food before doing his usual Shiva Puja. There was no Linga for the puja.
A wise minister fixed a wooden piece (Aappu) on the ground as Shivalinga and suggested that he can worship and take his food. The king believed the minister, worshipped the Aappu and ate his food. He found then what he worshipped was not a Shiva Linga but a piece of wood fixed on the ground by his minister. He cried to the Lord that if he was indeed his devotee, Lord should come into the Aappu and accept his worship. Lord appeared on the Aappu and became Aappudayar. The place came to be known as Aappanoor.
Anna Lingeswarar:
During the period of another king Suguna Pandya belonging to the same dynasty, the place faced a severe famine. Yet, the priest of the temple grew some grains with difficulty and was offering the Nivedhanas to Lord. Seeing this, people grew angry on the priest and harassed him for his feeding the Lord while people were starving. The priest fell at the feet of the Lord for help. Lord asked the priest to follow him with his wife and set on his Rishaba to another place. He stopped at this place – Aappanur. As Lord stopped here on his Rishaba – Idaba in Tamil, this also came to be known as Idabapuram. The priest used the sands of the Vaigai River to cook the Nivedhana for Lord. By the grace of Lord, the sand became rice-Anna. This event brought the Lord the name Anna Vinodhan / Anna Lingeswarar.
Punyasenam becoming Kubera by the grace of Lord Shiva:
Punyasenam in the lineage of Lord Brahmma was a staunch Shiva devotee. As advised by Sage Agasthya, he performed severe penance on Lord Shiva to become as wealthy as Kubera. Pleased with his penance, Lord Aappudayar with Mother Sugantha Kundalambikai granted darshan and the boon he sought. But as fate had it, he became immediately arrogant and cast a mischievous look on Mother and lost his eyes and fell dead. Merciful Lord Aappudayar gave back his life and called him Kubera. Since then, he became the Lord of North with two wealth – Sanga Nidhi and Padhma Nidhi.
Photo Gallery
How to Reach:
Aappudayar Temple (Thiru Aappanoor) is located in Sellur, part of Madurai City on The Northern bank of the river Vaigai in Tamil Nadu. The Temple is located at about 1 Km from Sellur, 750 meters from Simmakkal Bus Stop, 550 meters from Simmakkal, 1 Km from Goripalayam, 900 meters from Goripalayam Bus Stop, 10 Kms from Thiruparankundram and 2 Kms from Meenakshi Amman Temple.
By Road:
The Temple is located at about 750 meters from Simmakkal Bus Stop, 900 meters from Goripalayam Bus Stop, 3 Kms from Madurai Central Periyar Bus Stand and 5 Kms from Mattuthavani Integrated Bus Terminus. The Temple can be reached from the Madurai Central Periyar Bus Stand through buses passing through Simmakkal and those from Goripalayam via Sellur. Town bus to Chozhavanthan to Mattuthavani passes through Thiruvedagam and Sellur.
By Train:
Madurai Railway Station is the nearest Railway Station located at about 3 Kms from the Temple.
By Air:
Madurai International Airport is the nearest Airport located at about 13 Kms from the Temple.
Contact Details
Aappudayar Temple,
Thiru Aappanoor,
Sellur – 625 002,
Madurai District
Phone: +91 452 253 0173
Mobile: +91 94436 76174