Sri Vaanchinaadha Swamy Temple Srivaanchiyam,Tamil Nadu
It is located in a small village called Srivanchiyam which is accessible from both Kumbakonam and Thiruvarur towns by road.
The main deities of the temple are Lord Shiva(known as Vanchinatha swamy) and Devi Parvathy(known as Mangalambika).
The temple is also famous, for it is the only temple with a separate sannidhi for Lord Yamadharmaraja. It is believed that if one offers prayers at this temple with dedication, he is relieved of the ‘Death fear'(Mruthyu bayam).
There is an adjoining pond which is clean and beautiful.
There are special festivals held here during the Tamil month of Karthigai (october-november).
Vanchinadha Swamy temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to the deity Shiva, located in Srivanchiyam, Tiruvarur District, Tamil Nadu, India. Shiva is worshiped as Vanchinadha Swamy, and is represented by the lingam. His consort Parvati is depicted as Mangalambigai Amman. The presiding deity is revered in the 7th century Tamil Saiva canonical work, the Tevaram, written by Tamil saint poets known as the Nayanmars and classified as Paadal Petra Sthalam.
The temple complex covers an area of 2 acres (0.81 ha) and houses two gateway towers known as gopurams. The tallest is the eastern tower, with 11 stories and a height of 108 feet (33 m) The temple has numerous shrines, with those of Vanchinadhaswamy, Yama and Mangala Nayagi Amman being the most prominent. The temple has six daily rituals at various times from 6:00 a.m. to 9 p.m., and twelve yearly festivals on its calendar, with the Masi Magam festival celebrated during the Tamil month of Maasi (February – March) being the most prominent.
The present masonry structure was built during the Chola dynasty in the 11th century, while later expansions are attributed to Vijayanagar rulers of the Thanjavur Nayaks of the 16th century. The temple is maintained and administered by the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department of the Government of Tamil Nadu.
Legend
As per Hindu legend, once Lakshmi, the consort of Vishnu had a fight with him and left their abode, Vaikunta. She came to earth and Vishnu followed in search of her. He found a Linga (an iconic form of Shiva) in a Sandalwood forest and started worshipping Shiva. Shiva was pleased with the devotion and he restored Lakshmi to Vishnu. Since Vishnu helped Lakshmi, locally called “Sri”, the place came to be known as Srivanchiyam.This story is not mentioned in puranas. As per another legend, a sage named Sarva was performing penance on the banks of river Sarayu. A divine voice told him that the Dharma would get destroyed during Kaliyuga. The sage was running towards the temple shouting “Shivaya Namaha, Thiruvanjiyam Abayam”. Kali, another form of Yama was running behind the sage. He was stopped by Shiva on the border of the village. Shiva appeared as Vanchinathar to ward off the threat of Yama, who is stationed in a shrine outside the first precinct following the legend.
