Siva Temples of South India

TWELVE JYOTIRLINGAS

 

PLACE	NAME OF LORD
Somnath (Gujarat) Srisailam (AP) Ujjain (MP) Omkareswara (MP) Kedarnath (UP) Bhimashankar (Maharashtra) Varanasi (UP) Tryambakeswar (Maharashtra) Vaidyanath (Bihar) Nageswar (Gujarat) Rameswaram Ghirishnesh	Somnatheswara Mallikarjuneswara Mahakaleswara Omkareswara Kedareswara Bhimashankara Visweswara Tryambakeswara Vaidyanath Nageswara Ramanathaswamy Ghirishneshwara

PANCHA BHOOTA KSHETRA
 
The five great Elements of nature are represented at each one of these temples. Together these temples are called the Pancha Bhoota Kshetras

PLACE	NAME OF LORD	Element
Srikalahasti (AP) Kancheepuram Tiruvannamalai Chidambaram Tiruvannaikaval	Srikalahastiswara Ekambareswara Arunachaleswara Nataraja Jambukeswara	Air Earth Fire Akasha (Ether / Space) Water

ASHTA VEERATANNA KSHETRA
These are certain places where Lord Siva assumed Rajo Guna and performed heroic deeds for destroying evil forces. Eight such places are specifically mentioned and collectively called Ashta Veerattana Kshetras.
 

PLACE	NAME OF LORD
Tirukkoyilur Tiruvadigai Tirrukadavur Parasalur Kurrukai Valuvur Virkudi Kandiyur	Andhakasura Samharam Tripura Dahanam Kala Samharam Daksha Samhanam Kama Dahanam Gajasura Samhanam Jalandrasura Samharam Brahma’s head was plucked

SAPTHA VIDANGA KSHETRA
 
Saptha Vidanga Kshetra are the seven places where the seven places where the seven Lingas said to have been brought by Mucukunda Chakravarti from Devaloka are worshpped. These Linga Murti’s are called “Vidanga” because they were created by Maya without a chisel (Vi means without and Danga means Chisel). Further each of these places are indentified with a dance form of Thyagaraja (Lord Siva)
 

PLACE	NAME OF LORD	DANCE
Tiruvarur Tirunallar Nagapattinam Tirukuvalai Tiruvaimur Tirukkaraivasal Vedaranyam	Veedhi Vidangar Nagara Vidangar Sundara Vidangar Avani Vidangar Nila Vidangar Adi Vidangar Bhuvani Vidangar	Ajapa Natanam Unmatha Natanam Para Vira Taranga Natanam Biringa Natanam Kamala Natanam Kukkuta Natanam Hamsapada Natanam

PANCHA SABHA
The five places where Lord Nataraja performed his Tandavam are collectively known as Pancha Sabha meaning five assembly halls of Lord Nataraja
 

PLACE	NAME OF SABHA	DANCE
Chidambaram Tiruvalangadu Madurai Tirunelveli Kutralam	Kanaka Sabha Ratna Sabha Rajata Sabha Tamira Sabha Chitra Sabha	Ananda Tandavam Oordhva Tandavam Sandhya Tandavam Muni Tandavam Tripura Tandavam

PANCHA ARAMA KSHETRAM
 
Pancha Arama Kshetram are those five places where the pieces of a Swayambhu Linga are installed. This Swayambhu Lingam was being carried by Tarakasura in his throat, which was broken into five pieces by Kumaraswamy (Subramanya) during the course of the battle with him and these pieces fell at the following places.
 

PLACE	NAME OF LORD
Drakshashrama Samalkot Gunipundi (Bhimavaram) Palakollu Amaravati	Drakshashrama Swamy Bhimarama Swamy Somarama Swamy Kshirarama Swamy Amararama Swamy

ARUPADAI VEEDU
 
The Arupadai Veedu are identified as directly associated with Lord Muruga. These six places collectively are called the Arupadai Veedu

PLACE

Tiruttani Swamimalai Palani Pazhamudir Solai Tiruparakundram Tiruchendur

Navagraha Kshetra
 
Worship of the Navagraha Murti is done in various ways not only to appease them for mitigation of their malefic influence but also to seek their blessings for acquiring peace, wealth, prosperity and longevity of life in the world. Perhaps, to satisfy this need, a shrine is set up apart for the planetary deities in all Siva temples. They are installed on a single platform with the Sun God as the presiding deity in the centre.  There are however a few temples where one or the other of the Navagraha deities individually find a shrine exclusively dedicated for them
 

Suryanarkoil Tirvarur / Tingaloor Vaitheeswaran Kovil Tirvenkadu Alangudi Kanjanoor Tirunallar Keezhperupallam Tirunageswaram

Sun Moon Mangal (Mars) Budha (Mercury) Guru (Jupiter) Sukra (Venus) Shani (Saturn) Ketu Rahu

 

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