Apathsahayar Temple, Thirupazhanam

rdf:langString Apathsahayar Temple, Thirupazhanam

rdf:langString Apathsahayar Temple

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rdf:langString Shrines of the temple

rdf:langString Sculptures on the walls of the temple

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rdf:langString Thirupazhanam .jpg

rdf:langString Thirupazhanam

rdf:langString Location in Tamil Nadu

rdf:langString India Tamil Nadu

rdf:langString Apathsahayar Temple, Thirupazhanam is a Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva located in near Tiruvaiyaru, Tamil Nadu, India. The presiding deity is revered in the 7th century Tamil Saiva canonical work, the Tevaram, written by Tamil poet saints known as the nayanars and classified as Paadal Petra Sthalam. The temple is counted as the earliest of all Chola temples. There are many inscriptions associated with the temple indicating contributions from Cholas, Thanjavur Nayaks and Thanjavur Maratha kingdom. The oldest parts of the present masonry structure were built during the Chola dynasty in the 9th century, while later expansions, including the towering gopuram gatehouses, are attributed to later periods, up to the Thanjavur Nayaks during the 16th century. The temple complex is one of the largest in the state and it houses four gateway towers known as gopurams. The temple has numerous shrines, with those of Apathshayar and Periyanayagi being the most prominent. The temple complex houses many halls and three precincts; the most notable is the second precinct built during the Vijayanagar period that has many sculptures. The temple has five daily rituals at various times from 5:30 a.m. to 10 p.m., and twelve yearly festivals on its calendar. The temple is maintained and administered by Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department of the Government of Tamil Nadu.

rdf:langString Apathsahayar