Adhi Ratneswarar Temple
| Adhi Ratneswarar Temple | |
|---|---|
 Location in Tamil Nadu
|
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| Geography | |
| Coordinates | 9°47′0″N 78°55′10″E / 9.78333°N 78.91944°ECoordinates: 9°47′0″N 78°55′10″E / 9.78333°N 78.91944°E |
| Country | India |
| State | Tamil Nadu |
| District | Ramanathapuram |
| Culture | |
| Primary deity | Shiva |
| Architecture | |
| Architectural styles | Dravidian architecture |
The Adhi Ratneswarar Temple (ஆதிரத்தினேஸ்வரர் கோயில்) is a major Hindu temple with Shiva as the presiding deity, located in the town of Tiruvadanai in the state of Tamil Nadu, India.
Legend has it that Vaaruni, the son of Varuna, the God of rain who was cursed by a Sage to have an elephant's body and a goat's head, regained his normal form after worshiping Shiva at this temple. The name of the town is believed to have been derived from this mythological incident(Thiru- sacred; Adu- goat; Aanai- elephant; Thiru Adanai- the sacred place, where the goat-headed-elephant regained his original form).
The Sun God(Suriyan) is said to have worshiped a blue diamond image of Shiva here. Sage Brighu(Brighu Munivar) is also said to have worshiped the Lord here.
Another popular belief is that during the exile of Pandavas, Arjuna got the pasupatha missile from Lord Shiva. He was asked by the Lord to come to Tiruvadanai to know how to use the weapon. As a mark of his devotion(Bhakti), Arjuna installed the shrine(Somaskanda) in the temple.
This is one of the 14 Shiva temples praised in Thevaram hymns. Sages Agasthya, Markandeya and divine cow Kamadenu had worshipped Lord of this temple. Lord Muruga in the temple is praised in the Tirupugazh hymns of saint Arunagirinathar.
The Tower (Gopuram) of this temple is a specimen of Dravidian art presented in the upper stories. It was recently renovated by the benign patronage of some film actors of the state. The surface of the Gopuram depicts various lifelike art from the different anecdotes of the Hindu mythology. The pictures are painted in oil and exhibit vivid descriptions of the incidents depicted. The tower can be seen from a colossal distance of about 10 miles from the temple's premises.
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