Thingalur Kailasanathar Temple
திங்களூர் கைலாசநாதர் கோயில்
Why this temple matters
At Thingalur, near Thiruvaiyaru, Shiva is revered as Kailasanathar and the Moon god Chandra keeps his own shrine. This is the Navagraha temple for the Moon, where devotees pray for a calm mind and relief from Chandra dosha.
History
The name Thingalur carries the word for the Moon, and the town's sanctity reaches back to the age of the Nayanar saints, for it was sung in the Tevaram hymns and counts among the Paadal Petra Sthalams. That places its worship at least in the seventh century, though the granite temple that stands today took its lasting form under the Cholas. Thingalur is closely tied to Appudi Adigal, a devout Nayanar who so revered the saint Appar, or Tirunavukkarasar, that he named his family, his children and even his wells after him. The story of his son and of the grace shown by Appar is remembered here, binding the temple to the living tradition of Tamil bhakti.
Architecture
The temple follows the Dravidian pattern of the Chola country, built in enduring granite with a modest gateway leading to the sanctum of Kailasanathar. Within the walled precinct the shrine of the Goddess Periyanayaki stands apart, and the Moon god Chandra is honoured in his own separate shrine, which draws the special devotion of those who come for the Navagraha pilgrimage. Pillared halls, a circumambulatory path around the central sanctum, and the quiet proportions of a village temple give the place an unhurried, contemplative air rather than the grandeur of the great royal shrines.
Legends
The temple's chief legend belongs to Chandra, the Moon. Burdened by a curse that had dimmed his light, the Moon god is said to have come to Thingalur and worshipped Shiva here, and by that grace he was freed of the curse and regained his waxing brightness. For this reason the town is honoured as the Navagraha Sthalam of the Moon, and pilgrims come to seek relief from Chandra dosha, a settled and peaceful mind, and cures for ailments held to be governed by the Moon. Woven alongside is the memory of Appudi Adigal, whose unwavering love for the saint Appar is recalled in the devotional lore of the place.
Festivals
Worship here follows the rhythms sacred to Shiva and to the Moon. Pradosham is observed with special care, and Sivaratri draws devotees for night-long prayer. Mondays, the day of the Moon, are kept for Chandra worship, and on full-moon days a special abhishekam is offered to the Moon god. Through the year these observances keep the twin devotions of the temple, to Kailasanathar and to Chandra, gently alive.
The Experience
Set among the paddy fields near Thiruvaiyaru, Thingalur rewards the unhurried visitor. Step in during the calm of morning or the lamp-lit evening, offer prayers first at the sanctum of Kailasanathar and the Goddess, then turn to the shrine of Chandra to seek a quiet mind. The temple is small and unhurried, and time spent in its cool granite halls, especially on a Monday or a full-moon evening, carries the gentle, restorative feeling that devotees associate with the Moon.