Cheyyar - Tiruvothur

Cheyyar - Sri Vedhapureeswarar Temple

Cheyyaru is a small town in the Tiruvannamalai District near Kanchipuram in the Tamil Nadu state of South India. It gets its name from the Cheyyaru River.

The town contains an ancient temple called Vedhapureeswarar temple situated on the banks of the river, and there is a legend that Thirugnana Sambandar, one of the four great saivite saints visited the temple and caused a male palm tree to flower by singing verses in Tamil. 

There is another famous temple called Patcheeswarar temple in the heart of the town.

This Shivastalam is within an hour's drive from Kanchipuram and it is known for its association with Sambandar. ( Located 1 km away from cheyyar busstand ) This is the 8th of the 32 Tevara Stalams in the Tondai region of South India.

This is a vast temple with very few visitors today, as little is left of its past glory. The Rajagopuram here is visible from a distance as one approaches Cheyyar from Kanchipuram. The stala vriksham here is a group of four palm trees. The four palm trees are said to represent the four Vedas. Although this temple was an earlier foundation, inscriptions here are primarily from the middle and later Chola periods (11th -13th centuries).

Shiva is said to have revealed the Vedas to the Gods and Rishis from under a banyan tree here. The four palm trees represent the 4 vedas.   Sambandar, arriving from Tiruvannamalai is said to have transformed a male palm tree to a female one, responding to the pleas of an anxious devotee. There are several legends connected with Sambandar here. Shiva is said to have appeared as a snake charmer to save Sambandar from the clutches of a snake.

Significance of the temple:

v  Thiruvothur is the 8th Shiva temple in Tondai nadu region praised in Thevaram hymns.

v  It is one of the shrines of the 275 Paadal Petra Sthalams - Shiva Sthalams glorified in the early medieval Tevaram poems.

v  This temple has a few unique distinctions. The Nandi, which usually faces the Shiva Lingam, is facing the opposite direction. One can also worship all the Pancha Bootha (lingams) in this temple.

v  This temple Sthala Vriksham is Panaimaram and Theertham is Kalyana koti theertham.

v  Other well known names of this town Tiruvothur, Tiruvethipuram (திருவத்திபுரம்), Thiruvathipuram or Tiruvetipuram.

Thiruvothur - Sri Vedhapureeswarar Temple திருவோத்தூர் , செய்யாறு - வேதபுரீஸ்வரர் திருக்கோவில்
Main Deity	Lord Shiva
Name	Sri Vedanatheswarar
Goddess Name	Sri Ilamulaiyamman, Bala kuchambika
Location	Cheyyar
Other Names	Tiruvothur, Tiruvethipuram, Thiruvathipuram, Tiruvetipuram, Cheyyaru
Significance	8th Devaram Paadal Petra Shiva Sthalam in Tondai Nadu, One of 275 Devaram Padal Petram Sthalams,
Ancient	1500 years old
Travel Base	Kanchipuram

How to Reach : The town is situated at 30 km from Kanchipuram, 60 km from Vellore and 105 km from Chennai, well connected by buses on SH 5 and SH 45.

Other temple to see in Cheyyar:

1.       Anjenayar Temple

2.      Sokkanathar Temple

3.      Patcheeswarar Shiva Temple ( Very near to bus stand )