A temple with connections to Chess in a non-descript and sleepy village close to Tiruvarur has been receiving a number of public consideration currently. This temple is the Lord Shiva temple at Thirupoovanur close to Tiruvarur which has Arulmigu Sathuranga Vallabhanathar because the presiding deity.
Inaugurating the forty fourth Chess Olympiad on July twenty eighth, Modi stated “Chathuranga Vallabanathar Temple in Tiruvarur exhibits that even Gods performed chess with their queens. This exhibits that Tamil Nadu has a powerful historic reference to the case and therefore it’s the chess powerhouse of India.”
TN CM Stalin, who hails from the identical district, didn’t hassle to say something concerning this historic connection.
In response to legendary tales, Lord Shiva adopted the identify Sathuranga Vallabhanathar after he performed chess to marry native king Vasusenan’s daughter Rajarajeswari, who can be denoted to be the manifestation of the Goddess Parvathi.
The temple is located on the southern banks of the Cauvery and is taken into account to be the 103rd Thevaram Sthalam. Thiruvadikudil Swamigal, founder, Jothimalai Iraipani Thirukoottam, a discussion board of devotees, quoted paperwork and stated “chess had been performed in Tamil Nadu about 1,500 years in the past. Tamil Saivite poet-saint Tirunavukkarasar had sung Thevaram in reward of the temple”.
In response to temple historical past “Raja Vasudevan was childless for a very long time. The king and his queen visited many Shiva temples praying for a kid. The royal couple then prayed on the Nellaiappar kovil in Tirunelveli. God blessed them and granted them their want. When the royal couple took a dip within the Tamraparni they noticed a conch floating towards them. The second the king took the conch in his hand, it became a woman baby. She was none aside from Devi Parvati. The kid was named Rajarajeswari. Over time, she grew to become an professional within the chess recreation. When it was time for her marriage the king was unable to discover a appropriate match for his daughter. He then determined to carry a swayamwar. “The one who wins in opposition to my daughter in chess would win her hand in marriage,” he introduced.
None may defeat the princess. As per the recommendation of a sage, king Vasudevan undertook a pilgrimage accompanied by his queen and daughter. The entourage arrived at Thirupoovanur the place Lord Shiva met them disguised as an old-aged sadhu and supplied to play chess with the princess. Mahadev efficiently defeated Princess Rajarjeswari.
When the king hesitated to provide her daughter to an outdated man, God appeared earlier than him and stated his daughter is none aside from Parvathi Devi. King Vasudevan received her married to Shiva. Shiva then got here to be generally known as Chaturanga Vallabhanathar as a result of he defeated Goddess in Chess.
The temple has a shrine of the goddess Chamundeeswari, who is likely one of the Saptamatrikas (seven divine moms), was despatched as a nanny for Rajarajeswari. The temple finds point out in Tamil Saivite Saint Gnanasambandar’s Thevaram. The Vimana (tower) of the chief deity is estimated to have been constructed across the thirteenth or fourteenth century. 11 inscriptions found right here have been dated to the Thirteenth-Sixteenth centuries and most are in a broken or fragmentary state.
A mere point out of the temple’s identify by honorable Prime Minister has ensured a steady move of devotees from all components of the state.