God
Dharbaranyeswarar is the main deity of this temple, who is an incarnation of Lord Shiva and he is Swayambumurthi (self-manifested).
Goddess
Boghamaarthapoonmulaiyaal is the consort of Lord Shiva, who is an incarnation of Goddess Parvathi.
Interesting Facts
- It is one of the nine Navagraha (nine planets) temples associated with the planet Saturn (Shani).
- This is one of the 276 Devara Paadal Petra Shiva Sthalams and 52nd Shiva Sthalam on the Southern bank of the river Cauveri in Chozha Nadu (Thenkarai).
- This is one of the “Saptha (seven) Vidanga Sthalams”. This is one of the Shakti Peetam – known as “Braneswari Peetam”.
- This is one of the 44 Paadal petra sthalams where the “Moovar” (the three saints - Saint Thirugnanasambanthar, Saint Thirunavukarasar (Appar) and Saint Sundaramurthy (Sundarar) had rendered their Pathigams.
Best Season To Visit
The best season to visit this temple is Winter season. The best months to visit are September to March.
Weather
Highest - April to June (38 °C during day and 25 °C during night)Average - May (36 °C during the day and 20 °C during night)Lowest - October to February (28 °C during day and 19 °C during night)Monsoon season - August to September
Dress Code
- For men the dress code is Shirt & Trouser, Dhoti or Pyjamas with upper cloth.
- For women the preferred dress code is saree or half-saree with blouse or chudidhar with pyjama and upper cloth.
- These rules are applicable for foreigners also. Shorts, mini-skirts, middies, sleeveless tops, low-waist jeans and short-length T-shirts are not allowed.
- Pilgrims/visitors will not be allowed inside the temple if dress code is not followed.
Do's & Dont's
- Do bathe and wear clean clothes before you enter the temple.
- Do respect ancient customs and co-piligrims while at temple.
- Smo​king is strictly prohibited inside the temple premises.
transport connections
| Name | Distance | Contact Number |
|---|---|---|
 Tirunallar Bus Stop |
5.8 KM | 9842221926 |
 Karaikal Railway Station |
5.8 KM | 139 |
 Chennai International Airport |
281 KM | 044-22560551 |
Architecture
The temple is facing east with 7 tier Rajagopuram and front mutram was converted as mandapam. The Balipitha in a temple usually faces the sanctum at a distance directly in front of the Lord. But the one here is not facing the sanctum directly but is a little away from the line of the usual position. Though the temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva, importance is given to Lord Saneeswarar. The worship is also centered around the icon of planet Saturn, called Saniswaran, originally treated as the door keeper of the shrine. The tradition is to worship Saneeswarar before entering the inner sanctum of Lord Siva.
The image of lord Saniswaran is seen in a graceful standing pose housed in niche on the left side of the lord's Sannathi. The sanctum is small and idol looks beautiful in the oil lamps. He is facing east and in most temples Lord Shani usually faces south. Another feature is that while most idols of Shani have four hands the idol at the Thirunallar Temple has only two hands. Since Lord Saturn is the main deity of this temple at Thirunallar there are no other sanctums for other Grahas (planets). Kumba and makara Rasi reliefs are covered with plate can be found on the right and left of Sri Sani Bhagavan Sannadhi.
It is said that the Shivalingam appeared when the native Mudaliars ploughed the land. In a small structure at the middle of the pond are the figurines of King Nalan with wife and children. The Navagrahas are constructed here as nine separate wells. The temple of Thirunallar is at the centre where four wide streets converge. The Vasantha Mandapam is reached on entering the temple. The shrine of Shaneeshwara is to the north of the tower at the entrance. The mount of crow is of golden hue. Inside, the temple is statues of Sundarar and the sixty three saints of Savism. The Linga which King Nalan worshipped called Nalesar Lingam also is to be seen.
There are several tanks here which are considered highly sanctified. They are respectively Brahma Tirtha, Vani Tirtha, Hamsa Tirtha, Agasthya Tirtha, Darbha Tirtha, Nala Tirtha, etc., Nala Theertham is one of the bigger temple tanks in front of the temple.
Religious Significance
This temple’s sacred plant is “Dharbai”. It is a grass that is used in rituals. According to legend, in ancient times, this region was densely covered with Dharbai plants. It is believed that the lord of this temple appeared in the midst of these plants. The lingam looks as if it is created out of a bunch of Dharbai leaves. Hence the lord is known as “Sri Dharbharanyeswarar” and the place gets the name “Dharbaranyam”. This temple is one of the Navagraha sthalams and is represented by Lord Saneeswaran. Saneeswaran is the son of Lord Suryan and Chayadevi. Jeshtadevi is his wife. It is believed that Saneeswaran performed rigorous penance and worshiped Lord Shiva at Kasi (Banaras) to get a place among the Navagraham. Saneeswaran is believed to be the lord of “Makara (Capricorn) and Kumba (Aquarius) rasis” (zodiac signs).
King Nalan : King Nalan was a ruler of the Nidatha kingdom who married Damayanthi, the princess of Vidharba kingdom. Nalan was under the influence of Sani dosha and had to undergo several ordeals. He was advised by Sage Bharatwaj to visit this place, take a dip in this temple’s Theertham and worship Lord Shiva. It is believed that when Nalan entered the sanctum to worship the lord, Sani left him there itself as Sani was afraid to enter into the sanctum along with Nalan. In his hymn, Saint Thirugnanasambanthar mentioned about Nalan’s worship – he worshiped the lord with flowers, dheepam and sambirani. Lord Shiva not only relieved Nalan from Sani’s grip but also gave Sani the title of lord and asked him to stay here itself. Hence Sani is known as “Sani Eswarar” and this place gets the name “Thiru Nalan Aru” (“Thiru” a prefix for respect, “Nalan” refers to the king and “Aru” means healing in Tamil). Over a period of time this name has changed to Thiru Nallaru. Saneeswararn is also known as “Sanaicharan”.
Idayanar : Another legend associated with this temple is that of a shepherd (Idayan in Tamil). On the instructions of the local king, a shepherd used to supply milk to this temple regularly. The accountant of this temple used to send some of the milk to his home and falsify the teple’s accounts. Once, when the king came to know that no milk had reached the temple, he wanted to punish the shepherd. The shepherd prayed to the lord for help. It is believed that in order to save the shepherd and punish the accountant, Lord Shiva sent his lance (trishul) from his sanctum. The trishul punished the accountant and the lord appeared and gave darshan to the shepherd. To give way to the trishul, the Nandhi and the Balipeet moved from their original positions. Hence, in this temple, Nandhi and Balipeet are not in their regular positions i.e. on a straight line to the main deity, but are placed slightly on one side. There is a separate shrine for “Idaiyanar” where idols of the shepherd, his wife and the accountant can be seen.
History
This ancient temple is believed to have been constructed by Chola kings. This temple is under the administrative control of Dharumapuram Aadheenam as well as the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department of Government of Tamil Nadu (HR & CE).
Temple Timings
| Day | Timings | |
|---|---|---|
| All Days | 06:00 AM - 12:00 PM | 04:00 PM - 09:00 PM |
Sevas
Pooja
Tours
Airports
| Airport Name | Distance |
|---|---|
| Shamshabad | 40 KM |
| Lorem Ipsum | 12 KM |
Railway Stations
| Railway Station Name | Distance |
|---|---|
| Secunderabad | 10 KM |
| Nampally | 12 KM |
| Begumpet | 6 KM |
| Lingampally | 20 KM |
Bus Stations
| Bus Station Name | Distance |
|---|---|
| MGBS | 35 KM |
| CBS | 28 KM |
| kukatpally | 20 KM |
| Lingampally | 30 KM |
| Uppal | 35 KM |
Private Transports
| Transport Name | Distance | Contact Number |
|---|---|---|
| Private Transport | 8 KM | 9546858757 |
| Private Transport1 | 8 KM | 9546858757 |
| Private Transport1 | 8 KM | 9546858757 |
| Private Transport1 | 8 KM | 9546858757 |
| Private Transport1 | 8 KM | 9546858757 |
Local Transports
| Transport Name | Distance | Contact Number |
|---|---|---|
| Local Transport | 5 KM | 9546858757 |
| Local Transport1 | 5 KM | 9546858757 |
| Local Transport1 | 5 KM | 9546858757 |
| Local Transport1 | 5 KM | 9546858757 |
| Local Transport1 | 5 KM | 9546858757 |
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