Thiruvidaimarudur (also spelt Tiruvidaimarudur; ) is a town panchayat and the headquarters of Thiruvidaimarudur taluk in Thanjavur district of Tamil Nadu, India. The town is best known for the Mahalingeswarar Temple, an historic Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva, who is worshipped there as Mahalingaswamy. The temple is an important centre of Tamil Shaivism and is celebrated in the hymns of the Tevaram.
Geography Tiruvidaimarudur lies in the Cauvery delta in the eastern part of Thanjavur district, a low-lying alluvial plain formed by the Kaveri and its distributaries. The Kaveri River flows close to the town, which forms part of the river's extensively irrigated deltaic landscape; the surrounding countryside is characterised by agricultural land, distributary channels and irrigation canals. The fertile delta soils and irrigation supplied by the Kaveri system have historically supported intensive paddy cultivation throughout the region.
The town has an elevation of approximately above sea level.
Demographics According to the 2011 Census of India, Thiruvidaimarudur had a population of 14,786, comprising 7,361 males and 7,425 females. The town had a sex ratio of 1,009 females for every 1,000 males. Children below the age of six numbered 1,482, accounting for about 10% of the population.
The effective literacy rate was 87.8%, with male literacy at 92.8% and female literacy at 82.9%. The population had increased from 13,758 recorded in the 2001 census, representing growth of about 7.5% over the decade.
Politics Thiruvidaimarudur assembly constituency is part of Mayiladuthurai (Lok Sabha constituency). Govi. Chezhiyan is the current MLA of Thiruvidaimaruthur assembly constituency and the current MP of Mayiladuthurai Lok Sabha constituency S. Ramalingam is from Thiruvidaimaruthur.
The temple
Located about north-east of the temple city of Kumbakonam and serves as one of the Taluk headquarters in the Tanjore District. The region is known for its fertile soil, allowing farmers to harvest crops three times a year. On occasion, the waters of the Cauvery River enable a fourth harvest.
Tiruvidaimarudur (also known as madhyārjunam) is located on the banks of the Virasolanar River. It is home to the Mahalingeswarar Temple, where the deity Shiva is worshipped as Mahalingeswara Swami (in Sanskrit, mahā-lingeśvara svāmi, meaning "the great lord of the lingam"), represented by a lingam known as jothimayalingam (in Tamil, ஜோதிமயலிங்கம், jōthimaya liṅgam, meaning "lingam of radiant light"). The goddess of the temple is Brihad Sundara Gujambal (perunala mamulai ammai). The lingam is “believed to be the focal point for the seven consorts of Shiva.”
The temple’s Nandi, one of the largest in the district, is notable for not being carved from a single stone, which is why it does not surpass the weight of the Nandi at the Brihadeeswarar Temple in Thanjavur, despite being larger in size. There is also a separate sanctum (sannidhi) for Mookambikai (in Tamil, மூகாம்பிகை, mūkāmbikai) with a Maha Meru (in Sanskrit, mahāmeru, meaning "great sacred mountain").
Two major temple festivals are celebrated annually at the Mahalingeswarar Temple. The first, Thaipusam (in Tamil, தைப்பூசம், celebrated during the Tamil month of Thai [January–February]), and the second, Thirukkalyana Utsavam (in Tamil, திருக்கல்யாண உற்சவம், tirukkaḷyāṇa uṟcavam, meaning "divine wedding festival") or Vasantha Utsavam (vasanta utsava, meaning "spring festival"), is observed in the Tamil month of Vaigasi (May). Other significant festivals include the 63 Nayanmar Ula (in Tamil, நாயன்மார் உலா, a procession honouring the 63 Shaivite saints) and Arudra Darisanam (ārdrā darśana, meaning "sacred sight of Lord Shiva on the Ārdra star day"), similar to the celebration in Chidambaram.
The temple is also known for its 27 star lingas, the idol of the prince Ammani Ammal (in Tamil, அம்மணி அம்மாள், meaning "beloved mother"), and the Chitra prakaram (citra-prākāra, meaning "painted enclosure" or precincts of the temple), which is adorned with extensive paintings. Additionally, there are several charitable trusts associated with the temple, one of which is the Pachaiyappa Mudaliar Arakattalai (பச்சையப்ப முதலியார் அறக்கட்டளை).
Notable people associated with Tiruvidaimarudur
Pattinathar, a medieval Tamil Shaiva poet-saint, has an important literary association with Tiruvidaimarudur through the Tiruvidaimarudur Mummanik Kovai, a devotional work associated with the temple and its presiding deity. Although some local traditions associate Pattinathar closely with the town, biographical sources place his birth at Kaveripoompattinam, rather than Tiruvidaimarudur.
Amar Singh of Thanjavur (died 1802) ruled the Thanjavur Maratha kingdom from 1787 until his deposition in 1798. After being removed from the throne, he resided at Tiruvidaimarudur, then commonly known as Madhyarjunam, on a pension and remained associated with the town during the final years of his life.
Thiruvidaimarudur Anantha Bharathi was a nineteenth-century composer and poet who worked at the temple at Tiruvidaimarudur. His long association with the town led to his being known as Thiruvidaimarudur Anantha Bharathi or Madhyarjunam Anantha Bharathi Kavi, and he composed musical and dramatic works including an Uttara Ramayanam.
V. Krishnaswamy Iyer (1863–1911), lawyer, judge and public figure in the Madras Presidency, was born at Tiruvidaimarudur and received his early education there. He later served as a judge of the Madras High Court and played an important role in the establishment and development of educational and financial institutions in Madras.
Gottuvadyam Sakharam Rao was a noted late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century Carnatic musician associated with the development and performance of the gottuvadyam. The Journal of the Madras Music Academy records that he was born at Madhyarjunam, the historical name of Tiruvidaimarudur, and describes him as an important master of the instrument whose household became a centre of musical instruction.
Thanjavur Panchapakesa Kuppiah Pillai (1887–1981), a prominent nattuvanar and teacher of Bharatanatyam, was born at Tiruvidaimarudur. A major representative of the Thanjavur dance tradition, he later established the Sri Rajarajeswari Bharata Natya Kala Mandir in Bombay and was elected a Fellow of the Sangeet Natak Akademi.
P. S. Veeruswami Pillai was a leading twentieth-century nadaswaram musician closely associated with Tiruvidaimarudur and was regularly identified in Music Academy records as being from the town. His standing in Carnatic music was reflected in his selection as president of the Madras Music Academy's 35th annual conference in 1961.
Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer (1908–2003), one of the leading Carnatic vocalists of the twentieth century, spent part of his formative musical training at Tiruvidaimarudur. As a young student he lived in the household of Gottuvadyam Sakharam Rao, where he received instruction during an important stage in his musical development.
T. R. Navaneetham (born c. 1923) was a Carnatic flautist born at Tiruvidaimarudur and is recorded as having given her first public performance there at the age of six. She later became an A-Top artiste of All India Radio, taught at music colleges in southern India and received the Music Academy's T. T. Krishnamachari Memorial Award.
T. R. Mahalingam (1926–1986), popularly known as Mali, was a Carnatic flautist and a native of Tiruvidaimarudur. He became one of the most influential performers of the Carnatic flute, developing techniques that enabled the instrument to reproduce vocal-style gamakas and a wider tonal range.
Thiruvidaimarudur Kuppiah Kalyanasundaram (born 1932), a Bharatanatyam guru and choreographer, was born at Tiruvidaimarudur into the hereditary dance-teaching family of Kuppiah Pillai. He became an important exponent of the Thanjavur school of Bharatanatyam and received both the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award and Fellowship; he was awarded the Padma Shri in 2023.
See also Thiruppudaimarudur Mahalingeswarar Temple, Thiruvidaimarudur Mallikarjuna Temple, Srisailam Kumbakonam Thiruvidaimarudur taluk
External links Thiruvidaimaruthur Maha Linga swamy temple information and photos
References