Unforgettable Trichy Temple Tours
Trichy is a well-mingle of tradition and modernity built around the Rock Fort. It was a sanctuary of the early Cholas which later fell to the Pallavas. It has given great Tamil scholars whose offerings to the Tamil literature have been very significant. The city of Tiruchirappalli is famous for its sacred Hindu temples, including Sri Ranganathaswamy and the Rock Fort Temple complex, carved from the top of an 83-m-high rock. It is also known for its handlooms and paintings.
Uchi Pillayar Koil
Located in the Thiruverumbur area of Trichy, this temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva. It is also referred to as Erumbeeswarar and Thiruverumbur Nathar and is one of the most fascinating sites to visit in the city. Legend has it that after killing Ravana, Ram gifted the idol of Ranganathaswamy to Vibhishana and asked him to place it anywhere he liked. However, the gods did not want him to take it to Lanka so they entreated Lord Ganesha to stop him. The result was that the deity took the form of Uchi Pillayar and ran away to escape from King Vibishana. The Rock Fort Temple is a combination of two 7th-century Hindu temples – one dedicated to Lord Ganesha and another to Lord Shiva. Geologically, this 83m-high rock is believed to be one of the oldest in the world – predating both Greenland and the Himalayas.
Samayapuram Mariamman Temple
Located at Samayapuram, on the NH 45 road that connects Tiruchirappalli to Chennai, this temple is one of the most wealthy in Tamil Nadu and attracts thousands of devotees every Sunday, Tuesday, and Friday. Dedicated to Goddess Mariamman, it is believed that she provides solutions to all the problems of her devotees who offer sincere prayers in this temple. It is also said that the deity here manifested itself out of clay and was worshipped by villagers before 1000 years ago in an open area. Later the Vijayanagara kings built this temple for her. Since the main deity is made of clay, it does not receive Abishekam and Pooja like other normal temples. Instead, a small deity called “utsava” is kept enshrined before it for which both Abishekam and Pooja are conducted. This is considered as the soul of the Goddess and people believe that the Goddess stays in this utsava murthy to directly accept the Abishekam and Pooja done by the devotees.
Vayalur Murugan Temple
Vayalur Murugan Temple is one of the most famous shrines for Lord Subramaniaswamy. It is said that the saint poet Arunagirinathar, who wrote Thiruppugazh in the 15th century, visited this place and was blessed by Lord Subramanya. He also penned 18 verses of the poem here. This is because the saint was an ardent devotee of the kumara (god) here. The main sanctum of the temple houses Lord Murugan in Chatura Tandava posture which is a rare form of the deity. The navagraha sannadhi in this temple contains the solar god Surya, his consorts Sayadevi and Ushadevi as well as Shukra, Chandra, Bharani, Rahu, and Ketu. The Rajagopuram located at the entrance of the temple showcases intricate carvings and sculptures. It is also believed that this beautiful temple was made by Mahendravarman I, the Pallava king. During the visit, one can also take a holy dip in the temple tank which is named Sakthi Theertham.
Uraiyur Vekkaliamman Temple
The temple was built by Gochenkan Chola and houses the Goddess Vekkaliamman. Legend says that a saint named Sarama lived here and had a huge garden with rare flowers. He used to make a garland out of these flowers and offer it to Trichy Thayumanavar Swamy. Unfortunately, the local florist started stealing these flowers. The saint complained about it to the king but he paid no attention. In the end, the saint worshipped Vekkaliamman to stop this theft. The people of the village revere her as their guardian. They believe that Goddess Vekkaliamman pacified Lord Shiva in the Rockfort Temple in Trichy and saved the villagers from a horrible sandstorm. Due to this incident, the main sanctum of the temple remains without a roof. Also, it is one of the few temples in Tamil Nadu where devotees can still perform archanai in their mother tongue. The HR&CE department is considering allowing the option at more temples in the future.
