page_title: Iconography of Shiva temples in Tamil Nadu
section_title: Nayanmars
hierarchical_section_title: Iconography of Shiva temples in Tamil Nadu / Other Structurals / Nayanmars
caption_attribution_description: Evening puja at Sri Kokarneshvarar Temple in Tirukokarnam, Tamil Nadu
context_page_description: Iconography of Shiva temples in Tamil Nadu is governed by the Shaiva Agamas that revere the ultimate reality as the Hindu deity, Shiva. Āgama in the Hindu religious context means a traditional doctrine or system which commands faith. Temple worship according to Āgamic rules can be said to have started during the Pallava dynasty in South India, but they were fully under establishment during the Chola dynasty The temples during the Chola period expanded to Sri Lanka and islands in South East Asia. The temple complex was expanding with niches for various deities on the stipulated sides of the sanctum. Lingam was universalised and prakarams with subsequent deities came up. The temple parivara expanded considerably during the Chola period. The niches of following Āgamic rules for building Shiva temples in Tamil Nadu, a South Indian state continues even in the modern era. Some of the prime images like that of lingam, Vinayagar and Parvati are present in all the Shiva temples. Almost all the temples follow the same custom during festivals and worship methods with minor exceptions. Most of the Shiva temples in Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka are built in Dravidian architecture.
context_section_description: Some of the large Shiva temples in Tamil Nadu have the shrines of the 63 Shaivite saints called nayanmars or Arubathimoovar, belonging to the 6th to 9th century A.D.  Some smaller temples carry the images of the 4 prime nayanmars namely Appar, Tirugnana Sambandar, Sundarar and Manickavasagar.  Paadal Petra Sthalam are 275 temples that are revered in the verses of Tevaram by the three nayanmars in the 6th-9th century CE and are amongst the prime Shiva temples of the continent.  The Vaippu Sthalangal are places that were mentioned casually in the songs in Tevaram.  A posture or symbol was associated with each saint, and every generation of sculptors has followed the convention without any individual identity.
caption: The 63 Nayanars
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