Sirkali Temple is located at Sirkazhi near Mayiladuturai and the deity worshipped here is Shiva. It is a highly revered shrine with 71 (the most number of known) Tevara Patikams and is located in the vicinity of Vaitheeswaran Koyil near Chidambaram. Sirkali is considered to be the 14th of the Tevara Stalangal located to the North of the river Kaveri in the Chola region of Tamilnadu. It is a center for Bhairava worship, and the site of authorship of several works.
Sirkazhi is known mostly by its association with Sambandar. West of Sirkazhi is Tirukkolakka where Sambandar was blessed with a pair of golden cymbals, south of Sirkazhi is Tirunanipalli the home of his mother, and north of Sirkazhi is Aachaalpuram where Sambandar attained beatitude.
The well-known Sirkazhi Govindarajan who has rendered several recordings of Tevaram hymns hails from here. This well maintained temple is under the able administration of the Dharumapura Adhinam.
The Temple:
This is a vast temple complex with three different Shiva Shrines. The Bhramapureeswarar shrine is housed in the lower level, the second level houses Periyanakar with Periyanayaki on a `Thoni` and hence the name Thoniappar. Sattainathar/Vatukanathar who is also housed here. From the steps leading to the Toniappar and the Vatukanathar shrine, one can grasp the entire layout of this vast temple and its towers and mandapams. There are 22 Theerthams associated with this shrine. Three different forms of Shiva are worshipped here, the Shivalingam (Bhrammapureeswarar), a colossal image of Uma Maheswarar (Toniappar) at the upper level, and Bhairavar (Sattanathar) again at the upper level.
The temple has three vast courtyards with high walls of enclosure. There are two sets of seven tiered gopurams in the outer walls of the enclosure. The original shrine during the period of the Nayanmars included the shrine of Bhrammapureeswarar, on the southern bund of the temple tank; the Toniappar shrine on a mound west of the central shrine, and the Sattanathar shrine in the second floor reached from the southern prakaram of the Toniappar shrine by a flight of steps. The enlargement of the original temple happened during the period of Kulottunga I, Vikrama Chola, Kulottunga II and III (as in Chidambaram – 11th through the 13th centuries).
Legends:
During the great deluge, Shiva 64 arts with him on a raft, he name Toniappar, and Tonipuram. Bhramma Brhama worshipped Shiva here, hence the name Bhrammapureeswarar.. Bhairavar or Sattainathar(quelled the arrogance of Trivikramar, who showed his dominance over the three worlds) is worshipped here each Friday night.
Sambandar as an infant is said to have been fed with the milk of wisdom by the divine mother Parvati on the banks of the temple tank just prior to the commencement of his authorship of the anthology of Tevaram hymns commencing with Todudaiya Seviyan.
Festivals:
Special worship services to Bhairavar (Sattanathar) are carried out on Friday nights. The annual Bhrammotsavam is celebrated in the month of Chittirai, and on its second day, the Tirugnanasambandar festival is celebrated. Festivals for Ambaal are celebrated in the month of Aadi and during Navaratri.
