Thiruvisanallur


Thiruvisanallur also called Thiruvisalur is a village in the Thanjavur district of Tamil Nadu. The village is known for the Sivayoginathar Temple, a Hindu Temple dedicated to Lord Siva. The Tirundudevankudi Karkadeswarar Temple located nearby is also very prominent.

History

The history of Thiruvisanallur can be traced to the time of the Medieval Cholas who established the village as Vembarur or Solamarthanda chaturvedimangalam. There are inscriptions dating to the time of Raja Raja Chola I.
The Thanjavur Maratha king Shahuji I endowed Thiruvisanallur to forty-six Brahmins as a brahmadeya in the year 1695. Following this endowment, the name of the village was changed to Shahajirajapuram. At about this time, a Hindu saint by name Sridhara Venkatesa Ayyaval a companion of the Shankaracharya Bodhendra Saraswathi settled down in Thiruvisanallur and founded the Sri Sridhara Ayyaval Mutt.

Sivayoginathar Temple

The Sivayoginathar Temple is old and is believed to be built at the spot where eight Siva yogis attained salvation and merged with the lingam. The shrine is dedicated to Chatur Kala Bhairavar, one of the four Bhairavas. The Sthala Vriksha of the temple is vilva. The temple is frequented by people who were born under the sign Rishabha.