Great Temples of Tamil Nadu 8

Temple Tank at Sirgazhi Temple. Sirgazhi temple is one of the most important temples for Saivites as it is the birthplace of the Saiva saint Tirugnanasambandar, the foremost of the Saiva Nayanars, belonging to the 7th century. Thirugnanasambandar, as an infant, is believed to have been fed with the milk of wisdom by the divine mother Parvati on the banks of the temple tank. The child Sambandar started singing the anthology of Thevaram hymns from then on, commencing with "Todudaiya Seviyan". This is one of 275 Padal Petra Sthalams or Thirumurai temples. 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 temple is about 25 km from the town of Kumbakonam.