This temple is huge, ancient and rich in sculptural wealth. There are five Siva lingas with separate sanctum sanctorum in the temple. They are
Sri Nandikeswara, Sri Nataraja
(Punuku
Sabhapathi), Sri Athma Vyakya Dhakshinamoorthy, with the CHIN MUDRA
facing his own self and Jwarahara Deva are certain examples of
the
iconographic treasures of the temple. The Pradosha Sabhai with
Pradosha
Moorthy, Ashta Dik Balakas with their respective Vahanas, Siva
Boothaganas
and Apsaras women belong to a very rare specimen of deities.
Chandikeshwari
, Saraswathi and Uchchishta Ganapathy are seen in the Prakara of
goddess Brahannayaki's shrine.
The Arudra Mandapam is an example of architectural excellence. The Dharma Nandhi is of a very big size, made of a single stone cvarved with magnificent skill. There are separate sannidhis for Vigneswara, Subrahmanya, Dharma Sastha, Balamurugan, Surya, Chandra, Dhakshinamoorthy, Navukkarasar, Appar and Sundarar.
The big doors of the main entrance with wooden carvings and wood sculptures inside the temple are proving that artisans from Kerala were taking active role in the temple construction. Many more such intricate details can be seen when one pays a visit to the temple. The Somawara Mandapam is another masterpiece of the sculptors of that age.
In the Sixth Thirumurai, the temple is mentioned as "Ayaneeswaram" in the 8th verse of the 71st chapter. This temple is the first of the Navakailasa temples in this district.
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