Some Special Temples

Pancha Bootha Sthalangal

This refers to the temples that are the manifestation of the five elements - land, water, air, sky, fire.

Category	Temple	Location
Land	Ekambareswarar Temple	Kanchipuram
Fire	Arunachaleshwarar Temple	Thiruvannamalai
Water	Thiruvanaikaval	Trichy
Sky	Chidambaram	Chidambaram
Air	Sri Kalahastheeswara Swami Temple	Kalahasthi, Andhra Pradesh

Pancha Sabhai Sthalangal

The temples where Lord Shiva is believed to have performed the Cosmic Dance.

Category	Temple	Location	Element
Rathinachabai	Vada aaranyeswarar Temple	Thiruvalangadu,Chennai	Emerald
Porchabai	Natarajar Temple	Chidambaram	Gold
Vellichabai	Meenakshi Amman Temple	Madurai	Silver
Thamirachabai	Nellaiappar Temple	Tirunelveli	Copper
Chithirachabai	Kutralanathar Temple	Thirukutralam	Art

Ashta Veerattam Sthalangal

The temples where Lord Shiva is believed to have performed with fury.

Temple	Location
Tiruvadigai Veerattaaneswarar Temple	Tiruvadigai, Panruti
Tirukkovilur Veerateshwarar Temple	Tirukkoyilur
Amirtagateswarar Temple	Thirukadaiyur
Vazhuvur Verateswarar Temple	Vazhuvoor,Mayiladuthurai
Tirupariyalur
Thirukandeeswarar Temple	Thirukkandiyur
Thiruvirkudi

Saptha Vidangam

The Thyagarajar Temple at Tiruvarur is famous for the ajapa natanam(dance without chanting), that is executed by the deity itself. According to legend, a Chola king named Mucukunta obtained a boon from Indra(a celestial deity) and wished to receive an image of Thyagaraja Swamy(presiding deity, Shiva in the temple) reposing on the chest of reclining Lord Vishnu. Indra tried to misguide the king and had six other images made, but the king chose the right image at Tiruvarur. The other six images were installed in ThiruNallaaru,Nagapattinam, Tirukarayil, Tirukolili, Thiruvaaimur and Tirumaraikadu. All the seven places are villages situated in the river Cauverydelta. All seven Thyagaraja images are said to dance when taken in procession(it is the bearers of the processional deity who actually dance). The temples with dance styles are regarded as Saptha Vidangam(seven dance moves) and the related temples are as under:

Temple	Vidangar Temple	Dance pose	Meaning
Thyagarajar Temple	Vidhividangar	Ajaba Natanam	Dance without chanting, resembling the dance of Sri Thyagaraja resting on Lord Vishnu's chest
Dharbaranyeswarar Temple	Nagaravidangar	Unmatha natanam	Dance of an intoxicated person
Kayarohanaswamy Temple	Sundaravidangar	Vilathi natanam	Dancing like waves of sea
Kannayariamudayar Temple	Adhividangar	Kukuda natanam	Dancing like a cock
Brahmapureeswarar Temple	Avanividangar	Brunga natanam	Dancing like a bee that hovers over a flower
Vaimoornaathar Temple	Nallavidangar	Kamala natanam	Dance like lotus that moves in a breeze
Vedaranyeswarar Temple	Bhuvanivividangar	Hamsapatha natanam	Dancing with the gait of a swan

Saptha Stanam

The sapthasthanam festival is conducted at Tiruvaiyaru during April every year. Hundreds of people witness the convergence of seven glass palanquins carrying principal deities of respective temples from seven places at Tiruvaiyaru. The palanquins are paraded near the car stand, the crowd witnessed the Poochorithal(flower festival) in which a doll offers flowers to the principal deities in the palanquins. After the Poochorithal, the palanquins left for their respective places.The seven temples are

Temple	Place	District
Aiyarappar temple	Thiruvaiyaru	Thanjavur
Apathsahayar Temple	Tirupazhanam	Thanjavur
Odhanavaneswarar Temple	Tiruchotruthurai	Thanjavur
Vedapuriswarar Temple	Thiruvedhikudi	Thanjavur
Kandeeswarar Temple	Thirukkandiyur	Thanjavur
Puvananathar Temple	Thirupanturuthi	Thanjavur
Neyyadiappar Temple	Tiruneithaanam	Thanjavur

Saptha Mangai Stalangals

The seven temples are

Temple	Mangai	Location
Chakravageshwarar Temple	Chakramangai	Chakkarapalli, Thanjavur
Arimutheeswarar Temple	Harimangai	Ariyamangai, Thanjavur
Krithivageswarar temple	Soolamangai	Soolamangalam, Thanjavur
Jambugeswarar Temple	Pasumangai	Tirupullamangai, Thanjavur
Kandeeswarar Temple	Nandimangai	Thirukkandiyur, Thanjavur
Chandramouleeswarar Temple	Thazhamangai	Thanjavur
Tirupullamangai Temple	Pullamangai	Pullamangai, Thanjavur

Aathara Stalam

Aathara Stalam indicates the places which are considered to be diving impersonification of Tantric chakras associated with human anatomy. Annamalaiyar temple is called the Manipooraga stalamassociated with Manipooraga the human anatomical cause for spiritual ignorance, thirst, jealousy, treachery, shame, fear, disgust, delusion, foolishness and sadness. 5 temples are located inTamil Nadu, and one at Varanasi.

Tantric Chakra	Description	Temple	Location	Symbol
Anthagam	Brain directly behind eyebrow	Natarajar Temple	Chidambaram
Visuthi	Neck region near spine	Sri Kalahastheeswara Swami Temple	Kalahasthi
Anahata	Central channel behind spine	Kashi Vishwanath Temple	Varanasi
Manipooragam	Spine directly behind the navel	Arunachaleshwarar Temple	Thiruvannamalai
Swathistanam	One's own abode	Thiruvanaikaval	Trichy
Moolatharam	Basal end of the spinal	Thyagaraja Swamy Temple	Tiruvarur