Sabdapureeswarar Temple

Sabdapureeswarar Temple is a Hindu Shiva temple located in Thirukolakka village near Sirkazhi in Mayiladuthurai district, Tamil Nadu. Dedicated to Lord Shiva as Sabdapureeswarar and Goddess Osai Nayaki, it is one of the 275 Paadal Petra Sthalams revered in the Tevaram hymns. The temple is traditionally associated with the child saint Thirugnana Sambandar and is noted for its Dravidian architecture, small gopuram and sacred tank.

Visitors can expect a small, traditional Dravidian-style Shiva temple with a modest gopuram, pillared mandapams, and shrines for Sabdapureeswarar and Osai Nayaki. The complex includes a temple tank and stone inscriptions. The setting is a quiet village environment near Sirkazhi. Visitors can observe daily pujas, view sculpted pillars and vimana, and walk around the compact courtyard.

The temple is one of the 275 Paadal Petra Sthalams, revered in the 7th-century Tevaram hymns of Tamil Saivite Nayanar Thirugnana Sambandar. It is traditionally dated to the early medieval Chola period with later renovations. Inscriptions and architectural style reflect Chola-era temple development in the Cauvery delta region.

Dedicated to Shiva as Sabdapureeswarar, the Lord of Sound, and Parvati as Osai Kodutha Nayaki, the temple holds religious importance for Shaivites. Legend associates the site with Sambandar, who is believed to have been blessed with divine cymbals and knowledge of music here, linking the temple to Tamil devotional music and Saivite tradition.