Sivan Temple

About this place

Sivan temple in Pudukkotai is a Shiva temple that depicts Shiva with his third eye open. The temple is believed to be the place where Shiva opened his third eye to burn Manmathan. Shiva is famed as having terrible anger that destroys everything in his line of sight. An important physical feature about Shiva is his third eye as revered as it is feared. The legend of Lord Shiva’s third eye is told in the epic Mahabharatha. Parvati playfully closed Shiva’s eyes from behind him. When the Lord of the Universe’s eyes was closed, the world was engulfed in darkness. It was then that a flame leapt from Shiva’s forehead, an eye appeared that gave light to the World again. The third eye is known to only look inward when the eye does look outward it is destructive.