Meiporul Nayanar

Meiporul Nayanar known as Meypporul Nayanar, Meipporul (Meypporul), Meiporular, Meypporular, Maiporul Nayanar and Miladudaiyar is a Nayanar saint, venerated in the Hindu sect of Shaivism. He is generally counted as the fifth in the list of 63 Nayanars.

Life The life of Meiporul Nayanar is described in the Periya Puranam by Sekkizhar (12th century), which is a hagiography of the 63 Nayanars.

Meiporul Nayanar was the chieftain of Miladu Nadu, with his capital at Tirukkoyilur, modern-day Tirukoilur, Viluppuram district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Tirukkoyilur is known for its Veeratteswarar temple dedicated to Shiva. Meiporul Nayanar belonged to the Malayamān dynasty of the Velir royal house. His name "Meiporul" means "one for whom God was the sole reality". Miladudaiyar is a title indicating him being a Miladu chief. In Kannada, Meiporul Nayanar is known as Cediraja, the king of Cedi. The kingdom of Cedi existed around Tirukkoyilur.

Remembrance The images of the Nayanars are found in many Shiva temples in Tamil Nadu.

One of the most prominent Nayanars, Sundarar (8th century) venerates Meiporul Nayanar in the Tiruthonda Thogai, a hymn to Nayanar saints, praising as invincible.

An inscription by Aditya I (reign: c. 871–907 CE) in the Naganathaswami (Shiva) Temple of Thirunageswaram - part of a now ruined shrine - suggests that the shrine may be dedicated to Meiporul Nayanar. Another theory suggests that the record is talking about a school or monastery in honour of the Nayanar, who lived in the period close to Aditya I. However, the theories are disputed.

Meiporul Nayanar is worshipped in the Tamil month of Karthikai, when the moon enters the Uttara Phalgunī nakshatra (lunar mansion). He is depicted like a king with a crown and folded hands (see Anjali mudra). He receives collective worship as part of the 63 Nayanars. Their icons and brief accounts of his deeds are found in many Shiva temples in Tamil Nadu. Their images are taken out in procession in festivals.