ives ▁from ▁Sa ▁( Sh iva ) ▁with ▁U ma ▁( Par v ati ) ▁and ▁Sk anda ▁( child ▁Mur ug an ). ▁ ▁It ▁is ▁the ▁form ▁of ▁Sh iva ▁where ▁he ▁is ▁accompanied ▁by ▁Sk anda ▁the ▁child ▁and ▁Par av ati ▁his ▁cons ort ▁in ▁sitting ▁post ure . ▁ ▁Though ▁it ▁is ▁a ▁S ansk rit ▁name , ▁it ▁is ▁a ▁T amil ▁concept ▁and ▁Som ask andas ▁are ▁not ▁found ▁in ▁North ▁Indian ▁tem ples . ▁In ▁the ▁Tir u var ur ▁Th yg ar aj ar ▁Temple , ▁the ▁principal ▁de ity ▁is ▁Som ask anda ▁under ▁the ▁name ▁of ▁Th y agar aja . ▁ ▁All ▁tem ples ▁in ▁the ▁Th yg ar aja ▁cult ▁have ▁images ▁of ▁Som ask and ar ▁as ▁Th y agar aj ar ▁- ▁though ▁icon ograph ically ▁similar , ▁ ▁they ▁are ▁icon olog ically ▁different . ▁ ▁Arch itect ur ally ▁when ▁there ▁are ▁separate ▁shr ines ▁dedicated ▁to ▁the ▁u ts ava ( f estival ▁de ity ) ▁of ▁Som ask anda , ▁they ▁are ▁called ▁Th y agar aja ▁shr ines . ▁ ▁Un like ▁N atar aja , ▁which ▁is ▁a ▁Ch ola ▁development , ▁Som ask anda ▁was ▁prominent ▁even ▁during ▁the ▁Pal lava ▁period ▁much ▁earlier ▁to ▁Ch olas . ▁ ▁References ▁to ▁the ▁evolution ▁of ▁the ▁Som ask anda ▁concept ▁are ▁found ▁from ▁Pal lava ▁period ▁from ▁the ▁ 7 th ▁century ▁A . D . ▁in ▁car ved ▁rear ▁stone ▁walls