Adi Kesava Perumal, Ilayathangudi, Sivaganga

Basic information about the temple

Moolavar:	Adi Kesava Perumal	Ambal / Thayar:	Parimalavalli Thayar
Deity:	Perumal	Historical name:
Vriksham:		Teertham:
Agamam:		Age (years):
Timing:	to & to	Parikaram:
Temple group:		–
Sung by:		Temple set:
Navagraham:		Nakshatram:
City / town:	Ilayathangudi	District:	Sivaganga
Maps from (click):	Current location	Karaikudi (25 km)	Pudukkottai (32 km)
	Tiruchirappalli (82 km)	Madurai (83 km)

Location

Sthala puranam and temple information

Located right behind the Ilayathangudi Kailasanathar temple and the Sankara Matham there, and very close to the fantastic Atmanathar temple is this relatively sparse Nagarathar temple for Vishnu as Adi Kesava Perumal.

While the original temple is said to be very old, the structural temple today is a Nagarathar temple built a couple of centuries back, and had its last ashtabandhana maha kumbhabhishekam in 1989.

The moolavar – Adi Kesava Perumal – is depicted in nindra kolam and displaying the abhaya mudra, flanked by Sridevi and Bhudevi on either side. There is a separate sannidhi for Parimalavalli Thayar, and for Andal. There are also separate shrines for Vishnu as Varadaraja Perumal, Chakrathazhwar and also Peiazhvar, Nammazhvar, Tirumangaiazhvar and Ramanujar.

There is no raja gopuram here. The temple has a welcome arch with a stucco murti of Mahalakshmi at the entrance, and an inner three-tiered gopuram. Inside the maha mandapam is a rather tall Garudasthambam / dhwajasthambam, with Garudar at the base. There is a beautiful rasi mandalam carved on the ceiling here. The architecture here covers a range of sizes – from the very large to the minute – but with the same level of nuance and finesse.

Being a Nagarathar temple, the architecture is contemporary but elaborate. The Dasavataram of Vishnu are depicted on the pillars in the maha mandapam.