Basic information about the temple

Moolavar:	Sundareswarar	Ambal / Thayar:	–
Deity:	Siva	Historical name:
Vriksham:		Teertham:
Agamam:		Age (years):
Timing:	to & to	Parikaram:
Temple group:		–
Sung by:		Temple set:
Navagraham:		Nakshatram:
City / town:	Kandavarayanpatti	District:	Sivaganga
Maps from (click):	Current location	Karaikudi (28 km)	Pudukkottai (42 km)
	Madurai (73 km)	Sivaganga (78 km)

Location

Sthala puranam and temple information

This small but serene temple lacks a sthala puranam, but is said to be from the Pandya period. It is believed that the temple was much larger and grander, several centuries ago. Today it looks like any other one-storeyed brick and mortar building, which houses all the relevant deities, though it has a fascinatingly different layout inside.

There are two main entrances on the east, the left one leading straight to the Amman shrine, while the entrance on the right leads straight to the Siva shrine (the latter is usually kept locked). Since both Siva and Parvati face east, this temple represents their kalyana kolam. The temple does not have a raja gopuram, and instead has a stucco arch with an image of Siva and Parvati on the Rishabha vahanam (on the axial line of the Siva shrine), and another stucco arch for Amman (on the axial line of the Amman shrine), at the entrance. On the left, outside the temple, is a separate shrine for Vinayakar.

This small but serene temple lacks a sthala puranam, but is said to be from the Pandya period. It is believed that the temple was much larger and grander, several centuries ago. Today it looks like any other one-storeyed brick and mortar building, which houses all the relevant deities, though it has a fascinatingly different layout inside.

There are two main entrances on the east, the left one leading straight to the Amman shrine, while the entrance on the right leads straight to the Siva shrine (the latter is usually kept locked). Since both Siva and Parvati face east, this temple represents their kalyana kolam. The temple does not have a raja gopuram, and instead has a stucco arch with an image of Siva and Parvati on the Rishabha vahanam (on the axial line of the Siva shrine), and another stucco arch for Amman (on the axial line of the Amman shrine), at the entrance. On the left, outside the temple, is a separate shrine for Vinayakar.

The outer maha mandapam is like the portico of a house, and two doors later, one comes into the main mandapam. In the outer mandapam, there is a dhwajasthambam, bali peetham and Nandi, facing Siva. Inside the main hall, one finds a darpanam and another Nandi. Amman’s shrine too has a separate bali peetham and Nandi in the inner mandapam.

Around the garbhagriham are the usual koshtam deities – Nardhana Vinayakar, Dakshinamurti, Lingodhbhavar, Brahma and Durga. There is also a separate Navagraham shrine. Beside the Amman shrine is a pedestal featuring the Appar, Sundarar, Sambandar and Manikkavasagar.

There being only an outer passageway and not a prakaram as such, there are no prakaram shrines except two, which we will come to shortly. There is a banyan tree that serves as the sthala vriksham, under which is a murti of Vinayakar and Nagar. On the western side is a shrine housing a murti of Chakarathazhvar (facing east) which also has Narasimhar carved on it (facing west); and a separate shrine for Vishnu as Varadaraja Perumal, with Sridevi and Bhudevi.

Interestingly, the pillars in the temple are made of wood, and not stone as one might expect.

Other information for your visit

Please do read this Overview on Nagarathar heritage and temples, in connection with temples in the Chettinadu region.

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