Sundareswarar, Keelasevalpatti, Sivaganga

Basic information about the temple

Moolavar:	Sundareswarar	Ambal / Thayar:	Meenakshi
Deity:	Siva	Historical name:
Vriksham:		Teertham:
Agamam:		Age (years):
Timing:	to & to	Parikaram:
Temple group:		–
Sung by:		Temple set:
Navagraham:		Nakshatram:
City / town:	Keelasevalpatti	District:	Sivaganga
Maps from (click):	Current location	Karaikudi (22 km)	Pudukkottai (32 km)
	Tiruchirappalli (84 km)	Madurai (84 km)

Location

Sthala puranam and temple information

Not much is known about the history or sthala puranam of this temple, even by those serving in the temple.

This Pandya-period temple is now maintained by the Nagarathar community, and is filled with excellent architecture and beautiful sculptures that are spellbinding! With a five-tiered raja gopuram, the temple has a rather tall dhwajasthambam followed by a long and wide corridor, which leads to the maha mandapam.

The garbhagriham of the moolavar is at a slightly elevated level. As is typical of most temples in the region, there is a brass darpanam in the antarala – a sort of mirror for the Lord to see Himself after abhishekam and arati are completed!

In the koshtam are the usual murtis of Nardhana Vinayakar, Dakshinamurti, Lingodhbhavar, Brahma and Durga. In the prakaram is a long enclosure with the murtis of the 63 Nayanmars, followed by Vinayakar, Kasi Viswanathar with Visalakshi, Vishnu as Santana Krishnan, Murugan, Gajalakshmi, Saraswati, Chandikeswarar, Bhairavar, Chandran and Suryan. There is a separate Navagraham shrine in the northern part of the prakaram.

This temple’s main raja gopuram faces east; however, the eastern entrance is closed shut. Instead, one enters from the southern entrance, from near the temple’s small but beautiful tank, balustraded by sculptures of elephants on either side.

Other information for your visit

Very close to this temple is a beautiful but less-visited temple for Vishnu as Sundararaja Perumal, which features great paintings in the Nagarathar style, and also houses some very old brass utensils which are put up on display.

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