This is the 6th temple connected with Mahamagam festival. This is situated at Kudavasal in Thiruvarur district on the southern bank of Kaveri. The temple is more than 2000 years old. At this place, rim (mouth) of the kalash fell during the great deluge and formed a Shiva linga. Mouth of the kalash is known as Kudavayil in Tamil. Hence the place got the name Kudavasal. This is one of the 276 Padal Petra sthalam revered by Nayanmars. Shaiva saint Sambandhar got the divine darshan of Shri Shiva hence it is revered as Mini (Chinna in Tamil) Kailash. This is one of the 78 Mada-kovils built by the chola king Kochenkata Chola Nayanar, so that the elephants cannot enter the sanctum.
Mulavar: Shri Koneshwarar, Shri Suryeshwarar, Shri Bhrugunathar, Shri Konanathar, Shri Vanmeekanathar.
Devi: Shri Periyanayaki, Shri Brihannayaki
Sacred teertha: Amruta teertha
Kshetra vruksha: Plantain (banana tree) (Vaazhai in Tamil)
Puranic names: Garadadini, Kadalivanam, Vanmeekachalam
This temple is also known as Perunthirukovil
About this temple:
This is a west facing temple but without any rajagopuram. At the entrance we have beautiful sculpture of Shri Shiva and Goddess Parvati. It has 2 prakarams. We have to climb 24 steps to reach Shri Shiva’s shrine which is a common feature in all mada-kovils. This temple finds mention in Tamil literatures between 300 BC to 300 AD. The Shiva linga in this temple is swayambhoo linga. At the entrance to the temple we find Shri Garuda worshipping Shri Shiva which is a very rare site. We have a kshetra puran about this feature which is narrated later. In the outer prakaram, we come across the idol of Anumati Vinayaka. We find Shri Kashi Vishwanath shrine opposite to the entrance. In front of the entrance we have Shri Nandi and Dhwajastambha. After entering the temple we come across the shrine of Shri Brihannayaki who is in a standing posture with Abhay and Varad mudra. She is facing the south. There is no separate Goddess Durga in this temple as Devi Brihannayaki is worshipped as Brihan-Durga devi. Inside the temple we come across 3 tiered Rajagopuram. In the outer prakaram we find shrines of Idumban, Shri Dandapani and Goddess Saraswati. In the northwest of Devi’s shrine we have the shrine of Shri Muruga with his wives Valli and Deivanai, a peacock and a maha-mandap. Saint Arunagirinathar has sung a hymn on Shri Muruga at this temple. In this prakara we come across Kshetra Vruksha, Jack-fruit tree, Shrine of Navagraha, Shri Muruga, Goddess Mahalaxmi, Thirudhyanbindu muni, Saptamatrikas, Nalvar, Shaiva Saint Sundarar and Paravai-Nachyar. The 24 steps that we have to climb to reach sanctum of Shri Shiva is in front of Sundarar. Shri Nataraja and Goddess Shivagami idols are near Shri Shiva. To reach sanctum of Shri Koneshwarar (Shri Shiva), we have to cross Mahamandap, Nandi mandap and Artha mandap. The Shiva linga is big with a square base (Avudayar in Tamil). Shri Shiva is facing the west. There is a scar on the linga caused by the sharp beak of Shri Garuda. Excepting Goddess Durga we find the usual Koshta moorthies. There is shrine of Shri Vinayaka who is first worshipped in the evening pooja known as Malaivazhipatu (worshipped in evening) Vinayaka. There is a shrine for twin Vinayakas and the Vinayaka worshipped here is Siddhi-Vinayaka. Opposite to the temple we have the sacred teertha, Amrut Teertha. On its bank we have the shrine of Aadi-Vinayaka. From the sanctum of Shri Shiva’s shrine, the tank and the gopuram of the Vinayaka temple we can have darshan. There are 2, Lord Bhairavas in this temple, one of them is without his mount the dog.
Idols in this temple: Shri Surya (in sitting position), Shri Moon (in standing position), Sage Suta worshipping Shri Shiva. There are shrines for Nalvars, Suta Maha Muni, Sundarar, Parvainachhar, Goddess Saraswati without Veena, Goddess Gajalaxmi and Saptamatrikas.
Special feature: It is believed that few drops of Amrut fell in the tank. Hence people take a dip here during Mahamagam festival.
Shri Shiva is addressed as Vaanmiknathar as he was taken out of ant-hill by garuda. We have a number of Vinayaka shrines like Siddhi-Vinayaka, Anumati Vinayaka, Aadi-Gajanathar (in the temple tank) and Malai-Vinayaka
It is believed that Shri Surya worships Shri Shiva in this temple by directing his rays on the Shiva linga for 3 days in the month of Panguni (March-April). In the Tamil month of Thai on 3 days, the Sun’s rays fall on Shri Kashi Vishwanath.
Sanctum sanctorum of Shri Shiva’s entrance is narrow so that elephant do not enter. Sambandhar praised this temple in his hymn as Ezhilkola mada kovil (extremely beautiful in Tamil). Saint Arunagiri nathar has sung a hymn on Shri Muruga at this place.
On Masi-magam day, 5 deities (Pancha-moorthies) namely Shri Koneshwarar, Goddess Periyanayaki, Shri Ganesha, Shri Muruga and Shri Chandikeshwar visit the Amrut teerth for Teertha-wari festival.
Kshetra Purana: Shri Koneshwarar – Ko in Tamil means all living beings, Eshwarar means Shri Shiva. As the Lord loves all his beings, he is known as Koneshwarar.
Shiva linga was found in the ant hill (vaanmeeka). Hence is known as Shri Vanmeeknathar.
Presence of Garuda in this temple: This is a rare sight and it is explained in the following puran.
Sage Kashyap had 2 wives, namely – Vineeta and Katru. Garuda was the son of Vineeta and was a staunch devotee of Shri Vishnu. Katru had poisonous snakes as her sons. Once Vineeta and Katru happens to see Shri Indra on his white horse named Uchhaihshravas. There was an argument between the 2 ladies about the color of the horse. There was a wager (betting) according to which if Katru proved that the tail of the horse was black then Vineeta and Garuda will be slaved to her forever. Katru approached her sons and requested to help her in winning the wager. Initially they refused but later on agreed to help her from getting cursed by their mother. One of her sons, Kargodaga (black snake) wrapped himself around the horse’s tail and breath his venom due to this the tail became black. When Vineeta saw only the black part of the tail (remaining portion was pure white), she accepted her defeat. When she told her plight to Garuda, he asked her for the remedy. Vineeta told him that his step-mother wants a pot containing nector from Devaloka so that they will be released from their bondage. Garuda went to Devaloka and defeated Devas in fierce battle. He informed Lord Indra that he will take the pot containing nector and only show it to his step mother as she does not deserve to drink the Amrut. He agreed to bring back the pot of nector safely. On the way to meet this mother, he had to fight a ferocious demon. Hence he had to keep the pot on a bush of Kusha-grass. When he came back after defeating the demon, he found that the pot sinking in a ant hill. When he cleared the ant hill with his beak, he found Shri Shiva (Amrutlingeshwarar) with pot in his hands. The Lord blessed and bade him to come back after releasing his mother from the bondage. After receiving the pot, Katru went to take bath placing it on a Kusha grass. In the meanwhile Shri Indra with help of Vaayu retrieved the pot. When Katru got back, she was disappointed as the pot was missing. She along with her sons, licked the droplets of nectar that had spilled on kusha-grass. Due to the sharpness of kusha-grass, their tongue got split (according to puran this is the reason that snakes have split tongue). Garuda came back to Shri Shiva, as per directive. Garuda constructed a temple for Shri Shiva and Goddess Parvati. He also constructed a sacred tank, Amrut teertha and installed Shri Ganesha who is known as Aadi-Ganesha. Hence Shri Shiva is known as Amruta nathar and Parvati is known as Amruta-valli.
According to another kshetra puran, the nine sacred rivers (Ganga, Kaveri, Yamuna, Gautami, Narmada, Saraswati, Sharayu, Kanyakumari & Narmada) appealed to Shri Shiva for a solution to get rid of the sins left by the people in them. He transformed them into kumarikas and advised them to take bath in 3 sacred teertha on the southern bank of Kaveri when Sun is in Kumbha raas, Guru is in Simha raas and Moon in Magha nakshatra. They took bath in Kumbakonam (Mahamaga tank) then sacred tank Sakkottai (Kalashanallur) and finally came to this place. When they entered the sacred tank, the tank dried up. When they appealed to Shri Shiva, he told them that they should have taken dip first here then at Sakkottai and finally at Kumbakonam. Then he advised them to first worship Aadi-Ganesha at this place and Shri Shiva and Goddess Parvati. According to puran, these sacred rivers perform this ritual every 12 years i.e. Mahamaga festival day.
Those who worshipped here: Shri Garuda, Shri Agni, Shri Jatayu, Sage Suta, Sudama, Thalappiyar, Brigu rishi and Thirunapindu (he was cured of his leprosy by Shri Shiva at this place).
Prayers: People worship Shri Shiva, Shri Surya and Shri Chandra in this temple. They believe by doing so, they will be absolved of the sins for having not performed the shradha ceremony for their ancestors. Devotees worship Shri Shiva for prosperity and wisdom. People worship for the welfare of their children. People worship for not having fulfilled wishes of their mothers to Shri Shiva to get peace of mind and atonement. Those having problems in getting married light ghee lamps on lime cups during Rahu kaal in Goddess Durga’s shrine.
Important festivals:
Vaikasi (May-June): Vaikasi Visakam
Aani (Jun-Jul) Aani Thirumanganam
Aadi (Jul-Aug) Aadi Pooram
Aavani (Aug-Sept) Vinayakar Chaturthi
Purattasi (Sept-Oct) Navarathri
Aippasi (Oct-Nov) Skanda Shasti and Annabhishekam
Karthikai (Nov-Dec) Thiru Karthikai
Margazhi (Dec-Jan) Thiruvathira
Maasi (Feb-Mar) Maasi Maham and Shivarathri
Panguni (Mar-Apr) Panguni Uthiram
Pradosham is also observed regularly.
Temple timing: 7am to noon; 4pm to 8.30pm
Temple address: Sri Koneshwarar Swami temple, Kudavaul (Kudavasal) Thiruvarur district, Tamil Nadu 612601
Courtesy: Following sites
https://tamilnadu-favtourism.blogspot.com/ and
https://temple.dinamalar.com/en/
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