ARULMIGU COURTRALLANATHARSWAMY TEMPLE KUTRALLAM

Temple History :

     Today’s Thirukkutralanathr temple was constructed by raja rajan.The first round wall was build by him.Is an example of chola reign. Historians claim that there was a perumal sannithi on the left side of the Mollavar.

    During the pandiya reign the karuvarai Artha mandapam, maha mandapam, separate temple for kulalvai mozhi amman and pillayan kattalai mandapam.

At the time of nayakkar rule parasakthi temple was constructed , the compound wall , sangu street and inner street and new sannithis were built.Shiva devotee agathiyar may here removed the perumal sannithi and that place is used as vengam room at present.

    Thirikooda mandapam, Pasupirai, Thattodi,vaitheeyappa vilasam, The front mandapam of kulalvai mozhi amman, sangai veethi and kalpavuthal at vasantha veethi. Were build by the things of vadakarai Aathikkam sokkampatti.

      In 1925, The Aaralvai mozhi temple was renovated by the people of the town..

Stala Puranam :

     When parvathi’s marriage took place in the Himalayas , All three world come to be in a single line the south seemed to be higher than the north. Lord sent sage agasthiar equaling him to the status of devas to the trigooda hills. When sage agasthiar came this temple was a vairava temple. when he tired to entered the temple was a stopped by dwara palagas. so he worshipped Ilanji kumaran. He was Granted a wish to get whatever he wanted. At this instance agasthiyar told Ilanji Kumaran the problem he faced while trying to enter the temple. So he grand him the boon to take the form of a Vairavate , took bath in the eascade and entered the temple successfully.

     Every one considered him as a guru and showed due respect when enquired about his where about agasthiar replied that he came from tirupathi mularri kannan tirupathi and ordered that all pooja articles to be brought he removed the priest from the street he worshipped the stupa and the surrounding gods and lord thirumal.He took the vishwaroopa form and kept his hand on loard thirumal saying ‘kuru kuru kutralanathre!’ and turned him into thiru kutralanathar says the stala purana.

Purana significance :

     Purana stories says that this place was a vaishnava temple and sage agasthiyar turned it into kuru kuru kutralanathar temple this leed to a heavy headache to thirukutralanathar so he was done abhishegams by 64 herbals and shanthanathi oil palam. Prepared and applied to the lord.this is done even today by the devotiees. Revealing its vainava base the temple is in the form of a conch . conch is favored by perumal.

Stone significant :

     89 stone engravings here been found in kutralam the chola king parakesarivarman alias parandaghen I (period 927-943 bc) have ten , In the first stone engraving there is mention about ‘thiru kutrala perumal’ the later once depict ‘kutrala devan’ madevan, since serge evidence reveal a solar eclipse historians calculate the period clearly to night the temple3 deepam cows were donated along with gold money goats and buffaloes are also found to be denoted as per the stone engineering. Since there are mentions about primal are can relies that there were bath the shiba sannathi and perumal sannathi.

Literary Significant :

     Evidence are found in devara songs during the pallava period about kutralam town and god. Religion for kuravaas have also sung about this temple thirugnana sambanthar has visited this temple and worshipped thirukutralanathar and sung about the stala tree in the second scripture’s 71st pathigam , the term coutralam is first used in Devaram. It is also found present in devaram ,thiruvasagam , thirukkovayar, sivaperuman thiruvanthathi, and periya puranam.

   During the Nayakkar rule sages like pattinathar, and arunagiri nathar, has sung about thirukutralanathar . Thirigoodarasappa kavirayar has sung 16 amall literary songs about kuzhaivaimozhi amman.

Art & Architechture :

     This temple was constructed before 5th century b.c. Its mean entrance east faced . there are two elephants is two handless in the front mandapam there is a thirikooda mandapam with 100 pillars.Secondly there is a reception mandapam, there are many wooden pillars that are engraved elegantly with artistic splendor.

     In the south of the mandapam lord vinayagar and in the north lord arulmigu Nayanar sannithi are found.Crossing the entrance , there is the namaskara mandapam, alter, stupa, and mandhi, then in the north , fourlegged sabapathi mandapam, After the kodi mandapam , there is a lord shrine temple, thirusutru entrance , mandapams front located lord vinayagar lord muruga stste and Dwarapalagas are found.

Outer wall :

   The outer path 63 nayanmar, four hundred perumal, sailappar, vallava vinayagar, papanasar, ulagamman, Nellaiyappar, Ganthimathi amman, mankkolanathr, Naarum poo nathr, sangaralinganathar, Palvanna nathar, Pooanai amman, Sokkalingar, Meenakshi, Sastha, medhunadheeswarar,aramvalartha kasi vishwanathar, vishvalakshi,Sivalaya sage, bairavar, Yaga scala, waragrahas are found.So one who visits the temple gets the benefits of visitings many temples.