"Aaduthurai" divyadesam - Thiru Kudalur ~ கூடலூரே!

From Thiruvaiyaru of musical fame, one can easily reach Thirukandiyur ~and as we travel another 15 km east on the Kumbakonam Highway is the divyadesam locally known as ‘Aaduthurai’ housing the divine temple of Sri Jagath Rakshaga Perumal – here it is Lord Vaiyam [Ulagam / Universe] Katha Perumal in imposing standing posture. 

Papanasam  is a village on the north bank of holy Kaveri river – not to be confused with the Papanasam in Thirunelveli / Ambasamudram -  this is locally known as Vadakurangaduthurai  - the temple is around  4 km from the town  well known as –  ‘Aaduthurai Perumal Kovil’.

It is divyadesam having 10 pasurams of Thirumangai Mannan.  The Moolavar is ‘Vaiyam Katha Perumal’ and the beautiful Uthsvar is Jagath Rakshagar.  Thayar is Padmasanavalli thayar.  Thala vruthcham is Pala maram [Jack fruit].  The Aduthurai Perumal kovil  is believed to have been built by the Medieval Cholas with later contributions from Vijayanagar kings and Madurai Nayaks. A brick wall surrounds the temple, enclosing all its shrines and bodies of water.  According to legend, Perumal here appeared to sage  Nandaka and King Ambarisha. The holy river Cauvery purifies herself here by the grace of this Perumal.  According to web reports, a  thiruther called Ambarisha Ratha, renovated by Rani Mangammal, was in use till the 1940s, after which it was not used.

Thirumangai Azhwar does mangalasasanam in his Periya Thirumozhi with 10 verses for this temple [5m Pathu – 2m Thirumozhi]

பிள்ளையுருவாய்த் தயிருண்டு, அடியேன் உள்ளம் புகுந்த ஒருவரூர்போல்,

கள்ளநாரை வயலுள், கயல்மீன் கொள்ளை கொள்ளும் கூடலூரே!

Kaliyan eulogises the place where storks have plentiful of fishes on the wealthy fields ‘Kudalur’ by name ;  is likened  to be the place where Lord Krishna who ate loads of curd in His childhood – getting  into the heart of Azhwar here at this Divyadesam

The annual brahmothsavam of the temple is presently on.  Here are some photos of the Temple ~that of the Uthsavar is courtesy my friend Sri Kidambi Mukundachar.

Adiyen Srinivasadhasan.

26^th May 2015