Arulmigu Karuvaludaya Ayyanar with Purana & Pushkala Temple at Idaikattur, Sivaganga District, Tamil Nadu.

10^th May 2019.

This Ayyanar temple is in the midst of a sugarcane field at Idaikattur, one of the ancient villages of the Sivaganga District in Tamil Nadu. Usually, Ayyanar, with an elephant as vahana, is called Sastha or Sathan. He used to sit in a Rajaleelasana, ie, keeping his left leg up with a yoga band ( yoga patti, which passes through his hip). He also holds a Chattai / Chentu (crooked stick) in his right hand. The worship of Ayyanar started in the 3^rd Century. The worship of Ayyanar and its Iconography took different forms in later periods. At one stage, the Ayyanar with his consorts Purana & Pushkala disappeared from worship, but still, some temple of Ayyanar is worshiped as Ayyappan.

Usually  in Villages, the Ayyanar temples will be at the end of the Village, worshiped as a guarding deity of the Village. Ayyanars will be in pairs with ferocious looks, holding long swords in their hand. In the Kongu area, they are used to being called Chinna Annan and Periya Annan. Animals are also sacrificed for these Ayyanars. The guardians are Maduraiveeran, Pavadairayan, Karuppaswamy, etc.

Due to the intrusion of Sanskrit, the worship of Ayyanar and Iconography also changed to a large extent. Ayyanar has become Saththan and later Sastha. Slowly, from the 12th century, Ayyanar became Ayyappan.

 

IDAIKATTUR ARULMIGU KARUVALUDAIYA AYYANAR TEMPLE:

The Ayyanar temple  faces east, with two gigantic horses on which Karuppaswamy and Maduraiveeran are sitting. Dwarf assistants are shown at the base of the horse.  The sanctum sanctorum consists of the Sanctum, antarala, artha mandapam, and a mukha mandapam. An elephant vahana and a balipeedam are in the mandapam. Dwarapalakas, Vinayagar, and Balamurugan are at the entrance of the sanctum. Ayyanar, with his consort Purana Pushkala, is in the sanctum. In the koshtam are Dakshinamurthy, Lingothbavar, and Durgai. A two-tier Vimana is in the sanctum.  The Vimana has stucco images of Shiva forms. 

In the outer praharam sannadhi for Periya Nachi Amman, Siriya Nachiamman, Irulappa Swamy, Irulayi, ChinnaKaruppan, Periya Karuppan, Thottichi Amman, Samayan, Mariappan, Rakkayi Amman.

The original temple may belong to the 12^th century and was reconstructed to its present form, and Jinortharana Ashtabhandhana Maha Kumbhabhishekam was conducted on 24^th May 2015. Some sects of the people worship this Ayyanar as their Kula Swamy.

HOW TO REACH:

Town bus route nos. 99F from Periyar bus stand, and 99M from Mattuthavani bus stand stop at Muthanenthal, and from there, shared autos are available to Idaikattur. 

All the buses to Manamadurai from Madurai stop at Muthanenthal.

The nearest Railway Station is Manamadurai.

LOCATION OF THE TEMPLE: CLICK HERE

---OM SHIVAYA NAMA---