Sri Akka Salai Eswaran Temple ( Kottai Anumantharayaswamy Thiru Kovil ), Sevur, Tiruppur District, Tamil Nadu.

13^th October 2019.

The Visit to this Sri Akka Salai Eswaran Temple also popularly known as Kottai Anumantharayaswamy Thiru Kovil was a part of the Kongu Heritage Walk scheduled on 12^th and 13^th October 2019. With great difficulty, we are able to locate this temple, since this original Shiva Temple was converted into an Anjaneyar / Hanuman temple and called Kottai Anumantharayaswamy Thiru Kovil. As per historians, the word Akka Salai means a place where ornaments are made out of Gold, minting of money, and Statues made of metals.  The craftsmen are called Kammalars and they add the word Akkasalai to their name to distinguish them from others.

   

Moolavar : Sri Akka Salai Eswaran

Consort   : Sri Vadivudaimangai

Present Moolavar : Sri Anumantharayaswamy

Some of the important features of this temple are…..

This temple faces North and a Deepasthambam with a mandapam in front of an asbestos sheet canopy extended from the artha mandapam. The temple consists of sanctum sanctorum, antarala, and artha mandapam. In sanctum sanctorum Hanuman as Anumantharayaswamy  is in the form of Bas-relief on a stone slab. Hanuman’s face is facing west.  On the west side of the main temple, there is a sannidhi facing north in dilapidated condition.  Looking at the Vimana, this may be Ambal’s sannidhi when the main temple was Sri Akka Salai Eswaran Temple.

ARCHITECTURE

The Temple consists of Sanctum sanctorum, antarala and artha mandapam. The mandapa pillars are supported like Vijayanagara period Capitals / Pothyals. The sanctum sanctorum is on a pada bandha adhisthana with tripatta kumudam. The sanctum sanctorum walls have niches / koshtas, which are empty now. The thorana above the koshta are simple, in the one thorana a Shiva Linga is there, and a lotus flower motif on the other. There is no Vimanam over the sanctum sanctorum.

 

HISTORY & INSCRIPTION:

Looking at the iconography of the Moolavar Hanuman (Hanumantharaya Swamy),  this temple might have been converted and reconstructed from the Shiva Temple during the Vijayanagara period. The temple is prefixed with “Kottai”, which means that a fort might have existed in this place or this temple might be inside the Fort.

As per the inscription the Moolavar was called Akka Salai Eswaramudayar and the place was called Sevur.

The sanctum sanctorum walls and kumudam have 8 inscriptions, which belong to Veera Rajendran (1235 CE, 1253 CE), and Veera Pandiyan (1267 CE, 1276 CE).

The Inscriptions mainly speak about the donation of money for Naivedyam and oil for the burning of the perpetual lamp,  Achu kasu (money in coin), Ghee for the celebration of Shivaratri, and burning of 80 lamps on that day, Oil /Ennai Kappu to Lord Shiva( one Ulakku for one Chekku – manual Oil extracting machine), 2 Pazhanchalakai Achu kasu for burning of 2 Santhya lamps (burning lamp during evening hours), donation of paddy and Kampu (a type of millet) for Naivedyam.

 The inscription mentioning The temple's Shiva Name as Akka Salai Eswarar

 The inscription mentioning Sevur

Ref: Inscriptions Published by the Archaeology Department and the article written by Mr Durai Sundaram of Coimbatore 

   

TEMPLE TIMINGS:

Since oru kala pooja is done, the closing and opening times are unpredictable. Outside can be seen at any time.

HOW TO REACH:

The temple is about a KM from the Sevur bus stop and the Place Sevur is on the way to Mettupalayam from Avinashi.

The Sevur is about 9 KM from Avinashi, 47 KM from Coimbatore, and  20 KM from Tiruppur, the District headquarters.

The nearest Railway Station is  Tiruppur. 

LOCATION. CLICK HERE

 A dilapidated structure - may be Ambal's sannadhi

A Shiva Linga in a koshta Thorana

---OM SHIVAYA NAMA---