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

13^th October 2019.

The visit to the 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 can 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, the minting of money, and Statues made of metals. The craftsmen are called Kammalars, and they add the word Akkasalai to their name to distinguish themselves 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 has a Deepasthambam with a mandapam in front of an asbestos sheet canopy extended from the artha mandapam. The temple consists of the sanctum sanctorum, antarala, and artha mandapam. In the sanctum sanctorum, Hanuman as Anumantharayaswamy is in the form of a 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 a 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 the 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 torana above the koshta is simple; in one torana, 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 (coin money), 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 reads as...

1. ஸ்வத்திஸ்ரீ வீரப்பாண்டிய தேவற்கு திருவெழுத்திட்டுச் செல்

2. லா நின்ற திருநல்லியாண்டு wவது வடபரிசார நாட்டு வியாபரிக

3. ளோம் சேவூரில் அக்க சாலீஸ்வரமுடையார் திருப்பள்ளியறை நாச்சியா

4. ர் வடிவுடை மங்கையாற்கு அமுது படிக்கு நாளொன்றுக்கு அரிசி

5. முன்னாழிக்கு அஞ்சிலாண்டில் படி நெல் ஏழு நாழி உரியும் கறியமுதுக்கு நாளொன்

6. றுக்கு நெல் உரி ஆக நாளொன்றுக்கு பறையரி நெல் குறுனி ஆக ஆண்டொன்றுக்

7. கு அமுதுபடி நெல் முப்பதின் கலமும் செலுத்துவோமாகவும் திரு நன்தா விளக்கு

8. ஒன்றுக்கு நாளொன்றுக்கு காணத்தால் எண்ணெய் ஆழாக்கும் மாத மொ

9. ன்றுக்கு எண்ணை முன்னாழி முவ்வுழக்கும் ஆக ஆண்டொன்றுக்கு எண்ணை

10. ஐங்குறுனிஞ் ஞாழியும் முட்டாமற் செலுத்துவோமாகவும் இத்தன்மம் ச

11. ந்திராதித்தவரை செல்வதாகவும் இது தண்டும் பொழுது இழுத்து பறித்

12. தும் தண்டுவதாகவும் இதன்மம் யாதமொருவர் செலுகின்ற பெற கட

13…….

14. ட்டுக் கொள்வோமாக கல்வெட்டி குடுத்தோம் அக்கசாலைகளோம் பன்மாஹேஸ்வரர் ரக்ஷை

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

 The inscription mentioning Sevur

Ref: 

1. Inscriptions published by the Archaeology Department, and the article written by Mr Durai Sundaram of Coimbatore.

2. கோயம்புத்தூர் மாவட்ட கல்வெட்டுக்க்ள தொகுதி-1.

3. கோயம்புத்தூர் மாவட்டத் தொல்லியல் கையேடு. 

   

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 approximately 1 km from the Sevur bus stop, and Place Sevur is en route 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 torana

---OM SHIVAYA NAMA---