Kampatheeswarar Kovil / கம்பதீஸ்வரர் கோயில் / கம்பத்து ஈஸ்வரன் கோயில், Chinnaripatti, Kandiankoil, Tiruppur District, Tamil Nadu.

The visit to this Sri Kampatheeswarar Kovil at Kandiankoil Chinnaripatti was a part of the “Kongu Nadu Heritage Visit to Temples, Hero stones, Ayyanar and Jyeshta Devi Sculptures around Kangayam” in Tiruppur District. This temple obtained its name due to the presence of Deepasthamba, or Kambam, which stands tall in front of the temple. The temple is also called Mathe Shivalingam Thirukoil and Kandiswarar temple.

Moolavar  : Sri Kampatheeswarar / Mathaveeswarar / Sri Kandiswarar

Consort    : Sri Mangalambigai

Some of the salient features of this temple are...

The temple is facing east with a Deepasthambam. There is no proper entrance or compound wall around the temple. Two Rishabas and a balipeedam are in front of the temple. Rishaba mandapa base also has some bas-reliefs of women. Moolavar is a little short and the Sanctum is on a little elevated level about 3 feet. In koshtam Dakshinamurthy, Lingothbavar, Brahma, and  Shiva Durga.

In prakaram Bhairavar, Suryan, Navagrahas, Ganapathy, Chandikeswarar, Nalvar and Sri Chakra. Ambal is in a separate sannidhi facing east and Srichakra is in front of the temple.

ARCHITECTURE

The main sanctum sanctorum is on a raised level of 3 feet and consists of the Sanctum sanctorum and artha mandapam. The Adhisthana is of simple pada bandha adhisthana with three patta kumuda. Ekathala Vesara Vimana is on the sanctum sanctorum. The sanctum sanctorum was built with stone up to prastaram and the Vimanam was built with brick.

HISTORY AND INSCRIPTIONS

Usually, the Deepasthambam base will have images of Cow milking of a Shiva Lingam or Rishabam facing the Moolavar. On the contrary, there is a bas-relief of a man in a worshiping posture and a Shiva Lingam is above his head. Looking at the style of a tuft of the man and the mustache, the temple may belong to the Nayaka period ie 15 to 16^th Centuries. As per the experts, the Shiva Linga above the man’s head signifies that this temple may be a Pallipadai Temple. To prove the same, even today the temple is isolated from human habitation, and in the 15 to 16^th Centuries, the place might have not had human access.

Inscriptions are found on the Rishabam installed on the floor. The inscription belongs to the 10^th Century. Some claim this temple belongs to the Pandya Period. The 18th-century inscription records the construction of a madam by Maruthachari. ( whether this inscription belong to this temple...?)

The Koshta images, Ambal Temple, and Parivara Temples were installed at a later date. The temple had land and the present status is not known.

 

Inscriptions on the Rishabam's back

Maybe Donors

LEGENDS

It is believed that this temple belongs to Kongunattu Vellalars and they belongs to Surya Kulam. Hence there was no koshta mutris, Navagrahas, Shaniswaran, and Chandran. The present Parivar shrines have been built in recent years.

It is believed that there is an Amanushya Sakthi / Rishis roaming around the temple.  Further believed that the person who does the pooja will die in 3 months... Whether this is true or false is not known.

The temple is in the midst of barren land about 2 to 3 Km away from human habitation. If we take that the temple was built 16^th to 17 Century, during those days, we can imagine, that a temple built for whom, without worshiped by devotees, the temple was built. What is the necessity of constructing a temple in such an isolated place?  Further, in Connection with the Pallipadai temple, can we add the legend of the person “Nalludayan” who ruled this area.  KandianKoil  ( near this place ) is also called Kandi Nagar. This place was one of the trade centers in Kongu Nadu.  Pongalur Nattu Kolusenai Mandradiyar title was given to Koduvai Othala Kothra Periya Perumal, who had two brothers and 4 sons. One of the brothers ruled the Kundadam Samasthanam and another ruled the Peruntholuvu Samasthanam. His sons, one son ruled Thalikai Kani ( Avinashipalayam ), Nalludayan ruled Kandiankoil Kani, the third son Nezhali Kani and the fourth son ruled Kattur Kani.

Nalludayan married in the “Dheeran Chinnamalai” family group. It was believed that during British rule, Dheeran Chinnamalai was beaten up at Chennimali by Nalludayan, so Theeran Chinnamalai’s sister ordered to bring the head of Nalludayan. So he was killed at this place called Chinnaripatti. In another version, on the occasion of the hunting festival in the month of Aadi, at this temple, when Nalludayan was on the way to Kanndiankoil, he fell down and died.  

Can we relate this Nalludayan story to this temple, if so, can we take this temple as the Pallipadai temple of Nalludayan... Experts' opinion is requested.

 

Believed that this temple is a Pallipadai temple of this person, due to a Shiva Lingam above his head

POOJAS AND CELEBRATIONS

Apart from regular poojas, special poojas are conducted on Pournami ( Full moon ) Poojas, Amavasai ( new Moon day ) Pooja, Sankatahara Chaturthi, Ashtami Pooja. And some important Shiva festivals.

Sri Chakra in front of Ambal sannidhi

CONTACT DETAILS

The Archakar may be contacted on his mobile numbers +91 9360523955 and +91 8072209931 for further details.

HOW TO REACH

The temple is about 2 KM away from the Chinnaripatti Village.

The temple is 3.7 KM from Kandiankoil, 10.5 KM from Kangayam, 29 KM from Palladam, 23.6 KM from Tiruppur, 42 KM from Dharapuram, 66 KM from Coimbatore and 462 KM from Chennai.

Nearest Railway Station is Tiruppur.

LOCATION OF THE TEMPLE:  CLICK HERE

This temple is being called Kampatheeswarar due to this Sthambam - ( Kambam )

Shiva Durga

Ayyanar ( Details posted in separate post )

--- OM SHIVAYA NAMA---