Sri Kondathu Kaliamman Temple/ Sri Kondathukaliamman Temple / Arulmigu Kondathukali Amman Temple / கொண்டத்து காளியம்மன் கோயில், பெருமாநல்லூர், Perumanallur, Tiruppur District, Tamil Nadu.

காளியம்மையின் காட்சி

ஆனைத்தோல் போர்த்துப் புலியின் உரியுடுத்துக்

கானத் தெருமைக் கருந்தலைமே நின்றாயால்

வானோர் வணங்க மறைமேல் மறையாகி

ஞானக் கொழுந்தாய் நடுக்கின்றி யேநிற்பாய்

( வேட்டுவர் தங்கள் தொல்குடிப்பிறந்த குமரிப்பெண்ணைக் கொற்றவையாக ( காளி )  ஒப்பனை செய்து மானின்மீது ஏற்றி வந்து போற்றிக் கை தொழுது புகழ்ந்து பாடிய பாடல் – சிலபதிகாரம் வேட்டுவ வரி ).

This article covers the unique features of more than 1000 years old and a lesser-known Kaliamman Temple of Kongu Nadu at Perumanallur. Perumanallur is on the Erode to Coimbatore bus route, in the Kongu region. This place was called Perum Pazhanam ( Perum – big or abundance, and Pazhanam – green fields or full of green trees ) during the Chozha Period. This Perumpazhanam or Perumpazhanallur got corrupted to the present name of Perumanallur.

Deity        : Sri Kondathukali Amman

Some of the salient features of this temple are…

The temple faces north on the North West corner of the Village. Kongu Nadu’s iconic Deepasthambham and 60-foot-long Kundam (used for fire walk ) are in front of the temple. Kali Amman is in the sitting posture with 8 hands. The right hand holds the Spear, Damaru, Knife, and Sword, the left the top hand holds Vismaya mudra, and the other hand holds the bell, Kapala, and Pasam. Kali Amman is wearing Jwala Maguda, with a ferocious look. Balipeedam and Simha vahana are in front of the sanctum.    

Utsava Murthis Vinayagar and Kali Amman are kept inside a separate sannidhi in the Maha mandapam. Stucco dwarapalakas Neeli and Neela kandan (female and male) are at the entrance of the Temple. The Dwarapalakas give a frightening look with protruding teeth and eyes. Female dwarapalakis Idakini and Mohini are at the entrance of the sanctum.

ARCHITECTURE:

The temple consists of sanctum sanctorum, antarala, artha mandapam, Maha mandapam and a Mani mandapam.  Utsavars are in a separate sannidhi in Maha mandapam. There are entrances from the north and east sides of the Maha Mandapam. Madapalli, Kannimar, Stucco Horses, Annadhana dining hall, safety rooms Selva Vinayagar, Muthukumarasamy Sannidhi, and Vinayagar sannidhi are in the praharam. Thirukodi Deepam, a Mandapam, Arasamara Vinayagar, and Saguna Vinayagar are outside of the temple Complex.

The Adhisthana is a simple Padabandha adhisthana with three patta Kumuda. Koshta is empty now. A Two tier Vimana is on the sanctum sanctorum. The stucco image of Kali Killing Mahishasura is on the top of the north side entrance. A memorial stone of a Man and woman is at the north side entrance.

   

HISTORY & INSCRIPTION

During Ancient times the Romans and Greeks called Yavanas traded in the Kongu region through the Palghat passage. One of the Trade routes that went to Thondai Nadu through Perur, Coimbatore Avinashi, Vijayamangalam, Salem, and Tindivanam is called “Kongu Peru Vazhi- கொங்கு பெரு வழி”. This place Perumanallur is on the trade route between Avinashi and Vijayamangalam. The Tamil Traders Thisai Ayirathu Ainootruvar & Nanadesikars and Valanjiyars had done trades with these Yavanas. This place was once a trade center with a materials exchange market and the Trader's military also stayed there. They also established many Bhagavathy and Kali Temples along this trade route. To maintain these temples taxes are levied to the materials which crossed through this place. This can be seen in the form of inscriptions (for example – Sarkar Periyapalayam – Kurakkuthali ) in many temples. It is believed that this Kali temple was established by them.  

Thirumoolar records that – “தமிழ் மண்டிலம் ஐந்து” - Tamil Nadu was divided into 5 mandalas and Kongu mandala is one of them. Kongu mandalam once, spread up to the Tungabhadra River. Again Kongu mandalam was divided into 24 Nadus and Perumanallur comes under Arainadu – “ஆறை நாடு”. The Kongu Sathagam written by Karmeka Kavignar, a Jain Vidvan, gives the list of 35 Villages in Aarainadu. When Aarainadu was divided for administrative reasons during the Chozha period, Oththanur alias Pazhanainagar also called Pazhanai Nadu now called Perumanallur was attached to Vadaparisara Nadu.

சேவைநகர் அன்னியூர் வெள்ளாதி கோமங்கை திசைபுகழ வாழ்முடுதுறை

தென்கவசை துடியலூர் நீலநகர் பேரையொடு தெக்கலூர் கரைமாதையூர்

மேவுபுகழ் அவிநாசி கஞ்சைகா னூர்கரவை வெண்பதியும் இருகாலூரும்

விரைசேரும் உழலையொடு வடதிசையில் உறுகின்ற வெள்ளையும் பாடிநகரும்

நாவலர்க்கு இனிதான திருமுருகன் பூண்டியொடு நலசெவளை பழனைநகரும்

நம்பியூ ரோடெலத் தூருக்கிரம் புலவர் நகரமுடன் இனிமையான

கோவில்நகர் தொண்டமான் புத்தூரு முட்டமே கூடலூர் சிங்கநகரும்

குடக்கோட்டூர் குள்ளந் துறைப்பதியு வாள்வந்தி கோட்டைக்கரை ஆறுநாடே  

As per the Uthamalingeswarar Temple’s inscription this place was also called as PerumPazhanam, Perumpazhanam also called as oththanur ( வடபரிசாரநாட்டு ஒத்தனூரான பெரும்பழனம் ).

The Ranga Mandapa (Where the Dwarapalakas Neelakandan and Neelakandi were installed)  was constructed by Lingi Chetti’s Son, SikkaNN Chettiar of Kanakkampalayam. In another inscription, Lingi Chetti also donated a pillar of Mukha mandapam.

1.    சுபகிறது வருஷம் பங்

2.    குனி மீ 15ந்தேதி கண்க்க(ன்)

3.    பாளையத்து லிங்கி செட்

4.    டி மகன்சிக்கண்ணா செட்

5.    டி ரங்க மண்டபம்

6.    உபையம்

As per the 19^th Century inscription the Manimandapam was called Pattakara nattu Chetty mandapam. The inscription reads as

1.    கீலக வருஷம் ஆ

2.    ணி மாசம் எஉ பட்ட

3.    க்காற நாட்டுச் செ

4.    ட்டி(ம)காமண்டபம்

5.    கதய விசை உபயம்

A British officer was mocked at the fire walk and asked the devotees to do the same with Kungiliyam melted with fire. When the devotees prayed, a lizard from the Deepasthambham went through the fire to the Sanctum, and the Poojari and the Devotees followed. With the Magnifying glass, the British officer had seen a lady ( Probably Kali ) holding the legs of the  Devotees who walked. On seeing that he lost his eyesight and begged  Kali to forgive him and he got back the eyesight due to the grace of Kali.  As a part of Thanksgiving, he ordered to donate Rs 1500  and 6 pots of oil per year to burn the lamps. A stucco image of the British officer was installed near Neelakanda Ayyan and the same was damaged due to age.

During the British period, Veera Chandra Mudaliar of Kunnathur was entrusted with the power to collect taxes from the people and deposit them at the Palladam office. While he was returning from Palladam he took a rest under a banyan tree. Due to the sound of drums beaten at the temple, his horses were frightened and ran amok. So he ordered them to stop all the activities. He was fallen sick when he was about to cross the temple. He realized his mistake and prayed to Kali to pardon him. He wanted to do something to the temple for sin committed by him. He made a bas-relief of him and installed it as a stepping stone at the entrance of the sanctum and asked Poojaris to step on his image. He believed the same. Still every year on Aadi month's first Sunday his descendants used to do Abhishekam and aradana to this Kondathu Kaliamman.     

A Dharmakartha made arrangements for the burning of Nandha Vilakku in the sanctum. The Story goes like this. One day Kondathu Kaliamman came in the dream of Dharmakartha and told him that her sanctum was dark whereas Dharmakartha’s house was brightly lit. Immediately he rushed to the temple and found Kali Amman was in the dark. From then onwards she had made arrangements for burning a Perpetual lamp in the sanctum.

 

A Memorial stone - Maybe Donors

LEGENDS

As per the legend The Asura Tharuka did a penance of Lord Shiva to get a boon of immortality. Pleased with Tharukan’s penance Lord Shiva appeared before him and asked for a boon. Tharukan asked Lord Shiva for immortality, but Lord Shiva denied it and gave him the boon of being Killed only by a woman. After getting the boon Tharuka started terrorizing the Devas. Unbearable Devas complained to Lord Shiva in the form of women and prayed to him to save them. Since Lord Shiva has given the boon of being killed only by a woman, asked Ma Parvati to take care of that. Ma Parvati’s one of the form Kali appeared from the eyes of Lord Shiva stained with poison. Hence called Kali. Kali burnt Tharukasura. This was explained in the Silapathikaram as...

அடர்த்தெழு குருதி அடங்காப் பசுந்துணிப்

பிடர்தலைப் பீடம் ஏறிய மடக்கொடி

வெற்றிவேல் தடக்கைக் கொற்றவை.......

அறுவர்க்கு இளைய நங்கை,  இறைவனை

ஆடல் கண்டருளிய அணங்கு, சூர்உடைக்

கானகம் உகந்தகாளி, தாரகன்

பேரூரம் கிழித்த பெண்....

....... சிலப்பதிகாரம் வழக்குரை காதை..

In another legend, Mahishasuran with a buffalo head was born to an asura king Ramban, and a buffalo. He used to terrorize the Devas. Unbearable Devas complained to Lord Shiva. Lord Shiva In-turn asked Ma Parvati to take care of the Deva's flight. Ma Parvati, took the form of Kali first killed his captains and finally Mahishasuran. To Commemorate this event, killing a buffalo will be held as an event during the annual festival.

Kundam has different meanings. The words kundu- குண்டு, Kundalam- குண்டலம் , Kundali- குண்டலி, Kundalini – குண்டலினி  are very much related to Kundam. These may be interpreted as “Deep – ஆழம்,  water pond – நீர் நிலை, Homa kund – ஹோமகுண்டம் , Circle -  வட்டம், Snake – பாம்பு. From this, it is evident that Kundam is related to Kundalini.

This legend is associated with the Uthamalingeswarar of the same Village temple. When the people ignored worship, they started living as they wished. Lord Shiva got angry and made this place a desert through sand and rain. The people realized this and requested Lord Shiva to forgive them. When Shiva didn’t relent, appealed to Mother Parvati. Mother came to earth and started penance when Lord Shiva refused to show mercy. After some period Shiva’s anger subsided, Shiva gave darshan to Parvati and restored this place to its original form. A Temple was built where Mother Parvati did penance / Tapas.

Devotees throng this temple for child boon and to get rid of obstacles in the marriage.   

POOJAS AND CELEBRATIONS

There is an ancient history behind the fire walk ( Kundam ). Kongu region was developed after destroying the forest and the people started to take care of the cattle. When the cattle were affected by any disease, they used to create a fire with the cow dung and made the cattle cross the fire.  By doing so, they believed that the cattle would be relieved from the disease. Then slowly they followed the same practice for themselves also to get relief from deceases and problems. Hence the fire walk was called as “Kundam Mithithal” or “Poo Mithithal”.  Adding this Kundam with Kali is being called “Kondathu Kaliamman”. The Kali was once in the form of stone, later changed to Kotravai, and again to the present form of Kali Amman. When Kali was under a tree initially, open to the sky, later a temple was built with mud and changed to the present type of temple.   

Apart from regular poojas for 11 days, the Agni Kundam festival will be conducted in the month of Panguni ( March - April ). During the festival, devotees cook Pongal at the temple and offer it to Kaliamman. About 60-foot-long fire walk will be carried out by the devotees whose wishes are fulfilled.  

Margazhi festival at Muthukumarasamy Sannidhi will be celebrated in a grand manner.

 Kundam / Kondam

TEMPLE TIMINGS:

The temple will be kept open between 06.00 hrs to 13.00 hrs and 16.00 hrs to 20.00 hrs.

CONTACT DETAILS

The Land Lines of Temple +91 421 235 0544 and 235 0522 may be contacted for further details.

HOW TO REACH:

The temple is about 100 meters from the Perumanallur Junction.

Perumanallur is at the junction of Coimbatore to Erode and Tiruppur to Gobichettipalayam.

Perumanallur is about 15.8 KM from Avinashi, 16 KM from Tiruppur, 60 KM from Coimbatore, and 50 KM from Erode.

Nearest Railway station is Tiruppur.

LOCATION OF THE TEMPLE : CLICK HERE

REFERENCES

*தென்னிந்திய கோயில் சாசனங்கள், பகுதி -1

*கொங்கு நாட்டு வரலாறு, கோவைகிழார் & புலவர் இராசு

*கொங்கு சதகங்கள் கார்மேக கவிஞர், உலகதமிழ்ச் செம்மொழி மாநாடு வெளியீடு.

*Sthala Purana book published by the temple.

Hero Stone ( Details will be posted separately )

--- OM SHIVAYA NAMA ---