Thursday, 7 December 2023

Kundadam Kongu Vaduganathaswamy Temple / Sri Vidangeeswarar Temple / Kundadam Sri Bairavar Temple / Kundadam Kala Bhairavar Temple, குண்டடம் கொங்கு வடுகநாத சுவாமி கோயில், Kundadam / குண்டடம், Tiruppur District, Tamil Nadu.

During my visit to this, Kundadam Kongu Vaduganathasamy Temple, I was refrained from taking photographs by the temple authorities. Moreover, the temple was under palalayam. Utsava Murthy of Vaduga Bairavar was moved to the Ilangoil/Palalayam Temple and was fortunate to worship.


Moolavar  : Sri Vidangeeswarar
Consort    : Sri Visalakshi

Some of the salient features of this temple are….
This Kundadam Kongu Vaduganathasamy Temple faces east and a Temple tank with a Neerazhi mandapam. A Deepasthambam is in front of the 3-tier Rajagopuram.  In koshtam Narthana Vinayagar, Dakshinamurthy, Maha Vishnu, Brahma and Durgai.

In praharam Suriyan, Chandran, Pattakkarar,  Vinayagar, Sri Valli Devasena Sri Kalyana Subramaniar ( Peacock face is on the left side ), Varadharaja Perumal with Garudan, Ramanujar, Hanuman, Saniswaran, Chandran, Suriyan, Navagrahas and Chandikeswarar. 

Vaduga Bairavar is in a separate temple. Pambatti Siddhar in the form of Shiva Linga is under the peepal tree.

ARCHITECTURE
The temple consists of sanctum sanctorum antarala, ardha mandapam and a open mukha mandapam. The sanctum sanctorum is on a pada bandha adhistanam with jagathy, threepatta kumudam, and pattikai. The bhitti starts with vedika. The pilasters are with kalasam, kudam, palakai and pothyal. The prastaram consists of valapi, kapotam. A two-tier brick Vesara vimanam is on the bhumi desam. Shiva, Dakshinamurthy, Maha Vishnu, and Brahma are in the Tala and Greeva Kostas. 

PC: Website 

PC: Website 
PC: Website 

One of the specialties of this temple is, the different stages of the fetus to a child in the mother’s womb till its delivery was sculptured in the form of bas reliefs.  

The sperm and egg


Ladies assist with the delivery of a Child 

HISTORY AND INSCRIPTIONS
It is believed that the temple was more than 1000 years old and there is no inscription to prove the same. The mandapas are built at a later stage.

The temple was damaged during the Muslim invasion and poojas were stopped for about 50 years. With the effort of the Local people, the temple was reconstructed and maha Kumbhabhishekam was conducted in 1953, in 1995, and in 2008. Now the temple is preparing for the Kumbhabhishekam in 2024.

Pambatti Siddhar in the form of Shiva Linga is under the peepal tree.
 Vaduga Bairavar PC : Website 
LEGENDS
As per the legend..  about 700 years before Vidanga Munivar did a penance at Kundadam to get the blessings of Sri Kasi Viswanathar, under a jujube tree. Shiva sent Kalabairavar to this place to save the Vidanga Bairavar from, wild animals and wild creatures like snakes, and scorpions. Since the penance continued for many many years Ant Hill was formed on Vidanga Muni and Bairavar.

The Chera country Vaniba Chettiars carries pepper sack bundles for sale to Pandya Country through Kundadam.  They used to stay in this place ( Indhu forest ) Kundadam during the nights. On one day of their stay, Shiva / Vidanga Bairavar in the form of an old man appeared before them and asked for some pepper, since he was not feeling well due to cold and cough.  The Merchant declined and said he was carrying the green gram and not the pepper. The old man, Vidanga Bairavar with a smile on his face, said, let it be and left the place.

The next day morning the merchants continued their journey and reached Pandya Country. They had sold all the pepper sack bundles to the Pandya King. Before staking them in the godown, the King wanted to check the sack bundles. One of the sack bundles was opened and found only the green gram, instead of pepper. The King concluded that the merchant cheated him and decided to give punishment. On hearing the punishment, the merchant realized that the change of Pepper to green gram was Vidanga Bairavar’s play, and prayed to Vidanga Bairavar to pardon him.

To the King’s surprise, Vidanga Bairavar came to the Merchant and identified himself as Vidanga Bairavar, and told him that he only changed the pepper to green gram. The King didn’t believe and told him that if the Merchant was correct, Vindanga Bairavar, make his deaf daughter speak and the handicapped son walk. Vidanga Bairavar satisfied both conditions of the King. The king was happy and asked what he had to do. Vidanga Bairavar asked the King to take him out of the ant hill, construct a temple, and do abhisheka with milk and pepper at Kundadam. The Pandya King constructed a big temple, as per Vidanga Bairavar’s order with 7 Praharas. Since Vidanga Munivar did penance inside the ant hill, Shiva is called Vidangeeswarar (Sri Vidangeeswarar is under the peepal tree).

Shiva Lingam and Vidanga Munivar PC: Website 
Bairavar explains the Leela of Changing pepper to green gram  
PC: Website 
The Pandya King Constructed the Temple 
PC: Website 
PC: Website 
Bairavar Purana PC: Website 

This temple is considered, equivalent to Kashi, hence called as Kongu Kasi. Sri Thirumuruga Kirupananda Variyar once said, that "காசு இருந்தால் காசிக்கு செல்லுங்கள்...காசு இல்லாவிட்டால் குண்டடத்துக்கு வாருங்கள் those has money go to Kashi, if not can come to Kundadam”.  


POOJAS AND CELEBRATIONS
Apart from regular poojas special poojas are conducted on Deipirai Ashtami Days, Tuesdays, etc,. Annual functions are conducted in the months of Masi and Purattasi.

TEMPLE TIMINGS
The temple will be kept open between 07.00 hrs to 13.00 hrs and 17.00 hrs to 20.00 Hrs.

CONTACT DETAILS
The Landline number +91 4258 263301 may be contacted for further details.

HOW TO REACH
The Kongu Vaduganathasamy Temple is at the center of Kundadam and is about 200 meters off from Palladam to Dharapuram main road.
Kundadam is about 16 KM from Dharapuram, 28 KM from Palladam, 36 KM from Tiruppur, 47 KM from Udumalpet, and 65 KM from Coimbatore.
Nearest Railway Station is Udumalpet.

LOCATION OF THE TEMPLE: CLICK HERE

This place Kundadam's story - Connected with Pancha Pandavas 
PC: Web site 
Pattakkarar  (?)

PC: Web site 

Solar and Lunar eclipse


--- OM SHIVAYA NAMA ---
NOTE
Some of the Photos are taken from the Google Website and thanks to the unknown photographers. 

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