During
my visit to this Kundadam Kongu Vaduganathasamy Temple, I was prevented 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 I 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 has a Temple tank with a Neerazhi mandapam. A Deepasthambam is in front of the 3-tier Rajagopuram. In the koshtam are 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 Lingam, is under the peepal tree.
ARCHITECTURE
The
temple consists of the sanctum sanctorum, antarala, ardha mandapam, and an 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
have kalasam, kudam, palakai, and pothyal. The prastaram consists of valapi and 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.
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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 were 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, 1995, and 2008. Now the temple
is preparing for the Kumbhabhishekam in 2024.
Kongu
Chozha Virarajendra’s 11+1 reign year inscription on the north wall of the
central shrine records the gift of one acchu of gold by the maņaikkilatti of
the Kudimichohi caste for a twilight lamp to the god.
Kongu Chozha Veirarajendra’s (24th) reign year damaged and
incomplete inscription on the east wall of the sanctum sanctorum records a gift
of gold for a lamp to the god by one Ko-Kandara Paliavarayon, captain of a
thousand foot-soldiers stationed at Pulambara…. …. kkottai.
Kongu Chozha Thiribhuvana Chakravarthi Virarajendra’s 15th reign year inscription on the east wall of the central shrine records a deposit of gold for a lamp to the god, Tirunilaialagiya-pillaiyar by a resident of Kurundakku-Jattu-karat in Kalavali-nadu, in [Pandi]-mandalam.
Kongu Chozha Thiribhuvana Chakravarthi Virarajendra’s 15th reign-year inscription on the east wall of the central shrine, begun in, records a gift of gold to a certain Brahman for burning a twilight lamp to the god.
Kongu Chozha Veirarajendra’s reign-year damaged and incomplete inscription on the east wall of the sanctum sanctorum records a gift of gold for a lamp to the god by Sattan-Sridevi, a member of the Malayakatti caste.
Kongu Chozha Veirarajendra’s mutilated inscription on the east wall of the sanctum sanctorum records a gift of gold by …….. solavaraiyan, a captain of 1,000 soldiers, for a twilight lamp to the god.
Kongu Chozha Veirarajendra’s (29)+5 reign year inscription on the east wall of the sanctum sanctorum records a gift of gold for a lamp to the god by an ascetic (vayiragi) of Virasolan-brumadaivilagam in Rajavich-chadirapuram in Naraiyanur-nadu.
Kongu Chozha Veirarajendra’s 44th reign year inscription on the east wall of the sanctum sanctorum records a gift of gold by Ulugaivalamvandan to certain temple priests for burning a lamp to the god.
Damaged inscription on the east wall of the sanctum sanctorum seems to record a gift of gold for providing oil for anointing the god on Wednesdays.
Kongu Chozha Thiribhuvana Chakravarthi Virarajendra’s (45th) reign year inscription on the east wall of the central shrine, Damaged. Seems to record a gift of gold for a twilight lamp to the god by one Nityakalyanan, a resident of Kodai-mangalam.
Kongu Pandya Vira Pandyadeva’s 11th reign year inscription on the west wall of the temple, inside the store room, built in at the beginning, records a gift of gold by a member of the Vellala caste for lamps to Vaduga-Pillaiyar and to god Avudailyar Konga-Vitańkatiu-avudaiyar.
Kongu Pandya Vira Pandyadeva’s (15+5)th reign year inscription on the door jamb of the sanctum sanctorum records the order of the assembly of Kundodam to set apart for the requirements of worship and repairs to the temple of Vadugapillaiyar, a certain percentage of the profits on the sales of woven cloth, yarn, salt, etc.
Kongu Chozha Virarajendra’s 6th reign year inscription on the right door jamb of the first entrance post of the Amirthakadeswara shrine of the same temple records that the maha-mandapa of the temple was the charitable gift of the Vaniyars of Kundodam.
Kongu Chozha ….. nga Choladeva’s 6th reign year inscription on the door jamb of the first entrance into the temple, left side of the Amirthakadeswara shrine of the same temple, much damaged. Mentions the name of Irungolan.
Kongu Chozha Kokkalimurkha Vikrama Choladeva 42nd reign year inscription on the base of the pillar in the maha mandapa of the same temple is incomplete.
Kongu Pandya Sundara Pandyadeva’s 24th reign year inscription on the door jamb of the first entrance into the temple, right side, records that the doorposts of the mandaps were erected by certain Vaniyars of Kundodam and that a lamp was also agreed to be burnt by them there.
Kongu
Pandya Vira Pandyadeva’s 15th reign year inscription on the door
jamb of the first entrance into the temple, left side, is damaged.
Kongu Chola
Virarajendra’s 11th reign year inscription on a lion pillar in the
tank in front of the temple states that the lion-pillar was erected by one
Virasola-Irungoļan alias Perumal Perumal, the headman (urali) of
Kodikkaraittolu
Reference
Annual
Report on south Indian epigraphy, Year 1920
Vaduga Bairavar
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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 carry pepper sack bundles for sale to the 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 a 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 morning, the merchants continued their journey and reached Pandya Country.
They had sold all the pepper sack bundles to the Pandya King. Before stacking them
in the godown, the King wanted to check the sack bundles. One of the sack
bundles was opened and found to contain only green gram, instead of pepper. The King concluded
that the merchant had cheated him and decided to punish him. 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 had only changed the pepper to green
gram. The King didn’t believe him and told him that if the Merchant was correct, Vidanga Bairavar should 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 anthill, 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 anthill, Shiva is called Vidangeeswarar (Sri Vidangeeswarar is under
the peepal tree).
Shiva Lingam and Vidanga Munivar
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The Pandya King Constructed the Temple
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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 theipirai Ashtami Days,
Tuesdays, etc. Annual functions are conducted in the months of Masi and
Purattasi.
TEMPLE TIMINGS
The
temple will be kept open from 07.00 hrs to 13.00 hrs, and from 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 the 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.
The nearest
Railway Station is Udumalpet.
LOCATION OF THE TEMPLE: CLICK HERE
This place is Kundadam's story - Connected with the Pancha Pandavas
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OM SHIVAYA NAMA ---
NOTE
Some of the Photos are taken from the Google Website, and thanks to the unknown photographers.
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