IN & AROUND KARAIKUDI
Sri Tiruvengadam Udayan Temple has located at Ariyakudi, Karaikudi. The main God of the temple is Lord Vishnu has known as Tiruvengadam Udayan and Goddess Bhoodevi, Sridevi. In this temple, the Perumal has syambu and Garuda having two lions on his both sides.
Once the Vishnu devotee named Sevukan, Chettiyar lived in this place. Every year, he went to Tirupathi to worship Thirumalai Perumal. Even he became old, he used to go there. During that time, because of his oldness he lost his way. At that time, Lord Perumal appeared before him and told to move west. In that place, he built the temple to Lord Vishnu. Devotees, whose are all unable to go Tirupatti, they can contribute their commitments in this place. This temple has equal to Tirupathi, so this temple has known as Then Tirupathi.
Once the Vishnu devotee named Sevukan, Chettiyar lived in this place. Every year, he went to Tirupathi to worship Thirumalai Perumal. Even he became old, he used to go there. During that time, because of his oldness he lost his way. At that time, Lord Perumal appeared before him and told to move west. In that place, he built the temple to Lord Vishnu. Devotees, whose are all unable to go Tirupatti, they can contribute their commitments in this place. This temple has equal to Tirupathi, so this temple has known as Then Tirupathi.
Kundrakudi
It is situated 10 kms west of Karaikudi, 11 kms east of Thiruppathur. In Tamil, Kundram means hillock and Kudi means village. Lord Subramanya, known as Shanmuganathan, with Six faces facing east, is the presiding deity of the temple located on top of a hillock here. The main festivals are Visakam in May, Kiruthigai in July, Skandhashasti in November, Poosam in February and Uthiram in April.
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PillaiyarpattiVairavanpatti |
It is situated 12 kms west of Karaikudi, 8 kms east of Thiruppathur and 68 kms east of Madurai. The village derives its name, i.e., Pillaiyar village, from the temple. The presiding deity, Karpaga Pillaiyar, is 6 feet high and 5 feet wide. People from all over the world come here every day and large number of pilgrims assembles here during the festival season. Every year during August-September the Ganesh Chathruthi festival is celebrated here with gaiety. |
It is on the Karaikudi-Madurai road, about 15 kms from Karaikudi. A splendid 19th century temple tank is testimony to Dravidian architectural skills. Behind the Nagarathar choultry is the Vairava Theertham, a sacred spring said to have miraculous powers. The temple has 23 bronzes, all dating to the first renovation, and 12 vahanams. The temple also has several striking wall paintings, 37 on the Vairava Puranam and 43 on the Ramayana. There are also paintings of scenes from the Mahabharata. The main deities here are Lord Aatkondanathar and Sivapurandevi.
Vettangudi Bird Sanctuary
It is situated near Thiruppathur, about 51 kms from Madurai and 22 kms from Melur. It a natural habitat of winter migratory and residential birds and provides a safe place for roosting, breeding and feeding. There is considerable diversity in their nesting and feeding behaviour. The Vettangudi Bird Sanctuary is situated over 39.9 hectares and it covers the 3 tanks of the Vettangudi, Periyakollukudi and Chinnakollukudi villages in the area of operation.
Sowmia Narayana Perumal Temple - Thirukoshtiyur
It is situated 8 kms from south of Thiruppathur and 24 kms of Sivagangai on the Thirupathur-Sivaganga Road. Thiru means sacred, koshty means assembly and our means place i.e. place of sacred assembly. This place is famous for the Vaishnavite temple. The tower of the temple is 85 feet high, the golden kalasam 5 feet high and circumference is 6.25 feet. Though festivals take place all around the year the main festival held in May every year attracts a large number of Vaishnavite pilgrims and devotees.
Piranmalai
It is situated 24 kms to the north-west of Thiruppathur, 58 kms from Sivagangai and 194 kms from Rameswaram. This place is situated at the bottom of a mountain which is about 2,500 feet in height. There is a Piravar temple and Mosque of Sheik Abdullah. It is a place of pilgrimage for Muslims. There are five peedas in the rock called Pandavas Theerthams. At the feet of the hill there is a fort Marudhu. It is a historic place where one of the seven vallals namely Pari who lived and ruled the area. The Pari Vizha is celebrated every year in this village.
Chettinad Houses
Chettinad-The Land of Heritage & Devotion: It is a place that enchants and enhances the soul. Chettinad is the homeland of the Nattukottai Chettiars called the Nagarathars, a prosperous banking and business community. It is a tourist's paradise with a difference, and one which certainly cannot be missed by the discerning tourist. A stray thundershower adds to the charm of the place, churning up the red soil, and filling up the temple tanks. The palatial mansions, makes Chettinad a place of rare charm, and a must visit destination.
Chettinad, rich in cultural heritage, art and architecture, is well known for its houses that are embellished with marble and Burma teak. The houses have wide inner courtyards and spacious rooms. The grandly and wonderfully embellished houses created reflect the prosperity of the Nagarathar community. The basic design comprises of a "thinnai" which is an enclosed courtyard and this is surrounded by family rooms. The walls are smooth and are made of special plaster. The plaster involves the application of the finely ground mixture of powdered shell, lime, jaggery and spices, including gallnut (myrobalan) to walls. This technique keeps the interior of the house cool during the hot and humid Indian summers and lasts a lifetime. The architectural structure of a typical Chettiar home is a study in how a human dwelling can be constructed in harmony with nature. High ceilings, airy and well ventilated, the house has one courtyard near the entrance leads to the imposing main door, usually made of wood with extraordinarily intricate carvings of mythological figures. The thinnai is a long narrow raised platform that serves as a meeting place and also as a kind of accomodation for travellers and visitors. The inner courtyard has special significance. It is lined with classically beautiful pillars made out of granite or teakwood. The courtyard serves as the venue for the many ceremonies that the community performs from births to weddings to death. Chettinad is also well known for its mouth-watering delicacies. |
Thirumayam Rock Fort
Sethupati Vijaya Raghunatha Tevan (1673-1708) of Ramanathapuram, popularly known as Kilavan Sethupati, built this fortification on and around the small hillock at Thirumayam in Pudukkottai district. The fort later came under the control of Tondaiman rulers of Pudukkottai. It has a main gateway on the east in the lowermost wall with shrines for guardian deities like Ganesa, Hanuman and Bhairava. There is a moat around the lower wall. On the top of the rock is bastion with cannon of British origin. The construction of the fort is of inferior quality as small blocks of stones were used along with bricks for the crenulations of the fortification. However, on the other side of the rock are located three rock-cut temples, two of them dedicated to Siva and the third to Vishnu, which are historically and religiously more important.