Gudalur Nambalakottai Temple, Nilgiris

Address

Gudalur Nambalakottai Temple, Nilgiris

Kiloor Rd, Gudalur Town,

Nilgiris District,

Tamil Nadu 643211

Moolavar

Lord Betarayasvami

Introduction

• Nambalakottai Temple is dedicated to Betarayasvami (the Lord of the Hunt), situated near Gudalur Town, close to Ooty Hill Station in the Nilgiris District, Tamil Nadu.
• This temple is one of the ancient shrines in the Nilgiris District and holds significant cultural and religious value for the Mandadan Chettis community.
• Gudalur is well connected by road to Ooty, Coonoor, Kotagiri, and Kerala, with access through buses and private taxis.

Puranic Significance:

• In 1957, Avvai Duraisamy Pillai identified the temple’s location as Umbarkadu from the Sangam period, as described in the Padirruppattu texts. However, this observation was not widely acknowledged by subsequent scholars.
• The theory of identifying Umbarkadu with Anaimalai (in the Coimbatore region) has been questioned due to the lack of supporting evidence, and the Wayanad region (where Nambalakod is situated) is believed to have been a more active zone during the Sangam period.
• The Brahmadeya of 500 villages was granted by Imayavaramban Nedum Cheraladan in Umbarkadu to the poet Kannanar, an important historical detail suggesting the area’s significance.
• It is also believed that Cannanore (now Kannur) on the western coast might have been named after the poet Kannanar, with the Brahmadeya limits extending from Cannanore to Nambalakod.
• Historically, the Nilgiri-Wayanad region was part of the jurisdiction of the Raja of Kottayam, a principality near Cannanore, indicating the strategic importance of the region during various periods.
• The Badaga name for Nambalakod is “Kottebetta”, which refers to a famous fort in Umbarkadu, overrun by Palyanai Selkely Kuttuvan. The fort’s original site is now home to the Betarayasvami Kovil (shrine of the Lord of Hunt), which is sacred to both the Todas and the Mandadan Chettis.
• The shrine complex is maintained by the Janmi of Nilambur, Kerala, and claims to be around 1700 years old, according to astronomical documents from Nilambur.
• Situated at an elevation of 3513 feet above sea level, the location offers a strategic view, overlooking the Nilgiri hills, the Pykara river, and the surrounding vast expanse of territory stretching west towards the coast. This suggests that the area was of military importance in ancient times.

References

https://tamilnadu-favtourism.blogspot.com/2019/03/nambalakottai-temple-gudalur-nilgiris.html

Century/Period

1700 years old.

Nearest Bus Station

Gudalur

Nearest Railway Station

Nilgiris

Nearest Airport

Coimbatore

Location on Map

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