Ammankurichi Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple, Pudukottai

Address

Ammankurichi, Pudukottai district,

Tamil Nadu 622401

Moolavar

Sundareswarar / Chokkanathar

Amman

Meenakshi

Introduction

Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva located in Ammankurichi Village in Ponnamaravathi Taluk in Pudukottai District of Tamil Nadu, India. Presiding deity is called as Sundareswarar / Chokkanathar and Mother is called as Meenakshi. The temple was constructed by Madurai Nayak Dynasty. The Temple is believed to be 500 years old. The temple is one of the protected monuments in Tamil Nadu declared by Archaeological Survey of India. The temple is situated at about 6 Kms from Koppanapatty on Pudukottai to Ponnamaravathi route.

Puranic Significance

This temple is facing towards east with three tiered rajagopuram. There is a mukha mandapam in front of the rajagopuram. There is a pillared mandapam connecting the rajagopuram with the inner prakaram. Balipeedam, Dhwaja Sthambam and Nandi can be found in this mandapam facing towards the sanctum. The pillars of this mandapam have sculptures of Ganesha, Urdhava Thandava Moorthy, Kali, Veerabhadra, Yalis etc. The temple consists of sanctum, ardha mandapam and maha mandapam.

Presiding deity is called as Sundareswarar / Chokkanathar and is facing east. He is housed in the sanctum in the form of Shiva Lingam. Dakshinamoorthy, Vishnu and Durga are the koshta idols located around the sanctum walls. Chandikeswarar shrine can be seen in his usual location. There is a shrine for Subramanya in the inner prakaram. There is a cloistered mandapa in the inner prakaram running around the compound wall. There is a pillared mandapa in the inner prakaram supported by lion capitals.

There is an inscription recording the wages of the temple officials and administration activities of the temple in this mandapam. Mother is called as Meenakshi. She is housed in a separate south facing shrine. Her shrine is situated in the maha mandapam. The pillars in the mandapa have sculptures of Nayak Kings and their queens. There is inscriptional stone slab on the left side of the entrance to the temple. It records the endowments made to this temple by the Nayak Kings.