Arimeya Vinnagaram Sri Kuda Maadu Koothan Perumal Temple, Nagapattinam

Address

Arimeya Vinnagaram Sri Kuda Maadu Koothan Perumal Temple, Ariyameya Vinnagaram, Nangur Post, Nagapattinam District – 609 116.

Deity

Kudamudakoothan Perumal, Amman: Amirthavalli

Introduction

• Location: Thiruarimeya Vinnagaram (also known as Kudamudakoothan Perumal Temple) is located in Thirunangur, a village near Sirkazhi, Tamil Nadu.
• Deity: Vishnu, worshipped as Kudamudakoothan, and his consort Lakshmi, worshipped as Amirtagadavalli.
• Significance:
  • One of the 108 Divyadesams dedicated to Vishnu.
  • Constructed in the Dravidian architectural style.
  • Glorified in the Divya Prabandha, the Azhwar saints’ Tamil canon (6th–9th centuries AD).

Puranic Significance

• The Legend of Sage Udhangar:
  • Sage Udhangar was a disciple of Sage Vaidhar and learned the Vedas under his guidance. Upon completing his education, Udhangar wished to offer Guru dakshina (a gift to the teacher).
  • The wife of Guru Vaidhar demanded that Udhangar bring the earrings of the queen of the land as a gift. Udhangar approached the queen, and she graciously gave him the earrings.
  • On his way back to the gurukula, Udhangar grew hungry and thirsty. He encountered a shepherd carrying a pot on his head. Udhangar asked the shepherd for water, but the shepherd explained that the pot contained cow dung and urine, which even his Guru Vaidhar had once consumed.
  • In his desperation, Udhangar drank the contents of the pot. Meanwhile, a Dakshan (robber) snatched Udhangar’s Kamandalam (a hand bowl carried by sages) along with the earrings and fled. Udhangar chased him, but the robber hid in a hole.
  • The shepherd advised Udhangar to seek help from a horseman passing by. The horseman, who turned out to be Indra, made his horse spit fire, which forced the robber to emerge from the hole and return the earrings.
  • Udhangar thanked the shepherd and horseman before returning to Guru Vaidhar. Guru Vaidhar, with his Gnana Dhrusti (wisdom eye), revealed the divine significance of the events:
    • The shepherd was Lord Vishnu, and the horseman was Indra with Agni, the fire deity.
    • The contents of the pot were nectar, helping Udhangar bear the heat.
  • Udhangar, realizing the divine test, begged Lord Vishnu for His darshan. In response, Lord Vishnu appeared with His pot and granted the darshan as Kudamudakoothan, which means the Lord with the pot.

Beliefs

• Devotees visit the temple to pray for:
  • Prosperous life
  • Relief from enemies
  • Debt burdens

Special Features

• Lord Vishnu’s Posture: Lord Kudamudakoothan blesses devotees in a sitting posture.
• Vimana: The temple’s Vimana (the tower above the sanctum) is called Ucharoorunga Vimanam.
• Additional Shrines: There are shrines dedicated to Azhwars and Lord Sri Rama–Sita in the prakara (corridor around the sanctum).

Festivals

• Vaikasi Visakam: Celebrated in May-June.
• Thai Month Garuda Seva: Celebrated in January-February.

Century/Period/Age

1000 to 2000 years old

Managed By

Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HRCE)

Nearest Bus Station

Nangur

Nearest Railway Station

Sirkazhi

Nearest Airport

Trichy

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