Arittapatti Shiva Cave Temple, Madurai

Address

Arittapatti Shiva Cave Temple, Arittapatti, Madurai District- 625106

Diety

Shiva

Introduction

Laguleesar Cave Temple is an ancient cave temple dedicated to Lord Shiva located at Arittapatti near Melur in Madurai District of Tamilnadu. Arittapatti is also called as Kalinjamalai and Thiruppinaiyanmalai. This rock-cut Siva temple is now under the protection of the ASI but it is still used for worship by the locals and is called Idaichchi Mandapam. This Temple is situated at the outskirts of Arittapatti. The Siva temple is a fine example of the early Pandya rock-cut temple architecture. There are rectangular wall niches on either side of the sanctum entrance. Dvarapalas sculptures, embraced by Brahmakanta pilasters are seen in these wall niches. These Dvarapalas may be the later added structures.

Puranic Significance

Lakulisa was born in Gujarat, and when a little boy, was struck by illness and given up as dead. He was taken to the Ghats to be cremated, when he is supposed to have “come back to life”. He asked the people to leave him, and grew up in the Ghats, with special mystical and spiritual powers. His name could mean “Na-Kula-Isa” – a god with no Kula/ancestry. The popular meaning is that it stands for the lord with the club. Lakulisa then grows up to become the proponent of the Pasupatha dharma, a strongly ascetic, Saivite way of life. He had four main disciples – Kushika, Gargya, Maitreya and Kaurusha. His disciples spread their dharma across ancient India. This Sect is very popular among Nepalis. The presence of this Lakulisa in Arittapatti indicates that his influence had spread so far south – in the 8 th Century AD. The sect had shrunk and became restricted to Gujarat and the Himalayan region including Nepal by 15th Century AD