Kadayam Nitya Kalyani Temple (Vilva Vananatha Swamy Temple) - Thirunelveli

Address

Kadayam Nitya Kalyani Temple (Vilva Vananatha Swamy Temple) – Thirunelveli

Kadayam, Ambasamudram Taluk,

Thirunelveli District, Tamil Nadu — 627 415

Phone: +91 4634 241 484. Mobile: +91 90430 51678 / 94873 32842

Moolavar

Vananatha Swamy / Vilvaranyeswarar.

Amman

Nitya Kalyani

Introduction

The Nitya Kalyani Temple, also known as the Vilva Vananatha Swamy Temple, is located in Kadayam, a village in Thirunelveli District, Tamil Nadu. The temple is famous for its association with the renowned Tamil poet and patriot, Subramanya Bharathiyar, who lived in this village and often visited the temple. Many of his popular poems were written here. The presiding deity of the temple is Vilva Vananatha Swamy (also known as Vilvaranyeswarar), while the goddess is Nitya Kalyani. Theertham (holy water) of the temple is Chakra Theertham, and the Sthala Vriksham (temple tree) is the Vilva tree. Kadayam is located about 55 km from Thirunelveli, with the nearest railway station in Tenkasi and airports in Madurai and Thiruvananthapuram.

Puranic Significance

The history of the Nitya Kalyani Temple is rich in mythology and legend. The Madurai Nayaka kings are credited with constructing the current structure of the temple, based on inscriptions dating back around 1500 years. According to one of these inscriptions, the Parivara deities were installed by Vikrama Pandyan.

Dasaratha’s Prayer: King Dasaratha, the father of Lord Rama, passed through the Bilva forest in Kadayam and discovered a swayambu (self-manifested) Shiva Linga. He prayed for progeny, and his prayers were answered. The Shiva Linga was named Bilva Vana Nathar, later known as Vilvaranyeswarar.
Lord Rama’s Worship: As per the Kapila Purana, Lord Rama bathed in the river near Kadayam and worshiped Shiva to atone for the sin of killing Sambukasura.
Legend of Nitya Kalyani: According to another legend, Brahma performed penance to receive a divine Bilva fruit. He divided the fruit into three pieces and installed them in the Himalayas, Meru Mountain, and Kadayam, where a swayambu Shiva Linga appeared. Goddess Parvati, in her form as Kausi, worshiped Shiva in the forest. To rid herself of her dark complexion after killing demons Sumba and Nisumba, she performed severe penance here, and her complexion turned golden. She was henceforth called Nitya Kalyani.
The Brahmin from Sringeri: Another legend tells of a Brahmin from Sringeri who pacified the Goddess Nitya Kalyani after a series of misfortunes struck the village. His religious rituals helped restore peace.
Anger of the Goddess: In yet another version of the story, the Goddess became angry with the villagers for pursuing material gains over religious duties, causing seven priests to die in succession. In her fury, she threw her “kedayam” (war shield) four miles away, and the villagers moved to that place, which came to be known as Kadayam.

Special Features

The temple is situated in a serene and peaceful location on the outskirts of Kadayam, surrounded by paddy fields. It faces north and does not have a tower. The presiding deity, Vilva Vananatha Swamy, is enshrined in an east-facing shrine. Adjacent to this is the shrine of Nitya Kalyani, which faces south. The temple is renowned for the goddess’s popularity, surpassing that of the presiding deity.

The temple features several other notable aspects:

A flagstaff, Bali peetha, and Nandi are positioned in front of the Shiva Linga shrine.
A small Ganesha idol is located at the entrance of the shrine.
The temple also houses idols of Ganesha, Subramanya, Valli, and Devasena.
The temple has three prakaras, with niches featuring Dhakshinamoorthi, Annamalaiyar, Shanti Durga with eight arms, and Chandikeswara.
An important shrine dedicated to Bharani Peetha, a form of Shiva, is present in the Maha Mandapa, along with Utsava idols of Nataraja and Sivakami.
In the outer prakara, shrines for the Navagraha, Sankara Nayinar (Shiva Linga), and several Nagas are located.

The temple is also known as Sri Kailasam, Kaliyuga Rameesvaramudaiyaar, and Dasaratha Rameesvaramudaiyaar. A small hillock near the temple contains Sarabanga Mamuni Sunai Theertham. The Mani Mandapam houses idols of Nataraja with Sivakami Ammai, as well as other deities like Sri Chandrasekharar, Sri Soundra Nayaki, Sri Dakshina Moorthy, and Somaskanda Murthy.

The temple’s inner prakara contains idols of: