Kattarimangalam Nataraja Temple, Thoothukudi

Address

Kattarimangalam Nataraja Temple,

Kattarimangalam, Peykulam

Thoothukudi District – 628613.

Moolavar

Sankaralinga Swamy

Amman

Gomathi Amman

Introduction

Peykulam is a village located near Sathankulam in the Thoothukudi district. It is home to the Kattari Mangalam Natarajar Temple (also known as Azhagiya Koothar Temple), one of the five sacred sites associated with the Panchavigraha (five forms) of Lord Nataraja.

Peykulam is situated about 25 kilometers from Nanguneri on the road leading to Sathankulam. The village is well-connected with frequent transport services from Tirunelveli, Sathankulam, Srivaikuntam, and Nazareth.

Puranic Significance

The Kattari Mangalam Natarajar Temple (also known as Azhagiya Koothar Temple) is one of the five sacred shrines associated with the Panchavigraha of Lord Nataraja. It was built by a king named Veera Pandiyan. After completing the construction, he conducted a yagna to install the temple flagpole. During the ritual, Vedic scholars invoked five divine beings and placed them on the flagpole.

When the townspeople carried the flagpole to the temple, the villagers from nearby areas requested, “Let these deities also serve as guardian deities for our villages.” They then took those five deities and installed them in their respective villages as protective deities.

These five deities came to reside in the villages of Kattari Mangalam, Ambalacheri, Puliyankulam, Karungadal, and Peykulam. Peykulam turned from a forest into a settled area because it became the residence of one of these deities.

In the olden days, devotees walking on pilgrimage to Thiruchendur used to travel by foot and rest along the way. As a result, free food shelters (annadhanam chathrams) were set up throughout the route. Several hundred years ago, a Shaivite devotee named Marthandan established a mutt in this region at the foothills of the Podhigai Hills to provide shelter to these pilgrims. The mutt also maintained several cows and thus came to be known as the “Pasu Mutt”.

Later, a Shaivite saint who stayed at this mutt began performing regular worship. Every year, he would go to Sankaran Koil to witness the Aadi Tapasu Darshan. Due to aging, he eventually became unable to travel there. Saddened, he meditated on Lord Sankaralinga Swamy and Goddess Gomathi Amman with deep devotion.

By divine grace, he was granted the Tapasu Darshan of Sankaran Koil while seated in Peykulam itself. Overjoyed, he declared, “Is this not the ‘Chinna Sankaran Koil’ (Little Sankaran Koil) of the South where the Lord gave his vision?” He then prayed to Lord Shiva, requesting that the Lord bless all future devotees at this place just as he was blessed. The Lord agreed and disappeared.

Following this divine event, the Shaivite saint consecrated Lord Swamy and Goddess Amman in this place and initiated the annual Aadi Tapasu festival here, mirroring the one at Sankaran Koil. Devotees who could not travel to Sankaran Koil began to experience the divine vision of Aadi Tapasu here itself and found great joy.

Later, devotees who worshipped at this temple consecrated a small Shiva Lingam, similar to the one at Kashi Vishwanath, in accordance with Shaiva Agama traditions. They properly constructed the temple, installing Sankaralinga Swamy facing east in the sanctum and Gomathi Amman facing south in the arthamandapam.

This mandapam also features Lord Nataraja, Sivakami Amman, the golden idol of Manickavasagar, and Adhikara Nandi. In the first enclosure, there are shrines for Dakshinamurthy, Kanni Vinayagar (Young Ganesha), Subramaniyar with Valli and Deivanai, Chandikeswarar, Saneeswarar, Durga Amman, and Bhairavar.

The temple has a sacred neem tree, under which lies a snake mound and shrine for Lord Sastha (Ayyappa). It is believed that offering milk and fruits to the serpent deities here removes Naga Dosha. The temple’s sacred tree (Sthala Vriksha) is the Bilva tree.