Temples of Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry #100: Athmanathaswamy Temple, Avudaiyar Koil or Thiruperunthurai
- Sudharshan
- 7 days ago
- 3 min read
Updated: 1 hour ago
ஆத்மநாதசுவாமி திருக்கோயில், ஆவுடையார் கோயில் அல்லது திருப்பெருந்துறை
Called Thiruperunthurai, Sivapuram and Kokazhi (கோகழி) in ancient times, the Sivan temple here figures very prominently in Tamil Saivite history. It is a very important temple known for its association with the 9th century Tamil Saivite saint Manickavasagar. It is home to great philosophical symbolism as well as intricately beautiful art and architecture.
The temple is believed to have been built by Manickavasagar himself. The young Vathavoorar, as Manickavasagar was known in his youth, was on his way to the coast to buy imported horses for the Pandiyan king, Arimarthana Pandiyan. On the way, he fell under the spell of an old man under a Kurunthai tree here. Manickavasagar was the Chief Minister of the king. The old man was none other than the Lord himself in disguise. In awe of his new found guru, Vathavoorar used all the king's money he had brought with him towards building a temple for Lord Sivan instead of buying horses. When the time came to return with the horses, the Lord himself converted a troop of foxes into a team of horses and brought them to Madurai.
The temple does not have an idol of the Lord or the goddess. In the sanctum sanctorum, there is only an Avudaiyar or pedestal on which the Sivalingam representing the Lord usually sits. The rest is empty space. Like Chidambaram, here too it is symbolic of the formlessness of the Lord. It is we humans who imagine Him in various forms. This is the reason it is called Avudaiyar Koil. Some sources claim that Avudayar Koil is derived from Aludayar Koil or the place where the Lord made Manickavasagar his servant or slave. Manickavasagar refers to himself thus in his works including the Thiruvasagam. The temple does not have a Nandi, Balipeedam or Kodimaram. It is a south facing temple which is unusual for a Sivan temple. It is perhaps because the Lord was the guru of Manickavasagar here and Dakshinamoorthy, the form of Sivan as the great teacher always faces south.
Manickavasagar started composing the Thiruvasagam here, Thus it is celebrated as the birthplace of the Thiruvasagam. It is a temple mentioned many times in the Thiruvasagam and is designated as a Thiruvasagathalam. Manickavasagar's life and contributions are celebrated at this temple and he has a shrine dedicated to him.
Since Manickavasagar's time the temple has been rebuilt and renovated many times. The Pandiyan kings made many contributions it looks like. Inscriptional evidence has been erased due to the frequent rebuilding. Much of the architecture seen today is from the Nayakkan era, The sculptural art here is extremely beautiful and thought to be some of the best in the Tamil country. There are also beautiful murals. The kodungai work here is very intricate and looks like wood, although carved out of granite. When English soldiers first came here, the commanding officer insisted that the kodungai was made of wood and ordered one of his men to shoot at it. He wanted to prove that it was wood and not stone. The hole made by that gunshot is still present and can be seen in one of the photos above. Kodungai are the stone rafters that adorn the roof and overhangs of mandapams that resemble woodwork. There are many other examples of fine stone work including intricately carved pillars and murals illustrating episodes from Tamil Saivite history. At 10 acres, it is a fairly large temple with many mandapams.
Manickavasagar entreats in his Vaazhaapathu of the Thiruvasagam:
பாரொடு விண்ணாய்ப் பரந்த எம்
பரனே பற்றுநான் மற்றிலேன் கண்டாய்
சீரொடு பொலிவாய் சிவபுரத்தரசே
திருப்பெருந்துறையுறை சிவனே
ஆரொடு நோகேன் ஆர்க்கெடுத் துரைக்கேன்
ஆண்டநீ அருளிலை யானால்
வார்கடல் உலகில் வாழ்கிலேன் கண்டாய்
வருகஎன்றருள் புரியாயே.
(Oh Lord who encompasses the earth and the sky, you who are radiant and are the king of Sivapuram, I know no other bond than with thee, the Sivan of Thiruperunthurai. Lord, if you do not bless me, to whom would I tell and to whom would I complain to? I do not want to live on this earth girdled by vast oceans, if you do not bless me. Please come hither and bless me)
The Kurunthai tree is the Sthala Virutcham or temple tree here. The 10 day Aani Thirumanjanam and the Thiruvathirai in December are the major festivals celebrated here.
Given the great importance of the temple in so many ways, it needs better maintenance and management. It is of utmost importance that the art and architecture here is preserved.
The temple is located about 130 km or 3 hours east of Madurai, about 45 km or 1 hour east of Karaikudi and about 50 km or 1 hour southeast of Pudukkottai. We visited in June 2025. We were based at Kanadukathan.
Sources:
Shaivam.com: Thiruvasagam 28. Vaazhapathu
Dinamalar Temples
Census of India 1961. Temples of Tamil Nadu IX Part XI-D Volume 7 Part 1 Page 422
Courtesy Google Maps
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