Temples of Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry #99: Sornakaaleeswarar Temple, Kalayarkoil

Sudharshan
Oct 11
4 min read

Updated: Nov 1

சொர்ணகாளீசுவர் திருக்கோயில், காளையார் கோயில்

In ancient times this place was named Thirukanapper (திருக்கானப்பேர்) and it is thus referred to in the Sangam period work the Purananooru. Thirugnanasampanthar calls it by that name in the 7th century. In the 8th century, Sundarar, while touring the temples of the region had a dream, where Lord Sivan in the form of a bull, asked him to come to this temple. He addressed the Lord here as the Bull or Kaalai in Tamil. Thus this temple and the town came to be known as Kalayar Koyil. It is pronounced Kaalayaar Koyil or Kovil. It is a Paadal Petra Sthalam glorified in sacred verse in the Thevaram by Sampanthar and Sundarar. Legend also says that an enraged Goddess Kaali regained her usual composure and form here after she was engaged in battle with the demon Chandasuran. Perhaps another reason for the name Kaaleeswarar.

Already an important Sivasthalam in the early 7th century when Sampanthar visited here, it has since been rebuilt over the centuries numerous times. The Pandiyan king Varaguna Pandiyan is mentioned as a king who built this temple. In the 18th century, the Kings of Sivaganga and the Zamindar of Devakottai contributed to its upkeep. The Marudhu Pandiyar brothers are closely associated with this temple. Today the Sivagangai Devasthanam, the charitable trust of the royal house of Sivagangai, the Sivagangai Samasthanam, has an active role in maintaining this temple, although it is controlled by the HR and CE.

This temple figures prominently in the battles that took place during early British rule in the area when the minor rulers of the southern part of the Tamil country banded together and led a rebellion against the British East India Company. On June 25, 1772, British soldiers of the Company under the command of Colonel Joseph Smith and Captain Abraham Bonjour, marched on the temple. Then ruler of Sivaganga, Muthu Vaduga Natha Thevar and the Marudhu brothers defended it. The king was killed in the ensuing Battle of Kalayarkoil and the temple was looted and ransacked. The Marudhu brothers eluded capture and led a prolonged guerilla war against the British, until they were eventually forced to surrender and were executed. The British gave an ultimatum that they would raze the Kalayar Koyil temple to the ground if the Marudhu brothers did not turn themselves in. The Marudhu brothers surrendered rather than risk letting the British destroy their sacred temple. They were hanged to death on October 24, 1801 at nearby Thirupathur and their bodies were left hanging for days as a warning to the local public to never question British authority again. It was an exceptionally ruthless case of British colonial brutality. The followers and family members of the Marudhu brothers were permanently exiled to Penang, Malaya. The temple thus became a symbol of Tamil valour, resistance and devotion to their religion. The tombs of the Marudhu brothers housing their mortal remains are found a few hundred feet in front of the temple where they were buried according to their wishes.

The temple has a unique structure in that there are three shrines in a row where Lord Sivan manifests as a lingam in each sanctum together with his consort. The three Sivan shrines symbolize the three main cosmic functions of the Lord - Creation, Preservation and Destruction. In the middle is the Kaleeswarar. To his right is the Lord as Someswarar. Sundareswarar is to the left. The Amman, Sornambigai has a dedicated shrine of her own further left. There are two rajagopurams fronting onto the street. The taller 9 tier, 155 feet rajagopuram is in front of the Someswarar Sannathi. This was constructed by the Marudhu brothers in the late 18th century. The towers of the Madurai Meenakshi Amman temple are visible from the top of this gopuram. The shorter, 5 tier, 90 feet rajagopuram is in front of the Kaleeswarar shrine and is older. Some claim that it was built by Pandiyan Varagunan in the 7th century, but that is unlikely to be true. Although the temple was in existence in the 7th century, the rajagopuram likely got built during later Pandiyan or Nayakkan rule. The temple has many sub shrines and at 4 acres, it is a fair sized temple. There are a number of theerthams including the Anai Madu or Gajapushkarani which is a large and impressive tank with a beautiful madam in the middle. Legend associates the construction of this vast temple tank with the divine elephant of Lord Indra, the Airavatham. The sthala virutcham or temple tree is the Kokku Mantharai. Statues in honour of king Muthu Vaduga Natha Thevar and the Marudhu Pandiyar brothers are installed in the temple.

The main festival is around Thai Poosam in the Tamil month of Thai and is in honour of Kaleeswarar. The brahmotsavam for Someswarar falls in the Tamil month of Vaikasi. Adi Pooram is celebrated for goddess Sornavalli. The gurupoojai for the Marudhu Pandiyar is celebrated in late October.

It is the 254th Paadal Petra Sthalam and the 10th in the Pandiyan country. Thirugnasampanthar and Sundarar rendered the pathikams here.

Gnanasampanthar extols thus:

பிடியெலாம் பின்செலப்பெருங்கைமா மலர்தழீஇ

விடியலே தடமூழ்கி விதியினால் வழிபடுங்

கடியுலாம் பூம்பொழிற் கானப்பேர் அண்ணல்நின்

அடியலால் அடைசரண் உடையரோ அடியரே

(Here, where the grand tusker with a retinue of female elephants in tow, dips in the temple tank and worships HIm before dawn with flowers, where flowers bloom in abundance, resides the Lord of Kanaper. There is no greater boon for his devotees than to attain sanctuary at his blessed feet here)

Sundarar praises the Lord here thus:

தொண்ட ரடித்தொழலுஞ் சோதி இளம்பிறையுஞ்

சூதன மென்முலையாள் பாகமு மாகிவரும்

புண்டரி கப்பரிசாம் மேனியும் வானவர்கள்

பூச லிடக்கடல்நஞ் சுண்ட கருத்தமருங்

கொண்ட லெனத்திகழுங் கண்டமும் எண்டோ ளுங்

கோல நறுஞ்சடைமேல் வண்ணமுங் கண்குளிரக்

கண்டு தொழப்பெறுவ தென்றுகொ லோஅடியேன்

கார்வயல் சூழ்கானப் பேருறை காளையையே

(With devotees worshipping at his feet, with a bright crescent moon adorning his crown, with the beautiful goddess Uma as part of him, with a body as beautiful as lotus blooms, with a neck stained blue by the poison consumed to save the Devas, the Lord who manifests as the Bull resides at Kanaper surrounded by lush green fields. When would this devotee get the chance to worship Him?)

It is located 64 km or 1 hour and 15 minutes east of Madurai and 36 km or 45 minutes south of Karaikudi. We visited in June 2025. We were based in Kanadukathan.