Amirthakalasanathar Temple, Sakkottai

Amirthakalasanathar Temple, also called Amirthakadeswarar Temple, is a Shiva temple at Sakkottai, near Kumbakonam. Shiva is worshipped here as Amirthakalasanathar, in the form of a lingam, with his consort Parvati as Amirthavalli. The deity is praised in the Tevaram hymns, which makes the temple one of the 276 Paadal Petra Sthalams: the saint-poet Sundarar sang of it in ten verses, collected in the Seventh Tirumurai.

Tradition

According to tradition, the essence of creation arrived at this place in a pot during the great flood. The pot is locally called a kalayam, and the place came to be known as Kalayanallur. The temple is closely associated with Sakya Nayanar, one of the 63 Nayanmar saints of Shaivism, who worshipped Shiva here. Brahma, too, is said to have worshipped Shiva at Sakkottai.

History and architecture

The present stone temple was built under the Cholas in the 9th century, and most of its shrines date from the medieval Cholas. Later additions, including brick halls, are attributed to the Thanjavur Nayaks. The temple has a three-tier gateway tower and a moat both inside and outside its walls.

Inside are the shrines of Amirthakalasanathar and Amirthavalli, smaller shrines to Murugan and Ganesha, a single panel carved with the Saptamatrikas (the seven mother goddesses), and a four-armed Dakshinamurthy holding a rudraksha rosary, fire and palm leaves. The image of Lingodbhava is said to be made of emerald. The temple tank is called Caturveda Tirtha, and the sacred tree is the vanni.

Festivals

The main yearly festivals are Maha Shivaratri and Masi Magam, in the Tamil month of Masi (February–March), and Margazhi Tiruvadhirai, in Margazhi (December–January). Sakkottai is also one of the Saptha Stana temples of Kumbakonam, visited in a palanquin procession. The temple is administered by the Tamil Nadu HR&CE Department.

Mahamaham

It is one of the 12 Shiva temples connected with the Mahamaham festival, held at the Mahamaham tank about once every 12 years. It is one of two of these temples that stand outside Kumbakonam town.