KALAIYAR KOIL

Location The holy temple KALAIYARKOIL is in Sivagangai District. It is 18 K.M east of Sivagangai, 30 K.M west of Devakottai on the Devakottai - Manamadurai Road and 66 K.M south - east of Madurai - Tondi Road



Cause for name of the temple(Place of gathering):

"KALAIYARKOIL" derived its name from the KALEESWARAR temple of the place. "KALAIYAR" is a corruption of the world KALEESWARAN. During the Sangam period, this place was known as "KAANAPPAIR" as is seen from the 21st verse in the PURANANNOORU sung by IYUR MOOLAKIZHAR, a poet of the Sangam period, In the 9th Century A.D. SAINT SUNDARA MOORTY NAYANAR described the presiding deity in his devotional songs as KAALAI. Since then the deity was known as KALAIYAR with the Tamil or suffixed to it denoting respect. The temple came to be known as "KALLAYARKOIL" and later adapted to the place also.



History :

Kalaiyarkoil was the seat of the kings from very early days. King Vengai Marban ruled over this area during Sangam period. It was the strong hold of rulers of Sivangangai. It was also the seat of the freedom fighters like Muthu Vaduga Natha Thevar and Maruthu brothers. On the 25th June 1772, the Companys forces under Col. Joseph Smitt and Cap. Bonjour marched towards Kalaiyarkoil. The second king of Sivagangai, Muthu Vaduga Nalta Thevar (1750 - 1772) and Maruthu brothers defended it bravely. Rajah Muthu Vaduganatha Thevar in anticipation of the English invasion made every possible preparation for defence. But the brave Rajah Muthu Vaduganathar with the many of his soldiers fell dead in the kalaiyarkoil battle. The invading English forces plundered Kalaiyarkoil and collected jewels worth 50,000 pagodas, Kalaiyarkoil temple belongs to Sivagangai Devasthanam.