Pariyur is a

panchayat village Gram Panchayat () is a basic village-governing institute in Indian villages. It is a democratic structure at the grass-roots level in India. It is a political institute, acting as cabinet of the village. The Gram Sabha work as the general bod ...

located near

Gobichettipalayam Gobichettipalayam () is the Selection grade municipality in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is the administrative headquarters of Gobichettipalayam taluk. It is situated at the center of the South Indian Peninsula, from the district hea ...

in Erode District of

Tamil Nadu Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is a state in southern India. It is the tenth largest Indian state by area and the sixth largest by population. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu is the home of the Tamil people, whose Tamil language ...

state, India. It is located about 3 km from

on the way to Anthiyur via Savandapur. It is a religious center with many famous temples including the Pariyur Kondathu Kaliamman temple.

History

The history of the

temple A temple (from the Latin ) is a building reserved for spiritual rituals and activities such as prayer and sacrifice. Religions which erect temples include Christianity (whose temples are typically called churches), Hinduism (whose temples ...

dates centuries back. The temple is considered to be more than 1500 years old. The name Pariyur literally came from 'Pari' 'oor' meaning, 'place ruled by Pari'.

Vēl Pāri Vēḷ Pari was a ruler of Vēḷir lineage, who ruled ''Parambu nādu'' and surrounding regions in ancient Tamilakam towards the end of the Sangam era. The name is often used to describe the most famous amongst them, who was the patron and frie ...

was a great

king King is the title given to a male monarch in a variety of contexts. The female equivalent is queen, which title is also given to the consort of a king. *In the context of prehistory, antiquity and contemporary indigenous peoples, the tit ...

who is considered in

Tamil Tamil may refer to: * Tamils, an ethnic group native to India and some other parts of Asia **Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka also called ilankai tamils **Tamil Malaysians, Tamil people native to Malaysia * Tamil language, nativ ...

literature as one of the Kadai ēzhu vallal (literally meaning, the last of the seven great patrons). Arulmigu Kondathu Kaliamman is a powerful Goddess who was the deity responsible for the prosperity of the country ruled by Pari.

Temples

Kondathu Kaliamman Temple

Pariyur Kondathu Kaliamman Temple is situated in Pariyur, about 3 km from Gobichettipalayam, where a 'Fire Walking Ceremony' (Kundam) is held during January every year. The annual

Temple Car Temple cars are chariots that are used to carry representations of Hindu gods. The car is usually used on festival days, when many people pull the cart. The size of the largest temple cars inspired the Anglo-Indian term Juggernaut (from Jaga ...

festival is celebrated here with grandeur, and the temple attracts a large gathering from the surrounding places all the time. Around 1500 years old, the inner sanctum of the temple is made of black marble. The presiding deity of the temple is Kaliamman for whom the temple is named. She is considered an aspect of the mother Goddess Parvathi, consort of Lord Siva. Many other God and Goddess statues are also present, one of which is the protector God, Maha Muniappan, who blesses couples with children and chases fear away from the minds of the people. There are other shrines dedicated to

Ganesha Ganesha ( sa, गणेश, ), also known as Ganapati, Vinayaka, and Pillaiyar, is one of the best-known and most worshipped Deva_(Hinduism), deities in the Hindu deities, Hindu pantheon and is the Supreme God in Ganapatya sect. His image is ...

, and shrines of Saptha Kannigai, Ponkaliamman,

Brahma Brahma ( sa, ब्रह्मा, Brahmā) is a Hindu god, referred to as "the Creator" within the Trimurti, the trinity of supreme divinity that includes Vishnu, and Shiva.Jan Gonda (1969)The Hindu Trinity Anthropos, Bd 63/64, H 1/2, pp. 21 ...

and other Hindu Gods. The temple has a wedding hall and a golden chariot dedicated to the goddess.

Amarapaneeswarar Temple

Amarapaneeswarar Temple is a temple dedicated to Lord

Shiva Shiva (; sa, शिव, lit=The Auspicious One, Śiva ), also known as Mahadeva (; ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐ, or Hara, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions within Hindu ...

and his consort Soundaranayaki Amman located in Pariyur. The temple itself is built completely of white

marble Marble is a metamorphic rock composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals, most commonly calcite or dolomite. Marble is typically not foliated (layered), although there are exceptions. In geology, the term ''marble'' refers to metamorphose ...

and there are separate shrines dedicated to warlord Karthikeya with his wives Deivayanai and

Valli Vaḷḷi ( ta, வள்ளி) ("Creeper, Sweet potato plant") is a Hindu goddess, and the second consort of the deity Murugan. An incarnation of the goddess Sundaravalli, daughter of Vishnu, Valli is born on earth as the daughter of a chieft ...

known as Anukkai Vinayakar, Nandi, the vehicle of Lord Shiva. There are also shrines dedicated to

Navagraha Navagraha are nine heavenly bodies and deities that influence human life on Earth according to Hinduism and Hindu astrology. The term is derived from ''nava'' ( sa, नव "nine") and ''graha'' ( sa, ग्रह "planet, seizing, laying hold of, ...

Bhairava Bhairava (Sanskrit: भैरव ) or Kala Bhairava is a Shaivite and Vajrayāna deity worshiped by Hindus and Buddhists. In Shaivism, he is a powerful manifestation, or avatar, of Shiva associated with annihilation. In Trika system ''Bhaira ...

, Nayanmars and other Hindu Gods.

Maha Shivaratri Maha Shivaratri ( IAST: Mahāśivarātri) is a Hindu festival celebrated annually in honour of the god Shiva. The name also refers to the night when Shiva performs the heavenly dance called Tandava. In every month of the luni-solar Hindu ...

and Pradhosam is celebrated with much grandeur apart from other festivals of

and

Murugan Kartikeya ( sa, कार्त्तिकेय, Kārttikeya), also known as Skanda, Subrahmanya, Shanmukha (), and Murugan ( ta, முருகன்), is the Hindu god of war. He is the son of Parvati and Shiva, the brother of Ganesha ...

Adinarayanaswamy Temple

Adinarayana Swamy Temple is a temple dedicated to Lord

Vishnu Vishnu ( ; , ), also known as Narayana and Hari, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the supreme being within Vaishnavism, one of the major traditions within contemporary Hinduism. Vishnu is known as "The Preserver" withi ...

located at Pariyur and the chief deity the temple is Adhi Narayana Perumal. He is seen along with his companions Sri Devi and Bhu Devi. The specialty of the temple is that, there is a separate shrine dedicated to Lord

Hanuman Hanuman (; sa, हनुमान, ), also called Anjaneya (), is a Hindu god and a divine '' vanara'' companion of the god Rama. Hanuman is one of the central characters of the Hindu epic ''Ramayana''. He is an ardent devotee of Rama and on ...

. The statues of Sanjeevi Anjaneyar, Veera Anjaneyar and

Alwars The Alvars ( ta, ஆழ்வார், Āḻvār, translit-std=ISO, lit=The Immersed) were the Tamil poet-saints of South India who espoused ''bhakti ''Bhakti'' ( sa, भक्ति) literally means "attachment, participation, fondn ...

are seen inside the main temple complex.

Garuda Garuda (Sanskrit: ; Pāli: ; Vedic Sanskrit: गरुळ Garuḷa) is a Hindu demigod and divine creature mentioned in the Hindu, Buddhist and Jain faiths. He is primarily depicted as the mount (''vahana'') of the Hindu god Vishnu. Garuda ...

Alwar is seen in front of the main sanctum. The main

Gopuram A ''gopuram'' or ''gopura'' ( Tamil: கோபுரம், Malayalam: ഗോപുരം, Kannada: ಗೋಪುರ, Telugu: గోపురం) is a monumental entrance tower, usually ornate, at the entrance of a Hindu temple, in the Sout ...

of the temple depicts the scene of narration of Bhagavad Gita, the holy book of Hindus.

Vaikunta Ekadashi Vaikuntha Ekadashi () is a Hindu occasion and festival. It is primarily observed by Vaishnavas, who regard it to be a special Ekādaśī. It coincides with '' Mokṣadā Ekādaśī'' or Putrada Ekādaśī. It is observed on the 11th lunar d ...

and other festivals of

are celebrated here.

Ankalamman Temple

There is also a small temple dedicated to Sri Ankalamman.

Hill Temples

Balamurugan Temple, Pachaimalai is one of the two old hill temples dedicated to Lord

, while the other is Muthukumaraswamy Temple, Pavalamalai. Both the temples are located within a few miles from the heart of the town. All Saivite, Koumaram and other Hindu festivals are celebrated at the temple, especially

Thai Poosam Thaipusam or Thaipoosam (Tamil: தைப்பூசம், ''taippūcam'' ?), is a festival celebrated by the Hindu Tamil community on the full moon in the Tamil month of ''Thai'' (January/February), usually coinciding with Pushya star, kno ...

Panguni Uthiram Panguni Uthiram (Tamil:பங்குனி உத்திரம்) is a South Indian Hindu festival and day of importance to Tamils. Panguni Uthiram is a famous festival and special to Murugan, Ayyappa, Shiva and Vishnu devotees. It falls ...

and Skanda Sashti. There is a huge statue of Lord Murugan, which can be seen miles away from the temple. Apart from his normal peacock mount, the temple also has a Golden Chariot.

Connectivity

Pariyur is situated on a major highway connecting

and Anthiyur via Savandapur. Bus services are available frequently from

. To get there by road, reach

and travel further 3 km to reach Pariyur. By rail, reach

Erode Erode () is a city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Erode is the seventh largest urban agglomeration in the state, after Chennai, Coimbatore, Madurai, Tiruchirapalli, Tiruppur and Salem. It is also the administrative headquarters of the ...

(40 km) and then travel by road via

or Anthiyur. The nearest airport is Coimbatore, 85 km away. This table gives the distance from major cities:

Wedding ceremonies

Because of cultural and religious importance, people prefer Pariyur for weddings. There is a wedding hall which was constructed newly at a cost of over 60 lakhs.

Filmography

The temple is famous for the films that were shot here. Many Tamil and Malayalam films have been shot in and around the temple.

References

{{Reflist

Sources

*https://web.archive.org/web/20130614095321/http://pariyurkondathukaliamman.org/ *https://web.archive.org/web/20131109105313/http://www.pachaimalai.in/Eng/pariyur.htm *http://temple.dinamalar.com/en/new_en.php?id=773 Villages in Erode district