Kalaiyar Kovil

Name of templeKalaiyar Kovil derived its name from the the place. Kalaiyar is a corruption of the word Kaleeswaran. During the Sangam period, this place was known as Kaanapair as can be seen from the 21st verse in the purananooru sung by Iyur moolakizhar, a poet of the Sangam period. In the ninth century A.D. Saint Sundara moorthy nayanar described the presiding deity in his devotional songs as Kaalai. Since then the deity was known as Kalaiyar, with the Tamil sufix yar added to it denoting respect. The temple came to be known as Kalaiyar Kovil and this was later adapted to the place also. It is one of the shrines of the 275 Paadal Petra Sthalams. Temple structureA lofty Rajagopuram (150 feet [46 m]) and an imposing Teppakkulam tank (with a mandapam) named Aanai madu adorn this shrine. Airavatam the elephant of Indra is said to have created this tank. There are three shrines in this temple associated with the three functions of creation, preservation and completion. Maruthu Pandiyars built a big wall like a place around the temple to safe guard the temple but it was demolished by the Britishers during the war, Colonel James Welsh wrote all the details and drawing of the castle in h