Friday, September 9, 2016

Kalipatti Murugan Temple, Mallasamudram, Tiruchengode, Namakkal

Kalipatti Murugan Temple, Mallasamudram, Tiruchengode, Namakkal
Kalipatti Murugan temple, also known as the Sundhara Kandhaswamy Kovil, located in Kalipatti village, Mallasamudram, near Tiruchengode in Namakkal District. It is located at about 25 kms North-East of Tiruchengode and 25 kms South West of Salem. It is one of the seven richest temples in the district.





The temple is backed by significant history and is considered as sacred as Arupadai Veedu Murugan shrines. Here, instead of the Vibhuti (holy ash), devotees are given black ash made of sugarcane. This is supposed to have medicinal properties and supposedly been used for snake bites even, historically.





The temple was founded in the late eighteenth century by Pazhani Kavundar and later (around 1820) was built up by Katteri Lakshmana Kavundar. The hut in which the founder worshipped his kaadi is now the Idumban shrine, a part of the expanded temple complex. It includes the Raja Gopuram and a peacock shrine all enclosed within a compound wall.




The Raja Gopuram was modernized in 1978. There are two temple chariots, Chithra Thaer and Vinayaka Thaer, which are pulled around the temple during festival. The annual Thaipoosam festival in January is very popular and is attended by thousands of pilgrims from the surrounding villages that bear Kaavadi in fulfillment of vows.





The cattle fair held during the festival is one of the biggest in the Kongu country. More than 50,000 heads of cattle are sold and bought in this fair. Entire families from various parts of the district will travel in bullock carts to attend the fair. On these days, large offerings of agricultural produce, money, and jewels are made to the temple.


There are chatrams of pilgrims. The Arya-Vaisya Chathiram is known as Rasipuram Pattabhi Chettiyar Chathiram and conducts special worships at the temple during February.  Murugan temple at Kalipatti is located at about 25 kms from Tiruchengode to Salem route.