Madukkarai Chellandiamman Temple, Mayanur, Karur

Madukkarai Chellandiamman Temple, Mayanur, Karur

Chellandiamman Temple located at Madukkarai (Mayanur), Krishna Rayapuram taluk, Karur district, Tamil Nadu, India. Cauvery River flows through Mayanur. There is a Thiru Mukkudal i.e, confluence of two rivers Cauvery and Amaravathi near Mayanur. Here the river Cauvery is known as Aganda Cauvery (broad Cauvery) since the width of the river is around 1.5 km.

Chellandiamman temple is located on the southern bank of the confluence point. The temple is surrounded by coconut groves and paddy fields and the Cauvery River flows on the northern side. The goddess ensures that at this point in Cauvery the water flowing throughout the year. The temple draws water from Cauvery for ablution.

This temple is considered to be built 2500 yrs ago by all the 3 kings of the Chera, Chola and Pandya Kingdoms. She is called the Madukkarai Chellandiamman. The king of the Chola Kingdom prayed to the Goddess here to make the Kingdom fertile. So the Goddess here has her head tilted to the north east. She is special towards wedding problem, child birth issues, and property issues. The present construction of the temple is not ancient.

Prime Deity:    Chellandiamman

Thala Virutcham:    Arasu (Peepal) and Neem – Vembu

Theertham:    Cauvery River

Antiquity:    2000 years old

Town / Village:    Madukkarai (Mayanur)

District:    Karur

Taluk:    Krishnarayapuram

State:    Tamil Nadu

Prime Deity

The temple is dedicated to Goddess Parvati (Chellandiamman) and in the sanctum sanctorum the prime deity is appear mounted on her lion. The goddess keeps facing the holy river Cauvery as well as the Chola Nadu.

Guardian Deities

Separate shrines are allocated for the guarding deities (parivara devatas) like Lord Madurai Veeran Lord Kathavarayan and goddess Pechiyamman. Outside the temple (east side) Chandana Karuppar riding a horse is protecting this temple.

Lord Chandana Karuppar (Karupannaswamy) found seated on the horse back and guards the temple from outside the temple premises. Lord Valampuri Vinayakar graces in the prakaram under a Peepal tree (Arasa maram).

From Karuppar shrine there are eighteen steps leading to the holy river. On the banks (near steps) Lord Shiva found seated under the banyan tree.

The Arya Rajan, ruler of the kingdom of Madurai king was the staunch devotee of the goddess Madurai Meenakshi. He wanted to bring the holy water from river Cauvery for ablution of goddess Meenakshi. There is a legend about the construction of the road from Madurai to Madukkarai. The idols of Arya Rajan and his consort queen Chandanathammal are found at the left side of the sanctum of the prime deity.

Legend

The three rulers of ancient Tamil Nadu namely Cheras, Cholas and Pandyas often waged war against each other to establish their rights over territorial boundaries. Since there were frequent wars their strength was getting weakened day by day, they wanted to come to an amicable agreement. They wanted to settle their disputes in the presence of a neutral personality.

They even met a sage for a solution. The sage knew that goddess Parvati was observing penance in a hill located north of Karur and directed them to approach the goddess. The kings with great effort met the goddess Parvati and sought her grace in solving the dispute. Goddess wanted to test their loyalty and directed them to go to Mayanur.

The goddess also appeared before them at Mayanur in guise of a tribal girl. She listened to their territorial disputes and finally gave them a solution. Accordingly the land falling east to Mayanur went to Cholas (Chola Nadu); the land falling west to Mayanur was handed over to Cheras (Chera Nadu); and the land falling south went to Pandyas (Pandya Nadu). The boundaries were indicated clearly.

The three kings accepted the justice rendered by the tribal girl. Soon they realized that the tribal girl rendering justice was only goddess Parvati. They prostrated before the goddess Parvati and prayed her to remain there as the guardian deity. The goddess also agreed to remain at Mayanur in the name of Chellandi Amman and was facing towards east (Chola Nadu). She also instructed Mother Cauvery would take care of their fortune.

It is also learned from the local people that after a long time after establishment of the above temple, The Chera, Chola and Pandya kings again prayed that they wanted the presence of goddess in their kingdom and wanted to construct Chellandiamman temple for her. The Goddess divided herself in to three pieces and the three kings obtained one piece each for the construction of temple.

In Chellandiamman temple at Trichy, Uraiyur (Chola Nadu), only the leg (without body) was consecrated. In Chellathamman temple at Madurai, Simmakkal (Pandya Nadu) her head was consecrated and in Chelliamman temple at Noyyal (place of Noyyal confluence to Cauvery) near Karur (Chera Nadu) her torso is consecrated.

Evidence for Presence of Border Wall

The place was named as Madukkarai (Madhil = Wall + Karai = Border / Territories) since the territories of the kingdoms were earmarked with the construction of the walls. Wikipedia reports about Madukkarai wall as the historic border fortification as 'the stone and earthen fortification with a parallel embankment in central Tamil Nadu. The wall was built during the Pre-Sangam period to demarcate the tri-junction of the Chera, Chola and Pandya.'

According to local people the goddess Chellandiamman presided over the territorial dispute between the kings and rendered justice with construction of wall overnight by her supernatural act. It is also noted that the Karaipottanar River (tributary of the Cauvery River to the north) provides the border between Chera (Kongu) Nadu and Chola Nadu.

An embankment running southwards across the Kulithalai taluk can be considered as the continuation of the boundary. The Chellandiamman temple at Mayanur is the culminating point of the wall. The wall is believed to be extending up to Madurai.

It is also learned that the presence of wall and can notice a straight line from Chellandiamman temple up to Kadavur hills. Though the portions of the walls got destroyed, the mud bank remain intact and at some pockets the relics of six feet wide wall structure can also noticed.

Link with Ponnar Sankar Novel

The temple is linked with the 'Ponnar Sankar', the historical novel penned by Dr.Kalaignar M. Karunanidhi. The author stayed at Mayanur for long duration while writing the novel Ponnar Sankar.

Festivals

Every year during August Adi-18 festival is celebrated in a grand manner by the surrounding villages and the people of Mayanur.

Connectivity
Mayanur is located on "Karur-Trichy" main road (NH-37), 21 km from Karur city and 21 km from Kulithalai. Travel from Trichy 60 km; from Kulithalai 23 km; from Karur 19 km; Nearest Railway station: Mayanur.