Annamalaiyar Temple – Third Prakaram – Kalyana Mandapam

Annamalaiyar Temple – Third Prakaram – Kalyana Mandapam

There is magnificent wedding hall (Tirukalyanam mandapam) in the south – west corner of the second prakara. This is generally locked and kept open in Panguni for Panguni Uttiram for the celebration of divine marriage of the Lord and Amman and during Karthigai Deepam and Navarathri festivals. This mandapa contains numerous ornate pictures of the Vijayanagara art and a number of beautiful wooden statues. Being the biggest hall, this mandapa may be called one of the magnificent art galleries of Tamil Nadu.

Beautiful pictures have been drawn on the roof of this hall. Navagrahas are drawn with vehicles. The historical narratives of Arunachala Purana, twenty five deities, fighting of an elephant with a lion, deer and tiger, cock fight, goat are drawn wonderfully. An elephant rolling a ball, the movements of a boar, and episodes from Mahabharata such as the removal of the dress of Draupathi and dicing after drinking poison and the figures of Sapta matrikas have been drawn with eternal artistic beauty. In this glorious mandapa, there is a small Vinayaka shrine in the east.

It is here that the Gods are installed during Festival days. It was initially constructed by the Vijayanagar Emperors and later renovated by the Nattukkottai Chettiars.