Koppudai Nayaki Amman Temple, Karaikudi, Sivaganga
Koppudai Nayaki
Amman Temple is located at Karaikudi in Sivagangai District of
Tamilnadu. The murti of Amman is made from Panchaloha. She wears a
crown like burning fire with four arms. The hands hold trident, rope and skull.
One hand is in Abhaya posture. The temple was visited by Adi Shankaracharya and
he is believed to have installed Sri Chakra in the temple. Amman blesses
devotees with prosperity, knowledge and peace.
The
temple of 'Koppudai Nayaki Amman' is situated in the main area of Karaikudi town.
The Koppudai Nayaki in this temple graces here as the presiding deity as well
as processional deity. This is a special feature about the temple. The guardian
deity of the temple is Karuppannna Swami on his vehicle, horse. The Ugra
devadhas are also present facing north. The Koppudai Nayaki Amman gracing on
chakra is believed to have immense power.
Etymology
This
region was once dense with Karai trees. Efforts were taken to clear
the place to create a town for human migration. This is called Kudi-Yetram
in Tamil. As the Karai region was converted for Kudi-Yetram, the
place came to be known as Karaikudi.
Legends
There is
also a village deity (Grama Devatha) story for this place. This temple has
a subsidiary temple in the Senjai Kadu region nearby known as Kattamman
temple. Koppudai Amman is but the younger sister of Kattamman. Koppudai
Amman had no children but Kattamman had seven. When she comes to see the
children of her younger sister, she would bring sweet
preparations. But the younger sister would not allow her to see her
children as Koppudai Amman was issueless and used to keep her children in
hiding. In a fit of rage, Koppudai Amman cursed the children to
become just stones, left the place, reached Karaikudi and became a Goddess,
according to the temple story.
The
Temple
Koppu in
Tamil means branches. The idol of the Goddess is made of Panchaloka – an alloy
of five metals. She is wearing a crown of fire, holding the Trident
in the right upper hand, the right lower promising boons to devotees (Abhaya
Hastha), the left upper hand the rope (Paasam in Tamil) and the left lower a
skull. Acharya Sri Adi Sankara had visited this temple for worshipping Mother
Koppudai Nayaki Amman and had installed the Sri Chakra.
As
Mother is on a Sri Chakra, Her power is immense. While Ugra Devathas (Gods
or Goddesses with furious characteristics) are facing north in temples, She is
facing east in this temple promising education, prosperity and courage. The
other special feature of the temple is that unlike in other temples, custodian
deity Karuppanna Swami appears on a horse vahanam.
The car
for the festival is of a strange construction with palm tree frames joined with
the stems of a special plant called Thaiyilan Kodi. The car-rath
procession starts in the morning of the eighth day of festival, passes through
a canal, and reaches the Kattamman Koil in the evening. The Rath
will be back in the main temple on the 9th day.
As a
canal is on the way of the procession route, a regular sturdy car is not made
as it would be difficult to manage the canal when water level would be more
sometimes to stand the shocks. It requires special skill and
experience to build a Rath of this type using only palm frames and plant stems.
Among
the Shiva temples in the state, only at Chidambaram Nataraja temple, the
presiding deity in the sanctum sanctorum and the procession deity are one and
the same. Next, it is so in Mother Koppudai Amman temple in Karaikudi.
Temple
Opening Time
The temple
is open from 6.00 a.m. to 11.00 a.m. and from 4.00 p.m. to 8.00 p.m.
Festivals
10 day
Sevvai Perum Thiruvizha is grandly celebrated in the temple beginning from last
Tuesday in Chithirai-April-May till the First week of Vaikasi-May-June. Poochoridhal
festival is celebrated in Chithirai on the second Tuesday if there will be four
Tuesdays in the month or on the third Tuesday if there will be five Tuesdays in
the month. Tamil New Year day falling almost on April 14, Purattasi Navarathri
in September-October, Aadi Tuesday in July-August, Margazhi Tiruppalli Yezhutchi
in November-December, Panguni Darabishekam in March-April are the other
festivals observed in the temple. Devotee crowd in the temple would be huge on
Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays.
Prayers
Devotees
pray to Mother Koppudai Nayaki for total cure from various illnesses they
suffer from, for wedding and child boon, for profitable farm yields and
progress in their trades. Performing abishek to mother and offering vastras are
the general commitments by devotees realizing their wish.
Contact
Koppudai
Nayaki Amman Temple,
Karaikudi,
Sivagangai district,
Tamilnadu
- 630001
Phone: 04565-2438861
Mobile: +91 99428 23907
Connectivity
Karaikudi
is 51 km far from Sivaganga, 82 km from Madurai and 90 km from Tiruchi.
Karaikudi is linked with convenient bus facility with almost all major district
capitals. The temple is in the heart of the town and is easily reachable. Buses
are available from various parts of Tamilnadu to Karaikudi. Nearest Railway Station
is located at Karaikudi and Nearest Airport is located at Trichy and Madurai.
