Kurundhudaiyar Sastha Temple, Karisulndamangalam,
Thirunelveli
Gurundhudaiyar
Sastha Temple is located at Karisulndamangalam Village near Cheranmahadevi in
Thirunelveli District of Tamilnadu. The local Lord Sastha in a village normally
becomes the Kuladeivam for people who have been residing in that village for
three or four generations. Even today, for most Hindus, the location of their
Lord Sastha temple denotes their native place and native Kuladeivam. Presently,
in many families, as the elders have not educated the younger family members
with regard to the various family traditions, customs, the family Kuladeiva
vazhibadu, etc., there is little or no awareness on these matters.
In
Karisulndamangalam, Lord Sastha showers his benign presence from his abode
consecrated at the entrance overlooking the village atop a big rocky place in
the middle of farm lands. The Kurundhudaiyar Sastha temple was consecrated
earlier to the Lord Venkatachalapathy temple. It is evidenced by an image of
Lord Sastha carved in a pillar on its northern façade in the Perumal temple.
This pillar is located to the north of the pillar in which Lord Ganesha’s image
has been carved. This Lord Sastha’s image in its appearance, seating style and
Headgear totally resembles the image of Kurundhudaiyar Sastha and so believed
to have been in existence before the Perumal temple was consecrated.
In those
days it was customary to carve the images of Lords of one village temple in another
village temple pillar and vice versa. The village residents faced
difficulty in their daily pooja and darshan of Lord Sastha, since the temple
was on the outskirts of the village. Hence they consecrated a Goddess Poorna
Pushkalamba samedha Lord Sastha on the southern side of the local
Kanagasabhapathy Shiva temple. On every Panguni Uthiram day, the villagers
worshipped the Lord Sastha Murthy consecrated atop the rocky stone in the post-harvest
vacant fields; prayed and gave thanks for the bountiful harvest bestowed upon
them.
The last
Kumbabishekam of the Sastha temple was performed in 1998. Karisulndamangalam is
located at about 3 Kms from Pattamadai, 5 Kms from Cheranmahadevi, 12 Kms from Veeravanallur,
30 Kms from Thirunelveli, 191 Kms from Madurai, 75 Kms from Thoothukudi and 150
Kms from Thiruvananthapuram. From Tirunelveli, buses every 15minutes to
Pathamadai (Ambai / Papanasam) bound buses. Take an auto from Pathamadai to
reach Karisulntha Mangalam( 2kms). Auto will cost Rs. 80 (to and fro). Bus 36D
runs between Tirunelveli and Karisulntha Mangalam. Nearest Railway Station is
located at Cheranmahadevi and Veeravanallur. Nearest Airport is located at
Madurai, Thoothukudi and Thiruvananthapuram.
