Nambalakottai Temple, Gudalur, Nilgiris
Nambalakottai Temple is a Hindu Temple dedicated to
Tribal God Betarayasvami (Lord of the Hunt) near Gudalur Town near Ooty Hill
Station in Gudalur Taluk in Nilgiris District of Tamilnadu. This Temple is one of the
ancient shrines
in Nilgiris District. This Temple is significant to the cultural ethos,
religious life, and rituals of the Mandadan Chettis.
History
Though Avvai Duraisamy Pillai seemed to have correctly
identified (as early as 1957) this place as Umbarkadu of the Sangam
period (Padirruppattu texts). The seriousness of the suggestion
seems to have been ignored by several later authors on the subject. The
tendency to identify Umbarkadu with Anaimalai in the Coimbatore region (mainly
basing on the words meaning "elephants" and "hills") is not
quite sustainable. There is little evidence to show that Anaimalai would have
been populous place during Sangam period.
On the other hand, Wayanad region wherein is situated
Nambalakod (the present day form of Umbarkadu) appeared to have been a very
active zone. The brahmadeya of 500 villages
endowed by Imayavaramban Nedum Cheraladan in Umbarkadu to poet Kannanar is a
pointer in this regard. Avvai Duraisamy
Pillai further suggests that the present day Cannanore on the western coast was
probably named after poet Kannanar. If this were so, the brahmadeya limits
probably extended from Cannanore to Nambalakod.
A significant link in this connection is that the
Nilgiri – Wayanad even during the British revenue settlement in the 19th
Century had formed part of the jurisdiction of the Raja of Kottayam – a
principality in the vicinity of Cannanore. The Badaga name
for Nambalakod or Numbelahcotah is "Kottebetta". It refers to the
famous fort in Umbarkadu overrun by Palyanai Selkely Kuttuvan.
The original site of the fort, even to the present day,
exists a hoary shrine complex called the Betarayasvami Kovil (shrine of the
"Lord of Hunt") sacred both to the Todas and Mandadan Chettis. The
shrine is maintained by the Janmi of Nilambur in
Kerala. The priest at the shrine complex claimed that according to astronomical
deductions based on documents at Nilambur, the shrine complex is 1700 years old.
The place is situated at about 3513 feet height, above
mean sea level, the military importance of this place in the olden days cannot
be overlooked. With the Nilgiri hills at the backdrop including a view of river
Pykara and the vast expanse of territory running west towards the coast, the
place must have indeed been a strategic one.
Connectivity
The Temple is located at about 50 meters from Nambalakottai
Bus Stop, 3 Kms from Gudalur Bus Stand, 4 Kms from Gudalur, 5 Kms from Srimadurai,
53 Kms from Nilambur Railway Station, 55 Kms from Ooty, 54 Kms from Ooty Bus
Stand, 54 Kms from Ooty Railway Station, 90 Kms from Malappuram, 73 Kms from Coonoor,
83 Kms from Kotagiri, 104 Kms from Mettupalayam Railway Station, 137 Kms from
Coimbatore and 149 Kms from Coimbatore Airport. Gudalur is well connected to
Ooty, Coonoor, Kotagiri and Kerala by Bus and private taxis.
Location