Kalaiyar Kovil

Kalaiyar Kovil is a Town and a Panchayat Union in Sivaganga District, Tamil Nadu, India. Kalayarkoil is a Taluk in Sivaganga District of Tamil Nadu State, India. It is located 18 km east from District headquarters Sivaganga.466 km from State capital Chennai.

Location
The famous sorna Kaleeswara temple is in kalayarkoil, Sivaganga District, 18 km east of Sivagangai.NH-85 thondi- madurai-cochin National Highways connects kalayarkoil with other major towns.SH 29 connects kalaiyarkoil with paramakudi, Ilayangudi,karaikudi.

Industry
National Textile Corporation has Mill in the town its was also Known as Kaleeswara mills B unit.majority of people dependent on agriculture. Now service sector growing rapidly in kalayarkoil town.

Tourism
Major tourism attraction was the kalayarkoil temple and King Periya Maruthupandiyar Temple opposite to it.Among the nearest important places, Kollangudi kali Temple is one of prominent Hindu shaktam worship shrine.

Transport
Kalaiyarkoil well connected with major towns through Buses.Direct bus to trichy,madurai,sivaganga,karaikudi,tanjore,kumbakonam,paramakudi,pattukottai is available.Nearest airport is Madurai Airport (63 km).Nearest Railway station Sivaganga railway station 18 km and kallal railway station 16 km

Geography
Kalayarkoil has an average elevation of 94 metres (308 feet). The town has a tropical wet and dry climate. The maximum temperature during summer is 37 °C or 98.6 °F and during winter it is 28 °C or 82.4 °F. The minimum temperature varies from 23.9 to 27.8 °C (75.0 to 82.0 °F). The seasonal climate conditions are moderate and the weather is uniformly salubrious. The town gets the majority of its rainfall during the north east monsoon period. The average annual rainfall is 931 millimetres or 36.65 inches.

Name of temple
Kalaiyar Kovil  derived its name from the kaleeswarar Temple the place. Kalaiyar is a corruption of the word Kaleeswaran. During the Sangam period, this place was known as Kaanapair as can be seen from the 21st verse in the purananooru sung by Iyur moolakizhar, a poet of the Sangam period. In the ninth century A.D. Saint Sundara moorthy nayanar described the presiding deity in his devotional songs as Kaalai. Since then the deity was known as Kalaiyar, with the Tamil sufix yar added to it denoting respect. The temple came to be known as Kalaiyar Kovil and this was later adapted to the place also. It is one of the shrines of the 275 Paadal Petra Sthalams.

Temple structure
A lofty Rajagopuram (150 feet) and an imposing Teppakkulam tank (with a mandapam) named Aanai madu adorn this shrine. Airavatam the elephant of Indra is said to have created this tank. There are three shrines in this temple associated with the three functions of creation, preservation and completion. Maruthu Pandiyars built a big wall like a place around the temple to safe guard the temple but it was demolished by the Britishers during the war, Colonel James Welsh wrote all the details and drawing of the castle in his book Military Reminiscences 2. The presiding deity Lord shiva is called as Kaaleeshwarar, Someshwarar, Sundareshwarar and the Ambal his consort mother Parvati is called as Swarnambikai, Soundara Nayaki, Meenakshi. Additional to that there are three separate shrines for both the male and female deities of famous Shiva temples in a mandapam outside the shrine.

Seat of kings
Kalaiyarkoil was the seat of the kings from very early days. King Vengai Marban ruled over this area Sangam period It was the stronghold of rulers of Sivangangai. It was also the seat of the sivaganga rulers like Muthu Vatuka Natha Thevar and Maruthu brothers.

Legend
KaliDevi fought against chandasuran at kalayarkovil. She prayed the kaleeswarar lingam and joined hands with saptha mathargal and won the battle. That is why the place is named as kalipuram.

dhakshinakalaipuram,jothiwanam,mandharavanam,mokshapradam,kaandhaaram,dhavasthikaram,vedhaaruvanam,bhoologakailaayam,makaakaalapuram, akashathiyapuram are other names of the kalayarkoil

History
700 years old. The three lingathrumenis are separate sanctums and the three Shivalayams are composed of parivar sculptural sila murthas with rising thirumenis in Agama style. Here Shiva, Amman, Surya, Chandra, Murugan and Sandikeswarar are all three. A view of Sundarar in the shape of a bull, swinging in Tirumudi with gold in hand. Cursed by Nandi - Airavatam was solved by Niradi. Agathiyar, Ashtatik Balars and Thirumals passed through. Somesara- Worshiped by Brahma, Chandra and Kubera. Consecrated by Sundareswarar- Varaguna Pandyan. Kaliswarar- Special Swayambu Thirumeni for Umadevi. Here there is a Varuna Lingam anointed by Varuna. Kalipuri is worshiped by Goddess Kali. Idapapuri due to the worship of Taurus. Ganapuri because of Mahakalar-Srigaruparswami worship .A dense area of deodar trees - Deodaruvanam. 3 shrines. Proverb- To find a bull - to destroy some - to suffer from a choker. The Maruthu Pandyas surrendered to the British to protect the temple tower. Suvarnavalli turned black and worshiped Kali Kalisuvara after Bandasura Vatam. The place where Tirunavukkarasar was shown in the form of a bull. Sundarar, Gnanasambandhar - the place where the song was written. Vaikasi festival for Somesaru, Aadiperuvizha for Kalainathar, Navratri-Sangabhishekam, Tiruvadhirai-Thaibhusaperuvizha. On the north corner of the big banyan tree is a goddess walking on a sword with a thirukula.

The fort of Khanap Barreil has a deep moat, a sky-high wall, nyails that lurk in the sky like fishes and attack the enemy, dark forests around which the sun cannot penetrate, and chitturs where valiant citizens live.

Thirukanapper Udayan, a small land king, came in the 13th century under the rule of Tribhuvana Emperor Maravarman Sundara Pandya with this town as his capital.

On 25 June 1772, the Company forces under Col. Joseph Smitt and Cap. Bonjour marched towards Kalayar Kovil. The second king of Sivaganga, Muthu Vaduga Natha Thevar (1750–1772) and the fourth king of sivaganga Maruthu brothers defended it. Rajah Muthu Vaduganatha Thevar in anticipation of the English invasion made preparations for defence. But Rajah Muthu Vaduganatha Thevar with many of his soldiers died in the kalaiyarkoil battle. The invading English forces plundered Kalaiyarkoil and collected jewels worth 50,000 pagodas. A statue of the Fourth King of sivaganga Maruthu Pandiyar and their chief commander Udhaya Perumal Gounder who died in the war is also installed in the temple premises. Kalaiyarkoil temple belongs to THNRCE Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department.

Festivals
Kaaleesar's festival is celebrated in the month of Thai where the car festival is observed during the Poosam. Someswarar's Bhrammotsavam is celebrated in the Tamil month of Vaikasi. the float festival also happens then. Aadi Pooram is celebrated for Swarnavalli amman.

Maruthu Pandiyar Gurupoojai is celebrated every year on October 27 as an honour for the Fourth king of Sivaganga Maruthu Pandiyars. People from various parts visit kalayarkovil by cars, buses and bikes to get dharshan from god maruthiruvars.