Kallankuruchi Kaliyuga Varadaraja Perumal

Vanniyars of Udayarpalayam created a Perumal Temple near Ariyalur in the early 18th Century AD that now attracts lakhs of devotees during Brahmotsavam and Puratasi

Kaliyuga Varadaraja Perumal is the Kula Deivam for people from 10nearby villages

Located 6kms East of Ariyalur is the 18^th Century AD over 250years old Kaliyuga Varadaraja Perumal temple, one that was built by the Padaiyaachi Vanniyars of Sithalavadi Village in Udayarpalayam.

The story

Gopalan Padaiyaachi moved to Kadugur village and built several small houses in the place that was until then an uninhabited forest area thus converting it into a vibrant commercial location. Pleased with his efforts, the villagers named this place as ‘Gopalan Kudikadu’.

The story goes that once his son Mangaan took out a herd of cows and found one of the cows missing on his return. Despite extensive search, he failed to locate the pregnant cow, an event that left him dejected back home.

A few days later, he heard an invisible voice directing him to a particular place here in Kallankuruchi where he found the cow with her new born. Pleased with this, he brought home the mother and the new born. A day later he heard the invisible voice again, this time expressing disappointment at not having thanked him for helping locate his lost cow.

When Mangaan Padaiyaachi went back to that place, he found a sacred pillar with the cow’s milk on it and immediately that it was Lord Vishnu who had himself come and helped him the previous day. Mangaan performed abhisheka and erected the sacred pillar with an anjaneya idol at the bottom of sacred pillar. It was an accepted practice in olden days to erect the pillar as the deity when people were short of funds to install an idol.

Kula Deivam - Varadaraja Perumal

From the grains generated, Mangaan Padaiyaachi built the temple here at Kallankuruchi with the sacred pillar as the moolavar deity. While originally, poojas were conducted only on a weekly basis, later the Utsava deity of South Facing Kaliyuga Varadaraja Perumal with Sri Bhoo Devi was installed and a pooja process as per Vaikanasa Agama was created and Bhattars were appointed to perform daily poojas which is now followed diligently at this temple.

Interestingly, only the Vanniyars perform pooja inside the Moolavar Sannidhi, while the Vaishnavite Bhattars perform pooja at the Utsava Sannidhi.

Kaliyuga Varadaraja Perumal is the Kula Deivam for people from 10nearby villages.

Festivals

Brahmotsavam – Rama Navami - Procession during Brahmotsavam is on Silver Vahanas.

Raksha Bandhan

There are two chariots here at this temple- one for the utsava deity and one for Anjaneya. Chariot Festival too attracts huge number of devotees.

During Puratasi Saturdays, devotees throng in lakhs starting from mid night

Every morning, sharp at 7am, there is a milk abhishekam for the Moolavar – the sacred pillar. Every Saturday, there is a Thirumanjanam for the Utsava deity Varadaraja Perumal.

Quick Facts

Moolavar: Sacred Pillar East Facing

Utsavar   : Kaliyuga Varadaraja Perumal South Facing

Time       : 7am-1230pm and 3pm-9pm

                On Saturday, the temple is open from 630am to 9pm without a break

 Contact   : Srinivasa Bhattar @ 94435 15842

How to reach

 Kallankuruchi is 6kms East of Ariyalur Railway station and about 4kms from the bus stand. Regular town buses ply to the temple starting at 4am in the morning. Auto to the temple from Ariyalur bus stand will cost Rs. 150.