Kethandapatti Aravamudhan Perumal Temple

Mel Kudanthai – a temple dedicated to Lord Aravamudhan West of Thiru Kudanthai

The processional Utsava deity of Lord Aravamudhan was presented to the Kethandapatti temple by the Lord of Thiru Kudanthai

Located 6kms North of Jolarpet, off the Jolarpet-Vaniyampadi Railway route is the Aravamudhan Temple in Kethandapatti, a serene village dating back to the 16^th Century AD and to the Nayak rule.

The Story

The village was donated by the Nayak rulers of Thanjavur to Nallaan Raghunatha Chakravarthy of Srimushnam. Following this, a saint from Srimushnam came here to Kethandapatti and performed daily aradhana on the banks of the river Kallaar. In course of time, invoking the blessings of the Lord of 5 Perumal temples, he carved out of the rock sacred foot prints dedicating it to the five Lords- Srirangam, Kanchipuram, Kumbakonam, Srisailam and Ahobilam.

To this day, one finds the rock cut sacred foot prints dedicated to the five Lords on the banks of Kallaar, one km west of the temple just off the Jolarpet-Vaniyampadi railway line.

It was during this period that a temple for one of these five Lords was built dedicated to Varadaraja Perumal and Perundevi Thaayar.

Aravamudhan Idol from Thiru Kudanthai

A couple of centuries later, the now famous Kethandapatti Swami of Lakshmipuram (a village near Kuppam- Chittoor in AP) went with his disciples to the Sarangapani Divya Desam in Thiru Kudanthai and brought a utsava idol of Lord Aravamudhan from there and installed it here at Kethandapatti and introduced year long festivals at this temple.

With this, the temple came to be referred to as the Aravamudhan temple of Kethandapatti. Similar to the divya desam at Thiru Kudanthai, the idol of Komalavalli Thayaar was installed here. Being West of Thiru Kudanthai, this Aravamudhan temple is also referred to as ‘Mel-Kudanthai’.

Grand Avathara Utsavam in Aippasi

Even today, the avathara utsavam of Kethandapatti Swami is celebrated in a grand manner in Aippasi (Moolam) in Srirangam, Kanchipuram, Kumbakonam, Thiruvahindrapuram and at his birth place in Lakshmipuram.

There is a handsome looking Garuda Vahana at this temple.

Festivals

Pavitrotsavam

Margazhi Utsavam – Temple opens at 5am this month

Aadi Pooram

Panguni Uthiram

Ugadi- Moolavar Thirumanjanam

Quick Facts

Moolavar: Varadarajan East Facing Standing Posture

Thaayar  : Perundevi Thaayar

Utsavar   : Aravamudhan

Utsavar Thaayar: Komalavalli Thaayar

Time       : 6am-9am and 5pm-8pm

Contact   : Narasimhan Bhattar/ Sowmya Narayanan Bhattar @ 86082 40944/ 98411 77333

How to reach

 Auto from Jolarpet Railway Station will cost Rs. 120/-. Town bus from Jolarpet will take about 30minutes.