Appakudaththan temple at Koviladi

Appakudaththan temple at Koviladi

APPAKUDATHTHAN TEMPLE, KOVILADI

The appakudathan temple is one of the 5 rangams along the Cauvery, the others being Srirangapatna, Srirangam, Kumbakonam sarangapani temple and Mayiladurai Indaloor temple.    This temple is called the Madhya rangam.   Koviladi is in the southern bank of Kollidam and can be reached from Kallanai dam easily and can also be reached from Anbil via Sengariyur and Poondi.     For both Tiruchirapalli should be the main starting point.   If one goes by a four wheeler, without break at Kallanai, cross the road over the dam and take the route to Koviladi.      Only heavy vehicles cannot pass through this road over the dam.     Those who take the bus should get down at Kallanai, cross the road over the dam and on reaching the other side, proceed on the road behind the Karikal cholan statue, which is the road leading to Koviladi.   The bus stand is nearby and buses from Kallanai to Thirukattupalli via Koviladi, Poondi is to be taken and it is only 10 minutes drive from kallanai.    For those, going via Anbil, the route is Lalgudi, Anbil, Sengariyur and Poondi.  

This is one of the 108 Divya desams and is also called as Thirupernagar.       The Lord is known as Appalaranganathar and Thayar is Kamalavalli.     The perumal is in a lying posture on Adiseshan and with the left hand bless Indra and Chandra and right hand blesses Markendeya Maharishi.    A Saligrama garland adorns him.    Bhoomadevi is seated at his feet.   A little distance away from the right hand is the appakudam, which is fairly large.    The Neivedyam of Appam is offered from this kudam every evening.    In the garbha graha, there is santhanagopalan.   The picture of the urchava murthy is shown above.    Entrance gopuram, dwaja sthamba are shown below.

திருமாலிருன்சோலை மலை என்றேன் என்ன
திருமால் வந்து என் நெஞ்சு நிறைய புகுந்தான்
குறு மா மணி உந்து புனல் பொன்னித் தென்பால்
திருமால் சென்று சேர்விடம் தென் திருப்பேரே   – நம்மாழ்வார்

Appakudathan:

This place also was called Palasavanam once.   Once Durvasa cursed a king called Ubhamanyu.   To redeem from the curse, the King built a palace near this place and fed everyone coming to this place.   Lord Narayana visited this place and partook in the feast.  He asked for more food and specially a kudam of appams.   The king offered a kudam of appams and got rid of the curse.   The lord is hence called as Appakudaththan and the Kudam is seen at a little distance of the right hand of the lord in the garbhagriha.

Srinivasa bhattar who is performing the pooja in this temple is very cooperative and said the problem of reaching this place gets solved with the new brige on kollidam between Poondi and sengariyur (See Anbil visits post) and people can see both Koviladi and Anbil Vadivazhagiya Perumal on the same day easily.

Yes true.  Those who go by four wheeler no problem at all and those who take a bus now it is connected through the new bridge to see both temples on same day.