Appakkudathaan Perumal Temple

Getting there

• By air

  Tiruchirappalli International Airport (TRZ) serves the city, 5 km from the city centre.

• By road

  Take the Tiruchi, Kallanai, Thirukattupalli route to reach Koviladi by road. Buses run every half hour from Tiruchi Central bus stand and Chathiram bus stand.

Why devotees come here

Appakkudathaan Perumal Temple stands on a mound in Koviladi village, on the banks of the Cauvery. It is one of the Divya Desams, and the only one where Appam is offered to the deity every day.

The temple is one of the Divya Desams, the 108 Vishnu temples praised in the Nalayira Divya Prabandham. That collection of hymns was sung by twelve poet saints, the Alvars. The presiding deity is Ranganatha, shown reclining. Hindu legend tells of King Ubhamanyu, who earned the anger of the sage Durvasar and lost all his physical strength. Vishnu's blessings freed the king from the sage's curse.

The temple has inscriptions from the 18th year of the reign of Aditya Chola. The temple authorities have decided to renovate the temple.

The temple is one of five Pancharanga Kshetrams located on the banks of the Cauvery River. It sits on a mound, and its three-tiered rajagopuram faces west. The sanctum is raised on an elevated structure.

Festivals

• PanguniBrahmotsavam

  A 13-day Brahmotsavam is held in Panguni.

• February or MarchTeertha Vari

  Teertha Vari is held at the River Cauvery on the day of Maasi Magam.

Tips for your visit

• Kallanai is a useful landmark on the Cauvery, since the temple lies six kilometres east of it.
• Plan the bus leg around the half-hourly services, since two city stands, Tiruchi Central and Chathiram, serve the route.
• The sanctum is reached by 21 steps.
• Teertha Vari at the River Cauvery falls in February or March, on the day of Maasi Magam.
• Srirangam Ranganathaswamy temple lies upstream on the Cauvery, and this temple is downstream of it, so visitors coming from there travel downstream.

Questions people ask