Kutralanathar Temple

Getting there

• By air

  Vagaikulam airport in Thoothukudi district is the nearest, about 120 km away.

• By train

  Tenkasi railway station is about 15 km away by road.

• By road

  Buses run from Tirunelveli to Tenkasi, and from there on to Courtallam.

Why devotees come here

Kutralanathar Temple stands at the foot of a hill in Courtallam, a panchayat town in the Western Ghats of Tenkasi district. It is dedicated to Kutralanatha, a form of Shiva, and is one of the shrines of the 275 Paadal Petra Sthalams.

The temple is the location of Chitra Sabha, one of the five sabhas of Nataraja, another form of Shiva. Legend says sage Agastiyar converted an idol of Vishnu into a Shivalinga here. Courtallam lies in the Agasthiamalai range, the mountain named after that sage, who is believed to have lived in the area.

Worship at the temple has been practised since the Sangam period. A Devaram hymn by Saint Thirugnana Sambanthar, ascribed to the seventh century, refers to it. Parakirama Pandiyan (1422 to 1483 AD) started the work on Chitra Sabha.

The temple at the foot of the hill is conch-shaped, and a conch has special significance in Hindu tradition. Chitra Sabha has a copper-plate roof, and its interior is painted with natural dyes made from herbs. The temple has five temple cars, which it counts as its speciality.

Festivals

• Special festival of the templeChithrai Vishu and Aippasi Vishu

  Two of the temple's special festivals.

• Special festival of the templeMargazhi Thiruvathirai and Theppa Thirunal

  Also special festivals. Festivals here begin only after the pooja for Shenbaga Devi Amman on a mountain five km away.

Tips for your visit

• Shenbagadevi Amman temple, also in Courtallam, stands on a mountain five km away from this temple.
• Buses from Chennai, via Trichy, Madurai, Rajapalayam and Tenkasi, stop at Courtallam near Tenkasi town.

Questions people ask