Welcome to Ariyakudi Tiruvengadamudayan Temple

A marvelous temple of the Seventeenth Century for Lord Srinivasa. Ariyakkudi is a small hamlet in the prestigious Chettinadu Zone of the Sivagangai District in the state of Tamilnadu in southern most part of India. When you travel from Karaikudi to another town Devakottai you come across a tall tower gopuram of this temple dedicated to lord Srinivasa called by the name of Thiruvenkadamudaiyan also. Thiruvenkadamudaiyan means The Lord Who has Thiruppathy Thirumala as His abode.

Stlavarlaru- The Holy history

This place of worship fondly called the Southern Thiruppathy is the abode of Lord Srinivasa. It is said to be built 400 years ago by a saivite devotee under the command and guidance of the Lord Himself.

The Finder and Founder – Sevugan Chettiar

A saivaite by name Sevugan Chettiar was an ardent devotee of Lord Ventakateswara of Thiruppathy Thirumala. He used to keep a kalasam a metal pot at his home in Ariaykkudi to collect donations from the public for Lord Ventakateswara . He carried this kalasam every year and travelled on foot to Thirumala to pay this and worship the lord. He used to take with him a helper. This was going on for many years. He did not stop this worship even in his old age. The story goes, that in one such journey he almost reached a hill top but could not mount it due to his old age. He fainted and fell down. Then Lord Venkateswara appeared in his dream and told him to build a temple for Him in his own village and continue his worship. The devotee begged to the Lord in dream how a poor man like him can build a huge temple and how at all he can find a place for the sanctum sanctorum. The Lord in dream showed the exact spot and place for His own abode and in this very spot showed by Him the temple stands today majestically in Ariyakkudi. The nagarathar devotee collected huge sum and erected the temple and conducted the sacred consecration.

The Beautiful Edifice

The temple has two separate towers one called Raja Gopuram and the other called Rishi Gopuram. Besides this there are six small towers also for various gods and goddesses. The temple has various deities installed from the very inception. Alarmel Mangai Thayar (The Divine Mother Alamelu), Karudazhvar (the sacred bird- Vishnu’s flight career) Andal (the pious woman of Srivilliputhur), Ramanujar (The sacred saint ). The ten avatars (birth incarnations) are inscribed in ten pillars of a mantap. Sorgavasal the sacred gate leading to swarga the heaven is beautifully built with exquisite wooden carving roof. The Garuda in a corner on the northern outer ring wall in a ready-to-fly mood is known for His ready redressel of faithful prayers. He is aptly called moolai Garudan. As history goes the utsav moorthy the idol taken on procession and the sadari the brass sacred feet used to bless the devotees by placing it on their head, were donated by the Thirumala Temple of Thiruppathy.

Consecrations

Renovation was done in the year 1999 after a lapse of almost 97 long years. Now a Renovation Committee consisting of local eminent persons like Engineer S.Nachiappan, Chairman and Managing Director of Sanasia Associates Pte Ltd Singapore was formed under the dynamic leadership of Dr.Justice AR.Lakshmanan, the Former Judge Supreme Court of India and Former Chairman of Law Commission of India. The Committee left no stone unturned did a wonderful job of renovating the temple nook and corner. Wide repairs and renovations were done to all the areas and mantaps , extensive renovation to all the towers and painting all over the place, the sacred tank was deepened and a bore-well sunk, a new annathana mantap a dining hall erected.