- Kalayar Kovil
Kalaiyar Kovil is a place which is situated in
Sivaganga District ,Tamil Nadu ,India which was ruled by theMaruthu Pandiyar . There is a very bigShiva temple, which they built.Kalaiyar Kovil is owned by the family of theRajah of Sivaganga . It is run by their "devasthanam ", and a trust of the "zamindar " family ofDevakottai .Location
The holy temple Kalaiyar kovil is in
Sivaganga District. It is 16 K.M east of Sivagangai, 30 K.M west of Devakottai on theDevakottai - Manamadurai Road and 66 K.M south - east of Madurai - Tondi RoadName cause of the temple
Kalaiyar kovil derived its name from the Kaleeswarar temple of the place. Kalaiyar is a corruption of the word Kaleeswaran. During the Sangam period, this place was known as Kaanapair as is seen from the 21st verse in the
purananooru sung by Iyur moolakizhar, a poet of the Sangam period. In the 9th Century A.D. Saint Sundara moorthy nayanar described the presiding deity in his devotional songs as Kaalai. Since then the deity was known as Kalaiyar with the Tamil or suffixed to it denoting respect. The temple came to be known as Kalaiyar kovil and later adapted to the place also.Seat of kings
Kalaiyarkoil was the seat of the kings from very early days. King Vengai Marban ruled over this area during Sangam period. It was the strong hold of rulers of Sivangangai. It was also the seat of the freedom fighters like Muthu Vaduga Natha Thevar and
Maruthu brothers .History
On 25th June 1772, the Company forces under Col. Joseph Smitt and Cap. Bonjour marched towards
Kalayar Kovil . The second king ofSivaganga , Muthu Vaduga Natha Thevar (1750 - 1772) andMaruthu brothers defended it bravely. Rajah Muthu Vaduganatha Thevar in anticipation of the English invasion made every possible preparation for defence. But the brave Rajah Muthu Vaduganathar with the many of his soldiers fell dead in the kalaiyarkoil battle. The invading English forces plundered Kalaiyarkoil and collected jewels worth 50,000 pagodas. Kalaiyarkoil temple belongs to Sivagangai Devasthanam.See also
*
Maruthu Pandiyar
*Sivaganga
*Hindu temple
*devakottai
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