01No more birth
Karu is the womb and ili its absence, and the temple’s name promises release from birth; King Sargunan, the temple says, worshipped here and attained it, so the Lord is Sarguneswarar and the village Sarguneswarapuram. Sarvanga Sundari, beautiful in every limb, stands with four arms in her own shrine; the temple’s katha says she appeared in this form to draw Shiva out of the stillness that followed Sati’s death. Inscriptions of Rajendra Chola and Rajadhiraja II call the place Kulottunga Chola Nallur alias Karuvili Kottittai. In the Yama tirtham outside stands a sculpture of Gangadhara.
The life of this place
- 2017Kumbhabhishekam after renovation.
Visiting
About 22 km from Kumbakonam via Natchiyarkoil and Koonthalur, crossing the Arasalar; Tirunallam is 3 km north.
